Armageddon
Three-fifths of the world's population killed. Two-thirds of the Jews annihilated. The earth ravaged with horrible conflagrations, pestilence, and famine. The worst conflict the world has ever seen. It will make WW 1 and WW 2 look like a picnic.
This is the Great Tribulation, and it climaxes in the holocaust of Armageddon. It is not far off, so we are told.
Millions of Bible believers live in fear of the coming Armageddon.
Are we living in the beginning of the end?
Will this generation see Armageddon?
What does the Bible say?
"And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon”. (Revelation 16:16)
The word “Armageddon” comes from a Hebrew word “Har Megiddo” which means “Mount Megiddo”.
God's decisive battle against the city that rejected His Son, was going to take place. (Matthew 21:38-39, 22:7) Megiddo, a city of the Manassehites in the great plain of the tribe of Issachar, was a place where many battles took place in the Old Testament.
Judges 5:19 refers to the slaughter of the Kings of Canaan in Megiddo. Pharaoh killed King Josiah at Megiddo. (2 Kings 23:29, 2 Chronicles 35:20-25)
Zechariah refers to the great mourning coming for Jerusalem as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. (Zechariah 12:11) This Scripture refers to the great mourning after King Josiah was slain at Megiddo. King Josiah was the last Godly King of Judah.
"The Day of the Lord" is discussed frequently throughout the Bible.
The "Day of the Lord" was a time of Divine Judgment. Read the following Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 5:5, 2 Corinthians 1:14, 1 Thessalonians 5:2, 2 Peter 3:10, Isaiah 13:6, 9, Jeremiah 46:10, Ezekiel 30:3, Joel 1:15.
Webster’s Dictionary defines "Armageddon" as "the place where the last decisive battle between the forces of good and evil is to be fought before Judgment Day."
The Old Testament is the source of the prediction of the "War of Armageddon". For each of the following Old Testament Scriptures, the same reference is made in the Book of Revelation.
Here is the list:
Isaiah Chapters 2-4 Prophecy of the Last Days Revelation Chapter 11. Prophecy of the Last Days Isaiah 2:2 Establishment of the Kingdom Revelation 11:15 - Establishment of the Kingdom Isaiah 3:9 Israel becomes like Sodom Revelation 11:8 - Jerusalem (Israel) is Spiritually called Sodom Isaiah 3:13 Judgment of Israel Revelation 11:8 - Judgment of Israel Isaiah 4:3 Salvation of the remnant Revelation 7:14 - Salvation of the remnant Isaiah 2:19 Men run to the hills Revelation 6:16 - Men run to the hills Isaiah 3:25 Time of the War Revelation 16:14, 19:19, 20:8 - Time of the War Isaiah 4:4 Israel's judgment day for shedding innocent blood. Revelation 17:6, 18:20, 24 - Israel's judgment day for shedding innocent blood. Isaiah 4:5 The tabernacle of God among men Revelation 21:3 The tabernacle of God among men
Isaiah is a singular prophecy that parallels the Book of Revelation. Both deal with the last days. The Old Testament prophets wrote as much as 1400 years before the first century and stated that the last days were not near to them. (Numbers 24:17)
They knew that they were not in the last days. The New Testament writers tell us that they were in the last days foretold by the Old Testament prophecies. Simply stated, Armageddon was to be in the last days. The last days were present in the first century. (Hebrews 1:1-2) Therefore, Armageddon was in the first century.
In Revelation chapter 17 and 18 gives an account of the Day of the Lord against Babylon, (Jerusalem). The gathering at Armageddon is under the 6th vial while the day of the Lord against Jerusalem is under the 7th vial.
Thus, Armageddon is the "Gathering" place for the armies to execute the Lord's Judgment against Babylon (Jerusalem) on the Great Day of the Lord. This judgment is the "Great Day". This war is also prophesied by Daniel 9:24-27.
This is considered one of the greatest Messianic prophecies in the entire Bible.
After reading and comparing all of the Scriptures on this great war, we conclude that it did indeed take place in the first century. The Battle of Armageddon is not some future event that we should fear but was the Judgment Day of the Lord against Israel at the close of the Old Covenant.
