Gogi
The prophecy of Gog and Magog is found in the Book of Ezekiel, chapters 38 and 39 and deals with a final battle between the God of Israel and a personage named GOG, who is a leader from the country or region of Magog. One of the interesting things about this prophecy is that GOG is never refererd to as a king: in fact a closer scrutiny of the original Hebrew presents GOG as the leader, Prince, or even President of Magog, (but more on this later). It is a prophecy that has long fascinated me because it is so mysterious. Who is this Gog? How is he able to summon all the powers of the world (represented by kingdoms in the South, North, East, and West) to descend upon Israel to destroy her? And, why would he want to? Recent events are bringing these questions into sharper focus.
To begin, however, lets take a look at Ezekiel 38 and see what he has to say about GOG:
Thus the word of the LORD came to me:
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2 Son of man, turn toward Gog (of the land of Magog), the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him:
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Thus says the Lord GOD: See! I am coming at you, Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.
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I will lead you forth with all your army, horses and riders all handsomely outfitted, a great horde with bucklers and shields, all of them carrying swords:
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Persia, Cush, and Put with them (all with shields and helmets),
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Gomer with all its troops, Beth-togarmah from the recesses of the north with all its troops, many peoples with you.
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Prepare yourself, be ready, you and all your horde assembled about you, and be at my disposal.
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After many days you will be mustered (in the last years you will come) against a nation which has survived the sword, which has been assembled from many peoples (on the mountains of Israel which were long a ruin), which has been brought forth from among the peoples and all of whom now dwell in security.
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You shall come up like a sudden storm, advancing like a cloud to cover the earth, you and all your troops and the many peoples with you.
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Thus says the Lord GOD: At that time thoughts shall arise in your mind, and you shall devise an evil scheme:
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"I will go up against a land of open villages and attack the peaceful people who are living in security, all of them living without walls, having neither bars nor gates,
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3 to plunder and pillage, turning my hand against the ruins that were repeopled and against a people gathered from the nations, a people concerned with cattle and goods, who dwell at the navel of the earth."
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Sheba and Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish and all her young lions shall ask you: "Is it for plunder that you have come? Is it for pillage that you have summoned your horde, to carry off silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to seize much plunder?"
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Thus says the Lord GOD: It is of you that I spoke in ancient times through my servants, the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days that I would bring you against them.
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But on that day, the day when Gog invades the land of Israel, says the Lord GOD, my fury shall be aroused. In my anger
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and in my jealousy, in my fiery wrath, I swear: On that day there shall be a great shaking upon the land of Israel.
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Before me shall tremble the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, the beasts of the field and all the reptiles that crawl upon the ground, and all men who are on the land. Mountains shall be overturned, and cliffs shall tumble, and every wall shall fall to the ground.
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Against him I will summon every terror, says the Lord GOD, every man's sword against his brother. I will hold judgment with him in pestilence and bloodshed;
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flooding rain and hailstones, fire and brimstone, I will rain upon him, upon his troops, and upon the many peoples with him.
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I will prove my greatness and holiness and make myself known in the sight of many nations; thus they shall know that I am the LORD.
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Therefore prophesy, son of man, and say to Gog: Thus says the Lord GOD: When my people Israel are dwelling in security, will you not bestir yourself
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and come from your home in the recesses of the north, you and many peoples with you, all mounted on horses, a great horde and a mighty army?
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You shall come up against my people Israel like a cloud covering the land. In the last days I will bring you against my land, that the nations may know of me, when in their sight I prove my holiness through you, O Gog.
Ezekiel states that this war between GOG and the God of Israel will take place in the last days. However, how can we know when the last days are? Ezekiel leaves us some clues:
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After many days you will be mustered (in the last years you will come) against a nation which has survived the sword, which has been assembled from many peoples (on the mountains of Israel which were long a ruin), which has been brought forth from among the peoples and all of whom now dwell in security.
GOG will come against Israel in a time period when the nation is completely restablished in the traditional Jewish homeland (Canaan)after a long period of separation. Also, the people will live in relative peace (Israel has never been seriously attacked int he modern era by any other regional power, and when it was victory was ridiculously easy). And, there will be a massive migration of Jews from around the world who will want to return to their anscestoral homeland in peace. (For more information on Jewish immigration, refer to the following reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration_to_Palestine_and_Israel)
In the time of Ezekiel, Israel was not an independent state, it was a suzerainty of Babylon, and was in the process of being utterly destroyed because of the foolish rebellions of its puppet kings. So Ezekiel could not be referring to his time. Israel was restored later under the Persian Emperor Darius, however the nation of Israel never fully formed, and the land was never fully repopulated. In addition, after Persia, Greece took control of the region and after that, Rome, who oversaw the complete destruction and deportation of the Jewish people. The only time period that appears to fit is ours, because in 1948, the modern State of Israel was established by survivors of WWII and the sword of the Nazi Holocaust, (on the mountains of Israel which were long a ruin) after almost 2000 years!
In sum, Ezekiel tells us that the war of Gog will happen some time after the re-establishment of the State of Israel after a long period of exile, during a time when it is enjoying relative peace, and living in towns without walls. This seems to be our time.
But, if the war is likely to happen in our time, then who is the one (GOG) who will start it?
The Table of Nations
(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yajuj_and_Majuj)
To figure out who Gog from Magog may be, it is important to find out who the Bible says he is and work from there. Gog and Magog first appear in the "Table of Nations" in Genesis 10, where Magog is the eponymous ancestor of a people or nation (without any accompanying apocalyptic symbolism, or mention of Gog):
2. The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras
3. The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.
Clearly in Genesis these patricarchs are presented as individual people, where Ezekiel is presenting them as a nation, except for Gog himself. And they are mostly the sons of Japheth, who is considered the father of most of the Indo-European peoples. So Gog is likely a person of European descent, possibly of Celtic or Germanic anscestory. This leaves out the nations of the East and Middle East as possible homes for Gog. Gog is not an Arab or Asian leader.
However, that still leaves us with the question: which person of European descent could represent Gog? Ezekiel leaves us another clue.
The clue goes as follows:
Son of man, set your face toward Gog, [toward] the land of Magog, the prince, the head of Meshech and Tubal.
Ezekiel deliberately identifies Gog as the head, or prince of Meshech and Tubal. So, if we want to know who Gog is, then we need to know who the head or protector of these people are today.
Meshech
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Meshechs (Meshekhs/Mosokhs/Mushki, Mushku in Akkadian, Moschoi in Greek) were an ancient Indo-European tribe of Asia Minor of the 2nd-1st millennia BC, said in the Bible to be the offspring of Meshech, son of Japheth. They were among the first people to introduce iron smelting there at the end of the 2nd millennium BC.
They occupied a territory somewhere to the south of present-day Georgia, possibly in Cappadocia. The tribal name Meshech is believed to be the source of Meskheti, the name of a south-western Georgian province. Some historians claim Meshechs being one of the ancestor tribes of modern Georgian people.
So many of the people of Meshech inhabit the former Soviet Republic of Georgia today. However, the leader of Georgia was Russia, but is no longer. Do you know who the new "leader" of Georgia is?
Post-Soviet Georgia welcomes George W. Bush with open arms
02.05.2005
Source:
URL: http://english.pravda.ru/world/ussr/8168-georgia-0
George W. Bush's visit to the republic of Georgia has a political motive, a signal to the Russian administration
A lot of observers regard the forthcoming visit of the US President George W. Bush to the former Soviet republic of Georgia on May 10th as “the visit of an inspector.” Mikhail Saakashvili, the President of Georgia, is believed to be the USA's protege at this point. The USA has been providing quite significant funds to the young Georgian administration after Georgia became an independent state: about $100 million a year. Furthermore, the US government assigned additional $120 million to Georgia during the recent three years for the republic's military programs.
The authorities of Tbilisi, the Georgian capital, started preparing to George W. Bush's upcoming visit last week. Huge billboards saying “Welcome, President George Bush” appeared on city's major highways. The billboards depict Georgian and American flags with the inscription in the Georgian language: “President Bush will deliver speech on the Square of Freedom on May 10th at 9 a.m.”
According to the information from specially-established headquarters for the organization of US president's visit to Georgia, there will be about 100 street signs erected in Tbilisi and other cities of the republic. The cost of each sign is evaluated at about $220. Thousands of Georgian schoolchildren with Georgian and American flags in their hands will be welcoming George Bush on his way from the airport. The city authorities are currently taking urgent measures to improve the outward appearance of the city, repairing roads and painting buildings in all colors of the rainbow. The buildings in the center of Tbilisi are still in scaffolding. President Mikhail Saakashvili personally controls the preparations to the visit of the American guest. Municipal services are repairing the building of the parliament as well, on which they assigned $45 thousand.
Practically all analysts believe that George W. Bush's visit to the republic of Georgia has a political motive, a signal to the Russian administration. The Georgian government apparently wants their Russian colleagues to understand that Georgia is not going to stay alone with Russia.
Shalva Natelashvili, the leader of the opposition Labor Party in Georgia, said that the opposition was going to organize a meeting of protest during Mr. Bush's visit to the republic, protesting against the dictatorship of the Georgian President Saakashvili. The head of the Georgian Internal Affairs Ministry stated in return that all unauthorized rallies would be subdued.
The new Georgian administration is trying to improve its tense relations with Russia. The President of Georgia, Mikhail Saakashvili, has recently stated that Georgia was ready to remove the visa entry for Russian citizens. According to Saakashvili, it will become one of the key issues in the talks with Russian officials. It is noteworthy that Georgia has recently canceled the visa-entry order for US, Canadian, Japanese, Israeli and European citizens, most likely for tourist reasons.
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Wednesday, May 11, 2005
George Bush calls Georgia ‘beacon of liberty’
* Says Russia will benefit from democratic change in ex-Soviet Union
TBILISI: US President George W Bush on Tuesday saluted Georgia’s fledgling democracy as a “beacon of liberty” and backed efforts by the ex-Soviet republic to regain sovereignty peacefully over two pro-Moscow separatist regions. But, during a 19-hour visit in which he was acclaimed by cheering crowds, Bush significantly avoided open backing for his host, President Mikhail Saakashvili, in his demand for the speedy closure of two Russian bases on Georgia soil. “The path of freedom you have chosen is not easy. But you will not travel it alone,” Bush told at least 60,000 people at Freedom Square, focus of a “Rose Revolution” that installed Saakashvili’s pro-Western government almost 18 months ago. The crowd, squeezed into the square and flowing beyond it, responded enthusiastically to the first visit by a sitting US president to the mountainous Caucasus state. Groups of people sat behind the podium wearing red, white and blue outfits to form the US flag and the red-and-white Georgian banner as Bush recalled Georgia’s long independence struggle that led to its “people’s power” revolution. “You gathered here armed with nothing but roses and the power of your convictions, and you claimed your liberty. And because you acted, Georgia is today both sovereign and free and a beacon of liberty for this region and the world,” Bush said. He said Washington encouraged Georgia’s closer cooperation with NATO, something Russia finds uncomfortable for a country in its own backyard and which it once ruled. And, in what appeared to be a swipe at Kremlin support for the two rebel Georgian regions, Bush said: “The territory and sovereignty of Georgia must be respected by all nations.”
Hmm, America seems to be replacing Russia as the "head or leader" of the Republic of Georgia. The plot thickens.
How about Tubal? What do we find out about the modern descendants of Tubal?
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
See also Tabal.
Tubal, according to Book of Genesis chap. 10 (the Table of Nations), was the name of a son of Japheth, son of Noah.
The Book of Genesis (chap. 10) gives us the descendants of Noah's three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. We are told that the sons of Japheth were Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.
Many authors, following the Romanized Jewish author Josephus (1st century AD), related the name to Iber. Concerning the question of the ethnic affinity of the population of Tubal, Josephus wrote: "Tobal gave rise to the Thobeles, who are now called Iberes". This version was repeated by Patriarch Eustathius of Antioch, Bishop Theodoret, and others. However, the Welsh historian Nennius stated another tradition that Tubal was ancestor to the Iberians, 'Italians' [i.e., Italic tribes] and 'Spanish' [who were also called Iberians].
Basque intellectuals like Poza (16th century) have named Tubal as the ancestor of Basques, and by extension, the Iberians. The French Basque author Augustin Chaho (19th century) published The Legend of Aitor, asserting that the common patriarch of the Basques was Aitor, a descendent of Tubal.
The Caucasian Iberians were relatives of modern Georgians. Some modern Georgians also claim descent from Tubal and Meshech. One of the greatest Georgian historians of the 20th century, Ivane Javakhishvili, considered Tabal, Tubal, Jabal and Jubal to be ancient Georgian tribal designations.
The Tabali (Tibarenoi in Greek) were Luwian tribes of Asia Minor of the 3rd-1st millennias BC. They and other related tribes, the Chalybes (Khalib/Khaldi) and the Mossynoeci (Mossynoikoi in Greek), are sometimes considered the founders of metallurgy.
Again, who is the "protector" or leader of the Iberians (Spanish), the Italians, and the Georgians? America.
Here is an excerpt on an article regarding the ancient biblical view of race:
(Source: http://www.osterholm.info/man/)
The Biblical viewpoint is that there is not a black race, white race, yellow race, etc. Instead, there are three distinct families or characteristics of man that make up the oldest Table of Nations in existence, which is a completely authentic statement of how the present world population originated and spread after the flood, as recorded in Genesis 10 of the Bible (a historical document itself). Here we learn the true divisions of mankind, indicating how the present population of the world came to be. Note that Acts 17:26 states, "He made from one blood all nations who live on the earth. He set the times and places where they should live," a corroboration of Genesis 10.
Genesis chapter 10 shows how the present world population was derived from Noah's three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth, and their wives (three family groups). Additional references are given in 1 Chronicles chapter 1. Genesis 10 also names 16 grandsons of Noah. Verse 32 states, "From these the nations spread out over the earth after the flood". These "nations" are the descendants (generations, genealogies or family histories) of the sons of Noah. Chapter 10 describes the differentiation of nations, and asserts that we were all descended from Noah. It is important to understand that people and nations are referred to in a genealogical form (common in Hebrew and other Semitic languages). We find genealogical references in Genesis 10 are firstly to persons or families (ethnological), and secondly to nations or tribes (ethnographical); thus, the chapter ends with an emphasis on nations or tribes, which helps us understand in following chapters where they settled or "spread out over the earth" (geographical). They began as hunter-gatherers and/or pastoral nomads (living off the land as they migrated).
The majority of scholars and Bible historians agree that most of the descendants of Shem stayed in the Middle East. These include the Hebrews, Persians and Assyrians. The descendants of Ham include the Egyptians, Ethiopians, Canaanites, Phoenicians and Hittites. His descendants appear to be the first to fill the earth, as they were the early settlers of Africa, Asia, Australia, the South Pacific, and the Americas. The descendants of Japheth migrated into Europe and parts of Central Asia. The Greeks, Romans, Spanish, Celts, Scythians, and Medes were Japheth's descendants. Some people groups merged to form one nation, as did the Persians (Shem) and the Medes (Japheth), which later became the Medo-Persian empire.
The majority of Gog's army is comprised of the ancestors of the sons of Japeth. Contrast this with the so-called "coalition of the willing" that joined the US in its invasion and occupation of Iraq.
Afghanistan, Albania, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Hungary, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, the Philippines, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom and Uzbekistan.
The Final Battle
Ok, so it seems that Gog and Magog are likely GW Bush and a coalition of nations that are forming to destroy Israel, or those dedicated to the true worship of the God of Israel. However, since the USA and Israel are allies, how can this be?
Europe has a long history of anti-semitism and hatred for Jews. It is not a stretch to believe that they would conspire with others to destroy them. However, the real reason is simple: Gog wants to destroy the idea of the God of Israel, and set himself up as the only God that can be worshipped. Question: Does GW have tendencies in this direction? Does he see himself as divine, or at the least on a divine mission?
The Archive of Bush's Evil
I asked them the other day, would it be okay if I cut a 30-minute tape, a piece of propaganda, no questions, just here -- here it is, here's 30 minutes of me talking; please run it, not only across your airwaves but run it internationally, if you don't mind; I've got something to say about the conflict and our fight against evil.President George W. Bush - 11/13
It is also a reminder of the great purpose of our great land, and that is to rid this world of evil and terror. The evil ones have roused a might nation, a mighty land. And for however long it takes, I am determined that we will prevail.President George W. Bush - 11/12
Our nations share an urgent mission, which is to stop and defeat terrorism wherever it may exist. That mission is not directed against those who practice Islam. That mission is directed against evil people. President George W. Bush - 11/10
The only thing I know certain about him is that he's evil. And I don't know what to believe about him, except that he wants to hurt Americans. President George W. Bush - 11/10
In a second world war, we learned there is no isolation from evil. We affirmed that some crimes are so terrible they offend humanity, itself. And we resolved that the aggressions and ambitions of the wicked must be opposed early, decisively, and collectively, before they threaten us all. That evil has returned, and that cause is renewed. President George W. Bush - 11/10
We're confident, too, that history has an author who fills time and eternity with his purpose. We know that evil is real, but good will prevail against it. This is the teaching of many faiths, and in that assurance we gain strength for a long journey. President George W. Bush - 11/10
I think there is one universal law, and that's terrorism is evil, and all of us must work to reject evil. Murder is evil, and we must reject murder.President George W. Bush - 11/9
America faces an evil and a determined enemy.President George W. Bush - 11/9
None of us would ever wish the evil that has been done to our country, yet we have learned that out of evil can come great good. President George W. Bush - 11/8
We know that we're fighting evil. And the American people are patient. They've heard the call.President George W. Bush - 11/8
This is an evil man that we're dealing with. And I wouldn't put it past him to develop evil weapons to try to harm civilization as we know it.President George W. Bush - 11/6
Given the means, our enemies would be a threat to every nation and, eventually, to civilization itself. So we're determined to fight this evil, and fight until we're rid of it. We will not wait for the authors of mass murder to gain the weapons of mass destruction. We act now, because we must lift this dark threat from our age and save generations to come.President George W. Bush - 11/6
Our war that we now fight is against terror and evil... Our struggle is going to be long and difficult. But we will prevail. We will win. Good will overcome evil.President George W. Bush - 11/2
We don't share the point of view that evil is religious. We don't appreciate the fact that somebody has tried to hijack a religion in order to justify terror activities. President George W. Bush - 11/2
I don't accept the excuse that poverty promotes evil. That's like saying poor people are evil people. I disagree with that. Osama bin Laden is an evil man. His heart has been so corrupted that he's willing to take innocent life. And we are fighting evil, and we will continue to fight evil, and we will not stop until we defeat evil. President George W. Bush - 11/2
We're also fighting a war overseas, with the purpose of hunting down the evildoers and bringing them to justice. And I'm patient and I'm focused, and I will not yield. We must win.President George W. Bush - 10/31
This is a fabulous nation. The evil ones thought they could affect the spirit of America, but it's had an opposite effect. President George W. Bush - 10/31
The events of these seven weeks have shown something else. They have shown a new generation, your generation, that America and the cause of freedom have determined enemies; that there are people in this world who hate what America stands for. They hate our success, they hate our liberty. We have learned all too suddenly that there are evil people who have no regard for human life, and will do whatever it takes to try to bring this mighty nation to its knees. President George W. Bush - 10/30
One Rwandan journalist wrote in a condolence book at the U.S. Embassy, "We feel and understand what the Americans must be experiencing. The forces of evil must be fought and defeated wherever they are." That's represents exactly the firm resolve of the American people. We will fight and defeat the forces of evil wherever they are.President George W. Bush - 10/29
We are at the beginning of what I view as a very long struggle against evil. We're not fighting a nation; we're not fighting a religion; we're fighting evil. And we have no choice but to prevail. We're fighting people that hates our values, they can't stand what America stands for. And they really don't like the fact that we exist. And I want to assure you all that we will fight this fight on every front. We will use every resource we have. And there is no doubt in my time -- in my mind -- that in our time, we will prevail. There's no doubt. President George W. Bush - 10/29
The press often asks me, well, is this the -- is the evil one hiding from us in Afghanistan, the ones who have done this to America? I said, I don't know. We don't know yet. But we do know the evil one who hides thinks in ways that we can't possibly think in America -- so destructive, such a low regard for human life. And anybody who puts anthrax, trying to kill American citizens, shares the same set of values. Whoever has done it shares that same value of evil that we saw on September the 11th.President George W. Bush - 10/29
Anybody who tries to affect the lives of our good citizens is evil. President George W. Bush - 10/24
We're fighting evil. We don't fight a religion; we fight evil people.President George W. Bush - 10/19
President Jiang and the government stand side by side with the American people as we fight this evil force.President George W. Bush - 10/19
The victims of September 11th were innocent, and this nation will never forget them. The men and women who murdered them were instruments of evil, and they have died in vain.
"God told me to strike at al Qaeda and I struck them, and then he instructed me to strike at Saddam [Hussein], which I did, and now I am determined to solve the problem in the Middle East(emphasis mine). If you help me I will act, and if not, the elections will come and I will have to focus on them."--Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Abu Mazen quoting Bush when they met in Aqaba; reported in The Haaretz Reporter by Arnon Regular.
Was he asking for help in a future attack on the "problem" of Israel?
Conclusion
As upsetting as it is for me to say, the evidence is strong the the USA and GW Bush are the biblical GOG form Magog. For more on this from a Jewish perspective, you can visit http://www.gogumogog.com/.
posted by nathandave at 4:29 PM
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