Armageddon

 •  2 min. read  •  grade level: 15
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Q. What if the thought in Revelation 16:1616And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. (Revelation 16:16) as to the use of the name “Armageddon,” as the place of the gathering of the confederate kings in the last great battle of the eve?
A. It has been generally understood, and, doubtless, rightly so, that it referred to the “Megiddo” of Judg. 5, when Barak defeated the confederate kings of Canaan in that day of Israel’s weakness — (see also Zech. 12, etc.) —the Hebrew “Har”... being prefixed to denote the mountain of that name. But the following explanation seems still more to the point:
The word is literally Hormah-Gideon..., that is, The destruction of Gideon, and would refer to the well-known total route of the hosts of Midian by Gideon the Judge, after Israel’s seven years captivity to the Midianites (Judg. 6:11And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord: and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years. (Judges 6:1)).
This victory was characterized by the turning of every man’s sword against his fellow (Judg. 7:2222And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the Lord set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Beth-shittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abel-meholah, unto Tabbath. (Judges 7:22)), and furnished a grand and impressive type of this last great battle of this age, when Israel will be delivered, and the confederate powers of the world destroyed. That moment is referred to in Ezek.
38:21: “I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord God: every man’s sword shall be against his fellow.” And in Haggai 2:2222And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother. (Haggai 2:22), “I will overthrow the throne of the kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen every one by the sword of his fellow.”
“The day of Midian” is also definitely named, and referred to by way of analogy, in Isaiah 9:4, 54For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian. 5For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire. (Isaiah 9:4‑5), as characterizing this complete route of the enemy by the judgment of God. “For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian,” etc.