Revelation’s great end-time war is upon us.
But it’s not the war you’ve been told, nor the one everybody is expecting.
I want to lay out for you very carefully the war that John describes in Revelation. And because this topic is so fraught with speculation and conjecture by self-proclaimed “experts” in eschatology (“end-timey-wimey stuff”), it’s very important that I lay out the evidence clearly. So, this post will be filled with references to help you track the evidence yourself and see that what I’m claiming isn’t just speculation.
It's the clear message of John’s Apocalypse.
First, let’s describe the combatants on the battlefield.
On one side is Team White, or “Team White Robes.” John explicitly says that “fine linen, bright and clean stands for the righteous acts of the saints” (Rev. 19:8), so everyone on this team is decked in white.
The General: The Ancient of Days, whose hair, clothing, and throne are white (20:11; Dan. 7:9).
The Captain: The Lamb, the “one like a son of man,” whose hair (1:14), horse (19:11), and cloud (14:14) are white.
The Strategist: The Seven-Fold Spirit (1:4, 4:5; Isa. 11:1-3).
The Officers: the four living creatures, the 24 elders, and myriads of angels, all dressed in white (4:4, 15:6).
The Army: “the ones dwelling in heaven” (12:12) under the altar in God’s presence (6:9), comprised of people from “every tongue, tribe, language, and nation” (5:9, 7:9). White robes were given them to mark them off as the People of God (3:4, 18; 6:11; 7:9, 13-14; 19:14).
The Mascot: The Heavenly Woman, who gives birth to the messiah (12:1-6). She is the avatar of the messianic community, the People of God.
The Logo: the seal of God, the name of God, written on the foreheads of everyone on this team (3:12, 7:3, 14:1).
On the other side is Team Scarlet, or “Team Blood.” They have shed the blood of saints and prophets (16:6), and their identity is covered in it.
The General: The Scarlet Dragon (12:3), the devil himself (12:9, 20:2).
The Captain: The Beast from the Sea (13:1-8).
The Strategist: The Beast from the Land (13:11-18), “the false prophet” (16:13, 19:20, 20:10).
The Officers: the “kings of the earth/empire” (6:15, 17:2, 18:3, 18:9, 19:19), Psalm 2 language for the enemies of God.
The Army: the “earth-dwellers,” “the ones dwelling down upon the earth” (3:10, 6:10, 8:13, 11:10, 13:8, 13:14, 17:2, 17:8), where Satan “dwells down” (2:13). Their dwelling is not in heaven, their orientation is earthly. And they are comprised of “the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and all men slave and free” (6:15, 13:16, 19:18), who trade in scarlet (17:12).
The Mascot: The Mega-Whore of Babylon (17:1), dressed in scarlet (17:4), who is drunk on the blood of the saints (17:6).
The Logo: the seal of the Beast, the number of his name, written on the foreheads of everyone on this team (13:16-18).
The Ancient of Days versus the Dragon. The Lamb versus the Beast. The Spirit versus the false prophet. The Heavenly Woman versus the Mega-Whore. The citizens of heaven versus the earth-dwellers. The New Jerusalem versus the New Babylon.
There are no neutral sides in this fight. One side is the aggressor. And the way the war is fought is not what you’d expect.
The language of “making war” appears several times in the Apocalypse. But the ones making war are the Dragon and the Beast. The Dragon makes war against the People of God (12:17, 20:8). The Beast makes war against the two witnesses (11:7) and against the saints (13:7) and against Jesus himself (19:19). The false prophet deceives “the kings of the earth” into joining the Beast in his war (16:14, 17:14, 19:19). Most English versions translate Rev. 12:7 as, “Michael and his angels fought against the Dragon,” suggesting that Michael is the aggressor. But the language indicates that “war happened,” and the Dragon started it.
How, exactly, is the Great War being waged? Well, track the references in the text and you’ll see that Team Scarlet is waging war WITH THEIR MOUTHS. The Dragon, “the accuser, the slanderer” (12:10), attempts to devour the messianic child with his mouth (12:4), and when he can’t catch the Heavenly Woman, he spews water from his mouth to overtake her (12:15). Ironically, the earth “opened its mouth” to swallow the river in her defense (12:16). The Beast “was given a mouth to utter blasphemies” against God (13:5) while the false prophet “spoke like the Dragon” (13:11) and caused the image of the Beast to speak (13:15). Three demon-frogs come from the mouths of the Unholy Trinity for the sole purpose of gathering the kings of the empire to make war against God (16:13-14). Team Scarlet is waging war, and their primary weaponry is what comes from their mouths.
Team White-Robes also fights WITH THEIR MOUTHS. And there are casualties. John has been exiled because of his testimony (1:9; cf. 1:1) as he imitates Jesus, the “faithful testifier” (or “witness; 1:4). Antipas “the faithful witness” (2:13) has been killed in Pergamum. They are slain “because of the testimony they had maintained” (6:9, 12:11, 13:15, 14:12, 17:6, 19:2, 20:4). The two witnesses (or “testifiers”) preach repentance to the earth-dwellers, their testimony is believed to be harmful, like “fire that comes from their mouths” (11:5), so they are killed by the Beast (11:7). Team White-Robes “follows the Lamb wherever he goes” (14:4). Where he goes is to his death. And like the Lamb, they are vindicated in death, come alive, and reign with their Captain forever (20:4-5). It’s not just the Lamb and the White-Robed people who do the testifying. God sends to the earth-dwellers angels (14:6, 8-9), eagles (8:13), and even horses “whose power was in their mouths” (9:19) to call the earth-dwellers to repentance.
The People of God are victorious in this cosmic war by what comes from their mouths. Not by taking up arms. “They overcame by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony” (12:11). And when they are victorious (or rather when the Lamb is victorious on their behalf; 17:14), they use their mouths to sing praise (4:8, 11; 5:9-10, 13; 7:10, 12; 11:15-18; 12:10-12; 15:2-4; 16:5-7; 19:1-8).
Only twice is Jesus described as “making war” in Revelation. And on both occasions, he does so “with the sword that comes from his mouth” (2:16; 19:11-15, 21). His preaching. That’s how he fights.
Don’t you see, Reader? Revelation’s Great War is not a battle fought with guns, tanks, and bombs.
The Great End-Time War is a war of words.
Because I teach on Revelation quite extensively, I get lots of questions about how modern events (particularly events in America and the Middle East) relate to end-time prophecy. It’s not uncommon to be asked, “Is what we’re seeing in Israel today the beginning of the Battle of Armageddon?”
But “Armageddon” isn’t the battle you’ve been told, nor the battle that everybody is expecting.
The supposed “Battle of Armageddon” suffers from reading the text with eyes half-closed, of looking at one verse in Revelation and immediately turning our gaze to Genesis, Daniel, Ezekiel, and CNN. (Okay, “Fox News,” then!)
But there is no “Battle of Armageddon.” Read it carefully and you’ll find that there’s a lot of “Posturing of Armageddon.” But there’s no actual battle. Read it carefully: “They gathered the kings of the empire together to the place that is in Hebrew called ‘Har-Maggedon’” (Rev. 16:16). “Har” is the Hebrew word for “mountain.” They gather at the “mountain of Megiddo.” Megiddo was the place in the OT where several battles were fought (Judg. 5:19; 2 Kgs 23:29-30; 2 Chron. 35:22), and they fought there precisely because it’s flat! Zechariah specifically calls it “the plain of Megiddo” (Zech. 12:11). There’s a tel (a little “knob” or hill) at Megiddo. But no mountain. I heard a self-proclaimed end-time prophet recently say, “I’ve been to Armageddon. It’s a great place to have a battle.” No, you really haven’t. You haven’t been to the “Mountain of Megiddo.” There’s no such place.
John’s mention of (whatever this is) must be set against what comes next: “Out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘It is done’” (16:17). All the “kings of the empire” gathered themselves to make war. They postured a lot. But ONE WORD from the throne (and it is one word in the original language) and the whole thing was over. Again, the war taking place is a war of words.
Or in this case, “word.”
Revelation’s great end-time war is upon us. But it’s not a war in the Middle-East, driven by a coalition of Israel’s enemies. It’s got nothing to do with American interests in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Iran, Iraq, or Gaza. It’s got nothing to do with Russia or China.
It’s got everything to do with the Church’s proclamation of the eternal Gospel.
Make no mistake: Team Scarlet is fighting with their mouths. The Dragon slanders us, accuses us, and gets the earth-dwellers to join him in that fight. The Beast and the false prophet blaspheme God in a world-wide attempt to deceive the earth-dwellers.
Team White-Robes is also fighting. With truth, and with the Gospel.
Rejoice not, Reader, in the violence of the end-times. As often as we rejoice in the violence against our Gospel enemies, we step outside the ranks of our Captain, whose marching orders were “turn the other cheek” (Matt. 5:39) and “love your enemies” (Matt. 5:44). As often as we call upon God to send fire down from heaven and devour our opponents, we end the opportunities for them to repent and join Team White-Robes.
That’s what God is trying to do in this war of words: fill up the number of the white-robed people (6:11). It only happens when we hold out the Gospel and offer the “earth-dwellers” a chance to repent. The offer is for anyone who wants to join the wedding party of the Lamb (19:9), to put on fresh linen and join Team White-Robes (22:14), and to take of the free gift of the water of life (22:17).
Fight, my friends. But do it with the words of the Gospel. Silence up those “seven thunders” (10:4) of judgment and overcome by the word of your testimony.
Not a testimony about yourself. Testify about Jesus. That’s the essence of true prophecy (19:10).
This makes so much sense! Thank you!
It’s about time someone got it right brother Les! Preach Christ is our call! It’s been years my friend but our bond in Him is true. Speak the Word. Bob Brown
Wow! This is really compelling and propels me toward further research. So much of what I was taught in the church growing up is different now. What you are demonstrating really resonates with me. Thank you for your hard work and for sharing!
So excellent. A lot of work went into this. Well done, brother.