Where is Armaggedon

[JoeMo]

Traditional Christianity places it in the Valley of Megiddo.  But is that true?  Many translations use the term "Armageddon, but many also use the term "Har Magedon".

"Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon"  (Rev. 16:16 NIV)

"And they gathered them together into the place which is called in Hebrew Har-Magedon." (Rev. 16:16 ASV)

The following is from  http://www.prewrathrapture.com/A Big Problem - Where is Har Magedon.pdf (please ignore the "prewrath rapture" part of the heading; I'm not talking about rapture here):

Let’s say that the Greek phrase Har-Magedon is derived from the Hebrew phrase Har Mô˓ēd. The critical word is Mô˓ēd. This masculine noun occurs 223 times in the Old Testament. 

The specific phrase Har Mô˓ēd is used once in the Old Testament in Isaiah 14:13. There Isaiah puts the words in the mouth of a pagan king who suggests his will is to raise his throne up to the mountain of assembly/meeting. Isaiah 14:13-14 state,

You said to yourself,

“I will climb up to the sky. Above the stars of El I will set up my throne.

I will rule on the mountain of assembly [Har Mô˓ēd] on the remote slopes of Zaphon.

I will climb up to the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High!”

The mountain of assembly is scripture can only be in one place - Mount Zion; or the Temple Mount.  It cannot be Megiddo; which is a flat plain; not a mountain.  Daniel and Revelation tell us that that the antichrist/beast (who is possessed by satan the dragon) will set himself up as God in the Temple; which is in Jerusalem.  The OT tells us in many places that the enemies of God will surround Jerusalem - not Megiddo - for the end-time battle.  The end-time battle will be for control of Jerusalem - specifically for control of the "mount of assembly" or the "mount of the congregation".  I am coming to believe that this is where Jesus and His armies will destroy His enemies.

[Gail]

Do you not see a symbolic Megiddo anywhere?

[JoeMo]

1 hour ago, Gail said:

Do you not see a symbolic Megiddo anywhere?

Yes.  Throughout Judges and 1 and 2Kings.  A very telling passage is Zech. 12:10 - 11:

"And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit^[a] of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. ¹¹ On that day the weeping in Jerusalem will be as great as the weeping of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo."

These verses not only talk about great mourning and grief in Jerusalem; they also seem to indicate that it is the inhabitants of Jerusalem (Jews?) who - at the point of Jesus' second coming, will realize the fruits of their unbelief and repent.

That being said, it sounds like the suffering in Jerusalem will be LIKE it was in Megiddo; but it is NOT Megiddo itself.

[CoAspen]

Armagedden is the battle for the souls of this world, being fought by Christ and Satan. Whom will you serve.

So, where is it? Like many 'interpretations', this one has also been revised over time. The traditional view, that it is a 'physical' place, has been modified to a 'spititual' place. This is what I have been hearing for many years now. I always had trouble with the 'physical' interpretation and am quite comfortable with the 'spiritual' one. Too often the line between 'symbolic' and 'actual' gets extremely blurred in our effort to predict certain events, my opinion!

[JoeMo]

41 minutes ago, CoAspen said:

I always had trouble with the 'physical' interpretation and am quite comfortable with the 'spiritual' one. Too often the line between 'symbolic' and 'actual' gets extremely blurred in our effort to predict certain events, my opinion!

A valid statement and concern.  I likewise struggle with literal (physical) interpretation vs. symbolic (spiritual) interpretations.  I find it easier to go with the literal, because it usually can only mean one thing.  When I get into the symbolic, there are all sorts of ways to interpret things.  That doesn't mean the physical interpretation of prophecy is correct.  I don't think we can really "know" (vs. "believe") how prophecy will unfold until it unfolds.

[8thdaypriest]

47 minutes ago, CoAspen said:

Armagedden is the battle for the souls of this world, being fought by Christ and Satan. Whom will you serve.

So, where is it? Like many 'interpretations', this one has also been revised over time. The traditional view, that it is a 'physical' place, has been modified to a 'spititual' place. This is what I have been hearing for many years now. I always had trouble with the 'physical' interpretation and am quite comfortable with the 'spiritual' one. Too often the line between 'symbolic' and 'actual' gets extremely blurred in our effort to predict certain events, my opinion!

Daniel 10:13, makes it clear that Michael's angels actually do battle with Satan's angels.  These would be literal battles.  They just take place in the spirit realm/dimension rather than the physical dimension.  When the angel said to Daniel, "the prince of Persia withstood me 21 days" that "prince" was NOT a human.

There may ALSO be a battle going on between human armies - at the same time. 

[8thdaypriest]

At the end of this age, "the ten kings will hate the harlot and burn her with fire".  Sounds like a BATTLE to me. 

If "the harlot" is indeed Jerusalem - that would LOCATE this battle at that city.  That would FIT verse 14. 

The demons ("unclean spirits")  deceive the "kings of the earth and of the whole world" to gather them to this Battle. 

[8thdaypriest]

I have read commentary by Christian writers lately, that EQUATES the Battle of Armageddon" with the "Battle of Gog and Magog". 

But one is at the end of this age, and one takes place 1000+ years later. 

The Battle of Gog/Magog is definitely centered around "the camp of the saints and the beloved City". 

[8thdaypriest]

21 hours ago, 8thdaypriest said:

At the end of this age, "the ten kings will hate the harlot and burn her with fire".  Sounds like a BATTLE to me. 

If "the harlot" is indeed Jerusalem - that would LOCATE this battle at that city.  That would FIT verse 14. 

The demons ("unclean spirits")  deceive the "kings of the earth and of the whole world" to gather them to this Battle. 

It's kinda hard to imagine the 10 Kings, bombing Vatican City.  Now if the Catholic Church moves their headquarters to Jerusalem, and the Pope stands in the rebuilt Temple - who knows.