Armageddon
Let us take another look at the last verse under consideration:
“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.” Revelation 16:14
Deceptive authorities influence the leaders of the earth “…to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.”
The orthodox interpretation here is that evil spirits will gather the armies of the world who are going to attempt to defeat God himself. In “…the battle of that great day of God Almighty” all evil doers will be destroyed by fire from God.
What is the great day of God Almighty and what is the battle? A hint is given in the next verse.
“Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.” Revelation 16:15
This is a direct quote from the voice of Christ announcing he will come as a thief. Paul said something similar:
“For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.” I Thessalonians 5:2
A thief in the night comes quietly and does not want to be detected. No one knows he robbed their place until the next morning when he is gone.
Most people see the day of the lord as an event where a great appearance by Jesus in the sky will take place that the whole world will see. Instead of appearing quietly as a thief, he is expected to appear with great fanfare and destroy the wicked.
So, if this is describing the great gathering for Armageddon why does Christ say he comes as a thief? The answer is because that is exactly what will happen.
When the day comes that the disciples issue forth words of light that dispel the illusion of the deceptive spirits then Christ will come quietly on several fronts. Within the hearts and minds of the disciples the consciousness of Christ will burn with great inner radiance and power. But he will come also in another way. When the people can no longer hold to the deceptive illusion of the past, they are forced to see the truth demonstrated before their eyes that will plant in them the seeds of the Christ consciousness which will eventually grow to maturity.
Many of those who fight the truth of the soul will be stolen and taken away by the spirit of Christ and removed from their illusions.
Next, we have one of the most talked about verses in the Bible:
“And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.” Revelation 16:16
It is interesting that all have heard of the great last battle at Armageddon. Therefore, it is of interest to note that the scripture just ends here. No battle is described.
What then really happens at Armageddon?
It helps to take a look at the word. Although the Book of Revelation was written in Greek John uses a Hebrew word with no Greek equivalent. It is written two ways on the various scrolls. The first is the popular Armageddon but this word is believed to be a corruption of the Hebrew Har-Megiddo which means the “mountain of Megiddo.”
Now this is mysterious because Megiddo is a great plain and has no hills or mountains. How then can the leaders of the world with their followers gather to the mountain of Har-Megiddo?
It can happen because John was speaking symbolically and not literally.
Megiddo is a location of numerous great battles in the past where the wicked were slaughtered.
What does this tell us then about the meaning of the gathering to Armageddon?
First, we need to realize that a mountain is a symbol of higher consciousness. When the disciples of the Master do their job and dispel illusion the leaders of the world will fight against it but will eventually yield and themselves be lifted up to a higher state of consciousness.
Let’s first give an example of how this has worked in the past. Until a few hundred years ago most of the leaders of the world owned slaves and believed in slavery as an institution. Then eventually the world was confronted with the truth about the equality of humanity. The leaders and their counselors resisted and fought against change as if they were in the great last battle of Armageddon. Eventually the mountain of higher consciousness won out and now the leaders of most of the world are against slavery and are willing to fight against it instead of to preserve it.
At the present time many of the leaders are against world peace and prefer their own selfish interests instead. But a new Armageddon is on the horizon and the day is not far off until the Prince of Peace arises in their hearts and swords will be turned to plowshares as peace is diligently sought and embraced.
May such a day come soon.
“And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.” Revelation 16:17
This last great labor done by the disciples of Christ concerns the pouring out of the vial of spiritual passion into the air. Air is a symbol of the mind, and in this case, it is the highest part of the mind to which humanity can respond. This is the mind that recognizes pure reason, logic and common sense. This aspect of the mind opens the door to the intuition, or soul contact, and leads to spiritual understanding.
When the disciples of the Master are no longer divided, but rise up to the plane of the higher mind and present the great work before the masses as a united whole then a great voice comes out of the temple of heaven saying “it is done.” The temple of heaven represents the door to the soul and spirit. When the disciples teach with unity the pure words of spirit and “walk the walk” as well as “talk the talk,” then the mission of the Christed one has run its course.
Christ came and made a great impact, but the work was suppressed and drowned out by false disciples and prophets. Even so, the message and the work were revived again and again by a handful of true disciples over thousands of years until the seventh angel releases his vial. Finally, the cumulative power of the spiritual force bears fruit and the truth of the message is presented so clearly with the higher mind and with light and love that those in the mind can no longer deny the truth.
“And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.” Revelation 16:18
There were voices (great teachers) and thunders (great awakenings) and lightnings (great revelations) until there was the greatest earthquake ever seen.
An earthquake is a symbol of a person’s false belief system being broken apart, paving the way for a new one. At the consummation of the work of Christ and his disciples, success will finally come and many will see the illusion that held them bound and let it go. Others though will want to hold on to the old insecure earth and not let go.
“And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.” Revelation 16:19
The great city is Babylon. As we said earlier, this symbolizes confusion of the masses which is caused by corrupt communication. The higher mind used by the seventh angel communicates in principles and through the soul, but those in Babylon communicate through the lower nature in black and white facts and data. This leads to many interpretations and the fighting of one interpretation against another.
When Babylon is presented with the higher communion of Eternal Words through the communication of true principles, she is divided into three parts. What does this mean–what are the three parts?
The three parts are: first, the conservative polarity; secondly, the so-called liberal stance, and; third, those few who see the whole truth is never found completely on one side or the other, but must be discerned through good judgment.
The scripture continues: “…and the cities of the nations fell…”
The cities of the nations represent many different belief systems and ideologies where there is a polarity of one side against another.
In politics it is one party against another.
In religion it is one sect against another.
In commerce it is one business against another.
In world affairs it is one nation against another, etc.
In the new age brought by the Prince of Peace and his disciples the focus will be taken away from mean spirited competition and refocused on cooperation and the cities (polarized systems) will fall and be transformed.
Those who do not cooperate will receive “…the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.”
“And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.” Revelation 16:20
An island represents a group of people living under a very separative belief system. When general humanity realizes that no man or organization is an island then many will drop their separative beliefs.
Mountains here represent the kingdoms of the world which rule men with great authority or tyranny. These will eventually cease to be and be replaced with governments allowing for the freedom of the human spirit.
“And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent (hundred pounds): and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.” Revelation 16:21
Hail represents destructive force that light, love and truth have upon the foundations of illusion. Truth, as wonderful as it is to the seeker, is as dreaded as a great plague of hail by one whose foundation is built upon sand instead of rock.
When people curse the truth, they are in reality cursing God because God is the foundation of all true principles.
“Love the ones you can. Touch the ones you can reach. Let the others go.” Real Live Preacher, RealLivePreacher.com Weblog, October 20, 2003
July 19, 2006
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