Valley of Decision

 It’s not surprising that the last valley alluded to in the Bible (and the last valley I’ll discuss in my blogs) is so like the first two valleys in Genesis—the valley of rebellion and the valley of war and strife.  It tells me man is incapable of governing himself without God.

We come across our last valley in the book of Revelation where it talks about Armageddon and what happens there. Armageddon is the hill overlooking the Valley of Megiddo or Megiddone and both mean “to gather, or rendezvous.”   It is also known as the Valley of Jazreel, Valley of Decision, and Valley of Jehosaphat—which means “God will judge” (although beginning in the fourth century A.D. some claim the Valley of Jehosaphat is between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives, which is currently a cemetery in a ravine—hardly the place for the nations of the world to gather.)

But Megiddo is vast; a natural battleground that has been the scene of dozens of battles over the centuries. It is the rendezvous place where God will judge the nations, and both Joel and Revelation tell us why:

“I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they had scattered among the nations and parted my land. . . let the heathen be wakened and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about . . . Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision; for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.” Joel 3:2, 12, 14

“And he (God) gathered them together (for judgment) into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon” Revelation 16:16.  The nation’s armies have gathered here to destroy Israel; “to wipe it off the face of the map,” or so they think.  But God has allowed them to gather in order to render His judgment.

At this time, the whole world will not only be against Israel, but will be in rebellion against God and following the demonic leader the Bible calls “Antichrist”.  For both these things God will judge them.

What’s scary is this: events are already taking shape.  Increasingly, the world is turning its back on Israel. And world leaders are pressuring Israel to give up its land for peace. They are in essence trying to part God’s land.  And as global disruptions and financial disasters deepen, more and more people will be receptive to a world leader who promises to solve these problems.

So . . . are we marching toward the Valley of Decision? I believe so.

Until next week,

Sylvia