The Gog-Magog War in Prophecy

A Ten-point Summary of Ezekiel 38-39

1. The next major Middle-East War: It is an alliance of Arab-Islamic nations, possibly led by Russia, and occurs before the final Middle East war (“Armageddon”). It appears to be imminent.

2. Gog and Magog: This war is also referred to as “the Gog-Magog war” since it involves the major player “Gog, of the land of Magog”

3. A Spiritual War: In reality it is an unseen spiritual war between good and evil, truth and error, and the Gentile nations don’t realise they are merely pawns in the battle:

And when the dragon [Satan] saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman [the nation Israel] who had given birth to the male Child [Christ] (Revelation 12:13)

Why persecution? Because the woman Israel bore Christ, the Savour of the world (Acts 13:23).

Main Players in the coming Gog-Magog War against Israel

4. An Alliance of Hatred: This coming war is driven essentially by an Arab alliance against Israel. An ancient alliance of ten Arabic peoples who hated Israel is given in Psalm 83. Written some 3,000 years ago during King David’s reign, it identifies peoples who were historical enemies of Israel – as in Edom, Philistia, Tyre and Amalek. Today, Rabbis see Amalek as the archetypal enemy of the Jews. These ancient peoples cried:

“Come, and let us let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more”  (Psalm 83:4)

Iran (Persia) is a major player

It is interesting that we hear exactly the same anti-Israel cries today:

Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it [Hamas Charter, 1988]

Israel is a cancerous tumour that should be cut . . . [Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 2012]

Iran has acquired what it takes to blow up the Zionist regime [Chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces, 2021]

Iran’s Proxies

What about Iran’s proxies? Today some identify Hamas of Gaza with Philistia, and Hezbollah of Lebanon with Tyre, link. Note, for instance, that the 2017 Hamas Charter says:

“The establishment of the State of Israel is entirely illegal . . . there shall be no recognition of the legitimacy of the Zionist entity”

and more recently:

Hamas will not recognize the State of Israel. Palestine must stretch from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea [Hamas Leader Ismail Haniyeh, 2020 ]

Besides Iran (Persia), Ezekiel 38 expands this modern anti-Israel alliance with countries like Libya (ancient Put), Turkey (ancient Meshech and Tubal) and Ethiopia/Sudan (ancient Cush).

5. Russia is Involved: The invasion appears to be led by “Gog, of the land of Magog” and comes from “the far north” (Ezekiel 38:2,6). Magog refers to the location of an ancient tribal group (the Scythians) that once occupied the area that now comprises Russia and modern Central Asia, link. So Magog here is probably north and east of the Black Sea – an area that today is part of the Russian Federation.

Moscow is indeed to the far north of Israel. In terms of longitude, Moscow is located at approximately 37 degrees east, while Jerusalem is around 35 degrees east.

STOP PRESS: A RUSSIA-IRAN ALLIANCE

In 2024 the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced a comprehensive treaty that Russia and Iran intended to sign. This included closer defence cooperation.

“The treaty on a comprehensive strategic partnership between Russia and Iran that is being prepared will become a serious factor in strengthening Russian-Iranian relations,” Lavrov told state television.” [ Sergei Lavrov ]

Such an alliance aligns well with the Ezekiel 38 prophecy! War against Israel appears imminent.

6. Not all Nations are Involved: Nations such as “Sheba and Dedan” (Saudi Arabia) and Tarshish (the Western powers) are not involved and question the motives for the invasion (Ezekiel 38:13). Although Israel now possess significant oil and gas reserves, in reality it is the God of Israel who motivates Gog to invade (Ezekiel 39:2).

What Happens?

7. Invasion Timing: The war could occur a few years before Israel signs a false 7-year “Peace Treaty” with the end-time world Dictator (Daniel 9:27) i.e. it occurs before Daniel’s 70th Week. This timing accommodates the seven years mentioned in Ezekiel 39:9. Israel also needs time after the war to bury Gog (Ezekiel 39:11-15).

8. The Outcome: The God of Israel has always promised to protect His chosen nation in time of war:

But I, declares the Lord, ‘will be a wall of fire to her [Israel] on all sides, and I will be the glory in her midst . . . for the one who touches you, touches the apple of God’s eye.’ (Zechariah 2:5,8)

Recall the miracle of the 6-Day war in 1967 when Israel defeated five invading Arab armies! So, similarly, the invading armies of the Iran-Israel war are defeated by the fury of the God of Israel (Ezekiel 38:18):

You shall fall upon the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops (Ezekiel 39:4)

The invaders are subjected to extreme weather, fire and earthquake. It appears “the northern army” could be driven towards barren and desolate Siberia (Joel 2:20) as fire falls on the land of Magog (Ezekiel 39:6). Militant Islam will be humiliated through such a decisive defeat.

9. How Nations Respond: All nations acknowledge God’s judgement, and acknowledge the LORD, the God of Israel (Ezekiel 39:7).

I will set My glory among the nations; all nations shall see My judgement . . . Then the nations shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel (Ezekiel 39: 7, 21)

Importantly, the nation of Israel will at last acknowledge their God:

So the house if Israel shall [at last] know that I am the LORD their God from that day forward (Ezekiel 39:22)

This text alone supports the view that the Ezekiel 38/39 prophecies refer primarily to the end of this age and not to the Gog-Magog event at the end of the Millennium (Revelation 20).

10: After the Iran-Israel War: The invaders are buried in a valley in Israel. With the removal of militant Islam and the military threat of Russia, the world stage is now set for the brief emergence of the end-time World Dictator and the Antichrist (2 Thessalonians 2:3 and Revelation 13). This corresponds to Daniel’s 70th Week and ends with the “all-nation” war against Israel (the so-called battle of Armageddon).

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