Generations have attempted to correctly understand this biblical portrayal, Jews as well as Christians, Bible experts and intellectuals. They try to arrange a timeline of events in the Gog and Magog prophecies. The vision differs from all the other prophecies in the Bible because it clearly highlights the prophetic horizon. It has to do with an event that signifies the end of human history. But the words only reveal to us what will happen, not when.

The identity of Gog in the land of Magog, God’s adversary, the personified defiance against God’s authority, is likewise not clear.

“Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him.” (Ezekiel 38:2)

The prophet describes how all the nations submit to Gog to challenge God together. In Ezekiel’s list of nations, there are two that stand out, and those are the Persians and the Turks. As regards the modern identity of the other nations, these are widely disputed. But it is interesting that the two nations we can definitively identify–Turkey and Iran–are the most antagonistic toward the State of Israel in the world today.

The battlefield on which this war will take place is the “Land of the Chosen,” Eretz Israel. The nations will move against Israel from every corner of the world, their goal being to conquer the land. The nations allied under the leadership of Gog will penetrate the borders of Israel from the north, seeking to conquer Jerusalem. The purpose of the war is to annihilate the nation of Israel and to appoint Jerusalem as their own new seat of power. Ezekiel writes that the nations will argue that the war against Israel is a justified war.

According to Ezekiel, it is God’s desire, even by means of this war, to glorify His name among the nations, and to lead the human race to repentance.

“I shall bring you against My land, in order that the nations may know Me when I shall be sanctified through you before their eyes, O Gog.” (Ezekiel 38:16)

The Almighty will not permit His people to be destroyed, and this is described by the prophet in the last five verses:

“And in My zeal and in My blazing wrath I declare that on that day there will surely be a great earthquake in the land of Israel … And with pestilence and with blood I shall enter into judgment with him; and I shall rain on him, and on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, a torrential rain, with hailstones, fire, and brimstone. And I shall magnify Myself, sanctify Myself, and make Myself known in the sight of many nations; and they will know that I am the Lord.”

The coalition of nations and their war against this land will split mankind into three groups:

• Greedy men– materialists, who support Gog’s policies;
• Patient men–people who worship God, follow Him and trust Him; and
• Those who do not take any position, and trust no one.

In that last war, humankind will go through a process in which each will have to decide where he or she stands.

The defeat of Gog and Magog will be a victory for God’s followers. The history of mankind will draw to an end and the era of peace will dawn. God Himself will reveal that it is only faith in Him that can bring us rest, peace and redemption.

“And I shall set My glory among the nations; and all the nations will see My judgment which I have executed, and My hand which I have laid on them. And the house of Israel will know that I am the Lord their God from that day onward.” (Ezekiel 39:21-22)

It will only be after this that all mankind will understand Israel’s position and its role in the process of redemption.