The Magog War

Battlefield Illustrated

October 8, 2012

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Editor's Note: This page is a compliment to our Prophecy Studies series on Ezekiel's prophecies concerning the Gog-Magog Invasion of Israel. This page includes maps of the battle region as well as photos of that region which gives the reader a better understanding of the prophecies on a visual basis.

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The Identity of Magog

Ezekiel's prophecies concerning the Gog-Magog Invasion of Israel cover two chapters - Ezekiel 38 and 39. There are many interpretations as to who Ezekiel is referring to as a nation/tribe known as Magog.

The traditional view for centuries was that what is now modern-day Turkey is what Ezekiel was referring to as Magog. In the 18th century, Lexographer, Gesenius hypothesized that perhaps Russia was both the Gog and Magog that Ezekiel was identifying. This view was popularized after World War 2 with the emergence of the Soviet Union as a super-power. Since then there has been a debate between various prophecy interpreters as to whether or not Magog is Russia or Turkey. It is this editor's view that Turkey is the more likely of the those two choices - however in the last couple of years we've learned of another viable theory, which we think is the most likely based upon the evidence of ancient rabbinical texts dating back to the time of Ezekiel and his disciples.

The third possible nation for consideration as Magog is - IRAN! 

Why?

We stumbled onto a Jewish Hebrew website out of Israel which goes into great detail in arguing that Iran is the Magog of Ezekiel's prophecy. You can visit an English-translation of the website's article advocating for an Iran identity, at this LINK HERE.

The website makes a very strong case for Magog being Iran and notes that the term "land of Magog" indicates that the people living in the original location of Magog at the time of fulfillment will compose the Magog army. The author of that website article then goes on to show that the original land of Magog consisted of land that is now a part of Iran as well as a part of Pakistan and a part of Afghanistan. See the maps shown below:

Above: You will shaded in light yellow background behind the red Magog letters the approximate area which was known as "the land of Magog" according to rabbinical sources dating to 500 BC and citing Ezekiel's disciples who claimed that Ezekiel told them that "the land of Magog" at the time of fulfillment was who was prophesied and not the peoples who may migrate in and out of the land over time.

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Above: A closer view of the ancient land of Magog - this time shaded in purple. Notice how it overlaps into 3 nations. The primary portion is in today's nation known as eastern Iran as well as much of Pakistan and also southern/western Afghanistan.

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Above: Shows the Iranian provinces of Kerman as well Baluchistan which was part of the ancient land of Magog. Notice how the light green color is the Iranian Baluchistan province. The dark red is the Pakistani province of Baluchistan and the dark blue is the Baluchistan province inside Afghanistan. This means that Magog comprised portions of its land in what is now 3 separate nations. We suspect that this means the war and invasion of Israel may well contain combatants from all 3 nations marching to invade Israel from the north. There are reports that a contingent of  Al Qaeda and Taliban fighters from both Afghanistan and Syria have been flown into Syria by the Turkish government using civilian passenger jets. The purpose for now is to assist in destabilizing the Syrian regime of President Assad.

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Above: Some of the ancient tribes in the pre-Persian empire. Notice Persia is spelled as Persis. To  the extreme left is Media - land of the Medes. However all you see in the map are the last two letters - i and a. Of note is the term "Carmanians" which is another name for the Kermans or Kermania and a province of modern-day Iran which was once the original "Land of Magog."

It is this author/interpreter's opinion that the evidence seems overwhelming that Ezekiel's prophecies of a Magog nation and confederation refers to those in control of the ancient land of Magog - notably, Iran with Pakistan and Afghanistan operating as part of the Magog confederation.

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The Magog Invasion of Israel

Ezekiel tells us that the Gog-Magog confederation of nations and their armies attempt to launch an invasion of Israel from Israel's northern border, marching through a valley believed to what is now called the Bekaa (or Beqaa) Valley which is adjacent to Mount Hermon located in the modern-day nation of Lebanon. On the west side of the Bekaa Valley is a mountain range called the Lebanon Mountains. On the east side is the Mount Hermon mountain range with Mount Hermon itself sitting on the borders of Syria, Israel and Lebanon.  See our maps shown below.

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Above: This map shows the location of the Bekaa Valley. Note how it follows a river valley from north to south clear down to the northern Israeli border and the Golan Heights in Syria. Also note that it is flanked on the west by the Lebanon Mountains and to the east by the Anti-Lebanon Mountains.  At the very bottom to the south where the valley and river meets with the Litani River, you will find Mount Hermon on the east side bordering with Israel and Syria as well as overlooking the gateway valley to Israel.

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Above: A sectarian map of the Lebanon region showing the various religious groups residing in the region including the Islamic Shia and Sunni sects.

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Above: A topographical map of ancient Israel and most notably Mount Hermon and the Lebanon Mountains to the east and note the steep slopes on either range into the Bekaa Valley. It is believed that the Bekaa Valley is where the Magog invasion forces will march on their way to invade Israel.

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The Bekaa Valley:

Magog's Invasion Route?

It is hard to know for sure as Ezekiel's text is rather vague but it mentions a valley in which the mountains on either side collapse onto the Magog forces. Many if not most scholars and interpreters believe this valley will be the Bekaa Valley to the north of Israel's border.

It is entirely possible that the lead portion of the Magog armies may reach into Israeli territory as far as the Sea of Galilee or perhaps even as far as the Dead Sea, although this is all speculative. It does seem however that most of the army will be in the Bekaa Valley where steep mountains frame the valley on the east and the west. Below are photographs of the Bekaa Valley from various angles.

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Above: The Bekaa Valley. The view is looking to the west towards the snow-capped Lebanese Mountains.

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Above: The Bekaa Valley from down inside the valley itself inside a vineyard in Lebanon.

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Above:  Down in the Bekaa Valley looking southwestwards. You can barely see the Litani River off in the distance.

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Above: Bekaa Valley shrouded in mist and fog.

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Above: Map showing the possible location of the cemetery for the Magog invasion force. Ezekiel's prophecy tells us that five-sixths of the invading forces will be killed. We do not know where the burial area will be but some speculate it will be to the east of either the Dead Sea or the Sea of Galilee where the winds will blow the stench of the dead away from Israel. The map of above shows the theoretical possibility of the  "Hamon-Gog" site of burials for the enemy dead.

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Above: This is Mount Hermon which lies at the southern end of the Bekaa Valley. It was on Mount Hermon that Jesus was Transfigured - also known as the Mount of Transfiguration. Mount Hermon was also named by Enoch as the mountain where the Sons of God (aka "The Watchers") came down and took the daughters of men as wives resulting in the offspring known as the Nephilim. See Genesis chapter 6.

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Above: Mount Hermon in the distance as seen from the Golan Heights.

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The Magog Leaders

At the moment, these are the leaders who may give the orders to invade Israel in the future.

Above: Iran's Supreme Ayatollah Khamenei - the absolute authority in Iran and leader of the Shiite sect within Islam.

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Above: Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah - leader of Hezbollah.

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Above: The Supreme Commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps, Iran's elite segment of the Iranian military forces.

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Above: Hezbollah Fighters. 40,000 Hezbollah fighters control the Bekaa Valley  as well as southern Lebanon. They are joined by elements of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps stationed primarily in the Bekaa Valley.

That concludes our visual look at the Gog-Magog Invasion of Israel. See our Prophecy Studies articles on Ezekiel's prophecies of the Gog-Magog invasion of Israel.

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