Armageddon!
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By an unknown artist
Armageddon!
Armageddon is the Greek transliteration of two Hebrew words, Har-Megiddo. Har-Megiddo means "Mount Megiddo," but there is no mountain by that name. Instead, Megiddo is the site of an ancient city in northern Israel (twenty miles SSE of the port city of Haifa). The city overlooked the pass between the coastal plain and the southern rim of the Plain of Esdraelon. The Canaanites settled the area and made it their royal city (Joshua 12:21; Judges 1:27).
Megiddo eventually came under the control of King Solomon and Israel. Because of its strategic location, numerous armies have fought there, from Thut-mose III of Egypt in 1450 BC to the Assyrians in 733 BC (2 Kings 23:29) to a World War I battle between England and Turkey in 1917. Israel subdued the Midianites here (Judges 7) and defeated the Canaanites twice (Judges 4:13-16). Thut-mose III said, "Megiddo is worth a thousand cities." Napoleon Bonaparte called the area a natural battlefield.
Many students of the Bible believe a final battle between good and evil will take place here at the Second Coming (Revelation 16:16-17). Others say the final battle will take place simultaneously in Egypt (Daniel 11:40-45), Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:2), and on the Plain of Esdraelon (Megiddo). Regardless of where it will occur, most Christians agree this final battle will precede the Day of Judgment and be Satan's final defeat (19:17-21).
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