A Line by Line Exposition of Ezekiel 38 – Part 2
March 17, 2009
http://www.tribulationperiod.com/
OUTLINE OF GENERAL EVENTS ASSOCIATED WITH CORRELATION OF EZEKIEL 38 AND 39 WITH DANIEL 12 AND REVELATION
12.
Ezekiel Chapter 38 deals with the initial attack of Gog the Antichrist against Israel at about the same time the earthquake of Revelation 6:12 occurs in the Jordan River Valley of Israel.
When the attack occurs some three and one-half years remain until the battle of Armageddon
ends the Tribulation Period.
Revelation 12:6 represents the period of three and one half years between Chapters 38 and 39 in Ezekiel, when Gog drives Israel into the Negev Wilderness, and leaves her there for some three and one-half years, by-passing the Negev and driving across the northern Sinai to conquer Cairo
and all Egypt. Gog remains there and establishes a vast Islamic Caliphate from Morocco to New Guinea.
Daniel 12:40-43 represents the initial attack against Israel just described and Gog’s three and one-half year Caliphate reign from Cairo.
Daniel 12:44,45 represents his return to Jerusalem to call all the old world nations to come and assist him in finally destroying the Jews. The land of Magog (Russia) comes down to join him and the 39th Chapter of Ezekiel begins with attack against Israel at Armageddon and ends with fire coming down on Magog (Russians) as described in Ezekiel 39:6 and also in Revelation 16:16-21.
Ezekiel Chapter 39 deals with the final attack of Gog against Israel in the Negev Wilderness after he drove her there some three and one-half years before.
This is the time when he asks the people of the land of Magog (Russia) to come down and help him utterly destroy Israel at Armageddon. The Chapter then continues on into the Millennial Reign events following Armageddon, beginning with the burial of the millions of the bones of Gog’s army scattered across Israel, amounting to 5/6 of his great army.
Ezekiel 38:1-3 – And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, [2] Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, [3] And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:
Please note that in verse 3, that “the land of Magog” is omitted. It is not mentioned again until verse six in chapter 39, when we are told God sends a fire down on the troops from the land of Magog at Armageddon. I do not believe the land of Magog and his descendants will be involved in the events of Chapter 38, but will be coming down some three and one-half years to join the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal in his final battle with the Jews at Armageddon. The descendants of Magog are not mentioned in Chapter 38.
Ezekiel 39:6 – And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am
the Lord.
In Part 1, we established, from the Scriptures and the Assyrian stone monuments, that the descendants of Meshech and Tubal at the time Ezekiel wrote his prophecies, were primarily located in what we know as Syria and Lebanon. We also established that the prophecy is against a person, Gog (Antichrist), and against a land, the land of Magog. I am convinced that the Antichrist will attack Israel from Syria. What about the “land of Magog?” Where were the Magogites located at the time of Ezekiel’s writings?
Noted Jewish historian Flavius Josephus makes the following statements concerning the Magogites in Antiquities of the Jews, Chapter VI, under the title, HOW EVERY NATION WAS DENOMINATED FROM THEIR FIRST INHABITANTS: “Japhet, the son of Noah, had seven sons.” “They called the nations by their own names.” “Magog founded those that from him were called Magogites, but who by the Greeks were called Scythians.” The Greek writers of the Classic Age said the Scythians occupied the area which today we identify as stretching from Moldova eastward across the Ukraine, southern Russia, and into Kazakhstan, then southward into Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan – Roughly the area north of the Black Sea, between the Black and Caspian Seas, and the
area northwest, north, and northeast of the Caspian Sea. I do not believe the nations in this area will join in the initial attack against Israel, but I am certain they will come down for the final battle of Gog’s war, which is the Battle of Armageddon.
The Battle of Armageddon, found in Revelation 16:16, is the final battle in Gog’s war, which began 3 and ½ years earlier.
Verse 3 fails to include the “land of Magog,” and is a message directly pointed, and personally addressed, against the Antichrist Gog, who once again is identified as the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. Popular writers in the last century brought a teaching into play that is simply not true.
They said the word “chief” was “rosh” in the Hebrew language, which is true. But they said it meant “Russian,” which is not true. The Russian and Hebrew language have never overlapped in history to support such a claim.
He is not a Russian prince. He is the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, most likely having a Syrian father. The word “rosh,” in the KJV, is translated as “chief” 90 times, as “head” 349 times, as “top” 75 times, as “beginning” 14 times, as “company” 12 times, as “captain” 10 times, as “sum” 9 times, as “first” 6 times, as “principle” 5 times, as “chief man” 4 times, and as “ruler” on two occasi
ons.
At no time, in all of history, could it legitimately be identified as someone who is a Russian.
I am convinced this chief prince of Meshech and Tubal will come on the scene from northwestern Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, or southern Turkey, but I will be very much surprised if his father is not a Syrian. He will be the leader of a multilateral Arab force that will carry out a surprise attack against Israel from the north. I believe this is spoken of in Revelation 17:12,13 – “And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. [13] These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.”
Although he will have the support of ten Arab nations, I believe the nations directly involved in the initial attack will be Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq, and Iran from without, and the Palestinians from within. I believe the other nations, which will then immediately become involved in the Jihad, are most likely to be Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Sudan.
Lord willing, I will continue a line by line exposition of Ezekiel 38 in Part 3.