Armageddon

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For other uses, see Armageddon (disambiguation).

Ruins atop Tel Megiddo.

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Armageddon (/ˌɑrməˈɡɛdᵊn/, from Ancient Greek: Ἁρμαγεδών Harmagedōn,^[1][2] Late Latin: Armagedōn^[3]) will be, according to the Book of Revelation, the site of gathering of armies for a battle during the end times, variously interpreted as either a literal or a symbolic location. The term is also used in a generic sense to refer to any end of the world scenario.

The word "Armageddon" appears only once in the Greek New Testament, in Revelation 16:16. The word is translated to Greek from Hebrew har məgiddô (הר מגידו), har - Strong H2022 - meaning "a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figuratively): - hill (country), mount (-ain), X promotion." This is a shortened form of Harar - Strong H2042 - "to loom up; a mountain; -hill, mount". Megiddo - Strong מְגִדּוֹן H4023 /meg-id-do'/ "Megiddon or Megiddo, a place of crowds.")^[4] "Mount" Tel Megiddo is not actually a mountain, but a tell (a hill created by many generations of people living and rebuilding on the same spot)^[5] on which ancient forts were built to guard the Via Maris, an ancient trade route linking Egypt with the northern empires ofSyria, Anatolia and Mesopotamia. Megiddo was the location of various ancient battles, including one in the 15th century BC and one in 609 BC. ModernMegiddo is a town approximately 25 miles (40 km) west-southwest of the southern tip of the Sea of Galilee in the Kishon River area.^[6]

According to one premillennial Christian interpretation, Jesus will return to earth and defeat the Antichrist (the "beast"), the False Prophet and Satanthe Devil in the Battle of Armageddon. Then Satan will be put into the "bottomless pit" or abyss for 1,000 years, known as the Millennium. After being released from the abyss, Satan will gather Gog and Magog from the four corners of the earth. They will encamp surrounding the "holy ones" and the "beloved city" (this refers to Jerusalem). Fire will come down from God, out of heaven and devour Gog and Magog. The Devil, death, hell, and those not found written in the Book of Life are then thrown into Gehenna (the lake of fire burning with brimstone).^[7]