God Summons Gog
Study note
Gog is identified as the chief ruler of Meshech and Tubal, lands in the far north, possibly in modern Turkey or beyond. God would put hooks in Gog's jaws and bring him out with a massive army from many nations, including Persia, Ethiopia, Libya, Gomer, and Beth-togarmah. This great army with horses and horsemen would come against Israel like a cloud covering the land. Scholars debate whether Gog represents a specific historical figure or an end-times enemy.
1 The Lord spoke to me. And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 "Son of man, face Gog of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. Prophesy against him." Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him,
3 Announce: The Lord God says, "I am coming against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal." And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:
4 "I will turn you around and drive hooks into your jaws. I will drag you out with your entire military. Your horses and riders will come, all in full armor. It will be a vast force carrying large and small shields. Every soldier will grip a sword." 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:
5 "Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya will march with them. All of them will have shields and helmets." Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 "Gomer and all its forces will join you, along with Beth-togarmah from the distant north with all its troops. Many nations will rally to your side." Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee.
7 "Get ready. Prepare yourself and all those armies rallied around you. You will be their leader." Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
8 "After many years you will be called to action. In a future time you will attack a land that has healed from war. Its people were gathered from many nations back to the mountains of Israel, after the land was empty for a long time. These people were brought back from other countries. They are all now living in peace." 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.
9 "You and all your armies, along with the many nations beside you, will sweep in like a thunderstorm. You will blanket the land like a thick cloud." 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.
Gog's Evil Plan
Study note
Gog would devise an evil plan to attack Israel when it was living in peace and safety, in unwalled villages. His goal would be to plunder and loot a people who had been gathered from the nations and were living in the center of the land. Other nations would watch and ask if Gog had come to take plunder. But God was using Gog to show his holiness before the watching nations.
10 The Lord God says: "When that day comes, wicked ideas will start forming in your mind, and you will hatch an evil scheme." 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:
11 "You will think, 'I will march against a land of open, unprotected villages. I will attack these peaceful, unsuspecting people who live without walls, gates, or bars.'" 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,
12 "Your plan will be to steal and rob. You will attack the rebuilt ruins and the people gathered back from the nations. These people now have livestock and possessions. They live at the crossroads of the world." 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.
13 "Sheba, Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish, and all their business partners will challenge you: 'Are you here to steal? Did you assemble your army to grab silver and gold, seize livestock and goods, and haul away a massive pile of plunder?'" 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?
14 "So, son of man, speak to Gog: The Lord God says — When my people Israel are living safely, you will surely notice." 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?
15 "You will come from your home in the far north -- you and many nations with you, a mighty force on horses, a mighty army." 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:
16 "You will advance against my people Israel like a cloud covering the earth. In the days ahead, Gog, I will bring you against my land. My purpose is to show the nations who I am by displaying my holiness through you right before their eyes." 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.
God's Fury Against Gog
Study note
When Gog attacked, God's burning anger would erupt. There would be a massive earthquake in Israel that would shake every creature on earth. Mountains would collapse, cliffs would crumble, and walls would fall. God would pour judgment on Gog with disease, bloodshed, torrential rain, huge hailstones, and burning sulfur. Through this, God would show his greatness and holiness to many nations.
17 The Lord God says: "Are you the one I talked about long ago through my servants, Israel's prophets? For years they said I would bring you to fight against them." 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?
18 "On that day -- the day Gog invades the land of Israel -- my white-hot anger will flare up, says the Lord God." 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.
19 "My jealous anger burns hot. I say this: A massive quake will shake the land of Israel on that day." 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;
20 "Fish in the sea, birds in the sky, wild animals, every creature on the ground, and every person on earth will shake before me. Mountains will fall apart. Cliffs will break down. Every wall will crash to the ground." 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.
21 "I will summon the sword against Gog throughout all my mountains, says the Lord God. In the chaos, every soldier will turn his sword against his own ally." 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.
22 "I will pass sentence on him through plague and bloodshed. I will pour down torrential rain, huge hailstones, and burning sulfur on him, his armies, and the many nations fighting alongside him." 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.
23 "Through all of this I will display my greatness and holiness. I will make myself known to many nations. Then they will recognize that I am the Lord." 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.