1) Context of Revelation 16:13-16

No scripture is to be taken out of context. The Hebrew word 'Armageddon' is much misunderstood as it is given meanings that are not sustained in the context.

And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. (Revelation 16:12-17)

In context the place called Armageddon is named as it is the last part of the action begun in the 6^th vial. This is a key fact to be understood. (for more. The great river that dried up so that the way of the kings of the sun's rising was the Ottoman empire. The River Euphrates runs from the heart of present day Turkey through Syria and into Iraq. Even while the once great Ottoman Empire was the sick man of Europe into the 20th century it held all this territory and the Levant. Revelation was written in Greek and the world acquired the name Euphrates itself from Greek, and the river described entirely the Ottoman Empire. In the Bible rivers overflowing are nations conquering others. In Jeremiah Babylon, located in the area of the Euphrates, is a 'river' that overflows,

Thus says Yahweh; Behold, waters rise up out of the north, and shall be an overflowing flood, and shall overflow the land, and all that is therein; the city, and them that dwell therein: then the men shall cry, and all the inhabitants of the land shall howl. (Jeremiah 47:2)

There is immense symmetry in the fact that Babylon as the Euphrates from the North over flows the Land, from which time the Children of Israel never regain independent nationhood, and that subsequent history shows that the Euphrates-like flood dries up from the South to restore Israel. For it was British led forces in WW1 who from the South in both Iraq (Mesopotamia) and from Egypt and Israel dried up the Ottoman Euphrates-based Empire. When in 1918 Allenby crosses the Jordan to take Damascus on September 31, the Australian troops mentioned seeing the plain which extends to the Euphrates.

General Allenby depended for success upon the speed and durability of his horses. Before the operations commenced the Turks held a defensive position which was roughly an extension of his line west of the Jordan...Beyond the railway the Eastern Palestine Range flattens out on to the wide desert which extends right across to the Eu-phratfes. http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-ReiKaOr-t1-g1-t9-body1-d3-d4.html

The 'drying up', fulfilled by the British led conquest to Damascus and Mesopotamia allowed the Balfour declaration to take effect so that the way of the kings of the sun's rising might be prepared. The 'way' was the establishment of the state of Israel as shown in the Old Testament prophets, which has been prepared, but, as yet the kings have not come, as Jude tells us,

Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgement upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. (Judges 1:14-15)

The saints are to be called kings,

Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And has made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. (Revelations 1:5-6).

Therefore Yeshua after the events in Revelation 16 is to be King of kings (Rev 19:16).

After the way is begun to be prepared, then 3 spirits go out of 3 entities to, firstly, the kings and then the whole world. We know of the spirit of the age, the one for liberty, equality and fraternity that specifically since 1918 has deposed kings and has made many new nations in the world, so that now there are 192 nations, most born in this era. The spirit of this age of rebellion from God and elevation of human thought is to come from the words of 3 political entities and is to gather all nations to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. We can see this at work already as a revived Europe features the red dragon of pagan militarism revived in neo-Nazi movements, the earthy beast of humanism and the voice of the false prophet, who all lend their words to efforts against Israel. As these three call all the world to eliminate Israel, the nation which is Yahweh's sign, no less than Yahweh will gather them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

2) Where is the place called Armageddon?

There is, as yet, no place in Hebrew called Armageddon. When the nations are gathered together to battle against Yahweh's purpose then the place will be called, in Hebrew, Armageddon.

The first point that must be made is that we have the word 'Armageddon' from a corrupted text the 1551 Textus Receptus, also the 1894 version.

αρμαγεδδων

armageddon

The Majority Text, Minority Text, the Byzantine Text and Westcott Hort all agree the Greek is,

αρμαγεδων

armagedon

It is a minor point that in the correct spelling there ought only to be one 'd'.

We have, conveniently, what the name is in Hebrew, as we have a Hebrew version of the New Testament. That version has

הר מגדון

H^ar m^egⁱdon

In Hebrew 'Har' (הר) means “mountain”. This Hebrew translation does not refer to Megiddo as in the Hebrew Old Testament Megiddo is always, without exception, written M^egⁱdo מגדו. Rather it is specific in referring to a Megidon מגדון

We know a fact about Hebrew place names regarding the suffix “on”, which can be established without a doubt. It can be shown that the suffix 'on' means “the place of”,

Hebron: חֶבְרוֹן traces back to two West Semitic roots, which coalesce in the form ḥbr, 'colleague', 'unite', 'friend' or in Hebrew kheber חבר meaning 'company'

Therefore heber-on חֶבְר וֹן means 'the place of company'

Ajalon: אַיָּלוֹן is from ayal אַיָּל hart, or aylah אַיָּלָה gazelle, so ayal-on אַיָּל וֹן means the 'place of the hart'.

Gibeon: גבעון where gibeaגבע is hillock or low hill. So 'Gibe-on' גבע ון is the place of the low hill.

Samaria is in Hebrew Shomron:שׁמרון which means watch station, or guard place, from shomer שׁמר meaning watch or guard. Shomer-on therefore means 'the place of watching'.

Heshbon: Cheshbônחשׁבּון is from châshab חשׁב to fabricate; to plot or contrive; hence (from the mental effort) to think, regard, or compute. Therefore Heshbon is the place of thinking, computing and contriving. (It is a subject of a proverb, to make people think, in Numbers 21:25-30)

Abadon: אֲבַדּוֹן means destroyer – where abad אֲבַדּ means 'to perish', so abad-on means place of destruction.

Zidon: צידון is the place for Tzid צוד meaning waiting to catch (fish).

Zion is ציּון a waymark or a place in the wilderness from Tzyh ציּה meaning desert/wilderness (where all is clearly seen). Tzy-on is the 'place mark of the wilderness'.

In all these cases, of which all are well known, the suffix 'on' in the Hebrew place names means “the place of”.

We can be sure that such a Hebrew place name suffix as 'on' might apply in the modern world to a Hebrew place as one of the most controversial of all Hebrew places is Gush Etzion.

Etzi-on: עֶצְיוֹן where 'etz' means tree and etzion 'place of tree'. It was named as a founder of the first modern settlement was Holtzman where 'holtz' means 'tree' and in addition the area at the time characterised by a massive oak tree, which in Hebrew is 'etz'.

Another instance of a famous Hebrew place name is most interesting is it brings us closer: the name of Mount Hermon.

הר חרמון‎

har Hermon, where h^erym חרים means 'raise up', 'lift up' and H^erm-on חרמון means the place of elevation.

Thus we have an analysis of Hebrew names that supports

הר מגד ון

har megid-on

meaning 'Mountain of a place of 'megid'.

There is strong support for 'megid' being a Hebrew word where the prefix m^e מ means “out of”, “of” or “from” or “than”.

גּדד g_edad – cut down, from,

גּדד gadad - to crowd; also to gash (as if by pressing into): - assemble (selves by troops), gather (selves together, self in troops), cut selves and

גּדה gâdâh - to cut off); a border of a river (as cut into by the stream): - bank.

גּדוּד gadud- a crowd (especially of soldiers): - army, band (of men), company, troop (of robbers).

גּדי a young goat- kid

גּדישׁ -a stack of sheaves;

גּדע -gâda‛ to fell a tree; generally to destroy anything: - cut (asunder, in sunder, down, off), hew down.

גּדעון – gideon – 'a feller' or one who cuts down.

גּדעם- gidom - a cutting (that is, desolation) a place in Israel.

Where

מגבּלה – migbâlâh – means a border or an end.

מגד- meged -to be eminent; properly a distinguished thing; hence something valuable, as a product or fruit: - pleasant, precious fruit (thing).

מגדּל מגדּול – Migdol - a tower.

מגדּלה מגדּל – a tower, castle, rostrum.

We have the idea of something ending, or something tall that is cut down. Fruit is cut off, and a stack of sheaves is from a harvest that grows tall spread over an area and is subsequently cut down. And g'dad implies a large gathering, or army, to be cut down.

But of most interest is a double connection to a place related to the word 'Gidom', Megidon: מגדון. It just so happens that the two words only occur once each in the Bible. It also so happens that Megidon (mistranslated as Megiddon) it is the precise word used in the Hebrew translation of Revelation 16:16.

3) The place of Megidon: the cutting Zechariah 12:11

The Hebrew translation H^ar m^egⁱdon הר מגדון has direct connections to one verse only in the Hebrew Tanakh. And that passage and context also has to do with the great day of Yahweh Almighty.

In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadad Rimmon in the valley Megiddon. (Zechariah 12:11)

In context we see that there is a battle fought defending Jerusalem, but in that battle the temporary dwellings of Judah are saved first. We will return to this point as for now we are investigating why Israel is weeping. We find Israel are weeping over the 'one whom they have pierced',

The LORD also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah. In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadad Rimmon in the valley of Megiddon. (Zechariah 12:7-11)

We, modern and ancient Israel, are told that this future weeping is to be like that which occurred in relationship to events in the valley of Megidon. When we go back to the events in Israel's history we do find there was a great weeping before the tabernacle for their lost brother tribe of Benjamin. We can read about this in Judges. After the issue of rape and death of the Levite's concubine in Gibeah of Benjamin, all the tribes rose against the unrepentant Benjamin-ites. After initially losing against the brilliant warriors of Benjamin they prevail and all but destroy the tribe,

And they (Benjamin's last warriors) turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon: and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men; and pursued hard after them unto Gidom, and slew two thousand men of them. (Judges 20:45).

If you look for Gidom on a map it is not to be found. It was called Gidom or 'a cutting' or a 'desolation' as they slew there the last 2,000 of the 25,000 slain of the tribe of Benjamin.

So that all which fell that day of Benjamin were twenty and five thousand men that drew the sword; all these were men of valour. But six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness unto the rock Rimmon, and abode in the rock Rimmon four months. (Judges 20:46-47)

After this Israel mourned, and wept publicly

Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpeh, saying, There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife. And the people came to the house of God, and abode there till even before God, and lifted up their voices, and wept sore; And said, O LORD God of Israel, why is this come to pass in Israel, that there should be to day one tribe lacking in Israel? (Judges 21:1-3)

Imagine a huge gathering of people crying noisily. Then they act,

And the whole congregation sent some to speak to the children of Benjamin that were in the rock Rimmon, and to call peaceably unto them. (Judges 21:13)

In Hebrew ''to stretch forth the hand unto' is Hadah or הדה which in written Hebrew looks very like Hadad הדד. Hadad is not a Hebrew word at all but the name of quite a few Edomites. In any case there is abundant evidence that we may say that,

In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of stretching the hand unto Rimmon in the valley of (M^e in Hebrew is 'of') Gidon. (Zechariah 12:11)

This shows us that in Hebrew the place 'Gidom' is also known as 'Megidon' or in Hebrew,

מגדון

Now from these events we have what the place name Megidon means in Hebrew, it means to cut down and utterly destroy (of 25,000 only 600 remained, which is a very high death toll). In addition we know the location of this cutting down is a valley is to the East of Gibeah in Benjamin which is just North of Jebus (Modern Jerusalem) and from here they fled towards the East, to a wilderness. The Wilderness was (as is) mostly in Judah slightly to the South East of Jerusalem.

Rimmon in Zechariah 14 is located South of Jerusalem.

All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin's gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king's winepresses. (Zechariah 14:10)

The place of Megidon or, 'of those cut down', is therefore located by Zechariah close to Rimmon which is to the south of Jerusalem. (There is some thought Rimmon is modern Rammun, but needless to say the presence of a prominent rock does not make it the place where 600 very fit men hid out for 4 months as they needed shelter, water and food in that time, and the place needed to be defended. In any case Zechariah specifically locates Rimmon South of Jerusalem and Arab legend in place making is notoriously unreliable.)

Lastly there is a remarkable piece of evidence from the Septuagint. The Septuagint translators, who were Jews, knew what megidon meant and translated the Hebrew place name Megidon in Zechariah 12:11 as

ἐκκοπτομένου

ekkiptomenou

In ancient Greek ekkiptw means 'to cut out', 'knock out'

and ekkoptikos means 'suitable for eradicating'.

There can be no doubt whatsoever that the place name of the valley where the valiant of the tribe of Benjamin were cut down was, after the event, called 'the place of a cutting causing utter desolation', and the word for 'cutting' is equated to harvest, where the harvest was an army to be eradicated.

Some battles give a name to a place. For example 'the Battle of the Bulge' has marked 'the Bulge' and 'the battle of Lone Pine' made the place called Lone Pine. A battle in the Yom Kippur war of 1973 gave a name to an area in the Golan heights called since that tiime 'The Valley of Tears' - or in Hebrew, Emek HaBakha.

The place where Yahweh gatherers the nations together is called in the Hebrew tongue 'mountain of the place of cutting causing utter desolation', or, 'mountain of place of harvest of an army'.

Which is language that points to the mosaic of passages in the Old Testament where a battle of harvest is described in detail from the point of view of at least 3 witnesses and where the place of the action is specifically located.

4) The battle of that great day of God Almighty

The language of Revelation of the battle of that great day matches that in Zechariah.

Behold, the day of the LORD comes, and your spoil shall be divided in the midst of you. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall Yahweh go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. (Zechariah 14:1-3)

We can see that the precise conditions are met. First the nations all come against Jerusalem, due to 'spirits of evil fortune, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God', and manage to gain control over half of the city to take the people away, but they do not gain control of the city itself, as the Jews are not cut off from it. Then Yahweh 'gathers them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue 'mountain of the place of cutting' and then shall Yahweh go forth as in the day of battle. We have been given some details of this in the previous chapter, as the Bible often recaps,

Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness. And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God. In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem. Yahweh also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah. (Zechiariah 12:2-7)

We see the situation before that great day of the open revealing of the power of Yahweh Elohim of hosts is that both Jerusalem and all of Judah (Judea) is under siege, with half of the people taken away from Jerusalem and the Jews still undefeated in their heartland. Then it says that Yahweh will go forth and first save the tents of Judah. It is of most interest to note the fact that those who live in tents are saved first. Two things are possible: the tents may be due to the battle taking place at the time of tabernacles or that the people saved first are those living in temporary dwellings (mobile tin sheds), as seen in those dwelling of the settlers in the Judean hills right now. It is to be noted that already before Yahweh turns up the nations are not happy, and it seems that Elijah is with the people, as he comes before that great day, the day which Yahweh Elohim of hosts is revealed in power to the nations.

Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of Yahweh: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. (Malachi 4:5-6)

But the temporary dwellings of Judah are saved first, so the forces are gathered to the place of the 'mountain of the place of cutting'. We are not given details of this battle in Zechariah. Ffor that we go to Ezekiel, Daniel and Joel. Three witnesses whose accounts we must put together.

Ezekiel corroborates Zechariah in that he says that the focus of the action is the Mountains of Israel, which to Jews is also called Judea and Samaria (a.k.a. West Bank)

After many days you shall be visited: in the latter years you shall come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them. You shall ascend and come like a storm, you shall be like a cloud to cover the land, you, and all your bands, and many people with you. (Ezekiel 38:8-9)

So as a cloud they come up on Israel and ascend to lay siege the mountains. Note the point in italics,

And thou shall come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army: And thou shall come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes. Thus says the Lord GOD; Art you he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring you against them?

And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, says the Lord GOD, that my fury shall come up in my face. For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground. And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man's sword shall be against his brother. And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. (Ezekiel 38:15-22)

We see again the language of the place of the mountains that shall be cut down', and that this will occur throughout all my mountains. But where shall the sword first be seen on the mountains? We are told by Zechariah that it shall be first in Judah. And Ezekiel adds specifically in the mountains in an open field,

You shall fall upon the mountains of Israel, you, and all your bands, and the people that is with you: I will give you unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. You shall fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, says the Lord Yahweh. (Ezekiel 39:4-5)

This open field is in the mountains of Israel and the action saves Judah first. There is an interesting note that Gog's army though from the far North comes up, as if from the South like a cloud, as Israel would see a cloud of dust come from multitude of forces in the Negev, Daniel gives complementary detail,

And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him:

and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. (Daniel 11:40-45)

The king of the south has displaced the Ottomans already. Next the king of the north, as Ezekiel speaks of, comes against him. Note firstly that the King of the North has ships (and as we now know planes) and shall overflow and that Egypt is taken (with the help of the Libyans and Ethiopians) just as Germany, from Europe, came across to take Egypt in WW2. The detail is specific as the last location of the forces before destruction is between the seas, that is between the Mediterranean and Dead sea laying siege to the Holy Mountain. Modern terminology would call this a 'Front line'. From his position between the seas the King of the North, Gog, hears news from the North and East (in context out of Amman-Edom), which locates the forces of the Nations to the South of Jerusalem pushing up- from this location the nations are drawn, as Revelation says, to the place of the 'mountain of the place of cutting', where the king of the North, Gog is defeated by the open revealing of the power of Yahweh Elohim of Hosts.

The location of the place of destruction of the hosts of the Northern army between the two seas is confirmed by Joel, when speaking of those who come against the Holy Mountain of Zion

But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he has done great things. (Joel 2:20)

At the point of destruction in the mountains, where Judah is delivered first, they are in a open place, they are facing towards the Dead sea, between the seas and their objective something they have heard to their North and East.

Meanwhile Joel says in Jerusalem,

Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God? Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people. (Joel 2:15-18)

and just before the great battle the sun is turned to darkness and moon to red,

And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD has said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call. (Joel 2:30-32)

Joel agrees that both Judah and Jerusalem are under siege, and are in danger of going into captivity at this point that Yahweh brings the nations into the valley of Jehoshaphat.

For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land. And they have cast lots for my people; and have given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink. (Joel 3:1-3)

We are given the reason why the nations are come against Judah and Jerusalem as being that they might 'drink'. The nations have already parted the land and sent the people of Israel into the nations. Now Yahweh Elohim is to reveal himself openly with power and plead with the nations for his people, but we note that it is in a specific place, the valley of Jehoshaphat. We might think to miss this reference to the valley, but there is more detail given

Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye nations, and gather yourselves together round about: there cause your mighty ones to come down, O LORD. Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the nations round about. Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision (threshing sledge): for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision (threshing sledge). The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. (Joel 3:9-15)

The valley of Jehoshaphat is also called here the valley of threshing or 'the sharp point of cutting'. The nation's mighty men are challenged to 'come down', but they then go up to this place, to this valley. The Hebrew word for valley requires it be 'deep'. They go up in elevation into a place seen as a valley.

The nations' great ones “come up” to fight, in a mountain of Judah (as their tents are saved first), in an open place where they gather in a depression in the landscape, to be cut down like a harvest, here again we have the Hebrew place name, 'mountain of the place of cutting'.

The valley of Jehoshaphat was called the valley of Berachah. The enemy approached from Engedi and the Ascent of Ziz and the open field where they cut each other down is seen from the wilderness of Tekoa. Tekoa means 'trumpet' and Joel begins his prophecy by the blowing of a trumpet. This area precisely fits the detail of every prophecy as:

In summary the place of the Hebrew name, 'mountain of the place of cutting/harvest':

• Is in the region of the mountains of Israel (Judea and Samaria), as the nations come against both Jerusalem and the mountains of Israel (Jerusalem is in the mountains of Israel).

• It must be a mountain in Judea which part of the siege, as the temporary dwellings of Judah are saved first

• It must be between the Mediterranean and Dead seas as the Nation's forces are located facing up to Jerusalem with their front line between the two seas, but are destroyed facing east to the Dead Sea.

• They are to go down to go up to the place which features a valley.

• They are to be destroyed in an open place in a wilderness where the vultures and carrion eating animals pick the bones.

For more on the Valley of Jehoshaphat here

We are not dogmatic as to the exact place, however, we do know that what is written will be fulfilled in detail and there is a defined physical place where the power and glory of Yahweh Elohim of Hosts will be first seen and felt by the nations, and where the core of the Northern army will be destroyed. The army may be destroyed as the enemies of Isarel were in the valley of Jehoshaphat, and the place will be known as the 'mountain of the place of cutting/harvest'. There will be yet another valley which shall be called Hamongog.

And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude: and they shall call it The valley of Hamongog. (Ezekiel 39:11)

5) Strategic value of Judea

Many have argued that the place of the battle is Megiddo. But there are some huge issues.

Meggido was an ancient city and as a place name predates Israel. It is unlikely to be Hebrew as very early clay documents name the city, indicating it may even predate Hebrew. Hebrew was spoken by Abraham who was from Ur of the Chaldees (The Law describes Israelites as descendants 'A Syrian ready to perish' who 'went down into Egypt..and became there a nation. Deut. 26:5). For a long time even after Israel was a nation in the land Megiddo was occupied by Canaanites Judges 1:27. Later it seems to have been a city of Solomon who built a wall there 1kings 9:15).

It is not specifically a Hebrew name being the same name in Egyptian Maketi, Makitu, or Makedo and Assyrian Magiddu, Magaddu; Magidda or in Armana Makida. It is even a Greek name. It appears in the Septuagint as.

Joshua 12:21 Μαρρων, Marron

Joshua 17:11 Μαγεδδω Mageddo

Judges 1:27 Μαγεδω Magedo

Judges 5:19 Μεγεδδω Megeddo

1 Kings 4:12 Μεκεδω Mekedo

2 Kings 9:17 Μαγεδδων Mageddon

2 Kings 23:29/ 30 x2 & 1 Chron 7 ;29 Μαγεδδω Mageddo

2 Chron. 35:22 Μαγεδων. Magedon

The variation in spelling is rather extreme, which indicates that though the name was imported into Greek, it was not a city that was important to Greece or even the Greek speaking world. Megiddo in its ancient greatness was a great city as it was on the trade route from Egypt to Assyria. It was still a great city in the time when Solomon controlled that same trade route, but, then, why was it not important to Greece? The last mention of the city is when Joash is involved fighting Egypt (2 Chron. 35). However it seems that it is a lost ruin by the time of the New Testament. Why? It might suggested that the maritime prowess of the Greeks and their Mediterranean centre had forever changed trade, and Megiddo sank into obscurity. Even non-Biblical history can find no records of any battles for Megiddo after 609BCE.

The only one listed since is Allenby's battle in 1918 against the Ottomans. The only thing is, Megiddo was a ruin and the battle was not fought at or near Tel Megiddo or even in the Jezreel valley! Arabs began the battle against the Ottomans at a vital link on the rail line near Deraa in Syria and Allenby began an attack on the coastal plains of Sharon to push North over long front. They then fought for control of the passes through the Carmel range. There is no mention of fighting at Megiddo, there is however mention of the fight for Haifa and Nazareth. There was no fight for Nablus, as the Ottomans evacuated. As a result of the quick advance some Australian troops rounded up the remnants of the Ottoman's disorganised retreat in the Jezreel valley, so there was not even a battle there. There was a battle at Samakh but the battle for Damascus was perhaps critical. What this shows is that in the modern world the key battles are for the modern cities.

Which brings us to modern Israel and their strategic building of clusters of defensible mini-cities or settlements. This strategy is used because, more than any nation, they know this is how to hold the most land with minimum people. So if we look at where they build the clusters we can know where the battle will be. Israel has one city that it cannot lose; Jerusalem. And it is this city which is their most controversial possession. Some nations and powers have it in their heart that it must be an international city. Though Jews had lived in Jerusalem for centuries, Israel lost access to it in 1948. After 1967 the nation vowed it would not be lost again.

Map from: Gush Etzion.org.il

In 1967 Kfar Etzion was the first settlement established in the West Bank after Israel’s victory in the Six Day War. Why?

David Ben Gurion, in his statements (1948) on the battle of Gush Etzion and of the heroic acts of the brave soldiers: "...If there is a Jewish Jerusalem today..., the Jewish people owe their gratitude first and foremost to the defenders of Gush Etzion..." Gush Etzion.org.il

The Jewish Virtual Library states,

The Etzion Bloc ("Gush Etzion" in Hebrew), which today consists of 18 communities and nearly 40,000 residents, is located between Jerusalem and Hebron. Because of its strategic location, the Bloc was heavily contested during Israel's War of Independence in 1947 and 1948. Although the area was not granted to Israel under the 1947 partition plan, the commanders of the Haganah considered it an essential buffer against a southern attack on Jerusalem.

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Society_&_Culture/geo/Etzion.html

Gush Etzion or the Etzion block features a number of small communities made of temporary dwellings, or modern 'tents', because of its strategic value, and because it is an area which is hotly disputed. The area was settled from 1930 and though small in numbers,

Kfar Etzion were able to hold off a large Arab army headed for Jerusalem.(source above)

The area is valued by the Israel Defence Force both for its history of valour and because of high recruitment rates from the area. This is the home of Israel's warriors. One of the settlements is Tekoa.

Whereas Megiddo is in the middle of fields, and one feels, relatively in the middle of nowhere, and is now of little strategic importance, Gush Etzion in the mountains of Judea is seen by all, including the international community, as crucial to the defence (or acquisition) of Jerusalem. And Gush Etzion it seems might approached now by a road up from Engedi on the Dead Sea. This road is over looked from the wilderness outside Tekoa. That very area is, approximately, it seems, the Valley of Jehoshaphat called the valley of Berachah.

6) The great mountain made a valley

There is a defined place of the first open display of Yahweh's power where he goes and fights as in the day of battle.

Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. (Zechariah 14:3)

At this time Yeshua and the resurrected saints are revealed to the world and to the Jews who have been prepared by Elijah.

Behold, he comes with clouds (cp 1 Thess 4:17) ; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. (Revelation 1:7)

But then after that there rebellion against this king of the Jews and a global judgement,

And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light. And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be. And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one. (Zechariah 14:4-9)

This is the beginning of the utter destruction of the proud, specifically of those lifted up called “mountains”.

Revelation 16 speaks of a preparation of the way of kings of the East, then of a Mountain. This language is similar to Isaiah,

The voice of him that cries in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of Yahweh shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD has spoken it. The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withers, the flower fades: because the spirit of the LORD blows upon it: surely the people is grass...O Zion, that brings good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that brings good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Behold, the Lord Yahweh will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. (Isaiah 40:3-10)

Once we could not imagine how all flesh or all the earth might see it, but now there is global communication with even remote villages having TV's. The language of the great day of the revelation of the power of Yahweh includes reference to 'mountains melting like wax',

The LORD reigns... Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. A fire goes before him, and burns up his enemies round about. His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled. The mountains melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory. Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye mighty ones. Zion heard, and was glad; and the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of thy judgments, O LORD. (Psalm 97:1-8)

This is poetic language, as mountains are the proud and lofty. There is a specific reference to the arrogant of the earth being likened to mountains,

For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low: And upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan, And upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up, And upon every high tower, and upon every fenced wall, And upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures. And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. And the idols he shall utterly abolish. And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he arises to shake terribly the earth. (Isaiah 2:12-19)

That all shall see Yeshua and the power is the last thing they will see as the great movement on all the mountains of the earth will be upon all the pleasant pictures. In a serious global shakeup that knocks down all towers not much will be left of infrastructure for picture transmission. Zechariah speaks of one 'great mountain' which will be cut down.

This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the LORD of hosts. “Who are you, O great mountain?” before Zerubbabel become a plain: and he shall bring forth the head-stone thereof (Yeshua see Acts 4:11) with shoutings, 'Grace, grace unto it'. (Zechariah 4:6-7)

This 'great mountain' is the same as the image Daniel sees which is destroyed by the stone cut out without hands (Daniel 2). The language imagery of a mountain being cut down, parallels an image of harvest. Babylon was the head of the image. Revelation 17 says there is a Babylon the great which sits on many waters and on 7 mountains, associated with idolatry which Jeremiah speaks of

Set up the standard upon the walls of Babylon, make the watch strong, set up the watchmen, prepare the ambushes: for the LORD has both devised and done that which he spake against the inhabitants of Babylon. O thou that dwells upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness. The LORD of hosts has sworn by himself, saying, Surely I will fill thee with men, as with caterpillers; and they shall lift up a shout against thee. He has made the earth by his power, he has established the world by his wisdom, and has stretched out the heaven by his understanding. When he utters his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens; and he causes the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth: he makes lightnings with rain, and brings forth the wind out of his treasures. Every man is brutish by his knowledge; every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them. They are vanity, the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.

The portion of Jacob is not like them; for he is the former of all things: and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: the LORD of hosts is his name. You are my battle axe and weapons of war: for with you will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms; ..and with you will I break in pieces the chariot and his rider; ...I will also break in pieces with thee the shepherd and his flock; and with thee will I break in pieces the husbandman and his yoke of oxen; and with thee will I break in pieces captains and rulers. And I will render unto Babylon and to all the inhabitants of Chaldea all their evil that they have done in Zion in your sight, says the LORD. Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, saith the LORD, which destroys all the earth: and I will stretch out mine hand upon you, and roll you down from the rocks, and will make you a burnt mountain. And they shall not take of you a stone for a corner, nor a stone for foundations; but you shall be desolate for ever, saith the LORD. (Jeremiah 51:12-26)

The military forces the armies that come against Jerusalem are led to the 'mountain of the place of cutting/harvest' to be destroyed, in a valley of threshing, parallels the fate of the mountains. The mountains are the leaders. What great leader would be with the front line of the military forces? The mountains, such as 'the great mountian' of the the proud Babylon the great, will be made low or 'valleys' just as the mountain of the place of cutting/harvest becomes a valley of threshing.

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