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Armageddon's Believers

Jerusalem lies full of dying men and dead.
The battleground – awash in so much blood
it seems a lake of fire, a crimson flood –
reflects the flames and smoke which billow overhead!


This is the day to which our faith in God has led.
We make our final stand in scarlet mud
and pledge our lives upon this sacred blood
against the marshaled force of evil, dark and dread!

From all around the trumpets sound our end,
but falter in a sudden, dark-dispelling light
as roiling darkness flees the brilliant skies!


Messiah with his flaming sword descends
to fall upon the damned who scream their fright
as Earth dissolves and Hell receives their cries!

Author notes

Many Christians believe the mortal human rule of Earth will climax with a period of terrible tribulation. This period begins with the spiritual and bodily translation (rapture) of all dead and living Christian believers to Heaven’s Paradise. The next seven years are characterized by political and religious upheaval and natural disasters of a degree not yet seen in history.
 The final three and a half years reveal the charismatic Antichrist for what he is as he commences a holocaust of Jews and newly converted Gentile Christian believers. The remnant of Israel converts and universally acknowledges Jesus as the Savior and Messiah. Jerusalem becomes the final refuge of all surviving believers whether Jew or Gentile.
 The siege of Jerusalem by all the forces of mankind under the Antichrist culminates in the campaign known as Armageddon. Arrayed in force from Har-Megiddo in the north to the edge of the Negev and the Arabah in the south and across Eretz Yisrael from the Mediterranean to the boundaries of the modern Kingdom of Jordan, they prepare for the final assault on the city’s last defenders.
 Suddenly, heralded first by a gathering darkness then brilliant light, Messiah appears and destroys the forces of evil with the flaming sword he speaks into existence. The host of heaven, including angels and returning believers, accompany him as the total annihilation of all the forces of Antichrist is completed and the Kingdom of Heaven is established on Earth with Jerusalem as its capital.
 Too late for their salvation, the followers of Antichrist in their damnation become the last believers in the true Christ, but only Hell receives their cries.
 
This is a sonnet based on the form associated with John Milton who most often used the Petrarchan rhyme scheme, but varied his English meter on occasion from the usual iambic pentameter. In this poem lines 1, 4, 5, 8, 10 & 13 are iambic hexameter.

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Comments

1 - 18 of 18

  • Frodofan silver member
    January 12
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    It is something about his style I suppose, but Milton puts me to sleep. I really want to read the rest of Paradise Lost but I can't make myself. It does not captivate me at all.

    On the other hand, I found your poem entertaining and interesting. Certainly full of vision and I noted the interesting scheme. Funny it should come from Milton.

    Thanks for entering.


  • Molassis
    January 11

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    A very potent piece! Extremely well written from beginning to end. It is literally perfect and I am impressed to the max.

    I must admit that I do not know much about 'the end times'... I do know that I am His child and as such... all will be well either way.

    God bless you!

    ~Melissa


  • BonnieQ silver member
    December 31, 2008

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    Well Written!

    This poem is very well written, great rhythm and rhyme as well as being well paced. I've always favored rhyme and rarely find free forms that come across as poetic. You truly are a talented poet! Unfortunately, I find the premise of the poem to wholly disagree with the Holy Spirit's interpretation of these end days; it rather being man's instead of God's. Nevertheless, that has nothing at all to do with great talent and you have it.

    I noticed one typo: "marshaled" - marshalled. Otherwise, dear one, this is a winner whether it takes a trophy or not.

    Much love in Christ, BonnieQ


    • Peripatetic gold member
      December 31, 2008
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      Thank you very much!

      Actually, both Microsoft Word spelling and grammar check and Merriam-Webster prefer 'marshaled' to 'marshalled', although Merriam-Webster allows the double-l. I prefer the double-l which I was taught to use as a child. I just defer to the usage most commonly accepted now.

      The principal hermeneutic (principle of interpretation) of the study of the Bible and perhaps any literary work, sacred or otherwise, is: "When the plain sense of what is written makes sense, seek no other sense."

      Such consideration of the end times as a topic in the Bible is not as easily done as advised, because the contributions come from centuries of voices speaking in the Psalms, the Prophets, the Gospels, the Epistles and finally the Apocalypse. Besides the 10 or 11 centuries from the time of David to the passing of St. John, we also view the writings across another 20 centuries of time. It takes considerable study to discover the "plain sense" in the context of so much material over so much time.

      Also, we often commit eisegesis (reading into) instead pursuing exegesis (reading out of) [the text]. We bring our assumptions and prejudices to our study. We seek allegorical instead of literal truth. We expand metaphors and types far beyond their most obvious and straightforward interpretations. We search for affirmation for personal beliefs and for the way we live. These things we should not do when we look into scriptures we accept as sacred apart from our knowledge or understanding of them.

      I believe very much in the critical consistency and veracity as well as the intellectual relevancy and applicability of the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures accepted by the most orthodox of current scholarship. Others see things differently; there have always been mockers and sophists as well as differences among believers. It is not for me to say what is of the Spirit and what is of man regarding interpretation of the Scriptures among believers. I do not depend on any special knowledge based on my personal relationship with God. I seek the truth based on the clearest, least esoteric sense of the Word.

      The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.


  • Death of the Author
    November 28, 2008

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    I have to say I'm not a believer in any form of religion, but what does that matter when you can write sonnets like this.

    I love the idea that the last believers in the true Christ go to Hell for following the Antichrist. On a totally unreligious, more film-based opinion, that's cool.

    Two golds - good job


  • Poesing
    October 26, 2008

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    Congratulations

    Congratulations on your well-deserved gold trophy.
    Things could start happening pretty fast here, I believe. I'm trying to work on a poem now about "finding 36 just men". It's kinda hard, not sure I can pull it off - it stems from an old Hebrew tale. Your poem is awesome.

    • Peripatetic gold member
      October 26, 2008
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      The little I have read of the tradition of the 36 righteous men or people is inspirational and a source of hope whenever the world seems to be piling wholesale into that handcart bound for Hell.


  • bobanonymous gold member
    October 25, 2008
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    Thanks for your grim yet uplifting program guide to the bitter end...Hope to see you there!

  • bobanonymous gold member
    October 10, 2008

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    Thanks for the entry

    Not a bang, not a whimper, I like the gore but for me the patriarchal point of view has it's drawbacks in the sonnet form.

    • Peripatetic gold member
      October 10, 2008
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      I do not know what the "patriarchal point of view" is. This particular subject treated here in the 14 lines and 152 syllables of a Miltonian sonnet could be considered with more breadth and depth in an epic ala Milton's "Paradise Lost", but it is difficult to get a modern audience to sit still for such.


      • bobanonymous gold member
        October 10, 2008
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        as far as "patriarchal point of view" goes I wasn't sure how committed you were to 'that' point of view...

        • Peripatetic gold member
          October 11, 2008
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          Well, I still don't know what "that" "patriarchal point of view" is. Depending on your meaning I may be deeply committed to it or have little or no regard for it.

          I am a person of faith, and I draw the tenets of my personal faith from my reading and my understanding of the Hebrew and Christian scriptures. Faith is apart from reason although not contradictory to it. Still, it is faith. No person can "argue" someone else into faith, but it is somewhat contagious. Once a person has contracted faith, it's easy to see how reasonable it is as well.

          Whatever I write is informed by my point of view which includes my faith. Others will find the writing and/or the point of view compelling or not. If they do, well then, everybody's happy. If they don't, I do not see that as a problem for them or for me. I'm still happy, and I hope whoever reads anything I write doesn't leave it sad or mad, although confused is fine.


      • bobanonymous gold member
        October 10, 2008
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        it is difficult to get a modern audience to sit still for such.

        Well only if you recite it verbatim start to finish, hey you're not that guy are you?


  • Darkwell
    August 31, 2008

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    this is a amazing depicting of the end of days. i just hope all my friends make the right choice first so we can all watch the fiery sword thing from heaven

    Messiah with his flaming sword descends
    To fall upon the damned who scream their fright
    As Earth dissolves and Hell receives their cries!

    i love the way you decribed the battle and in the end the remaining souls acknowledging Christ too late

    wonderful penning and masterful balance WTG good luck in the contest

    • Peripatetic gold member
      September 1, 2008
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      The End Times are endlessly fascinating and often the subject of performance, visual arts and literature.
      This telling is based on a literal rather than allegorical interpretation of the 70 weeks spoken of in the Book of Daniel (each "week" is 7 years; the 70th week is the Tribulation period) and the Book of Revelation related by the beloved apostle John, and many other prophecies from the Prophets, the Gospels and the Epistles.

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