Armageddon strikes fear in most people who have heard of it. It signals the end of days. Two hundred million soldiers will descend on Israel to fight in the greatest battle in history at Megiddo, an important town of northern ancient Israel, overlooking the Valley of Jezreel.  

Perspective

North Korea’s nuclear program started in 1952 when the government established its Atomic Research Institute. Scholars believe North Korea was able to develop its nuclear program primarily due to the technical help of the then USSR and China. In 1965, the former Soviet Union supplied and installed an IRT-2000 research nuclear reactor, a radiochemical laboratory, a K-60000 cobalt installation and a B-25 betatron at Yongbyon. The radiochemical laboratory was quite advanced for that time. Remember, Russia and China are strong allies, and they are currently working together to bring down the U.S. dollar as a world currency. Their desire is to break the sway the U.S. has with its Indo-Pacific allies.

One of the aims behind China’s support for North Korea’s nuclear weapon program could be Korean reunification under a North Korean regime. Another is dividing the league the United States has with South Korea. China may have thought North Korea acquiring nuclear weapons would lead to the United States pulling its military forces out of South Korea.

Nuclear domino effect

The domino effect of North Korea’s nuclearization could soon force both South Korea and Japan to enter the nuclear club. Some experts believe, in the event both are nuclearized, it would almost certainly mean the end of its military alliance with the U.S., which is considered one of China’s strategic goals. Nuclearization would also mean Japan’s post-World War II policy would be entirely abandoned. After WWII, Japan was required to disband its military forces; they were prohibited from maintaining an army, navy, or an air force. This was part of the Allied occupation’s efforts to ensure Japan would not become a threat to peace again. The Allied powers, led by the United States, desired to transform Japan into a democratic form of government. 

All of that is changing rapidly. Japan is building up its military to bolster its ability to deter aggression and ensure its readiness to fight. Japan faces serious threats from China and North Korea, as well as new potential provocations in space and cyber domains. Japan has doubled its military expenditure and approved a new national security strategy which raises their defensive and offense ability. This means the third largest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) country in the world, behind number one and two respectively, the U.S., and China, is now earnestly building up a strong military. China is doing likewise.

Incidentally, Germany’s economy, by GDP, is number four. Germany has vowed to beef up its military to make it the backbone of deterrence and collective defense in Europe. We have long felt a strong Germany will head up the end-time beast power. 

Gog and Magog

Will Russia and China succeed? In the end times, the Bible speaks of Gog and Magog. These peoples will be a part of an attack on Jerusalem and the land of Israel, both at the beginning and at the end of the millennial reign of Christ. Our focus now is on what Gog and Magog will do prior to the second coming of Jesus Christ: Ezekiel 38:1-3 says, “Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, “Thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal.’”

Gog is described as “of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal” (Ezekiel 38:2–3). Gog and Magog will come against Israel (verse 16). Notice that Gog and Magog come "out of the north parts" (verse 15)—where Russia is today. 

Can it be shown Russia is the nation which will come out of the north to invade Palestine? From McClintock and Strong’s Biblical Encyclopedia under the article, "Magog," it states: "From the accounts found among the Arabians, Persians, and Syrians," we learn these three nations used the names "Yajuj and Majuj" (note the similarity in the names Majuj and Magog) to refer to "all less known barbarous people of the Northwest and Northeast of Asia"—where Russia is located. 

Notice Meshech and Tubal (verse 2) will be associated with them in this invasion. Can we prove these ancient tribes were the ancestors of the Russians of today? Remember, Russia has been formed by the association of a number of great tribes. The Jewish Encyclopedia under “Meshech” says, “Before that time this part of Asia Minor was inhabited by the Tabareni and Moschi, the Tubal and Meshech of the Old Testament.” Other tribes of this neighborhood were referred to as Gog or Magog. Archibald Sayce, a pioneer British Assyriologist and linguist, who was a Professor of Assyriology at the University of Oxford, says Meshech and Tubal in Assyrian inscriptions appear as “Tubla” and “Muska,” and they were known to the classical Greek geographers as “Tiberani” and “Moskhi.

After crossing into the plains of Russia, the people of Meshech, called Moskhi by the Greeks, became known as Muskovs. From this word "Muskov" the name of the modern city, Moscow, is derived. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia. The descendants of Tubal gave their name to the Tobol River and the city of Tobolsk in the Siberian region of Asiatic Russia east of the Ural Mountains.

The point to be made is Gog and Magog, along with the hordes of China, North Korea, and probably South Korea and Japan, plus other nations like Mongolia, will come against the land of Israel in the end of the age. Their army will have tens of millions of soldiers. 

King of the South pushes at the King of the North

At the end of the age, the King of the South pushes at the beast-power King of the North, and the Beast comes at him like a whirlwind with many ships and military power. He enters into the Holy Land; Daniel the prophet says what he will do—he comes with a formidable force to defeat the King of the South, and he overwhelms the land (Daniel 11:40-43). He plants his palaces in Jerusalem: “But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore, he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many” (Daniel 11:44).

The news that troubles him out of the east and north is Gog and Magog and the vast hordes of the east who will make up a 200-million-man army. They come against the Beast power, and the great war which ensues results in one-third of humanity being killed. It will be the greatest titanic battle the world has ever seen. 

Revelation 9:13-16 describes this awful time: “Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, ‘Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.’ So, the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million.’”

Watch and keep your spiritual garments clean

The spirits of demons go forth and stir up nations of the world to come together to fight: “For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. ‘Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.’ And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon” (Revelation 16:14-16).

When Jesus Christ returns, He will find the world engaged in all-out war, and unless He intervenes, this world will be totally obliterated (Matthew 24:22). When He comes, the armies of the world will turn on Him to fight and make war against Him (Revelation11:18, 17:14).

Why is this important? Our Lord Jesus fully answers the question: “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.”

The knowledge of what is ahead motivates us now to prepare spiritually while there is time. “The night is far spent; the day is at hand. Therefore, let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light” (Romans 13:12).

This is my Perspective!