Lesson 13: Armageddon and the Day of the Lord
The Bible has many prophecies of the end time. Right now, it may seem that their fulfillments are proceeding at a slow pace, but the time will come when they will be happening in rapid-fire succession!
Following is a well-known story in the history of the U.S. National Collegiate
Athletic Association:
In the 1987 NCAA basketball regional finals, underdog LSU was leading
top-seeded Indiana by 9 points with only five minutes left in the game.
But, as is often the case with a team in the lead, LSU players began watching
the clock rather than wholeheartedly playing the game. As a result of
this shift in focus, the tough Indiana team closed the gap and moved ahead
by 1 point. LSU missed a shot at the buzzer for a heartbreaking defeat.
Indiana went on to become the NCAA champions.
The lesson for us? While Jesus said we should stay aware of "the signs
of the times," He made it clear that we should stay focused, like Jesus
was, on doing "the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work" (John
4:34). As we await the second coming of Christ, instead of "watching the
clock" and getting distracted, we should serve God in such a way that
Christ, when He returns, will say, "Well done, good and faithful servant"
(Matthew 25:21).
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What Does the Bible Say About the Day of the Lord?
This lesson is based on the foundations laid in the last five lessons. If
anything in this lesson is unclear, it may help to review a previous lesson,
especially lessons 8 to 12, in this "Bible Prophecy and You" series.
The book of Revelation gives great insight into how these subjects tie together
and describes the sequence of end-time events. For a good understanding of
Revelation, we highly recommend The
Book of Revelation Unveiled.
What does the Bible mean by the "day of the Lord"?
Isaiah 13:6-13
Wail, for the day of the Lord is at hand! It will come as destruction from
the Almighty. Therefore all hands will be limp, every man's heart will melt,
and they will be afraid. Pangs and sorrows will take hold of them; they
will be in pain as a woman in childbirth; they will be amazed at one another;
their faces will be like flames.
Behold, the day of the Lord comes, cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger,
to lay the land desolate; and He will destroy its sinners from it. For the
stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light; the sun
will be darkened in its going forth, and the moon will not cause its light
to shine.
"I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity;
I will halt the arrogance of the proud, and will lay low the haughtiness
of the terrible. I will make a mortal more rare than fine gold, a man more
than the golden wedge of Ophir. Therefore I will shake the heavens, and
the earth will move out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord of hosts
and in the day of His fierce anger."
The Day of the Lord usually refers to a time when God and Christ are powerfully
intervening in the world to punish evil. It usually refers to "the great and
dreadful day of the Lord" that will come "upon all the nations" just
before Christ's second coming (Malachi 4:5; Obadiah 1:15, emphasis added throughout).
Sometimes it is almost synonymous with the "time of the end," which was explained
in Lesson
1.
However, occasionally it has a dual fulfillment. Isaiah 13 begins with a
warning of how God will punish Babylon, which most likely refers to its destruction
in Old Testament times (verses 1-6). But verses 9-13 are obviously more specifically
describing the end-time "day of the Lord," when God will cause spectacular
heavenly signs and "will punish the world for its evil."
Furthermore, from the beginning of Christ's intervention, the Day of the
Lord can in one sense be considered to last forever because Christ will forevermore
rule the world. Never again will Satan be "the ruler of this world" (John
12:31; 14:30; 16:11).
Do synonymous phrases for Day of the Lord usually show that it will
be a time of awesome and dreadful punishment?
Isaiah 13:9, 13
Behold, the day of the Lord comes, cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger,
to lay the land desolate; and He will destroy its sinners from it...
"Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth will move out of
her place, in the wrath of the Lord of hosts and in the day of His fierce
anger."
Isaiah 34:8
For it is the day of the Lord's vengeance, the year of recompense for the
cause of Zion.
1 Corinthians 5:5
Deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit
may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
Clearly the Bible uses several other expressions for the Day of the Lord
including "day of His fierce anger," "day of the Lord's vengeance" and "day
of the Lord Jesus."
What is the relationship between the Great Tribulation and the Day
of the Lord?
Matthew 24:29-30
"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and
the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
"Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all
the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming
on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."
Joel 2:31
The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the
coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.
Jesus said the terrifying heavenly signs will occur "immediately after the
[great] tribulation." And through Joel, God said these heavenly signs will
occur "before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord."
So chronologically speaking, the Great Tribulation comes before the
Day of the Lord.
As we saw in Lesson 11, during the Great Tribulation enemy nations will punish,
through war and captivity, the United States, Britain and other nations whose
people are largely descendants of Israel.
The Day of the Lord will be direct punishment from Jesus Christ on the
rest of unrepentant humanity (Revelation 16:9), especially the nations
that are a part of the political, religious and commercial "Babylon the
Great" and anyone else who opposes Christ (Revelation 17:5; 18:2).
When will the Day of the Lord begin?
Isaiah 61:2
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our
God; to comfort all who mourn...
Isaiah 63:4
For the day of vengeance is in My heart, and the year of My redeemed has come.
The Bible doesn't clearly answer when the Day of the Lord will begin. However,
in Bible prophecy, the word day often represents one year (Numbers
14:34; Ezekiel 4:6). Furthermore, other scriptures seem to indicate that the
Day of the Lord will begin one year before Christ returns. For example, we
read in Isaiah 34:8, "For it is the day of the Lord's vengeance, the year
of recompense for the cause of Zion." Also, in Isaiah 61:2, "the acceptable
year of the Lord" seems to be equated with "the day of vengeance of our God."
We saw in the last lesson that the Great Tribulation will begin 3½ years
before Christ returns. It seems the last year of that period will be the Day
of the Lord. So it seems that the first 2½ years display Satan's wrath, followed
by a year of God's vengeance.
We know for sure that "the servants of our God" will be protected from the
"harm" that Christ will pour out on the earth (Revelation 7:3; see also 3:10
and 12:14-17). Many scriptures assure us of God's desire and power
to protect His people.
What do the seven "seals" of Revelation represent?
Revelation 5:1
And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written
inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals.
The first rule of Bible interpretation is to let the Bible interpret itself.
A comparison between the seven "seals" and the sequence of events that Jesus
foretold in the Olivet Prophecy in Matthew 24:4-9 gives us a clear understanding.
Here is a very brief summary:
1st Seal (Revelation 6:1-2; Matthew 24:4-5): Increasing religious deception.
2nd Seal (Revelation 6:3-4; Matthew 24:6-7): Wars increasing in frequency
and devastation.
3rd Seal (Revelation 6:5-6; Matthew 24:7): Food shortages and famines increasing.
4th Seal (Revelation 6:7-8; Matthew 24:7): Disease epidemics increasing and
becoming more deadly.
5th Seal (Revelation 6:9-11; Matthew 24:9): Increasing persecution climaxing
in the Great Tribulation.
6th Seal (Revelation 6:12-16; Matthew 24:29): A great earthquake and terrifying
heavenly signs.
7th Seal (Revelation 6:17; 8:1-2, 6; Matthew 24:30): Day of the Lord ("the
great day of His wrath"), including the seven trumpet plagues.
What are the seven trumpets that comprise the seventh seal (the Day
of the Lord)?
Revelation 8:1-2
When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half
an hour. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were
given seven trumpets.
The seventh seal includes seven angels blowing their trumpets one-by-one.
After each trumpet blast, there is a cataclysmic event. The first four are
described in Revelation 8:
- Destruction of vegetation (verse 7).
- Devastation of oceans and sea life (verses 8-9).
- Devastation of rivers and fresh water (verses 10-11).
- Sun, moon and stars darkened (verse 12).
The fifth trumpet "plague" is described in Revelation 9:1-12. Quoting from The
Book of Revelation Unveiled:"The director or 'king' of this wave
of affliction is described as 'the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew
is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon' (verse 11, NIV). These titles, in
Hebrew and Greek, mean 'destruction' and 'destroyer,' respectively. And
we later see that the Satan-led 'beast' power emerges from this abyss
or bottomless pit (Revelation 17:8), showing that the locusts here are
probably the forces of this Europe-centered power bloc directed by Satan."
The sixth trumpet "plague" is described in Revelation 9:13-21. Incredibly,
it describes a 200-million-man army that will "kill a third of mankind"! Apparently
the army comes from nations east of the Euphrates River. Quoting again from
the chapter "The Day
of the Lord Finally Arrives" from the same booklet: "This event, the second
woe or sixth trumpet plague, seems to be a massive counterattack against the
European-led forces of the first woe or fifth trumpet plague."
The seventh trumpet announces "seven angels having the seven last plagues,
for in them the wrath of God is complete" (15:1). Each angel has a bowl full
of the wrath of God, and each bowl in turn is poured out on the earth. They
are described in Revelation 15 and 16. The fifth angel pours "his bowl on
the throne of the beast" (16:10). The sixth angel prepares the way for the
climactic battle commonly referred to as "Armageddon" (16:12-16).
What does "Armageddon" mean? What does the prophecy say?
Revelation 16:12-16
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.
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.
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.
"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."
And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.
Although Satan and the demons are doomed to lose any battle with Christ,
they never give up trying to defeat Him. Once again, Christ will use their
efforts to fulfill His purposes. The "spirits of demons" working under Satan
and through the Beast and the False Prophet "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" (Revelation 16:13-14). That is the real name
of the final battle between Christ and the armies of the world.
Jesus Christ makes use of the demonic influences "to gather the nations…to
pour on them My indignation, all My fierce anger" (Zephaniah 3:8).
The prophecies indicate that the armies will intend to attack the opposing
armies. But as Christ descends to the earth, Satan turns their attention and
hostility toward Christ. All nations, including the armies of the Beast, "will
make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of
lords and King of kings" (Revelation 17:14).
"And they [the demons] gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew,
Armageddon" (Revelation 16:16). Armageddon literally means "Mount of Megiddo."
It is northwest of Jerusalem. To the east of it is a broad valley in which
numerous battles have been fought in the past. One of its names is "plain
of Megiddo" (Zechariah 12:11). This will be the central gathering place, but
the huge armies will evidently be spread out over a much larger area.
As Christ descends toward Jerusalem, the area around Jerusalem will become
the primary area of battle. "Behold, the day of the Lord is coming… For I
will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem… Then the Lord will
go forth and fight against those nations… And in that day His feet will stand
on the Mount of Olives… And the Lord shall be King over all the earth" (Zechariah
14:1-4, 9).
The actual battle begins when the seventh angel pours out his bowl. Then
there will be an earthquake more devastating than anyone has experienced before!
Islands and mountains will disappear! The "cities of the nations" will fall,
including the leading city the Bible refers to as "Babylon." A hail storm
will rain down hail stones that will weigh perhaps 75 to 100 pounds each (Revelation
16:17-21). The fall of Babylon is more fully described in Revelation 18.
Christ will capture the Beast and the False Prophet—the consummate antichrists
described in the last lesson—and cast them into the lake of fire and will
kill all the opposing armies (Revelation 19:19-21).
The prophet Zechariah records the fate of these armies that fight against
Christ: "And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all
the people who fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall dissolve while
they stand on their feet, their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, and
their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths" (Zechariah 14:12).
What will be the great triumphant climax of the Day of the Lord?
Revelation 11:15-18
Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying,
"The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and
of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!"
And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their
faces and worshiped God, saying: "We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty,
the One who is and who was and who is to come, because You have taken Your
great power and reigned.
"The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, and the time of the
dead, that they should be judged, and that You should reward Your servants
the prophets and the saints, and those who fear Your name, small and great,
and should destroy those who destroy the earth."
Revelation 19:11-16
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.
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 is called The Word
of God.
And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed
Him on white horses.
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.
And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND
LORD OF LORDS.
1 Corinthians 15:50-54
Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom
of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.
Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be
changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For
the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we
shall be changed.
For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on
immortality.
So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put
on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written:
"Death is swallowed up in victory."
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have
fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with
Him those who sleep in Jesus.
For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and
remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are
asleep.
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice
of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will
rise first.
Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in
the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the
Lord.
Therefore comfort one another with these words.
With the seventh trumpet comes the announcement of marvelous news for the
saints and for the future of the world: Jesus Christ lays claim to His rulership
of the world! The 24 elders in heaven announce that it is time to "reward
Your servants the prophets and the saints"!
The great climax of the Day of the Lord will be the awesome return of Christ,
so vividly described in Revelation 19, and the raising from the dead of the
saints, which is "the first resurrection" (20:6). Almost all of 1 Corinthians
15 discusses the resurrection. It tells us that the blowing of "the last trumpet"
will signal the resurrection (verse 52). The resurrection of the saints is
also described in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 and is referred to in many other
scriptures.
What annual festival commanded by God pictures the Day of the Lord?
Leviticus 23:23-25
Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the children of Israel,
saying: 'In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall
have a sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.
"You shall do no customary work on it; and you shall offer an offering
made by fire to the Lord.'"
This passage briefly refers to the Feast of Trumpets, which foreshadows the
fulfillment of the trumpets of Revelation, especially the last one marking
Christ's return and the resurrection of the saints. The Feast of Trumpets
and the six other annual festivals (including God's Holy Days) that are commanded
by God are thoroughly explained in God's
Holy Day Plan: The Promise of Hope for All Mankind. All of God's
Holy Days are joyful and deeply meaningful. Once you understand them, you
will want to celebrate them!
Apply Now
After the apostle Paul talks about the resurrection in 1 Thessalonians
4, he goes on to talk about "the day of the Lord" in 1 Thessalonians 5.
He makes it clear that when it finally comes, it will be suddenly, so we
should stay spiritually prepared. After that, Paul gives a wonderful list
of simple instructions for true Christian living. For some people, this
is their favorite chapter in all the Bible.
Take some time to read 1 Thessalonians 5 now. Enjoy and be inspired! Plus
pick two or three mandates from Paul's list, write them down and set a goal
to focus on practicing them in your daily life for the next week.
Next Lesson: The Millennium and Peace on Earth!
Questions about this lesson? Feedback about
this lesson?
Related Resources:
The End Time in the Book of Revelation
Seven Prophecies That Must Be Fulfilled Before Jesus Christ's Return
Good
News Radio: The Day of the Lord
The Biblical Feast of Trumpets: Foretelling "the Day of the Lord"
Armageddon: Countdown to Global Peace
