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Confusion Persists about the Interpretation of Ezekiel 38—39

Confusion Persists about the Interpretation of Ezekiel 38—39

Last updated on: October 15, 2024 at 12:35 pm by Kermit Zarley

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Confusion Persists about the Interpretation of Ezekiel 38—39 2024-10-15T12:35:46-07:00 Kermit Zarley

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“Gog, of the Land of Magog”

Much confusion has always persisted among Christians about the proper interpretation of Ezekiel 38—39 in the Bible. It is a major eschatological prophesy that features a person, thus not some political or national entity, who is described as “Gog, of the land of Magog” (Eze 38.2; cf. 39.1 NRSV). It appears that this “Gog” is a title for a human leader. During the time of the prophet Ezekiel, “the land of Magog” existed in present Turkey. (I think this “land of Magog” in Ezekiel 38—39 should not be identified with “the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog” in Revelation 20.8.)

Gog Will Attack Israel “in the Latter Days”

Ezekiel prophesies that God is so against this person “Gog” that God says to him, “You will come up against my Israel, like a cloud covering the earth. In the latter days I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me, when through you, O Gog, I display my holiness before their eyes” (Eze 38.16). There has always been debate among Bible scholars as to when this will occur. But Ezekiel says it will be in the “latter days.” He adds, “Thus says the LORD God: Are you he of whom I spoke in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel?” (v. 17). This question requires a yes answer. And who is that? The final Antichrist! Thus, this prophesy in Ezekiel 38—39 has never happened and thus remains to be fulfilled in the future.

Gog Will Be the Yet Future Antichrist

There are two main men whom the prophets of Israel have prophesied about: Christ, also called Messiah, and the final Antichrist. Thus, Gog in Ezekiel 38—39 is clearly the Antichrist who will arise at the end of the age.

This Gog will be “the chief prince of Meschech and Tubal” (Eze 38.3). During the time of Ezekiel, these were cites in present Turkey. When I was young, many evangelical Bible teachers and some of their scholars taught that “Gog” in Eze 38—39 was the Soviet Union headed by Russia. The Old Scofield Bible had a misleading note saying Meshech referred to Moscow and Tubal referred to Tobolsk, also in Russia.

This Gog, the Antichrist, will marshal armed forces against “the land of Israel,” also called “the mountains of Israel” (38.19; 39.17). These forces will come from “Persia, Ethiopia, and Put” as well as “Gomer” and Beth-togarmah” (vv. 5-6). Persia refers to present Iran, Put likely refers to present Libya, and Gomer may refer to Germany.

Bush’s Misinterpretation of Gog and Magog

When George W. Bush was president, in a phone call to France’s President Jacques Chirac, he tried to persuade France to join the US-led UN coalition forces to invade Iraq in the impending Iraq War. Chirac adamantly refused. Bush then invoked “Gog and Magog” in the Bible. He explained to Chirac, “in the Middle East” Bush saw “Gog and Magog at work.” Although Bush was no definitive, he seemed to identify Iraq with Gog and Magog in the Bible. Many people have wrongly read “Gog and Magog” for “Gog, of the land of Magog,” in Eze 38.2.

More Misinterpretation of Ezekiel 38—39

Well, this misinterpretation of Ezekiel 38—39 is still going on right now. Due to Israel’s expanding war in the Mid-East, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is calling for an alliance of Russia, Turkey, Syria, and Iran to form against Israel. He is calling it an “alliance of Islamic countries” to stop “Israeli arrogance.” I believe that, or something like it, is going to happen according to Bible prophecy, but it will not be a fulfillment of Ezekiel 38—39 as some are now saying. For, The Christian Post reports today, “some Bible researchers have identified an alliance of Russia, Iran and Turkey as being the fulfillment of biblical prophecy, especially the War of Gog and Magog from Ezekiel 38.” Not at all.

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