"Gog and Magog"
Gog and Magog are mentioned in the Bible, specifically in the book of Ezekiel and the book of Revelation. According to prophecy, Gog and Magog will wage war against God’s people in the end times. Some believe Gog and Magog represent nations or people groups, while others believe they represent spiritual forces. So let's examine what we know from scripture and see if we can get a clearer picture of what's to come. We'll take a look at the book of Ezekiel first and then compare it to the book of Revelation. If you are wondering about the connection of Gog and Magog to the battle of Armageddon, they are describing the same events happening during 3,5 years of great tribulation during the reign of Antichrist, before the second coming of Christ.
Prophetic timeline of Gog and Magog
To understand prophetic timing of Gog and Magog, we'll have to look at the prophetic significance of God's feasts and the biblical calendar, which gives us a framework for understanding the timing of Gog and Magog events. While the spring feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, and Weeks are connected to Christ's first coming, signifying His death, resurrection, and establishment of His church, the fall set of feasts including Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles point to His second coming, the judgment of humanity, and finally, God's eternal dwelling with men. Below you can see where Gog and Magog belong on this timeline.
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Passover-Crucifixion-Sin Offering
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Unleavened Bread-Redemption-Freedom from Sin
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First Fruits-Resurrection-Spiritual Birth
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Feast of Weeks-Outpouring of the Holy Spirit
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Battle of Gog and Magog
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Feast of Trumpets-Christ's Second Coming
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Day of Atonement-The Judgement Day
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Tabernacles-Heavenly Jerusalem on New Earth
Key Features of Gog and Magog Battle
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Prophetic Context: The Battle of Gog and Magog is described in the book of Ezekiel in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), specifically in chapters 38 and 39. It is portrayed as a prophesied event that will occur in the latter days, with Gog being a prince or ruler and Magog being a land or region associated with him.
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Participants: Gog is mentioned as a ruler from the land of Magog, along with other nations allied with him, including Persia, Cush, Put, Gomer, and Beth-togarmah.
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Location: The exact location of Magog is not specified in the biblical text, leading to debate and speculation among scholars. However, it is commonly associated with regions to the north or northeast of ancient Israel.
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Military Conflict: The battle involves Gog and his coalition of nations invading the land of Israel. They are depicted as a vast army with the intention of plundering and destroying Israel.
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Divine Intervention: The biblical narrative emphasizes divine intervention in the battle. God declares that he will personally intervene to defeat Gog and his armies, demonstrating his power and sovereignty to the nations.
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Outcome: The outcome of the battle is described as a decisive victory for God and his people. Gog and his allies are defeated, and their armies are destroyed. The aftermath includes a period of cleansing and restoration for the land of Israel.
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Symbolism: While the narrative has literal elements, it also carries symbolic significance, representing themes of divine judgment, the sovereignty of God over the nations, and the ultimate triumph of righteousness over evil.
Gog and Magog in Ezekiel 38
Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39 outline a prophetic vision of a massive invasion led by Gog, accompanied by a coalition of nations including Magog, Persia, Cush, Put, Gomer, and Beth-togarmah.
Ezekiel 38 Summary
Below is the summary of Ezekiel 38 chapter and further down you can go deeper into more detail and cross-reference:
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The word against Gog of the land of Magog, prince of Meshech and Tuval (Caucasian Nations, descendants of Japhet)
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Gog will be turned around and brought out with his armies
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Persia, Cush, Put, Gomer, Beit-Togarma will join Gog
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This will happen in latter years after Israel is brought back from the nations and recovered from war
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There will be a great earthquake in the land of Israel
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Every man’s sword will be against his brother
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Flood, hailstones, fire, and sulfur will be poured out on the armies
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God will reveal Himself in the sight of many nations (Second Coming of Christ)
Ezekiel 38 Cross-Reference
Ezekiel 38 presents a prophetic narrative of an invasion led by Gog, a mysterious figure representing a coalition of nations. However, understanding this chapter requires careful attention to cross-references found in other biblical texts. These references serve as essential guides, providing context and insights into Ezekiel's vision.
1 And the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, set your face against Gog of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal...
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Genesis 10:2 The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.
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Revelation 20:7 When the thousand years are complete, Satan will be released from his prison, and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to assemble them for battle…
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In Hebrew Gog means roof or top
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Josephus refers to Magog son of Japhet as progenitor of Scythians, or peoples north of the Black Sea.[2] According to him, the Greeks called Scythia Magogia.[3] An alternative identification based on the order of tribal names in Ezekiel 38 "would place Magog between Cappadocia and Media."[4]
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Modern scholarship has identified the biblical Tubal with Tabal, an Anatolian state and region mentioned in Assyrian sources.[2][3] Tabal was a post-Hittite Luwian state in Asia Minor in the 1st millennium BC. Its neighbours, the Mushki, are traditionally associated with Meshech.[4]
...Prophesy against him 3 and declare that this is what the Lord Yahweh says: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. 4 I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws, and bring you out with all your army—your horses, your horsemen in full armor, and a great company armed with shields and bucklers, all brandishing their swords.
5 Persia, Cush, and Put will accompany them, all with shields and helmets, 6 as well as Gomer with all its troops, and Beth-togarmah from the far north with all its troops—the many nations with you.
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Genesis 10:6 The sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan…
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Genesis 10:2 The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.
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Genesis 10:3 The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.
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Ezekiel 27:14 The men of Beth-togarmah exchanged horses, war horses, and mules for your wares.
On this map you can see general directions from which Israel will be attacked during this war.
7 Get ready; prepare yourself, you and all your company gathered around you; you will be their guard. 8 After a long time you will be summoned. In the latter years you will enter a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations, and all now dwell securely.
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Isaiah 11:11 On that day the Lord will extend His hand a second time to recover the remnant of His people from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.
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Ezekiel 34:13 I will bring them out from the peoples, gather them from the countries, and bring them into their own land.
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Ezekiel 36:24 For I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all the countries, and I will bring you back into your own land.
9 You and all your troops, and many peoples with you will go up, advancing like a thunderstorm; you will be like a cloud covering the land.
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Revelation 20:9 And they marched across the broad expanse of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city.
10 This is what the Lord Yahweh says: On that day, thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will devise an evil plan. 11 You will say, ‘I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; I will come against a tranquil people who dwell securely, all of them living without walls or bars or gates— 12 in order to seize the spoil and carry off the plunder, to turn a hand against the desolate places now inhabited and against a people gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and possessions and who live at the center of the land.’
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Jeremiah 49:31 Rise up, advance against a nation at ease, one that dwells securely," declares Yahweh. "They have no gates or bars; they live alone.
13 Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish with all its villages will ask, ‘Have you come to capture the plunder? Have you assembled your hordes to carry away loot, to make off with silver and gold, to take cattle and goods, to seize great spoil?’
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Genesis 10:4 And the sons of Javan (Greece): Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittites, and the Rodanites.
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Genesis 10:6-7 The sons of Ham: Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan (Saudi Arabia).
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Tarshish was located in the Mediterranean area West of Israel and Sheba and Dedan on the other side in Saudi Arabia
14 Therefore prophesy, son of man, and tell Gog that this is what the Lord Yahweh says: On that day when My people Israel are dwelling securely, will you not take notice of this? 15 And you will come from your place out of the far north—you and many peoples with you, all riding horses—a mighty horde, a huge army. 16 You will advance against My people Israel like a cloud covering the land. It will happen in the latter days, O Gog, that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me when I show Myself holy in you before their eyes.
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Deuteronomy 28:49-50 Yahweh will bring a nation from afar, from the ends of the earth, to swoop down upon you like an eagle—a nation whose language you will not understand, a ruthless nation with no respect for the old and no pity for the young.
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Jeremiah 1:15 For I am about to summon all the clans and kingdoms of the north," declares Yahweh. "Their kings will come and set up their thrones at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem. They will attack all her surrounding walls and all the other cities of Judah.
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Jeremiah 6:22 This is what Yahweh says: “Behold, an army is coming from the land of the north; a great nation is stirred up from the ends of the earth.
17 This is what Lord Yahweh says: Are you the one of whom I have spoken in former days through My servants, the prophets of Israel, who in those times prophesied for years that I would bring you against them? 18 Now on that day when Gog comes against the land of Israel, declares Lord Yahweh, My wrath will flare up.
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Deuteronomy 32:22 For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.
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Psalm 18:7-8 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.
19 In My zeal and fiery rage I proclaim that on that day there will be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. 20 The fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the beasts of the field, every creature that crawls upon the ground, and all mankind on the face of the earth will tremble at My presence. The mountains will be thrown down, the cliffs will collapse, and every wall will fall to the ground.
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Isaiah 42:15 I will lay waste the mountains and hills and dry up all their vegetation. I will turn the rivers into dry land and drain the marshes.
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Ezekiel 5:13 And when My anger is spent and I have vented My wrath against them, I will be appeased. And when I have spent My wrath on them, they will know that I, Yahweh, in My zeal have spoken.
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Revelation 6:14 The sky receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place.
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Revelation 16:20 Then every island fled, and no mountain could be found.
21 And I will summon a sword against Gog on all My mountains, declares Lord Yahweh, and every man’s sword will be against his brother.
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Isaiah 66:16 For by fire and by His sword, Yahweh will execute judgment on all flesh, and many will be slain by Yahweh.
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Jeremiah 25:29 For behold, I am beginning to bring disaster on the city that bears My Name, so how could you possibly go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, for I am calling down a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, declares Yahweh of Hosts.'
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Haggai 2:22 I will overturn royal thrones and destroy the power of the kingdoms of the nations. I will overturn chariots and their riders; horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother.
22 I will execute judgment upon him with plague and bloodshed. I will pour out torrents of rain, hailstones, fire, and sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him.
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Psalm 11:6 On the wicked He will rain down fiery coals and sulfur; a scorching wind will be their portion.
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Psalm 18:12 From the brightness of His presence His clouds advanced--hailstones and coals of fire.
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Isaiah 28:17 I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the level. Hail will sweep away your refuge of lies, and water will flood your hiding place.
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Revelation 8:7 Then the first angel sounded his trumpet, and hail and fire mixed with blood were hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, along with a third of the trees and all the green grass.
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Revelation 20:9 And they marched across the broad expanse of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. But fire came down from heaven and consumed them.
23 I will magnify and sanctify Myself, and will reveal Myself in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.
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Ezekiel 36:23 I will show the holiness of My great name, which has been profaned among the nations--the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am Yahweh, declares Lord Yahweh, when I show My holiness in you before their eyes.
Gog and Magog in Ezekiel 39
The chapter 39 in the book of Ezekiel, retells the same story as chapter 38, it also gives us a few extra details about the end of the story.
Ezekiel 39 Summary
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God is against Gog
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God will turn Gog around, bring him from far north against Israel
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God will strike the bow and arrows from his hands
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Gog and his armies will fall in the open field
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God will send fire on Gog and coastlands
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Israelis will burn weapons instead of fuel for 7 years
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Gog will be buried in the Valley of Travelers east of the sea, it will be called the Valley of Hamon-Gog and the city will be called Hamona
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Israel will be burying Gog’s armies for 7 months
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Call to every kind of bird and beast of the field to come to the feast to eat flesh and drink blood of mighty men and warriors
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All Israel will be regathered and God will poor out His Spirit on them
Gog and Magog in the Book of Revelation
In the book of Revelation there are two events taking place 1000 years apart which sound very similar to the battle described in Ezekiel 38 and 39, let's take a look at them.
The Battle of Revelation 19
If we compare the battle of Revelation 19 to the battle described in Ezekiel, we can find a lot of similarities. You can also compare it to the events of the 6th plague to see more details. If we merge Revelation 19 events with the concept of Gog in the book of Ezekiel, we can see that Gog is the Antichrist.
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Call to all the birds to gather for the great supper of God and to eat flesh and drink blood of men
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The beast with the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to war against Jesus and his armies
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The beast and false prophet are captured and thrown into the lake of fire
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The rest were killed
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The birds gorged on their flesh
17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out in a loud voice to all the birds flying overhead, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings and commanders and mighty men, of horses and riders, of everyone slave and free, small and great.” 19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies assembled to wage war against the One seated on the horse, and against His army. 20 But the beast was captured along with the false prophet, who on its behalf had performed signs deceiving those who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. Both the beast and the false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword that proceeded from the mouth of the One seated on the horse. And all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.
Gog and Magog in Revelation 20
The second battle takes place after the 1000 year reign of Jesus on Earth, just before the Judgement Day. In Revelation 20 "Gog and Magog" is used to describe all the nations while Satan is the one leading those nation to battle. Notice that the battle doesn't actually happen, as the troops are consumed by the fire from heaven. So we know that this event is different from the battle described in Ezekiel.
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Satan is released after 1000 years and goes out to the four corners of the earth to assemble nations for battle
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They marched across the earth to surround Jerusalem
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The fire came down from heaven and consumed them
When the thousand years are complete, Satan will be released from his prison, and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to assemble them for battle. Their number is like the sand of the seashore. And they marched across the broad expanse of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. But fire came down from heaven and consumed them.
The biblical accounts of Gog and Magog in Ezekiel and Revelation offer us insights into the nature of divine judgment, the sovereignty of God, and the ultimate victory of righteousness. While the exact interpretation of these passages may vary, their underlying message remains consistent: God is in control, and His purposes will ultimately prevail. As believers, we are called to remain steadfast in faith, knowing that God is faithful to fulfill His promises and bring about His kingdom of peace and righteousness.
Further Bible studies on the End Times:
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Revelation Outline
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Revelation Cross-reference
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Daniel and the End Times
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Three And a Half Years
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The Mark
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Seven Seals
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Second Coming and Rapture