The Great Ribulation

IT IS FMSHEDI lm
phasis on the Dragon (imitated by his cohorts)
throwing things from his mouth (cf. Revelation
12:15-16; 13:5-6; contrast 1:16; 11:5; 19:15, 21); and the
triple repetition of mouth here serves also as another
point of contact with the Sixth Trumpet (9:17-19).
These unclean spirits from the devil, the Roman
government, and the leaders of Israel go out to the
kings of the whole world (cf. Psalm 2) to gather them
together for the War of that great Day of God. By
their false prophecy and miraculous works they incite
the armies of the world to join together in war
against God. What they do not realize is that the
battle is the Lord’s, and that the armies are being
brought to MM God’s purposes, not their own. It is
He who prepares the way for them, even drying up
the Euphrates for their passage.
Micaiah the prophet gave a much simiiar message
to the evil king Ahab of Israel, explaining why Ahab
would be killed in battle against the Aramaeans:
I saw the LORD sitting on His Throne, and
all the host of heaven standing by Him on His
right and on His left. And the LORD said, ‘Who
will entice Ahab to go up and fall at Ramothgilead?”
And one said this while another said
that. Then a spirit came forward and stood before
the LORD and said, “I will entice him.” And
the LORD said to him, “How?” And he said, “I
will go out and be a deceiving spirit in the
mouth of all his prophets.” Then He said, “You
are to entice him and also prevail. Go and do
so” (1 Kings 22:19-22).