The Magog Identity

from the August 12, 2008 eNews issue

Russia's invasion of Georgia has caused a uproar in the international community and further strained Russia's diplomatic relationship with the West. These events could help pave the way for the famed battle prophesied in Ezekiel 38 and 39. It is during this battle, that God will directly intercede to protect Israel from Magog and its allies:

"And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him…And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horse-men, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords…(Ezekiel 38:1-4)."

So begins this classic passage in which Gog and Magog, with their allies, are drawn into an invasion of Israel only to have the God of Israel use the occasion to show Himself strong by intervening on behalf of His people and destroying the invading forces. To understand this passage, it is essential to first determine who the players are. Despite the many controversies, these participants are surprisingly well identified. Just who are the people represented here by these ancient tribal names?

Why Such Weird Names?

Have you ever wondered why the Biblical prophets always seem to refer to various peoples by such strange names? It's actually our fault! We keep changing the names of things. There once was a city known as Petrograd. For many years it was known as St. Petersburg. Then it was changed to Leningrad. Now it's St. Petersburg again. What will it be named a few years from now? (My friends in Russia say that in Russia, even the past is uncertain!) The capital of the old world, Byzantium, was renamed Constantinople. Now that city is known as Istanbul. This occurs even in our own country. How many of you remember when "Cape Canaveral" was renamed "Cape Kennedy"? Ten years later it became "Cape Canaveral" again.

But we do not change the names of our ancestors! So, if you were the prophet Isaiah and were called upon to speak of the Persians over a century before they emerged as an empire, how could you refer to them? You would speak of them as the descendants of Elam, the forebears of the Persians.

All humans are descended, not only from Adam, but from Noah. Noah and his three sons repopulated the entire Earth after the flood. Thus, we are all descendants of Noah's three sons: Ham, Shem, and Japheth. The genealogical records of Noah and his three sons are listed in Genesis 10, and the 70 original tribal groups described there are often called the "Table of Nations" by Biblical scholars.

Magog was one of the sons of Japheth and his descendants are often referred to by their Greek name, the Scythians. Early scholars and historians - including Josephus Flavius and the "Father of History" Herodotus - have identified Magog with the people group that has become the modern nation of Russia. To learn more about The Magog Invasion, click on the links below.