A Study of Ezekiel 38-39
By Pastor Trent Boedicker (May, 2024)
Global domination… that is the goal of a popular board game called Risk that has been played by many since it first hit shelves in 1957. I introduced the game to my children over Christmas break, and we waged an epic battle lasting for weeks. At the very beginning of the conflict we staked out our positions on the map. It is interesting to watch the different strategies one takes as they command their armies. Forming a temporary alliance with my daughter, we successfully drove my son out of Europe. His forces were in full retreat, collapsing all the way to his base. However, he is not the kind of general to give up without a fight. Turning in his cards at a crucial moment in the game, he brought dozens of reinforcements. Meanwhile, my daughter shifted from a defensive posture to a more aggressive assault, and shattered our flimsy alliance. I had ignored the mounting forces she kept in Western Africa, and she used those battalions to invade. I had stationed only a single army in most of my territories, which proved to be a terrible mistake as she quickly swept through my empire. (I can’t prove it, but I also believe my children were using weighted dice at this point to give them the edge). The conflict was escalating quickly. They both had enough cards to summon massive reinforcements. And then… That’s it. There’s nothing else to report. The game ended. Their break was over and they went back to school. We kept the board set up on the table for a while, but never got back to it. Eventually the pieces were put back into the box, and the conflict was never resolved.
This is how most of the conflicts of this earth seem to unfold. Nothing ever really gets resolved, at least not for very long. Tensions may simmer down for a while, but only to flare up again at a later time, perhaps with different players in different regions, but with the same results. People once referred to World War I as “the war to end all wars,” and at the time it must have felt as if this were true, but as we look back on history we realize this was nothing more than an idealistic slogan. Think of how many conflicts have erupted around the globe over the past century alone: World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the first Persian Gulf War, the second Persian Gulf War, Afghanistan… These are only a few of the struggles that our own nation has fought, but there are countless others happening in places that most of us have never even heard of, disrupting the lives of millions.
The cost of war is devastating. If you’ve ever visited a war memorial you have seen the endless rows of crosses marking the graves of those who fell in battle. Or you may have touched the massive walls etched with the names of men whose bodies were never found. We have watched documentaries that replay the scenes of cities reduced to rubble after a savage bombing. Museums display the weapons carried by real soldiers into battle, and we can read the letters sent from the frontlines to loved ones by those who never made it home. War covers the world with death and destruction. We know that there are conflicts worth fighting and we honor those who have bravely served to protect the freedoms of others. But we yearn for real and lasting peace. It is easy to feel anxious as we turn on the evening news to see video footage of missiles being launched from Iran, or Russian tanks rolling across Ukraine. The tensions between nations are only growing more intense by the day. Like a pressure cooker left on the heat for far too long, it feels as if our world is about to explode.
This is why we need the comfort offered by the Old Testament prophets who envision a day when the final conflict will be fought on this earth and the ultimate victory will be won. God’s people ought not live in fear, because the Lord is sovereign over the kingdoms of this earth. Even when the nations rage, the Lord is still on the throne. There is no power or authority that could ever vanquish the Lord of Hosts.
The prophets have much to say about battles that lie ahead in the future. Some of these passages are difficult to understand, but they are worth the effort of our study. We have so many questions about the last days. God has chosen not to answer them all, but he gives us a glimpse into events yet to come so we can live our lives today with hope and confident expectation.
Ezekiel 38-39 contains an incredible prophecy about a future battle that will impact the course of history. This account is tucked away in what might be for many an obscure corner of the Bible. Most Christians haven’t spent much time reading Ezekiel’s visions. We rarely hear sermons from these pages. Sadly, when we do, many preachers highlight only a few isolated verses, failing to explore the context of these chapters. I encourage you to read these chapters slowly and carefully. Ask lots of good questions: “Who is this passage talking about?” “Where does this prophecy unfold?” “What is the situation in the land when invaders come?” “When does this battle occur?” “Why does this wicked ruler summon the nations for war?” “How does God deal with his enemies? Where else do we read about these same events in the pages of Scripture? How does God display his faithfulness toward his people?” Read, and reread the paragraphs jotting down the insights you find. Then expand your study to the surrounding chapters to see how this event fits into the larger picture. We will try to do this in the paragraphs that follow. Remember that God placed this account in Scripture for a reason. It is not to satisfy our human curiosity about the future. There is something we learn about his character and his purpose.
Background: A Message of Hope to Exiled People
It is always beneficial to examine the circumstances of the passage we are studying. This is certainly the case as we open our Bibles to Ezekiel 38-39. The prophet Ezekiel lived during the time of the Babylonian Captivity. His ministry spanned from 593 BC after the first and second deportation of Jews from their homeland, extending to around 571 BC. He received his prophetic calling seven years before the destruction of Jerusalem and he continued to proclaim the word of the Lord at least 14 years after that dark and terrible day.[i] Unlike Jeremiah, who spent most of his ministry addressing those still living in Jerusalem during this same period of time, Ezekiel lived among the exiles who were longing to go home. Their lives had been upended by war and they couldn’t help but wonder if God had abandoned them.
The prophet’s message explained the reason all of this had happened. It is not that God was too weak to protect his people. The fault was entirely their own. For generations, Israel and Judah had spurned the covenant God made with their fathers. Despite persistent warning, they continued to reject God, choosing instead to worship idols. The results were catastrophic. And yet despite their infidelity, God remained faithful. Ezekiel not only delivered a pronouncement of judgment, but also gave words of hope. God promised not to forget his wayward people, but to restore them, bring them back to their land, change their hearts, and rule over them in a kingdom of peace that would last forever. As you can imagine, this brought tremendous comfort to a nation devastated by war. God stayed true to his word, preserving his people through their 70 years of exile. He orchestrated world events in such a way that allowed the Jewish people to return and rebuild their homes. As we will see, that return did not fulfill the prophecy of Ezekiel. His visions look beyond the days of the prophets to a much greater restoration in the future.
A Wicked Ruler
Israel has seen more than her share of conflict through the course of history. The people have been dominated by Gentile nations, and trampled by the various kingdoms of this world. More than one evil ruler has made it his personal ambition to wipe them from the face of the earth. Through it all, God’s hand of providence has kept wicked plans from succeeding.
The opening verses of Ezekiel 38 introduce us to a nefarious figure who sets his sights on the Promised Land. His identity has been the source of much speculation but as we work through the passage we get a better view of how these events will unfold. In some ways, this ruler is the living embodiment of all the hatred and animosity that has been directed against God and his people through the ages. The Lord calls Ezekiel to proclaim this prophecy of judgment toward this wicked ruler.
In verses 1-2 we read, “The word of the LORD came to me: ‘Son of man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him.’”
Gog is a person, although his identity along with the meaning of his name remains mysterious. He is not to be mistaken for the Reubenite prince mentioned in 1 Chronicles 5:4. The only other reference to Gog is in Revelation 20:8. He comes from the land of Magog. Again, it is not easy to pin down the precise location of this territory. Magog, Gomer, Tubal and Meshech are listed as the sons of Japheth (Noah’s son) in Genesis 10:2 and 1 Chronicles 1:5. These cities were trading partners with the King of Tyre in Ezekiel 27:13. Extrabiblical sources place Meschech and Tubal as regions in what would be eastern Turkey.[ii]
The word “rosh,” left untranslated in some English versions, is not a geographic location but a designation of rank or position. Gog is the “chief prince” of these territories. The term רֹאש (rōʾš) is found 597 times throughout the Old Testament, most often translated “head” or “chief,” and in a few places “leader” or “captain” (refer to Deut. 29:10; 1 Chron. 27:5; Job 12:24; Jer. 31:7; 52:24 for a few examples). The Lexham Theological Wordbook explains, “This term literally refers to a head, but related to the concept of authority it can refer to the leader or foremost figure among a group.”[iii]
During the height of the Cold War, it was popular for some to connect this Hebrew word with the country of Russia, but there was no “land of Rosh” in the ancient world. As the overwhelming majority of commentators point out this association is problematic.
“There is no evidence from the ancient Near East that a country named Rosh ever existed. Some would understand rōʾš as modern Russia. Proponents of this view usually appeal to etymology based on similar sounds (to the hearing) between the two words. Such etymological procedures are not linguistically sound, nor is etymology alone a sound hermeneutical basis on which to interpret a word.” [iv]
God certainly sees into the future with perfect clarity, knowing kings and kingdoms before they are born. Through the prophet Isaiah, he announced the precise name of the king who would set Israel free from the Babylonian captivity more than 150 years before it happened (Is. 44:28; 45:1). If he had wanted to tell us about Russia in the Bible, he could have done much better than get us somewhere close to the correct spelling and pronunciation. He could have given the precise name of this modern superpower, but that’s not what we find in the text. This doesn’t mean that Russian soldiers will be missing from the armies who will come from the corners of the earth. But the prophecy isn’t about Russia. It is about Gog, a fierce ruler with considerable influence over the nations of the world.
Verses 3-4 express the Lord’s intention to bring judgment on Gog. He will only put up with the proud and wicked for so long. Powerful rulers might think they are untouchable, but sooner or later they will have to face their maker and when that moment finally arrives they will be brought low. Elsewhere in Scripture we are told, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Pr. 16:18). Let this be a warning to every arrogant and rebellious person in our world today, whether great or small. You can sneer and shake your fist at heaven, but the time will come when you will stand before your Creator. What will you say to him then? How confident will you be as the righteous judge declares his verdict? That day will finally arrive for Gog. For too long he exerted his will over others, but the Lord will endure his corruption and violent acts no more. He declares,
“Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in full armor, a great host, all of them with buckler and shield, wielding swords.” (Ezekiel 38:4 ESV)
It is as if the evil prince is a large fish that took the bait and, once hooked, he is helpless to break free while being reeled in from the river. Gog thinks he is leading his troops to conquer, but in reality, it is the Lord who is setting the trap to destroy his enemy.
There have been efforts to identify Gog with some historical figure from the past.[v] Refer to the notes below for a brief discussion. For now, we will set aside any attempt to unmask his identity but will simply follow the passage where it leads. The verses we’ve read thus far seem to describe a person. He is not a king from the pages of history, but a wicked ruler who will incite armies to march against God’s people in the future.
This dark prince will be joined by the rebellious peoples of the earth who will follow him and share in his demise. Ezekiel supplies a list of the nations who are foolish enough to participate in his schemes: Persia, Cush, and Put, Gomer, and Beth-togarmah. There are likely numerous others, as the phrase in verse 6 suggests “…many peoples are with you.” If we plot these nations on a map, comparing their location to the borders of Israel, we find that they come from all directions of the compass: Persia (Iran) in the east, Cush (Ethiopia) in the south, Put (Libya) in the west, and Gomer (Armenia) along with Beth Togarmah (also Armenia) from the north. Israel will be surrounded on every side (see Rev. 20:8).
We might be tempted to fixate on one or more of the nations listed in verse 5, but these regions are only mentioned a single time in the chapter. That tells us they are not the main focus here. They are the henchmen of Gog. It is his name that is repeated again and again throughout these paragraphs. As willing participants, all the rebellious peoples of the earth will share his fate, but the prophecy is personal and directed specifically toward this rebellious prince.
In verse 7, the Lord taunts his adversary, much like a boxer might taunt his opponent before the opening bell of the big fight. The NLT phrases it this way: “Get ready; be prepared! Keep all the armies around you mobilized, and take command of them.” At first glance, it might seem as if God is instructing his own people to prepare for war. But as we read on it is clear that he is addressing his foe: (v. 7 “you and all your company,” v.8 “you will be summoned,” v.9 “you will come like a storm,” v.10 “you will devise an evil plan).” The “you” in all of these verses speaks of Gog. Israel is given no command here to take up arms in this particular battle. She won’t need to fight the armies of the world. The Lord already has it covered.
A Peaceful People at Rest Threatened
We’ve discussed the aggressor in this coming battle, but the passage moves on to describe the scene where the conflict will unfold and those who find themselves under siege. Gog sets his sights on the Promised Land. Numerous wars have been fought in and around this region over the millennia. It has always been a strategic location, along the Fertile Crescent, at the crossroads between mighty world empires. The brutal Assyrian army decimated the northern tribes in 722 B.C. Then, in the days Ezekiel, Babylon smashed through the walls of Jerusalem and conquered the southern kingdom of Judah in 586 B.C. Later, Greek and Roman soldiers marched through the land, absorbing Israel into their own world empires. The history of the Jewish people is a history of oppression and violence that continues to this day.
The pressing question is: when will this battle occur? The passage tells us in verse 8.
After many days you will be mustered. In the latter years you will go against the land that is restored from war, the land whose people were gathered from many peoples upon the mountains of Israel, which had been a continual waste. Its people were brought out from the peoples and now dwell securely, all of them. (Ezekiel 38:8 ESV)
There are a lot of important details in this verse that help us understand the timing and setting of this battle. It will be “after many days” and “in the latter years.” These are phrases often used in the OT to describe the end times, and specifically the Messianic Age (Isa 2:2; Hos 3:5; Mic 4:1; Jer. 30:24). “In the latter days,” Isaiah 2:2 tells us, “the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the highest of mountains.” It was at the top of Mount Zion where the Jewish temple stood as a symbol of God’s presence. Isaiah tells us this mountain will again occupy a position of spiritual significance and all the peoples of the earth will come to worship the Lord in this place. According to Hosea 3:5, “the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God… in the latter days.” In other words, this future period will not merely bring a return to the land for the people but a return to God as well. This has been the subject of the chapters that immediately precede our passage (Ezekiel 36-37) and these visions fit together as part of the same unit.
Ezekiel tells us that Israel will no longer be a scattered people afflicted by her neighbors, when these events unfold, but it will be a land that has already been “restored from war” (Ezek. 38:8). The prophets consistently point to a time when Israel will experience healing and recovery from a long history of conflict (Ps. 14:7; 53:6; Is. 49:6; 52:8; Jer.30:18).
This threat posed by Gog’s invasion will arise during a time of rest. It’s not simply that there will be Jewish people living in the land, or that Israel will have taken her place once again among the nations of the world. In those days they will “dwell securely, all of them” on the mountains of Israel. The word (בָּטַח baṭaḥ) means “confidence,” “safety,” “assurance,” “freedom from anxiety or fear.” It is the same word found in Ezekiel 34:25, 27, 28 where God promises “they will be secure on their land” from every threat, whether wild beasts or hostile nations. We could ask if the people of Israel are living securely on the mountains of Israel today, or are they still suffering from conflict and terror? What would it take for true peace to become a reality? This word is found again in Zechariah 14 where we read,
“the LORD will be king over all the earth… The whole land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem… it shall be inhabited, for there shall never again be a decree of utter destruction. Jerusalem shall dwell in security” (Zech. 14:9-11.)
If we were to continue reading that passage, Zechariah goes on to describe the fate of any who are brazen enough to wage war against God’s people on that day (v. 12-15). It sounds an awful lot like what transpires in Ezekiel 38.
Ezekiel tells us that this enemy will arise at a time when all the people of Israel have been gathered from the peoples of the earth. This has been the overall theme running through this series of visions. Ezekiel 36:24–29 paints this beautiful picture of restoration.
24 I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you… 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. 28 You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. 29 …And I will summon the grain and make it abundant and lay no famine upon you. 30 I will make the fruit of the tree and the increase of the field abundant, that you may never again suffer the disgrace of famine among the nations.
The passage tells us that Israel will be gathered from the nations. The same word (קבץ qā·ḇǎṣ) is used in both 36:24 and 38:8. These verses describe what this regathering of Israel will entail: 1) cleansing from sin, 2) turning from idolatry, 3) a new heart and spirit from the Lord, 4) the Holy Spirit poured out on the nation, 5) obedience to the commands of God, 6) a new covenant relationship between the Lord and his chosen people, 7) flourishing of crops with no more famine, 8) Israel never again in a position of disgrace.
This same picture is repeated in the vision of Ezekiel 37:21–22. In addition to the conditions listed above, another important detail is added. Messiah will be present in the midst of his people reigning over them. God says through his prophet,
Behold, I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from all around, and bring them to their own land. 22 And I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. And one king shall be king over them all, and they shall be no longer two nations, and no longer divided into two kingdoms.
This is a snapshot of the future restoration of Israel. Clearly these promises were not realized when Israel returned to the land in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah, after the Babylonian Exile. That generation encountered constant opposition almost immediately as they stepped foot onto their native soil. That return was necessary, but it only foreshadowed a much greater restoration that will take place in the future. Neither were the visions of Ezekiel fulfilled when Israel became a nation again in 1948. That was a significant event because it proves God still has plans for his stubborn and wayward people. He will keep all of his promises… literally. You might say that it was a partial gathering, but how many of the Jewish people continue to live outside of their homeland? Ezekiel 38:8 says that they will dwell securely on their own land, all of them. Today a condition of spiritual blindness continues to cover the nation. The land has not experienced the spiritual awakening promised in these verses, nor does Messiah reign from Jerusalem. The time will come when the Lord will open their eyes and draw Israel back to him, but this gathering and restoration has not yet been realized. One day these promises will come to pass exactly as God predicted, without the oversight of a single detail, but that day is still future.
These clues show us that this battle will unfold “in the latter years,” when “the land is restored from war,” as the people “dwell securely,” on the mountains of Israel. These factors point to the Messianic Age. Israel today does not dwell securely in the land. There is constant conflict and unrest. Millions of Jewish people remain dispersed around the world. Israel has become a nation once more, but they have not been fully restored either physically or spiritually. Thus, the prophecy speaks of a day still to come.
Plot against a Defenseless People
Ezekiel sets the scene for this conflict in the opening verses of chapter 38. Israel will be a people at rest when suddenly, out of nowhere, the dark cloud of war will cast its shadow over the land. The wicked will plot in secret, but the Lord already knows their evil intentions. He says to Gog in verses 10-12,
“Thus says the Lord God: On that day, thoughts will come into your mind, and you will devise an evil scheme 11 and say, ‘I will go up against the land of unwalled villages. I will fall upon the quiet people who dwell securely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having no bars or gates,’ 12 to seize spoil and carry off plunder, to turn your hand against the waste places that are now inhabited, and the people who were gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and goods, who dwell at the center of the earth.
The wicked ruler convinces the nations to invade a quiet people who dwell securely (NIV “peaceful and unsuspecting”). We can almost hear these armies hatching their plot. This should be an easy mark. The land is ripe for the picking. We will swoop in to plunder their wealth and there will be no one to stop us.
They are emboldened to attack because the villages of Israel are without walls. Some have claimed this is the condition of Israel today. But look more closely at the text. The point is not simply that they are without the type of fortifications that once wrapped around cities in the ancient world. Gog inspires the people to attack because they “dwell securely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having no bars or gates.” In other words, they will have no earthly defenses to protect their citizens or to keep their cities safe from the enemy. This is what inspires the invaders to make their move. It looks, to these wicked forces, like a weakness to be exploited. But in those days Israel will trust in the Lord to shield her from harm. He will give them rest, without the need to hide behind bars and gates.
Zechariah 2:4-5 uses the very same language to describe Israel’s condition in that day.
“Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls, because of the multitude of people and livestock in it. 5 And I will be to her a wall of fire all around, declares the LORD, and I will be the glory in her midst.”
This doesn’t describe the current condition of Israel at all. It’s just the opposite. Israel has one of the most powerful armies in the world. Their missile defense system is nicknamed “the iron dome,” which shields them from enemy rockets. It works quite well, as we have seen in the news. Israel is not defenseless, but has an impressive invisible barrier that protects their citizens from enemy fire. If you tried to cross the borders in some unauthorized way, you would most definitely encounter bars and gates to block your path. This is why Hamas used gliders, in their October 7th attack, to fly over the walls into the villages of Israel. It is why they dug tunnels, to burrow under the barriers. Modern Israel has many walls and bars and gates, but this will not be the case during Gog’s invasion.
We might wonder why a people dwelling securely would be without these kinds of defenses? It is because they won’t need them in the latter days. The Messiah will be their refuge and shield, a wall of fire who surrounds the restored people of Israel. This demonstrates the height of arrogance that will consume these wicked nations. The rest of the world looks on in shock and amazement (v.13) at what they see unfolding before their eyes. The forces commanded by Gog should realize the folly of their scheme, but they are under the influence of the great deceiver (Rev. 20:7-8).
A Battle that is not a Battle
The drama builds as we read through the passage. The stage is set. The troops have been assembled. From an earthly perspective, there is nothing standing in the way between Gog and his prize. But the prophet does not view these events from a human point of view.
As you read through Ezekiel 38, I urge you to count the number of verses that describe the actual fighting. How many cities does Gog capture in the land of Israel? How many houses are burned? How many men of Israel are struck down with the sword? How many women and children are taken captive? Go ahead and count. Put a bookmark here and come back when you are finished. The answer is… none. The first 16 verses set the stage for the battle. The next 7 verses of the chapter describe the Lord’s response. And then chapter 39 goes on to sum up what we have read and to speak of the cleanup operation that will follow. There is not a single verse that describes actual fighting, other than the Lord turning the swords of Gog’s army against themselves (38:21). They will advance, like a threatening storm cloud that casts a shadow over the land (38:9). But for all his thunderous boasting, Gog’s efforts will amount to nothing. The armies of the world won’t be able to lay a hand against God’s people, because the Lord intervenes to deliver them.
In our Bibles, the editors may supply a heading over this section such as “The Battle of Gog and Magog” because we feel the need to call it something. But in reality, this is a battle that isn’t a battle at all. A better title might be, “The victory over Gog and Magog.” This victory will be absolute.
This is so incredibly important, because there are many Christians today who panic when they see rockets being launched from Iran toward the land of Israel. We find slick preachers throwing together fancy presentations on You Tube with ominous background music and video clips showing tanks rolling through the streets of Tehran. The speaker is appealing to emotions of fear and anxiousness when he asks in a dramatic voice if we are seeing the words of Ezekiel’s prophecy being fulfilled right before our very eyes. As we examine the content of these chapters, it becomes clear that whatever happens in the world today, it is not a fulfillment of Ezekiel 38-39. It can’t be. There will be no rockets launched in the battle of Gog and Magog, nor will there be gunfire, or mortar blasts, or aircraft, or drones, or bombs falling in the streets (nor lightsabers or laser beams or photon torpedoes for that matter). There will be no battle, but only the victory of the Lord.
God’s response to the approaching horde is both swift and devastating. In verses 18–22 we read,
But on that day, the day that Gog shall come against the land of Israel, declares the Lord GOD, my wrath will be roused in my anger. 19 For in my jealousy and in my blazing wrath I declare, On that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. 20 The fish of the sea and the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the field and all creeping things that creep on the ground, and all the people who are on the face of the earth, shall quake at my presence. And the mountains shall be thrown down, and the cliffs shall fall, and every wall shall tumble to the ground. 21 I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Lord GOD. Every man’s sword will be against his brother. 22 With pestilence and bloodshed I will enter into judgment with him, and I will rain upon him and his hordes and the many peoples who are with him torrential rains and hailstones, fire and sulfur.
Earlier in the chapter we read that Israel will have no walls or gates where she can take refuge. There will be no army or defenses to offer protection. The people of God won’t need the conventional instruments of war. Why? Israel’s King will fight on her behalf. The passage tells us that all the people of the earth will shake at his presence. This is not figurative language. It is not that God is with his people only in spirit to lend moral support. He doesn’t tell them to take up arms in this fight, assembling a ragtag militia armed with pitchforks or whatever they can find to wield at the enemy while he cheers them on from above. No, that’s not how it unfolds. The Messiah is there, in their midst, watching over his people. All they need to do is trust in him, and he will deliver them. The world will tremble at his presence. This is one of the very reasons God orchestrates these events in the first place. He is going to prove once and for all to his people, along with the watching world, that he is faithful.
The Lord will unleash his blazing wrath in a way that is reminiscent of many Old Testament judgment scenes. He causes the ground to quake, much like the ground split open in Numbers 16 to swallow the rebellious leaders in the wilderness. God turns the armies of Gog against each other, just as he did in Judges 13:22 to the invaders from Midian and again in 1 Samuel 14:20 to the Philistine army and again with the sons of Ammon and Moab in 2 Chronicles 20:22-23. He delivers his enemies over to pestilence, just as his own stubborn and sinful people suffered on numerous occasions in the past (Lev. 26:25; 1 Chron. 21:14; Jer. 21:5-6). The Lord sends torrential rains upon the warriors of the nations, much like he used water to purge the wicked from the earth in the great flood (Gen. 7:4). He hurls destructive hailstones down upon Gog’s forces, like the seventh plague that fell upon the land of Egypt in the days of Pharaoh (Ex. 9:18). He calls forth fire and sulfur to consume them, just as he dealt with Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19:24). In every way, Gog and his forces find themselves overmatched and outmaneuvered. There is nowhere to run from the fierce anger of the Lord. On that day, Israel will have no army, and Israel will need no army because her champion is mightier than any foe. Even the combined forces of darkness, assembled from the corners of the cosmos, will be no match for him.
Some have tried to tie the phrase “fire and sulfur” to nuclear war, suggesting the conflict will be settled when some world ruler pushes the button obliterating these armies in a giant mushroom cloud. They even claim that the burial of the dead (39:11) is necessary to rid the land of radiation. But notice how much of the passage must be ignored in order to reach this conclusion. Do they believe Sodom and Gomorrah were also wiped out by nukes? The same terminology is used in both passages. We can come up with all kinds of wild interpretations when we read our own ideas into the text of Scripture rather than drawing from the text what is actually there. No, this conflict will not be won through any weapon of man. God’s supernatural intervention will strike down his enemies and deliver his people.
There is something we can learn from this passage and apply to our own lives. If God will watch over to protect his people in the future, can’t we trust him to watch over and protect his people today? That doesn’t mean he will rain fire from heaven on the person who gives us a hard time as we seek to live out our faith. His care for us is expressed in a much different way. But he certainly walks beside us through our struggles, and strengthens us through our battles. He even supplies a full array of spiritual armor to equip us as we face the fiery arrows of our enemy. God proves himself faithful through the events of Ezekiel 38-39, and he proves himself faithful on a daily basis as we live for him in this present world. He is zealous for us, as he will be zealous for them. We might think it is up to us to defeat our adversaries, returning fire when we are threatened or mocked or treated unfairly. But instead, we can entrust ourselves to our Rock and Fortress and Deliverer. The Church of God doesn’t fight the way the world fights in order to advance our cause. We have the weapons of righteousness in our right hand and our left (2 Cor. 6:7), that are useful for destroying arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God (2 Cor. 10:5). We can trust him, the way his future people will trust him.
The Outcome: God’s Name No Longer Profaned
The victory is won without a fight. The armies of the nations will be too numerous to count, like the sand of the sea (Rev. 20:8). But they will be obliterated at the command of the Lord. Finally, the war to end all wars will be over. What often gets lost as we study these verses is God’s purpose in all of this. In Ezekiel 38:23 God says, “So I will show my greatness and my holiness and make myself known in the eyes of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.” God allows Gog to lead the armies of the world against Israel to demonstrate his own power and holiness. Lest anyone doubt his authority over the all the nations, he will humble them. Lest the wicked think they can carry out their schemes with no one to hold them accountable, they will be judged. With this final battle the Lord will make himself known in the eyes of all the nations, and there will be no room left to doubt that He is the LORD.
Some have tried to interpret this passage as an imminent conflict, a coming World War III, that will erupt before or at the very beginning of the Great Tribulation. They point to headlines in the news, trying to tie current events to some random verse on these pages. But this doesn’t fit with the message of our passage. At the end of this battle, the nations will know with absolute certainty there is a God who reigns supreme.
The language here in definitive. It’s not that the people of Israel will begin to wonder, at the end of this battle, if Jesus really could be the Messiah. It’s not that a few people on the earth will begin to wonder whether the God of Israel could indeed be the one true God. The passage tells us, “Then they will know that I am the LORD.” How different that will be from the world in which we live today, where so many people are blinded by sin. How different it will be from the condition of the world during the Great Tribulation, when men will choose to worship the beast and the dragon rather than bowing their knee to Christ. God will allow the wicked to go their way for a time, but the day of reckoning will eventually come. Ezekiel 39:7-8 tells us,
And my holy name I will make known in the midst of my people Israel, and I will not let my holy name be profaned anymore. And the nations shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel. 8 Behold, it is coming and it will be brought about, declares the Lord GOD. That is the day of which I have spoken.
We know that God’s holy name is profaned in our world today. It breaks our heart. Christians find themselves facing ridicule and affliction for the name of Christ, but we are encouraged to endure in the strength he supplies. His name will be profaned to an even greater degree during the tribulation period. Mankind will plunge to further depths of depravity when all restraints are cast aside. But a time will come when the final rebellion is extinguished once and for all. The holy name of the LORD will never again be profaned, but will be exalted and magnified throughout the universe forever.
Let’s return for a moment to the question of Gog’s identity. In Ezekiel 38:17 the Lord asks,
“Are you he of whom I spoke in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel, who in those days prophesied for years that I would bring you against them?”
Apparently, this is not the first time the Scriptures speak of this wicked prince or his demonic schemes. In the former days the Lord spoke through his prophets about Gog’s rise and fall, and the final battle where he would meet his end. If this is the only reference in the OT that mentions this name, we naturally wonder where else in the Bible do we read about his demise? The only explanation is that Gog is known by other names as well. I’m not talking about the name of some earthly dictator. There have been many who have come and gone through the ages of history, but the message of the prophets look beyond human tyrants to a darker figure behind them all. His demise, and the Lord’s ultimate victory, is the focus of prophecy. Elsewhere in Scripture we read about the Serpent (Gen. 3:15), Lucifer the morning star (Isaiah 14:12), Satan the accuser of God’s people (Job 1:12). He is the prince of the power of the air (Eph. 2:2), the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4), the evil one (Eph. 6:16), the dragon (Rev. 20:2), and the enemy (1 Tim. 5:14). He is the one who deceives the nations and gathers them for war (Rev. 20:7-8). He manipulates the hearts of the wicked to do his bidding. There will likely be an earthly ruler seduced by his lies that he uses to instigate these events. But the prophet is describing so much more than a conflict between Israel and the nations. This is really a battle between God and the prince of darkness, and the passage shows us clearly who will prevail.
There will be a war to end all wars. That’s what the vision of Ezekiel 38-39 describes. We don’t need to be afraid as we see our world in chaos. We don’t need to spend our days scouring the headlines trying to decipher how close we are to the Great Tribulation. Every hour we spend prognosticating about the future is an hour we lose for reaching the lost and dying world. There may be a World War III in our time. Who knows? None of us are prophets. But if that is the case it won’t be the conflict that is described here in these verses. It is possible that the tensions we are witnessing right now in Israel could escalate even further, or it could blow over again in a few months… at least for a time. Either way, the rapture will happen on the day and hour God has ordained according to his purpose. The events that follow will occur according to his eternal plan. We can leave the future in his hands. In the meantime, let us faithfully follow our Savior and strive to carry out the mission that was given to us. Passages like this have been placed in the Bible for a reason. They are not puzzles we are told to solve so we can unlock a hidden meaning. They are words of encouragement meant to give us hope in troubling times.
Addendum A: Historical Figures and Gog’s Potential Identity
As discussed above, commentaries have listed a series of historical figures who possess similar qualities to Ezekiel’s depiction of Gog. One contender, who receives mention in the commentaries, is a man named Gugu or Gyges, the first known king of the Lydian kingdom (in what is modern Turkey). He reigned for 38 years during a period of turmoil from 680-640 BC. Along with other kings of the era, there were myths that arose after his death about his military feats, one involving a magic ring of invisibility that allowed him to murder the previous ruler and seize the throne. (Maybe this is where Tolkien received his inspiration for the adventures of middle earth). There is a sense in which every ruthless king foreshadows the wicked prince who will come. But other than a similar sounding name, there is nothing here in these verses that would connect Gugu (or Gyges) with Gog.
Others suggest “Gog” may be a cryptic title for “Babel” or “Babylon.” For a fuller discussion of this view, refer to comments in the New American Commentary. Babylon found the strength it needed to overthrow the Assyrian Empire through an alliance that was forged by marriage. Nebuchadnezzar, at the time prince of Babylon, was wed to Amytis, daughter of the Median king Cyaxares. It may be pure coincidence, but this brought him into alliance with the very regions mentioned in verse 2. Cooper writes, “If such is the case, Babylon itself is being used to represent the nations of the world aligned against God’s people in the end times.”
It is also interesting to note that “Gog” may be derived from the Sumerian word “gug,” meaning darkness. His intentions are certainly guided by the prince of darkness, the ruler of this world (John 12:31).
We may find insight by looking back at the interpretation of early Jewish readers. Cooper says, “Rabbinic writers identify Gog and Magog as the final enemy who will attack Israel in the messianic age.” [vi]
Addendum B: Theory that this Battle must Precede the Tribulation
Some YouTube preachers have claimed this battle must take place 7 years before the return of Christ, because Israel will use the clubs, shields, spears, and bows left by the enemy as firewood for 7 years. It is difficult to follow the logic of this argument, but it would appear they are saying since it takes seven years for the weapons of Gog’s army to be burned in the fire, this must be happening during the tribulation period because that will also last for seven years.
One can’t help but ask the simple question: why? There is nothing in Ezekiel 39 that would indicate this cleanup operation is happening during the tribulation. There is no mention of the antichrist, or the false prophet, or a treaty with Israel that is established and then broken, or global terror, or the trumpet and bowl judgments.
The passage here is describing the very opposite. The war is over. This final threat to Israel’s existence has been destroyed. God’s people are at rest which is expressed by the burning of these weapons of war. Instruments of violence intended for their destruction are now used instead as fuel for their fires. The Lord is already present, not coming. It is his very presence that puts an end to Gog’s futile invasion plan. The Lord has revealed his glory and his holiness to the nations. This all fits perfectly with John’s more condensed account of these same events in Rev. 20:7-10. Ezekiel explicitly states, multiple times, that the nations will know God is the Lord when Gog’s armies are defeated. This clearly does not describe the tribulation period at which point the nations will refuse to acknowledge the Lord is God.
The phrase “seven years” is found more than 30 times in the OT and not one of those passages describes the tribulation period. Jacob served Laban seven years to marry Rachel, and when his father-in-law tricked him, he worked another seven years for the bride he loved. Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dream predicting seven years of plenty followed by seven lean years of famine. The Law of Moses declared that at the end of every seven years there was to be remission of debts. In the days of the Judges, Midian afflicted the land of Israel for seven years before God raised up a deliverer. Elijah confronted the wicked king Ahab after a terrible drought lasting seven years. We could keep going, but clearly there is a theme. These passages were obviously not describing the Great Tribulation. Instead, the figure of seven years often signifies completion or totality or perfection. Why will the Tribulation last for seven years? Because God unleashes the full fury of his wrath on the rebellious earth during that time. Why will it take seven years to burn the instruments of war after the victory over Gog? Because the Lord will bring a full or complete deliverance to his people. Just because “Event A” happens over a span of seven years and “Event B” also happens over a span of seven years, that doesn’t mean these two events must take place concurrently over the same seven-year span of time.
Those who make this argument also contradict themselves when they claim that nuclear weapons will be used by the nations to bring an end to this war. But if that is the case, wouldn’t the clubs and spears and shields already be vaporized by the explosion? How could they be used for firewood if they have been reduced to ash? I’ve heard someone say that the reason the bodies are buried is to cleanse the land from radiation, but clearly at this point they’re just making things up rather than searching the Scriptures. As the CSB Study Bible explains,
“Because corpses were considered unclean (Lv 21:1, 11; 22:4; Nm 5:2; 6:6–12; 31:19), the Mosaic law required all humans to be given a proper burial (Dt 21:22–23). Numbers 19:11–22 explains not only the contaminating effects of a corpse but also the process by which a person so defiled could be ceremonially cleansed.” [vii]
We might also wonder how we should interpret clubs and spears and shields. Some would argue we must substitute these for modern weapons (i.e. tanks and planes and machine guns). This would make sense, except for the fact that metal or plastic technology wouldn’t supply much wood for the fires. On the other hand, if we place this battle at the end of the millennial reign, as the apostle John describes in Revelation 20, it makes much more sense that these armies are using crude weapons because modern instruments of war have already been refashioned into pruning hooks and plowshares.
There is no reason why the cleanup from the war cannot take place at the end of millennial reign. Commentators do wrestle with a more difficult question of how Ezekiel 39 relates to the events described in Revelation 19:17-21 after the battle of Armageddon. Could it be that Ezekiel 38-39 describes aspects of both conflicts in Revelation 19:11-20:10, or are they the same conflict occurring in two phases (before and after the millennium)? This could certainly be the case, but there is no biblical support to suggest this is a battle that would occur before the Tribulation. To probe deeper into this question and for a summary of interpretations, see Cooper’s discussion in the New American Commentary.
[i] Carson, D. A., ed. (2018). NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible (p. 1408). Zondervan
[ii] Alexander, R. H. (1986). Ezekiel. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel (Vol. 6, p. 930). Zondervan Publishing House
[iii] Merrill, R. (2014). Authority. In D. Mangum, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, & R. Hurst (Eds.), Lexham Theological Wordbook. Lexham Press.
[iv] Alexander, R. H. (1986). Ezekiel. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel (Vol. 6, p. 929). Zondervan Publishing House.
[v] Ibid
[vi] Cooper, L. E. (1994). Ezekiel (Vol. 17, p. 331). Broadman & Holman Publishers.
[vii] Rooker, M. F. (2017). Ezekiel. In E. A. Blum & T. Wax (Eds.), CSB Study Bible: Notes (p. 1304). Holman Bible Publishers