Armageddon
By Cougan Collins
lgchurchofchrist@cableone.net
Please Read Revelation 16:13-16.
Armageddon is mentioned in Revelation 16:16. As most things are in the book of Revelation, the term Armageddon is symbolic and has no reference to a literal, physical war to occur between the forces of Christ and the forces of Satan. Any view of the book of Revelation that fails to recognize its highly symbolic nature and seeks to literalize its images, is doomed to absolute failure. For example, if we take our verses (Rev. 16:13-16) literally, then we have three unclean spirits that look like frogs that will come out of a dragon’s mouth leading the kings of the earth and all the people of the world into a great battle. When we consider that the plain of Megiddo is only about twenty miles long by fourteen miles wide, it is too small to accommodate a battle of the magnitude (hundreds of millions of soldiers) demanded by modern dispensational writers. Obviously, our verses are symbolic and not to be taken literally.
Armageddon
refers to
The use of geographical points to emphasize spiritual truths is a common
biblical phenomenon. For example the word “hell” (Grk.
gehenna) relates to
the Hebrew gehinnom, which was the
Some associate Armageddon with the destruction of
We learn the following: First, the one coming from heaven is clearly Christ, the Word (Jn. 1:1, 14), and the white horse is a symbol of His victorious conquest. Second, He is coming to judge and make war. But judgment will take place at His Second Coming (Mt. 25:31ff); hence, His war against the enemies of Jehovah will occur at that time. Third, the Lord smites the rebellious nations with a sharp sword that proceeds out of His mouth. Elsewhere, Paul shows that at the time of His “coming” (Grk. parousia — a technical term for the Lord’s final coming in judgment), Jesus Christ will slay His foes “with the breath of His mouth,” and bring them to naught (2 Thes. 2:8). Therefore, Armageddon is the punishment inflicted by Christ at His Second Coming.
Though some make Armageddon out to be some literal battle that takes place at the end of seven years of tribulation per the rapture theory, we have nothing to fear of an impending political Armageddon. However, all who are out of Christ (Gal. 3:26, 27), or who are unfaithful to the Lord (2 Cor. 11:2), had better prepare against the awful day of spiritual Armageddon! Want to learn more? Come worship with us at the Lone Grove Church of Christ.
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