THE NON-BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON

Revelation 19:11-21 (NASB)
David Bruce Linn, Pastor-Teacher
15 October, 2000
All Rights Reserved

Recently a major denomination dropped the doctrine of the premillennial return of Christ from its already short doctrinal statement. Apparently, the teaching that Christ is planning to reclaim rule over his earth and bring in a thousand years of peace is considered an obstacle to church growth. The author of a popular Christian diet plan has formed a new church which denies the Trinity and the full deity of Christ. She writes on her web site that the doctrine of the Trinity was invented as a public relations ploy so that Christians could not be accused of merely repackaging pagan polytheism. Of course, the New Age movement has been promoting the doctrine of a millennial reign starting in the year two thousand, but not that of Christ. The lord of their millennium is the one they consider to be Christ's brother, Lucifer. These are just three examples of many ways in which the absolute rule of Christ in the present and in his future millennial kingdom have been depreciated.

1. BIBLICAL BACKGROUND
   
   As we study the book of Revelation, the concluding book of the New Testament, it is vital for us to see that the teaching of Messiah's return, defeat of the unbelieving nations, and setting up of an earthly reign were not invented in the first century. In fact, a thousand years before the coming of Christ, Psalm 2 clearly describes these very events. While the Psalm has a specific reference to an earthly anointed king, it has been considered messianic from the earliest times (cf. Briggs, et al). It describes a pattern of sinful behavior by the nations which characterizes all of history, but which comes to a head at the end of the church age. It begins by describing the rebellion of the kings of the earth against God and his Christ:
   
   "Why are the nations in an uproar,
   And the peoples devising a vain thing?
   The kings of the earth take their stand,
   And the rulers take counsel together
   Against the LORD and against His Anointed:
   "Let us tear their fetters apart,
   And cast away their cords from us!" (Psa. 2:1-3)
   
   Notice the senseless intention to band together to resist God and his Anointed. The kings of Israel were considered God's anointed for their time, but one is coming who is uniquely the Anointed. In fact, this is his very title: Christ, which means "the Anointed One." This prophecy will receive its final fulfillment by the events in Revelation 19. Psalm 2 goes on to tell us that the almighty power of God is not challenged by this rebellion in the slightest:
   
   He who sits in the heavens laughs,
   The Lord scoffs at them.
   Then He will speak to them in His anger
   And terrify them in His fury:
   "But as for Me, I have installed My King
   Upon Zion, My holy mountain." (Psa. 2:4-6)
   
   This is an immediate reference to the kings of Israel, who reigned only because God gave Israel success in defeating the nations in the promised land. It also points forward to the final wrath of God upon the unbelieving nations and the seating of Messiah Jesus in his earthly kingdom. But then the Psalm goes on to speak what must have sounded like a gross exaggeration in the time of King David:
   
   "I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD:
   He said to Me, 'Thou art My Son,
   Today I have begotten Thee.
   'Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Thine inheritance,
   And the very ends of the earth as Thy possession.
   'Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron,
   Thou shalt shatter them like earthenware.'" (Ps. 2:7-9)
   
   David was God's son in a redemptive way, but this sense has been completely overshadowed in the New Testament by the revealing of the divine eternal sonship of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, David never received the nations as his inheritance, nor did his possessions extend to the ends of the earth. Finally, his power did not totally demolish the unbelieving nations. While there were times of peace for Israel, the pagan nations were always rising to harry God's people with their armies and seduce them with their false religions.
   
   This Psalm, written three thousand years ago, describes a pattern of history culminating in the prophetic events in the book of Revelation. God is revealed as the one who will pour out his wrath against a confederation of ungodly nations who are raised up against him. Christ is revealed as Lord of an earthly kingdom over which he presides with absolute authority. In order for this to be fulfilled, there must be a period of time in which his repossession of the earth actually happens. It does not fulfill the terms of the prophecy in Psalm 2 to say that God will install Christ on his throne with absolute authority to rule the earth, but that he will not stay on earth to do it. There must be a period of earthly rule of Christ before everything is translated to the eternal state. This is only one of many such prophecies (cf. Isa. 9:6-7, 11:1-12, 16:5, etc.) which describe the premillennial return of Christ and the setting up his earthly kingdom.
   
   
2. THE VISION OF THE ALL-CONQUERING CHRIST
   
   John the Revelator, prophesying with all the trustworthiness of God, tells us his vision of Christ's glorious return: "And I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True; and in righteousness He judges and wages war" (Rev. 19:11). This is not the white horse and rider of Revelation 6:2. That "first horseman of the apocalypse" represents the false rule of earth by pretenders to the throne, culminating in Antichrist. His rule is marked by faithlessness, deceit, and evil, while the rider on the white horse in Revelation 19 is faithful, true, and righteous. Do we not all yearn for such a trustworthy leader? Even when the better person is elected in a political contest we still only have a fallen leader with limitations who cannot fulfill our deepest needs. May we set the yearning of our hearts upon the One who will guide us with absolute truth and faithfulness!
   
   This white-horsed rider judges with piercing insight which overlooks no hidden aspect of any matter, no matter how well concealed in the human heart: "And His eyes are a flame of fire, and upon His head are many diadems; and He has a name written upon Him which no one knows except Himself" (Rev. 19:12). All human beings conceal things from one another, sometimes even from themselves. All of our lives would change dramatically if we lived with the immediate knowledge that every thought and action, no matter how private, was revealed to the Judge of All the Earth.
   
   His right to judge every person in every nation is displayed by his many crowns. If individual nations embody individual crowns, he embodies them all. The unfathomable depth of his character is revealed by his bearing a name which no one can know. Jesus Christ said that while we can know him truly, the comprehensive knowledge of his divinity is beyond us: "All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son, except the Father..." (Mat. 11:27a). The answer to how he can rule all things at once is simply that he is God! Only our heavenly Father can perceive the fullness of divinity resident in the Son. Knowing this should cause us to speak cautiously in our theological pronouncements, lest we "rush in where angels fear to tread." It also shows us why it is right for the Son to rule us all. Christ's competence derives from his infinity, just as mankind's failures to rule well derive from our intrinsic limitations. Even if we were not fatally damaged by sin, we would not be able to govern ourselves.
   
   The manifold revelation of Christ in his glory continues to unfurl in the next verse: "And He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood; and His name is called The Word of God" (Rev. 19:13). Some have said that the blood on his garment is from the battle in this vision, but since he is revealed directly from heaven with this blood-bedecked robe before the battle takes place, it is better understood as a reference to the price of our salvation. This makes sense in this verse because the next name for Christ which John gives is "Word of God." If the secret name is a reference to what H. A. Ironside called "His essential dignity as the Eternal Son," the name "Word of God" reveals Christ in his incarnation. All the truth of the inscripturated word is bound up in Jesus Christ.
   
   Christ, our glorious victor, does not arrive alone: "And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses" (Rev. 19:14). Who are these armies which surround our Lord? Some commentators say that since these heavenly warriors are clothed in white they must be redeemed people. This is not necessarily the case, since the angels which dispense the bowl judgments are also clothed in white (Rev. 15:6). Again, context must be the arbitrator. Revelation 14:14-20 clearly states that the reapers at the end of the age are angels, as does Matthew 13:39-43, and 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8. In this last reference, the apostle Paul was comforting the suffering Thessalonians with the knowledge that the Lord will return to set things right "and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus." The more distant context of the Old Testament reveals God as Yahweh Tsevaoth (cf. Zech 1), which is translated variously as "Lord of Hosts" (NASB and KJV), and "Lord Almighty" (NIV). It literally means "Lord of armies," and these armies are the holy angels, not saints.
   
   One obstacle to it being angels is found in Revelation 17:14, which sounds as if saints will return with Christ as his army: "These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful." For this reason, Dr. John Walvoord, in his excellent commentary, argues that it is both saints and angels. I am inclined to think that the verse above does not explicitly say that the saints are the army of Christ at his coming, just that they are "with Him." That may be a reference to the sides of the spiritual battle during the church age before the rapture. While many fine commentators have argued for the saints returning with Christ in his glorious appearing, it seems clear to me that all the non-disputable references say they are angels.
   
   What weapon does the conquering Christ use to vanquish his foes? "And from His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may smite the nations; and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty" (Rev. 19:15). Since it comes out of his mouth, Christ's sword is the word of God. It is utterly integrated with his person. With a mere word he will rule, just as he did with the wind and the waves during his earthly ministry: "And being aroused, He rebuked the wind and said to the sea, 'Hush, be still.' And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm" (Mark 4:39). Thus he also spoke to demonic spirits and illnesses. A mere word from Christ was all that was necessary to forgive someone's sins, and when he returns as Conqueror and Judge, a mere word will finalize the judgment on all who did not forsake their sins; "Your sins are retained." All who retain their sin at this final hour will find themselves crushed by the "fierce wrath of God."
   
   I am sad to say that the fierceness of Christ is stalwartly repudiated by millions today who call themselves Christian. It used to be fairly easy to identify those who had departed from sound Christology as "liberal." Yet the battle line of truth has been redrawn, appearing now in the evangelical churches which have adopted a pragmatic approach to church growth. The grace of Christ has been so emphasized that people simply do not believe that he is also the Judge of All the Earth. The very word of Christ by which he will judge all who reject him is in our hands today as the Bible, and many churches heavily edit this word in order to keep people comfortable. The danger of such comfort is described in Revelation 22:19: "...And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book." Those who believe the edited version of Christ will be disinclined to repent of their sins because they do not fear God. It is clear from Genesis to Revelation that without repentance, no one can be saved. Christ's right to judge sinners and reject the unrepentant is revealed by his title in the next verse: "And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS" (Rev. 19:16). The only appropriate response to such a name is worship! As A.W. Tozer lamented, the surpassing rule of Christ is scarcely recognized in the modern church. One might even say that revival itself waits upon that realization.
   
   An angel is sent to announce the end of this rebellion: "And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, 'Come, assemble for the great supper of God; in order that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great'" (Rev. 19:17-18). What a fearful effect this announcement must have on the enemies of God! Even as they are drawing up in battle array, a voice booms from heaven to gather the carrion birds to eat their flesh! That God sends this message before the battle takes place is the key point of application of this entire passage. If the outcome of the battle is announced in advance--first to us and then to the combatants--then when did this victory occur from God's perspective? The answer is stunning: To God, this victory has always been won. There is no suspension of the outcome in the mind of God, no wondering if the humans will succeed in overcoming evil (they don't). We are the ones with these questions, and the purpose of all such prophecy is to force us to see them in a different way.
   
   The reason these events are not in doubt in the mind of God is found in the final three verses of the passage: "And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies, assembled to make war against Him who sat upon the horse, and against His army. And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat upon the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh." (Rev. 19:19-21) God himself intervenes in human history again and destroys all his enemies.
   
   Observe in this passage the senselessness of sin. Although they cannot win, the Antichrist, the False Prophet, the kings of the earth, and their armies assemble to fight the Omnipotent God. We learn here that it is a waste of time to try to understand why people sin. Sin causes people to do senseless and self-destructive things which defy explanation. Who can explain the fact that millions of modern men and women have unprotected sex with multiple partners? Who can explain why drug addicts use dirty syringes? What explanation can be given for the many people who gamble their life savings away and then commit suicide? That is why coming to Christ is described as an escape from hellishness to reality. We are not to bother explaining sin, but are commanded to pray for sinners and proclaim Christ, "...with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will" (2 Tim. 2:25-26). Those who refuse to come to their senses today are destined for the same fate as those who lose the battle of Armageddon. The name Armageddon is taken from the Hebrew, Har Megiddo, which means the plains of Megiddo. In the Bible this spot is also called the Plain of Jezreel or Esdraelon. It is a wide valley near the middle of Israel, and is the scene of this final showdown.
   
   In fact, it is not really much of a battle. The omnipotent Christ will allow the armies to draw up in battle array, both angelic and earthly, and then he will simply speak the result with the sword of his mouth, which is the word of God. The leaders of the evil army are bodily yanked from the battle and thrown into the lake of fire, which makes them the first residents of that place of everlasting torment. Then the rest of the armies of Antichrist are summarily slain with a mere word as well. God effortlessly brings his planned conclusion to the greatest, most powerful human rebellion ever mounted against him. That is why I call this "The Non-Battle of Armageddon." The enemies of God will no more be able to stand against his power than they could stand against a tidal wave.
   
   
3. CONCLUSION
   
   If this victory over God's enemies is so certain in the mind of God that he expresses it as already done, why do we who believe ever fear anything on this earth? If the answer to the question: When did God vanquish the power of evil? is "Always!", why do we shrink from living as victors? The purpose of all predictive prophecy is to cause us to shift from living in our "now" to God's "now." Our evaluations of how things are going in the church and in the world are wrong by definition. We simply do not have access to that information apart from God. But God's word reveals to us the basis upon which Christ will judge the earth with righteousness. This is the best covert intelligence report of all time! We are told even the outcome. Faith means that we live in the reality of the future as God describes it in his word, not as we imagine it. I invite you to undergo this radical frame shift, and learn to live a new way in the "faith [which] is the substance of things not seen."