Hope in Judgment

Ezekiel 38:1-23

1 Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 "Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him, 3 and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. 4 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. 5 Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; 6 Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah from the far north and all its troops—many people are with you.

7 "Prepare yourself and be ready, you and all your companies that are gathered about you; and be a guard for them. 8 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. 9 You will ascend, coming like a storm, covering the land like a cloud, you and all your troops and many peoples with you."

10 '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: 11 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'— 12 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. 13 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?'"'

14 "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? 15 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. 16 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." 17 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? 

18 "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. 19 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, 20 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.' 21 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. 22 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. 23 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."'

Gog was the ruler of the northern land of Magog and prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal (Ezekiel 38 and 39), and is mentioned again in Revelation 20:8.  We really do not know for certain who this was but do know they were set against Israel as God’s people and that in the end the battle will be against all of God’s people in Christ.  What is important is to know that such enemies set against the LORD and His people will fail and be judged for their attempts.  God told Ezekiel to set his face in opposition to Gog and speak God’s word of judgment on that nation opposing Him along with those powerful nations siding with them such as Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya.  Though these all boasted in their fine armor and saw themselves occupying the land promised to the chosen people of God, they would face defeat for their evil plans to conquer and control.  The prophetic word against them told how they would come down to overthrow them with a vast and mighty army but would be defeated to show God’s holiness and glory in their humiliating overthrow.  This witness of His work would be a testimony to the nations that they would also come to know Him as Lord of all.  This applies both to Israel then and all the chosen to come until the final judgment day.  God would show Gog His wrath and holy jealousy for His own people whom He called and chose.  The resulting earthquake would shake the world’s kingdoms but not His (Hebrews 12:26-27) own.  The whole earth will tremble as the mountains fall with every city and its wall.  Just as God caused the swords of Gog and the nations against each other, so will He defeat all in the end by the sword of His mouth which is the Word of God.  God will magnify Himself and His name of honor and glory so that all will know Him according to His greatness and holiness.  This is the reason He allowed nations to oppress His disobedient people, that He might be glorified in their enemy’s defeat and their deliverance.  He also delivers sinners in Christ who do not deserve and cannot attain this salvation on their own.  This grace of the gospel demonstrates His sovereign power and righteous judgment (2 Thessalonians 1:5, 12, Romans 5:18-19) that leads us to know that He is the Lord.  We therefore do not fear the end times nor need to calculate the exact times and happenings concerning God and Magog as if to look for an escape plan, but seek rather the faith and peace of God that keeps us from the penalty of sin in that final judgement as we spread the gospel seed (Luke 8:11, 15, 1 Peter 1:22, 25) in the field of the world in the fear and hope of the Lord.  Such is the hope in judgment that encourages us when considering the end times.