Posted by
Jesse "The Mind" Norman on Monday, September 08, 2008 1:48:00 AM
The “Battle of Armageddon” is well recognized as the last battle between good and evil before the world ends. This is unequivocally wrong. First off, anytime the NT mentions the end of the world, that word “world” there is actually the Greek word ”αιων” (ahee-OWN) which really means “age”. Not world. This is true in Matthew 24:3 when the disciples privily asked Jesus the signs of his coming and the end of the world. That word “world” is really “age” in its original language. Secondly, there is a war mentioned after the supposed “last war on Earth”. It’s right there in Revelation 20, isn’t it? After Satan is loosened from his prison he gathers together those who believe in him to make war with the saints. So how is the Battle of Armageddon the last worldly battle between good and evil? It’s not.
As is written in the very important original Greek, when Jesus returns to Earth that will end this age. Not the world, but the age. After that there is a new age to begin. There is a whole thousand year period written in Revelation where Jesus reigns on Earth with his saints while Satan is in the bottomless pit, right? It’s been in the Bible the whole time, so why forsake this writing?
Armageddon comes from Megiddo, which is a large hill south of the Valley of Jezreel in northern Israel. This is where opposing forces come to try to take over Israel and especially Jerusalem. Satan at that point will be the Antichrist. To clarify, Satan will be here in the flesh after he is kicked down to Earth from heaven by Michael and his angels. For the first three and a half years of the great tribulation period, the Antichrist will be a human being with the spirit of Satan in him, but he will die. Three days later he will seemingly rise again but it will not any longer be a human being with the spirit of Satan in him. It will be Satan himself.
The nations that come to be the evil nations will be the eastern nations. Russia, the Arab World, China, and other eastern nations will gather at Megiddo and will be ready to invade. The nations fighting for Israel, hence Jerusalem will be the western nations. Not all western nations obviously. I’m speaking in general terms.
It is very possible that at the end of the next age that Satan and his followers will again come from Megiddo, but that’s not written in Revelation 20. Megiddo is the site of many battles of the past. To make that assumption could very well be correct, but that’s only an assumption one can make. It’s certainly not based on fact, so one shouldn’t assume it is anything but a mere possibility. As is written in Rev. 20, Satan and his deceived will be stopped by God. That will end the next age. Then the books will be opened and judgment is given. Not beforehand. Read with your own eyes and let God’s word explain itself to you. You will see that the Battle of Armageddon is not the last battle between good and evil before the end of the world. Take God’s word or the word of men. That’s your choice to make.