This is the prophetic timing of Gog and Magog war; Ezekiel prophecy of Russia with a great company coming against Israel (Ezek 38-39).
There are two Biblically prophesied wars before the last return of Jesus Christ. These are: –
- Gog and Magog war and
- The Armageddon battle
There are broad differences between the two battles. Some are: –
Differences between Gog and Magog war and the Armageddon battle
- Gog and Magog war will take place in the Mountains of Israel while Armageddon battle will be in the valley of Megiddo
- The Armageddon battle involves all world nations while Gog and Magog war involves only selected nations led by Russia
- China is not in the Gog and Magog war but in the Armageddon battle
- Antichrist is taking part in the Armageddon battle but not seen anywhere in the Gog and Magog battle
- Jesus Christ stands on Mount Olives at the end of Armageddon battle but nowhere do we see Jesus Christ appearing physically to the world in Gog and Magog war
(These are just but a few differences)
Another broad difference between the two battles is their prophetic timings.
Armageddon battle happens in the end of the age when Jesus Christ returns to judge and for the Millennium Reign but when is the Gog and Magog war happening?
Prophetic Timing of Gog and Magog war
Ezekiel who prophesies the Gog and Magog war (Russia with a great multitude coming against Israel) gives us the prophetic timing of the war. In His prophecy, Ezekiel reveals a lot for us to know the time of the war.
When is Gog and Magog war happening?
1. In the latter years
Ezek 38:8: After many days you shall be visited: in the latter years you shall come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
The latter years are the end years to the return of Jesus Christ. Latter years are different from the End Times. End Times speak of a time while latter years go specific to the end years.
2. In the latter days
Ezekiel goes from speaking of years to days
Ezek 38:16: And you shall 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, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.
Ezekiel specifies that the Gog and Magog war will take place in the end years in the end days.
3. When Israel has been re-gathered and given their father’s land
Ezek 38:8: After many days you shall be visited: in the latter years you shall come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
Ezekiel prophesied Israel re-gathering and being given their father’s land before the Gog and Magog war. See prophecy of Israel re-birth
Israel was re-gathered and given their father’s (Abraham) land in May 15th 1948. It is when the Mountains of Israel stopped being desolate (in waste) and where inhibited.
…to turn your hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, (Ezek 38:12)
Ezekiel prophesied Gog and Magog war to take place after Israel is re-gathered and given their father’s land which is after May 15th 1948. After Israel re-birth we are yet to see the war.
4. When Israel dwell safely
Ezekiel tells us that Israel will be ‘dwelling safely’ (Ezek 38:8, 11). The word in the original Hebrew for dwelling safely, ‘betach’ can have a meaning of feeling safe but not necessarily being safe; a false confidence and security.
There is a false feeling of safety in Israel now. It could be reasonably argued that Israel is living more safely today than at any other time in her 63 years ago.
5. When Israel is a land of unwalled villages
Ezekiel mentions that Israel will be living in a land of ‘unwalled villages’ and ‘dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates’.
Ezek 38:11: And you shall 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
In the ancient times of Ezekiel and throughout history up until 1900 AD, virtually all villages and cities in Israel had strong walls. Ezekiel had never seen a village or city without defensive walls.
Yet, the Israel of today lives in a land of unwalled villages except for the 400+ miles long wall separating her and portions of the West Bank that helps keep terrorist snipers from shooting into Israel. Vast majority of Israel dwells in unwalled villages (without walls and having neither bars nor gates).
6. When Israel is prosperous (a wealthy nation)
One reason Russia and her company are coming against Israel is to take spoil and prey, cattle and goods, and to carry away silver and gold.
To take a spoil, and to take a prey…which have gotten cattle and goods that dwell in the midst of the land. Have you come to take a spoil? Have you gathered your company to take a prey? To carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil? (Ezek 38:12-13)
This means that Israel will be a wealthy (prosperous) nation when this war happens.
Ezekiel prophesied of Israel multiplication and prosperity after her re-birth (Ezek 36-37). And Israel is the most blessed nation on earth today with great prosperity. See Ezekiel prophesy of Israel rebirth
In addition to her wealth, Israel discovered a massive reserve of natural gas on the coast of Haifa.
7. Before the great tribulation period
The great tribulation period is a 7 years period as revealed in Daniel 70 weeks prophecy and the last-week of Daniel 70 weeks.
After the Gog and Magog war, we see those who dwell in the cities of Israel cutting no wood out of the field for fire for 7 years but setting fire with the weapons of Russia and her great company.
And they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the handstaves, and the spears, and they shall burn them with fire seven years. So that they shall take no wood out of the field, neither cut down any out of the forests; for they shall burn the weapons with fire (Ezek 39:9-10)
God timing is accurate. If God says 7 years, it is seven years.
Ezekiel talks of those who dwell in the cities of Israel. These are not only the Jews but all those who dwell in the cities of Israel (both Jews and non-Jews).
For those who dwell in the cities of Israel to use the Russia and her company weapons as firewood means that the war will have ended.
This means that at the end of the war, those who dwell in Israel will start using the weapons as firewood and the 7 years period will start counting. Therefore the war will end for the 7 years of using the weapons as firewood to start.
Since the great tribulation period is 7 years and in the Gog and Magog war there are 7 years of using the weapons as firewood, this means that the Gog and Magog war does not happen inside the 7 years great tribulation period but happens before the great tribulation.
The 7 years of the great tribulation period are the last years to the return of Jesus Christ and the last years to the Millennium Reign. Nowhere in the Bible do we see people in the Millennium reign using weapons of the Gog and Magog war as firewood.
The 7 years period of using Gog and Magog war weapons as firewood ‘may possibly be’ the 7 years of the great tribulation period.
8. Before spiritual awakening of Israel
Israel will be spiritually awakened in this war when they see their God in action and defeating all Israel enemies for their sake. This does not mean that Israel will acknowledge Jesus Christ as their savior. See Gog and Magog war
Apostle Paul says,
For I would not, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in (Rom 11:25).
The fullness of the gentiles will be before the Armageddon battle. It is in the great tribulation period when the last gentile will enter into God’s kingdom and gentiles trampling down Jerusalem will end in Armageddon battle.
Lk 21:24: And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
The Jews will accept Jesus Christ who they pierced as their Messiah at the end of the Armageddon battle.
Zech 12:10: And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
But before that, Israel is not going to come to faith in Jesus Christ (grace). Israel is still going to be under the Old Testament (under the law).
Therefore, the spiritual awakening of Israel will lead them to resume their Old Testament style of worship and rebuild the Third Temple. Reason after the Gog and Magog war prophecy, Ezekiel prophecies the building of the Third Temple.
Today we know that the Jews are not spiritually awake to their Old Testament style of worshiping God. Their Old Testament style of worship had the Temple and the Ark of Covenant.
As said in the Ezekiel prophecy of Gog and Magog war, the Third Temple cannot be build when the Holy Spirit and the church are on earth.
As the Third Temple starts to be build and as the Ark of Covenant resurfaces, the church will not be on earth. It is in the Third Temple where the Antichrist will do abomination; the Abomination of the Desolate.
My Words
When I was studying Ezekiel 38-39, I asked Jesus Christ for an understanding of this war and immediately I had the vision of Iran coming out for war and Iran dead bodies fed by animals
Before any major change in world history, a major event affecting the Jews happens.
Some examples are;
- Before Moses was born, Pharaoh ordered every son born to be cast into the river
- Before the Jews came out of Egypt, all firstborns in Egypt died
- Before Jesus was born, Herod ordered the killing of all young male children
- Before the Jews crossed to their promised land, Jericho fell
- Before Israel was reborn and declared a sovereign state by UN, World War 11 happened
- Before Jesus Christ returns to save Israel, Armageddon battle will happen
Therefore, before Rapture and the great tribulation there is a major event happening affecting the Jews.
And in the major events we see four blood moons coinciding with Jewish feasts; Passover and Sukkot. See Significance of four blood moons coinciding with Jewish feasts; Passover and Sukkot
We are seeing four blood moons coinciding with Jewish feasts in 2014-2015 and the last blood moon on 28th September 2015 will be at perigee (nearest the earth) meaning it will be a super moon and seen in Jerusalem during the feast of sukkot while the Jewish people will be dwelling outside in their sukkahs looking up toward the heavens.
Also the 2014-2015 blood moons and solar eclipse happen the same dates as on 70 AD and on the birth of Jesus Christ marking a great timing and season for a major event affecting the Jews and Christians, and changing world history.
See coming events during and after the 2014 – 2015 four blood moons (next).
Israel, Russia and her company have met all the requirements for this war to happen. It is just a matter of God’s timing now.
As the Bible says, we are children of the light not of darkness, therefore we understand the times and seasons.
For those with wisdom, understand.
Jesus is Coming
Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand
