Israel, Armageddon and Jeremiah 25
A Whirlwind Means War
Jeremiah 25:32 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth. 33 And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from [one] end of the earth even unto the [other] end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.
Here is the description of the consummation: a whirlwind that is going to be a warfare. We often use this scripture to prove that winds represents warfare, and that is precisely what will happen. The warfare that has been going on from generation to generation will finally consummate at this time when He will cause all the nations to be trodden under foot.
We want to study God in the way He has spoken for the sake of Israel and restoring His image in His church. He had used Nebuchadnezzar and now that Nebuchadnezzar had passed away and Belshazzar had corrupted Babylon, God raised up Cyrus and talked here to him to demonstrate His character – “That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that [there is] none beside me. I [am] the LORD, and [there is] none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: “
It’s important to understand what He meant there, by avenue of the works of evil men I create evil. We see as we study this that God is a peacemaker. He is trying to help the people, but He is using them in their evil ways to this end. It is a very important study.
We saw then that Cyrus came and conquered the empire of Babylon by coming in through those gates. Those gates were left open, as he said there, I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut.
This is what happened through the opulence and the indulgence of wicked Belshazzar. He was careless, he left the gates opened. That’s how God left the gates opened, through use of the carelessness of wicked people. There was Medo-Persia, as Medo-Persia came and conquered in their bloody wars, in their ways of dealing which God used also to exercise mercy upon Israel at the same time, to release them back to their promised land, then Medo-Persia needed its retribution and so Greece came along and conquered Medo-Persia, under God’s orchestration. Then came Rome to deal with Greece. As we look at the history of the past, and we behold God orchestrating and foretelling these events before they ever happened, we see how He leads up to the final scene of punishing the wicked.
Jeremiah 25:15 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it. 16 And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them.
This is the winepress or the wine cup of God’s fury to deal with the nations who are corrupt.
Jeremiah 25:27 Therefore thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Drink ye, and be drunken, and spue, and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you. 28 And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ye shall certainly drink. 29 For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the LORD of hosts. 30 Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread [the grapes], against all the inhabitants of the earth. 31 A noise shall come [even] to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them [that are] wicked to the sword, saith the LORD. 32 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth. And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from [one] end of the earth even unto the [other] end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground. 33 And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from [one] end of the earth even unto the [other] end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.
Israel
Jeremiah 25:15 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it. 16 And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them.
This is the winepress or the wine cup of God’s fury to deal with the nations who are corrupt.
After all the millennia of empire rising against empire, and the cruelty of war and bloodshed, we arrive at a universal destruction. God says this is my way of dealing with wickedness. I will punish. Did you notice there what He said in verse 29? For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? You just need to go back to the history of the fall of Israel, of Jerusalem, under the Roman Empire, how they finally destroyed the Jewish people and scattered them across the planet. It was the punishment of God upon Israel, upon Jerusalem, but it was done by the Romans. As we go through the history ever since that time, it is very fascinating to observe that during the Second World War, and following the Second World War, in which nations were fighting each other, lo and behold, Jerusalem was restored in 1948 to the Jews. And now He says, as we come to the end of the world, He says I am going to deal with them and as I am going to deal with them, I am going to deal with all of you.
How? Evil. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth. And the slain of the Lord shall be across the whole plane, no body alive. Evil shall go from nation to nation. Is God evil? Not at all. But evil will be His action from nation to nation. As I mentioned already, through the avenue of the wicked men, wicked people, He will punish the world.
The true people of God; in all this history it shows you that the true people of God, His faithful remnant, are never to be used to punish any one. Only the wicked will be used to punish the wicked. God uses them. Here you have an appreciation of the peacemaking method of God, of God’s character being peacemaking, trying to save the people from their destruction, but if they won’t listen then evil will take root and do its damage, and God will orchestrate that.
After all the millennia of empire rising against empire, and the cruelty of war and bloodshed, we arrive at a universal destruction. God says this is my way of dealing with wickedness. I will punish. Did you notice there what He said in verse 29? For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? You just need to go back to the history of the fall of Israel, of Jerusalem, under the Roman Empire, how they finally destroyed the Jewish people and scattered them across the planet. It was the punishment of God upon Israel, upon Jerusalem, but it was done by the Romans. As we go through the history ever since that time, it is very fascinating to observe that during the Second World War, and following the Second World War, in which nations were fighting each other, lo and behold, Jerusalem was restored in 1948 to the Jews. And now He says, as we come to the end of the world, He says I am going to deal with them and as I am going to deal with them, I am going to deal with all of you.
How? Evil. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth. And the slain of the Lord shall be across the whole plane, no body alive. Evil shall go from nation to nation. Is God evil? Not at all. But evil will be His action from nation to nation. As I mentioned already, through the avenue of the wicked men, wicked people, He will punish the world.
The true people of God; in all this history it shows you that the true people of God, His faithful remnant, are never to be used to punish any one. Only the wicked will be used to punish the wicked. God uses them. Here you have an appreciation of the peacemaking method of God, of God’s character being peacemaking, trying to save the people from their destruction, but if they won’t listen then evil will take root and do its damage, and God will orchestrate that.
Joel 3:11 Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down.
Revelation 19:17 Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; 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.
Can you see it’s talking of the same event? The terrible winepress of Gods wrath in which the heathen and wicked are all to be slaughtered in the blood bath. It says the blood will flow. Who comes down according to Joel? In Revelation 19 Jesus and the angels are coming down to conduct the blood bath of the wicked. Revelation 19 says His garment was splattered with blood.
Isaiah 63:1 Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. 2 Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? 3 I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. 4 For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. 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 fury, it upheld me. 6 And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.
Who is it that comes with His garments sprinkled with blood? It was His own blood. In Gethsemane Jesus was looking for comfort even from His disciples. There was none to help Him. They didn’t understand what Jesus was about. This is the year of my redeemed. I want to come to save them now and it is the year of redeemed and I’m going to destroy the wicked all at the same time.
The Vials of Gods Wrath
The winepress and the voice from Jerusalem – these are mentioned again as we read in Joel.
Jeremiah 25:30 Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth. 31 A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD. 32 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth. 33 And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.
In Revelation it says the birds will eat the flesh of these people. How do you feel? If you take these words for what they really are, what sort of a future is ahead of us? The winepress of Gods wrath. The day of the Lord. The winds of strife being let loose. The storm. That was our study in detail in the past six months. I have repeated these scriptures that we covered. This is no storm in a tea cup. This is a worldwide conflagration. It is a disaster of total devastation:
- The eruptions of nature.
- The eruptions of the passions of society that can’t be controlled anymore.
- The passions of political strife.
- International war.
- Ecclesiastical conflicts let loose.
Revelation 16:12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
What will happen if the river dries up? The kings of the east will come. And to do what?
Revelation 16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs [come] out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, [which] go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
Now comes the warning for us:
Revelation 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief.
You see, we are all to be involved in this understanding.
Revelation 16:15 …Blessed [is] he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. 16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
As the drying up of the river Euphrates takes place as a final event in these plagues, it provides for the work of these three unclean spirits to gather the nations of the world to the battle of the great day of God Almighty, a battle of military dimension in which people will be slaughtered – a plague of military engagement.
Do you notice what it says? “He gathered them together into a place called … Armageddon.” There is a prophecy in Joel that speaks of the exact same event:
Joel 3:9 Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: 10 Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I [am] strong. 11 Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about:
They will be gathered together under the three unclean spirits. What are they told to do? To turn their plowshares into swords and their pruninghooks into spears. The United Nations have the symbol of a plowshare in front of their building to say, We have turned our weapons into plowshares (Let Us Beat Swords into Plowshares sculpture). They don’t want to have the war, that’s what the United Nations is all about. But now God says, No, no, you’re going to turn your plowshares into swords. Assemble yourselves, gather yourselves together.
Joel 3:11 …thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord. 12 Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. 13 Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the vats overflow; for their wickedness [is] great. 14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord [is] near in the valley of decision.
Here we have a prophecy pointing directly to the gathering of the heathen, in which God is going to judge the wicked by their own activity – a plague of military proportion, in which nations will be gathering together. Is this also written in other prophecies? Jeremiah gives us a direct representation of the outpouring of the vials of God’s wrath, the plagues.
Jeremiah 25:15 For thus saith the Lord God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it. 16 And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them.
You see here the gathering of the nations in military fury; mad nations. He then names all the nations that will be gathered together, including Israel, and continues thus:
Jeremiah 25:29 For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the Lord of hosts. 30 Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The Lord shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread [the grapes], against all the inhabitants of the earth.
Remember the words of Joel? “Come, get you down; for the press is full.” It is a winepress. And what is this winepress?
Jeremiah 25:31 A noise shall come [even] to the ends of the earth; for the Lord hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them [that are] wicked to the sword, saith the Lord. 32 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth. 33 And the slain of the Lord shall be at that day from [one] end of the earth even unto the [other] end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.
This is the gathering into the winepress of God’s wrath, a military activity. Remember, in Joel it says, Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. And in Revelation 14 the very same language is used, by which we can clearly see the winepress of God’s wrath:
Revelation 14:18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. 19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast [it] into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
This all goes back to Joel and Jeremiah. It’s all exactly the same.
Revelation 14:20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand [and] six hundred furlongs.
Here we have been showing from scripture the culmination of all the retribution of the wicked warring empires throughout history. All through history each empire was given its privilege and opportunity to receive God’s counsel. But each one failed the test, and they were kept in readiness for this great and final judgment. This is where we turn our attention to understand that the drying up of the river Euphrates has something to do with us as well. We can see the connection that when something dries up it produces the wrath and outpouring of God’s plagues.
The strength of nations and of individuals is not found in the opportunities and facilities that appear to make them invincible; it is not found in their boasted greatness. That which alone can make them great or strong is the power of God. They themselves, by their attitude toward His purpose, decide their own destiny. {SD 338.2}
Are you picking something up here? The glory of Kedar, the power that makes him invincible, the strength of nations and of individuals, is not found in the opportunities and facilities that appear to make them invincible. It is not found in their boasted greatness. When something dries up, what dries up? The glory of man. And when that dries up, then people decide their own destiny by why they have dried up.
Matthew 24:49 …and to eat and drink with the drunken; 50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for [him], and in an hour that he is not aware of, 51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint [him] his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
This is an interesting statement if we come back to Jeremiah; because in that time of the outpouring of God’s wrath there is something which will happen. At the time when “the slain of the Lord shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth;” this will be the reality for the evil servant:
Jeremiah 25:34 Howl, ye shepherds, and cry; and wallow yourselves [in the ashes], ye principal of the flock: for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions are accomplished; and ye shall fall like a pleasant vessel. 35 And the shepherds shall have no way to flee, nor the principal of the flock to escape. 36A voice of the cry of the shepherds, and an howling of the principal of the flock, [shall be heard]: for the Lord hath spoiled their pasture. 37 And the peaceable habitations are cut down because of the fierce anger of the Lord. 38 He hath forsaken his covert, as the lion: for their land is desolate because of the fierceness of the oppressor, and because of his fierce anger.
The Bible spells it all out for us. We must make the decision that we do not become part of those who will be gnashing their teeth because of what is coming, the false shepherds, those that devour the faithful servant. The faithful servant who, like Abel, does not use any force, who just lets it all take its course, he will be protected, while the others will consume each other, including the shepherds, and including their members.
When the First World War broke out, the faithful Seventh-day Adventists refused to go to war and were disfellowshipped from the Seventh-day Adventist church. Why didn’t they go to war? Because they knew that war in the last days, as war in all times, is a demise of those who have been tested by God and have failed their test. But as God’s people are being tested, as faithful people they will pass the test and will not go and be consumed by the selfishness of the nations and the pride of man that will eventually be dried up for them to be finally destroyed.
Nebuchadnezzar and Judah
Jeremiah 25:9 Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations.
God saw the nations of Judah, Egypt, and all the other nations that Nebuchadnezzar finally conquered to establish his empire, and He said, I am going to use Nebuchadnezzar’s hasty and bitter nature. I will use him as my servant. Are you beginning to picture something in your mind about God? We are learning to know God through Nebuchadnezzar. God is a person who orchestrates events, and as He sees His people who have become rebellious and would not listen to Him, He says, Alright then, there are people who hate you, there are people who want to destroy you, I am going to frame mischief against you from them. It is a little bit like the children of Israel in the wilderness. Snakes surrounded them but God had His hand upon them so that those snakes wouldn’t come to them. But in their rebellious attitude God said, Okay, I will stand back and let the snakes do what they have to do; and they came along and bit them all. Here Nebuchadnezzar was one of those snakes, and God said, I am going to use him as My servant to deal against these rebellious people of Mine; I am going to use him to punish them. This is the man whom God was using.
The work outlined in these scriptures is the work before us. The terms “My servant,” “Israel,” “the Lord’s servant,” mean anyone that the Lord may select and appoint to do a certain work. He makes them ministers of His will, though some who are selected may be as ignorant of His will as was Nebuchadnezzar. {9T 138.2}
He called Nebuchadnezzar His servant to deal with the rebelliousness of Judah. The term “the Lord’s servant” means “anyone that the Lord may select and appoint to do a certain work.” Yet these people that He selects as His servants may be completely ignorant. They are free to move according to their character. God does not force them; He lets them do what they have to do according to their nature.
God is letting Nebuchadnezzar be the man he is, a cruel dictator wanting to take the life of his enemies and capture them and destroy their land, and make it his own.
A mighty whirlwind that will cover the whole world with its storm is here described in the time of the closing of this earth’s history. The storms of life are threatening us all the time and they have been wild in earth’s history and it is coming to its climax. It is intensifying. In fact, as you look back, ever since the First World War the storms have been ever intensifying. Jesus speaks of this in Luke 21. He speaks of our time and says:
Luke 21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; 26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
There is the description by Jesus of what we are meeting. According to the word of God, what we are anticipating will happen that the whole earth will be in a whirlwind. Sister White describes it in the following quote. According to Daniel 11:45 and 12:1, when Jesus shall stand up there will be a time of trouble such as never was, a storm will be let loose, and what is the storm?
The restraint which has been upon the wicked is removed, and Satan has entire control of the finally impenitent. God’s long-suffering has ended. The world has rejected His mercy, despised His love, and trampled upon His law. The wicked have passed the boundary of their probation; the Spirit of God, persistently resisted, has been at last withdrawn. Unsheltered by divine grace, they have no protection from the wicked one. Satan will then plunge the inhabitants of the earth into one great, final trouble. As the angels of God cease to hold in check the fierce winds of human passion, all the elements of strife will be let loose. The whole world will be involved in ruin more terrible than that which came upon Jerusalem of old. {GC 614.1}
The storms of life that happen on this planet are identified with the fierce winds of human passion. All storms commence within every human being. If not handled aright within, it will blow from soul to soul and intensify across society. The storms of life are due to sin. The unleashing of sinful passion creates storms that will finally destroy this planet. We as the children of God and anyone who wishes to be a child of God, are not immune to this storm. The warning to the people of God in Galatians is well-expressed in regards to these storms of evil passion that even God’s children are not immune to. Paul writes:
Galatians 5:15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
Jeremiah 25:18 [To wit], Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the kings thereof, and the princes thereof, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, an hissing, and a curse; as [it is] this day;
The fig tree was raised for the same reason as the other nations so that now God’s wrath could be poured out and all their hatred and power-play and desire to rule will be used to destroy themselves in the day of God’s wrath.
Jeremiah 25:28 And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ye shall certainly drink.
Some nations will say they don’t want to fight, but they will be brought to it.
Jeremiah 25:29 For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the LORD of hosts.
If He will destroy the city that is called by His name, all the other nations will not get away with it either.
Jeremiah 25:30 Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread [the grapes], against all the inhabitants of the earth.
This is the winepress of God’s wrath.
Jeremiah 25:31 A noise shall come [even] to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them [that are] wicked to the sword, saith the LORD.
Is that a spiritual war? This is the sword that He sends.
Jeremiah 25:32 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth. 33 And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from [one] end of the earth even unto the [other] end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground. 34 Howl, ye shepherds, and cry; and wallow yourselves [in the ashes], ye principal of the flock: for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions are accomplished; and ye shall fall like a pleasant vessel.
The nations and Israel will be drawn together by the three unclean spirits and all the desolators will be punished including Judah including the Jewish Israeli people because what did they desolate? Jesus Christ, their own king. This will all happen by their own evil ideas by which Satan has been given the right to be used to lead them there. Don’t you see it happening today?
The fig tree has shot in 1948 and now what are we seeing? I have watched this over the years, the constant interaction between the Palestinians and the Jews. See how the world is getting involved how they are all taking sides. As the Arab world will receive its decimation, we can see that happening at the moment, this is the last generation, we are right on top of things as to what has been written here.
Revelation 14:17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. 19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast [it] into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand [and] six hundred furlongs.
Jesus comes with His sickle and the other angel comes with his sickle in the harvest. As the harvest is ripe, the winepress of God’s wrath is trodden. It is a warfare that draws blood. If you study this and take the measurements it comes from the valley around Megiddo down the Jordan valley to Jerusalem. That is the measurement. The blood will flow in the battle that is being fought where Gideon met the Midianites. The is the valley of decision, that’s where the blood will flow where all the nations are sending their power. The Arab world’s power has been dried up, the kings of the east that are interested in the Arab world come down and the kings of the earth come and the heavenly army comes down. Jesus with His mouth ruling the world with a rod of iron orchestrates as He has been doing all through the earth’s history with the empires.
John . . . was a witness of the terrible scenes that will take place as signs of Christ’s coming. He saw armies mustering for battle, and men’s hearts failing them for fear. He saw the earth moved out of its place, the mountains carried into the midst of the sea, the waves thereof roaring and troubled, and the mountains shaking with the swelling thereof. He saw the vials of God’s wrath opened, and pestilence, famine, and death come upon the inhabitants of the earth. {7BC 982.3}
Men’s hearts were failing them for fear because of the warfare that was mustering, the scenes of nature. These are all frightening circumstances which Jesus is referring to, and He says in reference to all this, Watch therefore.
Luke 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass,
That is why men’s hearts were failing them for fear – because of the things He just described. And He said we are to watch and pray always that we may escape all those things. Besides the terrible events of nature and warfare, there are also the social, economic and religious atrocities that are described in Jesus’ words for the last days. In reference to all these things, Jesus says, You need to escape, you need to avoid this. When it comes to the war of Armageddon, there is another reference of this nature where we are told to be careful that we don’t find ourselves in an embarrassing situation. In the context of these brooding wars Jesus tells us:
Revelation 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed [is] he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
Jesus is warning and saying, Watch carefully, pray always that you can be worthy of escaping. To those at this time heeding this voice and revelation of Jesus, as we see these things begin to come to pass, what should we be doing? We should lift up our heads and rejoice for our redemption draweth nigh. To the true believers in these last days, with all these things that we need to escape from, and men’s hearts failing them for fear, we should be rejoicing.
Jeremiah 25
Study Jeremiah 25 and you will see that all the nations including Israel who have this predatory nature will destroy each other. This is the manner of all of the destruction as it was prefigured in the destruction of Jerusalem. What has caused the destruction of this planet?
Isaiah 24:4 The earth mourneth [and] fadeth away, the world languisheth [and] fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish. 5 The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. 6 Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.
They will be destroyed by the brightness of his coming. Those who are left that He can take, are also there.
Isaiah 24:19 The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. 20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.
Why? Because they have broken the everlasting covenant. The seed of evil will bear a harvest. It will destroy not God, yet God is orchestrating its destruction. This is how you come to know God through Calvary.
Psalm 9:15 The heathen are sunk down in the pit [that] they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken.
When Jesus was in the pit, who provided the pit for him? Sinners. He came into the pit and for all who would accept, would be lifted out by Him. Is He an executor? He has no seed of execution in His mind.
Psalm 9:16 The LORD is known [by] the judgment [which] he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.
This is repeated in Psalms 7.
Psalms 7:14 Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood. 15 He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch [which] he made.
This is the wicked, read it in context. We are right on the zenith of the consummation and its period of dealing like this because this happens at the time of the end of the death decree and it extends over the thousand years. Satan is left on the planet he has destroyed and after the thousand years there is a resurrection of all his cohorts and he deceives them again because it is written, if the wicked were given a place in the land of the righteous, they would still destroy because the seed is in them. They haven’t let it go so He will demonstrate that after the thousand years.
Revelation 7:2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, 3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
The trees are the nations, the ruling powers. The seas are the multitudes. And the winds are wars. The angels are told to hold the winds, Don’t let them loose so that God’s people can be sealed. God’s people must know what is happening around them by beholding Jesus working behind the scenes. The nations are eager for conflict but they are being held because God’s people must be protected and confirmed. In the time frame of Daniel 11:45 the whirlwind is going to be let loose. Ever since 1948 there has been this development of the consummation where all the nations are gathering their powers. They are all poised in a worldwide interest in fighting together according to their common interest. They all contribute to the different wars. Jesus makes reference to all this:
Matthew 24:32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer [is] nigh: 33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, [even] at the doors. 34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
The generation that sees the fig tree and all the other trees shooting, shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled. The generation that was there in 1948 shall not pass. [For the definition of a generation, see Psalm 22:30].
Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. 36 But of that day and hour knoweth no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. … 42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come
In proclaiming the third angel’s message, we are proclaiming the wrath of God poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation which finally culminates in fire. These outpourings of God’s wrath, the wine cup of His fury (Jeremiah 25), are actually His grief in which He withdraws and permits the destructive forces of man’s own sins to do their destruction.
How is God Known?
Psalms 9:16 The LORD is known [by] the judgment [which] he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.
God is known by the way in which He executes His judgment. It is the works of the people’s sinfulness that finally destroys them and God uses that
Here He comes in the midst of a military conflagration. They will be given over to the sword. There will also be the natural events, fire, and all the plagues. Armageddon is a time in which God is doing the judging. The nations of the world are involved in His judgments.
We need to study the pouring out of the seventh vial. The powers of evil will not yield up the conflict without a struggle. But Providence has a part to act in the battle of Armageddon. When the earth is lighted with the glory of the angel of Revelation eighteen, the religious elements, good and evil, will awake from slumber, and the armies of the living God will take the field. (MS 175, 1899) {7BC 983.2}
Many people misread this statement. What is the Revelation 18 angel doing? Under the messages of the third angel the loud cry is given and people are taking sides. God’s faithful people are taking sides with God, and by rejecting these messages the wicked are taking their side with Satan. Here is where you get the armies. There are the two armies. Jesus is there with His army coming from heaven (God has told His people to hide themselves till the indignation is overpast), and on earth you have the armies who are resisting the word of His mouth. He uses the sword that comes out of His mouth to do the work which they have been resisting. What is that? The plagues. They are going to be destroyed. Everything He has said is going to happen.
But they are not going to give in. They are going to try and fight to keep themselves going, and to keep the earth going, to fight with the nations and conquer, and to gain a victory over the problems of the earth. The United Nations are fighting to bring peace, but they are only destroying each other as they do so. You can see that already shaping up now.
God Is Not The Executioner
Ezekiel 38:21 And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man’s sword shall be against his brother. 22 And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. 23 Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD.
What will this final war be called and like? Every man will use the sword against each other. This is Gods love in the wars of this world. What does he do with his people? Hide yourself from the wrath;
Isaiah 26:20 Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. 21 For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.
Isaiah 63:4 For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.
Jesus is in drenched in blood. Then he comes and says, the year of the wicked and the year of my redeemed. The same breath of Gods fury is his love, they destroy themselves, and this is God’s love. God has drawn a picture for us of his love.
Ezekiel 9:10 And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, [but] I will recompense their way upon their head.
That’s what God is like. He will now let them have the consequence of their own way, and He will take no more pity. Before, He was with pity crying to them, Please, don’t let yourself be destroyed, repent from your wrongs. But no, they insisted to have them, they wouldn’t repent, and there comes a point in time when Jesus leaves the sanctuary and He says, “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.” Now God lets Satan have what he wants. He lets the people have what they want. And what will happen? The vials of God’s wrath, the destruction, the plagues will be poured out. Jeremiah 25 gives the description of the vials of God’s wrath:
Jeremiah 25:14 For many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of them also:
He is here talking of warfare among the nations. They will serve themselves of other people, they will do damage to other nations.
Jeremiah 25:14 …and I will recompense them according to their deeds, and according to the works of their own hands.
He will recompense them according to the works of their own hands.
Jeremiah 25:15 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it. 16 And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them.
What is the sword that He sends among them? “Many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of them.” The sword is the nations, the kings that will do their wickedness to other nations. All this is described in Jeremiah 25.
As these terrible events of the fury of the vials of wrath take place,
Psalm 7:11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry [with the wicked] every day. 12 If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready. 13 He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors. 14 Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood.
The travail of the people will be their iniquity.
Psalm 7:15 He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch [which] he made. 16 His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate. 17 I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.
The reason why God’s people can praise Him is because His wrath is so just. He is grieving because the people haven’t taken hold of His wonderful gift of salvation, and He says, Go forward, you do exactly what you like, and your iniquity shall be your destruction. When you look into warfare, that’s exactly what it is. The madness of nations against other nations is getting wilder and wilder, and they commit all sorts of terrible war crimes. That is what we are seeing. This is God’s wrath.
Psalm 5:10 Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee.
The rebellion against God is recompensed by their rebellious nature upon their own head. Their rebellious behaviour is their own destruction, because a person who is rebellious will destroy other people who are resisting them. It is a natural condition of being, and God says, Go ahead, this is My grief, this is My wrath.
Sermons and Studies 