Hi John & All:
I am not absolutely certain as to the timing of Ezekiel
38-39.
Now having said that, I think there are several major
problems in placing it at the end of the Millenial Reign of Christ (Rev. 20: 8).
I don't have time to touch upon all of them, but allow me to point out a couple
of issues --
First of all, it says that as a result of this battle (Ezekiel
38):
"So will I make my holy name known
in
the midst of my people Israel; and I
will
not let them pollute my holy name
any
more: and the heathen shall know
that
I am the LORD, the Holy One in
Israel."
- Ezekiel 39: 7
"So the house of Israel shall know
that
I am the LORD their God from that
day
and forward."
- Ezekiel 39: 21
These two verses by themselves indicate that
prior to this war there was great idolatry not only within the land of
Israel but throughout the world ... and that the Nation of Israel did not even
know the Lord is God.
This is completely incompatible with Zechariah's
description of what will take place during the Millennial Reign of Christ, in
which both Israel and the nations will recognize Christ both as King, and
the LORD of hosts:
"And it shall come to pass, that every
one that
is left of all the nations which came
against
Jerusalem shall even go up from year to
year
to worship the King, the LORD of hosts,
and
to keep the feast of
tabernacles."
- Zechariah 14: 16
Secondly there is an even greater problem.
When you consider the events which transpire
after Ezekiel 38-39, with those events which occur after the
battle described in Revelation 20: 8, it would not seem logical that both wars
are describing one in the same event.
"And it shall come to pass in that day,
that I will
give unto Gog a place there of graves in
Israel,
the valley of the passengers on the east
of the
sea: and it shall stop the noses of the
passengers:
and there shall they bury Gog and all his
multitude:
and they shall call it The valley of
Hamon-gog.
And seven months shall the house of
Israel be
burying of them, that they may cleanse
the land.
Yea, all the people of the land shall
bury them;
and it shall be to them a renown the day
that
I shall be glorified, saith the Lord
GOD."
- Ezekiel 39: 11-13
Now compare this to the post-war events of
Revelation:
"And when the thousand years are
expired,
Satan shall be loosed out of his
prison,
And shall go out to deceive the nations
which
are in the four quarters of the earth,
Gog and
Magog, to gather them together to battle:
the
number of whom is as the sand of the
sea.
And they went up on the breadth of the
earth,
and compassed the camp of the saints
about,
and the beloved city: and fire came down
from
God out of heaven, and devoured
them.
And the devil that deceived them was cast
into
the lake of fire and brimstone, where the
beast
and the false prophet are, and shall be
tormented
day and night for ever and
ever.
And I saw a great white throne, and him
that sat
on it, from whose face the earth and the
heaven
fled away; and there was found no place
for them.
And I saw the dead, small and great,
stand before
God; and the books were opened; and
another
book was opened, which is the book of
life: and
the dead were judged out of those things
which
were written in the books, according to
their works.
And the sea gave up the dead which were
in it;
and death and hell delivered up the dead
which
were in them: and they were judged every
man
according to their
works.
And death and hell were cast into the
lake of
fire. This is the second
death.
And whosever was not found written in
the
book of life was cast into the lake of
fire."
- Revelation 20:
7-15
Contrary to Ezkiel 38-39 (in which they spend 7
months burying the dead and another 7 years burning their weapons), there
are no burials this time - only a world-wide resurrection of the dead,
followed by their final judgment at God's throne, after which they are cast into
the lake of fire.
See ya in the air,
Eric