The magnitude, the horrors, the anguish of this present world-conflagration is causing many to ask the question, Is this Armageddon? Never in all the history of the world has there been witnessed such titanic struggles, such vast masses of men locked in deadly conflict; such wealth, millions upon millions of money, poured out like water. The whole scene is so staggering that with bated breath is the question asked, Is this Armageddon?
The asking of the question shows a belief in the reliability of Scripture, that its prophecies will come true, and yet an amazing ignorance, not even a superficial knowledge of what the Bible says on the subject. The name, Armageddon, only once occurs in Scripture. We read:
“And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the month of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth to the Kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. … And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air … and there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake” (Rev. 16:13-18).
Scripture shows dearly that the present conflict is not, and cannot in any phase of it be Armageddon. We ask the questions:
(1) WHERE is Armageddon?
(2) WHO will be the great actors in this battle?
(3) WHERE will the battle take place?
(4) WHAT will be the result of Armageddon?
(1) Where is Armageddon?
Armageddon means the hill Megiddo. If you will look at your map of Palestine you will find a town, marked Megiddo, between Mount Carmel and the sea on the west, and the windings of the River Jordan on the east. Between these two points there is the great fruitful valley or plain of Jezreel. This plain of Jezreel (its modern name is Esdraelon) has been the battlefield again and again in the history of the children of Israel. It is clear no fighting has occurred so far in the place called Armageddon.
(2) Who will be the great actors in this battle?
Revelation 16:13 and 19:11-16 tells us. First there is the great triumvirate of evil—Satan, the Beast (head of the revived Roman Empire) and the False Prophet (the Antichrist, King of Jerusalem). It is clear that the present time is not Armageddon for these sinister figures in the last day—the Beast and the False Prophet—have not as yet appeared. Satan invisible, with demonic subtlety, is at work even now, but up to the present the Roman Empire is not revived and the Antichrist has not arrived, though many antichrists are preparing his way.
We ask the questions: Revelation 19:11-16 tells us that our Lord will Himself in person head the armies of heaven. There is no doubt that this chapter describes the battle of Armageddon, for verse 20 tells of the annihilating victory that must of necessity be if our Lord “in righteousness … doth judge and make war” (Rev. 19:11), and that the Beast and False Prophet are taken captive and consigned to the lake of fire burning with brimstone, and the Devil himself is chained up in the bottomless pit for a thousand years, the period of our Lord’s reign upon the earth commonly called the Millennium.
(3) When will the battle of Armageddon take place?
The Book of the Revelation is divided into three parts, (i) “the things which thou hast seen”, and (ii) “the things which are”, and (iii) “the things which shall be hereafter” (Rev. 1:19). The things which John saw are recorded in Revelation 1:12-20; “Things which are” are found in Revelation 2 and 3—the addresses to the seven churches in Asia, using the present condition of those assemblies as prophetic of Church history from the time John wrote to the second coming of our Lord for His heavenly saints to catch them to the air (1 Thess. 4:13-18).
Revelation 4:1 to 22:6 narrate “the things which shall be hereafter.” This brings us to the point: “When will Armageddon take place?” Not until after the rapture, the fulfilment of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. Not until the seven seal judgments have been fulfilled as narrated in Revelation 6. The seal judgments may take years to run their course. These are succeeded by the seven trumpet judgments and they in turn partly successive and in the end coincident with the seven vials—trumpets and vials being more intense judgments and in a marked way directly the outpouring of Divine wrath—“in righteousness He doth judge and make war.”
When we turn to Revelation 16 we find in verse 12 the sixth angel pouring out his vial on the great River Euphrates, preparing the way for the Kings of the East, the vast hordes of China, Japan, India, etc. to take part in this last historic battle. So we see much must intervene before that battle takes place. At the time of the sixth vial the terrible great tribulation will be in full force. Then we find in verse 16 these vast armies will be gathered by Satanic influence in a place called Armageddon, upon the great plain of Esdraelon.
In verse 17 we find the seventh angel pouring his vial into the air. The result is startling. Voices, thunders, lightnings, a mighty earthquake, the cities of the nations failing. This earthquake must be widespread and devastating beyond imagination and is well described as “such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake and so great” (Rev. 16:18).
(4) What will be the result of Armageddon?
Chapter 19 tells us of the personal intervention of our Lord in this battle. In largely symbolic language we read of Heaven being opened and our Lord seen on a white horse, emblem of bloodless victory. Surely if He intervenes victory is assured, and no casualty could take place in the armies that follow Him. His names are impressive, “Faithful and True,” “The Word of God,” “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”
The battle takes place. “The supper of the great God” is spread—a supper of judgment, flesh of kings, of captains, of mighty men, of horses, of all men. The Beast and False Prophet are taken and cast into the lake of fire. The Devil is bound in the bottomless pit and the long promised golden age, which men have dreamed of, will begin, the reign of our Lord Jesus Christ for a thousand years, the Millennium, a reign of righteousness and peace.
Such will be the battle of Armageddon. The name means the Hill Megiddo—a hill in prophetic language means opposition to God and to Christ. The forerunner of our Lord prophesied that “every mountain and hill shall be brought low” (Isa. 40:4), and so it will be till He is triumphant.
We answer the question that gives title to this article, Is this Armageddon? with an emphatic NO.