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THE EARTHLY INHERITANCE SERIES of BIBLE SUBJECTS
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Various Bible study guides in subjects pertaining to
New Earth prophecy, as taught by Paul Phelps.
For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD,
they shall inherit the earth. Psalm 37:9
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An EXPLANATION of the Word ARMAGEDDON
The Greek word Armageddon in Rev. 16:16 has a basis in Hebrew grammar
that is not often explained and the prophetic significance is affected. "Megiddo,"
as a place name, is the Jezreel valley fortress in northern Israel but the name has
no final ‘n’ letter. Megiddon with a final ‘n’ is found only in the Zech. 12:11 text.In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem,
as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.
The root ideas are ‘gather’ (GADŔD), and ‘troops’ (GADŮD). Megiddo means
‘gathering of troops’ and final ‘n’ infers ‘place of...’ So Megiddon is not a name
but rather a generic term for a battlefield, ‘place of gathering of troops.’ It is not
likely that Arm– is transliterated from ‘har’ (mountain). No mountain is indicated
in Megiddo texts and the valley near Megiddo is always called Jezreel. A likely
explanation has been overlooked, even though the Zech. 12:11 text has the clue.
Hadad and Rimmon are two gods of ancient Syria which were not known in Israel
at any time. Hence the mourning of Hadad-Rimmon must be in Syria. In Hebrew,
Syria is Aram. It becomes Arm– if joined in compound to another word. So the
Greek word ‘Armageddon’ (Rev. 16:16) is a transliteration of Aram + megiddon,
and means ‘the place in Syria of the gathering of troops.’
Zechariah 12:11 mentions a ‘valley’ or ‘plain.’ This might be the north-eastern
Syrian plain facing the Euphrates River. Prophetically this is where the eastern
troops cross the Euphrates River (in Rev. 16:12). This interpretation removes the
Armageddon scenario from Israel and puts it in Syria. The mourning of Hadad-
Rimmon (in Zech. 12:11) could be the mourning for the dead after Armageddon.
This battle must be near the Euphrates for that is where the antichrist will try to
stop the eastern army from reaching Jerusalem or other nearby areas.
Israel may not be involved in Armageddon; Israel is nowhere mentioned. This
has rather to do with the endtime war between the armies of the antichrist empire
and the eastern kingdoms. This antichrist scenario is found in Daniel 11:44,45,v 44 But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore
he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many.
v 45 … Yet he shall come to his end, with no one to help him.
But this war results in the annihilation of the antichrist army (in Syria), battling
eastern troops northeast of Jerusalem (v 45), foreseen in Rev. 16:12. The armies
then called by the three frogs (evil spirits, vv 13-14) are a last effort by antichrist
to stop the eastern forces at the Euphrates River. Thus the Eastern forces are not
coming against Israel but are coming against antichrist armies based in Syria.
That is the reason God opens the river before them because they are serving his
purpose. Opening the Euphrates River to give entry to the kingdoms of the east
might relate to Isaiah 11:11,15b-16; 41:2-3,8-9,25; 46:11; 51:10-11; and Joel 2:11.
No Bible text predicts that the kingdoms of the east will ever attack Jerusalem.
Armageddon is not the final war but it is the war to destroy antichrist’s main
army. The final war is Israel’s ‘Battle of Jerusalem,’ an aftermath war fought by
Israel against antichrist armies in Jerusalem; Zech. 14:1-5; then is when antichrist
is finally defeated. In this scenario there is no need to assume the eastern forces
attack Jerusalem. The defeat of antichrist’s army in Syria is their appointed goal.