The word Armageddon appears just once in the Bible, in Revelation 16:16. The most common interpretation of the term is that it refers to “mountain or hill of Megiddo.” This refers to an ancient battlefield where the people of God were always victorious. It is also called Valley of Jehoshaphat (Joel 3:9-16). At least three well-known battles in the Bible took place there: Judah’s victory during the kingdom of Jehoshaphat over a triple alliance (2 Chr. 20); Deborah and Barak’s victory (Judg. 4); Gideon’s victory over the Midian army (Judg. 7).
The Bible provides a significant key for understanding the meaning of the battle of Armageddon: the reference to the drying up of the Euphrates River in the sixth of the seven plagues. John is comparing the fall of the end-time Babylon with the literal fall of ancient Babylon, considered impenetrable by opposing armies, and a symbol of security and stability. Nabonidus, king of Babylon, precipitated a collapse in the country. He is comparing the fall of an extraordinary power that would appear in the future with an influence similar to that of ancient Babylon, a city considered impenetrable by opposing armies, and a symbol of security and stability.
What led to Babylon’s fall? By his poor administration, Nabonidus, king of Babylon, precipitated a collapse in the country. He transferred the seat of government to Tema, in Arabia. There he dedicated himself to worship of the moon goddess, Sin, instead of Marduk, Babylon’s chief god. Belshazzar, son of Nabonidus, remained in Babylon. During a battle with the Persian general Cyrus in Opis (185 kilometers north of Babylon), Nabonidas’ own people rebelled against him. Finally, on October 10, 539, BC he surrendered in Sippar (80 kilometers north of Babylon) without a fight and fled south to Borsippa (C. Mervin Maxwell, God Cares, Volume 1 [Nampa: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1998], pp. 75-77). Then, with the Medo-Persian army at the doors of the city, threatening the fall of the nation, Belshazzar plans a party without restraint!
On October 12, 539 BC, the Medo-Persian army entered Babylon by altering the course of the river that fl owed under the wall. That is how the drying up of the Euphrates occurred. As a result, Cyrus entered Babylon triumphantly and ended with its dominion. While Belshazzar and his subjects were drunk and unable to resist their rivals, Cyrus liberated the people of Israel. The Bible calls him “messiah” (Is. 45:1-3).
The Battle of Armageddon is the last attempt of evil forces to establish themselves as rulers of the earth by attempting to exterminate God’s people. The seven last plagues will contribute to undermine the coalition formed by the three demonic powers with all the kings of the earth (Rev. 16:13-14). They will finally withdraw their support and the spiritual Babylon will collapse (16:19). These powers will fail because they “will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them” (17:14; NASB).