Israel, Iran, the US, and what the Bible says (and doesn’t say) about Armageddon

 Even after the resurrection, even after spending forty days with the risen Christ, the disciples still had one question on their minds. “When is it going to happen?” “When will the kingdom finally come?”

In Acts 1, they ask Jesus directly: “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?”

It’s a question about the end of history. It’s a question about God’s timeline.

And Jesus gives an answer that is both simple and profound. “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority.”

In other words: The timeline of history belongs to God.

But then Jesus does something even more important. He redirects their attention away from prediction and toward mission.

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you… and you will be my witnesses.”

The disciples want a calendar. Jesus gives them a calling.

And that same tension still exists today. People still want to know: Is this the war that begins Armageddon? Is this the moment the end begins?

And lately some Christians have been asking that question again because of tensions and conflict involving Israel and Iran. And I have seen some strange things being said about our Christian faith, about war, about the 2nd coming of Jesus, about biblical prophecy. So let’s talk about this word, this place, Armageddon. 

The word appears only once in the entire Book of Revelation. In chapter 16, verse 16, it says:

“And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.” Here is the whol context of that chapter:

Revelation 16:1-16

"[1] Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go, pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.” [2] The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly, festering sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. [3] The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead person, and every living thing in the sea died. [4] The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. [5] Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say: “You are just in these judgments, O Holy One, you who are and who were; [6] for they have shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve.” [7] And I heard the altar respond: “Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments.” [8] The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was allowed to scorch people with fire. [9] They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him. [10] The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in agony [11] and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done. [12] The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East. [13] Then I saw three impure spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. [14] They are demonic spirits that perform signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty. [15] “Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.” [16] Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. [17] The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, “It is done!” [18] Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since mankind has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake. [19] The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath. [20] Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found. [21] From the sky huge hailstones, each weighing about a hundred pounds, fell on people. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible."

Megiddo is not an imaginary place. It’s a real location in northern Israel, a strategic hill called TEL Megiddo, overlooking the Jezreel Valley, one of the most important military crossroads in the ancient world. Armies moving between Egypt and Mesopotamia passed through that valley.

Because of that geography, many famous battles in Israel’s history happened there.

In the Old Testament, the forces of Sisera were defeated near Megiddo in the story of Deborah and Barak in Book of Judges. Later, the reforming king Josiah died in battle there against the Egyptians, as recorded in 2 Kings. So by the time John wrote the Book of Revelation, Megiddo had become a symbol. Eric Cline, “Nearly every invading force of Israel has fought a battle in the Jezreel Valley”

Solomon built massive stables on this site for hundreds of war horses. Hezekiah built an extensive underground aqueduct

Over 20 occupational levels of civilizations dating back to 500BC are one on top of the other at Tel Megiddo. 

It represented the place where the great battles of history were fought. John was not necessarily predicting that the world’s final war would literally occur on that hill. Instead, he was drawing on a powerful biblical image his readers already knew: the place where the decisive struggles of God’s people had taken place.

In other words, “Armageddon” was a symbolic way of saying that the forces of empire and injustice will ultimately confront God’s purposes—and God will prevail.

And that makes sense when we remember who the original readers were. They were not people wondering about modern nations or twenty-first-century geopolitics. They were small Christian communities living under the shadow of the Roman Empire.

For them, the message of Revelation was not: “One day, thousands of years from now, there will be a global war and the devil and God with angels and demons will literally fight a battle.”

The message was: “Even when empire looks unstoppable, God will ultimately bring justice and renewal.” Revelation wasn’t meant to give Christians a map of future battlefields. It was meant to give them hope in the middle of history’s struggles.

Here are some words from Benjamin Cremar, a pastor and author from Nazarene Theological Seminary:

As John writes in verse one, the entire letter is the revelation of Jesus Christ. It is the way of God through Jesus Christ being revealed in the world. It is written in the prophetic genre of apocalyptic resistance literature. It pulls back the curtain on earthly empires and names them for what they are: beastly.

Rome is depicted as the first Beast, seven heads representing the seven hills of Rome. The second beast is the propaganda machine for the first beast, looking like a lamb but speaking for the dragon. Then the mark of loyalty to the beast is a number (666 or 616 in some manuscripts), and when using gematria, the number is transliterated into Hebrew (nrwn qsr) it points to Emporor Nero, one of the worst persecutors of the early church (Rev. 13).

John is offering a theological critique of imperialism in contrast to the way of the crucified Lamb (Jesus Christ). He is telling persecuted Christians that while the empire looks invincible it is not ultimately. Its violence is not divine. Its claims to eternal rule are a parody. They will not have the last word.

This is the contrast to keep in mind when we consider the famous “battle of Armageddon,” which appears in Revelation 16:16. The kings of the earth gather at a place called Armageddon, from “Har-Megiddo,” Mount Megiddo, which is a symbolic site associated with decisive Old Testament conflicts.

But here’s the striking detail many miss: no battle is actually described.

The nations gather. The stage is set. But when we reach Revelation 19, where we expect a final and epic clash of armies, something else astonishing happens.

Christ appears as a rider on a white horse. His robe is dripping with his own blood, not his enemy’s. Legions of angel armies are flanked behind him, armed to the teeth. Then they just stand there. The word comes out of his mouth, which is described as sharper than any double edged sword (the advanced weapon of the time). And the Beast and the kings of the earth are defeated, not through violent warfare, but by the word that proceeds from him, by the word that is revealed through him, by the Word that is him (John 1).

There is no prolonged fight. No exchange of blows. No suspenseful military drama. No Christian foot soldiers taking up arms against hostile evil forces as the “Left Behind” series would have us believe. The “battle” is over before it begins. 

We are then given a casualty report of the enemies of God in Rev 19:20-21. It is a powerful depiction of how Jesus has defeated sin and death through his self giving love on the cross.

This is the entire theological center of the book!

Victory in Revelation does not come through superior violence. It comes through faithful witness, sacrificial love, and divine judgment enacted by truth itself. The conquering Messiah conquers as the slain Lamb, not as a beast.

And when we understand that historical context, something important becomes clear. Armageddon was never meant to make Christians eager for war. It was meant to assure suffering believers that God’s justice would ultimately triumph.

Which brings us back to the words of Jesus in Acts 1. The disciples wanted to know when is going to be the end of the world as we know it. Jesus told them that was not their concern.

Their concern was something much simpler and much harder: “To be my witnesses.”

Because Jesus’ answer then is the same as it is today. “It is not for you to know.”

The church’s job is not to calculate God’s timetable. The church’s job is to bear witness to the kingdom of God. And the church must remain faithful.

The disciples asked Jesus about the end of history. Jesus answered by talking about the mission of the church. And maybe that tells us something important. Whenever Christians become obsessed with predicting the end, we risk forgetting the work God has given us right now. The church is not called to decode headlines. The church is called to embody the gospel.

We are called to feed the hungry. Welcome the stranger. Heal the wounded. Seek justice. Make peace. And until the day Christ returns, we will not live as people waiting for the world to burn. We will live as people already practicing the life of God’s coming kingdom.

Because the end of the story belongs to God. But the witness in the middle of the story….that belongs to us.

Amen.

We are all both Wheaty and Chaffy

 I am beginning another round of reading through the Bible in the new year. I had planned on a slower pace this year, a chapter of the New Testament a day, to read only the New Testament in a year. I have been in a process of reading the Psalms monthly for a few years, so this seemed like a good start to 2026. But as I began in Matthew and finally got past the geneology of names in chapter 1, I read chapter 2 since I was going to be preaching on that on Sunday, and then read chapter 3. 

And I was struck by a memory. 

John told the crowds he was baptizing that Jesus was coming, and went on to say "His winnowing fork is in his hand, adn he will clear the threshing floor, gathering wheat into the barn and burning up chaff with an unquenchable fire" (Matthew 3:12)

Whew. That's quite an image of the Prince of Prince, the long awaited Messiah, the proclomation of the Good News in Logos, God in human flesh. 

I know I heard that verses growing up in churches, even though I can't remember exactly when. But the image was clear, and so was the question from the preacher, "Are you wheat, or are you chaff?" Because that seems to be the point John is making, right? The wheat go into the barn. The chaff get burned up. The wheat go heaven. The chaff burn in hell. Forever. 

I always wanted to be wheat, but it was always confusing to me.

Thankfully I became part of a denomination when I was in late 20's that encouraged questions, and I had teachers, preachers, mentors, commentators, writers, and an educational system that helped me along the way. 

Now as I read that verse it's a comforting image, because I have some historical context to place the image in. It's not about a turn or burn warning. Even though John was big on his warnings and never missed an opportunity just in the few passages we have of him to say exactly what needed to be said. It's not a "If you die tonight where will you spend eternity? In the barn? Or in the burning hell?"

So, if you've ever struggled with a passage like this being part of the Good News of Jesus Christ and refelcting the agape love of God, let me offer another thought. 

First, context. John was speaking to first century agriculturally dominant lower social class people overall. There were always some religious leaders (considered more upper class socially) and some soldiers who came to hear him, but overall the message was to the common person of the day, which was almost everyone. And being an agricultural community, they knew wheat. 

Chaff is the dry lightweight outer husks that cover and protect the wheat until it is mature. A winnowing fork, or sickle, was used to cut down all the wheat where it was taken to a threshing floor for the threshing process, which removed the chaff from the grain. The chaff had served it's purpose, it protected the grain as it was growing, but chaff is inedible and has to be removed so that the grain can be used for its purpose. The chaff would have been burned outside the city walls (this gets into some other things Jesus said about Gehenna and burning).

Chaff and Wheat, in a spirutual sense, is not about two seperate groups of people, some going to heavenly barn and others going to the burning hell. It's about all of us. We all have wheat and chaff. We have the good wheat in us that is growing and maturing through our faith. And we all have chaff, those things, desires, sins, that need to be removed and taken away and burned up. And remember "burning fire" also meant purification in many stories of the Bible, not annihilation. 

God did not divide the world into wheat people and chaff people. But through the realities of our human exostence we are wheat people who have been comvered in chaff. And maybe in some ways that chaff protected us at times in the past. But now, through faith in Christ, that chaff can be removed, discarded, and done away with. Every heart is a harvest for Jesus, and God's grace is committed to purify, save, and restore what God has given. 

One Thing I Know

 

We are an information overloaded society. We are constantly bombarded with news, events, stories, and opinions. Occasionally, there are even some real facts in all that info. We are hungry for knowledge, to know what really happened, what was really said, and then we are told why that is important and should matter to us and how we should feel about it. 

Information and knowledge is important. Francis Bacon wrote that "knowledge is power", meaning that a knowledgeable well-informed people would be able to make good, just, and right decisions. I agree with that completely. One of my favorite quotes about knowledge is from Maya Angelou, "Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better."

The problem is of course, we simply don't know what we don't know. Perhaps that in itself really isn't the problem, maybe the real issue is when we speak of things we don't know enough about as if we do, and then pass this off as truth. 

In the 8th chapter of John, Jesus heals a man who was blind from birth. This was one of Jesus' many Sabbath healings that got him in hot water with the Pharisees and Jewish leaders because, according to their religious knowledge, Jesus broke a commandment because He could have healed on one of the other 6 days. This type of over zealous religiosity might sound strange to us today, but it was a very big deal in Jesus' day. There were rules that were understood, and to be a good person of faith you had to follow the rules. 
Jesus did not come to do away with all those regulations, but rather to offer himself as the fulfillment of them. But, sometimes people got stuck where they were and with what they knew. And sometimes, so do people today. 

The man that Jesus healed didn't have all the answers about why he was healed and who healed him, but rather he offered these simple, but profound words, to the religious leaders who thought they had all the knowledge,

"One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see" (John 8:25b)

He didn't have all the answers, but he did know one thing, and that one thing is what Jesus had done for him personally. John Newton, an 18th century slave trader turned clergy person certainly knew that for himself as well when he penned one of the most beloved hymns of Christendom which included these words: 

"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I'm found
Was blind, but now I see"

Newton's life was changed by God's grace and forgiveness. But also his heart and mind were changed as well, which resulted in changed actions. He knew better, so he was seeking to do better. 
But 100 years later the Methodist Church split in 1844 over the issue if a Bishop could own slaves inherited through marriage, resulting in the Methodist Episcopal Church North (which opposed slavery), and the Methodist Episcopal Church South (who understood slavery as their as their God-given right). 
It is hard for me imagine today how this happened. But when I look at the world around us, it's not so distant of an event. And in 1877 the Methodist Church reunited and offered a solid and long standing opposition to any form of slavery, discrimination, hate, or abuse of humanity. Some people even changed their mind on slavery, because God had changed their heart. They didn't have all the answers, they just got to a place where they knew better, so they tried to do better. 
I am not saying racism does not still exist in the UMC, it does. As it does in all parts of our society, but recognizing this, admitting the sin of this, and then seeking to do better, is how we move forward. 

And that man that Jesus healed, well he was run out of the Temple (verse 34), a modern day equivalent of excommunication, or being kicked out of the Church. Again, hard to imagine isn't it? That the place that should be the most open to all created rules on who was in and who was out. 

I love talking theology with other people. I love it because it engages and stimulates my mind, and I love it  because I always learn something if I am open enough to listen. And sometimes, I even change my mind. 
The book I am reading right now was written by a retired Duke professor and his son, entitled "The Widening of God's Mercy: Sexuality Within the Biblical Narrative". (https://www.amazon.com/Widening-Gods-Mercy-Sexuality-Biblical/dp/0300273428)
The father, Richard Hayes, was most notable for his 1996 book, "The Moral Vision of the New Testament". From 1996 to 2023 his mind had been changed on some topics, even ones which he had previously taught on, wrote about, and held as core Christian principles. His mind had been changed because his heart had been changed and so his actions changed as well. 
I believe I am enjoying the book so much because I can relate, God has changed my heart, my mind, and my actions about several things as well in my life. And knowing better, I am seeking to do better now. 


Even though the healed blind man was run out of the Temple, when he encountered Jesus again he simply said "Lord, I believe". And then he worshipped Jesus (John 8:38)
We don't have all the answers here at Gate City United Methodist Church, but we do know one thing, and that is what Christ has done for us. And that is what we have to share with a world so desperately needing the hope and light that Jesus offers, and that which He has called us to be bearers of.
And sometimes, we even have to change our mind when God changes our heart because, like the man in John chapter 8, one thing we do know-

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I'm found
Was blind, but now I see
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed
Through many dangers, toils, and snares
We have already come
'Twas grace that brought us safe thus far
And grace will lead us home
When we've been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun
Than when we've first begun
(https://hymnary.org/text/amazing_grace_how_sweet_the_sound)

Grace & Peace, 
Michael

Milestones

 As human beings we love to celebrate milestones, anniversaries, important dates, and days to remember. That's why in our culture we have birthday parties, anniversary gifts, and graduation presents. These are big events that happen in our lives that we want, or that we need, to remember. 

We celebrate our national independendace, take a break on Labor Day, and remember on Memorial Day. 
These are important to who we are. 
Of course there are important days in the life of the Church as well, most of the ones mentioned in the Bible we don't celebrate as holidays or high holy days such as the Feast of tabernacles, or Purim. Pentecost has taken on a much different meaning thanks to our Acts 2 understanding. 
Other events that highlight important aspects of our faith we do celebrate, such as Christmas and Easter, even though the Bible never mentions these as days we have to commemorate. We do so because they mark important events that we want to remember. 

This Friday is that kind of day for me, an important day I mark on my calendar because I want to remember. It was July 21, 2007 when I had a heart attack. And it was that day I accepted a call that I believe God placed on my life to submit to pastoral ministry and preach the word and lead churches in our denomination. 
I had said no to that call for a long time, even though I had researched it, I made my spreadhsheet with the pros and cons of it, and I had numerous conversations with others about it. In my heart I knew that God was calling to pastoral ministry in the United Methodist Church, but I fought it for a long time. 

And then I had a heart attack. All of the important things I had been focused on with my career stopped. All the things I had planned to do with my family were put on hold. 
I remember lying on the gurney in the ER at Johnson City Medical Center with all the frenzy going on around me, and for the first time in my 35 years of living I thought, "This might be it. I could really die here today."

Apparently on my way to the OR I told Heather I was "going to do this Methodist preacher thing", and she said something like, "OK, just don't die."
And I didn't. But that day is marked on my calendar for me as a reminder. I believe that God called us into this life. I and I believe that God has brought us to this time for a speicifc reason and a purpose. And I belive that God led me into the United Methodsit Church for a reason back in 1994 in Chuckey, Tennessee. 

And so this Friday I will celebrate this day, and I will remmeber this day. I will celebrate by having brunch with a wonderful church couple, and then date night with my wife. And I will remember because I give thanks to God that I am even here. I give thanks to God that he spared me. I give thanks to God that he allowed me a chance to say "yes" to his Will, even though I had been saying no so many times before. 
I don't remember the date of my salvation, when I first said "yes" to Jesus, but I believe that I need to do that every single day, it's not a one and done. I don't know what day I was baptized on, even though I remmeber some of the events of it. 

But, July 21 is a memorable day for me. It is a reminder that every day, no every breath is a gift, and it makes me think about how I am using each one of these precious gifts. Let's make the most of each breath today. 

We all have opinions, but do we need to share all of them?

 I saw this picture last week and wanted to share a thought with you today. In case you don't know, Chris sang the national anthem before the Super Bowl. I think he did a great job.

Then I saw this picture inviting the social media world to give thier opinion: Loved it with a heart. Or not great with a crying face.

There were almost 10000 reactions and comments on this post.

And it made me wonder why. Why do we have to pick a side on everything? Why do we have to give our opinion on everything? Chris is a great musician who did a good job. I don't even know any of his songs because I don't listen to much country music, but I just wanna say, "Great job Chris, and thank you".

And the same to Rhianna for the halftime show, "Great job Rhianna, and thank you. And congrats!"

The world wants us to pick a side on everything. Social media thrives on that.

But we don't have to. If you didn't like the anthem or the half time show that's OK. Aren't you so thankful that you have such a blessed and privileged life that commenting on one man's rendition of our anthem is something you could do if you wanted to? 

I know this is  just all my opinion, maybe you have a passionate response you need to share on social media about the Super Bowl song or half time show. Just ask yourself, is it kind? Is it necessary? Is t true? Is it helpful?

I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. - 1 Corinthians 1:10

Waiting in Hope

 "We wait in hope for the Lord, he is our help and our shield" - Psalm 33:20

I have shared with you that waiting is one of my spiritual growth opportunity areas.  So when I read this Psalm this week as part of our Read Together 2023, it struck me once again about my personal waiting. I read that the everage American spends about 5 years of thier lives waiting (in lines, in queues, at stop lights, etc). WOW! No wonder sometimes we get a little impatient, waiting is taking up so much of our time!

And add to that the other things in life that we are waiting on. The next paycheck, retirement, the weekend, that Amazon package, things to change, the prognosis, General Conference...and the list goes on and on. 

And yet we were created to be a people of waiting. When I list all the things in life that I am waiting to happen, or things that I have been waiting on, they all pale in comparison to what we are really waiting on...Jesus to return!

And so let's bring that waiting (called the "parousia"-- which means "second coming") to Pssalm 33:20.

We wait "in hope" for the Lord.

With all the things that we have to wait on in life, what might be more important is what we are waiting in. IN Hope. The word hope in the Bible means a confident expectation, a hope that is certain and for sure. So the Psalmist says his waiting is in this confident expectation of the Lord. That might change how we wait, if the focus can shift to what we are waiting in...in hope. 

I know that you are probably waiting on something today, but regardless of what that is, let's take taoday and wait in hope for the Lord, and then today IN that hope, even as we are waiting. 

And then, "May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you" (Psalm 33:22). Amen.

On the original ending of Mark

 Today we finished reading the gospel of Mark. I'm glad that we started with Mark instead of Matthew this year because even though Matthew is the first book of the New Testament listed, most scholars believe that Mark was the first gospel written. 

And it's the shortest. On that note, the ending of Mark is fascinating to me. Your Bible probably says something like this after chapter 16 verse 8:

"The earliest manuscripts and some other ancient witnessess do not have Mark 16:9-20".

Biblical scholars say that the oldest manuscripts we have of Mark end at verse 8, and the addition of what we have as verses 9-20 were probably added in the 2nd century, about 200 years later. Now of course I believe that these verses were all inspired by the Holy Spirit and intended to give us a clearer picture of Jesus resurrection, ascension, and mission for the Church, but today I was just pondering the original (oldest) ending of the Gospel of Mark.

"Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They saiud nothing to anyone, because they were afraid" (Mark 16:8)

Trembling, bewildered, silent, and fearful. This is how Mark ends the story of Jesus resurrection. Those aren't words we ususally use on Easter Sunday when we preach about this!

And yet, those were the feelings of the first followers of Jesus. And in historical context, those feelings made sense. 

But here is what I was thinking today, these women knew that Jesus was risen and they stilll felt this way. They knew where Jesus would be (Galilee), but they still felt this way. 

And to be honest, sometimes I do too. 

And yet in  spite of the feelings I have in my circumstances, Christ is still risen, and Christ has gone on ahead of me and is waiting for me. 

When you have those feelings, and I think we all will, remember that even though the oldest manuscripts of Mark ended there, there is more to the story, there is more to do. Even feeling bewildered or fearful we are still called to "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation" (Mark 16:15). 

Maybe you think your story has ended in a certain place, maybe like in verse 8 with bewilderment, fear, and trembling. But God has more to write about your story than that. Just because that's the way the story has ended for others in your family, does not mean that is the way it has to end for you. 

So, to use the Bible verse I asked our youth to memorize at Resurrection, let me end with these words from Jesus, "Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid, believe in God, believe also in me." (John 14:1)

Amen.