Megiddo—Ancient Battleground With Prophetic Meaning
“THUS let all your enemies perish, O Jehovah.” So concluded a victory song composed over 32 centuries ago. It celebrated a military triumph near the ancient city of Megiddo.
According to the Bible account, Judge Barak of Israel was commanded by God to station 10,000 armed men on Mount Tabor. An impressive number? Perhaps. But the 10,000 volunteers were woefully underequipped. “A shield could not be seen, nor a lance.” (Judges 5:8) Not so with the opponent, however. Led by General Sisera, the Canaanite army was equipped with the very latest in military technology: “Nine hundred war chariots with iron scythes.” (Judges 4:3) These gave the Canaanites the edge in speed and maneuverability and also an enormous psychological advantage.
Victory, though, was not to be the fruit of military prowess and equipment. Sisera’s vastly superior troops were lured into the then-dry torrent valley of Kishon. Jehovah gave Barak the signal to descend. Just picture 10,000 men streaming down the mountain into the valley plain! But then, unexpectedly, Jehovah caused a thunderstorm. Wind and rain now lashed into the face of the enemy. The Kishon River valley was turned into a raging torrent, immobilizing Sisera’s war chariots in a sea of mud. Thrown into confusion, Sisera’s troops fled in terror, only to be pursued and executed. “Not as much as one remained.”—Judges, chapters 4 and 5.
No wonder this stunning victory inspired the words: “Thus let all your enemies perish, O Jehovah, and let your lovers be as when the sun goes forth in its mightiness.” (Judges 5:31) Note, however, that word “thus.” It suggested that the battle was prophetic, pointing forward to a greater war in which all enemies of God would perish.
However, the hostile peoples surrounding Israel quickly forgot this disastrous encounter. Only 47 years later a combination of nations under the lead of Midian “gathered together as one and proceeded to . . . camp in the low plain of Jezreel,” the valley extending from Megiddo. (Judges 6:33) These encamped enemies were “as numerous as locusts.” This time, however, the army of Israel was only a small but courageous band of 300 men, standing “all around the camp” under the leadership of Gideon. At a signal, the 300 blew horns, loudly smashed water jars, waved torches, and let out a terrifying war cry: “Jehovah’s sword and Gideon’s!” The Midianites panicked! “Jehovah proceeded to set the sword of each one against the other,” and Gideon’s tiny band completed the rout!—Judges, chapter 7.
We today dare not make the mistake of the Midianites nor shrug off the significance of Megiddo. Some 12 times the Bible speaks of this ancient battle site. Further, Bible prophecy indicates that what took place at Megiddo has serious implications for our day. Let us therefore take a look at what both the Bible and archaeology say about this historic place.
Crossroads of the Ancient World
Megiddo, along with the cities of Hazor and Gezer, once dominated a major military and trade route connecting Asia and Africa. Megiddo lay between the other two cities and hence was the one most strategically located. From all directions natural gateways, mountain passes, and roads converged into her valley plain. “Megiddo,” explains The Geography of the Bible, “stood at a crossroads, in fact at one of the great crossroads of the ancient world.”
Megiddo dominated a large valley plain extending some 20 miles (32 km) along the northeastern side of the Carmel mountain range. During the rainy winter, water descending from the surrounding mountains caused the nearby Kishon River to swell. Thus the region is also called “the torrent valley of Kishon.” (Judges 4:13) Says the book Geography of Israel: “With the winter rains” the soil of the valley “is liable to turn into deep mud. . . . The [K]ishon’s gradient is very small, and the outlet . . . easily blocked; swamps thus spread here.” Sisera and his armies found out just how muddy this plain can get. Nevertheless, in the dry summer, this open plain was an ideal place for chariots to train for war. (Compare Song of Solomon 6:11, 12.) Military troops could also assemble conveniently there.
No wonder, then, that King Solomon took steps to fortify Megiddo: “Now this is the account of those conscripted for forced labor that King Solomon levied to build . . . the wall of Jerusalem and Hazor and Megiddo and Gezer.” (1 Kings 9:15) A 70-foot-high (21 m) mound, overlooking a wide, open valley, now marks the spot where Megiddo once stood. In ancient times, new buildings were often constructed on top of the ruins of old ones. Each level of construction may therefore mark a particular time in history. The archaeologist, starting from the top, digs his way down through layer after layer of history. At least 20 of such layers have been discovered at Megiddo, indicating that the city was rebuilt many times. And how has the Bible helped these patient diggers?
Building city gates was doubtless a vital part of Solomon’s project of fortifying Megiddo, Hazor, and Gezer. Some time ago such gates were discovered at Megiddo. Soon thereafter identically styled gates were found at Hazor. So, taking a clue from the Bible, archaeologists also began searching at Gezer. Not surprisingly, the same style gates were found there too. The significance for Bible students? A well-known archaeologist, Professor Yohanan Aharoni, states:
“In the excavations conducted at the three places, gates identical in plan were discovered in strata from the tenth century B.C.E. . . . Gates like these, with three guardrooms and four sets of piers on each side of the passageway, have been discovered thus far only in two other places. . . . Therefore, there is virtually complete agreement among scholars that the gates of Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer with their triple chambers belong to the reign of Solomon.”
Dr. Yigael Yadin similarly concludes: “The discovery of Solomon’s fortifications at Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer is an instructive example of how important and practical a guide is the Bible to archaeologists.”
A Decisive Battleground
In view of Megiddo’s strategic location, it quite understandably came to be linked with the idea of a battleground early in history. Actually, the ancient Hebrew word for “Megiddo” is said to mean “rendezvous, or, assembly of troops.” Wrote Professor Aharoni:
“Megiddo was a fortified city of major importance despite the fact that it is not mentioned in historical sources until the fifteenth century B.C. At that time it appears in the inscriptions of Thutmose III. The annals of this pharaoh record that Megiddo led a confederation of rebel Canaanite cities. . . . The Egyptian army and the Canaanite chariotry fought the decisive battle of this rebellion . . . near Megiddo. This is the earliest military engagement whose details have been preserved. After thoroughly routing the Canaanite force in the field, Pharaoh captured a rich booty, including 924 chariots!”
Dr. Zev Vilnay, author of The New Israel Atlas, further describes the valley as being “the scene of famous battles from the dawn of history until World War I.”
Megiddo—Site of the Final War?
The last book of the Bible, Revelation, records a vision of “the kings of the entire inhabited earth” being gathered together “to the war of the great day of God the Almighty” at “Har–Magedon” [“Mountain of Megiddo”], or Armageddon. (Revelation 16:14, 16) Because of the similarity in names, some have concluded that this war will take place at the literal site of Megiddo. However, the mound of Megiddo hardly qualifies as a “mountain.” Consider too: Is Megiddo’s valley big enough to accommodate all earth’s rulers together with their large armies and vast array of military equipment? “This is apocalyptic language,” the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia tells us, “and it is possible that Armageddon is used not as a name for a particular locality but as a symbolic term for the final decisive conflict.”
What, then, is “Har–Magedon”? It is obviously figurative. Drawing on Megiddo’s history as the site of decisive battles, Revelation uses it to picture the approaching situation when hatred for God’s people by “all the nations” will reach a climax. (Matthew 24:9, 14) Because true Christians continue loyally to support God’s Kingdom, earth’s rulers will unite and, in effect, “assemble” to destroy them. Jehovah’s Witnesses will not retaliate, however. (Isaiah 2:1-4) God has appointed their King, the Lord Jesus Christ, to fight for them. At the crucial moment, this heavenly King together with “the armies . . . in heaven” will intervene and attack “the kings of the earth and their armies.” This global battle will be decisive, just like those fought at Megiddo. All earthly foes will “perish,” even as the victory song of Deborah and Barak prophesied!—Revelation 19:11-21; Judges 5:31.
Will you be found among Jehovah’s lovers—or among his enemies? The Bible makes clear that those who do not take their stand with Jehovah God and his people are in real danger of losing life. (Zephaniah 2:3; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9) Consequently, there is no time to delay! “Look! I am coming as a thief,” warns the glorified Jesus Christ with specific reference to the climax of the “great tribulation” at Armageddon.—Revelation 16:15; Matthew 24:21.
“The war of the great day of God the Almighty” will have a glorious outcome. It will open the way for God’s Kingdom to transform this earth into a paradise. (Matthew 6:9, 10; Revelation 21:3-5) But best of all, it will vindicate the greatest name in the universe in a magnificent fulfillment of the ancient prophetic prayer:
“Do to them as to Midian, as to Sisera, as to Jabin at the torrent valley of Kishon. . . . Pursue them with your tempest and may you disturb them with your own storm wind. Fill their faces with dishonor, that people may search for your name, O Jehovah. O may they be ashamed and be disturbed for all times, and may they become abashed and perish; that people may know that you, whose name is Jehovah, you alone are the Most High over all the earth.”—Psalm 83:9, 15-18.
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Megiddo dominated one of the major military and trade routes connecting the continents of Asia and Africa
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The global war of Armageddon will be decisive, just like battles fought at Megiddo. All God’s earthly foes will perish