The Valley of Decision Focus on Jerusalem Prophecy Ministry
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Volume 96, Issue 1 ________________________________Bible Prophecy Ministry The Valley of Decision Focus on Jerusalem Prophecy Ministry By: Darrell G. Young May, 2006 Joel 3:13-14 Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision : for the Day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision . The dictionary defines a valley as being an elongated depression or low lying area between two higher ridge points. One Hebrew definition of a valley refers to a “deep place” that exists between parallel mountain ridges. The Bible often uses the topographical imagery of “valleys” to transmit an overview of a prophetic theme. For instance, the prophet Ezekiel was given a vision of a dry valley full of dusty bones to portray a symbol of the House of Israel wandering in world exile, which is picture far away from the imagery conveyed about the Promised Land by the phrase, “a land flowing with milk and honey.” In another analogy, the Psalmist paints a picture of death as being a deep dark precipice, or as a place being likened unto a sunken lowly place, such as a valley. ( Psalms 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death , I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me .) In ancient history, valleys, although being the most fertile places for farming and growing food, also proved to be the places most susceptible to flooding and to attacks from marauding bandits and invading armies. Large traveling overland caravans usually pitched their tents in valleys, and always found themselves and their wares being the prime targets of thieves and raiders. Many of the large horse-mounted marching armies (chariots, battering rams, etc .) of the regions Kingdoms used the valleys for traversing through the countryside, and valleys ( because of the flatter topography ) often lent themselves to being the ideal battlefields. Usually, when competing armies contended with one another, they would meet and fight in a valley. Therefore most towns were built on hilltops, as the high places were much more easily defended, and provided a natural watchtower. (Clarence Larkin’s Peaks of Prophecy Drawing, depicting the valleys between the High Points in Prophecy) (The Valley of Decision could be depicted as a low place in time just in front of the climactic Coming of Jesus) Also, in prophetic literature, as well as in spiritual literature, valleys are often depicted as low-points in the time-line of history between major epic events. People often refer to great emotion-filled times of spiritual highs as mountain-top experiences, and then refer to other times when they experience deep depression and anguish as a valley, or a low-point in life. In prophecy typology, valleys are often depicted as a kind of unseen low-lying plateau spanning the well documented prophetic landmark highpoints that can be more clearly seen on the distant horizon. Therefore, it is somewhat ironic that before the “Mountain of the House of the Lord” can be established on Mount Zion, ( as foretold in Micah chapter four ) the world must first pass through a valley of Judgment. Before the glorious light of the Lord shines forth from Jerusalem to beckon the nations to come and worship the King of Israel, and beat their swords into plowshares, there will be a decisive rebuke of the nations of this present world. Although most of the people in the world are still unaware of it, our world is racing headlong towards a fateful date with destiny, an epic struggle that the Bible indicates will reach its climax at the place called Armageddon. As the world nears that epic date of infamy, the people and nations of this world will have a decision to make. The primary reason that the Lord God Jehovah provided so much prophetic detail in the Holy Bible is so the world could analyze history and be informed about what the Lord says will come about in the Latter Days so they could make the wise choice and choose to be on the Lord’s side when it comes time for the armies of the nations to march down into the Valley of Decision. Let me emphasize directly, that it has been Satan’s grand conspiratorial strategy since time immemorial to recruit the nations of this world into an epic battle against the Lord God almighty. Just as the prophet Elijah three thousand years ago challenged the children of Israel, that, “ if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him ,” the world will soon be faced with a final decision on whom to follow; either the world will follow Jesus Christ or it will choose Satan’s deceptive masterpiece, the Antichrist. This is the essence of the world’s imminent fateful decision. (a view of the Valley of Jezreel, also known as the Valley of Megiddo, or Armageddon) The Valley of Armageddon Most people have heard of the infamous valley of Armageddon. And most people will readily recognize that Armageddon is a type of synonym for the final conflict of the ages between good and evil. The word Armageddon however is a corruption of the Hebrew term, Har Megiddo and means literally, “the mount of Megiddo.” Whereas Armageddon is actually a mountaintop, most references relative to it are concerned with the valley that lies below it. During the past 4000 years, at least 34 bloody conflicts have been fought at the ancient hilltop site of Megiddo and the adjacent areas below in the vast Jezreel Valley. Throughout history Megiddo and the Jezreel Valley have been Ground Zero for battles that determined the very course of civilization. Megiddo is a fascinating site of twenty cities built directly on top of one another and inhabited continuously from 3000 to 300 BC. Megiddo lies at an ancient strategic junction of roads running north-south and east-west. Whoever held control of Megiddo held absolute control of one of the major trade routes of antiquity, the Via Maris. ( the “Way of the Sea” ) Winding its way directly through Israel, right past Megiddo in the Jezreel Valley, this strategically placed road ran between Egypt in the south and Mesopotamia (modern Iran/Iraq) or Anatolia ( modern Turkey ) in the north. Virtually every invading army that came through this region during the past 4000 years fought battles for control of Megiddo and the Jezreel Valley. Revelation 16:16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. The infamous Battle of Armageddon is but the final staging ground of Satan’s Last Stand. It is the last battle of a bloody war that during its relatively short duration will have ravaged the world during the Great Tribulation like no other war in the history of mankind. But the Valley of Armageddon is not the only valley that the world will traverse through in the Last Days. The Valley of Jehoshaphat The "Valley of Jehoshaphat" is another valley that the world will be drawn down into in the Final Conflict. According to Jewish tradition, the Valley of Jehoshaphat is that part of the Kidron Valley lying between the Temple Mount and the Mount of Olives. The name Jehoshaphat means " Jehovah is Judge ." The word Jehoshaphat is found a number of times in Biblical history. The valley of Jehoshaphat is mentioned specifically by that name only twice in the Bible, and specifically in relation to prophecy, in the third chapter of Joel, as the place of The Lord's end-time judgment upon the enemies of Israel. Jehoshaphat, taken from the Hebrew is pronounced yeh-haw-shaw-fawt , and is a combination of two other Hebrew words, yeh-ho-vaw , from which comes from the English word, Jehovah and shaw-fat , meaning to judge . Thus the word Jehoshaphat literally means “ The Lord judges .” Startlingly, the Lord God made this pronouncement concerning the Valley of Jehoshaphat : Joel 3:1-2 For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat , and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land. Joel 3:9-12 Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD. Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat : for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about . Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the vats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision : for the day of The Lord is near in the valley of decision." (a view of the Valley of Jehoshaphat connecting the Kidron Valey to the Valley of Hinnom, a valley of graves) The term, "Valley of Jehoshaphat" is a term that acquired its name King Jehoshaphat, an ancient King of Judah. Jehoshaphat was a son of Asa who succeeded his father as king of Judah.