Armageddon Isn't A Real War. Here's Why.

[David Brubaker]

Here are some thoughts about Armageddon that you probably haven't heard elsewhere.

 

The story of Armageddon and the name Armageddon occur only in Revelation in the Bible.

 

There are two parts of the story. In the first part (Rev. 16:12-16), "unclean spirits" come out of the mouths of three satanic entities and call the whole world to battle at Armageddon. This is not yet the battle; it is only the call to battle.

 

In the second part of the story (Rev. 19:11-21), the Word of God appears with a two-edged sword coming out of His mouth. All the armies are defeated by the two-edged sword.

 

The usual way to read this story is to see the words "battle...sword" and ignore all the other details. In particular, nobody ever notices or talks about two odd but significant factors:

 

1. The "weapon" that defeats the armies of the earth, the two-edged sword coming out of the mouth of the Word of God, is a really odd image, even bizarre. Try to imagine Jesus riding through the battlefield waging war with a sword coming out of His mouth--it's a very strange image. It would be a very strange and inappropriate symbol for military might to achieve military victory on the battlefield, if it meant that. If it meant military power, the sword would be in the right hand of the Power of God, not coming out of the mouth of the Word of God. Yet nobody ever asks, why this strange image and what does this strange image mean?

 

2. There is a clear and distinct contrast between what comes out of the mouths of the satanic partners and what comes out of the mouth of the Word of God. From the satanic mouths comes the call to war. From God's mouth comes the power to overcome armies and end war.

 

What things come out of mouths? Words. Words of wisdom, folly, truth, falsehood, etc. From God's mouth come wisdom and truth to end war. From satanic mouths come falsehood and folly, calling the world to war.

 

The two-edged sword is simply the most common metaphorical meaning of a two-edged sword: Truth is a two-edged sword. (For a similar use of two-edged sword in connection with the word of God, see Hebrews 4:12.) God's truth, coming straight from God's mouth, is the one thing that is powerful enough to overcome the armies of the earth and to end war.

 

There is more to explain about Armageddon (all the flesh-eating birds, for example), but the rest of the story is a bit more advanced and would require much more explanation to understand it at this point.

 

This explanation of Armageddon as the story of God's word and God's truth overcoming war and armies also explains the strange name Armageddon, which has puzzled scholars and theologians for centuries. The name means, depending on the translator, something like "the mountain above Megiddo," "the heights above Megiddo," or simply "above Megiddo." Megiddo was a city in ancient Israel where several important historical battles were fought. However, there are no mountains or heights above Megiddo, so the name is odd and unexplained.

 

Here is what the name Armageddon means: This "battle" where God's truth overcomes war happens on a higher level--the intellectual, moral, and spiritual levels--than the physical level of Megiddo's battlefields. It happens on a higher level than Megiddo, "above Megiddo."

[GeorgeW]

Here is what the name Armageddon means: This "battle" where God's truth overcomes war happens on a higher level--the intellectual, moral, and spiritual levels--than the physical level of Megiddo's battlefields. It happens on a higher level than Megiddo, "above Megiddo."

 

On a much more mundane level, The "Anchor Bible Dictionary" (a wonderful academic resource) says this about the name:

 

"The most natural understanding of the Greek found in most manuscripts is “mountain (from the Hebrew har) of MEGIDDO.” While the Greek spelling differs considerably from the Hebrew word “Megiddo,” it is identical to the Septuagint transliteration in Josh 12:21 (ms A mageddōn), Judg 1:27 (ms A), and 2 Chr 35:22. Another transliteration of Megiddo in the LXX parallels the manuscript variant mageddōn (4 Kgdms 9:27—Eng 2 Kgs 9:27)."

 

George