Memorial Day and Battles to Come

Written by Jason Allums

As we celebrate Memorial Day, what does this day mean? Technically, it means a day on which those who died in active military service are remembered in the United States of America. It is an opportunity to remember friends who paid the ultimate price and are no longer with us. The holiday started after the Civil War, according to the Department of Veteran Affairs, when Army Maj. Gen. John A. Logan, a leader of a Union veterans organization, called for May 30 to be known as “Decoration Day,” saying it was “a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers.” There are also reports of the tradition starting in the South when women decorated not only the graves of Confederate soldiers but the graves of Union soldiers as well.

This holiday is centered around battles and wars. It is here that I wish to pivot to speak about battles to come in the future from the scripture. These battles are prophetic and have not happened yet. The first battle to come is found in Ezekiel 38.

It is known as Gog and Magog—and the battle will sweep against the nation of Israel. No one on earth will come to Israel’s aid. However, God will come to her defense and will pour supernatural judgment upon the invaders. It will be a defeat of those who lift their hands against Israel.

The second battle to come is called the great battle of Armageddon, in which the Antichrist will try to stand against God Almighty. This war will come at the very end of the Tribulation period. This will be Satan’s greatest effort to annihilate God’s chosen people. Throughout the Tribulation period, the 7-year time following the rapture of the church, the Antichrist’s terror against mankind will reach its peak. He makes his stand at Jerusalem.

Rev. 19:11-14 explains what happens as Jesus comes to rule the earth! This will establish his rule for One Thousand years!

The third battle to come is called the Millennium. All during that thousand years, Satan will be bound and rendered helpless. For 1,000 years this earth will be free of the assaults of Lucifer. No temptations, no harassment, no lying, no discouraging, no threatening, no strife, and no evil. During the Millennium, hundreds of millions of babies will be born to those who entered the period with physical bodies. All of those children born during the 1,000 years will have sinful natures. Those sinful instincts will not be allowed to bud during this time, because Christ will rule firmly and the devil will be in the bottomless pit.

After the 1,000 years, Satan is loosed from his prison. Rev. 20:7-8 explains how he will gather a multitude of followers. Satan reassembles an army and marches towards Jerusalem, where Jesus is sitting on the throne. This battle will not last long as Jesus sends down fire from heaven and the vast armies of the devil will be completely and forever destroyed. At that point, Satan’s long and dark existence will come to an end (Rev. 20:10).

You still have the opportunity to make your eternal stand with the Lord Jesus Christ. These battles will happen and there is no middle ground. You have to make a choice as to whose side you will be on. To make no decision is itself a decision! My decision has already been made; Jesus Christ is my Lord and I pray you make the same decision!