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Introduction

As we saw last week, Gog and Magog are the Biblical and spiritual symbols of the flesh of all men, of all nations, of all time.

Rev 20:8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

We saw that this is the very same battle which was “spoken of by the prophets from the beginning”.

Eze 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?

It was “many years” that Gog and Magog were prophesied to be brought against Israel as “the seed of the serpent” warring against “the seed of the woman”. This is what was prophesied from the very beginning.

Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Is there anyone who thinks this prophecy concerning Gog and Magog coming up against “the Israel of God… the camp of the saints” is not this very same struggle between the seed of the woman who brings forth a manchild who is to rule all nations with a rod of iron, and the seed of the serpent, whose very function and purpose in being is to withstand our Lord and His Christ?

Rev 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
Rev 11:16 And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,
Rev 11:17 Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
Rev 11:18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

“The nations”, just like the kingdom of God which destroys and replaces those nations, are all within those who “read, hear and keep the things written in this book”.

Dan 2:35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

Those who read, hear and keep these things written in this book are those who are in “the body of this death” and those upon whom “judgment must begin” and whose “old man” is at this time being being destroyed for their abuse and destruction of their very own ‘earth’ (Rev 1:3; Rom 7:24; 1Pe 4:17).

1Co 7:31 And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.

What is the diffrence between the book and the books? The answer can be found here.

These two chapters, Ezekiel 38 and 39, are the foundation on which Rev 19 and 20 stand. The details of these two chapters give us a much deeper understanding of who it is who “abuses this world, [and] withstands the camp of the saints” in every generation since Adam and Eve, in which the seed of the serpent expresses his enmity against the seed of the woman.

Eze 39:1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:

When we go back to Genesis, we see that it is Magog who is the only son of Japheth who could be called “the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal”.

Gen 10:2 The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.

Yet Gog is called “the land of Magog”:

Eze 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,
Eze 38:3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:

The name ‘Gog’ is not found in scripture until we are given the genealogy of Ruben in 1Ch 5:

1Ch 5:4 The sons of Joel; Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son,

So “Gog and Magog” of Rev 20 are “the land of Magog”, whose “chief prince” was Gog and who, as “Gog [and] the land of Magog”, are the Biblical symbol of “the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth”.

Rev 20:7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
Rev 20:8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

“The number… as the sand of the sea” is Biblical and spiritual language for “the world”, the whole world. These are the words used by the holy spirit to tell us who would become “Abraham’s seed”. Paul tells us this means the whole world.

Gen 22:16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:
Gen 22:17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore: and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
Gen 22:18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

Paul tells us this means the whole world.

Rom 4:13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

So the holy spirit tells us in Rev 20 that “the nations in the four quarters of the earth [are] Gog and Magog”, and Daniel tells us these nations must all be destroyed by, and then replaced by, “the stone which was cut out of the mountain without hands”.

Dan 2:34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.

This has always been so:

Eze 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?

So we find “Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal”, as the leader of the “many peoples” of this earth” here in Ezekiel.

Eze 38:9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.

This same symbol is expressed in this way in the book of the revelation of Jesus Christ:

Rev 20:8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

Here is how God is dealing with these “many people… the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth”, both within us at this time and to the end of the ages. This is the fate of all flesh, only after it has been brought with hooks in its mouth, to face its own corruptible condition.

Eze 39:2 And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:

The words “and leave but a sixth part of thee” is all translated from the one primitive root Hebrew word which actually means “to annihilate.” Here is what Mr. Strong has to say about this word:

H8338

sha sha’
shaw- shaw’

A primitive root; apparently to annihilate. (Translated by confusion with H8341.): – leave but the sixth part [by confusion with H8341].

It was by confusion with the Hebrew word ‘shashah’ which is very similar, except for the first letter.

H8341

sha sha h
shaw- shaw’

A denominative from H8337; to sixth or divide into sixths: – give the sixth part.

So the root word that should have been translated ‘annihilate thee’ was instead translated ‘and leave but a sixth part of thee’. But the sum of God’s Word makes clear that all flesh will one day be annihilated and through that annihilation of all flesh, all who have ever lived in bodies of flesh, will be given spiritual bodies which will never again “come up against the camp of the saints”.

Here is more of what it means to bring all flesh to its well deserved end.

Eze 39:3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
Eze 39:4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
Eze 39:5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.

The bow and arrows of the adversary are his words and doctrines. Both will be destroyed in the heat of the light of the Truth which will then, over time, be made known to all things in heaven and in the earth. The only hints to how long the lake of fire will last are right here in this 39th chapter of Ezekiel, which we will cover as we come to those verses.

If Satan and his angels are in the lake of fire, then who are these “ravenous birds of every sort and these beasts of the field” which will devour Gog and Magog? Here is Christ’s own answer to that question.

Psa 18:26 With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.

Luk 19:22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:

So the “ravenous beasts of every sort, and the beasts of the field” which will be the instruments of the destruction of Gog and Magog, will be their own false doctrines. It will be the lies which Gog and Magog believe when they relinquish the flesh which will torment them until those very doctrines are burned up and destroyed within “all flesh”, of which Gog and Magog are the Biblical symbol.

Isa 66:16 For by fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.

Joh 12:48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

Rev 20:7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
Rev 20:8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

“The mountains of Israel” are “the camp of the saints… and the beloved city”. These are one and all Biblical symbols for God’s elect, in whom His Words dwell, and who will judge both this world now within, later in the millennium, and finally angels, “the devil and his angels” in the lake of fire.

Mat 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

1Co 6:2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
1Co 6:3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

Rev 20:8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
Rev 20:9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

Here is how this is repeated in Ezekiel 39.

Eze 39:6 And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
Eze 39:7 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.
Eze 39:8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.

When we are given the victory over the beast and his image, number, mark and name, it is not and it will not be by our choice but by the fact that “I will not let them pollute my holy name any more…”

Rev 13:16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
Rev 13:17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
Rev 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number [is] Six hundred threescore [and] six.

Rev 15:2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, [and] over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

It is those who “will not be permitted to pollute our Lord’s name” who will be that work of grace known as the lake of fire. They are also called “the cities of Israel”. It is these who are known as ‘the cities of Israel’ who “shall set on fire, and burn the weapons” of false doctrines and lies known as the “weapons, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the handstaves, and the spears” believed by those of all flesh who followed Satan’s lies. These are known in scripture as Gog and Magog.

Eze 39:9 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:
Eze 39:10 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: and they shall spoil those that spoiled them, and rob those that robbed them, saith the Lord GOD.
Eze 39:11 And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude: and they shall call [it] The valley of Hamongog.

According to Revelation, the destruction of Gog and Magog follows the thousand year reign of those who are overcomers in this life. That millennial period is what is called the judging of the nations of this world by the overcomers of the first resurrection (1Co 6:2 and Rev 2:25-27, and 11:15). So this is all symbolism for the destruction of death and hades. “Hamongog” means “the multitude of Gog” and is once again the Biblical symbol for the flesh of all men of all time who are to be judged in the fire of the lake of fire, known as the second death.

This is the smell of death which will be endured by those overcomers, the house of Israel”, who are given to dispose of death and hades.

Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Here is the only symbol we have of how long the process of the destruction of Gog and Magog will take. It is the symbol of “seven months” and it is said to be done by “all the people of the land”, and it is called “a day of renown”.

Eze 39:12 And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.
Eze 39:13 Yea, all the people of the land shall bury [them]; and it shall be to them a renown the day that I shall be glorified, saith the Lord GOD.
Eze 39:14 And they shall sever out men of continual employment, passing through the land to bury with the passengers those that remain upon the face of the earth, to cleanse it: after the end of seven months shall they search.
Eze 39:15 And the passengers that pass through the land, when any seeth a man’s bone, then shall he set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamongog.
Eze 39:16 And also the name of the city [shall be] Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land.

These verses explain just how thorough will be the destruction of Gog and Magog, and just how thorough will be the resurrection from the dead of all who have ever lived. The degree of the destruction of all flesh is the same degree to which life will be given to “all in Adam”. That is the degree to which “the land is cleansed, so that not one body fails to be buried. Being burned up and being buried are not different ways of disposing of the multitudes of Gog and Magog, they are merely different symbols of the destruction of all flesh of all time.

1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1Co 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
1Co 15:24 Then cometh the end [harvest of souls], when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
1Co 15:25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
1Co 15:26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

As long as sinful flesh and blood babies in Adam are being procreated on this earth, death cannot be destroyed. But by means of a first resurrection, in which the overcomers of the ages will be prepared to become the saviors of all men of all ages, and by means of a millennium followed by a second rebellion, followed by a second resurrection and a lake of fire, we are made to understand that our Lord will bring all flesh to its necessary destruction and end.

It is in the first Adam that all men partake of the corruptible flesh which is “Gog and Magog”. And it is through the destruction of that same corruptible flesh that life is given to “all in Adam”.

Eze 39:17 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.
Eze 39:18 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.
Eze 39:19 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.
Eze 39:20 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.
Eze 39:21 And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them.

These beasts and fowls are all the false doctrines with which Gog and Magog were seduced into following Satan. Just as we are all guilty of the death and crucifixion of our Lord and of drinking His blood and eating His flesh, by living every word that proceeds out of His mouth, so must all Gog and Magog live by every word of God. It is all being worked by the Great Potter, who is “seeking an occasion” for the destruction of all flesh, and the destruction of death via the “lake of fire… raising of the dead from the sea, from death and from hades”, to be cast into the lake of fire, which is the second death.

Rev 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat upon it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne; and books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead that were in it; and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Rev 20:14 And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, even the lake of fire.
Rev 20:15 And if any was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire. (ASV)

Why must most men be cast into the lake of fire? Why must Gog and Magog be destroyed in the supper of the great God? The last verses of Ezekiel 39 give us our answer:

Eze 39:22 So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward.
Eze 39:23 And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the sword.
Eze 39:24 According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions have I done unto them, and hid my face from them.
Eze 39:25 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name;
Eze 39:26 After that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against me, when they dwelt safely in their land, and none made [ them] afraid.
Eze 39:27 When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations;
Eze 39:28 Then shall they know that I am the LORD their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there.
Eze 39:29 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.

God will especially have His elect to know that they are no exception to the “one event” which is “common to all men”. These are His word to the whole house of Israel:

Jer 25:17 Then took I the cup at the LORD’S hand, and made all the nations to drink, unto whom the LORD had sent me:
Jer 25:18 To wit, Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the kings thereof, and the princes thereof, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, an hissing, and a curse; as [it is] this day;

Ecc 9:2 All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

That “one event” is the judgment of God upon the unrighteousness and ungodliness of all men”.

Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

“Judgment must begin at the house of God” (1Pe 4:17), but in the end, it must also come to all men, to Gog and Magog. All men must drink of the same cup of “the wrath of God against all unrighteousness and ungodliness of men…”

Jer 25:28 And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ye shall certainly drink.
Jer 25:29 For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the LORD of hosts.

It is all done for our sakes. It is all done for the sake of “the Israel of God”. But it is first done for us so that we can be used as the channel for their salvation :

2Co 4:15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

Rom 11:30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:

Gog and Magog are made unbelievers for our sakes. It is through their unbelief that you and I are God’s believing elect. But we are not saved for our own sake any more that Gog and Magog are unbelievers by their own choice. It is all of God, and it is all for His purpose of saving all mankind.

Rom 11:31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
Rom 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
Rom 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable [are] his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
Rom 11:34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
Rom 11:35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
Rom 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Oba 1:21 And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’S.

“The mount of Esau” is just a part of Gog and Magog, and the destruction of Gog and Magog is part of “all things” which are being done “fo Him, and through Him, and to Him… that He might have mercy upon all”.

In our next study we will consider the meaning of these verses of Rev 21, and we will see what is the product of the devouring flames of “the lake of fire”:

Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Rev 21:3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
Rev 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.