The War of Gog and Magog (Lesson 2)
Junior Level
In lesson 1 of this series, we began reading in the book of Ezekiel. We learned that Ezekiel is a book of prophesies, some of which has already been fulfilled and some that is still to come. We learned that there will be a great war in which the nations of the world will try to completely do away with Israel. Today we will continue our study to see what exactly will take place and how GOD will protect His people and the world will see that HE IS GOD, the ONE and only true ALMIGHTY!
Handout: The War of Gog and Magog
In Lesson 1, we ended it learning that this war that is to come will have to do with the Israeli and Palestinian conflict over the land known as The West Bank and the Gaza Strip. This area of land has been an issue of conflict for many years. Here is what GOD’S Word has to say about it.
Ezekiel 35:10 “10Because thou hast said, These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will possess it; whereas the LORD was there:”
What it is saying is here is that a certain people say to themselves…there is a nation called Israel but we are going to divide it into two parts and they can have one part and we will have the other. Then they say these two nations will be ours…in other words after we get what we want, we will also go after their part and have it as well.
Ezekiel 36:1-2 “Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because the enemy hath said against you, Aha, even the ancient high places are ours in possession:”
The ancient high places according to the Biblical term are the areas that were known as Judah and Samaria. It is now known as The West Bank. The West Bank is a very controversial place today. Israel annexed it in right after the war of 1967; it used to be the country of Jordan. The Jordan River became the dividing line between the country of Jordan or ancient Mount Seir, and the country of Israel, and the West Bank is that controversial area. It is the territory that the Palestinians and the Israelis have been in conflict for many years. They are fighting for Gaza and The West Bank. This is the area where this battle of Gog and Magog will happen.
When Ezekiel was down by that river, GOD began to show him the things to come, The LORD was very clear in describing this war and the countries that it would involve, and when it would happen. Let’s read first to see when it will happen, and then which countries will be involved.
Ezekiel 38:8 “8After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.”
9Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.
10Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
11And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
We know from reading these verses that it will happen in the last days, when Israel is at peace, when there are no walls. That is how Israel is today. This could never have happened in Ezekiel’s day because there were walls around to protect them.
There are some who believe that this war will happen just before the Rapture of the Church and the seven years of Tribulation, because there will be a peace treaty signed which we know will be broken by the Antichrist. There are others who believe it happens after the Rapture of the Church. We do know that it happens in the latter days.
Let’s take a look at the countries that will be involved in this war.
Ezekiel 38:1-6 “1And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 2Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him,3And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: 4And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
Many of the places in the Bible have different names today. Some of them are the same.
First, let’s take a look at Gog. What is Gog? Gog is not a nation, but a leader. Notice above in verse 2 it says, that Gog is the chief prince. We know that he will be a leader. Many believe it is the name of the person that will be the ruler at the time of this war, and it very well could be. However, there are others that believe Gog is a demonic spirit, a principality of evil. The reason behind this is:
In reading the New Testament, we find the Bible mentions in Ephesians chapter 6 verse 12 that there are dark powers and principalities. In Ephesians 2 verse 2 Satan is called the prince of the power of the air.
In the book of Daniel chapter 20 we read of a prince of Persia and a prince of Grecia, they were dark princes of evil that were ruling over Babylon.
If you look at the scriptures it calls Gog the Chief Prince of Meshach and Tubal. It could be understood that Gog is a Prince of Power that rules over Meshach and Tubal, and the North country. Having written that, let’s look at another factor. The Septuagint is the Old Testament translated in the Greek language. In the book of Numbers chapter 14, verse 9, and in Amos chapter 7, verse 1 the word Agag and King are translated Gog.
The point is this, God told Ezekiel that Gog was spoken about in old times, so this suggest that somewhere something was known about this person/spirit called Gog.
Revelation 20:7-8 “7. And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison 8. And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.”
How can Gog be a part of this battle and then reappear at the end of the 1000 year reign of Christ, unless he is a demonic spirit? Now we know that spirits need bodies to do their work, so it may be that this Gog is a demonic spirit that will inhabit a man who will head up this attack.
Now let’s look at the nations that will be involved in this attack against Israel.
Magog is the land where the leader, Gog is. On today’s map it is the part of the Soviet Union that split apart. Formally apart of the Soviet Union it is what is now known as Asiatic Russia…the term Rosh is found over 600 times in the Bible and during Ezekiel’s time the people of Rosh were those who were found north of the Black Sea. In Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39 we are told 3 times that part of the invading force coming against Israel is coming from the extreme North and the only nation of the extreme north of Israel is Russia. So the term Russia is derived from the word Rosh. Russia or the Soviet Union we know broke apart…but at the Southern end of Russia there are five states that are all Islamic and are all linked into the country of Turkey. If you start looking at where the ancient tribes are from it could actually stretch into Persia which is Iran and stretch into Pakistan.
Ezekiel 38:5 “ 5Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: 6Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee.”
Persia is Iran…it was called Persia until 1935.
Ethiopia – Hebrew word is Cush. That has reference to not only to the area of Ethiopia and Northern Africa, but has reference in ancient times to what is known today as Sudan.
Libya the Hebrew is Phut that happens to be the country of Libya and Northern Africa.
Gomer – German tribes in various parts of Europe. The Babylonian Talmud mentions Gomer and renders it as parts of Germany.
House of Togarmah- Now Togarmah in Ezekiel’s day what was we know now as Cappadocia in modern Turkey.
Meshech and Tubal- Some scholars trace this back to Moscow located in Russia and others trace it to parts of Eastern Turkey.
Northern part of Africa, Eastern part of Turkey, and the Southern part of Russia, the Soviet Union broke apart, and the five Islamic states in the southern part of Russia that were part of the Ottoman Turkish Empire…linked into Turkey, they will all be part of this war.
When we sum this up, every nation that has been listed have something in common. Fifty years ago these countries were pro-western. In each of those countries listed, Jewish people lived there before 1948. Today, all those countries are Islamic, and many parts of these countries are what is known as radical Islam. Please notice that Israel is right in the middle of these nations. All these nations will rise up against Israel and they will not have a chance alone! It will be Islamic nations with fanatical Leaders that hate Israel who will head up this war, and this small country Israel will be invaded by a multitude of these nations surrounding her. It will seem as if Israel will be completely wiped off the face of the earth!
Israel will be so outnumbered there will be no way humanly possible they can win. Only with a GOD intervention will they be able to survive, and that is just what will happen!
God will allow this war to show His power and His great love for Israel. He says this:
Ezekiel 38:3-4 “ 3And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: 4And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:”
Ezekiel 38:10-11 “10Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought: 11And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,”
I will put hooks in your jaws, and you will think an evil thought!!! Some say that the hook will be oil, others say it will be food and water. Whatever it is, we know that God will place it there and that evil thought they think, is that they can attack God’s people and win! However, we know, that no one can defeat the Almighty! HE IS GOD!
Ezekiel 38:18-23 “ 18And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, that my fury shall come up in my face. 19For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; 20So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.
21And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man's sword shall be against his brother. 22And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. 23Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD.
God is going to be FURIOUS at these nations when they attack His people. When they come up against Israel with intentions of completely destroying them, and HE will cause a great earth quake and the armies will be so confused that they will turn on one another. Now GOD did this in the past with other nations that came up against Israel. Remember, when GOD called Gideon to lead an army against the Midianites in the book of Judges chapter 7, as well as another time recorded in 2 Chronicles. God will always protect His chosen people!
Why does God allow this to happen? This is all part of His divine plan. Satan will be defeated! God will show HIS great love and favor of Israel and He will show those who do not believe for certain that HE is the ONE TRUE GOD! JESUS CHRIST…King of Kings and LORD of Lords. Praise HIS HOLY Name!
Ezekiel 39:22-29” 21And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them. 22So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward.
23And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the sword. 24According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions have I done unto them, and hid my face from them.
25Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name;
26After that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against me, when they dwelt safely in their land, and none made them afraid. 27When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies' lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations;
28Then shall they know that I am the LORD their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there. 29Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.
GOD will bring Israel back to Himself and they will never again be apart. GOD is true to His promises and His word. GOD chose Israel since before the foundations of the earth. They are HIS spouse. He made covenant with them long ago and HE IS FAITHFUL.
Isaiah 41:9 “Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.”
I’m so glad that we who are born into the family of God do not have to worry. We will be safe and we can be part of the New Covenant that was made by CHRIST JESUS on Calvary many years ago. If you do not have a relationship with JESUS CHRIST today, you can. When you feel HIM drawing your spirit and your heart to Him, accept Him. Call out to HIM and accept HIM as LORD and SAVIOR of your life, The Only Begotten Son of The One and Only God. You can be saved from this wrath that is soon to come. He said that whosoever will call on Him, He would not turn away. Won’t you believe Him today and accept Him by faith? It is your choice. GOD Bless you all.
Romans 10:3 “For whosoever shall call upon the name of The LORD, (JESUS) shall be saved.”
Romans 10:10 “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed.”
DEAR RIGHTEOUS, HEAVENLY FATER!
I bow before You today, thanking You for who You are, and that I do not have to fear what is coming! I know that You are ALWAYS in control and that You will keep those who belong to You safe! I trust You and know that everything You do and everything You allow is all part of Your perfect plan and I am excited LORD that I get to be part of the generation that will see Your coming! I love You so much and I praise Your Holy Name. You are God and someday soon all the nations of the earth will bow down before You and proclaim You KING of Kings and LORD of Lords and to Your throne there will be no end! I Praise You in the Mighty name of JESUS! I ask that anyone who does not know You will be saved today. In Your name I pray…Amen.
~*cindygirl*~
January 14, 2014