Book of the Prophet Ezekiel
Compiled by WD Kemner January 2024
Gog and Magog go to battle against God
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The two MOST FAMOUSLY quoted and interpreted chapters in the Bible!
These chapters have been used by men teaching on the END TIMES for decades. The teaching has always been that the references in this passage are to Magog being the Soviet Union and Gog being the Anti-christ who is from the Soviet Union.
The Soviet Union no longer exists! A study of Daniel will reveal that the Anti-Christ DOES NOT come out of Russia.
The assumption is always made that these chapters HAVE TO describe the battle that occurs at the time of the Second Coming.
A study of Revelation will define a battle between Magog and Israel that is taking place AFTER the Millennial Period. This is 1000 years AFTER Armageddon. So which battles are these chapters referring to? All we can know for certainty is that this battle occurs in the End Times.
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There have been commentators that applied these chapters as being fulfilled during the reign of Antiochus. See the study on Daniel for more on this man.
There is no scripture that teaches that either Gog or Magog are the antichrist of Daniel and Revelation. There are Biblical references to the Antichrist being cast into the pit reserved for judgment. After the Millennium; Satan will be loosed to make war with the saints once again. See the End Times Study and the document on the cleansing of the earth that occurs with the return of Christ.
During this time (after the Millennium) Satan will enlist Gog and Magog to a battle against God in Revelation 20:8-9. If the antichrist is Gog and has been cast into the lake of fire already (Revelation 19:20-21; 20:10) then how can Satan go and enlist Gog as he does in Revelation 20:8?
To study scripture, one must do so with clarity and no preconceived opinions. Scripture is NOT any man’s opinion. It is the Word of God.
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Understand this about this passage:
1) It describes a battle where Gog is being led and influenced by Satan and attacks the people of Israel
2) The terms Armageddon and Antichrist are NEVER used in this Ezekiel passage
3) It does not indicate that Armageddon or Antichrist are involved or being referred to
4) Verses from Revelation 20 that occur 1000 years after Armageddon are either using this battle as a “model” or are describing this very same battle.
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Ezekiel Chapter 38 verses 1-7 |
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And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:
And 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:
Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee.
Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
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“And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws…” The promise of deliverance BEFORE even telling of the calamity.
The two “main characters” are Gog and Magog. Gog is an individual and Magog is his “kingdom”. This can all be seen in the rest of the chapter. Gog is human since he can be killed and buried. He is the ruler of Magog and therefore Magog is a geographical area. Gog is the “chief prince” of Meshech and Tubal.
Gog is being told to “prepare” and “take charge”. In a manner he is to be the General in charge of this “confederacy” and make sure that the other nations are prepared for this battle and its outcome.
Joining Gog will be: Persia, Ethiopia, Libya, Gomer, house of Togarmah. Any attempt to correlate these nations to those in existence now would be foolish. We have seen hundreds of nations come and cease to exist in these areas of the world. What is known, is that these nations will be in existence at the point of the event taking place in these chapters.
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Nations of the World
With the ending of the event of Noah’s Flood (Genesis 7); Noah and his family were the only people on the planet. All nations of the world can be traced back to the 16 grandsons of Noah that are listed in Genesis 10. Three are directly listed in verse 2 of this chapter of Ezekiel. Those being: Gomer, Magog, Tubal.
See an excellent article on these grandsons written by Harold Hunt for Creation.com website at:
https://creation.com/the-sixteen-grandsons-of-noah
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With exception of the quoted Scripture verses from the King James Bible, all items located on this website are either created by WD Kemner (unless indicated otherwise) and free for your use or are in the public domain and free to use.
Documents created by other authors are referenced to by external hyperlinks. Those items are protected by the copyrights which govern those websites and permission to use materials from those sites must be obtained from those authors.
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Ezekiel Chapter 38 verses 8-9 |
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After 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.
Thou 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.
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“…in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people…”
In a time “at the END” of events. We are talking symantics here with words that have already been translated so many times for a thousand years. However, if it is in the “latter years”; then latter years of what? We are already discussing the “last days” period. The “last years” of a period of time. At the end of the thousand years of peace.
Gog will come into the land inhabited by the Jews who have been gathered from all parts of the earth. The Jews have already been “regathered by God” when this occurs. That regathering occurs AFTER Christ has conquered the Antichrist (at a battle in Armageddon) and God is in possession of the land.
“…and they shall dwell safely all of them…” As discussed in earlier passage, have “all the Jews” ever lived in safety in their own land? Therefore, this WILL NOT take place until AFTER the total “regathering” of the Jewish people and the ability of them to live in peace in their land. These facts alone appear to be enough reason to place this event as occurring after Armageddon.
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Ezekiel Chapter 38 verses 10-13 |
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Thus 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:
And 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, To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?
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“…and thou shalt think an evil thought…” Where do evil thoughts come from? Gog will be “influenced” to attack the Jews.
“…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, To take a spoil, and to take a prey…”
Zechariah chapter 2 describes the Millennial Jerusalem as a city without walls. Zechariah chapter 8 says the children play in the streets in total safety. They will be living with the “spoils” of all the lands they were regathered from. Bountiful with goods and wealth. What a temptation for Gog and Magog.
Because the Jews are living in an unwalled land, they appear to be the easiest of targets and unprotected. After the return of Christ what need will there be for walls to protect? There will be those that question the wisdom of Gog, in his plans to attack. Sheba and Dedan are the area of modern Saudi Arabia.
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Ezekiel Chapter 38 verses 14-17 |
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Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it?
And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army:
And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them?
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“…it shall be in the latter days,…” This will occur in the End Times.
This phrase is the only reference that can be used to indicate the timing of this to be as part of the battle of Armageddon. However; that then makes the assumption that the Millennial period is not considered as a part of the “latter days”
“..as a cloud to cover the land…”
Revelation 20:8 says “…the number of whom is as the sand of the sea…”
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Ezekiel Chapter 38 verses 18-23 |
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And 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. For 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;
So 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.
And 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.
And 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.
Thus 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.
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The entire planet will quake, from the depth of the ocean to the fowls of the air, this quake will remind every man, beast, fish and creeping things who God is.
God will call for blood, men will fight men. The enemy will be hit with rain, hailstones, fire and brimstone.
Revelation 20:8-9 “…fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them”
Chapter 39 Overview
As often is stated, chapter divisions and verse numbering are modern. DO NOT assume we are changing subjects unless told or unless it is obvious.
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Ezekiel Chapter 39 verses 1-8 |
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Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:
And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the people that is with thee:
I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD. So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.
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Only one-sixth of the confederacy of troops that Gog assembles will survive Gog’s attempted war. Five-sixths will die on the mountains of Israel! How many casualties will this be? Over 70 million died in World War II
It appears that Gog himself will be one of the casualties.
The birds and the beasts will feast on the casualties
“… a fire upon Magog, and among them that dwell…” Magog in the land ruled by Gog. God will send a fire upon the “home territory” of the king Gog that attacked Israel
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Ezekiel Chapter 39 verses 9-10 |
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And they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the handstaves, and the spears, and they shall burn them with fire seven years:
So that they shall take no wood out of the field, neither cut down any out of the forests; for they shall burn the weapons with fire: and they shall spoil those that spoiled them, and rob those that robbed them, saith the Lord GOD.
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“..burn them with fire seven years”
There will be carnage to clean up AFTER the war that will take seven years to burn. That statement causes issues for those that study the Bible.
Seven years. For this to be the Battle at Armageddon a few things need to be considered. If there are Seven years “available” AFTER this war in order to “cleanup” the carnage; are the “peaceful, beautiful, plentiful” conditions that are descriptive of the Millennial Kingdom under the reign of God “PUT ON HOLD” for seven years?
Then there are issues with the timing of it all. Revelation 16 describes the Vials that are unleashed. Vial number six describes the participants gathering for Armageddon. Vial Seven is the worse of everything geological being thrown on the followers of Satan. There does not appear to be any “peaceful seven years” available for this type of “cleanup”.
Now the other side of the coin is the idea of this battle being the one that occurs in Revelation 20. This does fit more appropriately. At that point, time as we understand it is meaningless.
There is plenty of “time” to cleanup. Then one could very well ask, if at this point (after the Millennium period) there is a “new heaven and earth”; why bother to “cleanup”? And therefore why a “monument” of a graveyard as described in the next verses?
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Ezekiel Chapter 39 verses 11-16 and 17-22 |
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And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude: and they shall call it The valley of Hamon-gog.
And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land. Yea, all the people of the land shall bury them; and it shall be to them a renown the day that I shall be glorified, saith the Lord GOD.
And they shall sever out men of continual employment, passing through the land to bury with the passengers those that remain upon the face of the earth, to cleanse it: after the end of seven months shall they search.
And the passengers that pass through the land, when any seeth a man's bone, then shall he set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamon-gog. And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land.
And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood.
Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan. And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.
Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD. And 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. So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward.
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The results of Gog’s War on God. Memorial to the dead that will signify to the heathen that God is Supreme.
God is inviting the fowls of the air and the beasts to a feast of the carnage of this battle.
Revelation 19:17-18 describes the fowls of the air feasting on the kings of earth at the battle with God.
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Ezekiel Chapter 39 verses 23-29 |
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And 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. According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions have I done unto them, and hid my face from them.
Therefore 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; After 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.
When 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;
Then 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. Neither 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.
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“…will I bring again the captivity of Jacob”. The seed of Abraham, Issac and Jacob were all intended to be the “bondservants” to God. To be “captives” to the God of Heaven. This will now finally take place!