UNROLL
Evening over quiet terraced hills and a small village with cooking smoke, and far off on the northern horizon a long low wall of dark storm cloud building, under a calm darkening sky.

Dry bones live

Ezekiel 38

What do you fear when life finally feels safe?

23 verses≈ 5 minBSB

Images are artistic interpretations.

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Where we are

  1. 1–3Visions of gloryBy the Kebar, about 593 BC: the throne, the scroll, the watchman
  2. 4–7Signs of the siegeA brick, a ration, a razor: the end has come
  3. 8–11The glory departsAbout 592 BC: the temple’s abominations, the mark, the glory goes east
  4. 12–15False hopesExile acted out, false prophets, a useless vine
  5. 16–19Parables and lamentsAn unfaithful bride, two eagles, the one who sins
  6. 20–24The sword drawnRebellion retold; the siege begins, about 588 BC
  7. 25–32The nations judgedAmmon to Egypt: the LORD is Judge of all the earth
  8. 33–36A new heartThe city falls; the Good Shepherd; cleansed and made new
  9. 37–39Dry bones liveOne people raised up, and Gog of Magog defeatedChapter 38
  10. 40–48The LORD is thereAbout 573 BC: the new temple, the river, the land

A Prophecy against Gog

God

And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, set your face against Gog of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. Prophesy against him and declare that this is what the Lord GOD says: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.

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God
Far off across a wide dusty plain under a dark sky, a long dark mass of horsemen and foot soldiers on the move, a haze of spear points and round shields, dust rising behind them.

I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws, and bring you out with all your army—your horses, your horsemen in full armor, and a great company armed with shields and bucklers, all brandishing their swords. Persia, Cush, and Put will accompany them, all with shields and helmets, as well as Gomer with all its troops, and Beth-togarmah from the far north with all its troops—the many nations with you.

MeshechTubalBeth-togarmahPersiaCushPutJerusalem

Stylised map · locations approximate

On the map

From the ends of the earth

Gog’s allies come from the edges of Ezekiel’s world, north, east and south, against the mountains of Israel.

God

Get ready; prepare yourself, you and all your company gathered around you; you will be their guard. After a long time you will be summoned. In the latter years you will enter a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations, and all now dwell securely.

God
A towering storm cloud rolling in over terraced hills, its dark shadow sweeping across olive groves and swallowing a village, sunlight still on the farthest ridges.

You and all your troops, and many peoples with you will go up, advancing like a thunderstorm; you will be like a cloud covering the land.

Question

Quick question

Picture the land Gog has his eye on.

What kind of land does Gog plan to attack?

God
A quiet hill village at midmorning with no wall and no gate: flat-roofed stone houses among olive terraces, sheep and cattle grazing at its edge, a woman at a clay oven, children playing.

This is what the Lord GOD says: On that day, thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will devise an evil plan. You will say, ‘I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; I will come against a quiet people who dwell securely, all of them living without walls or bars or gates— in order to seize the spoil and carry off the plunder, to turn a hand against the desolate places now inhabited and against a people gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and possessions and who live at the center of the land.’

God
God

Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish with all its villages will ask, ‘Have you come to capture the plunder? Have you assembled your hordes to carry away loot, to make off with silver and gold, to take cattle and goods, to seize great spoil?’

God

Therefore prophesy, son of man, and tell Gog that this is what the Lord GOD says: On that day when My people Israel are dwelling securely, will you not take notice of this? And you will come from your place out of the far north—you and many peoples with you, all riding horses—a mighty horde, a huge army.

God

You will advance against My people Israel like a cloud covering the land. It will happen in the latter days, O Gog, that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me when I show Myself holy in you before their eyes.

God

This is what the Lord GOD says: Are you the one of whom I have spoken in former days through My servants, the prophets of Israel, who in those times prophesied for years that I would bring you against them? Now on that day when Gog comes against the land of Israel, declares the Lord GOD, My wrath will flare up.

God
Aftermath on a terraced hillside: a long fieldstone terrace wall thrown down across the slope, a split limestone cliff with fresh rockfall below, dust hanging in the air, birds scattering from an olive tree.

In My zeal and fiery rage I proclaim that on that day there will be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. The fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the beasts of the field, every creature that crawls upon the ground, and all mankind on the face of the earth will tremble at My presence. The mountains will be thrown down, the cliffs will collapse, and every wall will fall to the ground.

God

And I will summon a sword against Gog on all My mountains, declares the Lord GOD, and every man’s sword will be against his brother. I will execute judgment upon him with plague and bloodshed. I will pour out torrents of rain, hailstones, fire, and sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him.

God
Clear dawn after a great storm on a quiet ridge: hailstones melting white in the grass, a broken wicker shield and a spear shaft lying at rest among them, a washed pale gold sky above.

I will magnify and sanctify Myself, and I will reveal Myself in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.

0:10

Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

Pray

Pray

Lord GOD, You are against every enemy of Your people. When I am safe, keep me from forgetting You; when I am afraid, show Yourself holy, and let the nations know that You are the LORD. Amen.

Who brings Gog?

Israel atpeace38:8, 11: homeand secureGog plansevil38:10–12:plunderThe LORDbringshim38:4, 16:hooks in hisjawsTheLORD’swrath38:18–22:quake, hail,fireThenationsknow38:23

Whiteboard

Gog thinks he chose to come; the LORD brought him, to show Himself holy.

You’ve experienced

Ezekiel 38

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A verse to carry with you

I will magnify and sanctify Myself, and I will reveal Myself in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.

Ezekiel 38:23

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