Major Prophets · Chapter 38 of 48

Ezekiel 38

The LORD directs Ezekiel to prophesy against Gog of the land of Magog, a great confederacy from the far north gathered with many peoples. In the latter years Gog will invade a restored, unwalled Israel dwelling in safety, thinking an evil thought of plunder. But God himself has drawn Gog out, and his coming will end in a terrifying display of divine wrath, so the nations know the LORD.

What happens in Ezekiel 38

God sets his face against Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and describes putting hooks in his jaws to bring him out with a vast allied army: Persia, Ethiopia, Libya, Gomer, and Togarmah. After many days, in the latter years, Gog will advance against a people gathered from the nations and dwelling securely without walls. He will devise an evil scheme to seize spoil from the restored land, while trading nations look on and question his intent.

Yet the invasion serves God's purpose, for he brings Gog against the land so the nations will know him when he is sanctified through judgment. When Gog attacks, God's fury rises. A great earthquake shakes every creature, mountains fall, and God summons a sword, pestilence, blood, flooding rain, hailstones, fire, and brimstone against Gog and his hordes. Thus God magnifies and sanctifies himself before many nations.

Ezekiel 38 in context

This vision belongs to Ezekiel's closing section of restoration and hope. After promising to regather and renew his people, God addresses the fear that a rebuilt, defenseless Israel could never be safe. Gog is a symbolic figure of massed hostile power from the distant north, the ancient direction of invasion.

The oracle is apocalyptic in tone and resists precise dating; its point is God's sovereign protection, not a timetable. Revelation later borrows the names Gog and Magog for the final assault on God's people.

Main themes of Ezekiel 38

Ezekiel 38 (KJV)

1And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 2Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, 3And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: 4And 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: 5Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: 6Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee. 7Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them. 8After 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. 9Thou 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. 10Thus 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: 11And 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, 12To 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. 13Sheba, 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? 14Therefore, 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? 15And 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: 16And 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. 17Thus 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? 18And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, that my fury shall come up in my face. 19For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; 20So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground. 21And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man’s sword shall be against his brother. 22And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. 23Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD.

Verses to carry from Ezekiel 38

“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 38:16

“And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.”Ezekiel 38:22

“Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD.”Ezekiel 38:23

Reflection

It is easy to measure safety by walls, savings, and strength, and to grow anxious when they seem thin. This vision insists that a people with no walls can be perfectly secure when God is present.

Where do you feel exposed and unprotected? Christ invites you to rest your security not in defenses you build but in the shepherd who never loses his own.

A prayer from Ezekiel 38