Ezekiel 38:1–23

Ezekiel, himself a captive, goes up to the taking of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, and then goes right over to the end, when Israel would be restored and the enemies go up against them in their land. You will notice that in the two preceding chapters, 36 and 37, you have the restoration of the people and the divine revival of Israel. Now, when restored and quiet in the land, Gog comes up against them (chap. 38:8) to plunder and take the land; but it is so that the nations may know Jehovah when He is sanctified in Gog before their eyes (v. 16).

I think, then, that Gog is the end of all the dealings of God with respect to Israel. God brings up this proud power to show on earth, by a final judgment, His dealings with Israel and with the Gentiles, and to plant His blessing, His sanctuary, and His glory among Israel. From then on, none of the people are left in exile far from their land.

GOG is a symbolic name for the powerful and proud chief of the vast hordes of Scythia and Tartary. MAGOG, the son of Japheth (Gen. 10:2), whose descendants spread over the vast steppes in the north, after whom the land is here called. Ezek. 38:2 should read "Son of man, set your face against Gog, the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal." Gog is the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal, answering to Russia, Moscow or Muscovy, and Tobolsk: all now in the Russian empire.

At the opening of chapter 38 the prophet's attention is called to "Gog of the land of Magog," the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, as the common Bible has it. Many scholars, however, follow the Septuagint, the oldest surviving translation of the Old Testament, in rendering "chief" as a proper name rather than a description. That gives "prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal." Young's version reads the same, and so does the last revision of our English Bible.

It is the last enemy of Israel who confronts us. He dwells in the land of Magog, and he is the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal. So we have himself, his land, and his people. But the Lord Jehovah is against him. Good comes to a long-troubled people, and he does not see it; he would rather make himself great. So he finds himself lined up against not merely the Israel of God but the God of Israel. Cursed must he be who trusts in man and makes flesh his arm — and so Gog proves.

The Gog and Magog of Ezekiel must not be confused with those of Rev. 20:8. That passage refers to a gathering of enemies from all quarters at the close of the thousand years' reign; this one speaks of an invasion from the North at the start of that period.

Gog's clear overthrow comes by the glorious display of God's power as the God of nature and God over and above all things (vv. 14-23). By this means God makes Himself known to the nations. He will magnify Himself and sanctify Himself. That is, He will make Himself respected and revered, no longer mocked or made light of (vv. 16-23).

GOG is a symbolic name for the powerful and proud chief of the vast hordes of Scythia and Tartary. MAGOG, the son of Japheth (Gen. 10:2), whose descendants spread over the vast steppes in the north; the land takes its name from him. Gog is the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal — answering to Russia, Moscow, and Tobolsk... They will come "out of the north," "as a cloud to cover the land," and attack Israel in the land of Palestine, but God will strike them down.

It is worth noticing that "the chief prince" should be the "prince of Rosh." The word is not only an ordinary word meaning head or chief. It is also the Hebrew proper name for Russia, or the Russians. The names that follow prove it should be taken that way here. Nor is this merely the device of modern interpreters after events pointed out the way. The oldest version of the Old Testament is the Septuagint, the old Greek translation made by the Seventy. It supports the sense just mentioned... Now, what could be less expected, if we turn back to Ezekiel's own times, than a description of such a power?

From Ezekiel 38:8 we learn that this invasion is "in the latter years." They will come into a land brought back from the sword and gathered out of many peoples... They will all dwell safely. This is clearly after the beast and his armies have been destroyed, and it may also be after other conflicts have taken place. At any rate, the invader comes after the first of the regatherings of the nation, when they are settled down in safety.

The beast and Gog are opposing powers. Their policy and aims are widely different. The former is the would-be protector of the Jewish people; the latter their destroyer.

We are told that Gog comes out of the "north parts," or the "uttermost north," with his "many peoples" and "a great assembly, and mighty army." Geographically, then, there is ground for believing Gog is closely linked with the king of the North, or Assyrian. Mr. Darby suggested that Gog is "the last phase of the Assyrian," and that appears to be very probably correct.

But the Lord Jehovah is against him. Good comes at last to a long-troubled people, and instead of seeing it, he would rather enlarge himself. So he finds himself lined up against not just the Israel of God, but the God of Israel. Cursed must he be who trusts in man and makes flesh his arm; and so Gog proves.

Gog was to learn what Pharaoh, in his day, had to learn. In attacking Israel he was challenging the God of Israel, for Israel were God's beloved people... Gog would not enrich himself at the expense of God's land and God's people. Instead, he would be the means of displaying the glory of the God of Israel before the nations.

In Revelation, Gog and Magog are used in a wider sense than in Ezekiel. Their invasion differs in time and details, though it agrees in character and aim with the one Ezekiel foretells... There the names describe the nations, not just from the north, but from all parts, "the four quarters of the earth." Again, the invasion Ezekiel names is at the beginning of Christ's reign; the one in Revelation is at the end.

It is the last enemy of Israel who confronts us. He lives in the land of Magog. Magog was that son of Japheth who in time spread over the vast steppes of the region once called Scythia. He rules all the Russian lands — prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal. So we have the man himself, his land, and his people. But the Lord Jehovah is against him. Instead of recognising when good comes to a long-troubled people, he would rather make himself great. So he finds himself lined up against not just the Israel of God, but the God of Israel. Anyone who trusts in man like this, and leans on human strength, must be cursed — and Gog proves it.

It is worth noting that "the chief prince" should be "prince of Rosh." The word is not only an ordinary term meaning head or chief. It is also the Hebrew proper name for Russia, or the Russians. The proper nouns that follow prove it should be taken that way here. Nor is this merely a modern interpreter's device, invented after events pointed the way. The oldest version of the Old Testament is the Septuagint, the Greek Bible of the Seventy, and it supports the sense just mentioned… From the land of Magog, or old Scythia, comes this prince of certain races — the Russians (Rosh), the Muscovites (Meshech), and the people of Tobolsk (Tubal). Driven by greed for land, and above all for the Holy Land, he will lead countless armed followers against the land of Israel in the last day. But it will end in his own total destruction and theirs, under the judgment of God.

Rosh, we believe, stands for Russia. Meshech stands for Moscow, the ancient capital of European Russia… Tubal, we believe, stands for Tobolsk, the capital of Asiatic Russia, that is, of Siberia.

In self-will this powerful ruler would seek to crush the people of God and enrich himself with the spoils of war. But God will step in, in His government, to draw him and his armies onward to the judgment He has prepared for them… Gog is doing his own will. Even so, God is drawing him to the place of slaughter, just as an animal is led with hooks in its jaws to the place of slaughter.

If this were only a question between Israel and the enemy, the enemy would now wipe out the descendants of Jacob for good… But Jehovah will not give His chosen ones as prey to their teeth. He will turn on their enemies in righteous fury and indignation. We notice a little divine sarcasm in the words, "Be a guard for them." The hosts of Gog will find their leader unable to protect himself when Jehovah rises up to defend His people's cause.

The Beast and Gog are opposing powers. Their policy and aims are widely different. The former is the would-be protector of the Jewish people; the latter their destroyer.

There need be no confusion between them. The invasion in Ezekiel comes before the thousand years; the one in Revelation comes after. It happens when Israel are just back in their land (Ezek. 38:14), and from that time God's name is known in Israel, and they pollute His holy name no more (Ezek. 39:7). The nations too learn to know Him (Ezek. 38:16, 23).

In self-will this powerful ruler would seek to crush the people of God and to enrich himself with the spoils of war. But God will step in and, in His government, draw him and his armies on to the judgment He has prepared for them… Gog does his own will, yet God is still drawing him to the place of slaughter, just as hooks in the jaws lead an animal there.

Here the case stands clearly defined in all but the name, which is probably symbolic. This is the last enemy of Israel who confronts us. He lives in the land of Magog. Magog was a son of Japheth, whose descendants later spread over the vast plains once called Scythia. He is sole ruler of all the Russias, prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal. So we have the man, his land, and his people. But the Lord Jehovah is against him. Instead of seeing the good that comes to a long-troubled people, he would make himself great, and so he stands in battle line against not only the Israel of God but the God of Israel.

The correct translation of "the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal" is "Prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal." I have no doubt this rendering is right. It comes from the elder Lowth, about a hundred and fifty years ago, before anyone raised these prophetic views.

Then one last lesson will be clear. The size of an army saves no king. Great strength rescues no strong man. A horse is useless for safety. Israel are poor in spirit at last, and Jehovah brings the plans of the nations to nothing, while His own plan stands for ever. There they come, dressed to perfection, a great company, with shield and buckler, all of them gripping swords.

The invasion of "Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal" is Israel's last trouble before the thousand-year kingdom is set up in blessing. It comes from the same direction as the invasion by the King of the North (Dan. 11:41), but it differs in two ways. First, all the tribes are in the land when it happens. Second, Jehovah does not allow it the smallest success… By contrast, God Himself overthrows Gog and his armies in the northern mountains of Israel… the later invasion is unprovoked attack by an envious enemy.

The size of the attack looks out of all proportion to how small the prize is. So it may look to human eyes, but Jehovah's answer gives the deep reason underneath. He draws out this whole army so that, as He says, "the nations may know Me when I show Myself holy in you, O Gog, before their eyes."… Here we see an example of how the wheels of God's government turn, carrying forward the throne and its glorious Occupant.

God's answer is "Because you have raged against me… I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth, and I will turn you back on the way by which you came" (Isa. 37:29). Compare these words with God's words to Gog in Ezekiel 38:4… The angel of the Lord went out to carry out God's sentence and struck down 185,000 men of Sennacherib's army.

Phut or Put is an example of the more degraded stock of Ham's descendants in Africa, next to Egypt and Ethiopia, and named with one or the other at times. But Phut can hardly be the Libyan, as the Authorised Version makes out of Jeremiah 46:9, or Libya as in Ezekiel 30:5 and Ezekiel 38:5, where it should be Phut as in Ezekiel 27:10. The very obscurity that covers this African branch of Ham's sons shows how low they had fallen.

The author had no need to go so far north-east of Persia to look for the confederates. If he had taken the trouble to read the chapter in Ezekiel, he would have found it was just Persia itself, and the nations south-west of it: to give them their Hebrew names (which I do, because then Scripture will direct us), Cush and Phut. All the district about the Euphrates and the Tigris is Cush according to Scripture, and perhaps large districts in Arabia. Further, in Jeremiah 46:9, we find Cush and Phut connected with the Egyptian army... Nahum shows that Cush and Phut were naturally connected with Egypt.

Gog will have many allies. They are given to us in three groups in Ezekiel 38:5-6, some from Japheth, some from Shem, and some from Ham. A very able hand will be needed to draw them together into one compact mass. Greed is apparently the cause of this terrible coalition against restored Israel.

There they come, perfectly equipped, a great company, with shield and buckler, all of them grasping swords. Persia too is there, forced to follow in the train of the mighty northern leader, with Cush and Phut. Gomer is there with all his bands, and the house of Togarmah from the far north with all his bands. Many people indeed with Gog!

Persia, Ethiopia, and so on are under the power of Russia and follow in the train of Gog, the last ruler of the Russian peoples (Ezekiel 38:2-6)... Egypt will be subordinate to and an ally of the Beast, and so an object of attack by the king of the north — Israel's determined political foe. The Beast and Gog are opposing powers. Their policy and aims are widely different. The former is the would-be protector of the Jewish people; the latter their destroyer.

Israel will not need to fight: Jehovah will fight for them, and, as on the shores of the Red Sea, they have only to stand still and see His salvation. He will dispose of their enemies in the coming day as easily as He disposed of Pharaoh's armies in the distant past.

Gog will have many allies. Ezekiel 38:5-6 gives them in three groups: some descended from Japheth, some from Shem, and some from Ham. It will take a very able hand to draw them together into one compact mass. Greed is apparently the cause of this terrible coalition against restored Israel.

"Gomer and all his bands" are north-eastern; but the Cimri and others may be some of the race that migrated westward. "The house of Togarmah" of the north quarters I take to be the Armenian stock, as that people say of themselves. They will follow Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, that is, the last head of the Russian Empire.

Should we assume, without proof, that "Gomer and all his bands" means France and most of Continental Europe? Or that "Togarmah of the north quarters" means the countries around the Baltic Sea? Genesis 10:3 tells us the sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah. Scripture is silent about where Riphath lay, but Jeremiah 51:27 makes it certain that Ashkenaz belongs among the Asiatic kingdoms, probably the district between the Caspian and the Black Seas. What Scripture says of Togarmah leads me to look for it near the Caucasus range, far to the north of Palestine, and not on the borders of the Baltic. It is a fair subject for discussion, but it is well to weigh the evidence of Scripture before drawing conclusions.

Persia, Ethiopia and the rest are under the power of Russia. They follow in the train of Gog, the last ruler of the Russian peoples (Ezekiel 38:2-6)… The Beast and Gog are opposing powers. Their policy and aims are widely different. The former is the would-be protector of the Jewish people; the latter their destroyer.

Gog says, "I will go up to the land of unwalled villages. I will go to those at rest, dwelling without walls, and having no bars or gates." God tells the prophet to say to him, "In that day when my people Israel are dwelling securely, will you not know it? You will come from your place out of the uttermost parts of the north… and come up against my people Israel, like a cloud covering the land." So this northern confederacy invades only after Israel has returned and settled peacefully in the land, under the protection of their Messiah. The terrible judgment that falls on the invaders comes after that too.

In self-will this powerful ruler would seek to crush the people of God and enrich himself with the spoils of war. But in His government God will step in, drawing him and his armies on to the judgment He has prepared for them… Gog does his own will, yet God is drawing him to the place of slaughter, just as hooks in the jaws lead an animal there.

Then, as a final lesson, it will appear that the size of his army saves no king… There they come, perfectly dressed for battle, a great company with shields, all of them grasping swords; Persia too is there, forced to follow the train of the mighty northern leader, Cush and Put with them; Gomer and all his bands; the house of Togarmah from the far north, and all his bands: many peoples indeed with Gog! With grave irony God tells him to be prepared and prepare himself, he and all his vast confederacy, and to be their guard — if he can!

Gog is clearly a ruler of great power and influence, for he is able to gather under his leadership a mixed group of nations. On their behalf Jehovah commands him to prepare for the coming conflict. To them he is to be a "guard" or "commander." This marks him out as a military organiser and leader. Here we have only the statement of his great assembly. The chapter gives its time and its object later.

These nations do not fill a large place in prophecy. Only Persia has any real prominence. They are not next to the land, and they do not belong to the western confederacy. They are the Gentile nations outside the groups mentioned in Daniel and Revelation, and largely descendants of Japheth, from whom come the inhabitants of "the isles of the sea" (Gen. 10:5). In a general way these peoples belong near and north of the Black Sea, with Rosh pointing to Russia. In this assembly we clearly have a great northern confederacy. It becomes the last instrument in Satan's hand. Through it he will seek to destroy the chosen people once they are restored to the land under Messiah.

Then one final lesson will appear. No king is saved by the size of his army. Great strength does not deliver a mighty man. A horse is a vain hope for safety. Israel at last are poor in spirit. Jehovah brings the plans of the nations to nothing, while His own counsel stands for ever. There they come, equipped to perfection, a great company with shield and buckler, all of them gripping swords. Many peoples indeed are with Gog! With grave irony he is told to be prepared and prepare himself, he and all his vast confederacy, and be their guard — if he can!

Every kind of weapon, for defence and attack, is with this immensely powerful group of armies. But what is all this great display of human power in the eyes of God? As if taunting the great enemy of His people, God says to him, "Be ready and keep ready, you and all your hosts that are assembled about you, and be a guard for them" (Ezek. 38:7). No doubt Gog claimed to be the guardian of his allies, for his own advantage; now he will have his chance to be their guard. What can he do against the almighty power of the God of Israel? He cannot protect himself or his allies. All their shields and helmets will be useless when God steps in for His people Israel.

In self-will this powerful ruler would seek to crush the people of God and enrich himself with the spoils of war. But God will step in, in His government, to draw him and his armies on to the judgment He has prepared for them. God has already said that He will turn Gog back, put hooks into his jaws, and bring him out with his whole army (Ezek. 38:4). Gog is doing his own will, yet God is drawing him to the place of slaughter, like an animal led there with hooks in its jaws.

If it were simply a matter between Israel and the enemy, the descendants of Jacob would now be finally wiped out. They can say with the Psalmist that Jehovah is on their side. Without Him, such a force rising against them would have swallowed them up alive (Ps. 124). But Jehovah will not give His chosen ones as prey to their teeth. He will turn on their enemies in righteous fury and indignation, and rise up to defend His people's cause.

The enemy thinks he is carrying out the purpose of his own heart. In boastful pride he assembles his hosts to take plunder. The secret, for faith, is that Jehovah both leads and commands. It is a solemn lesson. How often the proud "I will" of man brings him under the crushing stroke of almighty power. That power acts to shield and deliver the objects of infinite love. Proud Pharaoh must sink down before it. The armies of Assyria must melt away before its blast. How many more of earth's mighty ones have fallen, and must yet fall! The Christian heart can say the same, with higher thoughts still. Resting on the inspired record, and rejoicing in Christ now enthroned, it asks, "Who shall separate us?" — even though we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.

The prophecy says plainly when this happens — "in the latter years"; "on that day when My people Israel are dwelling securely" (Ezek. 38:8, 14, 16). Israel has never lived securely in their own land since Ezekiel gave this prophecy. In fact, Israel as a nation has not been in the land at all. Those who came back to Palestine under Zerubbabel and Ezra were only a small, weak remnant, and mostly from the two tribes Judah and Benjamin. So Ezekiel's prediction looks ahead to their future gathering.

The words "after many days … at the end of years" speak plainly of a time that was still future. And the words "the land brought back from the sword" show that this time has not yet come, for even now the sword is very active in the land of Israel. The land will not be brought back from the sword until the Lord Jesus returns to it to reign as the true David. When the Lord comes back to this world, He will first reign as the warrior King and defeat all the enemies of His people. Only then will He reign as the true Solomon, the Prince of Peace.

For centuries the mountains and cities of Israel had been a ruin. When the Lord brings His people back, they will be fertile and full of people. Gog will look at them with greedy eyes and a greedy heart, and he will not be able to resist. The land lies in safety with no visible means of protection. So Gog thinks that this land, flowing again with milk and honey, will be easy prey for his powerful armies.

Ezekiel shows plainly what happens in the coming days of peace and prosperity, after the gracious work of restoration recorded in the earlier chapters. The Lord will bring great and powerful nations up against His people and their land. These nations lie outside the borders of the empires Daniel speaks of. We have already met them gathered in full power at Armageddon (Rev. 16:12-16; Rev. 19:11-21), and then the Lord appears on the Mount of Olives and judges the great army gathered to take Jerusalem (Zech. 14:1-4). But Gog and his armies come up after those scenes of judgment, when Israel is living in safety (verses 8-11). The reason is to show all nations that the Lord is supreme over the whole earth.

He lives in the land of Magog. Magog was a son of Japheth whose descendants spread over the vast plains once called Scythia. He is the absolute ruler of all Russia, prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal. So we have the man himself, his land, and his people. But the Lord God is against him. Good has come at last to a people long in trouble; instead of seeing it, he wants to make himself great. So he stands in battle against not just the Israel of God but the God of Israel.

There is no need to confuse the two. The invasion in Ezekiel comes before the thousand years; the one in Revelation comes after them. In Ezekiel, Israel have only just come back to their land (Ezek. 38:14). From that time God's name is known in Israel, and they never again defile His holy name (Ezek. 39:7). The nations also learn to know Him (Ezek. 38:16, 23). So we need look no further to be sure that this is not after a thousand years of such knowledge.

GOG is a symbolic name for the powerful and proud chief of the vast hordes of Scythia and Tartary. MAGOG, the son of Japheth (Gen. 10:2), whose descendants spread over the vast steppes in the north, after whom the land is here called... Gog is the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal. These answer to Russia, Moscow or Muscovy, and Tobolsk: all now in the Russian empire. They come "out of the north" and cover the land like a cloud. They will attack Israel in the land of Palestine, but God will strike them down.

So it is clear. This northern alliance invades, and a terrible judgment falls on it. Both come after Israel has returned and settled peacefully in the land. Israel is then under the protection of their Messiah, and has the smile and approval of God.

After He sets up His throne — perhaps not long after — Gog comes up against His people Israel. He brings a multitude of followers, "a great company, and a mighty army," and covers the land like a cloud. But he comes only to meet immediate and utter destruction.

The "four winds of the earth" are those disturbing elements existing in every quarter, which God can let loose in judgment whenever He wills. So Ezekiel says that Gog, the great hostile destroyer, will "advance, coming on like a storm" (Ezek. 38:9). And when the Lord delivers Israel from her enemies, He is "a hiding place from the wind, a shelter from the storm."

Left to themselves, Israel would be powerless against this invasion, with its raging and darkening influence. But Israel is not alone. Messiah is with them, in their midst. He has already come to deliver His people from the nations that had taken His beloved city (Zech. 14:3-4). He will be the shield of Israel and Jerusalem.

Persia too is there, forced to follow the mighty northern leader; Cush and Phut with them; Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah from the far north, and all his bands: many people indeed with Gog! ... As a storm Gog comes; as a cloud he covers the land. But no weapon formed against Israel shall prosper. That is their heritage, when their righteousness is from the Lord. They may be few as yet, and their enemies countless. But what is this to the Lord? It is only an opportunity to show Himself the enemy of His people's enemies. Gog finds this out too late, as we shall see — too late for himself and his enormous following, and too late for those he had left quietly at home.

When the time of these events has come, how comforting and reassuring for the people to have this word of prophecy. On this they may rest their souls. By then the land "brought back from the sword" will be theirs, with peace and plenty. The first signs of the gathering storm will suddenly darken those scenes. But God will not allow Gog to put the land to the sword again.

Then Gog, the last enemy, comes up. A terrible judgment falls on him and on the countries allied with him. That judgment makes the Lord's glory known and owned worldwide. It magnifies Him and sanctifies Him. His name will be set apart from all profanation and deeply respected, and every nation will bow to His rule for one thousand years.

The prophecy then supposes that the whole people return to their land, not just a remnant, as after the Babylonian captivity. But there is more. It supposes a quiet no one would expect, unlike any period of Israel's history in the past. Of this Gog is to take advantage, but to his own ruin. He has no faith in God's love for His people. He never thinks that God will take His place among them to defend them from their enemies.

Israel's villages have no walls, and her people have no practice in war. That will attract the envious eye of their ruthless enemy. Their great wealth will appear to be within easy reach of his greedy hand. But he forgets that the eyes of the Lord run to and fro in the earth. His eye is upon Gog; He notes the thoughts that arise in the heart, and the plans that result.

In the last days the land will be resting safely inside her borders, trusting the promise the nations have given her. But an evil thought will come into the mind of Gog. The defenceless condition of the country, its prosperous unwalled villages, and its wealth in cattle and goods will excite Russia's greed. Behind that greed, Satan's relentless hatred against God's people will be used to push on this deadly design.

Gog, not fearing Jehovah, seeks to take possession of the land. He has no thought that Jehovah is there. His pride blinds him.

If Gog, who meant evil towards Israel, was determined to come against them, the Lord said: "I will bring you against My land, that the nations may know Me, when through you, O Gog, I vindicate My holiness before their eyes" (verse 16). Gog set out to enrich himself at the expense of God's land and God's people. Instead, he would be the means of displaying the glory of the God of Israel before the nations.

But after all God alone governs, whatever the pride or greed or will of Gog: Jehovah brought him against Israel for his own destruction. After that there are no more fears for the land of Israel, and no need of fresh blows on the nations — at least till the gathering of the nations a thousand years later, which takes its name from this invasion. The one comes at the beginning of Messiah's reign, the other at the end.

Evil thoughts. These are the inward reasonings and debates of man's mind. Inside himself he thinks it over, he calculates, he plans his schemes of sinful pleasure or deliberate rebellion. "Things come into his mind, and he devises an evil device" (Ezek. 38:10; Micah 2:1-2)… His thoughts are hidden inside his heart. One of man's strange delusions is that this hides them from God, who knows everything. Yet it is written, "The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile" (1 Cor. 3:20).

How often some prized goal or self-willed plan seems within our grasp, and then sudden ruin comes. Instead of conquering, we are conquered. The self-chosen way or plan is suddenly turned into our destruction. Why? God has been left out of the carefully devised arrangements.

This northern alliance's invasion, and the terrible judgment that falls on it, both come after Israel's return and their peaceful settlement in the land. By then they are under the protection of their Messiah, with God's smile and approval.

There is not a sign of the expectation of conflict, and not a trace of preparation for defence. All this shows that time has passed. The kings of the south and north have already invaded, and the forces of the west have already fallen at Armageddon.

Walls will be unnecessary. The Lord Himself will be a wall of fire around the city, and also "the glory in her midst." This will be true when Israel is at last broken down in repentance and faith to receive the Messiah they once despised and rejected. Then, in simple and unquestioning faith, they will depend on their blessed Redeemer. His faithfulness is proven, and He cannot fail them. Their walls, gates and bars will go (Ezek. 38:10-11): the Lord alone will defend them. This should be a clear, ringing testimony to the Church of God today. Too often we have turned to people and organisations for protection, and for help in bearing witness for Christ before the world. Can we not depend on the Lord alone as fully as Israel will do once they have received Him?

At the end, Palestine will be resting securely within her borders, relying on the promised word of the nations. But an evil thought will come into Gog's mind. The defenceless state of the country, its prosperous unwalled villages, its wealth in cattle and goods, will stir Russia's greed. Behind that, Satan's relentless hatred of God's people will be used to push this cruel scheme forward.

The time of this invasion is clearly marked (vv. 8, 11, 12). It is when the land's ruined condition is past, and the regathered people are dwelling securely in peace. His coming is like a dark thunder-cloud spreading over the land, rising from the north parts onto the mountains of Israel. In all this Jehovah shows Himself not only as foreknowing and foretelling, but also as the Searcher of hearts. The mind of the enemy is an open book to Him. We learn this, and we also learn that He is putting hooks into the jaws of this mighty host. He is bringing them out to meet Himself, so that all nations may know Him, the Holy One of Israel.

Gog calculates on finding easy prey in a people who look so exposed and powerless. He little thinks that on those heights of Israel he and his huge army are about to perish at the hand of Jehovah, if not by each other. It is not only that the actual fighters are caught in their own trap. Those who watch also have to learn that He whose name alone is Jehovah is the Most High over all the earth.

Gog is allowed to reach the mountains he has craved, only to be handed over as food to the birds and beasts of prey. "Desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death" (James 1:15). How often the grave is the answer to the heart's folly! Instead of taking a spoil, proud Gog becomes the prey.

Verses 8, 11 and 12 show plainly when this invasion happens. It is when the ruined state of the land is over, and the regathered people are living in safety and peace (Zech. 14:10-11; Amos 9:11-15; Isa. 35; Jer. 30:3). Gog comes like a dark storm cloud, spreading over the land, rising from the north onto the mountains of Israel.

So the prophecy assumes that the whole people return to their land, not just a remnant, as it was after the captivity in Babylon. It also assumes a state of unsuspecting quiet, unlike any period in Israel's past. Gog will take advantage of it, and it will be his own ruin. He has no faith in God's love for His people. He never thinks that God will take His place among them to defend them from their enemies.

For centuries the mountains and cities of Israel lay in ruins. When the Lord brings His people back, they will be fertile and full of people. To Gog they will be a temptation his greedy eyes and heart cannot resist. The people live in safety, with no visible means of protection. So Gog imagines that this land, flowing again with milk and honey, will be easy prey for him and his powerful armies.

Long ago, when Israel left Egypt, they carried off "silver and gold jewelry and ... clothing"; so "they plundered the Egyptians" (Ex. 12:35-36). It will be the same at the end, for "Even Judah will fight at Jerusalem. And the wealth of all the surrounding nations shall be collected, gold, silver, and garments in great abundance" (Zech. 14:14).

God had His eye on this land, and He formed His purposes about it before Israel was a nation at all. So Moses told them in Deut. 32:7-8: "When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God." This means that when God scattered the peoples at Babel, He set each of them down exactly where His ways would need them once Israel came into view. So God Himself settled the first map of the world, with the land and people of Israel as His centre.

Israel's unwalled villages and lack of training in war will attract the envious eye of their ruthless enemy. Their great wealth will look within easy reach of his greedy hand. But he forgets that the eyes of the Lord run to and fro through the earth. His eye is on Gog. He notes the thoughts that rise in the heart, and the plans that come from them.

Gog counts on finding easy prey in a people who look so exposed and powerless. He little thinks that on those heights of Israel he and his huge army are about to die at the hand of the Lord, if not at each other's hands. And it is not only the fighters who are caught in their own trap. Those who watch have to learn that He whose name alone is the Lord is the Most High over all the earth.

Gog is doing his own will. Yet God is still drawing him to the place of slaughter, like an animal led there by hooks in its jaws.

It is clear, then, that this northern alliance invades, and meets terrible judgment, only after Israel has returned and settled peacefully in the land. By then Israel is under the protection of their Messiah, with the smile and approval of God.

As for Tarshish, it seems we need not doubt an original settlement on the south shore of Spain. The Phoenicians later had trading posts there too, and from there their ships brought silver, iron, tin and lead to Tyre, as Ezekiel 27:12 tells us. The ships of Tarshish were the most famous for merchandise in ancient times.

Other nations were not part of the great alliance. They would gladly have joined in plundering Israel, but they were content to encourage Gog with words only. No doubt they hoped to do business with him if he succeeded. It may be that they have heard of the great defeat of the western nations, and of the nations around Israel, at the time when the Lord stepped in. If so, the dread of Israel will be on them, as it was on the nations of Canaan when Israel came out of Egypt (Joshua 2:9-10). The young lions of verse 13 were unwilling to attack Israel. But if Israel had gone down in defeat, they would no doubt have rushed in gladly to share the spoil.

The merchant princes put their question in surprise at the size of Gog's army. Can it really be simply to take spoil? The scale of the attack seems out of proportion to the smallness of the prize. So it might appear to human eyes. But the Lord's own answer gives the deep reason underneath. He draws out this whole army so that, as He says, "The nations may know Me when I shall be hallowed in you, O Gog, before their eyes."

The lesson is all the more serious because Tyre does not appear to have acted out of plain hostility toward Israel. Its motive was commercial greed. Tyre saw a chance of gain in the disasters of the chosen people. This drew the city into an opposition to Israel that the Lord resented. God chastens His people, but that gives no one a right to the selfish greed that would profit from their troubles or their downfall.

Gog calculates on finding easy prey in a people who look so exposed and powerless. He little thinks what is coming. On those heights of Israel he and his huge army are about to perish at the hand of the Lord, if not by one another. The actual fighters are caught in their own trap. But that is not all. Those who look on must also learn that He whose name alone is the Lord is the Most High over all the earth... They may be eager to deal with the plunderer and to profit by buying the expected loot. But they too will soon say, "Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely He is a God who judges on earth."

The time referred to in the prophecy is clearly given — "in the latter years"; "in that day when My people Israel dwells safely" (Ezek. 38:8, 14, 16). This is plainly the time when God sets His hand the second time to recover the remnant of His people. Israel has never dwelt safely in their own land since Ezekiel spoke this prophecy; indeed, Israel as such has not been in the land at all. Those who returned to Palestine under Zerubbabel and Ezra were only a feeble remnant, and mainly of the two tribes Judah and Benjamin. Ezekiel's prediction therefore looks forward to their future ingathering.

Not only was none of this true in the days of Zerubbabel, as Theodoret imagines, or when Antiochus persecuted the returned remnant, but the scale of destruction is completely inapplicable. In no case whatever since Ezekiel's time is there so much as a point of contact. The prediction therefore, beyond just question, awaits its fulfilment in days to come.

It is clear, then, that this northern alliance invades, and that the terrible judgment falls on it, only after Israel has returned and is peacefully established in the land. They are under the protection of their Messiah, and under the smile and sanction of God.

There need be no confusion between them. The invasion in Ezekiel comes before the thousand years, not after them, as the one in Revelation does. It is then that Israel are just back in their land (Ezek. 38:14), and from that time God's name is known in Israel, and they pollute His holy name no more (Ezek. 39:7).

Lured by Israel's apparently defenceless condition, and ignorant that God is there, Gog puts out his mighty hand, wanting to annex that land.

The prophecy then supposes the return of the people as a whole to their land, not of a remnant only, as after the Babylonian captivity. But there is more. It supposes a state of unsuspecting quiet unlike any period of Israel's history in the past. Gog is to take advantage of this, but to his own ruin. He has no faith in God's love for His people, and never thinks of His taking His place among them for their defence against their foes.

In self-will this powerful ruler would seek to crush the people of God, and to enrich himself with the spoils of war, but God will intervene in His government to draw him and his armies onward to the judgment He has prepared for them... Gog is doing his own will, yet God is drawing him to the place of slaughter, just as an animal is taken there with hooks in its jaws.

In Ezek. 38:14 and 16 God speaks of "My people Israel." Gog was to learn what Pharaoh, in his day, had to learn: in attacking Israel he was challenging the God of Israel, for Israel were the beloved of God... Gog wanted to enrich himself at the expense of God's land and God's people. Instead, he would become the means of showing the glory of the God of Israel to the nations.

This prophecy is about a nation from the "uttermost north," or, as other translations put it, the "remotest parts of the north" or the "far north" (Ezek. 38:15; 39:2). The King of the North lies just to the north of Israel. Russia is the nation that lies farthest north of Israel. Follow the map straight north from Jerusalem, and your finger passes through Moscow after about 2500 km (1600 miles)!

Gog is a symbolic name for the powerful and proud chief of the vast hordes of Scythia and Tartary. Magog was the son of Japheth (Gen. 10:2). His descendants spread over the great plains of the north, and the land here takes its name from him… Gog is the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal, which answer to Russia, Moscow or Muscovy, and Tobolsk: all now in the Russian empire.

The geography, then, gives ground for believing that Gog is closely linked with the king of the North, or Assyrian. Mr. Darby's suggestion that Gog is "the last phase of the Assyrian" seems very likely correct. If so, it explains what Ezekiel says about earlier prophecy, for the prophets say a great deal about the Assyrian.

Notice that the fall of Gog is set plainly in "the latter days," and also in "that day when my people Israel dwell safely." None of this was true in the days of Zerubbabel… and the scale of the destruction does not fit those times at all. Since Ezekiel's day nothing has come close at even one point. So the prediction, beyond fair question, still waits to be fulfilled.

It is manifest, therefore, that the incursion of this northern confederacy, and the awful judgment by which it is visited, are both subsequent to the return of Israel and their peaceful establishment in the land, under the protection of their Messiah, and the smile and sanction of God.

Tempted by Israel's seemingly defenceless state, and not knowing that God is there, Gog stretches out his mighty hand, wanting to seize that land. These two chapters tell the story of the invasion, and show both his folly and his complete overthrow. Gog comes with his hosts and allies, an overwhelming army, and God cuts off five-sixths of them (Ezek. 39:2).

In all this the LORD shows Himself as the One who both knows and announces the future, and as the Searcher of hearts. The enemy's mind is an open book to Him. More than that, He is putting hooks into the jaws of this mighty host and bringing it out to meet Himself, so that all nations may know Him, the Holy One of Israel.

In Ezek. 38:14 and 16 God calls Israel "my people." Gog had to learn what Pharaoh learned in his own day: to attack Israel is to challenge the God of Israel, for Israel were the beloved of God… Gog meant to enrich himself at the cost of God's land and God's people. Instead he would be the means of showing the glory of the God of Israel before the nations.

Israel will not need to fight; God will do it. He will magnify and sanctify Himself upon them in the sight of all nations. For seven months after their destruction Israel will be burying the dead.

Notice that the downfall of Gog is placed here plainly in "the latter days," as well as in "that day when My people Israel dwell safely." None of this was true in the days of Zerubbabel, as Theodoret imagines. Nor was it true when Antiochus persecuted the returned remnant. The scale of destruction does not fit either. No event since Ezekiel's time even touches it. So the prediction, beyond fair question, waits for its fulfilment in days to come.

The time referred to in the prophecy is clearly given — "in the latter years"; "in that day when My people Israel dwells safely" (Ezek. 38:8, 14, 16)… Israel has never lived in safety in their own land since Ezekiel gave this prophecy. In fact, Israel as a nation has not been in the land at all… So Ezekiel's prediction looks on to their future regathering.

But the Lord Jehovah is against him. When good comes at last to a long-troubled people, he will not see it. He would rather make himself great. So he finds himself lined up against not only the Israel of God, but the God of Israel.

In self-will this powerful ruler would try to crush the people of God and to enrich himself with the spoils of war. But God will step in and govern what happens. He will draw Gog and his armies on to the judgment He has prepared for them… Gog does his own will, yet God is drawing him to the place of slaughter, as an animal is led there with hooks in its jaws.

The Land — "My Land," whatever its state or divisions. It is Jehovah's Land, and if the people fail in every way, it falls into His hands. God entrusted it to Israel only. The Gentiles have no claim to it except through Israel's sin, and none at all against the Lord.

In Ezekiel 38:14 and 16 God speaks of "my people Israel." Gog had to learn what Pharaoh learned in his day: in attacking Israel he was challenging the God of Israel, for Israel were the beloved of God… Instead of enriching himself at the expense of God's land and God's people, Gog would be the means of displaying before the nations the glory of the God of Israel.

By this means God makes Himself known to the nations. He will magnify Himself and sanctify Himself. That is, He will make Himself respected and revered, and no longer mocked or spoken of lightly (vv. 16-23).

The Gog, of the land of Magog, whose invasion of Israel the book of Ezekiel describes in chapters 38 and 39, is the pattern of these last invaders. There is no need to confuse the two. The invasion in Ezekiel comes before the thousand years; the one in Revelation comes after them… The nations too learn to know Him (Ezek. 38:16, 23). So we need look no further to be sure that this one is not after a thousand years of such knowledge.

Let me add another example from Ezekiel. He refers to the last days in the most explicit manner, and with developed details. Yet, in the final scene he declares that the mighty one Gog who comes up, had been often spoken of. Ezekiel 38:17. So if I take the prophets as they present themselves, and as Ezekiel speaking in God's name declares, one thing is certain. They were speaking (under the name of a power that existed then) of a mighty one at the end of the world's course, when Jehovah would make Himself known in His government.

Here the case stands clearly defined in all but the name, which is probably symbolic. It is the last enemy of Israel who confronts us. He dwells in the land of Magog... He is the ruler of all the Russias, prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal. So we have himself, his land, and his people. But the Lord Jehovah is against him. Good has come at last to a long-troubled people, and he will not see it; he would rather enlarge his own power. So he stands in battle against not just the Israel of God but the God of Israel.

From Ezekiel 38:17 we learn that Gog stands as the final Assyrian, the one the prophets had spoken of. It seems that the land the Assyrian held will, at the end, be under the control of Russia. One of the prophecies in view is Isaiah 14:24-25: "As I have purposed, so shall it stand, that I will break the Assyrian in my land, and on my mountains trample him underfoot."

Verse 17 might show that although the Assyrian was already dealt with, this great northern power would be marked by the same spirit. That power had been behind him in his attacks on the land. So the Scripture that prophesied of the Assyrian, in its scope, included Gog.

Here we have a reference to former prophecies about these events. At first this may look like a difficulty, because we find no earlier prophecy under the names of the nations given here. The question form itself tends to rule out the idea that Gog had been named before. Instead, the prophets for many years announced a great final judgment on the nations that had special ties with Israel and were also her open enemies. The question is then: "Are you he" in whom all this will find its full accomplishment? The next verse answers yes.

Here the long-standing predictions of this final effort come into view. (Ver. 17). But after all, God alone governs, whatever the pride or greed or will of Gog. Jehovah brought him against Israel for his own destruction.

Instead of enriching himself at the expense of God's land and God's people, Gog would be the means of displaying before the nations the glory of the God of Israel.

Gog is a symbolic name for the powerful and proud chief of the vast armies of Scythia and Tartary. Magog was the son of Japheth (Gen. 10:2). His descendants spread over the great plains of the north, and the land here is named after him... Gog is the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal, which match Russia, Moscow (or Muscovy), and Tobolsk: all now in the Russian empire. These peoples come "out of the north" like "a cloud to cover the land." They will attack Israel in the land of Palestine, but God will strike them down.

The invasion will happen some time after God has judged two other powers (Rev. 19:19-20). The first is the beastly empire with its beast-head: the revived Roman empire in its final ten-kingdom form, with the clay, and with the little horn as leader (Dan. 7; Rev. 13:1-10). The second is the false prophet, the personal Antichrist (Rev. 13:11, etc.)... But other nations gather now for an assault. It is a northern alliance that sweeps south to invade the land. Antiochus Epiphanes did the same in the past, and so did the Assyrian in the days of Isaiah.

Gog is a different kind of enemy, and he dies later. Blinded by his hunger for more land, he does not see the truth: in trying to plunder and destroy Israel, he is attacking Jehovah... But after all God alone governs, whatever the pride or greed or will of Gog: Jehovah brought him against Israel for his own destruction. Yet when he does come, "my fury," says the Lord Jehovah, "shall come up in my face" (literally, nose). No more fears for the land of Israel... at least until the gathering of the nations a thousand years later, which borrows its name from this invasion. One comes at the start of Messiah's reign, the other at its end.

In Ezekiel 38:14 and 16 God speaks of "my people Israel." Gog had to learn what Pharaoh learned in his own day: in attacking Israel he was challenging the God of Israel. Israel were the beloved of God... Gog meant to enrich himself at the cost of God's land and God's people. Instead, he would be the means of showing the nations the glory of the God of Israel.

Gog wrongly imagined he would meet a defenceless people. Instead, he will face the wrath of God... The Lord Himself is with His people. He comes now not as the meek and lowly Jesus, but as King of kings and Lord of lords. When His anger rises, not only Gog but the whole land shakes before Him.

I think, then, that Gog is the end of all God's dealings with Israel. God brings up this proud power for a purpose. By this final judgment He shows on earth how He deals with Israel and with the nations. Then He plants His blessing, His sanctuary, and His glory among Israel — and from then on none of the people are left in exile far from their land.

In the end God alone rules, whatever the pride or greed or will of Gog: Jehovah brought him against Israel so that he would be destroyed. Yet when he does come, the Lord God says, "my fury shall come up in my face" (literally, nose).

These words reveal the reason God steps in for His people: it is His unchanging love for Zion. He says, I "am" jealous for Zion, not I "was." Her sad state now moved Him, so to speak, to compassion. It stirred up His jealousy for her, and made Him step in to restore her.

Gog had to learn what Pharaoh learned in his day: that in attacking Israel he was challenging the God of Israel, for Israel were the people God loved.

To take the words as mere symbols of political revolution is completely uncalled for — worse, it goes against the context. There is no change of government at all in Israel, and they do not suffer any more. But these distant enemies, gathered on their hills, will perish for ever. The mighty shaking in Canaan adds to the solemnity of the scene. Land and sea, heaven and earth own the presence of Him who made all things, and who takes up the cause of Israel.

Israel will not need to fight. Jehovah will fight for them. As on the shores of the Red Sea, they only have to stand still and see His salvation. He will deal with their enemies in that coming day as easily as He dealt with Pharaoh's armies long ago. First He will throw their ranks into confusion and turn their swords against each other (Ezek. 38:21).

There is no need to confuse the two. The invasion in Ezekiel comes before Christ's thousand-year reign, not after it, as the one in Revelation does. At that point Israel are only just back in their land (Ezek. 38:14), and from then on Israel know God's name and defile His holy name no more (Ezek. 39:7). The nations also come to know Him (Ezek. 38:16, 23).

In the first part [of Psalm 46] they declare that God is their refuge and strength, a present help in trouble. So they will not fear, even if all nature is shaken. Ezekiel 38:19-20 tells us what upheavals will come before Israel enjoys full and settled peace… But this part of the Psalm speaks of upheavals in nature. Facing them, they will not fear, for the Psalm declares that God the Creator is their refuge and strength.

In Ezekiel 38:14 and 16 God speaks of "my people Israel." Gog was to learn what Pharaoh, in his day, had to learn. In attacking Israel he was challenging the God of Israel, for Israel were the beloved of God. ... Instead of enriching himself at the expense of God's land and God's people, Gog would be the means of displaying the glory of the God of Israel before the nations.

Instead of meeting a defenceless people, as he had wrongly imagined, Gog will meet the wrath of God... The Lord Himself is with His people, not now as the meek and lowly Jesus, but as King of kings and Lord of lords, and when His anger rises, not only Gog, but the whole land shakes before Him.

In the first part of this Psalm they profess that God is their refuge and strength, a present help in trouble. So they will not fear, though all nature shakes. What are the convulsions that will come before Israel enjoys full and settled peace? Ezekiel 38:19-20 tells us.

This is none other than the last destruction of Israel's enemies before the thousand-year reign of Messiah. The words that follow make that plain, not to mention the next chapter and all the rest of the prophecy. To take the words as merely symbols of political revolution is quite uncalled for — indeed, contrary to the context. There is no change of government whatever in Israel, nor do they suffer more, but these distant enemies gathered on their hills are to perish for ever. The mighty upheaval in Canaan adds to the solemnity of the scene. Land and sea, heaven and earth acknowledge the presence of Him who made all things, taking up the cause of Israel. There is not only mutual slaughter in the ranks of the enemy, but pestilence and blood, overflowing rains and great hailstones, fire and brimstone.

But after all, God alone governs, whatever the pride or greed or will of Gog: the Lord brought him against Israel for his own destruction... No more fears for the land of Israel. No need of fresh blows on the nations, at least until the mustering of the nations a thousand years afterwards. This invasion lends its name to that one — the one at the beginning, the other at the end, of Messiah's reign.

It tells of the vastness of his army (vv. 4-9) and the evil motive that prompts his invasion of Palestine (vv. 10, 11). It tells of his decisive overthrow too, by the glorious display of God's power as the God of nature and God over and above all things (vv. 14-23). By this means God makes Himself known to the nations. He will magnify Himself and sanctify Himself. That is, He will make Himself respected and revered, no longer mocked or lightly spoken of (vv. 16-23).

Gog is a different kind of enemy, and he perishes later. He is blinded by the lust of grabbing territory. He does not see that he is attacking Jehovah when he seeks to plunder and destroy Israel... But after all God alone governs, whatever the pride or greed or will of Gog: Jehovah brought him against Israel for his own destruction.

Israel will not need to fight. Jehovah will fight for them. As on the shores of the Red Sea, they have only to stand still and see His salvation. He will dispose of their enemies in the coming day as easily as He disposed of Pharaoh's armies in the distant past. He will first create confusion in their ranks and turn their swords against each other (Ezek. 38:21). This is no new method of warfare with God. He used the same means in Gideon's day. (Judges 7:22)

As it was in Judges 7:22 and 1 Samuel 14:20, when every man's sword was against his fellow, so it will be with the armies of Gog, and the destruction of these mighty forces will be completed with other divine instruments of judgment.

This prophecy warns the people about this last great invasion, and so prepares them. It is also meant to give them confidence. It makes known that Jehovah will act for them — He who has so blessedly established them in the land under the True Shepherd. Further, they will not need to fight. Jehovah will rise in His fury. He will fight and win a glorious victory. Gog will find no spoil in Israel's fair land, but a grave.

The overthrow comes through internal strife, every man's sword against his brother. It comes through pestilence and blood, that is, violent death. It comes through the downpour of destruction from heaven. So man in proud self-will and boasted sufficiency has his own weapons turned against him... Those who are against God must find that the forces of earth and heaven, combined with their own devices, carry them down to destruction. Self-will and pride must always reap according to the sowing. It is an unchanging principle of the divine government.

The words that follow make it plain: this is none other than the last destruction of Israel's foes before the thousand years of Christ's reign. To take the words as mere symbols of political revolution is uncalled for, and even contrary to the context. There is no change of government at all in Israel, and they do not suffer any more. These distant enemies gathered on their hills are to perish for ever. The mighty shaking in Canaan adds to the solemnity of the scene. Land and sea, heaven and earth own the presence of Him who made all things, taking up the cause of Israel. There is not only mutual slaughter in the ranks of the foe, but pestilence and blood, overflowing rains and great hailstones, fire and brimstone.

Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, falls on the mountains of Israel. There Jehovah makes Himself known in the eyes of many nations (Ezek. 38:21-23)... In a word, Israel would fully know Jehovah and His government. Through this people the world would know them too. From that time God would no more hide His face from them.

God alone governs, after all, whatever the pride or greed or will of Gog. The Lord brought him against Israel for his own destruction… The mighty shock in Canaan adds to the solemnity of the scene. Land and sea, heaven and earth all acknowledge the presence of Him who made all things, taking up the cause of Israel. There is not only mutual slaughter in the ranks of the enemy, but pestilence and blood, flooding rains and great hailstones, fire and brimstone.

Read chapters thirty-eight and thirty-nine of Ezekiel, and you will see how vast this army is that comes from the far north. You will also see how terrible its destruction is — by mutual slaughter and pestilence, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire and brimstone. Israel will not need to fight. God will do this. He will magnify and sanctify Himself in the eyes of all nations by what happens to them. For seven months after their destruction Israel will be burying the dead.

In the days of Joshua the Lord cast down great stones from heaven upon the enemy. In Deborah's time the very stars in their courses fought against Sisera. So it will be in the day to come. His thunderbolts will do terrible damage among the enemies of His people (Joshua 10:11; Judges 5:20). God will open the very windows of heaven, as it were, to pour down destruction upon them.

"Hail" is often found in Scripture as the expression of violent and destructive judgment (see Joshua 10:11; Isaiah 28, 30; Ezekiel 38:22). "Fire" signifies the holiness of God at work when He judges people, with the thought of something that penetrates everything and consumes. "Blood" will show death, but death under the judgment of God.

In God's judgment it was rained from heaven. Genesis 19:24; Psalm 11:6; Ezekiel 38:22; Luke 17:29. It is symbolical of that which will add to the torment and anguish of the wicked. Revelation 14:10; Revelation 19:20; Revelation 20:10; Revelation 21:8.

Gog is an enemy of a different sort. He perishes later. Blinded by the craving for more territory, he fails to see that he is attacking the Lord when he tries to plunder and destroy Israel… After that there are no more fears for the land of Israel, and no need of fresh blows on the nations. That holds at least until the gathering of the nations a thousand years afterwards, which takes its name from this invasion — the one at the beginning, the other at the end, of Messiah's reign.

This is nothing other than the last destruction of Israel's enemies before Messiah's thousand-year reign. The words that follow make it plain, and so do the next chapter and the rest of the prophecy. To take the words as mere symbols of political revolution is uncalled for, and against the context. Israel's government does not change at all, and they suffer no more; but these distant enemies, gathered on their hills, will perish for ever.

In this way God makes Himself known to the nations. He will magnify Himself and sanctify Himself. That is, He will make people respect and revere Him, and stop mocking Him or speaking of Him lightly.

Gog had to learn what Pharaoh learned in his day. In attacking Israel he was challenging the God of Israel, for Israel were the beloved of God... Instead of getting rich from God's land and God's people, Gog would end up displaying the glory of the God of Israel before the nations.

Gog is a different kind of enemy, and he perishes later. He is blinded by his hunger for land. He does not see that in trying to plunder and destroy Israel he is attacking Jehovah... Yet in the end God alone governs, whatever the pride or greed or will of Gog: Jehovah brought him against Israel for his own destruction.

Jehovah had humbled and struck Israel in judgment, using the nations as the rod of His anger. But those He used had not taken it in. They mocked and boasted, and they blasphemed Jehovah's name. Surely He was of less account than their own idol-gods. He could not defend or save His professed people! ... So the judgments His holiness had to bring on His sinful people ended in His dishonour before the nations. The crushing judgment of Gog will take that reproach away, for it will show His power over the mightiest on earth.

So the nations know Jehovah through the judgment itself, and not through any spiritual knowledge of Him that follows... All the nations will come to know that Jehovah is God through judgment.

Many more testimonies like these could be given. But these put it beyond question. The great moral effect of Israel's restoration on all nations will be this: Jehovah, the one true God, will become known everywhere.

Many authors think Gog must be the great western enemy of the Jews, as in Daniel. But this mistakes the scope of our prophet, who never takes up the four empires that were to tread down Jerusalem until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled... This invasion lends its name to the gathering of the nations a thousand years later — the one at the beginning of Messiah's reign, the other at the end.

There is a voice in this for us. We, too, individually or collectively, stand identified with the holy name of Christ. Is that name sullied because of our failure? Do we commend Him before the eyes of the world? ... He is not visible; we are to be His living representatives.