Armageddon

Paul Phelps wrote the following essay on the word Armageddon. He argues the word means: The place in Syria of the gathering of the troops. This is better than the popular interpretations because his answer explains each clue without ignoring anything. Paul graciously gave permission to post this essay on the Bible Time web site.

Background

Paul R Phelps wrote:

Hello; I'm still exploring your interesting website. I am a Bible teacher and writer with missions experience. I think you'll find interesting a brief essay of mine dealing with Armageddon. It has a different scenario from traditional interpretations. Tell me your opinion after reading. Thanks. ... Paul Phelps

My answer to Paul was I liked the article well enough to ask him if I could post it on the www.bibletime.com website. The following is the article. Thanks Paul.

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THE WORD "ARMAGEDDON"

The Greek word Armageddon in Rev. 16:16 has a basis in Hebrew grammar that is not often explained and the prophetic significance is affected. As a place name Megiddo is the Jezreel valley fortress in northern Israel, but the name has no final 'n' letter. Megiddon with a final 'n' is only found in the Zech. 12:11 text. This spelling distinction is erased in many Bible versions but King James has it:

In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.

Root ideas are 'gather,' 'to cut' (GAD�D) and 'troops' (GAD�D). Megiddo is 'gathering of troops' and final 'n' infers 'place of...' So Megiddon may not be a name but rather a generic term for a battlefield, 'place of gathering of troops.' It is not credible that Arm-- is transliterated from 'har' (mountain). No mountain (har) is mentioned in Megiddo texts, and the valley beside Megiddo is always called Jezreel. A likely explanation has been overlooked although the clue is in the Zechariah text. Hadad and Rimmon are two gods of ancient Syria, not worshipped in Israel at any time. The mourning of Hadad-Rimmon must be in Syria. In Hebrew, Syria is Aram. It becomes Arm-- if joined in compound to another word. So the Greek word Armageddon (Rev. 16:16) is a transliteration of Aram + megiddon, and means 'the place in Syria of the gathering of troops.'

Zechariah 12:11 mentions a 'valley' or 'plain': this might be the north-eastern Syrian plain facing the Euphrates River. Prophetically this is where the Eastern troops cross the Euphrates River (Rev. 16:12). This interpretation removes the Armageddon scene from Israel and puts it in Syria. The mourning of Hadad-Rimmon (Zech. 12:11) could be prophetic of the mourning for the dead after Armageddon. This battle must be near the Euphrates for that is where the antichrist will try to stop the Eastern army from reaching Jerusalem or other nearby areas.

Armageddon might not directly involve Israel (for Israel is nowhere mentioned); it has rather to do with the last-day war between the more westerly antichrist empire and the Eastern kingdoms. The antichrist seems to be referred to in Daniel 11:44, But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many.

But this war results in the wipe-out (in Syria) of the antichrist army, battling the Eastern forces (northeast of Jerusalem, v 45). The armies then called by the 'three frogs' (evil spirits, Rev. 12:13-14) are a last effort by the antichrist to stop the Eastern forces at the Euphrates River. Hence the Eastern forces are not coming against Israel but against the antichrist armies based in west Asia. That can be the reason God opens the river before them for they are serving His purpose. God's act of opening the Euphrates River giving entry to the kings of the East might relate to Isaiah 11:11,15b-16; 41:2-3,8-9,25; 46:11; 51:10-11; and Joel 2:11. So far as I see, there are no Bible texts predicting that the kingdoms of the East will ever attack Jerusalem.

Armageddon is not the final war, it is rather the war to destroy antichrist's main army. The final war is Israel's 'Battle of Jerusalem,' an aftermath war fought by the Israelis against antichrist forces occupying Jerusalem. Then is the time that antichrist is finally defeated. Thus, in this scenario there is no need to assume the Eastern army will ever attack Jerusalem. The defeat of antichrist's main army is their appointed goal.

It is important to remember that ALL of Revelation's plagues from Chapter Eight onward are directed EXCLUSIVELY against the antichrist empire: they are not directed against Israel nor even against other nations indiscriminately. All the plagues including the eastern army in Armageddon are God's warfare against the antichrist empire. Thus, all the details must be interpreted in light of that reality.

God's blessings in Christ,
Paul Phelps
Email: Available on request.