Second Act

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armies, battle, defense, ezekiel, gog, joel, magog, unwalled

Rev 20:7  And when the thousand years are finished, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,

Rev 20:8  and shall come forth to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

Now we have these passages all over the Old Testament about this day.

Eze 38:1  And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

Eze 38:2  Son of man, set thy face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him,

Eze 38:3  and say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal:

Eze 38:4  and I will turn thee about, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in full armor, a great company with buckler and shield, all of them handling swords;

Eze 38:5  Persia, Cush, and Put with them, all of them with shield and helmet;

Eze 38:6  Gomer, and all his hordes; the house of Togarmah in the uttermost parts of the north, and all his hordes; even many peoples with thee.

Eze 38:7  Be thou prepared, yea, prepare thyself, thou, and all thy companies that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.

Eze 38:8  After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, that is gathered out of many peoples, upon the mountains of Israel, which have been a continual waste; but it is brought forth out of the peoples, and they shall dwell securely, all of them.

Eze 38:9  And thou shalt ascend, thou shalt come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy hordes, and many peoples with thee.

Eze 38:10  Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: It shall come to pass in that day, that things shall come into thy mind, and thou shalt devise an evil device:

Eze 38:11  and thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell securely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates;

Eze 38:12  to take the spoil and to take the prey; to turn thy hand against the waste places that are now inhabited, and against the people that are gathered out of the nations, that have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the middle of the earth.

Eze 38:13  Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take the spoil? hast thou assembled thy company to take the prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take great spoil?

Eze 38:14  Therefore, son of man, prophesy, and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: In that day when my people Israel dwelleth securely, shalt thou not know it?

Eze 38:15  And thou shalt come from thy place out of the uttermost parts of the north, thou, and many peoples with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company and a mighty army;

Eze 38:16  and thou shalt come up against my people Israel, as a cloud to cover the land: it shall come to pass in the latter days, that I will bring thee against my land, that the nations may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.

Eze 38:17  Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Art thou he of whom I spake in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, that prophesied in those days for many years that I would bring thee against them?

Eze 38:18  And it shall come to pass in that day, when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord Jehovah, that my wrath shall come up into my nostrils.

Eze 38:19  For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel;

Eze 38:20  so that the fishes of the sea, and the birds of the heavens, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.

Eze 38:21  And I will call for a sword against him unto all my mountains, saith the Lord Jehovah: every man’s sword shall be against his brother.

Eze 38:22  And with pestilence and with blood will I enter into judgment with him; and I will rain upon him, and upon his hordes, and upon the many peoples that are with him, an overflowing shower, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.

Eze 38:23  And I will magnify myself, and sanctify myself, and I will make myself known in the eyes of many nations; and they shall know that I am Jehovah.

This in so far as I know is also part of it.

Joe 2:1  Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain; let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of Jehovah cometh, for it is nigh at hand;

Joe 2:2  a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, as the dawn spread upon the mountains; a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after them, even to the years of many generations.

Joe 2:3  A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and none hath escaped them.

Joe 2:4  The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so do they run.

Joe 2:5  Like the noise of chariots on the tops of the mountains do they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.

Joe 2:6  At their presence the peoples are in anguish; all faces are waxed pale.

Joe 2:7  They run like mighty men; they climb the wall like men of war; and they march every one on his ways, and they break not their ranks.

Joe 2:8  Neither doth one thrust another; they march every one in his path; and they burst through the weapons, and break not off their course.

Joe 2:9  They leap upon the city; they run upon the wall; they climb up into the houses; they enter in at the windows like a thief.

Joe 2:10  The earth quaketh before them; the heavens tremble; the sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining.

Joe 2:11  And Jehovah uttereth his voice before his army; for his camp is very great; for he is strong that executeth his word; for the day of Jehovah is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?

Amo 5:18  Woe unto you that desire the day of Jehovah! Wherefore would ye have the day of Jehovah? It is darkness, and not light.

Amo 5:19  As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him.

Amo 5:20  Shall not the day of Jehovah be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?

The Ezekiel passage is the best indicator of the play by play that is performed once the Adversary is loosed.

Rev 20:9  And they went up over the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down out of heaven, and devoured them.

Now here is the difference between the first and second battles in Revelation.  Jesus shows up astride His white horse all blood soaked and furious, opens His mouth and they drop like flies.  Jesus doesn’t even bother to show up.  They come at the camp of the saints and the fire falls.  There is but one Beloved City and that is the place wherein God chose to put His name… Jerusalem. Israel by this time is without walls or DEFENSES and DOESN’T NEED THEM.  We the saints are there and when the vast armada comes… that real estate and its inhabitants are DEFENDED FROM ABOVE.

Rev 20:10  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where are also the beast and the false prophet; and they shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Now the Dragon joins the other two.  There will be NO MORE BATTLE and in so far as this book indicates that is an Eternal Fact.

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The Showdown

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armies, beast, Christ, dragon, eternal, fire, God, king, priest, second death, white

Rev 19:11  And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

Rev 19:12  His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.

Rev 19:13  And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

Here you go.  This is the Revelation, this whole book has been penned to house.  In the very first chapter of Revelation we saw this personage.  Rev 1:12  And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;

Rev 1:13  And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

Rev 1:14  His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;

Rev 1:15  And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

Rev 1:16  And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

Compare that to the figure mounted astride and riding forth.  In the first chapter there is the garment and wrapped around the “breast” or pectoral area, I suppose, would be the golden girdle or sash.  Don’t forget this is not just a king but He is also HIGH PRIEST.  Here nineteen chapters and much drama later, He is clothed in a garment “dipped in blood”.  Stop right there.  When we think dipped what do we think?  KitKat bars have this running drama in advertisements about the two factories and that one DIPS and the other CLOAKS and its two entirely different processes?  Either way the cookie wafer portion is COVERED in chocolate.  But what does the Greek think about “dipped”? Well this is surprising.

Strongs # 911 baptō. A primary verb; to whelm, that is, cover wholly with a fluid; in the New Testament only in a qualified or specific sense, that is, (literally) to moisten (a part of one’s person), or (by implication) to stain (as with dye): – dip.

To cover completely to stain…where have we heard this before?  Isaiah 63:1-6.  Isa 63:1 Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, marching in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.

Isa 63:2  Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winevat?

Isa 63:3  I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the peoples there was no man with me: yea, I trod them in mine anger, and trampled them in my wrath; and their lifeblood is sprinkled upon my garments, and I have stained all my raiment.

Isa 63:4  For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.

Isa 63:5  And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my wrath, it upheld me.

Isa 63:6  And I trod down the peoples in mine anger, and made them drunk in my wrath, and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth.

This concept of “sprinkling” or “staining”, is best illustrated with those who tread grapes. If you have ever looked at grape “dancers”, they are whatever color the vintage is from like the knees down at least and grape juice is the sort of thing that is hard to wash out of garments and off of skin.  People who do this for a living really stand out in a crowd.  But this grape juice is the life blood of Christ’s enemies.    This is the person astride the horse.  It means He is the warrior who HAS CONQUERED.

Rev 19:14  And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

Now look at the entourage by comparison.  Clean white bright raiment on white horses… the pure victorious army or “Host”.  It is an army but the only one who is looking like He’s seen battle is Their King.  It’s the oddest military act ever!

I am going to go out on a limb here and I may have a valid point and I may not.  We know from Paul’s writings that the remnant remaining at His coming are caught up to meet Him in the air and forever to be with Him. Moreover the raiment of the “bride” is the righteousness of saints, or rather, is Christ who is the righteousness of the saints.  Are we not instructed to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ”? I put that this army may very well be… us.  We the Body of Believers are also called the Bride who has made herself ready.  I am reminded of the concept of first the blade then the ear then the corn in the ear (Mk 4:28), or as John the Apostle put it children young men and fathers (1Jn 2:13).  Paul made mention that we to at some point become “a mature man to the measure of the stature of Christ”, for these reasons I suggest that we are the ARMY OF WITNESSES to the Mighty Deed about to be done.  For if you have been following along you will note that many of the white robed are already IN HEAVEN because they were Martyred Up. Think about it.

Rev 19:15  And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

In the first chapter of Revelation we see mention of the sharp sword that goes out of the mouth, and that is also the description of the Word of God. (Heb 4:12  For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and quick to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart.) (Isa 55:11  so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.)  In the case of Revelation this verse certainly applies; (Isa 11:4)  “but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.”

Consider this from God’s angle, whoever is on the opposing side out in that field of battle IS HIS ENEMY AND WICKED.

Rev 19:16  And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

This stained raiment of the Warrior who has conquered and on His thigh is a title that world rulers use.  King of kings and Lord of lords is the title given to the suzerain who has conquered the known world of his day. In this time of this kind of title you would have many people groups with headmen over them as leaders and those leaders might establish dynastic rule and bear an emblem or artifact that marked them out as a “king”. But if another comes and begins to absorb these little kingdoms and bring them “under one banner” whilst leaving them culturally intact with their “headman” or “king”, but owing fealty and homage and tribute to the one absorbing them under his banner, that man is said to be “King of kings”. Jesus is setting down His opposition and will rule ALL THE WORLD or the planet for one thousand years.  I think this eminently qualifies Him to bear THAT title by Earthly standards.

Rev 19:17  And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;

Rev 19:18  That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.

Rev 19:19  And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.

Here is the prophecy of this event. Eze 39:17  And thou, son of man, thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Speak unto the birds of every sort, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh and drink blood.

Eze 39:18  Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan.

Eze 39:19  And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.

Eze 39:20  And ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord Jehovah.

This really isn’t much of a battle.  He has the two trouble makers the Beast and the False Prophet… this is the first time we have a name for the second beast and how do I know this?  The words “that wrought miracles before him” stand out.  If you will recall,” Rev 13:11  And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like unto a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

Rev 13:12  And he exerciseth all the authority of the first beast in his sight. And he maketh the earth and them dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose death-stroke was healed.

Rev 13:13  And he doeth great signs, that he should even make fire to come down out of heaven upon the earth in the sight of men.

Rev 13:14  And he deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by reason of the signs which it was given him to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast who hath the stroke of the sword and lived.

Rev 13:15  And it was given unto him to give breath to it, even to the image to the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as should not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

Rev 13:16  And he causeth all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the bond, that there be given them a mark on their right hand, or upon their forehead;

Rev 13:17  and that no man should be able to buy or to sell, save he that hath the mark, even the name of the beast or the number of his name.

This we now see is called the False Prophet.  A prophet, any prophet is speaking for a deity.  Muhammad is considered the “prophet of God”, the God of the Muslims. Now, it is said that the God of the Muslim is not actually the God of the Old Testament, but I am not arguing that point.  A prophet is the spokesman for a god.  This god is false so his prophet is false also.  Now we understand who is who.

Rev 19:20  And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

Rev 19:21  And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

In classic battle theory, if you can strike down the head of the army that is opposing you, they will scatter and be demoralized before you.  Jesus, ever the consummate at whatever He does, takes out and casts into the lake the leadership which was influencing the opposition.  He then SPEAKS and they are slain.

But just as you have Father Son and Holy Spirit you also have Beast of the sea, Beast of the land and … The Dragon. The two beasts have served their part and are immediately cast into their eternal punishment. But you would think the Dragon would be joining them, but he’s not. Take a look at the next few verses.

Rev 20:1  And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.

Rev 20:2  And he laid hold on the dragon, the old serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years,

Rev 20:3  and cast him into the abyss, and shut it, and sealed it over him, that he should deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years should be finished: after this he must be loosed for a little time.

Now you see Jesus came and won the day and all the associated prophecies have been by now fulfilled. But this is one of two confrontations with the Dragon or should I say one of THREE.  You see when on Earth Jesus faced off with the Dragon while in flesh, in the wilderness. (Matt 4:1-11, Lk 4:2-13) Now the Dragon is bound over to be released in one thousand years to deceive a whole new set of people, or to test the loyalties of the end generation of that era.

Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God, and such as worshipped not the beast, neither his image, and received not the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and they lived, and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

Here is what we call the inheritance reception as it were. The souls… of those beheaded for the testimony and those who neither worshipped the beast nor bore the mark.  Now stop right there.  Anyone telling you that the bearing of the mark and worship of the beast are separate needs to read this verse, it is that they worshipped not, AND had NO MARK.  Both these camps the dead who raised up and the living who remained are found here.  Somewhere along the line whatever the rapture is, has taken place.

Rev 20:5  The rest of the dead lived not until the thousand years should be finished. This is the first resurrection.

Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: over these the second death hath no power; but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. 

These are the Priest Kings of whom Jesus is the High Priest and King of kings over. Can you begin to get a picture of who we are and what we will do?  Consider that there is power in the second death.  For we have been told only to fear the One who can kill both body and soul…

Mat 10:28  And be not afraid of them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.