THE GOG AND MAGOG WAR!

WHEN WILL THE GOG AND MAGOG WAR

OF EZEKIEL 38-39, TAKE PLACE?

Let me begin by saying, "I do not know!"  There are "experts" who speak dogmatically as to when this war takes place, but all probably should end their thoughts on the subject with "that is my best guess."  There are obvious similarities between the event in Ezekiel and the Battle of Armageddon, described in Revelation.  There are also similarities between Ezekiel's battle and the non-battle following the Millennium, which is also described in Revelation.  Because I believe Revelation is written chronologically, and Chapter 16 comes before Chapter 20, it would seem logical that the Gog and Magog War would end the Millennium instead of ending the Tribulation.  BUT, there is no war following the Millennium!  Fire from heaven destroys the armies of Gog and Magog before the battle can begin.  Here are three passages that may clear it up for the "experts," but for us "common folk," they leave us scratching our heads!

THE GOG AND MAGOG WAR!

Ezekiel 38:1-8, 21-23 - And the Word of the LORD came unto me, saying,  Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:  and I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armor, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:  Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:  Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands:  and many people with thee.  Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.  After many days thou shalt be visited:  in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them. - - - 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.

THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON

ENDS THE TRIBULATION 

Revelation 16:12-21 - And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.  And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.  For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.  Behold, I come as a thief.  Blessed is he that watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.  And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.  And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.  And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.  And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell:  and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath.  And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.  And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

THE BATTLE  THAT NEVER TAKES PLACE

FOLLOWS THE MILLENNIUM

Revelation 20:7-10 - And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle:  the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.  And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city:  and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever.

FOR FURTHER STUDY, GO TO:  http://www.middletownbiblechurch.org/proph/ezek38.htm