And he gathered them to the place that in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon. Rev. 16:16.
The word "Armageddon" has become famous because of its role in the King James Version as the location of the final battle of earth's history. The word appears only once in Scripture, right here in Revelation 16:16. The Greek has a little breathing mark above the a that indicates an h sound precedes Armageddon. So the actual word in the Greek is "Harmagedon." According to the text, it is a word with a Hebrew background.
In Hebrew the word har means "mountain" and magedon is a frequent translation of the Hebrew Megiddo in the Greek Old Testament (Joshua 12:21; Judges 1:27; 2 Chron. 35:22). So the most natural understanding of this enigmatic term is "Mountain of Megiddo."
The region of Megiddo was an ancient battleground. There the armies of Deborah and Barak defeated Sisera and his Canaanite army (Judges 5:19). Later the same place was the scene of the final struggle between Josiah and Pharaoh Necho (2 Kings 23:29, 30; 2 Chron. 35:22). This was such a memorable event in Israel's history that Scripture recalled the mourning for Josiah years later (Zech. 12:11). If the author of Revelation was alluding to this ancient battleground, it is an appropriate background to the final battle of earth's history.
The problem with the text is the reference to the "mountain" of Megiddo. The Old Testament speaks several times of a city of Megiddo (Joshua 17:11; Judges 1:27, etc.), a king of Megiddo (Joshua 21:12), a valley of Megiddo (2 Chron. 35:22), and waters of Megiddo (Judges 5:19). But it never mentions a "mountain of Megiddo." Scholars have offered a number of solutions to this problem but most don't work unless you alter the text in same way.
The best understanding of the phrase, therefore, would seem to be as a reference to Mount Carmel, a 20-kilometer-long ridge running from Haifa southeast toward the Jordan River. The high point of the ridge is in view from the ruins of the ancient city of Megiddo. There on Carmel Elijah the prophet precipitated a showdown with the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:16-45). He called fire down from heaven to prove that Yahweh rather than Baal was the true God (cf. Rev. 13:13, 14). And there he defeated the false prophets of Baal (cf. Rev. 16:13-16).
By alluding to the Mount Carmel showdown, John indicates that the Battle of Armageddon is a spiritual conflict over the issue of worship (Rev. 13:4, 8, 12, 15; 14:7, 9-11). It is a struggle for the mind (Rev. 16:15; 17:14). Everyone in the world must make a fateful decision with permanent results.
Lord, I know that every day a battle is going on in my mind. Help me to recognize the decisive moments of that conflict in my life and in the lives of those around me.
The word "Armageddon" has become famous because of its role in the King James Version as the location of the final battle of earth's history. The word appears only once in Scripture, right here in Revelation 16:16. The Greek has a little breathing mark above the a that indicates an h sound precedes Armageddon. So the actual word in the Greek is "Harmagedon." According to the text, it is a word with a Hebrew background.
In Hebrew the word har means "mountain" and magedon is a frequent translation of the Hebrew Megiddo in the Greek Old Testament (Joshua 12:21; Judges 1:27; 2 Chron. 35:22). So the most natural understanding of this enigmatic term is "Mountain of Megiddo."
The region of Megiddo was an ancient battleground. There the armies of Deborah and Barak defeated Sisera and his Canaanite army (Judges 5:19). Later the same place was the scene of the final struggle between Josiah and Pharaoh Necho (2 Kings 23:29, 30; 2 Chron. 35:22). This was such a memorable event in Israel's history that Scripture recalled the mourning for Josiah years later (Zech. 12:11). If the author of Revelation was alluding to this ancient battleground, it is an appropriate background to the final battle of earth's history.
The problem with the text is the reference to the "mountain" of Megiddo. The Old Testament speaks several times of a city of Megiddo (Joshua 17:11; Judges 1:27, etc.), a king of Megiddo (Joshua 21:12), a valley of Megiddo (2 Chron. 35:22), and waters of Megiddo (Judges 5:19). But it never mentions a "mountain of Megiddo." Scholars have offered a number of solutions to this problem but most don't work unless you alter the text in same way.
The best understanding of the phrase, therefore, would seem to be as a reference to Mount Carmel, a 20-kilometer-long ridge running from Haifa southeast toward the Jordan River. The high point of the ridge is in view from the ruins of the ancient city of Megiddo. There on Carmel Elijah the prophet precipitated a showdown with the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:16-45). He called fire down from heaven to prove that Yahweh rather than Baal was the true God (cf. Rev. 13:13, 14). And there he defeated the false prophets of Baal (cf. Rev. 16:13-16).
By alluding to the Mount Carmel showdown, John indicates that the Battle of Armageddon is a spiritual conflict over the issue of worship (Rev. 13:4, 8, 12, 15; 14:7, 9-11). It is a struggle for the mind (Rev. 16:15; 17:14). Everyone in the world must make a fateful decision with permanent results.
Lord, I know that every day a battle is going on in my mind. Help me to recognize the decisive moments of that conflict in my life and in the lives of those around me.
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