The Battle of Armageddon.
And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon. Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl upon the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, “It is done.” – Rev.16:13-17 (NASB)
The word “Armageddon” is really Har-Magedon in the Greek. Revelation 16:16 explains that the word is based on the Hebrew. In Hebrew har means mountain. So, the most natural meaning of Armageddon is “Mountain of Megiddo.” The problem is that there is no mountain in the whole world that has ever been named Megiddo. There are waters of Megiddo (Judg. 5:19), a valley of Megiddo (2 Chron. 35:22), and a city of Megiddo (1 Kings 9:15). Others suggest “mountain of slaughter” (based on Zech. 12:11) or “mount of assembly” (echoing Isa. 14:13). The best explanation of Har-Magedon is to associate it with the mountain that looms over the waters, valley, and city of Megiddo—Mount Carmel. Mount Carmel is the place where Elijah called fire down from heaven to earth to demonstrate who the true God is (Rev. 13:13, 14). In the last days of earth’s history, there will be a showdown between the true God (Revelation 4, 5) and the counterfeit trio (Rev. 16:13, 14); between the three angels messages (Rev. 14:6–12) and that of the three frogs. In that final contest, the fire will fall on the wrong altar (Rev. 13:13, 14), but the true God will be vindicated in the end (Rev. 15:3, 4).
There are many scriptures that warn us to be wary of signs wonders and miracles in the last days. Now, Revelation 16 tells us, deceptive demonic miracles will achieve worldwide success. In having spurned Bible teachings, people will believe a lie that will be accompanied by deceptive miracles;
“Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming. This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth.” – 2 Thess. 2:9–12 NLT.
They will unite together in purpose, symbolized by their gathering to a “place,” which is in Hebrew called Armageddon, meaning “the mountain of Megiddo.” Megiddo was not a mountain, but a fortress city located in the Valley of Jezreel (or the Plain of Esdraelon) at the foot of the Mount Carmel ridge. It was an important strategic site. The Plain of Esdraelon was known for many decisive battles in Israel’s history (see Judg. 5:19; Judg. 6:33; 2 Kings 9:27; 2 Kings 23:29, 30). Revelation uses this historical background to depict a final great conflict, called Armageddon, between Christ and the forces of evil. The people of the world are portrayed as a unified army under the leadership of this satanic league.
The “mountain of Megiddo” is an apparent allusion to Mount Carmel that towers above the valley in which the ancient city of Megiddo was located. Mount Carmel was the site of one of the greatest clashes in Israel’s history, between God’s true prophet (Elijah) and the false prophets of Baal the sun god (1 Kings 18).
This showdown answered the question “Who is the true God?” The fire that came from heaven demonstrated that the Lord was the only true God and the only one to be worshiped. While the spiritual issue of the battle of Armageddon—Will we obey God or man? — is decided before the plagues fall, those who side with the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet (Rev. 16:13), will then be totally controlled by the devil (as Judas was, leading up to Christ’s crucifixion [Luke 22:3]). Having chosen the losing side, they will be among those who cry for the mountains to hide them (Rev. 6:16; read also 2 Thess. 1:7, 8). Before the plagues fall, however, Revelation 13:13, 14 portrays the earth beast bringing fire down from heaven to deceive the world into thinking that Satan’s counterfeit, which will include false revivals led by another spirit, is the work of God. Armageddon is not a military battle among nations to be fought somewhere in the Middle East, but a global spiritual contest in which Christ decisively confronts the forces of darkness (see 2 Cor. 10:4). The outcome will be like that at Carmel but on a worldwide scale—with God’s triumph over the forces of darkness.
For many years, people have been looking at political and military turmoil in the Middle East as signs of the end and of Armageddon. Despite many predictions and date-settings, Armageddon, as they have envisioned it, has not come. How can we protect ourselves from making similar mistakes in regard to interpreting apparent localized events as the fulfillments of Bible prophecy? While Daniel, as we have studied in Daniel 11, clearly outlines the last battle between the king of the north (The papacy and its allies) and the King of the south (Islam and its allies), the current focus on ‘Israel of the flesh’ and some fanciful idea of the temple being rebuilt in Jerusalem is a smoke screen to the real issue. The temple was destroyed because it was obsolete, Christ had come and fulfilled everything it stood for, and it would never be needed again. Israel is now the church, and the battle of Armageddon is global, as is the conflict between the kings of the north and south.