As missiles are blowing up in the Middle East, so are end-times prophecy views and predictions across social media. Granted, Biblical eschatology (the study of the end times) can be challenging, confusing, and controversial. We can still make some sense of world events in light of Scriptural teaching. It requires, however, more discerning scholarship than some of the dubious sensationalism currently being proposed. One such idea is that
the current war underway in the Gaza Strip is Ezekiel’s Gog-Magog battle. Again, some deeper trenching into the Biblical text will challenge these notions.
Few, if any, would argue against the fact that Israel and Jerusalem are key centerpieces in Biblical prophecy. What has happened in the past with the Jews and their land and what will happen in the future are revealing elements in understanding many prophetic events.
Basic to the conflicts that have fueled attacks on the Jews by their warring neighbors are land and border disputes. The enemies of Israel refuse to acknowledge her as a nation and therefore insist the Jews are occupying land that is not theirs. Israel has been a nation since May 14, 1948, and like every other nation of the world has land and borders. When I worked as a “landman” in the oil & gas industry, I had to pay careful attention to the tract descriptions on various conveyance deeds to determine exactly what measurable parameters established legal ownership of land or minerals. Is there such a description in Scripture for Israel’s ownership of land? There is, indeed!
In Genesis 13, Abraham is standing atop Mount Pisgah, surveying the Jordan valley around him – The Lord said to Abram…now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land which you see, I will give to you and to your descendants forever (Genesis 13:14). To be more exact, God provided a legal land description in Numbers 34:1-12 of this land, and again in Ezekiel 47:13-20 with only slight variations. It includes all the present-day holdings of Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, and Jordan, plus portions of Syria and Lebanon. God Himself declared – this shall be your land according to its borders all around (34:12). King David declared – The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains (Psalm 24:1). The land belongs to God and as the Supreme Grantor, He can convey it to whomever He pleases. The Jews obviously don’t occupy all the land God allotted them at this point, but they will because God has never failed to fulfill a covenant promise. Where Israel currently sits, and more, is indeed their land, regardless of whether neighboring countries want to acknowledge that Biblical truth or not.
History shows that certain U.S. Presidents and other world leaders have sought for decades to broker “peace deals” between Israel and her warring neighbors, some of the most notable being the Geneva Conference (Kissinger - 1973), the Camp David Accords (Carter - 1978), the Oslo Accords (Clinton - 1993), and the more recent Abraham Accords (Trump - 2020). None of these treaties ever acknowledged and respected the land deed God conveyed to the Jews in the Old Testament Scriptures. Most all dictated that Israel should be willing to relinquish certain rights to some portions of what God declared was hers, that each country would oppose and stop terrorism & aggression, and all would acknowledge the sovereignty of Israel as a nation. The attitude of the heart and the concession of the pen in hand have not always been congruent at these peace tables, so it is not surprising that they have all failed to bring about their intended enduring peace in the Middle East.
Consequently, Israel has never been at peace, and the hurling of missiles and bombs over her borders has been a periodic reality throughout the region’s history. While this current battle is much more extensive and aggressive, it is but one more in a long line of ballistic conflicts. But is it Gog-Magog? A careful look into specific details of Scripture will show that is highly unlikely.
A divine prophecy given to Ezekiel around 585 BC describes a dramatic invasion against Israel by a large coalition of nations in chapters 38-39 of his Old Testament book. Israel has suffered many attacks and endured some devastating wars throughout her history, but none meet the specific conditions of this battle. Bible scholars have called this attack the Battle of Gog and Magog. Gog is the name or title for the leader of this invasion since he is addressed directly by God as being the prince from the land of Magog, with this stunning statement – Behold, I am against you, O Gog, (38:2; 39:1). When God chose the people of Israel as His own, He assured Abraham – I will bless those who bless you and the one who curses you, I will curse (Genesis 12:3). Whoever opposes the people and nation of Israel are warned about facing the opposition of God Himself as a result.
The lands or nations that form an alliance with Gog against Israel are described in their ancient forms: Magog, Rosh, Meshech, Tabal, Persia, Cush (sometimes called Ethiopia), Put, Gomer, and Beth-Togarmah (Ezekiel 38:1-6). Scholars have researched these ancient countries to great lengths and traced their development over the centuries to arrive at their reasonable and likely contemporary counterparts: Russia, Turkey, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Algeria, and parts of Central Asia that make up certain remnants of the former Soviet Union. Ezekiel indicates that Gog’s troops will not only be made up of these nations but will include many peoples with you (38:6), adding to the alliance other likely nations who hold oppositions to Israel. These might include Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq, especially since God’s tract description for Israel’s land incorporates all or portions of theirs. Together they will originate and come upon Israel from the remote parts of the north (38:6), making the Battle of Gog & Magog a Russian-led invasion.
Related Scripture provides details about the time this battle will likely occur. To get that background, we turn to the prophecy of Daniel in the Old Testament, where he interprets dreams King Nebuchadnezzar had of a bronze statue having ten toes and a beast having ten horns (Daniel 7:7,24), both symbolizing the same thing – ten countries. History shows that four great world empires have ruled over Israel in succession: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. The prophecy of Daniel indicates that a fifth empire will rule Israel during the end times, this ten-nation confederacy. We know it is a future empire because at no time in history has Israel been ruled by a conglomerate of ten nations. It has commonly been deemed some revived form of the ancient Roman Empire, or Rome II, as it has been tagged. Many Bible students see the current European Union as an organization from which these ten nations could possibly emerge.
Daniel shows that a fracturing will occur among these ten nations - While I was contemplating the horns, behold, another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it; and behold, this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth uttering great boasts. (Daniel 7:8). Students of Biblical prophecy see this little horn as the man Scripture identifies as the Antichrist. He will conquer & overcome three of these ten nations. As a result, the remaining nations give their kingdoms to the beast (Revelation 17:17). In Revelation, the beast is always referring to the Antichrist. It is remarkable how Daniel’s prophecy and John’s Revelation vision coincide so accurately even though they were given 600 years apart.
With this consolidation, the Antichrist will have attained a superior role on the global scene. This confederacy will quickly spread so that it rules the entire world, bringing fulfillment to the Biblical prediction that the Antichrist will hold all authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation on earth (Revelation 13:7). He will have accomplished what Stalin and Hitler only hoped for; he will be the first successful world dictator, controlling every nation, including America (if we are even still a nation at that point). He will have established a one-world government and a global economy regulated by a single monetary system using a digital currency associated with a permanent mark on the skin. Have you ever wondered why tattoos and cryptocurrency are becoming so popular?
With this new power and authority, the Antichrist will accomplish something else no one before him has managed to do. He will cut the peace deal of all peace deals with Israel. Since he will rule all her current neighbors, he will be able to guarantee her safety and security from all her enemies. For the first time, she will rest and flourish in true peace, even if but for a brief period. With this new treaty will also come the freedom for the Jews to re-establish some commemorative form of the ancient sacrificial system in the temple at Jerusalem. There’s only one big problem; there is no temple currently in Jerusalem. Solomon built the first temple, and Herod built the second. Both were destroyed in subsequent wars, and all we see today are the surviving ruins of the Temple Mount.
That spot in the heart of Jerusalem was chosen because of a certain rock formation at its center. It is the place traditionally held as the very spot on Mount Moriah where Abraham was ready to sacrifice his son Isaac. As you can imagine, that is a very sacred rock to the Jews. Arab armies conquered Jerusalem in 638 AD, and since Abraham was a key religious figure in both Jewish and Islamic beliefs from very different perspectives, the Arabs constructed an Islamic Shrine on that sacred spot. The Dome of the Rock is an iconic centerpiece of the Jerusalem landscape today, and rare photographs reveal the exposed rock feature in the center of its interior. While Israel has maintained jurisdiction over the Temple Mount, they are prohibited from entering the Dome of the Rock.
That raises the question, then, how will the Jews resume worship in the Temple if there is no Temple? The obvious answer is that a third Temple will eventually be constructed in Jerusalem. In fact, the Temple Institute has reportedly completed architectural designs for the Third Temple, finished and stored many of the furnishings & utensils used for the Levitical protocol, and even bred the pure red heifer for the sacrifice. Although other sites have been considered, the favored location remains the sacred spot where the Dome of the Rock sits atop the Temple Mount.
The Third Temple constitutes a significant pivotal point in Biblical prophecy. The future peace treaty the Antichrist enacts with Israel will be broken. Daniel tells us he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week, he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering (Daniel 9:27). Without getting into great detail, Daniel’s week is understood as a 7-year period of time, the duration of the Tribulation Period on earth. Not only does he stop the sacrifices & offerings, but Paul tells us he also exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God (II Thessalonians 2:4); and the False Prophet of the Tribulation Period will demand that the world worship the Antichrist as God (Revelation 13:12). This despicable act is what Daniel and Jesus both declare is the abomination of desolation (Matthew 24:15). Most prophecy students believe this peace treaty will be enacted close to the beginning of the 7-year Tribulation Period and be broken at mid-point, some 3.5 years later.
These things demand the presence of a third Temple in Jerusalem. The day you hear that the Dome of the Rock has been destroyed, seized by the Jews, or somehow relinquished to the Jews for destruction and the Third Temple has broken ground; if the Rapture of the Church has not already occurred, you will know it is imminently closer than it has ever been in world history. That ground-breaking ceremony will be the pivotal moment in time when the closing days of the Church Age are set to complete. The missiles used by Hamas and Hezbollah in this current battle in the Gaza Strip frequently fail in their cheaply constructed guidance system. What if one of them accidentally destroyed the Dome of the Rock and Israel took control of the entire Temple complex? Any event that would signal the advanced construction of the Third Temple in Jerusalem would serve as the single-most affirmation that what followers of Christ have prophetically proclaimed for thousands of years is indeed Biblical truth rapidly unfolding in real-time.
That timing also gives us an understanding to the timing of the Battle of Gog and Magog, which Ezekiel emphasizes will be in the latter years of the last days (38:8,16) when Israel is at rest, living securely, and without walls, bars, or gates (38:11,14). Israel certainly isn’t at rest today, nor was she when Hamas launched a surprise attack on October 7, 2023. A previous conflict with Hamas occurred on May 10, 2021, which lasted for 11 days and killed over 250 people in Gaza and 13 in Israel. In fact, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs details hundreds of terroristic attacks on Israel just since 2015. The reality is Israel has never been at peace, but there is coming a day when she will be. The kind of unwalled peace and safety from her enemies that Ezekiel describes could likely come only from the peace treaty between her and the Antichrist, which coincides timewise with the completion of the Third Temple in Jerusalem during the first half of the future Tribulation Period on earth.
The direction of the Gog-Magog invasion is also specified by Ezekiel to be from the remote parts of the north (38:15). A line drawn just slightly northeast of Jerusalem will take you 3,748 kilometers (2,329 miles) directly to Moscow, Russia! How is that for Biblical accuracy? The Gog-Magog army will be a Russian-led coalition!
Their purpose, Ezekiel states, is to capture spoil and to seize plunder (38:12). Dr. Mark Hitchcock, in his book, “The End: A Complete Overview of Bible Prophecy and the End of Days” (Tyndale, 2012), offers several goals this invasion seeks to accomplish. One, of course, is territory. The enemies of Israel have never acknowledged her official nationality and, therefore, flatly refuse to accept her land and borders. Another motivation is money. These invaders want to plunder Israel and amass wealth from her Mediterranean natural gas reserves, which have grown by 40% over the past decade. As oil & gas becomes more scarce in the future, energy wars are sure to erupt in regions where reserves are plentiful. Racism is another key motivator with Israel’s enemies. Iran’s president boldly declared in 2015 that Israel is a “disgraceful blot” that should be “wiped off the face of the earth.” Most of her enemies share that same anti-Semitic sentiment. It is this hatred that fuels Jihad from Islamic opposition funded in large amounts by Iran.
Another key motivator, however, will be to conquer the Antichrist himself. After all, he is the one who cut Israel’s peace deal to begin with. Not only that, but he will also be the world dictator at that point, controlling the global economy and political machine, and there is sure to be jealousy and mutiny in the mix as opposition to him and his regime grows. John reveals that he will suffer a fatal wound at some point and appear to come back to life (Revelation 13:12). Many believe this will be an assassination associated with a coup attempt.
There are so many intricate details in Scripture that simply don’t support the idea that the current war in the Gaza Strip is Ezekiel’s Gog-Magog battle. That doesn’t mean, however, that certain elements are not in common, nor that the coalition is not in the process of coming together. President Erdogan of Turkey has condemned Israel for its retaliatory response in the Gaza Strip, calling it a “massacre.” Turkey has a history of backing Palestinians and hosting members of Hamas, who they don’t consider to be a “terrorist” organization. On October 10, 2023, the Turkish president held a phone conference with none other than Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss how they might cooperatively intervene for an immediate cease-fire. In the meantime, the war in the Gaza Strip has temporarily shifted world eyes away from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, giving Putin some relief from international focus.
Russia has long held vested interests in Syria, Iraq, and Iran, particularly on a military level with bases in Syria. United States intelligence reports that Russia has acquired hundreds of reconnaissance and suicide drones from Iran for use in its war against Ukraine. Tehran has also shipped artillery and tank rounds to Moscow. In exchange, Russia has supplied fighter jets to Iran, attack helicopters, radars, and combat trainer aircraft worth billions of dollars.
Russia has restored its diplomatic mission in Libya since not having an ambassador there since 2018. Russian oil companies are ready to resume oil production in Libya. Iraq has refrained from publicly condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine even though its relations with Russia remain shaky. Iraq still depends on Russian imports of wheat, and Russia still eyes oil production in Iraq’s massive West Qurna 2 oil field, estimated to hold reserves of about 13 billion barrels.
So, yes, components of the coalition are in place and at play, but there is lots of ground to cover before they all solidify in a common objective to come against Israel. The fact that the coalition appears to be gelling is a current sign that Biblical prophecy is authenticated.
Nobody likes war. War is ugly, destructive, and deadly, as we have seen in this present Israeli-Hamas battle. Paul admonishes us to live in peace with one another (I Thessalonians 5:13), and as best we can with the resources available to us, we should, even as nations. Diplomacy instead of war is always the first and best approach to resolving conflict. Sometimes, however, defensive employment of armament becomes necessary to protect lives, secure lands, and stop the spread of evil across the world. When God told the ancient Hebrews to cross the Jordan over into the land of promise, He told them they would have to conquer many nations in order to take possession of the land. Why would God issue such a command? Because He knew those pagan nations were evil and demonic and would savage people and lands in barbaric ways, much like Hamas and Hezbollah are doing today. If those who embrace this kind of terroristic evil are not willing to relinquish their savagery, they must be stopped by any means.
Jesus predicted that in these end times, lawlessness will increase (Matthew 24:12). Paul declared that evil men will proceed from bad to worse (II Timothy 3:13). As a result, Jesus issued the warning, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened, for these things must take place…nation will rise against nation, and kingdom and against kingdom.” (Matthew 24:6-7). But He also said, “When these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near!” (Luke 21:28). I hope and pray that you and all of yours are Rapture Ready! Give Christ your heart and life today!
Blessings 'Til He Comes,
Rick M. Smith
Pastor, Author, Speaker
UPDATE:
While this article has sought to establish the unlikelihood that the current battle between Israel and Hamas is Gog & Magog, that does not mean it has no prophetic value nor that it may not have the characteristics of other wars predicted in Biblical prophecy for the end times. One such possibility is what some prophecy students have called “The Psalm 83 War.”
It certainly has the sentiment - For behold, Your enemies make an uproar, and those who hate You have exalted themselves. They make shrewd plans against Your people, and conspire together against Your treasured ones. They have said, "Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no more." For they have conspired together with one mind; against You they make a covenant (Psalms 83:2-5)… “Let us possess for ourselves the pastures (land) of God.” (38:12). That expression summarizes the general view anti-Semitic sentiment holds toward Israel by her enemies.
It certainly has the system - The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites; Gebal and Ammon and Amalek, Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assyria also has joined with them; (Psalms 83:6-8). Various scholars have traced the development of these ancient groups to identify them as possibly being among the people of Palestine, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq, including the terrorist groups of Hamas and Hezbollah – all of Israel’s warring neighbors.
It might certainly have the showdown - O my God, make them like the whirling dust, like chaff before the wind. Like fire that burns the forest and like a flame that sets the mountains on fire, so pursue them with Your tempest and terrify them with Your storm. Fill their faces with dishonor, that they may seek Your name, O Lord. Let them be ashamed and dismayed forever, and let them be humiliated and perish, that they may know that You alone, whose name is the Lord, are the Most High over all the earth. (Psalms 83:13-18). It is difficult for the people of the world to acknowledge the side of God that demonstrates wrath and judgment because they always want to veil their perception of Him with love, grace, and mercy. We need only reiterate the promise of God to His people – I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you, I will curse. (Genesis 12:3). The application of God’s judgment is always meant to bring people to a place where they lay down their rebellion and seek the name of the Lord, for He is the Most High over all the earth.
It will be interesting and revealing how these uncertain days play out, but one thing is for certain: they are unfolding exactly according to the omniscient and sovereign plan & and purpose of God for mankind.
Watching & Waiting,
Rick M. Smith
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