Dan bergman teaches about the significance of the place referred to in the book of revelation as armageddon. Biblically speaking, it is the final battle to end all wars when evil is dealt a decisive blow. The book of revelation clearly stipulates that in order for china to make its way towards the place of armaggedon rev. Last month, archaeologists in northern israel unearthed a groundbreaking find associated with armageddon, the site of the ultimate battle in the bible book of revelation. Tel megiddo is a national park, which take about one to two hours to tour.
The first six bowls of wrath 15 behold, i am coming like a thief. Revelation 22 is a continuation of the account recorded in the preceding chapter, in which john describes a vision he has seen of the holy city, the new jerusalem, coming down from god out of heaven. The book of revelation describes an army of 200,000,000. You will see clearly how god will dismantle satans very flawed, endtime strategy for world. At the end of the age, the valley of jezreel, in which megiddo is located, will be the gathering place for an immense army that will fight the returning king of kings, jesus christ. The term is also used in a generic sense to refer to any end of the world scenario. Eric cline describes the story behind the excavation of the site. In ancient israel, megiddo was a key city along a major trade route between the kingdoms of mesopotamia and egypt.
Archaeologists in israel uncover a tomb in megiddo. No nation on earth currently has an army even one tenth of that size. China comes the closest, with more than 2 million active duty soldiers and more than 17 million paramilitary personnel, putting them in the 19 million mark. Megiddo situated here at the foot of israels mount megiddo, the valley. This book is the unveiling of jesus christ in his relationship to the church, to judgment, and to what is to come. According to the book of revelation in the new testament of the christian bible, armageddon is the prophesied location of a gathering of armies for a battle during the end times, variously interpreted as either a literal or a symbolic location. Armageddon is mentioned in the bible only once, in the revelation to john, or the apocalypse of st. One message, however, comes through clear and strong. Armageddon is mentioned in the bible only once, in the revelation to john, or the. No geographical location in ancient or modern times has been called mountain of megiddo. According to the book of revelation, the last book of the new testament, the war between christ and the antichrist, in which good will defeat evil, will start in meggido. Megiddo, named in the book of revelation as the setting for a future battle between the forces of good and evil, is for archaeologists perhaps the most important site in israel dating from biblical times. According to the book of revelation in the new testament of the christian bible, armageddon.
China and russia armies pushing coming to megiddo valley to overthrow the antichrist. The word har means mountain and magedon refers to an ancient site of many battles called megiddo. Hill of megiddo, in the new testament, place where the kings of the earth under demonic leadership will wage war on the forces of god at the end of history. Megiddo, worldrenown and celebrated, is the jewel in the crown of biblical archaeology. According to the new testament, this is the valley where the end of the world begins when the lord finally. A prophecy states that in the end times a final battle will be fought near this site.
Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to jeremiah j. The mount of megiddo in northern israel is not actually a mountain, but a tell a mound or hill created by many generations of people living and. The book of revelations prophecies about the seven last plagues are terrifying and show there will be massive suffering and destruction around the world in the end times. The actual location for this shortlived battle is described in scripture as harmagedon revelation 16. Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in hebrew is called armageddon revelation 16. Revelation 16 describes seven bowls of gods wrath poured onto the earth death in the seas, plagues of sores, rivers of blood and a final gathering on the hill of megiddo, called har megiddo in hebrew, giving english. This will be necessary for god to deal with a sinful and rebellious world. The route by which the revelation came to john is given here. This being the case, it is likely a reference to the hill country surrounding the plain of megiddo, which is. According to the book of revelation, this the place where the last great battle will be fought when the forces of good will triumph over evil.
It is the only book of the new testament classified as apocalyptic literature rather than didactic or historical, indicating thereby its extensive use of visions, symbols, and allegory, especially in connection with future events. Revelation to john, also called book of revelation or apocalypse of john, last book of the new testament. Ar comes from har, meaning mountain, and mageddon refers to the city of megiddo, whose ruins are today in israel. Thus in a book like revelation that is filled with figurative language, the term has symbolic meaning. As far as the exact methods of their destruction are concerned, we do not know. The mount of megiddo in northern israel is not actuall. Temple complex, with plain of jezreel seen through archaeologists trench its muchexcavated tel, a mound rising 60. Megiddo was an important site in the ancient world and archaeologists have unearthed some 26 layers of ruins at the site. Therefore, the book of revelation fittingly names the coming war of the great day of god the almighty harmagedon from heb. Revelation says that the forces of evil will gather in the valley of megiddo in israel once called the ideal battlefield by napoleon before the climactic battle of armageddon. Its meaning is positive, not fearful or terrifying to those who serve god. He gathered them together into the place which is called in hebrew, har megiddo.
On that day the mourning in jerusalem will be as great as the mourning of hadadrimmon in the plain of megiddo. John derived from the hebrew for mount megiddo, har megiddo. Megiddo, a place known in the book of revelation as armageddon, was occupied between roughly 7000300 b. Jameson and end times prophecy report with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. For christians the word megiddo is synonymous with the end of the world as mentioned in the book of revelation, megiddo or armageddon as it is also. Aramaic bible in plain english and he shall gather them to the place called, in. Although the word armageddon comes to us via the bible, it has entered the modern vernacular as a term that refers to doomsday, or a cataclysmic event. The new testaments book of revelation is interpreted as foretelling the ultimate reckoning on this very spot. Revelations associates megiddo in northern israel with the end of days. Since the book describes the end of the world, its greek title began to be used by english speakers to refer to the end of the. In islamic theology, the armageddon is also mentioned in hadith as the greatest armageddon or almalhama alkubra. Because of the many historychanging battles fought there, megiddo became a symbol, sort of like our own alamo or pearl harbor.
Megiddo is not really a mountain but a large hill that was created by people long ago where ancient forts were built as a defense against other nations. While many associate the word apocalypse with great disaster, the book of revelation begins and ends by saying that those who read, understand, and apply its message would be happy for doing so. Blessed is the one who remains awake and clothed, so that he will not go naked and let his shame be exposed. It is the first word of the book in its original greek. However, it is not at literal megiddo that this war will be fought. Apocalypse is a greek noun meaning uncovering or revelation. The city is referred to in the new testament as armageddon, a name st. Many people also believe megiddo will host historys last great battle, a climactic clash between the forces of good and evil at the place the new testament book of revelation calls by its greek namearmageddon. Thus, as was the common practice at the time, it became used as the name of the book. The word armageddon, greek for har megiddo mount megiddo in hebrew, had never been mentioned before revelation. The living words of god in the book of revelation convey to those who will understand, that the greatest gathering of armed forces in history is yet to occur here. Walvoord identifies as the focal point of this great future conflict the mount of megiddo, a small mountain located in northern palestine at the end of a broad valley. We have been walking on the road to armageddon, from nebuchadnezzars dream, daniel dream of four beasts, seventy weeks of daniel, middle east history, egypt syria wars and the vision of armageddon war to me.
The book of revelation this reading plan will introduce. John the divine, although the godgiven title is at the very beginning of the text, the revelation of jesus christ, which god. Author cliff billings brings your biblical worldview into sharp focus. For christians the word megiddo is synonymous with the end of the world as mentioned in the book of revelation, megiddo or armageddon as it is also known. The word armageddon comes from a hebrew word harmagedone, which means mount megiddo and has become synonymous with the future battle in which god will intervene and destroy the armies of the antichrist as predicted in biblical prophecy revelation 16. It will involve the kings of the entire inhabited earth. Megiddo is located to the east of the plains of jezreel, which is just south of galilee in what was originally judea. Book of revelation or apocalypse of john, last book of the new testament. However, the book of revelation is not a road map to a literal place called armageddon. The living words of god in the book of revelation convey to those. Megiddo dominated international traffic for over 6000 yearsfrom c. First appearing in the new testament book of revelation, the word armageddon derives from the hebrew har megiddo, referring to the mound or tel of the ancient fortresscity of megiddo. Fortified cities were built upon the 10 acre summit of megiddo hill or tel megiddo rising 21. The book of revelation shows that demonic spirits performing miraculous signs will influence these leaders to gather to the battle of that great day of god almighty to the place called armageddon revelation 16.
This is the holy book of revelation, known as the revelation of st. Its important to realize that the book of revelation is not written. What revelation says about the armageddon articles july 2, 20 the dust hadnt even settled from operation desert storm after iraq invaded kuwait in the early 1990s when i received an advertisement for a book predicting that this was the beginning of the end. Discovery of 3,600yo burial chamber in biblical book of. In the new testaments book of revelation, armageddon witnesses the ultimate battle between the forces of good and evil before the day of judgement hence its modern use as a byword for the. How the excavation of megiddo found evidence of a biblical. There is actually no mountain by that name, but har can refer to hill country.
Strategically perched above the jezreel valley, it guards the most important land route in the ancient near eastthe via maris leading from egypt to mesopotamia. It is a tel, a manmade mound created by many generations of people. John explains that there will be a clash between the forces of good and evil in this place. Some translations of the bible, such as the king james version and youngs literal translation, use the word vial instead of bowl in this passage and in revelation 16. John, in revelation, tells us that the last battle of history will take place on the plains of armageddon. Megiddo occupied a hill, not a mountain, but we need not quibble over size. When you hear megiddo, you immediately envision a bloody armageddon plain and the book of revelations future war. The book of revelation is highly symbolic, and we do not know what the locusts and all the individual symbols represent. Megiddo is a site that has seen more battles than any other location on. Archaeologists now say they have discovered a tomb there from the 15th century b. Megiddo was of strategic importance because it occupies a valley through which armies could march on their various campaigns.
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