Read & explore together
A Prophecy against Gog
Ezekiel 38:1–23 is a prophecy spoken against Gog. It describes a future attack, the evil purpose behind it, and Yahweh’s response so that many nations will know who he is.
Understanding the passage
The setting of this message
In this passage, Yahweh tells Ezekiel to prophesy against Gog, identified with Magog, Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. The message stays in prophetic language, looking to “the latter years” and “the latter days”, and repeats that Israel is dwelling securely when this threat comes. Yahweh’s purpose is also stated clearly in the passage itself.
Ezekiel 38:1–23Main takeaway
This prophecy presents Yahweh as fully aware of the attack on his people and determined to make himself known through his judgment on Gog.
Explore the message
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01A prophecy against GogThe passage begins with Yahweh’s word to Ezekiel and a direct command to prophesy against Gog.
Explanation
The passage begins with Yahweh’s word to Ezekiel and a direct command to prophesy against Gog. Gog is linked with Magog, Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. Yahweh says, “I am against you”, and describes bringing Gog out with a large, armed army joined by many peoples from different places.
02The attack that is being plannedGog is told to prepare with all his companies. After many days, he will come against a land restored from ruin, where people are gathered from many nations and dwell securely.
Explanation
Gog is told to prepare with all his companies. After many days, he will come against a land restored from ruin, where people are gathered from many nations and dwell securely. The attack is pictured as a storm or a cloud covering the land, showing its size and threat.
03The evil purpose behind the invasionYahweh says that Gog will devise an evil plan. Gog intends to attack unwalled villages and peaceful people in order to seize plunder, livestock, and goods.
Explanation
Yahweh says that Gog will devise an evil plan. Gog intends to attack unwalled villages and peaceful people in order to seize plunder, livestock, and goods. Other traders and merchants question whether the whole assembly has come simply to carry away wealth, which highlights the greedy motive named in the prophecy.
04Yahweh’s purpose in bringing GogThe prophecy says Gog will come from the far north with many peoples against Israel. Yet Yahweh says, “I will bring you against my land”.
Explanation
The prophecy says Gog will come from the far north with many peoples against Israel. Yet Yahweh says, “I will bring you against my land”. The stated reason is that the nations may know Yahweh when he is sanctified in Gog before their eyes. The passage keeps the focus on Yahweh’s purpose.
05Judgment that reveals YahwehWhen Gog comes against Israel, Yahweh’s wrath is described in vivid prophetic terms: a great shaking, collapsing mountains and walls, confusion in the enemy ranks, and judgment through pestilence, blood, rain, hailstones, fire, and sulfur.
Explanation
When Gog comes against Israel, Yahweh’s wrath is described in vivid prophetic terms: a great shaking, collapsing mountains and walls, confusion in the enemy ranks, and judgment through pestilence, blood, rain, hailstones, fire, and sulfur. The closing result is clear: many nations will know that he is Yahweh.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01What details show how large Gog’s force will be?
Notice the repeated references to armies, hordes, many peoples, and the cloud-like picture of the invasion.
02What reasons does the passage give for Gog’s attack?
Look for the words about an evil plan, plunder, prey, silver, gold, livestock, and goods.
03According to this prophecy, what final result will Yahweh’s judgment produce?
Read the closing verses and identify what the nations will come to know through these events.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Ezekiel 38:1–23
1Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,
2“Son of man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him,
3and say, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “Behold, I am against you, Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal.
4I will turn you around, and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, with all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in full armor, a great company with buckler and shield, all of them handling swords;
5Persia, Cush, and Put with them, all of them with shield and helmet;
6Gomer, and all his hordes; the house of Togarmah in the uttermost parts of the north, and all his hordes—even many peoples with you.
7“ ‘ “Be prepared, yes, prepare yourself, you, and all your companies who are assembled to you, and be a guard to them.
8After many days you will be visited. In the latter years you will come into the land that is brought back from the sword, that is gathered out of many peoples, on the mountains of Israel, which have been a continual waste; but it is brought out of the peoples and they will dwell securely, all of them.
9You will ascend. You will come like a storm. You will be like a cloud to cover the land, you and all your hordes, and many peoples with you.”
10“ ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “It will happen in that day that things will come into your mind, and you will devise an evil plan.
11You will say, ‘I will go up to the land of unwalled villages. I will go to those who are at rest, who dwell securely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
12to take the plunder and to take prey; to turn your hand against the waste places that are inhabited, and against the people who are gathered out of the nations, who have gotten livestock and goods, who dwell in the middle of the earth.’
13Sheba, Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all its young lions, will ask you, ‘Have you come to take the plunder? Have you assembled your company to take the prey, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take great plunder?’ ” ’
14“Therefore, son of man, prophesy, and tell Gog, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “In that day when my people Israel dwells securely, will you not know it?
15You will come from your place out of the uttermost parts of the north, you, and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a mighty army.
16You will come up against my people Israel as a cloud to cover the land. It will happen in the latter days that I will bring you against my land, that the nations may know me when I am sanctified in you, Gog, before their eyes.”
17“ ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “Are you he of whom I spoke in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days for years that I would bring you against them?
18It will happen in that day, when Gog comes against the land of Israel,” says the Lord Yahweh, “that my wrath will come up into my nostrils.
19For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath I have spoken. Surely in that day there will be a great shaking in the land of Israel,
20so that the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the animals of the field, all creeping things who creep on the earth, and all the men who are on the surface of the earth will shake at my presence. Then the mountains will be thrown down, the steep places will fall, and every wall will fall to the ground.
21I will call for a sword against him to all my mountains,” says the Lord Yahweh. “Every man’s sword will be against his brother.
22I will enter into judgment with him with pestilence and with blood. I will rain on him, on his hordes, and on the many peoples who are with him, torrential rains with great hailstones, fire, and sulfur.
23I will magnify myself and sanctify myself, and I will make myself known in the eyes of many nations. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.” ’