The Defeat of Gog

38 The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, turn your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog,(A) the chief prince of[a] Meshech and Tubal.(B) Prophesy against him and say: This is what the Lord God says: Look, I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws,(C) and bring you out with all your army, including horses and riders,(D) who are all splendidly dressed, a huge company armed with shields and bucklers, all of them brandishing swords. Persia,(E)Cush, and Put are with them, all of them with shields and helmets; Gomer(F) with all its troops; and Beth-togarmah(G) from the remotest parts of the north along with all its troops—many peoples are with you.

“Be prepared and get yourself ready, you and all your company who have been mobilized around you; you will be their guard. After a long time you will be summoned. In the last years you will enter a land that has been restored from war[b] and regathered from many peoples to the mountains of Israel, which had long been a ruin.(H) They were brought out from the peoples, and all of them now live securely. You, all of your troops, and many peoples with you will advance, coming like a thunderstorm; you will be like a cloud covering the land.

10 “This is what the Lord God says: On that day, thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will devise an evil plan. 11 You will say, ‘I will go up against a land of open villages; I will come against a tranquil people who are living securely,(I) all of them living without walls and without bars or gates(J) 12 in order to seize spoil and carry off plunder,(K) to turn your hand against ruins now inhabited and against a people gathered from the nations, who have been acquiring cattle and possessions and who live at the center of the world.’ 13 Sheba(L) and Dedan(M) and the merchants of Tarshish(N) with all its rulers[c] will ask you, ‘Have you come to seize spoil? Have you assembled your hordes to carry off plunder, to make off with silver and gold, to take cattle and possessions, to seize great spoil?’

14 “Therefore prophesy, son of man, and say to Gog: This is what the Lord God says: On that day when My people Israel are dwelling securely,(O) will you not know this 15 and come from your place in the remotest parts of the north(P)—you and many peoples with you, who are all riding horses—a mighty horde, a huge army? 16 You will advance against My people Israel like a cloud covering the land. It will happen in the last days, Gog, that I will bring you against My land so that the nations may know Me, when I show Myself holy through you in their sight.(Q)

17 “This is what the Lord God says: Are you the one I spoke about in former times through My servants, the prophets of Israel, who for years prophesied in those times that I would bring you against them? 18 Now on that day, the day when Gog comes against the land of Israel”—this is the declaration of the Lord God—“My wrath will flare up.[d] 19 I swear in My zeal and fiery rage:(R) On that day there will be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. 20 The fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the animals of the field, every creature that crawls on the ground, and every human being on the face of the earth will tremble before Me. The mountains will be thrown down, the cliffs will collapse, and every wall will fall to the ground. 21 I will call for a sword against him on all My mountains”—the declaration of the Lord God—“and every man’s sword will be against his brother.(S) 22 I will execute judgment on him with plague and bloodshed. I will pour out torrential rain, hailstones, fire, and brimstone on him, as well as his troops and the many peoples who are with him.(T) 23 I will display My greatness and holiness, and will reveal Myself in the sight of many nations.(U) Then they will know that I am Yahweh.

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 38:2 Or the prince of Rosh,
  2. Ezekiel 38:8 Lit from the sword
  3. Ezekiel 38:13 Lit young lions, or villages
  4. Ezekiel 38:18 Lit up in My anger

Prophecy about Gog and Future Invasion of Israel

38 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, set your face against Gog of the land of Magog, the chief ruler of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief ruler of Meshech and Tubal. I will turn you around and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them magnificently clothed in full armor, a great horde with [a]buckler (small shield) and [large] shield, all of them wielding swords; Persia (Iran), Cush (Ethiopia), and Put (Libya, N. Africa) with them, all of them with shield and helmet; Gomer and all its troops; Beth-togarmah from the remote parts of the north and all its troops—many peoples with you.

You [Gog] be prepared; prepare yourself, you and all your hordes that are assembled around you, and be a guard and a lookout for them. After many days you will be summoned [for service]; in the latter years you shall come into the land that is restored from [the ravages of] the sword, where people have been gathered out of many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had been a continual wasteland; but its people were brought out of the nations, and they are living securely, all of them.(A) You will go up [against them], you will come like a storm; you shall be like a cloud covering the land, you and all your troops, and many peoples with you.”

10 ‘Thus says the Lord God, “It will come about on that day that thoughts will come into your mind, and you will devise an evil plan, 11 and you will say, ‘I will go up against an open country; I will come against those who are at rest and peaceful, who live securely, all of them living without walls and having neither bars nor gates, 12 to take spoil and seize plunder, to turn your hand against the ruins which are now inhabited, and against the people who are gathered from the nations, who have acquired cattle and goods, who live at the [b]center of the world [Israel].’ 13 Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish (southern Spain), with all its young lions (villages) will say to you, ‘Have you come to take spoil? Have you assembled your hordes [of fighting men] to seize plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take great spoil?’”’

14 “Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “On that day when My people Israel live securely, will you not become aware of it [and become active]? 15 You will come from your place in the remote parts of the north, you and many nations with you, all of them riding horses, a great horde, and a mighty army; 16 and you will go up against My people Israel like a cloud to cover the land. In the last days it will come about that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me when I show Myself holy through you before their eyes, O Gog.”

17 ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Are you the one of whom I spoke in former days through My servants, the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days for many years that I would bring you (Gog) against them? 18 It will come about on that day, when Gog comes against the land of Israel,” says the Lord God, “that My wrath will rise and show on My face. 19 In My zeal and in My blazing rage I declare that on that day there will most certainly be a [c]great earthquake in the land of Israel, 20 so that the fishes of the sea, the birds of the sky, the animals of the field, all the creatures that crawl on the earth, and all the men that are on the face of the earth will tremble and shake at My presence; the mountains will crumble, the steep places will fall, and every wall will fall to the ground. 21 I will call for a sword against Gog throughout all My mountains,” says the Lord God. “Every man’s (invading soldier’s) sword will be against his brother (ally) [in panic and confusion]. 22 With pestilence and with bloodshed I will enter into judgment with Gog; and I will rain on him torrents of rain with [great] hailstones, [d]fire and brimstone on his hordes and on the many nations that are with him.(B) 23 Thus I shall magnify Myself and demonstrate My greatness and sanctify Myself, and I will be recognized and will make Myself known in the sight of many nations; they will know [without any doubt] that I am the Lord.”’

Footnotes

  1. Ezekiel 38:4 See note Jer 46:3.
  2. Ezekiel 38:12 Lit navel.
  3. Ezekiel 38:19 Today the Great Rift Valley, the longest fault line in the world (about 4,000 miles), runs from Syria through Israel to Mozambique in east Africa. Israel and the surrounding areas have experienced a significant number of moderate earthquakes (4.0 to 5.2 in magnitude) since the year 2000, and one could not rule out a massive earthquake even in the near future. Thus the stage is already set for the catastrophic earthquake described here.
  4. Ezekiel 38:22 Perhaps a volcanic explosion.