And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. Revelation 16:16
Since ancient times, the history of mankind has been marked out as those periods between great battles that have shaped and changed the course of history. Your history books will give you the dates and the major impact of each of those great battles. For example, the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC prevented the Persian empire from advancing into Greece and Europe, and marked the beginning of the rise of the Greek culture. The Battle of Tours, in AD 732, had Charles Martel defeating the Mohammedan hordes of the Umayyad Caliphate, stopping Islam from advancing into Europe. English, and by extension British, history was forever changed at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, as William the Conqueror defeated the Anglo-Saxon king Harold II, introducing Norman rule. In North America, the Battle of the Plains of Abraham on September 13, 1759, assured the supremacy of the British and the defeat of the French in North America. And on 13 October 1812, the Battle of Queenston Heights assured that Canada would not become part of the United States. But there is a battle coming, the date yet unknown, that will make the greatest difference of any battle ever fought among armies in this world.
Before the great Battle of Armageddon, the antichrist will assume he has control over all the world. He will control the world’s economy and will exercise control over almost all of the nations. His rule will be marked by an ever growing opposition to God and ever growing blatant defiance of God. As the armies of the world gather by the millions to engage in battle as the great tribulation draws to a close, the Lord Jesus will lead His armies from Heaven and defeat those God-defying forces. This victory is significant, because it will feature the banning of the devil and his allies and usher in a thousand years of peace, righteous reign, and prosperity. For us as Christians, this battle serves to remind us that the outcome of history is already set and its greatest battle already decided.
There are no Armageddons around us today, and it seems like the devil is winning almost all the battles. We see immorality and the destruction of decency and godliness all about us. We see the decline of the impact of the Gospel on those around us. We see the rise of cults and false religions, along with the repression and slaughter of Christians in many lands. And we might be given cause to wonder if the devil is going to keep winning all the battles. According to the Book of Revelation, the devil and his underlings will be winning some more battles. But at Armageddon, the tide is forever turned, and the devil’s victories are gone, overwhelmed by the great victory of the King of Kings. So, just because we see a few setbacks today doesn’t mean we are on the losing side. In fact, we have already won.
Be patient and take courage, because the devil’s victories, although they are ugly and unpleasant, will be replaced by an eternal victory that we will share with our Lord. -Jim MacIntosh