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Armageddon and the Great Crack in the Earth
by Tom Stewart
June 10, 2001
Armageddon represents the final showdown between Good and Evil,
between the LORD Jesus Christ and the Antichrist. "These
shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for He is LORD of
Lords, and KING of Kings: and they that are with Him are called, and chosen, and
faithful" (Revelation 17:14). [See
our article, "The Conflicts
of Armageddon" ---New Window, for a discussion of past battles,
as well as the upcoming Apocalyptic Battle of Armageddon.] As a battle
that is yet to be fought, the archaeologists who make the excavation of Megiddo their
livelihood, do not necessarily believe that Armageddon as depicted in the New Testament
Book of Revelation, will happen. But, "what
saith the Scripture?" (Romans 4:3).
"12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river
Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the Kings of the East
might be prepared. 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth
of the Dragon [Satan],
and out of the mouth of the Beast [the Antichrist], and out of the mouth of the False Prophet. 14 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. 15 Behold,
I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he
walk naked, and they see his shame. 16 And He gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue
Armageddon" (Revelation 16:12-16).
Because Biblical Prophecy has the aura of wives tales or fables to many, the impact
of the message to turn from selfishness to faith in the LORD Jesus Christ before
it is too late, to them, is laughable. "3 Knowing this first, that there shall
come in the Last Days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4 and saying, Where is the Promise of His Coming? for since the fathers
fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
5 For this they willingly
are ignorant of, that by the Word of God the heavens were of old, and the Earth standing
out of the water and in the water: 6
whereby the world that then was, being overflowed
with water, perished: 7 but
the heavens and the Earth, which are now, by the same Word are kept in store, reserved
unto fire against the Day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men. 8 But, Beloved, be not ignorant of
this one thing, that one day is with the LORD as a thousand years, and a thousand
years as one day. 9 The
LORD is not slack concerning His Promise, as some men count slackness; but is Longsuffering
to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
10 But the Day of the
LORD will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away
with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the Earth also
and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what
manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and Godliness" (2Peter 3:3-11).
Another of our editorials, "The
Manner of the Second Coming of the LORD Jesus Christ"
---New Window, makes reference to Zechariah's prophecy,
describing the LORD's descent to the Earth, specifically to the Mount of Olives,
before He proceeds to Armageddon. "3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and
fight against those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle. 4 And His 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" (Zechariah
14:3-4). In support of the authenticity of the Scriptural account
of the upcoming Battle of Armageddon, it should be noted that the Jordan River Valley
is at the head of a great crack or series of cracks in the Earth, known as the East
African Rift System. Of course, these cracks in the Earth are known as seismic faults;
and, along its length are earthquakes and volcanoes. This particular series of cracks
is one of the most extensive rifts on the Earth's surface, extending from Jordan
for 4,000 miles (6,400 kilometers) down the Jordan River to the Dead Sea extending
to the Gulf of Aqaba along the Red Sea through Ethiopia past the equatorial region
of snowcapped Mount Kilimanjaro's 19,340 feet (5,895 meters) and down to Mozambique.
In Africa, it is known as the Great Rift Valley, averaging 30-40 miles (48-64 kilometers)
wide. "And they shall go into the holes
of the rocks, and into the caves of the Earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the
glory of His majesty, when He ariseth to shake terribly the Earth" (Isaiah 2:19).
At the close of the Tribulation Week, the Almighty will pour out the final Seven
Vial Judgments. The Seventh Vial Judgment will conclude with the Greatest Earthquake
in the History of the World, causing Jerusalem to be fragmented into three parts.
The Mount of Olives, to which the LORD Jesus Christ will descend at His Second Coming
during the Campaign of Armageddon, is on the east side of Jerusalem, separated only
by the Kidron Valley. "17 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. 18 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. 19 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
16:17-19). The Second Coming of the LORD Jesus Christ will include
the greatest earthquake experienced by man along the most extensive rift on the surface
of the Earth-- all of this as the LORD continues northward towards Armageddon. Repentance,
faith, and holiness should be the effect of such news as Armageddon and the Great
Crack in the Earth. "Bring forth therefore
fruits meet for repentance" (Matthew 3:8). "14 But this I confess unto thee, that after the Way which they
call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written
in the Law and in the Prophets: 15 and
have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a Resurrection
of the dead, both of the Just and Unjust. 16 And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void
of offence toward God, and toward men" (Acts 24:14-16). "But as He which hath called
you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation"
(1Peter 1:15).
Maranatha!
.
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