38 2 He prophesieth that Gog and Magog shall fight with great power against the people of God. 21 Their destruction.
1 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
2 Son of men, set thy face against [a]Gog, and against the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I come against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.
4 And I will destroy thee, and put hooks in thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth and all thine host, both horses and horsemen, all clothed with all sorts of armor, even a great multitude with bucklers and shields, all [b]handling swords.
5 They of [c]Paras, of Cush, and Put with them, even all they that bear shield and helmet.
6 [d]Gomer and all his bands, and the house of Togarmah of the North quarters, and all his bands, and much people with thee.
7 Prepare thyself, and make thee [e]ready, both thou, and all thy multitude that are assembled unto thee, and be thou their safeguard.
8 After many days thou shalt be visited: for in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that hath been destroyed with the sword, and is gathered out of many people upon the mountains of Israel, which have long lain waste: yet [f]they have been brought out of the people, and they shall dwell all safe.
9 Thou shalt ascend and come up like a tempest, and shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, both thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.
10 Thus saith the Lord God, Even at the same time shall many things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think [g]evil thoughts.
11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land that hath no walled towers: [h]I will go to them that are at rest and dwell in safety, which dwell all without walls, and have neither bars nor gates,
12 Thinking to spoil the prey, and to take a booty, to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations which have gotten cattle, and goods, and dwell in the midst of the land.
13 Sheba and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish with all the lions thereof shall say unto thee, [i]Art thou come to spoil the prey? hast thou gathered thy multitude to take a booty? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, and to spoil a great prey?
14 Therefore, son of man, prophesy, and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord God, In that day, when my people of Israel [j]dwelleth safe shalt thou not know it,
15 And come from thy place out of the North parts, thou and much people with thee? all shall ride upon horses, even a great multitude and a mighty army.
16 And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land, thou shalt be in the [k]latter days, and I will bring thee upon my land, that the heathen may know me, when I [l]shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.
17 Thus saith the Lord God, Art not thou he, of whom I have spoken in old time, [m]by the hand of my servants the Prophets of Israel which prophesied in those days and years, that I would bring thee upon them?
18 At the same time also when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord God, my wrath shall arise in mine anger.
19 For in mine indignation, and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken it: surely at that time there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel,
20 So that the fishes of the Sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all that move and creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the earth, shall tremble at my presence, and the mountains shall be overthrown, and the [n]stairs shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.
21 For I will call for a sword against him [o]throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord God: every man’s sword shall be against his brother.
22 And I will plead against him with pestilence, and with blood, and I will cause to rain upon him and upon his bands, and upon the great people that are with him, a sore rain, and hailstones, fire, and brimstone.
23 Thus will I be (A)magnified, and sanctified, and known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know, that I am the Lord.
Footnotes
- Ezekiel 38:2 Which was a people that came of Magog the son of Japheth, Gen. 10:2. Magog also here signifieth a certain country so that by these two countries which had the government of Greece and Italy, he meaneth the principal enemies of the Church, Rev. 20:8.
- Ezekiel 38:4 He showeth that the enemies should bend themselves against the Church, but it should be to their own destruction.
- Ezekiel 38:5 The Persians, Ethiopians and men of Africa.
- Ezekiel 38:6 Gomer was Japheth’s son, and Togarmah the son of Gomer, and are thought to be they that inhabit Asia Minor.
- Ezekiel 38:7 Signifying, that all the people of the world should assemble themselves against the Church and Christ their head.
- Ezekiel 38:8 Or, it: meaning, the land of Israel.
- Ezekiel 38:10 That is, to molest and destroy the Church.
- Ezekiel 38:11 Meaning, Israel, which had now been destroyed, and was not yet built again: declaring hereby the simplicity of the godly, who seek not so much to fortify themselves by outward force, as to depend on the providence and goodness of God.
- Ezekiel 38:13 One enemy shall envy another because everyone shall think to have the spoil of the Church.
- Ezekiel 38:14 Shalt not thou spy thine occasions to come against my Church when they suspect nothing?
- Ezekiel 38:16 Meaning, in the last age, and from the coming of Christ unto the end of the world.
- Ezekiel 38:16 Signifying, that God will be sanctified by maintaining his Church, and destroying his enemies, as Ezek. 36:23 and 37:28.
- Ezekiel 38:17 Hereby he declareth that none affliction can come to the Church, whereof they have not been advertised aforetime, to teach them to endure all things with more patience, when they know that God hath so ordained.
- Ezekiel 38:20 All means whereby man should think to save himself, shall fail, the affliction in those days shall be so great, and the enemies’ destruction shall be so terrible.
- Ezekiel 38:21 Against the people of Gog and Magog.