America & Armageddon: Where We Stand

You are listening to a new beginning with Greg Laurie, a podcast made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God this at our website and learn more about harvest partners@harvest.org the more interesting things about what was he is not with vengeance but also would doesn't mention the laws the area today on a new beginning for Greg Laurie points out a certain nation conspicuous by its absence pages, a prophecy where is our United States of America are sure not even mention the prophetic is America is one of Israel's most report about last day Scripture doesn't seem to mention the United States today on a new beginning. Greg Laurie continues her lightning series book of Revelation proposes several different snow may explain our absence from the text eye-opening look at how close we may be the next event on God's prophetic time reminder of how the title of my message that will look at right now from the book of Revelation is simply America and Armageddon were looking at Revelation 15 to 16. You know, one of the more interesting things about Bible prophecy is not who it mentions, but also would doesn't mention in the last days at this moment in time.

America is still the greatest superpower on the planet. That, of course, could change in time is you are aware with the emergence of China and other shifts that are happening globally.

But right now we are still the reigning superpower but yet if we look at the end times events. You really don't find America in the UC Israel clearly you find. I ran there you find Olivia there you can make a pretty good case for finding Russia and even China, but I can't find any passage that clearly identifies United States of America. So where are we, how could a nation of ours stature in our size and are significant not be mentioned in the prophetic scheme will all talk about that in a few moments. But first, here's what we are chronologically were looking at what the Bible describes as the great tribulation.

It lasts for seven years. It begins with the emergence of a charismatic world leader that appears to be the greatest peacemaker of all time.

I'm sure they will award him the Nobel Peace Prize. But in reality is not a peacemaker is a troublemaker and the Bible says to Pease. He will deceive many.

This coming leader identified in the Bible is the beast a description of his character the antichrist which means not only instead of Christ, but against Christ will help the Jewish people rebuild their temple, but then he will a resurrected image of himself in the temple recommend people to worship him and that will be the abomination of desolation and I will mark the halfway point of the great tribulation. The last 3 1/2 years of this time that is coming upon our planet will be like hell on earth one God's judgment will fall upon the world described as bowls of judgment you've heard of the Super Bowl. These are like the Super Bowl's of judgment coming upon mankind. Jeremiah 30 verse seven.

This day is so great, there is none like it but now we come to Revelation 16 verse 12 I were looking at the final battles coming upon the planet.

The battles of Armageddon, the military with that word Armageddon even came from. By the way, it's only mentioned one time in the Bible. So let's read Revelation 16 verse 12 then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the Dragon now we know the Dragon is Satan out of the mouth of the beast. We know that the antichrist out of the mouth of the false prophet. That's the religious leader Guru type sidekick of the antichrist reporting there. The spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and the whole world, to gather them to the battle of the great day of God Almighty now in the middle of all of this, Jesus gives us a personal word.

Verse 15 behold on coming. Is that the Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame. And then verse 16 and he gathered them together in the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon, Armageddon know actually Armageddon is a place from the root word harm a ghetto. It's a location but we know this as a word that speaks of finality. Whenever someone invokes Armageddon. It means something big and epic in destructive signing the peace agreement with Japan and bringing World War II to a close. Gen. Douglas MacArthur standing on the deck of the USS Missouri in Tokyo made this statement and I quote. We've had our last chance. If we do not now devise some greater in equitable system. Armageddon will be at our door." Pres. Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States was astounded by the complexities of the Middle East after he took office on May 15, 1981, Pres. Reagan scribbled in his diary. These words sometimes I wonder if were destined to witness Armageddon." I wonder would Gen. MacArthur and Pres. Reagan would think of what's happening in the news today again Armageddon is talking about the location of the final battles which will happen in the valley of magenta I've stood at the valley of the ghetto.

It's massive playing many biblical battles were fought in the place such as Gideon defeating the Midianites and Deborah and Barack fighting their enemies, but why is my ghetto.

The location of the final conflict will, maybe we get a clue from one of the greatest military figures of all time.

You probably heard of him. His name was Napoleon Bonaparte, and standing at the ghetto in 1799, he made the statement that I quote all the armies of the world could maneuver their forces on this vast plane.

There is no place in the world more suited for war than this. It is a natural battleground for the whole earth." So there you have it now. There is demonic power behind this conflict. Verse 13 mentions unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the Dragon out of the mouth of the beast motivating them to go and fight this massive battle. You know what the devil is behind the war in our world today, and now the church is going to be removed. I mean think about how bad things will be when there's not the presence of Christians speaking up for what is true.

This is how all hell is able to break loose so quickly look back historically at the atheistic communist government. How many of their own people live kill a historian say at least 100 million people have been murdered by atheistic communist regimes. Think about this of the atheistic Joseph Stalin believed that he would stand before a holy God.

You think he would've done what he did. You think he would've been as cruel as he was, as Dostoyevsky said, quote if God is not everything is permitted." If there is no God. If there's no afterlife if there is no final judgment. Why would a person not do whatever they wanted to do mouth a tongue did it in China. Hitler did it with Nazi Germany. Stalin did it with Russia and now the antichrist will do it on the level like no one is ever done it before your grade more will have the second half of his message just a moment. Whenever you send us an email, text or post a comment on social media. We read every word. Pastor Greg ministry right before coronavirus hit me when to lock down your sermons and how my walk with Christ and I've learned and grown so much as a Christian marriage has been rocky over the last few years and I started listening even after series was so beneficial to our relationship for your odometer and your messages course God kept us together as a family.

Thank you so much as Pastor Greg heard from you. How have these daily studies God's word encouraged Pastor Greg let them know sending great@harvest.org again, that's great@harvest.4G Pastor Greg is in the middle of his revelations she run a new beginning. And don't forget he is a new book that takes these insights even further with details in a moment or get the information now@harvest.org to know we have two superpowers facing up in the battle of Armageddon, the forces that the antichrist that's 10 nations confederated under him and another force identified as the kings of the East. This is big this is bigger than Godzilla versus King Kong. This is the biggest battle of all time and they come to the Euphrates River. We were first introduced to the flask. The superpower called the kings of the east in Revelation 916, which says the number of the army of the horsemen was 200 question what nation on earth could field an army of 200 million is only one answer. That's China. I'm not saying that China is certainly the kings of the east, but that the only nation that could field an army of 200 million people understand when John wrote this on the island of Patmos 2000 years ago there were not 200 million people on the face of the whole earth, and that he's speaking specifically about an army of 200 million. The population of China is 1.98 billion and the population of America is around 318 million. China announced in 1997. They could raise an army of 352 million soldiers so they could put 200 million on the battlefield and have 152 soldiers left to defend China. We don't know. We'll see. Well maybe won't want to eat. I don't expect to be here if I'm seeing that I'm seeing it from heaven along with you. That brings us to the question I raised in the beginning. Where is the undisputed superpower United States of America. How could a nation of our stature size not even be mentioned in the prophetic scheme okay so let me offer a few ideas number one and I don't like this idea, but I have to put it out there United States may not be mentioned because our country is decimated by a nuclear attack. Now we know they're just arsenals of nuclear weapons. We know that there are rogue nations like Iran and North Korea who threatened to use those nuclear weapons or someone around 1700 to 27,000 nuclear weapons.

No one really knows with certainty, and if they do, they're not really telling us but clearly there is enough firepower to blow our planet up multiple times is a possible one of these weapons is launched against the United States. I hope not but it was that I would explain our absence from the last days scenario another possibility. This is far more likely America simply declines as a world power.

We know historically, nations rise and fall. Every nation has a beginning, middle and end the might of ancient Babylon only lasted 86 years.

The powerful Persian Empire did better. They went on for 208 years. The glory of Greece was eclipsed after 268 years mighty Rome ruled for nine centuries and the United States well were moving on in the years but we could be getting closer to the end that we may think Isaiah 40 verse 15 says all the nations of the world about a drop in the bucket so we might just decline as a world power. It's possible we could be one of the nations united behind the antichrist.

I certainly hope not, but I can't rule it out as a possibility. Here's 1/3 choice.

I prefer this one. America may not be mentioned in Scripture because a great spiritual awakening happened several Bible spreads and cause our country. That's not the Ceará Bible would eliminate us as a world power. But if one were to sweep America we would have a godly influence in our time left right so if we were enraptured and millions of Americans suddenly were caught up to heaven. Certainly that would affect our country. Think about it people in the military people in the economy, people and commerce. Just suddenly taken suddenly removed.

That would certainly cause a country to potentially collapse.

Listen America has spiritual roots. The only other nation in the world that we are like is the nation of Israel that was established by God. I believe God wanted America to exist.

Imagine a world without the United States of America. Imagine what could have happened in World War II when Hitler with his military machine was marching across Europe, England, and her sites other nations that they had already conquered like Norway even France and it would've continued on.

Who knows whatever hat. Whatever happened to so many Jewish people we already know. 6 million of them were murdered by Adolph Hitler and the Nazis.

But America stepped in them.

Some would say we should do step in sooner but when the Japanese attacked us at Pearl Harbor. We entered the war declared war in the Empire of Japan and then Germany declared war on us. We went in with everything we had to change the world. What would the world of look-alike of America and not stepped in at that critical moment in time God raises nation up against all odds, this nation came into being. In 1776 with some people don't realize is our nation was built on the foundation of his spiritual revival, a preacher from England named George Whitfield came to our shores and proclaim the gospel in thousands and thousands of colonists came to believe in Jesus and it was in that soil of revival that the seeds of liberty were planted in the great American experiment began our first president, George Washington made this statement and I quote anyone who believes you can explain our victory and the American revolution without the hand of Providence completely misunderstands what happened."

It's right Washington new as he let our troops in the battle against the mighty British Empire, the God was with us. We had a flag that we would fly back in those days and it had the branches of a tree pointing up in the words on the bloodwork appeal to heaven because the soldiers in our military who were fighting the British knew they needed God's help the continental army. Yes, our nation was born in revival and we need another revival you know we seeing God bless America land that I love stand beside her and guide her to the night with the light from above. We need that light from above.

We need God working in our nation again is a really any hope for America or streets, ever be safe again we see good prevailed over evil. Again, is it going to end up that way what is going to happen. It is my choice in America basically has two options before her revival or judgment revival or judgment. So we need to choose revival. He said I don't even know what you mean when you say revival means a choose God. It means that we say Lord we need a spiritual awakening in our nation and we need it now and let that revival begin with me. Judgment is coming to the earth. We know that that's what we see in the book of Revelation is not a matter of if it's only a question of when. My hope is before this judgment that we read about in the final book of the Bible comes that we will have at least one maybe two maybe three spiritual awakenings we've had four great revivals in American history. The last was called the Jesus movement the Jesus revolution has been over 50 years since that awakening don't you think it's time for another one. Let's pray that Greg Laurie pointing out the need for revival in our time. Good encouragement today here on a new beginning from his message called America and Armageddon.

Now, in tandem with our studies or Revelation here on a new beginning.

Pastor Greg has just released a brand-new book on Revelation takes us even further investigate. There's a lot of symbolism in Bible prophecy, you study the subject. A great deal yes how much of that symbolism. Do we know for sure what it means and how much is open to interpretation were godly people do disagree well I think it's very important to understand Bible prophecy.

There are constant expectations to understand these things Jesus when he was speaking of an event called the abomination of desolation said, let the reader under Stanton.

In the book of Thessalonians. Paul writing to the believers there. He says brothers I would not have you be ignorant. Then he went on to talk about the rapture so we don't want to be ignorant. We want to understand and the very word Revelation means to on veil now. There are different ways that we can view these truths and I think godly people can and they do frankly disagree on some of these think know my position is I believe that there is an event called the rapture that could happen at any moment.

I believe in a pre-tribulation rapture. Now the tribulation period is last seven years starts with the emergence of Antichrist. It ends with the return of Jesus Christ. I don't believe we as Christians will go through the tribulation. I believe will be ruptured before that time comes now that belief alone will affect you in the way that you live because if you believe you could be caught up to meet the Lord in the air and you see the signs of the time showing how close the tribulation. Could potentially be you realize of the tribulation. His close then the rapture of the church is even closer so I can use the illustration of seeing Christmas decorations up and you know the goats overly now darling what is it August or something. I can't believe Christmas decorations are up against.

What if I see the decorations for Christmas going up. It says this Thanksgiving is coming casino. Greg gets his Christmas is coming know, I know. But if Christmas is coming Thanksgiving is coming even sooner because Thanksgiving precedes Christmas doesn't it. So the point of it all is if I see signs of the times out there telling me that the tribulation period is coming and that means that Jesus is coming even sooner for his church. That belief alone will affect you in the way that you live.

I talked about that and a lot more in this brand-new book that I've just written called Revelation, a book of promises. It's hard cover. It's a thick one.

This is going to be a resource that you keep in the home and hopefully you consulted again and again in my prayer and my hope is it will help unlock this great book. The final book of the Bible, the only book of the Bible.

I might add it as a special blessing promised to the person who reads cheers and keeps the words of it and I want you to get this book I've just written simply called Revelation, a book of promises will send it to you. Your gift of any size and hears Dave to tell you more right will thank you very much. It's a brand-new commentary from Pastor Greg hot off the press more than 400 pages in length. If you been less than clear on your understanding of last days events. You need to get this resource.

A Dave let me jump in really quick and not only are we offering this new book Revelation about the promises, but we have this really cool graphic bookmark that we have put together that gives you a timeline of end times events so you probably wondered okay I know I've heard about the rapture and the tribulation. In the antichrist and the second coming. What happens when will this very beautiful little visual bookmark sort of lease it out for you that's included in the book you're talking about right now. Yeah that's right it comes automatically to get in touch with your donation today and will thank you with a copy of Revelation, a book of promises you can write a set a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300. That's a 24 seven phone number 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest Don war will next time we examine some of the most dramatic passage describing the great tribulation.

More from our series in the eye-opening book of Revelation. Join us here on a new beginning. Pastor and Bible Greg for. Everybody thinks her list. Beginning this is a podcast made possible by harvest partners. So for more content can help you know God and equip you to make him known to others or to learn more about how you can become a harvest partner. Just go to harvest.org