Is Gog the lefthanded archer in Ezekiel 39?
Is Ezekiel 39 about to play out on the world stage? Many Bible prophecy pundits believe Russia will soon turn its attention to attacking Israel. I do not expect that to happen at all. It is this writer’s opinion that the war described in Ezekiel 38 and 39 is the War of Armageddon. That war will unfold in the final years of the tribulation. Popular prophecy teachers expect an attack from a coalition led by Russia. And they believe it will occur prior to the beginning of the tribulation. But the biblical writers did not point us to a Russian-led coalition. My eyes are on the nation of Turkey. That is also where the O.T. prophets looked.
There are two riders on white horses mentioned in the Book of Revelation. The first white-horse rider we see is the one who leads the four horsemen of the apocalypse. When the first seal is broken, a rider on a white horse appears. I interpret the first rider as the Antichrist. And with that, I make a conclusion. The Antichrist and Gog are both the same individual that many biblical prophets pointed to. So if that’s true, this changes some things as to how we might interpret some Bible prophecies. In the next paragraph, I’ve written a few conclusions that should be reevaluated regarding this end-times passage.
Some misunderstandings about Ezekiel’s war.
- Many Bible prophecy teachers and students have learned that the war of Gog and Magog will occur at least seven years before the end of the tribulation period.
- And we’ve also heard that Islamic nations that are involved in the attack will be completely devastated. Never to return to power.
- Thus the influence of the Islamic religion will virtually disappear. It will remain in much smaller numbers as the tribulation period begins.
- Then the power base of the Antichrist will appear from Rome or Europe.
- And since the Arab nations are devasted in their failed attempt to destroy Israel, the Jewish nation will expand and enjoy a short time of peace.
- Lastly, the similarities between Ezekiel’s war and John’s description of Armageddon in the Book of Revelation are only a coincidence.
The last point is particularly important. The two battles are virtually the same thing, but many scholars and teachers insist they are two different battles. I disagree and will get deeper into that in other articles. But as I’ve been saying in previous articles, there is a lot of misunderstanding about this end-times battle.
Let’s take a look at the next chapter.
A rider on a white horse will carry a bow
Ezekiel 39:1 A second warning to the false Christ
“Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.”
God’s prophet, Ezekiel, repeats his warning to Gog. Just as he did in 38:2, the Lord calls the mysterious leader the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. But in this verse, he didn’t name his land, which is Magog. That land, that Gog will rule over, is modern-day Turkey, not Russia as many teachers suggest.
Ancient historians, Josephus, Herodotus, and others agree on the idea that where Turkey sits today is where Ezekiel saw his prophetic focus. Russia is a popular theory, but all of the tribal names mentioned have a history in the Middle East and not further north.
Ezekiel 39:2 The Lord will turn Gog back
“And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel.”
In this verse, the King James Version translates a word that has caused confusion. The phrase, “the sixth part” is used in King James because the number six is part of the root meaning of the word found in the original language. This has led many teachers to a certain conclusion. If King James’ wording is correct, we can interpret the meaning in one of two ways. Either 1/6th of the invading army stays in the homeland. Or 1/6th of the army will remain after God wipes out the other 5/6th of the invaders. The more likely meaning of the verse is reflected in many modern translations. It’s possible that a hook with six barbs was envisioned when Ezekiel first penned the words. If that’s the case, the idea that five-sixth of the invading army is destroyed is an incorrect interpretation.
Let’s look at how a commentator explains it.
Pulpit Commentary
I will… leave but the sixth part of thee. The word שְׁשֵּׁאתִיך is derived either from the numeral six, שֵׁשׁ or from the root שָׁשָׁא, the import of which is uncertain, although a cognate root in Ethiopic suggests the idea of “going on” or “proceeding” – a meaning Havernick also finds in the Hebrew. The former derivation has been followed by the Authorized Version, which renders in the margin, “I will strike thee with six plagues,” or “draw thee back with a hook of six teeth,” and by Hengstenberg, With whom Plumptre agrees, “1 will six thee,” i.e. “afflict thee with six plagues,” viz. those mentioned in Ezekiel 38:22. The latter derivation, presumably the more correct, is adopted by the LXX.
Invaders from the north
Ezekiel also says the attack will come from the north. The word he used makes “extreme” north a possible translation. And because of that, Russia is thought of as the lead nation in the attack. But is that what the prophet meant? Let’s compare two verses in Jeremiah that used the same word.
Jeremiah 1:13
The word of the LORD came to me again: “What do you see?” “I see a pot that is boiling,” I answered. “It is tilting toward us from the north.”
Jeremiah 1:14
The LORD said to me, “From the north disaster will be poured out on all who live in the land.”
Jeremiah predicted disaster from the north. But who was this attacking army and where did they come from? It was the Babylonian Empire and they came from the East of Israel. Well, that’s funny. How is that possible? There’s a simple answer. The geography of the region forced the Babylonians to travel North-west. Then their attack was initiated from the north, just as the prophecy predicted. Ezekiel’s prophetic army will also attack from the north. But when he named tribal regions, he pointed out a geographic region. But it wasn’t to the far-far north where Russia is. Instead, it was further north than the previous northern attacks.
Israel has had many enemies during its history. Tyre, Assyria, and the Hittites were a few who resided in and attacked from the north. But enemies that were further north weren’t as often a problem. History records the invading forces of the Huns, Goths, and Mongols. Those groups all came from areas north and east of modern-day Turkey. But Israel was never their primary target.
Ezekiel 39:3 The archer will lose his bow
“And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.”
Ezekiel now refers to a weapon in the left hand of Gog. This mysterious leader will not only direct armies to battle. He will also join them in the fray. But will bows and arrows be used in the final battles? Probably not, we can’t rule it out but there’s no reason to believe they will be. It’s obvious that none of the biblical writers had any conception of modern warfare and weaponry. The introduction of archery to the battlefield came with a devastating impact. And more so, the advancement of modern warfare has increased exponentially in the last two hundred years. We should fully expect that the most advanced weapons of the current modern era will be used in the final brutal battles which Ezekiel foresaw.
Even so, Gog may not carry a bow but we should expect him to carry and use a weapon. It might be a sword, one that he will use to remove the heads of his enemies. I say that because beheading will have a role in the final-days scenarios. We don’t need to be reminded of how common that has become recently.
Revelation 20:4
I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Revelation 6:2
I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.
Ezekiel 39:4 Gog will fall during his attack upon Israel
“Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the people that is with thee. I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.”
The Old Testament prophets gave us numerous details about the final wars of the last days. And the Lord warned his disciples that wars and rumors of wars will fill the news cycle at the end of days. But the wars will culminate as many of the armies gather their forces to do battle around the mountains of Israel. The mountains of Israel run north and south along much of the eastern half of the country.
But when the Jewish reader thinks of the mountains of Israel, one mountain comes into focus. That’s the temple mount. The Lord God claimed Jerusalem as His city and directed King Solomon to build the first temple on “the” Mountain of God.
This is where God’s enemies will see their plans finally come to an end. Ezekiel saw attacking armies. They will, in essence, hold the banner of Satan as they try to kill every Jew and stop Jesus from taking his place as King of the Jews. But they will fail. King Jesus will defeat Gog and his invading forces.
The scavenger birds, vultures, and ravens will be invited to feast on the corpses of the dead. It will be a sickly scene but a just ending for them.
Ezekiel 39:5 His dead body will lay in a field of battle
“Thou shalt fall upon the open field. For I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.”
As we see several times in this prophecy, God calls out the main perpetrator of these final crimes. “You will fall on the open field.” Gog, the leader of the armies will die in combat. This isn’t Satan, but the demonic leader will indwell the soul of the Antichrist. Just as Judas Iscariot did the bidding of Satan, this Antichrist figure will fill a similar role during the tribulation.
God has spoken it. It will happen as he has said it will.
Ezekiel 39:6 The nation of Gog will burn
“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.”
As I’ve said, we see details about this war/battle in various scriptures. But Daniel chapter eleven probably gives us the most detail. In that passage, we see that several nations are involved. The main battlefront changes as the battles rage on. The attack upon Israel is just one phase. And when Gog falls in the field of battle, his nation will come under heavy attack.
We can speculate about the source of that attack. Is it God who will send fire and brimstone upon them? That’s possible. I have another idea which I believe is more plausible. I’ll develop this “theory” further in the future. I think the attacking nations that bring fire to Magog could be nations from the West or even the East.
Remember, many nations beyond the Antichrist armies are involved. Some nations will fight against him. Once his defeat is certain, they will likely rain fire and death upon his country. Former President Donald Trump once warned North Korea. If they didn’t stop their threats, the United States would bring down “fire and frankly fury, as the world has never seen.”
That was a dramatic quote that received worldwide attention. And the North Korean leader noticed. But that was just dramatic negotiations.
Magog, the land of Gog, will face real fire and fury. Here’s my free investment advice for you. Don’t buy real estate in Turkey, Syria, Egypt, Iran, or Saudi Arabia. I could name more but that’s all the advice I’m giving today. 🙂
Keep your eyes on the moves Turkey is making.
The Battlefield is ready. An interview with Bill Salus.
Let me know what you think.