Armaghedon in The Bible and Adventist History
Armaghedon in The Bible and Adventist History
Armaghedon in The Bible and Adventist History
ADVENTIST
HERITAGE CENTER
James White Library
ANDREWS UNIVERSITY
(Darmstadt, Germany)
March 1987
(Rev 16:16) must be interpreted from its biblical perspective. This means
that both the immediate context in Revelation and the wider biblical
demons, vs 14] gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is
NIV is quoted).
Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of
the mouth of the dragon, out of the mOuth of the beast and out of the
mouth of the false prophet. They are spirits of demons performing
miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to
gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty (Rev 16:13-
14).
From this literary context it appears that the universal preparations for
the battle of Armageddon are instigated and advanced by demonic spirits who
dragon, the beast and the false prophet. The rise of these anti-God and
14-19. This structural relationship of "Armageddon" (in Rev 16) with the
controversy between the forces of good and evil, which started in heaven and
Plagues (Rev 16), after the description of the sixth plague (16:12). The
actual battle is not described in 16:16 and will consequently take place
during the seventh plague. Surprisingly, the final plague describes the
terrifying events in nature that will accompany the second advent of Christ,
with this clarification: "God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the
cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath" (16:19). The battle of
These may not be divorced from each other. Armageddon is explained within
immediately after the judgment on "the great river Euphrates" (the sixth
/plague) with the result that "its water was dried up to prepare the way for
the kings from the East" (16:12). Apparently the drying up of the great
Euphrates' River (as the sixth plague) will prepare the way for the kings
Euphrates followed by the subsequent fall of Babylon and the coming of the
kings from the East will remind the Bible reader of the OT prophecies about
the fall of ancient Babylon (see Isa 13; 41; 44-47; and Jer 50-51).
16-19 are manifold and impressive (see the comparative lists in Seventh-day
Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 4:272, 523-524; and vol. 7:867-869). These
angels who had the seven bowls [of the plagues] came and said to me, "Come,
I will show you the punishment [krima, judgment] of the great prostitute,
literary and a theological link between the last plagues of Rev 16 and the
angelic discourse of Rev 17: a) an angel from Rev 16 returns to explain the
meaning of the final two plagues on Babylon; b) both chapters deal with the
first that Babylon is a composite unit that consists of two distinct parts,
as a "prostitute" who sits "on many waters" (17:1, referring back to Jer
51:13), with whom "the kings of the earth" have committed adultery (or:
beast" that had written blasphemous names insulting to God, all over it.
That beast has the significant features of seven heads and ten horns (17:3),
connecting it intimately with the red dragon of chapter 12 (vs 3). The
prostitute has written on her forehead "a name of mystery" (vs 5 RSV), that
York, 1984). This Babylon is "drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood
and its waters, between Babylon and its waters of the Euphrates, between the
harlot and the beast on which she is seated. Stated without symbolic
leadership and the political forces of Babylon. Yet, more is disclosed than
rsuddenly hate each other and mutually destroy one another. The beast will
start to overthrow the harlot. The kings who had become one with the harlot
by means of fornication will bring total ruin on her. The angel speaks of a
The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute.
They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat
her flesh and burn her with fire (Rev 17:16).
clear: it denotes the exercise of God's covenantal wrath in His holy war,
in retaliation for Babylon's unholy war against the saints of God and of
as "the Lamb" shifts now to His role as "the King of kings and Lord of
final declaration: "In her was found the blood of God's prophets and of the
saints, and of all who have been killed on the earth" (18:24; see K. A.
20:1, 1982, pp. 53-60). The practical appeal for the Israel of God is the
call to flee from Babylon before the judgments fall on her (18:4). In
Revelation 19 cosmic joy and praise arise when Babylon has been judged: "He
has avenged on her the blood of his servants" (vs 2). The fall of Babylon
13 d's faithful people at the very center of the battle of Armageddon. They
for His imminent coming: "Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who
stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and
The apocalypse urges upon the church the arresting message that
Armageddon will be the final contest between the combined forces of Satan,
on the one hand, and Christ with His chosen and faithful followers, on the
other hand. Two passages explain this alignment of Armageddon with clarity:
I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse whose
rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war
. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses
and dressed in fine lines, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a
sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them
with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath
of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS . . . Then I saw the beast and the kings
of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the
rider on the horse and his army (Rev 19:11, 14-16, 19).
from confusion and fear, but also to reassure her that Christ is in supreme
should not overlook the concrete reality that the kings or political powers
will wage war on "the Lamb" by persecuting and ultimately outlawing the
faithful followers of Christ here on earth. The climax of this unholy war
in human history is the prelude to God's Holy War of the seven last plagues.
between God and Satan (Rev 12). Although it is a thoroughly spiritual and
murderer at the end of history as when he deceived Adam and Eve in Paradise
(Rev 12:9). Satan's specific aim was to destroy Christ, the Messiah of
Israel (Rev 12:4). When his plan was defeated and Christ arose from the
dead as Victor and was enthroned in heaven as the Ruler of all nations (vs
community, the remnant people of God: "Then the dragon was enraged at the
woman and went to make war with the rest of her offspring--those who obey
This satanic battle against the faithful remnant church and Christ's
Rev 12-19. Although the evil warfare against the living body of Christ
continues unrelentingly since the first coming of the Lord, the Apocalypse
focuses increasingly on the final crisis of the church (see 12:17; 13:15-17;
seven last plagues as originating in the throne room of God (15:1, 6-7).
In these plagues the holy wrath of God is poured out without divine
mercy. These supernatural judgments are reminiscent of the plagues God sent
down on a rebellious Egypt that held His covenant people in bondage (Exod 7-
12). In addition, Revelation pictures the divine wrath of the last plagues l2mi-(01
as Cod's direct response to the wrath of Babylon. Babylon had made (or Pf:K-11
forced) "all nations to drink the wine of the wrath of her fornication"
(14:8 NKJV). In the midst of this universal apostasy from God, the
If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his
forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the
wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His
indignation (14:9, 10 NKJV; cf 16:19).
symbol for divine judgment and retribution (cf Ps 75:7, 8; Jer 25:15, 16,
28; Isa 51:17; Ezek 23:31-33). The proclamation of this ultimatum (14:6-
God and the faith of Jesus" (14:12 NKJV). This very Scripture passage
united enemies of God and Christ (dragon, beast, and false prophet; 14:8;
17:5; 18:2), then by the same kind of imagery the faithful Christians may be
viewed as "the Israel of God" (cf Gal 3:29; 6:16). The dramatic outcome of
this mortal combat between this Babylon and this Israel is called
of Babylon (16:19).
Judge and Warrior King, seated triumphally on a white battle horse, needs to
,wars.\ The same covenant God who fought victoriously on behalf of Israel of
old, will fight again for the rescue of His faithful new-covenant people.
triumph of Yahweh or His Messiah over all rebellious opponents, all of which
Apocalypse (for example, compare Rev 1:7 with Isa 40:5; Dan 7:13; Zech
12:10; also Rev 14:14-20 with Joel 3:1, 2, 9-16; Isa 63:1-6; Jer 25:30; Mic
because Yahweh would bring judgment on the land of Egypt and all her gods
(Exod 12:13). Israel would be exempted from destruction only when they had
applied the blood of the Passover lamb as a sign on their doorposts (Exod
12:13). The fact that Revelation presents the glorified Christ twenty-seven
times as "the Lamb" becomes more meaningful to the church if this symbolic
gospel proclaims that Christ died on the cross as the perfect Antitype of
Israel's Passover lamb (cf John 19:36; Exod 12:46; 1 Cor 5:8; 1 Pet 1:19).
The blood application of the Passover lamb not only redeemed Israel from
at the Red Sea. Here Yahweh intervened for Israel as her divine Warrior by
casting Pharaoh's chariots and his army into the turbulent sea (Exod 14).
Then Moses sang with Israel these famous words of promise: "The LORD is a
man of war. The LORD [Yahweh] is His name" (Exod 15:3; cf Ps 24:8-10). The
War, usually called "holy war" in the Christian tradition. Just as the
historic triumph of Yahweh over Egypt's army at the Red Sea finalized God's
Revelation as the final plague-judgment of God and as the last War of Christ
against His enemies. Revelation furthermore envisions that after the seven
plagues and Armageddon are completed, the victors over the beast will stand
"beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. And they sing
10
paradigm and theological type of the final redemption of the true remnant
Yahweh's victory at the Red Sea as the archetype that basically will be
repeated in the later wars of Yahweh, until the God of Israel will dwell at
peace among His people (Exod 15:14-18). One scholar extensively argues that
that He wants to act in this way for Israel "always and everywhere" (N.
The Bruce Publ. Co., Milwaukee, 1968. Ch. 4, p. 84; cf. M. C. Lind, Yahweh
-by referring repeatedly to Israel's first exodus from Egypt as the prototype
for the future liberation from the new oppressor, Babylon (Isa 11:10-12;
Egypt and the fall of ancient Babylon in its structural composition of the
The first five apocalyptic plagues are apparently borrowed from the
book of Exodus, but the sixth and seventh plagues are quite evidently
borrowed from the prophecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah concerning the fall of
11
His covenant people thus doubly assures the church of the end-time that her
exodus redemption is absolutely secure. The same Lord who defeated both
Egypt and Babylon to set His people free so that their worship may glorify
If the two exodi of Israel from Egypt and from Babylon constitute
the ordained types of God's redemptive acts and Yahweh wars for the end-time
one vital aspect must be stressed: that the Day of Yahweh will also be the
war of Yahweh against an apostate and impenitent Israel whose cultic worship
spiritual discrimination within Israel affirms the basic premise that the
Day of the Lord is the day of salvation solely for the faithful remnant of
Israel (see Joel 2:32; Hab 2:4; Zeph 3:8-13; Zech 12:10-12; Dan 12:1-2).
of the Day of the Lord to cosmic-universal dimensions (Isaiah 13; 24; 34;
to Israel's holy war against Sisera, the army commander of the Canaanite
kings, and to her victory near the waters of Megiddo (Judg 5:19). When
Sisera attacked Israel with 900 iron war chariots, "the stars" from heaven
12
Warrior. He went out before Israel and "routed Sisera" (Judg 4:14, 15). As
a result, "the army of Sisera fell by the edge of the sword, not a man was
The Song of Deborah praises this holy act of God near Megiddo as an
significantly with this apocalyptic perspective: "Thus let all Your enemies
perish, 0 LORD!" (vs 31 NKJV). The apocalyptic term (Har) Magedon (Rev
[ekkoptomenou]. This indicates that the symbolic term Mar Magedon in Rev
(Destruction).
holy war motifs are blended by John into a creative apocalyptic outlook that
has its unifying and transforming center in Christ as the Lamb of God. The
key to this gospel interpretation of the OT types and prophecies lies in the
inaugural vision of the risen Christ. This presents Christ as our royal
High Priest who is ministering among the seven lampstands of the heavenly
temple, which are said to be the seven churches (Rev 1:13, 20). Here is
offered the clue to understand the Hebrew imagery of the whole book of
13
prescript already states that Christ has freed us from our sins "and has
made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father" (1:6; cf.
forbids any effort to apply the NT sense of the Hebrew names and geographic
The day of Yahweh will be fulfilled as the day of the Son of Man.
The holy war of Yahweh is transformed into the war of Christ as King of
kings. The wrath of Yahweh manifests itself as the wrath of the Lamb (Rev
6:14-17; 14:14-20; 19:11-21). The song of Moses will be sung again, but in
the higher key of the song of the Lamb (Rev 15:2-3). The nature of John's
The last Bible book by its fusion of the OT War oracles reveals that
salvation history once more in behalf of his covenant people with a final
himself in a theophany as the holy Warrior-King and Judge before all the
nations. Then He will vindicate His Messianic remnant, while "the beast and
the false prophet" and their followers will perish by His triumphal
14
truth, blasphemed the name of Yahweh, and oppressed unto death the Israel of
Babylon was at war on a double front: against the God of Israel, and
5, 7). The New Jerusalem is explicitly called the bride or "wife of the
Lamb" (Rev 21:9), while "the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple."
(Only those may enter it "whose names are written in the Lamb's book of
15
of the Lamb" (22:1, 3). Christ is honored in the Apocalypse with full
hatred against God, His Christ (12:5), and the faithful Church (12:6-12).
Babylon attacks and enslaves the universal Church and poisons her teaching
The thrust of the message of hope in the Apocalypse is that God will
judge the end-time Babylon once and for all and will vindicate the true
Babylon is based on the fall of ancient Babylon as its ordained type'. The
theological essentials remain the same while the ethnic and geographic
Yahweh's judgment fell suddenly on ancient Babylon (Isa 47:9, 11; Jer 51:8),
so Christ will now cause His judgment to come suddenly on universal Babylon,
the antichrist kingdom (Rev 18:8, 10, 19). The apocalyptic fall of Babylon
will be much more devastating and infinitely more spectacular than its type.
fully if one takes a close look at the original plot as described by the
prophets Isaiah (chs. 41; 44-47) and Jeremiah (chs. 50-51), together with
prophecy. Cyrus, the Persian army general, indeed came from the east in
God's providence (Isa 41:2,25) and took Babylon "without battle" (ANET 306),
16
36; 50:38). Yahweh would even "open doors before him so that the gates will
not be shut" (Isa 45:2). Both the redemptive motivation of it all was
and the divine purpose: "He [Cyrus] will rebuild my city and set my exiles
free" (45:13) and restore the temple (44:28). God bestowed on Cyrus
therefore the honorable titles of "anointed one" and "my shepherd" (45:1;
redemption for Israel (see Ezra 1:1-4) to become a dramatic type of the
Messiah's holy war against apocalyptic Babylon. Already in the type it was
Yahweh himself who spoke to the Euphrates: "Be dry, and I will dry up your
stream" (Isa 44:27). Cyrus was only Yahweh's agent in God's judgment on
Babylon. Just as Yahweh and his covenant people were at the center of the
stand at the center of the fall of modern Babylon and of the last holy war,
Israel.
17
Cyrus and his allied kings of the Medes and the Persians (Jer 50:41;
51:11, 28) came as the predicted kings from the east to Babylon to
fulfill God's purpose. They were the enemies of Babylon and the
Christ and of His church. Now both Babylon and Israel are universal, their
territorial scope is worldwide. The gospel is explicitly sent out "to every
nation, tribe, language and people" (Rev 14:6). The fourfold emphasis
stresses its universal radius. The subsequent announcement that Babylon the
great is fallen, is founded on the fact that she has "made all nations drink
the maddening wine of her adulteries" (14:8). The whole world has finally
waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations
and languages" (17:15). Those who insist that the "Euphrates" represents
only the people that live in the actual geographic location of the
"Israel," "Mount Zion," etc. Such fail, however, to grasp the Christocen-
tric of biblical typology. The gospel of Jesus Christ delivers us from the
restrictions of ethnic and geographic literalism for the Messianic era. The
18
history--like the Red Sea or the Jordan River, or the flood of invading
Babylon and unitedly withdraw their support from Babylon. They will even
dramatically reverse their loyal support into active hate, into such a
hostility that they will completely destroy Babylon. This is the sudden
the sixth and seventh plagues, to reveal that this surprising shift from
loyal support to hate between the political support of Babylon and her
that God will bring about the self-destruction of Babylon by way of her own
will suddenly be caused to dry up, to withdraw their support. The beast
with ten horns will suddenly become the harlot's hater, instead of her
illicit lover, and will destroy her completely (17:16). But this instant •
reversal of the unholy union will occur only at the "hour" when the attack
12:17; 18:15).
When Cyrus had dried up the waters of the Euphrates, the way was
19
hall was fulfilled: "Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and
Persians" (Dan 5:28). Prophecy did not yet find its complete and exhaustive
destruction of Babylon will be fulfilled only when the Messiah himself comes
in his divine glory as the holy Warrior to overthrow the last Babylon on
earth, when her crimes against the Israel of God have piled up to heaven
(see Rev 18:5). The fact that Christ will bring divine judgment from the
universal scale and in cosmic glory. His coming will no longer be from any
earthly place, but straight from the heavenly throne of God, that is, from
the astronomical or cosmic East. This will be the greatest theophanic glory
the world has ever seen, the most splendid liberation of the Israel of God
ever experienced.
I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose
rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes
war. . .
The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and
dressed in fine linen, white and clean (Rev 19:11, 14).
•because both passages borrowfrom the same prophecy of Yahweh War in Ezekiel'
20 '
"the mountains of Israel" that will witness the defeat of the armies of Gog
On the mountains of Israel you will fall, you and all your troops and
the nations with you. I will give you as food to all kinds of carrion
birds and to the wild animals (Ezek 39:4).
gather for the supper of God, to gorge themselves with the slain bodies of
;Yahweh to Gog and his allies to prepare for His holy war on the mountains Of
Maccabees over the Syrian king Antiochus IV in the country of Israel (165
Boersma, Is the Bible a Jigsaw Puzzle? St. Catharines, Ont. Can.: Paideia
21
Biblical Drama of Armageddon. Review & Herald Publ. Assn., Wash., D.C.
eat "the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great," a universal
real issue of the great controversy is brought into sharp focus by the
Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies
gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his
army (Rev 19:19).
Yahweh and His faithful Israel is explained here as being fulfilled in the
end-time by the war of "the beast" and its antichristian allies, "the false
prophet" and "the kings of the earth" (Rev 19:19, 20), against Christ Jesus
and His army. While no actual battle between Christ and the antichrist is
described in Rev 19 (see Rev 6:15-17), the result of the final clash between
heaven and earth is summed up in the brief statement that both the beast and
the false prophet were "captured" and "cast alive into the lake of fire
with that on Gog and his allies in Ezek 38:22. Revelation 19 does not
describe, however, any divine action against the dragon or Satan himself.
22
with that of all the wicked. After the resurrection of the impenitent at
the end of the millennium, Satan is set free "for a short time" "to deceive
the nations in the four corners of the earth, Cog and Magog, to gather them
for battle" (20:8). These OT names are an explicit reference to the Yahweh
"Cog and Magog" no longer come from "the far north" (Ezek 38:6, 15;
39:2) to attack "my land" and "my people Israel" (Ezek 38:14, 16; 39:7).
"They will come from the four corners of the earth," to lay siege to the New
Jerusalem that has descended from heaven to earth. This heavenly city is
called "the Holy City," because God and the Lamb and the saints are dwelling
times, is clearly directed against the Holy One. The end result of this
final demonstration of undying hate against the Creator, the Redeemer, and
the saints, will be "the lake of burning sulfur" (20:10, 15). Eternal death
is the destiny of those whose names are "not found written" in the book of
Rev 20:8 after the millennium is theologically of the same nature as the war
(cf. Rev 11:2; 14:20); after the millennium he attacks Christ and His church
within the Holy City that has descended from heaven as the New Jerusalem
23
Messiah constitute the inalienable center of the battle between good and
;evil. War predictions of a purely secular nature, detached from Christ and
of the NT Armageddon war. Yahweh War never was a secular political struggle
between nations. In both the OT and NT God's judgment on His sworn enemies
15; Judg 5; Isa 34; 63; Ezek 38-39; Joel 3; Zech 12, 14; Rev 1:7; 6:12-17;
19:11-21; 20:7-10.
The Yahweh War and its theophany in type and prophecy is transformed
Christ as the head can never be separated from the church as His
body (Eph 5:23). John's Apocalypse applies Ezekiel's oracle of Yahweh War
against Gog and the other national enemies of Israel twice to the universal
enemies of Christ and His faithful church (Rev 19:17-20; 20:8). This
24
His church (Matt 24:15). The last Bible book, "The Apocalypse of Jesus
Literature and in the Revelation of St. John [Lanham, New York, London:
Univ. Pr. of America, 1984], pp. 229-248). This unique connection between
unfolded in Revelation as "the kingdom of our Lord and his Christ" (Rev
11:15). While the book of Daniel exalts the God of Israel as "the God of
gods and the Lord of kings" (2:47), Revelation attributes to Christ the
8; 11:1--12:2) cover the period of time from ancient Babylon and Medo-Persia
;the first advent of the Messiah, His Cross and Resurrection, is necessarily
passed.; This fact is highly relevant for the Christian expositor when he
reaches those passages in Daniel that deal specifically with the Messianic
era, the time period after the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The
all the OT covenant names and places that refer to the Christian era must be
25
Daniel 7 led the Protestant reformers to the conviction that the "little
horn" signified the papacy with its persecution of the saints (see Froom, PF
antichrist and the cleansing of the sanctuary at "the time of the end" in
Daniel 8 gave rise to the Seventh-day Adventist Church and to her sense of
mission (see Froom, PF 4:877-905; and Movement of Destiny, ch. 36). "If we
principle of interpretation.
outline series from the efficacy of the cross and resurrection of Christ
while it covers the time of the Christian age. The principle of literalism
antichrist will take his seat within "the temple of God" and shall exalt(s)
himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped" (2 Thess 2:4
26
the God of gods, and shall prosper" (vs 36 NKJV; see my article "Paul's
Prophetic Outline in 2 Thessalonians 2," AUSS 21:1, 1983, 61-69). With the
Phrase "the temple [naos] of God" Paul did not refer to any literal building
-
in old Jerusalem, but to the spiritual temple, those in whom Christ dwells
through His Spirit (see 1 Cor 3:16-17; 6:19; 2 Cot 6:16, applying Ezek
37:27). Paul therefore warned the elders of the church at Ephesus that
yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the
apostolic principle transforms the OT terms Israel, the temple, Mount Zion,
the daily, the king of the north, etc., into NT terms that are defined by
Christ and His universal church (for a detailed analysis of the gospel
8:11-12 to the rise of the antichrist within the universal Christian church
3, chs 2, 3).
27
according to the same apostolic principle that Paul applied to Dan 11:36 in
12:1 is not race or territory, but the truth of God's covenant, and His
final conflict is that between heaven and earth, between the Israel of God
and end-time Babylon as "the king of the north" (cf. Jer 1:15; 25:9). As in
terms and images of his own dispensation, and therefore centered in Mount
Zion as the dwelling place of the Holy One. Consequently, the final
While the enemy of God prepares for a final attack upon the sanctuary of the
Lord (11:44), Michael shall arise to defend His Messianic people. This
Messianic intervention is the reason why the enemy "will come to his end,
and no one will help him" (11:45) and, at the same time, the chosen remnant
people suddenly shall be delivered (12:1). In Rev 14 and 19 we may see the
Michael to judge Babylon and to rescue His faithful remnant from a certain
28
judgment will come down in "the great winepress of the wrath of God,"
located "outside the [holy] city" (14:1, 20). Revelation 19 develops the
idea that Christ, returning as the Divine Judge and King-Warrior, shall
"strike down the nations. 'He will rule them with an iron scepter.' He
treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty" (19:15).
Ezekiel 39:17-20, Psalms 2 and 110 and others, there is no room for doubt
that all the OT holy-war predictions are interpreted by the NT, by John's
29
these shifting predictions of the future arose and why they became popular
can help to avoid taking current events today as the guiding norm of
and the end-time King of the North in Dan 11:40-45 reveal similar trends so
The Pioneer Period shows a basic harmony on Armageddon and the King of
Armageddon to the climactic battle between Christ and the forces of Satan at
the second advent. Until 1871, they all unanimously applied the King of the
The Uriah Smith era from 1871-1903. In 1871, after the Pope had lost
all political power, Uriah Smith introduced into Adventism the popular view
not the Papacy, but modern Turkey. After the death of James White in 1881,
it became the dominant Adventist position for some seventy years. Smith
the coming struggle of all political and military powers over the possession
30
World War I. After World War II it was proclaimed that Armageddon would be
ignited by a fight of eastern against western nations over the oil deposits
in the Middle East. The second advent of Christ was formally added on as
E. Read. Adventism at large now holds again the view that the end-time
heaven and earth, between the armies of Christ and those of Satan at the end
of time. Increasingly recognized are both the political and the religious
position on the seven last plagues in Revelation 16: five of them were
plague was still in the future (see S.D.A Encyclopedia. Corn. Ref. Series
Our Fathers [abbreviated as PF] vol 4, see Index, "Seven Last Plagues").
Ellen and James White initiated the new view that all the seven
plagues were still in the future, to be poured out after human probation has
31
Flock" [1847] pp. 1-3;'EW 36, 52; cf. Froom, PF 4:1060-1061). J. N. Andrews
connected the seven last plagues as, the final outpouring of God's wrath
organically with the third angel's message of Rev 14:9-11 (RH, 6:209; April
17, 1855). He viewed the plagues on Egypt as types of the seven last
considered the seven last plagues as "an integral part of the third angel's
the sixth plague was already in process of fulfillment in Spiritism, how can
it be said that all the seven plagues are still in the future? Uriah Smith
preparatory work by the demons before the actual plagues came. Regarding
the drying up of the Euphrates in Rev 16:12, William Miller already taught
that this predicted the diminishing of the Turkish power, as current events
seemed to confirm (Evidence from Scripture and History of the Second Coming
held that the literal Euphrates would miraculously dry up as the sixth
plague of God's wrath. Litch, however, placed all the plagues after the
: it flows, which was at that time the Turkish Empire (RH, June 18, 1857).
Making the geographic Middle East the decisive norm of end-time prophecy
32
In 1862 Uriah Smith introduced into Adventism the view that the
three demonic spirits of Rev 16:13 aimed to gather all the kings or nations
to Palestine to battle over the "holy land." At that time Jerusalem was in
Turkey would come to its end. This would be the sixth plague and would
prepare the way for the "Kings of the East" or the eastern nations to fight
had militarily defeated Turkey in Palestine, would the Oriental nations come
from the East to join the Christian nations in their war against Christ.
the military operations of the nations and their religious rebellion against
noteworthy to observe that Uriah Smith never taught that Armageddon was a
pioneer view that Armageddon did not signify any war between one nation
against another, but the final cosmic-universal battle between heaven and
earth, between Christ and Satan (RH, Jan. 21, 1862, p. 61). The gathering
33
Pope lost his political power in 1870, Uriah Smith suddenly changed his
position on the King of the North from the Papacy to Turkey (see Froom, PF,
1116). In 1878 he went so far as to predict that Turkey's end was imminent
and that "we have reached the preliminary movements of the great battle of
Armageddon" (RH, June 6, 1878). Still today, in the 1944 edition, we read
this interpretation of Rev 16:12, "The drying up of the river in this sense
would be the diminution of the Turkish nation, the gradual shrinking of its
substantiated by current events of the war between Turkey and Russia (1877),
caused James White to state that Uriah Smith was "removing the landmarks
fully established in the Advent Movement" (RH, Nov. 29, 1877). In an arti-
cle in the Review and Herald of Oct. 3, 1878, James White argued that the
Thus, James White defended the Sola Scriptura method of Bible interpreta-
tion. The recent history of Turkey has brought all Protestant predictions
Arnold J. Toynbee, in his book Turkey of 1926 (London; see pp. 4-13; see
also the sobering report of A. V. Olsen in 1952, in Our Firm Foundation, vol
2, 547).
chief proponent. This influential editor of the Review and Herald (later
34
16:13, 14 were now speedily gathering all the world to Armageddon (World War
22, 1903).
side some of the utterances of the prophets of old and the writings of
public men today concerning this Eastern question that marks the final
crisis of history" (Ibid., pp. 6, 7). This view and method became the
voices of the pioneer view could be heard (M. C. Wilcox, in Signs of the
All know that when the Turk steps out of Constantinople, there will be a
general breaking up of Europe. They may not name the impending conflict
the battle of Armageddon, but God has so named it (The Story of Daniel
the Prophet, 1908 ed., p. 283).
would be basically a war between nations ("kings") from the East against
those of the West. The four articles by R. C. Porter in the Review and
Herald of July and August, 1913, were based on the assumption that
and the white man's fear for the "yellow peril)." This expression was
adopted from the secular press by G. I Butler, (The Southern Watchman, Jan.
p. 54, and became part of the new Adventist East-West concept of Armageddon.
When the political developments during and after World War I began
35
King of the North in Dan 11:45, and of Japan that of the Kings of the East
in Rev 16:12, Adventist writers began to stress more the idea of a universal
authors, in spite of Turkey's survival and revival after World War I (e.g.
by A. G. Daniells, Signs of the Times, April 11, 1916; and The Present
Truth, Nov. 15, 1917; also A World in Perplexity. RH, 1918, pp. 83-101).
The 1919 Bible Conference and Bible Teachers' Council reexamined the
Eastern Question" (covering 247 pages of the Transcript; cf. RH, August 11,
Dan 11:45, hoping that the political events might turn out to justify this
West Armageddon war (as was taught before World War I). Now Communist
Russia was viewed as the leader of the kings of the east, who would come to
With the approach of World War II, speculations abounded about the
once again a universal battle of nations in the Middle East. The central
to figure out an orderly and definite approach to the last great war, such
as lining up nations and races upon one side or another" (RU, August 31,
36
the view that Armageddon would be a conflict over a religious issue, was
and researcher, gave his epoch-making Bible lecture called "The Great
that this will be in essence the final battle "between truth and error,"
"the battle against the saints" (pp. 307, 308). It will suddenly end by
God's people will cause the mutual slaughter of the nations, which will be
motivated by the rage "that their prey has been snatched from their grasp"
(p. 309). During this universal scene of self-destruction, Christ will ride
forth as Conqueror from heaven to wage war against the beast and his armies
the true church of Christ. (W. H., Branson, Drama of the Ages. Southern
Valleys of the Bible. Voice of Prophecy. Los Angeles, CA 1953, pp. 867-
37
influential books The Certainty of the Third Angel's Message (1945); The
Woman and the Resurrected Beast (1952), The Kings that Come from the
Sunrising (1951); The King of the North at Jerusalem (1949); and Mrs. E. G.
White. Uriah Smith and the King of the North (1955). He not only exposed
the then popular political expectations in Adventism for what they really
were, unjustified speculations, but also explained what the real cause was
1954, pp. 22-27, took issue with Uriah Smith's interpretations of Dan 11:36-
deviating from our more defensible pioneer view. The committee concluded
popular Protestant and secular viewpoint" (p. 24), and that he allowed
of his time. The study committee restored the pioneer view that not France,
but the Papacy was the power referred to in Dan 11:36-39, declaring: "That
conclusion" (pp. 24, 25). The passage of Dan 11:40-45 was considered
"largely as unfulfilled prophecy" (p. 26). The report advised not to set
forth dogmatically the course of human history, "lest we assume the role of
38
45.
Most members, if not all, still assumed that the "king of the north"
and the "king of the south" in these verses "must play their part in the
even the use of the dangerous principle "that these verses need to be
however, "some members" of this committee who felt that Dan 11 should be
apparent from this committee report that the lack of basic unity concerning
isolated Scripture passages. The fundamental problem was the burning issue
Must guide responsible exegesis of Scripture. This deeper issue was pursued
gospel key was now applied systematically to the connection of the ancient
plagues on Egypt and the seven last plagues in Revelation (ch 13). The
39
current events. The book of Revelation was considered consistently "as the
although still ambiguity reigned in offering the reader a choice between the
vol 8 of Corn. Ref. Series; ed. S. H., Horn; RH 1960), with its consistent
the contextual view of Scripture which was presented in the Bible Commentary
(Pacific Press Publ. Assn., 1955, pp. 318, 319) and Time of the End
(Southern Publ. Assn., 1967, ch. 12; and by D. Ford: Daniel (Southern Publ.
Assn., 1978).
remnant church was reinstituted as the focal center of Armageddon, the final
conflict between heaven and earth. G. McCready Price commented: "Then what
40
Revelation in Adventism are presently the two volumes God Cares (Review and
Herald Publ. Assn., 1981 and 1985) by C. Mervyn Maxwell, Professor of Church
the seven last plagues and to Armageddon as the climax of the holy wars of
Yahweh in the OT (by the same author) was published by the Review and Herald
Publ. Assn. in 1987, under the title: Chariots of Salvation. The Biblical
Drama of Armageddon.
41
42
biblical context, but in the setting of the seven last plagues of Rev 15-17.
She further related the plagues organically to the OT types and prophecies.
Her comprehensive concept was: "In the Revelation all the books of the
Bible meet and end" (AA 585). In The Great Controversy, (first published in
1884) she describes the first four plagues on p. 628, but continues her
explanation of the fifth, sixth, and the seventh plagues only on pages 636,
after having sketched first the historical background and the religious-
judgments. To her, the central pivot on which hinge all the plagues is the
Israel of God. In her view the last plagues function as the historical
oppressed Israel. The last plagues therefore likewise aim to rescue God's
"remnant people: "But the Holy One who divided the Red Sea before Israel,
will manifest His mighty power and turn • their captivity" (GC 634). She
behalf of God's people during the last three plagues. This crucial chapter,
It is now, in the hour of utmost extremity, that the God of Israel will
interpose for the deliverance of His chosen (p. 635).
After citing Isaiah 30:29-30, "And the Lord shall cause His glorious
voice to be heard" (p. 635), she describes how the last three plagues will
43
7th plague In the midst of the angry heavens is one clear space of indescribable
glory, whence comes the voice of God like the sound of many waters,
saying, "It is done" (Rev 16:17).
That voice shakes the heavens and the earth. There is a mighty
earthquake, "such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an
earthquake, and so great" (Rev 16:17, 18) . .
Prison walls are rent asunder, and God's people, who have been held in
bondage for their faith, are set free" (pp. 635-637).
E. G. White describes here the order of the fifth until the seventh
plagues. The apocalyptic Euphrates River does not represent to her merely
supporting and obeying "the great harlot Babylon." In other words, these
who are awakened to their true situation before God by the sign of the
rainbow over the faithful remnant during the fifth plague. E. G. White
44
the great harlot Babylon to the effect of attacking and destroying her (Rev
When the voice of God turns the captivity of His people, there is a ,
terrible awakening of those who have lost all in the great conflict of
life (p. 654).
The multitudes are filled with fury. "We are lost"! they cry, "And you
are the cause of our ruin;" and they turn upon the false shepherds. . .
The swords which were to slay God's people, are now employed to destroy
their enemies. Everywhere there is strife and bloodshed. . . The work
of destruction begins among those who have professed to be the spiritual
guardians of the people. The false watchmen are the first to fall (p.
656):
the seventh plague and Armageddon. The spiritual controvery of the end-time
leaders and shepherds are the first to fall. The whole issue is one of
with His remnant people, the Israel of God. This is the reason why she
combines the various portrayals of the last war against the saints of God in
Rev 12; 13; 14; 16; 17; and 19 into one organic whole. In the prelude to
45
There are only two parties upon this earth--those who stand under the
bloodstained banner of Jesus Christ and those who stand under the black
banner of rebellion. In the twelfth chapter of Revelation is repre-
sented the great conflict between the obedient and the disobedient [Rev
12:17; 13:11-17 quoted]" (MS 16, 1900; cited in 7 BC 974).
The Sabbath question will be the issue in the great conflict in which
all the world will act a part [Rev 13:4-8, 10 quoted]" (MS 88, 1897;
cited in 7 BC 979).
There are only two parties in our world, those who are loyal to God, and
those who stand under the banner of the prince of darkness. Satan and
his angels will come down with power and signs and lying wonders to
deceive those who dwell on the earth and if possible the very elect.
The crisis is right upon us (MS 172, 1899; cited in 7 BC 982).
The power of the Holy Ghost must be upon us, and the Captain of the
Lord's host will stand at the head of the angels of heaven to direct the
battle. Solemn events before us are yet to transpire. Trumpet after
trumpet is to be sounded, vial after vial poured out one after another
upon the inhabitants of the earth. Scenes of stupendous interest are
right upon us (Letter 109, 1890; cited in 7 BC 982).
46
The present is a solemn, fearful time for the church. The angels are
already girded, awaiting the mandate of God to pour their vials of wrath
upon the world. Destroying angels are taking up the work of vengeance;
for the Spirit of God is gradually withdrawing from the world. Satan is
also mustering his forces of evil, going forth 'unto the kings of the
earth and of the whole world,' to gather them under his banner, to be
trained for 'the battle of that great day of God Almighty.' Satan is to
make most powerful efforts for the mastery in the last great conflict.
Fundamental principles will be brought out, and decisions made in regard
to them. Skepticism is prevailing everywhere. Ungodliness abounds.
The faith of individual members of the church will be tested as though
there were not another person in the world (MS la, 1890, cited in 7 BC
983).
We need to study the pouring out of the seventh vial. The powers of
evil will not yield up the conflict without a struggle. But Providence
has a part to act in the battle of Armageddon. When the earth is
lighted with the glory of the angel of Revelation eighteen, the
religious elements, good and evil, will awake from slumber, and the
armies of the living God will take the field (MS 175, 1899; cited in 7
BC 983.
47
Froom, L. E. The Prophetic Faith of our Fathers. 4 vols., vol. IV. Review
and Herald Publ. Assn., 1954.
Smith, U. The Prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation. Review and Herald
Publ. Assn., (rev. ed., 1944). The earliest editions were in 1873
(Thoughts on Daniel); and 1881).
Were, L. F. Mrs. E. G. White. Uriah Smith. and the King of the North.
Private Publ. by author, Melbourne, Vict. Australia (n.d.).
48
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