Third Temple
The Battle of Armageddon
David J. Nixon
The Old Testament scriptures foretell that in the Last Days the city of Jerusalem will become an important focal point of global political and militaristic intrigue: "Behold I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that causes reeling to all the peoples around; and when siege is against Jerusalem, it will also be against Judah. It will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it" (Zechariah 14:2-4). The phrase "in that day" occurs throughout Zechariah as he prophesies about the campaign of Armageddon that culminates in the "Day of the Lord" when the Second Coming occurs as indicated by John's Revelation visions of the 6th Bowl Judgement when the River Euphrates in preparation for the gathering of the world's armies in Israel: "which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty" (Revelation 16:14). Zechariah prophesied concerning this day that "Behold a day is coming for the Lord when the spoil taken from you will be divided among you. For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished and half of the city exiled, but the rest of them will not be cut off from the city. Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle. In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem" (Zechariah 14:1-4) and this correlates with the post-ascension appearance of the angel to the apostles telling them of Christ's future return to this spot on the Mount of Olives (Acts 1:11).
So it appears from these scriptures that the Antichrist will gather his armies against Jerusalem immediately prior to the Lord's Second Coming. Daniel also described this same event saying that Antichrist will respond to threats from the East by marching into Israel and setting up camp between the Mediterranean Sea and Mount Zion and it is here that he will meet his end (Daniel 11:44-45). John then tells us that the location of this gathering will be to the place called Armageddon in the Hebrew tongue, which simply translates as Mount Megiddo (Armageddon/Har Megiddo, "Har" = Mount) (Revelation 16:16). This place is in the Valley of Jezreel on the Plain of Esraelon, which falls between the key port of Haifa that is the best route to enter into continental Europe and the city of Jerusalem. So here we see the Old and New Testament prophetic pictures coming together.
The battle will be marked by incredible stellar disturbances which we cannot begin to imagine, but which are written of in the prophets concerning this day: "So it will happen in that day, that the Lord will punish the host of heaven on high, and the kings of the earth on earth. They will be gathered together like prisoners in the dungeon, and will be confined in prison; and after many days they will be punished. Then the moon will be abashed and the sun ashamed, for the Lord of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and His glory will be before His elders." (Isaiah 24:21-23); "It will come about in that day that there will be no light; the luminaries will dwindle. For it will be a unique day which is known to the Lord, neither day nor night, but it will come about that at evening time there will be light" (Zechariah 14:6-7). Indeed there will also be incredible geological and ecological upheaval testified of in both Testaments too: "And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found" (Revelation 16:20), "Behold the Lord lays the earth waste, devastates it, distorts its surface and scatters its inhabitants" (Isaiah 24:1).
The outcome of the battle is sealed when Jesus Christ appears in the air in the Second Coming along with the armies of Heaven, including the raptured Saints (Revelation 19:11-16). The destruction of the armies of the Antichrist and his armies are prophesied of by both Testaments and I think that they need no further elaboration as they are clear in their interpretation: "And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh" (Revelation 19:20-21); "Now this will be the plague which the Lord will strike all the peoples who have gone to war against Jerusalem; their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, and their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongue will rot in their mouth. It will come about in that day that a great panic from the Lord will fall on them; and they will seize one another's hand, and the hand of one will be lifted against the hand of another" (Zechariah 12-13); "Therefore a curse devours the earth and those who live in it are held guilty. Therefore, the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men are left" (Isaiah 24:6).
Doubtless this battle which marks the end of the Antichrist's reign will be the bloodiest event in human history as the forces of good and evil come to the ultimate clash. It even appears from the gory description of the volume of blood produced in the battle that it will not be a PG event: "And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses' bridles for a distance of two hundred miles" (Revelation 14:20). Some experts have calculated that this volume of blood would need the death of more than 200 million people - an incredible description of the potential size of the battle.
What comes after the battle is the setting up of Christ's kingdom on Earth for 1000 years in the Millennial Kingdom.
