A Study of Revelation 20 and Other Related Passages
We are living on the brink of the apocalypse, but the world is asleep.
Joel C. Rosenberg
Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number [is] as the sand of the sea. They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet [are.] And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Revelation 20:7-10
Many live in fear of a pending military action. Gog and Magog are often understood as present day nations which bring an alliance of armies against the modern state of Israel. Because this alliance seems viable and war involving Israel is a constant factor in the Middle East, many saints are continually left on the age of their seats. The prevalence and immediacy of news cycles easily stoke concerns of this pending invasion. However, the Bible indicates that this invasion has already taken place. In the last post we began looking at the connections between Ezekiel 38-39 and the book of Esther. This connection has older ties in the books of Genesis, Numbers and Deuteronomy. This study helps us interpret Revelation 20 which invokes the names of Gog and Magog, not as an unfulfilled prophecy but as an illuminating pattern.
There are five more connections to be made between the “Gog and Magog” prophecy of Ezekiel 38-39 and Haman’s attack on the Jews recorded in Esther. These observations are not originally mine but have been knocking about in various studies for awhile. The first three observations deal with the setting of the Persian Empire and the last two with the results of the attack itself.
Observation #1: Jewish refugees have returned to the land to rebuild. This is the picture given in Ezekiel’s prophecy and fits Esther’s historical account. Ezekiel 38:10-11 is a prophecy given toward “Gog, the chief prince (Ezekiel 38:2), “‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “On that day it shall come to pass [that] thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will make an evil plan: “You will say, ‘I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; I will go to a peaceful people, who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates’–” Gog, the chief prince is Haman the Agagite. Haman made the evil plan to attack the Jews and saw this assault as a fool proof plan to both rid himself of his hated enemies and profit from taking their spoil. The Jews were essentially defenseless in their unwalled villages. The Jews return to the land and rebuild the temple before the walls are rebuilt. They dwell in cities and villages which have no walls. As returned exiles, they are not a warring people, but a peaceful one. When politically challenged, they do not go to war against their neighbors, but can only appeal to the Persian emperor. (Ezra 4-7). Haman’s/Gog’s planned attack would occur during a time in history when the Jews had no walls, were demilitarized were vulnerable, and were living in their promised land. This isolates a very specific time slot in history, the time when the Jews had only recently returned. Ezekiel 38:8 prophetically tells Haman/Gog, “After many days you will be visited. In the latter years you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate; they were brought out of the nations, and now all of them dwell safely.” The events of Esther transpired in 478-472 BC. This timeframe fits the sociopolitical situation of the Jews as described in Ezekiel’s prophecy.
Observation #2: Persia‘s provinces in the book of Esther match the nations prophesied in Ezekiel. Esther indicates that Haman as a chief prince sends word to all the provinces of the Persian empire, to derive from these areas an army wherewith to annihilate the Jews. This was during the reign of Ahasuerus, who was also known in history as Darius. This empire of Persia included many nations which were governed as provinces. This organization is written about in Esther 8:9. The nations which are gathered by Gog in Ezekiel 38-39 are all included in the scope of the Persian empire when Esther was queen.
Observation #3: The means of warfare prophesied in Ezekiel are the same in the days of Esther. Consider the means of warfare utilized in both books of the Bible. Ezekiel 38:4-6, 14-15 indicates ancient warriors will engage in an ancient kind of battle with ancient weapons, “I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company [with] bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords. “Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them, all of them [with] shield and helmet; “Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah [from] the far north and all its troops–many people [are] with you. . . . “Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “On that day when My people Israel dwell safely, will you not know [it?] “Then you will come from your place out of the far north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a mighty army.” This prophecy plainly indicates an historical battle fought with ancient weapons. This is the same kind of warfare that was used in the ancient Persian empire during the days of Esther (Esther 6:8-11; 8:10, 14; 9:5). This is not a prophecy of modern warfare.
Observation #4: The proposed plunderers were instead plundered in a surprise reversal. Interestingly the plunder was not personally taken by the Jewish warriors. Esther 9:10, 15-16 records the following, “the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews—they killed; but they did not lay a hand on the plunder. . . . 15 And the Jews who were in Shushan gathered together again on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and killed three hundred men at Shushan; but they did not lay a hand on the plunder. 16 The remainder of the Jews in the king’s provinces gathered together and protected their lives, had rest from their enemies, and killed seventy-five thousand of their enemies; but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.
When it came to Haman and the Persian capital and other regions in the Persian empire, the Jews did not plunder their enemies. In their own land, in their own cities, however, they did plunder their enemies’ weapons and used them for firewood. Ezekiel 39:9-10 promises the following, “Then those who dwell in the cities of Israel will go out and set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and bucklers, the bows and arrows, the javelins and spears; and they will make fires with them for seven years. 10 They will not take wood from the field nor cut down any from the forests, because they will make fires with the weapons; and they will plunder those who plundered them, and pillage those who pillaged them,” says the Lord God. This gives more background to the sacrificial language God uses in Ezekiel 39:17-20. All the sacrifices Israel made for seven months after the battle was fueled by wood salvaged from their defeated enemies.
God used a surprising reversal to undo the plans and efforts of Israel’s enemies. Esther 9:1-2 records, “Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day, the time came for the king’s command and his decree to be executed. On the day that the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, the opposite occurred, in that the Jews themselves overpowered those who hated them. 2 The Jews gathered together in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm. And no one could withstand them, because fear of them fell upon all people.” This history was prophesied of in Ezekiel 39:1-3, “And you, son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal; 2 and I will turn you around and lead you on, bringing you up from the far north, and bring you against the mountains of Israel. 3 Then I will knock the bow out of your left hand, and cause the arrows to fall out of your right hand.
Lastly, in this fourth observation, we should note the impact of the political and military victory divinely accorded to Israel. The response of the nations are the same in both cases. Ezekiel 38:21-23 states, I will call for a sword against Gog throughout all My mountains,” says the Lord God. “Every man’s sword will be against his brother. 22 And I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed; I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. 23 Thus I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.” ’ This prophecy is fulfilled in the history recorded in Esther 8:17, “And in every province and city, wherever the king’s command and decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a holiday. Then many of the people of the land became Jews, because fear of the Jews fell upon them.”
Observation #5: The death toll is catastrophic for God’s enemies. Even a casual reading of Ezekiel 39:11-20 leaves us with the impression that vast numbers of dead are the result of God’s victory over His enemies. This is confirmed in Esther 9:16, “The remainder of the Jews in the king’s provinces gathered together and protected their lives, had rest from their enemies, and killed seventy-five thousand of their enemies; but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.” There is a curious note in Ezekiel 39:11-20 that explains why the birds and the beasts have to get involved cleaning up the carnage. The people of Israel do not finish burying the remains of the dead for seven months. This is the exact amount of time on the Jewish calendar between Purim (the holiday feast minted in Esther) and the Feast of Tabernacles. Numbers 19 stresses purification from dead bodies through this particular feast. It took seven months to finish their search parties and bury the last bone (Ezekiel 39:15). They made a special effort to finish cleansing the land before the Feast of Tabernacles.
The exaltation of Haman and the allowance of his conspiracy of nations against the Jews was used by God to both expose and destroy His enemies. Gog and Magog although fulfilled in the events of the book of Esther, serves as an excellent example of God’s purposes in releasing Satan to a similar conspiracy and destruction.
