Zephaniah 3:8

3:8 Therefore you must wait patiently ¹  for me,” says the Lord,

“for the day when I attack and take plunder. ² 

I have decided ³  to gather nations together

and assemble kingdoms,

so I can pour out my fury on them –

all my raging anger.

For ⁴  the whole earth will be consumed

by my fiery anger.

Zechariah 14:2-4

14:2 For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem ⁵  to wage war; the city will be taken, its houses plundered, and the women raped. Then half of the city will go into exile, but the remainder of the people will not be taken away. ⁶ 

14:3 Then the Lord will go to battle ⁷  and fight against those nations, just as he fought battles in ancient days. ⁸  14:4 On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives which lies to the east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in half from east to west, leaving a great valley. Half the mountain will move northward and the other half southward. ⁹ 

Revelation 16:14

16:14 For they are the spirits of the demons performing signs who go out to the kings of the earth ¹⁰  to bring them together for the battle that will take place on the great day of God, the All-Powerful. ¹¹ 

Revelation 16:16

16:16 Now ¹²  the spirits ¹³  gathered the kings and their armies ¹⁴  to the place that is called Armageddon ¹⁵  in Hebrew.

Revelation 19:19-21

19:19 Then ¹⁶  I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to do battle with the one who rode the horse and with his army. 19:20 Now ¹⁷  the beast was seized, and along with him the false prophet who had performed the signs on his behalf ¹⁸  – signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. Both of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire burning with sulfur. ¹⁹  19:21 The ²⁰  others were killed by the sword that extended from the mouth of the one who rode the horse, and all the birds gorged ²¹  themselves with their flesh.

Revelation 20:8

20:8 and will go out to deceive ²²  the nations at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, ²³  to bring them together for the battle. They are as numerous as the grains of sand in the sea. ²⁴ 

¹ tn The second person verb form (“you must wait patiently”) is masculine plural, indicating that a group is being addressed. Perhaps the humble individuals addressed earlier (see 2:3) are in view. Because of Jerusalem’s sin, they must patiently wait for judgment to pass before their vindication arrives.

² tn Heb “when I arise for plunder.” The present translation takes עַד (’ad) as “plunder.” Some, following the LXX, repoint the term עֵד (’ed) and translate, “as a witness” (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV). In this case the Lord uses a legal metaphor to picture himself as testifying against his enemies. Adele Berlin takes לְעַד (lÿ’ad) in a temporal sense (“forever”) and translates “once and for all” (Zephaniah [AB 25A], 133).

³ tn Heb “for my decision is.”

⁴ tn Or “certainly.”

⁵ map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

⁶ tn Heb “not be cut off from the city” (so NRSV); NAB “not be removed.”

⁷ sn The statement the Lord will go to battle introduces the conflict known elsewhere as the “battle of Armageddon,” a battle in which the Lord delivers his people and establishes his millennial reign (cf. Joel 3:12, 15-16; Ezek 38–39; Rev 16:12-21; 19:19-21).

⁸ tn Heb “as he fights on a day of battle” (similar NASB, NIV, NRSV).

⁹ sn This seismic activity provides a means of escape from Jerusalem so that the Messiah (the Lord), whose feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, may destroy the wicked nations in the Kidron Valley (the v. of Jehoshaphat, or of “judgment of the Lord”) without harming the inhabitants of the city.

¹⁰ tn BDAG 699 s.v. οἰκουμένη 1 states, “the inhabited earth, the world…ὅλη ἡ οἰκ. the whole inhabited earth…Mt 24:14; Ac 11:28; Rv 3:10; 16:14.”

¹¹ tn On this word BDAG 755 s.v. παντοκράτωρ states, “the Almighty, All-Powerful, Omnipotent (One) only of God…(ὁ) κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ π. …Rv 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7; 21:22.”

¹² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the resumption and conclusion of the remarks about the pouring out of the sixth bowl.

¹³ tn Grk “they”; the referent (the demonic spirits, v. 14) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁴ tn Grk “gathered them”; the referent (the kings and [implied] their armies, v. 14) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁵ tc There are many variations in the spelling of this name among the Greek mss, although ῾Αρμαγεδών (&armagedwn) has the best support. The usual English spelling is Armageddon, used in the translation.

¹⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

¹⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the introduction of an unexpected development in the account: The opposing armies do not come together in battle; rather the leader of one side is captured.

¹⁸ tn For this meaning see BDAG 342 s.v. ἐνώπιον 4.b, “by the authority of, on behalf of Rv 13:12, 14; 19:20.”

¹⁹ tn Traditionally, “brimstone.”

²⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

²¹ tn On the translation of ἐχορτάσθησαν (ecortasqhsan) BDAG 1087 s.v. χορτάζω 1.a states, “of animals, pass. in act. sense πάντα τὰ ὄρνεα ἐχορτάσθησαν ἐκ τῶν σαρκῶν αὐτῶν all the birds gorged themselves with their flesh Rv 19:21 (cp. TestJud. 21:8).”

²² tn Or “mislead.”

²³ sn The battle with Gog and Magog is described in the OT in Ezek 38:1-39:20.

²⁴ tn Grk “of whom the number of them [is] like the sand of the sea” (an allusion to Isa 10:22).