{"id":357,"date":"2023-11-27T00:46:22","date_gmt":"2023-11-26T16:46:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/?p=357"},"modified":"2023-11-27T00:46:22","modified_gmt":"2023-11-26T16:46:22","slug":"har-magedon-in-revelation-1616-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/ptr-art-calaguas\/har-magedon-in-revelation-1616-part-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Har Magedon in Revelation 16:16 \u2013 Part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

by Ptr. Art Calaguas<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shalom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Previously, the plight of the very many hostages (~240) of many different nationalities taken by Hamas last October 7, including women, elderly, children and babies seemed to have been relegated to the backstage by the world\u2019s media as the fighting hogged news coverage. But now, it seems our prayer together with hundreds of millions of Christians across the globe for the hostages to be released have borne fruit. At least partly. We even have a Filipino hostage released together with Thais and Israelis. We should continue to pray for the release of all hostages and a just end to this war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last time, we found the place name \u201cGaza\u201d first mentioned in the Old Testament (OT) in Genesis 10:19. Reproduced below is the Hebrew MT text (read left to right) followed by my formal equivalence translation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u05d5\u05b7\u05bd\u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05b4\u059e\u05d9 \u05d2\u05b0\u05bc\u05d1\u05a4\u05d5\u05bc\u05dc \u05d4\u05b7\u05bd\u05db\u05b0\u05bc\u05e0\u05b7\u05e2\u05b2\u05e0\u05b4\u05d9\u0599 \u05de\u05b4\u05e6\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05d3\u05b9\u0594\u05df \u05d1\u05b9\u05bc\u05d0\u05b2\u05db\u05b8\u05a5\u05d4 \u05d2\u05b0\u05e8\u05b8\u0596\u05e8\u05b8\u05d4<\/mark> \u05e2\u05b7\u05d3\u05be\u05e2\u05b7\u05d6\u05b8\u05bc\u0591\u05d4<\/mark> \u05d1\u05b9\u05bc\u05d0\u05b2\u05db\u05b8\u059e\u05d4 \u05e1\u05b0\u05d3\u05b9\u05a7\u05de\u05b8<\/mark>\u05d4 \u05d5\u05b7\u05e2\u05b2\u05de\u05b9\u05e8\u05b8\u059b\u05d4<\/mark> \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b7\u05d3\u05b0\u05de\u05b8\u05a5\u05d4 \u05d5\u05bc\u05e6\u05b0\u05d1\u05b9\u05d9\u05b4\u0596\u05dd \u05e2\u05b7\u05d3\u05be\u05dc\u05b8\u05bd\u05e9\u05b7\u05c1\u05e2\u05c3<\/p>\n\n\n\n

19<\/sup>And the Canaanite territory is situated from Sidon as you go toward Gerar<\/mark> as far as Gaza<\/mark>, then as you go toward Sodom<\/mark> and Gomorrah<\/mark> and Admah and Zeboim, as far as Lasha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For good measure, below is the Greek LXX translation of Genesis 10:19 containing these place names (also highlighted and color-coded accordingly; read right to left):<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u1f10\u03b3\u03ad\u03bd\u03bf\u03bd\u03c4\u03bf \u03c4\u1f70 \u1f45\u03c1\u03b9\u03b1 \u03a7\u03b1\u03bd\u03b1\u03bd\u03b1\u03af\u03c9\u03bd \u1f00\u03c0\u1f78 \u03a3\u03b9\u03b4\u1ff6\u03bd\u03bf\u03c2 \u1f15\u03c9\u03c2 \u1f10\u03bb\u03b8\u03b5\u1fd6\u03bd \u03b5\u1f30\u03c2 \u0393\u03ad\u03c1\u03b1\u03c1\u03b1<\/mark> \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u0393\u03ac\u03b6\u03b1\u03bd<\/mark>, \u1f15\u03c9\u03c2 \u1f10\u03bb\u03b8\u03b5\u1fd6\u03bd \u1f15\u03c9\u03c2 \u03a3\u03bf\u03b4\u03cc\u03bc\u03c9\u03bd<\/mark> \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u0393\u03bf\u03bc\u03cc\u03c1\u03c1\u03b1\u03c2<\/mark>, \u1f08\u03b4\u03b1\u03bc\u1f70 \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03a3\u03b5\u03b2\u03c9\u1f76\u03bc \u1f15\u03c9\u03c2 \u0394\u03b1\u03c3\u03ac.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the highlighted words, we see that \u05d2\u05b0\u05e8\u05b8\u0596\u05e8\u05b8\u05d4<\/mark> in Hebrew, and \u0393\u03ad\u03c1\u03b1\u03c1\u03b1<\/mark><\/em> in Greek is transliterated as Gerar<\/mark>; while \u05e2\u05b7\u05d6\u05b8\u05bc\u05d4<\/mark> in Hebrew, and \u0393\u03ac\u03b6\u03b1\u03bd<\/mark><\/em> in Greek is transliterated as Gaza<\/mark>; while \u05e1\u05b0\u05d3\u05b9\u05dd<\/mark> in Hebrew, and \u03a3\u03bf\u03b4\u03cc\u03bc\u03c9\u03bd<\/mark><\/em> in Greek is transliterated as Sodom<\/mark>; and \u05e2\u05b2\u05de\u05b9\u05e8\u05b8\u059b\u05d4<\/mark> in Hebrew, and \u0393\u03bf\u03bc\u03cc\u03c1\u03c1\u03b1\u03c2<\/mark><\/em> in Greek is transliterated as Gomorrah<\/mark>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note that both \u05e2\u05b7\u05d6\u05b8\u05bc\u05d4<\/mark> and \u05e2\u05b2\u05de\u05b9\u05e8\u05b8\u059b\u05d4<\/mark> start with the 16th<\/sup> Hebrew letter \u05e2, \u201cayin\u201d but gets the hard \u201cg\u201d sound in the LXX. From last week, we saw that there are 2 different ways the letter \u05e2, \u201cayin\u201d is vocalized: \u201csilent\u201d or unpronounced, or pronounced with the hard \u201cg\u201d sound. This \u201cg\u201d sound makes it \u201cGaza\u201d instead of \u201cAzzah\u201d and \u201cGomorrah\u201d instead of \u201cAmorah\u201d in our English Bibles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Hebrew also has another letter that has the sound of the hard \u201cg.\u201d This is the 3rd<\/sup> Hebrew letter \u05d2<\/strong>, \u201cgimel\u201d and we find it also in Genesis 10:19. This is the place name \u05d2\u05b0\u05bc\u05e8\u05b8\u05e8<\/mark>, transliterated as Gerar<\/mark>. It is found only 10x in the OT; 8x in Genesis, and then once in 1 Chronicles 14:13; and once in 1 Chronicles 14:14. Notice that it begins with \u05d2<\/strong>, \u201cgimel\u201d and so has the proper hard \u201cg\u201d sound. This Hebrew letter \u201cgimel\u201d is actually the source of the 3rd<\/sup> Greek letter \u03b3, \u201cgamma.\u201d We find this in \u0393\u03ad\u03c1\u03b1\u03c1\u03b1<\/mark><\/em> in the LXX version of Genesis 10:19 for Gerar<\/mark> (see above).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the foregoing, we can see that Hebrew has 2 different letters that may give us the hard \u201cg\u201d sound: \u05d2<\/strong>, \u201cgimel\u201d or \u05e2, \u201cayin.\u201d However, Greek only has 1 letter that produces the hard \u201cg\u201d sound: the letter \u03b3, \u201cgamma\u201d (uppercase is \u0393, as in \u0393\u03b1\u03b6\u03b1<\/mark><\/em> for Gaza<\/mark>). This nuance of the Hebrew letter \u05e2, \u201cayin\u201d now leads us to an unexpected discovery.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last year, my daughter in Canada gave me a book I requested: The Unseen Realm<\/em> (Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible) written by Michael S. Heiser in 2015. Dr. Michael S. Heiser holds a PhD in Hebrew Bible and Semitic Languages and an MA in ancient history and Hebrew studies. He is the author of numerous best-selling books (I own a few of them); a Scholar-in-Residence at Faithlife Corporation; Executive Director of the School of Theology at Celebration Church; a regular contributor to Bible Study Magazine<\/em>; and served as an editor of the Faithlife Study Bible. Unfortunately, Dr. Heiser died last February 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In The Unseen Realm<\/em>, Chapter 41 (The Mount of Assembly), pp. 368-375, Dr. Heiser makes an assertion based on his extensive knowledge of the OT and the Hebrew language that a word in Revelation 16:16 has not been transliterated\/translated properly throughout Christian history. Revelation 16 is about the Bowls of Wrath poured out on the earth as part of God\u2019s eschatological judgment. The immediate context is Revelation 16:12-16 (about the 6th<\/sup> Bowl) and the word in question is \u201cArmageddon\u201d found at the end of Revelation 16:16. The Greek text from the SBL GNT of this verse followed by my formal equivalence translation is given below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03c3\u03c5\u03bd\u03ae\u03b3\u03b1\u03b3\u03b5\u03bd \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u03bf\u1f7a\u03c2 \u03b5\u1f30\u03c2 \u03c4\u1f78\u03bd \u03c4\u03cc\u03c0\u03bf\u03bd \u03c4\u1f78\u03bd \u03ba\u03b1\u03bb\u03bf\u03cd\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd\u03bf\u03bd \u1f19\u03b2\u03c1\u03b1\u03ca\u03c3\u03c4\u1f76 \u1f09\u03c1\u03bc\u03b1\u03b3\u03b5\u03b4\u03ce\u03bd<\/mark>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

16<\/sup>And he gathered them unto the place called in Hebrew Harmagedon<\/mark><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The highlighted last Greek word \u1f09\u03c1\u03bc\u03b1\u03b3\u03b5\u03b4\u03ce\u03bd<\/mark><\/em> has traditionally been transliterated as the place name \u201cArmageddon.\u201d However, as Dr. Heiser correctly points out, those of us who know Biblical Greek would say that the rough breathing mark in front of the beginning \u201cA\u201d (Greek alpha) and the fact that Greek does not have a letter that sounds like our \u201ch\u201d would make us pronounce the word as Harmagedon<\/mark> not \u201cArmagedon.\u201d This fact and that the writer, the Apostle John has a specific phrase \u201cthe place called in Hebrew\u201d before \u1f09\u03c1\u03bc\u03b1\u03b3\u03b5\u03b4\u03ce\u03bd<\/mark><\/em> alerts us that we must rely more on Biblical Hebrew for the word\u2019s meaning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Hebrew, this word can be broken up into 2 words. The 1st<\/sup> word \u201char\u201d would be known as \u201cmountain\u201d or \u201cmount.\u201d The 2nd<\/sup> word would then be \u201cmagedon.\u201d Taken together, the place would be \u201cHar Magedon\u201d which is \u201cMount Magedon\u201d or \u201cMountain of Magedon\u201d in English. A quick check in https:\/\/biblehub.com\/revelation\/16-16.htm<\/a> shows that a few of the different Bible translations of Revelation 16:16 actually read \u201cHar-Magedon.\u201d Of the more than 30 versions listed, majority translate it as \u201cArmageddon\u201d while 10 use \u201cHar-Magedon\u201d (NASB, Amplified Bible, ASV, ERV, etc.), or \u201cHarmagedon\u201d (NRSV). Only the Aramaic Bible in Plain English translates it as \u201cMegiddo\u201d while the New Heart English Bible uses \u201cHar Megiddo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this question can be asked: where is \u201cHar-Magedon\u201d situated? This place name is only found in Revelation 16:16; it is a hapax legomenon<\/em> so there are no clues in the Greek. Is it the same as Har Meggido? Is Armageddon really Mount Megiddo? If one has visited or sees a picture of the place called Tel Megiddo in Israel, the question is answered in the negative. I had been able to visit Tel Megiddo in 2013 during one of our pilgrimages to Israel. There is no mountain there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tel Megiddo is actually an archaeological site of the ancient city of Megiddo in the Lower Galilee region of northern Israel. Archeologists say that the city was built during the Early Bronze age and had been built over approximately 26 layers deep. It is not a natural mountain but an artificial, man-made mound (tell) of ancient ruins built on top of one another over millennia. And the area it lies in is a plain or relatively flat area. Megiddo is strategically located astride the Megiddo Pass (Wadi Arah) inside the Jezreel Valley (see the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary map, [p. 1916] below followed by my photographs).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Megiddo and Jezreel Valley<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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So if there is no mountain of Megiddo nor Mount Megiddo, where is Har Magedon, the place of gathering for God\u2019s judgment referred to in Revelation 16:16?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We will continue next week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God bless us all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Ptr. Art Calaguas Shalom. Previously, the plight of the very many hostages (~240) of many different nationalities taken by Hamas last October 7, including women, elderly, children and babies seemed to have been relegated to the backstage by the world\u2019s media as the fighting hogged news coverage. But now, it seems our prayer together…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[6,7,9,8,5],"class_list":["post-357","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ptr-art-calaguas","tag-church-of-the-risen-lord","tag-crl","tag-spiritual-refreshment-of-the-day","tag-upcemi","tag-upcrl"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/357","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=357"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/357\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":358,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/357\/revisions\/358"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=357"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=357"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=357"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}