Hello Gino, Nansings, Donna Danna, John and Doves,

 

In this letter I wrote about the continuing discussion on the Gog and Magog war of Ezekiel and the Gog and Magog war of Revelation.  Are they two different wars or the same war?

 

Donna Danna's recent letter brings up some very interesting points.  Thank you, Donna.

 

TO CHANCE, GINO & NANSINGS - What Is A "Little Season"?

 

Gino is very good at bringing questions to Doves.  I have always 'assumed' the Gog and Magog war of Ezekiel was pre-Trib/or at the very beginning of the Trib.  Now, I'm questioning that timeline with even more questions in this letter.

 

Gino, Nansings, and I have been looking at Ezekiel's Gog and Magog war and seeing if it could 'fit' with Revelation's Gog and Magog war - in terms of 'a little season' and burning the weapons.  I don't know if they are the same war or two different wars.  Or maybe prophecy teachers have the Ezekiel war in the wrong place on the prophetic timeline. 

 

As I've written before, I see 'problems' with Ezekiel's war coming right before/or at the beginning of the Tribulation period.  So, I'm looking for answers.

 

Donna Danna brings up some interesting thoughts.  Thank you, Donna.  More to consider.

 

In Revelation 20, the phrase "the four corners of the Earth" is probably a Jewish idiom...just like "that all the world should be taxed" for Joseph and Mary - which referred only to the Roman Empire.  I think that the "four corners of the earth" could easily refer to all of the countries in the Gog and Magog War - Libya, Sudan, Iran, Turkey, Eastern European areas...it would certainly feel like the whole world was coming at Jerusalem.  Could 'countries from the four corners of the Earth' be the same as the countries that align against Israel in the Ezekiel war?

 

As for horses - why would Gog and Magog in Ezekiel 38/39 ride horses against Jerusalem?  IF that war is before the Trib/or at the beginning - they should have high tech equipment.   Did Ezekiel just use the words sword, shields, horses because they fit 'his time'?  Or?

 

Did Ezekiel see horses or something else?  Ezekiel was very good at describing other worldly things he saw - the "wheels within wheels", the four creatures that look like fiery torches with wings, and the "four rings that were full of eyes round about them..".  Based upon his previous writings, it makes sense that if he meant something other than 'horses' he would have described them as "other than horses" - he was very descriptive with his visions in Ezekiel 1.

 

And for 'all the nations' which are left... required to go to Jerusalem - what's left?  Maybe it will just be that area in the Middle East - "every island will fall, every mountain will be moved" - the sky rolls up like a scroll and the stars fall to the ground - that's a crustal shift - that will be horribly devastating. I doubt any continent or mountain range will be the same. There may not be much left of the rest of the world, except the Middle East. 

 And I believe that after the Tribulation period almost everything will have been trashed - the power plants, the water plants, the transportation systems - airports, subways, buses, automobiles, along with the AI centers, the computers, the computer chips, the military equipment, the factories, the hospitals, the universities, etc - just reading through the destruction coming upon the Earth in The Revelation makes one wonder what will be left?!!  Sounds like mankind will be starting over in the 1,000 Years.

 

I'll default to Gino's comment about no need for high tech stuff during the 1,000 years.  It's a 1,000 year period. Human beings lived for thousands of years pretty low key - horses, plowshares, huts, etc.  No cell phones, no automobiles, no electricity, no computer chips, no AI, no modern machinery - that's all fairly recent in the timeline.  It's possible during the 1,000 years everything will be high tech under Jesus' reign.  But, personally, I don't think we'll need the high tech stuff with Jesus here on the world.   

 

And Ezekiel 39 continues:  "They will forget their disgrace and all the treachery they committed against me, when they dwell securely in their land, with no one to frighten them....I will show My holiness in them in the sight of many nations.  Then they will know that I am the Lord their God, when I regather them to their own land, not leaving any of them behind after their exile among the nations.  And I will no longer hide My face from them, for I will pour out My spirit on the house of Israel, declares the Lord God."  Ezekiel 38:26 - 29 

 

The Jews certainly will not live securely or free of fear if the Ezekiel war is before the Tribulation period.  That passage makes no sense with the Ezekiel war positioned before the Trib/or at the start.

 

They will 'dwell securely in their land with no one to frighten them.'  And "I will no longer hide My face from them, for I will pour out My spirit on the house of Israel" definitely doesn't sound 'pre-Trib'.  This sounds like the 'end'.. 

 

As for the actual Gog and Magog battle against the Lord - I see that Revelation 20 could be an abbreviated description of the war - John is very brief in his description:  "fire came down from heaven and consumed them"  Rev 20:9  Could Ezekiel 38/39 be a much more descriptive version of this war - since these two chapters/visions are only about this war? God does say "I will send fire on Magog and on those who dwell securely in the coastlands...." could this Ezekiel 39:6 be the equivalent of Rev 20:9 "fire came down and consumed them"?   Was Ezekiel given a very detailed version of the Gog and Magog war and John an abbreviated vision?

 

Also, the plunder is something else I have a problem with.  The armies come to take a plunder.  The armies around Israel now, today - just want to destroy her and remove the Jews from the land.  The Jews are the 'occupiers'.  Israel's enemies want the land - not any riches.  Yet, during the 1,000 Years, I suspect that Israel/Jerusalem will be very prosperous during the Lord's reign as the Lord blesses Israel/Jerusalem...I could see surrounding countries becoming jealous, wanting her riches - to take a spoil and carry off plunder.  I can't see that happening before the Tribulation period.  In Revelation 20:8 satan deceives the nations to gather them for battle...does he tell them that Israel is no match for them?  That the Lord won't protect Israel?  That their armies are mightier?  Is that his deception to convince them that a plunder of gold, silver, etc will be theirs?  Easy for the taking?

 

I have other questions about Ezekiel 38/39 vs Revelation 20.  Not everything is squared away as to the timing of Ezekiel 38/39, for me.

 

Seems every time I look at Ezekiel 38/39 I have another question or two....I'd like to see if Gino, Nansings, Donna Danna or others have 'thoughts', considerations to add.  Very good study!

 

Just some thoughts for now.

 

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!

 

Maranatha!

 

Chance