the Gog & Magog War God's prophetic timepiece pt. 1
While there are many events in the prophetic books of the Old Testament, few have elicited greater debate, both with respect to the identities of the numerous participants, as well as the various timing scenarios, than what has become known as the Gog Magog Battle. There remains the potential for other battles and skirmishes prior to this particular war (for instance, Damascus destroyed and never again indwelt, as recorded in Isaiah 17). We also must consider that a battle such as this or the Psalm 83 war alluded to may lead-up to this huge event. We anticipate this event is huge as Ezekiel was moved by the Spirit of God to devote a full two chapter to the event, rather than making this a mere mention.
The focus of this paper will be to examine the problematic dating of this important prophetic, future battle. The intended purpose of this paper is not to write a dissertation on the various players, except insofar as they and the conditions as well impact the timing. Thus we will generalize the participants as much as possible so as not to distract from the stated purpose.
There are within the Scriptures particulars that cannot be ignored. While I agree with a literal dispensational futurist reading of the passage, it behooves us to examine the reasons why, as this is a major component and impactful upon the debate. First, let us examine the text in sections with cross references as they apply.
38 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him 3 and say, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. 4 And I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in full armor, a great host, all of them with buckler and shield, wielding swords. 5 Persia, Cush, and Put are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; 6 Gomer and all his hordes; Beth-togarmah from the uttermost parts of the north with all his hordes—many peoples are with you. (Ez. 38:1-6)
These first six verses of Ezekiel 38 lay out a major coalition that is to be lead by a man identified as a “chief prince” known as Gog. The context itself identifies the addressee of the prophecy as the “chief prince” and the one leading this coalition. What we see here is significant, however, and often overlooked. Consider from our Lord, “I will turn you about” and “I will bring you out.”
Whatever the incentive, the “hooks in your jaws,” please note that this is something God Himself is doing. This is His action.
7 “Be ready and keep ready, you and all your hosts that are assembled about you, and be a guard for them. 8 After many days you will be mustered. In the latter years you will go against the land that is restored from war, the land whose people were gathered from many peoples upon the mountains of Israel, which had been a continual waste. Its people were brought out from the peoples and now dwell securely, all of them. 9 You will advance, coming on like a storm. You will be like a cloud covering the land, you and all your hordes, and many peoples with you. (Ez. 38:7-9)
There is a Preterist viewpoint that takes a historicist perspective, or attempts to, that this battle is already fulfilled from a war recorded in the Book of Esther, chapter nine. Mark Hitchcock addresses this well, in his The Battle of Gog And Magog, placed here in Table form for simplification:
Without belaboring the point, it seems very clear that we may not place the Gog Magog Battle millennia into the past. We would also point out from verse 8, “In the latter years” clearly indicating the last days. In the above cited passage the conditions we note regarding Israel is she will be a “land restored from war,” she will be a “people gathered from many peoples,” that the land “had been a continual waste,” but that the peoples and now dwell securely.” Please understand. Virtually all prophecies, Old and New Testament, concerning Israel, describes a land anything but perfectly secure and peaceful until after Christ's return to establish his Kingdom. The intent contrasted in the passage is with respect to the diaspora, her people scattered, homeless and persecuted throughout a hostile world, finally at home within their own borders. Even at that, Israel is frequently attacked from within and without and anything other than at rest.
However, verses 7-9 places the timing as in the latter years, and post-deserted at a time when her people are no longer scattered, but returning home. The former two chapters of Ezekiel (36-37) is the famous Dry Bones prophecy about the deserted and dead land returning to new life and Israel again being repopulated. This repopulation we began to realize at the beginning of the 20th century and continues to this day. Israel began to flourish at a rapid pace after her official recognition as a nation in May of 1948, just after the second world war, just as this very passage alludes to and as the prior two chapters spelled out in no uncertain terms.
The question as to how close we are to the “Latter years” spoken of in verse 8 is clarified by our savior in his discourse on the Mount of Olives. Great controversy surround this passage as well and as much of it has no direct bearing on the timing of this battle we will only address that portion that does. From Luke 21:29-32 we read:
29 And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. 30 As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. 31 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near.32 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place.
We need not even dispute whether or not “the fig tree” refers to Israel as an ancient emblem. There are those who do. One need merely look to the fact there are trees and they are coming out in leaf to understand this is since May 1948. Israel is now among the foremost in the world in fruit and produce production. John Kerry at the World Economic Forum on the Middle East in 2013 had the temerity to complain that Israel's prosperity might be hindering the peace process. As the passage in Luke from Jesus states, “this generation” that sees these things taking place will not pass away before seeing the fulfilling of all the last days events. One might argue the duration of a “generation” and many do. But how long will the generation have to live since 1948 to see “all has taken place”?
So we have established the Gog Magog War takes place in the “latter years” and that we are even now in that final generation as Jesus himself placed the repatriation of Israel (Ezekiel 36-37) within the final generation. Now we move forward from that passage and those events to the Gog Magog war future from that in chapters 38-39.
10 “Thus says the Lord God: On that day, thoughts will come into your mind, and you will devise an evil scheme 11 and say, ‘I will go up against the land of unwalled villages. I will fall upon the quiet people who dwell securely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having no bars or gates,’ 12 to seize spoil and carry off plunder, to turn your hand against the waste places that are now inhabited, and the people who were gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and goods, who dwell at the center of the earth. 13 Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish and all its leaders will say to you, ‘Have you come to seize spoil? Have you assembled your hosts to carry off plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to seize great spoil?’ (Ez. 38:10-13)
The late Jack Kelly describes for us the word for “safety” or “securely” used here. He writes:
The Hebrew word translated safety there is 'betach.' Of 42 Old Testament appearances, it’s translated into some form of the word “safety” 28 times. (One meaning of the word is “careless,” in the sense that the people feel so safe they’re not being cautious.) To underscore the attitude in Israel at the time of the attack, Ezekiel calls them a land of unwalled villages, a peaceful and unsuspecting people, living without gates and bars. While Kelly makes this case and could be correct, there is something in the text usually missed:
Unwalled vs. Walled Villages
Now for a key I only just sussed-out. “Unwalled villages.” Ask yourself, who is calling Israel a land of “unwalled villages?” They think they dwell securely. Who's thoughts are these? If you have gone back to read and said, “Gog” you may now go to the head of the class. But we are not done here. To be fair, go back a couple verses and we see this narrative prior to the thoughts and words of Gog, but is this verse elaborating? Or is it coincidental that Gog would be thinking the exact same thing as in the earlier verses? I will leave that to you to decide whether Gog thinks Israel thinks they dwell securely, or whether it matters. Either way, the villages are unwalled now.
Who are the allies of Gog? When we look at the coalition, we see a portion of Israel that allies of Gog would not wish to see harmed, perhaps because it is so heavily occupied by so-called Palestinians. Again, go to the head of your class if you guessed, “West Bank."
Note that Israel is unwalled! It is only the West Bank and Gaza Strip (Gog's allies, if you will) that are walled. Israel has gone to great lengths to protect herself by walling in these sections from whence groups intrude with regularity, but she has no walls to protect her from an invading army.
Israel stands as a land of “unwalled villages” today and she perceives herself as secure, or at least Gog will perceive Israel as thinking she is secure and unwalled.
As Israel is invaded other nations do nothing more than waggle their fingers at Gog and protest. They surmise the armies have come to “take a spoil” which many today could be Israel's rich preserves of oil and natural gas. It could be these are what they wish to plunder, but for the Islamic interests, more than this, they desire the land itself.
1 Thessalonians 5 says, “When they are saying Peace and Security...” These events arrive upon them and catch them off guard like a thief. She thinks she dwells securely. Mark Hitchcock also notes, “The security fence in Israel is a separation barrier between Israel and territory occupied by the Palestinians to prevent the infiltration of terrorists. It is not a wall around a particular village or city. Moreover, 97% of the planned 400-mile security barrier will be chain link fence.” But again, only the West Bank and Gaza Strip are walled. The rest of Israel, particularly from the north, is effectively wide open.
And for me, it is incomprehensible that Jesus would permit the burning of toxic weapons several years into his Kingdom on an otherwise restored earth.