The premillennialism believes that there will be a big battle in Israel called the battle of Armageddon.
The reason for his theory is a wrong approach to Old Testament and New Testament prophecy. "One of the most marked features of premillennialism in all its forms is the emphasis which it places on the literal interpretation of Scriptures. It is the insistent claim of its advocates that only when interpreted literally is the Bible interpreted truly; and they denounce as 'spiritualizers' or 'allegorizers' those who do not interpret the Bible with the same degree of literalness as they do.
None have made this charge more pointedly than the Dispensationalists. The question of literal versus figurative is, therefore, one which has to be faced at the very outset." Prophecy and the Church, Oswalt T. Allis, pg. 17. Daniel and Revelation are largely "apocalyptic writings"-- a very special type of prophecy. They reveal their messages in signs and symbols. Beasts, mountains, 50 kg hailstones, rivers of blood, special use of numbers - 3 1/2, 6, 7 and 2. Apocalyptic writing revealed things to the persecuted adn concealed things from the persecutors. The parables did much the same thing -- Matt. 13:1-17.
I. The Premillenial View Of Armageddon Is:
A. Jesus will come and take away the saved into Heave with Him, leaving the unsaved on the earth.
This is called "The Rapture."
B. The Roman Empire will be re-established.
C. Then certain Jews will be converted and they will convert all of Israel and many Gentiles, the temple
will be rebuilt and sacrifices resumed.
D. The believers will be persecuted ("The Tribulation").
E. Then a great battle between the four great world empires and the Jews will take place in
Jerusalem (one army is to have more than 200 million soldiers). This is "Armageddon."
F. Jesus will come, destroy the wicked and set up His kingdom on earth and rule for a lit eral 1,000 years.
G. Then the Devil will be loosed again, much wickedness will appear.
H. Finally, the final resurrection (of the wicked) and the Judgment will occur.
II. The Bible Teaching Is:
A. The Kingdom of Dan. 2:44 is the church of Christ.
B. It was established during the days of the Roman Empire, there- fore the Roman Empire does not
need to be re-established.
C. The Roman Empire was destroyed, as Dan. 2:44 prophesied.
D. Prophecies concerning the restoration of Israel to Palestine were fulfilled when Judah returned
after the Babylonian captivity.
E. Israel as a nation has been rejected by God.
F. Spiritual Israel today is the church, made up of believers from all nations.
G. The persecution of believers in Revelation was fulfilled shortly after the book was written.
(Rev. 1:1,3; 22:6, 12, 20).
H. The battle of Har-Magedon (Rev. 16:16; 19:11-21) was a spiritual battle between the forces of
evil and righteousness. It was prophesied to give courage to the persecuted Christians.
I. The battles between the Kings of the North, South, East and West described in Dan. 11 were
prophecies, which concerned the Empires of the Medes, Greeks, Syrians, Egyptians, and
possibly the Romans, and was fulfilled before Jesus was born.
III. The Kingdom Of Daniel 2:44.
A. If it can be shown that this kingdom is the church, the whole premillenial theory falls to the ground.
B. KINGDOM PROPHECIES FULFILLED:
1. Prophecy Fulfillment Dan. 2:44--"In the days of those kings." Mk. 1:14,15. Dan. 7:13--"He came
up to the Ancient of Days" Acts 1:9,2:33- 36. Dan. 2:44--"It will endure forever" Heb. 12:28
IV. The Kings Of Daniel 11:
A. These are not future empires to come during the Tribulation.
1. They are empires existing in the days of Daniel whose futures were prophesied:
a. Note: Vs. 2 -- The rich king of Persia was Xerxes.
b. Vs. 4 -- His kingdom shall be taken by Greece (Dan. 8:20-22) which will be broken into
four kingdoms on the death of Alexander the Great.
c. Vs. 5 -- King of the South was Ptolemy 1 and his successors who ruled Egypt.
d. Vs. 6 -- The King of the North was Seleucus 1 and his successors who ruled Syria and Babylon.
e. Vss. 29-35 -- Antiochus IV (Epiphanes).
f. Vss. 36-45 -- The end of the King of the South (Egypt) and the conquest and end of King of
the North (either Antiochus IV or Rome).
V. The Battle Of Revelation: Chapters 16-19.
A. In interpreting Revelation we must remember:
1. It was written concerning events happening at the time of writing and immediately thereafter.
1:1,3; 22:6,12,20.
a. This rules out the whole premillenial outlook.
2. It was written in symbols, which must be understood figuratively.
a. The literal passages are exceptions.
B. This section deals with God's final judgment on the Roman Empire -- fulfillment of Dan. 2:44.
1. The feature the kingdoms of Dan. 2 had in common was deification of the emperor or king.
a. Domitian (AD 81-96), bathed
the empire in the blood of Christians because they refused to worship him as "God and Lord"
as he required.
b. This section shows the punishment on the Empire for the false religion and persecution of
Christians.
c. The result would be the abolition of empire or emperor worship.
2. The enemies of Christ are:
a. The dragon -- Satan.
b. The beast of the sea -- Roman Empire.
c. Babylon -- the great harlot.
d. Beast of the earth, like a lamb speaking as a dragon -- Organized religion (The Concilia) to
enforce emperor worship.
C. This judgment is portrayed as the pouring out of seven bowls of wrath.
1. (16:1,2) -- Poured upon the land, fell upon men marked with the name of the beast (those who worshipped the emperor) and caused terrible sores.
2. (16:3) -- Emptied on the sea. The water turned to blood.
3. (16:4-7) -- Poured out on fresh water. It became blood.
4. (16:8,9) -- Empted on the sun, sun sent scorching rays to burn men.
5. (16:10,11) -- Poured out on the throne of the beast. The kingdom was darkened, great pain
on the people, but they refused to repent of their idol worship.
6. (16:12) -- Emptied on the Euphrates River, drying it up and opening the way for conquest from
the east. This is the preparation for the great battle.
a. The reaction of Jesus' enemies to this danger: The three frogs (16:13-16).
1) These were the recruiting agents of the devil, the empire and false religion calling the kings
of the earth together to do battle with the forces of righteousness.
2) The battlefield is "Har-magedon," the ancient battlefield in Israel where many battles
between Israel and her enemies had been fought.
a) NOTE: If this battle is literal, then the commanders of the forces are frogs!
7. (16:17-20:10) -- This is the one which finishes the beast (the emperor and his worship).
a. Earthquake, Babylon split into three pieces, islands and mountains disappear, 50 kg.
hailstones upon men.
D. The judgment is further described in chapters 17-19.
1. (ch. 17) -- Judgment on the great harlot (Rome).
a. (vss. 14-18) -- Triumph of Jesus over her. The provinces fight against her.
2. (18:1-20) -- Her destruction described as bringing sorrow to those who traded with her.
3. (18:21-24) -- Her destruction as a millstone cast into the sea.
a. Amusement life, business life, and home life should cease.
4. (19:1-10) -- The saints rejoice over Babylon's destruction.
5. (19:11-20:10) -- Christ, the victorious warrior.
a. (19:11-16) -- Christ comes as a warrior.
b. (19:17,18) -- The victory announced before battle begins.
c. (19:19-21) -- The battle (Armageddon), victory over the beast and false prophet -- complete
and final.
d. (20:1-3) -- Victory over the devil.
The battle of Armageddon is one of many symbols John used to show Christians of his day that, though they were at that time suffering under the wicked emperor Domitian, Christ would avenge their blood upon him, emperor worship would be broken, and Satan's power to deceive the nations into rendering such worship would be bound. This is what occurred. There is no reference to a literal battle, whether then or in the future.