Gog and Magog

2023-01-13

Gog and Magog appear in two passages in the Scriptures: Ezekiel 38-39 and Revelation 20:7-10. Some believe that these speak of different events, while others think they are the same event. If they are the same event, the events of Gog and Magog take place after the millennial reign of Christ and before the eternal state. If they are different, the Ezekiel passage takes place before the millennial reign, with the Revelation passage taking place after. It could also be both, with a prophecy that has a two-part fulfillment.

First, let us consider the context of Ezekiel. In Ezekiel 37, we see the famous passage of the valley of the bones. Here, the vision refers to both resurrection and regathering. “And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD” (Ezekiel 37:13-14). With concepts of resurrection and regathering, this is language suggesting the Day of Christ, also known as the rapture.

They will be under “David,” once again referring to Christ in a figure, like we saw in Ezekiel 34:24. “And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them” (Ezekiel 37:24). We see another allusion to the new covenant: “My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (Ezekiel 37:27). He will reign over a united Israel, referring to a reunification of what was known as the northern and southern kingdoms.

After these events, in Ezekiel 38, we see the prophecy of Gog. He is a “chief prince” of Meshech and Tubal mentioned with “the land of Magog” (Ezekiel 38:2). Magog is the grandson of Noah, so this would be the nation descended from him (Genesis 10:2). Gog could be the same as the nation of Magog if we see the wording, but this sounds more like a person since he is a prince and he is being addressed as an individual. He is also head of quite the army from nations all over the world.

They will go against Israel who was “brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them” (Ezekiel 38:8). This could refer to the events of the previous chapters we discussed above. Israel is dwelling in safety, and Gog’s confederacy wants to take spoil. When has Israel dwelt safely since the time of Solomon? It could be during the temporary false peace brought about by the covenant between Israel and the Antichrist (Daniel 9:27), which is yet to happen. It does seem strange though, that if the Lord is speaking of the people being at peace, it would refer to this false peace.

Some of Gog’s troops destroy each other, but they are also destroyed by the Lord with rain, hailstones, fire, and brimstone. Birds clean up the corpses, much like after Armageddon. It then takes years to bury bones and burn the weapons.

In Revelation, much less detail is given. Satan, after his release from the bottomless pit, will draw nations from the four corners of the world. In Ezekiel, we see they primarily come from the north, but the prophet also mentions that there are troops from Libya, Persia, and Ethiopia, which constitute the other directions. Likewise, we see the Lord perform a miraculous defeat of these troops with fire from heaven, just like in Ezekiel. Satan is not mentioned in the Ezekiel passage, but Satan is also not mentioned by name as much in the Old Testament. We see much of his handiwork despite the absence of his name.

Evidence for the Ezekiel and Revelation passages referring to the same passage include the chronology given Ezekiel. If Ezekiel 38-39 comes chronologically after Ezekiel 37, it must be post-millennium. Also, why would the Spirit mention Gog and Magog in Revelation if he did not want us to look back in Ezekiel? Revelation has myriad references to the Old Testament to look back there on purpose, and this would be another one.

We could counter this evidence by asking, do the events of Ezekiel 38 strictly follow Ezekiel 37? They are a part of the same prophecy, but the Lord could just be referring to the consequence of the Lord’s enemies when the Lord restores His people. They may not be strictly chronological.

Evidence for the two passages for being different is verses like this: “So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward” (Ezekiel 39:22). During the millennial kingdom, they surely would know this very well. Also, why the need to bury all those bones and burn all those weapons if the great white throne, the new heaven and the new earth are imminent?

As a counterargument, wouldn’t God’s people learn again about the Lord’s deliverance? Even if they were already restored in perfect fellowship with the Lord, even if this is post-resurrection, couldn’t they still learn about the Lord’s perfect deliverance? Isn’t this language used in Ezekiel 37:13-14, quoted above, which is specifically speaking to resurrected people? Also, this view assumes that the events listed after the millennial reign are immediate. There could be a gap anywhere between the millennial reign, the great white throne, and the inauguration of the new heaven and earth. Who knew that the gap between week 69 and 70 in the seventy weeks of Daniel would be this long (about two thousand years and counting)?

I lean towards these events being the same. They would at least have to be partially the same, or a two-part fulfillment, like some other end times events. It would be very strange for Revelation to mention God and Magog if the Lord did not want us to look back to the passages in Ezekiel, since they are not mentioned elsewhere in Scripture by these names.