Single lesson
Ezekiel 39: The Slaughter of Gog’s Armies
Ezekiel 39:1–20; Ezekiel 39:21–29
This prophecy speaks against Gog with severe judgement imagery. Broken weapons, mass burial, and a feast for birds and animals all serve one main point: the Lord will act publicly and his holy name will be known. This lesson also brings together Israel to Be Restored.
Before you teach
Ezekiel 39:1–20 is addressed to the son of man as a prophecy against Gog. The Lord says he will bring Gog to the mountains of Israel, defeat him there, deal with the aftermath in the land, and show Israel and the nations that he is Yahweh.
Explain the central teaching of Ezekiel 39: The Slaughter of Gog’s Armies, using two details from the reading. This passage presents Gog’s defeat as the Lord’s work, revealing his holiness, judgement, and authority. This passage says the Lord makes himself known in judgment against sin and in mercy as he restores Israel.
Welcome: Ezekiel 39: The Slaughter of Gog’s Armies
5 minIntroduce “The Slaughter of Gog’s Armies”, “Israel to Be Restored” and locate Ezekiel 39:1–20; Ezekiel 39:21–29. This passage presents Gog’s defeat as the Lord’s work, revealing his holiness, judgement, and authority. Invite each learner to name a detail or question they will listen for.
Ezekiel 39:1, Ezekiel 39:11, Ezekiel 39:20
Read and explain the passage
12 minThe Slaughter of Gog’s Armies (Ezekiel 39:1–20): The message opens with the Lord’s direct words to Gog: “I am against you.” He says he will turn Gog, lead him from the far north, and bring him onto Israel’s mountains. Then he will strike away Gog’s bow and arrows. The repeated “I will” shows the Lord directing the outcome.
Israel to Be Restored (Ezekiel 39:21–29): The passage opens with the Lord saying, “I will set my glory among the nations”. The nations will see his judgment and his hand. These words show that what the Lord does will be visible and will display who he is before many peoples.
Read the selected verses together, pausing at “The Slaughter of Gog’s Armies”, “Israel to Be Restored”. Use the source reading below and check the explanation against the words of the passage.
Ezekiel 39:1, Ezekiel 39:2, Ezekiel 39:3, Ezekiel 39:21
Discuss the details and their meaning
8 minUse the three questions below. Begin with “What repeated actions show that the Lord controls Gog’s movement and defeat?” and allow time to find the supporting verses. This passage says the Lord makes himself known in judgment against sin and in mercy as he restores Israel. Ask learners to explain which details support their answer and to identify a question they would like to explore further.
Ezekiel 39:2, Ezekiel 39:3, Ezekiel 39:6, Ezekiel 39:7, Ezekiel 39:24, Ezekiel 39:29
Make and respond: Vision and message evidence map
12 minWork on “Ezekiel 39: The Slaughter of Gog’s Armies: Vision and message evidence map”. Follow the materials and steps below, using “The Slaughter of Gog’s Armies”, “Israel to Be Restored” as reading headings. Each learner should include at least two accurate details and their verse references. Share one observation from the finished sheet and explain how it connects with the central teaching.
Ezekiel 39:1, Ezekiel 39:15, Ezekiel 39:29
Closing: return to Israel to Be Restored
3 minRevisit Ezekiel 39:21–29. Invite a learner to summarise what the group has learned about Israel to Be Restored and another to support the summary with a verse. Give learners a moment to complete their response sheet. They can share a question or, if appropriate for the group, join the optional prayer.
Ezekiel 39:21, Ezekiel 39:25, Ezekiel 39:29
Questions to explore
What repeated actions show that the Lord controls Gog’s movement and defeat?
Notice the Lord’s own “I will” statements about leading Gog, bringing him to Israel, and striking away his weapons.
Ezekiel 39:2, Ezekiel 39:3
What result does the passage say this judgement will have for Israel and the nations?
Look for the lines about the Lord’s holy name being made known and the nations knowing that he is Yahweh.
Ezekiel 39:6, Ezekiel 39:7
How does the ending show a change from earlier in the passage?
Compare “I hid my face from them” with “I won’t hide my face from them any more” and the promise of the Spirit.
Ezekiel 39:24, Ezekiel 39:29
Make, think or respond
Ezekiel 39: The Slaughter of Gog’s Armies: Vision and message evidence map
What you’ll need
- plain paper or card
- pencils or pens
- a Bible or the source reading on this page
Try it together
- Fold a sheet into three panels or draw three columns. Label them “What the passage describes”, “What is explained in the text”, “What question remains”.
- Read Ezekiel 39:1–20; Ezekiel 39:21–29. Use “The Slaughter of Gog’s Armies”, “Israel to Be Restored” as your reading headings and add a short quotation or detail with its verse reference to each panel.
- Compare your notes with a partner. Check that every quotation is accurate and every conclusion has support in the passage.
- Circle an explanation the passage itself provides. Leave unexplained details as questions for further reading.
The finished sheet keeps the details of Ezekiel 39: The Slaughter of Gog’s Armies connected to their Bible references and gives the group a way to explain what they noticed.
Adapt for your group
- For learners who need more support, prepare the reading headings “The Slaughter of Gog’s Armies”, “Israel to Be Restored” and let them match short quotations to the correct heading.
- For confident readers, compare two sections of Ezekiel 39:1–20; Ezekiel 39:21–29. Ask for a written explanation with two supporting references and one question that the text leaves open.
An optional closing prayer
“God, help us listen carefully as we read Ezekiel 39:1–20; Ezekiel 39:21–29. Help us understand what we have read, ask thoughtful questions and respond with care for others. Amen.”
Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic
Ezekiel 39
1 “You, son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “Behold, I am against you, Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal.
2 I will turn you around, will lead you on, and will cause you to come up from the uttermost parts of the north; and I will bring you onto the mountains of Israel.
3 I will strike your bow out of your left hand, and will cause your arrows to fall out of your right hand.
4 You will fall on the mountains of Israel, you, and all your hordes, and the peoples who are with you. I will give you to the ravenous birds of every sort and to the animals of the field to be devoured.
5 You will fall on the open field, for I have spoken it,” says the Lord Yahweh.
6 “I will send a fire on Magog and on those who dwell securely in the islands. Then they will know that I am Yahweh.
7 “ ‘ “I will make my holy name known among my people Israel. I won’t allow my holy name to be profaned any more. Then the nations will know that I am Yahweh, the Holy One in Israel.
8 Behold, it comes, and it will be done,” says the Lord Yahweh. “This is the day about which I have spoken.
9 “ ‘ “Those who dwell in the cities of Israel will go out and will make fires of the weapons and burn them, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the war clubs and the spears, and they will make fires with them for seven years;
10 so that they will take no wood out of the field, and not cut down any out of the forests; for they will make fires with the weapons. They will plunder those who plundered them, and rob those who robbed them,” says the Lord Yahweh.
11 “ ‘ “It will happen in that day, that I will give to Gog a place for burial in Israel, the valley of those who pass through on the east of the sea; and it will stop those who pass through. They will bury Gog and all his multitude there, and they will call it ‘The valley of Hamon Gog’.
12 “ ‘ “The house of Israel will be burying them for seven months, that they may cleanse the land.
13 Yes, all the people of the land will bury them; and they will become famous in the day that I will be glorified,” says the Lord Yahweh.
14 “ ‘ “They will set apart men of continual employment who will pass through the land. Those who pass through will go with those who bury those who remain on the surface of the land, to cleanse it. After the end of seven months they will search.
15 Those who search through the land will pass through; and when anyone sees a man’s bone, then he will set up a sign by it, until the undertakers have buried it in the valley of Hamon Gog.
16 Hamonah will also be the name of a city. Thus they will cleanse the land.” ’
17 “You, son of man, the Lord Yahweh says: ‘Speak to the birds of every sort, and to every animal of the field, “Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice on the mountains of Israel, that you may eat meat and drink blood.
18 You shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bulls, all of them fatlings of Bashan.
19 You shall eat fat until you are full, and drink blood until you are drunk, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.
20 You shall be filled at my table with horses and charioteers, with mighty men, and with all men of war,” says the Lord Yahweh.’
21 “I will set my glory among the nations. Then all the nations will see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid on them.
22 So the house of Israel will know that I am Yahweh their God, from that day and forward.
23 The nations will know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity, because they trespassed against me, and I hid my face from them; so I gave them into the hand of their adversaries, and they all fell by the sword.
24 I did to them according to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions. I hid my face from them.
25 “Therefore the Lord Yahweh says: ‘Now I will reverse the captivity of Jacob and have mercy on the whole house of Israel. I will be jealous for my holy name.
26 They will forget their shame and all their trespasses by which they have trespassed against me, when they dwell securely in their land. No one will make them afraid
27 when I have brought them back from the peoples, gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and am shown holy among them in the sight of many nations.
28 They will know that I am Yahweh their God, in that I caused them to go into captivity among the nations, and have gathered them to their own land. Then I will leave none of them captive any more.
29 I won’t hide my face from them any more, for I have poured out my Spirit on the house of Israel,’ says the Lord Yahweh.”
World English Bible Classic. Public domain.