11: Armageddon [Excerpt]

“For the LORD has a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the cause of Zion.” (Isaiah 34:8)

The Time of Jacob’s Trouble comprises Israel’s darkest hour: the sudden and violent invasion of the land, tragic loss of life, an ensuing refugee crisis and needless destruction of property. However, this is not the end of the story. All this awful suffering will culminate in the end-times battle for Jerusalem (commonly referred to as Armageddon). Har is the Hebrew word for hill. Har Megiddo is anglicised as Armageddon. It lies on the slopes of the Jezreel Valley, also known as the Plain of Megiddo. This final last days battle will be where the Lord will resolve, once and for all, the matter of who is entitled to the land of Israel.

We may well be asking ourselves why Israel, and in particular Jerusalem, is such a big deal to her enemies. Daniel tells us that the Antichrist will be infuriated by the Holy Covenant.[1] This refers to the promise of God to reward Abraham and his descendants, and to grant them a land in which to dwell.[2] The nations and people groups descended from Ishmael and Esau, excluded from this line, comprise a substantial portion of the hostile nations surrounding Israel today. The continuing resentment against the chosen line and their heritage will culminate in the Time of Jacob’s Trouble. The seeds for this conflict are apparent from the Genesis account. God separately promised Ishmael’s father and mother that the number of his descendants would be greatly multiplied. [3]Hagar was told that Ishmael “will be a wild donkey of a man, his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand will be against him.”[4] When Isaac was nearing the end of his life, instead of blessing Esau, his prophetic utterance was that Esau would live by the sword, and that he would become weary with serving his brother even to the point of conflict[5]...

[1] Daniel 11:30

[2] Genesis 12:1-3; 15

[3] Genesis 17:19-20, 21:12-18

[4] Genesis 16:12

[5] Genesis 27:40

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