[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

Who Do You Think Jesus Is?

Ask five different people about Jesus Christ and you’ll likely get five different opinions. However, one question sits at the heart of the religion that bears His name: Is Jesus God?

And today, we’re going to answer that question. Don’t go away!

Overwhelming Historical Evidence That Jesus Christ Was a Real Person

Greetings, and welcome to Tomorrow’s World, where we help you to make sense of your world through the pages of the Bible. We’re glad you’re here, and today’s question is one of the most important questions you could ever ask: Is Jesus God?

This question about Jesus is important. Estimates indicate around 2.4 billion people in the world claim Christianity as their religion—almost half-a-billion more than claim Islam and more than a billion more than claim Hinduism. Yet, even as almost one-third of the planet claims a religion centered on the person of Jesus Christ, many of those same people disagree on exactly who He really was.

For some, even some claiming to be Christian, Jesus was simply a man—a Jewish teacher in the first century, who just happened to have an outsized impact on world culture. The late Shelby Spong, a bishop in the Episcopal Church, was quite famous for his stance that Jesus was not actually God, was not born from a virgin, and was never resurrected.

Other religions claiming to be Christian teach different things about Jesus’ divinity. Some teach that Jesus was a created being, like the angels. Some identify Him with the archangel Michael. Others claim that Jesus and the Devil were brothers in the past. And others, further, claim that Jesus and the Father are the very same person, and not two separate divine persons, at all.

Outside of nominal Christianity, ideas vary, as well. Some religions consider Jesus to have been a holy man, or wise guru, or even a prophet, but not truly divine in the way God is divine. Others consider Him a manifestation of God, like an avatar, or some sort of ascended master in the manner of new age teachings.

And then, there are those who don’t think He ever existed—as if He were a figment of the imagination, or a fiction created in the first century to form the basis of a new religion.

Perhaps we should tackle this question first, in the event some of you have been infected by this pernicious lie.

There is abundant evidence that Jesus of Nazareth did, indeed, exist. Even if we treat the New Testament not as Scripture, but as a mere human product of history, just like Homer’s Iliad or Caesar’s commentaries, it provides abundant evidence that Jesus was a real person, going back to within two or three decades of His life. We even have a fragment from the gospel of John, the famous Rylands Library Papyrus P52, that dates back to within a handful of years after the Apostle John is believed to have written it.

And, outside of the New Testament, a number of secular historical records refer to Jesus and the impact of His teachings and example in the first century. The contemporary Jewish historian Josephus, the Roman historian Tacitus, and Pliny the Younger all speak of Jesus Christ as a real person—much too early in the historical record for some imaginary account to have taken hold so profoundly.

In fact, one of the most effective defenders of the very real existence of Jesus Christ is New Testament scholar Bart Ehrman. While Ehrman has publicly declared that he does not believe Jesus was divine, does not believe in the supernatural, and does not consider himself a Christian, he is just as clear that the evidence for Jesus’ existence is overwhelming.

Referring to those who claim Jesus’ existence is just a myth, Ehrman writes,

“It is fair to say that mythicists as a group, and as individuals, are not taken seriously by the vast majority of scholars in the field of New Testament, early Christianity, ancient history, and theology” (Did Jesus Exist? The Historical Argument for Jesus of Nazareth, 2012. p. 20).

In fact, almost all scholars, secular and religious alike, tend to agree. As Ehrman summarizes,

“Despite the enormous range of opinion, there are several points on which virtually all scholars of antiquity agree. Jesus was a Jewish man, known to be a preacher and teacher, who was crucified (a Roman form of execution) in Jerusalem during the reign of the Roman emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was the governor of Judea” (p. 12).

In short, those who say that Jesus never existed should be taken as seriously as those who say the tooth fairy or Santa Claus do exist.

Facts are facts. And the man Jesus of Nazareth did live and walk this earth around two thousand years ago in Judea, teaching around the Sea of Galilee and in Jerusalem.

But is that where the story ends? A great teacher dies in His early thirties and just happens to have a religion founded in His name? Or was Jesus more than a man?

Jesus Christ Was God in the Flesh—but Also Preincarnate

And the question at the heart of our discussion today—is Jesus God?—is either true or false. So, which is it?

Admittedly, that idea that Jesus could be God, like God the Father is God, is a large and audacious claim, to be sure! And the only way to know is to let God, Himself, reveal the answer to us.

Let the scholars and skeptics have their opinions and debate their conclusions. What should concern us is what God says of Jesus. What DOES God’s word say? Was Jesus merely a man? Or, perhaps, something greater than a man but less than God, like an angel? Or was He truly GOD in the flesh?

The Bible answers these questions plainly: JESUS IS GOD!

In fact, His identity as God was declared long before He was even born!

In his gospel, Matthew explains that Jesus’ virgin birth had been prophesied long before by Isaiah:

“So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:22–23).

That’s right: Jesus is, literally, “God with us”!

The Apostle John, in his gospel account, explains this in some detail. Let’s read it in John 1, beginning in verse 1:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (John 1:1–5).

The “Word”—or, in Greek, the “Logos” or “Spokesman”—is the One who became Jesus Christ. In the event it is not clear, John specifies a few verses later:

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14).

John is plain. The One now known as Jesus Christ had been with God and was, Himself, God also! He had been with God in eternity past, before Creation existed. In fact, in His final Passover on this earth, Jesus prayed that after His crucifixion He would be returned to this state of glory with His Father—back to the state of eternal co-existence they had known before He became flesh. We read it in John 17 and verse 5, where Jesus prays,

“And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was” (John 17:5).

Yes, existing in eternity past with the One we now call the Father, Jesus, too, was God! John calls Him the Word, or the Logos in Greek. This is because He has always been the Spokesman for God, representing the Father’s will and the Father’s word. Jesus says this in John 12:

“For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak” (John 12:49).

Jesus plainly knew who He was—one of the two divine members of the God Family. During His ministry, he made numerous statements illustrating this—so clearly that Jewish authorities sought to stone Him for what they saw as blasphemous claims.

In John 8, for instance, Jesus speaks of the ancient patriarch Abraham, beginning in verse 56:

“Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”

Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?”

“Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:56-58).

There should be no doubt about this statement! Jesus did NOT say, “Before Abraham was, I was.” He said “before Abraham was, I AM.” That otherwise-ungrammatical statement is a direct call-back to God’s statement to Moses:

“And God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you’” (Exodus 3:14).

The Jews of Jesus’ day understood His claim and sought to stone Him for it. Later, He makes a similar claim of His own divinity. We see this in John 10:

“I and My Father are one.”

Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him.

Jesus answered them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?”

The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God” (John 10:30–33).

Yes, Jesus knew who He was—and the religious leaders of His day understood exactly what His claims meant!

Not only did Jesus understand who He was, His first century followers did, as well. And if He is anything less than God, then the core beliefs, practices, and truths of Christianity become a lie.

God Created All Things Through Jesus Christ—His Son, the Word, the Savior.

In Colossians 2:2, the Apostle Paul referred to “the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ.” Yes, the godhead consists of the Father and Christ—the two members of the God family.

Speaking of Jesus Christ, Paul writes earlier in Colossians 1, beginning in verse 16:

For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist (Colossians 1:16–17).

Such words echo what we read earlier from John chapter 1, that “all things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” That is a very thorough statement!

Henry Ford is properly credited with creating the “Model T” in America, but others were the hands that accomplished the work. So, too, God the Father is our Creator, yet the Bible makes plain whose hands, as it were, did the work: those of the One who became Jesus Christ! All was created through Him and for Him.

Jesus Christ is, in a real way, our Creator, just as the Father is! Together, they are the reason that Genesis 1:26 says, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness….” Because there were TWO God beings speaking! In fact, the Hebrew word translated “God” in this passage, Elohim, is unusual for being a singular word that is plural in form—another hint that there is more to “God” than meets the eye!

Paul is just as blatant in Ephesians 3 and verse 9, where he says he seeks “to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ.”

These passages and others make it clear that Jesus Christ is not an angel, not even the archangel Michael. Note Hebrews 1 and verse 5,

For to which of the angels did He ever say: “You are My Son, today I have begotten You”? And again: “I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son”? (Hebrews 1:5).

And, too, verse 13,

But to which of the angels has He ever said: “Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool”? (Hebrews 1:13).

These are rhetorical questions, because the answer is meant to be obvious: To NONE of the angels has God ever said this! They have only been spoken to the Father’s co-creator, who was with God and who was God—the one we now call Jesus Christ.

In fact, all the vital truths at the very heart of the faith of the Bible depend on the truth that Jesus is God.

Consider, how is it that Jesus Christ has standing to die in our stead for our sins? He has that standing because, as our Creator, He can take that responsibility on Himself.

And how is it that His life is sufficient to pay for all of our sins? It is because, as God, His life is worth infinitely more than all of our lives combined—an eternal life given as the payment for the eternal death we’ve earned.

And so, our Creator became a human being, born of a woman, to be able to die and pay that penalty. In explaining this, the Apostle Paul, again, explains just who Jesus really is. Read with me in Philippians 2, where some translations don’t always communicate the fullness of what Paul is saying [vv. 5–8]:

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross (Philippians 2:5–8).

The New King James’ phrasing here about not considering it “robbery to be equal with God” and “making Himself of no reputation” is awkward, and other translations take it differently.

For instance, the English Standard Version translates verses 6 and 7 this way, saying that Christ, “though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.”

Although He existed in glory with God from eternity past, He did not consider that something He had to desperately cling to, but, instead, was willing to empty Himself of His divine prerogatives and become just like us, His creation, to serve us with His life and death.

The awe-inspiring truth of Jesus Christ—the Word, the divine Spokesman of the God Family—is truly humbling to consider. He lowered Himself from glory to become like us, all so that He might one day lift us up to join Him and His Father in that same glory!

But understanding this profound truth about the identity of Jesus is more than an academic exercise.

The God of the Old Testament and the Son of God Are One and the Same.

When we understand who Jesus really is, it is no wonder that the Apostle Thomas, upon seeing the resurrected Christ, called Him “my Lord and My God!” And it is also no wonder that those living under the Family of God in the Millennial reign of the Kingdom of God will refer to Him as “Mighty God” (Isaiah 9:6).

The Word, the Logos, the divine Spokesman for the God Family willingly set aside the indescribable glory, power, and majesty He had eternally shared with the Father to live a perfect human life, set us an example of righteousness, and become our perfect sacrifice so that we might be cleansed of our sins. Then, three days and three nights later, after His death, He was, in the words of Paul, “declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:4).

Yet, many who claim to be Christians seek to avoid the full implications of Jesus’ identity as God.

For instance, many write off the God of the Old Testament as cruel and heartless—unlike Jesus, who is seen as loving and merciful. And God’s commandments are often slandered as too restrictive and harsh.

Yet, consider—who was it who thundered the Ten Commandments to ancient Israel on Mount Sinai and served as the Commander of the Army of the Lord, as He called Himself to Joshua?

The Apostle Paul makes the matter clear. We see this in 1 Corinthians 10, beginning in verse 1:

Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ(1 Corinthians 10:1–4).

Yes, it was Jesus Christ—as the divine Logos or Spokesman—who thundered the Ten Commandments!

Consider: Exodus 33 and 34 explain that Moses saw God from behind with His own eyes. And the account of Exodus 24 is even more explicit:

Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity (Exodus 24:9–10).

Note, it says plainly “they saw the God of Israel.” Yet compare that to John 1:18, which says, “No one has seen God at any time,” and Jesus’ words of John 6:46:

“Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father.”

Yes, the elders of Israel saw God, but they did not see the Father. Rather, the Member of the God Family they saw was the One who would become the Son, the divine Logos!

So, if it was Jesus Christ who spoke those Ten Commandments, including the Sabbath command, should they not mean more to followers of Jesus Christ than they seem to mean to most self-proclaimed Christians today?

And consider, too, our ultimate destiny. In 1 John 3 and verse 2, note what the Apostle writes to us:

Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is (1 John 3:2).

If we are to become like Christ is now, and Christ now possesses the glory He had with the Father before the world was, then what does that say about the glorious future existence ahead for those who await His return? And what does it say about Jesus’ prayer on His last Passover that His followers may one day be one, just as He and his Father are?

Thanks so much for watching! All of us here at Tomorrow’s World work very hard to produce these videos to help you understand your world through the pages of your Bible.

If you’re interested in our free study guide Restoring Original Christianity, you can order that by going to TWTV.ORG/original.

If you like these videos, we hope you’ll subscribe, and if you’d like to be notified when they come out, just click that bell. Thank you so much!

[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

Bible Prophecy Warns of End-Time Catastrophes

The word “Armageddon” is often used to describe earth-destroying dangers. This March 2024 edition of Astronomy magazine features this cover headline: “Cosmic Catastrophes: How the Universe Threatens Life on Earth.” On page 18:

“The Universe is a terrifying place, filled with existential threats. Earth may seem quite solid beneath our feet, but the continued existence of the thin layers of rock, water, and air that sustain us is in no way guaranteed. Errant asteroids, soaring superflares, and exploding supernovae are just a few of the calamities that might befall our fragile world. In the short term, we may be able to manage or mitigate some of these threats. Asteroids can be diverted and power grids hardened. But other apocalypses are inevitable as the solar system ages: a runaway moon, Earth’s collapsing magnetosphere, the sun’s flagging heart. Each one represents a countdown to a different apocalypse, with some more imminent than others” (“These are the ways our world will end,” Astronomy.com, March 1, 2024).

Your Bible confirms such cosmic dangers when the prophesied heavenly signs will terrify humans all over the earth. How will the great men and women react? Revelation 6:15,

“And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?’” (Revelation 6:15–17).

Yes, my friends, Bible prophecy reveals dramatic dangers just ahead of us, but also the good news of God’s coming Kingdom ruled by the Messiah, Jesus Christ, as King of kings and Lord of lords.

Surprisingly, when Jesus Christ returns, all the world’s armies and powerful worldly military might will fight against the coming conquering King in the battle of Armageddon.

On today’s program, we’ll be offering an amazing free study guide, Armageddon and Beyond, to help you understand what is ahead for planet Earth. Join us on today’s program and learn who will win the Battle of Armageddon.

Armageddon in the Bible

Warm greetings to all our friends around the world.

The end of the world has often been defined by popular media and entertainment as the Battle of Armageddon. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary gives this definition for Armageddon:

a. the site or time of a final and conclusive battle between the forces of good and evil.

b. the battle taking place at Armageddon” (Armageddon. Merriam-Webster.com, April 2, 2024).

This definition reflects the popular concept of Armageddon, but it is not technically accurate according to your Bible.

If you have your Bible, turn to Revelation the 16th chapter. Here we see that Armageddon, or Megiddo, is rather the gathering place of the world’s armies BEFORE the battle takes place in Jerusalem.

“And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon” (Revelation 16:16).

The Hebrew expression Har Maggedon means the hill or mountain of Megiddo.

The armies of the world will gather in northern Israel at Megiddo before marching south to Jerusalem.

Geographical Location of Armageddon [Megiddo]

Megiddo is located about 55 miles north of Jerusalem in Israel. In ancient times it guarded the main trade route between Egypt and Damascus. It also overlooks the largest plain in Israel, the Valley of Jezreel (as it’s called in the Bible) or the Plain of Esdraelon. The kings of the east cross westward across the Euphrates River. They meet up with other superpower armies at Megiddo.

These armies gather at Armageddon, then move southward to Jerusalem to fight Christ there. Notice Joel 3 and verse 1:

“For behold, in those days and at that time, when I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather ALL nations, and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; and I will enter into judgment with them there” (Joel 3:1–2).

Megiddo: A.K.A. The Valley of Jehoshaphat and Kidron Valley

The Valley of Jehoshaphat is between the Mount of Olives and the city of Jerusalem. It’s also known as the Kidron Valley, which extends southward for some distance. Yes, the Battle of the Great Day of God Almighty will take place at Jerusalem.

Jehoshaphat means “judgment of the Eternal.” God will judge the nations in this climatic battle.

Who will win that battle? We can gain some clues from the prophetic events that lead up to Armageddon. For your sake and the sake of your family, you need to know the sequence of prophetic events that may happen in your lifetime and in the near future.

Three major end-time prophetic events occur before Armageddon

Let’s first review three major events covering the prophesied three and one-half years leading up to Armageddon and the return of Christ to this earth as King of kings and Lord of lords. If you have your Bible, turn to the book of Revelation, or the Apocalypse. Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God opens the mysterious scroll sealed with seven seals.

The Seven Seals of Revelation Describe the End Times

The first four of the seven seals reveal four symbolic horsemen. Turn to Revelation the sixth chapter.

The Apostle John, who wrote the book of Revelation under God’s inspiration, sees in vision the famous four horsemen of the Apocalypse. They symbolize, in order:

1. False christs and false religion.
2. War and its devastating effects.
3. Famines that normally follow on the heels of war.
4. Pestilence and disease that follow after famine.

The Apostle John describes the fourth horse and its rider in Revelation 6:8.

“So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a FOURTH of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.”

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse Are the First Four Seals of Revelation

The combined power of the four horsemen will bring massive devastation all over the earth. My friends, we need to face reality! Billions of human beings on earth will die—as war, hunger, and disease expand over the planet. Yes, we will face the extreme danger of human annihilation.

The fourth seal of Revelation pictures the four horsemen combining their powers. The world will suffer massive deaths of men, women, and children.

The Fifth and Sixth Seals of Revelation Bring Martyring of Christians, the Great Tribulation, and Heavenly Signs

The fifth seal, as you read in Revelation 6:9, reveals a martyrdom of Christians during the tribulation period of about two and one-half years. Then we read about the sixth seal, which introduces the time of God’s wrath and judgment on the nations. The seal is referred to as the heavenly signs. Revelation 6:12,

“I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place” (Revelation 6:12–14).

While massive upheavals take place during the heavenly signs, we know that the greater danger lies in World War III and Armageddon. What prophetic events follow what has been called “cosmic catastrophes?”

The cosmic disturbances or the heavenly signs, as they are called, introduce the Day of the Lord. The Day of the Lord is the time of God’s wrath and judgment on an unthankful, rebellious world.

Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, will be wrathful. He’ll execute God’s righteous judgments. The Day of the Lord here in Revelation 6:17 is called “the great Day of His wrath!”

3 Major End-Time Events Before Armageddon: The Great Tribulation, the Heavenly Signs, and the Day of the Lord

The book of Revelation reveals the sequence of prophetic events leading up to the Battle of Armageddon. The one-year Day of the Lord sets the stage for the final battle between good and evil. The Day of the Lord will bring God’s judgments on the nations.

Let’s understand. There are three prophetic milestones leading up to Christ’s return. They are:

1. The Great Tribulation
2. The Heavenly Signs
3. The Day of the Lord

These three events cover a period of about three and one-half years. There are over thirty prophecies in your Bible referring to the Day of the Lord. Isaiah 34:8 and Isaiah 63:4 show that the Day of the Lord in end-time prophecy, the time preceding the Second Coming, is a period of one year. You might want to write down those references: Isaiah 34:8 and Isaiah 63:4.

The beast power and nations of the world fight against Jesus Christ at Armageddon

At the end of this year-long day of the Lord, a revived superpower called the Beast in the book of Revelation will join the military might of other nations to fight against this “invader from outer space,” the returning Messiah, the King of kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ. They will fight against Christ at His Second Coming at the Battle of Armageddon. Revelation 17:12,

“The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. These will make war with the Lamb…” (Revelation 17:12–14).

All the military might of the world will try to conquer Christ. But does the world really have that much power to even attempt such a battle? Nine nations around the world are known to have nuclear weapons. The combined power from these weapons could destroy all human life on earth several times over.

On page 5 of the Armageddon booklet, this chart shows the estimated number of nuclear warheads each possesses. They are Russia, the United States, France, China, the United Kingdom, Israel, India, Pakistan, and North Korea.

President Putin of Russia has threatened to use nuclear weapons in the war with Ukraine. This headline is from Associated Press: “Putin warns again that Russia is ready to use nuclear weapons if its sovereignty is threatened.”

“The Russian leader has repeatedly talked about his readiness to use nuclear weapons since launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. The most recent such threat came in his state-of-the-nation address last month, when he warned the West that deepening its involvement in the fighting in Ukraine would risk a nuclear war” (APNews.com, March 13, 2024).

Not only must the world face danger from the nations with nuclear weapons, but other nations and terrorists are seeking weapons of mass destruction as well. A time of great danger, a coming World War III, is coming soon. Regular viewers of Tomorrow’s World know that Bible prophecy reveals the future and the sequence of events leading up to Armageddon. The Apostle John, writing in the first century AD, describes what he saw in vision. Revelation 9:17,

“And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone. By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed—by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths. For their power is in their mouth and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents, having heads; and with them they do harm” (Revelation 9:17–19).

The Book of Revelation Describes Modern Warfare

The Apostle John was seeing in vision 21st Century modern warfare. He was describing weapons of mass destruction in first-century language.

My friends, the threat of nuclear war is still very real. As we just read in Revelation 9, this phase of World War III will kill a third of mankind.

Yes, about two billion people in addition to the two billion previously killed by the four horsemen we read about in Revelation 6:8.

The world is certainly headed for “nuclear annihilation” if God does not intervene to save us. That end-time battle will feature the world’s military might against the returning heavenly army led by the King of kings, Jesus Christ. It is called “the battle of that great day of God Almighty” in Revelation 16:14.

A Revived Roman Empire and 10 Kings Will Fight Against Christ

Who will fight against Christ at His coming? Revelation 17 gives us more details. The revived Roman Empire with its ten kings or kingdoms will use all their military strength to resist the coming conquering King. Revelation 17:12,

“The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. These will make war with the Lamb…” (Revelation 17:12–14).

Who will win that war?

The World’s Armies Gather to Fight Jesus Christ at Armageddon

We’ve seen that all the armies of the world will combine their forces to fight against this “invader from outer space.” They gather at Megiddo, on the largest plain in Israel, the Valley of Jezreel (as it’s called in the Bible) or the Plain of Esdraelon. They then travel the 55 miles down to Jerusalem in the Valley of Jehoshaphat as we saw earlier in Joel 3:1 to fight Christ at His coming. All the combined nuclear power in the world’s armies will be no match against the coming conquering King.

And who will be with the conquering King? Revelation 19 gives the setting just before the battle begins. Genuine Christians will become the wife of Christ. After the resurrection of faithful Christians at the seventh trumpet, the glorified saints proceed to the sea of glass mentioned in Revelation 15:2 for their marriage to the Lamb, Jesus Christ. Revelation 19:6,

“And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, ‘Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.’ And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints” (Revelation 19:6–8).

The glorified saints will dwell with Christ and God the Father for the nine-day period between the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement and return to earth with the King of Kings to conquer the nations and establish the Kingdom of God on earth. Verse 11,

“Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war” (Revelation 19:11).

Now remember Revelation 17:14.

“These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful” (Revelation 17:14).

The victory belongs to Jesus Christ and His saints

Yes, the Lamb, Jesus Christ will overcome them. He will conquer them. The power of God Almighty will vanquish rebellious nations and armies. At last, the prophesied process of world peace can begin with the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth. God speed that day!

The conquering King will vanquish the combined military power of all the nations that have turned from fighting themselves, to fighting this “invader from outer space.”

Christ’s Armies in Heaven Will Be the “Called, Chosen, and Faithful” Saints

And who will be with our Savior? “The armies in heaven,” mentioned in Revelation 19:14, will be with Him. Those who are called, chosen, and faithful! That may include you, my friends, if you become a faithful and genuine Christian.

Revelation the 19th chapter gives us more details of this final battle. Revelation 19:19,

“And I saw the beast, the kings 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 worshiped 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” (Revelation 19:19–21).

Now remember we read earlier that the year-long Day of the Lord is the time of God’s judgment on our rebellious nations. As it states in Revelation 6:17,

“For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”

Continuing in Revelation 19, we see confirmed the glorious ruling authority of the coming ruler of planet earth:

“And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation 19:16).

He is the conquering King. Yes, “Who is able to stand?”

Armageddon: The final battle of good vs. evil

Armageddon has been described as the final battle between good and evil. The Commander of heaven’s armies will win this war. And with this great victory, He will usher in the Millennium, a thousand years of peace and prosperity for all nations.

But how will you prepare for these awesome events just ahead of us?

How to Prepare for These End-Time Events: Watch and Pray

Notice the admonition by the Lord Jesus Christ in Luke 21:36:

“Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Perhaps you have not been praying. Now is the time to get down on your knees and cry out to God for a change in your life. Isaiah 55:6-7 tells you how to draw close to God.

“Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:6-7).

Warning: We are in danger of annihilation

Scientists, astronomers, and statesmen are warning us that planet earth is in danger of total destruction. But the greatest warning comes to us from Bible prophecy and the Messiah Himself. He reveals the sequence of end-time events, including the Great Tribulation, the heavenly signs, and the Day of the Lord.

The climactic event is the “battle of that great day of God Almighty” stated in Revelation 16:14, also commonly referred to as the Battle of Armageddon. The kings of the earth and their armies (Revelation 19:19) will gather in northern Israel to fight against the Messiah—Jesus Christ—at His second coming.

The King of kings will conquer these rebellious, oppressive nations. But how can we have world peace when human nature continually rebels against the way of peace?

True Peace Must Come from God

General Douglas MacArthur realized the futility of war and pointed out the need for a spiritual solution. He stated:

“We have had our last chance. If we will not devise some greater and more equitable system, our Armageddon will be at our door. The problem basically is theological and involves a spiritual recrudescence and improvement of human character that will synchronize with our almost matchless advances in science, art, literature and all material and cultural developments of the past two thousand years. It must be of the spirit if we are to save the flesh.”

Yes, it must be of the SPIRIT, if we are to save the flesh.

Why We Must Pray for the Kingdom of God to Come

Beyond Armageddon, the new world government, comprised of Christ and the saints, will teach the way to peace. Yes, during the Millennium, there will be a spiritual recrudescence, or renewal, an improvement of human character and the human spirit. The Kingdom of God will rule over all nations. Pray for that Kingdom to come.

We look forward to the time beyond Armageddon when the prophecy of Zechariah 14:9 will be fulfilled:

“And the Lord shall be King over all the earth.”

Only the Prince of peace can govern the world’s nations with love and justice, guaranteeing a world of prosperity and abundant living for all peoples.

Thank you for watching. We here at Tomorrow’s World make these videos to help you understand your world through the pages of the Bible.

So if you found this helpful, please like, share, and subscribe to our channel so you don’t miss another video.

And if you want to learn more you can request our free Bible study guide—Armageddon and Beyond—just click TWTV.ORG/Armageddon.

See you next time.