Prophecy Study Series:

The Magog War & Babylon-America's Demise

Chapter 3

The Status of Israel Before Magog Attacks

Now that we know who the attackers will be, let's look at Israel's situation just prior to the attack.

Ezekiel 38:8 describes Israel's situation prior to the Magog Confederation attack on Israel.

Verse 8:

"After 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."

This verse tells us that "in the latter years" - Israel shall be restored to her homeland given to her by God. The Jewish people will come back to Israel from out of many nations and the last phrase tells us their condition.

"they shall dwell safely, all of them."

Verse 11 tells us more about Israel's condition from the Gog perspective. The verse describes Gog's mental thinking...

Verse 11:

"And 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, "

Verse 14 sums up Israel's situation:

"Therefore, 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]?"

Now let's review what the passages describe about Israel's status prior to the Gog/Magog attack on Israel.

#1. Israel restored to the land (v.8) from around the world after going to war for the land.
#2. Time frame is "the latter days" (v.8) an abbreviated Messianic idiom indicating at the time just before
or at the time of the Messiah's return.
#3. land of unwalled villages. (v.11)
#4. Israel is "at rest." (v.11)
#5. dwelling without walls, bars or gates (v.11)
#3. all dwell safely (v.8, 11, 14).

Now let's look at some key words and phrases describing Israel's situation.

The phrase, "the latter days" is a common, abbreviated, Messianic Hebrew idiom. It indicates a time that is either just before or at the time of the coming of the Messiah.

The term, "unwalled villages" is a single, key word = perazah in Hebrew. (Strong's #6519)

This term means: an open region or an open country usually when the term is used in the plural. In the singular it primarily refers to small, country-villages as opposed to cities which do have walls.

The term, "at rest" is the Hebrew word shaqat (Strong's #8252). It means to be quiet, or quietness or inactive, such as being at peace. It can also mean to pacify or appease.

The phrases, "dwelling without walls" or "dwell safely" are essentially the same.

"dwell" is the Hebrew word  "yashav" (Strong's #3427) It means "dwell, remain, sit, abide, inhabit.

"safely" is the Hebrew word "Betach" (Strong's #983) It means safe, secure in the connotation a mindset of having confidence or confidantly or have a confident mind. can also be a sense of misplaced confidence or a false sense of security. This latter idea of a false sense of security seems more appropriate because after God's divine intervention, Israel actually does come to believe in God again and no longer has a false sense of security, but actually dwells safely.

Now, the Hebrew Lexographer, Gesenius also denotes that Betach can often refer to being "over-confident."

Someone who feels to have too great a security and a false sense of security, be careless. Babylon the Harlot is said to "betach" - dwell carelessly." Magogites are said to dwell carelessly (Ez 39:6) The word
can involve living without care or caution, i.e. 'carelessly." It's root word is Batach #982 which means "to trust, have confidence, be bold, be secure, to feel safe to be careless. It's root means to "throw down on one's back and lie extended" as a way to relax one's back completely on a hard surface to ease back pain. The Psalmist used the word a lot, normally in the sense of 'trust.'

So let's review Israel's situation just before Magog's attack.

It happens in the time just before or at the time of the Messiah's coming.

* Israel will have a lot of open country as opposed to being an urban nation although it will have cities.
* The cities will essentially be unwalled, unlike when Israel previously possessed the land.
* Israel will have a false sense of security
* Israel will appease its neighbors to maintain the false sense of security.

The primary emphasis in the description of Israel's condition is the idea of a false sense of security leading up to the Gog/Magog invasion.

This false sense of security seems to be apart from Daniel's prophecy concerning a security treaty.

Why?

Nowhere in Ezekiel's prophecy do we find the term "Beast" or a strong, global leader.

The fact that the Antichrist or Beast is left out strongly suggests that Ezekiel's prophecy occurs before the Antichrist comes to power, making Ezekiel's prophecy a "Pre-Tribulation" event.

With that in mind, the Magog conflict may even be a Pre-Rapture event or perhaps it coincides with the Rapture.

The Magog War could well create the necessary environment for the rise of the Antichrist and trigger
the Beast's rise to power shortly after the incident.

In fact, it seems entirely possible that the Magog War might, in fact, coincide with Babylon-America's
destruction or it may come just after Babylon-America's fiery one-hour judgment destruction.

One other point for consideration is the possibility that a skirmish war develops first in which Syria and Damascus are destroyed, prior to the Magog War and perhaps may be a catalyst for the Magog War.


NEXT in our Series:

In our next article, we will take a look at the Babylon-America prophecies of Jeremiah 51 and see if they might mesh somehow with Ezekiel's Magog prophecies.

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