Q. I was in a discussion this week over where Jesus was crucified. Some said Mt. Sinai while others said Mt. Golgotha. What mountain was he crucified?

A. He was crucified on Mt. Moriah (“mount of the teacher”) just outside the northern gate of the city of Jerusalem at a place called Golgotha meaning “skull.” It was the site of public executions in the city used by Romans and Jewish authorities. It was possibly the site of the stoning of Stephen. He was crucified along the road leading in and out of the city to strike fear into the population about even thinking about rebelling against Rome. He was not up on a hill because the romans usually did it along the road, and the Scriptures say that the people “passing by” hurled insults at Him. Now, I want to get into some history and meanings about all this because nothing happens in the Scriptures by accident, especially if God gives us the name of people and places. All names mean something. The word Golgotha is Aramaic and simply means skull. It would be impossible to determine the true site of the crucifixion but there are two main sites. Directions in the Bible are always from Jerusalem and the Temple site so that is what I will use. The Catholic Church maintains that the site is west of the Temple and it was found by St. Helena, Constantine’s mother. The other site is called Gordon’s Calvary which is north of the Temple site. This site is near a rock formation which resembles a skull and that is what drew Professor Gordon’s attention, among other things. Some think it was here that Jeremiah wrote Lamentations and it is also referred to as Jeremiah’s Grotto. The Torah says that the sin offering is to be slaughtered north of the altar (Lev 1.11) and this site fits that prerequisite, but that site cannot be proven either. But, let’s get into what we do know. He was to be killed on Mt. Moriah and we see a picture of this in Genesis 22 and the Akedah, or the Binding of Isaac. Interestingly enough, this is the most important chapter in the Bible to the Jewish people.We know God told Abraham to goto the land of Moriah, to a certain mountain and to sacrifice Isaac there. Well, God never had Abraham carry out the whole thing but he did “act out” the scenario that the Father and His Son would actually have to do. The word Golgotha has the same root as “Gilgal” which means to “roll away.” It was at Gilgal that Joshua crossed the Jordan and circumcised Israel physically as they entered the land. It was at Gilgal the Kingdom was renewed in the days of Samuel and David, also a picture of the Father (Samuel) and the Son (David). Spiritually, Yeshua (Joshua) crossed over death (Jordan) at Golgotha (Gilgal) and brought in the circumcision of the heart (spiritual) and ratified the New Covenant with His own blood (and the people entered the promised land spiritually). As a result we can become born-again (renewed) and the Torah commandments can now be written on our hearts by the Holy Spirit and He will give us the power to obey Him. North in the Bible is the direction of intelligence and wisdom and that is why He was crucified at the place of” intelligence and wisdom” (the skull) which is related to Gilgal, where the kingdom is renewed ( or born again in us ) and that is what the New Covenant is. It was on the north side of the Temple Sanctuary that there was a table with bread called the “Shulchan shell Lechem ha Pannim” or the Table of Bread of the Faces (plural). The bread symbolizes the knowledge and wisdom gained through the Scriptures and the Menorah (candlestick) on the south side illuminates that Word by the oil of the Holy Spirit.



Now, let’s get into some deeper meanings. Satan has always wanted to sit on “the mount of assembly”, or the appointed festivals to be worshipped ( Isa 14.13 ). The mount of the appointed times is Mt. Moriah of course because that is where the people came to keep the festivals because the Temple was there, now called the Temple Mount. In Hebrew “mount of assembly” is said as “har moed” but it can be said with a slightly soft guttural “g” sound in moed and it would sound like “moe’ghed”. So, Satan wants to sit on “Har Moe’ghed” and how does he try to do it. Now the last part of the verse says that this “har moeghed” is in the sides of the north, the “direction” of intelligence and wisdom. So Satan can sit himself on the mount through intelligence and wisdom, the place of the skull or the “battle for the mind” as some refer to it by replacing God’s festivals with something else. This battle is talked about in Revelation 16.14,16: “For they (the frogs of v13 who speak lies) are the spirits of unclean devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty” and v16 says “ and he gathered them together to a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.” Notice he says this is known in the Hebrew tongue because he is not coming from a Greek context. He could have said this in Greek but didn’t because he is alluding to a greater concept here. Many biblical scholars teach that this is a great, physical battle at the mountain of Megiddo, but there is no Mount Megiddo in Israel. The last battle when Yeshua comes is not at Mount Megiddo but at Jerusalem Zech 12-14, Matt 24). Armageddon does not mean Mount Megiddo but “har moeghed” or the “mount of assembly” or the appointed times (festivals). So, let me pull all this together. The battle of Har Moeghed is over whether or not you will follow the Torah . It’s a battle over what Holy days you will keep. Dan 7.25 says that the False Messiah will come and changes the times (festivals of God) and the Torah. This battle is over obedience to the Torah commandments. That is why those who do not follow the Torah are called “lawless” or “anomos” meaning Torah-less. That has always been the battle. It was the battle fought in Eden. Whether there is a literal Battle of Armageddon is debatable and not probable., but there is a battle of “Har moeghedon” spiritually and it’s going on today. God says that only certain people will dwell on “His Holy hill (Psa 15.1, 24.3-4, 43.3). Psa 48.1-3 says that God is to be praised on “His holy mountain” (because the Temple was there and the feasts were celebrated there) and on the “sides of the north” (Wisdom). Isa 2.2-4 says that in the last days the “mountain” of the house of God will be established over all the mountains ( kingdoms…including Satans’s) and raised (“elevated” spiritually-Psa 48.2) above the nations and the Gentiles will come and say “let us go up to the house of the Lord.” Why are they doing that? Because the Torah will go forth from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. The context of this is when Yeshua comes back. Now, if the Law has been done away with as some say, why is it being taught again when Yeshua comes? The answer is because it has never been done away with and those who ascend His Holy Hill will be ascending the Mount of Assembly , or the appointed times, because they are Torah observant and have defeated Satan at the battle of “Har-moeghedon” and have not followed the lies of all the “frogs” out there who are trying to deceive the nations into letting Satan sit on the mount of assembly and to come and worship him with replacement festivals and observances. The battle of Har-moeghedon was fought and won at the place of the skull, on Mount Moriah , the mount of the appointed times, just north of the Altar on that Passover nearly 2000 years ago. What it comes down to is who are you going to serve. Is God seated on the recesses of the north on the Mount of the appointed times or have you seated Satan there and you are following his appointed times. The Scriptures will give you the answer and the battle plan on how to defeat Satan at the Battle of Har-moeghedon which is being fought all around us today.