Who Is Gog

[Truth Files]

Ezekiel
38:2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him

38:17 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them?

The Lord addresses "gog" in Ezekiel 38 and 39 with respect to Israel's return to the land of Israel at the end of this current age. The vision begins by addressing satan and his early involvement with the post flood inhabitants of the land area of Magog, son of Japheth, and his brothers. [Genesis 10:1-2]

Careful study of Ezekiel's vision and other related scriptures are necessary in order to identify gog [satan] and his involvement with humanity over a very broad time frame.

This includes his connection to both the spirit world, human kings, and the human organizations contained within the dominions of the human kings and their kingdoms.

There are some identifiers and other links to be considered which will lead to the realization that gog is not human. This entity has angelic characteristics which can be determined by studying the identifiers and the links given in scripture.

Gog is identified by other biblical prophets as being connected with different human rulers, in different geographical areas, at different times, over periods which exceed the limitations of human life span. [Ezekiel 38:17]

The Lord's angelic creatures do not age and are the same today as they were at their creation in the beginning. This angelic trait allows for perpetual involvement over vast time periods. [Job 38:4-7; Ezekiel 28:11-19; Revelation 20:1-3]

He notes that gog is a subject of many of the prophets, yet he is referred to as "gog" in only one other place in scripture .... in the 20th chapter of the book of Revelation. This must mean that he is identified by different profiles and agencies in the visions of the other prophets. [Ezekiel 38:17]

All other references refer to him or his agents by some other name or title. For example, Daniel sees the "prince that is to come" [Abaddon-Apollyon] in the little horn [a human king]. Both of these entities will be empowered and directed by satan. [Daniel 7:7; 8:9-12; 8:25-25; 11:36-45; 12:7; Revelation 9:11; 11:7; 17:8]

Gog is described as the chief angelic prince, in this case, of Mesheck and Tubal [the early post flood settlements of Magog's brothers]. The term "prince" is generally applied to an angelic ruler in prophetic scripture who rules over, influences, and operates through human kings [horns]. [Ezekiel 38:2]

The term "chief prince" indicates that gog is the ruler or leader of others of the same kind. The Hebrew word "rosh" used for "chief" is not in reference to "Russia" as some teach, but should be translated as "chief" or "head" prince. [Revelation 12:3-4; 12:9]

The title of "prince" is revealed to Daniel in describing angelic activity related to the archangel Michael's battle against the opposing forces of the princes of Persia and of Grecia. [Daniel 10:13-20]

The title of prince is used by the Lord when addressing the human king of Tyre. The message goes beyond the king to another entity [satan] who apparently has interaction and control over the king. [Ezekiel 28:11-19]

Isaiah contains references addressed to the prince of Babylon and to Lucifer. These are descriptions of satan's existence as an angelic being and his connection and influence with humanity. [Isaiah 14:12-17]

The angelic prince that "shall come" will be revealed at the end of this age during Israel's 70th week [the tribulation period of the Lord's coming judgment]. Daniel contrasts this entity with the Lord, the Messiah, the Prince that was "cut off". [Daniel 9:26-27]

This prince will stand against [oppose] the Prince of Princes, who is the Lord Jesus Christ. The result of the conflict will be the destruction of this prince [first beast of Revelation] in the lake of fire at Armageddon. [Revelation 19:20]

Other references to satan and his agents in the visions of the prophets include the Assyrian, prince of Persia, prince of Grecia, the beast, Abaddon-Apollyon [angelic king of the abyss] the destroyer, the man of lawlessness, and son of perdition. [Micah 5; Daniel 10; Revelation 9:11; 11:7; 13:1, 17:8; 2Thessalonians 2:3-12]

Satan plays the role of "chief prince" when his angelic agents are functional. He is the power behind them as they do his bidding on the earth in relation to the influence and control of human kings and their dominions. [Ezekiel 38:2; Revelation 12:3-12; 13:1-2; 17:8]

Abaddon-Appolyon is satan's [gog's] angelic agent for all seven heads [human dominions, kingdoms, and related human king positions] as they are defined in Revelation 13 and 17. He is the beast from the abyss .... the first beast of Revelation. [Revelation 9:11; 11:7; 17:8]

It is clearly stated that this "beast" [Abaddon-Apollyon] has seven heads [kingdoms]. Five have fallen [are historical], and the other two will exist in sequence during the 70th week decreed for Israel ... the Lord's hour of trial and the time of "Jacob's trouble". [Jeremiah 30; Revelation 3:10; 17:7-13]

Abaddon-Apollyon's connection with the seven human king "positions" is limited to influence and control. He is "of the seven" and is connected with all of them.

This limitation will change when the Lord allows him to become the eighth king himself by an actual incarnation. This is the "lie" and strong delusion that the Lord will send against an unbelieving world [2Thessalonians 2].

It will occur during the little horn's [human king's] rule in the seventh king "position". "Of the seven" can also be translated "of the seventh" which more specifically describes Abaddon-Apollyon's connection with the little horn at the time of the end. [Revelation 17:11]

He will then become the 8th king himself. This manifestation will be exceptionally unique to humans who experience his presence. [2Thessalonians 2:3-12]

 

[Truth Files]

Who is Gog continued .....

The little horn will expand his sixth Middle Eastern dominion toward the south, the east, and toward Israel by forming alliances and by conquest. [Daniel 8:9; 8:23-25; 11:36-44]

He will be occupying the seventh king position of his seventh dominion when Abaddon-Apollyon becomes the eighth king himself by incarnating [possessing] the little horn. [Revelation 17:11]

Abaddon-Apollyon will rule directly as an angelic king over most of the Middle East for a 42 month period [1,260 days] which will occur during the last half of the 70th week decreed for Israel. [Daniel 11:36-45; 12:7]

This entity will have an astounding presence and those who follow him will worship him as a god. His presence wil be like nothing that humans have experienced in the past.

This angelic beast wll be destroyed by the Lord in the lake of fire at the end of the next 30 day period, and satan will be captured and sent to the abyss for 1,000 years. [Daniel 12:11-12; Revelation 19:20, 20:1-3]

Revelation 20 also records satan's future release after the 1,000 years and his attempt to deceive the nations once again. He is referred to as "gog" again, and all of the nations involved are referred to symbolically as "Magog". [Revelation 20:7-10]

The Lord addresses satan as gog in Ezekiel and Revelation because of his early connections with the inhabitants of the land of Magog shortly after the flood.

The focus of Bible prophecy presents the view of satan's activities specifically in the northern regions of the Middle East [upper Tigris River basin]. [Ezekiel 38:15; Micah 5:5-6]

I believe this is because of the area's position in relation to Eden, Mount Ararat, and its northern interface with the land of Israel. There have been no valid archeological discoveries related to these inhabitants of the immediate post flood era so we must rely upon the scriptures for identification

The larger land areas of the early habitations of humans in the Middle East shortly after the flood are described in the Bible as the land of Egypt, the land of Canaan, the land of Magog, and the land of Shinar.

These lands formed a crescent shape from the Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf starting with the land of Egypt and ending with the land of Shinar [southern Babylonia] in clockwise order.

The land of Israel was developed later which replaced part of the land of Canaan on the eastern seaboard of the Mediterranean.

The general area of the ancient land of Magog today includes parts of northeastern Syria, eastern Turkey, northern Iraq, northwestern Iran, and Armenia and Georgia.

It is currently inhabited by a mixed group of original ethnic tribal ancestry plus genetic lineage from the other land areas of the Middle East.

The current populations located in the original ancient land of Magog are mainly Turkoman, Assyrian, Kurdish, Iranian [Medes and Persians], and Arab. The predominant religion is Islam. This common theology will have significance with regard to the coming end time events. [Psalms 83; Ezekiel 38]

This is the geographical area where satan's beast [Abaddon-Apollyon incarnated in the little horn] will arise to power in the Middle East at the beginning of the time of the end of this present age .... ten other kings will rise with him. [Daniel 7:19-20; 8:9-12; 8:23-25; Revelation 13:1, 17:12-18]

Why does the Lord addressed satan as gog, connect him with the land of Magog, and identify him as the chief prince of Mesheck and Tubal?

Why does the Lord call him out of his place in the northern Middle East to attack a regathered Israel in the land of Israel at the end of this age?

The Lord has allowed satan to rule over this northern geographical area, from shortly after the flood and continuously through Greek rule just before the first century.

The visions of the prophets indicate his presence in the same geographical area at the time of the end. Included are the original land of Magog, the Akkadian/Assyrian Empire, and the subsequent empires of neo-Babylon, Persia, and Grecia.

All of these human dominions were centered in the ancient Middle East with connections to the northern area of the fertile crescent. This same area will be satan's base of operation at the time of the end.

His human agents will come from his place out of the north, the ancient area of the land of Magog [northern Iraq], with the objective of gaining control of the Middle East and destroying the nation of Israel.

Satan's strategy for this event will include Abaddon-Apollyon, the false prophet who will appear in the land of Israel, and the little horn who will become the human manifestation of Abaddon-Apollyon.

The little horn is seen in the visions coming out of the same land area of the northern division of Alexander's ancient divided empire at the time of the end. There is a breach in the scope of the visions from the ending of the ancient Syrio/Babylonian domination and the beginning of the little horn's appearance at the time of the end. He will expand his control over most of the Middle East. [Daniel 8:9-12, 8:23-25]

The important identifier will be the location of his original base of operation at the time of the end, and not necessarily his ethnic origin. He does not have to be a direct descendant of Magog, although this is a possibility, but he must appear in the area of the ancient land of Magog. [Ezekiel 38, 39]

Satan is the "chief angelic prince", as indicated in one of his former relationships with the ancient trading centers of Mesheck and Tubal. Magog's younger brothers were the founders of these two early and prominent commercial centers of trade. [Ezekiel 27:13; 38:2]

The Lord addresses satan as gog in Ezekiel 38 and satan is called gog again in Revelation 20. The ancient land of Magog in the Middle East has been and will be satan's point of origin and focus upon the earth at the time of the end during the coming tribulation period. He will be released again after 1,000 years to cause another human rebellion and then he will be destroyed in the Lord's lake of fire.