Please note: this thread is meant to discuss the last day from an amillennial, idealist or modified-idelist approach. If you want to advocate for other eschatological systems, please open a new thread.
The word of God speaks of the last day saying, Matt 24:36-44:
But scripture also seems to speak of some very serious preparation for the last day, and phenomenal, extraordinary events building up to the last day. Zechariah says, Zech 14:1-4, 12:
The revelation of John also brings up this event, Rev 16:13-14, 16:
So here is my question: is the last battle, the battle of Armageddon, a literal battle, or are these passages symbolic of the suffering of the church and it's persecution leading up to the last day? The appearance of the events in the book of revelation, and the geographical question of whether the battle is in Armageddon, that is Megido, or in Jerusalem, seem to suggest symbolism. However, the language of Ezekiel and Zechariah might suggest a literal battle, with a literal army and literal king. Additionally, Zechariah speaks of the Lord's return on the mount on olives, on which God's angels said, Act 1:11:
The word of God speaks of the last day saying, Matt 24:36-44:
And also, 1Thes 5:1-3:"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."
It is probable this destruction is the same Enoch spoke of, when he said, Jud 1:14-15:"But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape."
"Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him."
But scripture also seems to speak of some very serious preparation for the last day, and phenomenal, extraordinary events building up to the last day. Zechariah says, Zech 14:1-4, 12:
And to Ezekiel, God sayed, Eze 38:14-23:"Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, And your spoil will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; The city shall be taken, The houses rifled, And the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then the Lord will go forth And fight against those nations, As He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, From east to west, Making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north And half of it toward the south. And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet, Their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, And their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths."
"Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “On that day when My people Israel dwell safely, will you not know it? Then you will come from your place out of the far north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a mighty army. You will come up against My people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land. It will be in the latter days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me, when I am hallowed in you, O Gog, before their eyes.” Thus says the Lord God: “Are you he of whom I have spoken in former days by My servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied for years in those days that I would bring you against them? “And it will come to pass at the same time, when Gog comes against the land of Israel,” says the Lord God, “that My fury will show in My face. For in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath I have spoken: ‘Surely in that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel, so that the fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field, all creeping things that creep on the earth, and all men who are on the face of the earth shall shake at My presence. The mountains shall be thrown down, the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.’ I will call for a sword against Gog throughout all My mountains,” says the Lord God. “Every man’s sword will be against his brother. And I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed; I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. Thus I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the Lord."
The revelation of John also brings up this event, Rev 16:13-14, 16:
And also, Rev 20:7-10:"And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon."
"Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever."
So here is my question: is the last battle, the battle of Armageddon, a literal battle, or are these passages symbolic of the suffering of the church and it's persecution leading up to the last day? The appearance of the events in the book of revelation, and the geographical question of whether the battle is in Armageddon, that is Megido, or in Jerusalem, seem to suggest symbolism. However, the language of Ezekiel and Zechariah might suggest a literal battle, with a literal army and literal king. Additionally, Zechariah speaks of the Lord's return on the mount on olives, on which God's angels said, Act 1:11:
"Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven."
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