Philippians 2:10-11 ESV
Battle of Armageddon in Bible, Mt Zion, Mount of Assembly
The Battle of Armageddon in Bible takes place in Jerusalem, on Mount Zion, the Mount of Assembly. and not at or near Megiddo. This error, which has unfortunately, most often appeared in Bible studies designating the geographical location of the battle of Armegeddon in Bible, found in Revelation chapter 16.
Revelation 16:12-16 English Standard Version
12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east. 13 And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs. 14 For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty. 15 (“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”) 16 And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.
The Apostle John, the author of the Revelation to John, mentions that the place for this ultimate battle of God versus Satan, occurs at a place, "that in Hebrew is called Armageddon." Revelation was written in the Greek language. John specifically mentions this phrase Armageddon is a Hebrew word to alert Greek readers that the Phrase "Armageddon" is a Hebrew word inserted into the Greek manuscript.
The Battle of Armageddon in Bible -
The Hebrew meaning of Armageddon
The Greek phrase that John used to write the Revelation, and spefically the Greek phrase that is translated into English version Bibles as Armageddon, is Ἁρ¦μαγεδών. The transliteration of that Greek word into English is "harmagedon."
The Greek language has no "h" and that little backwards apostrophe is used in Greek to denote a rough breathing sound like the English pronunciation of the "har" sound in the English word, "hard." So the Hebrew word would be pronounced in English as har-magedon.
So what does this Hebrew word har-magedon mean? The first part, the "har" means mountain in Hebrew, so our Hebrew phrase har-magedon would mean "mount of magedon. Now, what does the Hebrew "magedon"mean?
Traditionally, as mentioned above, Bible studies have identified the geographic location of the end time Battle of Armageddon in Bible as "mount megiddo." The problem with that identification is that there is no mountain anywhere near Megiddo. This photo shows what is called a "geographic tell" which is what appears to be a hill, but in reality is just an ancient city built higher and higher over the ruins of the previous city. This is the city of Megiddo.
This image is of the same site, but shows more clerly, the excavations that have been made, showing that there is no mountain, there, just one ancient city built on top of many previous versions, the city of Megiddo. Revelation 19:11-21 clearly say that when Jesus returns bodily to earth, He will do so to end the conflict of Armageddon and defeat the beast, the antichrist. According to Revelation 16:16 this final battle of God versus Satan occurs at Armageddon. Now take a look at Zechariah 12:9-11, which clearly reveals the Battle of Armageddon in Bible occurs at Jerusalem, not Megiddo.
Zechariah 12:9-11 English Standard Version
9 And on that day I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
Him Whom They Have Pierced
10 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn. 11 On that day the mourning in Jerusalem will be as great as the mourning for Hadad-rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.
According to Zechariah, the Battle of Armageddon in Bible occurs at Jerusalem, not Megiddo, which is referenced only to compare the awful mourning that will occur. Zechariah 12:9-11 places the site of Armageddon, where the nations see the appearance of the pierced, risen Jesus Christ, and explicitly calls Megiddo a plain, not a mountain.
The Spiritual Mount of Assembly
So we find ourselves back to the meaning of "har-magedon", mount-magedon. Magedon does point to Jerusalem. Har-magedon is Jerusalem. The key is understanding a little about the ancient Hebrew language, which contained no vowels, like the English letters a, e, i, o, u and sometimes y. Vowels were only added to modern Hebrew after 600 A.D.
The English word Megiddo in ancient Hebrew would be written in the English letters M-G-D, mem-gimel-daleth. But the Hebrew language had two "g" letters, "gimel" and "ayin," so M-G-D could also we written in Hebrew as mem-ayin-daleth. "ayin" is writtren as a backwards apostrophe, and pronounced like the English hard "g", as in the word Gomorrah.
Removing the vowels from har-mageddon yields ancient Hebrew letters... "h-r-m-'-d" to be behind John's Hebrew word inserted into the Greek language he used to write Revelation 16:16 in English as Armageddon.
Is there a Hebrew "h-r-m-'-d" in the Old Testament? Indeed there is. Inserting the vowels back into ancient Hebrew of the Old Testament, we do indeed find a "har mo'ed" in Isaiah 14:13.
Isaiah 14:12-15 English Standard Version
12 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! 13 You said in your heart,‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ 15 But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit.
Isaiah 14:13 above has the phrase "mount of assembly," which in Hebrew is "har mo'ed." It is the spiritual Jerusalem, Mount Zion, the place where God's throne is, where He meets with his divine council, to rule the heavens and earth.
If prince Ba'al, Beelzebul, Satan, the beast, the false prophet, the antichrist, don't like, they can do something about it, and of course they do try to do just that, from the incarnation of Jesus Christ the Messiah, to His second coming at the Battle of Armageddon in Bible.
Armageddon, the battle of Gods and men
Zechariah 14:3-5 English Standard Version
3 Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. 4 On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. 5 And you shall flee to the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains shall reach to Azal. And you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.
God the Father, Yahweh is cast in human appearance in these verses, "his feet will stand on the Mound of Olives." The Apostle John alludes to this passage and its image of a human Yahweh, in Revelation 19:11-16, the climax of Armageddon.
Revelation 19:11-16 English Standard Version
The Rider on a White Horse
11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
The incarnate Yahweh, is the Most High, the Word of God, the Lord of Hosts, spiritual beings. Traditional Bible studies on eschatology have Jesus returning in the Battle of Armageddon in Bible with a divine (angelic) army. The Bible, however, paints a vastly different picture of what the "armies of heaven" are comprised of. The "armies of heaven" who witness the final defeat of Satan and his followers are millions and millions of angels and glorified believers, divine spirits themselves, elevated to membership in Jesus' divine council, to displace the gods of the nations.
There is a phrase in Revelation 19:15, above, "rule them with a rod of iron" that is a quote of Psalm 2, which also occurs in Revelation 2:26-28.
Revelation 2:26-28 English Standard Version
26 The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, 27 and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. 28 And I will give him the morning star.
The "armies of heaven" who accompany Jesus on His return to defeat all His enemies at the Battle of Armageddon in Bible will be more than just angelic beings, but also glorified and exalted believers who have changed in the blink of any eye into their imperishable spiritual heavenly spiritual bodies, to reign with Jesus Christ forever in the new heaven and earth.