From 1921 until 1954 it was Armistice Day. Since then it is Veterans Day. "So what is it really?", you ask. If it were up to me I would have left it alone as Armistice Day with everyone pausing at 11:00 A.M., as they once did, to pray for peace in the world. Veterans are honored on Memorial Day because most people don't know the difference between honoring living veterans and remembering those who died in armed conflict. Some people are aware that the First World War ended on November 11, 1918 but beyond that . . . well they are not sure. Hold on; you and I are going to take a fast trip back through history.
The Old Testament prophets saw seemingly contradictory visions of the Messiah/Christ. Daniel, for example, saw that the Messiah would be "cut off" (9:26) and Isaiah used those same two words in his powerful vision of the suffering Servant, the Lord Jesus (53:8). But most of their prophetic visions were of the glorious Messianic Kingdom, the goal of history, which we now see will be at the Second Coming of Messiah. Daniel saw the future of Gentile world powers until Messiah's Kingdom. He saw that Babylon would give way to Medo/Persia, then the Greek Empire, and finally the awesome and terrifying Roman Empire (chapters 2 & 7). Daniel saw the final form of this fourth empire existing in a ten king confederation at the time that Messiah's Kingdom of righteousness sweeps the gentile powers off the earth and, in the words of Isaiah, righteousness will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.
But the Roman Empire ceased to exist in the west in the 5th century and in the east some time later. But Daniel's visions from God are true and the efforts have been many to revive the Roman Empire: Charlemagne, Napoleon, Bismarck . . . . and that very briefly brings us to the 20th century when the rivalries between European powers, all of them wanting to be a Roman style empire, exploded into the Great War of 1914-1918. The Armistice of 1918 brought an end to that slaughter which had taken over 10 million lives and paved the way for both Stalin and Hitler. That embodiment of evil in Germany would call his rule the Third Reich. In his view Rome was 1st, Bismarck was second 2nd and he was the third and final Roman Empire. And in a demonic parody of Revelation 20 he bragged that his Reich would last a thousand years. Daniel's vision of Rome existing in some form just before the true Messianic Kingdom comes is indeed where history is headed.
Back to my thought that we would be better off if this were still Armistice Day. We would be remembering biblical prophecy fulfilled in the rivalries that led to World War I. We would recall how truly preventable that horrible slaughter was and how all the crowned heads of Europe who started it were grandchildren of Queen Victoria who was supposed to be a symbol of morality! We would recall how the U.S. actually entered the war because the allies were so in debt to us for armaments. We would recall that U.S. involvement in it did not, as President Wilson promised, "make the world safe for democracy". We would remember that it only paved the way for Hitler and another war that was at least four times worse. We would be better off honoring veterans on another day and not forget all these things.
And there is one other thing that no one seems to have the courage to say. Not all veterans are worthy of honor. Some are; some are not.
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