Who Is Gog of the Land of Magog?

from Google Images

Gog of the land of Magog (Revelation 20:8) represents those who were deceived by the dragon, who had been released from his prison (Revelation 20:2-3, 7). So, Gog went up to the beloved city along the breadth of the land in order to surround the camp of the saints (Revelation 20:9). According to Ezekiel 38:11, at the time of the war of Revelation 20:8 the camp of the saints was unprotected.[1] In other words, their cities had no walls or gates. They dwelt safely in that their confidence lay not in the strength of man but in the Lord. It was against these people that Gog, the prince of Magog (Ezekiel 38:2-3) arose to slaughter (Revelation 20:9) in order to take a spoil (Ezekiel 38:8-12).

 

The Timeframe for Gog and Magog

from Google Images

At the end of the day, it really doesn’t matter what any of us believes about the war of Gog, prince of the land of Magog (Revelation 20:8). What matters is what is recorded in Revelation 20:8 and Ezekiel 38:8, 16. What the Lord says in those two texts is what matters. The spin we may put on these Scriptures and the spiritual worldview we may embrace doesn’t even come close to the weight of what the Lord claims is true. What our God tells us cannot be twisted by anyone, as a lawyer might do when twisting the words of one man for the benefit of the man the lawyer defends (John 10:35; Isaiah 8:20). Truth is what the Lord says it is, is not necessarily what man claims it is.

 

Gog and Magog and Jewish Eschatology

from Google Images

After the thousand years was complete, or in other words, after the millennium, the dragon was to be released (Revelation 20:5, 7). So, immediately after his release from prison or from the bottomless pit, the very first thing on his agenda was to deceive the nations (Revelation 20:8), at which time the Battle of Gog and Magog occurs. Most Bible students believe the nations refer to the gentiles—i.e. all nations except for the Jews. However, as I explained in a previous study[1] the nations in this context refers to the tribes of Israel or the lands of the Jews. So the dragon immediately began deceiving the Jews. If this is so, who is Gog and what is the land of Magog, and when does Gog arise to make war? The text clearly concludes that the battle or war occurs after the millennium, which, from a dispensational and premillennial worldview, gives rise to questions about the success of the so-called millennial reign of Christ: