The World's Armageddon Battle in Prophecy by R. C. Porter

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Aug 14, 1913

The World's Armageddon Battle in Prophecy

By R. C. Porter

(Concluded) *

R. C. PORTER

Where and When Will the Armageddon Battle Be Fought?

ARMAGEDDON is north of Jerusalem, in the Holy Land. It is situated near Mt. Megiddo, from which its name is derived. Speaking of this battle in which the kings of the earth and the whole world are to share, the Scriptures declare: “And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.” Rev. 16:16. The prophet Joel says, “Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat.” Joel 3:12. The valley of Jehoshaphat is also situated in the Holy Land. Ezekiel refers to some of the combatants as follows: “Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal.” Eze. 38:2, 3; 39:1, R. V. Rosh is Russia. See Gesenius, Smith’s Bible Dictionary, and McClintock and Strong. Russia, coming from the north with a mighty army, is to join in this last-day battle in the land of Israel. Eze. 38:15, 16. God will overthrow this army upon the mountains of Israel with the plagues of his last-day judgments. Eze. 38:21-23; 39:2-4.

Armageddon's Sequel

The Russian army becomes a part of the prey of this last-day conflict. Eze. 39:17-21; Rev. 19:11-21; Jer. 25:31-33.

The professedly Christian nations that gather at Jerusalem, in anticipation of reestablishing Christ’s kingdom of eternal peace by the sword of international conquest over the heathen nations, meet the same fate as Russia and the heathen nations, under God’s last-day judgments. Jer. 25:33-38; Isa. 2:1-21. Paul speaks prophetically of the sequel to the attempt of the nations to establish Christ’s kingdom of peace as follows: “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.” 1 Thess. 5:1-4. There is deliverance for none but the children of light.

From the scriptures cited, it is unquestionable that Armageddon is this world’s closing conflict. It ends with the second advent of Christ. Rev. 6:12-17. The kingdom of God is not to be established by national conquest. If it were thus established, all nations would enter it in the last great battle with which the world’s history closes; for at that time it is said: “It shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.” Does the Lord accept this attempt to reestablish the kingdom of Christ by the conquest of professedly Christian nations, and by their enforcement of a profession of Christianity? Let him answer. “Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people.” “And the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself: therefore forgive them not.” Isa. 2:6, 9.

The kingdom of God is not established in that way. There is but one door into it. Christ said, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved.” “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.” John 10:9, 1. The pathway into the kingdom of God is by the new birth. Christ said, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” John 3:5. The new birth is individual. It can no more be accomplished now nationally than in the days of ancient Israel. By the new birth the law of the kingdom of God is reestablished in the heart of the penitent sinner. Heb. 8:10. A sinner is a rebel against the government of God. No rebel is ever reinstated as a citizen until he has ceased his rebellion, and sworn everlasting allegiance to the law of the government. So it is with the kingdom of God. When one is thus born by faith into the kingdom of God, Christ declares, “The kingdom of God is within you.” Luke 17:21. Peter says: “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure; for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”

The attempt to establish the kingdom of God by the conquest of the sword is a scheme of Satan with which to ensnare and ruin the world in the last days. The end of that way is death, for Christ has said, “All they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.” Matt. 26:52. How thankful we should be that we may make our calling and election sure! In the face of the prevailing apostasy of the last days that shall bring trouble and unrest throughout the world, we may accept the invitation of Christ: “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” Matt. 11:28.

The kingdom of God is not war and unrest. The kingdom of God is “righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” Rom. 14:17. In the midst of the world’s Armageddon, when there is to be “a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation” (Dan. 12:1), the people of God will rest in peace, quietness, and assurance, as unshaken as the throne of God. Isa. 32:17-19. When the Armageddon conflict closes, God’s people will “be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.” Dan. 12:1. Reader, is your name written there? When the Armageddon battle comes, it is too late to have our names enrolled in the book of life. Probation has then closed. Probation closes before the beginning of the seven last plagues. Rev. 15:8. Armageddon takes place under the sixth plague. Rev. 16:12. The seventh plague brings the end. A voice from the throne announces, “It is done.” Rev. 16:17. Then follows the great earthquake that breaks down every city, and closes the Armageddon battle by depopulating the earth. Rev. 16:18-21; Jer. 4:19-26; 25:31-33.

While banished to the isle of Patmos, the sequel to the world’s Armageddon battle was graphically portrayed before John the beloved, in holy vision: “And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of his

wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” Rev. 6:14-17.

Thus ends the awful last-day Armageddon tragedy for which the world, from the schoolboy of tender years to the man of gray hair and mature experience, is today in training. Each should stop and consider the harvest for which he is sowing. The question, Who shall be able to stand? which faces the participants in this last-day carnage in the blackness of despair, is answered by the prophet Daniel: “At that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.” Dan. 12:1.

Shanghai, China.