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SATAN LOOSED AFTER ONE THOUSAND YEARS

And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,

And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them [Rev. 20:7–9].

And when the thousand years are ended Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall come forth to deceive the nations which are in the four corners (quarters) of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war; the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up over the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down out of heaven, and devoured them.

Although the entire Book of Revelation deals with last things, especially do these last few chapters. Here is the last rebellion of Satan and man against God. The Millennium is a time of testing of man under ideal conditions, as this passage demonstrates. As soon as Satan is released, a great company, who have been under the personal reign of Christ under ideal circumstances, goes over to Satan. From where did such a company come is a worthy question. The answer lies in the fact that not only do multitudes enter the Millennium, but multitudes also are born during the Millennium (see Isa. 11:6; 65:20). This will be the time of the earth’s greatest population explosion. Disease will be eliminated. Since the curse of sin will be removed from the physical earth, it will produce enough foodstuffs to feed its greatest population. The human heart alone remains unchanged under these circumstances, and many will turn their backs on God and will go after Satan. This seems unbelievable, but what about today? Satan is doing pretty well in our day.

This rebellion following the Millennium reveals how terrible the heart of man is. Jeremiah said, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jer. 17:9). You and I do not know how vile we really are. We just cannot bring our old nature into subjection to God. “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” (Rom. 8:7). These folk will live under ideal conditions during Christ’s thousand-year reign, and I think they will get a little tired of it. When He reigns, He is really going to be a dictator—you had better stay in line or else. But they do not like staying in line; therefore, when the opportunity is offered to them to rebel, they rebel. The nations of the earth again will come under the spell of Satan and will plot a rebellion.

Because the rebellion is labeled “Gog and Magog,” many Bible students identify it with the Gog and Magog of Ezekiel 38–39. This is not possible at all, for the conflicts described are not parallel as to time, place, or participants—only the names are the same. The invasion from the north by Gog and Magog in Ezekiel 38–39 breaks the false peace of the Antichrist and causes him to show his hand in the midst of the Great Tribulation. That rebellion of the godless forces from the north will have made such an impression on mankind that after one thousand years, that last rebellion of man bears the same label—Gog and Magog.

We have passed through a similar situation in this century. World War I was so devastating that when war again broke out in Europe, involving many of the same nations and even more, it was also labeled a World War, but it was differentiated by the number two. We have World War I, World War II, and people today are predicting World War III.

I can use a further illustration from my personal life. In my family there were so many Johns on both sides of the family that my mother decided I should be J. Vernon McGee. My “J” stands for John, but I have never been called John. An uncle, two grandfathers, and my dad were all named John. So you will understand why I bear the name of J. Vernon—I had to be separated from that crowd. Just because we had a similarity of names does not mean that we were all the same person.

The war in Ezekiel 38–39 relates to Gog and Magog I, and the reference here in Revelation 20:8 is to Gog and Magog II. Although the names are the same, this is a different war, the last rebellion of Satan. Just because the two events involve the same names does not mean they are the same.

In verse 9 there is the dropping of the last “atomic bomb.” The phrase, “from God,” is actually not in the best texts. It simply means that natural forces which destroyed Gog and Magog I will destroy Gog and Magog II.

This last resistance and rebellion against God is as foolish and futile as man’s first rebellion in the Garden of Eden. Here it is not the beginning but the ending of man’s disobedience to God. It is the finality of man’s rebellion. Nothing remains now but the final judgment.

McGee, J. Vernon: Thru the Bible Commentary. electronic ed. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1981, S. 5:1057-1059

MacArthur, John Jr: The MacArthur Study Bible. electronic ed. Nashville : Word Pub., 1997, c1997, S. Re 20:8

CHAPTERS 38–39

Theme: Russia’s (Gog’s) invasion of Israel

If there is any section in the prophecy of Ezekiel that is familiar, it is chapters 38 and 39. These two chapters tell of the repudiation of Gog and Magog. I am going to attempt to handle these chapters just a little differently than I generally do because I am anxious to lift out certain great truths for our consideration. Unfortunately, these chapters have been interpreted by men who apparently have no knowledge of the prophecy of Ezekiel and what goes with it. As a result they have come up with some very odd interpretations. They remind me of the advertisement that was put in the Mines Magazine in El Paso, Texas, by some fellows who were mining experts and engineers. They put an ad in that magazine in a deadpan way, as though it was serious. “Wanted: Man to work on nuclear fissionable isotopes, molecular reactive counters and three-phased cyclotronic uranium photosynthesizers. No experience necessary.” Well, it is equally as humorous to try to interpret Ezekiel without knowing what the entire book is about.

We saw in chapter 37 that God has a definite purpose for Israel in the future, and these two chapters deal with that subject. They tell about the final enemy that will come against Israel in the last days.

In chapters 38 and 39 I believe that the enemy mentioned is Russia. When I entered the ministry, I did not believe that it referred to Russia. I refused to accept that interpretation because I had attended my denominational seminary which taught amillennialism. They did not believe that Russia was being referred to in this portion of Scripture. Even after I had worked for my doctoral degree, even at the time of my graduation, I still had not accepted it. Finally I came to the conclusion that I had better study the subject on my own, and I am convinced that the enemy of chapters 38 and 39 is Russia. Three points of contact make me know this in my own heart and mind: You have here what is known as the linguistic phenomenon, the geographic phenomenon, and the philosophical or ideological phenomenon.

LINGUISTIC PHENOMENON

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 [Ezek. 38:1–2].

God is a word for ruler, meaning roof, which actually means “the man on top.” I can’t think of a better name for a dictator than Gog. If he is not on top, he is not a dictator, and if he is on top, he is a dictator.

Magog means “head” it is the Hebrew word Rosh, which means head. Dean Stanley, in his exhaustive History of the Eastern Church, published half a century ago, has a note founded on Gesenius, the great Hebrew scholar, to the effect that the word Rosh should be Russia. Then Dean Stanley adds that this is the only reference to a modern nation in the entire Old Testament. This is indeed remarkable.

Bishop Lowther made the statement that, Rosh taken as a proper name in Ezekiel signified the inhabitants of Scythia from whom the modern Russians derive their name. You see, Russia was first called Muscovy, derived from Meshech. Ivan the Fourth, a czar of Russia, who was called Ivan the Terrible, came to the Muscovite throne in 1533. He assumed the title of Czar, which was the first time the title was used. I am sure you detect that the names Meshech and Tubal certainly sound like Moscow, and Tobolsk, which is way over in Siberia. The linguistic phenomenon certainly leads us to believe that Ezekiel is talking about Russia in this passage.

GEOGRAPHIC PHENOMENON

Now the second proof that identifies Russia is the geographic position. Here we have mentioned the nations which will be with Russia in the last days: “Gomer, and all his bands: the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee” (v. 6). “Gomer” is Germany, and “the house of Togarmah” is Turkey. “Of the north quarters” gives us the geographic location. Again in verse 15 we read: “And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts,” and in chapter 39 verse 2 the same location is given: “and will cause thee to come up from the north parts.” Whenever I give an illustrated message on this passage in Scripture, I always show a map of Israel and Russia. The literal meaning here is the “uttermost parts of the north.” If you look at a map, you will find that Russia is directly north and northeast. In fact, it covers Israel just like that picture you have seen of the fellow under a great big sombrero. That hat covers him just like Russia covers the nation Israel. When you start going north of Israel, you end up in Russia, and when you get through Russia you will be among the icebergs. You and the polar bears are going to be the only ones there.

Directions in the Bible are in relation to the land of Israel. North in the Bible does not mean north of California or north of where you live. In the Bible north is north of the land of Israel. South is south of the land of Israel. West is west of the land of Israel, and east is east of the land of Israel. In other words, Israel is the geographical center of the earth as far as the Word of God is concerned.

PHILOSOPHICAL PHENOMENON

Finally we come to the philosophical or ideological phenomenon, which helps us identify Gog and Magog with Russia.

And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal [Ezek. 38:3].

This is strange language. Here in the Book of Ezekiel God has said several times that He is against certain nations. He said it about Babylon; He said it about Egypt; and He said it about the nations which were against His people and against His person. Now here is a nation that is to arise in the last days, a nation which is against God. The reason we know it is against God is because God says, “I’m against you.” This makes it different from any other nation, because God has said this about nations already in existence that have exhibited enmity and rejection of Him, but this nation hadn’t even come into existence when Ezekiel gave this prophecy. Yet God says he is against it.

My friend, you and I have seen something that no generation in the past has seen. We have seen a nation arise whose basic philosophy is atheism. The political economy of Russia rests upon the premise that there is no God. It is atheistic. No other nation has assumed the dominant position of atheism.

Someone may be thinking, “What about the heathen, pagan nations of the past? Weren’t they atheistic?” No, they were not. They were polytheistic. They believed in many gods. In the beginning men went off the track, but they did not become atheists. The reason they did not become atheists is, I think, easy to understand. They were too close to the mooring mast of revelation. After all, in Noah’s day you did not have atheists. That was not the problem with that crowd at all. The problem with them was that they had gone off into sin, and they worshiped many gods. Man at that point was polytheistic. All the great nations of the past were polytheistic, and the judgments God has pronounced in this book are against polytheistic nations. He said of Memphis that all of the idols would disappear, and they have disappeared. There were probably no people so given over to idolatry—with the possible exception of the Babylonians. Polytheism characterized the ancient world. But Russia is a nation whose basic philosophy is atheistic, a nation that is against God.

Do you realize that God did not give a commandment against atheism at the beginning? He did, however, give the first two commandments against polytheism: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Exod. 20:3); and “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth” Exod. (20:4). So, you see, there are commandments against polytheism, but none against atheism.

When you reach the time of David, atheism is beginning to appear. In Psalm 14:1 we read, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.” How ridiculous atheism is! It is almost an untenable position for little man, and here is a nation that says there is no God! Concerning Russia, men in high places have warned, “You cannot negotiate with them.” Mr. Churchill said of Russia, “A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.” Rube Goldberg, who drew one of those crazy cartoons years ago, called Joe Stalin, “The Great Upside-down Philosopher.” Underneath the cartoon was written: “Top is bottom, black is white, far is near, and day is night. Big is little, high is low, cold is hot, and yes is no.” Unreasonable? Insane? But that has been the basic philosophy of Russia, and it is a nation that has risen in our day.

Mr. Stalin once said, “We have deposed the czars of the earth, and we shall now dethrone the Lord of heaven.” When Russia put a rocket past the moon, called the Sputnik, and when it was nearing the sun, the following was heard on the radio in Russia: “Our rocket has bypassed the moon. It is nearing the sun. We have not discovered God. We have turned out lights in heaven that no man will be able to put on again. We are breaking the yoke of the gospel, the opiate of the masses. Let us go forth and Christ shall be relegated to mythology.” I have often wondered what they had in mind when they said that. Did they think that God was playing peekaboo on the other side of the moon? Because they got a glimpse of the other side of the moon and did not see God, did that prove He did not exist? That is the reasoning of the upside-down philosopher. God, however, has beaten them to the draw. Before Russia even came into existence, God said, “I am against thee.”

You can see how Gog and Magog may be identified with Russia by this threefold reason: (1) the linguistic phenomenon; (2) the geographic phenomenon; and (3) the philosophical or ideological phenomenon. These are the three points of identification, and when we get to chapter 39 of Ezekiel, God repeats once again that He is against Russia.

This chapter will tell us that this nation in the north with other nations with him will come down against Israel.

WHY RUSSIA WILL INVADE ISRAEL

Now the question is: Why will they come against the land of 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 [Ezek. 38:4].

God says, “I will … put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth.” This has been interpreted to mean that God was going to put hooks in their jaws to get them out of Israel after they had invaded it. But that is not what He says. He makes it clear that He is going to judge them in the land of Israel, and that they will not come out alive. In chapter 39, verse 11, He says, “And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel.” As we read this section, it becomes obvious that God is not going to lead out the invading nations, but there will be a slaughter the like of which probably has not been seen in the history of the world.

Then what does God mean by saying that He will put hooks in their jaws? Well, it seems obvious to me that He is saying, “I am going to put hooks in your jaws and bring you down into the land of Israel.” When this time comes, Israel will be back in their own land. For centuries that land was not occupied by them. After the destruction by Titus the Roman in a.d. 70, the Jewish people were sold into slavery throughout the world, and they were scattered throughout the world.

The land was no longer a land of milk and honey. We have seen in the Book of Ezekiel that even the Negev was at one time covered with forest. God said that He was going to burn that out, and He did. That is the place where Elijah went when Jezebel threatened to kill him. He kept going until he was so tired he stopped and crawled under a juniper tree. If Elijah were here today, he would have trouble finding a juniper tree to crawl under; he would have to find something else. The forests are gone.

Mark Twain said concerning the land of Israel, “Palestine sits in sackcloth and ashes, desolate and unlovely. It is a hopeless, dreary, heartbroken land. And why should it be otherwise? Can the curse of the Deity beautify a land? Palestine is no more of this work-day world. It is sacred to poetry and tradition. It is dreamland.”

Dr. Theodor Herzl, the playwright from Austria who began the tremendous Zionist movement back to the land of Palestine, made this statement: “There is a land without a people. There is a people without a land. Give the land without a people to the people without a land.”

Dr. Chaim Weizmann, the first president of Israel, speaking before the Anglo-American Commission of Inquiry, said, “The Jewish nation is a ghost nation. Only the God of Israel has kept the Jewish people alive.”

David Ben-Gurion, the first prime minister and minister of defense in Israel, made this statement: “Ezekiel 37 has been fulfilled, and the nation Israel is hearing the footsteps of the Messiah.”

Today Israel has turned from this thinking. I have a picture, taken on Israel’s twenty-first anniversary, of a motto in the auditorium at Tel Aviv, written in Hebrew and English. It said, “Science will bring peace to this land.” The Old Testament says that Messiah will bring peace to that land, so apparently they are chasing a new messiah today.

Russia will invade the land of Israel. Lord Beverly made the statement that Russia would not move into western Europe but would move into Asia and the Near East. General Douglas MacArthur concurred with him in that viewpoint. At the time Lord Beverly made that statement almost everyone thought that Russia would move into western Europe after World War II, but they did not move into that area at all. In fact, up to this day they have not moved into that area.

God says, “I will put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth.” Today I believe that we can already see three of the hooks that God could use to bring them down into that land:

1. Russia needs a warm-water entrance into the waterways of the world. Israel offers that, and Russia is moving in this direction. A few years ago I sat in the dining room on the top floor of the Hilton Hotel in Istanbul and watched Russian ships coming out of the Black Sea, moving through the Bosporus, and heading for the Mediterranean Sea. This took place after the Six-Day War, and Russian naval strength had increased tremendously. What are the Russians looking for? They are looking for a warm-water port. Admiral Sergei Gorshkov made this statement, “The flag of the Soviet navy now proudly flies over the oceans of the world. Sooner or later the United States will have to understand that it no longer has mastery of the seas.” Russia is looking for a warm-water port. Where are they going? All I know is that they are headed for the Mediterranean Sea. What nation along the east side of the Mediterranean would be suitable as a port? Israel certainly would be. Russia is interested in moving southward today. God has put a hook in their jaw.

2. God has a second hook—oil. The oil deposits of the Near East are essential for the survival of modern nations. Russia needs oil. Today we are being constantly reminded that the world is running short of energy. Oil is one of the resources in short supply. As a result, the world is turning to the places where they can get oil. There is oil in the Near East. Whether or not the oil is actually in the land of Israel is not the important thing. The important consideration is that, in spite of the strained relations between the Arabs and the Jews, a great deal of that oil is going through the land of Israel. When ships were not able to go through the Suez Canal, they put the oil off at a port which had been taken by Israel, and then the oil was taken across the land of Israel to the Mediterranean ports. As far back as 1955 I delivered a message stating that Russia was hungering for the Arabian oil. An editor of a paper in downtown Los Angeles heard my message and disagreed with it. Sometime later he made a trip over to the Near East area. When he returned, he wrote an article (and I have a copy of it) in which he said, “Russia hungers for Arabian oil.” He changed his viewpoint after he had been to the Near East and had seen things with his own eyes. It is a pretty good hook God has in Russia’s jaws, because any modern nation must have oil.

3. The third hook concerns the Dead Sea. The mineral deposits in the Dead Sea are so great that they cannot be evaluated on today’s market. Chemicals saturated in the water represent untold wealth. It is estimated that the Dead Sea contains two billion tons of potassium chloride, which is potash—needed to sweeten and enrich the soil that is readily being depleted around the world, including our own area. The Dead Sea also contains twenty-two billion tons of magnesium chloride, twelve billion tons of sodium chloride, and six billion tons of calcium chloride. The Dead Sea, in addition to all of this, contains cerium, cobalt, manganese, and even gold. Believe me, friend, there is much effort being made today to extract this wealth from the Dead Sea.

If you had been around a few million years ago and had seen the Lord forming this earth, particularly the Dead Sea, you would probably have asked Him, “Why are you damming up that sea? You are going to have a pretty salty place.” He would have replied, “I am baiting a hook.” Then you would have said, “Baiting a hook for what?” Then the Lord would have said, “In a few million years there will be a nation in the north that I am going to bring into the land of Israel. I am just baiting one of the hooks a little ahead of time.” And that is what God has been doing—baiting a hook.

WHEN RUSSIA WILL INVADE ISRAEL

The question is: When will Russia come down? This is where many expositors disagree. There are those who believe that Russia will invade the land of Palestine at the end of this age, before the church is raptured. Others believe that Russia will come against Israel at the beginning of the Tribulation Period, and others believe it will be at the end of the Tribulation. There are some who believe this will take place at the beginning of the Millennium. I am not going to discuss these different viewpoints in detail. My particular viewpoint is this: Russia will come in the “latter days” (v. 16); these “latter days” (as we have seen in the other prophets) is a technical term that specifically refers to the Tribulation Period. These will be the days when the Antichrist comes to power, and he is going to come to power on a peace platform. As a result there will be a false peace for the first part of the Tribulation Period; then in the midst of the seven years, Russia will come down from the north into the land of Israel. Russia will trigger the Great Tribulation by breaking the false peace made by the Antichrist and invading Israel.

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 [Ezek. 38:8].

When Israel is back in the land, they will be under the domination of the Antichrist, who will make them believe that peace has come to the earth, that all of the problems of the earth are settled and they are entering the Millennium. But this is not true, and they will find in the midst of the Tribulation Period that out of the north will come their enemy, Russia.

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 [Ezek. 38:16].

Since Israel is dwelling in peace, and Antichrist has deceived everyone, God is Israel’s only source of help. He Himself will deal with Russia. War will break out. The Great Tribulation will begin (which is the final three and one-half years of the Tribulation Period) in all of its frenzied fury. The whole earth will be a holocaust. Judgments, one right after the other, will come upon the earth. War will reign. Christ said concerning this brief period, “… except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved ….” (Matt. 24:22).

I recommend that you read in your Bible the remainder of this chapter. This is God’s judgment upon the invading armies of Russia.

RESULTS OF THE INVASION

Chapter 39 continues the prophecy against Gog and furnishes added details about the destruction of this formidable enemy.

And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel [Ezek. 39:2].

“Leave but the sixth part of thee” is literally “I will six thee,” or better still, “I will afflict thee with six plagues.” These plagues are listed in chapter 38 verse 22 as pestilence, blood, overflowing rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. This is the way God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. According to the record, “Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven” (Gen. 19:24). And this is exactly the way God intends to destroy this army which will come out of the north against, His people to destroy them. You must remember that Russia has always been anti-Semitic. At the present writing the largest population of Jews—outside the land of Israel and the United States—is over there in Russia. We are hearing a great deal of criticism of Russia for not permitting the Jews to leave. Well, in these last days God will deal with Russia for its treatment of His people.

There is a message for us here. When God was ready to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham thought He was being unjust. He asked God, “Will you destroy the righteous with the wicked? Will you spare the city if there are fifty righteous—forty-five—forty—thirty—twenty—ten?” God said no, He would not destroy the city if ten righteous were ound there. But there were not ten, and God sent His angels to get Lot out of the city, saying that they could not destroy the city until Lot was out of it. My friend, this is one reason I believe that God will not let the Tribulation come until He takes His church—that is, all born-again believers—out of the world. Let me illustrate this with the following diagram:

To put it very bluntly, all hell will break loose on the earth during the Tribulation Period. It will be a frightful, terrible time. I don’t understand the folk who insist that God’s redeemed ones, which we designate as the church, will go through the Tribulation. The Bible makes it clear that those who will be witnessing on the earth during this time will be the 144,000 Jews.

God, having dealt in judgment with the enemy that invaded Israel from the north, allows Antichrist to be the world ruler for the remainder of the Tribulation Period. Then the Lord Jesus Christ will come to the earth to establish His kingdom; we have that pictured in chapter 19 of Revelation. In chapter 20 of the Book of Revelation the kingdom, the Millennium, begins.

With these tremendous events in mind, it would be well to pause a moment and consider the material we have studied. After a careful examination of three of the four major prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, certain great principles emerge, which the fourth prophet, Daniel, will confirm. These principles have an ageless application for nations of the world and for believers (when I say “believers,” I am speaking about those who have trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and believe that the Bible is the Word of God). In Ezekiel we have seen God dealing with Israel. My friend, when God says “Israel” He means Israel; He does not mean the church. How some can believe that God means the church when He says Israel is a flip on the flying trapeze of theology that is beyond me. Let’s allow God to mean what He says and realize that He has been dealing in these prophecies with the literal people of Israel. That is the correct interpretation. However, there is an application we can make since God’s dealing with Israel is a microcosm of His dealings with the world in which we live. The principles God has used in dealing with His own people Israel are eternal, for they are linked to the character and attributes of God. I have stated some of them in the Books of Isaiah and Jeremiah, and now I am prepared to draw certain conclusions from Ezekiel.

No prophet emphasizes the glory and the holiness of God more than Ezekiel. He saw the glory of God—that was the great vision he had at the beginning of his book. He never forgot it. And we should not forget it either. His emphasis, therefore, is upon God’s judgment. God is longsuffering, not willing that any should perish, and He warned his people again and again that, if they did not turn to Him, He would judge Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem was destroyed, and Ezekiel offered the people encouragement as they looked into the future. “But,” he said, “another enemy is coming.” When the Lord Jesus Christ was on earth, He wept over the city of Jerusalem because He knew that Titus the Roman would be around in a few years to destroy the city, just as Nebuchadnezzar had done in the past.

Things were wrong in Jerusalem; and, if that city was to enjoy the blessings of God, those things had to be made right. The liars should cease lying; the thieves should cease stealing; the lawless should become law-abiding; and righteousness should prevail in the city. Only when God was acknowledged and respected in the land could blessing rest upon Jerusalem. Righteousness must prevail before any nation or individual can experience the love, mercy, and goodness of God. Jerusalem was wrong—the people were thinking wrong; they were acting wrong. They were in sin, and God was right in judging them. God never blesses that which is wrong.

This is made evident when we contrast Ezekiel with Jeremiah. I want you to notice this again because I consider it rather important. Jeremiah reveals the heart of God. God does not want to judge. As He said in Isaiah, judgment is strange work. He would rather save—that is His business. He is not willing that any should perish. He is very much involved with the human race. The great statement in John’s Gospel is that He became flesh and came down here among us. This reveals His love and concern for us. It broke His heart that Jerusalem would be destroyed. Jesus wept over it just as Jeremiah had wept over it centuries before.

In Ezekiel we have something altogether different. At the very time Jerusalem was being destroyed Ezekiel’s wife died, and God forbad him to mourn or sorrow for her. He was to act like nothing happened. God wept over Jerusalem, but He did not mourn. He did not repent for what He had done, because He was right in doing it. God, with tears in His eyes, punished Jerusalem and destroyed the city, but He was doing that which was in keeping with His character. He did what was right because what God does is right. Paul asks, “… Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid” (Rom. 9:14). Of course there is no unrighteousness with God. Whatever God does is right. His glory is manifested in judgment. His grace is manifested in redemption. If God had not provided redemption for us, there would be no salvation for man whatsoever.

In chapters 38 and 39 of Ezekiel we saw that the kingdom in the north which is going to invade Israel (which I believe is Russia) will be destroyed in the future. The question is: Why will God destroy Russia? Let’s read this verse again: “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” (Ezek. 38:16). What is God going to do? He is going to destroy them. I can hear someone exclaim, “Do you mean God will actually do such a thing?” Certainly He will. The liberal theologian has a problem with the Creator destroying what He chooses, such as the Lord Jesus cursing a fig tree and also destroying a few pigs. I was in a conference one time when a man who was a liberal in his theology almost wept because Jesus destroyed those pigs (Matt. 8:30–32)! Yet every morning he ate bacon for breakfast! He was like the Walrus and the Carpenter who wept, but were busy eating oysters as fast as they could. I am not impressed with these people who get upset with God because He judges. I have a notion that God gets a little upset with them.

Now let me cite two other verses:

And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the Lord.

So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel [Ezek. 39:6–7].

Is God going to destroy Russia? He says that He will send fire on Magog and among those that dwell securely in the coastlands. The question is: Where is God today? Why doesn’t He move in defense of His people in our day? I shall never forget watching a newscast on television several years ago when a group of Christians appeared at the American Embassy in Moscow and appealed, actually weeping, for permission to leave Russia because of being persecuted. Our country did nothing. And the Russian soldiers came and took these people away. I waited for a long time to hear what had happened to them, but there was never a further word in the media. The Soviet authorities were never dealt with. And Russia has been guilty of more anti-Semitism than any other nation over a period of years. Oh, the injustice in the world! I see very little fear of God throughout the world. The feeling is that He is a jolly old Man who shuts His eyes to the injustice in the world. Why doesn’t God move against injustice? Well, He will move when it is time. He will vindicate His glory, but He will not do it in a vindictive, revengeful, and petulant manner. He will judge, and when He does, there will be a respect and reverence for God in this world, and little man will bow before Him.

Romans 2:3 tells us, “And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?” Man is not going to escape judgment. He thinks he will get away with his sin, but he will not. In Hebrews 2:3 we read, “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him.” My friend, do you realize that this is a question which even God cannot answer? How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation? Well, we can’t escape. There is no answer to that question.

Now let me use an old-fashioned expression that gags the liberal preachers (and also some evangelicals who are attempting to make the world a better place for people to go to hell in). Here it is: Hell, my friend, is an awful reality. You can interpret it any way you want to, but it is a place where a holy God puts those who are in rebellion against Him, those who sin with impunity, those who blaspheme God and His holy name at will, those who live like animals in the name of freedom but who are indulging in gross immorality. My friend, God’s holy name is going to be vindicated.

How will God’s holy name be vindicated? In love? He is demonstrating His love today in giving His Son. Those of us who name His name need to learn a lesson. We need to learn that we cannot trifle with Him. We cannot get familiar with Him. We cannot live as we please and then get buddy-buddy with Him. Our God is holy. Neither can we presume upon Him. We cannot sin and get by with it. If that were possible, then God would be no better than we are. Man is only a creature. The will of God will prevail, and our proper position is to bow before Him. Our only liberty today is in the will of God. He remembers that we are dust, but I can say with Paul, “… I obtained mercy …” (1 Tim. 1:13). My friend, if you deny Him, He will trample you under His feet. He has loved you enough to give His Son, but if you reject His mercy and grace He will reject you. This is His universe, this is His earth, and He is running it according to His perfect plan. My friend, we need to get in step with Him.

McGee, J. Vernon: Thru the Bible Commentary. electronic ed. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1981, S. 3:512-519

38:1–39:29 These chaps. tell of a coming northern confederacy of nations who will invade the Promised Land.

38:2 against Gog. This name is found in 1 Chr. 5:4. The LXX used “Gog” to render names such as Agag (Num. 24:7) and Og (Deut. 3:1), possibly showing that though it was a proper name, it came to be used as a general title for an enemy of God’s people. “Gog” most likely carries the idea “high” or “supreme one,” based on the comparison in Num. 24:7. It refers to a person, described as a “prince” from the land of Magog, who is the final Antichrist. See note on Rev. 20:8–10, where Gog and Magog are referred to again. These titles are used there symbolically of the final world uprising against Jerusalem, its people and Messiah King. This attack comes not just from the N but the 4 corners of the world, as a world of sinners at the end of the 1,000 year kingdom come to fight the saints in the “beloved city” of Jerusalem. On that occasion, there is only one weapon used—divine fire. This is the climax to the last battle with Satan and his armies, whose eternal destiny is set. It is followed by the final judgment of all the ungodly before the Lord (Rev. 20:11–15) and the creation of the eternal, sinless state (Rev. 21:1). See notes on chap. 39. Magog. Some see this people as derived from Japheth (Gen. 10:2), later called the Scythians. Others propose a people in SE Anatolia, later known as Asiatic people such as the Mongols and Huns. Others see Magog as an overall term for barbarians, N of Palestine, around the Caspian and Black Seas. the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. Should be translated “chief prince of Meshech and Tubal … ” because: 1) Rosh (more than 600 times) in the Heb. OT is an adjective, “chief,” often in references to the “chief priest” (2 Kin. 25:18); 2) most ancient versions took it to mean “chief “ or “head”; and 3) in all places other than chaps. 38 and 39 where both Meshech and Tubal are mentioned, Rosh is not listed as a third people (27:13; 32:26; Gen. 10:2; 1 Chr. 1:5). This is also descriptive of the Antichrist, who rises to world dominance in the coming time of tribulation (cf. Dan. 9:24–27; 11:36–45; Rev. 13:1–17; 19:20). Meshech, and Tubal. Two peoples were recognized in ancient Assyrian monuments: one called Mushki (Mushku) and the other Tubali (Tabal). Both were in Asia Minor, the area of Magog, modern-day Turkey. Summing up, a chief prince, who is the enemy of God’s people, will lead a coalition of nations against Jerusalem. The details of this enemy force and its destruction are given by Ezekiel in the rest of chaps. 38,39.

38:4 I will … lead you out. Just as God used Assyria (Is. 8) and Babylon (21:19) as human invaders for His judgments, He aims to use this army. In this case, He brings the invader to Palestine so that He may visit judgment (v. 8) on the invader itself (38:18–23; 39:1–10). He thus uses the language of hooks in the jaws, as in judging Egypt (29:4). From the aggressors’ perspective, they think that it is their plan only to seize the spoil which draws them to Palestine (vv. 11,12).

38:5 Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya. The invasion involves a coalition of powers from the E and S of Palestine. Persia is modern Iran, Libya is in N Africa, W of Egypt; and Ethiopia is S of Egypt.

38:6 Gomer. Today the area is Armenia, which also was known as Cappodocia, having a people called Gomer in Assyrian inscriptions. Togarmah. Today’s eastern Turkey (see note on 27:14).

38:7,8 This is the great time of Israel’s cleansing, salvation, and spiritual life (cf. vv. 22,27,28; Zech 12:10–13:9), getting them ready for Messiah’s return and kingdom (Zech. 14).

38:8 In the latter years. In the context of Israel’s restoration (Ezek. 34–39), the invader will make its final bid for the Land. those brought back from the sword. This refers to Israelites who have been returned to their land, after the sword had killed or scattered many of their people. The Heb. word for “brought back” means “to return” or “restore” (Gen. 40:13; 41:13). gathered. This word also frequently refers to God’s final regathering of Israel (37:21; Is. 11:12; 43:5; Jer. 32:37). It has begun historically and will continue until the latter days. In the final millennial kingdom, there will occur the full and spiritual regathering, when all Israel is saved to enter their promised kingdom (cf. Zech. 12–14; Rom. 11:25–27). dwell safely. This term occurs in several contexts devoted to the Israelites’ blessed estate after God has brought them back to their land (28:26; 34:25,28; 39:26; Jer. 32:37; Zech. 14:11).

38:9 You will ascend. The time of the invasion is best understood as the end of the future tribulation period of 7 years. Israel will have been under a false peace in treaty with the Antichrist (Dan. 9:27; 11:22,24), before he turns on them in the “abomination of desolation” (Dan. 9:27; Matt. 29:15). The false peace will end in hostility lasting to the completion of the 7 years (Zech. 14:1–3). When this final war occurs (cf. Rev. 16:12–16), Christ will ultimately conquer the beast, the false prophet, and all the ungodly forces (Rev. 19:11–21) in order to establish His millennial kingdom (Rev. 20:1–10).

38:10–13 This describes the peace in Israel during the period of Antichrist’s short-lived treaty with them (Dan. 9:27) in the first half of Daniel’s 70th week. References to “unwalled villages,” refer to that period of 3½ years when Israel is secure under the protection of the world-ruling “prince that shall come,” called Antichrist (cf. Dan. 9:27). After Antichrist turns on Israel, there is an escalation of hostility until the end of the 7 year time when this great force comes to plunder Jerusalem and the Promised Land (v. 12).

38:12 to take plunder … booty. Antichrist takes over the world for his own power and possession. The wealth of his empire is described in Rev. 18.

38:13 Dedan, Tarshish. See note on Jon 1:3.

38:15 riding on horses. These could be actual horses used in war, if tribulation judgments (seals, trumpets, vials) in Rev. 6–16 have dealt drastic blows to industries producing war vehicles and weaponry. Or, some see horses and weapons here (39:3,9) being used symbolically to represent meaning which would be easy to grasp in Ezekiel’s day, but which would be fulfilled in the future time with different war forms suitable to that time.

38:16 that the nations may know Me. The phrase, frequent in Ezekiel, is part of the theme to glorify God and show His sovereign power (cf. Introduction: Historical and Theological Themes). God is the victor, who will be “hallowed” by fire (cf. v. 19).

38:17 Are you he …? See notes on 38:2. This refers to the general references to this time and the participants (cf. Joel 3:9–17; Amos 5:11,12; Zeph. 3:8). Even Daniel (Dan. 2:41–44) referred to this time at least 3 decades prior to Ezek. 38. The nature of the question presupposes that the previous generalities are now being particularized in the person of Gog.

38:18–23 My fury will show. God’s patience will be exhausted with the repeated attempts to annihilate Israel since the “abomination” by Antichrist (Dan. 9:27; Matt. 24:15), and He will employ a great earthquake in Israel; panic will seize the invading soldiers (v. 21) who will turn and use their weapons against one another (cf. 2 Chr. 20:22, 23). He will further decimate the ranks by pestilence, a deluge of rain, large hailstones, plus fire and brimstone. The descriptions here are identical to that of the last half of the 7 year tribulation in Rev. 6:12–17; 11:19; 16:17–21; 19:11-21.

39:1–10 bring you. This scene of the army’s ruin adds detail to 38:18–23 such as: 1) the disarming of soldiers (v. 3); 2) their fall in death (vv. 4,5); 3) the gorging of birds and beasts on the corpses (v. 4); 4) fire sent also on others besides the army (v. 6); and 5) burning of weapons by Israelites (vv. 9,10).

39:9,10 burn the weapons. There is enough equipment to provide fuel for 7 years.

39:9 seven years. A vast army (cf. “many,” 38:15) would have much weaponry, requiring 7 years to burn. Since this is likely at the end of the time of tribulation, synonymous with the battle of Armageddon (Rev. 16:16; 19:19–21), the burials would extend into the millennial kingdom.

39:11–16 give Gog a burial place. Israelites moving E from the Mediterranean, with the sea to their backs and the Jezreel Valley before them, bury bodies. Further, people in the whole land help in the interment, which consumes 7 months. The description fits the time after Christ’s Second Advent extending into the 1,000 millennial era as those who go into His kingdom do the work (cf. Rev. 20:1–10).

39:11,16 Hamon Gog. Lit. “the multitude of Gog.” In v. 16, a city in the area will be named Hamonah, “multitude” (cf. a similar idea in Joel 3:14).

39:17–20 Speak to … bird and … beast. God’s word summons carrion birds and carnivorous animals to consume the fallen flesh as described in Rev. 19:21.

39:17,18 My sacrificial meal. Since God describes the feast by the imagery of a sacrificial meal, the warriors who fell (v. 19) are described figuratively in words such as rams and other animals used in sacrifice.

39:21–29 I will set My glory. God vanquishes Israel’s foes to show His glory so that His enemies and Israel will all know that He is the Lord (vv. 6,22). This is Israel’s salvation spoken of in Zech. 12:10–13:9 and Rom. 11:25–27.

39:29 poured out My Spirit. God’s provision of His Spirit at the Second Advent complements the regathering (cf. 36:27; 37:14; Joel 2:28). The Gog and Magog assault in Rev. 20:7–9 at the end of the Millennium is another assault on Jerusalem patterned after certain images of the invasion here (chaps. 38,39), but it is a distinct event one thousand years after the millennial kingdom begins. See note on Rev. 20:8,9.

LXX Septuagint—an ancient translation of the Old Testament into Greek

Heb. Hebrew

MacArthur, John Jr: The MacArthur Study Bible. electronic ed. Nashville : Word Pub., 1997, c1997, S. Eze 38:1