What Is the Spiritual Significance of Armageddon?

Hi Mike,

Is it a metaphor or will there truly be a physical “battle of Armageddon”? Or, is it a spiritual battle we each as Individuals of Christ’s creation and each individual faces Armageddon in their lives from generations to generations, etc?

Thanks Mike and Sandi for all you do and explaining this in more simple terms.

G____

Hi G____,

Thank you for your question. It is always so good to hear from you.

You asked: “Is it a metaphor or will there truly be a physical “battle of Armageddon”?

The short answer is that Jerusalem, Babylon and Armageddon are all physical locations with a spiritual meaning and a spiritual application, which is no more associated with the physical realm than “the Lamb of God” is associated with a physical lamb.

There is always a present, inward and spiritual meaning to any word of scripture, and yet, for that word to mean anything to us as physical beings, there must also be an outward, dispensational application. So there must be a physical application before any word can be used in a spiritual sense.

That is why we are told this very basic doctrine:

Rom 1:20  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

Jerusalem is a physical city. But spiritually ‘Jerusalem’ is also a Biblical symbol for the people of God, who are also symbolized as “the bride of Christ” in these verses:

Rev 21:1  And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
Rev 21:2  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

‘Babylon’ is also a physical city. But spiritually ‘Babylon’ is called “the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth.”

Rev 17:1  And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
Rev 17:2  With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
Rev 17:3  So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
Rev 17:4  And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
Rev 17:5  And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

So it is with ‘Armageddon’. There is a physical location called Armageddon in the ‘valley of Megiddo’ in the physical nation of Israel. But just like the cities of Jerusalem and Babylon, spiritually Armageddon symbolizes the greatest battle any of us will ever fight. It is the symbol for the final battle against all the “nations” within us which come up against “the kingdom of God… within [us]” (Luk 17:20-21). All these ‘nations’ are the Biblical symbol for all the false doctrines of our old man which are all “gathered together” against all the truths of “the doctrine of Christ” (Gal 6:2).

The word ‘Armageddon’ appears only one time in all of scripture and that is in:

Rev 16:12  And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
Rev 16:13  And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
Rev 16:14  For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
Rev 16:15  Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
Rev 16:16  And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

“The dragon… the beast… and the false prophet” are all within us in the form of all the false doctrines we have all believed, and are yet in the process of fighting.

Notice that verse 13 informs us this is the sixth of the seven last plagues which are poured out upon “the earth”, the kingdom of our old man.

Now look at what we are told of these “seven last plagues”:

Rev 15:7  And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.
Rev 15:8  And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

Since we are the temple (1Co 3:16), and since we are also told:

Rev 1:3  Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. 

It becomes very clear to those who are given eyes that see and ears that hear the things of the spirit (Mat 13:9-15) that ‘Armageddon’ is primarily the spiritual symbol of the final battle which is at this very moment taking place within the lives of the Lord’s elect who are at this moment in the process of entering into and becoming the temple of God.

I hope this answers your question: “Is [Armageddon] a metaphor or will there truly be a physical “battle of Armageddon?”

‘Armageddon’ is primarily the symbol for this battle we are now waging, the last great spiritual battle of the kingdom of our old man against the kingdom of our new man, “the kingdom of God… within [us]”:

Luk 17:20  And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Luk 17:21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

All the false doctrines of all the churches and religions of this world, symbolized by the number…:

Rev 9:16  And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.

That is 200 million false doctrines which come up against the Truths of the Word of God attempting to rob us of our “crown of life” by getting us to believe any of these hundreds of millions of lies.

Yes, there is a physical ‘Armageddon’ in the physical nation of ‘Israel’. The physical ‘Armageddon’ is used as the final battle against the Lord and His Christ, because it was known for the many battles which took place in that “valley of Megiddo”. But physical ‘Armageddon’ is but the symbol for the battle taking place within us as the Lord’s elect, as well as the final battle when the nations of this world will be made to rise up against “the camp of the saints” who will have been ruling the entire earth with Christ during the thousand year reign of Christ and His Christ:

Rev 20:1  And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
Rev 20:2  And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
Rev 20:3  And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Rev 20:5  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Rev 20:7  And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
Rev 20:8  And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
Rev 20:9  And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
Rev 20:10  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

The “compassing of the saints” by “the nations in the four quarters of the earth” is the final application of the symbolism of ‘the battle of Armageddon’. It will be a world wide event involving all “the nations in the four quarters of the earth”. The purpose for releasing Satan after the thousand years is simply to provide the Lord with the “occasion” He is seeking (Jdg 14:3-4) to destroy death by the destruction of all physical life when that “fire [comes] down from God out of heaven and devours [the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth]”.

This same event is prophesied in Ezekiel 38. “The nations in the four quarters of the earth” are symbolized by “Gog and Magog” which are mentioned both in Ezekiel 38 and in Revelation 20.

I hope all of this has answered your question. If you still have questions, feel free to get back to me.

YbitC, Mike