Armageddon
“Mountain of Megiddo”
Summary
A symbolic place name in Revelation meaning 'mountain of Megiddo,' representing the scene of the final conflict between Christ and the forces of evil.
☩Biblical Reference
Armageddon appears only once in Scripture, in the book of Revelation, as the place where the kings of the earth and the whole world will be gathered for battle in 'the great day of God Almighty.'
☩Meaning and Significance
The name Armageddon means 'the mountain (or hill) of Megiddo.' The plain of Esdraelon, near Megiddo, was famous as the scene of great biblical battles: Barak's victory over the Canaanites, Gideon's victory over the Midianites, and the tragic deaths of Saul and Josiah. This imagery would be particularly natural to a Galilean writer familiar with this historic battlefield.
☩Prophetic Interpretation
The name is used symbolically for the scene of the final struggle between good and evil, where the assembled forces of the beast and his allies will meet their overthrow through the Almighty Conqueror. This may be compared with the 'valley of Jehoshaphat' imagery in Joel.
Related Verses1 mention
Revelation· 1 verse
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Armageddon," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. I (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.George Morrish, "Armageddon," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).
- 3.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Armageddon," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).