ARMAGEDDON, BATTLE OF

And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Ar-ma-ged-don.

—Rev. 16:16

281 Armageddon’s Entrance From All Sides

Megiddo is located about halfway between Mt. Carmel on the west and Mt. Gilboa on the east in the triangular plain of Esdraelon. Jesus often viewed this plain as He looked across the valley from Nazareth on the north to Megiddo on the south. The size of the plain is about 15 x 15 x 20, miles.

The plain has access on the west to the Mediterranean Sea at the port of Haifa. It also has access to the Jordan Valley through the Valley of Jezreel on the east. The Pass of Megiddo gives access to the south via the Way of the Sea and across the Carmel range. To the north, the ancient route ran northeast from the plain to the Sea of Galilee and then into Syria and Mesopotamia.

Therefore, Armageddon can be entered from all the points of the compass!

282 Cockpit Of The World

Belgium is called “the cockpit of Europe” because it has been the site of more European battles than any other country—such as the battles of Oudernarde, Ramillies, Fontenoy, Fleurus, Jemmapes, Ligny, Waterloo, etc.

The plain of Megiddo was also the scene of many decisive battles in Israel’s history. Here Gideon defeated Midian (Judg. 6:33). Here Saul died on Mount Gilboa (I Sam. 31:1). Here Josiah was slain against Pharoah-Necho (II Kg. 23:29, 30).

Here also, battles have occurred between Egyptians and Assyrians, between Babylonians and Greeks, between Seleucids and Ptolemies, between Romans and Arabs, between Crusaders and Turks.

Napoleon called this area “the world’s greatest natural battlefield” because of the ideal terrain for the world’s armies to maneuver.

283 400 Million Casualties

The total number of soldiers to be at the Battle of Armageddon will come from at least the following two sources:

a. 200 million from Asia (Rev. 9:16);

b. 200 million from Antichrist’s western forces.

Ten percent of the US population served in the armed forces during World War II. Ten percent of the present-day 4 billion world population would be 400 million in the armed forces at Armageddon. The result: 400 million casualties!

284 Napoleon’s Russian Campaign

One of the most interesting and significant objects in the world is a simple shaft of granite which stands near the highway at Wilna, on the western boundary of Russia. It bears two inscriptions in the Russian language. On the side that faces westward are these words:

“Napoleon Bonaparte passed this way in 1812 with 410,000 men.”

On the side facing eastward is this:

“Napoleon Bonaparte passed this way in 1812 with 9,000 men.”

At the end of the Battle of Armageddon, however, there would be no survivors among Antichrist’s and the world’s armies.

285 Marathon, Tours, Armageddon

The ancient Battle of Marathon decided that the civilization of Europe should be Greek and not Persian. Long afterwards, at the Battle of Tours, Europe was saved from the encroachments of the Mohammedans. At the final Battle of Armageddon, the forces of the Antichrist and of the whole world will be stopped by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords from heaven.

AT THE HEIGHT OF THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON, THE FIGHTING WILL SPILL OUT OVER THE LENGTH OF PALESTINE

286 Boundaries Of Armageddon

The battlefield stretches from Megiddo on the north (Zech. 12:11; Rev. 16:16) to Edom on the south (Isa. 34:5–6; 63:1), a distance of approximately 200 miles. It reaches from the Mediterranean sea on the west to the hills of Moab on the east, a distance of almost 100 miles.

It includes the valleys of Jehoshaphat (Joel 3:2, 2) and the plains of Esdraelon. And the center of the entire area is the city of Jerusalem (Zech. 14:1–2).

The kings with their armies come from the north and the south, from the east and from the west. There is an invasion from hell beneath. And entering the scene at the last moment is an invasion from outer space.

—Herman A. Hoyt

287 Valley Of Jehoshaphat

The prophet Joel pinpointed the “Valley of Jehoshaphat” as one area of the end-time battle. No one really knows where this valley is located. But since the 4th century A. D., it has been identified with the Valley of Kidron, which ran down, the eastern side of Jerusalem.

In the Kidron Valley, just below the sealed eastern gate of Jerusalem, several tombs can be seen. This spot has been the favorite burial ground of Jews for thousands of years, for they believe that the trumpets of universal resurrection and final judgment would be sounded from here. This is the most sacred burial spot for Jews.

288 Climactic Spot Of Armageddon

Another spot of the Battle of Armageddon pinpointed by the prophet Jeremiah (7:31–33, cf. 19:6) is Tophet.

Tophet is probably the point—south of Jerusalem—where the valleys of Tyropoeon, of Hinnom, and of Kidron meet. The Talmud places the mouth of hell here. The Arabs also call this lower end of Hinnon “the Valley of Hell.” In Jesus’ day, the city garbage dump was located here. The fighting in AD 70 ended here. As many as 600,000 bodies of Jews were carried through the Dung Gate to be buried in Tophet.

Tophet may mark the spot where the Battle of Armageddon comes to its climax in the second coming of Christ with His saints.

See also: War ; Weapons ; World Alignments ; Isa. 34:2; Jer. 7:32; Joel 3:2, 10, 12, 14; Zech. 12:2, 9; 14:2; Rev. 14:20; 16:14; 19:19.