Difference between revisions of "Armageddon"

<p> ("Mount of Megiddo": from a root gadad , "to cut off," i.e. "slaughter" (&nbsp;Revelation 16:16)). The plain of Esdraelon, the great Old Testament battle field between Israel and the various enemies of Jehovah's people: the scene of Barak's victory over Canaan, and Gideon's over [[Midian]] (Judges 4; 5; 7), the scene also of Saul's death and Israel's defeat before the [[Philistines]] (1 Samuel 31), and of Josiah's death in battle with Pharaoh [[Necho]] (&nbsp;2 Kings 23:29-30). Both this and "the valley of Jehoshaphat" (the scene of his great victory, &nbsp;2 Chronicles 20:26, compare &nbsp;Zechariah 14:2-4) may be figurative phrases for the scene of the final conflict of Christ and Antichrist. But they may also be literal. </p> <p> The mourning at Josiah's death in the valley of Megiddo became proverbial for the most poignant grief. As he and his army represent the professing church, so Pharaoh Necho and the [[Egyptians]] the God-opposed world. The triumph of Pharaoh then shall be utterly reversed in the last conflict of the ten confederate kings under [[Antichrist]] against the Lamb and His hosts (not merely professors, but "called, chosen, and faithful") (&nbsp;Revelation 17:12-14; &nbsp;Revelation 19:11-21). The last Antichrist is developed after executing judgment on the whore, the apostate church; he then, with his ten confederate kings and the false prophet, opposes Christ Himself, and perishes. </p>

<p> [[Armageddon]] (''Är-Ma-Gĕd'Don'' ), ''The Hill,'' or, perhaps, ''The City Of Megiddo.'' A symbolical name for the place where a final struggle between the hosts of good and evil must take place. &nbsp;Revelation 16:16. Spelled [[Har-Magedon]] in R. V. For an exposition of the apostle's meaning, the reader must be referred to commentaries; it will be sufficient here to say that there is an allusion to that great battle-field where Barak and Gideon conquered, &nbsp;Judges 4:1-24; &nbsp;Judges 5:19; &nbsp;Judges 6:33; &nbsp;Judges 7:1-25; where Saul and Josiah fell, &nbsp;1 Samuel 29:1; &nbsp;1 Samuel 31:1-13; &nbsp;2 Samuel 4:4; &nbsp;2 Chronicles 35:20-24; the plain of Esdraelon, on the southern border of which Megiddo stood. </p>

<p> (Ἀρμαγεδδών, &nbsp;Revelation 16:16), properly " the mountain of Megiddo" (Heb. הִר מְגִדּוֹ ), a city on the west of the river Jordan, rebuilt by [[Solomon]] (&nbsp;1 Kings 9:15). (See Megiddo). In the mystical language of prophecy, the word mountain represents the Church, and the events which took place at Megiddo are supposed to have had a typical reference to the sorrows and triumphs of the people of God under the Gospel. "In that day," says Zechariah (&nbsp;Zechariah 12:11), "shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of [[Hadadrimmon]] in the valley of Megiddon;" referring to the death of Josiah (q.v.). "He gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon," is the language of the Apocalypse; and the word has been translated by some as "the mountain of destruction," by others as "the mountain of the gospel"-a passage that probably has reference to the symbolical use of the name in Zechariah. Into a valley ominous of slaughter the unclean spirits (representing the heathen influence of the Roman empire), under the special guidance of [[Providence]] (&nbsp;Revelation 17:17), conduct the assembled forces of the beast and his allies; and there in due time they come to an overthrow through an almighty conqueror (Stuart, Comment. in loc.). The passage is best illustrated by comparing a similar one in the book of Joel (&nbsp;Joel 3:2; &nbsp;Joel 3:12), where the scene of the divine judgments is spoken of in the prophetic imagery as the "valley of Jehoshaphat," the fact underlying the image being Jehoshaphat's great victory (&nbsp;2 Chronicles 20:26; see &nbsp;Zechariah 14:2; &nbsp;Zechariah 14:4). So here the scene of the struggle of good and evil is suggested by that battlefield, the plain of Esdraelon, which was famous for two great victories-of Barak over the Canaanites (Judges 4, 5), and Gideon over the Midianites (Judges 7); and for two great disasters, the death of Saul in the invasion of the Philistines (&nbsp;1 Samuel 31:8), and the death of Josiah in the invasion of the Egyptians (&nbsp;2 Kings 23:29-30; &nbsp;2 Chronicles 35:22). With the first and fourth of these events, Megiddo (Μαγεδδώ in the Sept. and Josephus) is especially connected. Hence Ἀρ - μαγεδών '','' "the hill of Megiddo." (See Bihr's ''Excursus'' on Herod. ii, 159.) As regards the Apocalypse, it is remarked by Stanley ''(Sinai And Palestine,'' p. 330) that this imagery would be peculiarly natural to a Galilaan, to whom the scene of these battles was familiar. (See Esdraelon). </p>

<p> '''''ar''''' -'''''ma''''' -'''''ged´on''''' Ἀρμαγεδδών , <i> '''''Armageddō̇n''''' </i> ̌ : &nbsp;Revelation 16:16; the Revised Version (British and American) "HAR-MAGEDON") (which see). </p>