Introduction
There are many different eschatologies circulating around in the world—they simply cannot all be true. One and only one can be true. We are looking for something that is not conflated—we don’t want a little bit of this and a little bit of that—we want something truly unique, we want just a single eschatology that gets it right. Of the bunches out there circulating around, which one is truly unique and true? It is the one that proves itself to be unique and most importantly proves itself to be true across space and time. Ezekiel chapter thirty-eight does just that. It aligns with ancient history, and current events, beautifully. Beautifully, as though the text were written in hindsight—now ain’t that perty? The eschatology of the Jewish Bible and the Christian Bible gel, they do not conflate, yea, they glisten, in this here twenty-six-hundred-year-old gem Jehovah God gave us by way of His prophet Ezekiel (“Ezekiel” = YECHEZQEL, meaning to strengthen + EL, meaning God, in sum, “God will strengthen”).
The previous chapter provides some of the important background that sets up our chapter:
- The Vision of Dry Bones (Ezekiel 37:1-7,8-14). Ezekiel finds himself in a valley filled with dry, lifeless bones. God commands him to prophesy over these bones, and so doing, they come to life, growing flesh, sinew, and skin. But they lack breath. The bones coming together symbolizes regathered Israel, but lacking breath, it symbolizes Israel’s spiritual condition at the future time in view. Following God’s instruction, Ezekiel prophesies breath into them, and they come to full life, symbolizing God’s promise to revive Israel—physically as a nation and spiritually as a chosen people.
- Next, we have the prophecy of two sticks (Ezekiel 37:15-21,22-28). Here God instructs Ezekiel to join two sticks together, which represents the reunification of the divided kingdoms of Israel[1]. God declares that He will gather Israel from the nations to which He had scattered them and that He would cleanse them and establish them in their own land under one king, even Yeshua, the Messianic King of the Millenium.
That brings us to Ezekiel chapter thirty-eight and our commentary. We will be focusing on verbal usage in the endnotes, maybe helpful in that regard is a summary of Hebrew verbs[2]
Before we begin, here follows a summary of Ezekiel chapter thirty-eight highlighting the main points.
- Jehovah God commands Ezekiel to prophesy against one Gog of the land of Magog, who heads up a confederation , i.e., a temporary, purpose-driven coalition of many peoples and nations “champing at the bit” to join up with him for a massive assault on Israel—the whole lot of them, Gog and the rest, champing at the bit to “wipe Israel off the map” to put it in street parlance (cf. Psalms 83:4).
- Gog prepares a vast, quite intimidating army to attack the land of Israel, which has recovered from Exile and has been restored, gathered, from many nations around the world.
- As though pulled along with a hook in his jaws, Gog indeed attacks Israel, and God’s anger flares over it; like a raging fire, it flares. His anger rises, His “facial color” changes we are told, blood red signifying the divine wrath. And Gog’s forces become chaotic, disordered, as God’s machine-like wrath begins to work itself out with unstoppable, indeed irreversible precision. Then, suddenly, the last grain flutters to the bottom of the doom-hourglass—the time of patience is over—and God pounces. His machine-like wrath heretofore measured transitions to explosive ferocity. He executes judgment: earthquake, plagues, unspeakable bloodshed, the artillery fire of heaven is loosed and rains down on the assaulters, and they are laid waste, their corpses stacked to the heavens, literal fowl-fodder (this we learn in the next chapter, Ezekiel 39:1ff). Indeed He, God, whistles for fowl and beast alike to come and gorge themselves—thus graphically we are told what is going to happen. In this way God purposes, in no uncertain terms, and without excuses, quite by His own independent counsel and incontestable authority, to reveal His surpassing greatness, and holiness, to all the Godless, self-assured nations aligned against His people, even His servant, Israel. In that regard, the text makes it perfectly clear that Yahweh deliberately intends to magnify His Name at the exceeding cost of those who stand against Him and His Beloved.
- Thematically in a nutshell, this prophetic chapter underscores God’s divine sovereignty and attendant authority (His authority stems from His sovereignty, which sovereignty He proves via His intervention of Gog’s attack—sovereignty/authority proof via intervention is a main thrust to tuck away), and the certainty of His will prevailing no matter what presumes to stand in its way.
- Please note also: This chapter provides a vision of the End Times.
We will follow this format:
Verse of Scripture utilizing the KJV text. Key words in the KJV text will be footnoted with a link to a word study based on the Hebrew text, and/or a general discussion relative to the given word (we are not biblical Greek or Hebrew scholars, please consider our grammatical constructions with a critical eye).
Commentary We shall always be commenting on this passage keeping before us the crucial fact that every jot and every tittle comprising these verses came forth under the inspiration of the blessed Holy Spirit. We pray that He, by His grace, helps us along the way.
Ezekiel Chapter Thirty-Eight Commentary Verses
38:1-6- Son of man, Prophesy Against Gog
1 And the word of the LORD[3] came[4] unto me, saying[5], 2 Son of man[6], set[7] thy face[8] against[9] Gog[10], the land of Magog[11], the chief[12] prince[13] of Meshech[14] and Tubal[15], and prophesy[16] against him, 3 And say[17], Thus saith[18] the Lord GOD[19]; Behold[20], I [am][21] against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: 4 And I will turn[22] thee back, and put[23] hooks[24] into thy jaws[25], and I will bring[26] thee forth, and all thine army[27], horses and horsemen[28], all of them clothed[29] with all sorts [of armour[30], even] a great company[31] [with] bucklers[32] and shields, all of them handling[33] swords[34]: 5 Persia[35], Ethiopia[36], and Libya[37] with them; all of them with shield and helmet[38]: 6 Gomer[39], and all his bands[40]; the house[41] of Togarmah[42] of the north[43] quarters[44], and all his bands: [and] many people[45] with thee. (Ezekiel 38:1-6, cf. Ezekiel 38:1-6 NLT).
COMMENTARY: Ezekiel was a prophet, and priest in the Jerusalem temple. He recorded his prophecies and visions while living near Babylon. Specifically, he resided at a settlement along the river Chebar called Tel Abib, which was about one hundred miles south of Babylon (ancient Babylon was about 53 mi/85 km south of Baghdad on the lower Euphrates River, so Ezekiel was about 150 mi south of Baghdad on the map). He had been exiled there in 597 BC by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar. In his initial campaign against Judah, Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem, leading to its surrender. Judah’s king Jeconiah was deported to Babylon, and his uncle, Zedekiah, was appointed as the new king. This event marked the beginning of the Babylonian captivity and the Jewish diaspora. About ten years later, Nebuchadnezzar returned to reconquer Jerusalem. During the second siege, the city was razed, including Solomon’s Temple, and the Kingdom of Judah literally came to an end (586 BC). Ezekiel, who had been part of the first group of exiles, played a crucial role during this tumultuous period as God’s mouthpiece to His reeling, exiled people. As we will see later, Ezekiel prophesied comfort and the reassurance of restoration of the nation to its ancestral land along with bounty and at least some measure of peace when the nation is restored. That restoration sets the stage for God’s prophecy in this chapter against an End Times figure named Gog, one who rises up in the “latter days” against a blooming, confident, prospering, and regathered | restored nation Israel. Although God drives Gog in the direction of his evil intentions for His own purposes as we shall see, God is decidedly against Gog, and this disposition and intent is God’s first utterance to Ezekiel in this chapter. ‘…Tell him Ezekiel, write it down even and preserve it as an ancient witness for that day, tell him that the Lord God is face-up against him. Thus set thy face against Gog as though it were my face…’
And the word of the LOD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, thus saith the Lord GOD; behold, I [am] against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.
We have discussed the locations referred to in the passage at length in the end notes, so we will largely skip repeating that here in the main text unless it is important to fold it into the discussion. Suffice it to say that Gog and these locations (Magog, Meshech, Tubal) appear to us to be predominantly associated with Türkiye. Okay, here now follows a word to Gog from God. He informs Gog that He will turn him about and direct his evil fierceness against Israel. Whatever evil ambitions or evil “project” that Gog has in mind presently, God will distract him from that, turn him about if you will, and direct him and his innate evil against Israel. God will make Israel his consuming “project.” A feeble analogy might be good at this point. There is no innate evil in a wild animal like there is in Gog, so the analogy is not quite correct. A wild animal will stalk and kill for food and to protect its own. It is fierce, and not to be engaged in way but at one’s own peril. Gog is not really like that wild animal, because that animal is acting out its God-given survival instincts. Gog is not like that because he acts not based on God-given survival instincts, but on innate evil. Gog is entirely given over to Satan, who is the consummate Israel hater—thus are Gog’s instincts inclined, that is, inclined toward Israel hate, Israel hate acted out in the manner of a wild animal in any conceivable way. And what God is saying is that He will “hook” that evil instinct in Gog, that Israel hate, and direct it toward Israel. God will “lasso” it and whirl it about against Israel. As the commentary moves along this deliberate act of God will surface again and again and will ultimately be explained. There is understandably some tension in human minds regarding God’s doings here, this will be explained as we move along—that Gog-redirect by God, His motives, are an integral part of this prophecy which itself emphasizes God’s sovereignty over world events. Even when evil forces arise, God orchestrates their actions for His greater purposes. So, God intends to direct Gog’s innate, satanic evil against Israel.
And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts [of armour, even] a great company [with] bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords.
Gog is the leader of a mighty, multinational coalition of forces outfitted for war, with lots of armor, offensive and defensive weaponry. There is clearly a cavalry, which in modern warfare plays the same role as in ancient times, namely, flanking, light infantry, probing strikes, reconnaissance. The modern cavalry is lethal, and Gog’s will be the most lethal of all in his day. Why? As we shall see, God wants the best the world has to offer directed against Israel so that when He destroys it all by His own, independent act, there will be no question whatsoever of His sovereignty. Thus, His Name will be magnified in all the world, and He will, without lingering doubts, be understood to be very God, even the Holy One in Israel.
We know from this prophecy that Iran (Persia in the text) is an integral part of the anti-Israel coalition (Iran is a Shi’a Muslim -majority nation, the backbone of the Shi’a Muslim axis). The Iranian leadership has recently called for the creation of a Palestinian state “from the river to the sea,” a not so veiled genocidal rallying cry that necessitates the destruction of Israel (Israel is bordered by the Jordan river to the east and the Mediterranean Sea to the west). Iran harbors a deeply entrenched hostility toward Israel that aligns with its broader strategy to undermine and threaten the existence of Israel, i.e., of the Jewish state established in 1948, which is entirely consistent with Ezekiel’s prophecy. Did God get this one right twenty-six hundred years ago? Yes, as per a regathered Israel—check, yes, as per Iran (Persia) in the coalition—check. God also mentions Ethiopia (ancient Cush) as part of the coalition, which encompasses both modern-day Sudan and parts of Ethiopia. Sudan is violently anti-Christian, but some measure of renormalization of relations with Israel is currently afoot. As said in the endnote, Ethiopia | Sudan is relationally on the margins for now with renormalized relations sort of delicately in place, if they turned hostile and got off the margins, that would be a strong indicator that the later stages of the prophecy are unfolding—we must keep our eyes on this one; as said in the endnote, these countries are “leading indicators” of the Gog coalition gathering maturation. Türkiye (Gomer and Togarmah), and Libya (ancient Phut), as Sunni Islam-majority nations are, like Iran, decidedly anti-Israel, so all that they do in the way of hostility toward Israel is on cue and to be expected. (Islam is comprised of two main branches, there is Sunni-Islam [~90% of followers], which claims to be orthodox Islam regarding adherence to fundamental beliefs and practices, and there is Shi’a Islam. Both Sunni and Shi’a Muslims share decided anti-Israel sentiments despite their very significant historical and theological differences, differences which have led to much blood-letting amongst themselves, every man’s sword against his brother as it were [cf. Ezekiel 38:21], case in point since the early 2000s the tragic civil strife in Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen). So, did God get this one right twenty-six hundred years ago as per Türkiye (Gomer, Togarmah) in the coalition? Yes–check. How about Libya? Yes—check.
Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: [and] many people with thee.
Let’s step back and think for a moment. Could you or I or anyone else for that matter have known that these nations would even still have some measure of territorial identity and existence twenty-six hundred years hence, let alone that they would be united in an obviously anti-Israel movement going by relevant current news that smacks of an anti-Israel coalition that wants to crush Israel as we speak? And that Israel itself would not only come off the deck and be back in its own land, but be blooming, and prospering, with not a little measure of military strength and national security, in less than eighty years, say, a couple of generations after gaining statehood? Nope, no way, uh-uh.
Where are the “north quarters” mentioned by our text?
Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: [and] many people with thee. (Red font added.)
There are varying thoughtful opinions, but as we see it, “north quarters” must be associated with the House of Togarmah, which we have placed in Türkiye, which is clearly north of Jerusalem, and it would have been a distant place to Ezekiel as mentioned in the endnote. We have therefore clans and lineages coming out of northern Türkiye. However, many people draw an “as the crow flies” line due north from Jerusalem and land in Russia. We do not think the text warrants that conclusion. “North quarters” (literally, “farthest parts of the north”) is just one datum amongst many, and even so, it seems to be associated with the House of Togarmah. Russia may well end up being a prominent part of the anti-Israel coalition; even today Russia has established strong alliances with several anti-Israel, pro-Islam Arab nations, notably Iran, but as for the time of this writing, and going strictly by the text, we do not see Russia in that coalition. On a more spiritual level of thinking, please notice that especially since the Iron Curtain lifted per God’s amazing grace, there have been myriad Russian immigrants to Israel, to their ancestral homeland, and no less Russian brother and sister converts to Jesus and Christianity. We mustn’t let the past guide our analysis of the text and be caught staring at the wrong country and get clocked because of it.
38:7-13- The Assembling of Armies
7 Be thou prepared[46], and prepare[47] for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled[48] unto thee, and be thou a guard[49] unto them. 8 After many days[50] thou shalt be visited[51]: in the latter years[52] thou shalt come[53] into the land [that is] brought[54] back from the sword, [and is] gathered[55] out of many people, against[56] the mountains of Israel[57], which have been[58] always[59] waste[60]: but it is brought forth[61] out of the nations[62], and they shall dwell[63] safely[64] all of them. 9 Thou shalt ascend[65] and come[66] like a storm, thou shalt be[67] like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee. 10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass[68], [that] at the same time shall things come[69] into thy mind[70], and thou shalt think[71] an evil thought: 11 And thou shalt say[72], I will go up[73] to the land of unwalled villages[74]; I will go[75] to them that are at rest[76], that dwell[77] safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having[78], neither bars nor gates 12 To take[79] a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn[80] thine hand upon the desolate places [that are now] inhabited, and upon the people [that are] gathered[81] out of the nations, which have gotten[82] cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land. 13 {Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof}[83], shall say[84] unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil? (Ezekiel 38:7-13, cf. Ezekiel 38:7-13 NLT).
COMMENTARY: God wants Gog at his best when he comes against Israel, thus He wants Gog prepared. In this way God closes any open doors and windows which might be manufactured into “excuses” for Gog’s demise. God alone intends to destroy Gog, He neither needs nor wants any “help.” It must be clear in that day that no mortal can do what God will do, so close all open doors and windows that might redound to an accident, a fluke, negligence, or human agency being involved in any way in Gog’s demise. Yes, Gog’s army is indeed going to be prepared, God will see to it Himself—they will be the very best fighting force in the world prepared for battle. And then again for the record, God sort of “underlines” His autonomous, unilateral intentions by adding, ‘…and make sure you guard your forces, I don’t want anything to happen to them that might be turned into a lie and rob me of the Glory that my bared, holy right Arm alone will spectacularly accomplish in the latter years…’
Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
At the set time God will “visit” Gog with a hook, and turn his attention toward regathered and restored Israel, an Israel dwelling confidently, even carelessly so in overconfidence from a military standpoint. Israel today is regathered, but certainly not dwelling safely in the literal sense. As long as regathered Israel has the sort of hostile enemies all around that it does (thus flanked to the north, east, south), it can never dwell safely in the literal sense. Israel will have enemies at its throat right up until the day this Gog invasion “goes for the jugular” we think. Gog will seize upon that opportunity as God turns him about and directs him against sleepy Israel. We saw some semblance of what that might look like recently on October 7, 2023. Israel is not dwelling safely today, nor will it ever be going forward, Israel has been dwelling confidently, maybe to the point of carelessness. Technology and powerful friends can lure one into a state of overconfidence and soon carelessness. That is what can happen and probably will in Gog’s day.
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.
So we see that God repeats His sure foreknowledge that Israel will be regathered and makes sure that everybody reading the text understands that He means an Israel that had been put to the sword—a catastrophe. Well, that’s fine for Ezekiel’s day because it is easily argued that Ezekiel knew Israel (Judah actually) was in captivity after having been put to the sword by Nebuchadnezzar, so he knew that, it was not revealed; but that the nation would be regathered out of Babylon, and actually bloom and prosper, of that he could not be sure but by divine revelation. When he was prophesying, Jerusalem lay in unrecognizable heaps no less, no way could he have known Israel would be regathered and bloom and prosper again (Ezekiel 36:8ff). And he clearly did not experience the Roman bloodletting catastrophes from which Israel was also regathered and restored. But that by way of his introduction to what is coming next, Ezekiel (actually, the Spirit of God revealing to Ezekiel) is going somewhere else with this. Having firmly established a regathered Israel, understood to be in its own land, he tells Gog what Gog will do, in detail. He will ascend and come like a storm, like a cloud covering the land. A storm is a manifestation of unstable equilibrium, namely, unstable air masses rising and condensing give rise to thunderstorms, the condensation is inherent in the clouds. A storm’s fury lies in those unstable, rising air masses, and the electrical and physical mechanics that plays itself out in the clouds—lightning, thunder, hail, rain, wind. That seems to be the imagery of our text as per Gog’s invasion. Like a storm, he amasses his forces gradually, there is a massive buildup, it is the picture of the skies beginning to darken with ever so slight an increase in the wind, it is the early stages of the storm this buildup. At some point the equilibrium becomes unstable via fierce rising air masses, the whole thing “tips over” and the storm is upon us. The skies are now completely dark with thick, black, swirling clouds, lightning, thunder, hail, rain, fierce wind—Gog has attacked. The Lord has “turned him around” with a hook to follow his natural instincts, which are satanically evil, and even as Satan hates Israel, yea from the beginning (Revelation 12:1-4), so Gog must do the same with the same hatred. Thus are the skies over Israel now completely dark with thick, black, swirling clouds, lightning, thunder, hail, rain, fierce wind.
Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.
What toggles that “tipping point” in Gog’s instinctively evil, unstable mind, that mind with a hook in it? A regathered Israel laid-back, blooming, prosperous, confident and at rest with its guard down, gels an evil thought in Gog’s mind. ‘…I shall ascend like a storm and cover the land like a cloud and take plunder, yea human beings as spoil, lightning, thunder, hail, rain, fierce wind, death and destruction from the river to the sea…’ (But notice what God says Proverbs 3:29.)
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: and thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest , that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls and having neither bars nor gates [“Iron Dome”?]. To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places [that are now] inhabited, and upon the people [that are] gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land. (red font added)
O MY! gasp the economies of the world, the BRICS, even the G7 or whoever else is still around in that day, the whole lot of them watching the unfolding of events, and they begin to question Gog. ‘…What doest thou fairest Gog, thou friend?…’ It will be a worrisome sight for the traders of the world when they see this massive force coming together with obvious intentions to plunder and wreck Israel, a conflagration that, in that part of the world with its oil reserves and commodities and whatnot, would disrupt the world’s economy in unimaginable ways. The text shows the traders in a sort of hand-wringing questioning mode it seems, trying to figure it out, looking for a silver lining as to their bottom-line interests going forward in Gog’s answers. ‘…Hast thou come for spoil (the commercial wealth of Israel), a prey (human beings, i.e., citizens)? God forbid, is it for our oil reserves, precious metals and minerals that thou hast come…?’ We are paraphrasing the text trying to emphasize these traders’ greed and attendant shallowness of heart—money over lives. And so, it must necessarily be that in that day the financial markets of the world will be watching with bated breath and speculation in those markets will go “nuts.” It is important right here not to lose sight of the fact that this is a twenty-six-hundred-year-old prophecy that couldn’t be more spot on—notice how God made sure to include the response of the world’s economy to this Gog-led buildup and invasion. Here is the point we would like to make: This economic aspect of the prophecy could not possibly have had more relevance in Ezekiel’s day in the sixth-century BC than it has today as we write in the early twenty-first century and going forward.
Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?
38:-14-23 God Bares His Holy Right Arm
14 Therefore, son of man, prophesy[85] and say[86] unto Gog, thus saith[87] the Lord GOD[88]; In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth[89] safely, shalt thou not know[90] [it]? 15 And thou shalt come[91] from thy place out of the north parts[92], thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding[93] upon horses[94], a great company, and a mighty army: 16 And thou shalt come[95] up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover[96] the land; it shall be[97] in the latter days[98], and I will bring[99] thee against my land, that the heathen[100] may know[101] me, when I shall be sanctified[102] in thee, O Gog, before their eyes. 17 Thus saith the Lord GOD; [Art] thou he of whom I have spoken[103] in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel[104], which prophesied in those days [many] years that I would bring[105] thee against them? 18 And it shall come[106] to pass at the same time when Gog shall come[107] against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, [that] my fury[108] shall come[109] up in my face. 19 For in my jealousy[110] [and] in the fire of my wrath have I spoken[111], Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking[112] in the land of Israel; 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[113] at my presence[114], and the mountains shall be thrown down[115], and the steep places shall fall[116], and every wall shall fall[117] to the ground. 21 And I will call[118] for a sword[119] against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man’s sword shall be against his brother. 22 And I will plead[120] against him with pestilence[121] and with blood[122]; and I will rain[123] upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that [are] with him, an overflowing rain, and great[124] hailstones[125], fire[126], and brimstone[127]. 23 Thus will I magnify[128] myself, and sanctify[129] myself; and I will be known[130] in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know[131] that I [am][132] the LORD[133]. (Ezekiel 38:14-23, cf. Ezekiel 38:14-23 NLT).
COMMENTARY: Gog is a watcher of Israel, one must assume he has the technology to do sensitive surveillance of Israel’s defenses, and a spy network that complements his surveillance technology. He will know when the time is just right to attack—he will know it. Note again that “safely” as per our passage can mean “carelessly,” “confidently,” which is how we are interpreting the text; as said before, Israel will never dwell safely in its land in the literal sense, no this-worldly safety for Israel right up to the end, so it would be an inconsistency for God to state what is not a reality, hence “carelessly,” “confidently” is a better rendering we think. Israel’s existence has been and always will be precarious, tenuous. We are not suggesting that Israel will disappear—that will not happen—we are saying Israel’s existence is always under threat, there is no literal safety for Israel going by this-worldly norms. Israel’s real safety, lasting safety, is God; her safety is her Savior whom she rejects still, even Messiah Jesus. But that will change when this prophecy is fulfilled, then Israel will know Him, the Holy One in Israel, even Jesus.
Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, thus saith the Lord GOD; In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know [it]?
In verse six (Ezekiel 38:6) we were told that Gog comes forth from the farthest parts of the north and that descriptor was specifically tied to the House of Togarmah, which we have placed in Türkiye. The same word is utilized again in verse fifteen in reference to where Gog comes from when he attacks (Ezekiel 38:15). The consistency reaffirms our suspicion that Gog will be from a region in Türkiye,
And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army.
It is time, the time has come for God to reveal to us what motivates His directing this evil one Gog against Israel. It is appointed for the latter days, a sort of eschatological “technical term” that bespeaks the End Times. The prophecy is for the End Times. That means to us that this prophecy is intertwined with Jesus’ description of those times (“Matthew Chapter Twenty-four Commentary,” Matthew Chapter Twenty-five Commentary”). At that time, when Gog invades, God will pounce on him and utterly destroy him, foremost to display His sovereign might from which it will be clearly understood derives His incontestable divine authority. God intends to sanctify Himself, to set Himself apart from the frauds and the phonies that claim to be deity, thus stealing what belongs to Him alone, and to shut the mouths of the blasphemers and those who profane His holy Name. They will tremble at that Name once His fury is unleashed against Gog and his multinational coalition, a fierce, frightful, fury that no one or nothing can withstand. Thus He intends to magnify His Name in the sight of a bleeding Israel hanging on by a thread so that Israel knows of a surety that He, the Pierced One, is the Holy One in Israel, their Covenant Lord God, even their Savior. And indeed, the nations will know that the One who saved His Covenant People Israel, the God of Israel, is the only true God. We believe that Jesus will be the Savior of Israel in that day and thus make Himself known to them, and they will bitterly mourn over the One whom they pierced, and for so long have rejected as their Messiah. We hold that is central to God’s Divine Plan inherent in this prophecy. It is about Jesus taking His rightful place as Messiah of His Covenant People Israel, and as Lord over all peoples (Ezekiel 39:21-24). The Divine Plan turns on Jesus. Jesus Himself will execute the fury of God’s judgment against Gog and destroy him in extraordinary fashion that leaves no room for doubt as to who Jesus is, the awesome Covenant God of Israel, indeed, the Covenant God of all peoples who desire to be in Covenant with Him (“A Letter of Invitation”).
And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes. 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? 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. 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; 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. 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. 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. 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. (Red font added)
Praised be your great Name my Covenant Lord, even Messiah. Amen.
Illustrations and Tables
Figure 1. The Sons of Abraham. God Dearly Loves Both, But He Chose Isaac for Messiah’s Line.
The Beloved Sons of Abraham slideshow | video link. Let us love one another and respect one another, each doing our part. Amen.
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Notes
Word/s under study are demarcated so: [context] word/s-Hxxx [context]
[1] Importantly, King Solomon’s rebellion against God initiated the collapse of the united kingdom of Israel (=the original twelve tribes—Israel proper henceforth). As per Solomon’s disobedience, please note 1Kings 9:20-22, 11:1-8, 11:9-13, 12:4. After the death of Solomon (c. 931 BC), his son Rehoboam was set to become the next king, ruling from Jerusalem (the unified monarchy what we are calling Israel proper had its capital in the south, in Jerusalem). The ten northern tribes, unhappy with the heavy taxes levied by Solomon and continued by Rehoboam, revolted against his rule. The people demanded a lighter tax burden, but the seemingly boorish Rehoboam refused their request. Consequently, these northern tribes rejected Rehoboam and hence David’s dynasty (=the Messianic line no less), fulfilling the prophecy given by the prophet Ahijah (1 Kings 11:31-35). Only the southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin remained loyal to King Rehoboam and thus to David’s dynasty. When the northern tribes crowned Jeroboam as their king, the division became official (c. 931 BC, he reigned until about 910 BC). These “Israelites” formed their capital in the city of Samaria in the north, while the southern tribes kept their capital in Jerusalem. The division was not only political though as outlined, but spiritual as well. The people had turned away from God and broken Covenant, leading to their separation from God’s care and protection (2 Chronicles 7:19-22). So, the division of Israel proper into the Northern Kingdom (Israel) and the Southern Kingdom (Judah) happened due to a combination of political tensions, heavy taxation, and in particular, spiritual disobedience. Once separated, these two kingdoms followed quite separate paths, each with its own distinct history, that is, until Israel was led away captive by Assyria c. 721 BC, and Judah similarly was led away captive by the Babylonians in 586 BC. It is not hard to appreciate that God prophesying that these two “sticks” would be joined again (Ezekiel 37:15-17) is a remarkable testimony to the accuracy of God’s holy Word for that is precisely what we believe has happened, especially since May 14, 1948, when Israel gained statehood—Israel is one unified whole geopolitically as we write this with one capital–Jerusalem. And God only knows which of the dispersed ancestral lines have melded by now. Let us not forget that Israel was laid waste not only by the Assyrians and Babylonians as mentioned, but by Rome in AD 70, and again by Rome in AD 135 when the final blow was delivered. But God brought Israel “back from the dead” so to speak, after nearly two-thousand years (1948-135=1813), just like He said He would centuries before it happened (consider Ezekiel 36:8-10, 24, 30-33). That is remarkable and is almost unimaginable but for the fact that God Himself is behind it; it is historically unprecedented for sure. (As per the latency of the prophecy, note that Ezekiel ministered long ago, from about 592 BC until approximately 570 BC!) Bringing this home to today’s Middle East goings-on one might ask, is Israel somehow going to disappear in these modern times through the machinations of her enemies whose names and faces are different today but whose intentions are just as anti-Yahweh as ever? Don’t count on it—it ain’t gonna’ happen. When forces or people arise that manifestly threaten Israel’s survival, God will eliminate those forces or people to ensure that His Word regarding Israel is fulfilled (Psalms 119:160). For example, this prophecy requires that Israel be regathered, blooming, and prospering at the time of Gog’s invasion, this means that any forces or people that manifestly threaten regathered Israel’s existence before that set time will certainly be eliminated. Once Israel was regathered, blooming, and prospering, that phase of Ezekiel’s prophecy was fulfilled and it will not revert back to desolation for Israel, it will await its fulfillment via the Gog invasion and God’s intervention. Any forces or people that presume to undermine that Divine Plan and manifestly entertain those thoughts will be eliminated by God Himself in whatever manner He deems most impactful for His Name’s sake.
[2] Biblical Hebrew verbs have different stem formations (binyanim), each with distinct meanings and functions. The seven major stem formations are:
Qal: The basic or simple verbal stem. It expresses simple, active (voice) actions, active as in the subject acts. For example, “smile,” is simple action, “I am smiling” is not. The former is unnuanced, i.e., no additional grammatical layering, it is a bare, basic, and bland verb as it stands, the latter is not, the latter conveys a present continuous tense by adding the present participle “ing” to the base form of the verb “smile.” Simple means the bare, bland, basic verb form with an attendant, pertinent action understood. One could say that “simple” action type grammar is somewhat nebulous semantics, it needs additional grammatical layering to become vivid semantics. We will refer to this layering as “dressing up” the verb at points in the commentary.
Niphal: Used for simple action with either a passive or reflexive voice; subject receives the action or receives the action it performs, respectively.
Piel: Expresses intensive action with an active voice; subject acts, it performs the action understood to be emphatic, intense, stressed, etc. For example, speak is simple, but in the Piel it would suggest yelling or screaming. Piel verbs also act as points of emphasis, a verb in the Piel is stressing something maybe and the like.
Pual: The passive form of Piel, indicating intensive action with a passive voice.
Hiphil : Used for causative action with an active voice. In the Hiphil stem, the subject of the verb causes the object of the verb to perform the verbal action, or to be in the state described by the verb, which option epends on the nature of the verb itself.
Hophal: The passive form of Hiphil, expressing causative action with a passive voice.
Hithpael: Used for intensive or reflexive action.
Each stem formation modifies the verb’s meaning (and voice). Hebrew verbs agree with their subject in person | number, and gender: first person “I” or “we,” second person “you,” third person: “he,” “she,” “it,” or “they,” masculine (masculine subjects), feminine (feminine subjects), common (both masculine and feminine subjects).
[3] [And] the word of the LORD [came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, thus saith the Lord GOD; behold, I (am) against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.] The phrase “the word of the LORD” signifies a divine communication or revelation received by the prophet Ezekiel. It indicates that God directly spoke to Ezekiel, conveying a specific message or instruction. In this context, the word of the LORD came to Ezekiel, directing him to prophesy against Gog, the chief prince of Magog, as well as other nations. The use of this phrase emphasizes the authority and divine origin of the message Ezekiel was about to deliver. Quite appropriately the divine Name, even LORD here mentioned, bookends this forward-looking Word from God, we find it here in the first verse, and we find it “lifted out” very distinctly in the last verse (Ezekiel 38:23). It is as though this prophecy were “enveloped” by that great Name. Thus sealed, stamped, and sent down the corridor of time on the authority and by the foreknowledge inherent in that great Name.
[4] [And the word of the LORD] came–H1961 [unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I (am) against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.] Verbal usage is Qal, imperfect (incomplete, ongoing action). The Qal is in the active voice—Ezekiel is acting (speaking), and came is imperfect, signifying that the Word of the Lord came to Ezekiel continually. How did that happen? The phrase “the word of the LORD came to me” appears frequently in the book of Ezekiel. In all cases it was God who took the initiative to reveal His will to Ezekiel. We know that Ezekiel was specifically chosen by God to be a prophet, and this calling came with a divine commission to deliver messages to the people of Israel (Ezekiel 2:1-7, 8-10). Therefore, his continuous communication with God was naturally part of his prophetic role, continuity therein is what one would expect. The revelations weren’t solely dependent on Ezekiel’s personal devotion, or prayer life, or piety—he didn’t somehow “earn” them—he is a son of man after all, a sinner par excellence, they were encounters with divine reality, i.e., Truth, that were always initiated by God the Commissioner per His impeccable timing, itself a function of His omniscience, always in the way of bringing about the Divine Plan. And not least Ezekiel’s faithfulness to God’s instructions played a crucial role in his receiving repeated messages and visions from God. Ezekiel faithfully conveyed God’s messages, even when they were difficult or unpopular; in no small part Ezekiel’s obedience allowed the continuous flow of divine communication. Finally, and importantly, Ezekiel prophesied during the Babylonian exile when God’s people were captive in a strange, pagan place, facing quite trying circumstances. Please notice: God’s continuous communication by way of Ezekiel provided guidance, hope, and reassurance for HIs people during this difficult period. So, Ezekiel’s continuous reception of God’s word involved a combination of divine calling, visionary experiences per God’s initiative rooted in the Divine Plan, and obedience to God’s message no matter what.
[5] [And the word of the LORD came unto me] saying—H559 [Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I (am) against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.] Verbal usage is Qal, infinitive construct (acting as a participle modifying the finite verb came; finite verbs in Hebrew indicate tense, person, and number; they are fully inflected and carry the main action of a sentence; here it indicates that the word of the LORD already arrived or was delivered to Ezekiel; came provides the main action: God’s message coming to Ezekiel, and “saying” by way of the infinitive construct introduces the specific content of the divine message. Importantly in this context, the infinitive construct emphasizes immediacy and directness; together with “came,” a complete thought is formed: “…The word of the LORD came to me, and He said thus and so…” The combination of “came” (finite) and “saying” (infinitive) works harmoniously to convey the prophetic revelation. Note too that the infinitive construct is often used to introduce what someone said or will say and is meant to grab the listener’s attention, emphasizing the weight and authority of what will be spoken. When God or a speaker uses the infinitive construct, it signals that an important message or instruction is about to follow, sort of like a “heads-up” marker, an attention getter. It is meant to grab the listener’s attention, emphasizing the weight and authority of what will be spoken. And of course here God is about to speak a word of prophecy to Ezekiel–perk up your ears son of man…
[6] [And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying] Son of man [set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I (am) against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.] God refers to Ezekiel over ninety times as “son of man,” but never with the definite article, which is reserved for Jesus, who is the Son of Man. In regard to Ezekiel, it signifies his thoroughgoing human nature, his mortality, whereas Jesus is immortal, He is through and through God-Man in nature. God addressing Ezekiel as “son of man” reminds Ezekiel who and what he is over against the Divine One speaking to him. Please see also. Compare “The Son of Man” (Jesus).
[7] [And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man] set–H7760 [thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I (am) against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.] Verbal usage is Qal, imperative. As a reminder, Qal is in the active voice, here God is speaking. God here issues a command to His prophet by way of the imperative. What does it mean? When our Lord tells Ezekiel to “set” his face against Gog, it means that Ezekiel should purposefully focus on Gog and take a stance against him. The verb “set” here conveys the notion of a deliberate action, determination therein, resolve.
[8] [And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy] face—H6440 [against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I (am) against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.] Here is a continuation of the picture of determination and resolve introduced by “set.” Ezekiel is not to waiver; he is to doggedly oppose this person Gog, eyeball to eyeball.
[9] [And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face] against–H413 [Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I (am) against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.] Anti-Gog, counter, opposition. God’s intention is against Gog, and Ezekiel is here called to make that unequivocally clear to this Gog individual. Make it clear Ezekiel that God’s face by way of your face is in Gog’s face.
[10] [And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against] Gog—H1463 [the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I (am) against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.] Gog in the Hebrew is Gimel-Holem|Waw–Gimel—גוג — first Gimel: man walking to the left, Waw: hook or peg for connecting, securing, second Gimel: man walking to the left. Numerically (gematria) Gimel-Waw-Gimel is the Hebrew equivalent of 3-6-3. Try as we may, we could make nothing substantive out of those numbers besides multiplying the two Gimels by 2 to yield 6-6-6, but that is quite contrived to be sure. Focusing instead on the individual letters of the name, the Waw is associated with Israel by way of its role in the Hebrew language and culture. The paleo-Hebrew alphabet used in ancient Israel and Judah included the Waw. Linguistically it serves as a connector, linking words and concepts, and in that capacity it conveys the relational aspect of God’s personal connection with His chosen people Israel (updated 06/08/24, A.s.). The Gimel pictograph depicts walking as said. There are two Gimels straddling a Waw in the name Gog. The Waw connects the two Gimels to give a sense of dynamism we think, a steady movement, like watching a marching or parading army. But in addition to serving in its linguistic role as a connector, what if the Waw could also be interpreted as Israel? Then the implied Gimel pictograph march is right to left—straight through Israel. But from what perspective, top|north, or bottom|south? A top|north perspective is Gog’s perspective; it means the implied Gimel march is from west to east—this does not make much “marching sense” logistically because of the water. A bottom|south perspective is Ezekiel’s perspective, and it has the implied right-left Gimel march moving from east to west, which makes good sense logistically, politically, and theologically—let’s go with that perspective. Nearby, Jordan, Syria, and further on over, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Iran lie to the east of Israel. Countries due north, where is located the seat of Gog, in the order of increasing distance from Israel are Lebanon, Türkiye, and Russia, which is north of Türkiye separated by the Black Sea. Going with an east-west implied Gimel march through Israel, it could legitimately start from Gog’s seat in the north, and proceed down through Türkiye, Syria, and Lebanon, joining with a host of nations from the east—Jordan and the rest coming from further east, and it would end in the west, in Egypt, by way of the Sinai Peninsula (map). Well, so much for possibilities that we pretty much already know anyway. According to the text, Gog is some sort of chief prince; in our day he would be a political leader of consequence. His identity is unclear even still today in the early twenty-first century. Nothing definitive can be said here—it is still too early to know with certainty who this person is, but it is likely that he is associated with Türkiye as discussed later (Gog is a “he” because we are told that he is a prince—we are taking this literally). Our conclusion regarding Gog per se is that he is unidentifiable right now—it is too early in the unfolding of prophecy to get a clear picture of who this individual actually is at the moment—we must wait, Gog and his marching army will come to the fore sooner or later. (Quite aside, the fact that “Gog” is a palindrome [a word that reads the same backward as forward] is interesting but doesn’t directly impact its biblical significance. Palindromes are linguistic curiosities, and their occurrence in names or words doesn’t necessarily carry deeper meaning.) Please see also.
[11] [And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog], the land of Magog, [the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I (am) against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.] However one looks at this “land of Magog” is fine so long as it is not anachronistic. We must think sixth-century BC thoughts, we must place ourselves into Ezekiel’s world. We know that Gog is a leader who will lead a vast army against the land of Israel, and Magog is the land with which Gog is associated. It is described as laying to the far north of Israel. That could be anywhere up yonder, we must try to be more precise if possible. The descendants of Magog settled in a vast region north of India and China referred to as Scythia by the Greeks, later known as Tartary. The Scythians were a nomadic people, possibly originating around the 9th century BC. They were known for their fierceness and viscousness in war and not least for their cruelty and rapacity. They made devastating incursions into Asia Minor (modern-day Türkiye), Syria, and even Egypt in the seventh-century BC, just before Ezekiel’s day. Consequential to these incursions, they founded Scythopolis, i.e., Hierapolis, near Laodicea in western Asia Minor (not to be confused with the Scythopolis at the crossroads between the Jordan Valley and the Jezreel Valley, i.e., Beit She’an). And they were powerful in Ezekiel’s day, with a significant presence in both the Pontic Steppe and West Asia. Their territorial reach extended beyond the steppes, and their influence was felt in regions such as modern-day Azerbaijan. But influence and presence are one thing, actually settling somewhere is another—importantly, their settling in what is modern-day Russia happened long after Ezekiel’s day (mid to late fourth-century BC). As Joel Richardson points out:
“…scholars today acknowledge that before Ezekiel’s day, the Scythians had pushed down out of the Caucasus and invaded Asia Minor, or modern-day Turkey. There they dominated and settled the city of Hierapolis, also known as Scythopolis, in the western Anatolian Kingdom of Lydia, which was for many years known as Magog. Sometime after Ezekiel’s day, a Persian invasion pushed the Scythians out of Asia Minor, west and north into Europe around the Black Sea. Eventually they would reach Russia. But this was hundreds of years after Ezekiel’s day…”
Richardson presents compelling evidence by way of multiple historical sources that consistently place Scythopolis (Hierapolis) near Laodicea in Asia Minor, aligning with Ezekiel’s timeframe. His conclusion is that the Gog led Magog invasion of Israel, as seen through the eyes of Ezekiel, stemmed from Türkiye. That is, Magog is Türkiye. If this conclusion is correct, then Gog will be Turkish. Finally, the phrase “Gog of the land of Magog” indicates that Gog is associated with Magog, it doesn’t definitively mean he is from there. Either way, we know from the context that he is leader over the forces and peoples from that region. The passage doesn’t explicitly state whether God is against Magog itself, however, the context clearly indicates that God’s judgment is directed toward Gog and the invading forces. The Dove’s-eye view here has God emphasizing the impending conflict led by Gog against Israel, with Magog representing the northern region intimately associated with Gog. In general, the focus is on God’s judgment against the invading forces and Gog in particular, rather than the land of Magog per se. Please see also.
[12] [And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the] chief–H7218 [prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I (am) against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.] Surely this is a just a descriptor—first, head, primary, top…
[13] [And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief] prince–H5387 [of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I (am) against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.] We have here NASI, it bespeaks “exalted one,” king, sheik. It denotes someone in a position of authority, often associated with kingship, chieftainship, or just plain leadership. It can refer to both secular leaders (kings) and spiritual leaders (priests or judges). Here the term is used to describe the (culture-specific no less) prominence of the ruler associated with the land of Magog—is that a clue or what? You know, we are talking Hebrew here—why not go with MELEK! The Holy Spirit must be “up to something”… so to speak. Anyway, the use of this term emphasizes the exalted status of this leader bottom line. Whether this refers to a specific king, a tribal chief, etc., we shall see.
[14] [And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I (am) against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of] Meshech—H4902 [and Tubal.] In Ezekiel’s day, Meshech was in what is now modern Türkiye. Herodotus, the Greek historian, also identified Meshech with a people known as the Sarmatians and Mushovites (?) who lived in the ancient province of Pontus in northern Asia Minor (southeast of the Black Sea). Please see also.
[15] [And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and] Tubal—H8422, [and prophesy against him, and say, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I (am) against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.] As here, Tubal is often mentioned alongside Meshech in the same biblical prophecy. Similarly, Tubal is associated with an area in central Türkiye—the historical context places Tubal within the boundaries of modern-day Türkiye. Please see also.
[16] [And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and] prophesy—H5012 [against him, and say, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I (am) against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.] Verbal usage is Niphal (simple action, passive voice—Ezekiel is the recipient of God’s command to prophesy), imperative (direct address, command). Here “prophesy” is a divine command—Ezekiel is the recipient of a command; what follows is not Ezekiel’s idea, or some emotional response by him to the bloody Scythian sword, he is being told what to do by very God.
[17] [And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and] say—H559, [thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I (am) against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.] Verbal usage is Qal (simple action [stem is unnuanced, i.e., the verb root directly conveys the action without any additional layers of grammatical nuancing; Qal is in the active voice), perfect (this perfect indicates a completed action with ongoing or lasting effects, it can be translated as either past or present perfect, depending on the context). In this context, God emphasizes the certainty and lasting impact of His prophecy by way of the perfect. His declaration remains valid and unchanging. It’s not merely a past event—it carries weight into the present and future. The Great Grammarian’s grammar oozes with meaning and is certainly not arbitrary—His words are well-placed nuggets that are outfitted just right, and in the aggregate, they dance an elegant, harmonious dance in their picturesque outfits, lending to the overall comprehension of His communique with us.
[18] [And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, thus] saith–H4559 the Lord GOD; Behold, I (am) against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.] Verbal usage is Qal, perfect. In this verse, both “say” and “saith” are Qal, perfect, however, “saith” adds an authoritative tone to the message. It conveys a sense of divine proclamation or oracle, emphasizing God’s authority and unchanging Word. Both verbs express God’s communication through Ezekiel, but “saith” adds a layer of reverence and authoritative weight. “Say” is straightforward, while “saith” elevates the message to a higher level of divine declaration.
[19] [And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, thus saith] the Lord GOD; Behold, I (am) against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.] Literally, Jehovah God, the Great I AM (Exodus 3:14-15). Thus saith Jehovah God—mark it down O Gog, thou, even thou, art undone…
[20] [And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, thus saith the Lord GOD] Behold–H2005, I (am) against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.] An attention-getter. Pay attention to what? To the Almighty’s stance—it is against you O Gog… (Aside, behold is not universally translated. The Masoretic Text is the authoritative Hebrew text of the Jewish Bible. When translating the Hebrew Bible into other languages such as English, translators make choices based on context, linguistic norms, and so on. The translations aim to convey the meaning of the original Hebrew while adapting it to idiomatic English expressions.)
[21] [And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I] am [against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.]“Am” here functions as a linking verb. Linking verbs connect the subject of a sentence to its complement (predicate). It does not indicate tense or action, instead, it establishes a relationship between the subject and the complement. So, “am” here serves as a linking verb, connecting the subject “I,” i.e., God, to the complement (“against you”). It is stressing God’s unwavering stance against Gog.
[22] [And I] will turn thee back–H7725, [and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts (of armour, even) a great company (with) bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: (and) many people with thee.]“To turn, turn around in context. Gog is going, say, left to service some project, God compels him to go, say, right, to service a different project. Verbal usage is Polel, perfect. The Polel intensifies the action of the verb, it is like the Piel in that sense. Oftentimes it emphasizes repetition or persistence. In this context, the Polel form of the verb “turn” conveys the idea of forcefully turning or redirecting Gog. The intensity of the turning is emphasized, the great force involved. It implies a decisive, powerful action by God to alter Gog’s course. So, the Polel modifies the action of the verb turn, intensifying it; turn is also expressed in the perfect tense, emphasizing certainty and finality—it’s a done deal as far as God is concerned. The Polel—intensity, and the perfect—certainty, finality, are working together to communicate God’s sovereign control over Gog’s movements. Beyond the grammar and the literal interpretation, this snippet symbolizes God’s sovereignty over nations and rulers—even when enemies arise, God remains in control, orchestrating events for His divine plan. He is a (the only) righteous Dictator. Please allow a short digression. “Free will” is not an open-ended deal, it has bounds. I can do whatever I choose inside the bubble God allows me to be inside at this moment or that or another—lots of bubbles, they are all His. His bubbles are great, I love ‘em. I will never be able to explore them all in this life, lots and lots of bubbles…
[23] [And I will turn thee back, and] put—H5414 [hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts (of armour, even) a great company (with) bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: (and) many people with thee.] Verbal usage is Qal, perfect. The voice is active, God is speaking. The perfect tense indicates that the placing of those hooks by God will be completely, fully, accomplished. Who can open/close doors that God closes/opens? No one. The use of the perfect here is a good reminder of that fact. The perfect also indicates that the completed action has relevance now or later, as we shall see.
[24] [And I will turn thee back, and put] hooks–H2397 [into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts (of armour, even) a great company (with) bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: (and) many people with thee.] It is not literal, but the imagery of a fishhook is good. Once on the hook, the fish is guided by the fisherman. Regardless of the specific imagery, the message remains clear: God is in charge, even when enemies arise. God will guide Gog and his forces according to His purposes. Please see also.
[25] [And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy] jaws–H3895 [and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts (of armour, even) a great company (with) bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: (and) many people with thee.] The exact form of the “hooks” or “jaws” is not that important, the focus is on their function. It could be a metaphorical ring, bridle, or any means by which God exerts control. The idea is that God will influence Gog’s heart and incline him to act in a way that is consistent with his own defiant, much preferred, Godless nature, thus leading to his destruction. But maybe you say, why not incline him toward the good and not destruction? Satan and his cronies would rather burn in hell than have anything whatsoever to do with God, to the day. There’s an old saying that’s apropos here, ‘…you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink…’ So, if that’s their druthers, let ‘em burn, and good riddance.
[26] [And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I] will bring–H3318 [thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts (of armour, even) a great company (with) bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: (and) many people with thee.] Verbal usage is Hiphil, perfect. The Hiphil stem typically conveys causative action or active causation. In the biblical Hebrew, the Hiphil stem often involves God as the Agent, causing something to happen. In this case, God is the one bringing forth Gog’s army. God here insists that the reader of His prophecy understands that He, God, not Gog, is “running the show”—we mustn’t miss what the grammar is pointing out here. The perfect tense indicates a completed action with ongoing effects; putting it all together, God will bring the invaders forth, and their presence will destroy them completely, and not least have lasting regional and global consequences. But note the tension—it is thick. God’s love for Israel is unwavering. He established Israel as His chosen people (Genesis 12:1-3), yet Israel often strayed from God’s ways, leading to judgment and exile—when they strayed, the iron dome of His protection “strayed.” Prophecies like Ezekiel 38-39 describe a future restoration and vindication of Israel—a time when God will gather His people back to their land and put their enemies under their heel (Ezekiel 39:25-29), lest they despair and lose hope and “give up” on God entirely. The tension lies in the paradox: God’s love for Israel and His use of Gog’s invasion for His purposes, the accomplishment of which are for Him a Name and exceeding glory. More on this as we go along.
[27] [And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine] army–H2428 [ horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts (of armour, even) a great company (with) bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: (and) many people with thee.] This can be rendered in different ways; army is good in context. Notable armies of antiquity: The Joshua-led Israelites conquered Palestine and claimed it for Jehovah God. (There can be no question as to who owns that land, both by military conquest, and divine grant—“Palestine” belongs to Israel.) The Maccabean and Hasidim freedom-fighters won Jewish independence from the Seleucid oppression. The elite guard of the Persian kings, the so-called “Immortals,” this army always tried to maintain a strength of at least ten-thousand soldiers. They were highly trained, well-equipped, fierce warriors. Alexander the Great’s Macedonian Phalanx was a heavily armed (lances), highly efficient infantry in it’s day, that fought shoulder-to-shoulder, flanked/supported by Alexander’s cavalry. This military strategy conquered the then known world and became the core fighting model upon which armies based their military strategies for centuries on end right down to the present day. Julius Caesar’s tenth Legion (Legio X Equestris; not to be confused with Legio X Fretensis involved in the sack of Jerusalem in AD 70). Legio X Eqeustris was known for its adaptability, bravery, discipline, resilience, and just flat-out toughness. They were “frontliners” (the head of the snake so to speak) for Caesar, incredibly effective fighters, always the first to engage the enemy. Gog’s army will be a modern army, no comparison to the examples from antiquity just mentioned. And it will be vast, a “great company.” Effective communication is the foundation of any successful organization, including the military. Gog’s army will excel in that area. Stealthy Communication between people, and stealthy communication between machines are the hallmark of a successful modern army. Certainly weaponry is crucial, but without effective communication an army cannot win, cannot even marginally win. When communication is intercepted or just breaks down, lives are lost, and battles are lost. That is why there can be little doubt that Gog’s army will control the internet and satellite infrastructures. Okay, maybe we have overdone this one—let’s close it even though there is a ton of stuff that could be said about this Gog | Magog-army.
[28] [And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and] horsemen–H6571, [all of them clothed with all sorts (of armour, even) a great company (with) bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: (and) many people with thee.] The cavalry is meant. A cavalry is an important part of an army. The horse-borne cavalry is all but obsolete, but the term “cavalry” is still used to refer to units that fulfill traditional light cavalry roles. There is the Ground Cavalry, which utilizes fast armored cars, light tanks, and infantry fighting vehicles instead of horses. They focus on reconnaissance, scouting, and rapid mobility. There is the Air Cavalry, which utilizes helicopters for reconnaissance, troop transport, and close air support. They play a crucial role in providing aerial mobility and fire support. While not always called “cavalry,” various specialized units perform similar functions. There are Reconnaissance Units, which gather intelligence, conduct surveillance, and provide early warning. They operate in advance of main forces. And there is the Light Infantry. Although not cavalry per se, light infantry units emphasize mobility, agility, and rapid deployment. They often serve as the “eyes and ears” of larger formations. So, the spirit of cavalry—swift movement, reconnaissance, and flexibility—remains relevant, even though the means have vastly changed in lockstep with incredible technology advances. The hands-down champion of the cavalry, Alexander the Great, would be shocked to see what a modern cavalry can do.
[29] [And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them] clothed–H3847 with all sorts (of armour, even) a great company (with) bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: (and) many people with thee.] The invading army is battle-ready is the point. They carry both defensive and offensive weaponry. The imagery is that of formidable, well-armed fighters “dressed to kill.” God wants us to grasp the gravity of the impending fight. The very sight of this army, the grinding sound of it, will cause the heart to fail just by looking at it and hearing it move along. It’s not a movie, the bullets and the bombs and the foxholes and the impending firefights are scary-real when this thing unfolds in that day.
[30] [And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of] armour–H2185 [even a great company (with) bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: (and) many people with thee.] Modern helmets are often made of lightweight materials like Kevlar or composite ceramics. Body armor provides protection for the torso, including the chest, back, and sides. Bulletproof vests are made of layers of Kevlar or other ballistic materials, they can stop bullets and shrapnel. Plate carriers allow for the insertion of hard armor plates (ceramic or steel) to protect against rifle rounds. Full-body armor suits, utilized by specialized units, cover the entire body, and include additional protection for limbs and groin. Armored sleeves or forearm guards protect the arms from cuts, abrasions, and projectiles. Leg armor includes knee pads and shin guards to shield against impacts and injuries. Combat boots provide ankle support, traction, and protection against debris and various hazards. Some boots have reinforced toe caps for additional safety. Special gloves protect hands from chemicals, cuts, burns, and impacts. Neck and throat protectors guard against knife attacks or projectiles. Safety glasses or goggles shield the eyes from debris and blast-glare. Mine-resistant armor is crucial for safeguarding personnel and vehicles against the devastating effects of mines and explosive devices. Some boots have additional layers of protection in the sole area to reduce the impact of stepping on a mine. Biological warfare protective armor is designed to safeguard individuals from exposure to biological agents, toxins, and pathogens. All this war armor must strike a balance between protection and mobility. Modern materials (such as lightweight ceramics and advanced fabrics) allow for better mobility without sacrificing safety. The thing is that soldiers often customize their armor based on mission requirements. Specialized units (SWAT teams or special forces) may have unique armor configurations. Please see also.
[31] [And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts (of armour, even) a great] company–H6951 [with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: (and) many people with thee.] The great company is the multi-national coalition that joins Gog’s invasion of Israel: Together with Gog (Türkiye), the invading coalition is Persia (Iran), Cush (Ethiopia), Phut (Libya), and Gomer (Türkiye), and the house of Togarmah (Türkiye). Let’s add up the approximate active-duty military for each country (05/2024): {523k-Iran, 355k-Turkiye, 162k-Ethiopia, 32k-Libya; total ~1072k}. Reservists {350k-Iran, 380k-Turkiye, N/A-Ethiopia, N/A-Libya, total~730k}. If these numbers are believable, this coalition could easily number roughly two-million strong if that war broke out at the time of this writing. Where does Russia fit in all of this from today’s vantage point? We are not sure. The Putin administration is clever and prudent and will not jeopardize their national interests one way or another. Of course what a future Russian ruler will do in that day is a different matter. What about China, or should we say BRICS? Don’t know. One thing is clear, the roughly two-million strong “company” just tallied could easily balloon into the multimillions by way of secondary and tertiary or more sorts of enfolded alliances, and that would indeed be a great company. The Ezekiel prophecy is clearly unfolding, but it is still too early to be definitive. (If we were able to be definitive, it would mean that Jesus had returned in the meantime.) And what about the United States, where does it fit in all this Ezekiel prophecy? The U.S. is an ally of Israel, and protector, largely for filthy geopolitcal reasons. But something is going to happen that removes that protection, otherwise this here Ezekiel prophecy is bogus. Israel will find itself all alone without international protection when Gog attacks. As we said in our Revelation chapter eighteen commentary, we see the U.S. disappearing from the world’s stage as a world power going forward. In another study we explained why: The United States of America is under judgment; apostatized, Godless America has passed the tipping point of her Founder’s patience and tolerance. There is no “turnaround” for the good here as we see it because that horse won’t drink.
[32] [And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts (of armour, even) a great company (with) bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with] shield–H6793 [and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: (and) many people with thee.] A buckler/shield. A buckler is a small, round shield that was used by foot soldiers in the past. It typically had a diameter of up to eighteen inches (roughly forty-six centimeters). It was gripped in the fist via a middle sort of handle located behind the “boss” (the central, raised part of the shield). Although it provided limited protection against missile weapons like arrows, it was useful for deflecting blows from an opponent’s weapons, or for binding their arms, hindering their movements, or even for delivering higher inertia “punches.” During the Medieval and Renaissance periods, the buckler was commonly used as a companion weapon in hand-to-hand combat. In the broader context, the mention of “bucklers” implies an enemy ready to do firefights–these are very bloody, close-range struggles, where one’s life is lost rapidly, especially if the hand-to-hand fighting is widescale along the battle front because there is no way to know for sure how many folks or exactly who has you in their crosshairs; unintentional friendly fire readily kills here as well because of the mad chaos in close quarters. It is not as common in the modern fight, but it still happens. A surprise attack, when ammunition runs low, or when machines break down, or get bogged down due to the weather or for lack of fuel and whatnot, the fighting can quickly become very up close and bloody. Firefights are a nightmare scenario; they are literally hellish, quite befitting a Gog-Magog invasion.
[33] [And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts (of armour, even) a great company (with) bucklers and shields, all of them] handling–H8610 [swords: Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: (and) many people with thee.] Verbal usage is Qal, participle. A participle is a verbal form that combines properties of both verbs and adjectives. It often describes an ongoing action or a state. In this context, the Qal participle “handling” describes the continuous action of soldiers wielding swords. These warriors are “locked and loaded” and Ezekiel sees them actively engaged in combat. So, the Qal participle “handling swords” portrays a formidable army as heretofore described (a great company, armor, dressed to kill, bucklers, shields, etc.), now actively engaged in battle wielding their weapons. The text has moved from a still frame heretofore, to an active/dynamic one, by way of “handling swords.” The scene is now moving, and heading inexorably toward Gog’s slaughter—the sword will turn on Gog, both by way of “friendly fire” within Gog’s camp owing to chaos and fear as God bares His holy right Arm, and by way of God baring that holy right Arm.
[34] [And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts (of armour, even) a great company (with) bucklers and shields, all of them handling] swords—H2719 [Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: (and) many people with thee.] Swords are symbols of warfare, of authority and power. In antiquity, they represented the ability to conquer and defend. In this context, the swords together with the picture of handling/wielding them symbolizes the readiness of Gog and company for battle and a decided intention to engage in conflict The imagery is important. God wants us to picture the scene. Why? Because the fright of the sight will magnify His Name when He lays this proud enemy low, even down and out, never to rise again. Let’s try to do a modern version of it. Imagine a vast army in formation. Troops clothed in their camouflage fatigues, helmets, combat boots, carrying their automatic weapons with bayonets attached, and grenade packs on their belt. Armored vehicles and tanks strategically in formation ahead, behind, and around the troops, helicopters buzzing fore and aft, left and right of the marching columns. Low speed “Warthogs” circling, engines screeching, to further provide air to ground support. Fighter jets buzzing by further up and removed from the columns, and aerial reconnaissance aircraft buzzing in the distance shaking hands with encrypted satellite surveillance of the battleground. The enemy’s approach looks coherent and ordered, systematic, it has great inertia, momentum, like a massive iceberg, ready to crush anything that gets in its way. And it is loud, jet engines screeching, choppers and Warthogs and fighter aircraft, it is very loud, men and machines, the sound of killing men and killing machines on the killing fields of Israel for the sick cause of this one whose satanic, odious name is Gog.
[35] [And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts (of armour, even) a great company (with) bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords] Persia—H6539 [Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: (and) many people with thee.] The Hebrew verb “paras” means “to spread out” or “to extend.” The root carries the idea of something being unfolded, displayed, or stretched out. Interestingly, the Hebrew word for Persia is also “Paras.” Symbolically, the name “Paras” reflects the (Medo-Persian) empire’s expansive reach, influence, and power. It aligns with the concept of spreading out or extending. The Bible uses the term “Paras” to refer to the Medo-Persian Empire, which played a significant role in biblical history. The name “Persia” itself likely derives from the Old Persian word “Pārsa,” which referred to the region around modern-day Fars Province in Iran. In 1935, the Iranian government officially requested that the international community use the term “Iran” instead of “Persia.” The name “Iran” derives from the Old Persian word “Ērān,” meaning “Land of the Aryans” (understood strictly in a linguistic sense per ancient Indo-Iranian languages). The motivation behind the name change was perhaps along these lines:
- The shift to “Iran” was part of a broader modernization effort during the reign of Reza Shah Pahlavi. He sought to align Iran with contemporary nation-states and promote national pride.
- The term “Persia” had become synonymous with the ancient past, and the Iranian government wanted to emphasize its contemporary identity.
- The Iranian Revolution of 1979, led by Ayatollah Khomeini, in the end, established the Islamic Republic of Iran; this marked a significant departure from the monarchy and further emphasized the country’s Islamic identity.
Gradually, the name “Iran” gained widespread acceptance; today, it is the official name used in international diplomacy, sports, and cultural exchanges. So, Ezekiel’s vision of Persia here is now modern-day Iran. Is Iran anti-Israel today, did God get it right back yonder in the sixth-century BC when He told Ezekiel that Iran would be part of Gog’s invading coalition? He even put them at the front of the list. See also.
[36] [And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts (of armour, even) a great company (with) bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia] Ethiopia–H3568 [ and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: (and) many people with thee.] Today, the region once associated with Cush is divided between Sudan (to the north) and Ethiopia (to the south). So, “Ethiopia” here encompasses both modern-day Sudan and parts of Ethiopia. We prefer the broader context (Ethiopia and Sudan) rather than strict individual modern borders. Given the renormalization of relations between Sudan and Israel, which spilled over and affected the Ethiopian Israeli relations, delicate though they are, Ethiopia | Sudan may serve as a sort of “leading indicator” for the coming together of this Gog-led coalition, particularly its maturation. Why? Here is an answer by way of contrast. Because Iran is decidedly anti-Israel, everything they do currently and going forward in the way of seeking Israel’s destruction is to be expected—they cannot be the best leading indicator, therefore. But if Ethiopia | Sudan were to turn chronically hostile toward Israel, like Iran is, and if they did so in league with Iran—that would be a strong indicator of the manifest coming together of the Gog-led coalition. That is, since Ethiopia | Sudan are relationally on the margins for now with renormalized relations underway, if they turned hostile and got off the margins, that would be a strong indicator that the later stages of the prophecy are unfolding. It is sort of like the strength of a chain—it is only as strong as its weakest link. Ethiopia and Sudan are that weakest link in the coalition “chain,” at least or now—they bear watching as a heads-up. Türkiye (Gomer and Togarmah), and Libya, as Sunni Islam-majority nations are, like Iran, decidedly anti-Israel, so all that they do in the way of hostility toward Israel is on cue and to be expected, they are strong links (Türkiye is officially secular according to its constitution; historically, Türkiye was the center of the Ottoman Empire, which played a significant role in Islamic civilization). But the chain will be defined by its weakest link, which is Ethiopia | Sudan currently. Granted, the strong links must manifest—they have—the weak link, when it becomes strong too, then Gog will have his chain defined and ready for use.
[37] [And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts (of armour, even) a great company (with) bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia, Ethiopia, and] Libya–H6316 [with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: (and) many people with thee.] Libya is Sunni-Islam dominated from top (the government) to bottom (the street). It’s stance toward Israel has been historically anti-Israel. Please notice, under Libyan law it is illegal for their government to have formal relations with Israel. Imagine that. Whether it be Libya or any other nation, including our own, that is really stupid politics, not to mention that God hates that kind of angry arrogance. Let us not forget that the fruit of the Spirit of the true God is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness (even to your bitter enemy), goodness, faithfulness, meekness, and self-control, and yea, you will know by their fruits whether they truly are of God. Though efforts are underway to change that Libyan law, it has met with stiff opposition. No surprise whatsoever that God exposed Libya as part of the Gog-led coalition that would attack Israel—twenty-six-hundred years ago. (Known as Phut in Ezekiel’s day.) This is a remarkable prophecy, all the more because there is no direct evidence of hostile relations between ancient Phut and Israel, that is, no documented instances of ancient Phut being overtly hostile to Israel. (Ancient Israel and Phut were separated by considerable distance, with Israel situated in the Levant and Libya in North Africa, that probably had something to do with the non-hostility back in that day, with communication, mobility, and travel being what it was back then.) Please see also.
[38] [And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts (of armour, even) a great company (with) bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them] all of them with shield and helmet [Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: (and) many people with thee.] We had this shield and helmet bit before, why the redundancy? (Redundancies in Scripture are a wake up and take notice call.) There is no mention of offensive weaponry this time (e.g., the Gog contingent is handling/wielding swords), these allies have helmets and shields—where is the offensive weaponry? Is it understood? Helmets and shields are defensive instruments; there seems to be a distinction that is being drawn between the Gog contingent and Gog’s allies as far as their individual roles are concerned. The Greek Phalanx notoriously utilized shields when it had to hunker down, and of course the shield bearers had their helmets on in the huddle. The Phalanx was not purely defensive for sure. Alexander utilized it brilliantly to drive ahead and gain ground, all the while strategically flanking it with his cavalry, and ensuring he knew what lay ahead before sending his Phalanx forward by way of that same cavalry in reconnaissance mode. We know that Gog’s contingent has a cavalry, we discussed that above in the “horsemen” note. Are these allies going to operate “Phalanx style” whilst Gog and his forces operate “cavalry style?” Recall that Alexander rode with his cavalry, usually right out front, spectacularly arrayed, in an intimidating display of fearlessness to his enemies. War is pretty much the same bloody thing from generation to generation, the technology changes, and of course that impacts tactics, but in the end strategic generalities don’t change. The gray matter between man’s ears won’t allow it to dramatically change. And being sin-riddled, the same mistakes from the past repeat themselves again and again, also putting a cap on what man can do on the battlefield strategically. Tactics are technology driven, and may change dramatically, but strategies are gray matter driven, thus they will never change dramatically. Maybe it is fair to posit an analogy therefore between the Greek Phalanx and the Gog and allies battlefield strategies.
[39] [And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts (of armour, even) a great company (with) bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet] Gomer–H1586, [and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: (and) many people with thee.] “Gomer” is the Armenian name for Cappadocia. Gomer is associated with the Cimmerians, an ancient people who inhabited north-central Asia Minor (modern-day Türkiye), specifically the region of Cappadocia. The Cimmerians were known for their migrations and interactions with other cultures in the ancient Near East. Thus, Gomer’s location aligns with Türkiye. See also, and also.
[40] [And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts (of armour, even) a great company (with) bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his] bands–H102 [the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: (and) many people with thee.] For starters, we place Gomer and Togarmah in Türkiye. While Cappadocia is sparsely populated (natural wonders take precedence over bustling cities and large populations), Türkiye proper is not, it has a relatively large population, which contributes to its sizable military force (population=eighty-six million at the time of this writing). As per the natural wonders mentioned, Cappadocia is known for its unique rock formations and underground cities. These rock formations make it one of the world’s most amazing and largest cave-dwelling complexes. In fact, The area today is a UNESCO world heritage site (officially Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia). In antiquity, these rock-hewn areas served as refuges, a place for monastic communities, and defensive strongholds during times of conflict.
[41] [And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts (of armour, even) a great company (with) bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the] house–H1004 [of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: (and) many people with thee.] “House” likely signifies a group or lineage associated with Togarmah. The use of “house” here emphasizes their collective identity or affiliation. Togarmah is believed to be associated with the ancient region of Anatolia, which corresponds to parts of modern-day Türkiye.
[42] [And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts (of armour, even) a great company (with) bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the house of] Togarmah–H8425 [of the north quarters, and all his bands: (and) many people with thee.] Togarmah is also associated with Türkiye. Historical evidence points to Eastern Anatolia as the location of Togarmah. The evidence rests in Assyrian inscriptions mentioning a city likely preserving the name of ancient Togarmah. So, both Gomer and Togarmah are linked to Türkiye. While they may represent different regions within Türkiye, their overall association with it is consistent.
[43] [And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts (of armour, even) a great company (with) bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the] north–H6828 [quarters and all his bands: (and) many people with thee.] The Hebrew simply reads “north” here. But what about “of?” That is, “of the north quarters?” That little dude is not so little, it serves an obvious but not to be discounted purpose; it is a preposition, indicating the origin or location of Togarmah. It signifies that Togarmah is situated in the northern regions. Imagine it as a right-pointing arrow placed between “Togarmah” and “north quarters”. In this context, it emphasizes the geographical position of Togarmah relative to the other nations mentioned in our chapter.
[44] [And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts (of armour, even) a great company (with) bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north] quarters–H3411 [and all his bands: (and) many people with thee.] The Rearward flank or recess, extreme parts, or recesses in that rearward flank sense. As said, Togarmah mentioned here is believed to be associated with Anatolia (modern-day Türkiye), and from Ezekiel’s perspective, Anatolia was literally in the north, but it was also relatively distant. For example, the straight-line distance from Jerusalem to Ankara, which is roughly in central Türkiye (it leans a little more to the west actually), is about 839 miles (1350 km)—not a stroll in the park. (From Babylon to Ankara, 926 miles, 1490 km). Folks didn’t have cars and jets and satellite map images that “shrunk” an otherwise vast expanse back in the day, stuff to the north, which they really didn’t have a clue of distance to or the vastness and ruggedness of that expanse betwixt and between was bewildering and intimidating to these ancient people—we are talking about the sixth-century BC here. But we are in a prophetic context, the real issue is, how did God lead Ezekiel’s thinking in this, particularly, why have him say “farthest parts of the north?” For starters, isn’t that how real/true prophecy works—God directs the prophet to say thus and so? The prophet is God’s messenger, he speaks as directed by God, not of his own. He has experiences that comprise his makeup, and a capacity to think, and an extraordinary capacity to clearly discern the difference between his own inner thoughts and a Word coming from Jehovah God the Almighty. And real prophets get it right—always—false prophets always get it wrong, that’s the difference, that’s how we know real from phony. To answer the question, it is our view that Ezekiel was led to say “farthest parts of the north” because of the Scythian presence in Türkiye—recall they ravaged Asia Minor just before Ezekiel’s day. That is what “farthest parts of the north” meant to Ezekiel precisely in keeping with what God intended him to say. The logic is simple. In that day, the Scythians, now with a presence in Türkiye, were the northerners that threatened Israel. That mattered to Ezekiel. Please notice, they were already in Türkiye, they had arrived is the point—that’s the logic. The Scythian threat was the manifest enemy that had come down from their place in the north—obviously they were not a threat from further north from where they originated, they were a threat from where they landed so to speak, and they landed in Türkiye. There can be no clearer evidence of that then the Scythopolis (Hieropolis) they founded. They had already made incursions into Israel and even Egypt. And they were a scary lot—fierce and vicious warriors. Sure, “farthest parts of the north” could mean Russia, which lies to the north of Türkiye and is separated from it by the Black Sea—that fits the billing of a of far northerly recess no question—but there is more evidence besides this here “extreme parts” datum that clearly indicates that it is Türkiye: Gomer and Togarmah are regions in Türkiye. We are not making a case for Russia’s exclusion in the coalition, that may happen—we are open to that possibility—what we are trying to say is that so far, the text indicates to us that Russia is not in the mix, but Türkiye is, “up to its eyeballs” in fact. (Aside, due north of Russia lies the Arctic Ocean, which forms a natural boundary, and is the northernmost point of Russia. Beyond the Arctic Ocean lies the North Pole, which is an international region.)
[45] [And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts (of armour, even) a great company (with) bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: (and) many] people–H5971 [with thee.] All along Ezekiel portrays a diverse coalition of nations, “peoples,” spanning different geographical locations, coming together in opposition to God’s people Israel:
Gomer: associated with the Cimmerians, who were descendants of Japheth (Genesis 10:2; 1 Chronicles 1:5). (Possibly connected to the Galatians or Galio-Grecians). Their location is in the lesser Asia, which is now part of modern-day Türkiye.
Togarmah: one of the sons of Gomer (Genesis 10:3). The Greeks identified them as the Phrygians or Cappadocians as said above. Their territory lies in the Caucasus region, south of Iberia, which is also part of present-day Türkiye.
Beth (house)-togarmah: probably an extension of Togarmah’s territory, possibly including regions like Paphlagonia and Cappadocia (see Ezekiel 27:14). These areas are also within modern-day Turkye. And Libya, Ethiopia|Sudan, and Iran: these are southern and northern invaders. So, “many peoples” emphasizes the multinational nature of this anti-Israel coalition. It describes a vast gathering of strength from all these various regions, a great company.
[46] [Be thou] prepared–H3559 [ and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.] Verbal usage is Niphal (passive/reflexive voice—’prepare thee thyself’), imperative (direct address command). In effect God says, ‘…lace ‘em up Gog, get it all together, I want you at your fullest might, I want the very best you’ve got, I want your best shot, so that when I pounce on ya’ll and lay ya’ low, and out, I will be all the more exalted by those who fear me not, by those who minimize my great Name…’
[47] [Be thou prepared, and] prepare–H3559 [for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.] Catch the redundancy. Verbal usage this time is Hiphil (causative action—‘…do it, cause thyself to be ready to roll, bring it all on, thy best tech, thy best weapons, thy best logistics, thy best strategies, all of it, check it once and check it twice thou naughty and not nice, bring it…’), and we have the imperative again—a direct command. ‘…In no uncertain terms Gog, get yourself ready. Prepare thee thyself, lace ‘em up and bring it…’
[48] [Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that] are assembled–H6950 [unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.] Verbal usage is Niphal (passive voice), participle (the passive participle is a non-finite verbal form, i.e., it is not conjugated—it is not bound by subject or time; by contrast finite verbs are the conjugated forms of verbs that indicate tense, person, number, and mood). In biblical Hebrew, passive participles are commonly used as attributive adjectives or predicative adjectives (an adjective that follows a linking verb and describes the subject of a sentence or clause; it indicates a state of being or condition; linking verb: “are,” predicate adjective: “assembled,” condition :”locked and loaded,” ready to roll). Passive participles express verbal action in either the passive voice as here (where the subject receives the action) or reflexive voice (where the subject both performs and receives the action [like the Greek deponent]). Putting it all together, the phrase “are assembled” conveys the idea that Gog’s forces have come together and gathered. Please notice: the passive voice emphasizes that they are being gathered by external forces or circumstances, God Himself, rather than actively gathering themselves like they think they are (!) So, the Niphal passive, participle in this context highlights the gathering, preparation, and mobilization of Gog’s coalition. They are not merely assembling casually, nor are they assembling per their own initiative and sordid purposes, rather, they are being brought together by some inescapable hooks in their jaws for a specific purpose—the impending invasion of Israel which will destroy them not Israel, to God’s glory when He brings about their destruction in the sight of all the nations of the world (stay tuned).
[49] [Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a] guard–H4929 [unto them.] Physical protection of his troops. Gog is to control, direct, guide, and lead his forces astutely and carefully. So what! Gog’s doom is sealed—why guard them? Because God wants everyone to know that when Gog and his forces are destroyed it was not because of some fluke of negligence or oversight or lack of circumspectly “guarding” his troops that caused it. Please notice, God is making the point over and over that He Himself will lay Gog waste, and that is what our Lord wants everybody to tuck away here. The prophecy reveals that Gog will have done all things right, his forces are assembled, prepared, all manner of logistics, reconnaissance, weapon stocks and ammunition, men and machines, tactics and strategy—everything, everything completed perfectly, and they are literally the best, the most capable fighting force on the planet—no one will be able to stop them, certainly not isolated and alone Israel. Therefore, when they are defeated, there will be no question in anyone’s mind as to how it happened, God Himself intervened as will be obvious, precisely in accordance with this prophecy which was spoken long before the actual event happens. ‘…Guard them Gog, be a wise commander, make sure nothing happens to them, take good care of them. They are mine for the taking—it will be my hand and it alone that judges you and yours; yea your innate Godless defiance in the way of repeatedly striking my Beloved, your doom is sealed. I, even I, will be as a Grim Reaper to you and will make a spectacle, a laughingstock, out of you before all the nations of the world, and I will be exalted in their eyes…’
[50] [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.] Somewhere around twenty-six-hundred years so far since Ezekiel’s day (very roughly 950,000 days based on that; just a back of the envelope number here out of curiosity), but things are starting to fall into place like never before per Ezekiel’s prophecy. After many days, like 10/07/2023 perhaps? The depraved attacks on Israel on 10/07/2023 by the Sunni Islamist political and military movement Hamas fits right into this prophecy by Ezekiel (Hamas emerged as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, a powerful Islamist movement founded in Egypt during the 1920s). Is that a first fruit of things soon to come per this prophecy…after many days? The slaughter, the rape, the kidnapping on that day, 10/07/2023, was devilish in the extreme, it was Israel hate in the extreme, it was Gog in shoe leather. That Hamas attack was a toned-down version of what Gog will bring to Israel. Are we shocked here that Jehovah God will be furious in that day and lay Gog waste to protect His people Israel? And Iran recently launched a missile and drone attack directly targeting Israel. This event occurred in April 2024, and marked the first time that Iran had directly attacked Israel. The attack was in response to an earlier Israeli strike on an Iranian diplomatic building in Damascus, Syria, which resulted in the death of a senior figure in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards and eight other officers. And Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group sympathetic to Shi’a Islam, continues to launch missiles into Israel “from the north.” Moreover, Hezbollah has built a vast tunnel network in southern Lebanon, extending up to the border and even into Israel. These tunnels allow them to launch precision-guided missiles from concealed locations. It is estimated that since10/08/2023, Hezbollah has fired more than three-thousand rockets at Israeli civilian and military targets. These attacks have targeted northern Israeli towns and communities. Well, these sad bloody headlines fit right into Ezekiel’s prophecy and makes one wonder if the “after many days” time clock has expired.
[51] [After many days thou] shalt be visited–H6485 [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.] Verbal usage is Niphal, imperfect. The passive voice attending the Niphal stem indicates that this visitation is brought upon Gog by God Himself—it is a divine visitation. The imperfect verb form indicates an action that is not complete or an action that either occurs in the present or will occur in the future. It describes ongoing or anticipated actions. The action is anticipated here. We have God speaking to Gog, the leader of the coalition of nations invading God’s people Israel. He is actually told that he will experience a divine visitation or intervention. He is given all the heads-up—it will include both his military preparations and his role as a leader in the impending conflict as discussed heretofore. Say again it is a divine visitation, which means that God’s sovereignty orchestrates the entire sequence of events, culminating in Gog’s judgment. This has been a consistent theme throughout, not to be missed. Here God yet again repeats the theme dressed in the verbiage of a divine visitation.
[52] [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.] “…After many days…in the latter years…” What is that telling us? It is telling us that this prophecy, these events, will unfold in the End Times, which is sort of a “technical term” if you will in biblical prophecy and eschatology. It signifies the time when God’s Divine Plan for humankind and this universe has run its course. It is a time marked by the Rapture of the Church, the Great Tribulation, The Second Coming of Jesus Christ to this earth, His Millennial Kingdom, i.e., the thousand-year reign of our Lord Jesus, the Final Judgment, the New Heaven and New Earth. ” In the latter years” is telling us that Ezekiel’s prophecy is coincident with the End Times. Practically, it means that when we see this prophecy starting to work itself out, the end of time is very near and Jesus’ return is imminent—make sure the quarrel between you and God has been settled (“A Letter of Invitation”).
[53] [After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou] shalt come–H935 [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.] Verbal usage is Qal, imperfect. The use of the Qal stem emphasizes the straightforwardness of this action. It doesn’t imply any special intensity or complexity; it’s a simple statement of what will happen. The use of the imperfect form with the simple Qal here emphasizes that Gog’s coming is not a sudden, sort of fantastic or even isolated event. Instead, it implies a gradual, continuous movement toward the land of Israel. It suggests that the gathering of nations and their approach to the mountains of Israel will unfold over time, with ongoing implications. It is not an “impulsive” move toward Israel. It is planned, thought through, exercised with sure steps, little by little, until the force gathered and its anti-Israel propaganda “sidekick” is overwhelming. You know, attacks here, and there, consistent pressure, an ever-growing coalition that one day intends to “swarm” Israel. It necessarily includes an equally determined and planned out anti-Israel propaganda program to gain sentiment and allegiance and more members into the coalition (the liberal media lip-flapper brigade). These things take time, they are progressive and ongoing, they have an “imperfect mood” about them if you will.
[54] [After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land (that is)] brought back–H7725 [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.] Verbal usage is Polel, participle, passive. For starters, this phrase “brought back” refers to the restoration of Israel, hands-down a reality today. The passive participle form emphasizes that this restoration was not accomplished by Israel’s own efforts but by outside agency, i.e., divine intervention. The Polel stem emphasizes simple, straightforward action. Its use together with the passive participle teams up to underscore God’s role in bringing Israel back to its land (no convoluted extraneous, i.e., human initiatives, rather, the efficacious simplicity of Divine Providence (=elegance). It highlights the miraculous aspect of Israel’s return after a very long period of exile and dispersion. For all intents and purposes, Israel as a nation was “dead in the water,” or rather, “dried up in the valley,” before God “arrived and revived.”
[55] [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 –H6908 [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.] Verbal usage is Pual, participle. The Pual stem is the passive counterpart of the Piel stem. It expresses an intensive type of action with a passive voice; the passive nature (external agency) of the verbal action is expressed directly by the Pual form of the verb itself, without any helping verbs. As a team the Pual-participle highlights the intensive and passive nature of the action. It signifies that God Himself (the power, the intensity, the outside Agent) orchestrated the regathering of the Jewish people from various nations (out of many people). The restoration of Israel is portrayed as a miraculous and deliberate act of divine providence. Let us not forget as we read this prophecy that “gathered” here was written down twenty-six hundred years ago.
[56] [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–H5921 [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.] Literally, Gog is planning an invasion of the land of Israel. His intent is to attack a people who dwell confidently (under their “Iron Dome?”), i.e., “without walls or gates, in unwalled villages.” His plan includes taking plunder, booty, and stretching out his hand against the waste places that are now inhabited and blooming. Israel is a land that is physically revived and blooming and prospering at this time and Gog intends to plunder and ruin the land and demolish any hope springing from that revival, which hope fuels Israel’s growth—he intends to stop that so that Israel will crumble, and be humiliated, and most of all he intends to punish Israel by way of inflicting great suffering. “Against the mountains of Israel” sort of encapsulates all that twisted evil (but notice what God says Proverbs 3:29). Against the mountains of Israel is a metaphor for a strike at the physical heart and soul of Israel which has been physically revived and is blooming and prospering.
[57] [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.] The mountains of Israel speak to the bounty of Israel. Let’s think of them like that for a moment. They are not only a beautiful physical landscape but also a testament to God’s promises and the resilience of His people. After laying waste for centuries, they bloom with fruit, flowers, and vineyards today, a picture of both ancient (pre-desolation) history and modern revival. The mention of these mountains signifies God’s promise to renew and revive the land, bringing it back from desolation. The restoration of the mountains as we witness them today symbolizes hope, blessing, and the fulfillment of God’s covenant with Israel. They are a source of jealousy (God’s favor, blessings, etc.) to Israel’s enemies, and are coveted by Israel’s enemies—Gog wants them for himself not only for the booty but as a surefire way to cause Israel to crumble. Gog will come into this land (Israel) when it has been physically revived—the mountains of Israel have been an eyesore for centuries, but they are blooming again—the text is abundantly clear about that timing; Gog will invade when Israel has been gathered from the nations, and is physically revived, and is blooming and prospering, with some measure of military might in that she (thinks) she dwells securely at that time. It means that Ezekiel’s centuries-old prophecy is spot on; it is a remarkable prophecy that is unfolding before our very eyes almost day-by-day.
[58] [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–H1961 [always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.] Verbal usage is Qal, perfect. The Qal perfect tense indicates a completed action but with ongoing effects. It describes a state resulting from a past action. The back part of the phrase have been “always waste” refers to the historical desolation of the mountains of Israel. That is, during periods of captivity and exile, these mountains were continuously desolate due to destruction and displacement. The Qal perfect emphasizes that this desolation persisted over time until the restoration. Of course the restoration of the land signifies God’s intervention and the end of desolation. Now we have another sort of ongoing effect: the ongoing effects of this restoration are now evident in the renewed inhabitation of the land. So, the Qal perfect verbal usage here emphasizes the long-lasting impact of Israel’s desolation, demarcated by subsequent restoration which is implicit and understood. The desolation is long-lasting, but it is not infinitely long (this was revealed to Ezekiel), there will be a terminus; long-lasting desolation demarcated by a restoration. That’s buried in the grammar utilized by Ezekiel (the Holy Spirit actually) and bespeaks utter surety in the terminus to come, itself not experienced by Ezekiel, but he might as well have because when the Holy Spirit revealed it to him it was as though he experienced it.
[59] [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–H8548 [waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.] Other descriptors like “long-lasting” or “very long” could convey the long duration here no problem, but God chose “always” for a reason: “always” emphasizes continuity across generations. It underscores the persistent desolation endured by Israel before their restoration. It is purposely put there for us as a reminder of God’s faithfulness during prolonged hardship, yea even across generations. By using “always,” the text highlights both the tough historical reality here and the spiritual hope embedded in Israel’s story.
[60] [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–H2723 [but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.] Desolate, destroyed, wasted. Why is God hammering home this desolation of the mountains of Israel? It is for contrast, He wants us to fully appreciate the gravity of the desolation over against an Israel that is blooming, and fruitful, and prospering per His restoration. That is exactly how it is today. From the grave to physical restoration—that’s Israel today. The mighty hand of God brought this about. Since God has brought Israel to where she is now—blooming, fruitful, prospering, with not a little measure of military might—we should realize that the rest of Ezekiel’s prophecy is upon us. We had to walk before we could run. We had to have Israel regathered, and blooming, and prospering, before the rest of the prophecy can be fulfilled. And so now stage one of the prophecy is fulfilled, we are in stage two—that’s the not-so-pretty Gog stage. That is where we are at.
[61] [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–H3318 [out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.] Verbal usage is Hophal, Perfect. This verbal form indicates a causative action, completed, with a passive voice. Here it describes an action that has been purposely done to the subject (Israel) by an external agent (God). Bottom line, God regathered Israel against all (human) odds, put her in her own land, and put His own stamp of statehood on her on May 14, 1948, to the anger, disgust, and envy of the nations around her, who have been at her throat ever since. But look folks, read ‘em and weep—God did this, He said he would twenty-six hundred years ago, and there it is, black on white.
[62] [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–H5971 [and they shall dwell safely all of them.] This text is not hard to grasp, it is self-explanatory, it hardly needs any commentary. We have here the nations into which Israel was dispersed. Let’s do a little what if. Suppose the reader’s country has this history. In the eighth-century BC, ten twelfths of your country went into exile, that’s 10/12 or 5/6—five sixths. Folks just disappeared, were dispersed, intermingled with the nations and whatnot, gone. Five-sixths, percentagewise that is about 83% of your country. Okay, that leaves you with 17% of the original with which to rebuild. So, you repopulate for about one-hundred forty years or so, and bang, it happens again. But this time, you are restored, a smattering of you are allowed to come out of exile and rebuild, but your homeland is in unrecognizable heaps. You rebuild and repopulate; time goes by, about five or six-hundred years, and indeed you rebuild and repopulate. Then, bang, it happens again. This time, your country is razed, hundreds of thousands, if not millions are outright killed, the rest are displaced only God knows where. Guess what, you are hanging on by a thread, and sure enough, seventy-five or eighty years later, you are razed again—this time, you are down and out for the count. There is literally nothing left, no people, no property, no nothing. But there is this not so little prophecy in the back of your mind that says—one day, the Lord God will restore you, bring you into your own land, and bless you there, and prosper you there, and your national identity will remain intact despite this devastation and dispersion. Say what? And He did it. That’s the story of Israel—it is unprecedented in human history that a nation should be regathered, bloom again, prosper, have a measure of military might, and be in its own land again, home sweet home, after all that devastation and loss. It is uniquely Israel’s history—emphasis on the uniquely. It is not an accident, a fluke of history, or certainly not something that Israel did of its own, besides trusting God’s Word, it is plain and simple divine intervention that caused this, please notice, all along the way, not just at the end here when things got nice and cozy again, and it is all the more remarkable because it was first stated, and written down, that it would be like that, the devastations, and the amazing restoration, all of it, was written down beforehand. God wrote it down, then He did it. It’s like, well, walking the talk. God spoke it, then He did it, and the proof is in the history of Israel, a history that is there for anybody to look at and study and discover for themselves.
[63] [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–H5971 [safely all of them.] Verbal usage is Qal, perfect (completed action with ongoing effects). The ongoing effects of this past action (the restoration) are evident in the confident, maybe overconfident here lately, dwelling of the people. In the overall context, that is what Gog’s invading army sees, a restored Israel dwelling (over)confidently.
[64] [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–H983 [all of them.] We prefer “confidently,” even “carelessly” here rather than literal safety. Israel will never dwell safely by this-worldly norms, no way. Satan has had Israel in his crosshairs from the beginning. There will always be someone at Israel’s throat even until this Gog individual “goes for the jugular” leading to his demise. Literal “safely” is just not a reality for Israel, but God deals in reality, even Truth, hence we prefer the “careless,” or “confident” rendering which connotation this Hebrew word allows no problem.
[65] [Thou] shalt ascend–H5927 [and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee. 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: And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, to take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places (that are now) inhabited, and upon the people (that are) gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.] Verbal usage is Qal, perfect (completed action, ongoing effects). “Shall ascend” with this grammar refers to Gog’s intended and sure military advance. Gog’s forces will rise up and move forward aggressively. The Qal perfect form underscores the certainty of Gog’s actions here; his ascent is as a powerful force, like a storm or a cloud covering the land, a swarming. It presupposes a massive buildup of forces beforehand (an attendant surety therefore going by the grammar). Is God “letting the cat out of the bag” here, i.e., telling Gog too much? No, God is simply speaking in a manner consistent with His all-knowing nature (omniscience). God knows what Gog is compelled to do by very God Himself, and that he will fall in line, no problem. And God’s communication with Gog serves a larger purpose: It reveals God’s sovereignty and His plan for Israel, it assures Israel that God is in control. Sure, it may seem like God is revealing too much, but the Divine Intent is to demonstrate God’s divine authority, that is, Gog’s actions are part of God’s plan (Gog is under God’s heel, not the other way around).
[66] [Thou shalt ascend and] come–H935 [like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee. 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: And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, to take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places (that are now) inhabited, and upon the people (that are) gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.] Verbal usage is Qal, imperfect. This verbal usage by way of the imperfect indicates an incomplete action in the sense that it is ongoing or future. It describes an action that is in progress or will happen. “Shall come like a storm” therefore emphasizes the grinding ferocity and intensity of Gog’s invasion. Likening Gog’s approach to a powerful storm is imagery that conveys the idea that Gog’s forces will sweep over the land, causing chaos and upheaval. It serves as a warning of the impending, significant threat to Israel in that day. Ezekiel has been spot on so far, we can be sure that he is spot on here too. Take heed Israel, hustle on over to the foot of the Cross while you can—your Messiah has already come (“A Letter of Invitation”).
[67] [Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou] shalt be–H1961 [like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee. 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: And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, to take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places (that are now) inhabited, and upon the people (that are) gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.] Verbal usage is Qal, imperfect. Clouds overstretch the land and linger; it is the picture of a massive force spilling over the land and covering it. It bespeaks the aerial component of Gog’s forces as well perhaps—aircraft wingtip to wingtip, totally dominating the skies of Israel. That would give Gog’s forces a huge advantage—the land forces can do pretty much whatever they want when they have cloud-like air cover. The imperfect gives the sense of continual air domination if this snippet bespeaks the aerial component of Gog’s forces, probably coming in waves from aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean, or the Red Sea, which waterways one would have to assume are totally under Gog’s control by then. (And who could provide such aircraft carriers for Gog by the way?) The picture is that of a helpless, isolated, quite alone Israel. It presupposes that whatever western allies she had are now incapacitated—that has been our assumption from the get-go, even years ago when we first looked at this chapter of Ezekiel’s prophecy and wondered about it all. It is hard to imagine that a superpower and Israel’s “friend” like the United States, and others to be sure, are still alive and well at this time whilst Israel is thus in harm’s way, it just doesn’t compute, on more than just a “friendship” rescue basis, geopolitically, for sure. An unwillingness to help is out of the question for geopolitical reasons. There are lots of details yet to unfold. If the prophecy is to hold, then Israel’s superpower allies must surely be incapacitated and unable to come to her rescue. Why? It would mean that human agency, not God of Himself, acting independently, saved Israel. That goes against the grain, the central theme actually, of this twenty-six-hundred-year-old prophecy, which has been spot on right up to the present.
[68] [Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee. Thus saith the Lord GOD; It] shall also come to pass– H1961 [(that) at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought: And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, to take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places (that are now) inhabited, and upon the people (that are) gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.] Verbal usage is Qal, perfect. The Qal stem is always in the active voice (subject acting), here God is speaking. The action is unnuanced by the Qal, but definitely so by the perfect tense, which relates competed action with ongoing effects in the present or future. What then is the effect of the perfect here? It emphasizes the certainty of this future event by portraying it as already completed (that’s its intended linguistic role, thus rolling off Ezekiel’s lips). It conveys the idea that what God declares here will undoubtedly come to pass. The use of the Qal, perfect in this snippet underscores the unshakable certainty of the prophesied event/s
[69] [Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee. Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, (that) at the same time] shall things come–H5927 [into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought: And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, to take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places (that are now) inhabited, and upon the people (that are) gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.] Verbal usage is Qal, imperfect. The Imperfect tense denotes ongoing or incomplete action, often translated as future or present | future (e.g., something is going on right now/in progress, or has not even started yet, i.e., is anticipated). It can express actions that are anticipated, continuous, or habitual. Here, “shall come” conveys the idea of an anticipated future event. It emphasizes that what God declares will certainly happen (not so nice things bouncing around between Gog’s ears).
[70] [Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee. Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, (that) at the same time shall things come into thy] mind–H3824 [and thou shalt think an evil thought: And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, to take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places (that are now) inhabited, and upon the people (that are) gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.] Brittanica (reference below) puts it so: “Mind, in the Western tradition, the complex of faculties involved in perceiving, remembering, considering, evaluating, and deciding. Mind is in some sense reflected in such occurrences as sensations, perceptions, emotions, memory, desires, various types of reasoning, motives, choices, traits of personality, and the unconscious.” Gog has a mind by which he functions, by which he does this and that. His motivations are both his own and God’s influence (hooks in the jaw). Without straying off topic too much, how does God do that—there is some tension here? Gog’s plans are evil, he is inclined to do great evil, God’s plans are not, just the opposite. It probably serves us well to clearly distinguish between Gog’s insolence, and God’s plans. Despite Gog’s decidedly malevolent intentions, God is orchestrating events. Gog’s actions serve God’s larger purposes, even if Gog himself doesn’t fully comprehend it. God’s sovereignty extends over both good and evil, using even the wicked for His ultimate plan. But why not influence the wicked to do good? As said before, “you can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink.” To influence Gog to follow his natural course is easy and will work no problem, to influence him to do good, that will not work—that horse won’t drink. And God’s plans will be accomplished along the way, and that is always good. Maybe painful, but always good.
[71] [Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee. 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–H2803 [an evil thought: And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, to take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places (that are now) inhabited, and upon the people (that are) gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.] Verbal usage is the Qal, perfect; we have simple, completed action with ongoing effects. This verbal form has an interesting application here. The perfect emphasizes certainty and finality (through the completion aspect), so in this context it suggests that Gog’s thoughts are firmly established and unchangeable (not much of a hook in the jaw needed). And the mention of Gog’s mind implies that he has deliberated and made decisions, firm ones (firm by way of the perfect). His intentions are resolute, and he is committed to his plans. But please notice, despite Gog’s determination, God’s influence remains paramount. Why? Gog’s actions serve God’s purposes, even if Gog doesn’t fully grasp it.
[72] [Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee. 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: And thou] shalt say–H559 [I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, to take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places (that are now) inhabited, and upon the people (that are) gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.] Verbal usage is Qal, perfect, entirely in keeping with a mind that has deliberated, and decided on a course, and is resolutely committed to it, and thus speaks.
[73] [Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee. 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: And thou shalt say, I] will go up–H5927 [to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, to take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places (that are now) inhabited, and upon the people (that are) gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.] Verbal usage is Qal, imperfect. The active voice attending the Qal has Gog speaking about his plans, the imperfect tense signifies incomplete action that is either ongoing or anticipated. Here we have Gog’s evil intentions revealed by his own lips. Although God ultimately leads Gog against Israel, it is understood that God allows him to follow the devices of his own heart. So, in this snippet we get insight into the motives behind Gog’s attack on Israel—to hit an Israel “standing down” (refers to the temporary cessation of combat or alert status, allowing troops to relax, regroup, and reevaluate their current situation; basically, a departure from the usual state of readiness) in order to take spoil, and to take a prey.
[74] [Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee. 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: And thou shalt say, I will go up to] the land of unwalled villages [I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, to take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places (that are now) inhabited, and upon the people (that are) gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.] The land of unwalled villages does not fit into Ezekiel’s world. No village in that day would even think about being unwalled. Walls were the norm. Essentially, a village without walls was a non-village, let alone an easy target. It just didn’t happen. Villages were unwalled after they were sacked, not before; and that is what Ezekiel is here referring to—the “before” scenario. So, as he was looking down the corridor of time, why did he say, “the land of unwalled villages,” that state, before (obviously) any attack had occurred? The prophecy was not for his day as we know, it was for “after many days,” and for “the latter days,” as we saw before. The “land” part of the phrase is easy, that’s Israel. But unwalled villages in Israel at some “after many days” time…is he thinking of Rome (Assyria happened before Ezekiel’s time and Babylonia happened during his time)? No, that is an “after” scenario, even though that sack was indeed “after many days.” That only satisfies the “after many days” requirement. We need unwalled villages later in time, but before a sack. Can the reader see why for each requirement? (It must be later, the prophecy is for the latter days, a time much later than Ezekiel’s day, it must be before a sack because Ezekiel is describing a jewel that Gog covets—that means the land [Israel] has not been sacked, i.e., a “before” scenario) Okay, if it isn’t Rome, what is left? According to Scripture, only Gog is left, unless Gog is antiChrist. That means we are much later in time as required, in fact, we are in modern times with the Gog invasion. Being in modern times, we can put the pieces together a little better. These unwalled villages are literally that, the “walls” in modern times are Israel’s so-called “Iron Dome” defense shield or some version of it. That “dome” is not a wall at all, in the literal sense, so it may apply here. But it serves the same purpose for Israel today as walls did back in Ezekiel’s day. Bottom line, in the modern era, Israel, like many nations around the world, is a “land of unwalled villages,” in the literal sense, a sharp departure from the military norms of antiquity (the “walls” are radically different today). Ezekiel clearly saw an Israel way into the future up to modern times. He saw Gog’s day—computers, internet, radar, hypersonic missiles, you name it. It seems to us that Ezekiel’s remark, “the land of unwalled villages” is coming from someone sort of in shock to see the nation that way and no evidence of it having been sacked, just the opposite, it is blooming and prospering; to his mind, to his way of thinking, and the world he knew, that would have been inconceivable. It would have been the kind of thing that jumped out at him immediately, like, hey, what’s up here, why aren’t here any walls around these places anywhere, sort of like us moderns going somewhere and finding no electrical lighting anywhere, we would flag that immediately if we were writing a report on what we saw. Of course, he saw more than a land with unwalled villages, he saw the rest of the story with modern warfare on full display, and he no doubt “grew up” quickly to a different reality that God was showing him. Nevertheless, it all must have seemed very, very strange to this sixth-century BC prophet. Suppose God gave us a vison of what was to come twenty-six-hundred years or more from now, would it seem strange to us?! What verbiage would we use to describe what we saw?
[75] [Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee. 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: And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I] will go–H935 [to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, to take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places (that are now) inhabited, and upon the people (that are) gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.] verbal usage is Qal, imperfect. Gog is speaking (Qal, active voice). The imperfect tense tells us that Gog’s thoughts and plans are still in progress or are yet to be fully realized. It conveys the ongoing nature of his intention to invade Israel.
[76] [Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee. 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: And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that] are at rest–H8252 [that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, to take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places (that are now) inhabited, and upon the people (that are) gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.] Verbal usage is Qal, Active participle. The participle acts as an adjective modifying “people.” Militarily, the picture is that of standing down. It portrays the nation per se in a state of peace and security, which contrasts with Gog’s malicious intentions. One gets the sense of a lack of readiness and vigilance. They are “not on their toes” so to speak.
[77] [Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee. 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: And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that] dwell–H3427 [safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, to take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places (that are now) inhabited, and upon the people (that are) gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.] Verbal usage is Qal, participle. The main verb is “dwell” (live or reside in a particular place). The adverb “safely” modifies the verb “dwell.” It describes how the people are dwelling. Specifically, it relates a picture of Israel whilst Gog in the meantime is assembling his forces and making plans to attack. We have a sense of confidence, and peace, going about the business of living out their lives, maybe letting down their guard a little bit in Israel on the one hand, on the other hand we have Gog planning and organizing his attack, intending to waste an Israel that is maybe not quite up “on its toes” as it should be.
[78] [Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee. 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: And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having –(no Strongs# for this form) [neither bars nor gates, to take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places (that are now) inhabited, and upon the people (that are) gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.] Verbal usage is simply participle, indicating a state of being or possession. The phrase “having neither bars nor gates” is expressed through the context, not a single word. We emphasized “having,” but it is the entire phrase that matters. Israel’s defenses are in view. In the land of unwalled villages there will be no gates and therefore no bars to bolster gates; it is a picture of vulnerability in the extreme, that’s the literal sense. This goes a step further, it suggests that Israel’s defense mechanisms are actually minimal, even insufficient in that day. Gog’s evil thought bouncing around in his mind is precisely this therefore: it involves exploiting this supposed vulnerability by invading Israel’s land and seizing plunder, ultimately laying Israel waste.
[79] [Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee. 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: And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates] to take a spoil, and to take a prey–H7997 [to turn thine hand upon the desolate places (that are now) inhabited, and upon the people (that are) gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.] Verbal usage of “to take” is infinitive construct with a Qal stem. The infinitive construct is a non-finite verbal form that usually functions as a verbal complement, providing extra information regarding the purpose, result, or time frame of the verbal action of the main verb. Unlike finite verb forms, the infinitive construct does not conjugate according to person, gender, or number. Here, “to take a spoil and to take a prey” describes the actions that Gog and his forces intend to carry out. “To take a spoil” is plunder, and “to take a prey” implies capturing or seizing living beings (people or animals) for exploitation or gain. The main verb complemented by “take” is implied and is something along the lines of “will come” (to take thus and so), or “will attack” (to take thus and so). Essentially, Gog’s forces plan to attack Israel, plunder its wealth, and capture its inhabitants. No people+no wealth=no nation. Gog’s goal is clear: Hammer Israel back into desolation, if even it exists at all when he is through. Not a nice guy.
[80] [Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee. 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: And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, to take a spoil, and to take a prey] to turn–H7725 [thine hand upon the desolate places (that are now) inhabited, and upon the people (that are) gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.] Verbal usage is infinitive construct (action, intent/purpose of main verb=aggressive actions intended by Gog), with the Hiphil (causative) stem. The main verb (implied) is in its true shoe leather—it is trying to communicate action, aggressive action on the part of Gog. He is going to take action against the people growing ever more numerous and waxing strong, and against the formerly desolate places now blooming and inhabited and prospering, to his utter envy and disgust—he will not have it!
[81] [Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee. 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: And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, to take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places (that are now) inhabited, and upon the people that] are gathered–H622 [out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.] Verbal usage is Pual (passive form of the Piel), participle. In this context, the participle is utilized to describe a state or condition that is ongoing or continual. It indicates that the people have been gathered and are in a state of being gathered. Note that the Piel stem’s connotation of intensity or deliberate action informs the understanding of the Pual form. Even though the Pual is passive, it carries the Piel’s undertones, suggesting that the gathering of the nations is not only a passive occurrence but also part of a purposeful divine act. The use of the Pual participle, therefore, implies that the nations are gathered in a manner that is both passive (they are being gathered by an external force—the Pual’s message; God is the external Force) and intensely (the action is part of a significant, deliberate divine plan—the Piel’s message). This dual aspect of passivity and intensity is linguistically elegant in that it “packages” the complex nature of prophetic fulfillment as portrayed in the text in a single word “gathered.” One final note about this word, God is using it again in this text. Why? In it, human history (Israel’s restoration) is intricately woven with divine purpose (ditto). It is like a radiohalo, it reveals its source, even its Source.
[82] [Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee. 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: And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, to take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places (that are now) inhabited, and upon the people (that are) gathered out of the nations, which] have gotten–H6213 [cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.] Verbal usage is Qal, participle. The Qal stem is the simple or basic form of the verb and when used as a participle, it often conveys an ongoing, continuous, or habitual action. The participle can function in several ways, including as an adjective, a substantive (standing in for a noun), or as part of a verbal clause. In this context, the participle suggests that Israel has acquired goods (cattle and goods etc.) and continues to do so, emphasizing the ongoing nature of their prosperity. This continuous aspect is significant in the context of the prophecy, as it highlights the state of the people being described—they are not only settled and confident but also continually amassing wealth and goods, a significant source of envy and irritation, and whatnot to Gog. Bottom line, this continuous action implied by the Qal participle aligns with our prophetic text, where the accumulation of wealth, the security of the people, and their ever-increasing strength, sets the stage for the events that follow in this spot-on Word from God. We must tuck that away and not lose sight of it going forward.
[83] [Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish with all the young lions thereof <> [shall say unto thee, art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?] We are going to dedicate this endnote to all these groups, we’ll take them one at a time. With the help of commentaries and study aids listed below as “Ezkl 38:13,” we have the following.
Sheba is often associated with the Sabaean kingdom, which is in modern-day Yemen. The Sabaeans were known for their wealth and the trade of precious commodities like incense and spices.
Dedan refers to an ancient Arabian people who were involved in trade caravans. Dedan is sometimes identified with the area of modern-day Al-Ula in Saudi Arabia.
Tarshish is thought to be a distant place from Israel, possibly linked to Tartessus in ancient Spain. The merchants of Tarshish would thus represent long-distance traders who dealt in luxury goods and had wide-reaching trade networks. In the context of our chapter, these groups are portrayed as questioning the intentions of an invading force, asking if they have come to take spoil. This reflects their roles as traders and economic powers in the ancient world, notice—concerned with the stability and security necessary for their trade to flourish. This is entirely consistent with the modern-day concern over the same in that part of the world by numerous economic powers. The passage suggests that these groups are not directly involved in the Gog buildup of forces and the inevitable conflict, but are observers of the events unfolding, very much concerned about their bottom line going forward.
The “young lions” mentioned alongside them could symbolize the younger generations or maybe subordinate leaders or states associated with these trading entities. The world for the most part will be more concerned about its bottom line than the fate of Israel, unless that fate affects its bottom line in the negative. Then all of the sudden Israel would have lots of friends, but we know from the way the prophecy ends it is not going to go down like that, Israel will be all alone and isolated, even much hated, in the end, hanging on by a thread, before her Savior, the Pierced One, Messiah, arrives on the scene.
[84] [Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof] shall say–H559 [unto thee, art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?] Verbal usage is Qal, imperfect. The imperfect suggests an ongoing, repeated type of questioning. Maybe the questioners are not sure of what the forces that are amassing are up to, the endgame that is, or maybe it implies a sort of uneasiness about what is going on, and they keep asking to get a better handle on what Gog’s plans are in order to look for some sort of silver lining in it all to get some peace of mind as concerns their trading interests and ultimately their livelihood. The repeated questioning presents us with an interesting picture of the mindset of these commerce-oriented questioners, and if it isn’t reading into the text too much, perhaps it reinforces the fact that the buildup of forces is quite dramatic, thus causing great concern and a sort of hand-wringing questioning. ‘…Will our interests be left untaken and intact? Are you going to confiscate our materials to outfit and supply your war machines and soldiers? Will the shipping lanes be affected; can we move our goods about safely? Are we going to be conscripted? Are you wroth with us for our past business interests with Israel, are we prey too…’
[85] [Therefore, son of man] prophesy–H5012 [and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord GOD; in that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know (it)?] Verbal usage is Qal, perfect. The active voice attending the simple Qal stem means that God is speaking, God is doing the action of speaking to Ezekiel. (By “simple” Qal stem is meant a basic verbal expression, no details are given, there is no grammatical “layering” by which to further appreciate semantics in the immediate environment of the verb and overall, per se; e.g., “run”—just very basic info here, that’s the idea. Ya’ gotta’ dress the sucker up to get meaning; That’s pretty much needed for all stems, but the Qal is especially “simple.”) So why the perfect tense here? The Qal tells us that “prophesy” is the fundamental action done by the subject because Qal comes with the active voice, and the perfect tense is part of the wardrobe (the Great Grammarian went to His closet and picked it out especially for us) that will beautify this verb and give it meaning in the eyes of the beholder, yea in our eyes. But what is that “perfect outfit” telling us? The perfect tense indicates completed action; it is utilized to emphasize that broad notion (completion) in a given context. Here the Lord is directing Ezekiel to prophesy and tell Gog about the future events related to Israel’s safety and security; by using the Qal, perfect, the emphasis is on the certainty and fulfillment of the prophecy (part of that broad notion of completion this tense is suited to convey; one learns with experience how to look for it in the context). In this context it conveys the idea that the message will indeed come to pass. So, the choice of the Qal, perfect underscores the authoritative nature of the prophecy (ya’ gotta’ have authority to get the thing completed don’t ya’ know) and assures its fulfillment (ditto). The hurting and stressed Israeli reader of the text is in view. God wants the reader to be reassured that the prophecy is a done deal (God Himself will fight against Gog and waste Him)—it is an extension of our Lord’s compassion, grace, and understanding to His Beloved, who will be in harm’s way in that day. Thus did the Great Grammarian amazing things by way of this “perfect outfit”.
[86] [Therefore, son of man, prophesy and] say–H559 [unto Gog, thus saith the Lord GOD; in that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know (it)?] Verbal usage is Qal, perfect. By utilizing the Qal, perfect, our Lord emphasizes that the (His) words spoken by Ezekiel will be fully realized. It’s as if the prophecy has already been accomplished, even though it refers to a future event. That “perfect outfit” is linguistic dynamite.
[87] [Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, thus] saith–H559 [the Lord GOD; in that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know (it)?] Verbal usage is Qal, perfect—when Jehovah God speaks, it’s a done deal, mark it down, thus says the perfect tense. But the perfect also communicates that the completed action has relevance now or later, quite apt here—God’s words are a surety but they also have relevance beyond the moment.
[88] [Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, thus saith the] Lord GOD [in that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know (it)?] Literally, Jehovah God, the Great I AM (“O, That Name!).
[89] [Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, thus saith the Lord GOD; in that day when my people of Israel] dwelleth–H3427 [safely, shalt thou not know (it)?] Verbal sage is Qal, infinitive construct. The infinitive construct provides extra information regarding the purpose, result, or timeframe of the verbal action of the main verb (prophesy). It does not inflect for person, number, or gender. It is drawing attention to what follows: Israel living in safety and security in that latter day. This existence is a point of emphasis, possibly as a warning for that generation (stay alert, don’t get too comfy…). The main verb is prophesy, we know Gog is a main point of focus of that prophecy, but there is aplenty heads-up to Israel in the prophecy as well. In this case we see it specifically in that the infinitive construct “dwelleth” is reaching back and shaking hands with the main verb “prophesy.” Up until 10/07/2023 Israel dwelt “safely,” nay, confidently, but that tragic day changed everything in that regard. It doesn’t necessarily mean that was a manifestation of the first steps of the latter days here spoken of involving Gog, but it is a good analogy to the state of Israel’s “dwelling” in that latter day when Gog does invade. Only God knows for sure where we are in the prophetic timetable right now regarding Gog. The prophecy is sound advice for Israel to always stay alert and never get lackadaisical about its national defense. 10/07/2023 was a tragic wakeup call for Israel.
[90] [Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, thus saith the Lord GOD; in that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not] know–H3045 it?] verbal usage is Qal, imperfect. God is speaking to Gog (through Ezekiel), the active voice attending the Qal clues us in on that. The Qal dressed up with the imperfect tense indicates ongoing or repeated action (the fundamental action of knowing, or understanding, is becoming more specific). Here, it emphasizes that the stated knowledge or awareness will continue over time (Gog’s awareness of Israel living confidently, overconfidently we think). What could that mean, what are the implications for Israel? Gog’s ongoing awareness (surely through sophisticated surveillance) provides him with strategic intelligence to devise more effective invasion strategies.
[91] [And thou] shalt come–H935 [from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army: and thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land.] Verbal usage is Qal, perfect. Of a certainty Gog will swoop down on Israel, that is why God dressed up this verb with the perfect. Our Lord wants to make that clear in our minds. Gog will ruthlessly invade Israel like a storm at the set time in the latter days. No amount of back-slapping diplomacy or cushy humanism or anything else will change that fact one iota.
[92] [And thou shalt come from thy place] out of the north parts [thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army: and thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land.] We have said earlier that this is predominantly Türkiye, there are no doubt others who join Türkiye. It will be a coalition, and there will be many countries represented. We think that forces will funnel down from the north and others will funnel across from the east intersecting in Israel, nay, “swamping” Israel. (And what about the Mediterranean side—only God knows.)
[93] [And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them] riding–H7392 [upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army: and thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land.] Verbal usage is Qal, participle. The participle describes a state of ongoing action—the troops are riding horses. The implication for Israel is that this ongoing state communicates a consistent, determined motion and movement toward Israel. The troops are not only ready to roll, they are rolling. The verb is RAKAB, to be on horseback, to mount, ride.
[94] [And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon] horses–H5483 [a great company, and a mighty army: and thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land.] Specifically horses, not tanks and whatnot, Ezekiel is given this invasion vision in a manner that is consistent with his own understanding of ancient warfare. But the prophecy describes events in the “latter days,” that was clearly stated by God earlier in the text. While the text uses literal language consistent with ancient warfare, it also carries symbolic meaning precisely because it describes events in the latter days. Horses for example were integral to ancient warfare. Symbolically, they represent military strength, and not least mobility and readiness. In modern terms, this could translate to various forms of military equipment, including armored vehicles, and tanks, even aircraft. And the riding, it literally signifies movement and action, and so symbolically it emphasizes swiftness, a swift invasion in context, and readiness for eventualities during the conflict. In modern warfare, this could apply to any mode of transportation used by armed forces. So, regardless of the specific means (horses, tanks, or other vehicles), the prophecy conveys a powerful, variously mobilized, force coming against Israel. The imagery helps us to focus on the imminence (high mobility makes that possible) and sheer magnitude and scale of the invasion. The text reiterates that just next by saying ”… a great company and a mighty army…” God has kept the magnitude and scale of this Gog-force invasion before our eyes throughout. Given what modern militaries can do—the transportation of troops and weaponry, the ability to mobilize rapidly from one part of the world to another, and the fire power, whether air, land, or sea-based—easily supports that magnitude and scale here portrayed. In fact, an ancient conflict could not even come close to matching such a modern magnitude and scale; perhaps that’s a good indicator that the symbolism suggested is applicable here, after all, God has kept it before our eyes to not lose sight of it, suggesting to us that He wants us to think of this in terms of modern warfare, and not at all in terms of the ancient warfare that made sense to Ezekiel.
[95] [And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army: and thou] shalt come–H935 [up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land.] Verbal usage is Qal, perfect, reiterating again the certainty of the invasion, and this descriptor of it. The invasion will happen, and Gog’s forces will cover the land as a cloud. This yet again reiterates the scale of the invasion—it is massive. And there will be consequences going forward, also conveyed by the perfect.
[96] [And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army: and thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud] to cover–H3680 [the land.] Verbal usage is Qal, infinitive construct. The infinitive construct complements the main verb (I “will bring” thee against my land) and relates the purpose or result of the main action which consistently has been that God intends, God deliberately wants to bring Gog against Israel on a grand scale, i.e., on such a massive scale as to cover the land of Israel (imagine that). So, the infinitive construct nuances “will bring” in such a way as to highlight the result of that action–bigtime covering of the land by the invading forces. Why is God doing this! Recall that He said at the very outset that this is all about He magnifying His Name in no uncertain terms. When this thing is over the nations will tremble at the mere mention of His Name. He will be acknowledged as very God, with a right Fear of the Lord, which is lacking amongst the nations of the world. But why “use” Israel? That horse won’t drink either, but that is not what this is all about at this point. God’s intention is to reveal His holiness through these events. The nations will witness His power and sovereignty as He intervenes. Ultimately, the reality the prophecy bespeaks aims to make all nations know Him. Through the events, God’s true identity, as the Lord, will be unmistakable. Please notice: God’s purpose is not to scapegoat Israel, but to reveal His glory and establish His authority amongst the nations…for their own good (that’s a theological study in its own right). That red font is goal number one. And God is using what is already there, age-old Israel-hate, and forcefully turning it around to His glory and Israel’s ultimate victory–let’s not forget that Israel is a winner here in the end precisely because of God’s intervention. Still, Israel needs to learn, and certainly will when this is over, who her Messiah is, as bad or worse than the nations here kicking her. Israel will be spared not because she is special, no way, as said that horse won’t drink either, but because she is in Covenant with God, and God will not, as deity He literally cannot, break covenant, period. And His decision to Covenant with Israel is His business, not yours or mine may we respectfully say.
[97] [It] shall be–H1961 [in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.] Verbal usage is Qal, imperfect. The Qal, imperfect wardrobe describes an ongoing process or repeated action. In context it suggests that the events described will unfold gradually over time, during the latter days. The picture is not of a sudden, isolated event but rather a series of developments. God’s plan will unfold progressively, leading to the ultimate fulfillment. Like a brick house, each brick has its place around the house, and it takes a little while to get all the bricks mortared together and then one day it is done. One brick, then another brick, repeat, repeat, repeat. How far along are we in this construction? The regathered-Israel “brick” is in place. The blooming and prospering Israel “brick” is in place. The unwalled villages “brick” is in place. The nation-players “bricks” are pretty much in place, the Israel-hate “brick” has been placed. The technology “brick” has been placed. The military might “brick” has been placed. The buddy-buddy alliances “brick” has been placed. We need a latter-day “brick.” What would that look like? We are twenty-six hundred years removed from Ezekiel’s day, that’s sort of a latter-day “brick.” We need a Gog-emergent “brick,” that one we do not have yet, or so it seems. Well, actually, the recent attacks on Israel may be Gog-emergent bricks, God knows.
[98] [It shall be in the] latter days–H319 [ and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.] The latter days are not in Ezekiel’s immediate context, that’s the obvious. It is a reference to the End Times, The Rapture, The Tribulation even Great Tribulation, The Return of Jesus Messiah, His Millennial reign, The Judgment, The New Heavens and Earth, Eternity Future. This Ezekiel prophecy somehow, somewhere, fits into this eschatological End Times schedule. When we see this Ezekiel prophecy coming together and manifestly so, we can be sure we are very near the end of human history, and near the end of familiar space | time, and a New Beginning is “just around the corner.“ See ‘ya soon saintly loved ones passed. Please see also.
[99] [It shall be in the latter days, and I] will bring–H935 [thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.] Verbal usage is Hiphil (causative action-God claims responsibility for bringing Gog against Israel), perfect (completed action with relevance presently or going forward). Here we have it again, as though we were going to miss the rhythm of this redundant drumbeat—God is orchestrating the events that are happening—He leaves no doubt that He personally is causing Gog to come against the land of Israel. That flies in the face of human logic for God to do this, i.e., to compel Gog to attack Israel to put it bluntly. This text is not of human construction. Imagine, God is compelling Gog to attack Israel, His Covenant People. Sure, Gog will be wasted in the end, but Israel will suffer in the meantime no question, given the magnitude and scale of the invasion described repeatedly. If one is going to “sell” (Jehovah) God to the world, why advertise like that? That is what we mean that this text is not of human construction; any scholarly textual criticism of the internals here is off the charts against human provenance. Let’s just face facts, this is who God is, He is a righteous Dictator. He does what He wants, when He wants, where He wants, how He wants, and nobody or nothing tells Him otherwise. What good would it do anyway to complain except move a bunch of hot air around. In this text, Jehovah God is flat telling the world that the events that are going to happen are intended for the world to understand that He is sovereign, and the world must, and will, submit to the authority inherent in that sovereignty, and none other authority than His. God shows here that it doesn’t matter to Him what we think about His methods, or if we approve, or even if we like Him or dislike Him, what matters to Him is that His will is accomplished in the way that He intends for it to be accomplished. Every being, be it a spirit being or a human being, must recognize and submit to His authority. That is what this chapter, is all about. And God will accomplish this by magnifying His Name as we shall see. God’s authority is an important theme in Scripture. It had something to do with the first rebellion (Satan disdained and rejected God’s authority), and it lies at the heart of the quarrel between God and man in the dress of Sin. Sin is the fallout coming from rejecting God’s authority. One could say Jesus went to the Cross for us because God’s authority is ever rejected by us. It is not hard to understand why God would go to such lengths as we find in this chapter to demonstrate His sovereignty, which sovereignty He proves to the world here when He intervenes for Israel. Once-removed, He is establishing His authority on the world’s stage precisely where He has the greatest possible audience in that day.
[100] [It shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the] heathen–H1471 [may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.] All the nations coming against Israel. It is all the anti-Israel folks; they are the ones that do not know Jehovah. Israel knows Jehovah, but not His Messiah sad to say. And it is all the anti-God folks per se. But hey, ya’ll gonna’ get to know him here yup.
[101] [It shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen] may know–H3045 [me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.] Verbal usage is Qal, infinitive construct. The infinitive construct complements the man verb (will bring) by clothing it with purpose—God will bring Gog into the land of Israel so that when He intervenes in a big way, and it will be a uniquely big way, the whole world will know that He is very God, the one and only. In this way God will be set apart from the frauds, the imposters, the phonies, and the pretenders. All allegiance and authority belong to Him because He is sovereign. God realizes that He will have to prove that sovereignty, else the world would just toggle along as usual in unbelief, muddling in Sin. To put it crudely, our Lord is going to make a big splash on that day, one that unequivocally proves that He is very God—there will be no doubt because the intervention will be awesome, eye-popping, extraordinary, stupendous. It will leave no doubt—that’s the whole idea. God is here going to “show off” who He is and what He can do, bigtime. We are not used to that, God is “behind the scenes” in our normal daily living, and that is the way it has always been, but when this happens, He is out front, and His sheer involvement and presence of itself will inspire a right fear of Him. And we can only imagine what it will be like when He rolls up His sleeves and gets busy doing the intervention for helpless Israel hanging on by a thread. In this way He will establish His authority in these latter days, and thus begins the reclamation of this created universe by its rightful Lord and Maker and Owner. Praised be your Name in all the earth and the heavens above great Jehovah God. Amen.
[102] [It shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I] shall be sanctified–H6942 [in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.] Verbal usage is Niphal, infinitive construct. Again, the grammar is not arbitrary here for sure. The Niphal stem is basically the Qal form, but with a passive or reflexive voice (not active voice as is the Qal proper; reflexive means the subject both does and receives the action at the same time). Here the voice is without question reflexive. Ain’t nobody gonna’ sanctify God but He Himself. He will do it by way of pounding Gog and his minions into oblivion. His actions, this intervention, will fold back on Himself in glory, thus His Name will be magnified on into eternity, a lasting memorial that will be the talk of the nations for now and the talk of heaven on into eternity. Everybody up yonder in heaven will be casting their crowns at His feet forever. Okay, the meaning here is “set apart,” unmistakenly distinguished, from all so-called “deities,” thus sanctified in the eyes of the nations. This is a key statement by God reiterating His intentions to magnify His Name so that everybody on the planet knows exactly, without any doubt, that He Jehovah is the only true God. That is God’s goal, that is why He is leading Gog in the direction of his devilish inclinations which intend to put the hurt on His servant Israel. It is worth repeating, God is going to magnify His Name by intervening in Gog’s invasion of God’s servant Israel in such a way that will leave no doubt that He, Jehovah, is Almighty God. He intends to settle that “who is God” issue once and for all by pounding Gog and his minions into oblivion before the eyes of the Godless nations rooting for Gog, and who think that He Jehovah is a fake and a farce and merely a fabrication of weak minds afraid of the dark, an idea particularly palatable to the moderns who will be watching in that day, with mouth agape we should add. In that day God is going to be a ferocious God, not like anything we can even rightly imagine. His victory will be complete, not limited, He will take no casualties; when He pounces, it will be decisive. Woe to His enemies (this is a physical and spiritual woe). So, what about the infinitive construct, what is its role in this snippet? It complements the main verb, which is implicit (God’s acting and doing) by outfitting it with intent and purpose—notice the redundancy built into the grammar, God is doing this to magnify His Name, and the infinitive construct introduces that purpose in this context. It’s just flat-out thick this message of what God is up to, and in particular…why. He is outright saying it again and again and then gluing His words together with a grammar that shows no seams in the final Word. Thus does the Great Grammarian write down His thoughts not only here but all throughout the Word of God.
[103] [Thus saith the Lord GOD; (Art) thou he of whom I] have spoken–H1696 [in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days (many) years that I would bring thee against them?] Verbal usage is Piel, perfect. The Piel in this context signifies emphasis, intensity, in that God wants the reader to understand that this prophecy is not particular to Ezekiel, God “shared the sugar,” to leave no doubt as to the divine origin of this prophecy. That is, He put the same message, the same prophecy, in other of His prophets’ mouths—at different times and different places (Deuteronomy 32:43, Psalms 9:15, 83:1-7, Isaiah 27:1, esp. Joel 3:1-3, Micah 4:11-12, et al.). He is emphasizing that fact via the Piel. But why? To shut the mouths of the gainsayers. So much for the Piel’s effect. The perfect signifies completed action with relevance in the present or future, which relevance is obvious right down through Ezekiel’s day and down through our day and especially down through Gog’s day when this prophecy lights up the sky with God’s fireworks. Surely a reader of this text in that day will totally get what’s going on if it isn’t too late for them.
[104] [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?] See book order of the Christian Bible, major & minor prophets.
[105] [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–H935 [thee against them?] Verbal usage is Hiphil (causative action-God is actively bringing Gog and his allies against Israel), infinitive construct, which emphasizes the purpose behind God’s action—to bring Gog and his forces against Israel as part of His divine plan. The main verb is implicit (God’s action, which is shown to be decidedly intentional by way of the causative leaning Hiphil).
[106] [And it] shall come–H1961 [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. 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; 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.] Verbal usage is Qal, perfect. The active voice attending the Qal has God speaking. The perfect tense shows completed action with relevance now or later—everything fits together real nice here, the words and the grammar. (Matching tops and bottoms and slick walking shoes—very cool outfit; the Great Grammarian dresses very nicely; His closet is chock full of apropos threads.) God is saying, ‘…mark it down (completion inference), when Gog comes against the land of my inheritance, yea, against my servant Israel, I will do thus and so very violently (immediate relevance), and the eyes of the nations will be opened as to who I am (later relevance), thus will I magnify my Name before their very eyes (later relevance) …’
[107] [And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog] shall come–H935 [against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, (that) my fury shall come up in my face. 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; 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.] Verbal usage is Qal, infinitive construct, which complements an implicit orchestration of events by God (that is the main action/verb, it is implicit). The role of the infinitive construct therefore in this context is to dress that main action with purpose—so that everybody understands that purpose without a whit of confusion. And here it is: the purpose behind Gog’s coming is to fulfill God’s plan to demonstrate His sovereignty and thus establish his supreme authority, His incontestable authority. But maybe you say, what about Israel, saving Israel, is that not the purpose? It is not the main purpose behind the main verb. It matters, sure, God loves Israel and is jealous to be their Messiah, but that is not the main purpose behind the main action. God’s sovereignty and attendant authority is what this orchestration of events is all about. Establishing His authority by way of His sovereignty is all about the quarrel between Him and insolent humankind, which disdains God’s authority and actually mocks the very notion because humankind is largely Godless, or self-deified, same thing. It’s the Sin issue that motivates God ultimately. Did He go to the Cross for nothing? What good is the Law nailed to that Cross without an authority establishing it? It is no good because Law without an authoritative basis is worse than relative, it is polysemic. This prophecy is for the latter times. God intends to let human history run its sinful course, a course based on its own authority, which hands-down does not include God. But He does not intend to let that go beyond the set time demarcated by these latter days He here speaks of. Then He will first demonstrate His sovereignty as outlined by this text, and on that basis, He will establish His manifest authority in the eyes of the beholders witnessing the conflagration that will be Gog’s. This will no doubt be coincident with a flurry of end-time events, which include Jesus’ return and authoritative reign in His millennial Kingdom (Revelation 20:7-10). If we may digress for a moment with a word about the Revelation text. Does John look back to the Gog that Ezekiel saw and associate him with antiChrist, does Ezekiel actually see antiChrist in the person of Gog, is Gog antiChrist is the question? Both Ezekiel and John describe a conflict involving Israel or God’s people. Both emphasize divine intervention and victory. The differences lie in the timing. Ezekiel’s prophecy occurs before the millennium, while the Revelation vision takes place after the millennium. In Ezekiel, Gog is a human leader; in Revelation, Gog and Magog symbolize rebellious nations influenced by Satan. In Ezekiel, Gog is defeated by God directly; in Revelation, Gog and Magog are consumed by fire from heaven. So, while there are similarities between the two passages, they seem to depict different events within God’s overall plan. Ezekiel focuses on a specific historical context, while Revelation provides a broader perspective on the ultimate victory of God over evil forces. There is clearly an intimate connection between the passages with Gog | antiChrist seemingly an intersection point (cf. Zechariah 14; end of digression). And God’s authority will be understood as exactly that by all the nations witnessing this age-old, then fulfilled prophecy when it erupts. At the deepest level, humankind (not) recognizing God’s rightful authority motivates God’s actions in this prophetic text. He’s gonna’ fix that eyesore here (He’s not going to the Cross again of a certainty) and take the polished-up version of humankind’s understanding of Him on into His millennial reign where it will guide righteous living, at least for a while, until that fool rebel Satan is released for a time. Satan is a fool rebel because he “trashed” God’s authority, and here’s the point, if anybody should have known better, he should have. That is why he ever wears around his neck as he goes to and fro’ the placard:
“Here treads a bigtime fool who knew God and yet trashed His authority, don’t be like this loser”.
[108] [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–H2534 [shall come up in my face. 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; 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.] Wail! Whew! Whoa! Woe! Wince! Wow! Wump! This anthropomorphic expression (God’s fury) is symbolic and is utilized to convey the violence by which God lays Gog waste, especially the instruments utilized (shaking, sword, pestilence, blood, the artillery of heaven—rain, hailstones, fire, brimstone). Gog first had to come against the land of Israel with overwhelming power. As Israel bleeds and teeters on the brink, God’s fury manifests, which is a catch-all way of introducing the violent instruments by which God will lay Gog waste. In turn, Israel is saved, and God’s Name is magnified, all in the Divine Plan. It’s not like God directs Gog to invade Israel, and then when he does, God pirouettes and loses it, and buries His head in His hands and gets pouting mad about it and says to Himself, I’m gonna’ get that rascal for doing this, let me think up some nasty misery for the boy—there is no ridiculous tension here of that sort. God didn’t direct Gog to invade up front, and then when he does, God gets furious over it. That’s nonsense. That’s not the right way to interpret this part of the text. The focus is on the violent instruments by which God, as only God could, lays Gog waste. Notice that list, those are not human instruments, it will be evident to the myriad watching in situ and by way of the internet and whatnot that Gog’s demise was supernatural. God is demonstrating His sovereignty here after all—it must involve His supernatural capabilities. The viewers will immediately connect the dots and attribute this extraordinary fury to God. That will go a long way if not all the way toward achieving God’s goal to magnify His sovereign Name in the eyes of the nations and thereby, via His sovereignty, establish His incontestable authority over all.
[109] [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–H5927 [in my face. 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; 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.] Verbal usage is Qal, imperfect (ongoing, continuous action from some point in the past). From the immediate context that point can be inferred to be when Gog begins to bleed Israel. From that point forward is in view. God’s fury is unleashed then, and it will continue until Gog is destroyed can also be inferred, from the wider context.
[110] [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. For in my] jealousy–H7068 [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; 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.] Jealousy” here refers to God’s zeal for His own glory, which is reflected by His Name, and zeal for the well-being of His people. It’s not a petty or envious sort of literal jealousy; rather, it is a passionate commitment to His Name and His purposes. All stability, physical and spiritual, depends on God’s Name being what He intends for it to be. It is for His own sake foremost that God is zealous for His Name, and it is for the good of His Creation that He be zealous for His sovereign and holy Name. Praised be your Name great Jehovah God. Amen.
[111] [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. For in my jealousy (and) in the fire of my wrath] have I spoken–H1696 [surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; 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.] Verbal usage is Piel, perfect. The Piel signifies emphasis, focus, and intensity, and the perfect tells us that it is a completed action with ongoing relevance. God is drawing attention to the fact that the fury He unleashes on Gog in that day is certain, and our Lord’s words have ongoing relevance, from the time of utterance, right up to and through their fulfillment. God here relates the intensity of the impending judgment by way of the Piel. There are various instruments that are the vehicles of the fury, but the Piel’s job is to tell is that altogether this fury is intensely violent. That’s what this fury and wrath communique is all about, namely, the intense violence of the judgment with which God lays Gog waste. Israel bleeds a little, triggering God’s fury to be unleashed, she survives, Gog will bleed aplenty when God’s fury is unleashed, and does not survive. It will be for God a Name.
[112] [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. For in my jealousy (and) in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, surely in that day there shall be a great] shaking–H7494 [in the land of Israel; 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.] this is undoubtedly some massive earthquake possibly centered in the Jordan Rift Valley. This is a region of high seismic risk. (See also 1033 JRV quake.) God has control over nature, it is an aspect of His omnipotence and sovereignty. The text will shortly tell us that the shaking is due to God’s manifest presence. That is what sets into motion the shaking however God did it.
[113] [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. 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; 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–H7493 [at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.] Verbal usage is Qal, perfect. “Shall shake” is attributed directly to God’s presence. We are in the latter days, at the End Times in this context. Maybe this has to do with Jesus touching down on the Mount of Olives and splitting it and of course the rest of His geology would be affected somehow (Zechariah 14:4). God knows. The Mount of Olives is a largely north-south trending limestone ridge. For it to split east-west implies a massive transformation of the underlying bedrock; it would almost have to sort of transversely “hook,” with part/s of it moving east and the other part/s moving west, to get it to look like that. That would imply a massive (furious) disturbance necessary to get this ridge to “hook” east-west somewhere along its length (nearby where Jesus touches down presumably). His very presence will cause this. Just a what-if here, nothing definitive or exact is being attempted, just thinking out loud as it were (See Britannica picture).
[114] [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. 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; 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–H66440 [and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.] God’s presence has direct impact. He unleashes His fury, that’s causation, but distinct from that is His very presence, the Shekinah Glory, that is a different sort of causation, it is direct impact. We will return to this impact soon in a later note. Lease see also.
[115] [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. 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; 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–H2040 [and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.] Verbal usage is Niphal (=Qal with passive/reflexive not active voice; the voice is passive in this instance, i.e., the subject “mountains” get God’s action, the mountains do not throw and “catch” themselves, which would be reflexive), perfect (completed action, ongoing relevance—here it emphasizes the irrevocable impact of the mountains having been thrown down, and their state remains altered). So, the grammar “dresses up” the otherwise bare words to help us mentally draw a picture of the permanent and profound transformation of the mountains regardless of their natural orientation, a transformation due to divine intervention. Put another way, the grammar breathes vivid life into the words–thus does the Great Grammarian. Why is this verb Qal-based (simple, direct action) and not outright Hiphil (causative action)? We will discuss that shortly.
[116] [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. 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; 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–H5307, and every wall shall fall to the ground.] Verbal usage is Qal, perfect. Why did God choose the Qal stem (direct, simple action) and not the Hiphil stem (causative action)? Isn’t He the cause behind this devastation that unleashing His fury is resulting in? This is a subtle one. Before we explain, lets address the perfect tense part of the verb. It emphasizes an irrevocable (continuity), permanent (completion, continuity), and profound (metamorphized=all the above) transformation. Okay, now the Qal-Hiphil question. The context describes a supernatural event during the End Times timeframe consistent with the Day of the Lord—that is what we are going to assume (Joel 2:1, Amos 5:18, Zephaniah 1:7, Malachi 4:5, Matthew 24:21, 1thessalonians 5:2, 2Peter 3:10, et al. The Day of the Lord is when God’s justice and sovereignty will be fully revealed.) The grammar behind the bare words wants us to appreciate God’s direct impact, particularly His manifest presence, even the Shekinah Glory; in other words, to appreciate the Dynamic, and not entirely the dynamics, which are God’s unleashed fury, i.e., His actions. Yes indeed, God of a certainty is the cause, but the grammar points beyond even that, to God’s presence, the Shekinah Glory. In this way this verbal form is a sort of veiled affirmation of Him actually being there, in keeping with what God Himself declared about His presence (Eze 38:20). And in turn that presence, that Glory, of itself, is causing fallen earth to convulse (e.g. the Mount of Olives, whereupon Jesus stands, causing it to split). In this way we have pretty decent internal textual critical evidence that connects this Ezekiel prophecy with the Day of the Lord and Jesus’ return and the Zechariah prophecies. The Hiphil would have been just fine here, no problem semantically, God is the cause no question, but that would have cloaked an important clue as to where we are on the prophetic timeline with this here twenty-six hundred year old prophecy by Ezekiel, because the emphasis would have been on causation and dynamics, but no, the action is “Qal-like,” relating simple, direct impact, i.e., God’s presence. Hiphil usage would not have been wrong, but it would have cloaked the impact of God’s manifest presence, the Dynamic. Together with God’s statement about His presence’s impact, it is a clue to where we are “located” on the prophetic timeline in this prophecy—God has come in the latter days is the point. It means only one thing, the Shekinah Glory by way of Jesus has returned to Israel. (That Glory departed near the end of Matthew’s Gospel we were told, Matthew 23:39.) Does Israel finally recognize its Messiah and bow the knee to Him here owing to His display of sovereign might that saves their hide? Is that the implication of Ezekiel’s prophecy? Anyway, all this focus on God’s presence from His own statement and the supporting grammar allows us to locate ourselves on the general prophetic timeline, it is Jesus’ second coming realized. (When Ezekiel wrote, Jesus had not even come the first time—wow!) If we may, more generally, Ezekiel’s prophecy is just spot on no matter how one shakes it. One can put it up on a car lift and start taking it apart and look at the pieces like this here Qal versus Hiphil headlight, it is just outright solid this here prophecy.
[117] [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. 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; 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–H5307 [to the ground.] Verbal usage is Qal, perfect. Them thar’ downed walls ain’t never no way nope gettin’ up again no matter what, it’s a done deal. And the ongoing relevance of the downed walls as per the perfect would seem to be a security issue—no place will be hidden from God’s fury, no walls to hide behind. Maybe the imagery is literal, or maybe it is figurative as just described. One might think of this spiritually as meaning no place to hide from God’s presence on that great and terrible Day of the Lord. And again, we have the Qal utilized and not the Hiphil, we must look to the Dynamic, God’s presence, and not entirely to the dynamics, God’s unleashed fury. Collapsing walls from that perspective convey the overwhelming, unspeakable power in the sheer presence of God, in the Shekinah Glory. Like a nuclear blast without the bomb this Glory.
[118] [And I] will call–H7121 [for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man’s sword shall be against his brother. 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. 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.] Verbal usage is Qal, perfect. The Qal dressed in the perfect emphasizes the certainty and completeness of this call—precisely because it is ongoing until complete per the perfect—all that is conveyed by the perfect. God’s call stands until every man’s sword is against his “brother,” meaning God causes Gog’s forces, all bands and peoples allied with him and bleeding Israel, to turn on each other with intent to kill one another. This is not accidental friendly fire which is obvious from the context, this is cold-blooded intent to kill each other. How about that as per the sovereignty of God? One gets the sense of a mad scramble to break ranks and bail out stopped by officers who start shooting the defectors who in turn shoot back so they can in fact bail out. There is certainly more than that going on here because the grammar seems to indicate a self-inflicted slaughter that doesn’t stop—the call persists (God is not mocked, not ever, not even a little bit, Psalms 9:15, Galatians 6:7-8).
[119] [And I will call for a] sword–H2719 [against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man’s sword shall be against his brother. 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. 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.] Discord and turmoil and attendant slaughter will arise amongst Gog’s forces one to another per God’s call. Here is a possible scenario, it is one among many possibilities. The severity of God’s judgment that is unleashed is indescribable; this fury when it cuts loose is horrible in the extreme, to the extent that chaotic panic arises amongst Gog’s forces, and we reckon there will be mass defection, a wild scramble to defect—to get out of there, to get anywhere but where they are. The phrase “throughout all my mountains” would indicate that the panic grips the entirety of Gog’s forces that are covering the land “as a cloud,”—recall they are everywhere. As they break ranks and try to defect, they are mowed down by the officers trying to maintain order, and they shoot back so that they can in fact flee. Maybe something along those lines happens; no doubt there is more to it than that. Another possibility is that being a multinational force, some sort of power play happens—we reckon this to be less likely. Anyway, “sword” indicates that whatever the discord and turmoil is that arises, it will be bloody, and it will be deadly. So, part of God’s judgment against Gog is self-inflicted slaughter, hence the use of the word “sword.” One has to place oneself on a battlefield where the enemy is pestilence, blood, swamping rain, massive hailstones, and fire and brimstone raining down on one’s head—such is not a natural enemy one faces then, it is supernatural, and no fighting force on the planet is prepared to engage such an enemy. They will not know what to do and at the very least there will be mass panic. When real, no-kidding panic sets in, human nature changes, people will react who knows how, but one thing is for sure, there is always a flight to safety, that’s just natural.
[120] [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. And I] will plead–H8199 [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. 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.] Verbal usage is Niphal, perfect. The Niphal is the Qal with either a passive or reflexive voice (or other nuances depending on the context and the specific verb, it’s quite flexible). Here God, the subject, pleads, i.e., pronounces judgment. That makes God the doer of the action, but notice what God receives, He receives the consequences of the judgment, which are what? Gog’s demise, Israel’s salvation, and…Glory. Thus, the voice is reflexive in that God receives the aforementioned, consequential to His “doing,” i.e., pleading, which is the unleashing of His fury. So, the Niphal tells us a bunch right here. And the perfect indicates completed action with relevance now or later. The unleashing of God’s fury is written in stone—Gog’s demise is sure, and Israel, bleeding and hanging on by a thread, is saved. And God’s Name is magnified in the eyes of all the nations and is duly sanctified, set apart, as the one, and only, true God. Such is the relevance of God’s Word here written in stone.
[121] [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. And I will plead against him with] pestilence–H1698 [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. 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] Disease, killer plages, deadly sickness.
[122] [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. And I will plead against him with pestilence and with] blood–H1818 [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. 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.] Blood will be required of Gog—he will pay with his blood. That could happen in any number of ways consistent with the unleashing of God’s fury—the dynamics of the Fury will be bloody. Blood symbolizes life, the loss of it symbolizes death, that is probably the message being conveyed—a not so veiled pronouncement of death, also written in stone in keeping with the verbal connection—“will plead” (Niphal, perfect).
[123] [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. And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I] will rain–H4305 [upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that (are) with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. 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.] Verbal usage is Hiphil (causative action), imperfect (incomplete action stemming from the past or right now as in doing something but not done). God is causing an overflowing rain, this requires ongoing action conveyed by the imperfect. The grammar indicates flood-like conditions on the battlefield. Gog’s forces and equipment are going to get bogged down, “stuck in the mud.” And then other sorts of artillery from heaven, massive hailstones, will pound this immobile force into oblivion, and what the hailstones do not wipe out, the burning sulfur coming from heaven will. It is a horrific picture of inescapable death and destruction. It is almost a given it would seem that these forces are going to lose it and panic and break ranks and flee for safety as best as they can. But there is no place to run to escape this Fury from God. That is the scene that the world will witness—they will see it and hear the eerie sounds of it on their phones, their computers, and whatever. In fact, God wants all eyes on their phones and screens in that day to witness His stifling sovereignty in action. This is His doing (note the Hiphil, it is utilized on purpose) for that very reason. Thus, He will be sanctified, set apart, from all the freaks and frauds, from all the gods and goddesses, from all the mundane muck that profanes God’s holy Name, and His Name will be magnified in keeping with who He is, very God (Ezekiel 39:7—Israel will get a wakeup call at that time too). And there will be no doubt about it after this thing plays itself out per His pleading.
[124] [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. 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–H417 [hailstones, fire, and brimstone. 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.] “Great” here conveys more meaning than just size, it also includes (impact) intensity, where intensity=power/area. But power=energy/time, thus intensity=energy/(area x time), where time=impact time. In short, intensity is a measure of how much energy is transferred over a given area in a specific time. When a hailstone is high above the ground, it has potential energy (PE) due to its position. The higher it is, the more PE it possesses. That PE will be the maximum energy it possesses. As the hailstone falls, it converts its PE into kinetic energy (KE). KE depends on both the mass of the hailstone and its velocity. The faster it falls, the greater its KE. Its KE will be its impact energy which will determine the intensity of the impact. Its KE velocity is influenced by several factors, including its distance from the center of the earth; the closer the hailstone gets to the earth’s surface, the greater its acceleration due to gravity. Its acceleration is simply the rate of change of its velocity with time, the greater the acceleration, the greater the change in velocity with time. (The hailstone starts with zero velocity, so as it accelerates downward, it means that the velocity rate change is an increasing sort of change—it is increasing its velocity from the initial zero velocity as it accelerates downward. This means its KE is increasing, since KE is a function of velocity.) Okay, so as the hailstone descends, it accelerates, but air resistance (drag) opposes the hailstone’s motion. At higher altitudes, air density is lower, resulting in less drag. As the hailstone descends, air resistance increases, affecting its velocity. Eventually, the hailstone reaches its terminal velocity—the maximum speed it can attain due to the balance between forces imposed by gravity and air resistance. Smaller hailstones may reach terminal velocity more quickly, while larger ones take longer. The hailstone will impact the ground with a KE that is a function of its terminal velocity and its mass. The greater the mass the greater the KE and hence impact intensity, but even more important is its terminal velocity, because KE goes as the square of velocity, and only linearly with mass. Larger hailstones take longer to reach terminal velocity, allowing them to accumulate more KE during their descent (and thus more power). And then there is the matter of the time factor involved. It consists of both the time it takes for the hailstone to fall from its initial height to the ground (affecting KE accumulation), and the actual collision time, which is the time it spends smashing into the ground or other surfaces. A shorter collision time means more force concentrated in less time, i.e., greater “impulse,” and notwithstanding other factors like the type of collision (elastic/inelastic), and materials properties, and prevailing wind, greater impulse generally results in higher intensity impacts. If we now lump all these pieces together to comprise the word “great,” then what God is likely conveying here by way of that word is that the hailstones are large, high-intensity impact hailstones (the biblical precedent bespeaks “large”Joshua 10:11).
[125] [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. 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–H68 [fire, and brimstone. 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.] The root meaning of the word encompasses various types of stones. Given the context mentioning rain, it is quite reasonable to consider these stones to be hailstones.
[126] [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. 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–H784 [and brimstone. 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.] Literal fire, it is more than merely symbolic of Divine Wrath. This is the artillery of heaven cutting loose for one purpose and one only, and that is to lay waste Gog and thus save an Israel teetering on the brink. Gog and his forces will be killed. One is reminded of the unmitigated destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:24), and the plagues of Egypt (Exodus 9:23-24).
[127] [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. 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–H1614 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.] Togher with the fire mentioned, we have burning sulfur. It sounds like the same sort of conflagration that happened to Sodom and Gomorrah (it is reserved for the wicked, Psalms 11:6). Near the Dead Sea in western Jordan researchers have discovered disintegrated pottery, melted rooftops, and unusual rock formations, and sulfur balls aplenty that exhibit sulfur properties unlike any other found in nature. Is that the brimstone that visited Sodom and Gomorrah? Is the same going to visit Gog?
[128] [Thus will I] magnify–H1431 [myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I (am) the LORD.] Verbal usage is Hithpael, perfect. The Hithpael generally expresses the reflexive voice of the meaning expressed by the Piel stem (reflexive=an action that the subject performs upon itself or experiences in a reciprocal manner, Piel=emphasis, intensity; context really matters, the Piel is versatile, it could convey resultative action for example). Hithpael usage of itself can be quite flexible, depending on the context and the specific verb. God is declaring that He will magnify Himself, sanctify Himself, and make Himself known to the nations of the world, and the Hithpael form stresses (=”Piel-ish”) this here active self-revelation and exaltation intention by God. God utilizing the Hithpael emphasizes His deliberate choice to reveal His greatness and holiness. God will actively, and deliberately, draw attention to Himself by way of the fury of His intervention, ensuring that the nations of the world recognize Him as the LORD. “Dressed” in the perfect, the Hithpael form of “magnify” further emphasizes that God’s self-revelation and exaltation, a surety (a done deal) will endure, and continue to affect the world post-Gog.
[129] [Thus will I magnify myself, and] sanctify–H6942 [myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I (am) the LORD.] Verbal usage is Hithpael, perfect. The Hithpael is conveying the reflexive voice of the meaning expressed by the Piel (emphasis, stress). God is emphasizing, He is stressing, that He will sanctify Himself (a reflexives action by Him and for Him), that is, show Himself to be set apart from everything under the heavens and in the heavens. This set-apartness He intends to make known to the nations of the world (via His intervention in Gog’s attack), and the Hithpael form stresses this active self-revelation and exaltation intention by God. As said before, God will actively, and deliberately, draw attention to Himself by way of the fury of His intervention, ensuring that the nations of the world recognize Him as the LORD. And by way of the perfect attending the Hithpael form of “sanctify,” God further emphasizes that His self-revelation and exaltation, itself a surety, will endure, and continue to affect the world going forward. How? The defeat of Gog, a force of evil, showcases God’s sovereignty and power in an extraordinary manner. People witnessing this event will certainly recognize God’s authority and might and be drawn to Him—a major goal of God’s self-revelation. The memory of this spectacular intervention will persist, reinforcing holy awe and faith. It will inspire future generations to trust in God’s protection and justice, they will be drawn to Him. Individuals will certainly contemplate their own lives with respect to God’s Word, and their broken relationship with Him, leading to repentance, spiritual revival, and heartfelt devotion of Jesus Christ, the Messiah who saved Israel, and through whom God draws people to Himself. This is a net positive for people, it is Salvation. So, in the end, God’s Glory redounds to our glory going forward (“When God is Glorified”).
[130] [Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I] will be known–H3045 [in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I (am) the LORD.] Verbal usage is Niphal, perfect. We have the simple action of the Qal in the passive voice via the Niphal stem. God, the subject, receives the action of being known by the nations. It is the perfect that gives the Qal-ish simple action depth of meaning. We get via the perfect an understanding of completed action with relevance now or later. God says, He will be known—mark it down, it is as good as done. And when God is known, He is loved—that is axiomatic. One must know God to love Him, and He is known through Messiah Jesus, through whom He bared His holy right Arm and wasted Gog. It is in Jesus therefore that God’s self-exaltation happens. God’s self-exaltation will endure because God is always exalted—He is not somehow “adding” to that here via Jesus, it is the eyes of the nations that must be opened to His de facto exalted existence, which He reveals here via Jesus. And when their eyes are opened, this understanding will carry forward right on into Jesus’ millennial reign and Kingdom.
[131] [Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they] shall know–H3045 [that I (am) the LORD.] Verbal usage is Qal, perfect. We have the same verb as just before but in the active voice this time—God is acting (speaking)—that is what He wants to get across to us, what follows is Him speaking about Himself (that means it is very important information). It is of a certainty that the nations will know who He Jehovah is, and that knowledge will inform now (during the tumult), and it will carry forward into the millennial Kingdom and yea on into eternity future—that the One speaking is Jehovah God, even the great I AM (Exodus 3:14-15).
[132] [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–H589 [the LORD.] Verbal usage is Nifal (shares similarities with the Niphal but is distinct; the Nifal leans toward self-involvement (“I am that I am”), while the Niphal emphasizes passivity or reflexive actions), perfect. here God actively reveals Himself and simultaneously receives the impact of that revelation. The perfect tense signifies a completed action with relevance now or later. In this context, it emphasizes God’s eternal identity (consummate completion). By saying “I am the LORD,” God asserts His eternal existence, attendant self-sufficiency, and unchanging nature (change flies in the face of completion). It signifies His absolute sovereignty and covenant relationship with His people in that He revealed Himself, His identity, His Name, to precisely them. It extends now to all through Jesus, He, the Revealer of God’s Name in a grand way unlike ever before.
[133] [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–H3068.] The “LORD” in all capital letters represents the divine name in Hebrew: YHWH (pronounced as Yahweh or Jehovah). It signifies God’s eternal existence, self-sufficiency, and unchanging nature. So, by saying “I am the LORD,” God asserts the very nature consistent with His divine Name: faithfulness, holiness, and sovereignty. Praised be your awesome and great Name my Lord. Amen.