the Gog & Magog War God's prophetic timepiece pt. 2
Gog Magog is When?
In my last blog we examined Israel's current condition with respect to Walls and whose assumption this is. Today we examine the timing of this war. Is it pre-rapture and pre-tribulational? Is it post-rapture and pre-trib? Is it at the very beginning of the tribulation week, mid-trib or at the end of the Great Tribulation?
Some will insist that Gog and Magog mentioned in Revelation 20 is this self-same battle. Revelation 20:7-10 does speak of another War of Gog and Magog that occurs at the end of time, after all these other events. But this is a second war, not the war referred to by Ezekiel 38--39. As we have seen, this is a war that takes place right after the rebirth of Israel and not at the end of the Millennium as Revelation 20 is describing. As with the differences between the Ezekiel 38 war and Armageddon, Ezekiel describes a limited coalition of nations that attack and surround Israel for the purpose of taking a spoil. The war in Revelation 20 involves all the nations from "every corner of the earth" coming to attack Israel.
Also, after Ezekiel's war, bodies are gathered and buried for seven months, weapons are gathered and burned for seven years. Then in Ezekiel 40—48, and following, we are told that a Temple will be built. In Revelation 20 the war is led by Satan, and his followers are judged and thrown into the "lake of fire" (Revelation 20:10).
Picking up where we left off in Ezekiel:
14 “Therefore, son of man, prophesy, and say to Gog, Thus says the Lord God: On that day when my people Israel are dwelling securely,will you not know it? 15 You will come from your place out of the uttermost parts of the north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great host, a mighty army. 16 You will come up against my people Israel, like a cloud covering the land. In the latter days I will bring you against my land, that the nations may know me, when through you, O Gog, I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. (Ez. 38:14-16)
God again reiterates that it will be He bringing this coalition against Israel before He miraculously vindicates His holiness before the eyes of the people of Israel. The following verses, I believe, more than any other passage of Scripture, demonstrate the nature of this movement of God in moving Gog's coalition against Israel. I believe it demonstrates the Gog and Magog War must take place during the Tribulation Week described in Daniel 9:
17 “Thus says the Lord God: Are you he of whom I spoke in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel, who in those days prophesied for years that I would bring you against them? 18 But on that day, the day that Gog shall come against the land of Israel, declares the Lord God, my wrath will be roused in my anger. 19 For in my jealousy and in my blazing wrath I declare, On that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. (Ezekiel 38:17-19)
When I first noticed this, I ran to virtually every commentary I could find. I even went online but was unsuccessful in finding commentary on this passage that addressed what I have bolded. A careful study of the age of grace also known as the dispensation of grace, reveals no such instance of God's Wrath, and as we have so carefully highlighted, it is God's wrath as He is the One leading and guiding Gog here.
Paul wrote:
2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, 3 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, 4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), 5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: 6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel. (Eph. 3:2-6)
No where do we find wrath of God at all during this dispensation of grace, the church age in which we now live. On the contrary, we read again from Paul to the Thessalonians:
5 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. (1 Ths. 5:1-5)
Sound familiar from what we read in Ezekiel? They think they dwell securely but destruction come upon them, and they will not escape. (Either Israel or their enemies). Note Paul says the church has no need for Paul to address this time and season. If we are to go through such a season, it would be good to have addressed some level of instruction!
9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. 11 Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.
(1 Ths. 5:9-11)
We see here that our appointment is not to wrath, but to obtain “salvation” or “deliverance” through our Lord. Note the context is not our eternal salvation by Christ on the cross. The Thessalonians are already Christ's. This is the same sort of deliverance as one might get from a fireman. It is “deliverance” from the harm of God's wrath. That is the context, for we know that Christians will and do suffer persecutions and tribulations. Jesus assured us on numerous occasions we would. Then Paul makes a truly absurd statement, if we are to go through this period, when he states, “comfort each other.” This deliverance is the same as addressed by John to the faithful church at Philadelphia:
Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. (Revelation 3:10)
From Daniel 9 we know of the prophecy Gabriel delivered that describes this 70th Week of years. Jeremiah referred to it as a time of trial for the children of Jacob, whose name was later changed to Israel:
Alas! For that day is great, So that none is like it; And it is the time of Jacob’s trouble, But he shall be saved out of it. (Jer. 30:7)
I also am reminded of Genesis 18 when the Lord was about to destroy Sodom. Abraham asked of the Lord, what if there is only 50 righteous? Will you spare it? The Lord said He would. In fact, Abraham haggled all the way down to just ten! The Lord said he would spare that city if even just ten righteous could be found.
By the time we see Lot and family ushered out of the city in chapter 19, what was it they were told? Begin in verse 21 where we read:
21 He said to him, “Behold, I grant you this favor also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken. 22 Escape there quickly, for I can do nothing till you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.
So we see the Wrath of God not poured out anywhere there are even ten righteous. In God's eyes, all believers bear the righteousness of Christ, and he was told "I can do nothing till you arrive there."
Jesus described further in his Olivet Discourse and nearly the entirety of the Book of Revelation is about this time of God's Wrath upon the world. As Daniel describes this as a week of years, a grouping of seven in his 70 Weeks Prophecy, there is no reason to suppose Wrath begins at a later time, as Marv Rosenthal first proposed with respect to some sort of “pre-wrath rapture.” Although, Ezekiel would then really demonstrate that from the time of the Gog Magog War, it is indeed the Wrath of God.
So how do we then place this war at the beginning of Daniel's 70th Week, this Time of Jacob's Trouble? The rest of Ezekiel 38 describes the sort of vindication God will pour out to demonstrate to Israel who He is. Then we go to Ezekiel 39 with more about the aftermath. We read more than affirms this is God's doing:
2 And I will turn you about and drive you forward, and bring you up from the uttermost parts of the north, and lead you against the mountains of Israel. 3 Then I will strike your bow from your left hand, and will make your arrows drop out of your right hand. (Ez. 39:2, 3)
See, this is the Lord's wrath. Not Satan's or Gog's. The Lord goes on to describe the final events before in verse eight declaring that it is as good as done. It's all set. Then we have a key verse that demonstrates how that this event must take place quickly, and at the outset of the Tribulation Week:
9 “Then those who dwell in the cities of Israel will go out and make fires of the weapons and burn them, shields and bucklers, bow and arrows, clubs and spears; and they will make fires of them for seven years, 10 so that they will not need to take wood out of the field or cut down any out of the forests, for they will make their fires of the weapons. They will seize the spoil of those who despoiled them, and plunder those who plundered them, declares the Lord God. (Ez. 39:9, 10)
At this point, some believe (among them excellent scholars such as Ron Rhodes and Arnold Fructenbaum) that the Gog Magog War must needs have begun sooner than the beginning of the tribulation week. The reason being that we know that in the beginning of the Great Tribulation, which begins in the second half of this seven year period, it is prophesied by Jesus on Olivet and demonstrated in Revelation 11-13 that Israel must flee to the wilderness, the hills in the east (probably Jordan at Petra).
Yet while this is true, what these fine gentlemen have missed is from Zechariah 13 where we read:
8 In the whole land, declares the Lord, two thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one third shall be left alive. 9 And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them.
I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’” (Zech. 13:8, 9)
In verse seven we read that they are scattered. If they are tested, this will be during this first part of the Time of Jacob's (Israel's) Trouble and a remnant will flee to Petra, but some will, I believe, remain and through means of some developing technology burn these irradiated weapons as fuel in a way that does not permit toxins to escape into the air. A third are protected in Petra, but the other two thirds remain behind and will suffer greatly during the Great Tribulation as prophesied.
I enjoy this illustration provided by my friend Eduardo Langub:
That the Gog and Magog War will occur during the first half of the Tribulation is shared by John Walvoord, J. Dwight Pentecost, Charles Ryrie, and Herman Hoyt, to name a few.
As for the war extending the burning of weapons beyond the Tribulation Week, the reading from Ezekiel 38 does not come across as an extended war as God uses this battle to demonstrate His power and quickly vindicate Israel. The past two major wars against Israel were 6 Days, when Israel won Jerusalem back, and the other about a month. As my dear brother in Christ, Eduardo Langub notes, “This deficit can still be remedied by allocating the deficit within the 75 days interval (Daniel 12:12) and thus it will not extend up to the next and last dispensation which is the Kingdom of Christ.”
He explains, “The burning of weapons could start at 210 days (Eze.39:12) plus 2,300 days equals 2,510 days. Since seven (7) years is equal to 2,520 days, then we are short of 10 days of count to complete. This deficit of 10 days can still be taken from the 45 days extension of the total of 75 days extension (Da. 12:12), after extracting the 30 days (Da. 12:11). Thus a complete seven (7) years can be drawn and satisfies the condition that it will not extend up to the next dispensation which is the Millennial Kingdom of Christ.”
Of course, I suppose it is barely possible there is such a thing as localized wrath and that in that entire battle, plus all the collateral destruction there is not one Christian to become a casualty. But likely...?
Is Revelation Six the Gog Magog War?
Tradition over the years has given us nearly every title to Biblical accounts for ease of reference. The Parable Of... The Rich Man and Lazarus, The Battle of Gog and Magog, in varying forms. So we ought not wonder why an account by name or event prophesied or referenced in the New Testament does not serve up the same title for us. Jesus referred to and quoted Daniel about the Great Tribulation, but this is not what Gabriel called it in relaying it to Daniel.
Jesus himself did not title it, per se. This certainly would have clarified for us if these terms were referenced each time the Biblical writers addressed the same events.
In Ezekiel 38 we are told the players in this great latter days war, but we are not told, “In the latter days will be the Gog and Magog Battle. Man has logically tacked that title on for reference. So it does seem odd that the penultimate reference, the chronicles of the very last days, the Revelation of Jesus Christ, would not address such a decisive and critical battle that the Holy Spirit considered significant enough to have Ezekiel detail out for two full chapters... Or perhaps the Gog and Magog battle is in the Book of Revelation.
In studying the Gog Magog war in Ezekiel 38 we find many parallels with how the Book of Revelation describes the release of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and the Seal Judgments that kick off the time most know as the Seven Year Tribulation Period, also known as the Time of Jacob's (Israel's) Trouble according to Jeremiah, and Daniel's 70th Week. This period of time is also known as The Day of the Lord, The Day of Wrath and the Day of Atonement.
It would be fascinating to sit with learned men of war and have them survey these events in Revelation 6 and how each Seal as it unfolds in judgment is also the natural consequence of war and not just Jesus picking an order of events from a hat.
First Seal: Antichrist arrives
Second Seal: War
Third Seal: Famine
Fourth Seal: Plague, expansion of famine and war outwardly
Fifth Seal: God hears the voice of the martyrs in Heaven
Sixth Seal: God brings about disasters in answer to the martyrs, on earth
Seventh Seal: God opens the Seven Trumpet Judgments
In the end, a full quarter of the world is wiped out. In terms of today's population, that is equivalent to 2 billion people dead as a result of The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, so called, unleashed by Jesus himself. That famine and plagues are the result of war is not really disputable with the millennia war the world has experienced. In short, it is very likely that the Gog and Magog war is in the Book of Revelation and it would be very odd that it not be mentioned, and as Gog and Magog is God's fierce wrath, Revelation 6 is likely the record of that war.
Although the Book of Revelation is The Revelation of Jesus Christ and begins with John and a visitation by the glorified Savior, and chapters two and three are Epistles, letters from Jesus to seven churches, chapters four and five take place in the very throne room of God. It is not until the sixth chapter that John begins the narrative of this period of time.
While some not holding to a Pretribulation Rapture view would like to argue the point by saying of this passage (among other things) that Wrath does not begin during the tribulation period until much later (Great Tribulation) it is critical at this point to note in Revelation 6 that in verse 1 that it is Jesus opening the Seal Judgments. These are not merely a string of bad things happening that kick off this period.
First of all, just witness this initial outpouring in the first verses is The Lamb of God himself opening the Seal Judgments, then look at how mankind responds:
...“Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. 17 For the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to survive?” (Rev. 6:16, 17)
So to pre-wrathers, if these eye-witnesses will recognize this time as wrath immediately at the outset, why cannot you?
Of course, we cannot be dogmatic, but in my opinion, I believe it fits. The primary theme of most of the Old Testament Prophets and the Minor Prophets is Messiah on His Throne and a redeemed Israel worshipping in the land. Though we know the tenor of the end times season, as Christ and Paul in particular share, with increase in immorality and the world trembling like a woman in labor, Ezekiel 38 could be the record of the beginning of the Day of His Wrath.