“Armageddon is only found one time, in the entirety, of the Bible. Yet it is one, of the most recognizable end time events known around the world. Today, the Valley of Armageddon looks nothing like it’s violent past or its future. Today, it is a fertile agricultural valley, known as, the bread basket of Israel, which raises much of its own food. In the past, history has played out in this valley, serving as the site of the most battles in history. Making it arguably the bloodiest battlefield in world history. Because it had been the epicenter of armed conflict, throughout Israel’s history, Revelation 16:16 identifies Armageddon as the location of the climatic war at the end of the tribulation period. There will never be a battle bigger than Armageddon.”
My friend, Dottie Wilson, writes observations and reflections as she studies God’s Word. As I read her reflection today, something stood out to me. Armageddon is the code word known to many as the “ultimately definitive battle of good and evil”, yet as she points out, throughout history many key battles ending in significant turns in the tide of history of peoples and nations have occurred at that crossroads of the known world of early history.
One thing I have learned from scripture and life is that God uses the physical events and experiences of this life to teach us the patterns, principles, processes, and practices of the spiritual realm. Those physical realm “Ps” merely reflect a low resolution mirror-image of the battles in the heavenlies among spiritual beings which are fought to control dominion over the physical realm. Those who read, know, understand……(and obey) God’s Word and seek God’s Spirit here develop an increasing confidence and attitude of transcendency over time and place that looks more toward the spiritual realm and less toward the physical realm. The ultimate end is clearly known in spiritual terms, as defined by Christ’s atonement and God’s ongoing redemptive work, here within space and time. The spiritual realm is not restricted by either space or time. God can give knowledge and insights through the spiritual realm that are “previews of coming attractions.” Throughout history some have observed, received and reported those “previews” from their perspective within the physical. However, some things can only be understood in the spiritual realm and there are no words sufficient to fully explain the “otherliness” of the spiritual reality, the ineffability of some things of God…..They can only be described by comparison to something known, seen, and understood in the physical existence.
In the physical, God provides me understanding sometimes through use of numbers. One might say numerical patterns are a prayer language God uses with me. When I looked at Dottie’s observation of the only reference to Armageddon in Revelation 16:16, I felt the Spirit say, “What does that say in your prayer language?” It took me no time at all to reply…..
“Waffling weak-willed double mindedness of an individual…. “16” (1=Priority of will, 6=person) on each side of the colon represents the battle within one’s own spirit, mind, and body….. one’s waffling back and forth between the only two choices there are…the choice between the lure of life in the “flesh,” the physical world’s temptations and that of the security, joy and purposefulness of life in the Spirit.
Sooner or later that battle between the two reaches epic proportion and one has to make a decision. To fail to choose means the battle will continue to rage around you. Living double-minded, flip-flopping over and over between both sides of the call to decide which side you’ll dwell on leaves you in an ultimately definitive battle swirling in the heavenlies that will determine the eternal condition of your soul and fate. (CBB 11:12.23)