Gog and Magog
By John Lee
God’s Power to Destroy Evil
Ezekiel 38-39: Gog, the leader of the evil forces in the land of Magog, fights a last battle against God.
Rev 20:7-9 says:
“When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—and to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them.”
Associating these two figures from the Bible — Gog and Magog — with the end of the world, some Christians have keenly speculated about who they are, when they will appear, and what they will do. Some believe that they represent the devil and his followers. Others believe that they are specific people or nations that will threaten the world.
Despite the conjectures surrounding the identities of Gog and Magog, one thing is clear: The biblical accounts show us that God is victorious over darkness and that He will always triumph over evil. He will protect His faithful ones from oppression and violence. This is evident in Revelation 20:7-9, which describes how Satan will be released from prison at the end of the thousand years and will gather a vast army of Gog and Magog to battle God’s people. However, God will intervene and destroy Gog and Magog with fire from heaven.
Be Not Troubled
Some people believe that the chaos in the world today is evidence that we are living in the end times and that the apocalyptic Gog and Magog battle prophesied in Ezekiel 38-39 is nigh.
Some people believe that we are about to enter the Tribulation mentioned in the Bible, a time of great suffering and persecution for Christians. They believe that this period will end with the second coming of Jesus Christ, who will defeat the Antichrist and establish God’s Kingdom on Earth.
We often lack wisdom to see events with full clarity as they unfold. But one thing is for sure: we are living in a time of great uncertainty. As Christians, we should be prepared for whatever may come, but should we fear?
Should we stop going to work and start fasting and praying every day? Should we pack up for some safe place or join the doomsday preppers?
Jesus warned his disciples about the signs of his coming and the end of the world. He told them to watch out for deceptions, wars, and rumours of wars, famine, pestilences, and earthquakes. He also told them not to be troubled by these things.
Christians on the watch for the signs put themselves in a whirl. They lap up every explanation of Gog & Magog, every forecast of what is coming next from the global events, every apocalyptic verse from the Bible, every piece of stimulating report, etc. They may miss the important warning from Jesus that we should not be troubled.
Walk By Faith, Not By Sight!
Martin Cheah sent me an interesting YouTube video (https://youtu.be/aF_t3Kl6Ghk) which is only about 18 minutes long. Yet, it provides valuable insights on how to deal with uncertainty and fear.
The video emphasizes the importance of walking by faith and not by sight.
The video highlights three reasons why we can have peace in our hearts even though there is turmoil in the world:
- God’s word has already told us the future. We know that God will redeem us and that everything will be okay.
- God has a perfect track record of defending and protecting His children.
- We have the Holy Spirit, who empowers us to be bold and strong in the face of chaos and trouble.
One of the enemies of faith is fear. Fear is about walking by sight – believing circumstances, imaginations, expectations, or statistics instead of God. It is about believing what we see with our natural eyes as opposed to believing what is written in God’s word.
Walking by faith means trusting in God even when we don’t understand what is happening or what the future holds. We let go of control and surrender to God’s plan. When we have faith, we conquer fear. We lean on God for protection, provision, and strength.
Conclusion
Watch the video.
Remember, God is with us. Have no fear. The Bible tells us that God is in control of everything, and that He will defeat Gog and Magog.
Responses