THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ARMAGEDDON
I believe that the battle of “Armageddon” (Revelation 16:16 ESV) has already taken place—that it is a symbol of the fall of the Roman Empire in the year A.D. 476. Dan Winkler’s comments on this passage and its context (Rev. 16:12-21) are very good:“First, ‘the great river Euphrates, and its waters was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared’ (16:12). Remember, in the beginning years of the empire, Rome crossed the Euphrates to attack Parthia. But, in doing so, twenty thousand died, ten thousand were captured and ‘the East’ became a consummate threat. So, a drying up of the Euphrates represented an exposure of Rome to potential disaster (cf. Rev. 9:1-7). Second, because of this exposure, ‘three unclean spirits like frogs [came] out of the mouth of the dragon [i.e. the empire]…the beast [i.e. emperor Domitian], and…the false prophet [i.e., since a prophet was a spokeman (Ex. 4:15-16 plus 7:1), this false prophet would have to be a reference to the spokesmen who promoted emperor worship]’ (16:13). These spirits were identified as ‘spirits of demons’ or false teachers (16:14; cf. 1 Tim. 4:1-2); and, they symbolized the deceit that the emperor and his forces used to rally the empire (16:14). Third, with Rome exposed and postured for war, those earlier portrayed as an army of locust—led by ‘Aboddon’ or ‘Apollyon’ [literally, the ‘Destroyer’] (Rev. 9:1-17)—were symbolically summoned to fight the empire at a placed called ‘Armageddon’ (16:15-16).The Awesome Battle of Armageddon‘Armageddon’ is Hebrew for ‘hill of Megiddo,’ sixty miles north of Israel (Josh. 12:21; Judg. 1:27; 5:19; 1 Kgs. 4:7, 12; 9:15). It was a ‘hilly’ region (Josh. 17:11) where many decisive battles were fought (e.g., Judg. 7:1-22; 4:4-24; 1 Sam. 31:1-6; 2 Kgs. 23:28-30). It was, thus, mentioned to suggest the idea of a battle between God and the idolaters of Rome.NOTE: there is no reference in scripture to an actual ‘Battle of Amageddon.’ It is not some horrific, cataclysmic event on the horinzon of our future. No great political offensive. No ‘war to end all wars.’LOOK, AGAIN, AT THE SYMBOLIC IMAGERY AND THE VICTORY IT IMPLIED.- Rome was exposed (16:12).
- Rome rallied (16:13-14).
- Rome was fought (16:15-16).
- Rome lost (16:17-21).
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