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Armageddon: The End — Are We Close?
A Bit Of History
This is a topic that has caused riots, disagreements — major and minor — been the cause for church as well as denoimational splits, world religions have even fought over it. It is also a topic I find very difficult to know just where to jump in. “The End” is an easy place to start, but where does it begin? Armageddon plays a central role to three of the world’s religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Perhaps I should start by laying down my credentials as to why I am qualified to speak, or in this case, write of Armageddon. I am not a pastor or theologian in terms of Christianity; I am not a Rabbi to teach of Judaism; nor am I an imam, mullah, or other Islamic leader. I have not been to a Christian seminary or a Jewish Talmudical/ Rabbinical school or academy, or any of Islam’s madrassas, universities or schools of jurisprudence. I am a believing Christian, though — which should make me eminently aware of Armageddon — after all, it is the final battle between man and God. I did graduate from a small Christian college; I also attended one of the world’s oldest universities where I studied Islam. None of the above, though, makes me any sort of expert, of any of the religions, or of Armageddon. I am just a plain, ordinary civilian who happens to have varied interests, like most every else.
Here is what I do know — let me change that — here, is what I think. Armageddon, according to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible, is the prophesied location of a gathering of armies for a battle during the end times. The term is also used in a generic sense to refer to any end of the world scenario. In Islamic theology, Armageddon is also mentioned in Hadith as the Greatest Armageddon.
The “mount” of Megiddo in northern Israel is not actually a mountain, but a tell (a mound or hill created by many generations of people living and rebuilding on the same spot) on which ancient forts were built to guard the Via Maris, an ancient trade route, linking Egypt with the northern empires of Syria, Anatolia and Mesopotamia. Megiddo was the location of various ancient battles, including one in the 15th Century BC during the reign of the Egyptian Pharaoh, Thutmose III, and one in 609 BC during the reign of Pharaoh Necho II.
It would be quite easy to go into more detail of Megiddo and Armageddon, the battles, past, present and future. But, I don’t want this to be a history lesson. I think most people are somewhat familiar with the term, Armageddon. It is a cataclysmic term, bringing to mind disaster of an apocalyptic event. And, it is, exactly that. What I would like to explore, though, is where is the world now and what might be the driving factors either leading us to or driving us away from such an event.
Sources I use to glean information from several times a day come by email, text, and social media platforms. What I look for are orders placed, contracts let, both civilian and military. Items of interest include major arms deals; aviation contracts; shipping contracts; who is ordering the contract; and what type of arms, aviation, or shipping items are being sought. Important to note is if it’s mostly weaponry, is it defensive or offensive, and, is it light weapons or heavy weapons. Included are also civilian needs, such as cargo or personnel transport. In essence, look for anything that might be of use.
What I want to focus on is what contracts are being awarded; who is placing the order; who is receiving the order; and, possible or intended use of the product. To do this, I will be looking at the current and prior month’s worth of orders.
Another area of focus will be activities, continent-by-continent, transcontinental, East verses West and North verses South. Sources for this will be varied, and will include practically all sources available to me.
Armageddon: The End — Are We Close?
