This vision is addressed to satan [gog] and to the geographical location from where he will invade a regathered Israel through his angelic and human agents [the angelic king of the abyss and the human little horn and his followers] at the time of the end of this present age. [
Ezekiel 38; 39]
The ancient names used are the immediate post flood habitations reflecting original land settlements in the Middle east proper. Ethnic lineage is not the significance, but the land locations are to be recognized since today's Middle East has been mixed and the original inhabitants have migrated far and wide across the earth.
The geographical area in view includes the following segments of the Middle East:
The far north from Asia Minor [Turkey] in the west stretching across the northern borders just south of the Caucasus divide. [Gomer and Togarmah]
The central core from the Mediterranean sea board to the borders of India [Put, Cush, and Persia]. These areas include Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. The center of this land area was the ancient land of Magog and his brothers and is north central Iraq today.
Ezekiel records the initial invasion of Israel by the little horn king of the north just before midweek. He then records the resulting battle of Armageddon which will take place at the end of the week. [the invasion:
Ezekiel 38:1-17, 39:1-2] [the battle of Armageddon:
Ezekiel 38:18-23, 39:3-29]
Zechariah also records the same including the invasion of the surrounding nations in the Middle East and the Lord's return to defeat Israel's enemies, restore the Kingdom to Israel, and establish His personal rule over the earth for 1,000 years. [the invasion:
Zechariah 12:2-9, 13:8-9; 14:1-2, 14:4-5] [the battle of Armageddon:
Zechariah 14:3, 14:12-15] [the Kingdom:
Zechariah 14:8-11; 14:16]
Psalms 83 has the same picture and identifies Israel's immediate neighbors as the enemies and their confederacy. It also should be noted that Assur is the supporter of their intentions. Assur was the early pioneer of the ancient Assyrian Empire whose core cities were located in the northern sector of the Middle East. [
Genesis 10:10-11]
Israel's position in the land of Israel upon their return is and will be one of protection and permanency. The Lord is keeping them there for His purposes. This is the case today even though the nation has been attacked many times by surrounding enemies .... the nation will not be moved until the Lord allows. The Lord is protecting them and Satan [gog] knows it. [
Ezekiel 38:11-12; 38:14]
The Lord addresses satan as "gog" who is the ruler of the beast from the abyss and the little horn, human king of the north. It is satan who then again will deceive and foment a human rebellion at the end of the Lord's millennial Kingdom 1,000 + years later.
Gog is not a human. The terms "gog" and "magog" are used again, but symbolically, to identify satan and the nations that he will deceive at the end of the Lord's millennial Kingdom. [
Revelation 9:11; 13:4; 17:8-14;
Ezekiel 38:2; 39:1;
Daniel 7:8-11; 7:17-21; 7:24-26; 8:9-12; 8:23-25;
Revelation 20:7]
The land of Magog noted is the geographical area of the original ancient habitations of Magog and his brothers in the northern Middle East, not Russia or some other European location. There were later migrations out of the Middle East, but these extensions are not part of the vision. The ancient names are used to ID the geographical location of gog's human forces at the time of the end. [
Ezekiel 38:2-7]
The little horn's related actions are also recorded in
Daniel 11:36-45. He will rise in the northern Middle East, unite the Middle East by forming alliances (as noted in
Ezekiel 38:4-9) and by conquest [
Daniel 11:39-43], and he will invade and conquer Israel by the middle of the 70th week decreed. [
Ezekiel 38:8-12;
Daniel 11:41,45;
Daniel 12:7]
At the same time forces from the far east and far north will challenge his ambitions [
Daniel 11:44]. He will quickly vanquish his opposers and then he will then rule over the Middle East and Israel for 42 months. [
Revelation 11:2; 12:14; 13:5]
This will position him for his ambition to gain control of the world. Mystery Babylon's "great city" and related fall of western financial and economic influence with the ability to oppose him militarily will have already been destroyed early at the very beginning of the coming tribulation period. [
Revelation 8:7-12; 17:16-18; 18:1-24]
Most of the rest of the nations of significance that are left will join and follow his quest for world rule because of a common bondage which I believe is the religion of Islam.
The Lord will turn on him, his kingdom [dominion], and followers at the end of his 42month rule and will destroy them within 30 days. This will involve the judgment of the 7th trumpet sounding of His wrath and end with the battle of Armageddon. [
Ezekiel 38:18-23; 39:3-29;
Revelation 14:9-20; 16:1-21; 17:14; 19:11-21]
Satan, the little horn [controlled by satan's beast from the abyss], and satan's false prophet will gather the military forces primarily from the near east [east of the Middle East proper] and including his own Middle Eastern forces; and he will be challenged by the Lord at Armageddon. The near east forces will transverse the dry Euphrates River bed from the Persian Gulf to reach the battle area north of Israel. [
Revelation 16:12-14; 17:14; 19:19]
The Lord will destroy the little horn, the human armies under his command, his kingdom and followers, and will cast the satan's beast and the false prophet who are both fallen angelics into the lake of fire. Satan [gog] will be captured, cast into the abyss and kept there for 1,000 years. [
Revelation 19:19-21; 20:1-3]
Linear Mode
