The war mentioned in this chapter is the war at the valley of Jehoshaphat (Joel 3:9-12; Zech. 14:2-3, 12-15). This will be very close to Jerusalem (message forty-eight, p. 560).
The fighting of Christ in the war at Armageddon will be the treading of the great winepress. That will be the judgment on all the evil forces of the world, the death blow to all of them.
We need to view today’s world situation in the light of the prophecy concerning the coming war at Armageddon. When I first studied these prophecies fifty years ago, the world situation was much different from today. At that time the nation of Israel had not been formed again, Jerusalem had not been returned to the Jews, and hardly anyone paid attention to the Middle East. After World War II, the nation of Israel was formed again in 1948, and people’s attention began to focus on the Middle East. As I read about the re-forming of Israel in the newspapers, I was surprised and thrilled. In 1967, I was excited to hear the news that Jerusalem had been returned to the Jews. Today the Middle East is the center of the world situation.
The Soviet Union is secretly doing everything possible to defeat Israel. As we shall see in another message, this is according to the prophecies in Ezekiel 38 and 39. These chapters reveal that the Soviet Union will take the lead to destroy Israel. All the Arab countries surrounding Israel are plotting against her. Not one nation in the Middle East is for Israel. Almost everything is ready for the war at Armageddon. The European situation, however, is still ambiguous. But sooner or later something will take place there; for both in Europe and in the Middle East people are seeking a strong leader.
The Jews are also seeking the opportunity to rebuild the temple. Presently, the site of the temple is occupied by a Moslem mosque, their second most important religious shrine. The temple site is the exact spot where Abraham offered Isaac. Not very far from this mosque is the wailing wall, the only portion of the temple that still remains. We are eagerly expecting the return of the site of the temple so that the temple may be rebuilt. I believe that in not too long a time the site will be returned.
Today’s world situation is without precedent. Even the problem over oil may be used by the Lord for the fulfillment of prophecy related to the war of Armageddon. Near the time of the war at Armageddon, two thirds of the Jews will be slaughtered. The one third that survives will be tested by fire and preserved (Zech. 13:8-9). At that juncture, the Lord will come down from heaven and put His feet on the Mount of Olives (Zech. 14:4). The Mount of Olives will split in two, and a valley will be produced into which the persecuted Jews will flee. Perhaps a great earthquake will occur at that time. According to Zechariah 14, the armies of Antichrist will be destroyed. “Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth” (Zech. 14:12).
The Bible reveals the destiny of the nation of Israel. Because so many Israelites are still in unbelief, before the Lord comes back Jerusalem will be like Sodom in the eyes of God (11:18). Therefore, God will use Antichrist and the ten kings with their armies to purge and to purify the nation of Israel. Those who remain will be preserved by God for the millennial kingdom. As Isaiah 2:2-3 and Zechariah 8:20-23 clearly reveal, in the kingdom the saved and preserved Jews will be priests teaching the nations to know God and to serve Him.