As we have said, it is obvious that the final conflict of the Tribulation is not one simple
battle, but a complex series of military movements and engagements. Biblical scholars have
proposed a variety of possible steps in this process. It is not wise to be dogmatic about the exact
sequence. Like the prophecies of the first coming of Messiah, the various aspects were known,
but there were many ways it could be envisioned. No one could have written the specific order
and details of the Gospel before Christ came to fulfill the predictions about his earthly life and
ministry.
Here are key elements of Christ’s second coming, and a proposed sequence. Some of
these features have already been discussed, and some of them will be explained more fully in the
next chapter.
1 – The Beast (the European military world dictator) will invade Israel, then take his
troops to the South (North Africa, including Egypt and Libya – Daniel 11:40-43). His economic
dictatorship will be challenged, involving military activity during the second half of the
Tribulation. Toward the end, the “King of the South” (probably Egypt, with Libya and others)
will rebel. He will bring his troops through Israel, and quell the disturbances.
2 – The Beast will be disturbed by news from the East and the North, so he will return to
establish a staging area in the Valley of Armageddon (“between the seas and the beautiful holy
mountain” – Mt. Zion – Daniel 11:44-45). He will return to Israel and set up his command post in
the bread basket of Israel. The Valley of Armageddon is just 20 miles inland from the port city of
Haifa, through which sea-borne armies of the world can enter.
3 – Kings and armies of all nations will be summoned to the battlefield. The Euphrates
River will be dried up to enable the huge armies from the East to come (Revelation 9:14-16;
16:12-16). In a last futile effort to unify the armies of the Earth, and to divert attention from the
fact that his strangle-hold on world powers is weakening, The Beast and The False Prophet will
declare war against Jesus Christ, the common enemy of all the debased people of the Tribulation.
The object of their wrath will be the chosen people in Jerusalem.
4 – Jerusalem will be devastated by the overpowering might of The Beast’s forces
(Zechariah 12:1-3; 14:1-2).
Many fine Bible teachers, including the late Ray C. Stedman, see the fulfillment at this
point of the war of Ezekiel 38 and 39. In this view, the war, one of the campaigns of the Last
War, will be against Israel, and will be provoked by Russia and her allies.132
Other respected prophecy scholars believe that, after the destruction of Jerusalem, the
end-times ruler will mount a futile attempt to attack the protected remnant who have fled,
probably to the Petra/Bozrah area (Micah 2:12; Jeremiah 49:13-14). Thomas Ice and Timothy
Demy133, following the lead by Arnold Fruchtenbaum, believe this will be part of the campaign
of Armageddon.134
5 – Ominous signs will turn men’s attention to the skies (Luke 21:25-27). Jesus will
appear in the heavens, coming as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, utterly destroying the
gathered enemies with the sword from his mouth (Revelation 19:11-16). As suggested before, he
would likely have been present on the Earth since the time of his parousia (“coming”) at the
rapture, appearing and disappearing as needed for the benefit of persecuted believers, like he did
before his ascension. But at this momentous event he will make his presence known in such a
way that “every eye will see him” (Revelation 1:7).
The annihilation of Christ’s enemies will include the harvest judgments (of wheat and of
grapes) described in the next chapter.
6 – Jesus will appear, blood-stained from the battle, to the sheltered remnant at Bozrah,
near Petra, presumably to lead them from exile, back to the Holy City (Isaiah 63:1-6; Micah
2:12-13).
7 – When Christ’s feet actually touch ground it will be at the Mount of Olives, and this
event will trigger the great Earth-changing earthquake, which is discussed below (Zechariah
14:4-5; Acts 1:9-12; Revelation 16:17-19).
8 – Babylon will be destroyed (Revelation chapters 17 and 18). Revelation 16:19 implies
that the destruction of Babylon takes place at the time of the great earthquake. There is
considerable debate about whether or not the Babylonian system of world commerce and
spiritual prostitution will have anything to do with a literal, rebuilt city of Babylon in Iraq.
Saddam Hussein had managed to restore the city somewhat, and had planned to do more before
his death. Only time will tell how this facet of the prophecy will unfold. Zechariah 5:5-11 also
indicates that there will be future “wickedness” in a restored city of Babylon. But later still,
Isaiah 13:1-20 indicates that the literal city of Babylon still has a devastating destruction coming,
after which, it will never be inhabited again.
More likely both the destruction of the literal city of Babylon (and perhaps the nation of
Iraq) as well as the destruction of “Mystery Babylon” are implied. The latter aspects of Babylon
(Revelation 17 and 18) include the apostate church in league with the western confederacy of
nations, and also the world-wide institutions of trade and commerce, which are part of the
present world order. False religion sprang from the ancient city of Babylon after the Flood, and
now has polluted the entire world, spiritually speaking. But commerce, trade and economic
systems in the world, including capitalism, have likewise become corrupted and must be
replaced by righteous means of economics under Messiah’s reign.
