Trump announces huge expansion of US missile defence system... Headline in the Guardian 17 Jan 2019

Arms control experts fear system review, could fuel arms race with Russia and China

In view of the increasingly advanced missile threats from Russia and China and other nations, President Trump has ordered the Pentagon to rapidly expand current missile defenses and build new interceptors, space sensors, and advanced technology to neutralize foreign missiles. President Trump stated that both China and Russia, are fielding more missiles, including hypersonic missiles which are so fast that they cannot be brought down by existing missile defenses. "Our goal is simple:" he said, "To be sure we can detect and destroy any missile launched against the United States, anywhere, any time, and any place,"

The world is getting itself ready for ARMAGEDDON. Not Hollywood's concept of a rogue asteroid or a mutant plague. The Armageddon which the Bible refers to is a real conflict that comes at the time of the end – centred on Israel and Jerusalem. It is a war that will form part of the time of trouble such as never was, which Jesus warned would be at his Return (Matt 24:29-31). It will be a conflagration so great that if God did not intervene by sending his Son back to the earth – no flesh would survive. Everything would be destroyed. All the evidence from a prophecy point of view says that this conflict could begin literally at any time. The World is preparing for war...

Armageddon is a place

And Armageddon is an actual place- the place where the armies of the world will arrive to oppose the Lord Jesus Christ and his Saints as is foretold in the Book of Revelation. Rev 16:16 & 18 NIV

Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.,,, Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since mankind has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake.

Verse 14 of this chapter tells of ' the kings of the earth and of the whole world,' in other words , all nations, who have been persuaded to "gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty". Apparently at that time, such animosity will be aroused against the nation of Israel that they will band together to invade, and will be prepared to do battle at a place called Armageddon. It is then that God intervenes by sending The Lord Jesus Christ and his Saints.

The prophets Ezekiel and Zechariah describe the tumultuous battle which follows. In Ezekiel chapter 38 v 9 we read of an invasion of Israel headed by Gog "Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee" (38:9). In response Ez 38:18 tells us 'And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, that my fury shall come up in my face.

Ez 38:20-23 all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground. .. And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: ...

And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.... Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD.

With the result that Gog and his army of Nations is destroyed Ez 39:4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the people that is with thee.

 zech

The Prophecy of Zechariah

Consistent with Revelation 16, Zechariah 14 presents God as gathering the nations to battle. And Jerusalem is captured. Initially the picture is one of complete defeat for the Israeli forces. The force that invades the Land at the time of the end will be a massive force with highly aggressive intentions. Israel's army, skilful as it is, will be no match for this mighty force and will be overwhelmed.

And it is then, when Israel is utterly unable to deliver itself, that God will intervene

Zechariah 14:1 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. 14:2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken. 14:3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. 14:4 And his (Jesus') feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. 14:9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.

Signs that Armageddon is close

So, is this an event which will happen in the far future or is the Battle of Armageddon very close? The Prophet Joel gives us a clue to the timing Joel 3:1 For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, ( we have experienced Israel restored as a Nation and Jerusalem again proclaimed as its Capital)

3:2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land. ( the Valley of Jehoshaphat is another name for Armageddon)

3:10-11 Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD.

We are seeing the Mighty Ones of China and Russia awakening from their relative peace which followed the Cold War and little weak Nations like N.Korea flexing their muscles too and saying 'we are strong!'. Surely we are very close to the Battle of Armageddon.

A place of Judgement

Armageddon is a Hebrew word, which is taken to mean Mount Megiddo. In the Old Testament Megiddo was a place of numerous decisive battles because of the broad plain that stood before it. Deborah and Barak defeated Sisera and his Canaanite army there (Judges 4-5), Gideon drove off the Midianites and Amalekites ( Judges 6 ).

It is therefore a fittingly symbolic name for the place of judgement on Israel's enemies when Christ returns to establish God's throne. As it happened to Deborah and Gideon, the invader will cover the land; appear triumphant, but will meet his end through Divine intervention. In that day of the battle of God Almighty the people will be delivered by God as they were through Gideon or Deborah and Barak.

The signs of the times

The signs of the times give us every reason to expect that this day is near, and this should be a powerful stimulus to us to prepare for that great and terrible day before it is too late. Let us, then, watch events as they unfold, encouraged that God is in control and that He will bring them to a climax soon when He intervenes to establish His Kingdom.

Bearing in mind the judgements about to be unleashed on the world it would be wise to take heed to the words which Paul gave to the people gathered around him at the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:38-40) 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gif t of the Holy Spirit.

2:40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.

zech 2