The weapons of war and clothing of the armies in the battle of Armageddon

[Zao is life]

We imagine a war with soldiers dressed in their camouflage and holding their service rifles. We imagine weapons to be tanks and drones and military aircraft and ships and hand grenades and missiles and rockets and mines.

But this is not the clothing worn by Christ's soldiers, nor the weapons described in the battle of Armageddon.

In the battle of Armageddon Christ's soldiers are following Him on white horses and they are "clothed in fine linen, white and clean" and we are given the image of a bride!! Christ is riding a white horse and is called THE WORD OF GOD "And out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, so that with it He should strike the nations", and after the beast is slain, "the rest were slain by the sword of Him who sat on the horse, it proceeding out of His mouth."

The description of the weapons of war described for the beast, the false prophet and the dragon are "three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, which are spirits of demons, working miracles, which go forth to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that day, the great day of God Almighty."

So Christ is the Word of God, and His only weapon in the battle of Armageddon is the sword (the Word of God) proceeding out of His mouth, and the weapons of the beast, the false prophet and the dragon are likewise coming out of their mouths.

The power of the 200 million horses and their riders in the 6th trumpet also resides in their mouths - but also in their tails, because their tails are like snakes, having heads that inflict injuries. Their clothing consists of breastplates that were fiery red, dark blue, and sulfurous yellow in color. The heads of the horses looked like lions' heads, and fire, smoke, and sulfur came out of their mouths.

A third of humanity was killed by these three plagues, that is, by the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur that came out of their mouths.

So the weapons of warfare in the battle of Armageddon has everything to do with what comes out of their mouths (i.e their words/religious teachings?), and the religion/s built around their words are also what their armies are clothed with.

So what are we really to understand about the final battle? Is it a literal war, or a spiritual war? Is there a danger that our understanding of the final battle - what we imagine it to be - is blinding us because with all the literal wars going on all around us, we can't see (or won't be able to see) the wood for the trees?​

 

[Randy Kluth]

I think, personally, that what is being described is a literal world war, and that the "mouths" simply indicate the message driving this war. For Christ his word of command is judgment against the evil resident in the Antichristian world. For Antichrist, his word is a message of conflict and betrayal. God's purpose is to judge and to destroy the wicked, Satan's purpose is to ravage and to destroy God's work on the earth.

Although I think there is little effort to describe the battle in terms of literal clothing and weapons, I do think the 1/3 size of the destruction will be quite literal. After all, God is not preparing the enemy with military intelligence, but rather, warning the world not to participate in the evil.

The message of Antichrist is "unclean like frogs," indicating that it is obviously perverse and not pure or heavenly. On the other hand, the sword of Jesus' mouth indicates his ability to exact judgment simply by his spoken word. The world will "swallow" the unclean message because it is unclean itself, whereas those dressed in white will follow the one who makes them white by his Spirit.

 

[Davidpt]

We imagine a war with soldiers dressed in their camouflage and holding their service rifles. We imagine weapons to be tanks and drones and military aircraft and ships and hand grenades and missiles and rockets and mines.

But this is not the clothing worn by Christ's soldiers, nor the weapons described in the battle of Armageddon.

In the battle of Armageddon Christ's soldiers are following Him on white horses and they are "clothed in fine linen, white and clean" and we are given the image of a bride!! Christ is riding a white horse and is called THE WORD OF GOD "And out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, so that with it He should strike the nations", and after the beast is slain, "the rest were slain by the sword of Him who sat on the horse, it proceeding out of His mouth."

The description of the weapons of war described for the beast, the false prophet and the dragon are "three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, which are spirits of demons, working miracles, which go forth to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that day, the great day of God Almighty."

So Christ is the Word of God, and His only weapon in the battle of Armageddon is the sword (the Word of God) proceeding out of His mouth, and the weapons of the beast, the false prophet and the dragon are likewise coming out of their mouths.

The power of the 200 million horses and their riders in the 6th trumpet also resides in their mouths - but also in their tails, because their tails are like snakes, having heads that inflict injuries. Their clothing consists of breastplates that were fiery red, dark blue, and sulfurous yellow in color. The heads of the horses looked like lions' heads, and fire, smoke, and sulfur came out of their mouths.

A third of humanity was killed by these three plagues, that is, by the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur that came out of their mouths.

So the weapons of warfare in the battle of Armageddon has everything to do with what comes out of their mouths (i.e their words/religious teachings?), and the religion/s built around their words are also what their armies are clothed with.

So what are we really to understand about the final battle? Is it a literal war, or a spiritual war? Is there a danger that our understanding of the final battle - what we imagine it to be - is blinding us because with all the literal wars going on all around us, we can't see (or won't be able to see) the wood for the trees?​

It's a spiritual war, obviously. And the following is one way we can know for certain, keeping in mind that the end is in sight in Revelation 19, meaning what happens when Christ returns, the end of this age.

Matthew 24:6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.


The wars meant here are meaning literal wars, such as WW1, so and so on. And what does the text plainly say about literal wars? for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. It plainly says the end is not yet. And if the end meant here is the same end meant in Revelation 19, and that that is involving literal wars, such as WW3, that then contradicts what Jesus said in Matthew 24:6, that these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

We then have two choices here if we insist the battle of Armageddon is involving a literal battle, such as WW3. Armageddon is not the end. Or Armageddon is the end but that we prefer to contradict Jesus in Matthew 24:6 by insisting a literal war is meant here, such as WW3, a war fought with tanks, missiles, the whole 9 yards.

 

[Truth7t7]

So what are we really to understand about the final battle? Is it a literal war, or a spiritual war? Is there a danger that our understanding of the final battle - what we imagine it to be - is blinding us because with all the literal wars going on all around us, we can't see (or won't be able to see) the wood for the trees?​

I see scripture teaching the (Two Witnesses) of Revelation chapter 11 being literal prophets returned, that will bring literal plagues as seen in Revelation chapter 16:1-11 on this literal earth, a remake of Moses/Aaron against Pharaoh of Egypt

I believe the world will be drawn to Jerusalem as you claim, by spiritual devils going forth to the kings of the earth, their drawing will be to kill the (Two Witnesses) that have been bringing literal plagues for 1260 from Jerusalem, that is their camp

I agree that Jesus alone will destroy those drawn to battle, by literal fire and the brightness of his coming, (The End) as the world is dissolved by the Lord's fire in final judgement

 

[Zao is life]

It's a spiritual war, obviously. And the following is one way we can know for certain, keeping in mind that the end is in sight in Revelation 19, meaning what happens when Christ returns, the end of this age.

Matthew 24:6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.


The wars meant here are meaning literal wars, such as WW1, so and so on. And what does the text plainly say about literal wars? for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. It plainly says the end is not yet. And if the end meant here is the same end meant in Revelation 19, and that that is involving literal wars, such as WW3, that then contradicts what Jesus said in Matthew 24:6, that these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

We then have two choices here if we insist the battle of Armageddon is involving a literal battle, such as WW3. Armageddon is not the end. Or Armageddon is the end but that we prefer to contradict Jesus in Matthew 24:6 by insisting a literal war is meant here, such as WW3, a war fought with tanks, missiles, the whole 9 yards.

Yes. I tend to agree.

With regard to Matthew 24,what Jesus said straight afterwards it's also noteworthy (or should be, in my opinion), and I'm going to take the liberty of jumbling verses 9-14 up:

[Strongs Greek] 05119 τότε tóte, tot'-eh
from (the neuter of) 3588 and 3753;
the when, i.e. at the time that (of the past or future, also in consecution):--that time, then.

I'm also going to take the liberty of translating the English word "then" as "at that time" each time it appears:

Verse 8 -- These wars and rumours (news) of wars are the beginning of birth-pains.

And this gospel of the kingdom shall be proclaimed in all the world as a witness to all nations. And you will be hated of all nations for My name's sake. And at that time [tóte] the end shall come.

At that time [tóte] they will deliver you up to be afflicted and will kill you. And at that time [tóte] many will stumble [04624 skandalízō], and will betray one another, and will hate one another. And many false prophets will rise and deceive many. And because lawlessness shall abound, the love of many will become cold.

But he who endures to the end, the same shall be kept safe. -- Mathew 24:9-14.

[Strongs Greek] 04624 σκανδαλίζω skandalízō, skan-dal-id'-zo
from 4625; to entrap, i.e. trip up (figuratively, stumble (transitively) or entice to sin, apostasy or displeasure):--(make to) offend.

The word skandalízō is also used in this verse:
​

-- But they have no root in themselves, but are temporary. Afterward when affliction or persecution arises for the Word's sake, they are immediately skandalízō (stumble). -- Mark 4:17.

I also think it's noteworthy (or should be) that in all three synoptic gospels, the above tribulation and persecution of the living stones of the New Testament Temple was the first thing Jesus began to speak about after sitting down on the Mount of Olives, in response to the disciples' question regarding when the temple in Jerusalem would be destroyed and regarding the sign of His coming and of the end of the Age.

It's also noteworthy that in all three synoptic gospels Jesus has this period ending with His return and HIs coming to gather His elect.

So the battle of Armageddon has a lot to do with the gospel going out of the mouths of Christ's elect into all the world, and their being killed as a result of not following or adhering to whatever is coming out of the mouth of the beast, the mouth of the false prophet, and the mouth of the dragon.

God's elect will not be using the weapons of war that the nations and kingdoms will be using against one another in the days leading up to the time of the end, and they will not be wearing camouflage.

Very well spotted with the link to Matthew 24.​

 

[quietthinker]

The principles and person of a self sacrificing God are front and centre. When this is not recognised/ understood it gives birth to any amount of interpretations (speculations) the which are and become diversions.

The reality of Jesus was 'screamed' to humanity. It is Satan's studied plan to divert because he cannot counter the obvious.....and that diversion is multilayered. It results in a comprehensive 'theological' knowledge without knowing it's object.