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WAR AND STAGES OF REDEMPTION.
by Alexander Zephyr.
Part 7 of
THE WARS OF GOG AND MAGOG
Speaking of the stages of Redemption, this process will not be over in a moment. Rather it will take time and be realized in stages. The very first stage, the beginning of the Redemption has already occurred. This was the immigration of the Jewish People to the Promise Land and establishment there of the Jewish State of Israel in 1948 right after WW2 and the Holocaust. They have their own task to fulfill: To prepare the way for the rest of their brothers of the Ten Tribes who will coming back and need accommodation in the Land of Israel.
The Ten Tribes of Israel are still in the 'graves of exile'. They have completely lost their Israelite identity. Their 'dry bones' are waiting for spiritual revival and restoration to their original faith in the God of Israel and His immortal Torah. Today most of the World unjustly goes against the Jews. Anti-Semitism, hatred and racism have reached unprecedented levels. The Jewish People depend on their Israelite brothers and sisters. Judah and Joseph must reunite in order to face the enormous challenges of these troublesome times of the end of our age. Judah cannot fight God's wars alone. The sooner they reunite, the sooner they will be redeemed by the Almighty. Now the Jewish People have to take the initiative to awaken the giant Joseph. They must go to the Ten Tribes wherever they live, and bring to them the light of Torah and knowledge of the God of Israel. That is exactly what God wants them to do:
'In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers' (Jeremiah 3:18).
'Walk with the house of Israel' some commentators understood as meaning, 'Judah and Benyamin (i.e. the present-day Jews) are destined to go unto the Ten Tribes in exile and bring them back in order to merit with them the Messianic Era and life in the World-To-Come' (Yalkut Shimeoni, Song of Solomon 905).
'Come together' from the exile reminds us of Isaiah 11:14, when Judah will be reconciled and united with Joseph and 'together' they "shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; together they shall spoil them of the east.'
What we see described here is another stage of Redemption (not yet the final one) when Judah and Joseph will have reconciled their differences and be reunited in the realization that they are all sons of their forefather Jacob, and, as brothers, have to begin to cooperate in their common affairs. At this stage, the Messiah, son of Joseph, will have been revealed. Under his leadership the combined forces of Judah and Joseph will defeat the surrounding enemy-nations and liberate and restore the Land of Israel to its Biblical borders from the Nile to the Euphrates. Exactly at this period of the beginning of the Messianic Age, the armies of Gog and Magog will attack peaceful Israel.
The same motifs written by different prophets are found in many prophecies throughout Scripture. For instance, in the book of Zechariah, 'And I will strengthen the house of Judah, and will save the house of Joseph, and I will bring them again to place them; for I have mercy upon them. I will give them a sign, and gather them; for I have redeemed them' (Zechariah 10:6, 8).
Regardless, as to whether Ezekiel 38 and 39 describe one or two wars; the final result will be the same: Total destruction of the hordes of Gog and Complete Redemption of the whole House of Israel.
-Finally!
Why will we have waited for so long for the End-Time Salvation to come to Israel and then only after the War(s) of Gog and Magog?
The answer is simple: That is how God Almighty has decided it is to be! This is His Word. This is His Divine Plan as recorded in the book of Ezekiel:
'So the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day and forward. Therefore thus saith the Lord God; now I will end the captivity of My people; I will have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for My holy name. Then shall they know that I am the Lord their God, which cause them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them into their own land, and I have left none of them any more there' (Ezekiel 39:22, 25, 28).
It will be the Final Redemption after the destruction of Gog because from that day onward the whole house of Israel (at last!) will 'know' the Lord, the Almighty God of Israel. All Israelites will have been returned and settled on the Promised Land. With the Advent of the Messiah son of David the Final Redemption of the whole house of Israel and, then, Redemption of all the nations of the World will have been completed. Humanity will usher in the Golden Age of Peace, Prosperity and Brotherhood. God's knowledge will descend on all peoples, and the nations will serve God of Israel with one consent and in the spirit of God's Love.
'And the Lord shall be King over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord and His name one' (Zechariah 14:9).
There is a dispute on the question as to how many wars will be fought by Gog in the end of our age? Some scholars believe that there will be two major wars, one is described by Ezekiel 38 and 39, and another war, which will be the final one, is described in Zechariah 14, when Gog actually breaks into Jerusalem and half of the city will be captured by him. The most detailed and specific accounts of these wars are contained in the books of the prophets Ezekiel, Zechariah, Joel, and Daniel.
The Sages, and particularly Malbim (Rabbi Meir Leibush, 1809-1879), spoke of three separate wars which are supposed to be fought by the armies of Gog in the latter years. According to Malbim, the prophecies of Ezekiel 38 and 39 speak of two separate wars because in chapter 39:1 Ezekiel receives an entirely new prophecy.
Malbim points out, that Ezekiel 38 is not a new prophecy but rather one that had already been heard before.
This is clearly indicated by Ezekiel 38:17,
# Thus says the Lord GOD: 'Are you he of whom I have spoken in former days by My servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied for years in those days that I would bring you against them' #
The Talmud says this refers to the prophets Eldad and Medad who prophesied in ancient times about the wars of Gog and Magog (Numbers 11:27).
On the other hand, the subject of chapter 39, the second War of Gog, will never have been foretold by anyone else. Another difference between the two wars is that in chapter 38 the earthquake which annihilates Gog's forces, will come on the very day that Gog sets foot upon Israel's soil,
cf. Ezekiel 38:
18 'And it will come to pass at the same time, when Gog comes against the land of Israel,' says the Lord GOD, 'that My fury will show in My face. 19 For in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath I have spoken: 'Surely in that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel,
In contrast, chapter 39 shows the prophet seeing Gog coming all the way from the mountains (hills) of Israel, a destination Gog could not have reached immediately. This explained by the Malbim.
The third war, says the Malbim, is described in the book of Zechariah 14, when Gog's armies will have surrounded Jerusalem, and half of the city will fall into his hands.
Other expositors believe that Ezekiel 39 describes the last War of Gog. This will resulted in the final eradication of evil from the earth.
Scripture.
Gog and Allies Attack Israel
Ezekiel 38
1 Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 'Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him, 3 and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: 'Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. 4 I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords. 5 Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; 6 Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah from the far north and all its troops; many people are with you.
7 'Prepare yourself and be ready, you and all your companies that are gathered about you; and be a guard for them. 8 After many days you will be visited. In the latter years you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate; they were brought out of the nations, and now all of them dwell safely. 9 You will ascend, coming like a storm, covering the land like a cloud, you and all your troops and many peoples with you.' 10 'Thus says the Lord GOD: 'On that day it shall come to pass that thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will make an evil plan: 11 You will say, 'I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; I will go to a peaceful people, who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates', 12 to take plunder and to take booty, to stretch out your hand against the waste places that are again inhabited, and against a people gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and goods, who dwell in the midst of the land. 13 Sheba, Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish, and all their young lions will say to you, 'Have you come to take plunder? Have you gathered your army to take booty, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take great plunder?' 14 'Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: 'On that day when My people Israel dwell safely, will you not know it' 15 Then you will come from your place out of the far north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a mighty army. 16 You will come up against My people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land. It will be in the latter days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me, when I am hallowed in you, O Gog, before their eyes.' 17 Thus says the Lord GOD: 'Are you he of whom I have spoken in former days by My servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied for years in those days that I would bring you against them?' 18 'And it will come to pass at the same time, when Gog comes against the land of Israel,' says the Lord GOD, 'that My fury will show in My face. 19 For in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath I have spoken: 'Surely in that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel, 20 so that the fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field, all creeping things that creep on the earth, and all men who are on the face of the earth shall shake at My presence. The mountains shall be thrown down, the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.' 21 I will call for a sword against Gog throughout all My mountains,' says the Lord GOD. 'Every man's sword will be against his brother. 22 And I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed; I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. 23 Thus I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.''
Gog's Armies Destroyed and Israel Restored to the Land.
Ezekiel 39
1 'And you, son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: 'Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal; 2 and I will turn you around and lead you on, bringing you up from the far north, and bring you against the mountains of Israel. 3 Then I will knock the bow out of your left hand, and cause the arrows to fall out of your right hand. 4 You shall fall upon the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops and the peoples who are with you; I will give you to birds of prey of every sort and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. 5 You shall fall on the open field; for I have spoken,' says the Lord GOD. 6 'And I will send fire on Magog and on those who live in security in the coastlands. Then they shall know that I am the LORD. 7 So I will make My holy name known in the midst of My people Israel, and I will not let them profane My holy name anymore. Then the nations shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel. 8 Surely it is coming, and it shall be done,' says the Lord GOD. 'This is the day of which I have spoken. 9 'Then those who dwell in the cities of Israel will go out and set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and bucklers, the bows and arrows, the javelins and spears; and they will make fires with them for seven years. 10 They will not take wood from the field nor cut down any from the forests, because they will make fires with the weapons; and they will plunder those who plundered them, and pillage those who pillaged them,' says the Lord GOD. 11 'It will come to pass in that day that I will give Gog a burial place there in Israel, the valley of those who pass by east of the sea; and it will obstruct travelers, because there they will bury Gog and all his multitude. Therefore they will call it the Valley of Hamon Gog. 12 For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them, in order to cleanse the land. 13 Indeed all the people of the land will be burying, and they will gain renown for it on the day that I am glorified,' says the Lord GOD. 14 'They will set apart men regularly employed, with the help of a search party, to pass through the land and bury those bodies remaining on the ground, in order to cleanse it. At the end of seven months they will make a search. 15 The search party will pass through the land; and when anyone sees a man's bone, he shall set up a marker by it, till the buriers have buried it in the Valley of Hamon Gog. 16 The name of the city will also be Hamonah. Thus they shall cleanse the land.' 17 'And as for you, son of man, thus says the Lord GOD, 'Speak to every sort of bird and to every beast of the field: ' Assemble yourselves and come; Gather together from all sides to My sacrificial meal Which I am sacrificing for you, A great sacrificial meal on the mountains of Israel, That you may eat flesh and drink blood. 18 You shall eat the flesh of the mighty, Drink the blood of the princes of the earth, Of rams and lambs, Of goats and bulls, All of them fatlings of Bashan. 19 You shall eat fat till you are full, And drink blood till you are drunk, At My sacrificial meal Which I am sacrificing for you. 20 You shall be filled at My table With horses and riders, With mighty men And with all the men of war, says the Lord GOD. 21 'I will set My glory among the nations; all the nations shall see My judgment which I have executed, and My hand which I have laid on them. 22 So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day forward. 23 The Gentiles shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity; because they were unfaithful to Me, therefore I hid My face from them. I gave them into the hand of their enemies, and they all fell by the sword. 24 According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions I have dealt with them, and hidden My face from them.'' 25 'Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: 'Now I will bring back the captives of Jacob, and have mercy on the whole house of Israel; and I will be jealous for My holy name' 26 after they have borne their shame, and all their unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, when they dwelt safely in their own land and no one made them afraid. 27 When I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them out of their enemies' lands, and I am hallowed in them in the sight of many nations, 28 then they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who sent them into captivity among the nations, but also brought them back to their land, and left none of them captive any longer. 29 And I will not hide My face from them anymore; for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,' says the Lord GOD.'
List of Contents Concerning,
The Wars of Gog and Magog by Alexander Zephyr.
See Also:
Questions and Answers about Gog and Magog.