Armageddon

 

The battle of Armageddon is a major component of Revelation, although only once is it called by that name (Rev 16:16). It is also mentioned repeatedly in the Old Testament, but the prophets refer to it as the Day of the Lord, a day of judgment and destruction. Armageddon, you might say is the threshold, or gateway, between the Church age and the Millennial kingdom. It is the event that triggers the second coming of Christ, the Messiah, to judge the nations and rescue Israel, as well as gather up the saints in the rapture.

The battle of Armageddon is sometimes likened to World War 3. World War 2, which pitted the Axis powers against the Allied powers, took seventy million lives. Armageddon could be worse, even though it will be more localized.

The armies of Armageddon are well identified in Biblical prophecy, and they are worth noting. Particularly because history is unfolding precisely how God predicted. The great battle will pit an alliance of Arab nations against Israel. Jerusalem will be overrun by the massive invasion (Zech 14:1-2), and will not have anyone come to its aid, not even the USA. Not until the return of Messiah, with his army of saints, will Israel be rescued – those who survive. The blood shed will be horrendous, both for the Arabs (Rev 14:20) and for Israel. (Zech 13:8).

Let’s take a look at the Arab army. But, first, we need to put to rest the prevailing interpretations that the invading army will be Russia (Rosh and Meshach, i.e., Russia and Moscow), or China (the only nation capable of staging an army of 200 million soldiers). The alliance of Arab nations is delineated, in part, in Ezekeil 38:5-6 and further identified in Revelation 17 -- the eighth beast, which will “rule” for just one hour. The alliance is pictured by the ten horns on the beast. And the identification of the ten nations as Arab nations is indicated by the phrase, “once was, now is not, yet will come again” (Rev 17:8, 11). The Arabs were an enemy of Israel from the earliest days of the patriarchs. At the time of John’s writing, though, the Arabs were not a factor in oppressing Israel. But the oppression and hatred arose again with the rise of the Islamic state (ca, 600 AD). The leader of the end-time Arab alliance will be the man of lawlessness (II Thes 2; aka Gog, Ezekiel 38). He will be an Islamic Mahdi, who claims to be God, and will lead the great “rebellion”, a Jihadist assault on Israel. The pro-Palestinian chant we hear today, “from the river to the sea”, will be their battle cry. They will want to destroy Israel and reclaim Palestine as their own.

The army that defeats the eighth beast is a mix of the Jews in Jerusalem, along with the saints who will return with Christ (Zech 14:5; Rev 17:14). They are led by Jesus Himself, the Lord of Lords and King of Kings (Joel 2:11; Rev 17:14). It seems that the artillery will include not only typical “swords”, but also supernatural judgment – earthquakes, hailstones, brimstone, confusion and blindness brought upon the enemy (Zech 12:4; 14:19-23).

The build-up to Armageddon is prophesied in the sixth trumpet and the sixth bowl. The first five trumpets have already occurred. The sixth is beginning to take shape. Three things need to happen, though, to really launch the great invasion and battle. The Islamic Mahdi must be revealed, the man of lawlessness (II Thes 2:3). The restrainer must be removed (2 Thes 2:6; Rev 11:15). And America must be destroyed (Rev 17:16), which will eliminate the greatest single deterrent to an Arab invasion of Israel.

Interpreting Prophecy Inductively

 

 

Prophecy is difficult to interpret, I would agree. After years of seeking to understand it, the end result is that my interpretation differs from the mainstream by a large degree. How did I get to that point? Am I a heretic? No, I pursued understanding by inductively allowing the text to interpret itself, and allowing unfolding history to confirm it. Let me explain myself to help you understand.

First of all, what is inductive study. It is an investigative method of studying Scripture that allows the Bible to speak for itself. Sometimes it is very difficult to set aside preconceived notions and the baggage of what you have previously been taught. The inductive method makes observations on a passage of Scripture, reading it over and over. Eventually, you can begin to draw conclusions, determining the meaning of the text.

How did I engage the inductive study method to interpret prophecy? I can give you three principles that I followed. Mind you, I am looking in the rear view mirror. I did not have these methods in mind to start out. Early on, starting with seminary, I read all the standard books on eschatology. They all parroted one another, almost verbatim. And their presumptive, underlying foundation clearly stretched and contorted the intention of the Biblical writers. So, rule number one was this: put all those books in a big box and store them away, out in the garage.

The second principle was this: take the time and make it a discipline to “sit and think”. If you are not going to get your understanding and interpretation from other people’s books and podcasts, then where are you going to get it? From the Biblical text itself. You read it, and then you read it again, and then you sit and think. Maybe for an hour, maybe off and on for a week, maybe for several years. Here’s another way to view this principle: Know what you believe, but hold it lightly. My wife hates that axiom, but I love it. She thinks it sounds like a license for heresy. I think it provides an avenue for the Holy Spirit to shed light on Biblical interpretation. Don’t tell me you are a student of prophetic interpretation (or Biblical interpretation in general) if you are drinking water from a putrid cistern, rather than hiking up the mountain to drink living water flowing from a spring.

The third principle is this: history interprets prophecy. The interpretation you arrive at must align with unfolding history. History will not only confirm your interpretation, but sometimes it will bring light to an ambiguous prophetic vision that has eluded interpretation until that very moment in history. A case in point is the beast of Revelation. It depicts America as the final world ruling nation of the end times. Another example is the seven trumpets. They are warnings that have been sounding since World War 1, not judgments relegated to the fictitious seven-year Tribulation.

It is so frustrating hearing people say, “I look at the Scripture inductively and I see it quite differently than you do.” It’s frustrating because I know full well that they get all their interpretation from other preachers and books, not from the Bible --  the Bible alone -- like they suppose.

And there you have it, my tried-and-true methods for interpreting prophecy inductively. Give it a try for yourself.