Rev 2:12  And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges; 
13  I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and

thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth. 
 

Interestingly, this temple that was taken from Turkey, (The seat of Satan) and was reconstructed is now on display in Berlin Germany.
What is also interesting about all of this is that in March of 2006, the nation of Turkey, after failing to convince Germany to return the Altar decided to rebuild a perfect replica of the ancient Altar on the same ancient hill in Bergama, the location of ancient Pergamum. In March 2006, Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Atilla Koc stated that, ‘There is no chance of having the altar returned from Germany, because we have no legal right. But now we have a new project. The exact copies (replicas) of those historical artifacts will be built on the original sites.’

This certainly makes one wonder if the same dark anti-Semitic spirit that seems to have followed this ancient Satanic altar to Germany, will now also find a welcome home in Turkey. In fact, there are many reasons to believe that this is already the case. (http://www.vriendenvanisrael.nl)

Turkey plays an important part in Biblical history.
Turkey features prominently in the Old Testament, Noah’s Ark landed in the Ararat mountain range, thus Turkey is very near the cradle of civilization. Noah’s son Japheth comprised the nations that settled what is now known as Turkey-The nations of Gomer, Magog, Javan, Tubal, and Meschech all descended from Japheth and settled there. (Gen. 10:2).

Abraham had settled in Haran, which is in Turkey, and set out from there after his father died,

Genesis 12:4-5 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. 5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.
 

The Assyrian Empire covered what is now Southern Turkey, Syria and Iraq, when they took captive the ten Northern tribes of Israel. The Assyrian capitol was Ninevah. This was where God told Jonah to go and preach to the gentiles.
 

Daniel the prophet predicted Alexander the Great, the rise of the Grecian Empire and the division into four sections after Alexander’s sudden death. One of the sections of the divided kingdom was called the Seleucid Empire which included the southern half of Turkey.

One of the prominent Seleucid Emperors was named Antiochus the fourth, aka Antiochus Epiphanes ,which means “Antiochus the Light from above”. He is also known as the “King of the North, and his wars against the King of the South (The Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt) were predicted in great detail by Daniel.(Dan. 8:9-14; 23-25; 11:21-35).

The significance of Antiochus is that this Assyrian ruler is a type of the antichrist to come, having been a persecutor of God’s people, a defiler and desecrator of the Temple of God and one who boasted against the most high God himself.
The Bible says that the last day’s antichrist will be called “The Assyrian”. (Isaiah 10) (Micah 5).

In the New Testament we see Turkey being the cradle of Christianity.
The seven churches of Revelation were in Turkey.
The early church after Pentecost in Jerusalem, flourished in Turkey.
The Apostle Paul was born in Tarsus in Turkey. The Apostle John wrote
Revelation on the island of Patmos off the coast of Turkey.
So Turkey has a prominent role in Biblical history and the Gog Magog
invasion of Israel will, according to scripture, come from this region.

Where is the Gog Magog invasion?

The Gog-Magog Battle is set between a massive coalition of nations descended from Noah’s sons Japheth and Ham against Israel (Gen. 10:2-7). The nations are from the territories of ancient Rosh, Magog, Meshech, Tubal, Persia, Cush, Gomer and Beth-togarmah. Their leader is called “Gog, prince of, Meshech and Tubal” (Ezek. 38:2-3). The battlefield is on the “mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate” (Ezek. 38:8).
 

What is the purpose?

The purpose of the invasion is to “plunder and loot” and destroy the people of Israel (Ezek. 38:12, 16).
Interestingly, there has been nothing there in the way of anything to plunder, until recently. The land of Israel, the so call land of Palestine has always been known as a desolate place.

Why Invade?
To take spoils, to plunder.

Eze 38:12  to capture spoil and to seize plunder, to turn your hand against the waste places which are now inhabited, and against the people who are gathered from the nations, who have acquired cattle and goods, who live at the center of the world.’ 

The deserts have flourished since the Israelites came back to the land after the second world war..

News reports. (October 11, 2015 By joelcrosenberg in Epicenter)

ISRAEL MAKES MASSIVE DISCOVERY OF OIL. The second big story I have noted on Twitter but not yet on this blog. Israel this past week announced the discovery of a massive oil patch in the Golan Heights, along the border of Syria, that could make the Jewish state energy independent for decades to come. I have previously reported Israel’s discovery of massive amounts of natural gas off the Mediterranean coast. But while there has been speculation about the presence of oil in Israel, a major discovery has never been confirmed until now.

“Energy geologists estimate that billions of barrels of crude oil are available in shale in the occupied Golan Heights, but will Israel be able to get to it? If it can, the field could make the Jewish state self-sufficient in oil for years,” explains a news report from NASDAQ. “Afek Oil and Gas, a subsidiary of the U.S. company Genie Energy had been drilling in the southern Golan Heights for more than a year, and in September announced the discovery of the shale deposit. But the size of the field wasn’t confirmed until Oct. 7. In an interview with Israel’s Channel 2 News, the company’s chief geologist, Yuval Bartov, said, ‘We are talking about a strata which is 350 meters thick, and what is important is the thickness and the porosity….On average in the world strata are 20-30 meters thick, so this is 10 times as large as that, so we are talking about significant quantities. The important thing is to know the oil is in the rock and that’s what we now know.'”

Other News headlines:

Huge oil discovery on Golan Heights (Globes, the Israeli financial newspaper)

Major Shale Find Could Guarantee Israel’s Oil Supply For Years (NASDAQ)

Geologist Reports Major Oil Find in Israel (Haaretz)

Major oil reserve said found on Golan (Times of Israel)

Also:
The waters of the Dead Sea contain over 45 billion tons of sodium, chlorine, sulfur, potassium, calcium, magnesium and bromide. These chemicals have their uses; indeed, magnesium has been called “The King of Minerals” because of its varied medical uses.

Could this be the reason? Or is there something else?

In January  of 2009, the Tamar gas field was discovered. The Tamar gas field was a major gas find in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Israel. The field is located in Israel’s exclusive economic zone, roughly 50 miles (80 km) west of Haifa in waters over one mile (1,700 meters) deep. People’s interest was really piqued the following year when in December 2010 another gas field was discovered. The Leviathan gas field is a large natural gas formation in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Israel, 30 miles (47 km) southwest of the Tamar.

Recently, deals have been struck with the EU to supply the much needed gas that is at present being supplied by Russia.

Another reason and the main reason for an invasion is: the hatred of the Jews and the nation of Israel.
There has always been a hatred of Israel, from the time of Moses to the time of Jesus and to the present day.
Satan has always tried to eliminate the Jews. First to stop the coming of the promised seed (Messiah) and then to stop the Messiah fulfilling His plan of redemption and now to stop the return of Jesus Christ.
The Israelites need to be in the land for the coming of Messiah.
The third reason is that Israel will not expect it. Something that has not yet happened is the prophecy that Israel will be dwelling in safety at the time of the invasion.

Eze 38:11  and you will say, ‘I will go up against the land of unwalled villages. I will go against those who are at rest, that live securely, all of them living without walls and having no bars or gates, 

It is quite obvious that this is still future. (In the latter days). Israel at the moment are under siege every day but something will happen in the future that will cause a peace treaty that will cause Israel to feel safe and it is at this time that the invasion will take place.
 

When is it?
 

There is a lot of debate as to when this invasion takes place.
Some say before the seven year covenant with many, (Daniel 9). Some say prior to the midpoint of the covenant, (the first 3 and half years), which is the start of the Great Tribulation, (Matt 24) and some say at the end of the Great Tribulation.
One thing we know for certain is that according to Ezekiel 38:8 and 38: 11, it happens in the latter years, or last days after many people have been gathered from all over the world and again reside in Israel and when Israel apparently is dwelling in safety with unwalled villages.

Eze 38:8  After many days you will be summoned; in the latter years you will come into the land that is restored from the sword, whose inhabitants have been gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel which had been a continual waste; but its people were brought out from the nations, and they are living securely, all of them. 
Eze 38:11  and you will say, ‘I will go up against the land of unwalled villages. I will go against those who are at rest, that live securely, all of them living without walls and having no bars or gates, 

Deuteronomy 4:30 When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the Lord your God and obey Him.

“Distress” is also translated as “Tribulation” (Greek – Thilipsis). It is also referred to as “The time of Jacob’s (Israel’s) trouble. It is the Tribulation of Daniels 70th week that brings the Jewish people as a nation back into belief in God, and later accept Yeshua as their Messiah.
The Tribulation leading up to the Millennial reign of Christ is what the Old Testament prophets consistently and repeatably taught about. So we can know from these phrases that the Gog / Magog battle happens in relation to the seven year covenant, the GreatTribulation and Millennial Kingdom.
 

So we are given a clue as to when this possibly happens.

We know it happens when Israel is dwelling in safety. When they are not expecting it. Ezekiel 38: 11.
 

Now, from the midpoint of the 7 year covenant with the man of sin (The antichrist), when he sets up the abomination of desolation, Israel will not be dwelling in safety, in fact this is known as the “time of Jacob’s trouble” (Great Tribulation – Greek Mega Thilipsis).
When the antichrist (The Beast) makes war with the woman and her offspring.
So Israel must be dwelling in safety prior to that, which seems to place this invasion before the 7 year covenant or during the first 31/2 years of the 7 year covenant.

The antichrist will confirm a covenant with many and there will be peace for a time.

Dan 9:27  And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. 
 

It is interesting to speculate on the details of this agreement. One can make educated guesses as to what some of the clauses in the contract stipulate.

The antichrist may promise to protect Israel in exchange for money. 

1Th 5:3 makes it clear that people will be content with the peace and safety just before the judgment. That the second half of the “seven” is a time of horror likewise indicates it is a peace treaty of some sort.

Another possible clause may permit the Jews to resume their Temple rituals, for later the antichrist has to force them to stop. In other words, the Levitical system didn’t just start up again but it was by the consent of the antichrist.
These events precipitate other implications.
Since the Jews are looking for a “Prince of Peace”, (Isa 9:6), they will be that more easily taken in by the Antichrist.
They will quickly discover, however, he is their destroyer, not their deliverer.

1 Thessalonians 5:3   While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.

What is the result of the invasion?

God will act on behalf of Israel. God will be the instrument of the invaders defeat.
It appears that these invading armies turn on each other.

Eze 38:21   I will call for a sword against him on all My mountains,” declares the Lord GOD. “Every man’s sword will be against his brother.

God will reign vengeance on them.

Eze 38:22  With pestilence and with blood I will enter into judgment with him; and I will rain on him and on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, a torrential rain, with hailstones, fire and brimstone. 

God is showing His power.

Eze 38:23  I will magnify Myself, sanctify Myself, and make Myself known in the sight of many nations; and they will know that I am the LORD.”’. 
 

Eze 39:1  “And you, son of man, prophesy against Gog and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal;

Five sixth’s of these armies will perish.
 

Eze 39:2  and I will turn you around, drive you on, take you up from the remotest parts of the north and bring you against the mountains of Israel. 
 

There will be some kind of earthquake or tremor. 
 

Eze 38:19  In My zeal and in My blazing wrath I declare that on that day there will surely be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. 
20 The fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field, all the creeping things that creep on the earth, and all the men who are on the face of the earth will shake at My presence; the mountains also will be thrown down, the steep pathways will collapse and every wall will fall to the ground. 

Their missiles will fall out of the skies. (Hebrew – Khayts – Arrows or Missiles)

Eze 39:3  I will strike your bow from your left hand and dash down your arrows from your right hand. 
4 You will fall on the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops and the peoples who are with you; I will give you as food to every kind of predatory bird and beast of the field. 
5 You will fall on the open field; for it is I who have spoken,” declares the Lord GOD. 
6 “And I will send fire upon Magog and those who inhabit the coastlands in safety; and they will know that I am the LORD.

What is the end result. Why does God bring about the defeat?

It will take seven months to bury the dead.
 

Eze 39:11  “On that day I will give Gog a burial ground there in Israel, the valley of those who pass by east of the sea, and it will block off those who would pass by. So they will bury Gog there with all his horde, and they will call it the valley of Hamon-gog.  
 

What is the aftermath?

Seven months they will search for the dead.

Eze 39:14  And they shall sever out men of continual employment, passing through the land to bury with the passengers those that remain upon the face of the earth, to cleanse it: after the end of seven months shall they search. 
15  And the passengers that pass through the land, when any seeth a man's bone, then shall he set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamongog. 
16  And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land. 
 

The armoury and Military equipment will be burned by Israel and the fire from it will last for seven years.
 

Eze 39:9  And they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the handstaves, and the spears, and they shall burn them with fire seven years: 

 

There are those that say that this could be the aftermath of a nuclear war.

The Lord Will Restore Israel.
 

Eze 39:25  Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name; 
26  After that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against me, when they dwelt safely in their land, and none made them afraid. 
27  When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies' lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations; 
28  Then shall they know that I am the LORD their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there. 
29  Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD. 

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With this interpretation, we still have to answer the question concerning Rev 20.

Revelation 20: 7,8.

Rev 20:7  And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 
Rev 20:8  And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 
 

If this interpretation is to be accepted, that the Ezekiel 38 & 39 refers to a war prior to the 1000 year Millennial Reign of Christ, then this suggests that there must be two separate Gog Magog invasions.

The first one is before or at the time of the Great Tribulation and the Millennial Kingdom and one at the end of the Millennial Kingdom.
An examination of Ezekiel 38 & 39 seems to limit the invasion to certain countries but the Rev 20: 8 refers to a larger group of people. the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 

Also the similarities between Eze 39:4  & Revelation 19: 17—21

 

Eze 39: 4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. 

 

Eze 39:17  And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood. 
Eze 39:18  Ye 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 bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan. 

If we compare this with Revelation 19: 17—21.
 

Rev 19:17  And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; 
Rev 19:18  That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. 
Rev 19:19  And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. 
Rev 19:20  And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. 
Rev 19:21  And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. 

 

It is no other than “The Battle of Armageddon”

The focal point for their gathering is declared in Revelation 16:16 to be “a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.” 

This battle is at the time of the return of Christ to earth, when His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives.
The Coming of Christ is also linked to the Great Tribulation, the Rapture of the church and the coming Wrath of God to an unbelieving world.
 

 Zec 14:2  For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 
Zec 14:3  Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. 
Zec 14:4  And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. 
 

So, again the question has to be asked.

Does Ezekiel 38 & 39 refer to a Gog Magog war prior to the 1000 year Millennium and Revelation 20: 7,8 refer to a second war at the end of the Millennium?

As to the identity of Gog.

In Ezekiel, Gog is the leader of Magog and the other armies from the north parts, coming against Israel.

This Gog will be defeated and he shall be buried in the valley of Hamongog.

Eze 39:11  And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude: and they shall call it The valley of Hamongog. 

 

In Revelation, Gog and Magog together are the hostile nations of the world led by Satan himself.

Rev 20:10  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. 

Just like Ezekiel 39 refers to this battle and is followed by Chapter 40 to 48, (The Millennial Kingdom)

So Revelation 19: 17—21 is followed by Revelation 20: 4.
 

Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The Millennial Kingdom).

Conclusion:

 

It is possible that the scriptures speak of two Gog/Magog wars.
One prior to the seventieth week of Daniel (Dan 9). Or during the seven year covenant.
This would be Ezekiel 38 and 39.
Then there will be a second war at the end of the Millennial reign of Christ, when Satan is released from his prison. (Rev 20)

 

Both war’s end in defeat brought about by God.

 

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