Religion: Armageddon and the End Times

Prophecies of the last days surface as a campaign issue

For they are demonic spirits. . . who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty . . . at the place which is called in Hebrew Armageddon . . .

—Revelation 16:14,16

In one of the most peculiar twists of the 1984 campaign, St. John's apocalyptic vision of the "End Times" emerged last week as a political issue. During the final presidential debate, Panelist Marvin Kalb of NBC asked Ronald Reagan, "Do you feel that we are...