According to these passages, Russia will be the lead nation of this
future northern confederacy. Gog will be the military leader of Russia
at the time of this invasion. The answer to the
"WHO" Question is Russia!
The 2nd Question: WHERE is this invasion?
(Ezek. 38:7-9)
Ezek. 38:7-9 - (7)"Prepare yourself and be ready, you and all
your companies that are gathered about you; and be a guard for them. (8)
"After many days you will be visited. In the latter years you will
come into the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered
from many people on the mountains of Israel, which had long been
desolate; they were brought out of the nations, and now all of them
dwell safely. (9) You will ascend, coming like a storm, covering the
land like a cloud, you and all your troops and many peoples with
you."
These verses are still addressed to "Gog", the leader of
this northern confederacy (v.7). We get the answer to the WHERE Question
in v.8: "on the mountains of Israel."
V.9 describes the scope and intensity of the invasion, "coming like
a storm, covering the land like a cloud". Regardless of one's
viewpoint as to "when" this invasion will occur, it can't
occur until two (2) things have happened: (1) the establishment of a
Jewish State, and (2) Israel must be regathered in unbelief as a people
(because it is only after this invasion that many of Israel begin to
turn to the Lord). Both of these pre-conditions have been met today in
modern Israel. Consequently, the invasion of Israel described in these
passages could happen at any moment, since all biblical pre-conditions
required by the text are already a reality today.
The Third Question: WHY this invasion? (
Ezek. 38:10-16)
Ezek. 38:10-13 - (10)"Thus says the Lord God, On that day it
shall come to pass that thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will
make an evil plan: (11) You will say, I will go up against a land of
unwalled villages; I will go to a peaceful people, who dwell safely, all
of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates-(12)
to take plunder and to take booty, to stretch out your hand against the
waste places that are again inhabited, and against a people gathered
from the nations, who have acquired livestock and goods, who dwell in
the midst of the land. (13) Sheba, Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish, and
all their young lions will say to you, "Have you come to take
plunder? Have you gathered your army to take booty, to carry away silver
and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take great plunder?"
Once again, the Lord is addressing "Gog". Gog is going to
think up an evil plan which involves an invasion of Israel, described as
"a people gathered from the nations" (v.12). The primary
reason for the Russian invasion of Israel and therefore the basic answer
to the WHY question is GREED - "to take a spoil." Perhaps in
may be to gain control of the Dead Sea, which is rich in valuable
natural resources like sodium, chlorine, sulfur, potassium, calcium,
magnesium and bromide.
However, as we read the news today, it would seem more likely that
the spoil would actually be "spoil" without the "sp"
- OIL!! When you think about the political, economic and organized crime
situation in modern Russia today, and consider the fact that the USA has
basically stopped loaning them (ha! ha!) the large amounts of money they
have been loaning then in recent years, the idea of establishing a
strong Russian foothold in the middle east might seem quite attractive
to them now. Many of the Arab nations would probably love to partner up
with Russia against Israel, if they could cut the right deal for
themselves.
The "Sheba" and "Dedan" of v.13 are Arab
countries in northern Arabia that apparently will not favor a Russian
presence in the middle east. Also, some feel that "Tarshish"
refers to either Spain (and the nations it spawned including the United
States) or England (and the nations it spawned which would also include
the United States). In either case, the text teaches that while these
three nations (Sheba, Dedan, and Tarshish,) will voice strong opposition
to this future Russian invasion of Israel, they will not counter attack
(and as you will soon see - they will not have time to counter attack
even if they wanted to). So the first part of the answer to the WHY
question is Russia's desire to take a spoil; booty; plunder; and to gain
political and economic power at the expense of the Jews and their modern
day homeland - Israel. However, God has something else in mind which is
the 2nd answer to the WHY question (vs.14-16).
Ezek. 38:14-16 - (14) "Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say
to Gog, 'Thus says the Lord God: On that day when my people Israel dwell
safely, will you not know it? (15)Then you will come from your place out
of the far north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on
horses, a great company and a mighty army. (16)You will come up against
my people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land. It will be in the
latter days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations
may know Me, when I am hallowed in you, O Gog, before their eyes."
From God's viewpoint, the primary answer to the WHY question is
"so that the nations my know ME" that is "GOD"!
While Gog thinks he is doing his own will as he activates this evil
plan, in reality he is fulfilling God's purposes. God is sovereign! He
is not and cannot be trapped or outsmarted! His will is always
accomplished, even when those who are fulfilling His will think they are
working strictly by their own initiative.
The 4th & 5th Questions:
"What" and "How" - Ezek. 38:17-23
Ezek. 38:17-23: (17)"Thus says the Lord God: Are you he of
whom I have spoken in former days by My servants the prophets of Israel,
who prophesied for years in those days that I would bring you against
them?
(18)And it will come to pass at the same time, when Gog comes against
the land of Israel, says the Lord God, 'that My fury will show in My
face.' (19)For in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath I have spoken:
'Surely in that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of
Israel, (20)so that the fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the
beasts of the field, all creeping things that creep on the earth, and
all men who are on the face of the earth shall shake at My presence. The
mountains shall be thrown down, the steep places shall fall, and every
wall shall fall to the ground.' (21)I will call for a sword against Gog
throughout all My mountains, says the Lord God. Every man's sword shall
be against his brother. (22)And I will bring him to judgment with
pestilence and bloodshed; I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on
the many peoples who are with him, flooding rain, great hailstones,
fire, and brimstone. (23)Thus I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself,
and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know
that I am the Lord."
The answer to the WHAT question simply stated is - God moves out in
judgment to destroy the invading army (vs. 17-18). The answer to the HOW
question is: by earthquake (vs. 19-20); by civil war among the invading
forces (v. 21); by pestilence, bloodshed, flooding rain, great
hailstones, fire, and brimstone (v. 22).
Ezekiel 39 is a perfect example of Hebrew "recapitulation"
also known as The Law of Recurrence - "In
some passages of scripture there exists the recording of an event or
events followed by a second recording of the same event or events giving
additional detail to the first recording."
New information given in Chapter 39
(1) The invading armies reportedly fall specifically "on the
mountains of Israel" (vs. 2-4). This is significant because it has
only been since the six day war in 1967 that these mountains once again
became a possession of Israel. Prior to 1967 they belonged to Jordanian
Arabs. The stage is now set for the battle. (2) While the KJV indicates
that 1/6 of the invading army survives, this is not found in the Hebrew
text, and has not been translated that way by subsequent translations.
The entire invading army will be destroyed, not just 5/6 of it. (3)
Ezek. 39:6 teaches that the destruction is not limited to the soldiers
of the invading army, but that God sends "fire on Magog and on
those who live in security in the coastlands". Russia herself (and
some of her coastland allies) will suffer damage by fire and brimstone,
resulting in Russia no longer being a significant economic, political or
military force in the world. (4) In Ezek. 39:7 God states that his
purpose is to "make My holy name known in the midst of My people
Israel, and I will not let them profane My holy name anymore." The
people of Israel will once again acknowledge the holiness of the God of
Israel. Note: This is not the same thing as
acknowledging Jesus as Israel's Messiah. (5) In Ezek. 39:9-10 we
learn that it will take seven (7) years to dismantle and destroy all the
weapons of war. (6) In Ezek. 39:11-16 we learn that it will take seven
(7) months to bury the soldiers of Gog. This leads us to the 6th and
final question: When? Any answer to the when
question must satisfy the requirements of the 7 months to bury and the 7
years to burn the weapons of war.
There is nothing in the various descriptions of Israel given in these
passages that is not true of Israel today. Therefore, this invasion
could occur at any time, even before the beginning of the Tribulation
Period.
The 6th question: WHEN does this invasion
take place?
There are five (5) major views as to when this invasion will occur.
Arguments for and Objections to each view are listed below:
View #1: The invasion of Ezek. 38 &
39 occurs at the midpoint of the seven year Tribulation.
Supporting Arguments
(1) Israel is pictured as "a peaceful people, who dwell
safely" (Ezek. 38:11) which suggests to some that this is because
of Israel's covenant with antichrist described in Daniel 9:27. (2) This
invasion is seen by some as being identical to the invasion described in
Dan. 11:40 by "the king of the north".
Non-Supporting Arguments
(1) To "dwell safely" does not necessarily indicate living
in peace. (2)Why would God intervene at this point on Israel's behalf,
and then immediately initiate the events of the 2nd half of the
Tribulation. (3) It is incorrect to identify "the king of the
north" of Daniel 11:40 with "Gog" of Ezek. 38:1-39:16.
Gog is the title name for a Russian leader while "king of the
north" consistently refers to Syria. (4) There is a big problem
with this view regarding the 7 months of burying the dead and the 7
years of burning the weapons. The 2nd half of the Tribulation begins
with the people being told to flee Israel. Under these conditions, it
would be hard for them to bury their own dead, let alone the dead of the
Russian invasion forces.
Why would they be burning perfectly good weapons when they would need
them for self protection? If the burying goes 7 years, then they would
be burying dead Russians 3 1/2 years after the beginning of the
Millennium which does not fit with Messiah's cleansing of the land.
View #2: The Invasion of Ezek. 38 &
39 takes place at the end of the seven (7) year Tribulation Period.
Supporting Arguments
The key basis for this argument is seeing this invasion from the
north as being a part of the Campaign of Armageddon. If these two
battles are both a part of the same war, then placing it at the end of
the tribulation would be correct.
Non-Supporting Arguments
They are not the same war because: (1)
The allies of Gog are limited in number and not the same as the allies
of the antichrist (all the nations) described in Rev. 19. (2) The Ezek.
Invasion comes from the north, while the Armageddon invasion comes from
all over the world. (3) The purpose of the Ezek. Invasion is to take a
spoil, while the purpose of the Armageddon invasion is the total
eradication of all Jews. (4) Some nations protest against the Ezek.
Invasion, while no nation protests against the Armageddon invasion. (5)
The Ezek. invasion force is destroyed through convulsions of nature,
while the Armageddon armies are destroyed by the personal, visible 2nd
coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. (6) The Ezek. invasion force is
destroyed on the mountains of Israel, while the Armageddon invasion
force is destroyed over geography stretching from Jerusalem to Petra.
(7) the Russian invasion takes place while Israel is living securely in
the land, while the Armageddon invasion takes place while Israel is in
flight and in hiding outside of the land in the wilderness. (8) this
view also fails to solve the problem of the 7 months of burying and the
7 years of burning.
View #3: The Invasion of Ezek. 38 &
39 takes place during the interlude between the Tribulation and the
Millennium.
Supporting Arguments
This position is based upon the assumption that there is going to be
an extended period of time between the 2nd coming of Christ (which ends
the Tribulation) and the beginning of Christ's reign over the Millennial
Kingdom.
Non-Supporting Arguments
The prophet Daniel does reveal that there is going to be an interval
of time between these two great events. However, he limits this interval
to 75 days (Dan. 12:7-12). This 75 day interval will allow time for
things like the judgment of the Gentiles and the resurrection of the Old
Testament and Tribulation saints. However, Dan. 12:12 makes it clear
that those who make it to the 1335th day ( 1260 + 75) are promised a
unique blessing which could hardly be anything else but the Millennium.
An extended time for cleanup duty (burning weapons and burying dead
bodies) is not consistent with Israel's promised time of blessing in a
cleansed land. The 7 months of burial would require an interval of at
least 210 days which would not even begin until after the war. This
would mean that the burial would continue at least 135 days into the
Millennium (210-75 = 135). Add this to the 7 years required for the
burning of weapons and you find that this view is not consistent with
the volume of scripture describing Israel and the Millennium.
View #4: The Invasion of Ezek. 38 &
39 occurs at the end of the Millennium and just prior to the beginning
of the Eternal Order.
Supporting Arguments
This view is based upon a decision to make the rebellion led by Satan
mentioned in Rev. 20:7-9 the same war as the invasion of Ezek.
38&39.
Non-Supporting Arguments
There are two key objections to this view: (1) The Ezek. 38-39
Invasion comes from the north, while the Rev. 20:7-9 invasion comes from
all over the world, and (2) Since the earth is done away with and a new
heaven and earth is brought into being by God almost immediately after
the Rev. 20 invasion, there would be no time and also no place to burn
the weapons for 7 years and bury the dead for 7 months. The idea that
this kind of activity would be happening in the Eternal Order is totally
contradictory to scriptural teaching on the Eternal State.
View #5: The Invasion of Ezek. 38 &
39 takes place before the beginning of the Tribulation. This view holds
that all of the following events occur prior to the Tribulation: (1)
Israel is established and dwelling in the land securely, (2) a Russian
led confederacy invades Israel from the north, and (3) this confederacy
is destroyed by God on the mountains of Israel before the tribulation.
Supporting Arguments
(1) Israel is a land brought back from the sword (Ezek. 38:8). After
1900 years, 46 invasions, and the War of Independence, the land is
Jewish again and living free from foreign domination. (2) Today's Israel
is a nation gathered from many nations and peoples (Ezek. 38:8,12). (3)
The continual waste places are now inhabited (Ezek. 38:8,12). (4) Israel
is dwelling securely (Ezek. 38:11,14). They are living securely today
not because of a peace treaty with antichrist, but because of justified
and demonstrated confidence in their own military ability. The Israeli
military has fought and swiftly won four (4) wars since their birth in
1948. (5) Israel is living in unwalled villages (Ezek. 38:11). There has
been no attempt to rebuild the walls of Israel. (6) Russia is
still a world class military force in the world today. The realities of
political and economic crisis along with the evolution of powerful
organized crime families may be currently setting the stage for a new
wave of Russian Imperialism. (7) This view best answers the problem of
the seven months and the seven years. In fact, this is the only view
that solves this problem. Jews will continue to dwell in the land after
the invasion and remain there until the mid-point of the tribulation, at
which time they are commanded to flee to the wilderness. Hence, the
seven months of burial is no problem. As for the seven years to burn the
weapons, the Ezek. 38 & 39 Invasion must start at least 3 ½ years
prior to the beginning of the Tribulation. This is because the
destruction of these weapons would have to be completed before
antichrist violated the peace agreement at the mid-point of the
Tribulation (Dan. 9:27; Matt. 24:15; Rev. 12:13-17). From the mid-point
forward, Israel would not only not be destroying weapons, but they would
be restoring them for use against antichrist and his forces.
Non-Supporting Arguments & Counter
Arguments
(1) The Ezek. 38 & 39 passages are in the restoration section of
the book of Ezekiel. While this is true, the question is which
restoration? The partial one in unbelief? Or the final on in faith?
Since faith begins in Israel only after God defeats this invading army
from the north, it seems most likely that the restoration spoken of here
is the partial restoration in unbelief. (2) Another issue is concern
over the term "dwelling safely or securely." Some argue that
this term either refers to dwelling under the terms of the peace treaty
with anti-christ, or to Millennial peace. In either case, this would
place the Ezek. 38 & 39 invasion beyond the beginning of the
Tribulation. However, there are dozens of OT scriptures that use this
exact same phrase referring to events prior to the Tribulation
including: Lev. 25:18,19, 26:5; Deut. 12:10; I Sam. 12:11; I Kings 4:25;
Ps. 4:8, 16:9; Prov. 1:33, 3:23, 29; Isa. 47:8; Jer. 49:31 & Zeph.
2:15. Clearly, this term could be referring to Israel at a time prior to
the Tribulation covenant and/or the Millennial peace. (3) Some
claim that this view violates the doctrine of Imminence
(i.e., that Jesus Christ could come at any time, or even at this very
moment to snatch away His bride (the church) in the Rapture) (I Thess.
4:13-18). This is a ridiculous argument in that it assumes that the
rapture and the start of the Tribulation take place at the exact same
time, and that according to scripture, both events signal the beginning
of the Tribulation. The only event that
scripture gives as the sign of the beginning of the 7 year tribulation
is the confirming of a 7 year peace covenant (Dan. 9:27). Stating that
something must precede the rapture (which would destroy the doctrine of
Imminence) is not the same thing as stating the something must precede
the Tribulation (which has nothing at all to do with the doctrine of
Imminence). One can hold the view that the rapture is both imminent and
pre-tribulational without having any effect on where he places the Ezek.
38 & 39 invasion. In other words, the rapture can occur before or
after the Ezek. 38 &39 invasion, but must
occur no later than at the confirming of
the 7 year covenant, and the doctrine of Imminence is unaffected. (4)
The next objection is a question: If Israel's reaction to God's
deliverance from the Russian invasion was spiritual revival, and if this
invasion preceded the Tribulation, than how could Israel apostatize so
soon after experiencing a national revival of faith? This speaks to the
fact that we find Israel in a state of apostasy at the beginning of the
Tribulation. Think about how soon their faith disappeared after God
performed the many miracles of the Exodus from Egypt. Think about the
oscillating pattern in the days of the Judges which was characterized by
sinful unbelief leading to God's judgment upon Israel; then prayer for
forgiveness and deliverance; followed by God sending a Judge to deliver
Israel; resulting in forgetfulness and a return to sinful unbelief.
Think about how soon the Jews of Christ's day forgot about His many
miracles and eventually rejected His Messiahship and called for His
death by crucifixion. The answer is quite simple: this is Israel's track
record all through scripture. It is not until the 2nd Coming of Christ
that the New Covenant of Jeremiah 31 is fulfilled by God, and He gives
Israel's elect the same power of the indwelling Holy Spirit that He gave
to the members of the Body of Christ: His Church; His Bride starting on
the Day of Pentecost. (5) A final objection to this view springs
from a belief that the term "latter days" always refers to the
Tribulation. If one accepts this definition, then by definition, the
Ezek. 38 & 39 Invasion could not occur prior to the Tribulation.
However, defining something to be true is not the same as proving it to
be true . There are many good solid biblical reasons to believe that the
term "latter days" refers to events that precede the
Tribulation (Matt. 24; Luke 21).
So the best choice for the answer to the WHEN Question is at least 3
½ years before the beginning of the seven (7) Tribulation Period.
Summary/ Conclusions
[WHO?] An invasion force led by Gog, a
military leader of Russia.
[WHERE?] On the mountains of Israel!
[WHY?] (1) The Greed of Gog (to take a
spoil) and (2) so that the nations will know that the God of Israel is
the One and Only True God!
[WHAT?] In response to the invasion of
Israel, God moves out in judgment to destroy the invading army!
[HOW?] By earthquake; by civil war; by
pestilence; by bloodshed, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire and
brimstone: In short, by the power of the God of Israel!
[WHEN?] At least 3 ½ years before the
beginning of the seven (7) year Tribulation Period!
