FromNowUntilForeverBook8.5x5.5 REV.indd

what’s already been said, remember that 1) God has always provided such a place of refuge for His people when they are under the threat of the enemy. 2) The “battle of Armageddon . . . will rage the entire length of Israel as far south as the Edomite city of Bozrah.” 364 3) More than two hundred battles have been fought at this spot over the centuries, including two notable Bi- ble clashes – Barak’s victory over the Canaanites (Judges 4:12) and Gideon’s victory over the Midianites (Judges 7). Armaged- don is also the site of two significant Old Testament tragedies: the death of Saul and his sons (1 Samuel 31:8) and the death of King Josiah (2 Kings 23:29-30; 2 Chronicles 35:22). 375 This history of conflict makes Armageddon an obvious choice for that final battle to end all battles, one which the world has never seen. Most of the Jews will not survive the tribulation, though thankfully, many who die will have be- come saved. That said, among those alive and unconverted, both Jews and non-Jews, a significant portion will repent of their sins and experience regeneration. Such was predicted centuries before the first coming of Christ, as indicated in the following verse: “ I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn” (Zechariah 12:10). Digging deeper into the verse above, let’s first consider the term look on . This is no mere passing glance, but rather gazing “with trustful hope and longing.” Other meanings of this Hebrew verb include “to consider, to contemplate, to look upon with pleasure.” 386 It is the same word that Moses used when describing how the snake-bitten, wilderness-wandering Israelites “looked at” the bronze serpent that had been placed on a pole and received healing (see Numbers 21:8-9).

64