Revelation of Jesus Christ
I believe that there is a spiritual battle going on which most Christians are missing because their eyes are focused on the Middle East! The four kingdoms of Nebuchadnezzar's dream were physical. They were shown to Daniel. They suppress the people of God. The last was Rome, which was in power at the time of Christ. But then in Daniel 7:8 there is the rise of a spiritual kingdom- “I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words." This one is Spiritual or religious one- the false vicar of Christ. It concerns an evil power within the church. “And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.” (Daniel 2:44) The book of Revelation expands on that vision It is the church of Jesus Christ.
Speaking of the higher parts of Canaan, Alexander MacLaren encourages us to rise above the mire. He asks: "Are you and I familiar with these upper ranges of thought and experience and life? Do we feel at home there more than down in the bottoms, amongst the swamps, and the miasma, and the mists? Where is your home, brother? The Mass begins with Sursum corda: ‘Up with your hearts,’ and that is the word for us. But the way to get up is to keep ourselves in touch with Jesus Christ, and then He will, even whilst our feet are travelling along this road of earth, set us at His own right hand in the heavenly places, and make them ‘our high places.’ It is safe up there. The air is pure; the poison mists are down lower; the hunters do not come there; their arrows or their rifles will not carry so far. It is only when the herd ventures a little down the hill that it is in danger from shots."
Yet some who take the name of Christians only talk of evils of ISIS and the importance of being allies with the nation of Israel... and protecting our own borders. Their strength is in arms. They speak of pride as if it is a good thing. In reality, many of these are self-righteous individuals, not having submitted to that righteousness which is of faith the Lord Jesus. They have no private home religion- private Bible study, prayer and devotion. There's no talk or meditation of a subject which is in the Scripture – the enemy within, within the church and within their own hearts. I endorse this message that Revelation is largely symbolic and the war described therein is spiritual nature. I think the physical land of Israel and the happenings surrounding it are not the main battle- but rather a ruse. http://www.battle-of-armageddon.org/battleofarmageddon.html