Yes — God sovereignly gathers the armies of the world into Israel's valleys for the end-time battle.
Working through the mindset of the Antichrist, God Himself gathers the world's armies to the Middle East. Les Feldick stresses there is no military sense to it: generals are caused to pack troops into the valleys like sardines in a can. This is a sovereign act of God preparing them for His wrath.
Revelation 16:16 — This verse directly states that the gathering of the nations happens in a place called Armageddon.
Revelation 14:19 — The angel gathers the vine of the earth and casts it into the great winepress of God's wrath, the symbolic parallel Les uses for the gathered armies.
In Revelation 16:14, John describes spirits of devils working miracles that go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, 'to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.' Verse 16 then says: 'And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.' Revelation 14:14-19 presents a symbolic harvest scene. One like the Son of Man sits on a white cloud with a golden crown and a sharp sickle. An angel cries that the harvest of the earth is ripe, and another angel thrusts in his sickle and gathers the vine of the earth and casts it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. The text itself does not explain a military strategy—it simply records that the gathering happens and that God's wrath follows.
Les Feldick explains that the gathering of the armies is 'the power of a sovereign God' working through the Antichrist's call to the nations to come to the Middle East. Although the Antichrist puts out the call, it is really God who gathers them into a place called Armageddon, a name derived from Megiddo. Israel is mostly mountainous, but it has flat valley areas such as the Valley of Esdraelon, the Jordan Valley, and other low-lying areas. Les says the armies will naturally set up their encampments on those valley floors. The Valley of Esdraelon has been a battlefield throughout the millennia, with hundreds of battles fought there. God will cause the generals to pack their troops into these valleys beyond description, 'like sardines in a can'—not because it is militarily smart, but because a sovereign God is forcing the issue. Les calls the scene in Revelation 14 a symbolic picture of this harvest, and he says the outcome will be awful and beyond human comprehension. He later describes the valleys as the wine vat where the presence of God will crush the gathered armies, and he connects this to the final bowl judgment of hailstones weighing about a talent (approximately 100 pounds).
Revelation 16:16 says, "And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon." The verse follows the description of demonic spirits working miracles that go to the kings of the whole world to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. The text itself identifies the gathering place as Armageddon.
Les Feldick points to Megiddo, the Valley of Esdraelon, the Jordan Valley, and the low-lying areas of Israel. He says when you stand on the hill of the ancient city of Megiddo, you look northeast and see a beautiful flat valley. Since Israel is mostly mountainous, the valley floors are where armies would naturally place their encampments. He adds that the Valley of Esdraelon has been a battlefield for millennia, with hundreds of battles fought there.
Les says there is not a bit of military smarts connected to the gathering. God will cause those generals to pack their troops into the valleys beyond description, like sardines in a can. This is not because it is militarily smart, but because a sovereign God is forcing the issue. Men are operating under their free will, but God is behind it all, even working through the Antichrist's call to the nations.
Les teaches that the gathered armies are like grapes in a wine vat. The very presence of God is going to crush them, just as grapes are crushed in a vat. He also describes the final bowl judgment in Revelation 16:21, where a great hail falls out of heaven with stones the weight of a talent. He says the result is not beautiful; it is awful and beyond human comprehension.
Sovereign God Gathers to Armageddon
Les explains that God is the one gathering the nations, even though the Antichrist issues the call, and locates the gathering at Armageddon near Megiddo.
Packed Like Sardines Against Military Sense
Les says there is no military smarts in the gathering; God forces generals to pack troops into the valleys like sardines in a can, and the Revelation 14 harvest is awful.
Sovereign God Behind Antichrist's Call
Demon spirits work miracles to persuade kings to send armies, but it is the sovereign God who gathers them to Armageddon through the Antichrist's mindset.
Every Valley of Israel as Wine Vat
Les describes millions of troops packed into every valley of Israel, including Edom, and says God has reaped the earth and placed them in His wine vat in righteousness.
Valleys of Israel and Ezdralon Battlefield
Les points to the valley areas between mountain ranges, especially the Valley of Ezdralon, where hundreds of battles have been fought over millennia.
Winepress of God's Wrath
Les explains the gathering of grapes into the wine vat is the gathering of military people into the valleys, where God will crush them in the winepress of His wrath.
Sovereign God in Free-Will History
Les shows from Daniel that God is sovereign over historical events, like weather in war, even while men act freely and do not realize God is involved.
Senseless Packing and Hail Judgment
Les says armies will be directed into the Valley of Esdraelon by a sovereign act of God, packed in almost senselessly, and then hit by 100-pound hailstones.
Revelation 16:14: For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
This verse describes the spirits behind the gathering of the kings of the earth for the end-time battle.
Revelation 16:16: And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
This is the direct statement that the armies are gathered to Armageddon.
Revelation 14:14: And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
This is the symbolic harvest scene Les connects to the gathering of the armies.
Revelation 14:19: And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
This verse is the winepress image Les uses for the gathered armies being crushed by God's wrath.
Revelation 14:20: And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.
This completes the winepress picture of judgment on the gathered armies.
Revelation 16:21: And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.
Les cites this final bowl judgment as the hail that falls on the armies packed into the valleys.
Les says the word Armageddon comes from the Hebrew tongue and is derived from Megiddo. He describes standing on the hill of ancient Megiddo and looking northeast at a beautiful flat valley. The name refers to the gathering place of the end-time armies.
Les says men operate under their free will and the Antichrist puts out the call, but God is sovereignly behind the whole gathering. The generals will pack troops into the valleys like sardines in a can, not because it is good military strategy, but because a sovereign God is forcing the issue.
Les teaches that the gathered armies will be crushed in God's wine vat. He connects this to the final bowl judgment with hailstones the weight of a talent. He describes the outcome as awful and beyond human comprehension.
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