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Ezekiel 38:8,12: “In the latter years, you (the invading armies) will come into the Land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many peoples on the mountains of ISRAEL, which had long been desolate; they were brought out of the nations, and now all of them dwell safely (securely).... against apeople gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and goods, who dwell in the midst of the Land (Earth).”
The Background and Setting (Ezekiel 36,37)Ezekiel 36:24: “I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own Land.”It is clear that this Regathering is initially with Israel in unbelief
Thus Ezekiel 37 gives the same sequence:(1) a Regathering of the scattered dead bones of Israel (in unbelief).(2) a spiritual Regeneration, once the nation is physically restored.
Thus the setting for Ezekiel 38,39 is Israel initially regathered to her Land in the Last Days, awaiting her final spiritual restoration, which will take place at Christ’s Return.
In Conclusion, Ezekiel 38 describes an invasion from the North upon a regathered Israel before her national conversion at the 2nd Coming of Christ. Sometime after this War, God completes the physical Regathering and spiritual Restoration of Israel (Ezekiel 39:21-29) in preparation for life in the Millennium (Ezekiel 40-48).
WHO are the INVADERS?Ezekiel 38:1-6: “Now the Word of the Lord came to me, saying, Son of man, set your face against GOG, of the Land of MAGOG, the Prince of ROSH, MESHECH, and TUBAL, and prophesy against him, and say, “Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the Prince of ROSH, MESHECH, and TUBAL.
I will turn you around, put hooks intoyour jaws, and lead you out, with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords. PERSIA, CUSH, and LIBYA are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; GOMER and all its troops; the house of TOGARMAH from the FAR NORTH and all its troops: MANY (other) PEOPLES (NATIONS) are WITH YOU.”
Gogoriginally meant mountain, then later a strong ruler. “all who bless Israel will be blessed and all who curse Israel will be cursed” (Genesis 12:3).
Zechariah 12:1-3: “Thus says the Lord who stretches out the heavens lays the foundation of the earth and forms the spirit of man within him: Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it.”
Genesis 10:2-5: “The sons of JAPHETH were GOMER, MAGOG, Madai, Javan, TUBAL, MESCHECH, and TIRAS (RAS). The sons of GOMER were Ashkenaz, Riphath, and TOGMARAH. The sons of Javan were Elishah, TARSHISH, Kittim, and Dodanim. From these the coastland peoples of the Gentiles were separated into their lands, everyone according to his language, according to their families, into their nations.”
GOGcomes from “the Land of MAGOG”, and is “the princeof ROSH, MESHECH, and TUBAL” (Ezekiel 38:2,3).
MAGOG. The first century Roman historian Josephus said the "Magogites" were the peoples whom the Greeks called "Scythians", a fierce civilisation that settled north of the Baltic Sea in what is now Russia and the now mostly Islamic republics of the former USSR, possibly also including TURKEY.
ROSH. Because ROSH means CHIEF in Hebrew, some translations call him: ‘the Chief Prince’ (v2,3), rather than ‘the Prince of Rosh.’ However the ‘Rus’ were well known people, and Gesenius says that these are undoubtedly the Russian people, so it is better and more natural to translate it: ‘the Prince of Rosh.’
Opinion is divided on MESHECH and TUBAL.*One possibility is that they were in Southern Russia, whereas Rosh is Northern Russia.Then the modern names that descended from them would be: ROSH = Russia, Meshech = Moscow, Tubal = Tobolsk.*The other possibility locates them in modern TURKEY.
Other members of this coalition are GOMER (the ancient Cimmerians in present day TURKEY) and TOGARMAH (ancient ARMENIA which is mostly in Turkey today) - v6. So TURKEY will definitely be a major part of this Coalition led by RUSSIA!
“From the FAR NORTH” (Ezekiel 38:6). “You will come from your place out of the FAR NORTH’ (38:15). “I will turn you around and lead you on, bringing you up from the FAR NORTH, and bring you against the mountains of Israel” (Ezekiel 39:2).
Therefore, the far north (“the uttermost parts of the north”) can only be Russia. Moscow is exactly due north of Jerusalem.So Russia will lead a confederacy of nations against Israel.
Ezekiel 38:5,6 describe other nations along with Russia:“PERSIA, CUSH, and LIBYA are with them... GOMER and all its troops; the house of TOGARMAH....MANY PEOPLES are WITH YOU.”
(1) Significantly the first (main) nation mentioned with RUSSIA is PERSIA = IRAN. (2) CUSH was the area south of Egypt, now called SUDAN, also a fundamentalist Islamic State, very hostile to Israel.
(3) PUT = LIBYA, another Islamic State that is very anti-Israel.(4) As we have already noted, GOMER and TOGARMAH represent modern day TURKEY, which is large Muslim nation.
*It is this turn of events in TURKEY, along with the imminent crisis of IRAN being close to obtaining nuclear weapons, that compels me to give this warning that Ezekiel 38 could be fulfilled soon!
Russia would need to go through IRAN and TURKEY to reach Israel. Likewise, it would need to go through LEBANON and SYRIA which are on the northern border of Israel (with JORDANbeing a bonus).
In fact, twice God says to Gog that there will be: “MANY PEOPLES (NATIONS) WITH YOU” (v6,9).The alignment of SYRIA with IRAN, and theincreasing strength of IRAN-controlled HEZBOLLAH in LEBANON, and IRAN-controlled HAMAS in GAZA, probably means that when God mentions PERSIA (IRAN), also included under that designation is SYRIA, LEBANON and GAZA.
In Conclusion, Ezekiel 38 is a Prophecy that in the End-Times, after Israel has been regathered from the nations to her Land, there will be a massive invasion from the North by a number of Nations led by Russia, composed of many Republics of the former Soviet Union (most of which are Islamic), Turkey, Iran and those under her wing, such as Syria, Hezbollah and Hamas, Sudan and Libya.
If we look at these nations today, 2 things immediately strike us:(1) All these nations have a good relationship with Russia, and are under her sphere of influence, and so are good candidates to joinher Coalition on this basis.(2) All these nations (except Russia itself) are strongly Islamic, with a hatred for Israel. They would like to see Israel destroyed. thisagain makes them excellent candidates to support this Russian invasion to destroy Israel.
Ezekiel 38:1-3: “Now the Word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, set your face against Gog of the Land ofMAGOG (RUSSIA and its satellites including many of the former Soviet republics), the Prince of ROSH (RUSSIA), MESHESH, and TUBAL (RUSSIA and/or TURKEY), and prophesy against him, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the Prince of ROSH (RUSSIA), MESHESH, and TUBAL(RUSSIA and/or TURKEY).
Ezekiel 36:3-6: “I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords. PERSIA (IRAN), Cush (SUDAN), and LIBYA are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah from the FAR NORTH and all its troops (TURKEY), many (other) PEOPLES (NATIONS) are with you.”
The sword(‘chereb’) is a generic term for any weapon or destroying instrument.Arrow(‘khatis’) which can mean a piercer, is occasionally used for a thunderbolt. It could be translated today as a missile or bullet.Bow(qeh-sheth), is what launches the ‘khatis’ (corresponding to a gun or missile-launcher today).
Ezekiel 39:3 today,“I will smite your launchers out of your left hand, and cause your missiles to fall out of your right hand.”
WHERE do they invade?Ezekiel 38:7: “Prepare yourself and be ready, you and all your armies that are gathered about you; and be a guard (leader) for them.” Gog of Russia will build a military coalition and “beprepared" to strike its target.
Ezekiel 38:8: “After many days you will be visited. In the latter years (at the end of the Age, just before the Messiah’s Coming), you will come into the Land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many peoples on the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate; they were brought out of thenations, and now all of them dwell safely (securely).”
Ezekiel 38:9: “You (Gog and all his armies) will ascend, coming like a storm, covering the Land like a cloud, you and all your troops and many peoples with you.”
WHY do they invade?Ezekiel 38:10-12: “Thus says the Lord God: “On that day it shall come to pass that thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will make an EVIL PLAN: You will say, ‘I will go up against a Land of unwalled villages (Kibbutzim); I will go to a PEACEFUL people, who dwell safely (securely), all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates to take PLUNDER and to take BOOTY, to stretch out your hand against the waste places that are again inhabited, and against a people gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and GOODS, who dwell in the MIDST of the EARTH.”
Israel is described as a Land of ‘unwalled villages’, and it is interesting that Israel is known for her ‘Kibbutzim.’Ezekiel 38:3,4: “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of ROSH, Meshech, and Tubal. I will turn you around (toward Israel), put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out (to Israel).”
Ezekiel 38:13: “SHEBA, DEDAN (the Arabian States, who presently allied with the West, and whose own existence would be threatened by Russia and Iran taking control of the Middle-East) the Merchants of TARSHISH (WESTERN EUROPE, especially the UK. These were nations the seafaring Phoenicians traded with to the far west of the known world, including Spain and the British Isles), and ALL their young LIONS (their historic Colonies, including the USA, Australia, Canada and the Commonwealth) will say to you:
“Have you come to take plunder? Have you gathered your army to take booty, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take great plunder?”
It is interesting and amazing that these protesting nations also are currently aligned exactly as Ezekiel’s Prophecy requires, implying that the conditions are ripe and the time is near!
WHAT does God do, and HOW does He do it?Ezekiel 38:14-16: “Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog, ‘Thus says the Lord God: On that day when My People Israel dwell safely, will you not know it? Then you will come from your place out of the FAR NORTH, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a mighty army. You will come up against My people Israel like a cloud, to cover the Land. It will be in the latter days that I will bring you against My Land, so that the nations may know Me, when I am sanctified in you, O Gog, before their eyes.”
