Gog of Magog
Note that we have titled this document Gog of Magog (pronounced Gōg of Mah-gōg), not Gog and Magog (as found in Revelation), because in Ezekiel, Gog is spoken of as being from the land of Magog, and this is a discussion of both prophecies.
The term Gog of/and Magog is found in two places in the Bible, in Ezekiel 38, 39, and at Revelation 20:8.
Yet, despite the fact that the
description of this individual, his land, and the things that the prophecies say he will do are strikingly similar, many religions teach that the prophecy in
Ezekiel doesnÕt correspond to the one in Revelation.
For, most of them teach that the prophecy in Ezekiel is taking about things that have to do with the battle of Armageddon,
while the prophecy in Revelation is clearly talking about something that will happen a thousand years after ArmageddonÉ and this doesnÕt seem logical to us.
Notice, for example, that the setting for the events mentioned in Ezekiel 39 and 40 is of a time when ÔIsraElÕ will be dwelling in peace,
whereas the events that lead up to the Battle of Armageddon in the Revelation speak of a time of great turmoil for the earth and for GodÕs people.
So,
as we will show, the prophecy at Ezekiel 38, 39 really isnÕt describing the kings and armies that are destroyed at Armageddon, as is commonly taught.
Rather, it is describing the attack by Gog that will come after GodÕs people have been living in peace on the earth at least a thousand years after the Battle of Armageddon.
Note these similarities between the prophecies:
Ezekiel 38:1, 2 says:
ÔAnd the Word of the Lord came to me and said:
O son of man;
Against Gog and the land of Magog
(The ruler of Mosoch, Tubal, and Ros),
You must now set your face;
And against him, prophesy this!Ô
Then verses 14-16 read:
ÔTherefore, O son of man;
Now, you must prophesy thisÉ
Tell Gog that thus says Jehovah:
Against IsraEl, My people, you will come in that dayÉ
Against those that have settled in peace.
ÔYou will come from your place in the north,
And bring along many nationsÉ
Horsemen all riding horsesÉ
A huge crowd and a great army.
Against IsraEl, My people, you will come,
Like a cloud that covers the landÉ
Yes, in the last days, this will happen.Ô
Revelation 20:7-10 says,
ÔNow, when the thousand years are ended, the Slanderer will be freed from his prison.
Then he will go out and mislead people to the four corners of the earth – Gog and Magog – and bring them together for a battleÉ
there will be as many as the sands of the seas!
They will march across the earth and surround the camp of the Holy Ones and the loved city;
but then fire will come from the sky and consume them!
And the Opposer that misled them will be thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur,
where the wild animal and the false prophet already are, and they will be tortured day and night for ages of ages.Õ
NOTE: There is another mention of Gog in the Bible,
at Amos 7:1 in the Septuagint. However, this may not be speaking of the same series of events mentioned in
Ezekiel and Revelation.
ALSO, TischendorfÕs Bible uses the Greek word CHILIOI in Revelation 20:1-7, which, if correct, could be speaking
of thousands of years not one thousand years.
As you can see, there are clear similarities between both prophecies. And our experience with the Bible has taught us that whenever
we want to understand what Bible prophecies mean, we must simply look for similar descriptions in other texts.
So to understand the meaning of who this character is
and what his land represents, we should look to both accounts to see if they describe the same individuals and eventsÉ and they do!
So then, why have most ÔChristianÕ religions concluded that there is no connection between these two prophecies?
Because the scripture in Ezekiel seems to better support their wrong teachings about what the Battle of Armageddon will involve.
(See the subheading
Who are Destroyed at Armageddon? in the linked document, ÔArmageddon When?Õ).
Let us compare the teachings with the scriptures to see why these conclusions are unlikely.
One of the most common beliefs among Protestant religions that teach that the attack of Gog of Magog has to do with Armageddon,
is that armies from many countries will be led by Gog to attack the modern city of JeruSalem and its surrounding country, which battle will end at the nearby Plains of Megiddo
(resulting in the Battle of Armageddon).
Of course, this view accepts the idea that the modern Jews in that land are still GodÕs chosen people, which Paul pretty well argued against
in his epistles.
(See the Note, ÔGodÕs Chosen PeopleÕ).
Due to all the things that Jesus said and what Paul wrote about JeruSalem as being rejected;
Some religions have come to the
conclusion that Gog (whom they say represents the Devil or Slanderer) will lead a worldwide attack (along with all the nations of the world) on spiritual Jews
(ÔanointedÕ servants of God), and this will lead to Armageddon.
This theory also sounds reasonable, for things that Jesus said at Matthew 24 and prophecies in Revelation do indicate that there will
come a time of persecution upon JesusÕ true disciples.
And this persecution will likely follow (or happen during) the destruction of what could be unfaithful religions
(assuming that they are Ôthe Great Babylon,Õ which is referred to at Revelation 17-19).
But, what if we really can trust the Bible to do its own interpreting and allow that (in harmony with the account in Revelation) the attack by Gog of Magog that is spoken of in the prophecy of Ezekiel is going to happen more than a thousand years into the future?
Contrary to the teachings of some that Armageddon will be Ôthe final battle,Õ we know that there will be an attack by Gog of Magog at the
end of the thousand (or thousands of) years, because Revelation 20:7-10 says so.
And whom will Gog attack?
The account tells us that his armies will
Ôsurround the camp of the Holy Ones and the beloved city.Õ
Who are the ÔHoly OnesÕ and what is their Ôbeloved city?Õ
The Ôholy onesÕ are apparently faithful people that will live here on the earth at that time.
(For more information, see the document, ÔThe ResurrectionÔ).
And regardless of whether the sacred city that they will
live in is real or symbolic, we do know that it – and they – will be attacked by Gog and his armies.
Notice that those that comprise these armies
will be taken from among (unholy) people from Ôthe four corners of the earth.Õ
Now, if we can accept the fact that those whose names are found written in GodÕs scroll of life
comprise Ôthe IsraEl of God,Õ then perhaps we have a picture of what this Ôloved cityÕ is.
And if so, these enclaves could be Ôthe camp of the Holy OnesÕ or Ôthe
loved cityÕ (or ÔcitiesÕ) that will be attacked then.
As further proof that the attack by Gog of Magog in EzekielÕs prophecy refers to what will happen at the end of the thousand years (not Armageddon); consider the similarity to the sequence of events in both Ezekiel and Revelation:
Ezekiel Chapter 36 – The pronouncements against the mountains of the unfaithful northern ten tribes of IsraEl.
Revelation Chapters 17, 18 – The destruction of the Great Babylon.
Ezekiel Chapter 37 – IsraElÕs valley of dry bones come to life.
Revelation Chapters 19, 20 – After the Battle of Armageddon and the marriage of the Lamb, there is the resurrection.
And at Revelation 11:7-13,
there is also a description of Ôtwo witnessesÕ coming to life.
Ezekiel Chapters 38, 39 – The attack by Gog of Magog.
Revelation Chapter 20 – The attack by Gog and Magog.
Ezekiel Chapters 40 through 48 – Description of New JeruSalem, the healing waters, etc.
Revelation Chapters 21, 22 – Description of New JeruSalem, the healing waters, etc.
So, there is strong indication that the prophecy of Ezekiel 38 and 39 and the prophecy of Revelation 20 are speaking of the same people and the same period in time.
Then, who is Gog?
Well, many have come to believe that his land, ÔMagog,Õ represents the country of Russia.
There are four reasons why they believe this:
1. Magog is described as being in Ôthe far northÕ
2. The term Ros (at Ezekiel 38:2, which is really pronounced Rosh) is said to be an early term for Russia
3. Mosoch is said to be the person from whom the city of Moscow derived its name.
4. It is thought that the descendants of Tubal took up residence in the nearby country of Georgia.
Therefore, the conclusion that Gog and his hord represent countries in the old Soviet Union is possible.
However, is this really what the Bible was foretelling?
Not if the prophecy of Ezekiel was actually speaking of an event that will happen at least a thousand years after Armageddon.
Also, throughout the Christian Era Scriptures (NT), Jesus spoke of JeruSalem as having been rejected as GodÕs people, and Paul (in particular) showed how gentiles would also be accepted to make up a ÔNew JeruSalemÔ and a spiritual (not literal) nation of IsraEl.
As we saw in EzekielÕs account, Gog was described as the leader of Mosoch, and Tubal, which were the names of two of JaPhethÕs sons
(grandsons of Noah)É as was Magog.
Also note that the house of Togarmah is mentioned as
joining with Gog.
If you check the Wikipedia link to this name, youÕll see that these are the progenitors of the Caucasian or white races.
So does this then mean that the armies of Gog are the white races?
No, it is a symbolic reference. For note:
It is interesting that the descendants of JaPheth were the first ones that were collectively referred to as
the ÔgentilesÕ or Ôthe nationsÕ in the Bible.
Whereas, the descendants of Shem (people of the Middle East) and the descendants of Ham (Middle East and the
African continent) were not originally called that.
(See Genesis 10:5 & 14:2 and the linked Note).
The fact is; there seems to be more to this story than what the Bible accounts tell us.
Why were the Caucasian races alone called
Ôthe nationsÕ (or gentiles)? Were they perhaps the only races that were scattered and whose languages were confused by God in ancient Babylon?
Also, since Magog was an actual person (the son of JaPheth and the brother of Mosoch and Tubal), then who is Gog, and why was Magog referred to as GogÕs land in Ezekiel and in Revelation?
Could Gog (possibly the Opposer, Slanderer, and Devil) have been the god of Magog?
This could be true, because,
notice that The God (Jehovah) was said to be just the God of NoahÕs son Shem at Genesis 9:26.
Also, how do we know that the prophecy of Ezekiel concerning the attack by Gog has any modern or future prophetic significance, since the account is bundled between prophecies concerning what would happen to JeruSalem and the nations round about them after the return of IsraEl to their homeland and the rebuilding of GodÕs TempleÉ things that actually happened in the Sixth Century BCE?
We have concluded this from the fact that there is no record of nations from the far north (Caucasians) ever actually attacking JeruSalem!
So EzekiElÕs prophecy about Gog of Magog – as well as many other prophecies – must be assumed to have a future and greater fulfillment at the end of the Ôthousand years.Õ
From the Scriptures, it appears as though all those that are found faithful (as well as many of those that are referred to as Ôthe deadÕ
in Revelation 20) will eventually prove faithful and finally receive an inheritance (see Revelation 21:7), and they will then be
added to the existing Ôtwelve tribes of IsraEl.Õ
And if this is true, it simply stands to reason that God will call all the unfaithful that join the Slanderer in his final battle
against the Holy City by the names of the people that were first referred to as Ôthe gentilesÕ or Ôthe ethnicsÕ – Magog, Mosoch, and Tubal.
Revelation 20:9 says that this final attack by Gog of Magog will come against the faithful Ôholy ones.Õ
So if Gog represents the Slanderer (Devil), then Magog and his associates are likely the ones that will not prove to be ÔholyÕ at
the end of the thousand years.
For more detailed information, read Ezekiel Chapters 38, 39.
And where will these nations come from?
Well, contrary to popular teachings that only the righteous will remain after the
Battle of Armageddon; throughout the writings of the Hebrew Prophets, we read about people of the nations (gr. ethnics)
that will still remain on the earth.
Also, Paul (the Apostle), when speaking in his own defense before the Jewish religious court
(Sanhedrin), said in reference to the Pharisees (Acts 24:15):
ÔAnd I have this hope in God, which they (the Pharisees) also share, that thereÕs going to be a resurrection
of the righteous and the unrighteous.Õ
So the Bible does speak of people that havenÕt already proven themselves to be righteous, which will still be living on the earth a thousand years after Ôthe Battle of Armageddon.Õ
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