¹² The sixth 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 unclean spirits like frogs coming from the dragon’s mouth, from the beast’s mouth, and from the mouth of the false prophet. ¹⁴ For they are demonic spirits performing signs, who travel to the kings of the whole world to assemble them for the battle on the great day of God, the Almighty. ¹⁵ “Look, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who is alert and remains clothed so that he may not go around naked and people see his shame.” ¹⁶ So they assembled the kings at the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.

Revelation 16

There are two distinct events here. They do not appear causally or consequentially related, and except for the fact they are in the Bowl 6, we might not consider them related.

1. Kings of the East make their way to the area of the dried up Euphrates.
2. Gathering/meeting of kings in a place called Armageddon.

If you want to simply skip all this to know where is Armageddon, click here.

Euphrates & the Kings of the East

Prior to this part of human history, there is no mention of the kings of the east. I think it is safe to assume that the kings are east of the Euphrates, as kings located west of the Euphrates would not be impeded by a full Euphrates. Likewise there is no indication in Scripture that the Kings of the East go any distance west of the Euphrates, unless you consider they are coming for battle. The Euphrates river is the life blood of the Middle East, the home of the Sea Beast (Islam) identified in Revelation 13. However in Revelation 17, just a few verses after the 6th Bowl, the same beast is now scarlet. It suggests that the Kings of the East have influenced, an alliance, or control the Islamic nations (aka the Sea Beast).

“Prepare the way for the Kings of the east” suggest there is a power vacuum that has emerged^{1 2}, although the reasons for the power vacuum or relationship is not made apparent in Scripture. At this point in time, this would be a marked change from history where the USA has ridden and dominated the middle east (Sea Beast) for decades, especially since the end of the second world war. When the USA did not take part in the protectorates from the Ottoman Empire, the USA was widely regarded and quite popular³. Concurrently, and although not widely understood at the time, the USA forged ahead with many agreements, bent on controlling the middle east, and particularly its oil⁴. This was known as the Red Line Agreement⁵ and the Anglo-American Petroleum Agreement ^{6 7}.

If the Whore of Babylon (USA) has been weakened by a pharmaceutical deception (Revelation 18:23), or illness from sicknesses from the Mark of the Beast (Revelation 16:2), or is distracted by the crisis forming at Armageddon, The Kings of the East, China and India could take advantage of the vacuum by buying influence or forming an alliance.

As we speak, China (scarlet red) has been buying up influence and votes throughout the middle east and it is forging relations that the USA has struggled to for decades⁸.

However, Scripture does say that “Kings” rather than “king”. There are two undisputed kings of the East, China, and India. There are others, but these two are the largest. While China is forging relations in the middle east, India is not out of this race and is working quickly to build alliances and financial partnerships.

To quote from The Diplomat⁹:

India’s response to the recent devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria reflects its policy of robust engagement in the Middle East. It follows a visit by Egyptian President Abdel Fateh el-Sisi to India, and an expansion of ties with Israel and Arab countries in the Gulf. Coupled with long-standing connections to Iran, India’s overtures to Turkey, Israel, and the Arab states position India as a potentially significant actor in the Middle East at a time when the United States appears to be downsizing its position in the region.

Haqqani , H., & Pande, A. (2023, February 15). India Ups Its Game in the Middle East. Thediplomat.com.

The inclusion of this description of the Kings of the East in the 6th bowl of wrath is important, because it explains why the Sea Beast of Revelation 13 was not scarlet at the time, and that the change occurs during this time period, particularly during the time of the preparation for battle. Scripture does not say that these nations are involved (or not involved) in Armageddon, we cannot deduce where they are key players or not in Armageddon.

Armageddon

Scripture doesn’t tell us why the kings of the world would meet to support a war that doesn’t happen until chapter 19.

If the Bible said the kings meet in Davos, it would not be automatically assumed that the battle is in Davos, only that the kings gather/meet there. Their armies are not mentioned. Having said this, the kings may gather at the place of battle, but Scripture does not state this. The gathering/meeting may be in an entirely different location, and may not even appear to be connected initially.

Most commentators believe that the war prepared for in the 6th Bowl of Wrath, is the war of Revelation 19. I will proceed on the assumption they are connected and in the same location, but there are good reasons to believe they may not be the same place.

In Revelation 16, there is no hint of the conditions that would cause nations to lend their support for a war that doesn’t occur for 3 chapters. However, it is likely safe to say, that some nation is being aggressive, or perhaps a war has already taken place, and the kings are being asked to be there as a peace-keeping operation, while a larger one breaks out later, perhaps even at a different location It almost certainly won’t be random in-a-vacuum war. The kings are likely to be largely on the same side, as the persuading spirits probably have the same talking points, and they’re likely to be persuasive to most people. Since one of the persuading spirits is “from” the False Prophet (the Image Beast), it means the world’s media will support this gathering. Christians can expect that they will be inundated with good reasons for the kings to gather/meet at this place.

In lead-up to meeting(s), there are 3 demonic spirits seeking to persuade the kings of the world to participate in this war. I have written more here about the frog-like spirits. The Beast mentioned here, is almost certainly the Earth Beast, as it is not in the Islamic nations, and it involves the kings of the earth (aka Earth Beast). The False Prophet is certainly the Image Beast who told massive lies and “predictions” about the pandemic, Vax, mask, lockdowns, etc, and has shown in recent years to be completely untrustworthy when promoting stories, such as “Russiagate”.

It is interesting that kings of the earth start to gather, at this time, before the economic collapse of the whore, and then the battle (Revelation 19) commences after that. It suggests to me, that they are gathering, and there is likely an ongoing conflict there, although it will grow much larger in Revelation 19, or Revelation 19 will be a separate conflict altogether. Revelation 16 does not record the battle, however, Revelation 19 appears to. If the economic collapse of the Whore is between these two events, it means that the economic collapse will be complete within months, or at the most within a decade or so.

Harmageddon which is literally, “mount of the congregation”, or satirically, “Big Israel”. ‘Congregation’ was synonymous with “Israel” throughout much of the Old Testament¹⁰, and just as God uses the term “mighty mountain” in Zechariah 4:7 to describe large hurdles to be overcome in rebuilding the temple, God is being satirical about this “Mount”. Hence “Big Israel”, which fits similar naming methods of the Sea Beast, Image Beast, Whore of Babylon. Harmageddon, if applied to Mt Carmel or the plain of Meggido, is inconsistent with other descriptors such as the Whore of Babylon, Sea Beast, Earth Beast, Image Beast, the former being quite literal, with the latter being quite figurative.

Simultaneous to China capturing the Middle East, the media (Image Beast and False Prophet) and President Zelensky are trying to persuade the kings of the earth (NATO & Earth Beast) to go to war in Ukraine¹¹. Zelensky has repeatedly stated his goals of creating a “Big Israel” as an outcome of this war.

Ukraine is home to one of the largest populations of Jews outside Israel; it is the home of hasidic Judaism, and many commentators have called it the “cradle of western Jewry”¹² or “the heart and soul of the Jewish people”¹³.

We are told the name Armageddon in Hebrew which does not exist as a literal place. But the Apostle John distinguishes that it is called that in Hebrew (while being written in Greek), strongly suggesting that it is in a place that Jews have decided to claim as their own, just as Adam named Eve and all the animals demonstrating dominion over them. This almost certainly points that Harmageddon is not in Israel. This is underscored by Jesus’ words that He is coming like a thief. If armies were gathering today, on the plain of Megiddo, this would be a massive sign, and Jesus could not claim that he was coming like a thief. Thieves do not leave massive signs of the their arrival. Harmageddon, is not in Israel, specifically, it is not likely to be Megiddo.

We know from Isaiah 14:13 that there is another “Mount of the Congregation” in the remotest parts of the north, which according to Ezekiel 38 & 39, is inhabited by Meshech and Gog. This is the area of Ukraine today. It is the home of the Ashkenaz and Khazars, and account for 20% of Israel’s Jewish population.

You can read more about how Ukraine fulfils the prophecy of the 6th bowl of Wrath, here.

What is important in this section, other than identifying the location, is to see that there is a deception that is being used to persuade the kings of the earth. It also indicates that not all nations participate in this.

“I stand with Ukraine” is a popular slogan, pushed by the Media (Image Beast & False Prophet) and governments/NATO (Earth Beast), are spending billions to help Ukraine. Even nations that have previously remained neutral in times of war (Switzerland, Sweden, Finland) are joined in this war in sanctions, financial aid, weaponry, etc. I anticipate that Ukraine will join NATO and that NATO troops will get visibly involved. However, this is not required for the fulfilment as the existing involvement and pledges of solidarity and resourcing are sufficient.

Note too, Revelation 16 does not seem to have a conclusion to the battle of Armageddon, nor mention the nations involved; it is unknown how long this war lasts. Perhaps all this is omitted, because it’s not relevant at this stage. What is relevant is merely recognising the location of the war, and the role of the Earth Beast and Image Beast.

Where is Armageddon? – expanded detail

FOOTNOTES

1. Hamzawy, A., Kavanagh, J., Muasher, M., Wehrey, F., & Sadjadpour, K. (2023, May 16). A Race for Power in the Middle East, Washington and Live Online. https://carnegieendowment.org/2023/05/16/race-for-power-in-middle-east-event-8082
2. Alterman, J., & Patterson, A. (2022, March 7). U.S. Power and Influence in the Middle East (No. 1). Centre for Strategic and International Studies. https://www.csis.org/analysis/us-power-and-influence-middle-east-part-one
3. Fawcett, L., (2005) The International Relations of the Middle East, UK: Oxford University Press, p. 284-285
4. Review (Winter 1982): “State Power and Industry Influence: American Foreign Oil Policy in the 1940s”, International Organization 36, no. 1 p. 168
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Line_Agreement
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-American_Petroleum_Agreement
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_foreign_policy_in_the_Middle_East
8. https://www.laprogressive.com/the-middle-east/middle-east-diplomatic-coup
9. https://thediplomat.com/2023/02/india-ups-its-game-in-the-middle-east/
10. https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/congregation-assembly
11. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-65657996
12. https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=0a172e1df51911c41665f071c8df9903d75ff9f4
13. If there was ever a place, in this crazy war in front of Russian neo-fascism, barbarism, and terrorism, where one can hear the echo of the Jewish soul, it’s in Ukraine. https://time.com/6250062/ukraines-complicated-jewish-history/