Unfolding Drama of Redemption

     Old Testament – Jeremiah 29:4-13 – New Testament – Romans 9:22-33

God’s Unfolding Drama of Redemption
“The Repudiation of Gog and Magog”
Ezekiel 38-39

Wayne J. Edwards, Pastor

According to Biblical Prophecy, there will be three attempts to destroy the nation of Israel at the end of the age:

• The Psalm 83 war – an “inner circle” of Arab nations that will come against Israel, primarily out of vengeance, to annihilate the Jews from the earth.
• The Isaiah 17 war – because of Syria’s threat against Israel, Israel will destroy the ancient city of Damascus in one day.
• The Gog-Magog war – Russia will lead a new coalition of Arab nations to come against Israel, not only to exterminate the Jews, but to capture the newly discovered oil reserves.

• Ezekiel means – “God Strengthens”
• Ezekiel and his wife were taken as captives to Babylon with over 10,000 other Jews to serve as slaves.
• Ezekiel said, while he was “among the captives by the river Chebar, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw visions of God.”

1. Who are Gog and Magog? – Ezekiel 38:1-6

• “Gog” – the name of a military and political leader.
• “Magog” – the land from which the leader originates. Jewish historians identify that land as Russia.
• Conclusion – near the end of this age, a Russian dictator will build a diplomatic and military coalition to come against the nation of Israel.

	·        “Rosh” – Russia ·        “Mesheck/Tubal” –            Moscow and Tobolsk – former capital of Siberia ·        “Persia” – Iran ·        “Cush” – Ethiopia – Sudan ·        “Put” – Libya and Algeria ·        “Gomer” – Turkey ·         “Beth Togarmah” –             the “stans” of the former Soviet Union.

Nations taken by surprise at “Gog’s” action against Israel:

• “Sheba and Dedan” – Saudi Arabia
• “Merchants of Tarshish” – Great Britain
• “Young Lions” – America, Australia, Canada

2. When is the Gog-Magog War? Ezekiel 38:16

• Vs 16 – “It shall be in the latter days” – the last days of this age, but before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
• Vs 8 – when the Jews are “gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate!” Israel lay desolate from AD 70 to 1948. Since then, more than 3 million Jews have returned to Israel.
• Vs 8 – when Israel has been “brought back from the sword” and “dwells in safety!”
• Vs 11 – when Israel is a “land of unwalled villages” – possibly after the Psalm 83 war.
• Ezekiel 39:9-12 – since the Jews will be evicted from Israel midway of the Tribulation, the “Gog-Magog” war must start at least 3 ½ years before the beginning of the Tribulation for them to be burning the implements of war for 7-years.

3. What is the purpose of the Gog-Magog War? Ezekiel 38

• The contemporary threat against Israel is Russia –
  • Russia has funded every war against Israel since 1948.
  • Russia has supplied weapons for Israel’s enemies.
  • Russia loaded Iran’s nuclear reactors, and modernized their weapons of war.
  • Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia has developed military ties to all of the Islamic countries, including Iran.
• The “Russians” descended from the tribe of Magog through the Scythians –who have always been against Israel.

God is going to allow “Gog” to come against Israel, but in reality, “Gog” will be facing “God”!

4. Who wins the Gog-Magog War? Ezekiel 38:18ff

• An earthquake will occur so strong that “all the men who are on the face of the earth will shake at My presence!”
• The population of the nations who will come against Israel is over 500-million. If only 10% of them are involved in the battle, that would be 50-million soldiers against Israel’s 700-thousand.
• However, God Himself will intervene to achieve His purposes.
• An “overflowing rain” of hailstones will fall, followed by balls of fire – burning sulfur and brimstone.
• Great Confusion will fall upon the armies of Israel so much they will turn upon themselves or run from the battle.
• God will send the same fires upon “Magog” – meaning the nations from where the armies came.

• Ezekiel 38-39 describes the end of Radical Islam.
• Millions of Muslims will abandon the religion of Islam and express their faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.

• That phrase – “Then they will know that I am the Lord” is repeated 60 times in Ezekiel.
• On that day God pours out His Spirit on the people of Israel, the surviving millions will be “saved in one day”!
• The “Gog-Magog” War starts the Time of Tribulation and triggers the introduction of the Antichrist.
• Since the rapture of the church must occur before the Antichrist can be revealed, how close are we to the end of this age?
• If the rapture of the Church occurred today, would those you love, who will be left behind, know why you are missing?