Gog and Magog, Again

Gog and Magog appear in Ezekiel 38-39, and then we find Gog and Magog, again, in Revelation 20:7-10. Are there two great wars involving Gog and Magog? Or are they one and the same? This repetition presents somewhat of a conundrum.

The Gog and Magog battle in Revelation 20 seems to be a different war than the one referred to in Ezekiel 38-39. Ezekiel’s reference to Gog and Magog is definitely describing the battle of Armageddon, described several times in the book of Revelation (e.g. Rev 16:16). Gog, then, is the same person as the man of lawlessness (aka Antichrist), who leads the eighth beast into battle against Israel in Revelation 17. The Revelation 20 reference to Gog and Magog appears to be another great battle that will take place at the end of the 1000-year Millenium. Why the second battle has the same name as the first is confusing, but it may simply be symbolic. Even the nomenclature suggests this to be the case. In Ezekeil Gog is made out to be a prince, and Magog is his resident domain. But in Revelation, “Gog and Magog” seem to be a title, of sorts, borrowed, symbolically, because the second gathering of nations from the four corners of the world is reminiscent of the alliance of nations that Gog forms for the Armageddon battle.

The battle In Revelation 20 is similar to the Ezekiel battle in some regards, besides just the name. Both armies of Gog are innumerable – “like the sand of the sea” (Rev 20:8), and “like a cloud” (Ez 38:9). Both armies attack Israel and the holy city, Jerusalem (Rev 20:9 and Ez 38:8, 16). This doesn’t necessarily indicate they are the same battle. Armageddon will pit an Arab-Islamic alliance against the Jews, the apex of a hatred that has existed for thousands of years. The battle at the end of the millennium will pit Satan against Jesus, and Jerusalem is the focal point because it is the place from which Jesus will reign during His earthly kingdom Zech 14:9; 16-17).

There are some distinct differences in the two battles, which help to confirm that they are different battles. The army of Gog, in Ezekiel, consists of Arab nations (Ez 38:5; cf Rev 17, the eighth beast), while the army in Revelation consists of nations from the four corners of the earth (Rev 20:8). Second, in Revelation the buildup and attack are spearheaded by Satan himself (Rev 20:7), whereas in Ezekiel, Gog’s army is drug into conflict by God. But God may use Satan’s deception to drag Gog into battle against Israel, so the two scenarios may not be all that different. The third and biggest difference is the aftermath of the two battles. In Ezekiel, the carnage will be so great that it will take seven months to bury the dead (Ez 39:12). This would indicate that the clean-up will extend into the Millennial kingdom. After the Gog and Magog war at the end of the Millenium, Satan will be thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet (Rev 20:10). Satan will then spend eternity there, in torment. The fate of Satan after the second war is different than after the first war. After Armageddon Satan is bound in the Abyss for 1000 years, after which he will be loosed for the second war (Rev 20:2-3; 7-8).

These two battles indicate that Satan is very effective at deceiving people into rising up in rebellion and insurrection against God and against Jesus. He always has been good at it, and he will go all out at the end. So, you better choose whose side you are on, and don’t waver.