I’ve been studying the Bible these past few days almost nonstop in an attempt to gain further understanding of the prophecies concerning Egypt and Libya.
- Again, the idea is that understanding the prophecies concerning Egypt and Libya could potentially enable us to gain some further understanding of what’s happening in these countries now and in the future.
A couple of days ago I realized that I will inevitably need to address the topic of Ezekiel 38 and Ezekiel 39 to fully account for the prophecies concerning Libya.
For those new to Bible prophecy, Ezekiel 38 and Ezekiel 39 are perhaps the two most discussed and debated Bible prophecy chapters today among students of Bible prophecy. Ezekiel 38 describes a massive invasion led by an entity named Gog into the land of Israel. Gog’s invasion force will include several nations including “Libya” (verse 5).
- Eze 38:2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him,
- Eze 38:3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:
- Eze 38:4 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 armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
- Eze 38:5 Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
- Eze 38:6 Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee.
- Eze 38:7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
Ezekiel 38:8-16 provides us details concerning Gog’s invasion of Israel:
- Gog’s invasion of Israel will come at a time after the people of Israel are gathered from the nations, at a time when the people of Israel live in their land with a feeling of security, and at a time when Israel is a land that lacks security barriers like walls or gates.
- Gog’s invasion is described in Ezekiel 38:16 as coming in the “latter days”.
- According to Ezekiel 38:11-13, Gog’s and his forces’ main objectives are to attack the land, attack the people of Israel, and plunder the land and its people.
- Eze 38:8 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.
- Eze 38:9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.
- Eze 38:10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
- Eze 38:11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
- Eze 38:12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; 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, that dwell in the midst of the land.
- Eze 38:13 Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?
- Eze 38:14 Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it?
- Eze 38:15 And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army:
- Eze 38:16 And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.
Ezekiel 38:17-23 and Ezekiel 39 describe God defeating Gog and his forces.
Issues that Need to Be Addressed:
There are several issues that need to be addressed before a full understanding of Ezekiel 38 and Ezekiel 39 can be achieved. Here are six major issues relating to Ezekiel 38 and Ezekiel 39 that I believe need to address:
How do Ezekiel 38 and Ezekiel 39 fit in context of other chapters in the Book of Ezekiel like Ezekiel 37 and Ezekiel 40? I’ve read some people who teach that the events in Ezekiel 38 and Ezekiel 39 occur before Ezekiel 40 and after Ezekiel 37.
How many invasions of Israel are described in Ezekiel 38 and Ezekiel 39? The opinions I’ve seen on this question range from one invasion to three invasions.
When do the events of Ezekiel 38 and Ezekiel 39 transpire? This is the most difficult question to answer and probably the most debated issue relating to Ezekiel 38 and Ezekiel 39. The opinions I’ve seen range from just prior to the start of the End Times to after the end of the millennium (Revelation 20:8-9). The question becomes even more complicated when considering the possibility that Ezekiel 38 and Ezekiel 39 may describe multiple invasions by Gog.
Is Gog the same individual as the Antichrist? Many believe that Gog is the same individual as Antichrist. However, some argue that Gog may be another entity who engages in a power struggle with Antichrist.
Which countries comprise Gog's invasion force and which countries do not? There is a lot of debate about which countries will comprise Gog's invasion force. I think we may gain some additional understanding by looking at which countries do not join Gog in his invasion of Israel.
What other Bible verses/passages can help us understand Ezekiel 38 and Ezekiel 39? Ezekiel 38:17 suggests that there are other verses/passages in the Bible that can help us to understand Gog when it says: “Thus saith the Lord GOD; Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them?”
I am attempting to address each issue at the moment because I need to fully account for Ezekiel 38 and Ezekiel 39 before I can continue the study of the prophecies concerning Egypt and Libya. Recall, Libya is mentioned in Ezekiel 38:5 as a participant in Gog’s invasion force.
This is a very challenging topic to undertake because there are several issues that need to be addressed and there are many Bible verses to consider.
- For instance, I have a Word Document that has at least 10 pages of Bible prophecy verses that could potentially be used to locate the timing of the events described in Ezekiel 38 and Ezekiel 39.
This topic is likely going to require a multiple part study over the course of several days and weeks. If anyone knows of any Bible verses that might provide insight into understanding the events of Ezekiel 38 and Ezekiel 39 I would appreciate it if you shared them.
