Chapter III.
"Verse 9: Here is brought to view the greatest exhibition of brute force the world has ever seen.
a. "Prepare war "— literally, "hallow war." "Whosoever killeth you," said Christ, "will think that he doeth God service." John 16: 2. Religious passions will cause Armageddon.
b. "Wake up the mighty men"—arouse all brute might!
Verse 10: "Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears."
a. Plowshares are to be beaten into swords. ...The boys and girls ...prefer the cities, with their "movies " and pleasures. When the spirit of sensationalism takes hold, it is impossible to get down to good hard work.
b. The weak say, " I am strong." This is the hour of universal mental delusion. It is, as stated by Dr. E. B. Pusey, "the closing scene of man's rebellion against God. It is their one universal gathering, . . ."
Verses 11 and 12: "Assemble, yourselves, and come, all ye heathen: . . .thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord." This is the hour for the huge heathen upheaval.
Armageddon will witness four great gatherings:
(1) The angel armies from the skies, as in Joel 2: 1-10;
(2) all the nations of the earth to battle;
(3) all the fowls of heaven to eat their flesh;
(4) all the righteous dead, raised at Christ's appearing, to immortality.
Verse 13: "Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: . . for their wickedness is great,"
a. " The harvest is the end of the world," as Jesus said. Matt. 13: 39.
b. "The harvest is ripe."
c. "Wickedness is great." Earth's inhabitants have filled up the measure of their iniquity. (See Gen. 15: 16.)
Verse 14: "Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision."
a. Multitudes from the Orient. "That the way of the kings of the east might be prepared." Rev. 16: 12.
b. Multitudes from the Occident. "And he [Balaam] took up his parable, and said, Alas, who shall live when God doeth this! And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim [the west]," Num. 24: 23, 24.
c. Throngs upon throngs, throngs upon throngs, are in the valley of Jehoshaphat. "Jehoshaphat" means "the judgment of God." This is Armageddon; this is " the day of the Lord."
Verse 15: By the immense numbers of the glorious, angelic host, " the sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining."
B.G.Wilkinson/1928
"Verse 9: Here is brought to view the greatest exhibition of brute force the world has ever seen.
a. "Prepare war "— literally, "hallow war." "Whosoever killeth you," said Christ, "will think that he doeth God service." John 16: 2. Religious passions will cause Armageddon.
b. "Wake up the mighty men"—arouse all brute might!
Verse 10: "Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears."
a. Plowshares are to be beaten into swords. ...The boys and girls ...prefer the cities, with their "movies " and pleasures. When the spirit of sensationalism takes hold, it is impossible to get down to good hard work.
b. The weak say, " I am strong." This is the hour of universal mental delusion. It is, as stated by Dr. E. B. Pusey, "the closing scene of man's rebellion against God. It is their one universal gathering, . . ."
Verses 11 and 12: "Assemble, yourselves, and come, all ye heathen: . . .thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord." This is the hour for the huge heathen upheaval.
Armageddon will witness four great gatherings:
(1) The angel armies from the skies, as in Joel 2: 1-10;
(2) all the nations of the earth to battle;
(3) all the fowls of heaven to eat their flesh;
(4) all the righteous dead, raised at Christ's appearing, to immortality.
Verse 13: "Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: . . for their wickedness is great,"
a. " The harvest is the end of the world," as Jesus said. Matt. 13: 39.
b. "The harvest is ripe."
c. "Wickedness is great." Earth's inhabitants have filled up the measure of their iniquity. (See Gen. 15: 16.)
Verse 14: "Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision."
a. Multitudes from the Orient. "That the way of the kings of the east might be prepared." Rev. 16: 12.
b. Multitudes from the Occident. "And he [Balaam] took up his parable, and said, Alas, who shall live when God doeth this! And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim [the west]," Num. 24: 23, 24.
c. Throngs upon throngs, throngs upon throngs, are in the valley of Jehoshaphat. "Jehoshaphat" means "the judgment of God." This is Armageddon; this is " the day of the Lord."
Verse 15: By the immense numbers of the glorious, angelic host, " the sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining."
