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Monday, July 8, 2013

Gog The Locust King, Four Wars

The future is mapped out for us in the Bible and if we are careful we can get an idea where we are in time by some of the wars that are still in the future. There are four prophesied wars that will come to pass. To put them into perspective as far as timing is concerned; we should try and pin down a few details.  We talked about the Psalm 83 war last week as we looked at the first seal being opened.  This is where Israel’s closest enemies come against them in an attempt to make them Palestine, but instead Israel overtakes them and takes some of their enemies’ land.  This causes Israel to dwell in safety and security for a time. Israel becomes a world superpower and prospers greatly, which is why some northern nations want to invade Israel.

The war that follows Psalm 83 is the Ezekiel 38/39 war which we will look at today. The second to last war is the Day of the Lord/Armageddon, the day when the kings of the earth, and their armies, along with the beast and false prophet, try to make war against Jesus and his army.   Sometimes people theorize that the Ezekiel 38/39 war is the same as the Day of the Lord, but it is not. In the Ezekiel war it is nations that want to fight against Israel to plunder them.  In the Day of the Lord, the entire earth wants to fight against God.  Seeing as how that did not work out well for Nimrod, one would think people would be smarter today.  After that, the last war will be after Jesus will reign for 1000 years. At the end of that time satan will be loosed to deceive the nations and he will gather an army to surround the city but will be defeated by fire.  If we can keep our details straight, we might see something very important.

We saw that angels are the “power” behind people, such as David against Goliath.  Therefore we have to add to our thinking the dimension of angels, good and evil, that are fighting along with humans.  While we see John and Ezekiel and Amos speaking of people, they are also speaking of angelic beings.  One such being is Gog.  While Gog is a place and could be a person’s name, Gog is also a king of locusts.  The Septuagint gives us a clue into this. In Amos we see that king Gog is mentioned with locusts. 

Amos 7:1 Thus has the Lord God shewed me; and, behold, a swarm of locusts coming from the east; and, behold, one caterpillar, king Gog.

The locusts have a king, his name is Gog. Therefore, when we see locusts in Revelation, we can compare that to Ezekiel.  As we know, the Ezekiel war has not happened yet.  Let’s first look at Ezekiel from the Septuagint before we look at Revelation.

Ezekiel 38:1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog, and the land of Magog, Rhos, prince of Mesoch and Thobel, and prophesy against him, 3 and say to him, Thus saith the Lord God;
Behold, I am against thee, Rhos prince of Mesoch and Thobel: 4 and I will gather thee, and all thine host, horses and horsemen, all wearing breast-plates, with a great multitude, shields and helmets and swords: 5 Persians, and Ethiopians, and Libyans; all with helmets and shields. 6 Gomer, and all belonging to him; the house of Thorgama, from the end of the north, and all belonging to him; and many nations with thee.
7 Be thou prepared, prepare thyself, thou, and all thy multitude that is assembled with thee, and thou shalt be to me for a guard. 8 He shall be prepared after many days, and he shall come at the end of years (NKJV: latter years), and shall come to a land that is brought back from the sword, when the people are gathered from many nations against the land of Israel, which was entirely desolate: and he is come forth out of the nations, and they shall all dwell securely. 9 And thou shalt go up as rain, and shalt arrive as a cloud to cover the land, and there shall be thou, and all that are about thee, and many nations with thee.

The first clue to timing is the phrase “end of years” or latter days. We have not come to the end of years yet; the end of years may refer to the second half of the tribulation. We will see why shortly. Also note that many nations first come against Israel, but after that Israel will dwell securely (verse 8).  This is a reference that the Psalm 83 war happens prior to the Ezekiel war, and that Israel will be dwelling securely before the Ezekiel war happens.  Then this group of nations will come against Israel.  

10 Thus saith the Lord God; It shall also come to pass in that day, that thoughts shall come up into thine heart, and thou shalt devise evil devices. 11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the rejected land; I will come upon them that are at ease in tranquility, and dwelling in peace, all inhabiting a land in which there is no wall, nor bars, nor have they doors; 12 to seize plunder, and to take their spoil; to turn my hands against the desolate land that is now inhabited, and against a nation that is gathered from many nations, that have acquired property, dwelling in the midst of the land. 13 Sabba, and Daedan, and Carthaginian merchants, and all their villages shall say to thee, Thou art come for plunder to take a prey, and to get spoils: thou hast gathered thy multitude to take silver and gold, to carry off property, to take spoils.

The purpose is not to make Israel desolate, or to make it Palestine, but to take her riches.  People now live there from many nations; it used to be desolate but is now inhabited.  It says that they acquired property while dwelling in the land.  Israel acquires property in the Psalm 83 war and then becomes rich. Ezekiel says Gog and those nations want Israel’s spoils.

14 Therefore prophesy, son of man, and say to Gog, Thus saith the Lord; Wilt thou not arise in that day, when my people Israel are dwelling securely, 15 and come out of thy place from the farthest north, and many nations with thee? all of them mounted on horses, a great gathering, and a large force? 16 And thou shalt come up upon my people Israel as a cloud to cover the land; it shall come to pass in the last days, that I will bring thee up upon my land, that all the nations may know me, when I am sanctified in thee before them.
17 Thus saith the Lord God, to Gog; Thou art he concerning whom I spoke in former times, by the hand of my servants the prophets of Israel, in those days and years, that I would bring thee up against them. 18 And it shall come to pass in that day, in the day when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord God, 19 that my wrath and my jealousy shall arise, I have spoken in the fire of mine anger, verily in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; 20 and the fish of the sea shall quake at the presence of the Lord, and the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the field, and all the reptiles that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are on the face of the earth; and the mountains shall be rent, and the valleys shall fall, and every wall on the land shall fall. 21 And I will summon against it even every fear, saith the Lord: the sword of every man shall be against his brother. 22 And I will judge him with pestilence, and blood, and sweeping rain, and hailstones; and I will rain upon him fire and brimstone, and upon all that are with him, and upon many nations with him.
23 And I will be magnified, and sanctified, and glorified; and I will be known in the presence of many nations, and they shall know that I am the Lord.

Before the Ezekiel war starts the first six trumpets sound. God shakes the earth. Then, after the shaking of all these things it seems that God’s wrath will back Gog as he goes out against Israel. First, God shakes the earth, and then Gog assembles his army against Israel.  Let’s look at the first four trumpets.

Rev 8:7-13 The first angel blew [his] trumpet, and there was a storm of hail and fire mingled with blood cast upon the earth. And a third part of the earth was burned up and a third of the trees was burned up and all the green grass was burned up. [Ex 9:23-25.] 8 The second angel blew [his] trumpet, and something resembling a great mountain, blazing with fire, was hurled into the sea. [Jer 51:25.] 9 And a third of the sea was turned to blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea perished, and a third of the ships were destroyed. 10 The third angel blew [his] trumpet, and a huge star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it dropped on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water —  11 And the name of the star is Wormwood. A third part of the waters was changed into wormwood, and many people died from using the water, because it had become bitter. 12 Then the fourth angel blew [his] trumpet, and a third of the sun was smitten, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that [the light of] a third of them was darkened, and a third of the daylight [itself] was withdrawn, and likewise a third [of the light] of the night was kept from shining. 13 Then I [looked and I] saw a solitary eagle flying in midheaven, and as it flew I heard it crying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the rest of the trumpet blasts which the three angels are about to sound! AMP

After the seals are opened, the angels sound the trumpets.  These first four trumpets resemble what the Lord God says he will do before the war starts. Notice that Gog/Apollyon is not loosed during the first four trumpets.  During the fifth trumpet the locusts and their king come out to battle.  At the time Gog is loosed on Israel, Adonai says he will guide him.

Ezekiel 39:1 And thou, son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, Rhos prince of Mesoch and Thobel: 2 and I will assemble thee, and guide thee, and raise thee up on the extremity of the north, and I will bring thee up upon the mountains of Israel. 3 And I will destroy the bow out of thy left hand, and thine arrows out of thy right hand, and I will cast thee down on the mountains of Israel; 4 and thou and all that belong to thee shall fall, and the nations that are with thee shall be given to multitudes of birds, even to every fowl, and I have given thee to all the wild beasts of the field to be devoured. 5 Thou shalt fall on the face of the field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord.
6 And I will send a fire upon Gog, and the islands shall be securely inhabited: and they shall know that I am the Lord. 7 And my holy name shall be known in the midst of my people Israel; and my holy name shall no more be profaned: and the nations shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel. 8 Behold it is come, and thou shalt know that it shall be, saith the Lord God; this is the day concerning which I have spoken.

The Ezekiel war will be over when Adonai says so.  This sets up the next war, the Day of the Lord, when the whole earth gathers into battle. The whole earth will not be destroyed, but the nations inspired by Gog/Apollyon will be destroyed. But before we get ahead of ourselves let’s finish in Ezekiel.  Israel will know that Yahweh Adonai delivered them. We should ask ourselves the question, how will anyone know that the Lord God delivered Israel?

9 And they that inhabit the cities of Israel shall come forth, and make a fire with the arms, the shields and the spears, and bows and arrows, and hand-staves, and lances, and they shall keep fire burning with them for seven years: 10 and they shall not take any wood out of the field, neither shall they cut any out of the forests, but they shall burn the weapons with fire: and they shall plunder those that plundered them, and spoil those that spoiled them, saith the Lord.

When the war is over, Israel will burn the weapons and armaments that came against them.  Where will this take place? In Israel.  This fire will burn for seven years.   This means the fire may start to burn just before the Day of the Lord, and it will continue to burn into the millennial reign. This war probably starts at the time of the wrath of God, the last forty two months of the tribulation as we will see shortly. The next war will start with the Lamb coming to earth with His armies to fight against the entire earth.  

11 And it shall come to pass that in that day I will give to Gog a place of renown, a tomb in Israel, the burial-place of them that approach the sea: and they shall build round about the outlet of the valley, and there they shall bury Gog and all his multitude: and the place shall then be called the burial-place of Gog. 12 And the house of Israel shall bury them, that the land may be cleansed in the space of seven months. 13 Yea, all the people of the land shall bury them; and it shall be to them a place of renown in the day wherein it was glorified, saith the Lord. 14 And they shall appoint men continually to go over the land, to bury them that have been left on the face of the earth, to cleanse it after the space of seven months, and they shall seek them out. 15 And every one that goes through the land, and sees a man’s bone, shall set up a mark by it, until the buriers shall have buried it in the valley, the burial place of Gog. 16 For the name of the city shall be Burial-place: so shall the land be cleansed.

These things all happen in Israel, but what is happening in the rest of the world?  There is still a beast, a false prophet, and shortly satan will be cast down.  So while Israel is in clean up mode, there will still be a harlot to deal with. It is interesting that Azazael is buried in Israel also.

17 And thou, son of man, say, Thus saith the Lord; Say to every winged bird, and to all the wild beasts of the field, Gather yourselves, and come; gather yourselves from all places round about to my sacrifice, which I have made for you, even a great sacrifice on the mountains of Israel, and ye shall eat flesh, and drink blood. 18 Ye shall eat the flesh of mighty men, and ye shall drink the blood of princes of the earth, rams, and calves and goats, and they are all fatted calves. 19 And ye shall eat fat till ye are full, and shall drink wine till ye are drunken, of my sacrifice which I have prepared for you. 20 And ye shall be filled at my table, eating horse, and rider, and mighty man, and every warrior, saith the Lord.
21 And I will set my glory among you, and all the nations shall see my judgment which I have wrought, and my hand which I have brought upon them. 22 And the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God, from this day and onwards.
23 And all the nations shall know that the house of Israel were led captive because of their sins, because they rebelled against me, and I turned away my face from them, and delivered them into the hands of their enemies, and they all fell by the sword. 24 According to their uncleannesses and according to their transgressions did I deal with them, and I turned away my face from them.
25 Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Now will I turn back captivity in Jacob, and will have mercy on the house of Israel, and will be jealous for the sake of my holy name. 26 And they shall bear their reproach, and the iniquity which they committed when they dwelt upon their land in peace. Yet there shall be none to terrify them 27 when I have brought them back from the nations, and gathered them out of the countries of the nations: and I will be sanctified among them in the presence of the nations. 28 And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, when I have been manifested to them among the nations. 29 And I will no more turn away my face from them, because I have poured out my wrath upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord God.

After the Ezekiel war, the rest of the world will still be functioning with commerce.  At this time those nations will try to “defect” from being under the control of God Almighty to the control of satan, which is why the armies of the earth try to war against Jesus and His armies. Let’s go back to Revelation to look at the fifth and sixth trumpet, and compare this to Ezekiel.  The spiritual dynamic seems to be Gog, the locust king, or Apollyon, coming out of the pit to encourage this war against Israel. This is the angelic spiritual entity that goes behind the humans.

Rev 9:1-11 THEN THE fifth angel blew [his] trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth; and to the angel was given the key of the shaft of the Abyss (the bottomless pit). 2 He opened the long shaft of the Abyss (the bottomless pit), and smoke like the smoke of a huge furnace puffed out of the long shaft, so that the sun and the atmosphere were darkened by the smoke from the long shaft. [Gen 19:28; Ex 19:18; Joel 2:10.] 3 Then out of the smoke locusts came forth on the earth, and such power was granted them as the power the earth's scorpions have. [Ex 10:12-15.] 4 They were told not to injure the herbage of the earth nor any green thing nor any tree, but only [to attack] such human beings as do not have the seal (mark) of God on their foreheads. [Ezek 9:4.] 5 They were not permitted to kill them, but to torment (distress, vex) them for five months; and the pain caused them was like the torture of a scorpion when it stings a person. 6 And in those days people will seek death and will not find it; and they will yearn to die, but death evades and flees from them. [Job 3:21.] 7 The locusts resembled horses equipped for battle. On their heads was something like golden crowns. Their faces resembled the faces of people. [Joel 2:4.] 8 They had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like lions' teeth. [Joel 1:6.] 9 Their breastplates (scales) resembled breastplates made of iron, and the [whirring] noise made by their wings was like the roar of a vast number of horse-drawn chariots going at full speed into battle. [Joel 2:5.] 10 They have tails like scorpions, and they have stings, and in their tails lies their ability to hurt men for [the] five months. 11 Over them as king they have the angel of the Abyss (of the bottomless pit). In Hebrew his name is Abaddon [destruction], but in Greek he is called Apollyon [destroyer]. AMP
Rev 9:13-19 Then the sixth angel blew [his] trumpet, and from the four horns of the golden altar which stands before God I heard a solitary voice, 14 Saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, Liberate the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates. 15 So the four angels who had been in readiness for that hour in the appointed day, month, and year were liberated to destroy a third of mankind. 16 The number of their troops of cavalry was twice ten thousand times ten thousand (200,000,000); I heard what their number was. 17 And in [my] vision the horses and their riders appeared to me like this: the riders wore breastplates the color of fiery red and sapphire blue and sulphur (brimstone) yellow. The heads of the horses looked like lions' heads, and from their mouths there poured fire and smoke and sulphur (brimstone). 18 A third of mankind was killed by these three plagues — by the fire and the smoke and the sulphur (brimstone) that poured from the mouths of the horses. 19 For the power of the horses to do harm is in their mouths and also in their tails. Their tails are like serpents, for they have heads, and it is by means of them that they wound people. AMP

Two hundred million people will come against Israel.  If there are 7 billion people on earth today, and 2 billion who claim to be disciples of Jesus are gathered just before the tribulation, then 2 hundred million out of 5 billion is not that many people.  Even if we speculate that 2 billion people die during this time, (which might be high) that leaves 3 billion people on earth.  The beast is given authority to make war for forty two months. Not just one war, but two wars.  After Gog is defeated, the next war is Armageddon.

Rev 13:5 And there was given to it a mouth speaking great things, and evil-speakings, and there was given to it authority to make war forty-two months,YLT

The Masoretic text says make war instead of exercise his will.

Rev 13:5-8 And the beast was given the power of speech, uttering boastful and blasphemous words, and he was given freedom to exert his authority and to exercise his will during forty-two months (three and a half years). [Dan 7:8.] 6 And he opened his mouth to speak slanders against God, blaspheming His name and His abode, [even vilifying] those who live in heaven. 7 He was further permitted to wage war on God's holy people (the saints) and to overcome them. And power was given him to extend his authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation, [Dan 7:21,25.] 8 And all the inhabitants of the earth will fall down in adoration and pay him homage, everyone whose name has not been recorded in the Book of Life of the Lamb that was slain [in sacrifice] from the foundation of the world. AMP

It seems that, on the spiritual side, the locust king initiates a war against Israel, while on the physical side, the beast, the one who made the peace agreement, and the one who won the Psalm 83 war for Israel, will turn on Israel and bring calamity. Gog, the locust king, aka Apollyon/Abbadon, the destroyer, will be allowed to overcome God’s people. Then he will control the entire world.  After God steps in and causes Gog to lose, the beast will curse the Most High God. The bowl judgments are being poured out at this time and men curse God as well. That is how the beast is able to gather a worldwide army to try and fight Jesus. Daniel gives us some further insight.  The temple will be established and the sacrifices will resume, but at the end of the three and one half years of turmoil, all fighting will be finished. 

Dan 7:21-28 As I looked, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them [Rev 13:7-9.] 22 Until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High [God], and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom. 23 Thus [the angel] said, The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all other kingdoms and shall devour the whole earth, tread it down, and break it in pieces and crush it. 24 And as for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise; and another shall arise after them, and he shall be different from the former ones, and he shall subdue and put down three kings. 25 And he shall speak words against the Most High [God] and shall wear out the saints of the Most High and think to change the time [of sacred feasts and holy days] and the law; and the saints shall be given into his hand for a time, two times, and half a time [three and one-half years]. [Rev 13:1-6.] AMP
Dan 9:26-10:1 And after the sixty-two weeks [of years] shall the Anointed One be cut off or killed and shall have nothing [and no one] belonging to [and defending] Him. And the people of the [other] prince who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood; and even to the end there shall be war, and desolations are decreed. [Isa 53:7-9; Nah 1:8; Matt 24:6-14.] 27 And he shall enter into a strong and firm covenant with the many for one week [seven years]. And in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and offering to cease [for the remaining three and one-half years]; and upon the wing or pinnacle of abominations [shall come] one who makes desolate, until the full determined end is poured out on the desolator. AMP
Dan 12:7-13 And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right and his left hand toward the heavens and swore by Him Who lives forever that it shall be for a time, times, and a half a time [or three and one-half years]; and when they have made an end of shattering and crushing the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. 8 And I heard, but I did not understand. Then I said, O my lord, what shall be the issue and final end of these things? 9 And he [the angel] said, Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed till the time of the end. 10 Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be tried, smelted, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but the teachers and those who are wise shall understand. [Dan 11:33-35.] 11 And from the time that the continual burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1,290 days. [Dan 11:31.] 12 Blessed, happy, fortunate, spiritually prosperous, and to be envied is he who waits expectantly and earnestly [who endures without wavering beyond the period of tribulation] and comes to the 1,335 days! 13 But you [Daniel, who was now over ninety years of age], go your way until the end; for you shall rest and shall stand [fast] in your allotted place at the end of the days. [Heb 11:32-40.] AMP

We don’t know how long the Gog/Magog war lasts, but it lasts until Gog falls. Sometime after the sixth bowl judgment the beast gathers the world wide army for Armageddon. Yet, before the sixth bowl is poured out the Ezekiel war is over. Once the Lord God delivers Israel, the nations will know that it was God who delivered Israel and attempt to wage war against God himself.  Yet Jesus comes with an army of his own and defeats the Beast and his armies. I find it interesting that the Ezekiel war is a physical war against physical Israel, but the next war, the Day of the Lord, is the war against spiritual beings.  Exactly how does one fight God? 

Rev 17:12-14 Also the ten horns that you observed are ten rulers (kings) who have as yet received no royal dominion, but together they are to receive power and authority as rulers for a single hour, along with the beast. [Dan 7:20-24.] 13 These have one common policy (opinion, purpose), and they deliver their power and authority to the beast. 14 They will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will triumph over them; for He is Lord of lords and King of kings — and those with Him and on His side are chosen and called [elected] and loyal and faithful followers. [Dan 2:47.] AMP

Rev 19:19 Then I saw the beast and the rulers and leaders of the earth with their troops mustered to go into battle and make war against Him Who is mounted on the horse and against His troops. AMP

Rev 19:19 And I saw that demon and the kings of the world and their armies, as they gathered to do battle with the one on the house and his armies. 20 and the demon was hunted down and the false prophet with him, the one who preformed those miracles before him, by which were lost those who took on the mark of the demon and the ones who worshipped his image. And while alive they were both thrown into the sea of fire that burns like brimstone. 21 And all the others were killed by the sword of the one who sat on the horse, by that which emerges from his mouth, and all the birds [of prey] ate their fill of their flesh. (Aramaic New Testament, translated by Victor Alexander, p.511)

Gog, the locust king, the spiritual ruler, will inspire a war against Israel because of her prosperity.  The timing of the Gog/Magog war will be sometime after Gog is loosed from the abyss. The locusts are under Gog’s command and they fight against Israel until God says it’s over.  Gog and those nations who gather with Gog will be defeated. By the sixth bowl judgment, the world starts to gather for the last slaughter, Armageddon.  Armageddon may not actually take place in the mountains of Megiddo, but Megiddo was the place of two other battles; Deborah and Barak, and Josiah. But the place of the last horrific battle may not be in Israel.  The kings of the earth and the people of earth are deceived into believing that the beast has such great power that he can defeat God.


We see in the Ezekiel war that 2 hundred million come against Israel. Then, in the Day of the Lord the whole earth gathers for battle. When we previously studied the Day of the Lord, we saw many interesting things that seem to be “other worldly” or “extra dimensional”, meaning that something changes in the way people see things during the tribulation.  Somehow there are additional dimensions to consider.  To put some of these things into a better perspective we have to once again look at dimensions, string theory, and quantum physics, which may help us to understand how the entire world will attempt to fight spiritual beings on the Day of the Lord.