In the north of Israel is Mount Hermon. At one point the mountain is over 9,200 feet high and includes a ski resort. One source of the Jordan River is a spring located beneath Mount Hermon. At one time this spring of “living water” exited from the mouth of the cave at the foot of the mountain. A tremendous earthquake in 1068 A.D altered the geology of the area, and now the spring exits elsewhere.

At the base of Mount Hermon is a large cave that is traditionally called “The Gates of Hell,” because it was thought that it was the entrance to the underworld. This area is also the location of Caesarea Philippi, where Peter made his “good confession” and the Lord Jesus stated that “The Gates of Hell” would not prevail against His Church (Matthew 16:16-18).

Six days after Peter’s confession, the Lord Jesus took Peter, James and John “to a high mountain” (Matthew 17:1) where He was transfigured before their eyes. It is probable that the “high mountain” was Mount Hermon. The Apostle Peter refers to the Mount of Transfiguration as the “holy mount” (II Peter 1:18).

The name for Hermon is spelled with the Hebrew letters chet, resh, mem, vav, nun. Using the rabbinic methodology of Hebrew word study, the two outer letters of the name, chet and nun, form the word which means “grace” (Strong’s H2580). The inner letters of the name, resh, mem, and vav, form the word that means “to be high and exalted, lifted up” (Strong’s H7311 & H7213). Altogether, these definitions indicate a high, exalted place of grace.

And yet the name Hermon appears thirteen times in the Old Testament. In the Bible, thirteen is the number of rebellion (e.g. – five kings rebelled against four kings in the thirteenth year – Genesis 14:4).

There is a conflict associated with Mount Hermon, because in addition to the “Gates of Hell” and a pagan temple built at the same place, there are remnants to an ancient alter to Baal on one of the peaks of the mountain. This follows the pattern of Satan to desecrate a holy place and seems to confirm the rebellion indicated by the thirteen appearances of “Hermon” in the Bible.

Further confirmation comes from the Book of Enoch which reports that the rebellious angels who “left their own habitation” (Jude 1:6) to take wives of as many human women as they desired (Genesis 6:2), first descended on Mount Hermon.

This debasement of a high, exalted place of grace by choosing it as a place for rebellious angels to initially set foot, to place an altar to Baal, and to cause men to name the cave at the base of the mountain “The Gates of Hell” where pagan worship was held, seems to be confirmation of the importance of the mountain, and Satan’s desecration.

I believe that Jesus chose Mount Hermon as the site of the Transfiguration to reclaim the mountain and to demonstrate to Satan the He, Jesus, is in command. For indeed, the Lord Jesus is in command and will return to proclaim the Day of Vengeance of our God (Isaiah 61:1-2). May His name always be praised!