Restoration, Renewal and the Prophecy of Gog and Magog

In Ezekiel 25-34, the prophet pronounces judgment on Israel's neighbors, showing that Ammon, Moab, Edom, Philistia, Tyre, and Egypt are equally accountable to the God of Israel. Their pride and mistreatment of God's people invite destruction, underscored by the downfall of Tyre in Ezekiel 28, where the prince's arrogance is described in exalted, almost supernatural language. The lament over Egypt in Ezekiel 29-32 further demonstrates that no empire is exempt from divine justice.

In Ezekiel 33, Ezekiel's watchman calling is reaffirmed, emphasizing God's desire that the wicked turn from sin and live. Chapter 34 highlights Israel's faithless shepherds who fed themselves rather than the flock, prompting God to declare "I Myself will search for My sheep" (Ezekiel 34:11) and to promise "My servant David" (Ezekiel 34:23) as the true shepherd, offering hope after the devastation of judgment.

As we move into Ezekiel 35-39, we will witness the prophetic lens shift toward the fate of Edom, the promise of Israel's full restoration, and the striking images of national rebirth and spiritual renewal, climaxing in the dramatic confrontation with Gog and Magog that testifies once more to God's sovereign power over all nations and history.

I. Mount Seir/Edom Judged – Ezekiel 35

This chapter opens with a message against Mount Seir, representing Edom, a longtime adversary of Israel.

and say to it,
'Thus says the Lord God, "Behold, I am against you, Mount Seir,
And I will stretch out My hand against you
And make you a desolation and a waste.
- Ezekiel 35:3

Edom's hostility toward Israel and its eagerness to exploit Judah's downfall invite divine punishment. By targeting Edom before describing Israel's restoration, Ezekiel underscores that enemies who perpetuate hatred or seek personal gain through another's tragedy will not escape God's judgment.

The prophecy thus draws a stark contrast between a nation destined for desolation due to unrelenting animosity and Israel's ultimate hope for renewal. In the broader context of Ezekiel, this condemnation of Edom serves as a warning that pride and vengeful attitudes will eventually be confronted by God's justice.

II. Israel's Future Blessings – Ezekiel 36

Shifting focus from Edom's bleak fate to Israel's rejuvenation, Ezekiel portrays a radically different scenario.

For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land.
- Ezekiel 36:24

The chapter describes physical regathering, agricultural abundance, and above all, a profound spiritual cleansing:

²⁵Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. ²⁶Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
- Ezekiel 36:25-26

Ezekiel repeatedly emphasizes that this restoration is not due to Israel's righteousness but for the sake of God's holy name (Ezekiel 36:22-23). In the broader context, these promises outline the path from judgment to renewal, offering hope that God's grace can reestablish a people marred by sin.

For believers today, this resonates as a picture of divine transformation, both externally (in life circumstances) and internally (in the human heart).

III. Valley of Dry Bones – Ezekiel 37:1-14

One of the most iconic visions in Ezekiel, the valley of dry bones symbolizes Israel's national resurrection from exile and despair. God asks the prophet, "Son of man, can these bones live?" (Ezekiel 37:3), and proceeds to breathe life into the scattered remains, causing an army to stand on its feet.

The explanatory note comes in verse 11:

Then He said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope has perished. We are completely cut off.'
- Ezekiel 37:11

God's promise, "I will put My Spirit within you and you will come to life" (Ezekiel 37:14), underscores His power to reverse even the most hopeless situations. Beyond the immediate context of Israel's return from Babylon, this vision points to the transformative work of God's Spirit in reviving spiritual deadness. In the grander narrative of Ezekiel, it signals that while judgment is real, ultimate restoration remains firmly in God's hands.

Contradiction between the Imagery of "Bones" and "Renewal"

In ancient Israel, death and contact with dead bodies were indeed considered defiling (Numbers 19:11-16), which underscores the shocking nature of Ezekiel's vision of a valley full of dry bones in Ezekiel 37.

Far from being a contradiction, this imagery powerfully highlights the extremity of Israel's hopelessness, so lifeless and unclean in spiritual terms that only divine intervention could restore them. By choosing one of the strongest symbols of ritual impurity and utter despair, God demonstrates that He can overcome every obstacle to bring renewal and life.

In other words, where humans see impossibility, defilement and death, God reveals His sovereignty by creating a new beginning, thus transforming an image of uncleanness into one of joy and resurrection. This tension accentuates the depth of Israel's predicament and the magnitude of God's saving power.

IV. Two Sticks Joined – Ezekiel 37:15-28

Following the vision of dry bones, Ezekiel receives another symbolic act involving two sticks, one labeled for Judah and the other for Joseph/Ephraim, joined into a single piece of wood.

say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God, "Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions; and I will put them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand."'
- Ezekiel 37:19

This act signifies the reunification of the divided kingdoms under one king. God promises a future "everlasting covenant" (Ezekiel 37:26) of peace and fellowship, identifying a single shepherd to rule over a restored, undivided nation.

In the broader context of the book, this ensures that the renewal God envisions is not partial but comprehensive, undoing generational rifts and political schisms. The application for contemporary faith communities is that God's redemptive plan includes reconciling divisions and establishing a unified people under His righteous reign.

Key Themes

God's power to transform both land and hearts emerges powerfully in Ezekiel 35-37, from condemning unrepentant hostility (Edom) to granting Israel a new heart and spirit. Spiritual renewal is dramatically pictured as resurrection, emphasizing that no scenario is beyond God's ability to restore.

Finally, the unification of previously fractured communities under one king highlights covenant faithfulness as the culmination of divine restoration. These chapters convey that while God's judgment is sure, His capacity and will to redeem remain at the forefront of His purposes for His people.

V. Prophecy of Gog and Magog – Ezekiel 38-39

A. Invasion by Gog of Magog

Ezekiel 38 opens with a startling picture of an immense coalition gathering against Israel under the command of Gog from the land of Magog. "Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog…" (Ezekiel 38:2). Various nations, including Persia, Cush, Put, Gomer, and Beth-togarmah (Ezekiel 38:5-6), join forces to assault the restored people of God, indicating a global-scale threat.

Historically, "Magog" is sometimes linked to regions north of Israel (possibly in Asia Minor or near the Black Sea) inhabited by peoples such as the Scythians, though the text itself lacks historical markers pinning down an exact location. Some interpret Gog as a purely historical figure, perhaps a tribal leader or symbolic of an empire opposing Israel, while others view him as a future eschatological antagonist (a character that appears at the end of the world in some form). Allegorically, Gog represents any power that magnifies itself against God's people, highlighting the finality of divine triumph.

Despite the impressive might of this alliance, God orchestrates their approach to demonstrate His sovereignty:

and you will come up against My people Israel like a cloud to cover the land. It shall come about in the last days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me when I am sanctified through you before their eyes, O Gog."
- Ezekiel 38:16

This invasion takes place "in the latter years" (Ezekiel 38:8), suggesting a time beyond the immediate historical context of Ezekiel's era. Through a cataclysmic display, earthquakes, confusion, and cosmic upheavals (Ezekiel 38:19-22), God decisively defends Israel, underscoring that no human or spiritual force can thwart His covenant promises to His people.

B. God's Purpose and the Aftermath

Chapters 38-39 emphasize that God's ultimate aim in allowing Gog's advance is to "display [His] holiness in the sight of many nations" (Ezekiel 38:23). Historically, some commentators link this scenario to post-exilic conflicts or see partial echoes in later invasions of the land.

Yet the scale and language are so extensive, reminiscent of apocalyptic descriptions, that many interpreters read it as a depiction of a final, cosmic confrontation.

Following Gog's defeat, "the house of Israel will be burying them in order to cleanse the land" (Ezekiel 39:12), an action underscoring God's power to purge evil influences entirely. The invaders' weaponry is used for fuel (Ezekiel 39:9-10), reinforcing the completeness of victory.

Within Ezekiel's broader narrative, these chapters confirm that Israel's restoration, promised in Ezekiel 36-37, endures under divine protection, even when faced with seemingly insurmountable foes.

C. Identifying Gog and Magog: Historical vs. Allegorical

Scholars have long debated the exact identity of Gog and Magog. Historically, proposals range from:

1. A reference to Gyges of Lydia (in western Asia Minor) and nearby nations hostile to Israel.
2. A symbolic portrayal of Scythian tribes from the far north, known for their invasions in the ancient Near East.
3. A broader designation for any foreign coalition that threatened Israel in Ezekiel's day.
4. Allegorically or eschatologically (referring to end times or the end of the world), many see Gog and Magog as representing the ultimate adversaries of God's people, culminating in a final battle between good and evil, a view supported by the vision's apocalyptic (meaning momentous or catastrophic) nature and its reappearance in Revelation 20:7-8.

⁷When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, ⁸and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore.
- Revelation 20:7-8

From an amillennial perspective, which is the name of the position generally held by Churches of Christ concerning the interpretation of matters having to do with the end times. We believe, for example, that the "Thousand-year reign" is a symbolic number that represents the church era and not a literal 1,000 year period that will commence when Jesus comes.

We also hold to the idea that when Jesus returns (only once) this will usher in the end of the world and the beginning of the eternal life dimension that all Christians will experience. Therefore, Revelation 20:8 is typically understood as describing the final rebellion of all the wicked nations against the people of God, an event symbolically foreshadowed in Ezekiel 38:1-4.

In other words, amillennial interpreters view the "thousand years" mentioned in Revelation 20 as the current church age in which Satan's power to deceive the nations is restricted (because the gospel is being preached), but near the end of this age he is released briefly to mobilize a final uprising.

The reference to "Gog and Magog" in Revelation 20:8 is, therefore, not a literal reappearance of any specific ancient nation, but a symbolic depiction of all the hostile powers marshaled against God's people in history's last conflict.

In Ezekiel 38:1-4, the prophet envisions a vast coalition led by Gog from the land of Magog threatening Israel after God has regathered and renewed His people. This Old Testament oracle describes a climactic showdown where God Himself decisively intervenes.

While Ezekiel's prophecy spoke to an ancient Israelite context, foretelling the futility of any nation's attempt to destroy God's restored community, amillennialists see its ultimate fulfillment in the apocalyptic language of Revelation 20. Ezekiel's vision, therefore, of a final, overwhelming enemy force serves as a prototype for the universal rebellion described in Revelation, where all nations under Satan's influence align themselves against the Church.

Thus, what Ezekiel says finds its final fulfillment in Revelation 20:8: God's people, once restored (as in Ezekiel 36-37), face a seemingly insurmountable foe (Gog and Magog) yet remain secure under God's sovereign protection.

For amillennialists, Ezekiel 38-39 point beyond any one historical invasion toward an eschatological reality where God conclusively defeats every evil power, vindicating His name and safeguarding His covenant community (the church) in the face of satanic opposition.

The text's grand scale of devastation and miraculous deliverance suggests that while historical names and descriptions may inform the imagery, the prophecy looks beyond a mere one-time event to a climactic demonstration of God's sovereign power in the future.

Key Themes

God's ultimate sovereignty in global affairs emerges as He directs the course of nations and orchestrates Israel's deliverance. The triumph over evil is portrayed as part of God's redemptive plan; even the most formidable alliance arrayed against God's people cannot stand, then and now.

Finally, the public vindication of God's name and His people are paramount:

"And I will set My glory among the nations; and all the nations will see My judgment which I have executed and My hand which I have laid on them.
- Ezekiel 39:21

This teaches that while Israel's exile once implied divine abandonment, the vanquishing of Gog and Magog declares unequivocally that God remains the unchallenged Ruler over history and will guard His covenant community from every ultimate threat until the end of time.

Lessons

1. God's Restoration Transcends Individual Renewal

Ezekiel's vision in chapters 35-37 goes beyond personal transformation and showcases how God restores entire communities and even the land itself, reminding believers that His redemptive work can impact social structures, cultural practices, and national destinies, well beyond the boundaries of one's individual life. He is bigger than we can imagine!

2. There is Hope Amid Dire Circumstances

Whether confronting the desolation of Mount Seir or the hopeless valley of dry bones, Ezekiel highlights that even the starkest bleakness is subject to God's creative power; this teaches us to trust God's ability to bring genuine life and hope when human solutions appear entirely inadequate. Nothing is impossible with God!

3. God's Sovereignty over Global Conflict

Ezekiel 38-39 illustrates that massive coalitions like Gog and Magog, no matter how overwhelming, ultimately serve God's larger plan of demonstrating His holiness; believers today can remain steadfast in faith, knowing that no worldly power or alliance can thwart the Lord's final purposes. In the end, no matter what, we win!