Seven climactic battles are detailed in the time of the Judges; each typifying the Battle of Armageddon, but each offering a different facet of it.

Judges 3:7‑11. Cushan‑rishathaim king of Mesopotamia (Hebrews, Aram Naharaim, “Aram of two rivers,” or “Highlands of two rivers,” Euphrates and Tigris) was the first king God permitted to punish Israel in their land, for eight years. His name means, Cushan the doubly‑wicked. Othniel, nephew of Caleb, liberated Israel from him, and the land had rest forty years. Facet: Armageddon will destroy the oppressive power of even the most wicked rulers.

Othniel, the first judge of Israel, following Joshua

Judges 3:12‑30. Eglon king of Moab allied the sons of Ammon and the Amalekites with him and subjected Israel for eighteen years. Ehud, a Benjamite, was left‑handed and used it to advantage when he delivered tribute to the very fat Eglon (3:20‑21). Approaching, he grasped his knife with the left hand and thrust it into Eglon’s belly. Ehud escaped and rallied the troops of Ephraim to slay about ten thousand of the enemy; so the land had rest eighty years. Facet: No amount of wealth will preserve the enemies of Israel in Armageddon. “Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of Jehovah’s wrath” (Zephaniah 1:18 ASV).

Judges 4‑5. Jabin king of Canaan, in Hatzor, conquered Israel and oppressed them twenty years with nine hundred chariots of iron (compared to six hundred Egyptian chariots at the Exodus). Among Israel, Deborah went with Barak to Mount Tabor. When Jabin’s captain, Sisera, came to the river Kishon to destroy them, Deborah was apparently watching the clouds when she told Barak to go down and attack. The rains came suddenly and bogged the chariots down; Jabin’s forces were destroyed. Facet: God is fully able to defeat the high‑tech of any age.

Judges 6‑8. Concurrently, Midian subjected Israel for seven cruel years. Jehovah God had Gideon attack at night and pretend to have perhaps hundreds of thousands of troops, tricking Midian and its allies to destroy one another. [1] The victories of Barak and Gideon gave Israel peace forty years. Facet: God is fully able with few to defeat multitudes of enemies in Armageddon.

Judges 9. One of Gideon’s sons, Abimelech, slew seventy of his half‑brothers and declared himself king in Shechem. This soon divided the people. When Abimelech attacked Shechem, a woman in the tower cast an upper millstone on his head and he died. Facet: No usurping tyrant will prevail in Armageddon.

Judges 10‑12. The sons of Ammon oppressed the sons of Israel eighteen years. An illegitimate son of Gilead, Jephthah was cast out by his brethren. But when they needed his military skill they called him back. Jehovah subdued Ammon by Jephthah’s hand. Facet: Fleshly Israel does not believe Jesus is the Son of God, but they will, and he will rescue Israel.

Judges 13‑16. The Philistines oppressed Israel forty years. Samson pushed apart the pillars of the Philistine temple house and it caved in upon their lords and him. Facet: The faithful church will become complete as Armageddon begins.

— James Parkinson

[1] Gideon’s three enemies may be compared to Jehoshaphat’s three enemies (2 Chronicles 20) and perhaps with the three unclean spirits of Revelation 16:16.

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