Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
About
Christology
Israel/Palestine
Publications
KermitZarley.com
Archives
Categories
- Angels
- Blog Description
- Book Reviews
- Christian Living
  - Unconditional Love?
- Christianity
- Christology
  - Deity of Christ?
  - Holy Spirit
  - Incarnation?
  - My Change
  - Trinity?
- Church History
- Current Events
- War on Terrorism
- Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
- Eschatology
- Ezekiel 38-39
- Last Empire
- Primitive Weapons
- Film Reviews
- God
- Golf
  - Billy Graham
  - Karsten Solheim
  - Lee Trevino
  - Major Championship Winners
  - Masters
  - Purpose
  - Ryder Cup
- Gospel Harmonization
- Interview
- Islam
- Jesus
- Literary Announcements
- Monotheism
- My Books
  - The Restitution of Jesus Christ
- Old Testament
- Politics
- Society of Biblical Literature
- The Bible
- Trinitarianism
- Uncategorized
FREE NEWSLETTER

Home
Progressive Christian
Religion News
Difference of “Gog of the Land of Magog” and “Gog and Magog”

Difference of “Gog of the Land of Magog” and “Gog and Magog”

Last updated on: December 20, 2024 at 12:28 pm by Kermit Zarley

0 Comments

Difference of “Gog of the Land of Magog” and “Gog and Magog” 2024-12-20T12:28:38-07:00 Kermit Zarley

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The word “Gog” appears only in two places in biblical prophecies, in Ezekiel 38-39 and Revelation 20.8. Some interpreters think these texts refer to the same prophetic event, whereas others, like me, do not. It often depends on your millennial position. Post-millennialists and a-millennialists usually equate these texts, whereas premillennialists, like me, do not. These viewpoints hinge mostly on “a thousand years” mentioned six times in Revelation 20. It says the deceased people of God “came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years” (Rev 20.4 NRSV). The question is whether Gog and his forces will attack Israel before or after 1,000 years.

A post-millennialist envisions the world becoming somewhat Christianized for a thousand years, and then the end of this age will occur and Jesus will return. A pre-millennialist believes God’s people will suffer much persecution near the end of this age, and then Jesus will return, resurrect his people, and reign in his kingdom on earth for a thousand years. Of course, both groups cite the Bible as support for their position. The Catholic Church was post-millennial and then adopted a-millennialism after 1,000 AD. It means the time period of “a thousand years” is not literal.

Gog Will Attack Israel In “the Latter Years”

The Ezekiel 38-39 prophecy is about a man, “Gog, of the land of Magog … in the latter years” (Eze 38.2, 8), who will gather armed forces from around the world to attack the nation of Israel. God says to Gog, “you will rouse yourself and come from your place out of the remotest parts of the north, you and many peoples with you, … I will bring you against my land, … against the mountains of Israel” (Eze 38.14, 16; 39.2). Then God says he will strike them dead, and “I will give you to birds of prey of every kind and to the wild animals to be devoured” (Eze 39.4). I believe this will occur at the end of the age and that the millennial reign of Christ will follow it.

In comparison, Revelation 20 says, “An angel coming down from heaven, … seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years” (vv. 1-2). The text later relates, “When the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, in order to gather them for battle; they are as numerous as the sands of the sea. They marched up over the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from heaven and consumed them. And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur” to be “tormented day and night forever and ever” (vv. 7-10).

The Differences Between Gog in Ezekiel 38-39 and Gog in Revelation 20.7-10

The main thing to notice between these two prophecies is that Ezekiel has “Gog of the land of Magog,” referring to a person, whereas Revelation has “Gog and Magog,” referring to land. I think it is clear in Ezekiel 38-39 that “Gog” is a title for the final Antichrist who will arise in the latter days. The apostle Paul calls him “the lawless one” (2 Thessalonians 2.3, 8), “whom the Lord Jesus will destroy with the breath of his mouth, annihilating him by the manifestation of his coming” (v. 8). Here, Paul alludes to Isaiah 11.4, which says of the Messiah, “he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked [one].”

Gog in Ezekiel 38-39 Is the Antichrist

Ezekiel makes it clear this “Gog” refers to the Antichrist when he asks him, “Thus says the LORD God: Are you he of whom I spoke in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel, who in those days prophesied for years that I would bring you against them?” (Eze 38.17). This question requires a positive answer. Besides the Messiah, the prophets predict more about the final Antichrist than any other person.

Ezekiel says something else that supports this interpretation that “Gog” is a title for the final Antichrist: so “says the LORD God. This is the day of which I have spoken” (Eze 39.8). This refers to the common Old Testament expression “the day of the LORD.” Many times in scripture, this phrase refers to some moment in the past in which God intervened in the affairs of humans, oftentimes for judgment. But this phrase sometimes refers to the ultimate “day of the LORD” that will occur at the end of the age.

Joel’s Prediction of “the Day of the LORD”

One of these scriptures about “the day of the LORD” to which Eze 39.8 refers is in Joel, and it predicts the same assault by the nations against Israel that Eze 38-39 predicts. Joel prophesies on behalf of the LORD God, “I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, and I will enter into judgment with them there” (Joel 3.2). The Valley of Jehoshaphat is the Valley of Kidron lying between the present Temple Mount in Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives on the east. They will be the Lord Jesus’ footstool at his second coming, as God said to him at his heavenly ascension, “The LORD says to my lord, ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool'” (Psalm 110.1). Thus, the LORD God Almighty will enter into judgment with the nations at the end of the age through his agent par excellence—the Lord Jesus Christ.

Joel continues, “Come quickly, all you nations all around, gather yourselves there, Bring down your warrior, O LORD. Let the nations rouse themselves, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the neighboring nations. … Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. The LORD roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth shake” (Joel 3.11-12, 14-16; cf. Joel 2.10; Isaiah 13.10; 24.23).

Jesus predicted this of the inauguration of his second coming, saying, “The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken” (Matthew 24.29; “heaven” 2x should be “the heavens,” thus referring to our universe).

Difference Before and After the Thousand Years

Here are some reasons why I think Ezekiel 38-39 will be pre-millennial and Revelation 20.7-10 will be post-millennial:

The attack in Eze 38-39 is of “all your army, horses and horsemen” (38.4), “against my people Israel” (Eze 38.16), against “the mountains of Israel” (38.8; 39.4, 17), and “all my mountains” (38.21) in the land of Israel. But the attack in Rev 20 is against “the camp of the saints and the beloved city” (v.9). This surely refers to “the holy city, the new Jerusalem” depicted in Rev 21-22. It will be inhabited by all of God’s people, thus not only Israelites.
The attack in Eze 38-39 ends with Gog and his forces being killed and their bodies lying on the fields. God instructs Ezekiel to speak to the birds and other animals to “gather from all around to the sacrificial feast that I am preparing for you, a great sacrificial feast on the mountains of Israel, and you shall eat flesh and drink blood … of the princes of earth” (39.17-18). This surely refers to the second coming of Christ in Rev 19.11-21, of which an angel “called to all the birds that fly in midheaven, ‘Come, gather for the great supper of God, to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of the mighty, the flesh of the horses and their riders” (vv. 17-18). In contrast, in Rev 20, when Satan’s hordes “surround the camp of the saints and the beloved city,” then “fire came down from heaven and consumed them” (v. 9). Thus, there will be no human carcasses for the animals to devour since lightning had “consumed them.”
But in Ezekiel 38-39, after the animals had feasted upon the remaining bones and carcasses, the land of Israel will be cleansed of this pollution. For God says, “On that day I will give to Gog a place for burial in Israel, the Valley of the Travelers east of the sea; it shall block the path of the travelers, for there Gog and all his horde will be buried; it shall be called the Valley of Hamon-gog. Seven months the house of Israel shall spend burying them, in order to cleanse the land” (39.11-12).
Ezekiel 38-39 presents an actual assault by Gog against Israel. But Rev 20.8 only says those from Gog and Magog will surround the holy city and be consumed by lightning. But Eze 38-39 says Gog and his forces will be thwarted by earthquake, torrential rain, and swords against each other (Eze 38.19-21). Those enemy troops will then “fall upon the mountains of Israel” (39.4).
** Please note: If you like this article please leave a comment below, I am interested in your thoughts on Gog and Magog.*

General Christian

The Valley of Jehoshaphat

About kermit Zarley

Kermit Zarley Blog is largely about Jesus’ identity, his second coming, and pro golf. Kermit Zarley is known mostly for his 30-year career as a tournament-winning pro golfer on the PGA Tour and Champions Tour. In 1965, he co-founded and then led the PGA Tour Bible Study which thrives today. That same year he received his nickname, “the Pro from the Moon,” when comedian Bob Hope interviewed him and Jack Nicklaus on TV, saying, “Kermit Zarley! With a name like that he sounds like the pro from the moon.” Zarley (kermitzarley.com) is the author of several theological books and a Society of Biblical Literature member. He is writing a series of ten books on Bible eschatology called STILL HERE. You can read more about the author here.

Previous Post

December 17, 2024

Christian Amulet May Change History of Some Christianity

Next Post

December 23, 2024 Rising Sea Levels, Climate Change, and Lessons from Noah

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"Glen, you seem to be advocating a preterist viewpoint, with which I disagree." I'm a ..."

Kermit Zarley

Family Estrangement Versus Honoring Father and ..."

"THESIS is a SCRIPTURE QUOTE.“Remember the predictions foretold by the holy prophets and by the ..."

glen smith

Family Estrangement Versus Honoring Father and ..."

"How are they going to answer it. They don't have unlimited financial resources. They're trying ..."

Kermit Zarley

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Getting Much Worse

"...but isn't that an important question to answer?"

Harold Porter

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Getting Much Worse

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Angels Billy Graham Blog Description Book Reviews Christian Living Christianity Christology Church History Current Events Deity of Christ? Disarmament Eschatology Evangelicalism Ezekiel 38-39 Film Reviews God Golf Gospel Harmonization Health History Holy Spirit Incarnation? Interview Islam Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Jesus Last Empire Literary Announcements Major Championship Winners Masters Monotheism My Books New Testament Old Testament Politics Primitive Weapons Ryder Cup Science Society of Biblical Literature The Bible The Restitution of Jesus Christ Trinitarianism Trinity? Uncategorized Unconditional Love? War on Terrorism

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does "Ebenezer" mean, as in the stone Samuel set up?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Stone of David Stone of help Stone of God Stone of Law

Books by This Author Books by Kermit Zarley Blog

See All Titles »