The Imminent Invasion of Israel
Ezekiel 38:8,12: “In the latter years, you (the
invading armies) will come into the Land of
those brought back from the sword and
gathered from many peoples on the mountains
of ISRAEL, which had long been desolate; they
were brought out of the nations, and now all of
them dwell safely (securely).... against a
people gathered from the nations, who have
acquired livestock and goods, who dwell in the
midst of the Land (Earth).”
The Background and Setting
(Ezekiel 36,37)
Ezekiel 36:24: “I will take you from among
the nations, gather you out of all
countries, and bring you into your own
Land.”
It is clear that this Regathering is initially
with Israel in unbelief
Thus Ezekiel 37 gives the same
sequence:
(1) a Regathering of the scattered
dead bones of Israel (in unbelief).
(2) a spiritual Regeneration, once
the nation is physically restored.
Thus the setting for Ezekiel
38,39 is Israel initially
regathered to her Land in the
Last Days, awaiting her final
spiritual restoration, which will
take place at Christ’s Return.
In Conclusion, Ezekiel 38 describes an
invasion from the North upon a
regathered Israel before her national
conversion at the 2nd Coming of Christ.
Sometime after this War, God completes
the physical Regathering and spiritual
Restoration of Israel (Ezekiel 39:21-29) in
preparation for life in the Millennium
(Ezekiel 40-48).
WHO are the INVADERS?
Ezekiel 38:1-6: “Now the Word of the Lord
came to me, saying, Son of man, set your face
against GOG, of the Land of MAGOG, the Prince
of ROSH, MESHECH, and TUBAL, and prophesy
against him, and say, “Thus says the Lord GOD:
Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the Prince of
ROSH, MESHECH, and TUBAL.
I will turn you around, put hooks into
your jaws, and lead you out, with all your
army, horses, and horsemen, all
splendidly clothed, a great company with
bucklers and shields, all of them handling
swords. PERSIA, CUSH, and LIBYA are with
them, all of them with shield and helmet;
GOMER and all its troops; the house of
TOGARMAH from the FAR NORTH and all
its troops: MANY (other) PEOPLES
(NATIONS) are WITH YOU.”
Gog originally meant mountain, then later
a strong ruler.
“all who bless Israel will be blessed and
all who curse Israel will be cursed”
(Genesis 12:3).
Zechariah 12:1-3: “Thus says the Lord who stretches
out the heavens lays the foundation of the earth and
forms the spirit of man within him: Behold, I will make
Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the
surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against
Judah and Jerusalem.
And it shall happen in that day that I will make
Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who
would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces,
though all nations of the earth are gathered against
it.”
Genesis 10:2-5: “The sons of JAPHETH were
GOMER, MAGOG, Madai, Javan, TUBAL,
MESCHECH, and TIRAS (RAS). The sons of
GOMER were Ashkenaz, Riphath, and
TOGMARAH. The sons of Javan were Elishah,
TARSHISH, Kittim, and Dodanim. From these
the coastland peoples of the Gentiles were
separated into their lands, everyone according
to his language, according to their families, into
their nations.”
GOG comes from “the Land of
MAGOG”, and is “the prince
of ROSH, MESHECH, and TUBAL”
(Ezekiel 38:2,3).
MAGOG. The first century Roman
historian Josephus said the
"Magogites" were the peoples whom
the Greeks called "Scythians", a
fierce civilisation that settled north
of the Baltic Sea in what is now
Russia and the now mostly Islamic
republics of the former USSR,
possibly also including TURKEY.
ROSH. Because ROSH means CHIEF in
Hebrew, some translations call him: ‘the
Chief Prince’ (v2,3), rather than ‘the
Prince of Rosh.’
However the ‘Rus’ were well known
people, and Gesenius says that these are
undoubtedly the Russian people, so it is
better and more natural to translate it:
‘the Prince of Rosh.’
Opinion is divided on MESHECH and TUBAL.
*One possibility is that they were in Southern
Russia, whereas Rosh is Northern Russia.
Then the modern names that descended from
them would be: ROSH = Russia, Meshech =
Moscow, Tubal = Tobolsk.
*The other possibility locates them in modern
TURKEY.
Other members of this coalition are
GOMER (the ancient Cimmerians in
present day TURKEY) and TOGARMAH
(ancient ARMENIA which is mostly in
Turkey today) - v6.
So TURKEY will definitely be a major part
of this Coalition led by RUSSIA!
“From the FAR NORTH” (Ezekiel 38:6).
“You will come from your place out of
the FAR NORTH’ (38:15). “I will turn
you around and lead you on, bringing
you up from the FAR NORTH, and
bring you against the mountains of
Israel” (Ezekiel 39:2).
Therefore, the far north (“the
uttermost parts of the north”) can
only be Russia. Moscow is exactly
due north of Jerusalem.
So Russia will lead a confederacy of
nations against Israel.
Ezekiel 38:5,6 describe other
nations along with Russia:
“PERSIA, CUSH,
and LIBYA are with them...
GOMER and all its troops;
the house of TOGARMAH....
MANY PEOPLES are WITH YOU.”
(1) Significantly the first (main) nation
mentioned with RUSSIA is PERSIA =
IRAN.
(2) CUSH was the area south of
Egypt, now called SUDAN, also a
fundamentalist Islamic State, very
hostile to Israel.
(3) PUT = LIBYA, another Islamic State
that is very anti-Israel.
(4) As we have already noted, GOMER
and TOGARMAH represent modern
day TURKEY, which is large Muslim
nation.
*It is this turn of events in TURKEY,
along with the imminent crisis of IRAN
being close to obtaining nuclear
weapons, that compels me to give
this warning that Ezekiel 38 could be
fulfilled soon!
Russia would need to go through
IRAN and TURKEY to reach Israel.
Likewise, it would need to go through
LEBANON and SYRIA which are on the
northern border of Israel (with
JORDAN
being a bonus).
In fact, twice God says to Gog that there will be:
“MANY PEOPLES (NATIONS) WITH YOU” (v6,9).
The alignment of SYRIA with IRAN, and the
increasing strength of IRAN-controlled
HEZBOLLAH in LEBANON, and IRAN-controlled
HAMAS in GAZA, probably means that when
God mentions PERSIA (IRAN), also included
under that designation is SYRIA, LEBANON and
GAZA.
In Conclusion, Ezekiel 38 is a Prophecy that in
the End-Times, after Israel has been
regathered from the nations to her Land, there
will be a massive invasion from the North by a
number of Nations led by Russia, composed of
many Republics of the former Soviet Union
(most of which are Islamic), Turkey, Iran and
those under her wing, such as Syria, Hezbollah
and Hamas, Sudan and Libya.
If we look at these nations today, 2 things
immediately strike us:
(1) All these nations have a good relationship
with Russia, and are under her sphere of
influence, and so are good candidates to join
her Coalition on this basis.
(2) All these nations (except Russia itself) are
strongly Islamic, with a hatred for Israel. They
would like to see Israel destroyed. this
again makes them excellent candidates to
support this Russian invasion to destroy Israel.
Ezekiel 38:1-3: “Now the Word of the LORD
came to me, saying, “Son of man, set your face
against Gog of the Land of MAGOG (RUSSIA
and its satellites including many of the former
Soviet republics), the Prince of ROSH (RUSSIA),
MESHESH, and TUBAL (RUSSIA and/or
TURKEY), and prophesy against him, and say,
‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I am against
you, O Gog, the Prince of ROSH (RUSSIA),
MESHESH, and TUBAL
(RUSSIA and/or TURKEY).
Ezekiel 36:3-6: “I will turn you around, put
hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all
your army, horses, and horsemen, all
splendidly clothed, a great company with
bucklers and shields, all of them handling
swords. PERSIA (IRAN), Cush (SUDAN), and
LIBYA are with them, all of them with shield and
helmet; Gomer and all its troops; the house of
Togarmah from the FAR NORTH and all its
troops (TURKEY), many (other) PEOPLES
(NATIONS) are with you.”
The sword (‘chereb’) is a generic term for any
weapon or destroying instrument.
Arrow (‘khatis’) which can mean a piercer, is
occasionally used for a thunderbolt. It could be
translated today as a missile or bullet.
Bow (qeh-sheth), is what launches the ‘khatis’
(corresponding to a gun or missile-launcher
today).
Ezekiel 39:3 today,
“I will smite your launchers out of
your left hand, and cause your
missiles to fall out of your right hand.”
WHERE do they invade?
Ezekiel 38:7: “Prepare yourself and be
ready, you and all your armies that are
gathered about you; and be a guard
(leader) for them.”
Gog of Russia will build a military coalition
and “be prepared" to strike its target.
Ezekiel 38:8: “After many days you will be
visited. In the latter years (at the end of the
Age, just before the Messiah’s Coming), you will
come into the Land of those brought back from
the sword and gathered from many peoples on
the mountains of Israel, which had long been
desolate; they were brought out of the
nations, and now all of them dwell safely
(securely).”
Ezekiel 38:9: “You (Gog and all his
armies) will ascend, coming like a storm,
covering the Land like a cloud, you and all
your troops and many peoples with you.”
WHY do they invade?
Ezekiel 38:10-12: “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: You will say, ‘I will go up against
a Land of unwalled villages (Kibbutzim); I will go to a
PEACEFUL people, who dwell safely (securely), all of them
dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates 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 EARTH.”
Israel is described as a Land of ‘unwalled
villages’, and it is interesting that Israel is
known for her ‘Kibbutzim.’
Ezekiel 38:3,4: “Behold, I am against you,
O Gog, the prince of ROSH, Meshech, and
Tubal. I will turn you around (toward
Israel), put hooks into your jaws, and lead
you out (to Israel).”
Ezekiel 38:13: “SHEBA, DEDAN (the Arabian States,
who presently allied with the West, and whose own
existence would be threatened by Russia and Iran
taking control of the Middle-East) the Merchants of
TARSHISH (WESTERN EUROPE, especially the UK.
These were nations the seafaring Phoenicians traded
with to the far west of the known world, including
Spain and the British Isles), and ALL their young
LIONS (their historic Colonies, including the USA,
Australia, Canada and the Commonwealth) 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?”
It is interesting and amazing that
these protesting nations also are
currently aligned exactly as Ezekiel’s
Prophecy requires, implying that the
conditions are ripe and the time is
near!
WHAT does God do, and HOW does He do it?
Ezekiel 38:14-16: “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? 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.
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 sanctified in you, O Gog, before
their eyes.”
*WHAT does God do? He will judge and destroy
these armies:
Ezekiel 38:17: “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?”
The answer to this question is NO!
Therefore God declares:
Ezekiel 38:18: “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
(against Gog and his armies) will
show in My Face.”
*HOW will God destroy them? He uses 3
Weapons, which include orchestrating the
forces of nature against the invaders.
These are all Weapons He has used
before in Old Testament times, but never
on this scale and never all together. This
will be one of the greatest and most
dramatic Divine Interventions in all
history!
(1) By a GREAT EARTHQUAKE:
Ezekiel 38:19,20: “For in My jealousy (to protect Israel)
and in the fire of My wrath I have spoken: Surely IN
THAT DAY (of the Invasion) there shall be a GREAT
EARTHQUAKE in the Land of Israel, so that the fish of
the sea, the birds of the air, 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.”
(2) By CIVIL WAR, infighting, confusion and
friendly fire:
Ezekiel 38:21: “I will call for a sword against
Gog throughout all My mountains, says the
Lord GOD. Every man’s sword will be against
his brother.”
(3) By PESTILENCE, BLOOD, FLOODS,
HAILSTONES, FIRE and BRIMSTONE:
Ezekiel 38:22: “And I will bring him
to Judgement with Pestilence
(Plague) 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.”
Ezekiel 38:23: “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.”
*This will give believers a wonderful
opportunity to preach the Gospel and
bring people (especially Muslims) to faith
in Christ.
Ezekiel 39:1,2: “Son of man, prophesy
against Gog, and say, Thus says the Lord
GOD: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the
Prince of Rosh (RUSSIA), Meshech, and
Tubal; and I will turn you around and lead
you on, bringing you up from the FAR
NORTH, and bring you against the
mountains of Israel.”
Ezekiel 39:3: “Then I will knock the bow out of
your left hand, and cause the arrows to fall out
of your right hand.”
Ezekiel 39:4,5: “You shall fall upon the
mountains of Israel, you and ALL your troops
and the peoples who are with you;
I will give you to birds of prey of every sort and
to the beasts of the field to be devoured. You
shall fall on the open field; for I have spoken,”
says the Lord GOD.”
Ezekiel 39:6: “I will send FIRE on
Magog (Russia) and on those who live
in security in the Coast-lands. Then
they shall know that I am the Lord.”
The result will be a revival of faith,
both in Israel and the nations:
Ezekiel 39:7,8: “So I will make My holy
Name known in the midst of My people
Israel, and I will not let them profane My
Holy Name anymore. Then the nations will
know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in
Israel. Surely it is coming, and it shall be
done, says the Lord God. This is the day of
which I have spoken.”
*After the Invasion, 7 YEARS are
needed for Israel to dismantle and
destroy the enemy weapons:
Ezekiel 39:9,10: “Then those who dwell in the
Cities of Israel will go out and set on fire and
burn the weapons, both the shields and
bucklers, the bows and arrows, the javelins and
spears; and they will make fires with them for 7
YEARS. They will not take wood from the field
nor cut down any from the forests, because
they will make fires with the weapons; and they
will plunder those who plundered them, and
pillage those who pillaged them.”
*7 Months are taken by the whole
population to bury the dead:
Ezekiel 39:11-13: “It will come to pass in that
day, that I will give Gog a burial place there in
Israel, the Valley of those who pass by east of
the Sea; and it will obstruct travellers, because
there they will bury Gog and all his multitude.
Therefore they will call it the Valley of Hamon
Gog (‘the Multitude of Gog’).
For 7 MONTHS the house of Israel will
be burying them, in order to cleanse
the Land. Indeed all the people of the
Land will be burying, and they will
gain renown for it on the day that I
am glorified,” says the Lord GOD.”
Ezekiel 39:14-16: “They will set apart men regularly
employed, with the help of a search party, to pass
through the Land and bury those bodies remaining on
the ground, in order to cleanse it. At the end of 7
MONTHS they will make a search.
The search party will pass through the land; and when
anyone sees a man’s bone, he shall set up a marker
by it, till the buriers have buried it in the Valley of
Hamon Gog. The name of the City will also be
Hamonah. Thus they shall cleanse the Land.”
WHEN will this Invasion happen?
Let us consider the possibilities:
1. After the Millennium? Some say it
is the War recorded in Revelation
20:7-9, because ‘Gog and Magog’ are
mentioned again. However, this is
impossible. Nothing else matches up.
2. At Armageddon, at the end of the
Tribulation?
3. At Mid-Tribulation?
In view of the 7 YEAR clear-up, it must happen
at least 7 years before the Return of Christ.
There are only 2 possibilities:
1. It must either be very early on in the 7 YEAR
Tribulation or
2. BEFORE the Tribulation begins (that is, near
the end of the Church-Age), even a number of
years before the Tribulation.
I believe that God has kept both
possibilities open to us, in order
to preserve the doctrine of
IMMANENCY, that is, we must live as
if the Lord could come in the Rapture
at any time.
However, we have shown that there is
nothing in the various descriptions of
Israel and the nations that is not true
today.
In my opinion, this is the most likely
scenario, and that is why I am sharing this
message with you, so that you will be
ready when this happens to lead people
to the Lord from Ezekiel 38,39.
A POSSIBLE SCENARIO:
Russia invades Israel and God
moves quickly to judge the invading
nations. As a result of this Divine
Intervention many in the nations will
turn to God. There will be a great
opportunity for the Church to reap a
final harvest before the Rapture.
With Russia destroyed there will be a
power-vacuum, which will be filled by
the rise of Revived Rome (the united
European Powers), of which the
antichrist will eventually take the
leadership.
Islam will also have suffered a great
blow, with its most fundamentalist
nations sharing in this Judgement.
The great Earthquake (38:19) will
probably destroy the Dome of the
Rock (which presently occupies the
Site of the Temple).
In Israel, this Divine Intervention will
revive faith in her God, and
strengthen moves to rebuild her
Temple, especially with the Islamic
opposition (supported by Russia’s
military might) greatly weakened.
Soon, she will be able to do this with
Revived Rome’s support, through her
covenant with antichrist (Daniel 9:27,
see also Matthew 24:15,
2Thessalonians 2:3,4, Revelation
11:1-2).
Conclusion:
The Judgement of Ezekiel 38 will
demonstrate to the world that God
has not finished with Israel, for He is
the God of Israel, and will judge all
nations who curse Israel and come
against Israel. Watch and pray for
this event could happen any time
now!