What Does the Bible Say About..? Logo

What Does the Bible Say About..Armageddon?

What are some misconceptions about Armageddon?

Answer

I’m sure there are many misconceptions. The most common misconception is the term “battle of Armageddon.” Revelation 16:16 does not say anything about a battle being fought there. It is a place where God gathers the spirits who were gathering the kings for battle. The symbol is possibly the valley of Megiddo, where a great battle had been fought (1Kings 23). It was also the fortress where King Ahaziah fled to die (2 Kings 9:27). However, the Revelation never says that a battle will be fought there.

A second misconception is that, whatever is meant by Armageddon as a symbol, it is in the future. The Revelation was of events that were soon to happen (Revelation 1:1), and so it is in our past. Even the phrase in verse 14, “the great day of God Almighty,” does not necessarily mean the end of the world. It is a phrase used throughout the prophets for any judgement of God on man, of which there have been several. It could here mean the persecution that was coming on the church, or even the fall of the Roman government (the beast).

Just the form of your question seems to imply that you have some things you think of as misconceptions. They may or may not be these. These are probably only two of many.