What are we to think about Gog, of the land of Magog? In the prophetic book of Ezekiel, we ask the Holy Spirit to give us revelation. While living in exile, Ezekiel’s heart was broken by the devastation of Jerusalem and the carnage he witnessed. God chose the prophet Ezekiel to preach to the Jews in Babylon what was going to happen in the future. As a youth, Ezekiel read the history about the superficial repentance in Deuteronomy. He saw that the Israelites were once again turning their backs on God. Without trusting God, the political upheaval of the times ruled their minds and hearts instead of God. The Temple was in ashes, and as their faith was based on the physical scene, and not the unseen realm, they were devastated.
“This as the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.” (1:28) He saw what some scholars today believe was Jesus. The prophet fell facedown as the man spoke; “Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you.” (2) As the man spoke, the Spirit came into Ezekiel and raised him to his feet, and Ezekiel heard him clearly speak.
Ezekiel was a home missionary to the people of Israel. “You are not being sent to a people of obscure speech.” (3:5) He was a watchman. (33:7) Ezekiel was careful to speak God’s Word to save souls. He was used as a sign post that said “walk this way”. In humility and obedience, Ezekiel lost all things and shut down his personal interests. He ate his food by weight as he sacrificed his personal appearance. Today the words recorded in Ezekiel convict us to turn back to our first love, Jesus Christ. We too should be careful to watch, and to listen to what the Spirit is saying to us.
In all the land, the religious practices became superficial and ritualistic. The temple had been worshipped above God and so He reduced it to ashes as the people were deported to Babylon. The same thing can happen to Christians today. We grieve the Holy Spirit when we worship our accomplishments, our possessions or our personal traditions. Music, sports, work or ambition can easily become an idol. The Spirit of God is limited to help us uncover sin if we refuse to examine our heart’s motives. Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and we must crucify our personal desires so that He may rise up and work in us for God’s glory.
God sent Ezekiel to speak to a stiff necked, selfish and rebellious generation. Our Father instructed him not to be terrified while living among evil. Then God stretched out his hand and handed Ezekiel a scroll. Both sides of the scroll had words of lament and woe. God then told Ezekiel to eat the scrolls, to digest them fully and then go and speak to the house of Israel. Ezekiel reports that the words on the scrolls tasted sweet. Our Father warned Ezekiel that the house of Israel was not willing to listen to him because they were not willing to listen to God. Then the Spirit lifted Ezekiel up and he heard a loud rushing sound “May the glory of the Lord be praised in His dwelling place”.
In chapter 7 we read that the end came to the four corners of Israel.“The end is now upon you and I will unleash my anger against you. I will judge you according to your conduct and repay you for all your detestable practices.” Whether or not people listen or understand, our responsibility as a believer is the same as Ezekiel’s. We are to listen and obey, and deliver God’s message to all who have ears to hear what the Spirit of God said through His prophets and disciples.
In chapter 37 Ezekiel was given the vision of a valley filled with dry bones which represented the whole house of Israel. It pictures the power of God to raise those who are dead and bring forth new life “in Him”. The bones are the Jews; and the graves are the nations in which they were buried. God’s promise to bring them back to their own land, and to revive His Holy City will be, according to His purpose, in His time, to fulfill all that He promised.
In chapter 38:14-23 of Ezekiel we read what God says will happen on the Day of the Lord! “Therefore son of man, prophesy and say to Gog: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: In that day, when My people Israel are living in safety, will you not take notice of it? You will come from your place in the far north, you and many nations with you, all of them riding on horses, a great horde, a mighty army. You will advance against My people Israel like a cloud that covers the land. In days to come, Gog, (a gathering of nations) I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me when I am proved holy through you before their eyes. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: You are the one I spoke of in former days by My servants the prophets of Israel. At that time they prophesied for years that I would bring you against them. This is what will happen in that day: When Gog attacks the land of Israel, My hot anger will be aroused, declares the Sovereign Lord. In My zeal and fiery wrath I declare that at that time there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. The fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the beasts of the field. Every creature that moves along the ground, and all the people on the face of the earth will tremble at My presence. The mountains will be overturned, the cliffs will crumble and every wall will fall to the ground. I will summon a sword against Gog on all My mountains, declares the Sovereign Lord. Every man’s sword will be against his brother. I will execute judgment on him with plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him. And so I will show My greatness and My holiness, and I will make Myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
In chapter 10 of Genesis Magog, Tubal, Gomer and Meshech are all listed as grandsons of Noah in which nations were named. Magog was the 2nd of 7 sons of Japheth mentioned in the Table of Nations. The coalition of nations that form the army known as Gog, will attack Israel. The names listed in the above scripture of then and (today) Put (Ethiopia) Iran (Persia) Libya (Crush) and Turkey (Gorman and Beth-togarmah). Will Ethiopia, Iran, Libya and Turkey which are all Muslim nations in 2021 become the northern army of Gog that the flaming red horse and his rider slay? Revelation 6:4 Holman “Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. It’s rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword.”
The phrase ‘the Glory of God’ is repeated a dozen times in the first eleven chapters. Then in chapter 43, the glory of the Lord is grieved by the idol worship of the people. Today, even as we live under a new covenant, it is essential that we worship the Lord, and not what the world offers. If we ignore how the Holy Spirit pricks our conscience, the Spirit of God will be grieved. As the temple of the Holy Spirit on earth is our body, mind and soul, when we grieve the Holy Spirit, in our foolishness, we replace God for things of this world.
The writings of Ezekiel end with the earthly glory of God returning. He reports in chapter one: “Standing near the Kebar River in Babylon, the heavens opened up and God gave him an incredible vision.” Each creature in Ezekiel’s vision had the face of a man, a lion, an ox and an eagle. When the creatures (In chapter 9 Ezekiel revealed that the creatures were Cherubim) moved the wheels moved. “Wherever the spirit would go, they would go.”(1:20) It is important to be led by the Spirit, and to go wherever we are moved to go. To speak what we are moved to speak.
As we obey God, we are kept from being held accountable for the eternal damnation of those we are led to speak to. God instructed Ezekiel; “When I say to a wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved your life.” (3:18)
“Whoever has My commands and keeps them is the one who loves Me. The one who loves Me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show Myself to them.” (John 14:21)
LESSON: Jesus will judge us, and He will restore those who confess their sins
Copyright © 2019 by Barbara Alley Hoyle.
All rights reserved.
“It is finished” – 5/18/19
Living Abroad 
Amen! It is amazing that we are seeing that prophecy on its way to fulfillment in our time as many Jews are going back to Israel. We don’t know the times or dates of the end, but it sure looks like we are very close. 🙂 God bless!
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Yes, I trust that His Will and Word are being fulfilled and we are blessed to witness it all, and be a part of it. This condensed compilation of every book in the Bible is my assignment – He is streaming and revealing how Jesus is in every chapter of the Bible. To be published in several languages – to reduce the overwhelm to a new or old follower of Christ – as it compels them to draw close, and to KNOW GOD, His love, His mercy, His plan and His way. AMEN
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Amen, may the Lord bless you in that work for Him!
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Thank you, all are drafts, to be edited as I am led. I fly to Christian Writer conference June 1. It is in His power and strength that I can read and condense His highlights Yesterday, four books AMEN Glory to God.
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