War of Gog and Magog

Ezekiel

SINAI TO ZION ISRAEL’S LAST DAYS SALVATION IN EZEKIEL 34

ISRAEL’S LAST DAYS SALVATION IN EZEKIEL 34

So also did Ezekiel the prophet connect Israel’s restoration to the coming of the Messiah: “I will set over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them; he will feed them himself and be their shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their God” (Ez 34:23–24). It is during that time, when Messiah is on the throne, that the Lord promises to bless Israel with a permanent covenant of peace and security

Battle of Gog and Magog

SINAI TO ZION EZEKIEL 38–39

The prophecy of Ezekiel 38–39, often referred to as the battle of Gog and Magog, is a very important, yet widely misinterpreted passage. One of the most commonly held views of this prophecy is that it speaks of a failed invasion of Israel in the last days sometime prior to the Antichrist

SINAI TO ZION EZEKIEL 38–39

A more careful examination of the text itself shows that this is not the case at all. The armies of Gog and Magog will indeed be destroyed, but not before Israel suffers catastrophic losses with many of its people fleeing the land or being taken captive into the nations. This is seen when we compare the description of the people of Israel prior to, and after, the invasion. Prior to the invasion, the Jewish people are portrayed as living in the land, with a sense of ease and security, whereas, after the Gog and Magog invasion, they are described as prisoners of war, dispersed among the nations and returning to their land.

before the attack: (description of today)

Ezekiel 38:8 ESV

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.

The condition of Israel after Gog and his hordes have been destroyed and the dust has settled:

Ezekiel 39:23–24 ESV

23 And the nations shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity, because they dealt so treacherously with me that I hid my face from them and gave them into the hand of their adversaries, and they all fell by the sword. 24 I dealt with them according to their uncleanness and their transgressions, and hid my face from them.

SINAI TO ZION (EZEKIEL 38–39)

So while the prophecy began with Israel in the land, at the end of the prophecy, they are described as being in exile among the nations. Because of their rebellion, the Lord allowed many of them to perish and go into exile, or become prisoners among the nations. The verses that follow make it clear that this happens at the end of the age

Ezekiel 39:25–29 (ESV)

“Therefore thus says the Lord God: Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have mercy on the whole house of Israel, and I will be jealous for my holy name. They shall forget their shame and all the treachery they have practiced against me, when they dwell securely in their land with none to make them afraid, when I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them from their enemies’ lands, and through them have vindicated my holiness in the sight of many nations.

Then they shall know that I am the Lord their God, because I sent them into exile among the nations and then assembled them into their own land. I will leave none of them remaining among the nations anymore. And I will not hide my face anymore from them, when I pour out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, declares the Lord God.”

“Now” I will restore — meaning after the War of Gog and Magog.

“forget their shame and treachery” - reference back tot eh beginning of the prophesy and may describe the spiritual state of Israel currently… mostly atheists.

SINAI TO ZION EZEKIEL 38–39

Ezekiel 38–39 is thus a clear prophecy that speaks of: (1) the modern reestablishment of the state of Israel, (2) her future invasion, defeat, and exile, which is followed by (3) her future and ultimate restoration. Fifth, the people of Israel are not merely portrayed as being in exile among the Gentile nations but specifically as captives in “the land of their enemies”—actual prisoners of war.