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Ezekiel 39
Audio Link: https://whengogcomes.com/audio/07-ezekiel-39-wgc.mp3
Here is the finale grande for the four chapter prophecy that started in Ezekiel 36. It’s also where we see the one event that knocks down our civilization:
Here are some of the interesting points that you'll be introduced to:
The Solar Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP)
Gog and Magog are reluctant to invade.
Ezekiel's Fire will protect a newly Christian Israel from being corrupted by the Carnal Church.
If that's real wood, we're in REAL trouble!
The Valley of Hamon Gog
A setback for Satan and a victory for our Lord.
Gog is NOT the Antichrist.
However, the point that we need to reinforce here is that the chapter division between chapter 38 and chapter 39 is artificial and was not inspired by God. And, we know that Ezekiel 39 is a continuation of 38, because it starts with ‘and’. It also speaks of Gog without additional identifiers, indicating that this is the same Gog as in the previous chapter. Also, notice that Ezekiel 39 confirms what happens in chapter 38 and adds important detail. Ezekiel 39 also connects directly with Ezekiel 36:31, which is God’s objective:
31 Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good; and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities and your abominations.
– Ezekiel 36:31 (NKJV)
However, we will not see the parallel to that verse, until we get to Ezekiel 39:7. Only then will the children of Jacob embrace the One True God as their own.
Please remember that this is God’s objective for us – for everyone. WE need to see how we have been evil and committed actions that were not good. WE need to loathe ourselves for our terrible behavior. THIS is for EVERYONE who wishes to be a child of God. If you want God to rescue you from your current situation, you also need to be at Ezekiel 36:31.
We Must All Loathe Ourselves
In fact, when you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, if you did NOT loathe yourself in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations…
…you just aren’t saved.
I hope that you understand this, because it’s important. If you aren’t sorry from the bottom of your wretched heart for how terrible and awful you were – and are – I suggest that you search your heart to see if you are really saved.
But, let me take this a step further.
If you do not loathe yourself RIGHT NOW for the sins you still commit, then I suggest that you have an eternal problem. In this filthy, evil society in which we live, it is easy for any of us to be lured into committing sins that are awful in the eyes of God.
Let’s also not forget that a righteous person mourns and is grieved by the sins of a society that has turned towards evil. It should grieve us that our families, our neighbors and our communities are so wretched and sinful. It should grieve us that our churches and our pastors are so sinful. It should grieve us that our nation claims God on our money, but corrupts the world with awful movies and pornography.
Here’s an example of how every Christian needs to feel:
7 and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked 8 (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)—
– 2 Peter 2:7-8 (NKJV)
When Jerusalem was about to go into captivity for her iniquities and abominations, God said this to a very special angel:
4 and the Lord said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.”
– Ezekiel 9:4 (NKJV)
Is your righteous soul vexed by the unlawful deeds of our society?
Do you sigh and cry for all the abominations that are being done by our fellow citizens?
If not, then you might have a problem. A righteous man or woman should be grieved over the evils of this society. If you are not, then you might be caught in the grip of sin. So please search your heart and repent of the sin that you find there – before it is too late.
The Solar EMP
Okay, let’s begin Ezekiel 39.
1 “And you, son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal; 2 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. 3 Then I will knock the bow out of your left hand, and cause the arrows to fall out of your right hand.
– Ezekiel 39:1-3 (NKJV)
Notice also what happens to Gog:
I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
That is a very interesting phrase.
What could these arrows be?
Well Israel has a missile system called:
The Arrow
They use it for shooting down other arro… I mean …other missiles.
But, how could a bow be smitten out of Gog’s left hand, and his arrows fall out of his right hand?
Well, we have a verse from Zechariah 12 that also gives us a clue:
4 In that day,” says the Lord, “I will strike every horse with confusion, and its rider with madness; I will open My eyes on the house of Judah, and will strike every horse of the peoples with blindness.
– Zechariah 12:4 (KJV)
When we get to Zechariah 12, it will be clear that Zechariah is talking about the exact same moment in time. It will also be clear – once you see the evidence – that we will be talking about a solar event so enormous that it will bring with it an Electromagnetic Pulse – or, EMP – that will destroy the electronics of the missiles and missile launchers in this army. Yes, I know that most solar flares do not normally produce an EMP that would knock out vehicles, but this will not be anything like a normal solar flare.
In fact, there is evidence to indicate that this will be a nova event.
But, I am getting ahead of myself.
Gog And Magog Reluctant To Invade
Now, let me ask you another question:
Did you see Gog’s reluctance to do this invasion in Ezekiel 38:4?
Yeah, me too. Gog wouldn’t need hooks to draw him down, if he was enthusiastic about invading Israel. But, God inexorably draws Gog and Magog to the mountains of Israel, and He repeats this in verse two, when God says that He will turn this army around and draw it down (or, ‘up’) from the far north.
Interesting thought, no?
The Destruction Of Gog And Magog – And Why It Is A Micronova
Next verse.
4 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. 5 You shall fall on the open field; for I have spoken,” says the Lord God.
– Ezekiel 39:4-5 (NKJV)
That was very similar to what chapter 38 said, but this next verse is where the title of my book, Ezekiel’s Fire, comes from:
6 “And I will send fire on Magog and on those who live in security in the coastlands. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.
– Ezekiel 39:6 (NKJV)
TRANSLATION NOTE: The word, ‘coastlands’ is incorrect. The word is האיים (hah-ee-yeem), 'the islands'!
I could have just as easily called Ezekiel’s Fire by a different name, such as Zechariah’s Horses or Isaiah’s Sun, but these four chapters in Ezekiel – this Ezekiel Tetrad – are so powerful that it was more appropriate to talk about fire.
Now, here’s a question:
How do we know that this is a solar event like a small nova event - a micronova - and not some other kind of fire?
Well, Isaiah 30:26 makes it clear that God is using our sun, but let’s assume that we haven’t read Isaiah yet and concentrate on figuring this out, by what we find in Ezekiel 39.
First of all, we should ask ourselves this question:
Does God use the natural elements of the Universe to perform His miracles?
Yes, He does. He does this throughout the Bible:
- God used the forces of nature to flood the Earth, in the time of Noah – the first gigantic, global earthquake. (And, probably also a nova event)
- Moses stretched out his rod over Egypt and a wind brought a plague of locusts (Exodus 10).
- Exodus speaks of a wind being used to part the Red Sea (Exodus 14:21).
- God came down and was born as we all were, so that He could die on a cross for our sins.
I believe that it would be irresponsible to assume that this Fire upon Gog and Magog was not natural in some way. Just waving our hands at Ezekiel 39:6 and saying that it will just be a miracle is an irresponsible way of handling this. And, none of you are irresponsible.
So, let’s figure out what natural force this ‘fire’ could be. Here are our options:
- Meteors or Comets
- Solar Cataclysm
- Lots and lots of lightning
I can’t think of anything else that falls out of the sky that could seem like fire and could be both ‘natural’ and attributed to God.
A meteor or comet strike might look a lot like fire coming out of the sky. And, if a lot of them hit the Earth, it would be REALLY impressive. And, we’ve had some very close shaves by asteroids. But, if this ‘fire’ was a meteor swarm hitting the earth, it would need to be a pretty massive swarm, and there would need to be lots of these meteors – because they would be hitting earth in a lot more places than just the land of Magog. And, if this were going to be more than just a symbolic fire coming down from heaven, they would need to be big enough to do real damage and enough of them to cause widespread catastrophe.
It would be pretty miraculous to have a swarm of space rocks hit us all at once and do so much damage. And frankly, I would prefer massive meteor strikes over a solar flare.
Why?
Destroying our electricity and electronics would do more damage to our civilization than a massive swarm of meteors.
We could rebuild a high tech society if we had enough of our custom-built power station transformers still working. We would have a better chance of repairing the external damage to electricity generators, and we would also have more equipment available to help rebuild our power grid. But, a massive, global geomagnetic event caused by a micronova would fry these transformers and all our electronics from the inside out.
But, a really big swarm of large meteors would certainly be impressive. If there were enough of them, and if they were big enough, the nations hit by them would feel like they had been judged by God. However, as I said before, we have other parts of the Bible that point us away from meteor showers.
I also mentioned ‘lots and lots of lightning’. Lightning is dangerous, and if it hits you… well …you won’t feel very good. And, if enough lightning hits enough people and vehicles and power lines and power stations, there would be trouble.
But, do you really think that ‘lots and lots of lightning’ is what God is speaking of here?
God is angry, and He is going to judge this vast army. He’s also going to judge the nations that sent this army, and as well as the nations who stood by and did nothing. So, it’s doubtful that there’s just ‘lots and lots of lightning’. But, lightning probably would occur with a solar flare of this size. Just remember that there would need to be something that would cause this lightning to occur.
Isaiah’s Sun Is Ezekiel’s Fire – Definitely A Micronova
Since, meteor strikes and lots of lightning do not adequately describe this event, we really need to consider the sun as the source of this fire that God strikes the Earth with. And, since Isaiah 30 talks about the same moment in time as Ezekiel 38 and 39, we can look at Isaiah 30:25-26:
25 There will be on every high mountain
And on every high hill
Rivers and streams of waters,
In the day of the great slaughter,
When the towers fall.
26 Moreover the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun,
And the light of the sun will be sevenfold,
As the light of seven days,
In the day that the Lord binds up the bruise of His people
And heals the stroke of their wound.
– Isaiah 30:25-26 (NKJV)
Sorry. But, THAT is a nova event - a micronova. There can be no other explanation. And, since the context is the salvation of the Children of Jacob, we are stuck with this explanation – even though the implications are unsettling.
Also, we have identified a direct connection between big solar events and earthquakes. At the moment, we are still doing research into the link between the sun and some of the earthquakes that we have seen. Most of the evidence is statistical, but the scientific explanation behind this correlation makes way too much sense to ignore.
Again, I would prefer to get hit from space by lots and lots of rocks – or merely lots of lightning. Our civilization could survive such events. But, meteors and lightning would not make the Moon as bright as the Sun. Only a micronova could do that.
And, since our civilization will be knocked flat, the effects of this solar event will provide Israel with enough breathing room to grow spiritually – unhindered by the corrupting influence of the rest of the world. That corrupting influence will eventually reach Israel, but only years later – after the world has struggled back from the devastation of this micronova.
The Eighth Head Of The Beast Of Revelation
Oh, and just because I say that this is where our civilization ends, that doesn’t mean that nothing replaces it. If I am right that the seventh head of the beast of Revelation 13 is our current civilization, then a high tech society much like our own will return. But, it won't be a good thing.
It appears to me that Ezekiel's Fire is what causes the mortal wound, here:
And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast.
- Revelation 13:3 (NKJV)
Some popular Bible teachers have claimed that this verse refers to an assassination attempt against the Antichrist himself. However, we don't have any other passages in the Bible that back up this claim. But, we do have the many passages that point directly to our civilization being destroyed. And, it sounds far, far more plausible that the Antichrist, with the power of the Red Dragon, revives our civilization, turning it into the eighth head of this beast. But, I can't be dogmatic about this, since Revelation 17 also says this:
9 “Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. 10 There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time. 11 The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition.
- Revelation 17:9-11 (NKJV)
Those three verses may - or may not - mean that I'm wrong about my interpretation of the seventh and eighth head of The Beast. And, the last thing that I want to do is corrupt your understanding of Revelation. But, one thing is for sure, there will be a new, sufficiently high tech civilization that will rise and replace the one destroyed by Ezekiel's Fire. And, our civilization will deserve the destruction we receive.
Think of the spiritual corruption within our churches. Our sinfulness is literally begging for such a calamity. We have truly sinned against God, and this micronova would be a just consequence for those sins.
Protecting Newly Christian Israel From The Carnal Church
And, let me take this thought a bit further:
Can you imagine what would happen to Israel if every Israeli immediately, right now, accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior?
Israel would be deluged by every corrupt pastor on the planet, looking to get involved in ‘guiding’ this nation of new Christians. The Benny Hinns and Joel Osteens of this world would just jump at the chance to take over and corrupt these new Christians before they had a chance to grow.
The American church has become filthy and obscene. Half of American pastors are addicted to pornography. Christians are murdering their unborn children almost as often as non-Christians. Christians engage in sex before marriage, and their marriages are ending in divorce almost as frequently as those who are not Christian. And, the amount of adultery in our churches is horrifying.
And, when you think of the Catholics, the Greek Orthodox and all the others…
…well, it would be a chaos of the cults.
Then, think of the New World Order wanting to come in and snuff out this new Christian movement. Every multimedia empire would love to grab a hold of this tiny country and twist it to their own ends. Multinational companies and organizations would want to grab the profit opportunities. Oh, and think of the World Bank and other NGOs that would want to ‘help’ with the cleanup effort if the damage from Gog and Magog were limited to just Israel. They all would love to further enslave Israel under mountains of debt.
No, I believe that this fire that comes from our sun will knock back the New World Order and protect Israel from corrupt Christians and corrupt politicians who would poison what God is doing in Israel. I believe that it is the number one reason why this must be a global catastrophe, and not something confined to the Middle East.
Yes, billions will die, but Israel would be saved.
Some Big Islands?
Now, I noted that ‘coastlands’ in verse six is yet another translation corruption. The Hebrew word is האיים (pronounced ha-ee-yeem), and it means the islands!! It does NOT mean ‘the coastlands’. ‘Coastlands’ – or coastal areas – is שטחי החוף (pronounced sh-tach-ay ha-chofe, ch as in Bach). The Hebrew word for island is so basic and simple that any translator should know it, which means that there was a deliberate choice in this corruption.
However, now that I’ve vented my outrage, there’s an interesting reason why God might have told Ezekiel to use the word for ‘islands’. Look at a map of the Earth sometime. A lot of the continents on that map look really similar to extremely large islands. Africa, the Americas and Australia all look like really big islands. And, in between, there are lots and lots of small islands, too. I cannot be dogmatic about this, but it is one explanation.
God will send fire upon the islands, big and small.
But, let’s move on.
The Salvation Of Jacob
Here is where we see the final conclusion of Ezekiel 36:
7 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 shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel.
– Ezekiel 39:7 (NKJV)
Yup. After a fantastic solar event that conforms directly to prophecy, people will know that God is who He says He is. And, when God says:
And my holy name will I make known in the midst of my people Israel
What does that mean?
Well, let me ask you this:
What happened to you, when God made Himself known to you?
That’s right. You accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior. To put it another way:
You got saved.
Ezekiel 39:7 is giving us another perspective of this salvation verse:
31 Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good; and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities and your abominations.
– Ezekiel 36:31 (NKJV)
Again, if that wasn’t your experience when you were saved, then I would have to ask if your salvation was real. If you have not recognized your sins and confessed them before God and were not sorry for them… then I am worried that your conversion was not real. And yes, this is so important that it's worth extra emphasis.
We were vile and evil sinners, destined for Hell, before we were saved. And, there is no salvation without an acknowledgement of that important fact. We were dead in our sins, and then God gave us life through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. We needed a sacrifice to pay for our sins, and we needed the blood of that sacrifice to cleanse us of those sins. And, because He loved us, Jesus became that sacrifice.
My true hope is that you have acknowledged your sins, repented and accepted the sacrifice of Jesus for you.
Unfortunately, we will continue to sin, even as Christians - just far less often. None of us are able to live completely and utterly without sin. We are all flawed Christians in need of forgiveness. And, God has promised to forgive us as we repent and turn away from our unrighteousness, bringing our sins before Him.
God Confirms That This Is Coming
And, for those who doubt that this prophecy will be fulfilled, God has something to say about such doubts in this next verse in Ezekiel 39:
8 Surely it is coming, and it shall be done,” says the Lord God. “This is the day of which I have spoken.
– Ezekiel 39:8 (NKJV)
God spoke about this moment in time, through many prophets. And, this fulfillment of prophecy will be astounding.
The Aftermath Of Gog And Magog
Now, the next two verses pose some interesting questions for us:
9 “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 seven years. 10 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,” says the Lord God.
– Ezekiel 39:9-10 (NKJV)
It is going to take SEVEN YEARS for Israel to clean up the area where this great destruction occurred. Think about that for a second.
The current population of the Land of Israel – Israel, West Bank and Gaza – currently numbers about 14 million people.
With all the modern construction equipment and industrial capacity in Israel today, how long would it take for Israel to clean up from this invasion?
Certainly not seven years. Unless, there was something that had damaged that capacity. Like… oh …the biggest solar event in 5000 years, that knocks out the tractors and other equipment that you would normally use in such a cleanup.
That’s right. What takes out Gog and Magog, appears to also take out the electrical and petrochemical infrastructure of Israel. Like everyone else, Israel will need to rebuild right along with the rest of the world.
The other thing that will happen is that Israel will use the massive amount of metal and fuel that this army brought with them, for their own use. Tanks, armored personnel carriers, mobile artillery, and rocket launchers will have brought with them lots and lots of tanker trucks full of lots and lots of fuel. So, all those fuel trucks will be taken by Israel for their own use – to help them recover from this great cataclysm.
If That's Real Wood, Woe Unto Us!
However, that is assuming that I'm right about the symbolism of horses, horsemen, archers and arrows. If I'm wrong, woe unto all of us. If our world collapses to the point where we have to use horses and bows and arrows... we're in a lot worse trouble than any of us could possibly imagine.
If it's real wood that Israel is burning for those seven years, billions of people will have died long before Ezekiel's Fire occurs. There is no way that eight billion people can have enough food to eat in a horse-powered society. Horses need too much grazing land, to pull enough plows, to plow enough farmland, to feed eight billion people - at least, not in the way our civilization is currently organized.
Maybe if we collapse slowly enough, our society might have a chance to transition to a new subsistence form of agriculture. If our decline is gradual, maybe we could shrink the cities, clear more land for horses and learn to plow our fields by hand. A collapse that takes long enough, might give us enough time to adjust without the death of five or six billion people.
But, does history show us ever doing that?
Sorry, but no.
History shows that even the slowest collapse causes widespread death and destruction as nations fight to the death over scarce resources. So, I say again:
Woe unto us, if that's real wood that Israel is burning for seven years!
The Valley Of Hamon Gog
This next verse speaks of a place that will be given a new and unique name:
11 “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 travelers, because there they will bury Gog and all his multitude. Therefore they will call it the Valley of Hamon Gog.
– Ezekiel 39:11 (NKJV)
The word ‘hamon’ means ‘multitude’ and is singular. Also the Valley of Hamon Gog is described as ‘east of the sea’.
Which sea is God referring to?
The Mediterranean Sea?
No, the Sea of Galilee.
Everything in Israel is east of the Mediterranean, so saying that it’s east of the sea is like saying that the stars are far away. No, God is making a specific reference here. God reinforces that by referring to ‘the valley of those who pass by’ that is ‘east of the sea’. I suspect that this is the valley that the Yarmouk River runs through. It could also be a new valley formed after the vast volcanic eruptions on the Golan have ended.
This cannot be a valley that is east of the Dead Sea. Moving all those dead bodies, that far south, would be virtually impossible under the conditions that we are talking about. But, that hasn’t stopped some people from trying to claim that the Valley of Hamon Gog is near the Dead Sea. Only someone who does not understand the terrain of the Jordan Valley, would ever say something like that.
Gog Is Not The Antichrist
Ezekiel 39:11 is more proof that Gog cannot be the Antichrist.
Why?
Well, because of what happens to the Antichrist in Revelation 19:
19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.
– Revelation 19:19-21 (NKJV)
When Revelation says ‘cast alive’, the original Greek literally says that they will still be living and breathing when they are thrown into the Lake of Fire. They will be picked up and directly transported to Hell. The Antichrist and his ‘prophet’ will not have a grave, anywhere.
This means that Gog cannot be the Antichrist.
The Cleanup Effort
Now, just imagine the stink of the rotting bodies. What a horrible situation, and the next verses emphasize that:
12 For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them, in order to cleanse the land. 13 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. 14 “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 seven months they will make a search. 15 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. 16 The name of the city will also be Hamonah. Thus they shall cleanse the land.” ’
– Ezekiel 39:12-16 (NKJV)
And, this will be a very serious health situation. EVERYONE will need to pitch in to get these bodies buried before diseases break out and become epidemic. And, it will take everyone, because all of those labor-saving devices that we have grown used to, won’t work.
However, God sends help in verses 17 through 20:
17 “And as for you, son of man, thus says the Lord God, ‘Speak to every sort of bird and to every beast of the field:
“Assemble yourselves and come;
Gather together from all sides to My sacrificial meal
Which I am sacrificing for you,
A great sacrificial meal on the mountains of Israel,
That you may eat flesh and drink blood.
18 You shall eat the flesh of the mighty,
Drink the blood of the princes of the earth,
Of rams and lambs,
Of goats and bulls,
All of them fatlings of Bashan.
19 You shall eat fat till you are full,
And drink blood till you are drunk,
At My sacrificial meal
Which I am sacrificing for you.
20 You shall be filled at My table
With horses and riders,
With mighty men
And with all the men of war,” says the Lord God.
– Ezekiel 39:17-20 (NKJV)
Close to half a billion birds migrate north-to-south, through Israel in the fall. And, the best time to get a look at these birds is in November. And, one of the best places to see these birds is in northern Israel, where God will destroy this massive army.
Will Gog and Magog come in the fall?
Those of you who know the terrain of Israel, will understand that a large invasion in spring would be impossible. Mud and flash floods would bog down and even destroy an invasion. And, Israel could use such inhospitable conditions to defeat this army. So, Gog would definitely invade the Middle East in the summer and be defeated in Israel by the fall - just in time for the twice yearly migration of birds to help with the cleanup.
God’s Wrath Upon The Nations
Then, God explains WHY Ezekiel’s Fire was necessary, in verse 21:
21 “I will set My glory among the nations; all the nations shall see My judgment which I have executed, and My hand which I have laid on them.
– Ezekiel 39:21 (NKJV)
Now, the last few words in that verse are interesting.
…and My hand which I have laid on them.
His hand upon… THEM.
Which them?
Israel?
Well, the subject of that statement is NOT Israel. It’s the nations – or as the King James Version puts it – the Gentiles. That, my friends, is us – you and me. And yes, we really deserve this micronova that is coming – this hand of the Lord that will be laid upon us.
And WE – all of us – will see it. God will be glorified and it will be AWESOME – at least for those of us who were smart enough to prepare and survive what is coming.
Jeremiah 30 which also speaks of Jacob’s Return, describes this moment in time as a judgment upon those who harmed the Jewish people:
16 ‘Therefore all those who devour you shall be devoured;
And all your adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity;
Those who plunder you shall become plunder,
And all who prey upon you I will make a prey.
17 For I will restore health to you
And heal you of your wounds,’ says the Lord,
‘Because they called you an outcast saying:
“This is Zion;
No one seeks her.” ’
– Jeremiah 30:16-17 (NKJV)
This is why God sends Ezekiel’s Fire at the time of the coming of Gog and Magog. This is more than just a defense of Israel. This is the judgment of those who tormented the Jews. This is even a judgment upon those who claimed to be Christian, but reject God’s promise towards the Jews.
Every nation that participated in the persecution of the Jews, throughout history, will be judged. The only places that did not persecute the Jews are East Asia, Southeast Asia, India and South America. North America might be spared, but it is certain that Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia will be judged by God.
Again, the purpose of this will not be the full judgment of the nations like we see at Armageddon or at the end of the Millennium. This is a far more limited and focused punishment. This is especially not the White Throne in Revelation 20.
Israel Is Saved
Then, we see yet another connection to the salvation of Jacob in Ezekiel 36 in this verse:
22 So the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day forward.
– Ezekiel 39:22 (NKJV)
All of us and everyone will know EXACTLY what the truth is, at that moment. All the world will realize – at least for a moment in time – that Yehovah is God, and that the Bible is true. (Just like Seal Six) But, God says that Israel will know it for more than just a short time. No, Israel will know it from that day – and forever. And, that day will be the same day that Isaiah 30:26 talks about:
26 Moreover the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun,
And the light of the sun will be sevenfold,
As the light of seven days,
In the day that the Lord binds up the bruise of His people
And heals the stroke of their wound.
– Isaiah 30:26 (NKJV)
You and I naturally want to concentrate on the micronova that this verse talks about. But, God’s focus is on healing the spiritual wounds of His people. The whole world will see it, and later we will see a worldwide recognition that this was the work of God.
How The Antichrist Drags The World Back
Unfortunately, history shows that our view of this event will change over time. Just like those who doubt that the Holocaust really happened, given enough time some will start to claim that God didn't do this. They’ll say that it was just a freak solar event - or, something foolish like aliens. Satan will promote and feed these thoughts and claims until the Antichrist is ready to take the stage.
In fact, let's take a moment to investigate our tendency towards mass psychosis. It's often triggered by fear, something that we are seeing right now over the SARS-CoV-2 virus. But, there are many other factors involved as well:
Fear of Social Exclusion - Wanting to not be excluded from the 'in-crowd'.
Cognitive Dissonance - which often requires changing the past to fit the current version of reality running in someone's head.
Greed - never forget that the love of money is the root of all evil.
Inflated Self-worth - The need to feel special, that you have something that others do not have.
Sheer Gullibility - Listening to people that we like and believing them.
(and on and on...)
We could go all day about the number of reasons why billions of people believe things that cannot possibly be true. Evolution. The Big Bang. The Flat Earth. Holocaust Denial. Socialism. Stalin. Mao. Mormonism. Atheism. Hinduism. Islam. And how government is 'here to help'. They all have psychological (and sinful) reasons for why they believe the way that they do.
Our history of human insanity should convince us that the Antichrist will be more than able to twist the minds of those who do not wish to believe that the God of the Bible is real. All you need is a little time and an incentive. A few decades and the offer of cheap electricity would probably do it for almost everyone living at that time.
But, this chapter is NOT about the Antichrist, so let's get back to what will happen When Gog Comes.
The Last Six Verses
Then, the last six verses of Ezekiel 39 emphasize again the core reason for why all of this will happen:
23 The Gentiles shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity; because they were unfaithful to Me, therefore I hid My face from them. I gave them into the hand of their enemies, and they all fell by the sword. 24 According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions I have dealt with them, and hidden My face from them.” ’
25 “Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Now I will bring back the captives of Jacob, and have mercy on the whole house of Israel; and I will be jealous for My holy name— 26 after they have borne their shame, and all their unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, when they dwelt safely in their own land and no one made them afraid. 27 When I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and I am hallowed in them in the sight of many nations, 28 then they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who sent them into captivity among the nations, but also brought them back to their land, and left none of them captive any longer. 29 And I will not hide My face from them anymore; for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,’ says the Lord God.”
– Ezekiel 39:23-29 (NKJV)
Again, notice the connection with Ezekiel 36 and 37:
…I will not hide My face from them anymore…
That is salvation, the same kind of salvation described in Ezekiel 36. The same kind of salvation in Isaiah 30 and Zechariah 12 and 13. Those passages are connected to one event – the return of Jacob to God. But, the price will be Ezekiel’s Fire.
A Setback For Satan – A Victory For God
This will be an incredible moment in time. Great joy will be mixed with terrible sorrow. The world will be devastated, but God will be glorified. It will also knock back the New World Order, and the Antichrist system that is rising even as you read this. It will be a MASSIVE setback for Satan and a gigantic victory for God and His people.
However, those Christians who have not been following the command of our Lord to watch (Luke 21:36), will suffer greatly - assuming that they survive. Too many of our brothers and sisters are asleep, and there is a terrible price for that.
Comparing The Armies
Okay, now that we’ve been through Ezekiel 39, let’s see how this chapter compares with what we know about the army of the Antichrist.
Do we see a connection with either of those two armies?
Not The Army Of The Antichrist
Well, this cannot be the army led by the Antichrist, because of how limited this judgment is, by God, upon the nations – as well as the reasons for why He judges them. Unless you want to twist the Bible completely out of shape, there's no way that this can be about the coming of the Antichrist. Like chapter 38, Ezekiel 39 describes the destruction of Gog and Magog on the Mountains of Israel after God calls them down to Israel. And, it's not at all like the multiple invasions of Israel that the Antichrist makes.
If the army of the Antichrist was destroyed so quickly, how would he be able to impose a reign of terror on the world for three and a half years?
Then, we see the micronova that affects earth in verse six. The Antichrist would be toast after that. There’s no way that he could rule the world, when that happens.
Also, the Bible records what happens at the time of the destruction of Gog and Magog:
The spiritual salvation of Israel.
That is NOT what happens after the Antichrist invades Israel.
Not Armageddon
But wait, what if all that is Armageddon?
Wouldn't that fit the picture that we see in Ezekiel 39?
Nope. Not even close.
First, we have the amount of time AFTER Gog and Magog that is devoted to burying the dead bodies. It will take nine months for the initial cleanup, and that just does not fit – since the Millennium begins within hours and days of Armageddon.
And then, there's the way that the army of the Antichrist is destroyed. Jesus and the armies of heaven destroy the army of the Antichrist, capture the beast and the false prophet before casting them alive into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 19).
Does that sound ANYTHING like the description of Gog and Magog?
Of course not.
Then, in this chapter of Ezekiel, God speaks of the nations that survive Gog and Magog. After Armageddon, no nations will survive. After Armageddon, everyone who took the Mark of the Beast will be dead. The only survivors will be those too young to receive the Mark, and maybe those who - by chance - were in some far off place that was untouched by the Antichrist (if such a thing is possible). The First Resurrection and the Rapture will have taken away everyone else.
Gog Is Not The Antichrist
From all that we have seen, there is just no way that Gog can be the Antichrist – and therefore this cannot be Armageddon. Gog actually dies, and his body is buried with the rest of his army. In Revelation 19, we see that the Antichrist is NOT buried, and that he is taken directly to the Lake of Fire.
That alone is serious proof that Gog is NOT the Antichrist.
Remember also that the burden of proof is on those who wish to claim that the coming of Gog and Magog is the same as the coming of the Antichrist. All that we really need to do is show that the prophecies of the Return of Jacob do not fit in any way with the coming of the Antichrist.
But, we aren’t even close to being finished with the evidence that we have. There is a lot more to look at, and our next stop will be Zechariah, and I hope that you will be sitting down when you see what is in those chapters.
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© 2022 John Little. All rights reserved.
May God preserve the words that are true
and cast away those that are not.