10. THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON
The word Armageddon has Hebrew roots, with the word “har” meaning “mountain” or “hill,” and “Magedon” being the reference to the ruins of an ancient city that overlooks the Valley of Esdraelon in northern Israel. In the Battle of Armageddon, the leaders of the world, headed by Antichrist, will gather their armies to fight against the nation of Israel. Through the ages, Satan has longed to eradicate Israel because he wants to prevent God’s promises from being fulfilled through His chosen people.
The Battle of Armageddon will be Satan’s last attempt, and as always, he will not succeed. As 1 Kings 8:56 says “There has not failed one word of all His [God’s] good promise.” Up to today, God’s track record for fulfilling His promises stands at 100 percent, and there is absolutely nothing Satan can do to change the outcome of the prophecies that have not yet been fulfilled.
1. Revelation 16:12 states that “the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared.” Called “the great river” five times in Scripture (Revelation 9:14; Genesis 15:18; Deuteronomy 1:7; Joshua 1:4), it flows some 1,800 miles from its source on the slopes of Mount Ararat to the Persian Gulf. It forms the eastern boundary of the land God promised to Israel. With its flow already reduced by the prolonged drought and intensified heat, God supernaturally will dry it up to make way for the eastern confederacy to reach Palestine (Isaiah 11:15). God providentially draws these kings and their armies in order to destroy them in the battle of Armageddon (v. 14). Since the sun may have melted the ice caps on Ararat, flooding the valley of the Euphrates as the river overflows its banks and bridges, the land will be swamped. God will have to dry it up miraculously for the eastern army to get to Armageddon.
2. In Revelation 16:14, the spirits of demons gather together “the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.” These are supernatural wonders designed to deceive (Mark 13:22) the kings into invading Palestine. Their impact will be so great that the unclean spirits are able to induce the kings to make the journey to Palestine in spite of their sores, the intense heat, drought, and darkness. No longer just the eastern confederacy, but now all the world begins to gather in Palestine for the final, climactic battle (Psalm 2:2, 3; Joel 3:2–4; Zechariah 14:1–3). The Battle of Armageddon is the great war with God and Christ, which will end when Christ arrives (Revelation19:17–20).
3. In Revelation 16:16, this gathering occurs in “the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon,” the Hebrew name for Mount Megiddo, 60 miles north of Jerusalem. The battle will rage on the nearby plains, site of Barak’s victory over the Canaanites (Judges 4), and Gideon’s victory over the Midianites (Judges 7). Napoleon called this valley the greatest battlefield he had ever seen. But the Battle of Armageddon will not be limited to the Megiddo plains—it will encompass the length of Palestine.
4. The scene in Zechariah 14:2-3 is described as all the nations being gathered together to battle against Jerusalem. “The Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, As He fights in the day of battle.” God Himself will gather the nations, using them to purge, refine, and judge (Revelation 16:13, 14, 16). Their presence results in an unprecedented time of national calamity. This is the climax of “the time of Jacob’s distress” (Jeremiah 30:5–7). God the Warrior (Ex. 15:3) will intervene on Israel’s behalf against the attacking nations.
5. In response to Zechariah 14:2-3, in verses 8-9, The Lord shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be— “The Lord is one, “And His name one.” There will be only one religion in the entire world during the millennial reign of Christ. Ruling with a rod of iron, Christ will have done away with all false religions spawned by Satan. This will be the ultimate fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant providing a Jewish people, the nation of Israel, and the land given to Abraham; the Davidic Covenant which promised a king from the tribe of Judah and the line of David; and the New Covenant which held out the hope of spiritual redemption for Jew and Gentile. All of this will be fulfilled in and by the Lord Jesus Christ.
6. According to Zechariah 12:10 and Romans 11:26-27 “all Israel will be saved” (delivered).Israel’s repentance will come because they look to Jesus, the One whom they rejected and crucified (Isaiah 53:5; John 19:37), in faith at the Second Advent. These are all of the elect Jewish people alive at the end of the Tribulation, not the believing remnant of Jews within the church during this church age (vv. Romans 5:17). Since the remnant has already embraced the truth of the gospel, it could not be in view here, since it no longer needs the salvation this verse promises. (Psalm 14:7; 53:6; Is 46:13) The Lord Jesus Christ’s millennial rule will be associated with Mt. Zion (Psalm 110:2; Hebrews 12:22).
7. During the battle, Christ will make His victorious descent on the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4). The Ultimate Warrior-King, Jesus, will literally return to the Mount of Olives, located East of the Kidron Valley, just as the angels announced at His ascension (Acts 1:11). When He does, there will be a tremendous topographical upheaval (perhaps an earthquake), a phenomenon not uncommon when God announces His coming in judgment (Micah 1:2–4; Nahum 1:5) A valley running East and West will be created as the mountain is pulled northward and southward.
8. Matthew 24:29-31 describes Christ’s return as follows: “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
In the Battle of Armageddon, the Antichrist’s forces will be so massive and daunting as to make it appear that the situation is hopeless. But when Jesus returns, Antichrist’s defeat will be instant and complete. God is still in full control of all that happens; He who brought about the perfect fulfillment of every single one of the prophecies of Christ’s first coming will also bring about the perfect fulfillment of every single one of the prophecies of Christ’s second coming.. This should make us feel safe and protected by Almighty God.
All Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version of the Bible, © 1979, 1980, 1982, 1990, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers.
©2013 Kenute P. Curry. All rights reserved.
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