The Glorious Return of Christ

Old Testament – Isaiah 46:1-13
New Testament –Revelation 20:1-10

The Glorious Return of Christ
“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 serious threat, 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.

 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 –
  • They have funded every war against Israel since 1948.
  • They have supplied weapons for Israel’s enemies.
  • They loaded Iran’s nuclear reactors, and have drastically 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 that 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 when 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?