Armageddon

By COGwriter

What is Armageddon? When is it? Who will win? What is involved?

Is there confusion about who wins this battle?

(Here also is a video from Dr. Thiel, from Tel Megiddo in Israel: Armageddon. Other videos include: Armageddon Will it come on Trump's watch?, Iraq, Armageddon, & Prophecy, Freemasonry, Armageddon, and Rome, Is China paving roads to Armageddon?, and Jordan, Petra, and Armageddon.)

From the Bible

The term Armaggedon is only used once in the Bible it is the sixth of seven bowls of God's wrath:

1 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, "Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth." (Revelation 16:1)

12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. 13 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. 14 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.

15 "Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame."

16 And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon. (Revelation 16:12-16)

Here is another translation of Revelation 16:12:

And the sixth poured out his bowl upon the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way might be prepared of the kings of the rising of the sun. (Berean Literal Bible)

The 'kings of the sunrise' would have to be Asian from the perspective of Jerusalem/Israel.

The idea of Asian involvement in a major battle is also confirmed elsewhere in the Book of Revelation. Notice the following:

13 Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." 15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. 17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone. 18 By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed–by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths. (Revelation 9:13-18)

Only China, and possibly India and others in Asia (many of which will align themselves with China and Russia against the European Empire), are capable of fielding a two hundred million man army. Thus, Revelation appears to be discussing an Asian role in the end-time prophecies.

Now, the troops coming from the east will end up in Armageddon will go through Iraq.

Iraqi territory is part of end time biblical prophecy, but just not the way that many seem to think. Iraq is not end-time Babylon, but will be affected when the Euphrates river dries up and the armies from the east will cross over its land which is currently in Iraq.

China is working on a major project that will help connect Asian powers to regions of Europe and the Middle East. It has been called the 'Silk Road project,' 'Belt and Road Initiative' (BRI), and the 'One Belt, One Road Initiative.' For more details about it, watch the short video: Is China paving roads to Armageddon?

Forces from Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean would be expected to gather related to ‘Armageddon’ as “the whole world” (Revelation 16:13-16) will be involved.

Greco-Roman Confusion

Most Greco-Roman Catholic writers realize that Antichrist is defeated and does not win this battle (which is actually only staged, but not fought, in Armageddon).

Notice two examples:

S. Berry (published 1920): Armageddon is the Greek for Har-Mageddo (Mount Mageddo), a place often drenched with Israel's blood. The defeat of Antichrist may be accomplished on this very battle ground (Berry S. Interpretation of the Apocalpyse. Cited in Culleton, Reign of Antichrist, p. 206).

Priest H. Kramer (20th century): Chapter XVI ... Verse 12 ... The leaders of the military forces of Asia and all their antichristian troops will be force will then be exterminated together with those marshalled by Antichrist ... Verse 16 ... The clause, "which in Hebrews is called Armageddon" ... the coming victory over Antichrist at Armageddon. ... after the manifest judgment of God (Kramer H.B. L. The Book of Destiny.  Nihil Obstat: J.S. Considine, O.P., Censor Deputatus.  Imprimatur: +Joseph M. Mueller, Bishop of Sioux City, Iowa, January 26, 1956.  Reprint TAN Books, Rockford (IL), pp. 363, 369-370, 373-374)

However, there is some confusion amongst Greco-Roman Catholic writings.

Notice the following:

Anne Catherine Emmerich (died 1824)...Antichrist will fight a successful battle at Mageddo in Palestine after which seven rulers, from fear, will subject themselves to Antichrist and he will thereafter become lord of the world (Cited in Connor, p. 86).

Venerable Maria of Agreda (died 1665)...the kings will send armies to the Holy Land, but the Antichrist will slay them all (Cited in Connor, p. 84).

The above are in error. The fact is that the Bible shows that it is Jesus who wins what is commonly called "the battle of Armageddon."

Belive the Bible over inaccurate traditions or lying wonders.

Freemasons and 2022?

Edward McHinney claimed that Freemasonry symbols pointed to the year 2022 as the time of Armageddon.

Because of various scriptural reasons. before 2022, I denounced that as being much too soon.

Consider that the timing of the sixth angel pouring out the bowl comes after the previous five bowls are poured out per Revelation 16:1-11. It also happens after the seventh seal is opened (Revelation 8:1-6) and year long Day of the Lord (Isaiah 34:8) begins.

And the seventh seal is opened after the sixth seal is opened (Revelation 6:12).

And the sixth seal is not opened until after the fifth seal is opened (Revelation 6:9)--and the Great Tribulation begins after the opening of fifth seal (see When Will the Great Tribulation Begin?).

The amount of time between the opening of the fifth seal and the pouring of the sixth bowl, which comes after the opening of the seventh seal, is a bit over three years.

The total amount of time for the Great Tribulation and Day of the Lord is 3 1/2 years--referred to as forty months in Revelation 11:2 and 13:5. This period is shown to be a time, times, and half a time in Daniel 7:25 and 12:7 and Revelation 12:14--which is 3 1/2 years.

Now consider that the fifth seal is not open yet and the Great Tribulation has not started.

Furthermore, consider that the Great Tribulation cannot start until 3 1/2 years after the "peace deal" of Daniel 9:27  (see The 'Peace Deal' of Daniel 9:27) has been confirmed by a prince (Daniel 9:26). Therefore, this means that even if the deal of Daniel 9:27 was confirmed in early 2022 (and it was not) that the absolute earliest date for Armageddon would be in late 2029 (which is too early--2030 looks to be the earliest possible date).

To learn more about the view related to the Freemasons, etc., check out the article Freemasonry and the Destruction of Rome?

From the Radio Church of God

From the old Radio Church of God back in 1955:

What is Armageddon?

Just what is "Armageddon"? Will it be World War III? Will the armies of the United States and Great Britain be defending Palestine against Russia in that battle? Read in this article the amazing answer. You will probably be astonished!

WE HEAR a great deal, nowadays, about "Armageddon." Yet few know what it is!

Like most other topics of Biblical prophecy, what is Popularly taught on this subject has been accepted without question by nearly everyone. And, as in most other questions, the people have been turned away from the truth and have unthinkingly embraced fables.

When World War I first broke out, many began excitedly to proclaim: This is the Armageddon war!" Again, many confidently proclaimed that World War II was the war that would end at Armageddon.

A popular conception now is that Armageddon" is the prophesied last battle of a coming war between the democratic Western World and Communist Russia. It will supposedly be a battle between atheistic Communist Russia on the one side, attacking Jerusalem with the British and American armies on the other side, defending it.

And at the precise instant of this final colossal battle, the second coining of Christ is to occur.

But is this common conception true?

What IS "Armageddon"?

The word "Armageddon," strange as it may seem, occurs only once in all the Bible It is found in Revelation 16:16. Let's look at it. Begin with the 13th verse of this chapter: And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of demons, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of the great day of God Almighty. (Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest lie walk naked and they see his shame.) And he [another translation is "they" I gathered them together, into a place called in the Hebrew tongue, ARMAGEDDON [marginal reading "Har Magedon"]."

First, notice that "Armageddon" is a Hebrew word, not an English word. Actually, the Hebrew word is "Har Magedon" or "Har Megiddo." In the Hebrew, the H's are usually not pronounced, and so are often omitted in the spelling in English. Megiddo is in the Valley of Jezreel, some 70 miles northwest of Jerusalem, just in from the port of Haifa.

The Hebrew prefix "Har" means "fortified," or "fortified hill." Between World War I and World War II the British fortified Haifa at a cost of many millions of dollars. Consequently, Megiddo (or Magedon) has now become, in fact, ARMAGEDDON!

Secondly, notice the battle in question is actually stirred up, no, by men or nations alone, but by spirits — three spirits — and they are unclean spirits or demon spirits. (The word "devils" in the King James Version ought to be rendered demons.) These spirits INFLUENCE" the leaders of the nations — deceiving them — stirring them to this battle. These unclean spirits come out of the mouths of the DRAGON, the BEAST, and the FALSE PROPHET. What is the Bible definition of these three powers?

The Three Unclean Spirits

The DRAGON is interpreted by the Bible as the devil or Satan (Rev. 12:9). The BEAST according to the Bible is the political leader of the Babylonish system, pictured in Daniel 7, Revelation 13 and 17. The BEAST is yet to appear in Europe for a final revival of fascism to head the last rebirth of the Roman Empire — a United States of Europe that will startle this world!

The FALSE PROPHET is the religious or ecclesiastical leader who shall, in the near future, be associated in a mutual working agreement with this final restoration of the Roman Empire.

The three unclean spirits come out of the mouths of these three — the devil, the "beast" and the "false prophet." In I Kings 22:21-23 we find unclean spirits, lying spirits, in the mouths of the false prophets in ancient Israel. Those spirits so completely deceived the ministers of that day that the demons or lying spirits actually talked through the mouths of the prophets. So the three unclean spirits mentioned in Revelation will possess the beast and the false prophet and use their mouths to utter lies to deceive the nations.

"Battle of Armageddon"?

And now, thirdly, notice the NAME of the battle to which the spirits cause the armies of the nations to be gathered. This is most important! The text does not speak of any "BATTLE of Armageddon" at all! It is the "BATTLE OF THE GREAT DAY OF GOD ALMIGHTY."

"ARMAGEDDON" is the place where the armies gather. But the BATTLE is not called "Armageddon." It is the "BATTLE of the GREAT DAY OF GOD ALMIGHTY."

The "Great Day of God Almighty" is, of course, the great "DAY of the LORD" as it is spoken of in so many prophecies in both Old and New Testament Scriptures. And what is the "Day of the Eternal"?

"The great day of the Eternal is near that day is a day of WRATH, a day of trouble and distress, a day of waste-ness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness" (Zephaniah 1:14.15). "The day of the Eternal's anger" we read in Zeph. 2:2.

Notice that the battle of the Great Day of God Almighty comes as a climax to a time when the whole earth has been rendered waste and desolate by the wholesale destruction of war.

"Alas for the day! for the day of the Eternal is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come." The Almighty sends it! It is the Great Day of God Almighty! It is a day of DESTRUCTION — and God sends the destruction!

"Behold, the day of the Eternal cometh... For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. THEN SHALL THE ETERNAL GO FORTH, AND FIGHT AGAINST THOSE NATIONS, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east (Zechariah 14:l — 4). This is the climactic BATTLE of the Great Day of God Almighty!

Is It the TRIBULATION?

Is this Great Day of the Eternal, then, the prophesied "Great Tribulation"?

No! It follows the Great Tribulation. Notice Joel 2:31: "The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible DAY OF THE ETERNAL come." The DAY OF THE ETERNAL is the time of the plagues sent from God. It is the time of His WRATH, the time of his supernatural intervening in this wholesale slaughter and destruction by man. But God will not send this PUNISHMENT upon a sinning world until lie has WARNED THEM. First, He will send terrific supernatural SIGNS in the sun, the moon and the stars. There shall be great tidal waves, earthquakes, convulsions of nature that shall throw men — who know not God and these prophecies — into frantic terror, thinking the "WORLD IS COMING TO AN END" (Rev. 6:12-17; Luke 21:25-26).

All this follows the Great Tribulation. You will find the final Great Tribulation described in Matthew 24. (Remember, the tribulation during the Dark Ages was merely a forerunner of this AGE-END GREAT TRIBULATION.) Notice verse 29, of Matthew 24: "IMMEDIATELY AFTER the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken."

First comes the Tribulation; then supernatural signs; then the Day of the Lord. Notice this same sequence described in Revelation 6:12-17. In this scripture the Day of the Eternal is the Day of God's WRATH.

"PEACE!" to be Proclaimed

Now notice an amazing fact, revealed by a New Testament prophecy — a fact very few have grasped! It is found in I Thes. 5:1-3.

"But of the times and the seasons, brethren" — notice that Paul is writing to the "brethren" — "ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that THE DAY OF THE LORD so cometh as a thief in the night."

Paul is not speaking of the second coming of Christ, but of the "day of the Lord" — the time of the DESTRUCTION God will send upon sinners to separate them from their sins. Now continue the prophecy:

"For when they" — the word "they" refers to the leaders and rulers of the world. Paul is writing to the brethren about the affairs of this present world — "when they shall say PEACE and safety; then sudden DESTRUCTION cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

Notice. It shall come suddenly, unexpectedly. It is the time prophesied by Isaiah: "Howl ye: for the DAY OF THE ETERNAL. is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.. Behold the DAY OF THE ETERNAL cometh, cruel both with WRATH and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and He shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it... and I will punish the world for their evil" (Isaiah 13:6-11).

First, "THEY" — the world rulers — shall proclaim PEACE! and safety! Just before the terrible DAY OF THE LORD. "Peace!" is to be proclaimed. There shall be no real peace, but world rulers shall proclaim it! And then what? And then, as soon as PEACE is proclaimed, then the sudden DESTRUCTION of the plagues of the DAY OF THE ETERNAL shall fall upon them. That is the time of GOD'S wrath.

Great Tribulation Conies First

The "Great Tribulation" must come PRIOR to the DAY OF THE LORD. Immediately after the Tribulation, said Jesus, the terrible supernatural signs shall occur — in the sun, the moon, the stars earthquakes, tidal waves, convulsions of nature. These catastrophic occurrences in nature are to occur before the DAY OF THE ETERNAL (Joel 2:31).

But what is the "Great Tribulation"?

Most people have taken it for granted that the Tribulation is the time of God's wrath — the DAY OF THE ETERNAL. But it is not. It precedes the Day of the Eternal. Jesus' Oliver prophecy explains it. This prophecy reveals the succession of events up to now. The disciples had asked Jesus what would be the sign of His coming, and of the end of the age (Mat. 24:3). And He had replied that first would come false preachers proclaiming a false gospel, yet coming in the name of Christ; then wars culminating in the present series of World Wars and the Cold War — kingdom and nation against one another; third, famines; fourth, pestilence's. These are just beginning to stalk the world.

"All these," said Jesus, "are the beginning of Sorrows." Then what next?

"Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you," Jesus foretold. "And ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake" (Mat. 24:9).

Notice, Jesus used two pronouns — "THEY" and "YOU." "Then THEY shall deliver YOU up to be afflicted, and shall KILL you." Remember this: In New Testament language the pronoun "YOU," unless otherwise clearly defined, refers either to truly converted CHRISTIANS, or to NATIONAL Israel or Judah, or to both Christians and Judah or Israel. If it is speaking spiritually and individually, the pronoun "YOU" refers to those who are truly begotten children of God. If the context is speaking nationally, it refers to Israel, or Judah, or both.

In this particular case, comparison with the account in Mark 13 and Luke 21 makes it evident that Jesus used this pronoun in a DUAL sense, including both Spirit-begotten CHRISTIANS and flesh-born Israelites as nations! The limited national trouble which befell Judah in 70 A.D. was merely the early type and forerunner of the great NATIONAL invasion and captivity YET to occur.

This is described more plainly in modern English in the Moffatt translation of Luke's account of this same prophecy: "For sore anguish will come upon the land and wrath upon this people; they will fall by the edge of the sword, they will be carried prisoners to all nations, and Jerusalem will be under the heel of the Gentiles TILL the Times of the Gentiles expire" (Luke 21:23-24) This is speaking of WAR — of national invasion and captivity. The CLIMACTIC MAJOR fulfillment of this prophecy is YET to occur, just shortly before the Day of the Eternal's WRATH. This is speaking of the final GREAT Tribulation. It will be a time of WAR and national INVASION and CAPTIVITY of God's nation ISRAEL. Not Judah alone! These prophecies refer not only to Christians, but to the so-called LOST TEN TRIBES OF ISRAEL — the American and British peoples, the democracies of Northwest Europe! If you don't know where the United States and Great Britain are mentioned in prophecy, read immediately for my FREE {modern article Anglo - America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel}.

The Great Tribulation is not, as so many erroneously assume, the time of God's wrath. It is the time of Satan's wrath. The Great Tribulation is Satan's last persecution and martyrdom against the true begotten sons of GOD.

Jerusalem Surrounded with Armies

Notice that the tribulation, the next prophesied major occurrence, is to come when "ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place" (Mat. 24:15). This is described in Luke's account of this same prophecy as "Jerusalem compassed with armies" which is a sign that the city's desolation is near (Luke 21:20). It is described in Daniel 11 as the armies of the coining fascist revival of the Roman Empire invading Palestine!

So, together with the martyrdom of Christians and the invasion of America, the British Isles and the democratic nations of Northwest Europe, there will be an invasion of Palestine and the Near East. This will be the first round of WORLD WAR III!

When our people — who are called War-mongers by the Gentiles — have been defeated and taken into slavery, then the Gentiles will be proclaiming "PEACE!" But there will be no real peace! Notice what happens after the three and one-half years of tribulation when the Gentiles will be deluded into thinking "peace" and "safety":

For Satan's fiendish persecution and martyrdom of God's saints, GOD shall take vengeance. God will step in and supernaturally intervene.

First, as a WARNING, shall come the terrible SIGNS! — signs in the sun, the moon, the stars — the convulsions of the earth and the heavens (Mat. 24:29).

And then shall follow the DAY OF THE LORD! The DAY OF THE ETERNAL will quickly come — the time of God's wrath — the time of the PLAGUES. The "trumpet" plagues and the "Seven last plagues" are God's judgment upon the great ecclesiastical empire ruled by the false prophet. This false system is the power which caused the martyrdom of saints in ages past; this is the power that will line up with the revival of the Roman Empire in Europe and will cause the coming martyrdom!

TEN ... to Unite in Europe

This great ecclesiastical system is pictured as a fallen woman astride the "beast." This woman is called "BABYLON (Rev. 17:5). She is "drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus" (verse 6). She CAUSES them to be killed by pronouncing sentence (Rev. 13:15).

The "beast" which the woman rides is the Roman Empire. All students of prophecy recognize that. Even the Roman Catholic Douay Version gives this in a footnote. The empire was, and is not (verse 6), but shall be brought back into being once again. It shall be accomplished by a UNION of TEN DICTATORS who will be given authority as kings for a very short time. This is explained in verses 12 and 13. These fascist dictators, with their armies, will be under the direction of a great Church-State coalition now being plotted in Europe! Now let's continue.

The fascist armies, remember, will have poured into Palestine. When tidings of an impending Russian invasion of Europe frighten the coming United States of Europe, the "beast" — the future fascist dictator in Europe — and the "false prophet" — his religious consort — will rush plans to set up the tabernacle and the palace in Palestine (Dan. 11:41, 45). Their headquarters will be moved there.

During their reign, the true Word of God will not he permitted to be preached (Amos 8:11). After the tribulation only God's "two witnesses," inspired with supernatural powers shall be permitted to warn the world of what is then coming. And after three and one-half years, even they shall be killed and their bodies lie unburied three and a half days in the streets of Jerusalem (Rev. 11:3-10).

And now notice!

"These" — these newly crowned kings forming the revived Roman Empire — "shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for He is the Lord of lords, and King of kings" (Rev. 17:14).

Christ is the "Lamb." But He does not appear as "Lord of lords, and King of kings" until His SECOND COMING!

Then Comes God's Wrath

Jesus shall come at the outpouring of the seven last plagues of the DAY OF THE LORD — the very climax of the great and terrible "day." He shall come at the time when God's final judgments are being poured out upon this fornicating ecclesiastical system.

At that time Jesus Christ shall return to RULE! "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ; and HE SHALL REIGN FOREVER!" (Rev 11:15) Christ is the STONE, then smiting the entire rotten Gentile political ecclesiastical system on the "TOES" of the "image" (of Daniel 2), and the KINGDOM OF GOD shall rule this earth and finally bring REAL PEACE, and happiness and JOY to a sin-sick, war-weary earth!

But the "beast" and the "false prophet" shall FIGHT against Christ! They shall fight desperately to retain their foul system.

And the BATTLE that ensues in this struggle to see whether MAN or GOD shall rule the earth for the next THOUSAND YEARS is the BATTLE OF THE GREAT DAY OF GOD ALMIGHTY — often misnamed "Armageddon." The armies which gather at "Armageddon" proceed to battle and fight Christ in the environs of Jerusalem.

Who shall fight whom? Will Russia and China and their communist allies fight against the British and American armies in this battle? No! Nowhere is one word said in prophecy to give such an idea.

Note it!

"And I saw the beast [the coming fascist dictator in Europe] and the kings of the earth [his allies], and their armies, gathered together to make war against" — AGAINST WHOM? Not Britain and America! NOT Israel! — for they have already been conquered by this revival of a fascist Roman Empire. But against HIM THAT SAT ON THE HORSE [Christ] and his army" (Rev. 19:19). And who composes His army? Note verse 14: "And the armies which were in HEAVEN followed Him upon white horses." Shall the British and American armies go up to heaven? No! Our people, young and old, are in slavery and await the return of Christ to DELIVER them.

Then who compose these armies? Just one Scripture tells: "When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him..." (Mat. 25:31). The HOLY ANGLES from heaven are Christ's army! A SPIRITUAL host is coming to take over! It is CHRIST and the ANGLES that fight the willful rebellion of mortal men.

"And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet... These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone" (Rev. 19:20).

THAT is the "BATTLE of the Great Day of God Almighty!" That is the battle popularly misnamed "Armageddon"! It shall mark the turning point in history — the beginning of PEACE — real PEACE on earth, and good will toward men!

The Old Worldwide Church of God

Notice also something from the old WCG:

Armageddon is described in the Bible as a place, not an event. It is a place where armies gather. But notice that there is no mention of Armageddon being a battlefield, an actual scene of fighting.

Where is this place called Armageddon?

The word Armageddon is a Greek form of the Hebrew name Har Megiddon. It means "hill (or mountain) of Megiddo." Megiddo is an ancient town of Palestine. It is in the modern state of Israel on the southern rim of the large flat expanse of the plain of Esdraelon (also called the valley of Jezreel).

Megiddo lies about 55 miles north of Jerusalem, and about 15 miles inland from the Mediterranean Sea.

From the huge mound of Megiddo that today marks the site of the ancient city, one enjoys a commanding view of the valley of Jezreel stretching out to the northwest far into the distance (see photo). Jezreel is Israel's largest and most fertile valley and is often referred to simply as Ha'emek, "The Valley."

Ancient Battlefield

In ancient times, Megiddo was a city of great importance. It lay at the strategic crossing of important military and caravan routes. The Via Maris, the old coastal route linking Egypt with Damascus and the east, traversed the Jezreel Valley by Megiddo. (Stump K. Just What Do You Mean... ARMAGEDDON? Plain Truth, March 1982)

I have visited Megiddo and saw the view of the valley of Jezreel. I also filmed a video there which you can view online: Armageddon.

Megiddo itself was mentioned in the Old Testament:

Megiddo is first mentioned in the Bible in Joshua 12:12. It was one of the cities of the Canaanite kings defeated by Joshua and the Israelites at the end of the 15th century B.C.

Some two centuries later the plain by Megiddo was the site of a major engagement between the Canaanite captain Sisera and Israelite forces under Deborah and Barak (Judges 4 and 5). This ancient confrontation, which might accurately be called a "battle of Armageddon," ended with a total rout of the Canaanites.

King Solomon fortified the city in the 10th century B.C. as a military center and chariot town (I Kings 9:15). An estimated 450 horses could be stabled there. Three centuries later, King Josiah of ancient Judah was slain in the valley of Megiddo, unintentionally, at the hands of the Egyptians (II Kings 23:29).

These battles and others mentioned both in the Bible and in secular sources gave the valley of Megiddo an infamous reputation. It became a very symbol of war itself.

Even in post-biblical times — including this century — the strategic expanse has been the scene for large-scale confrontations.

Near the end of World War I, the British general Viscount Allenby won a crucial victory over the Turks at the Battle of Megiddo on September 19, 1918. Journalist Lowell Thomas, in his book With Allenby in the Holy Land, refers to the engagement as the "Battle of Armageddon," while implying no biblical fulfillment of prophecy. "Allenby was a master-strategist," Lowell Thomas quotes a participant in the fighting, in reference to Megiddo's strategic location.

Seven Last Plagues

Now see what prophecy has in store for this ancient battlefield...

Among these events is the sounding of seven prophetic trumpets (Rev. 8-10), symbolizing God's direct intervention in human affairs.

The seventh and last of these trumpets will announce the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to establish his rule on earth (Rev. 11:15; I Cor. 15:52; I Thess. 4:16). This trumpet will also initiate on a rebellious world a series of divine punishments known as the "seven last plagues" (Rev. 15 and 16).

These seven last plagues, designed to bring humanity to repentance, are pictured symbolically as seven vials, or small vessels holding liquids. These vials are "poured out" upon a corrupted earth by seven angels. Tragically, mankind as a whole will still refuse to repent of sin!

The sixth of these vials or plagues is described in Revelation 16:12 and introduces us to Armageddon:

"And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared."

It is important to understand the geography involved here. The Euphrates River rises in Turkey and flows southeastward for some 1,700 miles through Syria and Iraq, ultimately emptying into the Arabian or Persian Gulf.

Across this river bed will come the "kings of the east" and their armies — a prophesied communist-dominated Eurasian confederacy.

This confederacy will have certain geopolitical goals motivating their military offensive. But an unperceived, behind-the-scenes influence will be the ultimate motivation underlying their actions. Notice:

Revelation 16:14 reveals that it will be demonic spirits that will influence "the kings of the earth and of the whole world" to gather for battle. These spirits are fallen angels who followed Lucifer (Satan) in his rebellion against God (Isa. 14:12-14; Ezek. 28:12-17; Rev. 12:4).

They will stir up this world's leaders to prepare for war. The world's armies will unknowingly become their pawns.

The God of heaven will allow these seducing demons to marshal the armies of the kings of the east and the whole world (the United Nations, too!) at Armageddon, as we earlier saw in Revelation 16:16.

But the battle will not be fought at Armageddon!

In the meantime, another great military power and its allies will be in force in the Middle East to oppose the oncoming "kings of the east."

This power is referred to in the Bible as the "beast" — a powerful union of 10 European nations or groups of nations to arise in the closing days of this world's civilizations (Rev. 17:12-14). This European power — led by a military super-dictator also referred to in prophecy as the "beast" — will be the final, end-time revival of the medieval Holy Roman Empire...

Battle of the Great Day of God Almighty!

But no battle will be fought at Armageddon!

The seventh trumpet that set the stage for the confrontation at Megiddo also announces the Second Coming of Jesus Christ! He — Jesus Christ — will descend from heaven to the Mount of Olives at Jerusalem (Zech. 14:4; Acts 1:11-12).

Notice Revelation 11:15: "And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever."

This world's two great military powers — ready to fight each other for world domination — will be suddenly confronted by what they conceive to be, in their deceived minds, a common "enemy" — the returning Jesus Christ! Jesus, in Jerusalem, will proclaim his dominion over the world!

How will the assembled forces at Megiddo react?

"And the nations were angry..." declares Revelation 11:18. Men will not want to submit to God's rule! Instead, they will seek to destroy Jesus Christ — whom they will regard, falsely, as the Antichrist — and his angelic armies from heaven who accompany him to Jerusalem.

Instead of fighting each other, the Beast and the kings of the east will join forces — to "make war with the Lamb" (Rev. 17:14).

From the staging ground or mustering area of Armageddon the world's armies will move to confront Jesus Christ himself.

Where will that climactic battle be fought? The prophet Joel provides the answer. Read it in Joel 3:1-2, 9-14.

The battle, involving "all nations," will take place in the valley of Jehoshaphat! This deep valley or ravine borders Jerusalem on the east, between the city and the Mount of Olives (see photo). Today it is more commonly known as the Kidron Valley.

Jehoshaphat means "judgment of the Eternal." The rebellious and unrepentant nations of this world will be judged there by God for their disobedience!

The world's armies will converge on Jerusalem to fight Jesus Christ. He will not go north to Armageddon to fight them; they will march south to engage him!

The ensuing confrontation is called in the Bible "the battle of that great day of God Almighty" (Rev. 16:14). It is not the "battle of Armageddon" simply because it will not take place at Armageddon!

Zechariah 14:12-13 graphically describes this supernatural confrontation at Jerusalem with the world's armies. They will turn against each other in mistrust and fear as their very flesh decomposes and their eyes cease to see! "And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord shall smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth."

Read Revelation 19:11-21 for a further description of the climactic events to occur on that day.

The rebellious armies of this world will be utterly vanquished! (Stump K. Just What Do You Mean... ARMAGEDDON? Plain Truth, March 1982)

Yes, the world's forces will be vanquished. And yes, because of deception, many will think that the returning Jesus is the final Antichrist--see also Do Certain Greco-Roman Catholic Prophecies About Antichrist Warn Against Jesus?

Notice also the following, which is in the free online book Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America?:

Note that Armageddon is the gathering place, but is not shown to be where a major battle is about to take place.

This world's two great military powers — ready to fight each other for world domination — will be suddenly confronted by what they conceive to be, in their deceived minds, a common "enemy" — the returning Jesus Christ! …

Instead of fighting each other, the Beast and the kings of the east will join forces — to "make war with the Lamb" (Rev. 17:14).

From the staging ground or mustering area of Armageddon the world's armies will move to confront Jesus Christ himself.

Where will that climactic battle be fought? … Joel 3:1-2, 9-14. … The battle, involving "all nations," will take place in the valley of Jehoshaphat! This deep valley or ravine borders Jerusalem on the east, between the city and the Mount of Olives … Today it is more commonly known as the Kidron Valley. [Just What Do You Mean... ARMAGEDDON? WCG, 1982]

As it turns out, Jehoshaphat means "Yahweh judged.” Anyway, the unrepentant nations of this world will be judged there by God for their rebellion and disobedience!

Continuing in Revelation 16, we see that God will also issue corrective punishment to nearly all of humanity after Babylon (the European Empire) falls:

17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” 18 And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth. 19 Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. 20 Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 21 And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great (Revelation 16:17-21).

Notice that the islands are moved and mountains are basically gone sometime after God allows a massive earthquake. Islands and coastal regions will be filled with fearful people as the seas and the waves will roar per Jesus (Luke 21:25-26), before the islands fled (Isaiah 11:11 refers to remnants of people being on islands after this event, but likely most on them will die).

Sadly, the nations will be angry fight and against Jesus when He returns to set up the glorious kingdom of God:

16 And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying:

“We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned. 18 The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And should destroy those who destroy the earth.” (Revelation 11:16-18)

19:19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.  …
21 And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh. …
20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. (Revelation 19:19,21, 20:4-5a)

The Bible says Jesus will save the world when He establishes the Kingdom of God (2 Timothy 4:1; 1 Corinthians 15:24, 50). Otherwise, all flesh would be destroyed (Matthew 24:22).

Notice the following:

11 For as the sash clings to the waist of a man, so I have caused the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to cling to Me,’ says the Lord, ‘that they may become My people, for renown, for praise, and for glory; but they would not hear.’ (Jeremiah 13:11)

God wants all humans, everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30), but the bulk of the tribes of Israel have been unwilling to do so.

Those nations who gathered at Armageddon, will fight against Jesus and be defeated (Revelation 19:11-21).

Towards the end of that battle, the following happens to the King of the North Beast and the Antichrist False Prophet:

45 And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him. (Daniel 11:45)

20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. (Revelation 19:20)
Jesus will come then establish the millennial kingdom of God on the earth (Revelation 11:15). That is very good news.

That being said, after the coming millennial reign, God has a glorious and fantastic plan for the vast bulk of humanity that will “live again” in the age to come (cf. Hebrews 6:5, see also the free book, online at ccog.org,Universal OFFER of Salvation, Apokatastasis: Can God save the lost in an age to come? Hundreds of scriptures reveal God’s plan of salvation). This will benefit those of the whole house of Israel as well as Gentiles.

God’s plan of salvation includes people of all races and ethnicities (Luke 13:29; cf. Revelation 7:9). It is not limited to descendants of Israel or any other ethnicity (cf. Colossians 3:11).

The Beast will lose as scripture clearly teaches.

God Will Win

The Bible shows that the nations of the world will prepare for this battle by increasing armaments:

9 Proclaim this among the nations:
"Prepare for war!
Wake up the mighty men,
Let all the men of war draw near,
Let them come up.
10 Beat your plowshares into swords
And your pruning hooks into spears;
Let the weak say, 'I am strong.'" (Joel 3:9-10)

But notice that, despite perparation, they will lose:

11 Assemble and come, all you nations,
And gather together all around.
Cause Your mighty ones to go down there, O Lord.

12 "Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat;
For there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations.
13 Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe.
Come, go down;
For the winepress is full,
The vats overflow —
For their wickedness is great." (Joel 3:11-13)

17 Then another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.

18 And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, "Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe." 19 So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses' bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs. (Revelation 14:17-20)

What about the Valley of Jehososhaphat? What does that mean?

Although some geographers believe that there was no such physical place as the Valley of Jehoshaphat, that is inconsistent with scripture. Since Jesus said that scripture cannot be broken (John 10:35), in God's mind theere must be such a place. As it turns out in 2 Chronicles 20 it is recorded that God destroyed, without the people of Israel having to fight, the enemies of Judah, in the time of King Jehoshaphat of Judah:

13 Now all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the Lord.

14 Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. 15 And he said, "Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: 'Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's. 16 Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel. 17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!' Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you."

18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. 19 Then the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with voices loud and high.

20 So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper." 21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying:

"Praise the Lord,
For His mercy endures forever."

22 Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. 23 For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.

24 So when Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude; and there were their dead bodies, fallen on the earth. No one had escaped.

25 When Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away their spoil, they found among them an abundance of valuables on the dead bodies, and precious jewelry, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away; and they were three days gathering the spoil because there was so much. 26 And on the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Berachah, for there they blessed the Lord; therefore the name of that place was called The Valley of Berachah until this day. 27 Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat in front of them, to go back to Jerusalem with joy, for the Lord had made them rejoice over their enemies. (2 Chronicles 20:13-27)

Valley of Berachah means valley of blessing. Jehoshaphat was a major beneficiary of that blessing.

What happened there brings to mind the following prophecy:

3 Then the Lord will go forth
And fight against those nations,
As He fights in the day of battle. (Zechariah 14:3)

Recall that the old WCG pointed out that Jehoshaphat means "judgment of the Eternal." 2 Chronicles 20 shows that Jehoshaphat witnessed a battle which required no fighting by the people of Judah. Forces led by Ammon, Moab and Mt Seir had assembled in Engedi against Judah. The people of Judah were in great fear and gathered with Jehoshaphat before the Temple in Jerusalem to pray and seek God' help. God will protect His people furing that time who are gatehered together (cf. Zephaniah 2:103; Revelation 3:7-13, 12:14-16).

But yes, a massive army will gather in Megiddo--and this happens three years or so after the start of the Great Tribulation.

Various 'kings of the east' have been working together--but will come together more in the future (see The Times of the Gentiles).

China is in the process of putting infrastructure in place that will help Asian forces partially get to Armageddon (for some details, watch the video: Is China paving roads to Armageddon?).

However, this Asian massive army will be destroyed when it goes against Jerusalem.

Afterwards, there is good news, and the millennial portion of the Kingdom of God will be established.

But the gathering at Armageddon will happen first.

Here also is a video from Dr. Thiel, from Tel Megiddo in Israel: Armageddon. Other videos include: Armageddon Will it come on Trump's watch?, Iraq, Armageddon, & Prophecy, Freemasonry, Armageddon, and Rome, Is China paving roads to Armageddon?, and Jordan, Petra, and Armageddon.

Thiel B. Armaggeddon. COGwriter (c) 2017/2018/2019 /2022 /2023 0205 http://www.cogwriter.com/armageddon.htm

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