Based on Ezekiel 38 (New King James Version)
“Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords. Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah from the far north and all its troops—many people are with you. ‘Prepare yourself and be ready, you and all your companies that are gathered about you; and be a guard for them. After many days you will be visited. In the latter years you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate; they were brought out of the nations, and now all of them dwell safely. You will ascend, coming like a storm, covering the land like a cloud, you and all your troops and many peoples with you.’ ‘Thus says the Lord God: ‘On that day it shall come to pass that thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will make an evil plan: You will say, ‘I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; I will go to a peaceful people, who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates’—to take plunder and to take booty, to stretch out your hand against the waste places that are again inhabited, and against a people gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and goods, who dwell in the midst of the land. Sheba, Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish, and all their young lions will say to you, ‘Have you come to take plunder? Have you gathered your army to take booty, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take great plunder?’ ’ ’ ‘Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog, ‘Thus says the Lord God: On that day when My people Israel dwell safely, will you not know it? Then you will come from your place out of the far north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a mighty army. You will come up against My people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land. It will be in the latter days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me, when I am hallowed in you, O Gog, before their eyes.’ Thus says the Lord God: ‘Are you he of whom I have spoken in former days by My servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied for years in those days that I would bring you against them? And it will come to pass at the same time, when Gog comes against the land of Israel,’ says the Lord God, ‘that My fury will show in My face. For in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath I have spoken: ‘Surely in that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel, so that the fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field, all creeping things that creep on the earth, and all men who are on the face of the earth shall shake at My presence. The mountains shall be thrown down, the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.’ I will call for a sword against Gog throughout all My mountains,’ says the Lord God. ‘Every man’s sword will be against his brother. And I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed; I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. Thus I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.’ ’ ”
One of the greatest riches of the Word of God—and a primary way in which we perceive His divinity—lies in its multifaceted fulfillment throughout the ages. Many biblical passages do not pertain merely to a single, isolated event; rather, they may refer to various similar events unfolding across time and within distinct realms or dimensions—manifesting both literally and physically, as well as spiritually. This transcends mere metaphor; it constitutes an incredibly rich and profoundly dense substance—if, indeed, one could characterize it as such. The Word of God is infinitely rich, applicable not only to the present but extending even into the eternal future.
Having said this, we just read from one of the biblical prophecies concerning Armageddon—a place where God Himself will draw the nations of the earth against Israel, not to destroy Israel, but to bring about their end once and for all. Many of the nations mentioned in these prophecies exist today and are determined to wipe out Israel—such as Persia (or modern-day Iran), and others like Meshech and Tubal, as well as Rosh, as the original Hebrew text calls it—which corresponds to modern-day Russia. In short, many nations will come, bent on destroying Israel, just as they are today. But we must ask ourselves a question: Why is it God Himself who draws them in? There are two reasons. First, because God uses difficult circumstances to awaken His people (just as He does with all of us when our focus lies elsewhere, apart from Him). Regrettably, most people do not seek God during times of tranquility and peace; rather, it is when things become turbulent and desperate that we finally remember the Lord—or seek Him out. Blessed be the Lord, for He is not vindictive, but rather abounding in mercy. After all, who likes being sought out only after having been spurned—and simply because one has become a last resort? The second reason is that God draws these nations against Israel in order to bring about their destruction—justifiably so—thereby fulfilling His own promise to Israel, as it is written: “I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you…” Genesis 12:3a. Thus, we can see very clearly that the reason why Iran—for example—is attacking Israel, just like all those who have joined in the attack, is that God desires to bring judgment upon them. The destruction of these groups and nations will come inevitably, sooner or later, because God continues to love Israel, even though many have not yet converted. And this brings us to the next point.
It is written: “For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved…” Romans 11:25-26a. And the following prophecy should concern the world—and the cold and lukewarm Christians within the people of God: “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors!” Matthew 24:32-33. There is less real Christianity in the gentile world today, and more conversion in Israel. The Times of Israel published an article where they cite their grave concern regarding the growing Jewish population converting to Christianity. The following was cited in an article written on May 2, 2021: Five years ago, there were fifteen thousand Jews in Israel who converted to Christianity. Today, missionaries boast that the number has doubled to thirty thousand. Experts in the counter missionary field are reporting the same alarming rate of Jews who are joining the church. The fig tree has begun to blossom; therefore, the end is already at the gates. God is a faithful God, and His Word—along with its fulfillment throughout the ages—bears witness to this. Therefore, whether you are Jew or Gentile, seek the Lord with all your heart so that you may enjoy His faithfulness eternally; for otherwise, you will only suffer His judgment and His wrath in the end. Lord bless! John. God bless Israel!