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Much
modern prophetic interpretation completely ignores, or in
many cases outright rejects that there is any connection
between the Gog / Magog war as described in Ezekiel chapters
38-39, and the Gog / Magog as described in Revelation
chapter 20. However, a proper interpretation of
prophecy and how we are to properly understand the 1000
years, or millennium, of Revelation 20 hangs on this point.
For example, consider this on Revelation 20:8 from the Bible
Knowledge Commentary:
And shall go out to
deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the
earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the
number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
(Revelation 20:8)
The question has been raised as to
whether this war is the same one discussed in Ezekiel 38–39,
where Gog and Magog are also mentioned (Ezek. 38:2). These
are two different battles, for in the war of Ezekiel 38–39
the armies come primarily from the north and involve only a
few nations of the earth. But the battle in Revelation
20:7–9 will involve all nations, so armies will come from
all directions.
Furthermore nothing in the context of Ezekiel 38–39 is
similar to the battle in Revelation, as there is no mention
of Satan or of millennial conditions. In Revelation 20:7 the
context clearly places the battle at the end of the
Millennium, whereas the Ezekiel battle takes place in
connection with end-time events.
Why then is the expression “Gog and Magog” used by John? The
Scriptures do not explain the expression. In fact it can be
dropped out of the sentence without changing the meaning.
Walvoord, J. F. (1985). Revelation. In J. F. Walvoord & R.
B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An
Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 981). Victor Books.
These authors suggest that we simply
ignore any connection between the "Gog and Magog" of
Ezekiel, and the "Gog and Magog" of Revelation. Why?
Only because their theology demands it. As
premillennialists, these men believe that Ezekiel 38-39 is
describing a battle which occurs at the end of this age
before the millennium, while Revelation 20 is
describing a battle which follows the millennium.
Therefore, in their view these two battles can not be the
same. This type of reasoning amounts to nothing more
than question begging. Even a cursory comparison of
the two passages will quickly reveal their close relation to
any unbiased reader:
|
From Ezekiel 38 |
From Revelation 20 |
| Set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog
vs. 2 |
Gog and Magog
vs. 8 |
| Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass,
that at the same time shall things come into thy mind,
and thou shalt think an evil thought vs. 10 |
Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go
out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters
of the earth vs. 8 |
| After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter
years thou shalt come into the land that is 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. vs. 8 |
They went up on the breadth of the earth, and
compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved
city vs. 9 |
| And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel,
as a cloud to cover the land vs. 9 |
The number of whom is as the sand of the sea
vs. 8 |
| I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon
the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain,
and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone vs. 22 |
And fire came down from God out of heaven, and
devoured them. vs. 9 |
There can be little doubt that these passage were meant to
be understood together and from this evidence we can infer
the following:
1) Ezekiel 38-39 is describing a battle at the close
of this current age.
2) Ezekiel 38-39 is describing the same 'Gog and Magog'
battle as that which is described in Revelation chapter 20.
3) Therefore the 'Gog and Magog' battle of Revelation 20
also occurs at the close of this current age.
4) Since the 'Gog and Magog' battle of Revelation 20
occurs at the end of, or following the 1000 years (millenniunm),
then the millennium must take place during this current age.
But there is more. Ezekiel 38-39
also describes the outcome of 'Gog and Magog' battle in
terms striking similar to those used to escribe the outcome
of the Battle of Armageddon:
And, thou son of man, thus saith
the Lord
God;
Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the
field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on
every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even
a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may
eat flesh, and drink blood. Ye shall eat the flesh of the
mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of
rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them
fatlings of Bashan. And ye shall eat fat till ye be full,
and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I
have sacrificed for you.
(Ezekiel 39:17–19)
And I saw an angel
standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying
to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and
gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of
captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of
horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all
men, both free and bond, both small and great.
(Revelation 19:17–18)
From a comparison of these two passages we
can draw a similar conclusion:
1) Revelation 19 is describing the 'Battle of
Armageddon' and it occurs at the close of this current age.
2) Ezekiel 38-39 is describing the same battle which is to
close this current age.
3) Therefore the 'Gog and Magog' battle simply IS the
'Battle of Armageddon'
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