HopeLives365

Mark Finley: The world is confused. Doesn't know where it's headed. Doesn't know where it's going. We look at the world through the eyes of the book of Revelation and recognize that Jesus Christ is going to come again.

Guest (Male): This is Hope Lives 365 with Pastor Mark Finley. Today's message Isis, Armageddon, Earth's last battle and you. Part two. Enjoy and remember you can always catch up with past messages and stay up to date with Hope Lives 365 and Pastor Mark by going to hopelives365.com. And now Pastor Mark Finley.

Mark Finley: There is no light in error. There is only light in what? Truth. Jesus said I am the light of the of the world. So the fifth plague is darkness on the seat of the beast which they look for light, but the only light Psalm 119 verse 105 thy word is a what? Lamp unto my path and a light unto my way. So what is the fifth plague saying? Find light, find truth in God's word, not in the traditions of men. So we now come to verse 12. The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates and its water was dried up so that the way from the kings of the East might be prepared.

And I saw three unclean spirits come out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, out of the mouth of the false prophet. For their spirits of demons like frogs they go out to the kings of the whole earth and the whole world to gather them to the great day of the battle of God Almighty. Behold I'm coming as a thief. Blessed is he that watches and keepeth his garments and they were gathered together in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. Now what does all this mean? Well let's go back and take it phrase by phrase.

Verse 12 sixth angel pours out his bowl on the great river Euphrates. The great river Euphrates ran through the center of Babylon. And do you remember back in the Old Testament how Babylon fell? We know that both from the book of Isaiah and also from discoveries in archaeology, particularly the Cyrus cylinder, which is an archaeological discovery that records just how Cyrus overthrew Babylon. Cyrus came from the East. He was the king of the East. Now why does it say kings of the East? Because Media and Persia overthrew Babylon. And Cyrus was the chief king over the kings of Media and Persia.

Cyrus came from the East, went up to the North and attacked Babylon. The river Euphrates ran through the center of Babylon. The river Euphrates was the life source of Babylon. It gave it a constant water supply. The Babylonians had a 20 year food supply. When the Persians surrounded Babylon the Babylonians went up on the wall and threw food over to them and said hey I think you guys would like a sandwich. You look hungry out there. We have 20 years of food supply in this city. Cyrus knew that he had to attack that city, so this is what he did.

Upstream he dug irrigation ditches. He drained the river Euphrates until it was dry. Babylon had double gates. It had a gate here that the river Euphrates flowed under and it had gates along the side of the river. The night that Cyrus and his forces attacked the Babylonians were having a drunken feast. Wine, music, they were having drunk. What does Cyrus do? He diverts the river so it goes up so the river dries. He marches thousands of troops down a dry riverbed under the gates. The gates along the river were left open because of the fact that everybody was at that feast.

Cyrus attacked them and overthrew them in one night. What was the river Euphrates? It was the life source or support system for ancient Babylon. When you come to Revelation you have spiritual Babylon. What in Revelation do waters represent? Take your Bible and turn to Revelation 17 and look there at Revelation the 17th chapter. And we're looking at Revelation 17 and what do waters represent here in Revelation the 17th chapter? Can anybody find it for me? Where do you find that? Verse 15. Let's read it together. And he said to me the waters which you saw where the harlot sits, that's Babylon, are what?

Peoples, multitudes, nations and tongues. So just as the river Euphrates supported and gave life to Babylon so according to the Bible the nations, the politicians, the economists, the thousands of the world that support spiritual Babylon or the beast power are symbolized as waters. So what has happened? What has happened up until this point? There's been a great movement to achieve world peace. With the Middle East falling apart and Isis gaining gaining power a coalition forces forms. That coalition says we have to stamp out this evil. As this coalition is formed there are those that say look we're not winning this battle and we won't win a battle in the Middle East or any other place until we have God's favor.

So things get so bad economically, things get so bad politically. There are so many natural disasters that are knocking the world apart that the world is led to its knees to form a superpower coalition. And the idea is wait a minute we have to have a common day of worship to bring everybody together. That's the only way we can achieve this. That's the only way we can achieve this. And those that don't go along they really are not loyal. They are really not patriotic. They are really not in any way going to assist in solving the dilemmas of the world.

As that scenario takes place laws are passed to enforce worship against God's commandment keeping people. There is a political, religious, economic power block that is formed according to Revelation. It appears that the world will be brought to peace, but what happens? It's not brought to peace. The first every human being has a chance to make a decision. Every person has that opportunity to side for or against Christ. Every single one for against truth, for against the commandments of God, every person. Once everybody has made that decision the degree goes forth he that is righteous let him be righteous still, he that is evil let him be evil still, he that is unholy let him be unholy still.

Everybody's made their decision. Now these plagues begin to fall. What do you think would happen if there were a religious, political, economic power block and there was this all this unity taking place? This idea that we're ushering in a new millennial kingdom of peace, this idea that righteousness will reign and prevail, what do you think would happen if all that idea were promoted, but the economy fell apart, there were natural disasters, there was war everywhere and then the plagues began to fall. What do you think would happen? The support for that would be what? Withdrawn, wouldn't it?

The symbolic river Euphrates that supported ancient Babylon representing all of the peoples that support spiritual Babylon would dry up. Precisely. Now let's continue to read. The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the river Euphrates. Its water was dried up. Why? The the kings of the East might be prepared. Kings of the East, I wonder what that's talking about. Cyrus came from the East to overthrow Babylon to let God's people go free. What is Armageddon? The final conflict between good and evil where the forces of hell marshal to destroy the righteous. But the kings of the East, who are they?

Kings of the East. Cyrus attacked Babylon and overthrew it as a deliverer, as a type of Christ the redeemer. Take your Bible and turn to Matthew chapter 24 verse 27. Matthew chapter 24 verse 27. Who are these kings of the East? Matthew 24 verse 27. Jesus describes nation rising against nation. He describes false Christ. He describes false prophets. He describes lawlessness. He describes the gospel going to the ends of the earth. Matthew chapter 24 verse 27. And notice what scripture says here. For as lightning comes from the what? East and flashes to the West, so also the coming of the Son of Man be.

The kings coming from the sun rising or the kings of the East are no other than Jesus Christ coming with all his angels in a final descent from heaven in a panoply of glory to deliver his people from the oppressor of this world at end time. Now go back to Revelation chapter 19. Revelation chapter 19. It looks like the powers of hell are going to triumph. It looks like the powers of evil are going to be victorious. It looks like God's people have no way out around or through Revelation the 19th chapter verse 11. 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.

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. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood and his name was the word of God and the armies of heaven clothed with fine linen and white and clean followed him. Out of his mouth goes a sharp sword with it he should strike what? The nations. He himself will rule with a rod of iron. There will be no political, economic, religious power block that rules forever. Our God's going to rule forever.

He himself treads the wine press with the fierceness and wrath of a mighty God. Did we read about the wrath of the mighty God, the judgments of God and the seven last plagues? We sure did. Now notice he has on his robe and on his thigh a name written. What is it everybody? King of what? Kings and Lord of Lords. So the kings of the East represent Jesus Christ with the angels coming from the East to deliver his people at end time. Back to Revelation chapter 16. Revelation 16. We are now in the sixth plague.

An economic, political, religious power block has been formed. That is being crushed. We've discovered in the first plague all physical security is where? In Christ. Second plague all economic security is where? In Christ. Third plague our life is hid with God in Christ. Fourth plague all true worship is in Christ the creator. Fifth plague all true light is in Christ. Sixth plague the kings of the East come to deliver God's people. So Satan sees that that's going to happen. Now there's an interesting expression in verse 12.

Guest (Male): We'll be right back with Pastor Mark Finley. We thank you for listening and hope you are enjoying today's message. Our mission is to attractively present the Christ-centered biblical truths of scripture in a practical, relevant way to people around the world so that they may experience the abundant life that Christ offers and effectively share with confidence his life-changing truths with others. You can support this ministry and help us reach even more by going to hopelives365.com/donate. And now back to Pastor Mark Finley.

Mark Finley: It says that the way of the kings of the East might be prepared. Might be prepared. So it gives you the impression there that that that Euphrates dries up that is the support system for ancient Babylon. There's confusion, chaos everywhere, but it is not that Christ comes immediately. What happens next? Verse 13. 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. Are there three messages in Revelation 14? These are the three messages of what?

Truth. But here are three messages that come out of the mouth of the dragon, the beast and the false prophet. In other words three messages that come from paganism, three messages that come from Romanism, three messages that come from false religion. Here are messages. What are these messages? They are messages that this is the last chance to gather together, a confederation to bring world peace. Now there is something interesting here too. It says they come out of the mouth like what? I saw three like what? Frogs. Now you can have many definitions of frogs, but here's the point.

This is the sixth plague. Were there any plagues in Egypt like frogs? So you always have to let the Bible do what? Explain itself. Explain itself. What plague were the frogs? They were the second plague. Why sixth and seventh? They don't the plagues don't always line up, but I'm going to show you something interesting. We need to take a few extra minutes, but no extra charge. Um okay. Book of Exodus, book of Exodus. We're going to go to the book of Exodus. You're going to look at the plagues there because I want you to see something Exodus the eighth chapter.

If you haven't seen this before this is very fascinating. Exodus chapter eight. This is the second plague. You're dealing with the frogs. Moses goes down to Pharaoh and he says let my people go because I'm going to bring frogs up, frogs from from the river. Now frogs are unclean um and they come up, but notice what happens in verse five and six of Exodus eight. Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said to Aaron stretch out your hand with your rod over the streams, over the rivers and over the ponds and cause frogs to come up on the land of Egypt.

Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt and frogs came up. Now verse seven is your interesting one. And the magicians did so with their enchantments and brought up frogs on the land of Egypt. The frogs that were brought up by the magicians were the last deception on Pharaoh to convince him not to let the people of Israel go. So the frogs represented the last deception of spiritualism. It's exactly what's happening here. This in Revelation 16 is the last deception of spiritualism. Signs, wonders, miracles that are worked by the devil in a time of political, economic, religious crisis when the plagues are falling to bring the last deception, this last confederation to destroy God people.

So you see what's happening. The coalition of economic, political and religious could not deliver. It could it could bring what it said, peace. And so there's chaos everywhere. So what does the devil do? He has his last deception to deceive political, religious leaders by false miracles. The sick are apparently healed. There's all kind of miracles that are taking place, but notice what the Bible says now. It says it's to prepare the whole world for the great day of the battle of of of the God Almighty. Then Jesus says to you and me behold I'm coming as a thief.

Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments lest they walk naked and see his shame. Incidentally and don't miss this point many of our evangelical friends believe that God's people do not live through the time of tribulation. They believe that they are enraptured before the tribulation. What sense would it make for Jesus to say in verse 15 after six plagues are poured out I am coming as a thief if he already came as a thief at the beginning of the rapture to deliver his people. That would make absolutely no sense at all, right? But here's what he says.

See we are living at a time of crossless Christianity. Oh just it's a feel-good Christianity. It's oh just serve Jesus and you have this warm feeling in your heart and electrical impulse that go up your spine. You just serve Jesus and you're going to be healthy and wealthy and and the money is going to just flow in and everything is going to be wonderful. We're living at a time of soft easy-going Christianity, but the Bible presents something else. It presents a people who are on their knees praying, a people who are studying the word, a people who are transformed by God's grace, a people that trust God through the plagues and never give up.

If you can't trust God through the hard times in your life right now, how are you ever going to trust him in the future? If you can't trust God in the economic difficulties, in the marriage difficulties, if you can't trust God right now in the physical difficulties in your life when things go wrong, if you can't trust God now, how are you ever going to trust him in the future? But this is the faith that Revelation is leading us to. A deep abiding trust in God. Now notice he gathered them to the place in the Hebrew tongue called Armageddon.

Now Armageddon comes from two Hebrew words har meaning mountain, ghetto. Har Megiddo mountain of slaughter is what the word means. What happened? It was there that Deborah and Barak defeated all the forces of hell. They were in the valley of Megiddo. The forces of hell were going to come upon all the wicked. We're going to destroy Deborah and Barak, but God brought reinforcements to them at the last minute and they were delivered. In the what is Armageddon? It is a universal conflict between the forces of good and the forces of evil over worship. And it is the all of the evil forces are empowered and it appears that the righteous can never win.

Just like right now it appears in your life when the devil attacks you that you can never win. But thank God we have a ruler that has never lost a battle. Thank God the victorious Christ has his hand on his children today and he will have his hand on his children at end time. Thank God that we can know for certain that victory is ours in Christ. Seven facts, here they are. Fact number one, Revelation discusses a final conflict between good and evil. Fact number two, the central issue in that conflict is worship. Fact number three, every human being will have a chance to decide.

Fact number four, the battle of Armageddon climaxes human history. Fact number five, to understand Armageddon you have to understand the five the plagues that precede it. They are the judgments of God upon those that have spurned his love, rejected his law and persecuted his people. Fact number six, Revelation symbols describing Armageddon are the key to understanding Earth's last war. The river Euphrates drying up is simply the support system of Babylon that falls apart. The three unclean spirits represent the demonic forces of hell. The final attempt to deceive and here's fact number seven. The seventh angel is going to sound the death knell to Satan.

Look at seven. It says in the seventh angel poured out his vial upon the air, a loud voice came. There are hailstorms that fall and what happens? The wicked are destroyed and the righteous are redeemed. Now a few closing thoughts, what does all this have to do with Isis? I think it has three things to do. First Isis represents Satan's counterfeit in the Muslim world before the genuine gospel penetrates. See Isis says there's going to be a war between good and evil. Isis says that the infidels from the West have to be defeated. Isis says that Mahdi the Messiah is going to return.

When you think about that not the methods that Isis are using which are horrible, terrible, but when you think about that theology that's not so much far off, is it? Will there be a war between good and evil? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Will there be will Mahdi will will Jesus come? Now here's what I believe and I think it's substantiated in God's word. False revival always comes before genuine revival because the devil knows and here's what I believe. The devil knows that genuine revival is going to come to the Middle East that tens of thousands of Muslims are going to accept Christ and be saved.

So this is what he is doing right now. He is creating the false in Isis before the genuine penetration of the gospel. I could tell you stories about visions and dreams that a Muslim leaders are having right now, about discussions that we as Adventist leaders have had with Muslim leaders about the coming of Jesus Christ. What is happening is amazing. Three points about Isis. First this false revival that's taking place in the Islam among Isis is preliminary to a genuine revival. Secondly could it be that God is allowing the horror of Isis, the terrible murder, the brutality as horrible as it is, could it be that God is allowing that because he wants honest Muslims to see the folly of all that and turn to Jesus Christ.

Thirdly there's one third thing. Take your Bible and turn to Revelation 12. When I've watched the slayings, when I've watched the beheadings I have been impressed with this thought. Evil is horrible. I mean to take an innocent person and put them in a cage and burn them is horrible. To take innocent people and slit their throats because they have a different ideology is horrible. But could it be that God is allowing this to reveal how bad evil and Satan is, how wicked Satan is. Notice Revelation 12 is very interesting. If you look at Revelation the 12th chapter, the 12th verse therefore rejoice oh heavens and you who dwell in them, woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you having what?

Great wrath because he knows he has a short time. The shorter the time that the devil has the more evil and wicked the world will become. The shorter the time. So when I see the wickedness around us in our world, when I see the wanton killing in our world, when I see terrorism and murder at our doorsteps, when I see the the slaying and the the horror of it all, what I say is the devil is fighting viciously because the devil knows that he has a short time and soon Jesus Christ is to come. We often talk about Christ won't come till the gospel goes to the world.

That's true, but listen to this reference uh in the book Christian Experience and Teachings page 186 with unerring accuracy. The infinite one. Who's the infinite one? God still keeps an account with all the nations. While his mercy is tendered with calls to repentance, this account will remain open. But when the figures reach a certain amount which God has fixed the ministry of his wrath commences, the amount is close the account is closed, divine patience ceases, there is no more pleading for mercy in their behalf. In other words what is this saying? It is saying that there is a depth of evil that God isn't going to let the world go to anymore, that God is going to say gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, it's closing time.

That's enough. That is enough. God is going to say the human race is going too far. It's time to close all human history and he will come as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Guest (Male): You've been listening to Hope Lives 365 with Pastor Mark Finley. We hope you've enjoyed today's message and remind you that you can find more in our many ministry resources at hopelives365.com and you can support this ministry by going to hopelives365.com/donate. And now a final thought from Pastor Mark.

Mark Finley: Is there anything in your life that's not in harmony with God's will? Some habit, some idea, some thought process. Is there something God has been convicting you about with the Holy Spirit? This is the time to say Jesus I'm not fiddling around with faith. This is not some play thing. It's not some game, but my eternal destiny is at stake.