Is Armageddon in the tribulation period or the millennium?

Answer 1

The battle of Armageddon occurs at the end of the tribulation when the returning Messiah wipes them out completely and the Millennium then begins.

Rev 16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon [ie Satan], and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

Rev 16:14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

Rev 16:15 (Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame).

Rev 16:16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

Rev 16:17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.

Rev 16:18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.

Rev 16:20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.

Rev 16:21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent [about 100 lbs or 45kg]: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

There are then a couple of Inset chapters describing previous events in more detail, then Chapter 19 describes, firstly, the return of the Messiah:-

Rev 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithfuland True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

Rev 19:12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.

Rev 19:13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

Rev 19:14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

Rev 19:15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

Rev 19:16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

and then, secondly, the destruction of the army at the battle of Armageddon mentioned in Rev 16:16 at Megiddo:-

Rev 19:17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;

Rev 19:18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.

Rev 19:19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.

Rev 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

Rev 19:21 And the remnant were slainwith the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

That is the event that marks the start of the Millennium.

Do not confuse that battle with the one at the end of the Millennium (ie after 1000 years) where Satan is released from his captivity and gathers those from the Millennium who hate God to fight Him:-

Rev 20:2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, andbound him a thousand years,

Rev 20:3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

Rev 20:7 And when the thousand years are expired,Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,

Rev 20:8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

The army is wiped out and Satan is thrown into Hell:-

Rev 20:9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city [ie Jerusalem]: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

Rev 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Thus all those who do not accept the rule of Christ will have been eliminated.