AI Overview
The prophecy of the War of Gog and Magog, found in Ezekiel 38–39, describes a massive, future invasion of Israel by a coalition of nations led by a figure named Gog. In this vision, God intervenes supernaturally to destroy the invading forces on the "mountains of Israel" to reveal His holiness to the world.
The Coalition of Nations
The prophecy identifies a leader, Gog, from the land of Magog, who serves as the "chief prince" of Meshech and Tubal. He leads a multi-continental alliance against Israel:
Magog, Meshech, and Tubal: Often identified with territories in modern Turkey, Russia, or the Black Sea region.
Persia: Modern-day Iran.
Cush: Regions south of Egypt, primarily modern Sudan and Ethiopia.
Put: Ancient Libya or North African regions.
Gomer and Beth-togarmah: Peoples from Asia Minor/Turkey and the far north.
Key Events of the War
Preparation and Invasion: Gog conceives an "evil plan" to plunder Israel, which is described as a land of "unwalled villages" where people dwell securely after being gathered from the nations.
Divine Intervention: As the armies advance "like a cloud covering the land," God unleashes a series of judgments: a massive earthquake, pestilence, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.
The Aftermath: The destruction is so vast that it takes Israel seven months to bury the dead and seven years to burn the abandoned weapons for fuel.
Theological Interpretations & Timing
The "Latter Years": The prophecy explicitly states this occurs in the "latter days," leading many scholars to link it to the end-times or the period surrounding the Second Coming of Christ.
Ezekiel vs. Revelation: While Revelation 20:7–10 also mentions "Gog and Magog," many theologians distinguish the two events. Ezekiel’s war involves specific northern nations before or during the Tribulation, whereas Revelation’s battle occurs at the end of the Millennium and involves all nations.
Modern Context: Some contemporary Bible scholars associate the "far north" with Russia and suggest the current geopolitical alignments between Russia, Iran, and Turkey are precursors to this prophecy.
The battle of Gog and Magog described in Ezekiel 38 and 39 is perhaps one of the most debated events in biblical prophecy. Some approach these chapters as non-literal, having only an idealist or figurative meaning, without any historical reality. This provides no possibility of a future fulfillment of the details contained in the passage, which leaves the reader to find a meaning relevant to present circumstances without any significant controls to govern that meaning.
Others approach these chapters as having a historical fulfillment, being an invasion of some kind, but differ on its participants, location, and timing. One group considers this invasion as already fulfilled in an ancient battle during the Old Testament era, one option being the events in Esther 9. Usually, this is an attempt to avoid a future fulfillment involving Israel as a nation. Neither an idealist/figurative view nor a past fulfillment view do justice to the details of the passage, which means its fulfillment is yet future, but when, where, and with whom?
Commentators propose a number of options regarding timing of the invasion. These include:
1. Just prior to the onset of the seven-year Tribulation
2. After the Tribulation period begins
3. Around the middle of the Tribulation
4. Just prior to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ
5. Between the Second Coming and the commencement of the Millennium
6. At the end of the Millennium
Each of these views has some support from the biblical data, which is why the debate continues.
Which Nations Will Invade Israel?
The key consideration is the content of Ezekiel 38 and 39. What features of these chapters indicate the timing of the invasion, its participants, and location? All agree that the nation of Israel is one of the participants, being the one invaded, and Ezekiel’s messages have focused on the possession of the land, which points to the location as the Promised Land, Judea and Samaria. Not all agree on the identity of Gog and Magog, but most agree that Gog is a title for the ruler of Magog, not a personal name, even though a person is in view. Knowing the identity of Magog helps work out the context of the battle.
Magog occurs in the Old Testament on four occasions (Genesis 10:2; 1 Chronicles 1:5; Ezekiel 38:2; 39:6). It identifies a descendant of Japheth in the table of nations, which scholars trace to the ancient Scythians. These tribes lived in the region north of the Black Sea and some consider their territory stretched from Ukraine to Siberia. Further, Ezekiel describes Gog as “the prince of Rosh” (38:2, NASB), which also suggests a location in Russia, although the use of “Rosh” is debated. Thomas Ice argues for “Rosh” being a noun labelling a nation, as against an adjective describing “prince” (“chief prince,” ESV). Hebrew grammar supports this usage and, as a noun, it can be traced to “Tiras” in Genesis 10:2, adding more support for a Russian identity. It thus appears that this invasion includes an army from the north of Israel composed of modern Russians.
Two other participants are named in this group, Meshech and Tubal, both of which are included in the table of nations in Genesis 10. Scholars agree that Meshech refers to the location of modern Turkey, southeast of the Black Sea. Tubal is always grouped with Meshech and his descendants also occupy modern Turkey. Modern Turkey is increasingly dominated by Islam, moving further away from ties to Europe. It seems that Turkey also participates in this invasion of Israel, joining with the Russian contingent.
Added to these are “Persia, Cush, and Put” (Ezekiel 38:5), as well as “Gomer and all his hordes” and “Beth-togarmah” (38:6). Persia is clearly modern Iran, another Islamic nation, whose name was changed to Iran in recent times. Cush and Put are more difficult to identify, as is Beth-togarmah. Scholars consider Cush is the nation of northern Sudan, an Islamic one, and Put is Libya, another Islamic (mainly Sunni) nation, and possibly includes Algeria and Tunisia because the ancient borders extended west beyond modern Libya. Gomer’s descendants inhabit the west-central region of Turkey, joining with Meshech and Tubal. Beth-togarmah literally means “house of Togarmah,” who is identified as a son of Gomer in the table of nations (Genesis 10:3). This is another participant located in Turkey.
The invading armies include Russia and Turkey from the north, Sudan/Libya (possibly including Algeria and Tunisia) from the south and west, and Iran from the east.
In total, the invading armies include Russia and Turkey from the north, Sudan/Libya (possibly including Algeria and Tunisia) from the south and west, and Iran from the east. Consequently, sometime in the future, an enormous military force surrounds Israel, which is far beyond their capacity to defeat. God alone can deliver them from annihilation, which Ezekiel reveals He does (38:17–23; 39:1–6).
When Will the Nations Invade Israel?
The question remains as to the timing of this invasion. Several descriptions in these chapters in Ezekiel provide some insights as to when it occurs. The first includes time referents, “After many days,” “In the latter years” (38:8), and “In the latter days” (v. 16), which best correspond to prophetic descriptions of the consummation of God’s dealings with Israel and the nations (Isaiah 2:2; Daniel 10:14). This is yet to occur, so the battle is still future and would be best placed in the 70th week of Daniel 9:26–27, the Tribulation, when God resumes the completion of His plan for Israel.
The second describes the occupants of Israel as “gathered from many peoples” and “from the nations” (Ezekiel 38:8, 12), which cannot be an ancient past return to the land, such as from Babylon or Medo-Persia, because the returned exiles did not come from multiple nations. This best describes the near past and present return of Jewish people to Israel, which affirms the timing is future to now.
The third describes these returned Jews as “now dwell(ing) securely” (38:8, 11, 14) and without the need of protective defenses identified as “unwalled villages” and “without walls, and having no bars or gates” (v. 11). Further, the inhabitants are characterized as “the quiet people” or at rest (v. 11), which suggests they are unconcerned about external threats and have no fear of attack. This description extends to all the inhabitants, not just a segment of them.
At this point, scholars diverge, based on the interpretation of these phrases. Some consider Israel’s present state to fit them because the nation is secure on account of its military might, being confident in its capacity to defeat any foe. This would mean the battle of Gog and Magog would precede the Tribulation, not requiring an additional element of peace provided by the Antichrist’s covenant with Israel in the Tribulation Period (Daniel 9:27).
Others consider Israel is not presently at rest, “quiet people,” even though having a significant degree of security, because the nation is on constant alert against an attack from its enemies. An additional protection is necessary to bring the nation to a point of rest. The strong covenant with Israel enacted by the Antichrist for seven years (i.e. The Tribulation Period, Daniel 9:27) provides this additional protection. The covenant, however, is broken at the midpoint, so Israel only enjoys additional protection in the first three and a half years. This means the battle of Gog and Magog would occur in the first half of the Tribulation, probably near its end.
Several commentators consider other factors, which suggest the timing is at the end of the Tribulation, but it cannot account for these descriptions of Israel being at rest and secure. In the second half of the Tribulation, the Antichrist violently persecutes the Jews and all who will not take the mark of the beast. Some other commentators suggest the timing is before the Millennium after the Tribulation, which will provide the best degree of rest and security, but it does not fit the eventual outcome of deliverance by God, which is the spiritual renewal of the nation. Israel’s repentance occurs at the return of their Messiah at the conclusion of the Tribulation (Zechariah 12), which would be prior to this proposed timing.
It is no wonder that Israel’s enemies desire to possess such riches by annihilating its citizens, but to no avail as they are destroyed by divine intervention.
This leaves two options as the only viable possibilities that fit the critical contextual data: The battle of Gog and Magog is prior to the Tribulation, or it is in the first half of the Tribulation, probably near the breaking of the covenant by the Antichrist. The second option seems best for a number of reasons but still has difficulties to explain.
It best fits the description of security and rest as characteristic of Israel prior to the battle occurring. The covenant of peace operating in the first half of the Tribulation provides that security and rest, beyond Israel’s own capacity to ensure it. Further, a battle that effectively removes the world influence of Russia and other nations would leave a power vacuum that the Antichrist could use to rise to world domination at the midpoint of the Tribulation (Revelation 13). In addition, a battle that violates the Antichrist’s covenant with Israel provides a catalyst for him to break it and pursue his full agenda. Its major difficulty is dealing with the description of burying the dead for seven months and burning the weapons for seven years (Ezekiel 39:9, 12). This is not insurmountable, but a battle before the Tribulation provides more time for accomplishing these two descriptions.
Why Do the Nations Invade Israel?
Another aspect needs inclusion. What motivates this invasion of Israel? The answer is spoils of war in the form of material gain (38:12–13). The degree is described as “great spoil,” which involves “silver and gold” and “livestock and goods.” What was previously “a continual waste” (v. 8) and “waste places” (v. 12) has become a prosperous location of great wealth. This is true of modern Israel, replete with commercial activity, natural resources, innovative technology, and abundant agriculture. It is no wonder that Israel’s enemies desire to possess such riches by annihilating its citizens, but to no avail as they are destroyed by divine intervention.
Finally, the most significant element for this battle is God’s part in it. As much as this coalition of nations against Israel is pursuing its own purpose, Ezekiel reveals that God is controlling the situation for His purpose. He states, “I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out” (v. 4). This control of the conflict is repeated several times, emphasizing who is orchestrating the battle. God’s purpose is self-revelation—“they will know that I am the Lᴏʀᴅ” (vv. 23, 39:6–7, 13, 21–22, 28). God is sovereign over all, even the invasion of a powerful enemy against His people.
In summary, the battle of Gog and Magog is the future invasion of a coalition of nations, including Russia, Turkey, Iran, Sudan, and Libya (Algeria/Tunisia), against Israel near the midpoint of the Tribulation, motivated by acquisition of material wealth. The outcome is a devastating defeat for Israel’s enemies by divine intervention, which exalts God as the true victor and safeguards God’s people for spiritual blessing.
Although the terms Gog and Magog appear in proximity in both the book of Ezekiel (Eze. 38:2-3; 39:1-11) and the book of Revelation (Rev. 20:8), a comparison of these passages indicates two different historical events are in view.
because Gog and Magog are mentioned as combatants in a war at the end of the Millennium ( Rev. 20:7–9 ), many have identified the two battles in Ezekiel and Revelation as one and the same. However, the events following the battles are quite different, as are the events preceding each battle. In Ezekiel’s prophecy, the battle of Gog and Magog is used by God to draw Israel to Himself; in Revelation the battle of Gog and Magog comes after God has drawn His people to Himself for one thousand years of blessing during the Millennium. Therefore, it seems best to place Ezekiel’s battle in the Great Tribulation.
Gog of the land of Magog invaded Israel in Ezekiel 38, prior to the rebellion mentioned in Revelation 20 at the end of the millennium. Differences between the two passages include:
The Ezekiel invasion is from the north, the rebellion in Revelation 20 is from the entire earth.
The Ezekiel invasion requires seven years to dispose of weapons, whereas the Great White Throne judgment immediately follows the rebellion in Revelation 20.
The Ezekiel invasion occurs before the establishment of the kingdom, whereas the event in Revelation 20 occurs afterwards.
The Ezekiel invasion is destroyed on the mountains of Israel, whereas the Revelation 20 force is destroyed around Jerusalem.
“In Ezekiel Gog was the leader and Magog his land, while in Revelation both represent nations.”
This prophecy of Ezekiel concerning Gog and Magog cannot be identified with the prophecy in Re 20:7-10 for three reasons. The former takes place before the Kingdom is established on earth; the latter after this Kingdom. Also, in Ezekiel the invasion comes only from the north, but in Revelation it comes from the 'four quarters of the earth.' Furthermore, the rebellion of Gog and Magog and their destruction in Re 20:7-10 marks the ushering in of the eternal state (Re 20:11-15); but in Ezekiel it is preliminary to the Millennial Kingdom on earth.
The fact that Gog and Magog are mentioned both in Ezekiel 38:1,6 and in Revelation 20:7 indicates to some a connection. However, Gog is a human leader and Magog are a people in Ezekiel 38, but their meaning is not defined in Revelation 20. In other respects the scene is different. In Ezekiel life goes on after the war, requiring months to bury the dead. The war in Revelation 20 is followed immediately by the destruction of the earth and the creation of the new heaven and new earth. The war in Revelation 20 concerns Jerusalem. The war of Ezekiel does not touch Jerusalem. The scenes are different.
Israel is currently under attack, but its greatest threat is yet to come. In the not-too-distant future, a coalition of overwhelming forces will soon be arrayed against it. Only God can save Israel from total annihilation. We will reveal the identity of each nation seeking Israel’s destruction. Who exactly are Gog and Magog? Are they leaders, nations, or spiritual entities? Will Russia be involved in this notorious battle? The timing of this battle has been hotly debated down the years, and no-one really knows precisely when it will take place.
There’s a war soon coming in the Middle East that will cause God himself to rain down hailstones and fire upon the invading armies who’ve come to take spoil from God’s beloved Israel and a great earthquake that will annihilate them in their tracks. And what if there were preparations being made right now for this future conflict? This war of ‘Gog and Magog’ fits the prophetic timeline only when the restrainer has been removed from the earth prior to the seven year tribulation period. Yet even today, the nations are ready; the pieces on the chess board are being moved into place, causing a chain reaction that will hurl like minded nations headlong into direct conflict with Israel.
In scripture, Gog is mentioned as the leader and Magog is a people. Gog is the ruler of a people called Magog and the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. One day this Gog will lead a coalition of nations arrayed against Israel and God will destroy them all in the process for their rebellious arrogance and misplaced allegiance. Few realize that Ezekiel’s prophecy of this coming invasion from the North of Israel was written 2500 years ago and is yet to come to pass, it is still a future event.
This leader Gog will lead a force from the land of Magog. So where is Magog exactly? Well, he’s mentioned in Gen 10:2 as one of the sons of Japheth and again in 1 Chronicles 1:5. Magog was identified as the land of the Scythian’s now occupied by Russia, the Ukraine and Kazakhstan. Flavius Josephus described the ancient Scythian’s as coming from the land of Magog. The Scythian’s were mentioned in the NT in Col 3:11 and were a barbaric race which inhabited the steps of Russia. Today Magog would basically cover the ‘Stan’ nations i.e. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and finally Afghanistan, which is another territory that Russia has sought to, conquer in recent memory.
Most scolars declare Magog to be the land of modern day Russia and one should not doubt their research. Now most scholars conclude that Rosh is the old name for Russia. The term Rosh was used in the time of the Egyptians and referenced a nation to the far north of Egypt, so people would have been very familiar with Rosh as a nation in the time of Ezekiel. Many believe that Rosh is the old name for present day Russia which will lead several armies in coalition against Israel. Regarding the term Gog, is more likely a title like Pharaoh, rather than a direct name of someone, but this Gog is not to be confused with the Antichrist, he is separate and distinct from him. Let’s not forget that the Antichrist will eventually lead a Western coalition of forces but this Gog is leading an army from the north along with Magog in direct opposition to God himself, so the Antichrist and Gog are two separate leaders and not to be confused with each other.
Her'es a list of all the nations that will come against Israel in these last days as part of this coalition of forces coming down from the North, described in Ezekiel chapters 38-39. Listing the old name for the nation and the equivalent modern day version. Starting with Gog the leader of Magog (representing Ukraine and western Russia) along with Rosh, which is Russia, then Meschech and Tubal which comprises of Modern day Turkey, then Persia, also known as Iran, then Ethiopia and Cush which would be Sudan, then Put which is Libya, then Gomer which is likely Turkey or modern day Germany, and finally Beth Togarmah, which manly believe to be Turkey as well. So to summarize, the nations that will invade Israel in the coming tribulation period from the North will be, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Iran, Ethiopia, Sudan, and possibly Somalia too, Libya, and finally Germany. But why? Why would they even consider doing such a thing? Well one thing is for certain, Russia has had a long history of antisemitism along with the other nations. They all have historically harbored a supernatural hatred for Israel and that’s why Germany is included on that list as a potential invader in coalition.
Regarding Russia, have you noticed this nation has been on the rise of late? Russia has flexed its muscles recently on the world stage for sure. Firstly, Russia meddled with Georgia in 2008, then again in Crimea in 2014 where it annexed that nation and testing the boundaries of the old Soviet Union. Russia then backed separatists in 2014 in Eastern Ukraine and Russia has also been linked with the deaths of 298 people based upon a Dutch inquiry into the disappearance of a Malaysia Airlines flight over the Ukraine, three years ago. Based on cell phone records and eye witness accounts as part of the investigation, a powerful SA-11 surface to air missile was used to shoot down this plane, much to everyone’s horror.
Then in 2015, Russia sent some armed forces to Iran and then into Syria to assist the Syrian leader Bashar al Assad’s crumbling regime. To top that, for the first time, Russia has finally attained the warm water port of Tarsus in the Mediterranean Sea, which it has yearned for down the centuries. Russia had a large presence in Syria, taking advantage of the nation’s instability and using it to potentially establish a beachhead for further advancement in the Middle East at a time of its choosing. The trouble is Russia now has a military presence situated directly North of Israel for the first time and this is prophetically significant. If you run a straight line from Israel on any globe you will see that Moscow is directly north of it, along with Turkey which will be one of the invading nations also.
Now, some believe this war of Gog and Magog will take place in the first half of the tribulation period, while others believe it to be merely another account of the battle of Armageddon. Yet it will probably occur prior to Armageddon and within the tribulation because it occurs in a time of peace when the peace treaty with Israel is in full effect. Ezekiel chapter 38 describes a time when Israel is at peace with its surrounding neighbors and this coming conflict fits the prophetic timeline of occurring during the tribulation period, once this future peace treaty is in effect.
Now one of the most intriguing aspects of this coming war in verse 4 of Ezekiel 38, is the fact that the army is riding from the north on horseback! Yes horseback! These horsemen have shields, swords and helmets. But of course today no army would fight like that. This intriguing statement infers that perhaps, due to the cataclysmic incidents in the tribulation period, man will revert back to ancient weaponry. Others believe it suggests the usage of an Electro Magnetic Pulse prior to this war, in which some of the modern weaponry would be rendered useless, leaving only ancient weaponry as the means for attack. Or could these terms simply be metaphors for modern weapons? In Ezekiel 39:9-10 it mentions that it will take seven years for the weapons to be gathered and used as fuel. Could this time frame of seven years be coincidental with the time it takes for the effects of radiation to dissipate?…We shall see.
Remember, Israel is described as a land of un-walled villages at this time, a land without walls where Israel dwells safely, without gates or bars. As you know Israel today has walls in place and some built recently for its protection against occasional terror attacks from the Palestinian territory. Based on this scripture we know this War of Gog and Magog is a future event and the walls that currently stand in Israel will be somehow removed and Israel will be living peacefully prior to this Northern invasion.
Now, in verses 12 and 13, it states that these invading marauders have come to take a ‘spoil.’ But what spoil are they talking about? In the past few years Israel has gone from a nation with very few oil and gas resources into one that could eventually rival Russia as an exporter of natural gas to Europe. Russia benefits greatly from its export of gas west to Europe topping the list of nations having the most natural gas reserves. But Israel recently discovered the Leviathan gas field 50 kilometers offshore having 22 TCF of gas and scheduled to come online in 2019. Then it has Tamar gas field holding 9 TCF in gas reserves. These discoveries have been described as game changers by those in the oil industry. Their discovery alongside another recent oil field having 1.4 billion barrels of oil has caused a stir on the geopolitical scene. Israel could become a competitor with Russia, vying to service the winter energy supply of the European continent. This is significant. Israel is also abundant in food, technology and other natural resources.
Could it be that Russia and the forces it’s allied with come to strip Israel of its oil and gas resources? You see, Russia is rich in gas but has hard to recover oil that’s only economic at higher oil prices. Did you also know that despite being the biggest country in the world in terms of landmass, Russia has a relatively small population of close to 150 million, yet it imports 40% of its food supply, meaning that it cannot currently produce enough food for its own people? In Ezekiel 38:4 it says that God himself will put hooks in the jaws of the invaders from the North. One might believe that one of the spoils mentioned in Ezekiel’s passage is food and during the tribulation period crops will no doubt fail throughout Russia which is already reliant upon other countries to feed its population, and will resort to looking for food down south.
Another reason for this hook could well be the desire for Islamic Nations headed up by Russia to wipe Israel off the map. If you review the nations mentioned earlier they are all largely Islamic and harbor an intense distrust and even hatred for Israel. Could it be that the peace treaty that the Antichrist initiatives with Israel, be thwarted by the Islamic nations at the last minute or perhaps Russia is in such dire need to ensure the survival of its people they need food so badly, justifying an invasion to the south?
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The Battle of Gog and Magog
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Gog and Magog in Ezekiel vs. Revelation
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The War of Gog and Magog: Ezekiel 38-39