Ezekiel – The Prophecy Against Gog

Scripture: Chapters 38-39

Key Verse: Ezekiel 39:7, “So I will make My holy name known in the midst of My people Israel,
and I will not let them profane My holy name anymore. Then the nations shall know that I am
the LORD, the Holy One in Israel”

Outline:

1) Timing options
2) Gog’s Invasion (38:1-16)
3) Gog’s Destruction (38:17-39:20)

Detail:

1) Timing options:
a) Any time during the church age but probably just before the rapture of the church
b) During the tribulation (Daniel’s 70th week) (after the rapture)
i) At the commencement of the tribulation
ii) In the middle of the tribulation
iii) At the end of the tribulation
c) At the beginning of the millennium
i) After 2nd coming AND
ii) A short time before the inauguration of His millennial kingdom
d) At the end of the millennium
2) Gog’s Invasion (38:1-16)
a) The great company of invaders (38:1-6)
i) Text: “Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, set your face
against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and
prophesy against him, 3 and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I am against you,
O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. 4 I will turn you around, put hooks
into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all
splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling
swords. 5 Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them, all of them with shield and
helmet; 6 Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah from the far north and all
its troops—many people are with you.”

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ii) Chart with references:

Name Comment References

Leader from the land of Name occurs in 1 Chronicles 5:4
Gog
Magog Occurs with Magog in Revelation 20:8
Genesis 10:2, "The sons of Japheth were Gomer,
Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras"
Magog
1 Chronicles 1:5
Revelation 20:8

Rosh Apparently disconnected reference in Genesis 46:21,

"The sons of Benjamin were ..."
Genesis 10:2, "The sons of Japheth were Gomer,
Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras"
Ezekiel 27:13, "Javan, Tubal, and Meshech were your
traders. They bartered human lives and vessels of
Meshech bronze for your merchandise"
Ezekiel 32:26, "There are Meshech and Tubal and all
their multitudes, With all their graves around it, All of
them uncircumcised, slain by the sword, Though they
caused their terror in the land of the living"
See above Mechech references

Connected to Tubal- Genesis 4:22, "And as for Zillah, she also bore Tubal-
Cain? Cain, an instructor of every craftsman in bronze and
iron. And the sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah"
Tubal Isaiah 66:19, "I will set a sign among them; and those
among them who escape I will send to the nations: to
Tarshish and Pul and Lud, who draw the bow, and
Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off who have
not heard My fame nor seen My glory. And they shall
declare My glory among the Gentiles."
Genesis 10:2, "The sons of Japheth were Gomer,
Gomer Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras"
1 Chronicles 1:5
Genesis 10:3, "The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz,
Riphath, and Togarmah"
Togarmah 1 Chronicles 1:6
Ezekiel 27:14, "Those from the house of Togarmah
traded for your wares with horses, steeds, and mules"

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iii) Comments:
(1) Magog:
(a) Name Magog not found outside of the Bible
(b) Jerome (4th century): Jews of his day held that Magog was a general
reference to Scythian tribes
(c) Josephus (1st century): identified the name with the Scythians

iv) Rosh:
(1) Ancient writers mentioned a people called “Rus” associated with the Scythians
(2) Russia? Unclear and believe we need to be careful
(3) Greeks: nations of the North (note text, “from the far north”)
v) Meshech, and Tubal:
(1) Phrygia and Cappadocia
(2) In antiquity, Phrygia (Greek: Φρυγία) was a kingdom in the west central part of Anatolia,
in what is now modern-day Turkey
(3) Cappadocia is a region in central Turkey

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vi) Other sources:

(1) Gog and Magog occur in the Qur'an 21:96-97
(2) Ambrose: wrote: Gog iste Gothus est — "That Gog is the Goth"
(3) Isidore of Seville (7th century): people in his day supposed that the Goths were
descended from Japheth's son Magog "because of the similarity of the last
syllable", and also mentions the view that they were anciently known as Getae
(4) Queen Christina of Sweden (d 1689)reckoned herself as number 249 in a list of
kings going back to Magog.
vii) Gog seen as the head of a confederacy against Israel
(1) Future enemy
(2) In alliance with Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya
(3) Well equipped
(4) With “many people”
(5) Sovereign God completely aware of and prepared for this battle!
(6) What God will do, “I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out,
with all your army, horses, and horsemen” (38:4)
b) Gog’s invasion (38:7-9)
i) Message to Gog; “Prepare yourself and be ready, you and all your companies that are
gathered about you” (vs 7)
ii) When? “In the latter years” (vs 8) (also vs 16, “in the latter days that I will bring you against
My land,”)
iii) What will happen: “you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword and
gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate; they
were brought out of the nations, and now all of them dwell safely.”
(1) In re-gathered Israel
(2) Now a place of safety!
iv) Extended: “You will ascend, coming like a storm, covering the land like a cloud, you and all
your troops and many peoples with you”
(1) Many peoples
(2) Like a storm
(3) Land covered “like a cloud”
v) Seen as a divine act: “After many days you will be visited” ( vs 8)
vi) Location: “on the mountains of Israel”

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c) Their intention to plunder (38:10-13)

i) Plan called “an evil plan” (vs 10) that came from the mind and heart of Gog!
ii) The self-will and confidence of Gog: “I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; I will go
to a peaceful people, who dwell safely” (vs 11)
iii) Motive: “to take plunder and to take booty …. to take booty, to carry away silver and gold,
to take away livestock and goods, to take great plunder” (12 & 13)
iv) Israel here seen as a wealthy nation. Cf also Isaiah 60:5-9
v) Israel is said to live “dwell in the midst of the land” (12) / ESV: “who dwell at the center of
the earth” (Think “Middle East”)
(1) Cf Ezekiel 5:5 (ESV): “This is Jerusalem. I have set her in the center of the nations, with
countries all around her.”
(2) Feinberg: literally “the navel of the earth”
(3) Israel is the center of the nations as far as God is concerned - Deut 32:8,
vi) Other nations seen joining in: “Sheba, Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish, and all their young
lions will say to you … ”
(1) Sheba, Dedan = Arabic peoples
(2) Tarshish = Spain (??) or Sardinia
vii) Nations arrayed against Israel seen was wild animals: “young lions”
viii) Israel a prey
(1) Throughout history gentile nations have trodden Israel under!
(2) Cf phrase “time of the gentiles”
(a) Ezekiel 30: 3, “For the day is near, Even the day of the LORD is near; It will be a day
of clouds, the time of the Gentiles”
(b) Luke 21:24, “And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive
into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the
Gentiles are fulfilled.”
d) God’s intention (38:14-16)
i) “Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “On that day
when My people Israel dwell safely, will you not know it? 15 Then you will come from your
place out of the far north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a
great company and a mighty army. 16 You will come up against My people Israel like a cloud,
to cover the land. It will be in the latter days that I will bring you against My land, so that the
nations may know Me, when I am hallowed in you, O Gog, before their eyes.” 17 Thus says
the Lord GOD: “Are you he of whom I have spoken in former days by My servants the
prophets of Israel, who prophesied for years in those days that I would bring you against
them?”
ii) God’s overriding purpose is that glory would accrue to His name!
iii) Note stated purpose: “so that the nations may know Me”
(1) Gog thinks it is his plan!
(2) God says: “I will bring you against My land”
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3) Gog’s Destruction (38:17-39:20)

a) Israel Is “the apple of *God’s+ eye” (Zech 2:8), “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which
plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye”
b) The annihilation of the enemy (38:17-23)
i) Motivated by His jealous love for His people, He will become enraged against Gog,
“My fury will show in My face. 19 For in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath …”
ii) What: “there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel”
iii) How destructive? “The mountains shall be thrown down, the steep places shall fall, and
every wall shall fall to the ground.’”
iv) Results: “all men who are on the face of the earth shall shake at My presence”
v) Military fratricide? “man’s sword will be against his brother”
vi) “pestilence” AND
vii) “flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone”
viii) Accomplished: “Thus I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the
eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.”
c) Gog’s judgment described (39:1-10)
i) Mass destruction: “You shall fall upon the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops and
the peoples who are with you;” (vs 4)
ii) Weapons cache destruction: “hen those who dwell in the cities of Israel will go out and set
on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and bucklers, the bows and arrows, the
javelins and spears; and they will make fires with them for seven years” (vs 9)
d) The burial of Gog and his armies (39:11-16)
i) He wanted to be in Israel … well there he will be!
ii) “I will give Gog a burial place there in Israel, the valley of those who pass by east of the sea;
and it will obstruct travelers, because there they will bury Gog and all his multitude.
Therefore they will call it the Valley of Hamon Gog” (Valley of the multitudes of Gog)
iii) A “seven month” effort by “men regularly employed, with the help of a search party”
e) The feast of the birds and beasts (39:17-20)
i) Birds and beasts will feed on decaying meat!
ii) “You shall eat the flesh of the mighty …”

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f) God’s overruling purpose (39:21-29)

i) For the nations: “I will set My glory among the nations; all the nations shall see My
judgment which I have executed”
ii) For Israel “the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day
forward”
iii) National re-gathering and revival: “When I have brought them back from the peoples and
gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and I am hallowed in them in the sight of many
nations, 28 then they shall know that I am the LORD their God”
iv) National blessing: “I will not hide My face from them anymore; for I shall have poured out
My Spirit on the house of Israel,”

Back to the issue of the timing:

1) End of Millennium view (View of the RBP quarterly):

a) Revelation 20:7-10, “Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released
from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of
the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the
sand of the sea. 9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of
the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and
devoured them. 10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and
brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day
and night forever and ever”
b) Problems:
i) Numerous discrepancies between Ezekiel 38,39 and Revelation 20
ii) Also why burial of bodies if there to be soon resurrection for the Great White Throne
judgement?

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2) Tribulation view (Feinberg)

a) “best harmonizes the prophetic scheme of the eschatology passages of the old and new
testaments” (p. 218)
b) Zechariah 12:1-9, “It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come
against Jerusalem” (vs 9)
c) Zechariah 14:1-5, “Behold, the day of the LORD is coming, And your spoil will be divided in
your midst. 2 For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; The city shall be
taken, The houses rifled, And the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity,
But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 3 Then the LORD will go forth
And fight against those nations, As He fights in the day of battle. 4 And in that day His feet will
stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives
shall be split in two, From east to west, Making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall
move toward the north And half of it toward the south. 5 Then you shall flee through My
mountain valley, For the mountain valley shall reach to Azal. Yes, you shall flee As you fled from
the earthquake In the days of Uzziah king of Judah”
d) Psalm 2:1-3, “The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together,
Against the LORD and against His Anointed” (vs 2)
e) Isaiah 29:1-9, “You will be punished by the LORD of hosts With thunder and earthquake and
great noise, With storm and tempest And the flame of devouring fire.” (vs 6)
f) Joel 2:20, “But I will remove far from you the northern army, And will drive him away into a
barren and desolate land, With his face toward the eastern sea And his back toward the
western sea; His stench will come up, And his foul odor will rise, Because he has done
monstrous things”
g) Joel 3:9-21, “Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; For there
I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations.”

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