I have long wondered about the location and significance of Armageddon. We are told that this name, which only appears in the Bible one time, is derived from two Hebrew words “har meggido,” meaning “Mount Meggido.” Revelation 16:16, the location of the only occurrence of the word Armageddon, declares that the Lord will gather “the kings of the earth and of the whole world” to this place for battle. This is also the only place in the Bible that prophesies a battle at Megiddo.
Other Scriptures say that the nations of the world will be gathered for battle around Jerusalem:
Doctor Michael Heiser, a Christian Brother who has gone Home to the Lord, described an interesting observation about the name Armageddon. As stated in the Revelation 16:16, it is a Hebrew name. Armageddon is a Greek transliteration of the Hebrew “har megiddo,” or Mount Megiddo. The Hebrew language does not have vowels, only consonants. Vowels are suggested by vowel points, the strange marks beneath the letters. The word “mount” is spelled with the Hebrew equivalent of “h” and “r” (har). The word “Megiddo” is spelled with the Hebrew equivalents of “m”, “g” and “d”, or mem, gimel and dalet.
Brother Heiser pointed out a problem with this transliteration. Many Hebrew words that begin with the letter ayin are spelled with the Greek equivalent of “g” or gamma, because the Greek alphabet has no equivalent for the ayin and substitutes the Greek letter gamma. Examples are found in Genesis 10:19. The name Gaza (Strong’s H5804) begins with an ayin, which to our ear sounds like a “silent” letter that is not pronounced, much like the “p” in pneumonia. The name Gomorrah (Strong’s H6017) is the same. In Hebrew they are pronounced ‘azza and ‘omorrah. But they are both translated into Greek using the equivalent of “g”, or gamma.
Here is the problem. If the Hebrew word with the consonants “m”, “g” and “d”, or mem, gimel and dalet, was actually mem, ayin and dalet, it would still have been transliterated into Greek as “m”, “g” and “d” because Greek has no equivalent of the ayin.
There is a Hebrew word composed of the mem, ayin and dalet. The word is mo’ed (Strong’s H4571), and this is an important word. Because Hebrew has far fewer words than our English vocabulary, the words have broader meanings that are determined by the context.
The Hebrew word mo’ed can mean an appointed time (Genesis 18:14), an assembly (Exodus 29:4) or a holy convocation or solemn assembly (Leviticus 23:4) such as the holy days declared by the Lord, that are translated in English as “feasts.” The common theme of mo’ed is assembly or holy assembly.
Therefore, in Hebrew the words “har mo’ed” would be translated as the Mount of Assembly. But because the Bible is based on Greek translations, “har mo’ed” would be transliterated into Greek as “m”, “g” and “d”, and then assumed that these consonants form the word Megiddo.
It is very possible that Armageddon, or Mount Megiddo, should be Mount of Assembly. In my opinion, it is more than possible, it is probable, because there is a Mount of Assembly. It is in Jerusalem and the Temple of God was built upon it. Remember the Scriptures quoted above that spoke of Jerusalem being surrounded for battle, not Megiddo.
Jerusalem, and specifically the Temple of God, is the target of the world under the influence of Satan. Here are five statements from Satan (Isaiah 14:13-14), who desires to usurp the position of the Most High God.
But, praise the name of our God! He is more powerful than Satan, and He will be the Ultimate Victor! How our hearts yearn for the Day!