CHAPTER 22

GOG-MAGOG SCENARIO

King of the North:  Turkey and Iran (Magog)

 “This crusade, this war on terrorism, is going to take awhile.”

President George W. Bush . . . cir. 2001

By Doug Krieger

Pergamos Ministries

The Tribulation Network

www.the-tribulation-network.com

“In the eyes of many Muslims, events in the last three years seem to lend credence to the view that the Christian West is, once again, at war with the Muslim world” (Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi chairs the 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference, Malaysia; his presentation was before a convocation of the World Council of Churches in Malaysia).

U.S. President George W. Bush said he would not rule out military action against Iran if that country was not more forthcoming about its suspected nuclear weapons program.  “I hope we can solve it diplomatically, but I will never take any option off the table, if it (i.e., Iran) continues to stonewall the international community about the existence of its nuclear weapons program.”

“We have to avoid a clash of civilizations at all costs.  One has to avoid falling into this huge trap, this monstrous trap conceived by the instigators of the assault” (French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine).

And so, the ratcheting of the rhetoric continues unabated!  Please, do not think that the USA does not understand the “religious dynamic” involved in the conflict . . . most assuredly it does!  A “crusade” could never be launched against the forces of Gog and Magog from the effete Europeans (the French, the Germans, the Spanish), who can’t incorporate the roots of their Christian heritage into the EU’s Constitution!  Whereas, the USA inherently understands the dimension of the current conflict all too well, juxtaposed to a post-Napoleonic, secularized/socialized, and war-wary (because they can’t win one on their own) Europe:

 “Brainwashed and trigger-happy American teenagers, whipped into a frenzy of bloodlust and fanaticism by their superiors . . . .    Soldiers are being sent into the meat grinder with evangelical Christian rites, Christian rock music, and heavy metal, and told by officers that they are battling “the face of Satan,” and “saving Iraq from rape, torture, and murder.”  Marine Colonel Gary Bradl glorified in the killing spree, declaring that “the enemy has got a face.  He’s called Satan.  He’s in Fallujah and we’re going to destroy him.”

“Well, is he [bin Laden] the enemy?... Or is this man [Saddam] the enemy? The enemy is none of these people I have showed you here.  The enemy is a spiritual enemy. He’s called the principality of darkness. The enemy is a guy called Satan.” (Lt. Gen. William “Jerry” Boykin, Slide Show, First Baptist Church, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, June 30, 2003)

Superiors?  Listen . . . what does this sound like?

“There are a lot of things that are said by people that are their views,” he (Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld) said, “and that’s the way we live. We are free people and that’s the wonderful thing about our country, and I think for anyone to run around and think that can be managed or controlled is probably wrong.”

“There is a very wide gray area on what the rules permit” but that “at first blush, it doesn’t look like any rules were broken.” (General Richard Myers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff)

The “religious dynamic” of the current “War on Terrorism” goes beyond a secular perspective in the “modern era.” The leadership of the West is cognizant of the “spiritual perspective” that must be kept and preserved before the people, and especially before the forces that oppose the likes of Gog!  It is the FACE OF SATAN transcending the objective reasoning of a post-Christian Europe.  No cajoling or scientific observation will convince the USA otherwise, especially coming from the likes of Jacque Chirac or a Gerhardt Schroeder.

Indeed this can only be met by the religious fervency of Jihad:

“Within extremist Islamic circles, hatred of America (‘the Great Satan’) and Israel (‘the Little Satan’) go hand in hand. There are interesting debates among the Islamists over which is their greatest enemy. Some argue for America, on the grounds that Israel is merely an outpost of the ‘Crusader’ empire centered in the United States. Others suggest that the ‘Zionist entity’ is the greater threat, on the grounds that a Zionist conspiracy secretly controls the U.S. government.  But there is no denying that the two are closely linked in the Islamists’ minds because both countries stand for everything they detest.” (Max Boot, A Single War, The New York Post, Dec. 2002)

. . . and from Islam’s lips to your ears . . . .

“…Muhammad, Allah’s Messenger, heralded to those killed for Allah that they are Allah’s most preferred people. When a man comes to the Messenger of Allah and says, ‘Who is the man most preferred by Allah?’ [Muhammad] says: ‘A believer who participated in Jihad with his body and his money for the sake of Allah.’ These are the people most preferred by Allah.

“The Prophet could, by means of the unity of the Muslim ranks and its awakening . . . will defeat America as long as it supports our enemy, as long as America insists on being against our people and against our cause and our holy places, and against our people and our leadership. As long as America holds these criminal opinions, we will defeat it with Allah’s help. Indeed, we consider America to be our No. 1 enemy, as long as it supports our enemy (i.e., Israel).  Must we be killed by only American planes? [Must] our homes be destroyed only by means of American tanks?  Must our enemy control us only by means of American support? America is our No. 1 enemy, and we see it as our No. 1 enemy as long as we learn from the lessons of the Battle of Tabouk [which took place in October 630 AD]: ‘Make ready for them whatever you can of armed strength and of mounted pickets.’ [Koran 8:60]  We are prepared and ready, but victory is from Allah.”

(Friday Sermon by Sheikh Ibrahim Mudeiris at the Sheikh Ijlin Mosque, Gaza City, August 22, 2003, Broadcast on PA-TV)

UNITY OF THE MUSLIM RANKS AND ITS AWAKENING

“1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 ‘Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal; prophesy against him 3 and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. 4 I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army-your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords. 5 Persia, Cush and Put will be with them, all with shields and helmets, 6 also Gomer with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah from the far north with all its troops-the many nations with you.”

Theories abound regarding the identification of Gog’s allies (i.e., Magog) . . . and I list but a few; and, in so doing, reveal the various locations of these ancient tribes and peoples:

1.    RUSSIA:    The Hebrew word ‘rosh’ can be found in various translations in Ezk. 38:3 (“And say, ‘Thus says the Lord God:  ‘Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal.’”—NKJV).  This to some Bible expositors identifies with Russia; and, thence, “Tubal” with “Tiblisi or “Tobolsk” and “Meshech” with Moscow.

This theory simply does not hold the weight of antiquity nor Biblical justification . . .

“Historian Edwin Yamauchi notes that, even if one transliterated the Hebrew ro's as a proper name (as the Septuigent does), it can have nothing to do with modern Russia.  Yamauchi writes, ‘This would be a gross anachronism, for the modern name is based upon the name Rus, which was brought into the reign of Kiev, north of the Black Sea, by the Vikings only in the Middle Ages.’  Yamauchi goes on to analyze the nomenclature ‘Gog and Magog’ and reaches the majority scholarly opinion, namely, that we simply cannot positively identify the antecedents of these historical names. However, the identifications of Meshech and Tubal are not in doubt.  Few scholars today equate them with Moscow and Tobolsk.  Rather, combined ancient testimony attests to the fact that Meshech and Tubal were located in central and eastern Anatolia (Asia Minor) (i.e., Turkey), respectively.  (C. Marvin Pate and Calvin B. Haines, Jr., Doomsday Delusions: What's wrong with Predictions About the End of the World, Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1995, p. 62-63).  The point we wish to make is that it seems difficult for those who predicted the Soviet Union would be the great enemy to the north that would swarm over Israel to acknowledge the fact that the empire is no more.  Instead, they amend their interpretations to fit the current scene.” (Pate and Haines (1995))

I find it academically refreshing to note Professor Yamauchi’s avoidance of antiquity’s geographical whereabouts of either Gog or Magog, but his logic and historicity (backed by his outstanding research and credentials) in the identification of both Meshech and Tubal within Western Turkey (i.e., Asia Minor) is precisely on target.  The Moody Bible Institute map (see above) places reMeshech, Tubal, Togarmah, and Gomer clearly in Turkey (along with Magog).

Insofar as “Tubal” is concerned, Easton’s Bible Dictionary nails the location with deliberate accuracy:

“TUBAL:  The fifth son of Japheth (Genesis 10:2).  A nation, probably descended from the son of Japheth. It is mentioned by (Isaiah 66:19), along with Javan, and by (Ezekiel 27:13), along with Meshech, among the traders with Tyre, also among the confederates of Gog (Ezekiel 38:2,3; 39:1), and with Meshech among the nations which were to be destroyed (32:26). This nation was probably the Tiberini of the Greek historian Herodotus, a people of the Asiatic highland west of the Upper Euphrates, the southern range of the Caucasus, on the east of the Black Sea.”

And, with regards to “Meshech,” we substantiate his whereabouts, once again, in these aforementioned lands of antiquity:

“Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were thy merchants: they traded the persons of men and vessels of brass in thy market.”  (Ezek 27:13 KJV). 

Here we find that Tyre, the ancient Phoenician trading nation/empire, trafficked in copper throughout the Mediterranean.

    
“In Roman times much of the copper was obtained from the island of Cyprus (southern Turkey). - Universal Standard Encyclopedia.  By 2,000 BC the use of metals had become widespread throughout an area stretching from western and central Anatolia [Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Iraq, Iran] across the flanks of the Taurus [Southern Turkey] and Zagros [Western and Southern Iran] mountains and to the edge of the central desert of Iran.” (Grolier Encyclopedia 1995).

“Meshechs (Meshekhs/Mosokhs, Mushku in Akkadian, Moschoi in Greek) were an ancient, non-Indo-European and non-Semitic, indigenous tribe of Asia Minor Anatolia (Greek ανατολη (anatole) for ‘rising of the sun’ or ‘East’; compare ‘Orient’ and ‘Levant,’ by popular etymology Turkish Anadolu to ana ‘mother’ and dolu ‘filled’), also called by the Latin name of Asia Minor, is a region of Southwest Asia which corresponds today to the Asian portion of Turkey. They occupied a territory somewhere to the south of present-day Georgia (საქართველო Sakartvelo in Georgian), known from 1990 to 1995 as the Republic of Georgia, is a country to the east of the Black Sea in the south Caucasus. A former republic of the Soviet Union, it shares borders with Russia in the north and Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan in the south.

“Meschech is possibly in Cappadocia.  In ancient geography, Cappadocia was an extensive inland district of Asia Minor (modern Turkey). In the time of Herodotus the Cappadocians occupied the whole region from Mount Taurus to the Euxine (Black Sea).  Cappadocia, in this sense, was bounded in the south by the chain of Mount Taurus, to the east by the Euphrates, north by Pontus, and west vaguely by the great central salt desert. But it is impossible to define its limits with accuracy. Strabo, the only ancient author who gives any circumstantial account of the country, greatly exaggerated its dimensions; it is now believed to have been about 250 miles in length by less than 150 in breadth.” (The Free Dictionary by Farlex)

Again we are talking about Turkey, portions of Iran, and at the extreme, areas bordering Turkey and Iran (e.g., Azerbaijan and perhaps Chechnya)

2.             HASHEMITE KINGDOM:  This conjecture is of dubious popularity; however, it does hold some credibility.  It argues that the coalition of nations under Gog are Islamic Nations who will rise up against Israel in the Last Days and will be led by either Iraq or Jordan or by the “Turks.”  Therefore, the enemy to the “North” of Israel bears direct connection to those areas of Syria, Iraq and Turkey; and that these lands occupied by Magog are Gomer, Togarmah, Meshech and Tubal.

We have in our previous articles discussed the immediate “ruinous heap” awaiting Syria, as well as her puppet state, Lebanon; and “Gaza” with “the stronghold of Ephraim” (Ramallah) (a.k.a. “the Palestinian Authority”) as found in Isaiah 17, Zech. 9:1-6).  However, the identities of Gomer and Togarmah (or Beth Togarmah, “the House of Togarmah”) are of interest at this juncture.

Gomer was the first son of Japheth (Genesis 10:1).  Some historians/geographers identify Gomer as the ancient Cimmerians who were driven from the southern steppes of Russia around 700 B.C. into today’s Turkey:

“Cimmerians, ancient people of S. Russia of whom little is actually known. They are mentioned in Homer, but they emerge into history only in the 8th cent. B.C. when they were driven by the Scythians from their former home in Crimea and came to the region around Lake Van (in present-day E. Turkey). Defeated (634 B.C.) by the Scythians, the Cimmerians swept across Asia Minor, plundering Lydia and breaking the power of Phrygia. The biblical Gomer may be the eponym of the Cimmerians, and they are mentioned in the inscriptions of the Assyrians, with whom they warred.” (The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2004, Columbia University Press.)

Other research regarding Gomer is a bit more “colorful.”

“The first of Noah’s grandsons mentioned is Gomer. Ezekiel locates the early descendants of Gomer, along with Togarmah (a son of Gomer), in the north quarters (Ezekiel 38:6). In modern Turkey is an area which in New Testament times was called Galatia. The Jewish historian Flavius Josephus records that the people who were called Galatians or Gauls in his day (c. AD 93) were previously called Gomerites.

“They migrated westward to what are now called France and Spain. For many centuries France was called Gaul, after the descendants of Gomer. North-west Spain is called Galicia to this day.  Some of the Gomerites migrated further to what is now called Wales. The Welsh historian, Davis, records a traditional Welsh belief that the descendants of Gomer ‘landed on the Isle of Britain from France, about three hundred years after the flood.’ He also records that the Welsh language is called Gomeraeg (after their ancestor Gomer).”  (Asian Internet Bible Institute)

The issue here is that Gomer’s logistics, as it pertains to Ezekiel, is domiciled in modern Turkey.

A consideration of Togarmah or Beth Togarmah is the clearest designation in these same ancient lands: In Ezekiel 27:14 Togarmah is mentioned after Tubal, Javan and Meshech as supplying horses and mules to the Tyrians, and in Ezekiel 38:6 it is said to have supplied soldiers to the army of Gog (Gyges of Lydia). In the Assyrian inscriptions horses came from Kusu (neighborhood of Cappadocia), Andia and Mannu, to the North of Assyria. 

In our previous article on this topic we discussed that Togarmah was the third son of Gomer.  In Ezekiel’s time there was a city in the region of Cappodocia (Modern Turkey) known as Tegarma, Tagarma, Takarama or Til-garimmu.  In that Tyre was supplied horses and mules from Togarmah, we conclude—though some researches are adamant that modern Armenia is the ancient site of Togarmah—Ezekiel’s preponderance of evidence indicates otherwise; thus, the “Moslem Nation of Turkey” is once again given the designation.  Additional research substantiates the Armenia/Turkey connection:

“The sons of Gomer were ‘Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah’ (Genesis 10:3). Encyclopedia Britannica says that the Armenians traditionally claim to be descended from Togarmah and Ashkenaz. Ancient Armenia reached into Turkey. The name Turkey probably comes from Togarmah.”  (Asian Internet Bible Institute).

3.       CAUCUSES REGION:  These are the allies of Gog and Magog (the Arab nations) with the Muslim states of the former Soviet Union—most of Russia proper is omitted from the ultimate conflict, and only its southern extension is involved. 

This theory dates from the time of Alexander the Great who is supposed to have built a wall to stop invasions from that area and when that wall collapses Gog and Magog will come forth and the world will end.  Apparently Caucasus literally means “Fort of God.” Noah’s descendents are charted as follows:

Noah
 Japheth
     Gomer     Magog      Madai     Javan     Tubal     Meschech     Tiras
       |                                               |
       |                                               |-------Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, Dodanim
----------
Ashkenaz
Riphath

Togarmah
It is believed that the names of the descendents of Noah are mentioned because they are ethno-geographic, that is, they refer to the geographic areas into which they moved after the flood.  (Magog Watch)

4.    EUROPE THEORY:  Gog and Magog, as the sons of Japheth, immigrated into regions of Europe; therefore, this theory conjectures that if this be the case, then Europe is fully engaged in the Gog/Magog conflict.  This theory is not widely accepted among expositors (Notice Gomer/Magog’s_Locations):                                                                                                                                                                      

5.        INDO-EUROPEAN THEORY:  This thesis is a combination of both the Caucuses, Europe and Northern Islamic Nations (Turkey, Iran, Syrian (Kurdistan, Jordan, Georgia, Armenia, etc.).  “Somehow” the coalition of nations includes alliances of nations both Islamic and Christian . . . including Russia and the Islamic republics of Central Asia (Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, etc.).  

These are the most dominate “theories” on Gog and Magog; and, of course, there are variations of these more popular themes; however, after consideration of the “King of the North” (the northern confederation of nations involved in the “Gog/Magog War,” there seems to be little doubt that these nations comprise those Islamic Republics of Turkey, Iran and, at their extremity, Islamic Republics within the Caucuses region of the former Soviet Union.

PERSIA & OTHER PEOPLES—WATCH EGYPT!

Without hesitation, the modern Islamic Republic of IRAN is the Persia of Ezekiel 38:6; while “Ethiopia (Hebrew “Cush”) is primarily the region of the “Upper SUDAN” (towards Egypt) and LIBYA is the Hebrew ancient “Put.”  Insofar as the “Southern Confederation” of nations allied with Gog, aside from Cush and Put (Sudan and Libya), Daniel 11:40-41, wherein the attack centers upon Antichrist, lists (in addition to the Libyans and the Ethiopians or the Sudanese) the EGYPTIANS (Egypt).  “He (Antichrist, after the defeat of Gog and his “Southern Allies”) shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels” (Daniel 11:43).

Significantly, in the Daniel 11:40-45 scenario, the Libyans and Ethiopians are mentioned (giving credibility to the congruence of the parallel struggle of the Ezekiel 38 and 39 conflict); however, in Daniel 11:42-43 EGYPT is not only integrated into the conflict, but its first mentioning indicates a superior position within the confederation of the “King of the South” and stipulates the INITIAL CONFRONTATION against “him” (i.e., Antichrist) erupts from the King of the South:  “At the time of the end the King of the South shall attack him; and the King of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind,” etc. (Daniel 11:40).

Again, our affirmation is that ALL THESE GEOGRAPHICAL DESIGNATIONS (found in Ezk. 38-39, Daniel 11:40-45 and Isaiah 17:12 through 18:7) are in today’s modern Islamic States with the notable exclusion of JORDAN (Daniel 11:41); SYRIA/LEBANON/GAZA (PLO) due to the events in Isaiah 17:1-5; Zechariah 9:1-8; IRAQ (Ancient Mesopotamia/Babylon); and those nations on the Saudi Arabian Peninsula (ancient Sheba and Dedan) which would include Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and the Persian Gulf States, and find their “economic solidarity” and protestation in concert with the International Trading Empire (a.k.a., the “COMMERCIAL REPUBLIC”) known as the West of the Ancient World:  The Merchants of Tarshish (Ezekiel 38:13:  “Sheba (Aden/Yemen), Dedan (Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States/Oman), the merchants of Tarshish, and all their young lions (obviously, the “trading partners” of Tarshish) will say to you, ‘Have you come to take plunder?  Have you gathered your army (Magog) to take booty, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take great plunder?’”

Although Israel proper may represent an “economic miracle” . . . there is utterly no comparison to the wealth of the Saudi Arabian Peninsula.  That is what disturbs and that appears to be the attention of Gog!  Biblical confirmation of SUDAN’S (i.e., “Ethiopian’s”) involvement in Ezekiel 38:5 and Daniel 11:43 adds credibility to the singular conflict found in Ezekiel and Daniel’s account.  The chart below helps clarify the ancient and modern names of these designations and the “theories” associated with them.  The final designation in Ezekiel’s accounting is a rather all-inclusive statement; however, based upon the immediate “Islamic Alignment of Nations” one would be hard pressed to conjecture that the “many people with you” would exclude all non-Islamic states:

CHART OF ANCIENT TRIBAL DESIGNATION TO MODERN STATES

This concludes our immediate research into Gog, and his allies (Magog) . . . “The King of the North” and “The King of the South.”  We will turn more of our attention in the next blog to the Iranian and Egyptian “Theaters of Operation.”

Suffice it to say, these are perilous times . . . more so than at any time in human history because of the unbelievably destructive capabilities of WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction) in the hands of so many nations AND other organizations on the face of the earth.  The proliferation of these weapons is perhaps the singular most significant “unknown” within strategic planning centers around the globe.  We await the fate of Damascus . . . 

“Damascus . . . they have heard bad news . . . they are fainthearted . . . there is trouble on the sea; it cannot be quiet . . . Damascus has grown feeble; she turns to flee, and fear has seized her . . . anguish and sorrows have taken her like a woman in labor” (Jeremiah 49:23 and 24).

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