Difference of “Gog of the Land of Magog” and “Gog and Magog”

The word “Gog” appears only in two places in biblical prophecies, in Ezekiel 38-39 and Revelation 20.8. Some interpreters think these texts refer to the same prophetic event, whereas others, like me, do not. It often depends on your millennial position. Post-millennialists and a-millennialists usually equate these texts, whereas premillennialists, like me, do not. These viewpoints hinge mostly on “a thousand years” mentioned six times in Revelation 20. It says the deceased people of God “came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years” (Rev 20.4 NRSV). The question is whether Gog and his forces will attack Israel before or after 1,000 years.

A post-millennialist envisions the world becoming somewhat Christianized for a thousand years, and then the end of this age will occur and Jesus will return. A pre-millennialist believes God’s people will suffer much persecution near the end of this age, and then Jesus will return, resurrect his people, and reign in his kingdom on earth for a thousand years. Of course, both groups cite the Bible as support for their position. The Catholic Church was post-millennial and then adopted a-millennialism after 1,000 AD. It means the time period of “a thousand years” is not literal.

Gog Will Attack Israel In “the Latter Years”

The Ezekiel 38-39 prophecy is about a man, “Gog, of the land of Magog … in the latter years” (Eze 38.2, 8), who will gather armed forces from around the world to attack the nation of Israel. God says to Gog, “you will rouse yourself and come from your place out of the remotest parts of the north, you and many peoples with you, … I will bring you against my land, … against the mountains of Israel” (Eze 38.14, 16; 39.2). Then God says he will strike them dead, and “I will give you to birds of prey of every kind and to the wild animals to be devoured” (Eze 39.4). I believe this will occur at the end of the age and that the millennial reign of Christ will follow it.

In comparison, Revelation 20 says, “An angel coming down from heaven, … seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years” (vv. 1-2). The text later relates, “When the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, in order to gather them for battle; they are as numerous as the sands of the sea. They marched up over the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from heaven and consumed them. And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur” to be “tormented day and night forever and ever” (vv. 7-10).

The Differences Between Gog in Ezekiel 38-39 and Gog in Revelation 20.7-10

The main thing to notice between these two prophecies is that Ezekiel has “Gog of the land of Magog,” referring to a person, whereas Revelation has “Gog and Magog,” referring to land. I think it is clear in Ezekiel 38-39 that “Gog” is a title for the final Antichrist who will arise in the latter days. The apostle Paul calls him “the lawless one” (2 Thessalonians 2.3, 8), “whom the Lord Jesus will destroy with the breath of his mouth, annihilating him by the manifestation of his coming” (v. 8). Here, Paul alludes to Isaiah 11.4, which says of the Messiah, “he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked [one].”

Gog in Ezekiel 38-39 Is the Antichrist

Ezekiel makes it clear this “Gog” refers to the Antichrist when he asks him, “Thus says the LORD God: Are you he of whom I spoke in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel, who in those days prophesied for years that I would bring you against them?” (Eze 38.17). This question requires a positive answer. Besides the Messiah, the prophets predict more about the final Antichrist than any other person.

Ezekiel says something else that supports this interpretation that “Gog” is a title for the final Antichrist: so “says the LORD God. This is the day of which I have spoken” (Eze 39.8). This refers to the common Old Testament expression “the day of the LORD.” Many times in scripture, this phrase refers to some moment in the past in which God intervened in the affairs of humans, oftentimes for judgment. But this phrase sometimes refers to the ultimate “day of the LORD” that will occur at the end of the age.

Joel’s Prediction of “the Day of the LORD”

One of these scriptures about “the day of the LORD” to which Eze 39.8 refers is in Joel, and it predicts the same assault by the nations against Israel that Eze 38-39 predicts. Joel prophesies on behalf of the LORD God, “I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat, and I will enter into judgment with them there” (Joel 3.2). The Valley of Jehoshaphat is the Valley of Kidron lying between the present Temple Mount in Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives on the east. They will be the Lord Jesus’ footstool at his second coming, as God said to him at his heavenly ascension, “The LORD says to my lord, ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool'” (Psalm 110.1). Thus, the LORD God Almighty will enter into judgment with the nations at the end of the age through his agent par excellence—the Lord Jesus Christ.

Joel continues, “Come quickly, all you nations all around, gather yourselves there, Bring down your warrior, O LORD. Let the nations rouse themselves, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the neighboring nations. … Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. The LORD roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth shake” (Joel 3.11-12, 14-16; cf. Joel 2.10; Isaiah 13.10; 24.23).

Jesus predicted this of the inauguration of his second coming, saying, “The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken” (Matthew 24.29; “heaven” 2x should be “the heavens,” thus referring to our universe).

Difference Before and After the Thousand Years

Here are some reasons why I think Ezekiel 38-39 will be pre-millennial and Revelation 20.7-10 will be post-millennial:

1. The attack in Eze 38-39 is of “all your army, horses and horsemen” (38.4), “against my people Israel” (Eze 38.16), against “the mountains of Israel” (38.8; 39.4, 17), and “all my mountains” (38.21) in the land of Israel. But the attack in Rev 20 is against “the camp of the saints and the beloved city” (v.9). This surely refers to “the holy city, the new Jerusalem” depicted in Rev 21-22. It will be inhabited by all of God’s people, thus not only Israelites.
2. The attack in Eze 38-39 ends with Gog and his forces being killed and their bodies lying on the fields. God instructs Ezekiel to speak to the birds and other animals to “gather from all around to the sacrificial feast that I am preparing for you, a great sacrificial feast on the mountains of Israel, and you shall eat flesh and drink blood … of the princes of earth” (39.17-18). This surely refers to the second coming of Christ in Rev 19.11-21, of which an angel “called to all the birds that fly in midheaven, ‘Come, gather for the great supper of God, to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of the mighty, the flesh of the horses and their riders” (vv. 17-18). In contrast, in Rev 20, when Satan’s hordes “surround the camp of the saints and the beloved city,” then “fire came down from heaven and consumed them” (v. 9). Thus, there will be no human carcasses for the animals to devour since lightning had “consumed them.”
3. But in Ezekiel 38-39, after the animals had feasted upon the remaining bones and carcasses, the land of Israel will be cleansed of this pollution. For God says, “On that day I will give to Gog a place for burial in Israel, the Valley of the Travelers east of the sea; it shall block the path of the travelers, for there Gog and all his horde will be buried; it shall be called the Valley of Hamon-gog. Seven months the house of Israel shall spend burying them, in order to cleanse the land” (39.11-12).
4. Ezekiel 38-39 presents an actual assault by Gog against Israel. But Rev 20.8 only says those from Gog and Magog will surround the holy city and be consumed by lightning. But Eze 38-39 says Gog and his forces will be thwarted by earthquake, torrential rain, and swords against each other (Eze 38.19-21). Those enemy troops will then “fall upon the mountains of Israel” (39.4).
5. * Please note: If you like this article please leave a comment below, I am interested in your thoughts on Gog and Magog.