Ezekiel 38 and 39, a detailed look at the prophecy against Gog. Part 1

I was asked by my pastor why I study eschatology (end times events.) Ignoring the negativity of a challenge like this, I find that "end times events" are tied in with almost everything I read in scripture. Ezekiel 38 and 39 is such an event, as it speaks of a horrific situation that may happen at any minute.

Try opening a conversation about what you find in Ezekiel 38 and 39 and the eyes of your audience will glaze over and you can watch them begin to look at their watches, wondering if there isn't somewhere else they need to go. There are reasons behind this lack of interest, and they stem from confusion; a lack of understanding; the inability of the speaker to put flesh and blood on the characters; and, the worst part is that there is a veil over the eyes and ears of the hearer so that they cannot comprehend. Along with those factors, there is a multitude of answers as to who the players are and when this event will take place. Ambiguity plays a role in the disinterest because an honest dissertation of an end-times scenario will typically put you in the ballpark, perhaps even provide the audience with the team name, but at this point, I am not sure we specifically say who the main characters are. Furthermore, two simple sentences can inspire books of commentary. I am going to try and condense but still give you an understanding of this prophecy.

An introduction to Ezekiel:

He was a priest, the son of a priest, and he was taken captive into Babylon. Already, you should be thinking, odds are not in his favor. Ezekiel was one of the few that give us precise dates.

According to Dr. John Gill's commentary, chapter 38 gives an account of "an enemy of the Jews, under the name of Gog, that shall invade their land, and disturb their peace after they are settled in it;"

J. Vernon McGee, in his commentary, demonstrates some classic old-school thinking as he tells us the theme of Ezekiel 38 is Russia's invasion of Israel. McGee is making his case for Gog to be Russia.

I happen to think McGee's assessment is wrong and we should not be focused on the Russian President Putin. You have to keep in mind what was going on in the world that would have inspired the McGee's particular emphasis on Russia in his commentary. For example, The United States was deeply entrenched in the Korean war; the Vietnam conflict, with the cold war with Russia waiting just around the corner. I too assumed that Russia would be one of the major players (and no doubt they are, but we are trying to think biblically while paying attention to the context.) as we lived with the verified threat of Russian missiles 90 miles off our coast in Cuba - a Russian ally, as children.

The Summarized Bible commentary conveys that “God does not only see those who are now the enemies of His people, but foresees those who will be so in the last days, and lets them know by His Word that He is against them, and will make their movements to serve His own purposes.”

I know, every generation has had those that have said, "we are in the last days," and I would tell you that they were right.

Now how would I come to the understanding that every generation comprehended that we are in the last days?

• Daniel chapter 9, spells out a seventy-week decree against Israel. Sixty-nine of those weeks have been fulfilled. The seventieth week of years (7years) has been on hold for over 2000 years. Therefore, we, the church, have been in the last days for over 2000 years.
• Peter, on the day of Pentecost, filled with Holy Spirit, preached to the thousands milling about the streets of Jerusalem that day. An aspect of what Peter said came from Joel chapter 2 which speaks about the time of God's wrath which the seventieth year portrays. However, within that period, people are acting out in the power of the Holy Spirit as the prophets of old did. Peter said this part of Joel's prophecy had been fulfilled in your hearing.

What did he say? We are living in the last days.

Since the last days seems to be very focused on the seven-years of wrath, are we, at the moment, living in the seventieth week? No, and that will not come until the church is removed from the earth. 2 Thessalonians 2:6-8

The NASB opens our look into Ezekiel 38 with:

Prophecy Against Gog

Ezekiel 38:1-2 NASB And the word of the LORD came to me saying, 2) "Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him

Note how the passage provided has no appropriate punctuation at the end. That is because the thought continues and we will pursue that shortly. But for the moment let's dissect the verses.

• “Son of man,”
  Is there any question as to whom the Lord is talking? The answer is Ezekiel.
• “set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him,”

Okay, what just happened? Ezekiel was told to prophesy against two entities:

• Gog; this person also happens to be the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.
• And, the land of Magog;

If Ezekiel is told to prophesy against him, and "him" includes the land, then we should be considering the possibility that this is:

• A nation?
• A people group?
• A demonic operation that controls a people group?

As I try to understand, I turn my attention to my concordances and look up the word Gog.

BDB Definition: Gog = “mountain” -

1. A Reubenite, the son of Shemaiah (1 Ch 5:4)
2. The prophetic prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and Magog (Read Ezekiel 32)

Strong's concordance merely adds Gog, the name of an Israelite. The KJC keeps us in Ezekiel with one exception:

1 Chronicles 5:1-4 MKJV And the sons of Reuben, the first-born of Israel (for he was the first-born; but since he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph the son of Israel, and the genealogy is not to be counted according to the birthright; 2) For Judah prevailed among his brothers, and from him came the chief ruler, but the birthright was Joseph's); 3) the sons of Reuben the first-born of Israel: Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. 4) The sons of Joel: Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, and Shimei, his son.

The dishonor carried by the family due to Reuben's indiscretion, which excluded them from any rights of birth, surely plays a role in all of this.

The Word Study Dictionary tells us this about Gog:

• He is pictured as a great enemy against God's people.
  Ezekiel 38:9 NASB "You will go up, you will come like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering the land, you and all your troops, and many peoples with you."
• He is from the land of Magog or possibly "from the land of Gog."
  Gog. i.e., mountain, in reference to the Caucasus mountains, the chief seat of the Scythian people. Note: Rather, "Gog (the prince) of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal." The Ultimate Cross-Reference Treasury
• The Lord sets Himself against Gog (Eze_38:2).
• Gog will lead a coalition of nations against God's people who are then dwelling securely in the land of Israel (Eze_38:14-16).
  With the addition of the words, God's people who are then dwelling securely in ...Israel. They have turned this so that we are looking at the church and not Israel, which is incorrect.
• But God, in fact, will bring Gog forth and will destroy him and his people.
  Ezekiel 39:1-2; Ezekiel 38:19-23
• The Lord spoke about this through other prophets (Eze_38:17-18).
  Ezekiel 38:17 MKJV So says the Lord Jehovah: Are you he of whom I have spoken in former days, by the hand of My servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days and years that I would bring you against them?
• The multitudes of Gog will be buried in the Valley of Hamon Gog, that is, "multitudes of Gog" (Eze_39:11),
  Ezekiel 39:11 CJB " 'When that day comes, I will give Gog a place there in Isra'el for graves, the Travelers' Valley, east of the sea; and it will block the travelers' passage. There they will bury Gog and all his horde, and they will rename it the Valley of Hamon-Gog [horde of Gog].

The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature informs us that:

They are the name of a mixed race dwelling in the extreme north, comprehended by the Greeks under the name of the Scythians; (2.) to the center and representative of their race, i.e. their king (Ezekiel 38:39). Gog comes forth from the distant north (Eze_38:15-23; Eze_39:2), ... And, if you are stickler for history - Interpreters have given very different explanations of the terms Gog and Magog; but they have generally understood them as symbolical expressions for the heathen nations of Asia, or more particularly for the Scythians, a vague knowledge of whom seems to have reached the Jews in Palestine about that period. Thus Josephus (Ant. 1:6, 3) has dropped the Hebrew word Magog, and rendered it by Σκύθαι;

Classic Bible Maps

Of the maps, I looked at to better understand this ancient classic version shows me more and divergent details than any other map, as it points out Gog and Magog, and where they were located. I have also provided a link to Wikipedia which continues to fill in the blanks in understanding and prophecy with highly detailed information about the Scythians. Because of the quantity of information found there, which all seems important, I am only going to suggest that the interested pursue that there. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scythians]

As you read the information, consider where Gog might come from. It may help you to understand more clearly how the Turkish "president" Recep Tayyip Erdoğan might best fill the role of Gog.

Just for the fun of it, I searched the internet to find out if Genghis Khan could have been a Scythian. The Headline read, “Not Just Genghis Khan - Scythians Show Genetic Blending With Europe 2,000 Years Ago.” http://www.science20.com/news_articles/not_just_genghis_khan_scythians_show_genetic_blending_europe_2000_years_ago-96314

Here is was I gather so far.

Gog, from the disinherited family line of Reuben, moves North and becomes a nomadic, mounted, a warring nation known as the Scythians. They ranged into China, Siberia, Egypt, Asia Minor and as far south as the Northern African nations, however, they seem to be centrally located around Turkey and the Caspian Sea. They are heavily influenced and integrated by the surrounding nations such as Persia, Syria, and the Caucasus regions. They conquered Nineveh, the Assyrians, and the Medes. Having relations as violent as Genghis Khan one can assume that slaughter was their general theme. This is the people that God sees as one of Israel's few remaining thorns in the flesh. 

All the people of the land will bury them. Ezekiel 39:11-16

I was hoping to get through Ezekiel 39 with this post, but that is not going to happen. Having finished, for the moment with what I apparently needed to say, I discovered I only made it through verse 16.

I find it difficult to merely throw something on paper and then just walk away; the reasons for this come out of a face to face understanding that it is a rarity to find someone who actually has a grasp on what this Bible, we hold so dear, actually says. And, when you do find someone who has knowledge in the Word, you typically walk away from them thinking they should be a prosecuting attorney, not a Bible teacher (I am saying this because I have had that experience, on multiple occasions.) I cannot simply let you walk away from a Bible study I am involved with, without understanding how and why a piece of information works or not.

All passages are from the NASB unless specified otherwise.

The last time I looked at Ezekiel 39, I ended on verse 10 where we find Israel gathering up weapons, which they use for firewood for the next seven years. This is hugely significant for two reasons.

• While Gog is not declared to be Islamic we do know that he is considered to be an aspect of the Scythians. However, they are all descendants of Noah, out of Japheth, and Reuben's family tribe which was left out of the inheritance. The family of Reuben dispersed to the North and South, and there were known familial relations between the Scythians and Egyptians. When trying to determine who we might be dealing with, such as an Islamic influence the most telling of all the clues come from the integration of Persians/Assyrians into the Scythians, but then, why not, for they were all kin in the long run. Gog/the Scythians have one determined purpose, and that is to wipe Israel and the descendants of Jacob off the map.
• The second immense thing to note is the period, seven-years. Why is this important? Because there is an association with the seven-year period known as the time of God's wrath. Now, you have to ask yourself when does this take place? Since we have no exact timing, we can intelligently speculate.

“Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,” 2 Thessalonians 2:3 NASB)

The “it” is the catching away of the church. The description shows us that almost immediately the “man of lawlessness” is revealed. Since he comes with a peace treaty that he signs with many (Israel is not specifically mentioned when these agreements are mentioned, and so it is inappropriate to think this treaty is for Israel's benefit.), we know that the armies of Gog lost. We know this because Israel is gathering the enemies weapons, and, as we will see, taking six months to bury the dead. This war was an overwhelming defeat, but not because of any direct intervention by Israel; this is God's war.

In the Revelation chapter 4 verse 1, the sentence begins with, “After these things.” The question I hear most, although unintelligently, is what things. The practical and intelligent answer is the close of the church age, this Gog/Magog war, the advent of the “man of lawlessness”, and the onset of the seven-years of God's wrath.

Applying some practical and logical thought to the scenario would put the Gog/Magog war shortly before the man of lawlessness steps to the forefront and puts forth a peace treaty (peace treaties are rarely necessary with times of relative peace such as Israel has now.) This ugliness can all happen within days, before or after. A few days does not seem to matter in God's timing, but one thing is sure, all stops will be pulled out, and God's wrath will begin with the removal of the church.

All the people of the land will bury them.

Ezekiel 39:11 "On that day I will give Gog a burial ground there in Israel, the valley of those who pass by east of the sea, and it will block off those who would pass by. So they will bury Gog there with all his horde, and they will call it the Valley of Hamon-Gog.”

Illustration 1: The land of Canaan. Megiddo sits about center.

• “ 

• “on that day.”

There are several events associated with the phrase, “on that day.” Many carry a definite link to the wrath of God, and, there are associations with His coming for the church. But, the most dramatic is the day Jesus comes back as the messiah for which Israel has been looking. What is the logical link here? The answer that makes the most sense is when God begins to pour out His wrath upon the earth.

•  “ I will give Gog a burial ground there in Israel, the valley of those who pass by east of the sea, and it will block off those who would pass by.”

Based upon information on a trade routes map, one of those routes ran from Damascus around Megiddo and South down the coast.

East of the sea is unclear, but because the valley will obstruct travelers, a likely candidate is the area of southern Galilee that leads toward the Dead Sea (called the Valley of Jezreel in Joshua 17:16). [Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Commentary]

• “So they will bury Gog there with all his horde, and they will call it the Valley of Hamon-Gog.”

I have 30 translations on my computer, and all of them say Gog will be buried there. However, a commentator says, this is no more Gog than it is Antiochus, but his commanders and generals. While that may be, Gog seems to be silenced. 

To say this is no more Gog than it is Antiochus falls on deaf ears unless you are familiar with the information given to Daniel in chapter 11 of that book. In chapter 10 of Daniel, we are introduced to an angel; we assume to be Gabriel. Gabriel gives Daniel such a precise history of future events that many believe it was written after the fact. One of those characters, Antiochus Epiphanes, becomes the forerunner of the Antichrist and presumably Gog, in this case. The point being, Antiochus is long since dead by the time these events come, so there is some sarcasm involved in the comment.

Fascinating how at the end of the thousand-year reign, Gog is once again called upon to lead an uncountable number in a battle against the Holy City Jerusalem. Question: Entering into the millennial reign how long will people live? The answer is, until they die – barring the criminal actions of others. Old age, it seems, will be along the lines of 900 years once again. This should make your head hurt, as there will be those living on the earth that will never die. This Gog/Magog war happens at the beginning of the seven-year time of wrath, and, in that war, Gog is killed. Obviously, he is not one of those who lives through the 1000 year reign, and yet, once again, Gog and all those with him will be killed by flames.

• “"For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them in order to cleanse the land. "Even all the people of the land will bury them; and it will be to their renown on the day that I glorify Myself," declares the Lord GOD. "They will set apart men who will constantly pass through the land, burying those who were passing through, even those left on the surface of the ground, in order to cleanse it. At the end of seven months, they will make a search. "As those who pass through the land pass through and anyone sees a man's bone, then he will set up a marker by it until the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamon-Gog. "And even the name of the city will be Hamonah. So they will cleanse the land."' Ezekiel 39:12-16 NASB)

Listening to Chuck Missler, the founder of Koinonia House, teaching on this subject, he describes these dead as most likely irradiated from nuclear attack. That assessment seems odd when this is God's war and according to scripture, He has a proven track record with non-nuclear methods. One of those methods is brimstone – burning, encapsulated, sulfur. Now, if God chose to use men and their nuclear armaments for His purposes – something He has done before, would the outcome be the same? Certainly, but most everything on the battlefield would be irradiated, reducing the probabilities that people would pick up weapons to burn.

Let's assume they are irradiated. What then are the procedures? Our government has them posted and here they are.

Field Morgue Procedures

• • Conduct radiation survey of each body coming into field morgue using a radiation survey meter and probe (see above) sweeping 1 inch away from the body surface
    • Decedents with measurable levels of contamination
      • Less than 100 millirems/hour: may be processed in a field morgue
        • Remove and safely store radioactive shrapnel ASAP
        • Conduct forensic examination and victim identification
        • Decontaminate decedent prior to release of body
      • Greater than 100 millirems/hour: move to a refrigeration unit
        • Storage of bodies reading >100 mrem/hr will help ensure safety of morgue staff
        • Refrigerator should be at least 30 feet away from work area
        • Radiation Safety Officer or health physicist will help determine how long to store the body based on rate of decay of fission products
    • Release decedents with internal contamination to funeral home
      • Label body with dose rate, distance of probe, date & time

I only added this to demonstrate that some cautions must be taken. Based on what we now know and that the Israelis have to mark the area where a dead body lies, and the fact that the area must be cleansed opens the door to possible nuclear contamination.

Aren't we forgetting something; these are Jewish considerations and it requires some Jewish understanding on our part.

A website concerned with Jewish traditions tells us,

Jewish custom insists on prompt burial as a matter of respect for the dead, a consideration of particular relevance in hot climates. According to one Kabbalistic source, burial refreshes the soul of the deceased, and only after burial will it be admitted to God's presence (Midrash ha-Ne'lam to Ruth; cf. Zohar, Ex. 151a).

Since there may be minimal concern about most of these dead ending up in God's presence, promptness may not be the primary motivation. Civility, however, may be the overriding factor.

The following aspect is one that was presented to us as we encountered the death of Christ in scripture.

The precedents set by the prompt burials of Sarah (Gen. 23) and of Rachel (Gen. 35:19) are reinforced by the Torah's express command that even the body of a man who had been hanged shall not remain upon the tree all night, but "thou shalt surely bury him the same day" (Deut. 21:23).

The next paragraph asserts that there is a high priest in place, and that is not the case at present; however one will be seated when the Temple gets rebuilt; and, the presence of a temple may play a role in this process.

The Talmud (BK 81a) states that speedy burial of a corpse found unattended (met mitzvah) was one of the ten enactments ordained by Joshua at the conquest of Canaan and is incumbent even on the high priest who was otherwise forbidden to become unclean through contact with the dead (Nazir 7:1). Josephus records that it is forbidden to let a corpse lie unburied (Apion, 2:211), and consideration for the dead is one of the central features of Tobit (2:8).

While all this gives us possible explanations as to why Israel buries the dead for seven months. Neither possibility can be excluded, however, one theory takes precedence when you add this aspect of scripture into the mix.

  “and it will be to their renown on the day that I glorify Myself," declares the Lord GOD.”

Why is this important? Because we seem to forget that God didn't simply put everything on hold as Israel goes about burying dead enemies. This entire scenario has taken place either, mere days before the catching away of the church and the leader who personifies the Antichrist stepping forward proffers a peace treaty; or, it is moments or days after the rapture.

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4) who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.

This line of demarcation - the rapture, reveals the man of lawlessness, and ushers in God's wrath, an aspect of which is against Israel for their rejection.

Subject to God's wrath, you might think there is no hope for Israel.

Here is where you have to set aside your religious hats and consider the God of mercy.

I tell people that the Great White Throne, the seat of final judgment, only shows up in two places in scripture: Revelation 20 and Matthew 25. Those that think they understand what they call the sheep and goat judgment we find in Matthew 25 will argue vehemently against this possibility. Both examples carry the same results with two exceptions:

• Revelation 20 tells us that He calls forth the dead; while Matthew 25 says that the nations are called to Him.
• Matthew showed us a separation of people, calling them sheep (followers) and the others are designated as goats (non-followers.) In the Revelation, we are merely told about those whose names are not written in the books (the book of life is included.) Matthew's account did not exclude the books but focuses on those found in the book of life.
• In both instances there is a final destination for those found lacking, but Matthew gives us one extra piece of information: Those now allowed into the kingdom, lacking all the whoop-la that religion demands have, according to the judge's explanation, merely performed some act of kindness, such as giving someone a drink of water. Jesus tells them that they were giving that drink to Him.

Is it possible that the nation of Israel in burying the enemies dead, qualifies as an act of kindness; finds some redemption; and, thereby gains entrance into the kingdom? It would seem that God has already qualified it as such.

I am against you O Gog. Ezekiel 39 verses 1 through 6.

While the study will be focused on Ezekiel 39, I saw such strong similarities to Ezekiel 38 that I felt I needed to quickly probe Ezekiel 38 once again.

And the Word of Jehovah came to me, saying, Son of man, set your face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief ruler of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him. And say, So says the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the chief ruler of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. And I will turn you back, and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed most perfectly, a great assembly with buckler and shield, all of them swordsmen; Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them, all of them with shield and helmet; Gomer and all his bands; the house of Togarmah from the recesses of the north, and all his bands; and many peoples with you. Ezekiel 38:1-6 MKJV)

One would assume some time has passed as God is desirous of emphasizing once again, His burning passion against the embodiment of this entity called Gog, and, we can hardly miss what seems like a desire to destroy these people. At the same time, there is the need to use them. Everything is a tool for God's purpose; fortunately for us, His purpose is good.

It seems odd, especially after doing a book study on The Shack by William Paul Young, that I could even consider saying that God wants to destroy people. This certain destruction against the armies of Gog is another of those instances where you find what looks like as an angry God, determined to wipe people off the earth. What we have to remember is that people have choices. Assume for a minute that the followers of Gog are all vicious Mongol remnants. Bred with a childhood training that teaches them to hate, while enjoying the philosophy that what's yours is mine and what is mine belongs to me as well; it would seem that their options for a positive, loving role model are limited. Whether they are in a sense sacrificed is not our problem, and God then has the position of looking at the heart and finding the good; something that we are all capable of. Right there, I said it, good is something we are all capable of; but do we do the good? How is it that we are capable, given the tragic backgrounds many experience? Because that same tree that brought this death, in the form of separation from God, also brought the knowledge of evil. When we read about the incident, we perceive the phrase, “the knowledge of good and evil.” Is it possible that Adam did not know good? Not hardly, he was created in the image of God who made him. That means that he was the exacting image of the nature and character of that God. Now the logical path is considered the life Adam lived before his decision to do things his way, and take and eat the fruit that he just watched his woman eat. This decision, with the corresponding action, was a choice; a somewhat convoluted one, but none-the-less a choice.

As I opened this blog, I used the word entity to describe Gog, why would I do that? If “he” is the dominant leader of a varied group of people (consider in your research the Scythians,) then as I understand this, Gog will die only to rally, once again, an uncountable number at the end of the thousand-year reign. That would give Gog a lifespan of approximately four thousand years, or he is resurrected specifically to fight, once again, against God at the end of time.

Since it is not logical to assume this “man” is resurrected, then we must be dealing with a demon/fallen angel who is embodied in some human at the moment. I am sure many of you find this concept far reaching and unusual, if so, then what do you do with information like the clues we are given, as a statue, explained by Daniel, is made from metals but defined as empires. Those same empires are in time represented by a goat; a ram; a bear; a leopard; a lion, and an eagle. This imagery is eventually combined into a seven headed beast with one body. Ten horns come out of one of the heads and then an eleventh. One of the heads (an empire) sustains what seems to the world to be a mortal wound. Do you find anything unusual about this imagery?

Ezekiel 39 – verses 1-6

"And you, son of man, prophesy against Gog and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal; and I will turn you around, drive you on, take you up from the remotest parts of the north and bring you against the mountains of Israel. Ezekiel 39:1-2 NASB)

While prophesying against Gog is an integral aspect of Ezekiel 38, the thing that catches my attention is the words, “ set your face against Gog.” Chapter 38 gives us a rather detailed list of those involved, but what does this simple word “set” mean?

śiym - Set is a verb meaning to appoint, to bring, to call, to put, to change, to charge, to commit, to consider, to convey, to determine.

Considering how Ezekiel 39 begins, the context for Ezekiel 38:2 where it says, "set your face against Gog," implies that Ezekiel is to consider and charge Gog. It would be foolish to think that a captive of Babylon would have the ear of a chief ruler.

What difference would it make if Gog heard, or did not hear these words?

None, whatsoever; for God is not asking them to repent, nor is he interested in their opinion. He, God, through his prophet, says, “So says the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I am against you.”

Interesting contrast. How did God approach Nineveh?

Jonah 1:2 CJB "Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and proclaim to it that their wickedness has come to my attention."

However, Jonah did not do that; instead, he tried to escape this call upon him by taking a boat going the opposite direction. He never told the men what his mission was supposed to be; he merely told them that their troubles were because of his inaction in disobeying God's voice. They followed Jonah's advice and threw him into the sea. It is not until Jonah is vomited upon the shore by the fish, followed by a long journey, of which he is now one day's journey into the rather large city, that he begins to proclaim,

Jonah 3:4 LITV And Jonah began to enter a day's journey into the city. And he cried out and said, Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overturned!

This message to Nineveh came with no offers of mercy should they repent, and yet, there, as we can see in verse nine, mercy, because of their actions comes.

It is possible that this thought entered the mind of their king through the Holy Spirit, as the likelihood of some interaction with the prophet Joel is not probable. Here is what the king of the Ninevehites said,

Jonah 3:9 CJB Who knows? Maybe God will change his mind, relent and turn from his fierce anger; and then we won't perish."

How odd. It is certainly not word for word, but the intent is understood.

Joel 2:12-14 NASB "Yet even now," declares the LORD, "Return to Me with all your heart, And with fasting, weeping and mourning; 13) And rend your heart and not your garments." Now return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness And relenting of evil. 14) Who knows whether He will not turn and relent And leave a blessing behind Him, Even a grain offering and a drink offering For the LORD your God?

King David, caught with the result of his rendezvous with Bathsheba, said,

2 Samuel 12:21-23 NASB Then his servants said to him, "What is this thing that you have done? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept; but when the child died, you arose and ate food." 22) He said, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, 'Who knows, the LORD may be gracious to me, that the child may live.' 23) "But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me."

When it came to Israel's rejection the Psalmist tells us,

Psalms 106:43-46 NASB Many times He would deliver them; They, however, were rebellious in their counsel, And so sank down in their iniquity. 44) Nevertheless, He looked upon their distress When He heard their cry; 45) And He remembered His covenant for their sake, And relented according to the greatness of His lovingkindness. 46) He also made them objects of compassion In the presence of all their captors.

Would, or could God's hand of mercy be extended to even someone like Gog? Absolutely.

As we saw with Nineveh, mercy took some action on their part. Now, mind you, the mercy, was only temporary as the nation eventually returned to its old ways and was in time destroyed completely. Archaeology proves this out, and the remains of Nineveh were found just outside of Mosul Iraq in the form of several mounds.

The truth seems to be that this entity called Gog would have found another victim to carry out the plans ultimately designed by God. Just like we see in Ezekiel 38 where it says,

Ezekiel 38:4 CJB “I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out ..”

We find a similar description in Ezekiel 39:

Ezekiel 39:2 CJB I will turn you around, lead you on and bring you from the far reaches of the north against the mountains of Isra'el.

In talking about Gog in Ezekiel 38, we established that this person is the chief prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. Here in chapter 39, this point is still held before us.

Ezekiel 39:1 NASB "And you, son of man, prophesy against Gog and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal;

The prophecy against Gog takes on much greater complexity when we understand the land mass that Gog has under his control. Perhaps our knowledge of how far the descendants of Noah extended will help us better understand Ezekiel 39:2 – 5. Gog is the leader of the unified group originally known as the Scythians. This group includes: The Medes, Persians, all descendants of Noah, and extended Northeast into China; South into Egypt, and West into Europe. It included the lineage of Attila the Hun. The Scythians were well known for their savagery; their skills as horsemen, and for their mounted warfare archery skills.

One thing to note, there is nothing that forces us to focus exclusively on the leaders of Russia, or Turkey, as they are all descendants of the Scythians. However, there is that one aspect that tends to hang us up, “from the remotest parts of the North.” With the understanding that the descendants of Noah - the Scythians, were far reaching into the North, then this can be just about anyone, including an Iranian.

Ezekiel 39:2-5 NASB and I will turn you around, drive you on, take you up from the remotest parts of the north and bring you against the mountains of Israel. 3) "I will strike your bow from your left hand and dash down your arrows from your right hand. 4) "You will fall on the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops and the peoples who are with you; I will give you as food to every kind of predatory bird and beast of the field. 5) "You will fall on the open field; for it is I who have spoken," declares the Lord GOD.

Specific actions to be taken by God:

1. “I will turn you around, drive you on, take you up from the remotest parts of the North and bring you against the mountains of Israel.”
2. “I will strike your bow from your left hand and dash down your arrows from your right hand.”
3. “You will fall on the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops and the peoples who are with you;”
4. “I will give you as food to every kind of predatory bird and beast of the field.”
5. “You will fall on the open field;”

Each one of these aspects could be examined alone, but the motivation and intent are God's alone and this is made clear in Ezekiel 38:16.

Ezekiel 38:16 LITV And you shall come up on My people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land. It shall be in the after days, and I will bring you against My land so that the nations may know Me, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes, Gog.

The idea of sanctification is to be set aside for God's usage, and, has everything to do with God causing the nations to recognize Him. Note how it says, “when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.”

Other problems we struggle with: We never consider Gog as merely a tool, especially if it has pain and death involved with it. And, we never seem to see that all life is in God's hands and it is His to use as He wishes. All those with Gog, it seems, die, but not without purpose, and in this case, they demonstrate, by their death, God's power.

Many associate what is about to come with Psalm 83, while others try to explain that this group of nations is a separate war entirely. As I see it, we are in the last minutes before God pours out His wrath upon the earth. Sorry, but yes, He uses people like Gog to help carry out that wrath. I cannot imagine how there would be time for two extensive attacks against Israel in the next few days. Especially when one of the attacks has a massive fire storm that falls upon the coastlands as well as the mountains of Israel – taking out thousands upon thousands of combatants. With the possible exception of Psalm 83, I do not see that Bible supports an attack on Israeli by anyone other than Gog in the last moments before the judgment of God comes against the earth.

Psalms 83:2-5 NASB For behold, Your enemies make an uproar, And those who hate You have exalted themselves. 3) They make shrewd plans against Your people and conspire together against Your treasured ones. 4) They have said, "Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation, That the name of Israel be remembered no more." 5) For they have conspired together with one mind; Against You, they make a covenant:

Psalms 83:6-8 gives us a list of the players involved: Edom; the Ishmaelites, Moab; the Hagrites; Gebal; Ammon; Amalek; Philistia; the inhabitants of Tyre, and Assyria also has joined with them - ten nations. Because the word through Ezekiel refers to the multitudes with Gog, it 's hard to narrow the nations down to ten. Whether this fits the bill for a new war against Israel or not seems irrelevant when we have such a definitive word against Gog.

Ezekiel 39:6 NASB "And I will send fire upon Magog and those who inhabit the coastlands in safety; and they will know that I am the LORD.

If God is talking about the area in the map (as seen above), an area that indicates the world known to the ancient Hebrews. The coastlands then could be limited to: The Caspian Sea; The Black Sea; The Persian Gulf; The Mediterranean Sea, and the Red Sea or the Persian Gulf as we now know it. All of these have ample coastlands and could easily fit the bill and would not include places like England or the United States of America. Do not get the impression that I am saying Britain and the USA will be excluded from problems; to the contrary, we will be neck deep in them. There have been far too many prophecies indicating that the US for one, will be the target of a nuclear attack, from multiple sources. England is so far into the Muslim transition that they are barely breathing as a free land.

Note how it says, “those who inhabit the coastlands in safety. If Ezekiel 38:11 is a clue as to what this means, it tends to focus on Israel alone as Israel is the land described.

Usage of the word safety can also imply an arrogance. You might see them being so bold as to say, look at us and good we have it.

Ezekiel 38:10-11 NASB 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "It will come about on that day, that thoughts will come into your mind and you will devise an evil plan, 11) and you will say, 'I will go up against the land of unwalled villages. I will go against those who are at rest, that live securely, all of them living without walls and having no bars or gates,

Since Israel is God's chosen we don't have to look far to understand who might be involved. In doing a quick mental check, there is minimal land along the coasts of the Mediterranean where I can find peace. Most nations, thanks to warfare, have little that looks like walls. Gaza, to the South, has no peace, and countries around the Persian Gulf are in a constant state of flux due to their belief systems. Nations that surround the Black Sea, or the Caspian Sea, are lesser known to me, although there is the awareness of what we call civil wars. Some of these nations have been battling with Russia for sovereignty. Most of us have seen enough of Russia's actions to know that when they move against you, you typically lose.

The word safety is the Hebrew word beṭaḥ: A masculine noun or adjective meaning security. As a noun, it primarily means security or calm assurance. As an adjective, it means assurance or confidence. It is primarily a positive term: to dwell in safety because of God's protection. This last aspect of the description, as stated in the Word Study Dictionary, tends to limit the protection to those that God is protecting. However, the implications of the passage lend themselves to those who are operating in conjunction with Gog. Does this mean there will be an active participation in warfare? Not necessarily, as so much of war happens in offices and banks. Do the math. The Rothschild family has financed every war, both sides, since the world has been deemed modern. With that in mind, try to imagine the ways to participate in a war and never fire a shot. If you can, then you have imagined the beast of Revelation.

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