Not everything written as Sensational Newspaper theology is true.
The Biblical prophecy regarding the battle of Gog and Magog from Ezekiel 38 and 39 has captured the imagination of many contemporary prophecy buffs. Many of the details surrounding the prophecy do sound as if they would come directly out of the headlines of modern newspapers. Because of this, many authors who write prophetic books have taken some of these details and have run with them in order to write some sensational stories on how the world will end. Sensational stories sell books and drum up some excitement within people who want to see the Bible come to life. Unfortunately, most of these contemporary accounts are not true. They are not true because they neglect some very glaring details within the prophecy itself. Attempting to force pieces of the prophetic puzzle to fit when they don't will only prove to the world once again how prominent christian scholars often get it wrong. Only God knows the end from the beginning. People need to realize that apart from God's revelation, a man can only speculate at best. Remembering this, will help the reader understand where and when scholars get it wrong in this specific prophecy.
A Brief summary description of the battle of Gog and Magog as described in Scripture.
To understand where Eschatology authors get it wrong, the reader must first understand how the Bible describes the battle of Gog and Magog. When Christ returns to establish his kingdom on the earth, the saints will live and reign with Him for a 1,000 years (Rev 20:4). The Christ will rule with a rod of iron (Rev 19:15) and will enforce righteousness throughout the world. The nations that will not serve Christ will perish and be utterly ruined (Isa 60:12). The Sons of those who afflicted Zion will come bowing to them and all those who despise her shall fall prostrate at the soles of her Feet (Isa 60:14). God will make the Church's enemies worship before their feet and to know that Christ has loved them (Rev 3:9). During the 1,000 year reign, the population of people will swell once again. A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation (Isa 60:22). After a 1,000 years of rule, Many will tire of Christ's dominion. They will take counsel together and attempt to liberate themselves from Christ's reign over their lives (Ps 2:1-3). At the end of the 1,000 year reign of Christ on the earth, Satan will be released from his prison in the Abyss. He will be allowed to go out once again and deceive the nations (Rev 20:8). Satan will visit Gog and Magog and the nations that are with them (Ezek 38:8). He will plant in their mind evil thoughts (Ezek 38:10). Thoughts to take spoil and plunder from the saints who now prosper in Israel (Ezek 38:12). They will know that the saints are prosperous, have long enjoyed peace, and do not have any walls, gates, or bars around their villages (Ezek 38:11, 14). They will see this as an easy opportunity for taking spoil. They go to war in the hope of taking that spoil and casting off Christs fetters (Ps 2:3). God will allow these nations to gather for war that He might have occasion to destroy them in a firestorm (Ezek 39:2, 38:22, Rev 20:9).
The Buzz about this prophecy starts with identifying who Magog is.
One of the elements that makes the Prophecy of Gog and Magog so fascinating for contemporary writers has to be identifying the Race of men listed in this final battle. Scripture refers to these nations by the names of their ancestors. Gomer, Magog, Tubal, and Meshech were all grandsons of Noah and sons of Japheth (Gen 10:2). Genesis tell us that from these sons of Japheth, the coastland peoples of the gentiles were separated into their lands according to their family, language, and nation (Gen 10:5). Each nation being named after the ancestor who first inhabited the region. Ancient historians can account for part of the ancestral tree of the sons of Japheth; the parts where the ancient world had encounters with such people groups. The Hebrew term for the nation of Magog means place of Gog. Hesiod, Heroditus, and Josephus all identify Magog with the Scythians. Scythians were a nomadic people who populated the southern steps of Russia from eastern Europe to Mongolia and Siberia. The Great wall of China has been referred to as the Ramparts of Gog and Magog; it was built to keep these wild barbarian hordes on the outskirts of civilization out. For these reasons, many identify Magog with Russia in contemporary prophecy books. Antiquity records many places on the outskirts of the known world as Magog and not just Russia. One should realize the Historian Josephus recounts the caucus region as the place where Japheth's descendents began their spread across the world (not in fact ended it); Josephus also said they spread as far west as Cadize (the southern tip of Spain) . The Caucacus, a mountain range bordering southern Russia between the Black and Caspain sea, derives from a term that means Gog's fort. Pliny the Elder (AD 77-79) said the modern term Caucuses derived from the Scythian term kroy-khasis which means ' ice shining' or 'white with snow.' It is from this region, that some contemporary historians claim the caucasian race of men originated. In the past, these people have been referred to as the beautiful people for their fairer skin. The Scotts were also referred to as Scythians who came from Ireland in 498 with King Fergus. It might surprise many westerners to learn that the Chinese, a culture and language that also dates back to Noah's time, refers to the land of America as Magog (Meiguo). The Chinese term in fact also means the beautiful land. In the latter times, Revelation clearly says Magog will dwell within several nations that reside on the four corners of the earth (Rev 20:8). This cannot refer to just Russia alone. It can however refer to a race of people who descended from Japheth, migrated through the caucus region, and have in fact spread to every corner of the earth. Of course, many nations around the globe are currently made up of a melting pot of ethnicities. Other races of men have also undergone similar migrations around the world. This is likely why other races such as the Persians, Ethiopians, and Libya are said to be with Magog in this battle.
The buzz about the Magog prophecy grows when reading about it's Armaments.
Not only do the identity of these nations sound straight out of a current day newspaper, but the description of Magog's Armaments can sound very conventional as well. Magog is said to be equipped with Shields (meginnah in Hebrew); this same Hebrew term is also used to describe the scaly hide of a crocodile and can appear very similar to the armour plates found in conventional body armor. The general term for Magog's Arrows (Khayts in Hebrew) can refer to any projectile that can wound and also happens to be the name of the family of anti-ballistic missles used in the modern day Israeli missle defense system. The Hebrew word for Magog's spears (Romach in Hebrew) explicitly means to hurl or throw; modern day warfare uses a similar term in meaning, a launcher, for projecting it's own weapons like rockets and cruise missles. When Magog is defeated, Israel will use these weapons to make fires that will provide all their energy needs for up to seven years (Ezek 39:9-10). Professionals will be hired to clear the battlefield and cleanse it (Ezek 39:14-16). They will be burying the Dead east of the Dead Sea in the downwind direction (Ezek 39:11). Dead bodies will be marked and left for the professionals to deal with (Ezek 39:14). All of these details lead scholars to speculate that Magog's weapons are nuclear in nature and that the radioactive fallout from such a nuclear confrontation would call for such a special cleanup of the battlefield.
Armageddon and the battle of Gog and Magog are not the same.
People get excited when they see how the ancient text of the Bible can speak of modern day countries using conventional weapons in a nuclear fall out. It also makes them very afraid. Unfortunately not all of the Biblical prophetic details fit a modern day scenario. Aside from all the Buzz, Christians need to first understand that Armageddon and the battle with Gog and Magog are not the same war. The book of Revelation clearly names the battle of Gog and Magog as an event that will transpire after the millenial reign of Christ (Rev 20:7-8). Armageddon is a battle fought with the Anti-Christ and his army to conquer the world and to first establish this millenial reign of Christ on the earth (Rev 16:12-16). The battle of Gog and Magog will be a rebellion against Christ's reign and to seize plunder from his beloved country after Jesus has already ruled 1,000 years. Christians need to understand that these two battles are separated by at least a 1,000 year time frame. Any modern day battle in the current age cannot fit what is prophesied in these passages because of this fact.
The prophecy in Ezekiel chapters 38-39 and Revelation chapter 20 are the same.
Newspaper theologians like to stress certain aspects of the prophecy and ignore the inconvenient details that do not fit. They will even state that Rev 20 somehow refers to an entirely different battle than described in Ezekiel 38 & 39 (even if the battle is referred to with the same name). The events prophesied about in Revelation 20 have to match Ezekiel 38-39 because the battle of Gog and Magog will not happen twice. Gog will not survive the firestorm to end all wars in order to fight a second time. Otherwise, Ezekiel 38 and 39 would not be fulfilled. If Gog and Magog occurred before the 1,000 year reign of Christ, why would Satan be released to round them up for battle a second time (Rev 20:7-8)? People do not see how these two prophetic passages are the same because they take Ezekiel 38 and 39 completely out of context from it's own book. They do not see how the battle of Gog and Magog comes after the resurrection mentioned by the prophecy of Dry bones (Ezek 37:1-14) and the institution of the Reign of the Messiah (Ezekiel 37:24-28). They even completely ignore how Ezekiel 38 and 39 itself speaks of how Israel has long enjoyed peace and prosperity before this battle (Ezek 38:11,12,14; Ezek 39:26). This does not exactly fit the current political situation in Israel who has built a wall to keep their muslim neighbors out and who lives under constant threat from it's neighboring countries until the messiah returns. The nation of Israel will only enjoy true lasting peace under the reign of the messiah. These details should make it obvious to the reader that the prophecies of Ezekiel 38-39 and Revelation 20 are indeed the same.
If Events don't fit the prophetic puzzle, then it cannot be prophetic fulfillment.
To be skeptical of what modern day newspaper theologians have written is not to imply that the prophecy of Ezekiel 38 and 39 will not ultimately be fulfilled. It's just everything in the prophetic puzzle has to fit. Eschotology authors want to keep the Gog and Magog prophecy fervor going in order to sell their books. Modern newspapers show how relations between Russia, Syria, and Iran are improving and they want to speculate that this development will somehow turn into a war with Israel. It's important to understand that even if these countries did attack Israel in the current age, it would not be in fulfillment of Ezekiel 38 and 39. It will not fulfill this prophecy because such a modern day event (if it eventually occurs) does not fit the larger prophetic puzzle described in Scripture. Christians should not be troubled when they hear of wars and rumors of wars (Mt 24:6). They should learn what Scripture has to say regarding the end times and be watchful. Doing so, will keep a christian from fretting and panicking every time some chicken little says the sky is falling.
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