World War II was a global conflict that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It included most of the world's countries, including all of the superpowers, who fought as part of two opposing military alliances. We had the Allies and the Axis. It was by far the deadliest conflict in human history, resulting in between 70 to 85 million deaths. Most of them were civilians. Tens of millions died due to genocide, and we know that over six million Jews lost their lives in the Holocaust. Many more died through starvation, massacres, and diseases. The war was fought on two fronts, both in Europe and in Asia. It began, World War II began, it's generally considered to have begun on September the 1st, 1939, when Nazi Germany, under the authority of Adolf Hitler, invaded Poland. And two days later, the United Kingdom and France declared war on Germany. From 1939 to 1941, Germany conquered or controlled much of continental Europe and formed the Axis Alliance with Italy and Japan. Japan, which aimed to dominate Asia and the Pacific, was at war with the Republic of China by 1937. And on December the 7th, 1941, You'll remember Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, which was at that time an American territory. And the United States was drawn into that war, declared war against Japan. And as a result, the European Axis powers, Germany and Italy and so on, declared war also against the United States. First, the Axis powers achieved military success. But soon the Allies' powers fought back. And key setbacks in 1943, including a series of German defeats at the Eastern Front, the Allied invasion of Italy, and the Allied offensives in the Pacific, caused these Axis powers to retreat on all fronts. 1944, the Allies invaded Germany. Germany occupied France. And during 1944 and 45, Japan suffered reversals in mainland Asia, while the Allies crippled the Japanese Navy and captured key Western Pacific islands. The war in Europe would end with the invasion of Germany. by the Western allies, culminating in the fall of Berlin, the suicide of Hitler, and the Germans' unconditional surrender on May the 8th, 1945. Japan, of course, refused to surrender. It necessitated the United States to drop the first atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima on August the 6th, 1945, and the second on Nagasaki on August the 9th, 1945. Facing the possibility of future atomic bombs, bombings in the Soviet Union entrance into the war against Japan. Japan announced on August the 10th, 1945, their intentions to surrender, signing surrender documents at Tokyo Bay on the deck of the USS Missouri on September 1945, thus ending World War II. Today, VE Day, that is Victory in Europe Day, is celebrated throughout Europe on May the 8th. VJ Day, or Victory Over Japan, is celebrated in Europe and in Japan on August the 15th of each year. Whereas here in America, we commemorate the end of World War II on September the 2nd, the day when Japan formally surrendered. Now in 1945, on VJ Day, the largest crowd in history of New York City's Times Square gathered to celebrate. And in the Garment District, where workers threw out cloth scraps and ticker tapes, leaving a pile five inches deep on the streets of New York City. The news of the war's end sparked a coast-to-coast frenzy. of servicemen kissing everyone in skirts, which happened to come along, and Life Magazine published photographs of such kisses. Perhaps you've seen that iconic photograph of the servicemen there at Times Square kissing the woman, had her bent over, and they were celebrating. Life magazine at the time reported that the news of the Japanese acceptance that civilians began to celebrate quote-unquote as if joy had been rationed and saved up for three years, eight months, and seven days since Sunday, December the 7th, 1941, the day that the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. It certainly was a day to rejoice. to celebrate. The war was over. The Allied forces had been victorious. Germany, Japan, and the Axis forces had been defeated. And with the end of the war, the world anticipated a time of peace and prosperity. Now, many refer to the future battle of Armageddon as World War III. for all the major nations of the world will be involved in this conflict. Like World War I and World War II, and by that, for that matter, Civil War as well, the Battle of Armageddon is not a singular conflict, but it's made up of many battles or campaigns that are fought on many fronts. At the beginning, as we remember back as we've studied this whole series on God's plan for the ages, and especially in the tribulation period, at the beginning of the tribulation, the Antichrist, who first appears on the scene as a man of peace, he's riding on a white horse. The first sealed judgment is opened. And he will make a peace treaty with Israel offering them protection and freedom to worship in their newly constructed temple. This treaty on a human level marks the beginning of the tribulation period, that seven-year period of time, the last seven years in God's 490-year plan for Israel. And in the middle of the tribulation period, Satan and his demonic cohorts lose the war in heaven he is banished here to earth and knowing that his time is short that he dwells in dwells the antichrist and he turns him from a man of peace into a raging beast He stops the temple worship. He desecrates the temple by erecting in the temple a statue of himself and he demands that people bow down and worship him and that they consider him to be God. And he, along with his sidekick, the false prophet, they will institute his economic program that is well known even today, people talk about it, and that is everybody's gonna have to have tattooed on their forehead or on their arm the symbol 666 in order to either buy or sell anything. And he will become a man of war. As Daniel describes him, he's going to be one who worships the God of fortresses. He will first turn his fury against Israel, and he's going to come against the Jews and against Jerusalem. And the Jews living in the city are going to flee to the wilderness where God will supernaturally protect and provide for them for three and a half years, the last half of the seven years of tribulation. But not all the Jews are going to flee. Many of them are going to be scattered throughout the world. Some of them are going to remain in Jerusalem. Others are going to be scattered throughout the world, including Babylon, which becomes the Antichrist religious and commercial center. And while the Antichrist will control the Western world through consolidating the kings or nations or economic zones under his authority, others in the world are gonna rebel against his rule. According to Daniel chapter 11, we've already seen this, the Antichrist forces will first be attacked by the kings of the South. Usually that refers to Egypt and the nations of Northern Africa. And they will come and they're going to fight against the Antichrist. And while they are fighting against him, the kings of the North and their forces are also going to come to attack. So we've got the North and the South and the Antichrist in between. And so it's going to be like a pincher movement. They're going to come together, kind of squeeze him. And it appears that he wins these wars. The Antichrist and his western troops are going to be located in the valley of Megiddo. And while there, according to Daniel chapter 11 verse 44, it says that news from the east and the north shall trouble him, and therefore he shall go out and with great fury to destroy and to annihilate many. Now we've seen that the news from the east is that of the advancing kings of the east that have crossed the dried-up Euphrates River and are on their way to participate in the battle. And the news from the north, I believe, that troubles him is the report from messengers that his capital city in Babylon has been destroyed by the armies of the north with which he is now engaged in battle. Now this news infuriates the Antichrist, and so with great fury he seeks to destroy and to annihilate as many as he can. It appears that he will be successful in defeating the kings from the south, the kings from the north, and even the kings from the east. Somehow they're all going to come together. They're all going to be consolidated under his command, and it all happens through demonic persuasion. for Revelation chapter 16 verse 13 records that John saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet for these are the spirits of demons performing signs which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world to gather them together to the battle of that of that great day of God Almighty. And so Satan and his demonic forces, hordes, are going to gather everyone together, all the kings of the earth, all the armies of the earth, under the leadership of the Antichrist and the false prophet, to the battle of the great day of God Almighty. Now where is this huge army going to be assembled? Revelation 16, verse 16 states, and they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon. So all the nations, armies of the world are gonna gather together in this place called Armageddon. Now Armageddon, technically speaking, the battle of Armageddon is really a misnomer because no battle will be fought there. No battles are going to be fought there. Rather, it's going to be a staging area where the nations of the world will gather to do battle ultimately against God. Now we've seen already in our study that from the plains of Megiddo, the Antichrist and now the world forces are going to turn their attention against Jerusalem, the capital city of Israel, the homeland of the Jews. You know, it has been Israel's God, Yahweh, who has been responsible for the series of plagues and natural disasters that they've experienced. All of these judgments that have come, it's come from God. And so, and the Jews and their God are to blame. You know, the Jews are always blamed for all the world's ills, have been even today. And they do control a lot of the economy of the world and so they get blamed for everything. And so they're going to be blamed. And so the world's got to once for all rid themselves of these pesky Jews. And so the Antichrist and his allies are going to move south from the north to Jerusalem, which is south of the Valley of Megiddo. They're going to move to the south. They're going to attack Jerusalem in order to destroy the Jewish population living there. There they're going to encounter stiff opposition as we've seen. God's going to enable the Jews to fight. and apart from direct intervention, and he's going to empower the Jews living there to defend their city. And it appears at a time that the Jewish forces are going to be able to repel the Antichrist and his forces there in Jerusalem. However, Zechariah 14 verse 2 states, for I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem. The city shall be taken. the houses rifled, and the women ravaged. Half of the city shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city." So in the end, the Jews in Jerusalem are going to experience a crushing defeat. Altogether, as I understand scripture, altogether two-thirds of the Jewish population are going to perish during the tribulation period, and only one-third. is going to survive to the end. But God has a purpose in all this, as we've seen. And the purpose in Israel's defeat was to bring them to the end of themselves, to the end of their resources, so that they got to look to God So they realize they need a savior, they need a deliverer, and they're going to realize they're going to have some time of self-introspection where they realize that what has happened to them has been a result of the rejection of their messiah the first time he came. and that because the shepherd was struck, the sheep were scattered, and that it was their sin for which he died, and God's going to use their defeat to bring them to newborn faith in their Messiah, for they will at that point call upon the name of the Lord in order to be saved. And so humbled, repentant, Israel is going to realize that their only hope, their only hope for survival at this time, is for God to directly intervene on their behalf. and in their humble distress, they're gonna call out to God to come to their aid. And Zechariah 14 verse three states, then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations as he fights in the day of battle. Jesus Christ returns. Jesus Christ returns. This is his second coming. He comes again. And his grand entrance is revealed here in Revelation 19. I've asked you to turn there, Revelation 19, and I'd like to begin reading at verse 11. We looked at this the last time we were in this section, Revelation 19, verse 11. It says, Now I saw heaven open, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except himself. He was clothed with a robe, dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in white linen, white and clean, followed him on white horses. Now out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, that with which with it he should strike the nations and he himself will rule them with a rod of iron he himself would tread the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of almighty god and he has on his robe and on his thigh a name written king of kings and lord of lords now here we have jesus christ the warrior king he returns with his armies of heaven which I believe are angels or angelicos, plus you and I, who will be clothed in white linen on white horses. We're not in battle fatigue. We are in victory clothing, basically. We're not going to get, sorry to say, we're not going to fight in this war, as we will see. But he returns to make war, to enter the fray, to fight to protect the Jews in Jerusalem, and ultimately be victorious. He will fight the Antichrist and his allied forces, ultimately defeat them. But there are more battles to be fought before D-Day, before the day of victory. For after the Antichrist and his forces defeat and take the city of Jerusalem, he's going to turn his attention to finding and destroying the Jewish remnant that fled Jerusalem when the Antichrist desecrated the temple and by setting up the abomination of desolation. Evidently, not only the Jews flee to this area, but also Revelation 12 states then the woman fled into the wilderness where she has a place prepared by God that they should feed her there 1,260 days. The woman that fled is Israel or the Jews. and they will flee Jerusalem as Jesus commanded in Matthew 24 where he says therefore when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place whoever reads let him understand then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains Now they will flee somewhere in the mountains, in the wilderness area, to a place prepared in advance, but a place that is very defensible, as the Antichrist will not be able, on his first two attempts, to capture them. I believe they're going to be joined, and I would say this, by the Jews that flee out of Jerusalem when the Antichrist takes them, and perhaps the Jews that flee from Babylon when Babylon is destroyed. They're also going to flee to this area. Now where do they go? Where do they go? I think scripture teaches that the remnant of the Jews will one day be gathered together in Basra. Basra. When I say that, Micah 2 verse 12 records, I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee. I will surely gather the remnant of Israel. I will put them together as the sheep of Basra. As the flock in the midst of their fold, they shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men. Now that's in the King James Version. If you have the New King James Version, it doesn't mention sheep. It says as the sheep of the sheepfold because the Hebrew word Basra means sheepfold. The King James keeps the proper noun Basra. Now the remnant here is to be gathered together as the sheep of Basra. Now there is nothing special about the sheep of Basra. Nothing at all. They are no different from any other sheep. And so I believe gathering together as the sheep of Basra simply means that this is the place, Basra, is the place that where God will assemble the remnant. Now, where in the world is Basra? Basra. You know, well, let me just say, there's some disagreement as to the exact location of it. They're both located in what today is Jordan. Jordan. Two places have been suggested. One is the present Arab village of Busiriya, which retains the name of Basra. This is located in the northern half of Edom, or Jordan, as the area is called today. It is situated on a top of a rocky, isolated bluff, and it's surrounded on three sides by steep valleys. making this town strongly fortified and virtually impenetrable. In fact, it has never been conquered by an army. And the main reason some hold to this location is because of the name. But there's another possibility, and that is 30 miles to the south of present-day Basra is the city of Petra. Petra. Petra is located in a basin within Mount Seir, and it's totally surrounded by mountains and cliffs. There's only one way into the city, and that is through a very narrow passageway that extends for about a mile and can only be negotiated by foot or by horseback. And so this makes the city very easy to defend. Only a few people can walk abreast. That's how narrow this passageway is to get into this city. Only a few can walk abreast into the city, and thus it gives the city great defensibility. The name Basra means sheepfold, as I said. And a sheepfold, an ancient sheepfold, had a narrow entrance so that the shepherd could count the sheep. You remember Jesus says I am the door and by me you got to enter in John chapter 10. And so the picture of a sheepfold you have this real narrow entrance coming in and then it opens up into a wide big area where the sheep can free to roam. And Petra is shaped like a giant sheepfold. In fact, its narrow passage opens up to a very spacious circle that's surrounded by cliffs, and it's the perfect place to hide. Modern-day Petra is known as Butzeria, and it's akin to the Hebrew Batsra, or Basra. Now, another reason I believe the remnant of Jews' fleet of Basra and Edom are today Jordan is not only because of its impregnable landscape and it's mountain, it's rugged, it's wilderness place, and it's a perfect place to hide, but also because this is the one part of the world, this is the one part of the world that the Antichrist was not able to conquer. Daniel chapter 11 verse 41. reveals that he, that is the Antichrist, shall also enter the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown, but these shall escape from his hand, Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon." Edom, Moab, and Ammon, that's the area that today makes up the nation of Jordan. they're going to escape his hand. Somehow, someway, they're not going to fall to the Antichrist. So it's very logical for the Jews to flee their defined refuge. But the Antichrist and his forces are not going to give up in their attempt to annihilate the Jews. So after taking Jerusalem, he and his army are going to march south about 100 miles to this mountainous, rugged, desert wilderness region of Basra to attack the assembled remnant there. Coming off of their victory in Jerusalem, they are prepared to take on the last of the Jews. However, here, it is going to be here that they meet up with Jesus Christ, the returning warrior king. The battle is recorded in Isaiah chapter 34. If you have your Bibles, you can turn over to Isaiah chapter 34. Isaiah 34, and I'm going to begin reading at verse one. Isaiah 34, beginning at verse one. To record it there, come near you nations to hear and heed you people. Let the earth hear and all that is in it, the world and all things that come forth from it. for the indignation of the Lord is against all nations, and his fury against all their armies. He has utterly destroyed them. He has given them over to the slaughter. Also their slain shall be thrown out, their stench shall rise from their corpses, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood. All the hosts of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled up like a scroll. All their hosts shall fall down as the leaf of falls from the vine and as the fruit falling from a fig tree for my sword shall be bathed in heaven indeed it shall come down on Edom, and on the people of my curse for judgment. The sword of the Lord is filled with blood. It is made overflowing with fatness, with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams. For the Lord has a sacrifice in Basra." and a great slaughter in the land of Edom. The wild oxen shall come down with them, and the young bulls with the mighty bulls, their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust saturated with fatness." What we have recorded here is a bloodbath, a bloodbath, a great slaughter. The sword of the Lord is filled with blood. It's the blood of all the nations and their armies. A sacrifice. that is offered here at Basra. A more graphic description of what happens is recorded over in Isaiah chapter 63. Isaiah chapter 63. Follow along as I read beginning at verse one. It says, who is this who comes from Edom with dyed garments from Basra? This one who is glorious in his apparel, traveling in the greatness of his strength. I who speak in righteousness mighty to save. Why is your apparel red and your garments like one who treads in the winepress? I have trodden the winepress alone and from the people no one was with me. For I have trodden them in my anger and trampled them in my fury. Their blood is sprinkled upon my garments and I've stained all my robes for the day of vengeance is in my heart and the years of my redeemed has come. I looked, but there was no one to help, and I wondered there was no one to uphold. Therefore my own arm brought salvation for me and my own fury. It sustained me. I have trodden down the people in my anger, made them drunk in my fury, and brought down their strength to the earth." Now clearly the one speaking here is the Lord Jesus Christ, for he is the one who speaks in righteousness and is mighty to save. He is seen coming from Edom, from Basra. He is coming from a great slaughter of men for his glorious garments are red, they're stained with the blood like one who treads a wine press. Now back in those days, they didn't squeeze grapes like we do today, but back in those days, squeezing grapes was a messy job. It was a messy job. The grapes were cut. They were placed in an upper chamber. One would take off their sandals and they would stump the grapes with their feet. You know, and that squishing of the grapes would cause the release, the juice that would flow down a channel and collected in the bottom basin where it was then put into skins or bottled. But when grapes are stumped, the juice splatters all over the place. And that's how the judgment here is depicted. Jesus Christ is going to alone will be responsible for the bloodbath that will occur at the battle of Basra. Their blood is going to be sprinkled on his garments and stained his robe, and there's going to be carnage, there's going to be bodies strewn all over the place. Beginning at Basra, and it will end all the way up at Jerusalem because the Antichrist and his forces, after being defeated there, they're going to retreat and they're going to head back to Jerusalem to gather for the final battle. Now the final battle is not going to be fought at Armageddon, as I said. It's going to be fought in the Valley of Jehoshaphat. The Valley of Jehoshaphat. Now where in the world is the Valley of Jehoshaphat? Well first of all let me talk about the call of the nations to assemble to do that battle in the Valley of Jehoshaphat. Joel chapter 3 beginning at verse 9. It says proclaim this among the nations prepare for war wake up the mighty men let all the men of war draw near let them come up beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. In other words, take your things that you use for farming and your implements and so on and use for civilian use and now make them articles of war, weapons of war. Let the weak say, I'm strong. Assemble and come, all you nations, and gather together all around. Cause your mighty ones to go down there, O Lord. Let the nations be wakened and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat. For there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down, for the wine press is full. The bats overflow, for their wickedness is great. multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision. For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon will grow dark. The stars will diminish their brightness. The Lord also will roar from Zion and utter his voice from Jerusalem. The heavens and the earth will shake. But the Lord will be a shelter for his people and the strength of the children of Israel. The nation of the world, the remaining forces of the Antichrist, along with the false prophet, they will assemble in the Valley of Jehoshaphat. The Valley of Jehoshaphat is located right outside of Jerusalem. Today we know it as the Kidron Valley. The Kidron Valley. Here the final battle is going to be fought. Revelation 19 reveals more the details of the outcome of this battle. It may just be the shortest war, I think, in history. The shortest war in history. For Revelation 19, 19 states, and I saw the beast and the king of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against him who sat on the horse and against his army. Then the beast was captured and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone and the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of him who sat on the horse and all the birds were filled with their flesh. Now the first casualty of this war, this final battle, is going to be the Antichrist himself and the false prophet. They will be captured, and then the two will be cast alive into the lake of fire that's burning with brimstone. This, by the way, is the first mention in scripture of the lake of fire, which is the final hell, the ultimate destination of Satan, his demonic forces, and the unredeemed. Today the lake of fire is unoccupied, there's nobody there. The Antichrist and his sidekick the false prophet are going to be the first to inhabit this final hell, a place where the worm does not die, nor the fire can ever be quenched. And so the one the one who ruled the world with great power, who deceived the nation so that they would follow his lead and worship him, the one who had spoken against the true Son of God, the counterfeit of Christ, he will be powerless, powerless when he faces the true Son of God. The simplicity with which Jesus will slay the Antichrist as described by Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2 verse 8 when he says, and then the lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will consume with the breath of his mouth. Destroy with the brightness of his coming. In the words of Martin Luther in the song we sang this morning, one little word shall fell him. That's it. One little word. And the rest of the Antichrist's forces are going to be killed with the sword which proceeds from the mouth of him who sat on this horse. One word and they will be all be slaughtered too. Like those who died at the Battle of Basra, they too will be trampled in the winepress of God Almighty. Revelation 14 records that bloodbath and says, And another angel came out from the altar who had the power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharpsicle, saying, Thrust in your sharpsicle, gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe. So the angel thrust her sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress up to the horse's bridle for 1,600 furlongs." Now that's a river of blood. A river of blood that flows from the slaughter in the Kidron Valley is up to the horse's bridle. That is about four feet deep. And it flows 1,600 furlongs or 200 miles. That is the distance from Jerusalem down to the Red Sea. That's a lot of blood. Some commentators that I read, scholars that I read, kind of poo-poo this idea. They said, it's too much blood. But you must remember also that the third bold judgment has turned the rivers and streams into pools of blood. And so perhaps their blood, the blood of the slain plus the rivers of blood, flowed six feet deep, four feet deep. 200 miles. A lot of death. In Zechariah 14 he also gives us some more physical clues as to how the armies of the Antichrist died. Beginning at verse 12 it says, and this shall be the plague, and there's a plague that comes, with which the Lord will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem. Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet. their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, and their tongue shall dissolve in their mouth. It shall come to pass in that day that a great panic from the Lord will be among them. Everyone will seize the hand of his neighbor and raise his hand against his neighbor hand. Judah also will fight in Jerusalem, and the wealth of all the surrounding nations shall be gathered together, gold, silver, apparel, and great abundance. Such also shall be the plague on the horses and the mules, on the camels and the donkeys, and on all the cattle that will be in those camps. So shall this plague be. Now this description of this plague, it says, their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet. Their eyes shall be dissolved in their sockets, and their tongues shall be dissolved in their mouths. I don't know if you've ever read any descriptions of what happened when we dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But this is very similar to what happened to those people. Their skin, they could just peel the skin right off their bodies. Their eyes dissolved. and ran down. And perhaps the one who creates this world and sustains this world by the word of his power who holds the atoms together he's going to speak the word and the atoms are going to fly apart in a very concentrated atomic explosion which will cause flesh to melt from fervent heat. And then those not killed by that are going to turn on each other and they're going to fight each other. The final battlefield will be so littered with dead bodies, and it's going to become food for the scavenger birds. Food for the birds. In fact, birds are invited to come. God invites them to come to the feast. Revelation 19 17. Then I saw an angel standing in the sun and he cried with a loud voice saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of the heavens come and gather together for the supper of the great God that you may eat the flesh of kings the flesh of captains the flesh of mighty men the flesh of horses and those who sit on them in the flesh of all people free and slaves both small and great. You know, this invitation to the birds is reminiscent of Jesus' own words in Matthew 24, where he says, for his lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be, for wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together. Birds coming. You know, on the way to church, at times I see roadkill. You know, you see it laying there on the road. And you see birds swooping down, they're pecking at it. And by the time I come out here to church and go back, I go back, there's nothing left. I mean, those birds have eaten just about everything. Now you say, well, but it'd be a lot of birds. Well, you know, every year millions of birds of many species migrate from Europe to Africa. And they just happen to fly over Israel. In fact, Israel's, the nation of Israel does studies of this because they are hazard to airplanes. bird strikes. And so the geographical setting of Israel with the Mediterranean Sea to the west and a vast desert area to the east forms a natural corridor for these migrating birds to fly down through there. On their way to Africa this time, they're going to stop for a banquet. They're going to have a banquet. They're going to have a feast to eat the flesh of kings, captains, mighty men, all the dead bodies. And you know, in the scriptures, to be eaten by an animal or birds or animals, that was the ultimate indignity. You know, bodies are to be buried, not to be left for the birds or wild animals to eat. Now, the only one left standing, the only one left standing in the end is Jesus Christ. He is the only one left standing. The day has arrived. Zechariah 14 records that momentous day. Verse 4 says, And in that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west, making a very large valley. Half of the mountain shall move towards the north, and half of it towards the south. The fighting is now complete, victory has been secured, and Jesus Christ ascends to the top of the Mount of Olives, plants his feet there in victory. And earth and creation are going to celebrate by some cataclysmic events that come right at the end, the last of the bold judgments is poured out to complete the tribulation period. In fact, Revelation 16 records, And the seventh angels poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven from the throne, saying, It is done. What is done? The tribulation period is done. This is the last of the judgments. and there was noises and thunderings and lightnings and there was a great earthquake. Such a mighty and great earthquake has not occurred since men were on the earth. Now the great city, that is the city of Jerusalem, was divided into three parts and the cities of the nations fell and great Babylon was remembered before God to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. Then every island fled and the mountains were not found. Another great earthquake occurred. The city of Jerusalem, the great city, divided into three parts. The Mount of Olives on which Jesus is standing splits in two, forming, from east to west, forming a very large valley that are going to enable the Jews in Jerusalem's path of escape from the earthquake that's going to divide the city. And the world's going to experience its fifth blackout. For Joel 3.15 states, the sun and the moon will grow dark, the stars will diminish their brightness, the Lord also will roar from Zion and utter his voice from Jerusalem, the heavens and the earth are going to shake, but the Lord will be a shelter for his people, the strength of the children of Israel. In a sense the earth is going to be dark, why? So that the spotlight can be on Jesus. The spotlight's going to be on Jesus, the victorious warrior king who's defeated Satan and the Antichrist and delivers his people to Israel. Now Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords, has conquered the world powers, but he has yet to set up and establish his kingdom here on earth. In fact, there are certain things that have to take place prior to the establishment of his kingdom. Daniel chapter 12 reveals that there's a 75-day period between the end of the tribulation and the beginning of the kingdom. We'll look at that next time. Lord willing, we'll begin to look at what transpires in that intermission. There's always seems to be an intermission, like there's, you know, between acts, there's got to be time to change the stage. And so there's a 75-day intermission period. We'll look at what happens. We know the bottom line in all this is Jesus wins. When it's all said and done, at the end, Jesus Christ is the victor. And the armies of the world and the Antichrist are going to be defeated. Ultimate good will triumph over consummate evil. And therefore, if you know Jesus Christ as your Savior this morning, you're on the winning side of this whole thing. The world may think of us as losers, and they do, but only because they do not know who's going to win in the end. They think we're losers because we've given up our lives to follow Jesus Christ. We are losers because we have abandoned our plans to embrace the will of God. But little do they know that they are the true losers. For in the final battle, Jesus Christ, along with you and I, are going to come out on top. We're the ultimate winners. For while we have given up our lives to follow Jesus Christ, we have by faith gained eternal life, which we can never lose. God is for us. Who can be against us? So you and I should think of ourselves not as losers, but we are winners. We are not victims, but victors. In the end, Jesus wins. The day is coming. And because Jesus wins, you and I can have incredible peace and comfort, the times in which we're living. You know, Jesus' disciples were facing uncertain times. He had just told them he was going to go away, he was going to die, and he was going to leave them. But Jesus says to them, these things I have spoken to you that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. I have overcome the world. I am the winner. Jesus is one and will ultimately win. So we do not need to fear our future. For our lives are firmly in the hands of the one who's the victor, who has victory over all. Our peace is knowing that we are in Christ and we're on the victory side. I trust that you're on that side this morning. I trust that you by faith have put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ and you are part of the winning team. But if not, I encourage you this morning Put your trust in Jesus. Turn from your sin. Turn from your evil ways. Judgment is going to come. It's surely going to come. Put your faith and trust in Him who alone can save.