While time restraints, unfortunately, do not allow me to read many articles or watch videos, I have, as of recently, caught wind that some are beginning to believe that the Gog/Magog invasion of Israel may be ‘Armageddon’ – the final battle against the forces of evil, led by Satan, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet against the returning King of kings and Lord of lords at the end of the Tribulation.
This study article seeks to dispel this new notion with solid evidence for Why the Gog Invasion of Israel is Not ‘Armageddon,’ an idea which we believe should ultimately be abandoned by the prophetic community.
Underlined Scripture passages are my own emphasis.
‘In the Latter Days’ vs. ‘The Day of the Lord’
God, through Ezekiel, uses the phrase “in the latter days/latter years” instead of the often-used phrase “the day of the Lord” to distinguish the Gog/Magog invasion of Israel from events that transpire in the Tribulation and Christ’s subsequent Second Coming.
In Ezekiel 38 and 39: Nuances, here is what we noted concerning the phrases “in that day” and “in the latter days”:
“Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord God; In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it?” – Ezekiel 38:14 (Ezekiel 38:18-19, Ezekiel 39:8, Ezekiel 39:11)
The phrase “in that day” is extremely versatile in the prophetic Scriptures. Here are four diverse ways this phrase can be used in the Tanakh:
- A “day” in which a future prophecy would be fulfilled near to the prophet and the prophecy.
- A latter “day” end-time prophecy leading up to the Tribulation.
- Equivalent to “that day” or “the day of the Lord,” representing the Tribulation period of Jacob’s trouble.
- Equivalent to “that day,” representing the Messianic Millennial Kingdom.
Obviously, when assessing Ezekiel 38:8 and the “latter years,” we are looking at #2 or #3.
“And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land…” – Ezekiel 38:16a
God stresses this invasion will occur “in the latter days,” and is the exact same Hebrew phrase found in Ezekiel 38:8.
In all, we are certainly looking at an invasion that will occur, just as God proclaims, in “the latter years” or “latter days.”
It is my personal conviction that this invasion of Israel, detailed in Ezekiel 38 and 39:1-16, will occur in The Gap between the rapture of the church and the beginning of the Tribulation.
The distinction between these two phrases is difficult to reconcile.
Gog’s Confederacy vs. Antichrist’s ‘All Nations’
Unless the Lord is only focused on a certain nation within any given prophecy, when it comes to the Second Coming of Messiah and ‘Armageddon,’ all nations who have survived the tribulation, and are in league with Antichrist, and have taken The Mark of The Beast, will come to Jerusalem in an attempt to hinder the Lord Jesus Christ from destroying them, rescuing His people that have been dispersed throughout the world, and taking back the Promised Land of Israel and Jerusalem for Himself and His people. Virtually all prophecies associated with this event use the phrase “all the nations” or equivalent.
“And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.” – Revelation 19:19
In the Gog/Magog invasion of Israel, however, a certain confederacy composed of Russia, Turkey, Iran and other Muslim nations in the Middle East and northern Africa will be involved in the invasion. This is not an all-encompassing, worldwide gathering of nations.
This too is very difficult for someone to justify, when one prophecy has a very detailed list of nation actors in a specified confederacy, while the other includes virtually every nation on Earth that survives the Tribulation.
Israel in Her Land at Rest and Dwelling Safely vs. Israel’s Last Dispersion
When the Abomination of Desolation occurs at the midway point of the Tribulation, those in Judah and Jerusalem will be killed, and those who are fortunate enough to flee will be supernaturally protected by God in the wilderness mountains of Petra, es Sela, and Mt. Seir. Others will be caught and sold into slavery (Joel 3:1-6). Israel will be dispersed one last time during the Great Tribulation where God will make His last plea to His people to come to His Son, their once-rejected Messiah, and they will, as all of Israel shall be saved (Romans 11:26-27).
In the Gog/Magog invasion of Israel, however, the nation of Israel at that time will be in her land, dwelling safely and at rest, as we observed in Ezekiel 38 and 39: Nuances:
“And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates…” – Ezekiel 38:11
The Hebrew for “to them that are at rest” is הַשֹּׁ֣קְטִ֔ים “haš·šō·qə·ṭîm” – used only here – with 8252 שָׁקַט “shaqat” and essentially means to be quiet or undisturbed.
The Hebrew for “safely” is לָבֶ֑טַח “lā·ḇe·ṭaḥ” with 983 “betach,” meaning assurance, boldly, without care, confidence, hope, safely secure, surely, and is usually rendered securely.
Israel, as a nation and a people, will essentially be undisturbed and living securely in her homeland when this invasion occurs.
One cannot square these two differences when it comes to Gog’s invasion of Israel, who will be at rest and feel secure in her land, and the Second Coming of Christ, when Israel will be dispersed one last time in the Great Tribulation, the time of Jacob’s trouble (Jer. 30:7).
Jerusalem is Never Mentioned in the Gog/Magog Invasion of Israel
Ground zero for the Second Coming of Christ is centered, as one would logically expect, on Jerusalem. We will cover this in a little more detail momentarily.
However, in the Gog/Magog invasion of Israel, Jerusalem is never mentioned – not once. This invasion should begin and end in the northern mountains of Israel, in the Golan Heights region, and possibly westward into the upper and lower Galilee region. The forces of Gog will not get far!
Again, we have discrepancies that cannot be harmonized between these two major events in Israel’s prophetic future.
The Valley of Jehoshaphat and ‘Armageddon’
Jerusalem or Zion will be the battleground for the Second Coming of Christ, as we have detailed in many study articles. This area’s focal point of this last battle will be The Kidron Valley, which is also known as The Valley of Jehoshaphat that extends even further where the multitude of Edomites, Ammonites, and Moabites were gathered together from the Dead Sea/Salt Sea and coming toward Jerusalem in the days of King Jehoshaphat. [For more on this ancient battle won by God and its prophetic implications for the future, please see 2 Chronicles 20 – Prophetic Reflective Foregleams.]
How can a region in northern Israel – namely Megiddo or what many believe is ‘Armageddon’ – be equated with the last battle between Satan, Antichrist, and all the nations of Earth coming against the coming Lord, when the Scriptures clearly declare that Jerusalem is where this confrontation will take place?
Strangely, the Greek word for ‘Armageddon’ in Revelation 16:16 is 717 Ἁρμαγεδών “harmagedōn,” and is believed by most to mean “the hill or city of Megiddo” because, for some unknown reason to me, “harmagedōn” has been changed to “har Megiddo.” A hill or city of Megiddo? That is very odd, considering we know that the Lord comes back to save Zion, His Holy City of Jerusalem!?!
We discussed these very issues in The Valley of Jehoshaphat and ‘Armageddon,’ where I have a link to an article, The Meaning of “Armaged[d]on,” by Jeff Van Hatten, that breaks down the Greek word, ‘Armageddon’ into Hebrew. ‘Armageddon,’ as is so commonly believed to be “the mount, hill, or city of Megiddo,” appears to be a misunderstanding of what this Greek word, translated into Hebrew – actually a combination of three Hebrew words – is conveying to the reader.
The Greek word ‘Armageddon’ into Hebrew can be broken down thusly:
6194 עֲרֵמָה “ʿărēmâ” which means a heap (sometimes, a heap of sheaves), a pile, of ruins. Surely, this will be the condition of the world, and certainly in and around the Holy City of Jerusalem when our Lord comes back to Earth.
1516 גַּיְא “gay’” which means valley, a steep valley, narrow gorge. This “valley” is consistent with The Valley of Jehoshaphat, which is believed to be the Kidron Valley east of Jerusalem and going south towards the Dead Sea/Salt Sea where the battle against the returning King will take place.
Don – from 1777 דִּין “dîn” or “diyn” [or den H1778], which means to judge, to contend, to plead.
Put together, in the Hebrew tongue, we get ‘Aremagaydin’ – which, when put together from the above definitions, means a heap, a pile of ruins in the valley of judgment.
Now, consider the prophet Joel and God’s prophecy on the Second Coming of Christ:
“Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.
“Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord.
“Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.
“Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great.
“Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.
“The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.” – Joel 3:9-16
In The Valley of Jehoshaphat and ‘Armageddon,’ we detail every instance in which the Hebrew word for Megiddo is found in the Tanakh, and none of them have anything to do with a last days’ battle in The Valley of Megiddo or a Hill of Megiddo or the city of Megiddo.
Scripturally, the trek our Lord takes when He comes back with us from heaven begins in Bozrah (southern Jordan), going on around the Dead Sea/Salt Sea, through Judah and on into Jerusalem where His feet will touch the Mount of Olives, directly above The Kidron Valley/The Valley of Jehoshaphat on the east side (Zechariah 14:4). These locations are where the armies of the world will amass, and Messiah never goes north of Jerusalem, for Jerusalem is where the Antichrist, False Prophet, and as many of the armies of the world are awaiting His arrival! [For more on the trek of Jesus and a study of Zechariah 12, please see Zechariah 12: The Second Coming and The Mourning.]
The reason we brought this up is because when people believe that the last battle between evil and God will take place in northern Israel in and around Megiddo – which has no Scriptural support – this would open the door for them to believe that this location is consistent with the coming invasion of Israel by the Gog/Magog alliance, with this new theory and interpretation. However, Messiah is never said in any prophecy to go to the northern regions of Israel at His Second Coming – His campaign is strictly limited in the Scriptures from Bozrah in ancient Edom (modern-day southern Jordan), into Judah, and on to Jerusalem!
Ezekiel 39:17-29 Is a New Prophecy Separate and Distinguished from Gog’s Invasion of Israel
Ezekiel 39:17-29 is probably the biggest reason some have speculated that the Gog/Magog invasion of Israel might be ‘Armageddon,’ but most have failed to recognize that God is bringing in a new prophecy in this passage.
In Contextualizing ‘Thus Saith the Lord,’ and in citing our article, Possibilities: The Ezekiel 39 Aftermath, we detail why this is the case when we observed the following:
We then continued to examine the Gog/Magog invasion of Israel and its aftermath from Ezekiel 39:1-16 and discovered that there was a jump in time at verse 17 that was signified by the Lord’s introduction to a new topic by stating, “And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord God.”
Here is what we observed regarding this jump in time:
“And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord God; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood.
Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan. And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.
Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord God.” – Ezekiel 39:17-20
Here, from Ezekiel 39:17-29, the prophecy jumps forward seven-plus years into the future to the Lord’s Second Coming (as God already prophesied to the Gog/Magog invaders that they would be feasted on by the animals of prey in Ezekiel 39:4 , and we just read of their burial in Ezekiel 39:11-16).
But how do we know this?
The first observational consideration, in this particular prophecy, is that there’s a pause after the burial of the Gog/Magog invaders – climaxing the end of the prophecy – and God proclaims a new Word through Ezekiel when He says, “And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord God.” The second takeaway, as always and of most importance when studying Scripture, is context.
The context is made evident when one closely analyzes the last remaining verses of this chapter, which can only refer to the Second Coming, especially when it states in verse 25: “Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob.” Jacob, or Israel, will not be in captivity during and immediately following the Gog/Magog invasion, but will be in captivity during the time of Jacob’s trouble (Jer. 30:7) in the Great Tribulation (the last three and one-half years of the seven-year Tribulation).
Not only that, but God states: “Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord God.” – Ezekiel 39:29.
[The last reason can be found in The Mark of the Beasts]
It is because of this jump in prophetic time that some believe that the Gog/Magog invasion is Christ’s Second Coming.
For an even more detailed examination of this passage, please see Ezekiel 38 and 39: Nuances, under the subheading Ezekiel 39:17-29 – A New Prophecy.
This example of God, through Ezekiel, presenting a new prophecy toward the end of chapter 39 is why I stress so often in my studies Paul’s admonition to Timothy:
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing [cutting straight] the word of truth.” – 2 Timothy 2:15
We must remember that, though those responsible for our chapter and verse divisions in the Bible did a remarkable job, those chapter and verse structures are not inspired. Therefore, we must, to the best of our abilities and the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit, strive to rightly divide and cut straight the Word of God, just as Paul implored Timothy.
‘Great Shaking in the Land of Israel’ vs. The Earthquakes in Revelation
“For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth [land], and all the men that are upon the face of the earth [land], shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.
“And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord God: every man’s sword shall be against his brother. And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.” – Ezekiel 38:19-22
This is a localized earthquake or “great shaking in the land of Israel,” not a worldwide cataclysm.
The Hebrew word translated “earth” is not the usual word 776 “eretz/erets/eres” but 127 אֲדָמָה “‘ăḏāmâ,” and depending on context, can mean either ground, land (a specific plot of land, territory, country), inhabited earth. Obviously, since this shaking is localized in northern Israel, land or ground or plot of ground or territory is the appropriate definition and translation.
Whether this land’s shaking in Israel is due to a divinely timed earthquake or volcanic eruption or results from bombing by the Israeli Air Force on the invaders is up for speculation. Regardless, however, this shaking in the mountains of northern Israel upon the multitudes that are invading Israel is a localized event.
Conversely, the two major earthquakes, first in Revelation 6:12-17 and the largest earthquake the Earth will have ever witnessed in Revelation 16:17-21 (which would be the earthquake one would have to believe if they are considering that the Gog invasion of Israel is occurring just before the coming of the Lord at the end of the Tribulation), are not compatible or comparable with the localized shaking in Israel during the Gog/Magog invasion of Israel at all.
Conclusion
Here is a synopsis of our seven observations.
1. God makes a distinction that the Gog invasion of Israel occurs “in the latter days/latter years” and is never equated with “the day of the Lord,” which would signify the Second Coming of Christ.
2. Gog has a confederacy of certain specified nations, primarily Muslim, that will accompany him in his invasion of Israel, while every nation on Earth that survives the Tribulation will gather together at Jerusalem going southward around the Dead Sea/Salt Sea, on into the ancient city of Bozrah because of the overflow.
3. Israel is at rest and dwells safely in the Promised Land when the Gog/Magog invasion occurs, while Israel will be dispersed throughout the nations at the time of Messiah’s Second Coming. There will be no Israelites in the Promised Land during the Great Tribulation.
4. Jerusalem is never mentioned in the Gog/Magog invasion of Israel, while Zion, the Holy City of Jerusalem, is alwaysmentioned when it comes to the Lord’s Second Coming. This is where the nations will gather for what is known as ‘Armageddon.’
5. Armageddon’ – when broken down in the Hebrew language – speaks specifically to Joel’s prophecy of The Valley of Jehoshaphat/The Kidron Valley where the last battle of evil against the Lord will take place at His coming. All the evidence Scripturally points to Jerusalem, the Holy City of Zion, being ground zero for the Second Coming, not the northern mountains of Israel where the Gog/Magog invasion of Israel will take place and end as fast as it started. ‘Armageddon’ will not take place on “the hill or city of Megiddo,” as Megiddo is never mentioned in any prophecy related to the Second Coming of Christ.
6. Ezekiel 39:17-29 is not part of the Gog/Magog prophetic invasion of Israel, but rather a new prophecy that jumps in time to the defeat and destruction of our Lord’s enemies at His Second Coming and the salvation of the Israelite people.
7. The shaking in Israel is powerfully localized in the mountains of northern Israel, while the earthquakes in Revelation – specifically, the greatest earthquake in all of history (Revelation 16:17-21) at the end of the Tribulation before Christ’s Second Coming – are global and catastrophic for the entire world.
“So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel.” – Ezekiel 39:7
The nations that invaded Israel, and those that will witness the destruction of God’s and Israel’s enemies, will recognize that “the Lord, the Holy One in Israel” battled on behalf of His chosen people, though most will not come to saving faith in the Messiah, but thankfully, many will. God will also “make [His] Holy Name known in the midst of [His] people Israel, and will not let them pollute [His] Holy Name any more,” as Israel will also recognize the Lord’s hand in their deliverance from the invaders against all odds, just as He had done so many times in their past.
Note, however, that the text does not say that the Lord Himself will be in the midst of His people Israel, as so many other prophecies attest when it comes to the Messianic Millennial Kingdom. For instance…
“Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord.
“And many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto thee.” – Zechariah 2:10-11
“The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.” – Zephaniah 3:17
Though Israel will not “pollute [God’s] Holy Name any more” as His “Holy Name [will be] known in the midst of [His] people Israel,” sadly, at that time, they will still have not accepted Yeshua as their Messiah as a nation.
Gog’s confederate invasion of Israel and subsequent annihilation of their enemies should pave the way for the Tribulation Temple and the Antichrist’s covenant with Israel and “the many” of Israel’s enemies (Daniel 9:27). This return of Israel as a nation to Israel’s ancient Temple worship during the first half of the Tribulation is the foundation and first step of Israel’s return to the God of Israel by no longer profaning His Holy Name, but their full restoration will have to unfortunately wait until the time of Jacob’s trouble (Jer. 30:7), the Great Tribulation, when they will be dispersed from the Promised Land one last time so that God can draw them to saving faith in their once-rejected Messiah, Yeshua HaMashiach.
This will be the time when God comforts Israel in the wilderness mountains of Petra, es Sela, and Mt. Seir, and reassures the rest of the Israeli remnant that will survive the Tribulation throughout the world, that this Great Tribulation, which they will have endured, is indeed Darkest Before the Dawn. Moreover, that dawn of a new day for Israel, when Messiah comes to rescue them and delivers the Promised Land and His Holy City of Jerusalem from the clutches of His enemies in preparation for His Kingdom, will be fantastically glorious!
May we all keep Answering the Call of The Great Commission, and giving an answer to every man and woman who so desperately needs Jesus and asks us, “Why Am I Here and What Is It All About?”
Love, grace, mercy, and shalom in Messiah Yeshua, and Maranatha!
***
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