THE BATTLE OF
ARMAGEDDON
T.P. Simmons
Many people have a mistaken notion,
if they have any notion at all, about the Battle of Armageddon. Some thought
the late World War was the Battle of Armageddon.
Others have
advanced the idea that it will be a war between Catholics and non-Catholics.
Still others teach that it is to be a mere spiritual conflict between good and
evil without any literal reality. Yet others confuse it with the siege that is
alluded in Rev. 20:8, which is to be after the Millennium. All of these ideas
are unscriptural and unworthy of serious consideration.
Let us study this battle by
noting the following:
I.
WHY THE BATTLE IS SO NAMED
The battle
is named for the place in which it is to be fought. See Rev. 16:13-16. The
Revised Version renders the name Har-Magedon. Har-Magedon is defined as meaning
the "mountain of Megiddo," which is located in the southwestern edge
of Galilee. By this is meant, perhaps, not merely the mountain itself, but the
mountain and the surrounding section. This section is described as "a high
tableland surrounded by hills" (Carpenter). It forms a
pass to the North, and so was famous as a battlefield. This vicinity was the
scene of two notable victories and three notable deaths. The victories were
that of Barak over the Canaanites and that of Gideon over Midianites. The deaths
were that of Saul, that of Ahaziah (slain by Jehu), and that of Josiah. But the
most famous event of all is yet to occur there.
II.
WHO THE COMBATANTS ARE TO BE
The combatants are to be the
kings of the earth and their armies under the leadership of the Beast and false
prophets on one side, and King of Kings and Lord of Lords
and His people- the Jews and the glorified saints- on the other. See Joel 2:11;
Zech. 12:2, 3, 8, 9; 14:3; Rev. 19:11-21.
III.
THE DETAILS OF THE BATTLE
Near the
close of the great tribulation period the Beast and the false prophet (the
second beast- Rev. 13:11) will send out their emissaries to stir up the nations
of the earth to gather against Jerusalem (Rev. 16:13-16; 19:19). In this they
will be but fulfilling the purpose of God, for it is His design to gather all
nations together for the purpose of judging them (Joel 3:2) and pouring out
upon them His indignation and fierce anger (Zeph. 3:8). The
armies of the nations will be allowed to capture Jerusalem and work great
destruction therein (Zech. 14:2). In the approach of the armies and the capture
of the city, two-thirds of the Jews in Jerusalem that are not killed will be
either captured or driven out of the city (Zech. 14:2). Then the Lord will
appear to deliver His people (Zech. 14:4). Then, judging from the fact that
Rev. 16:16 says that the nations are to be gathered in a
place called Armageddon, we take it that the armies of the nations, alarmed by
the events that will presage the coming of the Lord, will desert Jerusalem and
retreat northward. At Armageddon the Lord will overtake them and visit His
vengeance upon them as described in Isa. 66:15, 16; Zech. 14:12, 13; Rev.
16:17-21; 19:-90, 21.
IV.
THE VENGEANCE OF THE LORD IN CONNECTION WITH THIS BATTLE WILL BE WORLDWIDE
The vengeance of the Lord will
be visited, not only upon armies of the nations that come
against Jerusalem, but also upon all the wicked throughout the world. We
believe this is shown in the following passages: Jer. 25:15-33 Isa. 24:17-21;
26:20, 21; 34:1, 2.
V.
THE RELATION OF THIS BATTLE TO THE JUDGMENT OF THE NATIONS
We believe that the judgment
of the nations, as depicted in Matt. 25:31-46, will take place in connection
with the Battle of Armageddon. We believe that Matt. 25:31-46 is a figurative
description of God's dealings with the nations in the Battle of Armageddon
and the destruction that shall attend it. It is in this all the tares are to be
gathered out of His kingdom and burned (Matt. 13:40-43). No one will survive
this ordeal except the righteous. For the relation between this battle and the
judgment of the nations see Joel 3:2, 12, 13. Also note Joel 2:10, 31; 3:15,
16; Isa. 13:10, 11 in connection with Matt. 24:29.
VI.
THIS PERIOD OF WORLDWIDE DESTRUCTION WILL BE "THE DAY OF THE LORD"
See Isa. 2:12; 13:9; 34:8;
Jer. 46:10; Ezek. 30:3; Joel 1:15; 2:11; Amos 5:18-20; Oba. 15;
Zeph. 1:15, 18; Zech. 14:1 "The day of the Lord" is to be a day of
extended length Zech. 14:6, 7).
VII.
A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH WILL EMERGE FROM THE DAY OF THE LORD
See Isa. 34:4, 65:17-25; 2
Pet. 3:10-13.