Appendix B

In Revelation 16:16 we read, "And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon (harmagedon)." The ones doing the gathering are "spirits of demons," and the ones gathered are the "kings of the whole world" (16:14). But what is the meaning of "Har-Magedon," or in some Bibles, "Armageddon?"

1. "Har" is simply the Hebrew word for "mountain."

2. "Magedon" is probably the same as the Hebrew name, Megiddon, which means, "place of God."

3. There is no place in the Old Testament called Mount Megiddon or Mount Megiddo. There is a place called Megiddo and Megiddon, but this is a plain or valley, not a mountain.

It appears that the best understanding of the expression "Har-Magedon" is "mountain (i.e., kingdom) of the place of God." This understanding is favored because it is the plain sense, and agrees with the context. The kings of the world are gathered together into the presence of the newly arrived King in His kingdom, where they are subsequently slain (19:19).