Ezekiel 38 calls the mysterious Gog “he.” Who is “he”
Who is Ezekiel 38 focused on? This person has been mentioned in earlier prophecies. But where bible scholars are not sure who Gog is in Ezekiel 38. But God refers to him as “he.” That simple pronoun can help clear up the confusion among scholars.
If we want to understand who Gog is, we should first try to answer the question about who “he” is in this famous prophecy.
Ezekiel 38 tells us this mysterious leader would direct a massive attack against Israel in the last days. And that same leader, Gog, would come back after 1,000 years and lead a final rebellion. Well, nobody lives for over one thousand years. So it’s assumed the “he” in this prophecy is mythical. And “he” only appears once not twice. That’s part of the argument that some scholars make.
But as we’ll see in this article, God knew about this person long before the name Gog was ever used in reference to him. The “he” that God knew walked in the Garden of Eden. This very same prophet, Ezekiel, wrote about the time “he” walked in the garden. Read it here. And the “he” was destined to strike the heel of the Messiah as we read in Genesis 3:15.
Gog is a title for a man who will lead a final rebellion against Israel. That man will be the Antichrist. The Apostle Paul said “he” will stand in the temple and claim he is God. When “he” does that, it will become obvious that Satan, as predicted, has entered into the body of a man and is about to embark on the final three and a half years of mankind’s rule on Planet Earth.
Before we continue, let’s look at just one commentary that leads us in the wrong direction.
Another troubling interpretation
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
Of whom I have spoken in old time. This is put in that interrogative form which is often used for emphatic assurance. The word many before “years” is not in the original. But is correctly inserted to mark the accusative of duration.
The statement is an emphatic one. God had of old and for a long time foretold by His prophets this attack of Gog. But the name of Gog is not mentioned in any earlier prophecy now extant. Nor is it likely that any such, far less than any long series of such prophecies have been lost.
This concurs with many other indications in the prophecy. It shows that it does not relate to any particular event. But that Gog and his allies represent the enemies of the Church in general. And that the prophet is here depicting the same great and prolonged struggle between evil and good. It is between the powers of the world and the kingdom of God, which has formed the burden of so much of both earlier and later prophecy.
I take issue with the above quote from a respected commentary. The writer suggests that he doesn’t find historical or textual support to help define who Gog is. So, he takes the easy way out and assumes we must place it in the good versus evil category. Or perhaps, Gog represents the enemies of the Church. But, in reality, it just takes a little more effort to understand who the mystery figure probably is. When we look at the whole text, which includes chapters 38 and 39, we can’t reasonably conclude it’s just about enemies of the Church.
Also, the nation of Israel is clearly in focus in these chapters. Unfortunately, many commentators want to ignore the unfinished prophecies of the Jewish nation. God is not finished with Israel.
Ezekiel 38:17
“Thus saith the Lord GOD. Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them?”
In this verse, Ezekiel writes as though the Lord is speaking in the first person. The Lord has a person in mind whom he identifies as “he”. And this “he” has been on the Lord’s mind for a long time. It is my opinion, as I already indicated, that this person is the Antichrist who will be indwelt by Satan. Ever since Satan’s rebellion began, the final outcome has been known. The Lord’s prophets began telling the story thousands of years ago. The Old Testament is full of passages pointing toward the final battles of the long war. God says, “Art thou he?”
All of the prophets and prophecies were pointing to this end described by Ezekiel. This battle, led by Gog, will be the last battle before the Kingdom of Christ is set up. It is the infamous battle of Armageddon. Jerusalem will be the final battlefield and also the place where Jesus will set up his future throne. In the following verses, we see a small sample size of the numerous passages that foretell the end times scenario that Gog will lead. Compare the following: Isaiah 10:6, Isaiah 17:4, Micah 5:11, Zephaniah 3:8, Isaiah 25:5, 10, Jeremiah 30:23, Deuteronomy 32, Isaiah 24-27, Isaiah 34, Numbers 24:17-24, Isaiah 14:28-32, Isaiah 18, Joel 3, and last but not least Daniel 2:44, 45.
If you follow those links, you’ll notice that none of those verses mention the enemies attacking the Church. It’s the commentators that do that. The prophets all mention Israel as the one under attack.
Naturally, the Lord knew the end before the beginning. He revealed the truth to his prophets. As Satan led the start of the rebellion by indwelling a serpent, he will lead the final battle by indwelling a human leader of a vast army.
Ezekiel 38:18
“And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, that my fury shall come up in my face.”
So, when Gog begins this final assault against “the land of Israel,” God will have an answer for the long-awaited attack. This isn’t a two-thousand-year-old war between good and evil. Nor is it the secular world persecuting the Christian Churches, as some commentators suggest. It will be a vast army, with many nations included. They will combine their military might in the hope of accomplishing one thing. The united forces led by Gog will attempt to destroy Israel. It’s not a proverb but a real battle that will take place at a certain time that God has appointed.
The “fury” or heat of God is said to “come up in” God’s “face.” In the original language, we don’t get the sense of sudden rage. Instead, we read that the heat of God comes up in the face of the Lord and is then directed at Gog. But, as the last verse makes it very clear, this has not been a well-kept secret. The prophets said this day would come. Satan knows his day is coming. The enemies of God, know the same. But they will at least make one last attempt to thwart God’s prophetic word. God’s patience will reach its end at the time appointed long ago.
Ezek.38:19
“For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day, there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel.”
Jesus gave a grave warning because of what is described in this verse. In the Olivet Discourse, Jesus warned everyone to leave Jerusalem before this stage of the battle.
God’s wrath will be poured out upon the armies of Gog. The Abomination of desolation will be a warning sign for everyone to take notice of. The Apostle Paul warned about it when he said a person would stand in the temple of God. That person is the “he” that Ezekiel mentions in this passage when he wrote, “art thou he”.
Jesus also warned about earthquakes as a part of the collection of signs during the last days. This shaking in the land of Israel will probably be one of the greatest earthquakes the earth will ever endure.
Ezek. 38:20
“So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence. And the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, And every wall shall fall to the ground.”
It’s hard to read this verse and come to any other conclusion than this — this will be a world-shaking earthquake.
Compare some of the following verses in which other prophets describe very similar calamities.
Isaiah 42:15
I will lay waste to the mountains and hills and dry up all their vegetation. I will turn the rivers into islands and dry up the marshes.
Jeremiah 4:24
I looked at the mountains, and behold, they were quaking; all the hills were swaying.
Zechariah 14:4
On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half the mountain moving to the north and half to the south.
In the Zechariah verse, we see that the Lord himself will set his feet on the Mount of Olives during this great earthquake. And just as he walked upon stormy seas, he’ll walk steadily upon the earth while it goes through this great shaking.
Ezek. 38:21
“And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD. Every man’s sword shall be against his brother.”
Here, the prophet returns our attention to the person God is directing his focus on. The Lord will call for a “sword against him.” That’s the leader of this horde of attackers. There will be many unbelievers at this time. It’s safe to conclude that many millions of unbelievers will be present on the earth during this last attack on Israel. But Satan will have one man who is leading the final assault. God will place all of his attention on him. The one who claimed he was a god will die at the hands of the One who died on the cross. And the One who will set his feet upon the Mount of Olives as it splits in two.
As the confusion of war becomes great, the invading soldiers will attack each other. They will literally turn their swords on one another and do the Lord’s bidding at this point.
Ezek. 38:22
“And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood. And 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.”
This verse reminds us of the imagery we find in the Book of Revelation. While the soldiers are fighting one another, the wrath of God pours down upon their heads.
Revelation 8:7
Then the first angel sounded his trumpet, and hail and fire mixed with blood were hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, along with a third of the trees and all the green grass.
Revelation 14:10
he too will drink the wine of God’s anger, poured undiluted into the cup of His wrath. And he will be tormented in fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb.
Revelation 20:9
And they marched across the broad expanse of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. But fire came down from heaven and consumed them.
This pouring out of God’s wrath will be just the beginning of the punishment for these unbelievers who attack Israel in this final battle.
Ezekiel 38:23
“Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD.”
This is how the Lord will reveal his great rage and wrath in this last phase of Armageddon. The battle of Gog and Magog will end in a shocking display of power from God. The earth will shake like never before. And death will fall from the sky. The Antichrist will be a great deceiver who will perform a few miraculous signs himself. Satan will grant him some of his limited power. But it will prove a weak imitation of the limitless God.
The nations that see this will know who the true God is.
In other articles, I’ll address the fact that not everyone alive at this time will be cast into the same pit as Satan and the Antichrist.
https://thewritelife.tech/2019/02/19/russian-led-coalition-attacks-israel/
Tell me what you think about this battle. Do you agree, or do you have a different point of view?
Let me know what you think.