Armageddon -- Actual Or Assumed?
Armageddon -- Actual Or Assumed?
Will the present crisis in the Middle East usher in "the Battle of
Armageddon?" You know the very word "Armageddon" presents the mind with
a ambiguous and mystifying feeling -- at least to those who have heard
of it. And if you have been listening to preachers you have probably
heard of it. Today on our program, it is my intention to look at this
topic from just what the Bible says. I hope you will stay tuned through
the entire program. But first, let me mention some other matters.
The West End Church of Christ presents these fifteen minute lessons
every Sunday. We have only one reason for doing it -- we want to preach
the truth of God's word without being restricted by human doctrines,
creeds, and wisdom. That is why we repeatedly ask anyone who listens to
communicate with us if you do not agree with what we teach on this
program. This is not done out of a spirit of dare, or challenge, but in
sincerity and in the interest of being absolutely right about the most
important issue of this life and of eternity.
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begins at 9 a.m. every Sunday morning, and we have classes for all ages
in which the Bible is discussed and made relevant to living in this
world today. At 10 each Sunday morning we assemble to worship -- we
honor God in the reading and teaching of His word, several prayers,
gospel songs, giving of our means, and partaking of the sacred memorial
feast of the Lord's Supper. Sunday evening we assemble for worship at 6
p.m. We also have mid-week Bible study at 7 p.m. each Wednesday.
There is to be a special sermon preached at West End, Sunday night
at 7:30 p.m., September 23rd. It is the second installment of "The Drug
Problem and the Church." No collections or donations will be taken for
the sermon -- it is a study of how the current drug problem is affecting
religion in general. You may be interested in it and if you are, please
come. Bring your children and friends and join us at the West End
Church of Christ meeting house, September 23, at 7:30 p.m. Questions
will be allowed at the end of the sermon.
One of the last things on the premillennial agenda is called "a
great global war." It is also named "The Battle of Armageddon."
Sometimes you hear preachers mention this great battle and ask if people
are ready for Armageddon. Most of those who believe in a literal reign
of Christ on earth during what they call "The Millennium" are thoroughly
convinced that just before that glorious event occurs the world will be
engulfed in this great war. Mr. Hal Lindsey's book, "The Late Great
Planet Earth" describes the battle as follows:
"According to the Bible, the Middle East crisis will continue to
escalate until it threatens the peace of the whole world. The focus of
all nations will be upon this unsolvable and complex problem which keeps
bringing the world to the precipice of a thermonuclear holocaust.
This is apparently the first major problem that the incredible Roman
leader will solve after taking over the ten-nation confederacy of
European nations." (page 140). Mr. Lindsey, and many others, believe
strongly that Italy will rise to a world dominance again and another
"Fuehrer" will command a European army and make a covenant with the
Israelis. This dictator is allegedly then going to dominate the world
and then in Jerusalem call himself God Almighty. War almost immediately
erupts and Russia then enters the scene and invades Israel from the
north. This brings in the Chinese with what Mr. Lindsey calls an
"incredible Oriental army of 200 million soldiers" marching over land to
the eastern banks of the river Euphrates. Then the battle shifts to a
valley in north-western Israel known as Megiddo. It is at the entrance
of the port of Haifa and it is in this area that the final battle of all
time is to be fought.
I have tried to give you just an accurate but brief capsule of the
theory of this imaginary battle of Armageddon. It is to be the most
devastating of all wars. Lindsey also said, "As the battle of
Armageddon reaches its awful climax and it appears that all life will be
destroyed on earth -- in this very moment Jesus Christ will return and
save man from self-extinction." (page 156). This all sounds so exciting
and astonishing -- and that is one reason why it is so dangerous. Most
of us are prone to be attracted to the spectacular rather than the real
things of life. But no matter how much such a thing as this appeals to
us, what really matters is what the Bible says.
All of these notions relative to Armageddon come from a verse
found in the Book of Revelation, chapter 16:16. It reads, "And they
gathered them together to the place called in the Hebrew, Armageddon."
This statement was made in connection with various symbols and figures
designed to show God's wrath against evil and His help to those who are
righteous. The context begins with verse 12 in which John sees the
angel pour out the sixth bowl of God's wrath on the river Euphrates.
The river dried up and frog like creatures emerged from the mouth of a
dragon and John said they were the false prophet and the "beast." He
also saw these spirits working signs and inviting the kings of the earth
to "gather them together unto the war of the great day of God, the
Almighty" (verse 14). You will not read of a "battle" being fought in
all of this symbolism.
Though Mr. Lindsey and others think they read of H-bombs, great
nuclear exchanges of ballistic missiles in the Bible, these things are
imaginations. Nothing in the Bible anywhere mentions even symbolically
such things as modern day weapons of the nuclear age. Furthermore,
there is really no expression such as "the Valley of Armageddon" or "the
Battle of Armageddon." The Bible mentions the valley of Megiddo but not
the Valley of Armageddon. It is impossible for there to be a Valley of
Armageddon where this alleged battle is to occur. The prefix "Har"
which has been shortened to "Ar" in the word Armageddon is the Hebrew
way of designating a mountain. Megiddo is the biblical city situated on
Mount Carmel. It has never been a large town. In fact, it measures
only about 15 acres in all. How 200 million Chinese with all the
necessary logistical support and the combined armies of this figmentary
Italian Fuehrer can fit into a space no larger than 15 acres is a
problem. It might be the way to end war -- for soldiers so tightly
packed together could not even slap each other, much less kill each
other.
There are several reasons why such a "battle" is a speculative
imagination and not a reality. Please note them with me:
1. Jesus denied that His kingdom was of this world and
therefore denied it would fight like world kingdoms. "My kingdom is not
of this world, if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants
fight..." (John 18:36). Those who believe there is to be an Armageddon
contradict what Christ Himself said of His own kingdom. They say it
will fight -- Jesus said it would not fight. Which would you accept?
2. Paul denied that the Lord's army has carnal weaponry. He
wrote the church at Corinth and said, "For though we walk in the flesh,
we do not war according to the flesh (for the weapons of our warfare are
not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of
strongholds); casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is
exalted against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into
captivity to the obedience of Christ" (II Corinthians 10:3-5). Our
weapons are not "of the flesh." That means they are not literal weapons
of warfare. The only fighting the Lord wants His people to engage in is
a struggle to bring thinking into captivity to Him. Anyone who knows
the difference in straight up and sideways sees the difference in the
truth of the Lord's weapons and these speculative flights of over active
minds.
3. The prophecies with figurative symbols cannot be
interpreted and applied literally. Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39 are the
prophecies that are misused and pressed into service to get Russia,
Italy, China and the European confederacy into this imaginary battle.
To get Russia, the advocates of Armageddon use "Gog" of the land of
"Magog." They also opine that "Meshech" is somehow "Moscow." The truth
is that these are names found in the table of nations in Genesis 10. It
is pure speculation of the rankest sort to claim them as ancient names
for modern Russia. This mistake is clear. They take a word that does
not designate Russia and apply it to Russia. They forsake their
"literal" approach to prophecy just here and everyone can see it.
The prophecy in Ezekiel 39 mentions such weapons as "shields,
bucklers, bows and arrows, handstaves and spears" (verse 9). Can anyone
get from these primitive weapons such things as nuclear missiles? In
fact the weapons of the prophecy were to be burned seven years -- who
among those who apply this to the future battle of Armageddon can tell
us the import of this seven years of weapon burning? Remember, those
who think they see a prophecy of a literal battle interpret this
literally -- or do they really? Those who cannot see the folly of this
fantastic, unrealistic and unscriptural speculation probably do not want
to even try and see. There is no war such as these speculation assume -
- not for the Lord's people.
Armageddon is a word that is much like the word "Waterloo."
Revelation chapter 16 does speak of the "place called in the Hebrew
tongue Armageddon" but this signifies nothing more than a historic place
associated with the events that occurred there. Notice that at Megiddo
Sisera was defeated by faithful Barak (Judges 5:19) and the Midianites
were conquered by Gideon here (Judges 7. King Saul was defeated by the
Philistines (I Samuel 28:4) and then Josiah was defeated by Pharaoh
Necho (II Kings 23:29-30). This then became, in the Bible, a symbol of
defeat in a struggle. It is the battle between good and evil, between
the force and power of Christ and the force and power of Satan. Paul
said that our warfare is "not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities and powers, against the world rulers of this darkness,
against spiritual hosts in heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12ff).
Slogans such as "someone met his Waterloo" and "Remember Pearl
Harbor" suggest defeat. That is all that is meant in Revelation 16:16.
It is a symbolic way of assurance. God will provide the victory of
truth over error. It is in the church that this victory is possible for
Christians "have been delivered out of the power of darkness and
translated into the kingdom of the Son of His love" (Colossians 1:13).
Do not be misled, confused, or deceived by false teaching. The
important thing is to obey Christ right now, join the attack against sin
and evil now, and be prepared to go with Him when He comes to be admired
of all His saints into the eternal bliss of heaven. Do not fear some
alleged world war that exists only in the figmentary machinations of
speculative false teachers.
If you have a question about any of these things that have been
said -- please contact us. Our mailing address is West End Church of
Christ, 1609 Parkside Drive, Bowling Green, Ky. 42101. We appreciate the
opportunity to come to you each Sunday on this radio station and hope
you'll be back here again next Sunday -- 8 a.m. Goodbye and God bless
you.
Radio Sermon No. 25
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Lyrics, Chords Tabs Rated
Children's NT Studies
