That Day and the Gog Magog War

In these last of the Last Days one event that I personally believe changes everything and brings the world into the Tribulation Period. How close are we to this event. Well, we know the world changed on Oct 7^th, 2023, and the ramifications continue to shake the world.

Russia has been engaged in a war with Ukraine that resulted in 2022, in Russia withdrawing troops from Syria. Syria is a critical piece in the whole big picture. In looking at the God Magog war certain members of the cast of characters are clear. One of them is Iran or Persia. Many people ask about the Psalm 83 war, and if that is what we are seeing right now.

I don’t believe so. I believe in reading the Psalm 83 war, we see the goal is to stop the nation of Israel from existing- “Come and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more” (Psalm 83: 4).

This happened in the 1948 and 67 wars. Perhaps the biggest argument people bring up against this is in Ezekiel 38, it reads, “against a land of unwalled villages” (Ez. 38: 11).  But Israel has a wall around it borders! So do many nations! In fact, Egypt, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Iraq, Iran, Russia, Turkey, Afghanistan, are just a few in the Middle East that have border walls. When Ezekiel gave the prophecy and when he lived, key villages had walls to protect them. When he looked into the future he would have been shocked to see major cities without walls like today, even in Israel. What they didn’t have was border walls. Ezekiel didn’t say border walls but villages without walls.

Since the fall of the Soviet Union, we saw large numbers of Jews returning from the nations and we have also seen Israel blossom as a nation. It is no longer a waste land but one of the most powerful economies in the world.

We are told that this war will occur in Israel’s latter days. Ezekiel talks a lot about the latter days when Israel will be brought back and this time, they are promised Israel will never cease. No other nation has that promise or confidence. But Israel faces the greatest challenges to her existence.

We are told in the last days that:

Because you have said, ‘These two nations and these two countries shall be mine, and we will possess them, ‘although the Lord was there, therefore, as I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I will do’ according to your anger and according to the envy which you showed in your habitation against them; and I will make Myself known among them when I judge you.”

Ezekiel 35: 10, 11

We hear the calls for a two-state solution, yet the Palestinians have made it clear they don’t want a two-state solution but everything from the river to the sea to be theirs.

We also find behind the scenes Iran has been empowering her proxies such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. Iran has her tentacles in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon where she sponsors terrorism against Israel. Iran continues to work towards building a nuclear bomb. Iran has made it clear of its intentions to use that bomb against Israel and or America.

“I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws, and lead you out…”

Ezekiel 38: 4

For those who remember the 80’s we can remember the Soviet Union days and how everything changed after the fall. There was a constant fear of nuclear war or a sudden attack but that all seemed to fade. But things are changing, and we are see a turn around and the world has gone back. We also see how Russia withdrew her troops from Syria and now they are returning. Further, they are returning to the Syrian Golan Heights along the Israeli border.

Looking at the situation with the Ukraine war, the rhetoric between NATO and Russia has dramatically increased. In the Middle East things have also developed and it today is a tinderbox. We never know what event will cause it to ignite and bring us to “that day.”

“On that day it shall come to pass that thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will make an evil plan.”

Ezekiel 38: 10

Something will create “that day” when voices will rise up and get Gog’s attention to cause him to attack. The word “thoughts” is “dabar” which means communications, speech, business, acts, etc. So, something causes such a stir that finally Gog is moved to action.

“Then you will come from your place out of the far north…”

Ezekiel 38: 15

And we are told:

“You will come up against My people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land…”

Ezekiel 38: 16

This sounds like an aerial attack is how it starts but God sends a massive earthquake that causes the invading army to turn on themselves. We are also told that fire will fall on them and the nations in complacency.

“Men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”

Luke 21: 26

The term “coming on the earth” could be written, “things descending on the earth.” What would cause men’s hearts to fail with fear? We know around the midpoint of the Tribulation a comet will strike the earth and I can well imagine that will cause fear. We have seen in recent years the 2008 economic crisis and even the crisis of 2020 and it didn’t cause men’s hearts to fail. COVID was terrifying but still not like this. But what if it was nuclear weapons?

“I will send fire on Magog and on those who live in security (complacency) in the coastlands (islands). Then they shall know that I am the Lord.”

Ezekiel 39: 6

The fire doesn’t just fall on the invading army but on nations in complacency. It is possible that somewhere in this war the destruction of Damascus and Elam will occur. But even more than this will happen.

When we think of complacency, we are reminded of what Paul said about the people saying “peace and safety” then sudden destruction c