Welcome to the Cross References podcast on the Book of Ezekiel. In this study, you learn how every small piece of the Bible tells one big story- and most importantly, how they all connect to the cross and Christ.
Whether you’re a newbie Christian or a veteran Bible reader, my goal is that God’s Word will make more sense to you after every episode.
Host: Luke Taylor
The Aftermath of Gog and Magog
Ezekiel 39:9-29
Ezekiel series, Part 76
Introduction
It’s not over until God says it’s over.
And last week, we covered what happens in the battle of Gog and Magog in Ezekiel 38 and 39, when a coalition of nations band together to attack Israel in the last days.
But of all the battles described in the Bible, this is the only one that goes into any detail about the aftermath. Ezekiel 39:9-29 is like that post-credits scene in a Marvel movie. Only the participants of this battle are not sitting around eating schwarma. They ARE the schwarma.
Why does the Bible spend several verses talking about the clean-up after this battle? I think I know why, and you’ll learn it today, too, on the Cross References podcast.
[theme music]
v9-16, Welcome to the New Age
Welcome to the book of Ezekiel: a Cross References Bible study where we learn how every small piece of the Bible tells one big story- and how they all connect to the cross and Christ.
My name is Luke Taylor, and I’m finishing a major portion of Scripture today as we wrap up the story of Gog and Magog in Ezekiel 38 and 39.
If you’re here, I’m sure you’re familiar with the Gog and Magog conflict. You probably didn’t click on an episode just to learn about the aftermath of a battle you aren’t familiar with. So I won’t go through a lengthy recap as we finish chapter 39 today. A coalition of nations attacked Israel; God stepped in and defended them. What we’re told literally is that Gog and Magog’s weapons failed. We aren’t sure exactly what that means, but we may get some clues as we read today’s verses.
So let’s get into them, starting with
Ezekiel 39:9-10
9 “Then those who dwell in the cities of Israel will go out and make fires of the weapons and burn them, shields and bucklers, bow and arrows, clubs and spears; and they will make fires of them for seven years, 10 so that they will not need to take wood out of the field or cut down any out of the forests, for they will make their fires of the weapons. They will seize the spoil of those who despoiled them, and plunder those who plundered them, declares the Lord God.
We discussed last time various ways you can take these verses and whether the shields and bows and arrows refer to literal weapons- meaning these are the types of weapons that Gog and Magog’s forces will use- or if this is symbolic language to refer to modern weapons.
That’s a very worthwhile conversation to have and I’ll keep having it if anyone has any questions about it.
I take the tack that these words are just the closest you can come in Ezekiel’s tongue to talking about modern weapons. They didn’t have guns and rockets and bombs back then, but I believe that’s what Gog and Magog’s armies will come against Israel with.
In fact, based on what we read today, I believe there’s a high likelihood they rely on nuclear and biological warfare to attack, and that those are the specific types of weapons that get slapped back in their face.
One reason is the fact that the weapons will be burned for 7 years. Many wonder why it would take 7 years to burn all the weapons these attackers. That seems a little extreme, and you might even wonder why Israel is burning weapons in the first place. Modern nations are not reliant on burning wood for a heat source like peoples of the past were.
However, if this were talking about nuclear weapons that had been left behind on the battlefield, nuclear arsenals can be broken down into an energy source. Nuclear energy is a futuristic understanding of an energy source. That actually makes a lot more sense in modern times than 7 years worth of firewood.
So keep that in mind as you read the next set of verses. It’s going to talk about the “buriers” who come and bury the bodies and weapons, and that those who travel or in Hebrew “pass through” the battle zone later will mark the dead bodies, and that later there will be certain men who are “set apart” to come in and cleanse the land.
So as I read it, I want you to imagine men in hazmat suits who come in. If anyone comes through the area, someone who is set apart to deal with that kind of thing comes along later and disposes of the body. I can only read that as people who are trained professionals to handle the disposing of radioactive or perhaps biological warfare. Why else would the land need cleansed unless there were radioactive or sanitary concerns? Think on that as we read these words.
Ezekiel 39:11-16
11 “On that day I will give to Gog a place for burial in Israel, the Valley of the Travelers, east of the sea. It will block the travelers, for there Gog and all his multitude will be buried. It will be called the Valley of Hamon-gog. 12 For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them, in order to cleanse the land. 13 All the people of the land will bury them, and it will bring them renown on the day that I show my glory, declares the Lord God. 14 They will set apart men to travel through the land regularly and bury those travelers remaining on the face of the land, so as to cleanse it. At the end of seven months they will make their search. 15 And when these travel through the land and anyone sees a human bone, then he shall set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in the Valley of Hamon-gog. 16 (Hamonah is also the name of the city.) Thus shall they cleanse the land.
There are so many interesting elements of the words in this section, especially in the Hebrew. Those who pass through this area are in Hebrew the “oberim.” This word means “the inspectors.” The inspectors are charged with passing through the land for seven months and mark or set up signs by any human remains. Then a second group will come through, the buriers. They are charged with retrieving the human remains and disposing of them, all to cleanse the land.
Again, I’m imagining men in hazmat suits who are engaged in the cleanup of nuclear and biological materials. If this happened in America, it’d be like we were calling in the EPA or the CDC.
In fact, this is what it says in the Operator’s Manual for Marking Set, Contamination: Nuclear, Biological, Chemical (NBC), from the US Armed Forces.
Identification and assessment of radiation levels and radioactive contamination
Marking and containment. Use standardized markers to clearly designate contaminated zones. This includes warning signs such as the radiation symbol in appropriate colors. Establish physical boundaries around contaminated areas to prevent unauthorized or accidental exposure.
Isolation and shielding: implement protocols to contain radioactive particles and prevent contamination…
Decontamination
Handling of radioactive materials
So those five steps are extremely similar to what is described in Ezekiel 39. So I’ll put all that out there; you can make up your mind as to what makes the most sense to you.
In my opinion, it makes so much more sense to read Ezekiel 38 and 39 from a futuristic lens. I mentioned a comment in last week’s episode about how Ezekiel 39 could possibly be discussing a future war when it mentions all these ancient weapons. But I’d say, how could Ezekiel 39 be talking about a past war when it mentions all these modern decontamination techniques?
V17-20, The Birds and the Beasts
Now keeping in mind that these bodies are going to sit in the land for 7 months before the bodies even start getting cleaned up, what’s going on with those bodies during that time? Well, I hope you already ate breakfast before you hear this next section.
Ezekiel 39:17-20
17 “As for you, son of man, thus says the Lord God: Speak to the birds of every sort and to all beasts of the field: ‘Assemble and come, gather from all around to the sacrificial feast that I am preparing for you, a great sacrificial feast on the mountains of Israel, and you shall eat flesh 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 he-goats, of bulls, all of them fat beasts of Bashan. 19 And you shall eat fat till you are filled, and drink blood till you are drunk, at the sacrificial feast that I am preparing for you. 20 And you shall be filled at my table with horses and charioteers, with mighty men and all kinds of warriors,’ declares the Lord God.
By the way everybody, in case I forget to say it later, Happy Thanksgiving.
So this is quite gruesome, although pretty well in line with how Ezekiel generally communicates. He often writes in very graphic and blunt language. And if I may say so, this is probably just about the snottiest passage in the Bible. And I don’t mean that as a slur against God at all, because this is God speaking. I respect the art form here. I respect the dunk. But this is perhaps the most sarcastic passage I have ever read in the Bible, and let me explain why.
In ancient times, kings had a way of writing formal invitations to a feast. There was a pattern, or a template, to these formal letters which would be sent. There would be an address of the herald- he who would be tasked with communicating the king’s message. Then a notice of the superior’s message. Then you’d address the recipient of the letter, like how we address a letter to “Dear so-and-so.” And then you’d have the text of the invitation, during which the king or superior would detail the location and time of the feast and what you’d be having for dinner. All this would be followed by the signature of the host. So there are five parts to the template, OK?
In verses 17 through 20 of Ezekiel 39, God pauses the description of Gog and Magog’s defeat to write a letter. And God addresses his letter to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field, and God invites them to feast on the dead bodies of those who died in the Gog and Magog conflict.
It follows the exact pattern:
Address of the Herald: “As for you, son of man,”
A notice of the superior’s message: “thus says the Lord God”
Then God addresses the recipients of the letter, the animals of Israel: "Speak to the birds of every sort and to all beasts of the field”
And then the text of the letter itself: “Assemble and come, gather from all around to the sacrificial feast that I am preparing for you…” And it goes on inviting all the animals to this great feast to drink the blood and eat the bodies that are going to be strung out across this battlefield for months, perhaps years.
And then it concludes with the signature of the host. Like I might say, “Sincerely, Luke Taylor.” God ends His letter here with: “declares the Lord God.”
It is so sarcastic. If you were the people of Magog, imagine how terrifying this would be to hear. That God is explaining all the ways you’re going to die, and then God turns aside to all the animals of the kingdom and invites them to eat your dead bodies for dinner.
Just absolutely terrifying. And kinda snotty. And I’m 100% here for it.
V21-24, That All May Know
Well, we need to wrap up these verses about Gog and Magog.
Ezekiel 39:21-24
21 “And I will set my glory among the nations, and all the nations shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid on them. 22 The house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God, from that day forward. 23 And the nations shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity, because they dealt so treacherously with me that I hid my face from them and gave them into the hand of their adversaries, and they all fell by the sword. 24 I dealt with them according to their uncleanness and their transgressions, and hid my face from them.
This goes very much with what we discussed last time about why-why-why. Why the Gog and Magog conflict had to happen in the first place. Because God shows Himself faithful. God shows Himself to the whole world as the defender of Israel. God makes it so that the whole world knows and can’t deny at this point that He is real and He has chosen to work through Israel.
When I was pastoring at a church for most of the past decade, we had a huge banner in the church which said “That All May Know.” We supported dozens of missionaries at that church, and it was part of that church’s mission, and we did it so “That All May Know.” Sending out missionaries to spread the Gospel throughout the world is the Great Commission, that all may know- or have an opportunity to know- the Messiah.
Ezekiel 39 takes that idea to a whole new level. God is doing this so that all the world- and every Jewish person in the world today- may know that He is real and takes care of this nation. And I believe that this Gog and Magog conflict will take place to draw more and more Jewish people back to the land of Israel, which also helps in setting the stage for the Tribulation period.
The majority of Jewish people today are secularized and either atheistic or agnostic in their thinking. They doubt God’s reality. But after this conflict, they won’t doubt Him any longer. And I believe that this will incite any remaining Jewish people in the world to want to move back to Israel from around the planet. It doesn’t mean that they get saved at that point. They still need to accept Jesus. But they’ll at least for now believe in God, and this puts them on the path to getting saved.
There are many elements of Ezekiel 39 that call back to Ezekiel 37, the valley of the dry bones vision. That one started with a field full of skeletons, leftovers from some kind of ancient battle. Ezekiel was given a vision in which flesh formed back over those skeletons and the people came back to life, and this symbolized the regathering of the Jewish people in the land and their spiritual awakening to God, which happens in stages.
Now in Ezekiel 39, what are we left with? Another valley of dry bones. And this time it’s a valley of Israel’s enemies. And it’s not going to end with the flesh forming over the bones and coming back to life. It ends with predatory birds picking their bones clean.
Again, happy thanksgiving.
[musical interlude]
Housekeeping/Mailbag
Next time on this podcast, I’m not sure quite where we’ll be. We did it, guys! We got through Ezekiel 38 and 39! Well, we have four or five verses left, but we’ll wrap it all up today, and that just leaves the final 9 chapters of Ezekiel.
This will 100% be the most difficult section of Ezekiel that I am going to teach. Ever since I started the podcast, I have- I don’t want to say dreaded, but struggled to consider how I would teach it. I considered going through at the same pace I’ve been doing all of these lessons, but that would take approximately 9 months, and that’s a long and dry section of the Bible to spend 9 months on, so I don’t want to do that.
I considered going through all nine chapters in one summarizing lesson, and I decided I don’t want to do that either.
And I thought about perhaps skipping it entirely, but that just wouldn’t be right, either. I’ve literally taught on every other verse of Ezekiel up to this point; why stop now?
So my plan at this point is to actually create a study of the Millennium as a whole, using Ezekiel 40-48 as a backdrop to looking at this whole thousand-year period and kind of picking it all apart. The Bible says a whole lot more about the Millennium than just what you read in Revelation 20. There’s a lot in Isaiah and the Minor Prophets and the Psalms. So let’s just put it all together, and the way this podcast will eventually conclude in the first half of next year is with a series of episodes looking to this future timeframe that few Christians ever study.
Make sure you’re subscribed so you can get it! And if you’ve never left a 5-star review and you’re listening on a podcast device, please take a moment to tap that 5. Don’t tap the 1 or 2. And definitely don’t tap the 3. That’s just riding the fence, man. Give me something. A 3 don’t tell me nothin.
A few quick mailbags. Thanks to Frank for his compliment on the recent Gog and Magog episode. If you want to get in touch with me, send an email to crossreferencespodcast@gmail.com
v25-29, Ezekiel and You
And as we close, let’s look at the final verses of Ezekiel 38-39, and officially conclude this major section of Ezekiel.
Ezekiel 39:25-29
25 “Therefore thus says the Lord God: Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob and have mercy on the whole house of Israel, and I will be jealous for my holy name. 26 They shall forget their shame and all the treachery they have practiced against me, when they dwell securely in their land with none to make them afraid, 27 when I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them from their enemies' lands, and through them have vindicated my holiness in the sight of many nations. 28 Then they shall know that I am the Lord their God, because I sent them into exile among the nations and then assembled them into their own land. I will leave none of them remaining among the nations anymore. 29 And I will not hide my face anymore from them, when I pour out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, declares the Lord God.”
What is fascinating about the house of Israel- and this refers to the modern state of Israel of course- is that they are on a collision course with blessing, and there’s nothing they can do to stop it. God has good good plans for them. They are destined for good things ahead. God literally says they have practiced treachery against Him, and yet God has promised to someday save them and pour out His spirit on them.
And if you ever get a little jealous of that, let me just remind you who else that is true of: you and I. We literally had the same story. We were treacherous against God. We sinned. We fell short. We were doomed and damned. There was nothing within ourselves that was worthy of salvation, nothing worthy of God’s love.
And yet while we yet sinners, Christ died for us. God brought us back. And He poured out His spirit on us, and He will not hide His face from you ever again.
Don’t treat this book like it’s just about an ancient nation and God’s plans for its future. Ezekiel’s story is your story as well. You’re on a collision course with blessing, and there’s nothing you can do to stop it.
Maybe you’re more like Israel. You grew up a church kid. You said the right things, you asked Jesus into your heart, you had a godly background- and then you wandered off the path for a while. Ezekiel shows us that God will take you back, and restore you, and forgive you, and not hold your past sins against you. Ezekiel’s story is your story as well.
And I don’t know who could be listening today. Perhaps you have never accepted the Gospel before. I don’t know what brought you to this episode. Maybe you’re hearing these things about Bible prophecy and you see them lining up, and you’re wondering if it’s all true.
Well, spoiler alert: it is. In fact, this book contains a lot of spoilers about the future. And guess what: God’s promises for Israel’s future can be promises for your future as well. Accept Jesus Christ as Lord of your life and put your faith in Him. Believe that He is the Son of God, and that He died for your sins and rose again. And Ezekiel’s story can be your story as well.
Thanks for listening to this Cross References Bible Study on the Book of Ezekiel. This has been Luke Taylor, and I hope the Bible makes more sense to you after this episode.