The Final Conflict

“Set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal … Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them … Gomer … the house of Togarmah of the north quarters” (Ezekiel 38:1-6).

Ezekiel was an Israelite captive in Babylon, taken during the large captivity at the close of the three-month reign of Jehoiachin. Ezekiel’s first prophecy commenced in the fifth year of that captivity (Ezekiel 1:2). The first seven chapters of Ezekiel were registered in the same year, and chapter eight in the year following year six (Ezekiel 8:1). Ezekiel 20:1 begins in the seventh year of that captivity. Those chapters, the first half of Ezekiel, discuss the waywardness of Israel.

Chapter 24 takes us to the ninth year, when Nebuchadnezzar commenced his campaign against Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, because Zedekiah reneged on his promises of subordination to Babylon.

Thereafter, from chapter 25 forward, Ezekiel’s prophecies are against other nations that Babylon would also subdue. Ezekiel 25:2 specifies the Ammonites. Ezekiel 26:1, two years later, specifies Tyrus, and this continues for three chapters through Ezekiel 28.

Ezekiel 29:2 begins a prophecy against Egypt. Ezekiel 30:4-6 continues about Egypt, adding Ethiopia, Libya, and Lydia (Put and Lud, RVIC) and again specifies that Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon would be God’s agency for judgment against Egypt (Ezekiel 30:10). Egypt and its neighbors continue to be the subject through chapters 30, 31, and 32. Egypt would be brought low as Asshur, Elam, Meshech, Tubal, Edom, and Zidon had been (Ezekiel 32:22, 24, 26, 29, 30).

Israel Again

Thereafter, Ezekiel turns his attention back to Israel in Ezekiel 33. Israel remains the subject thereafter, though Mount Seir is added in Ezekiel 35. This is related to the subject of Israel, because they had “shed the blood of the children of Israel … in the time of their calamity” (Ezekiel 35:5).

Then, beginning with Ezekiel 36, and continuing to the close of the book, the prophecies of Ezekiel are increasingly about blessing Israel after the previous judgments had run their course. “O mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people of Israel. … I am for you, and I will turn unto you, and ye shall be tilled and sown: and I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, even all of it, and the cities shall be inhabited, and the wastes shall be builded … and ye shall know that I am Jehovah” (Ezekiel 36:8-11).

This blessing was bestowed on Israel after the Babylonian captivity, when King Cyrus of Persia freed Israel to return to their land. However, in the larger picture, the blessings in these prophecies apply even more wonderfully to Israel’s return from the Roman diaspora. We are living in that time today, when the fuller and grander restoration of Israel is occurring.

Ezekiel 37

Ezekiel 37 is a famous chapter about the restoration of Israel that has had a wonderful fulfillment in modern times. The bones scattered in the valley, “very many in the open valley … were very dry,” representing the dissolution of Israel as a unified state for so long.

Then follow four stages of Israel’s recovery. The bones are rejoined, sinews come upon the bones, muscles cover that, and at last skin appears to complete the restoration of the body. One thing remains — there is no life, no breath of faith. That would come from the four winds.

“As I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. (8) And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them. (9) … Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live” (Ezekiel 37:7-9).

Notice the four steps in this vision of recovery — bones, sinews, muscles, flesh.

From 1878, when Israel began to resettle the land of promise, four waves of activity have marked their restoration as a nation. (1) The Berlin Congress of Nations in 1878 allowed citizens of the Ottoman Empire equal application of law, thus permitting Jewish citizens the opportunity to purchase land and settle there. (2) The first Zionist Congress convened under Theodore Herzl in 1897. (3) The Balfour Declaration of 1917 affirmed that England, which had recently taken control of Israel from the Ottomans, intended to make of the land a national homeland for the Jewish people. (4) National independence for Israel followed in May of 1948.

The breath of living faith is still absent. It does seem that the faith structure of Israel is improving. The early governments were of course political, but not religious, though David Ben Gurion evidently did regard himself as a believer in God. Today the government is composed more and more of leaders who do express faith in God. Nationally, we await the real resurgence of faith when Israel collectively looks “unto him whom they pierced,” and comes to full acceptance of Messiah (Zechariah 12:10).

The “four winds” of Revelation 7:1-3 are held back until the saints are sealed in their foreheads. This is sometimes interpreted variously. It is our view that this refers to a time when the saints are completed and, as with Elijah, prepared to be taken to glory during a symbolic whirlwind of trouble closing the harvest. However, it is noteworthy that respecting Israel, there are four national winds of war that culminate in the restoration of full faith — 1948, 1967, 1973, and the time of Ezekiel 38.

Four Wars of Assyria

In a previous article, mention was made of Israel’s deliverance from the Assyrian king Sennacherib, in the days of Hezekiah, as symbolic of Israel’s final deliverance, yet pending. It is interesting that the scriptures refer to four kings of Assyria in conflict against Israel, the fourth and last of which was Sennacherib. The four kings were Tiglathpileser, Shalmaneser, Sargon, and Sennacherib.

These four kings, and their respective efforts against Israel, are referred to by the prophet Joel, as four waves of invading pests sweeping through Israel. “That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpiller eaten” (Joel 1:4). The same is repeated in Joel 2:25. “I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.” The fourth wave was fulfilled by Sennacherib, from which God delivered Israel by a miracle, a deliverance in which Israel was not required to fight.

Ezekiel 38

The final invasion of Israel, from which God delivers them, apparently occurs at the close of the harvest and the introduction to the Kingdom.

Ezekiel 38:2 — “Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, (3) And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: (4) 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 with them; all of them with shield and helmet: (6) Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee.”

The names in bold sum to six enemies against Israel, an appropriate number for the evil deed attempted by the adversary. Gog is commonly identified with Russia, which, as verse 15 says, comes “from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee … a mighty army.”

Perhaps Meshech is a link to Moscow, and Tubal to the River Tobolsk. This is interpretive. If this connection is meaningful, then it would support connecting Gog with Russia.

Persia today is Iran. The Hebrew word for Ethiopia is Cush, and likely refers to Yemen, where the Houthi rebels, confederate with Iran, are even today involved in hostilities incident to Israel. Libya has been in disarray since the fall of Gaddafi, but is ruled by Islamic forces that are not friendly to Israel. Gomer may be linked to Germany, which, in turn, is a de facto leader of Western Europe. This connection seems likely, for old Christendom is included in the coalition of Dragon (political), Beast (Papacy), and False Prophet (also religious), which “go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty … into a place called … Armageddon” (Revelation 16:13-16).

In addition, Revelation 14:20 speaks of the winepress, where the “vine of the earth,” Christendom, meets defeat “without the city.” How can Christendom be trodden down outside of Christendom? Perhaps by being gathered to Israel in its last conflict. That would also accord with Joel 3:2,11-16, where the nations gather to “the valley of Jehoshaphat,” reminding us of Israel. That is where the “the press is full, the fats overflow” — the winepress is trodden.

If Western Europe is involved in this coalition, as it appears to be, then this will take time to develop. For presently Germany is at odds with Russia concerning Ukraine. That disparity will take time to resolve.

Togarmah is often connected to Turkey. This seems likely to us, for Turkey has become less friendly toward Israel in recent decades, and is connected to Germany through NATO. A suggestion in recent times is that Togarmah may connect to China. This seems less likely to us. However, if that connection is intended, that would supplement the power of the coalition against Israel.

The Other Side

Ezekiel 38:13 speaks of another coalition, one not favorable to the attackers. “Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee [the invading host], 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?”

There is no indication that these nations intervene, other than to object. Our suggestions: Sheba and Dedan connect with Saudi Arabia, which is not sympathetic with Iran, one Sunni, the other Shiite. Tarshish is perhaps England, the old British lion. If so, then the “young lions,” her offspring, are perhaps Canada, the US, and Australia. If this is correct, we note that England did separate from the European Union with a Brexit vote in 2016, and a departure in 2020. We will see what the years hold.