The Gospel According to Ezekiel, Chapter 38

God's Prophecy Against Gog of Magog

The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of Man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him and say, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. And I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in full armor, a great host, all of them with buckler and shield, wielding swords. Persia, Cush, and Put are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; Gomer and all his hordes; Beth-togarmah from the uttermost parts of the north with all his hordes—many peoples are with you.”

Ezekiel 38:1-6

We immediately recognize parallels to Revelation 20-21, where Gog and Magog attack the people of God. As we proceed into chapters 40-48, we see visions of a new city and temple, with similarities to Revelation, though differences exist—John sees no temple in the city, identifying it as God and the Lamb.

These hordes come from the four corners of the earth: north, east, and south (west being the Mediterranean). This massive army—nation upon nation, horde upon horde—is the largest force against Israel in this Old Testament context, including Persia.

The Purpose: Vindicating God's Name Among Restored Israel

Unlike previous attacks that judged Israel's sin and defamed God's name among the nations, this occurs after restoration. God exiled His people righteously, purging the unfaithful through Nebuchadnezzar as His instrument. Now, with His people restored and dwelling securely, God brings this army not for judgment, but to vindicate His name before the nations and demonstrate His protection.

The entire book of Ezekiel emphasizes God's glory: His people saved, Him ruling, His holiness and greatness vindicated positively. His people make Him famous.

Be ready and keep ready, you and all your hosts that are assembled about you and be a guard for them. After many days you will be mustered. In the latter years you will go against the land that is restored from the sword, the land whose people were gathered from many peoples upon the mountains of Israel, which had been a continual waste. Its people were brought out from the peoples and now dwell securely, all of them. You will advance, coming on like a storm. You will be like a cloud covering the land, you and all your hordes, and many peoples with you.

Thus says the Lord God: On that day, thoughts will come into your mind, and you will devise an evil scheme. And say, “I will go up against the land of unwalled villages. I will fall upon the quiet people who dwell securely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having no bars or gates.”

Ezekiel 38:7-12

God decrees this attack, even planting the thoughts in Gog's mind. Israel dwells in unwalled villages, without bars or gates—utterly vulnerable after exile. Yet God declares they dwell securely. This proves to His people their security in Him alone, their ultimate protection and shepherd.

Like Israel watching David defeat Goliath, they witness God defeat the mightiest alliance, proving Himself mightier than the world's greatest power. This encourages believers in waging war against sin. Earlier chapters showed defeat through self-reliance, idolatry, and false security—like meat safe in a pot. Wave after wave of tragedy resulted. Now, even without walls, God boasts: dwell securely. The old way stinks of defeat; the new way frees us to see God's sufficiency—the beginnings of the five solas.

You will come from your place out of the uttermost parts of the north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great host, a mighty army. You will come up against my people Israel, like a cloud covering the land. In the latter days I will bring you against my land, that the nations may know me when through you, O Gog, I vindicate my holiness before their eyes.

Thus says the Lord God, “Are you he of whom I spoke in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel, who in those days prophesied for years that I would bring you against them?”

But on that day, the day that Gog shall come against the land of Israel, declares the Lord God, my wrath will be roused in my anger. For in my jealousy and in my blazing wrath, I declare, On that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. The fish of the sea and the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the field and all creeping things that creep on the ground, and all the people who are on the face of the earth, shall quake at my presence. And the mountains shall be thrown down, and the cliffs shall fall, and every wall shall tumble to the ground. I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Lord God. Every man’s sword will be against his brother. With pestilence and bloodshed I will enter into judgment with him, and I will rain upon him and his hordes and the many peoples who are with him torrential rains, hailstones, fire, and sulfur. Thus I will show my greatness and my holiness and make myself known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.

Ezekiel 38:15-23

God's Judgment and Israel's Security

“Son of Man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. And I will turn you about and drive you forward and bring you up from the uttermost parts of the north, and lead you against the mountains of Israel. Then I will strike your bow from your left hand, and will make your arrows drop out of your right hand.”

You shall fall in the mountains of Israel, you and all your hordes and the peoples who are with you. I will give you to birds of prey of every sort and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. You shall fall in the open field, for I have spoken, declares the Lord God. I will send fire on Magog and on those who dwell securely in the coastlands, and they shall know that I am the Lord.

My holy name I will make known in the midst of my people Israel, and I will not let my holy name be profaned anymore. And the nations shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel. Behold, it is coming and it will be brought about, declares the Lord God. That is the day of which I have spoken. Then those who dwell in the cities of Israel will go out and make fires of the weapons and burn them—shields and bucklers, bows and arrows, clubs and spears; and they will make fires of them for seven years, so that they will not need to take wood out of the field or cut down any out of the forests, for they will make their fires of the weapons. They will seize the spoil of those who despoiled them, and plunder those who plundered them, declares the Lord God.

Ezekiel 39:1-10

God disarms Gog supernaturally. This massive army provides seven years of firewood from their weapons—shields, bucklers, bows, arrows, clubs, spears. God brings war to supply basic needs: fire for cooking and warmth. Forests can regrow as the land restores. Enemies attacking restore Israel—they spoil those who spoiled them.

On that day I will give to Gog a place for burial in Israel, the Valley of the Travelers, east of the sea. It will block the travelers, for there Gog and all his multitude will be buried. It will be called the Valley of Hamon-gog. For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them, in order to cleanse the land. The people of the land will bury them, and renown will be on the day that I show my glory, declares the Lord God.

They will set apart men to travel through the land regularly and bury those travelers remaining on the face of the land, so as to cleanse it. At the end of seven months, they will make their search. And when these travel through the land and anyone sees a human bone, then he shall set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in the Valley of Hamon-gog. Hamonah is also the name of the city. Thus shall they cleanse the land.

Ezekiel 39:11-16

Seven months to bury the dead in the Valley of Hamon-gog—a mass graveyard, reversing chapter 37's Valley of Dry Bones. God's enemies find death; His people life and cleansing. Land and people purified together.

As for you, son of man, thus says the Lord God: Speak to the birds of every sort, to all beasts of the field: “Assemble and come, gather from all around to the sacrificial feast that I am preparing for you, a great sacrificial feast on the mountains of Israel, and you shall eat flesh and drink blood. You shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth... You shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men and all kinds of warriors, declares the Lord God.”

And I will set my glory among the nations, and all the nations shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid on them. The house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God, from that day forward. And the nations shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity, because they dealt so treacherously with me that I hid my face from them and gave them into the hand of their adversaries, and they all fell by the sword... Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have mercy on the whole house of Israel, and I will be jealous for my holy name. They shall forget their shame and all the treachery they have practiced against me, when they dwell securely in their land with none to make them afraid, when I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them from their enemies’ lands, and through them have vindicated my holiness in the sight of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the Lord their God, because I sent them into exile among the nations and then assembled them into their own land. I will leave none of them remaining among the nations anymore. And I will not hide my face anymore from them, when I pour out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, declares the Lord God.

Ezekiel 39:17-29 (excerpted)

Forgetting Shame, Enjoying God's Holiness

God corrects nations' misperception: He hid His face due to Israel's treachery, but now restores, forgives, vindicates His holiness. Previously, Israel remembered sins and shame (Ezekiel 16:22 to 36:31). Now, dwelling securely, they forget shame and treachery, freed to enjoy God's holiness.

God no longer hides His face; He pours out His Spirit. This security—fulfilled at Pentecost (Acts 2, quoting Joel 2:28-29)—frees believers from sin's weight to treasure God's holiness.

Applications for Believers

First, Christians calling on the Lord's name enter security and rest (Hebrews 3:12–4:8; Ephesians 1). Sealed with the Holy Spirit, we have the down payment of eternal inheritance.

Second, we forget sin's shame. Early Ezekiel shows sin's terror to convict and repent. Now, with vindicated holiness, we forget, assured by grace.

Third, we become satisfied with God's holiness. Humans crave satisfaction; unbelievers futilely grasp sin (Ephesians 4). Jesus offers soul-satisfying water. Dwell securely, forget shame, enjoy God.

Finally, know that the Lord is your God—assurance of salvation. Ezekiel 38-39 ministers to doubts, proving eternal security in Him. ```