Mount Moriah versus the Mount of Olives - a Type of Armageddon

In Revelation 16:12-16 we have a series of interesting events. The great river Euphrates is dried up, that the way of he kings of the East might be prepared. Then we have an interlude in which three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet to work miracles to bring the kings of the earth and the whole world to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Then Jesus warns all that He will come as a thief to the non-believers so keep your garments lest you be naked and see your shame. And the place where all of the above participants are gathered is to the place called in the Hebrew tongue, Armageddon.
We know that the great river Euphrates is either the literal river which ran through ancient Babylon and through its waters supported the sworn enemy of Israel. Or the river Euphrates is the spiritual supporter of spiritual Babylon, Revelation 17:5, with people who believe in the ideology that Babylon promotes.

We know that the Cyrus was the king of the East who was called by God to accomplish His judgments upon Babylon, who dried up the river Euphrates, and sacked the great city of Babylon. Isaiah 46:11; 44:27-28. Cyrus was the deliverer of Israel and a type of Christ the Anointed One. Isaiah 44:28-45:1. Cyrus was the king who allowed Israel to be freed from it’s captivity to Babylon and who gave the decree to return to Israel to rebuild the temple and the city. God used Cyrus to give the call for God’s people to come home. All of these things were types of what Jesus wants to do for His people today. Jesus is the king of the East today. He comes from the East to deliver His people. Malachi 4:2 – He is the Sun of righteousness that comes up from the East and He is the Day Spring of Luke 1:78. Jesus is the Originator of the tidings from the North and the East of Daniel 11:44; and the message of the seal of the living God, from the East Revelation 7:2. And when Jesus comes from the East to deliver us He brings His armies to fight this last battle on earth. Revelation 19:11-19. As He comes He sounds His battle cry from the Sun for He knows that as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, He will be victorious over all who are gathered together against Him. Revelation 19:17-19.

The place where the wicked are gathered together against God, and His people who are kings and priests (Revelation 1:6), is at the place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. This word, Armageddon, can be rendered the Mount of the Congregation. So all of the kings and people of the world are gathered together against the Mount of the Congregation of God and there God will meet to deliver His people Joel 3:1-21. At this mountain God will conduct judicial review (He will plead with them) and He will pronounce them unjust and filthy and worthy of destruction. Revelation 22:11-12; Revelation 16:15,17. Then God will deliver His people and they will be slain with the sword in the mouth of Jesus and through the brightness of His coming. Revelation 19:21; II Thessalonians 2:8.

Briefly let us go back to Armageddon. This is the place that God has allowed the frog like beasts to bring all of the people who are fighting against God, through His people, since they can not get directly at God they attempt to persecute His people. In the Bible the center of God’s people is Mount Zion, Jerusalem, a symbol of God’s people. Joel 3:11-17; Daniel 9:16; Jeremiah 6:2-Isaiah 51:16. In Joel 3 God calls the heathen together against Mt. Zion and they gather in the valley of Jehoshaphat. In the contest between Elijah and the prophets of Baal it as at Mt. Carmel. In the battle between Israel and Egypt it happens in the middle of the Red Sea where God dries up the waters to deliver His people. Exodus 14-15. In the crossing of the Jordan God meets with Israel by drying up the Jordan to allow Israel to engage the Canaanites at Jericho. Joshua 3-4. In the battle between Israel and Babylon it was Mt Zion versus the Mount of Babylon. Jeremiah 51:24-25. All of these examples symbolize the same thing – God meeting with His people to deliver them from the heathen and to win a battle for righteousness sake.

But there is another example of this battle of that great day of God Almighty which takes place at a place called in the Hebrew tongue, Armageddon. Another type of this battle is between the two mountains in Israel. On Mt Moriah God had His temple built by King Solomon. When Solomon had the temple built on Mt Moriah he was a type of Christ. Sadly, Solomon was also the builder of the heathen temples on the Mount of Olives. II Kings 23:13 and the site was called the Mount of Corruption, which Solomon built for Satan. In this process Solomon symbolized Satan. These two mountains stood in direct contrast with each other. Ellen White describes it as follows "On the summit of the Mount of Olives, confronting the temple of Jehovah, were erected gigantic images and altars for the service of heathen deities." Education 49, see also Prophets and Kings 57. This conflict between the two systems of worship was a type of the Battle of Armageddon. Mount Zion versus the Mount of Corruption. Praise God, our Lord and Saviour will win this battle as He has won every other battle between Satan and Jesus.

I pray that God will allow you to study these texts and to be able to see the things that Jesus has placed in His Word for those of us upon whom the ends of the world are come. I Corinthians 10:11; I Peter 1:10-12. I pray that these things will grant you hope and a trust in God that is never failing.