THE BATTLE OF GOG AND MAGOG
EZEKIEL 38-39
A GREAT DIFFICULTY IN TALKING ABOUT THE END TIMES IS GETTING AN ORDER OF EVENTS IN RELATION TO THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH. SOME CAN HAPPEN JUST BEFORE AND SOME AFTER, AND SOME CAN BE INTRODUCED BEFORE THE RAPTURE AND CONTINUE AFTER IT. THE ANTICHRIST FOR EXAMPLE MIGHT BE ALIVE AND START TO BE INVOLVED IN THE WORLD BEFORE THE RAPTURE, BUT COME TO POWER AND DOMINATION AFTER.
SUCH DIFFICULTY IS INVOLVED WITH THE BATTLE OF GOG AND MAGOG. SOME THEOLOGIANS PLACE IT BEFORE THE RAPTURE, OTHERS AFTER. I FEEL QUITE CONFIDENT IN SAYING:
1. WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF ISRAEL AS A NATION, AND THE HOSTILITY THAT HAS ALWAYS SURROUNDED THIS REGION.
2. THE READINESS AND EFFECTIVENESS OF ISRAEL’S MILITARY.
3. THE INCREASING READINESS OF THE COUNTRIES SURROUNDING ISRAEL, AND THE RE-EMERGENCE OF RUSSIA AS A MILITARY POWER.
4. THE RISING INTERNATIONAL FEELING AGAINST ISRAEL
I BELIEVE THAT THIS BATTLE COULD OCCUR IN THE NEAR FUTURE. IT IS DIFFICULT TO BE DOGMATIC ABOUT IT AS SOME OF THESE FACTS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN IN EXISTANCE, WHILE SOME ARE RELATIVE TO RECENT HISTORY. IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE THAT THIS BATTLE COULD BE DELAYED SIGNIFICANTLY BEFORE IT OCCURS.
THERE ARE THREE MAJOR BATTLES THAT WILL OCCUR AT OR AROUND THE TIME OF THE RAPTURE:
1. THE BATTLE OF GOD AND MAGOG
2. AN UNSUCCESSFUL UPRISING OF THREE OF THE KINGS OF THE TEN REGIONS THAT THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL ESTABLISH.
3. THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON
THE BATTLE OF GOG AND MAGOG WILL SHOW TO THE WORLD GOD’S PROMISE TO KEEP ISRAEL AS HIS NATION AND HIS PEOPLE. IT WILL ALSO PROVE TO BE A STEPPING STONE FOR THE ANTI-CHRIST TO ESTABLISH A PEACE IN THE REGION AND IN DOING SO ESTABLISH HIMSELF AS THE MOST POWERFUL LEADER IN THE WORLD, ACCOMPLISHING SOMETHING NO OTHER WORLD LEADER COULD DO. IN ESTABLISHING HIMSELF AS A WORLD LEADER, AND BRINGING PEACE TO THE REGION, IT ALSO SETS UP THE TIME OF THE BUILDING OF THE TEMPLE ON THE DOME OF THE ROCK, WHICH BEGINS THE TRIBULATION PERIOD.
AS A RESULT OF THE RAPTURE OUR END TIMES CLOCK NOW STANDS AT:
THERE ARE JUST A FEW EVENTS THAT WE MUST LOOK AT UNTIL WE REACH THE GLORIOUS APPEARING OF THE LORD AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM. ONE OF WHICH IS THE BATTLE OF GOG AND MAGOG.
QUESTION 1: WHO WILL BE INVOLVED IN THIS BATTLE BESIDES ISRAEL?
ALL PEOPLES ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH CAN TRACE THEIR ANCESTRY BACK TO NOAH AND HIS THREE SONS, SHEM, HAM, AND JAPHETH. THE PLACES MENTIONED IS VV. 2-6: MAGOG, MESCHECH TUBAL, GOMER AND TOGARMAH ARE ALL OFFSPRING FROM JAPHETH.
GENESIS 10:2-3:
THE SONS OF JAPHETH: GOMER, MAGOG, MADAI, JAVAN, TUBAL, MESHEK AND TIRAS. 3 THE SONS OF GOMER: ASHKENAZ, RIPHATH AND TOGARMAH
HAM: CUSH AND PUT
GENESIS 10:6: THE SONS OF HAM: CUSH, EGYPT, PUT AND CANAAN
THERE IS NO INDICATION THAT ANY OF SHEM’S DESCENDANTS WERE A PART OF THIS.
KNOWING THIS WE CAN SAY THAT THE COUNTRIES INVOLVED BY TODAYS NAMES ARE:
MAGOG = SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE SOVIET UNION
TUBAL = TURKEY
MESCHECH = TURKEY
PERSIA = IRAN
CUSH = SUDAN, ETHIOPIA
PUT = LIBYA
GOMER = CENTRAL TURKEY
TOGARMAH = EASTERN TURKEY
ALL OF THESE COUNTRIES COMPLETELY SURROUND ISRAEL, AND ALL OF THESE COUNTRIES, BEING PREDOMINANTLY ARAB AND MUSLIM, EVEN RUSSIA’S CONNECTION. THIS BATTLE WILL OCCUR SAVAGELY, SUDDENLY, AND WITHOUT WARNING. NO COUNTRY WILL BE ABLE TO COME TO ISRAEL’S AID EVEN IF ONE SHOULD WISH TO DO SO.
THE NEXT QUESTION WE MUST CONSIDER IS WHY THIS ATTACK TAKES PLACE. THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN HATRED AMONGST THE JEWS AND THE ARABS SO IT CAN’T BE THAT IN AND OF ITSELF. SUCH AN ATTACK COULD HAPPEN AT ANY TIME. WHAT COULD BE SO VALUABLE THAT ISRAEL WOULD HAVE, THAT WOULD MAKE HER HE WEALTHIEST COUNTRY IN THAT REGION, THAT WOULD MAKE THE NATIONS AROUND IT CHOOSE THIS TIME TO ATTACK AND ATTEMPT TO ANNHILIATE THE JEWISH PEOPLE.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE CANNOT FORESEE THE TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES OF NATIONS INTO THE FUTURE. WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THIS. ISRAEL HAS FAR MORE THAN HER SHARE OF BRILLIANT SCIENTISTS, HAS DEVELOPED A MILITARY THAT IS TECHNOLOGICALLY SUPERIOR TO THE UNITED STATES, SO IT IS CONCEIVABLE THAT THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION IS TECHNOLOGICAL.
TIM LAHAYE AS YOU WITNESSED IN THE VIDEO CLIP USES A NEW SCIENTIFIC FORMULA TO PRODUCE CROPS IN THE DESSERT IN VAST AMOUNTS. THE ONLY THING WE CAN SAY FOR CERTAIN IS THAT SOMETHING IS GOING TO MAKE THE COUNTRIES AROUND ISRAEL CHOOSE THAT PARTICULAR TIME TO ATTACK.
WHAT ARE THE RESULTS OF THE ATTACK? THE OBVIOUS RESULT IS THAT THE ATTACK IS NOT SUCCESSFUL. CONSIDER HOW GOD INTERVENED ON BEHALF OF HIS PEOPLE, A PEOPLE WHO HAS YET TO RECOGNIZE CHRIST AS LORD.
A) THERE WILL BE NATURAL CALAMITY AGAINST THE LAND FORCES. THERE WILL BE A STRONG EARTHQUAKE, GREAT HAILSTONES AND FLOODING RAIN.
EZEKIEL 38:20: THE FISH IN THE SEA, THE BIRDS IN THE SKY, THE BEASTS OF THE FIELD, EVERY CREATURE THAT MOVES ALONG THE GROUND, AND ALL THE PEOPLE ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH WILL TREMBLE AT MY PRESENCE. THE MOUNTAINS WILL BE OVERTURNED, THE CLIFFS WILL CRUMBLE AND EVERY WALL WILL FALL TO THE GROUND.
EZEKIEL 38:22: I WILL EXECUTE JUDGMENT ON HIM WITH PLAGUE AND BLOODSHED; I WILL POUR DOWN TORRENTS OF RAIN, HAILSTONES AND BURNING SULFUR ON HIM AND ON HIS TROOPS AND ON THE MANY NATIONS WITH HIM.
B) THERE WILL BE INFIGHTING AMONG THE ENEMY NATIONS. THIS IS A TACTIC GOD HAS USED ELSEHERE IN SCRIPTURE SUCH AS, 1 SAMUEL 14:20, JUDGES 7:22
EZEKIEL 38:21: I WILL SUMMON A SWORD AGAINST GOG ON ALL MY MOUNTAINS, DECLARES THE SOVEREIGN LORD. EVERY MAN’S SWORD WILL BE AGAINST HIS BROTHER.
C) THERE WILL BE PESTILENCE AND DISEASE AMONG THE ENEMY.
HOW DEVESTATING WAS THE RESULTS OF THIS ATTACK ON ISRAEL’S ENEMIES!
1) NONE OF ISRAEL’S ENEMIES WILL BE LEFT STANDING. BIRDS OF PREY AND THE BEASTS OF THE FIELD WILL FEAST ON THEIR BODIES.
2. THE WEAPONS THAT THIS GREAT ARMY WERE TO USE IN BATTLE
WILL PROVIDE FUEL FOR ISRAEL FOR A SEVEN YEAR PERIOD.
HOW THIS WILL COME ABOUT WE DON’T KNOW, BUT TRY TO
PICTURE IN YOUR MIND THE AMOUNT OF WEAPONRY THAT WAS
AT THEIR DISPOSAL TO BURN.
4. GOD IS GOING TO GIVE THESE NATIONS A SPECIAL CEMETARY.
EZEKIEL 39:11: “ ‘ON THAT DAY I WILL GIVE GOG A BURIAL PLACE IN ISRAEL, IN THE VALLEY OF THOSE WHO TRAVEL EAST OF THE SEA. IT WILL BLOCK THE WAY OF TRAVELERS, BECAUSE GOG AND ALL HIS HORDES WILL BE BURIED THERE. SO IT WILL BE CALLED THE VALLEY OF HAMON GOG
HAMON GOG MEANS THE BURIAL PLACE FOR A MULTITUDE FOLLOWING GOG. THE ACTUAL BURIAL OF THE DEAD WILL TAKE MORE THAN SEVEN MONTHS. AT THE END OF SEVEN MONTHS THEY WILL MAKE A DETAILED SEARCH OF THE AREA AND ANY HUMAN BONES THEY FIND WILL BE TAKEN TO HAMON GOD FOR BURIAL.
THE ACTUAL BURIAL OF THE DEAD WILL BE SO MASSIVE THAT IT WILL BLOCK THE VALLEY FOR TRAVELLERS AND NOT ALLOW THEM TO GET THROUGH. THIS IS NOT BECAUSE OF THE NUMBERS BURYING PEOPLE, IT IS BECAUSE OF THE GRAVES THEMSELVES.
WE MUST ASK WHY DOES GOD ALLOW IT TO OCCUR AND LEARN OUR LESSONS FROM THE BATTLE.
THE BATTLE OF GOG AND MAGOG SERVES TO DEMONSTRATE THE AWESOME POWER AND PROTECTIVE CARE OF GOD FOR HIS PEOPLE. ISREAL HAD NO DEFENSES AGAINST THIS SURPRISE ATTACK. THEY WERE OUTNUMBERED AND DOOMED TO BE DESTROYED. THEY DIDN’T EVEN TURN TO GOD AT THIS TIME. THEY WERE JUST WAITING FOR THE END.
GOD THOUGH IS A HOLY GOD, AND THAT MEANS THAT HE HAS SEPARATED HIMSELF TO BE WITH HIS PEOPLE, AND WANTS HIS PEOPLE TO WORSHIP HIM ONLY AS WELL. HE SAID “I WILL BE YOUR GOD AND YOU WILL BE MY PEOPLE.”
THE BATTLE OF GOG AND MAGOG STANDS AS AN EXAMPLE TO THE WHOLE WORLD OF GOD’S PROTECTIVE POWER TO HIS PEOPLE. THERE ARE TIMES IN OUR LIVES WHEN WE FACE CHALLENGES THAT IN OUR OWN POWER WE CANNOT OVERCOME. WE CAN FACE INSURMOUNTABLE HEALTH ISSUES, THE DOCTORS SAY THERE IS NOTHING MORE THEY CAN DO. WE CAN FACE INSURMOUNTABLE FINANCIAL ISSUES, THE LOSS OF OUR JOB CAN LEAD TO THE LOSS OF OUR HOME. GOD WANTS US TO TRUST IN HIS HOLINESS AND TO BE AMAZED AT WHAT HE CAN DO FOR HIS PEOPLE. THE ISSUES WE FACE, THE GOG AND MAGOGS OF OUR LIVES WILL FALL TO THE AWESOME POWER OF OUR HOLY GOD.
WE MUST ALSO PRACTICE HOLINESS IN OUR DAILY LIVES. ISRAEL’S PEOPLE WOULD LEARN THE LESSON OF HOLINESS FROM THIS BATTLE, AS SHOULD WE ALL. THIS BATTLE WASN’T ABOUT THE DESTRUCTION OF AN ENEMY, GOD COULD DO THAT ANY TIME HE WANTED. THE ISSUE WAS TO TRUST IN THE HOLINESS OF GOD.
THE HOLINESS OF GOD MUST DRIVE OUR WORSHIP, AND HE DOES IT IN THREE WAYS IN THIS PASSAGE:
1. WE ALLOW HOLINESS TO DRIVE OUR WORSHIP WHEN WE GLORIFY HIS NAME.
THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL HAD NOT BEEN TREATING GOD WITH THE HOLINESS HE COMMANDS. VERSE 7, TELLS US THEY DAMAGED HIS NAME, AND HE PROMISES THAT IT WILL NO LONGER BE TOLERATED.
THEY BROKE THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT.
EXODUS 20:7: YOU SHALL NOT MISUSE THE NAME OF THE LORD YOUR GOD, FOR THE LORD WILL NOT HOLD ANYONE GUILTLESS WHO MISUSES HIS NAME.
GOD HAD GIVEN THEM THE NAME ISRAEL IN ORDER TO IDENTIFY THEM AS BELONGING TO HIM, AND HE CALLED THEM TO BE HOLY AS HE IS HOLY. THIS IS ALSO TRUE FOR US AS CHRISTIANS TODAY.
WE GLORIFY GOD’S HOLY NAME OR PROFANE IT NOT JUST WITH THE WORDS WE SAY, BUT BY THE WAY WE LIVE OUR LIVES. PAUL DEFINES WORSHIP AS:
ROMANS 12:1-2:
THEREFORE, I URGE YOU, BROTHERS AND SISTERS, IN VIEW OF GOD’S MERCY, TO OFFER YOUR BODIES AS A LIVING SACRIFICE, HOLY AND PLEASING TO GOD—THIS IS YOUR TRUE AND PROPER WORSHIP. 2 DO NOT CONFORM TO THE PATTERN OF THIS WORLD, BUT BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND. THEN YOU WILL BE ABLE TO TEST AND APPROVE WHAT GOD’S WILL IS—HIS GOOD, PLEASING AND PERFECT WILL.
THIS MEANS THAT TRUE HOLINESS FOR US IS NOT JUST TIED UP IN WHAT WE DAY OR NOT SAY, WHERE WE ARE ON SUNDAY MORNING AT CHURCH TIME, BUT ALSO WHAT WE DO THE OTHER 166 HOURS OF THE WEEK AS WELL.
A.W. TOZER SAID:
“IF YOU CANNOT WORSHIP THE LORD IN THE MIDST OF YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES ON MONDAY, THEN IT IS NOT VERY LIKELY THAT YOU WERE WORSHIPPING ON SUNDAY!”
2. WE ALLOW HOLINESS TO DRIVE OUR WORSHIP WHEN WE GRIEVE OVER OUR SIN.
THE PEOPLE BY THE END OF CHAPTER 38 HAD CLEARLY TURNED AWAY FROM THE LORD AND TO OTHER GODS. GODLY GRIEF CAN LEAD TO REPENTANCE AND GOD PROMISED IN CHAPTER 39, THAT HE WILL NOT HIDE HIS FACE FROM US. AS ISRAEL HERE TURNED BACK TO GOD, AND HE BLESSED THEM, SO TOO WILL HE BLESS US.
HOW GOOD WORSHIP WILL BE WHEN WE ARE FORGIVEN AND DECLARED RIGHTEOUS BEFORE GOD, BECAUSE OF THE BLOOD OF JESUS. AT THAT TIME OUR ENEMIES WILL FALL AS DID GOG AND MAGOG.
3. WE ALLOW HOLINESS TO DRIVE OUR WORSHIP BY CHOOSING AND MAKING JESUS OUR LORD.
MUCH CAN BE SAID WITH THE ADDITION OF SMALL WORDS, AND GOD USES TWO IN SPEAKING TO ISRAEL AND TO THE OTHER NATIONS.
EZEKIEL 39:6: I WILL SEND FIRE ON MAGOG AND ON THOSE WHO LIVE IN SAFETY IN THE COASTLANDS, AND THEY WILL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD.
HE TELLS THE ENEMY NATIONS THAT THEY WILL KNOW THAT “HE IS THE LORD.”
NOW SEE HOW HE SPEAKS TO ISRAEL:
EZEKIEL 39:22: FROM THAT DAY FORWARD THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL WILL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD THEIR GOD.
MANY PEOPLE WILL BE LIKE THE NATIONS AND KNOW THAT THERE IS A GOD, BUT HAVE NO RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM.
WHAT GREAT PEACE THERE IS WHEN OUR WORSHIP IS GUIDED BY OUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AND RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.
THIS BATTLE WAS ABOUT THE PROTECTIVE POWER OF GOD FOR HIS PEOPLE, BUT OUT OF IT WOULD ARISE TO POWER ONE SO WHOLELY DEVESTATING AND EVIL, HE COULD ONLY HAVE ONE TRUE DESCRIPTION, HE IS THE OPPOSITE OF THE LOVE OF GOD IN JESUS. HE IS THE ANTICHRIST.
