by Ptr. Art Calaguas<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shalom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 7-day ceasefire has definitely ended and the fighting has resumed. Israel has advanced into Khan Younis in the southern part of Gaza. The 8-day Jewish Feast of Dedication\/Festival of Lights known as \u05d7\u05b2\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc\u05db\u05b8\u05bc\u05d4 Hanukkah started last Thursday evening, December 7 and lasts until Friday evening, December 15. It is traditionally a very festive time in Israel. But more than a hundred (~137) hostages, including the remaining 20 women, children and an 11-month old baby are still held in Gaza. Many Israeli families are still praying for the return of their kidnapped loved-ones. Let us continue to pray for the release of all hostages and a just end to this war between Israel and Hamas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As we have seen last time, Jerusalem appears to be the site of where the final eschatological battle will occur. Many parts of Scripture certainly point to Jerusalem and its environs. We had already looked at Zechariah 12:1-11, 14:3-4; Joel 2:28-32, 3:1-2, 12, 14; and Revelation 20:9. And there are a lot more. The task is to tie up these scriptures clearly referring to Jerusalem with \u201cHar Magedon\u201d of Revelation 16:16.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Scriptures do not contradict itself. They all point to God\u2019s truth in his Word. To have convergence and alignment in our interpretation, there has to be a mountain (\u201cHar\u201d) and this \u201cHar Magedon\u201d somehow has to point to Jerusalem. The first clue we got from the scriptures we referred to earlier is Zion (mentioned 152x in the OT). Mount Zion is well known as part of Jerusalem, south of and adjacent to the Temple Mount\u2019s location; so a mountain\/hill or high place is present. Second, as mentioned before, Dr. Michael Heiser says that \u201cHar Magedon\u201d refers to Jerusalem as stated by the prophet Isaiah after an analysis of the word \u201cMagedon\u201d and the use of the Hebrew letter \u05e2, \u201cayin.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As we\u2019ve learned earlier, the letter \u201cg\u201d can be pronounced in Hebrew either with the use of the letter \u05d2<\/strong>, \u201cgimel\u201d or with \u05e2, \u201cayin.\u201d Dr. Heiser says that in the Hebrew triconsonantal system, the transliterated \u201cmagedon\u201d in Revelation 16:16 can be reduced to 3 basic consonants: M-G-D. For example, the place name Megiddo (\u05de\u05b0\u05d2\u05b4\u05d3\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9) or even Megiddon (\u05de\u05b0\u05d2\u05b4\u05d3\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05df) comes from these 3 basic consonants (the other letters and pointing signs designate vowel sounds). But we know that the G can actually be either the letter \u05d2<\/strong>, \u201cgimel\u201d or the letter \u05e2, \u201cayin\u201d to produce that \u201cg\u201d sound. So in Hebrew it could be either \u05de \u05d2 \u05d3 (Mem-Gimel-Daleth; read right to left) or \u05de \u05e2 \u05d3 (Mem-Ayin-Daleth; read right to left).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Assuming and taking \u05de \u05e2 \u05d3 (Mem-Ayin-Daleth), the Greek-speaking world in the 1st<\/sup> century AD reading the \u03bc\u03b1\u03b3\u03b5\u03b4\u03ce\u03bd<\/em> (\u201cmagedon\u201d) in Revelation 16:16 would see it as M-G-D and not know that the original Hebrew word contained the letter \u05e2, \u201cayin\u201d and not the letter \u05d2<\/strong>, \u201cgimel.\u201d The next step is to recognize what Hebrew word uses these 3 basic consonants \u05de \u05e2 \u05d3 (Mem-Ayin-Daleth) and also, more importantly, points to Jerusalem. Dr. Heiser says that this word is \u05de\u05d5\u05b9\u05e2\u05b5\u05d3 (\u201cmoed\u201d meaning appointed time, place or meeting) and he identifies its particular use with \u201char\u201d (mountain) in Isaiah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The word \u05de\u05d5\u05b9\u05e2\u05b5\u05d3 (\u201cmoed\u201d) is used 292x in the Hebrew Bible\/Old Testament (OT), mostly in the Pentateuch. It is more popularly known when it is translated as \u201cappointed time\/season\u201d (translated in the Greek LXX frequently as \u03ba\u03b1\u03b9\u03c1<\/em>\u03cc<\/em>\u03c2<\/em> \u201ckairos\u201d). Another is \u201ctent of meeting,\u201d the Mosaic tent (\u05d0\u05b9\u05d4\u05b6\u05dc \u05de\u05d5\u05b9\u05e2\u05b5\u05d3 \u201cohel moed\u201d in Hebrew; translated invariably as \u03c3\u03ba\u03b7\u03bd\u03b7 \u03c4\u03bf\u03c5 \u03bc\u03b1\u03c1\u03c4\u03c5\u03c1\u03b9\u03bf\u03c5<\/em>\u201d in the Greek LXX meaning \u201ctent of the testimony\u201d). But it is used only once as \u05d4\u05b7\u05e8\u05be\u05de\u05b9\u05d5\u05e2\u05b5\u0596\u05d3 \u201char moed\u201d meaning \u201cmount of assembly\u201d in a unique manner in Isaiah 14:13.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Isaiah 14:13 this \u201cmount of assembly\u201d is conceptually identified with Mount Zion, in Jerusalem through its connection to Ezekiel 28:14-17 and Psalm 48:1-2. In context, Isaiah 14:12-15 speaks of a fallen supernatural being who wanted to usurp God\u2019s status, the \u201cMost High,\u201d and sit on the \u05d4\u05b7\u05e8\u05be\u05de\u05b9\u05d5\u05e2\u05b5\u0596\u05d3 \u201char moed,\u201d the \u201cmountain of assembly\u201d on the summit of zaphon [north] (Isaiah 14:13). Psalm 48:2 says that the city of our God, in his holy mountain, is Mount Zion [Jerusalem], in the heights of the north, the city of the great king. Ezekiel 28:14, 16 speak about an anointed guardian cherub who rebelled and was expelled from the LORD\u2019s \u201choly mountain\u201d or \u201cmountain of God.\u201d The \u201cmount of assembly\u201d then is the mountain of the LORD God on earth. In the Hebrew Bible\/OT, that would only point to Mount Zion\/Jerusalem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another evangelical scholar, Dr. Meredith Kline, is cited by Dr. Heiser in a text note in The Unseen Realm<\/em>, 2015, 371-372 as one who also finds the connection between \u201cHar Magedon\u201d and Mount Zion in \u201cHar Magedon: The End of the Millennium,\u201d Journal of Evangelical Theological Society<\/em> 39.2 (June 1996): 207-222. Dr. Heiser also cites G.K. Beale, The Book of Revelation: A Commentary on the Greek Text<\/em>, New International Greek Testament Commentary; 1999, 840 saying that \u201cPresupposing the correctness of deriving \u2018Armageddon\u2019 ultimately from har moed<\/em>, Kline\u2019s contextual analysis is quite plausible.\u201d The \u201cCritical Dictionary of Apocalyptic and Millenarian Movements,\u201d 15 January 2021 also mentions \u05d4\u05b7\u05e8\u05be\u05de\u05b9\u05d5\u05e2\u05b5\u0596\u05d3 \u201char moed\u201d meaning \u201cmountain of assembly\u201d being referenced by \u201cHarmagedon\u201d (https:\/\/www.cdamm.org\/articles\/armageddon<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n And so it seems clear with the combined use of Hebrew (and Greek) grammatical, syntactical and contextual tools and approaches that Megiddo (or Megiddon) is not the \u201cHar Magedon\u201d of Revelation 16:16 but \u05d4\u05b7\u05e8\u05be\u05de\u05b9\u05d5\u05e2\u05b5\u0596\u05d3 \u201char moed\u201d meaning \u201cmount of assembly.\u201d The Scriptures are in agreement that this Mount of Assembly means Zion\/Mount Zion\/Jerusalem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a final note, Dr. Heiser even has an explanation for the \u201cn\u201d at the end of the transliterated word \u201cMagedon,\u201d which, as we have seen, is found only in Zechariah 12:11. He says it was the Apostle John\u2019s way of securely linking the visible return of Messiah Jesus, \u201cwhom they pierced\u201d stated in Zechariah 12:10 and the subsequent great wailing\/mourning with the final eschatological conflict on earth in Revelation 16:16 in the appointed place uniquely identified in Isaiah 14:13. The other scriptures we have also seen attest to this woven theological mosaic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Apostle John, writing the Book of Revelation at the close of the 1st<\/sup> century AD, was inspired by the Holy Spirit to emphasize this linkage for his fellow Jews. For it is only when they recognize the Lord Jesus as their Messiah and repent and wail in Jerusalem and in their land can they be redeemed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We will continue next week with another topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n God bless us all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Ptr. Art Calaguas Shalom. The 7-day ceasefire has definitely ended and the fighting has resumed. Israel has advanced into Khan Younis in the southern part of Gaza. The 8-day Jewish Feast of Dedication\/Festival of Lights known as \u05d7\u05b2\u05e0\u05d5\u05bc\u05db\u05b8\u05bc\u05d4 Hanukkah started last Thursday evening, December 7 and lasts until Friday evening, December 15. It is…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[6,7,9,8,5],"class_list":["post-362","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\/362","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=362"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/362\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":363,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/362\/revisions\/363"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=362"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=362"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=362"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}