Ezekiel Chapter 38 vs. 2

Ezekiel Chapter 38

Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, Eze. 38:2

Son of man,... The 64th prophecy in Ezekiel (Ezekiel 38:1-39:29, unfulfilled). Next, Eze. 40:5.

The 64th Prophecy in Ezekiel

Eighty Predictions—Unfulfilled:

1. I am against you, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal (Eze. 38:3).

2. I will turn you back (Eze. 38:4).

3. I will put hooks in your jaws.

4. I will bring you forth, and all your army, a great company.

5. Your army will consist of horses, and horsemen clothed with all sorts of weapons.

6. Persia, Ethiopia, Libya, Gomer and all his bands, the house of Togarmah and all his bands, and many people will be in the army (Eze. 38:6).

7. After many days you will be visited (Eze. 38:8).

8. In the latter years you will come into the land of Israel that is brought back from the sword, and gathered out of many people.

9. You will come against the mountains of Israel, a people brought forth out of the nation and that dwell safely in their own land.

10. You will ascend and come like a storm, and like a cloud to cover the whole land—you and all your bands, and many people with you (Eze. 38:9).

11. At that time things will come into your mind, and you will think an evil thought (Eze. 38:10).

12. You will say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages that are at rest and that dwell safely, to take a spoil and a prey from the Jews that are gathered and are prosperous in their land (Eze. 38:12).

13. Sheba, Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof will say to you, Are you come with a great company to take a spoil? to take a prey? to carry away silver, gold, cattle, goods, and a great spoil? (Eze. 38:13).

14. In that day when My people of Israel dwell safely, you will come from your place in the north parts with many people riding horses, a mighty army (Eze. 38:14-15).

15. You will come up against My people Israel, as a cloud to cover the land (Eze. 38:16).

16. It will be in the latter days.

17. I will bring you against My land, that the heathen may know Me, when I will be sanctified in you, O Gog, before their eyes.

18. At the same time when Gog comes against Israel, My fury will come up in My face (Eze. 38:18).

19. In that day there will be a great shaking in the land of Israel (Eze. 38:19).

20. All men and beasts in the land will shake at My presence (Eze. 38:20).

21. The mountains will be thrown down.

22. The steep places will fall.

23. Every wall will fall to the ground.

24. I will call for a sword against him (Gog) throughout all My mountains (Eze. 38:21).

25. Every man’s sword will be against his brother.

26. I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood (Eze. 38:22).

27. I will rain upon him, and the many band with him, an overflowing rain.

28. I will rain on him great hailstones.

29. I will rain on him fire and brimstone.

30. I will magnify Myself (Eze. 38:23).

31. I will sanctify Myself.

32. I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they will know that I am Jehovah.

33. I am against you, O Gog, and I will turn you back (Eze. 39:1-2).

34. I will leave but a sixth part of you.

35. I will cause you to come up from the north parts.

36. I will bring you against the mountains of Israel.

37. I will smite your bow out of your left hand (Eze. 39:3).

38. I will smite your arrows out of your right hand.

39. You will fall upon the mountains of Israel, you and all your bands (Eze. 39:4).

40. I will give you unto the ravenous birds of every sort.

41. I will give you to the beasts of the field to be devoured.

42. You will fall upon the open field (Eze. 39:5).

43. I will send a fire on Magog (Eze. 39:6).

44. I will send a fire among them that dwell carelessly in the isles.

45. They will know that I am Jehovah.

46. I will make My holy name known in the midst of My people Israel (Eze. 39:7).

47. I will not let them pollute My holy name anymore.

48. The heathen will know that I am Jehovah, the Holy One in Israel.

49. The judgment will be completed on Gog and his allies (Eze. 39:8).

50. They that dwell in the cities of Israel will go forth and gather the weapons of war for firewood (Eze. 39:9).

51. They will have enough fuel, so that they will take no wood from the field for seven years (Eze. 39:9-10).

52. They will spoil those that spoiled them.

53. They will rob those that robbed them.

54. In that day I will give Gog a place of graves in Israel, the valley of passengers on the east of the sea (Eze. 39:11).

55. It will stop the noses of passengers.

56. There they will bury Gog and all his multitude.

57. They will call it The Valley of Hamon-gog.

58. For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them, that they may cleanse the land (Eze. 39:12).

59. All the people of the land will bury (Eze. 39:13).

60. It will be to them a day of renown, the day that I shall be glorified.

61. They will give men continual employment to pass through the land to bury those that remain upon the face of the earth to cleanse it (Eze. 39:14).

62. At the end of seven months the burial program will be ended.

63. During the seven months, if travelers see a bone they will set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamon-gog (Eze. 39:15).

64. The name of the city will be Hamonah. Thus they shall cleanse the land (Eze. 39:16).

65. Speak to every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to My sacrifices that I make for you upon the mountains of Israel, that you may eat flesh, and drink blood. You will eat the flesh of the mighty (Eze. 39:17-18).

66. You will eat the flesh of the mighty and drink the blood of the princes of the earth (Eze. 39:18).

67. You will eat the flesh and drink the blood of rams, lambs, goats, and bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan.

68. You will eat fat till you be full (Eze. 39:19).

69. You will drink blood till you be drunken.

70. You will be filled at My table with horses, mighty men, and all men of war (Eze. 39:20).

71. I will set My glory among the heathen (Eze. 39:21).

72. All the heathen will see My judgment that I have executed upon Gog and all his mighty armies, and My hand that is laid upon them.

73. The house of Israel will know that I am Jehovah their God from that day and forward (Eze. 39:22).

74. The heathen will know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their sins against Me, and that I hid My face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies to fall by the sword (Eze. 39:23).

75. The heathen will know that I judged Israel according to their sins (Eze. 39:24).

76. Now (after this battle of Armageddon is over and the judgment upon Gog and his armies is complete) I will bring again the captivity of Jacob (Eze. 39:25).

77. I will have mercy on the whole house of Israel.

78. I will be jealous for My holy name.

79. After they have borne their shame and all their trespasses, when they dwell safely in their land with none making them afraid, when I have gathered them from all nations and have sanctified them in the sight of many nations, then will they know that I am the Lord their God, which caused them to be led away into captivity among the heathen: but have gathered every one of them again from the nations to their own land (Eze. 39:26-28).

80. I will never hide My face from them again, for I will pour out My Spirit upon the house of Israel (Eze. 39:29).

face against Gog... Gog means roof or mountain. It is found 11 times: once of a Reubenite (1Ch. 5:4); once in Rev. 20:8 with Magog which is representative of the nations from the four quarters of the earth that will rebel against Christ at the end of the Millennium; and 9 times of the chief prince of Mechech and Tubal (Eze. 38:2-3, 38:14-16; 39:1, 39:11).

Fourteen Proofs Gog Here Is a Person:

1. He is a chief prince of Mechech and Tubal (Eze. 38:2-3; 39:1).

2. Personal pronouns are used of him (Eze. 38:2-4; 6:11, 6:13-17,21-22; 39:1-7).

3. He is leader of the great army that will fight at Armageddon (Eze. 38:4-9, 38:11-23; 39:1-7).

4. He has a mind and thinks thoughts and makes decisions (Eze. 38:10-12).

5. He goes from place to place like other persons (Eze. 38:8-9, 38:11, 38:15-16,18-39:7).

6. He has power of speech (Eze. 38:11-12).

7. Others recognize him as a person (Eze. 38:13).

8. Prophets predicted many things of him (Eze. 38:17).

9. He is covetous as others (Eze. 38:12-13).

10. He uses ordinary weapons (Eze. 39:3).

11. He will fall in battle like others (Eze. 39:4-5).

12. He is a local prince (Eze. 38:2-3; 39:1).

13. He is spoken of as being clothed, having weapons, riding a horse, and doing many other things common to a person (Eze. 38:4, 38:10-13, 38:15; 39:3-7, 39:11-12).

14. He will be buried like others (Eze. 39:11).

Gog is the same as the "little horn" of Dan. 7:1-28 and Dan. 8:1-27; "the prince that shall come" of Dan. 9:1-27; "the king of the north" of Dan. 11:1-45; the "man of sin," "the son of perdition," and "that wicked" of 2Th. 2:1-17; the "king of Babylon" of Isaiah 13-14; "the Assyrian" of Mic. 5:1-15; the "Antichrist" of 1Jn. 2:1-29; and "the beast" of Rev. 13:1-18. This is clear from a comparison of these passages with Ezekiel 38-39. All these scriptures speak of a man who will come in the last days.

land of Magog... Magog, Mechech, and Tubal were sons of Japheth from whom came the Scythians, Russians, Muscovites, Tibareni, Cappadocians, and other people who predominate in modern northern Europe and Asia. For the time of the Armageddon: The Septuagint adds Rosh to this list, which is followed by Young, Rotherham, Moffatt and some others who claim that Russia is referred to thus. Be that as it may, even if Russia is mentioned in particular along with these other people who will be under Gog, it does not prove that Russia will be the predominating power in the last days, that Antichrist or Gog will come from Russia, or that Russia will fulfill the many prophecies of the last days, as some teach. All it could prove is that Russia is merely one of many nations which will be conquered by Gog and be under him at the battle of Armageddon.

Dan. 11:44 plainly predicts the defeat of Russia and other northern and eastern nations outside the Roman Empire, and it can be only then that Russia will have a part under the Antichrist to fulfill Ezekiel 38-39.

The invading hordes will be led by Gog who seems to be the leader in Magog which is the land North of Israel around and above the Caspian and Black seas.

Again this begins a new prophecy. We must look at this from the standpoint of future prophecy, because the things mentioned in the following verses have not happened yet. This prophecy is for the day of the Lord. Some call it the time of the end. This prophecy is primarily spoken against Gog in the land of Magog.

The invading hordes will be led by Gog who seems to be the leader in Magog which is the land North of Israel around and above the Caspian and Black seas.
“The chief prince” is a reference to Rosh (Rosh meaning chief that is mentioned over 600 times in the Hebrew Old Testament), often in reference to chief priest.
Gog was used to render names such as Agag (Num. 24:7 and Deut. 3:1), possibly showing that though it was a proper name, it came to be used as a general title for an enemy of God’s people. “Gog” most likely carries the idea “high” or “supreme one”, based on the comparison (in Num. 24:7).

The Attack by Gog Repulsed (Chaps. 38-39)

the chief prince... It refers to a person, described as a “prince” from the land of Magog, who is the final leader of the northern enemies of Israel. These titles are used their symbolically of the world uprising against Jerusalem, its people and Messiah King by Gog. This attack comes not just from the North but from its allies, as a world of sinners at the beginning or at least during the first 3.5 years of the tribulation come to fight the saints in the “beloved city” of Jerusalem.

Besides those place names another possible name must be considered. The NIV translates the word rō’š in Eze. 38:2 as “chief.” However, other translations have taken the word as a proper noun and translated it “Rosh.” Should the Hebrew word, which means “head,” be taken as an adjective (“head prince,” i.e., “chief prince”) or as a proper noun (“Rosh”)? The evidence seems to favor taking it as an adjective. “Rosh” never appears as a nation in any other biblical list of place names while all the other names are well attested (cf. Gen. 10:1-7; 1Ch. 1:5-7; Eze. 27:13-24; 32:26). One possible exception might be Isa. 66:19 2 (NASB) but this is doubtful (see NIV).

Should these names be connected with the Soviet Union? One must first identify the areas against which Ezekiel prophesied and then determine the countries that occupy those land areas today. Ezekiel’s rō’š does not point to “Russia” merely because the words sound similar. Neither should one identify “Meshech” with “Moscow” or “Tubal” with “Tobolsk.” Ezekiel had historical places in mind (not modern-day names) and these areas must be located in Ezekiel’s time. However, while one must avoid dogmatic assertions, three reasons suggest including the Soviet Union within Ezekiel’s prophecy: (1) Some of the countries named by Ezekiel were located in what is now Russia. (2) The armies are said to come “from the far north” (Eze. 38:6, 38:15; 39:2). This probably includes the land bridge between the Black and Caspian Seas, now part of the Soviet Union. (3) Ezekiel spoke of a coalition of several nations, many of whom are today aligned with or under the influence of the Soviet Union. These include Iran (“Persia”), Sudan and northern Ethiopia (“Cush”), Libya (“Put”), and Turkey (“Meshech,” “Tubal,” “Gomer,” and “Beth Togarmah”). All these nations (see Eze. 38:2-3, 38:5-6), possibly led by the Soviet Union, will unite to attack Israel.

When will this prophecy be fulfilled? No past historical events match this prophecy, so it still awaits a future fulfillment. Some think this attack on Israel should be identified with the attack of Gog and Magog at the end of Christ’s millennial reign (Rev. 20:7-9), but this identification has several flaws: (1) The results of Ezekiel’s battle. do not coincide with the events that follow the battle in Rev. 20:1-15. Why bury the dead for seven months after the battle (Eze. 39:12-13) when the next prophetic event is the resurrection of the unsaved dead? (Rev. 20:11-13) Why would the people remain on earth after the battle to burn the weapons of war for seven years (Eze. 39:9-10) instead of entering immediately into eternity? (Rev. 21:1-4) The events after each battle are so different that two separate battles must be assumed (see Rev. 20:7-9). (2) The effect on the people is different. In Ezekiel the battle is the catalyst God will use to draw Israel to Himself (cf. Eze. 39:7, 39:22-29) and to end her captivity. But the battle in Rev. 20:1-15 will occur after Israel has been faithful to her God and has enjoyed His blessings for 1,000 years.

If the battle of Ezekiel 38-39 is not at the end of the Millennium, could it be at the beginning of the Millennium? This also seems extremely doubtful. Everyone who enters the Millennium will be a believer (John 3:3), and will have demonstrated his faith by protecting God’s Chosen People (cf. Mat. 25:31-46). At the beginning of the Millennium all weapons of war will be destroyed (Mic. 4:1-4). Thus it seems difficult to see a war occurring when the unsaved warriors have been eliminated and their weapons destroyed.

It seems best to place Ezekiel’s battle of Gog and Magog in the Tribulation period. Other internal markers indicate that it should be placed in the first three and one-half years of the seven-year period. The attack will come when Israel is at peace (Eze. 38:8, 38:11). When Israel’s covenant with the Antichrist is in effect at the beginning of Daniel’s 70th Week (Dan. 9:27), she will be at peace. But after the covenant is broken at the middle of the seven-year period, the nation will suffer tremendous persecution (Dan. 9:27; Mat. 24:15-22). This will provide the time needed to bury the dead (Eze. 39:12-13) and to burn the weapons of war (Eze. 39:9-10). So the battle described by Ezekiel may take place sometime during the first three and one-half years of the seven-year period before Christ’s second coming. Possibly the battle will occur just before the midpoint of the seven-year period.

Ezekiel was describing a battle that will involve Israel’s remotest neighbors. They will sense their opportunity to attack when Israel feels secure under the false protection of her covenant with the Antichrist sometime at the beginning of the seven-year period. The nations involved in the attack will include the Soviet Union, Turkey, Iran, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Libya. Ezekiel first pictured the invasion by Gog and his allies (Eze. 38:1-16), and then described the judgment of Gog and his allies (Eze. 38:17-39:29).