The Battle of Armageddon
INTRODUCTORY WORDS
When we think of the battle of Armageddon, we are thinking of several Scriptures besides the one written in this study, Some of these are in the Book of Revelation.
1. The breaking of the sixth seal seems to touch this last great battle, as found in Revelation 6:13-17.
(1) We read "The sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood." These words, in other Scriptures, mark the closing of this age, and Christ's Return. (Read Joel 3:9-16, with emphasis on 15; Zechariah 14:1-4; Zechariah 6:1-15; Zechariah 7:1-14; Matthew 24:28-31.)
The great darkness of the sun and moon, and the coming of Christ to the Mount of Olives, and the last great battle, all describe the ending of the present age.
Joel in his second chapter speaks of a day of darkness, and of gloominess, and of thick darkness, and then he describes the same great concourse of nations as a battle set in array.
(2) We read "The kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men * * hid themselves * * and said to the mountains and rocks. Fall on us * *: for the great day of His wrath is come."
Once more we have the closing scenes of the tribulation, Psalms 2:1-12 speaks of the same kings of the earth setting themselves together; and then says, "He that sitteth in the Heavens shall * * have them in derision."
2. The sounding of the seventh trumpet in Revelation 11:15-19, touches this last great battle. First, the angel sounds and there are voices in Heaven saying, "The kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ." Then we have end things once more epitomized, this time in Revelation: "The nations were angry, and Thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead."
3. The great final hour with Armageddon is seen once more in Revelation 14:15-20. Here we read of a ripened harvest, and of the cry: "Thrust in thy sharp sickle," with the following words, closing the chapter words that speak the same things as the wine press in our study of today, in chapter 19. Compare this with Ezekiel 29:12; Ezekiel 29:13
During this age, as Daniel said in the Spirit: "Unto the end of the war desolations are determined." Again the Spirit, through Daniel, speaks of the king that shall "do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished."
Christ said, "ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: * * but the end is not yet." Then He said, "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be," Then He continued His discourse as given in Matthew 24:1-51. There can be no cessation of war till Christ comes.
I. THE WHITE HORSE AND HE WHO SAT UPON IT (Revelation 19:1)
1. The names of Heaven's great Warrior. His two Names shew the justice of His war: "And He that sat upon him (that is, upon the white horse) was called Faithful and True." That the Names refer to Christ's character as a Warrior, is settled by the closing words of the verse: He is faithful and true because "In righteousness He doth judge and make war."
2. Let us look at His two Names.
(1) His name is "faithful." He is faithful to His people; faithful to His enemies; faithful to the saints; faithful to His holy attributes; faithful to His warnings against sin; faithful in all things, in nothing truant.
(2) His name is "true." He is true because He is Truth. Faithful, but not faithful to an unholy tryst; but faithful and true. He is the same today as He was of old. He is eternally TRUE.
II. THE WISDOM AND GLORY OF OUR HEAVENLY WARRIOR (Revelation 19:12)
1. His eyes are as a flame of fire. He knows all things. There is nothing hidden or covered to Him with whom the world has to do. He can be faithful and true in His judgments as He wars, because His eyes are as a flame of fire. We have read that "Our God is a consuming fire"; we read now that His eyes are a fire. Such knowledge is too wonderful to us. He knows all things. Every thought, every word, every impulse. He knows the very imaginations of the thoughts of the heart.
2. On His head were many crowns. He was crowned because He was worthy. His crowns were many because His reign and rule is large, and covers every phase of every dominion. He wears a crown because He met principalities and powers on the Cross and vanquished them, triumphing over them in it. He wears a crown as our Redeemer because He bore our sins and transferred to the believer His redemption and righteousness. He wears a crown because He was raised to the right hand of God and exalted a Priest forever, after the order of Aaron, and then after the order of Melchisedek. He wears a crown because He is Head of the Church, clothed with full authority over the millions who bear His Name and worship Him, He wears a crown of rule, for He shall sit upon David's throne and be crowned King of kings and Lord of lords.
3. And He had a Name that no one knew. We must let this Name alone; for, if no one knew it but Himself, we are sure we do not know. However, we do know of many precious Names He bears, and not one is without its meaning. He who knows the Names of the. Lord and lives in the assurance of their meaning, will be strong and do many exploits for his God.
III. THE THREE NAMES ACCORDED OUR HEAVENLY WARRIOR (Revelation 19:13; Revelation 19:16)
1. His Name is "The Word of God." This Name is a Name given to Christ from the beginning, for, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
The eternity of the Word is a wonderful conception of truth. God's Word was not something hatched up by man, nor copied from some ancient writers; it is a Word forever settled in Heaven and given to men.
We wonder why this particular Name is fitting for Christ as He comes down to battle. Perhaps it is because He is warring in behalf of His Word, and against all who have assailed it, and counted it as false and untrustworthy.
2. His Name is King of kings. Here is a Name that carries with it all supremacy. Perhaps that is one reason the kings of the earth cry for the rocks and mountains to fall upon them and hide them from His face. They had been used to ruling, many of them, in unrighteousness; now the One comes before whom even kings must bow, for He is King of kings. He will be a King upon David's throne, even as it was spoken in Isaiah 9:7, and in Zechariah 14:9. He will be King as it is written in Psalms 2:1-12, "Yet have I set My King upon My holy hill of Zion."
3. His Name is Lord of lords. There will be other kings upon the earth in His day, yet He will be King of all kings. To Him every knee shall bow. There will also be other lords, but He will be Lord of all lords, and all will have their power from Him. He will reign in things temporal and political; He will also reign in things spiritual and priestly. He will be a King-Priest, and we will be king-priests.
IV. THE VESTURE OF THE HEAVENLY WARRIOR (Revelation 19:13, f.c.)
There are two things for us to consider:
1. When Christ's garments, in His sacrificial death, were covered with Blood. In Isaiah 63:1-19 we have a twofold vision. First of all we see Christ as One coming from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah, the wine press. Then the Spirit proposes the question: "Wherefore art Thou red in Thine apparel, and Thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat?"
To this query the Lord replies, "I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with Me." This carries us back to Calvary where the enemy crucified Him, and where He, as it were, was covered with Blood. Now, however, there is another statement, "For I will tread them in Mine anger, and trample them in My fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon My garments and I will stain all My raiment."
Thus, first of all we must go back to Calvary where Christ was crucified. This is brought out abundantly in Revelation.
In Revelation 5:6 we read, "In the midst of the throne * * stood a Lamb as it had been slain. "
In Revelation 5:9 we read: "For Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy Blood."
In Revelation 5:12 we read: "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain."
In Revelation 7:14 are these words, "And have washed their robes, and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb."
The fact is that in the Book of Revelation the Name given to Christ is, almost universally, "The Lamb," and every time it is used, it carries us back to Calvary.
2. When Christ's garments are stained by the blood of His enemies. At Calvary Christ's Blood was shed and it stained Him; as it covered Him from His head to His feet. Now, their blood is spilt, as God's judgments fall.
V. THE ARMIES OF THE HEAVENLY WARRIOR (Revelation 19:14)
1. The saints who were raptured, are now seen as Heaven's armies. After the Rapture it is, "Forever with the Lord." If He comes down the skies, they are coming with Him; if He is riding a white horse, they, too, are on white horses; if He reigns, they reign with Him. His lot is theirs, and their lot is His.
This battle is like some of those of old, when it was said: "Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord." We shall have no fighting to do, but we shall be there to witness the majesty and power of the Lord our Saviour.
2. The saints raptured will be clothed with linen clean and white. Once again we are face to face with righteousness. Christ bears a Name "Faithful and True," for He wars in righteousness; we wear garments of linen, which, from the days of the Tabernacle in the wilderness, has stood for "righteousness."
Everything about the battle of Armageddon, from the Divine side, is a warfare based on righteous judgment.
3. The raptured saints, clothed in white, shall follow Him. On the earth they follow Him in Heaven they follow Him; on earth they followed Him in His isolation, rejection, and shame now they follow Him in His glory, victory, and power.
The fourteenth chapter of Revelation speaks of 144,000 who "follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth." The nineteenth chapter speaks of us all as following Him.
No greater delight could be ours, no higher privilege, than that of following Christ in the hour of His triumph.
VI. THE WRATH OF THE GOD WHO IS ENOUGH (Revelation 19:15-16)
1. The sharp sword of His mouth. How significant are the words, "And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations."
This sword in Revelation must be the same as that in Hebrews. If so, it is the Word of God which gives life to the soul when it is received as His engrafted Word. It is the Word that is the lamp to our feet and the light to our pathway. It is the Word that is more to be desired than our daily food. It is the Word that is the basis of our faith.
That same Word will be His sword to smite the nations. Therefore, that which was given for life, will bring judgment and death. God pity the men who have been its foes and have sought to knife it, and to cut it asunder; for it shall yet cut them asunder.
2. The treading of the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of the God who is enough. Here is a similar analogy to that above. The Word that gave life, is the sword that cutteth. The Lord God Almighty; that is, the God who is enough, is the same God whose fierceness of wrath Christ shall tread out as He treadeth the wine press.
The same One. who died for all, will judge all who do not believe. We know that men often reject the judging Christ; yet the fact is still true, that God hath given all judgment unto the Son, and He will tread out the wrath of God.
VII. THE GREAT FEAST (Revelation 19:17-21)
1. The great battle. Revelation 19:19 says: "And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him that sat on the horse, and against His army."
Here the battle is joined, and apparently it meets in the air, or at least as the Lord comes down from the air. Little of the battle is told here, save the results of the conflict.
The overwhelming of the man of sin and the false prophet is spoken of in many Scriptures. It is against these that the Lord will descend in flaming fire; and against them who follow with him.
2. The great supper. We now come to the last word: "And all the fowls were filled with their flesh." This is enlarged upon in Revelation 19:17 and Revelation 19:18
What a scene is this! How terrible to consider! Before we say that the God of old, whom Israel worshiped, the God of war, is not our God, let us weigh well these words.
Throughout the Prophets, the Gospels, and the Epistles, it is the same message in each case. Christ is coming in judgment against all who will not come unto Him, and cover their sins with His Blood. They refuse the Covert from the storm of wrath, and therefore they must feel that storm upon themselves.
Let us remember that the same God who is showing the fierceness of His wrath here, showed the same wrath upon His own Son when He hung, for us, upon the Cross, and suffered, the just for the unjust.
AN ILLUSTRATION
As we think of the "blood-stained" garments, our minds go from Armageddon back to Calvary and we see Christ dying for us.
A woman to whom I brought the message of the Cross had one look at that changing aspect of the One who hung upon the accursed Tree and cried in sudden fearful comprehension, "My God! I did not know a human heart could be so black as mine is!" All forgotten the fear of what her fellows might think only remembered that those were her sins appearing there.
An African chief, listening to the missionary's recital of the gospel story, in sudden comprehension, leaped to his feet and shouted, "Come down! Come down from that Cross! I tell You You have no business there? That's my place!