February 7th, Site #1

MEGIDDO / ARMAGEDDON
Megiddo means “hill of battles.” While it overlooks the peaceful Jezreel Valley, more battles have been fought here than any other place on earth. There are numerous passages in the Old Testament related to battles and deaths that took place here (Joshua 5:19-20; 12:21; 17:11; Judges 1:27; 5:19; 6:33; II Kings 9:27; 23:29-30; II Chronicles 35:20-27). Solomon built two palaces and stables for his horses and chariots here (I kings 9:15-19; II chronicles 1:14). Megiddo is on the Via Maris (“the way of the sea”), the trading route between Egypt and Damascus. James Michener’s “The Source” tells how about 1200 BC the people of Megiddo tunneled 180 feet down and 360 feet out to a water source beyond the city walls, thus protecting them from siege. The spring was covered to keep the enemy from detecting its location. It is at Megiddo that the battle of Armageddon (“the hill of Megiddo”), the final battle between Christ and Satan, is to be fought (Revelation 16:16). The last historical battle to have been fought here was when the British General E.H.H. Allenby defeated the Ottomans in 1918, bringing an end to the Ottoman Empire. Excavations of Megiddo reveal 22 layers of occupation, beginning with the Canaanite period (3000-1200 BC).

Revelation 16:12-16; 19:17-21 (the battle of Armageddon)
The sixth angel poured his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up in order to prepare the way for the kings from the east. And I saw three foul spirits like frogs coming from the mouth of the dragon, from the mouth of the beast, and from the mouth of the false prophet. These are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty. (“See, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and is clothed, not going about naked and exposed to shame.”) And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Harmagedon.
Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly in midheaven, “Come, gather for the great supper of God, to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of the mighty, the flesh of horses and their riders—flesh of all, both free and slave, both small and great.” Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against the rider on the horse and against his army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed in its presence the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. And the rest were killed by the sword of the rider on the horse, the sword that came from his mouth; and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.