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The term Armageddon is commonly used today to describe any catastrophic conflict, particularly if it is expected to lead to extensive destruction or the extinction of human life. In the Bible, Armageddon denotes a decisive future battle between God and the forces of evil, as detailed in the book of Revelation. The term originates from the Hebrew phrase Har-Magedone, signifying “Mount Megiddo,” the prophesied site of the battle.
Revelation 16:12–16 describes what will occur towards the end of the tribulation, when an angel pours out the sixth bowl judgment on the earth. The term Armageddon appears only once in the Bible in this passage:
“The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East. Then I saw three impure 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 demonic spirits that perform 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. . . . Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.”
In Revelation 19:11–20, a final battle takes place at Christ’s second coming as the victorious Christ overcomes the forces of the Antichrist. This is understood as a depiction of the Battle of Armageddon mentioned in Revelation 16:
“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 wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire.
He, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is 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.
“And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, ‘Come, gather together for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, great and small.’
“Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army. But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.”
The exact location of Armageddon is unclear because there is no mountain called Megiddo. However, since Har can also mean “hill,” the most likely location is the hill country surrounding the plain of Megiddo, some sixty miles north of Jerusalem. Throughout history, armies have fought countless battles in that region: Egyptians, Assyrians, Greeks, Romans, and Crusaders fought in Megiddo, as well as the armies of Napoleon. Megiddo was the site of battles during World War I and the Arab-Israeli War of 1948 (Weintraub, P., “Rewriting Tel Megiddo’s Violent History,” Discover, Sep 30, 2015). In the future, the plain of Megiddo and the nearby plain of Esdraelon will also be the focal point for the battle of Armageddon.
The plain of Megiddo, or Armageddon, was renowned for two significant victories in Israel’s history: 1) Barak’s triumph over the Canaanites «And the LORD discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet. », (Judges 4:15) and 2) Gideon’s success against the Midianites (Judges 7). Armageddon was also the location of two tragic events: 1) the demise of Saul and his sons «And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen in mount Gilboa. », (1 Samuel 31:8) and 2) the passing of King Josiah (2 Kings 23:29-30;2 Chronicles 35:22).
According to the futurist interpretation of Revelation, which is our perspective, the Battle of Armageddon will be an actual conflict in the future, towards the conclusion of the tribulation. Demonic influences will incite the kings of the earth to assemble their armies for a full-scale attack on Jerusalem. The Antichrist will lead the charge (Revelation 16:13-16). Jesus Christ will return to earth with the heavenly armies (Matthew 25:31;Revelation 19:14); His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives «And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the
Mountains shall be split in two, with half moving north and half moving south. », (Zechariah 14:4); He will overcome the forces of evil (Revelation 19:15-16); He will throw the Antichrist and the false prophet into the lake of fire «And the beast was captured, along with the false prophet who had performed signs on its behalf. By these signs the false prophet had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. », (Revelation 19:20); He will bind Satan; and He will establish His kingdom on earth for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:1-6). During Armageddon, the Lord Jesus Christ “treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty” «The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath. », (Revelation 16:19), and all things will be set right.
