MORE ON ARMAGEDDON
Don K. Preston
The response to a recent article on Armageddon was excellent, so, I want to share a few more thoughts on this provocative and important topic.
Revelation 16.14f says that Armageddon is the gathering for the Day of the Lord. Technically, Armageddon is not a battle at all, it is the gathering for the war. The actual conflict is called Athe Great Day of God Almighty@ (Revelation 16.14). That Day would be the judgment of Babylon when God=s wrath would be completed (Revelation 16.17-21). This last issue is a critical fact yet often ignored. Why is this significant?
In Revelation 15.8 John saw the temple in heaven opened and he saw the Ark of the Covenant. The idea of being able to see the Ark, and to enter the Most Holy Place, the very presence of God, is awesome! Yet, John was told that no one could enter the Most Holy Place Auntil the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.@ No one could enter the Most Holy Place until God=s wrath was completed! When would that be?
God=s wrath would be consummated in the outpouring of the Seventh Bowl, in the judgment of Babylon (Revelation 16.17f). Who is Babylon? Babylon is Awhere the Lord was slain@ (Revelation 11.8). Is there any dispute about where Jesus was slain? Babylon was Old Covenant Jerusalem! Now, since the judgment against Babylon was to finish the wrath of God, notice what this means in regard to Armageddon.
The gathering at Armageddon (Sixth Vial), would be immediately before the judgment of Babylon (Seventh Vial). But Babylon was Old Covenant Jerusalem, destroyed in A.D. 70. Therefore, the gathering at Armageddon would be immediately before (Sixth Vial) the judgment of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 (Seventh Vial). Let=s follow up on this.
John was told that no one could enter the Most Holy Place, the direct presence of God, until the wrath of God was finished, in the judgment of Babylon/Jerusalem. Does the Bible speak elsewhere of when man could enter the Most Holy Place? Yes.
Hebrews 9.6-10 says the Old Covenant Temple worship was symbolic of better things to come. That service was still being conducted, and as long as that system stood: Aentrance into the Holiest of all is not made manifest.@ So, as long as the Old Covenant System remained valid, there was no entrance into the Most Holy Place. In other words, entrance into the Most Holy Place would be opened when the Old Covenant System was removed! Notice the perfect correlation with Revelation and the judgment of Babylon.
Entrance into the Most Holy Place would be at the end of the Old Mosaic System (Hebrews 9.6-10). But entrance into the Most Holy Place would be when God=s wrath was finished in the judgment of Babylon. Babylon was Awhere the Lord was slain.@ (Revelation 11.8, i.e. Old Covenant Jerusalem). Therefore, entrance into the Most Holy Place would be opened at the judgment of Old Covenant Jerusalem.
Now, since Armageddon was immediately before the judgment of Babylon/Jerusalem, this means that the gathering of Armageddon was immediately before the judgment of Jerusalem in A.D. 70! Armageddon has nothing whatsoever to do with our present or future. It is past!
I have written a book: Blast From the Past, the Truth About Armageddon. The book is available from this website in our bookstore. The book will challenge your thinking on Armageddon!