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Introduction

Chapters 38 and 39 form a distinct unit in the book of Ezekiel, coming between the sections on the restoration of the nation and the vision of the temple. The end of ch 37 says that God’s sanctuary is in the midst of his people for evermore (37:28). We would then expect that the sanctuary would be described, but this section about Gog comes before. The context is the future and final judgement on pagan nations, identified as Gog, for the purpose of establishing Israel safely in the land. The main idea is showing the hope of security for those who God has resurrected from the dry bones (ch 37), and restored. In the face of opposition and hardships, God is still in sovereign control (38:4), God will enter into judgement of the enemy (38:22).

These two chapters are prophetic literature, with characteristics of apocalyptic. It is an early form of apocalyptic, in which the symbolism is not as developed as in later examples. Evidences of apocalyptic literature include the character of Gog, the seven-year burning of his weapons (39:9), the gathering of beasts and birds to eat the flesh and drink their blood of the fallen enemy and horses (39:17ff) and the repetition of similar sets of prophecies, using words such as: ‘prophesy ...’, ‘say ...’, 'Thus says the Lord God'.

Structure

There are four major divisions each of which begin with God commanding Ezekiel to prophecy, with words such as, “Mortal, prophesy and say ...” (38:2, 14, 39:1, 17). Within each division, there are two smaller minor sections, each introduced, “Thus says the Lord GOD ...”.

There is a pattern, that the first minor section reviews the previous second minor section, before going onto to new material in the second minor division. Scene ‘a’ reviews the previous scene ‘b’.

Prophecy 1: The enemy moves against God’s people (38:2-13).

There are two perspectives of same incident. In scene ‘a’ God will lead Gog against his people (v3-9) from God’s viewpoint. In scene ‘b’ Gog devised an evil scheme against unprotected Israel (v10-13) from Gog’s viewpoint.

The message is to ponder on the paradox of God’s sovereign plan and human responsibility.

Prophecy 2: God will be made known through the judgement of the enemy (38:14-23) .

In scene ‘a’ Gog will attack in the last days (v14-16). This reviews the previous scene ‘b’, Gog’s evil scheme against Israel. In scene ‘b’ God announced the judgement in former days through his prophets (v17-23).

God asks Gog, “Are you he of whom I spoke in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel who those days prophesied for years that I would bring you against them?” (38:17). This question would indicate that Gog is Ezekiel’s metaphor for all of Israel’s enemies. The enemies of God’s people will be judged, and that natural catastrophes are apocalyptic agents of judgement (38:19-20).

The message is that God has predicted this future event. The enemy will be judged so the nations will know that I am the Lord.

Prophecy 3: The enemy is destroyed, and Israel is blessed(39:1-16).

In scene ‘a’ God will destroy the enemy (39:1-8). This reviews the previous scene ‘b’, God’s judgement on Gog. In scene ‘b’ Israel will plunder and bury the enemy in the land (39:9-16). Instead of becoming spoil for the enemy, Israel will take spoil from the enemy. Gog will be given a place in Israel, but only a place of burial (v11).

The message is that God sovereignly turns the trials of his people turn into his blessing.

Prophecy 4: The enemy is sacrificed, and God will be with is people (39:17-29).

In scene ‘a’ Israel filled at a sacrificial feast, where they eat fat and drink blood (v17-24). This reviews the previous scene ‘b’ that the enemy’s fall will feed Israel. God sacrifices the enemy to Israel, filling them with fat and blood (v19). These were the forbidden portions, reserved for God alone. In scene ‘b’ God promises that he will never hide his face again (v25-29). Once he has restored his people to the land, he will not hide his face from them any longer (v28-29).

The message is that God will bring judgement on the godless and bring a miraculous supply for God’s people.

Summary

If the apocalyptic nature of the prophecies are noted, then the passage shows great irony. God sacrificed the enemy to Israel and feeding them banned fat, and quenching their thirst with blood. A shocking portrait of great judgement on the godless and miraculous supply of his elect.

The message to the people still in captivity is one of hope, that although the future will involve trials, God is totally in control, and will bring ultimate judgment on Israel’s enemies, and glorious blessing on his people.

Trying to identify Gog

This can turn out to be an unhelpful exercise. The question is whether the passage predicts one particular historical enemy, or whether Gog represent all of Israel’s enemies (38:17).

It is important to note that in Ezekiel Gog is a person, from the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal (38:1). These are two nations, sons of Japheth (Gen 10:2) and trading partners of Tyre (27:13), where Gog’s allies were Persia, Cush, Put, Gomer and Beth-togarmah. These nations were at the extreme northern, eastern and southern borders of the then known world, further away from Israel than the nations Ezekiel prophesies against in chapters 25-32.

These two chapters clearly describe a great battle future to Ezekiel’s time where God draws Gog and his great armies from the north against the peaceful nation of Israel. God will vindicate his holiness by massacring the invaders, and saving Israel. There are three possible interpretations.

1) A historic battle

A battle, future to Ezekiel's time, but now has already occurred in history.

It describes ancient warfare, rather than modern warfare, using horses, horsemen, shields, armour, swords (38:4), which are burnt (39:9). However, it is possible that Ezekiel is using familiar terms to describe a future battle. The question is, which historic battle is being described, and who is Gog? No historic battles are known which fulfil these prophecies completely. There are several possible identifications of Gog.

a) Gog is Antiochus IV Epiphanes

Gog could be Antiochus IV Epiphanes and the oppression of the Jews by the Seleucids in 167 BC, when the temple was desecrated. The Battle of Beth-horon 166 BC was when the Maccabees started to fight back. The temple was re-dedicated in 165 BC, after two more battles.

There are several arguments to support this suggestion. The first is the position in the book of Ezekiel, after the restoration, but before the new covenant and temple. The Seleucid oppression was the last great oppression before the NT and the occupation by the Roman armies. The second was the enormous armies of the Seleucids (38:15) against small Israel, which were intended to attack the Ptolemys of Egypt. The Romans helped Egypt, so Antiochus had to retreat and came against Jerusalem on his return to Syria. The third was the severe but short oppression when the armies took Jerusalem (38:22, 39:3). Antiochus sacrificed a pig to Zeus on the main altar of the temple, making the temple unclean. He wanted to Hellenise the Jews, and Judaism was forbidden. The fourth was that the defeat of the Seleucids was most unexpected and complete, through victories of the Maccabees in only a two or three years (38:22, 39:3). The fifth was that the Seleucids came from Syria, which had conquered Meshech and Tubal. Lastly, the Seleucid army consisted of many different nationalities. Antiochus had hired foreign troops to help conquer Egypt (38:5-6).

The language resembles Dan 11 which describes Antiochus Epiphanes. God will turn back Antiochus (Dan 11:29-30), just as God will turn back Gog (Ezek 38:4). Both are described as being like a storm or whirlwind (Dan 11:40, Ezek 38:9). Gog profaned the holy name (Ezek 39:7), as Antiochus profaned the temple.

b) Gog is the Scythian invasion associated with literal Meshech and Tubal

Meshech and Tubal were insignificant trading nations which never invaded Israel. The Scythians were the proverbial barbarians, using fierce disorganised warfare, known for their lack of culture.

c) Gog is king Gyges of Lydia (660 BC).

Gyges was also called Gugu by Ashurbanipal of Assyria. Lydia was a kingdom in the western part of today's Turkey, who also never invaded Israel. Also Gyges lived about one hundred years before Ezekiel received these oracles.

d) Gog is Alexander the Great

Alexander did take over Israel, but did not die there, but near Babylon. Alexander won, leaving Israel under Greek control, unlike Gog who is soundly defeated.

e) Gog is a cryptogram for Babylon

This is a very obscure calculation. Again, there was no historical fulfilment, Babylon conquered Israel and won. By this point in the book, Jerusalem already fallen to the Babylonians. In 539 BC, Babylon was conquered by the Persians.

2) A future battle

The popular pre-millennial dispensationalist teaching is that this describes a great battle in the future, prior to the seven year tribulation. At this time the church is raptured and there is a time of great blessing on the physical state of Israel. They say that Gog is Russia and its allies are the Arabs and Eastern Europe. They predict that the USSR will invade Israel and will be destroyed supernaturally by God. Five sixths of the Russian army will be destroyed (39:2, KJV only) and their weapons will burn for seven years (39:9). One problem with this is that modern steel weapons do not burn, so they suggest that USSR will invade using wooden weapons.

An identification is made between this passage and Rev 20, where Gog and Magog are mentioned again. They do not appear anywhere else in scripture apart from Genesis 10 and the genealogies in 1 Chronicles. At the end of the 1000 years when Satan is released, Gog and Magog gather for battle, surround the camp of saints and the beloved city, but fire from heaven consumed them (Rev 20:7-10).

There are some similarities: Gog and Magog plus other nations, the invasion and siege of the beloved city, and fire coming from heaven and consuming them. However, in Ezekiel, Gog is the chief prince of the land of Magog (38:1), but in Revelation both are names of nations or peoples (Rev 20:8).

Rev 20 describes the last conflict, after which fire accompanies Jesus’ return and stops the battle. The question is whether Ezekiel describes the same conflict. This teaching would say that Rev 20 and Ezek 38 describe the same event, the final battle.

Identification of nations

The land of Gog is around the Caucasus Mountains, which today form the southern part of the ex-USSR, due north of Israel. However, all the Old Testament invaders of Israel came from the north including Babylon (Jer 1:13), which was due east from Jerusalem.

The chief prince is claimed to be the prince of Russia. The word for chief is 'rosh' in Hebrew, which sounds similar to Russia, but has no connection. However rosh is used over 600 times in OT, never meaning Russia.

Meshech and Tubal, allies of Gog, are named as sons of Japheth (Gen 10:2), but are otherwise unknown. These are said to be Moscow and Tobolsk, based purely on the superficial sounds of the words. However, the first reference to Moscow was to a small village in AD 1147, which is a Finnish name, not Hebrew. Tobolsk is a smaller city in western Siberia which was not founded until AD 1587. Gomer, another ally of Gog was claimed to be the DDR (East Germany), only founded in 1949 and no longer exists.

For the church, we are called to a spiritual battle, not a physical battle. Our weapons are prayer and the word of God.

3) A spiritual battle

The third approach is to say this is a spiritual battle which is described in terms of physical warfare, the ongoing conflict between the gospel and Satan’s deception. Revelation 20 describes a spiritual conflict. There will be growing polarisation and hostility between the kingdom of darkness and the Kingdom of God. The church will be attacked but protected by God. This will be most pronounced in the ‘little season’, just before Jesus returns. Now, while Satan is bound, the church is on the offensive, spreading the gospel to all nations. During the little season, when Satan is released, the church will be on the defensive, prevented from spreading the gospel, under intense persecution on a worldwide scale.

Rev 20 could be about something different than Ezek 38-39, but using the same images. John may be using the picture of Gog and Magog to describe Satan's fury against the church, through oppression of world governments and religious systems. Ezek 38-39 could be a historic battle, with Rev 20 using the same images to describe a spiritual battle.

Ezek 38-39 describes an assault of Satan's hoards (Gog), not a single human government, but enemies of God’s kingdom. This is in progress now and throughout history, with a climax just before the second coming.

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