With some expectation of stepping on toes, we approach a prophesy that is greatly contested and misunderstood, and has confused many commentators for centuries – the battle of Gog of Magog.

According to Jewish belief, the battle of the prophesy of Ezekiel 38, 39 will precipitate the Messianic redemption –

Excerpt from “The Battle of Gog and Magog” at Chabad.org –

“The defeat of Gog and Magog will precipitate the Messianic Redemption. It is difficult to dwell on this topic because it is so shrouded in mystery. We are uncertain as to the identity of Gog and Magog, whether Gog and Magog are the names of nations or individuals, whether this battle will be a physical or spiritual battle, and even whether it has already occurred or not.”  (1)

But, there are time markers and geographical parameters in the scriptures that surround this prophesy of Gog of Magog.  In order to approach this prophesy from a scriptural perspective it will help to explore what it is not.  We need to examine current beliefs and rule out any that contradict scripture.

Jewish beliefs also center around the Gematria of “Gog u’Magog” – the selected Hebrew letters that support their beliefs – as equal to the number 70 and standing for the 70 Biblical nations of the world.  (2)

The literal Hebrew of Ezek. 38:2 is ” גּוֹג אֶרֶץ מָגוֹג” transliterated as “gowg eres hammagowg”, so the Hebrew letters in the practice of Gematria would equal 3+6+3+70+…. and already at the 4th Hebrew letter the sum is over 70.  This use of selective reasoning – reaching for anything to support a favored belief – is not keeping with the scriptures.

The Jewish beliefs also center around an idea of an earthly Messianic kingdom, with an earthly temple rebuilt in Jerusalem, and an earthly king ruling from Jerusalem lifting up the Jews as the chosen of God over all other nations of the world. (Ibid).  They are hoping and looking for earthly political nirvana.

As this much hoped for idea contradicts the spiritual nature of the “heavenly” kingdom as described in Luke 17:20-21, then it is a false belief system.

“ ²⁰ And having been questioned by the Pharisees, when the reign of God doth come, he answered them, and said, `The reign of God doth not come with observation;

²¹ nor shall they say, Lo, here; or lo, there; for lo, the reign of God is within you.’ (YLT)

Then as now, the Jews were wanting Christ to set up an earthly kingdom to release them from Roman rule.  But, political earthly rule was not God’s objective. He sent His Son to be the propitiation for the sins of the entire world (Heb. 2:17; 1 John 2:2; 4:10).

In order to support their beliefs some Jews have argued that the battle of Gog of Magog will be in three parts, three world wars; two of which have already happened.  They are only waiting for the third world war – WWIII – after which they believe the” true” Messiah will appear and reign in Jerusalem. (3) (4)

Other twists on this earthly battle center around Russia as the leader of this last world war to end all time, because the name “Rosh” sounds close to or similar to the nation name of Russia. (5) (6)  Using a sound of a place name is not a “sound” hermeneutical principal.

Our current nation state foreign policy is affected by these religious beliefs. This belief system is pushing the world’s political agendas of the created “state” of Israel, and their major ally, the United States, which has been co-opted to be the military and monetary arm of the state of Israel since at least 1948.  It is why so many attempts to orchestrate WWIII have been in process in the Middle East and beyond for the last several decades.  They believe they are helping God achieve His plans.

Sarah attempted to help God with His plan.  Many times our interference in God’s plans have had very ugly consequences.

All of these beliefs surrounding the prophesy of Gog of Magog are all based upon the false belief that the “last days” or “latter days” of God’s prophesies were defined as the last days of all time, and the end of the physical world. People all over the world are using their ideas to define God’s words, instead of critically examining God’s own words and letting scripture define scripture.

This is a complete misunderstanding of God’s word, and of God’s plan of salvation.  Unfortunately, many Christians have also been taught to believe much of this false doctrine under the guise of the dispensational pre-millennial teachings of the Scofield Reference Bible, which was printed by the Oxford University Press; the printing office of the NWO funded by Rhodes who was backed financially by the Rothschilds.  (See Part VI of It’s Not The End of The World at the right margin.)

The insights of some of the Jewish beliefs of this prophesy of Gog of Magog begin with the scriptures, but then take off into flights of fancy, embellished with the rabbinical imaginations and fictions expressed in the Talmud, Mishna,  Midrash, Kabbalah, and many other Jewish writings.  But, these writings are of men who are not inspired of God, and they are not scripture.

Mixed among all of these are a few elements of truth, as the best lies start with a known truth before twisting it and perverting it into a fairy tale.  The battle of Gog of Magog was a spiritual battle played out upon the earth of Jerusalem during the last days.  Our mission of discovery is through the scriptures, and the parameters and limits are set by the word of God.  Ezekiel forecasts the plot, and Revelation lays it out.

So, we will discover the known limits of this prophesy within the scriptures before we can discuss the whole.  Identifying the known variables will define for us the entire set within which the end result must be contained. We can then determine God’s definitions and not our own.

Time Parameter

Zechariah spoke of this battle:

“ ⁹ And it hath come to pass, in that day, I seek to destroy all the nations Who are coming in against Jerusalem,

¹⁰ And I have poured on the house of David, And on the inhabitant of Jerusalem, A spirit of grace and supplications, And they have looked unto Me whom they pierced, And they have mourned over it, Like a mourning over the only one, And they have been in bitterness for it, Like a bitterness over the first-born.

¹¹ In that day, great is the mourning of Jerusalem, As the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon,” (Zech. 12:9-11, YLT)

When was Christ pierced?  When did all the “tribes of the earth” mourn?  In prophesy, the word “earth” stood for the land area the prophet was sent to warn, but most often was Israel; therefore, the word “tribes” were specifically the tribes of Israel.

When did Christ say the tribes of Israel would mourn?  In Matt. 24:30 while speaking with His disciples about the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem which happened in  AD 70.

Now let’s look at the words of the prophesy in Ezekiel.

“ ⁸ 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.” (Ezek. 38:8, KJV)

“ After many days thou art appointed, In the latter end of the years thou comest in unto a land brought back from sword, [A people] gathered out of many peoples, Upon mountains of Israel, That have been for a perpetual waste, And it from the peoples hath been brought out, And dwelt safely have all of them.”  (Ezek. 38:8, YLT)

The ASV, ERV, ESV, NASB, NET, RSV, and several others translate this verse with “in the latter years”.  The YLT has it best as “in the latter end of the years” which agrees with Daniel 12:13 expressed as “at the end of the days”.

“The years” and “the days” are a distinct period of time God has defined in the scriptures as the last days of the Mosaic covenant and the last days of the temple in Jerusalem.  Defining what God meant by “the last days” is the main point of this blog, which is supported by many scriptural proofs.  All of these are presented in Parts I – X of It’s Not The End of The World at the bottom right margin. Let’s review a few.

Gen 49:1, “And Jacob calleth unto his sons and saith, `Be gathered together, and I declare to you that which doth happen with you in the latter end of the days.” (YLT)

Jacob was giving the blessings to his sons and telling each of them how their progeny would end in THEIR last days.  He goes through each one of them, but the key is at Gen. 49:10 for Judah’s last days.

“ The sceptre turneth not aside from Judah, And a lawgiver from between his feet, Till his Seed come; And his [is] the obedience of peoples.”  (YLT)

When did the sceptre of the lawgiver pass from Judah to the Messiah, Yeshua? When Christ was crucified, and when He was resurrected from the grave on the third day… in 30 – 31 AD.  So, the last days of Judah, and the latter end of the days of Gen. 49:1 were in the first century AD when both John and Jesus came teaching that the kingdom of heaven was at hand.

In Number 23 -24, Balaam prophesies the word of God to Balak, and tells Balak,

“ ¹⁴ and, now, lo, I am going to my people; come, I counsel thee [concerning] that which this people doth to thy people, in the latter end of the days.‘…. ¹⁷ I see it, but not now; I behold it, but not near; A star hath proceeded from Jacob, And a sceptre hath risen from Israel, And hath smitten corners of Moab, And hath destroyed all sons of Sheth.”  (Num. 24:14, 17, YLT)

When did the star from Jacob, and the sceptre, or ruler rise from Israel?  When Christ was manifested on earth in the first century AD.  So, when then were the latter end of the days?  They were in the first century AD just as Jacob had prophesied in the blessing to Judah.

The latter end of the days were never defined as the end of all time, nor the end of the physical, natural world.  They were always the last days of the tribes of Israel, the last days of the rule of the law from Judah, and the last days of the Mosaic animal sacrificial temple in Jerusalem.  The latter end of the days was the final destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.

Christ confirmed the time.  His second coming was set for the end of the days, the latter days of the Mosaic covenant when His everlasting heavenly kingdom would take over from the earthly kingdom in Judea.

Matt. 16:28, “Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.”  (KJV)

Speaking to His disciples, Matt. 10:23, “… for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.”  (KJV)

Speaking to His disciples of the time of the destruction of the temple, Matt. 24:34, “ Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” (KJV)

Speaking to the scribes and Pharisees, Luke 16:16, “The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.”  (KJV)

The prophecies were until John, meaning that they foretold the time period to John’s coming to preach the kingdom of heaven and to make way the path for the Messiah, the promised one.  When did John preach the kingdom of heaven was at hand?  The first century AD, when Christ was crucified for our sins.

Peter confirmed the time.

“ ¹⁹ But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: ²⁰ Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, ²¹ Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.”  (KJV)

When was Christ manifested on earth, and when was He raised from the dead?  During the first century AD.

The author of Hebrews confirmed it.

” God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, ² Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; ³ Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:” (KJV)

When  did Christ speak directly to the people?  During his earthly ministry in Jerusalem both before and after His resurrection in the first century AD.

The scriptures clearly define the last days as the last days of the rule from Judea, and the change over from the Mosaic covenantal law to the rule of Christ in His everlasting spiritual kingdom under the covenant of the gospel of Christ.  All of which took place during the first century AD, during the life times of those who heard Him speak.

Therefore, when Ezekiel prophesied of the battle of Gog of Magog in chap. 38, he set the time for the end of the latter years which occurred in the first century AD during the last days of that animal sacrificial temple in Jerusalem.  The end of the latter years began with the preaching of John the Immerser and ended with the destruction of that Mosaic covenantal temple in Jerusalem in AD. 70.

Therefore, the battle of Gog of Magog is time limited during the first century AD between AD 26 and AD 70.

We will look at the next parameter of the geographical markers in Ezekiel 38 in the next post.

Notes:

1) The Battle of Gog and Magog at Chabad.org

2) Gematria of Gog of Magog at Torah.org

3) The War That Will End All Wars at Chabad.org

4) Gog and Magog at Chabad.org

5) Ezekiel 38 at Enduringworld

6) “Lech Lecha: Chevlei Mashiach” by Ben Burton at LadderofJacob