I hesitate to preach the news of the day, because it is reactive
rather than proactive.

Any time that Israel gets involved with things interest perks
up.  Some people want to see Israel at war.  The Moslem world,
obviously, because they want to see Israel destroyed.  Many
Christians want to see war there because they believe that war
there will allow the temple to be rebuilt.  The belief is that
after the temple is rebuilt then the events of the millennium
can take place and Christ can come back.

Of course the battle of Armageddon will be a factor in all of
this theology.  And even some Adventists are anxiously awaiting
Armageddon.  

There is one thing that we need to keep in mind as we watch the
news.  While all of the events that we see around us are
reminding us of the times that we are living in, not every event
that happens is a direct fulfillment of prophecy.  

Perhaps the only thing that we need to keep in mind as we
observe and life through events is that our relationship with
Jesus is always and the only thing that really matters for our
salvation. 

I have known people who had a world of knowledge about prophecy
and end time events, but had not yet encountered Jesus
personally.  Their lives were a mess.

With that little background, lets have a prophecy update today.

As we look at the book of Revelation, we have to first clear one
issue.  Is Revelation symbolic or literal? Or both?  How do we
decide?  If both, again, how do we decide?

There have been many different interpretations of the prophecies
of Revelation. That is not so true with Daniel.  The
interpretation of Daniel has been settled from the time of the
Reformation until dispensationalist theology took the Protestant
world in the last 150 years.  As a matter of fact,  now,
Adventists stand pretty much alone in Reformation interpretation
of Daniel.

There has been more flexibility in the interpretation of
Revelation.  And those variations are in large part to the
question that I already raised:  Symbolic or literal?

As always, we do well to go to the text to learn.  

Rev 1:1  "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to
show His servants; things which must shortly take place. And He
sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,"

The first thing we need to note that this book is not primarily
about end time events, though these are part of the message.  It
is primarily a book about Jesus Christ.  A revealing of Him and
His finial dealings with earth.  

In this verse we also find a clue about how to interpret the
book, for everyone can see that at least part of the book is
symbolic.  Just a few quick examples.  The lamb before the
throne that is a lion.  Angels holding wind, and trumpets, and
bowls. A dragon with multiple heads, etc.  All of these are
symbolic.

And as the verse says,  And He sent and signified it....  

"Signified... to have or portray a particular idea"

The sanctuary in the wilderness signified God's work on our
behalf.

So John tells us that the message is to be presented in symbols
or signs.

I don't wish to go through the whole book of Revelation today,
so you can let out your breath.  What I do wish to deal with is
a very specific passage that comes up in thought and
conversation every time things flare up in Israel.

Revelation 15:12  Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on
the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that
the way of the kings from the east might be prepared.

13  And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the
mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of
the mouth of the false prophet.

14  For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go
out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather
them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

15  "Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches,
and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his
shame."

16  And they gathered them together to the place called in
Hebrew, Armageddon.

Let's quickly review the plagues.

1.	Terrible sores

2.	Death in the seas with seas turning to blood

3.	Rivers and springs become blood

4.	Great heat

5.	Darkness on the seat of beast

6.	Gathering for the Battle of God Almighty

7.	Voice from Heaven,  "it is done" fierceness of God's Wrath.

Revelation 16:17  Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl
into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven,
from the throne, saying, "It is done!"

18  And there were noises and thundering and lightnings; and
there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake
as had not occurred since men were on the earth.

19  Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the
cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered
before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of
His wrath.

20  Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not
found.

21  And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone
about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the
plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great.

This passage has second coming overtones.  "It is done." Great
earthquake.  Islands disappearing.  Huge hail stones.  

This all following the Armageddon text.  So in the context of
this passage, what ever event comes about just before the second
coming is called Armageddon.  Note what the passage does not
say.  It does not say that the nations of the earth are gathered
to do battle with each other.  

Revelation 15:12  Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on
the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that
the way of the kings from the east might be prepared.

What do we see here?  Fall of Babylon imagery.  Do you see it? 
The Persians dried up the river Euphrates to conquer Babylon. 
The Persians were from the East.  The Persian king allowed God's
people to go home.  Not only that, they facilitated the return
of Israel to their homeland with money, protection, and even the
furnishings that remained from Solomon's temple.  What I see
here is the preparing of the way for God's children to go home.  

13  And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the
mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of
the mouth of the false prophet.

14  For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go
out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather
them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

Now once again our question: Literal or symbolic.   Do you
expect to see a dragon with frogs coming from his mouth?  As far
as that goes, as we look at all of the plagues, we do well to
ask if they are literal or symbolic.  I do feel that to be fair
to the passage we must see them all one way or the other, not
pick and choose.

Back to vss 13,14.  Note this is speaking of deception.  Signs
being performed to prepare the whole world to battle God.  By
the way, what are the prominent characteristics of a frog? A
long tongue, and hopping around.  A long tongue would naturally
draw us to think of speech, but it is also how a frog catches
its prey. Hopping around of confusion. And this deception starts
with the world's leadership. 

What kind of warfare do we see here?  Spiritual warfare. 
Deceiving spirits setting out to deceive the leaders of the
world.  Preparing them to do battle with God. Or stand up
against truth.

Have you heard of any politicians that did channeling, or
consulted mediums, or astrologers?  The battle being prepared
for is a battle for the minds and hearts and souls of the people
of the world.  The dragon....Satan.  Liar.  Father of liars. 
The beast....the Papacy.  The great impostor.  And the false
prophet.  I believe Islam.   But regardless, another deceiving
power.  Preparing the world to reject God, and even accept a
false God.  Attacking God's truth by deception, innuendo, lies,
etc.  

Working to deceive you.  If possible the very elect.

That is why I believe that looking for a physical battle at the
site of Har Megiddo in Israel, is a deception, or at least a
diversion.  While many are looking for a physical battle in
Israel, and there may well be one, they will miss the fact that
a battle there will not affect their soul, but the battle of
deception and lies waged by the enemy and his cohorts, may well
cause you to lose your soul.

Brothers and sisters, we are in a warfare that is much more
vicious and deadly than any physical battle.  Bullets and tanks
can kill the body, but they can't keep us from eternity.  Poison
gas and suicide bombs can maim but they cannot stop us from
being in the kingdom of heaven.

But the enemy knows that when we backbite and quarrel among
ourselves that he has us.  The tongue of the frog has reeled us
in.  The enemy knows that when we set ourselves in judgment of
another person, or the church, that we have been deceived by his
trickery.  The enemy knows that when we are more interested in
our addictions, whatever they may be, money, power, lust,
substances; he knows that when these become our gods that the
long slippery tongue has us in it's grasp. 

Notice in our text, that there are two preparations going on. 
The first, the preparation of God's people for the Day of God
Almighty.  The second, the preparation for great deception.  

This is made clearer when we read verse 15.

15    "Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who
watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see
his shame."

The issue is preparedness for the coming of Christ. Who is
ready.  Who not.  God sends his "kings" or messengers to prepare
his people for a move to the kingdom.  The enemy and his
confederates plan to stop the work of God and take over the
planet for themselves.  BUT HE IS COMING.  WATCH.  BE READY.

16  And they gathered them together to the place called in
Hebrew, Armageddon.

Who is the "They" here?  Is it the Kings of the East, or the
Dragon, Beast, and False Prophet?  I see all marshaling their
forces.  And where are they gathering?

Armageddon.  The Mountain of Megiddo.  We know as Mt Caramel.  

And what event of cosmic proportions took place there?  A great
battle between the false prophets and the prophet of God.  A
battle for the heart and soul of the people of Israel.  A battle
that saw the beginning of reformation and reclamation in that
land.  If Baal be god then serve him.  If Jehovah be God, then
serve him.

And I believe that is what the angel is trying to convey to John
the Revelator.  Before the Lord comes, as God pours out His
Spirit on the earth, Satan's henchmen loose their foul spirits
upon the earth.  Yes, some of that will play out in physical
battles on the planet, and many more I am sure in Israel.  But
the cosmic battle that concerns your eternity is one taking
place right here in our church.  Right here between your ears,
and in the minds of every person alive.  

God pouring out His Spirit to prepare His own for His coming. 
Satan loosing his foul spirits to destroy as many people as
possible and snatch them from God.

Armageddon is a battle more real than any battle that could take
place with the most modern weapons.  It is a battle against God
and His people.  And when our God goes to battle He is an
awesome God.  

How does this battle end?

Revelation tells us.

Revelation 19:11  Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white
horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and
in righteousness He judges and makes war.

12  His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were
many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except
Himself.

13  He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is
called The Word of God.

14  And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and
clean, followed Him on white horses.

15  Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He
should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a
rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness
and wrath of Almighty God.

16  And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING
OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

17  Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a
loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of
heaven, "Come and gather together for the supper of the great
God,

18  "that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains,
the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who
sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both
small and great."

19  And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their
armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the
horse and against His army.

20  Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet
who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who
received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped his
image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning
with brimstone.

21  And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from
the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were
filled with their flesh.

God is the victor.  And so are you if you are His child.  

Armageddon is the destruction of the wicked.  Armageddon is the
second coming of Jesus, and the fulfillment of the promise of
deliverance.  Armageddon assures us that no matter what the
enemy throws at us, it is like throwing Styrofoam peanuts into
the fire.  They cannot hurt the righteous any more, and can only
make their situation worse.

The question is this:  Which side are you preparing to be on? 
Will you side with the kings of the east, or the righteous
angels?  Will you be deceived by the Dragon, Beast, and False
Prophet?  Because you see, you will be in the battle.  You are
in the battle.  It is being prepared for right now between your
ears.  If Baal be god then serve him.  If Jehovah be God, then
serve him.