I will again direct you to my website for a more in depth look at Ezekiel 38-39 in reference to this future fulfillment of prophecy regarding a war commonly referenced as “the war of Gog and Magog.”
Though I can’t be sure, it makes sense to me that this attack on Israel will occur some time after Israel has gained the victory over the coalition of nations described in Psalm 83 and the destruction of Damascus. God’s intervention to assure Israel the victory against such a large enemy army would seem to provide the perfect setup for the Antichrist to rise to power with a solution for peace that will be confirmed with the signing of a seven-year covenant to that effect.
I am reminded that Antichrist will be empowered by Satan and will be able to invoke lying wonders to deceive the masses in his bid for world control.
2 Thessalonians 2:8–10 “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”
I believe that Gog is the name of the evil spirit that will work through the leader of the land of Magog. My research indicates that Magog is identified with the land of the Scythians that we now identify with Russia. Gog will lead a coaltion that consists of Iran, Black Africa (Sudan, Ethiopia, etc.), and Turkey. It could also include Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, and Somalia according to some scholars. Other members of the coalition are just identified as “many people with thee” (38:6).
I think it is interesting to note how many of these nations are experiencing great turmoil and uprisings. Tunisia sparked this round of popular uprisings by ousting its leader, and it appears that Libya’s leader will be the next to go. The governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan are shaky at best. Algeria is taking preemptive actions to try and appease the people and stabilize its government. There is still no permanent government in Somalia; fighting continues among the different factions striving to take control. The common factor uniting most of these nations is that they are predominantly Muslim. As stated in the previous post, uniting against a common enemy can be effective in stabilizing these governments for a time.
The passage indicates that Gog will be drawn into this conflict against his will.
Ezekiel 38:3–4 “And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army….”
I believe that his investments in business and military ventures with many of these countries will compel him to lead them against Israel, especially in light of the “spoils” that would accompany the victory. In just the last year a great reservoir of gas has been discovered off the coast of Israel. There are legitimate expectations of striking oil in other parts of the land. This is not to mention the bounty that is produced by Israel’s farmland and the wealth that is contained in the minerals contained in the Dead Sea.
It is significant to note that although other nations in the world will protest this attack on Israel, none will act to intervene on Israel’s behalf.
The LORD declares that this attack will make God very angry, and He will supernaturally intervene to destroy this army.
Ezekiel 38:18-22 “And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, that my fury shall come up in my face. For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground. And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man’s sword shall be against his brother. And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.
In fact, the scripture declares that 83% of Gog’s armies will be destroyed. One of the reasons I tend to think this attack on Israel will happen prior to or in conjunction with the start of the tribulation period is because scripture declares that Israel will be able to use the enemy weapons that are left behind for fuel for seven years. Ezekiel also tells us that it will take seven months for Israel to clear the land of the dead, and the process outlined is consistent with that associated with nuclear warfare.
I believe that the Antichrist will emerge in the aftermath of this conflict with the ability to promote world unity through identifying the need for peaceful cooperation and with a plan to accomplish just that. The amazing thing is that he will be able to accomplish that which has been impossible to this point—peace in the Middle East.
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3 comments:
http://shoebat.com/2015/05/27/erdogan-and-the-prime-minister-of-the-turkey-just-made-this-declaration-to-the-entire-islamic-world-we-will-gather-together-kurds-and-arabs-and-all-of-the-muslim-world-and-invade-jerusalem-and/
I would add that as for the time period of when this attack will occur is at the end of the millenial (1000 year) reign of christ, when satan is loosed again and he himself goes to cause this attack to happen.
Revelation 20:7-10
[7]And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison
[8]And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
[9]And they went up on the breadth of the earth,and compasses the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
[10]And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are. And shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever
Anonymous, I must respectfully disagree. The attack to which you refer does involve the same evil spiritual forces, but it refers to an attack that is immediately followed by the Great White Throne judgment. There will be no time left for the followup events described in Ezekiel to occur.
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