We are seeing terrible pictures these days from the battlefield in Ukraine. War seems always to inflict its worst impact on the innocent. The horrible toll cast upon the children, mothers, elderly, and residents within the cities is a constant stream of suffering and carnage. The refugee total is now approaching 4 million. Those left within the country are facing shortages of food, medical care, and water. We do not see much of the actual fighting between the two armies. What we see constantly is the siege constantly waged upon the civilian population.
I have been thinking a lot about what the Bible says the final battle between good and evil in the world will look like. It is known as the Bible between Gog and Magog, “When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” (Revelation 20:7-10)
The good news about this apocalyptic battle is that evil loses and good wins. It will be the battle to end all battles. The devil, who is the author of war, will be overthrown again and the forces of evil will be cast into the pit where they belong.
Gog in the Bible is a descendant of Joel of the tribe of Reuben, “The sons of Joel were Shemiaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son” (2 Chronicles 5:4). Gog became a rebel who attacked his own people Israel according to Ezekiel, “Son of Man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal and prophesy against him and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God, Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal. I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them splendidly attired, a great company with buckler and shield, all of them wielding swords.” (Ezekiel 38:2-4)
Magog, on the other hand is a reference to people who lived in northern Asia and Europe. They were known as skilled horsemen and experts in the use of bow and arrow, “You will come from your place out of the remote parts of the north, you and many people with you, all of them riding on horses, a great assembly and a mighty army.” (Ezekiel 38:15)
These destructive people rose up against the people of God only to be destroyed by the fury of the Lord of hosts, “…you will come up against My people Israel like a cloud to cover the land. It shall come about in the last days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me when I am sanctified through you before their eyes, O Gog…It will come about on that day, when Gog comes against the land of Israel, declares the Lord God, that My fury will mount up in My anger.” (Ezekiel 38:17-18)
Do I think that the war in Ukraine is the final battle, the Battle of Armageddon?
Not really. I do believe that all war is the work of the devil who seeks to ravage the innocent and destroy all that is decent and good. War itself is evil. The war in Ukraine is simply another terrible unnecessary tragedy that kills children along with people who are innocent. One country beating up on another one simply because they can is a grievous sin. What I do know is that God takes care of His own. God wins in the end and all those who perpetuate the sins of Gog and Magog wind up taking a long hot bath in the lake of fire.
I have been thinking a lot about what the Bible says the final battle between good and evil in the world will look like. It is known as the Bible between Gog and Magog, “When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” (Revelation 20:7-10)
The good news about this apocalyptic battle is that evil loses and good wins. It will be the battle to end all battles. The devil, who is the author of war, will be overthrown again and the forces of evil will be cast into the pit where they belong.
Gog in the Bible is a descendant of Joel of the tribe of Reuben, “The sons of Joel were Shemiaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son” (2 Chronicles 5:4). Gog became a rebel who attacked his own people Israel according to Ezekiel, “Son of Man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal and prophesy against him and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God, Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal. I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them splendidly attired, a great company with buckler and shield, all of them wielding swords.” (Ezekiel 38:2-4)
Magog, on the other hand is a reference to people who lived in northern Asia and Europe. They were known as skilled horsemen and experts in the use of bow and arrow, “You will come from your place out of the remote parts of the north, you and many people with you, all of them riding on horses, a great assembly and a mighty army.” (Ezekiel 38:15)
These destructive people rose up against the people of God only to be destroyed by the fury of the Lord of hosts, “…you will come up against My people Israel like a cloud to cover the land. It shall come about in the last days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me when I am sanctified through you before their eyes, O Gog…It will come about on that day, when Gog comes against the land of Israel, declares the Lord God, that My fury will mount up in My anger.” (Ezekiel 38:17-18)
Do I think that the war in Ukraine is the final battle, the Battle of Armageddon?
Not really. I do believe that all war is the work of the devil who seeks to ravage the innocent and destroy all that is decent and good. War itself is evil. The war in Ukraine is simply another terrible unnecessary tragedy that kills children along with people who are innocent. One country beating up on another one simply because they can is a grievous sin. What I do know is that God takes care of His own. God wins in the end and all those who perpetuate the sins of Gog and Magog wind up taking a long hot bath in the lake of fire.
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