What in the World is Going to Happen?
Part 5: Armageddon- The Final War of this Age
by Max Frazier, Jr.

From the Feburary 2009 Philogian

1998 was a year in which the thoughts of many turned to the uncertainties as the world neared the end of one millennium and entered into another.  Historians were quick to remind us that catastrophic events had occurred at the advent of the previous millennium.  Now, with our everyday dependency upon computers, people were bracing for what was called Y2K.  Imaginations of electric grids shutting down, of water processing plants closing, and of computers generally failing because they could not handle going from a number beginning with 19 to one beginning with 20 became topics of conversation at local diners and anywhere neighbors congregated.  People began stock-piling water, blankets, and food stuffs in readiness for the coming disaster.  Some even talked that the world was coming to an end.

In 1998 Hollywood released a film whose title epitomized the attitudes of many.  “Armageddon” was the story of the imminent destruction of the earth by an incoming asteroid.  The only way destruction of the entire earth could be avoided was to send a group of men into space to plant a nuclear devise on the asteroid.  The movie chronicles the preparations of the team to be sent.

The very mention of the word “Armageddon” brings fear and terror.  It is the ultimate depiction of doom.  But just what is “Armageddon?”  When does it occur?  Who will be involved when it finally comes?  What will be the outcome?  These are just a few of the questions we shall seek to address in this brief study.

What is Armageddon?
The term is found only once in the Bible; in Revelation 16:16 – Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.  The term is composed of two Hebrew words.  “Har” is the word for “hill, mountain”; “Megiddo” means “to crush, to strike, to kill, to massacre.”  Ancient Megiddo was the location for many of the most significant battles recorded in the Old Testament.  It was here that King Josiah met his untimely death, doing battle with the Egyptians (2 Kings 23:29-30; 2 Chronicles 35:22).  Not far from Megiddo King Saul and the army of Israel were defeated while fighting the Philistines upon the slopes of Mount Gilboa (1 Samuel 31:8).   Two of Israel’s greatest victories also occurred in this vicinity: that of Deborah and Barak over the forces of Jabin and Sisera (Judges 4:15), and that of Gideon over the Midianites (Judges 7).

Stretching in a northwest to southeast direction adjacent to Megiddo lays the Plain of Esdraelon.  Today it is the “bread basket” of Israel, home of some of the best agricultural lands in the world.  As a person stands atop the tel of ancient Megiddo and looks out over those plains, it is hard to realize that more battles have been fought on those fields than anywhere else in the world.  As you listen carefully, you can almost hear the din of battle being echoed yet by the winds.

But Armageddon is more than a mere location.  It is often defined as the final battle of this age.  The Bible makes it clear that this conflict will be waged almost from border to border, from north to south.  The prophet Joel described the location as being the Valley of Jehoshaphat: Let the nations be roused; let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the nations on every side (Joel 3:12).  Bible scholars state that this is a reference to the Kidron Valley which separates the City of Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives.  [Note: Jehoshaphat literally means “God will judge”].

The prophet Zechariah further identifies the area of the Mount of Olives, for he writes: I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped.  Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city.  Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights n the day of battle.  On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south (Zechariah 14:2-4).

Isaiah, in his exciting portrait of Christ coming to bring vengeance, states that He will come from Bozrah in the land of the Edomites, on the east side of the Dead Sea: Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah, with his garments stained crimson?  Who is this robed in splendor, striding forward in the greatness of his strength?  “It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save.”  Why are your garments red, like those of one treading the winepress?  “I have trodden the winepress alone; from the nations no one was with me.  I trampled them in my anger and trod them down in my wrath; their blood spattered my garments, and I stained all my clothing (Isaiah 63:1-3).

Finally, the Apostle John is told that the blood will flow, as a consequence of this battle, for a distance of nearly 180 miles to a depth of nearly four feet (Revelation 14:20).  That distance is nearly the entire length of Israel today.

When will Armageddon Occur?
Revelation 16 describes the Battle of Armageddon happening as the final bowls, filled with God’s wrath because of sin, are poured out upon the world.  This will be the final event in that era we know as “the times of the Gentiles.”  This event marks the final chapter in the seven years of Tribulation.  The reign of the Antichrist is coming to a close.  The long-suffering of God has been exhausted.  His mercy will now be replaced with wrath; His love with judgment.  The Battle of Armageddon will be climaxed by the return of Jesus Christ to lay claim to the throne of David that rightfully belongs to Him.  His destination is the City of Jerusalem.

Who will the Participants Be?
The Bible makes it very clear that leaders from every nation, accompanied by their armies, will be gathered for this final conflict.  Revelation 16:14, 16 emphasize this truth: 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. … Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon (author’s emphasis).  In Revelation 19:19 we read: Then I saw the beast (that is the Antichrist, Revelation 13:1) and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse (that is the Lord Jesus Christ, Revelation 19:11) and his army (author’s emphasis).

And, as we shall describe more fully in an upcoming article, the Lord Jesus Christ will lead the armies of heaven into battle.  Truly the battle will be the Lord’s.  And I believe that you and I will be numbered among the heavenly forces arrayed to witness the end of the age.

How is the Battle of Armageddon Described?

There are at least eleven different phrases used by the biblical writers to describe Armageddon.  The focus is upon the judgment that will flow from God upon a sinful world.  The prophet Isaiah uses the following phrases:

His wrath – Isaiah 26:20-21 (also Psalm 2:1-5, Ezekiel 7:19; Zephaniah 1:14-18)

The dread of the LORD – Isaiah 2:10-11

With vengeance; with divine retribution – Isaiah 35:4 (also Psalm 94:1-2)

His strange task – Isaiah 28:21

The sieve of destruction – Isaiah 30:27-28

The cup that made Israel stagger – Isaiah 51:22-23 (also Jeremiah 25:15-16)

Given over to slaughter – Isaiah 34:2-3 (also Deuteronomy 32:41-43)

A trodden winepress – Isaiah 63:1-6 (also Revelation 14:18-20; Revelation 19:15)

Other titles used for Armageddon include:

Destruction from the Almighty – Joel 1:15

Gathered like sheaves to the threshing floor – Micah 4:11-12

The great supper of God – Revelation 19:17-18

When a person carefully studies all of the above texts, the only conclusion is that the battle will be the greatest military conflict the world has ever seen.  The dead and the dying will be in such great numbers that the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth will be invited to consume the carcasses.  It will be the most horrible image of warfare that could possibly be imagined.  The reader will be reminded of that truth-warning shared by the writer of Hebrews: It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:31).

What is the Result of Armageddon?
The nations of the world will be seized with madness and begin to destroy themselves.  The ancient prophet Zechariah foretold: On that day men will be stricken by the LORD with great panic. Each man will seize the hand of another, and they will attack each other (Zechariah 14:13).  I believe that this madness will come as a result of the strong plague which God will send upon those armies.  Again, let us listen to the words of Zechariah: This is the plague with which the LORD will strike all the nations that fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths (Zechariah 14:12).  Scholars are not agreed as to what this plague is.  Some say that it is the aftermath of a nuclear explosion.  Flesh will begin to decompose before death has even occurred.  When you close your eyes and try to picture what this might be like, it is horrific even to contemplate.

Final victory will be achieved with the coming of the King, Jesus Christ.  John states that out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations … The rest of them (that is the armies of the kings) were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse (Revelation 19:15, 21).  The Apostle Paul used these words to describe what Christ will do when He comes: And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming (2 Thessalonians 2:8).

Following the battle, the Antichrist and the false prophet will be thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur (Revelation 19:20).  Satan will be bound and thrown into the bottomless pit for one thousand years (Revelation 20:1-3 – more on this in a later article).  And the godless armies will be destroyed with the birds of the heavens gorging themselves on the carcasses (Revelation 19:21).  Then Jesus Christ will enter into the City of Jerusalem and claim the throne that was His before the foundations of the world were laid.  And He will reign for one thousand years.

A Conclusion
So, how close are we to Armageddon?  I recently read an article at the History Channel website – www.history.com/content/armageddon/the-end-of-the-world – announcing that a group of theorists have determined that the world will end on December 21, 2012 – less than four years from now!  To quote from the article: These theorists believe that on December 21, 2012, the Earth will experience unprecedented, cataclysmic disasters ranging from massive earthquakes and tsunamis to nuclear reactor meltdowns.  Could this possible be true?

I am not going to predict a date; Jesus told us that no one knows the day or the hour of His coming.  But the Bible does state that tremendous geological phenomenon will take place then.  We read: Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake.  No earthquake like it has ever occurred since man has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake. … Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found.  From the sky huge hailstones of about a hundred pounds each fell upon men (Revelation 16:18, 20-21).  This describes an unprecedented time not seen since the destruction of the world by the flood during the days of Noah.

A few weeks from now, I will once again climb the tel at Megiddo and gaze over the Plains of Jezreel.  I will share with my group passages from the Scripture describing Armageddon and we will try to picture in our minds what that scene might look like.

Until Armageddon arrives, however, the gospel of God’s amazing grace must still be trumpeted to every person who will listen.  There is still time for repentance and salvation.  Because I believe this will be such a horrific scene, I am compelled to share the Good News so that others are warned and can be turned aside.  Armageddon – this is one world event that I don’t want to be a part of, and, hopefully, neither do you.

[Author’s note: In the May issue of the Philogian, our study will focus upon the Second Coming of Christ – our blessed hope].

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