COVER FEATURE 4
MARVIN J. ROSENTHAL And thou shalt 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 38:16) And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee. and a mighty army. (Ezekiel 38:15) WRITTEN BY Marvin J. Rosenthal 5
COVER FEATURE Ezekiel s End-Times Vision and the Magog Invasion Ezekiel was a priest by lineal descent. He was a prophet by divine calling. God said to His servant Ezekiel, Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me (Ezekiel 3:17). Ezekiel was an exilic prophet. That is, he ministered to his brethren during the Babylonian captivity. Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, weakened and eventually destroyed Jerusalem in three incremental stages. In 606 B.C. took Daniel and his three friends to Babylon In 598 B.C. took 10,000 captives back to Babylon, including Ezekiel. In 586 B.C. put the city of Jerusalem under siege, gained entrance to the city, destroyed the Temple, and took more captives back to Babylon. Ezekiel 3:17 Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, weakened and eventually destroyed Jerusalem in three incremental stages. In 606 B.C., he made Jehoiakim, king of Judah, submit to his authority and took some of his royal seed court back to Babylon, including Daniel and his three friends. Rebellion by the Jews about nine years later in 598 B.C. brought a second attack by Nebuchadnezzar and further punishment. This time he took 10,000 captives back to Babylon, including Ezekiel. Yet a third time in 586 B.C., because of rebellion against his rule, Nebuchadnezzar would put the city of Jerusalem under siege, eventually gain entrance to the city, destroy the Temple, and take more captives back to Babylon. It was to these Jews taken captive to Babylon, far removed from their beloved city of Jerusalem, with their holy Temple in ruin, with their priesthood obsolete, with no sacrifice for sin, and worst of all, with a questioning of God s faithfulness to His covenant and power to protect that Ezekiel was called to minister. In Babylonian captivity, the prophet Daniel wrote of the course of Gentile world history as depicted in the great colossus of Daniel, Chapter two, and defined as an extended period of time during which Israel and Jerusalem would be under the control of heathen nations, and no son of David and rightful heir would sit upon the throne of Israel. During the same Babylonian captivity, the prophet Ezekiel, who, in the early years, was a contemporary of Daniel, wrote of: The grievous sin of the Jewish nation which justified its captivity and judgment, illustrating that God was neither unfaithful nor powerless. The withdrawal of God s glory from the Temple before its destruction ===by Nebuchadnezzar, illustrating that Israel, not God, was defeated by Nebuchadnezzar s army. The coming judgment of the surrounding nations, illustrating that their gloating and mischief toward Israel during her defeat and captivity would not go unpunished. The regathering and redemption of the people of Israel to their land at the end of the age, illustrating that their captivity was remedial punishment and not permanent judgment, and that God will fulfill His promises to the patriarchs. The Restoration of the Land: Ezekiel 36 A remnant of the Jewish people returned to their beloved Jerusalem after 70 years of captivity in Babylon. They were small in number, struggling to survive, and had no king from the royal line of David ruling over them. As world powers changed, Israel went from domination by Babylon to Persia to Greece and finally to Rome. In A.D. 66, the Jews rebelled against Rome. Four years later, after an extended siege, in A.D. 70, the Roman legions commanded by General Titus broke through the walls of the city. Jerusalem was sacked, many were killed, the Temple was once again destroyed, and the people were scattered across the face of the earth. Through the centuries that followed, many powers claimed control of the land of Israel, among them the Byzantines, Muslims, Seljuks, Mamluks, Crusaders, Turks (Ottomans), and British. Most used the land for selfish purposes, taking from the land but never giving back. None of these nations took the land to their bosom and loved her. And just as sure as they came, with the passing of time, the land belched out all of these conquerors. Through the centuries of foreign domina- 6
MARVIN J. ROSENTHAL tion, the trees were indiscriminately cut down. First, they were cut down by marching armies that wanted to prevent other armies from living off the land. Second, they were cut down by absentee landlords seeking to avoid paying property taxes determined by the number of trees on the land and, thirdly, for the fueling of the engines of the famed Orient Express train, which had a spur passing through Israel from Syria to Egypt. With no trees, the topsoil was washed off the hills and the valleys became malaria-infested swamp land. Then, almost unnoticed, after 1,800 years, at the end of the nineteenth century and beginning of the twentieth century, Jews began to return to the land of their forefathers. They came fleeing persecution in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. What they found upon their return was a barren, desolate, largely abandoned and, in the north, malaria-infested swamp land. Only a handful of Bedouins and an occasional sickly village could be found throughout the length and breadth of the land. The promised land was now not very promising. Clearly, it did not resemble the land flowing with milk and honey the Jews first saw more than 3,300 years earlier when they entered the land under the leadership of Joshua. Nonetheless, the prophet Ezekiel speaks glowingly of the restoration of the land in the last days. This watchman of the house of Israel was commanded by his Lord to: Prophesy therefore concerning the land of Israel, and say unto the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I have spoken in my jealousy and in my fury, because ye have borne the shame of the heathen: Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I have lifted up mine hand, Surely the heathen that are about you, they shall bear their shame. But ye, O mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people of Israel; for they are at hand to come (Ezekiel 36:6-8). And then, speaking of the land itself, God says: For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn unto you, and ye shall be tilled and sown: And I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, even all of it: and the cities shall be inhabited, and the wastes shall be builded: And I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bring fruit: and I will settle you after your old estates, and will do better unto you than at your beginnings: and ye shall know that I am the LORD (Ezekiel 36:9-11). For, behold, I am for you, and I will turn unto you, and ye shall be tilled and sown:and I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel This restoration of the land at the end of the age is not something the Jewish people earned or deserved. It will be sovereignly and graciously bestowed. Once again God speaks through His prophet: But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the LORD GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes (Ezekiel 36: 21-23). Not only does God say He will restore the land at the end of the age, but He will also regather and regenerate the Jewish people who have for so long lived in unbelief. God declares: For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your Written by Marvin J. Rosenthal Executive Director Zion s Hope Ezekiel 36:9-10 Not only does God say He will restore the land at the end of the age, but He will also regather and regenerate the Jewish people who have for so long lived in unbelief. 7
COVER FEATURE Ezekiel s End-Times Vision and the Magog Invasion This regeneration of the nation. has not occurred at any point in Israel s history. It is the moment of time at the end of the age which the apostle Paul had in mind when he wrote filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God (Ezekiel 36:24-28). And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion [sic] the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. the valley was full of bones. It would have been a startling sight for the prophet to behold. Romans 11:26 This regeneration of the nation did not occur at the end of the Babylonian captivity, and it has not occurred at any point in Israel s history. It is the moment of time at the end of the age which the apostle Paul had in mind when he wrote, And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion [sic] the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob (Romans 11:26). The Regathering of the People: Ezekiel 37 In Ezekiel, Chapter 37, the prophet writes of an event that must precede Israel s spiritual redemption. First, she must be regathered back to the land, and the twelve tribes reunited. Ezekiel is carried out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones (Ezekiel 37:1). In imagery, that the bones were dry, suggests, whatever the bones represented, they were a long time dead. They were probably white bleached by the hot sun. And it was not a single corpse the valley was full of bones. It would have been a startling sight for the prophet to behold. As Ezekiel looked at his surroundings in what must have been stunned silence, his Lord posed a question to His servant: And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest (Ezekiel 37:3). Everything normal and pragmatic argued for a negative response to the Lord s question. How could a valley full of dismembered, scattered, dried, and bleached bones a long time dead ever live? And yet, Ezekiel responded as a man of great faith with these simple words: O Lord GOD, thou knowest (Ezekiel 37:3). Ezekiel, in his response, seems to be saying these bones are many, they are dried, they are bleached from the sun, they have been a long time dead, and everything empirical argues for a negative response. But You alone are the source of life and omnipotent in power, You spoke the worlds into existence, You created man from the dust of the ground. If You want these bones to live, they can live O Lord GOD, thou knowest. As the prophet beheld, the bones begin to come together. But let him tell it his way. So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them. Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army (Ezekiel 37:7-10). As to the identity of these bones we are left in no doubt. The Word of God is very precise. Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I 8
MARVIN J. ROSENTHAL am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD (Ezekiel 37:11-14). The imagery is graphic. The Jewish people have been out of their land of blessing and covenant, and buried among the nations of the world without Jerusalem their capital city, without their Temple, without their high priest, and without their king. It was of their own making. It was because of their sin. However, in the last days, God will bring them back to their land from among the nations. They will have their capital city, they will have a Millennial Temple, and, above all, they will have Jesus, their King-Priest. Once again, there is the emphasis on their spiritual regeneration. And [I] shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD (Ezekiel 37:14). The Attack Against Israel by Gog and His Allies Ezekiel, Chapter 36, details the restoration of the land of Israel, which had become a wasteland. Ezekiel, Chapter 37, depicts the regathering of the people back to the land from among the nations of the world where they had been scattered. Ezekiel, Chapters 38 and 39, describe the invasion of Israel by a coalition of nations under the leadership of a man called Gog of the land of Magog. This invasion occurs near the end of the age and the second coming of Christ. This invasion is specifically said to occur in the latter years (Ezekiel 38:8), and in the latter days In the last days, God will bring them back to their land from among the nations. they will have their capital city, they will have a Millennial Temple, and, above all, they will have Jesus, their King-Priest. (Ezekiel 38:16). The Word of God is very precise. As God addresses Gog, He declares, And thou shalt 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 38:16). The main body of his invading force is said to come from the far north; that is, from the far north of Jerusalem, which is always the navel of biblical geography. God said to Gog, And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army (Ezekiel 38:15). And again God speaks, 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 (Ezekiel 39:2). The invasion will occur at a time when Israel is dwelling safely. To Gog, God says, And thou shalt 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 (Ezekiel 38:11; see also vv. 8, 14). The invasion will occur at a time when Israel is prospering as a nation. The reason for the attack is clearly given: Ezekiel 36 details the restoration of the land of Israel, Ezekiel 37 depicts the regathering of the people back to the land from among the nations of the world Ezekiel 38-39 describes the invasion of Israel by a coalition of nations under the leadership of a man called Gog of the land of Magog. This invasion occurs near the end of the age and the second coming of Christ. 9
COVER FEATURE Ezekiel s End-Times Vision and the Magog Invasion MARVIN J.ROSENTHAL To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land (Ezekiel 38:12). These invading armies will attack Israel in the latter days. The principle armies will come from the north. The attack will occur while Israel is dwelling safely. Who are these armies? Gog is said to rule over Magog. Many scholars associate the Magogites with the ancient Sycthians. The Scythians are generally thought to have inhabited the region between the Black and Caspian Seas, just to the north of the Caucasus Mountains in what is today southern Russia. This is why many have connected Ezekiel s Gog and Magog prophecy with a Russian invasion of Israel in the last days. However, what is critically important to this discussion is where the Magogites lived at the time of Ezekiel s prophecy. In this regard, it must be noted that there is substantial evidence to suggest the Magogites lived in Asia Minor, in the area of what is today modern Turkey. Gog of Magog is the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. Both Meshech and Tubal, along with Magog are listed in Genesis 10:2 as sons of Japheth. Japheth was a son of Noah. The ark landed on Mount Ararat in the Caucasus Mountains. These three grandsons of Noah most likely settled in the area of what is now modern-day Turkey. Gog s forces will be augmented by other armies, among them Persia, Cush, and Put. Coming against Israel from the east will be Persia. Persia changed its name as recently as 1935. It is now known as Iran. Cush and Put will attack Israel from the south. The location of both Cush and Put are debated among Bible scholars. The traditional view has been that Cush is located in the area of Ethiopia and Sudan, with Put thought to be Libya. In more recent days, some contend Cush may in fact be the region of southern Iraq or northern Arabia. Others suggest Put may be the area of southern Arabia or modern-day Yemen. Both Cush and Put are descendants of Noah through Ham (Genesis 10:6). Also allied with Gog in his invasion will be Gomer and Togarmah. These Japhethite grandsons of Noah settled in Asia Minor, Gomer in central Turkey, and Togarmah in eastern Turkey. These eight regions, surrounding Israel on the North, South, and East, will invade Israel in the last days. But their attack will not succeed. God has decreed: And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man s sword shall be against his brother. And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD (Ezekiel 38:21-23). The invading armies from these eight regions have one thing in common. They are, today, all Islamic every one of them. They will be devastated by God Himself when they seek to invade the land of Israel in the latter days. Their attempts to build a global caliphate under Islamic law will fall. Terrorists and Jihadists notwithstanding, Islam will neither conquer the world nor defeat Israel. The glory, which belongs to Christ and His heavenly Father alone will not be given to Allah. Our King is coming! And one day soon, the Lion of Judah will roar in absolute power descending from heaven to rescue His people, decimating the wicked, and establishing His Kingdom on the Earth in Jerusalem. These eight regions, surrounding Israel on the North, South, and East, will invade Israel in the last days. But their attack will not succeed. God has decreed. Terrorists and Jihadists notwithstanding, Islam will neither conquer the world nor defeat Israel. The glory, which belongs to Christ and His heavenly Father alone, will not be given to Allah. 10