Armageddon and the Apocalypse

Two prophetic events concerning the end times have historically been considered by many to be the same event; Armageddon and the Apocalypse. But they’re different events that will occur at different times and it’s important for us to make the distinction between them.

What is Armageddon? According to the Bible, it is an event where the armies of world nations will gather together in the plain of Megiddo outside of Israel to attempt to annihilate the Jewish nation. What is the Apocalypse? The Apocalypse is derived from the Greek word Apokalypsis and it means revelation. The Bible’s final book is called the Revelation and it reveals the prophetic end time events on earth using allegorical symbols and metaphorical words.

For example, the apostle John, who recorded the Apocalypse while he was in exile from Rome in about 90 A.D. on the desolate island of Patmos, revealed that he saw a monstrous beast with seven heads and 10 horns rise from the sea. (Revelation 13) John’s beast was an allegory for a powerful world government that will rise in the last days that will feature 10 nation groups that will be ruled by seven powerful kings. Furthermore, the Hebrew prophet Daniel, who lived about 700 years before John, received a similar allegorical vision of an end time global government that he described as “terrifying and frightening and very powerful.” (Daniel 7:7) Daniel’s beast “had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had 10 horns.”

Biblical prophecy reveals that this coming global government is going to be ruled by an eighth king that John informs us will be the dreaded Antichrist. (Revelation 17:11) He will have the ultimate authority over the seven kings and he will be considered by many to be Jesus Christ based upon his ability to perform incredible miracles (2Thessalonians 2:9, Revelation 13:13) and to bring peace to a world torn apart by war and strife. (1Thessalonians 5:3, Revelation 13:8) Millions of people, including many professing Christians, will mistake him for Christ when he appears and will swear allegiance to him, even taking his dreaded mark (Revelation 13:16-17) which will seal their eternal doom.

Throughout the 2,000 year history of the Christian Church, many prophecy students have believed that at some point after the Antichrist establishes his global government, he will turn against the Jewish nation of Israel and seek her destruction by ordering the armies of world nations to attack her. Some experts have theorized that he will order Israel’s destruction when the Jewish nation refuses to embrace him as Israel’s messiah or as God. Certainly, the bible reveals that this man is going to enter a rebuilt Jewish Temple in Jerusalem to defile it before he comes under God’s judgment. (Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15, 2Thessalonians 2:4)

But nowhere does biblical prophecy reveal that the Antichrist will seek revenge against Israel for rejecting him as the messiah by ordering her destruction. That storyline has been written in by some self-styled prophecy experts who were baffled by two distinct events that they tried to reconcile by tying them together. In fact, they can’t be tied together. Then what is going to happen when the Antichrist defiles the Jewish Temple? Christ used a scripture from the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 13:10) to reveal what’s going to happen: “The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.” (Matthew 24:29) That will signal the return of Christ right after the Antichrist enters the Jewish Temple to defile it.

Furthermore, the apostle Peter described Christ’s return as the day of the Lord: “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.” (2Peter 3:10) Concerning his return, Christ stated: “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man (Christ) coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up you heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:25-28)

The bible doesn’t mention the armies of world nations gathering outside of Israel planning a devastating attack upon the Jewish nation when Christ returns. And yet the bible does reveal that Christ will purposely gather the nations of the world against Israel before he destroys them. (Ezekiel 38-39, Zechariah 14, Revelation 20:7-10) So when is this event, known as Armageddon, going to take place?

It is going to take place at the end of Christ’s 1,000-year millennial reign before he establishes a new heaven and earth. According to the Revelation: “When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth--Gog and Magog--to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. (Jerusalem) But fire came down from heaven and devoured them.” (Revelation 20:7-9)

Compare the Revelation with the prophet Ezekiel’s prophecy concerning Armageddon that was recorded over 600 years before the Apocalypse. Ezekiel quoted the Lord directly who described Israel at the time of Armageddon as a place where “my people Israel are living in safety…” (Ezekiel 38:14) Certainly, the Israelites aren’t living in safety these days with the threat of nuclear annihilation hanging over their heads from the Iranians and now the new threat of trouble from Egypt since the Muslim Brotherhood gained power in that nation. In fact, the Israelis are surrounded by trouble with the Palestinians seeking Israel’s destruction from the inside and hostile Islamic nations such as Iran, Syria, Egypt and Hezbollah in Lebanon seeking to destroy the Jewish nation from the outside.

Armageddon will occur at the end of Christ’s millennial reign. It seems inconceivable that the nations of the world would turn against Christ and the nation of Israel while he rules the world from Jerusalem. And yet that’s going to happen. That underscores the absolute sinfulness and depravity in the hearts of men, even while they live in the presence of God himself. And when the world attempts to destroy Israel, Christ is going to finally put an end to the chronic rebellion that has driven mankind to reject God since the dawn of history: “Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle.” (Zechariah 14:3) And he will completely destroy them.

It’s vitally important to make the distinction between the Apocalypse and Armageddon. Because a counterfeit messiah is coming who will seemingly rescue Israel from her hostile Islamic enemies, only to defile a rebuilt Jewish Temple and to deceive the entire world. If you don’t understand the difference between these two events, you may very well get swept away by the first one if you happen to be around when it occurs.