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Prophecy
Armageddon
The Final World War - PR06-02© Berean Memorial Church of Irving, Texas, Inc. (1971)
Peace
Now we want to look at the final World War. People today are desperately seeking peace. Everywhere you go you see the "V" sign, which in World War II
meant victory, and in our day has been converted to meaning peace. Scientists of the world have regularly warned the statesmen of the consequences
of a nuclear war upon the future of the human race itself. The world, however, is still regularly plagued with violence. Yet, people have the same
vain hope that Jeremiah 6:14 expresses, "Peace, peace, peace." And yet there is no peace.
Wars
So this raises the interesting question as to why there is such a thing as war. It would seem that with all the movement of young people today who
are revolted by the carnage of warfare and would like to see nations settle things without going to war, that it would make some impact. You will
remember that before World War II there was the Kellogg-Briand Pact which nations signed and declared that henceforth they would no longer pursue
war as a means of settling differences between nations. War was outlawed as an instrument of policy. Yet, World War II was begun by some of the
very nations that had signed that agreement. So this is a frustrating effort on man's part to eliminate war, and yet there it is.
Well the Lord Jesus told us that there would be wars right down to the end of this age until He personally returned and put an end to wars. It's
very important that you understand that, and that you remember that. You need to realize that every peace movement and every peace effort today is
doomed to failure. Very many of those are say satanically inspired.
Very many of those are communistically inspired. Any time you hear a communist
sound off about peace, you know that that too is an instrument of policy, and it's simply an interlude between war and the violence that he will
exercise at what he considers the appropriate moment. It is the principle of Marxism that political power comes out of the end of a gun. The
communists are often much more faithful to their doctrine than we Christians are to ours. Unfortunately, we have statesmen in our day who are
totally bewildered by the concepts of communism. While communism is very consistent with its doctrines, we are forever being told that it's
changing; that it's moving toward a more peaceful attitude and outlook; and, that it is becoming more in the tradition of Western civilization.
However, the Word of God gives us no hope for anticipating that while communism is in the world, and its avowed purpose of dominating the world
exists, that there will ever be any peace. Matthew 24:6 says, "The Lord says, 'And you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you be not
trouble for all these things must come to pass but the end is not yet. For nations shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there
should be famines, pestilence, and earthquakes in various places." As he describes the world down to its end times, it is a very grim picture.
Well why do we have wars? Everybody wants it to stop. Overwhelmingly we could have a vote, and everybody would overwhelmingly vote no more wars.
Well, the answer is in James 4:1-2, where this question is posed: "What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your
pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and
quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask."
Where do wars come from? From the lusts within our members. And where do the lust within our
being lie? Within the old sin nature. The old sin nature has a whole pattern of desires, and part of the desires of the old sin nature is to
exercise its rights; is to exercise its power; and, is to exercise its self-gratification and its self-interests, and consequently, people begin
fighting. A fight arises when somebody wants to impose his will against somebody else's will.
So there is no system of government; of education; of psychology; of environment; or, of social order that can change the old sin nature and
prevent wars. However, the fear of war will increasingly become greater among mankind. It is a very great fear today. But it's going to become even
more fearful as the days go by. It will finally come to the point where the concept of war will be so fearful because weapons of war will have been
so refined, that when the world moves into the tribulation period after the Christians are removed from this earth, they will be happy to welcome a
man who promises them a peace. This man is the antichrist, and he seemingly provides a condition of peace. But again, in time, what he provides
proves to be a false peace. 1 Thessalonians 5:3 says, "When they shall say peace and safety, then sudden destruction comes upon them as travail
upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape." What the Bible actually predicts is that the worst world war is yet before us. It is called by
the name Armageddon.
Some of you folks of the generation of World War II will remember as we listened to the radio at the signing of the surrender of Japan on the
Battleship Missouri, and as General MacArthur on that occasion observed that if mankind did not find a better way for solving its problems,
Armageddon would be upon us. Well, that is true. However, mankind will not find a better way, and Armageddon eventually will be upon us.
So here's the picture. We have touched upon this and we're sort of tying this a little bit together. We have this famous event called the battle
of Armageddon that you hear about. We want to give you a little bit of background to tie it with the power blocs that we've already been studying.
The Antichrist
The antichrist is in a position of ruling the world.
Click to continue reading the full article.
Dr. John E. Danish, 1971
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