Gog and Magog

We come this morning to Ezekiel chapter 38 and 39.

I encourage you to go home and read through both of these chapters in full this afternoon. But for our purposes this morning, I've selected a few portions from the text, portions that I think will give us a general sense of what's going on and of what God's primary message to His people in this section of God's Word is. So we'll begin in Ezekiel 38, verse 1. And I invite you to stand with me in honor of God's Word.

As we read it together. Ezekiel 38 verse 1. I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in full armor, a great host, all of them with buckler and shield, wielding swords.

Now let's skip down to verse 15. You will come from your place out of the uttermost parts of the north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great host, a mighty army. You will come up against my people Israel like a cloud covering the land. In their latter days, I will bring you against my land, that the nations may know me, when through you, O Gog, I vindicate my holiness before their eyes.

Now let's jump down to chapter 39 verse 3. Then I will strike your bow from your left hand and will make your arrows drop out of your right hand. You shall fall on the mountains of Israel, you and all your hordes 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 in the open field, for I have spoken, declares the Lord God. I will send fire on Magog and on those who dwell securely in the coastlands, and they shall know that I am the Lord.

And then finally verse 21. And I will set my glory among the nations, and all the nations shall see my judgment that I have executed and my hand that I have laid on them. The house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day forward. And the nations shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity, because they dealt so treacherously with me that I hid my face from them and gave them into the hand of their adversaries, and they all fell by the sword.

I dealt with them according to their uncleanness and their transgressions and hid my face from them. Therefore, thus says the Lord God, now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have mercy on the whole house of Israel. And I will be jealous for my holy name. They shall forget their shame and all the treachery they have practiced against me when they dwell securely in their land with none to make them afraid, when I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them from their enemies' lands, and through them have vindicated my holiness in the sight of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the Lord their God, because I sent them into exile among the nations and then assembled them into their own land. I will leave none of them remaining from the nations anymore, and I will not hide my face anymore from them when I pour out my spirit upon the house of Israel, declares the Lord God.

Lord, you are incredibly gracious to us. We who have dragged your name through the mud with our faithless disobedience and unbelief, our treachery, we have been forgiven and restored. We've been washed and filled with your spirit, and you promised to bring us to a point of such sanctification that there will never again be a need for you to hide your face from us. Oh, Lord, bring us to that day that we might enjoy unhindered fellowship with you forever. Please speak to us now through these words that you've inspired and preserved for us. May they encourage us. May they spur us on in faithfulness for the sake of our peace and for the sake of your glory. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

You may be seated. One of the most common objections from unbelievers to the existence of God or to the goodness of God or the power and the sovereignty of God is this. If there is a God, why do bad things happen?

The reasoning goes something like this. They say the Bible asserts that there is a God who's all powerful, who's morally perfect at all times, he's simultaneously omnipotent and just. And if he is omnipotent, then he could stop evil. If he is just, then he must stop evil. The presence of evil in the world then proves that either he's not all powerful or he's not just. So either the God of the Bible doesn't exist or if he does exist, he's just a cosmic bully or he's powerless, helpless to assist anyone.

So goes the reasoning of the world. Our text today is about God vindicating himself from the thought processes and opinions and conclusions of foolish, wicked people. Israel was God's chosen people. Of all the nations in the world, Israel was given the status of children of God with all the privileges and advantages that came with that status. But Israel had not lived up to that status.

They had squandered their privilege through rebellion against the very God who had chosen them and blessed them. But God was so faithfully committed to Israel that in spite of her infidelity, he was prepared to love her forever. He would not abandon his rebellious child no matter what. But being perfectly righteous, God could not just ignore Israel's sin, he had to deal with it. And so like a loving father, he disciplined Israel.

He raised up enemies that would come up against his people and defeat them and carry them off into exile and treat them harshly. But once they had been justly chastened for their sin, God would restore them and ensure through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that his people would never again rebel against him but would serve him and worship him and enjoy his presence for all eternity. And that was the happy ever after ending that we considered last Sunday in Ezekiel chapter 37.

But there was still some unfinished business that needed to be taken care of. You see, Israel was going to be fixed for her rebellious tendencies, but the consequences of her former rebellion was that nations who looked at Israel and saw God's favor on her and then saw Israel being unfaithful to God and then saw wicked God-hating nations like Syria and Babylon overpower Israel and take her into exile, they were left thinking that God was either not appealing enough to keep Israel faithful or not strong enough to keep Israel safe. Israel's infidelity reflected poorly on God. It left the impression that the gods of pagan nations were stronger than the God of Israel. And Yahweh, the true God, was going to have none of it.

He does not share his glory with false gods. Now we know that God was in control all along, right? We know that it was God who raised up Assyria and Babylon as his tools of chastening. Nebuchadnezzar was never in charge of Israel. God was in charge of Nebuchadnezzar and was using Nebuchadnezzar and his military to teach his beloved Israel a lesson. The Babylonians were just God's spanking rod, if you will. But the Babylonians, as did every enemy who had had some sort of success against Israel, thought differently. They thought they had actually subdued Israel and her God.

So how could God correct this misperception? How could God vindicate his glory and his holiness? He could show his superiority and glory by orchestrating a scenario in which Israel would be attacked by a far superior military force with absolutely no chance of winning. In fact, let's make this scenario such that Israel has no walls around her cities, no weapons in her hands, no military, no defenses. And let's make it so that the rest of the world is against Israel, the four corners of the earth, anyone who thinks they're stronger than God, fully armed and prepared for battle. And then God could swoop in and obliterate this undefeatable army. Israel would not have to lift a finger.

Their only job would be to clean up the mess after the battle is over. That would vindicate God once and for all and remove any doubt as to who is king of kings and Lord of lords. Well, that's exactly what God is promising to do in Ezekiel 38 and 39. God is going to raise up a mighty and terrible prince named Gog. And to not confuse God and Gog, I'm going to call God Yahweh so you can hear what I'm saying today, all right?

Gog will rally many nations together and go attack Israel. But Ezekiel 38.4 gives us a peek behind the scenes of providence. Yahweh says to Gog and his forces, I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws and I will bring you out and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in full armor, a great host, all of them with buckler and shield, wielding swords.

So Yahweh is the one who is steering Gog and his allies like a giant catfish with a hook in its mouth and Yahweh is holding the hook. Verse 10 tells us that Yahweh is even controlling the thoughts of this evil army. Verse 10, thus says the Lord God, on that day thoughts will come into your mind and you will devise an evil scheme and say, I will go up against the land of unwalled villages.

I will fall upon the quiet people who dwell securely, all of them without walls and having no bars or gates, to seize spoil and carry off plunder. So Israel, at this point in the prophetic future, is now peacefully restored to the promised land without even a thought of protecting herself because Yahweh is protecting her. But Gog and his hordes, at Yahweh's ordaining, intend to take advantage of Israel's supposed vulnerability.

But then here's the punchline. Look at verse 16. You will come up against My people Israel like a cloud covering the land.

In the latter days, I will bring you against My land. Why does Yahweh do this? That the nations may know Me when through you, O Gog, I vindicate My holiness before their eyes.

At the very moment of Gog's attack, nobody notices Gog. Instead, they notice Yahweh. Verse 22, with pestilence and bloodshed, I will enter into judgment with Gog, and I will rain upon him and his hordes and the many peoples who are with him, torrential rains and hailstones, fire and sulfur.

So I will show My greatness and My holiness and make Myself known in the eyes of many nations, then they will know that I am the Lord. He repeats the whole story again in chapter 39. He reiterates in verse 2 that it's Yahweh who is bringing Gog and his allies against Israel. Verse 3, it's Yahweh who will defeat Gog and his allies.

And why does He do this? Verse 6, so that they will know that I am the Lord. Verse 7, in My holy name I will make known in the midst of My people Israel, and I will not let My holy name be profaned anymore, and the nations shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. The rest of chapter 29 then describes how Israel will bury the dead of this once great but now defeated army of Gog.

It describes how there will be so many dead bodies that the scavengers, the birds of prey, will be drunk from all the decaying deadness that they will have consumed. It even refers to the consumption of Gog's dead army as a sacrificial feast, an act of worship that commemorates the greatness and the power and the justice and the awesomeness of Yahweh. And all of this happens to vindicate God in the eyes of Israel and in the eyes of the pagan nations. Verse 39, verse 22, the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day forward. And then verse 23, and the nations shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity because they dealt so treacherously with Me that I hid My face from them and gave them into the hand of their adversaries. God is not weaker than Assyria or Babylon or even Gog. What appeared to be the defeat of Yahweh's people was merely Yahweh correcting, sanctifying His people. Notice then how chapter 39 ends, verse 28. Then they shall know that I am the Lord their God because I sent them into exile among the nations and then assembled them into their own land.

I will leave none of them remaining among the nations anymore. I will not hide My face anymore from them when I pour out My Spirit upon the house of Israel, declares the Lord God. Every enemy of Yahweh and His people is soundly defeated. Everyone understands that Yahweh is inferior to nobody. And the people of God come to realize that they will never again have to be so much as even chastened because they will have been made perfect as the Holy Spirit is poured out on them.

It's such a thorough vindication of God and His glory that there simply are no atheists left to rail against God. Now that's a general overview of what's going on in this chapter and why it's going on, but let's dive down a little bit into the specifics of the text. And I should acknowledge that there are some uncertainties in these chapters that have led to a lot of spurious speculation and even novel interpretations. So this text gives us a good opportunity to learn an important interpretive principle to keep in mind as we study the Bible. The question I want us to wrestle with first is who is Gog and what is Magog?

Ezekiel 38 and 39 contain certain details that seem to be very historically specific, while at the same time contains details that seem to be apocalyptic, end of time sort of stuff. These chapters also contain some details that are ambiguous. The identity of Gog is uncertain. He seems to have been too big of a deal for us not to know who He is, and yet we don't know with certainty who He is. The identity of Magog is uncertain.

We don't even know if Magog is a person or a place. Ezekiel 38, 8 places these events in the latter years. Verse 16 places the events in the latter days. These designations seem to indicate the distant future, perhaps even the second coming of Christ, but it doesn't preclude a more immediate timeframe. So again, there's uncertainty. Gog and Magog are located, 38, 15 and 39, 2, in the uttermost parts of the north.

That's intriguing. Does that refer to Israel's understanding of the utter north, like Asia Minor, for instance? Or does that mean the actual utter north, the Arctic, Siberia, Scandinavia? At some points, the prophecy seems to be, speaking of geographic Israel, at other points it seems to be referring to the whole world, symbolic Israel perhaps.

So which is it, local or global? Well, it's unclear. All of these uncertainties and ambiguities, along with just the sheer intrigue of a powerful foe like Gog of the land of Magog, have led to an incredible array of creative and oftentimes far-fetched interpretations of this passage of scripture. Maybe you've heard of some of these far-fetched interpretations.

As you begin to study the history of the interpretation of this text, you begin to notice that it's sort of a common tendency for people to read their immediate historical situation into the details of Ezekiel 38 and 39. I mean, here is this frighteningly powerful enemy who is opposed to God's people like no other enemy has ever been, and people who tend to see their own oppression, their own suffering, their own opposition as the worst opposition or suffering or oppression. They're quick to conclude that Gog and Magog fit the bill.

My enemy is this one because it's the worst one and I'm suffering the worst. Over the centuries, these mysterious enemies of God have been identified with whoever the current worst villain is. In the first century, Josephus identified Gog as the Scythians. During the fall of Rome, it was the Goths and the various barbaric tribes of the north.

In the Middle Ages, Gog was identified with the Huns, later the Vikings and the Muslims and the Mongols. More recently, classic dispensationalists identified Gog and Magog as Russia and Moscow, and this interpretation, unfortunately, was actually included in the Scofield Study Bible and presented as clear uncontested fact, solidifying this as the preferred interpretation for many unsuspecting evangelicals. But careful biblical exegesis doesn't typically happen when we're all worked up in a tizzy. Our emotional reaction to life's difficult circumstances is not a very reliable source for drawing interpretive conclusions about apocalyptic prophecies, not to belittle our suffering, but that's not the metric, the measuring stick by which we interpret scripture. In fact, allowing our emotions and imaginations to run away with us is actually detrimental to sound doctrine and biblical interpretation. There's a principle of interpretation that is very helpful when we come to unclear, ambiguous passages like Ezekiel 38 and 39.

The principle goes like this. Unclear passages of scripture should be interpreted in light of clear passages of scripture. Now, this principle assumes that not all Bible passages are equally clear. Our own Westminster Confession of Faith explicitly states this in the very opening chapter of the Confession. In fact, if you'll indulge me, let me just read a paragraph from that chapter.

It says this. All things in scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all. Yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed for salvation are so clearly propounded and opened in some place of scripture or other that not only the learned but the unlearned in a due use of the ordinary means may attain unto a sufficient understanding of them. In other words, not everything in scripture is equally clear, but we can rest assured that those truths which are most important, most necessary, most crucial for salvation are actually the clearest truths in scripture. Therefore, if it's clear, it is of first importance. If it's unclear, it is of lesser importance.

Not unimportant, but of lesser importance, hence the principle. Interpret the unclear passages in light of the clear passages, not in light of the intriguing passages or the imaginatively captivating passages or the mysterious passages so that everyone can know what a great puzzle solver I am. We believe all of the Bible, but that which is clear, we hold with greatest certainty, and that which is unclear, we hold with the greatest cognitive humility. All of that to say, I don't know who Gog and Magog are historically, and I don't think you do either. I believe they must have been a historical enemy of ancient Israel, perhaps one that's lost on us today, but real nonetheless, and some of Ezekiel's details, it seems, are historical descriptions mixed in with apocalyptic descriptions of something bigger and more sinister than merely Gog and Magog. We can speculate about who they might have been, but my point is that's not the point of Ezekiel 38 and 39. It's not the point of Ezekiel 38 and 39 because Ezekiel 38 and 39 don't make it clear who they are.

Remember our principle. If it were important, it would be made crystal clear. What is clear is that God is controlling the arch enemies of his people, and God will defeat these enemies, and God is doing all of this so that both his people and his enemies will know who is the potter and who is the clay.

That's the point. G.K. Beale, a reformed Bible scholar, makes an interesting comment about all this. He says the names Gog and Magog probably became proverbial in Judaism and applicable to any terrifying force threatening God's people, much as we might today call an evil, despot, another Hitler. That's our go-to Gog, Magog reference, right? There is, in fact, another passage in Scripture that sheds light on the identity of Gog and Magog. It's Revelation chapter 20. In Revelation 20, John actually defines the way in which he is using Gog and Magog.

So, again, in keeping with our interpretive principle, I think we are wise to understand ambiguous Ezekiel in light of the clearly stated description in Revelation 20. Revelation 20, verse 7, describes Satan being released from prison at the end of history, and John says, For the purpose of deceiving the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle against the camp of the saints and the beloved city. So, it's the apocalypse, and Satan is amassing an army from the four corners of the earth. That's who Gog and Magog are, any and all enemies of God that have allied themselves with the devil against the church. They gather for battle, John says, and then listen to this, before they can even fight, fire comes down from heaven and consumes them, just like in Ezekiel.

And the devil who had deceived the nations was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. And then just like in Ezekiel, John describes the scavengers coming and eating up the flesh of the fallen army of Gog and Magog, and he describes a great feast, celebrating, commemorating God's victory over Satan and his hordes. So, who is Gog and what is Magog? Historically, we're not sure.

Theologically, it's anyone who opposes God and oppresses his people. The real question that we should be asking, though, is not who is Gog and Magog, but rather who is Yahweh? Who is Yahweh? We say that that's the real question we should be asking because that's what our text focuses on, and that's what our text makes perfectly clear. Our text repeatedly tells us what Yahweh is doing and even tells us why he's doing what he's doing.

So, if this is what our text bends over backwards to make abundantly clear, then this is what our text is primarily about. It's not about Gog and Magog. It's about Yahweh and what he's going to do to Gog and Magog. Notice that throughout the narrative of this epic last battle, it is Yahweh who is first sovereign over his enemies. God predicts what will happen before it ever occurs. He announces how it will happen and why it will happen and when it will happen.

He even explains what is going to be in the minds of his enemies before they've had the thoughts. It's God's hook in the jaws of his enemies that is steering them to do his bidding. It is God driving them to attack Israel. It is God who knocks the bows and arrows out of their hands. It is God who crushes the enemies with fire and sulfur and summons the scavengers and Israel to come clean up the aftermath after the battle. Whoever Gog and Magog are, one thing is abundantly clear, God is sovereign over them. Not one of God's enemies will have the upper hand. He controls their thoughts and motivations and actions, which means he controls the outcome of the battle.

Here's the point, beloved. Yes, there are ferocious enemies of the church, wicked people who hate God and hate righteousness and loathe you because of your association with the God they hate, but though they are opposed to God and his people, they can do nothing without his consent. In Pilgrim's Progress, Christian reaches a place in the path that is flanked on both sides with lions, and he falters and halts. But Christian's helper says to him, Fear not the lions, for they are chained and are placed there for trial of faith.

Keep in the midst of the path, and no hurt shall come unto thee. Brothers and sisters, the devil is God's devil, and he is on a short leash. But not only is God sovereign over his enemies, he is also gracious toward his people. The whole need for enemies and opposition to God's children was the reality that God's children had been unfaithful, and yet despite their unfaithfulness, God restores them and removes their shame and fear. He brings them back to the promised land. He brings us safely to the new heavens and the new earth, and he promises to remove all need forever, having to chasten us again. He deals with our disobedience by giving us forgiveness and holiness and eternal security in his presence with no opposition forever.

God is gracious to his children. Finally, we see in this passage that God is the most passionate about his holiness and glory. Over and over, he reveals that his divine motive, both in executing judgment against his enemies and in granting grace to his children, is zeal for his holy name, zeal for his holy name. How often has God said in the book of Ezekiel, then they, both friend and foe, Christian and unbeliever, then they shall know that I am the Lord.

He is zealous for his own glory because he knows that the only path to eternal joy for his children is the path of exclusive worship of Yahweh alone. Well, we've seen that this epic battle scene described for us here in Ezekiel and further explained in Revelation 20 is not at all about how gnarly God's enemies are or how threatening they are to the church. No, these verses are about a God whose sovereign control extends even to the thoughts and motivations of his enemies' hearts and minds. These verses are about the unexpected grace which God is eager to show to his children.

These verses are about the holy glory of a God who strikes absolute terror in the hearts of his enemies but who deserves the unswerving trust of his children. So what does this mean for us? Well, I think the most pressing question we're left with is not who Gog and Magog are. That remains a mystery for the time being. Nor is the most pressing question who Yahweh is because that question has been plainly answered. The urgent question of the moment is this. Am I an enemy of God or a friend of God?

Do I belong to him or not? God will destroy all of his enemies, including death itself. If I am at enmity with God, I will be destroyed. If I'm God's enemy, there is but one response for me to give. I must repent of my sin and beg for God's mercy. Beg for God's mercy. You know, the beauty of the Gospel is that when we beg God for mercy, he gives us mercy. Call upon the Lord and you shall be saved.

The truth of the matter is that our default, our starting point, our natural bent is that we are all Gogs and Magogs. The wonder of the Gospel is that in Jesus Christ and by his atoning work on the cross, Gogs and Magogs can become saints. If you're God's enemy, repent and beg for mercy.

If, on the other hand, you're already a child of God, this passage has a different application, a different message for you, and it's this. Repent and enjoy the mercy that you already have. Israel did not receive God's restorative grace and mercy because she deserved it.

She actually deserved the very same treatment that Gog and Magog received. Nevertheless, God delights to show mercy to many. And if you have been made a recipient of that divine mercy, then honor the Lord by enjoying that mercy. If you stumble into sin like Israel did, repent. Reckon yourself dead to sin, which God says is true of you, and return to that place of joy and safety and fearlessness that belongs only to the children of God. As we conclude this morning, I want to highlight very briefly the truths that come through loud and clear in this mysterious passage of Scripture.

When you go home this afternoon and read through the entirety of Ezekiel 38 and 39, these are the truths that will be staring you in the face, truths that are just as relevant to us today as they were to the exiles who first heard this prophecy. Number one, understand and believe that Yahweh is the unrivaled Lord of all history. He raises up authorities and powers.

He brings them down. The activities of men and nations are always subservient to God's agenda. Secondly, God has inseparably attached His reputation to the welfare of His people. When we are threatened, He will vindicate Himself by always delivering His people. Thirdly, God keeps His promises. He will not forget His covenant with His people, and the assurance of this reality is the fact that He has given us His Holy Spirit, who is, according to Ephesians 1, the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it. And finally, and don't miss this, God is a God of grace and mercy, even to those who rebel against Him. God's grace is so magnanimous that even His rebellious children receive the full benefits of covenant relationship. That is such a motivation to repent and to walk in obedience to our loving Heavenly Father. We should come away from a passage of Scripture like this, not distracted by speculative theories about the unknown details of the end times. We should come away amazed that God doesn't treat us as His enemies, but as His children, children who have been saved by a grace that we cannot possibly comprehend, but a grace that we should be eternally grateful for.

Let's pray. Lord, it is truly amazing grace that has saved wretches like us. We were lost and blind and rebellious, but You have rescued us. So now may we live as those who have been rescued and not cower in fear of the gogs and magogs that rage against You and that threaten us. Nothing on the whole earth or in heaven or even hell can touch us that does not come through Your faithful, covenant-keeping hands. So, Lord, we rest in You alone. In the name of Jesus, amen.