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Ezekiel 39

Ezekiel 39 continues the prophecy concerning Gog and Magog, portraying the final defeat of these hostile forces against Israel. This chapter illustrates God’s ultimate judgment on Gog, bringing glory to Himself while providing deliverance and vindication for Israel. The prophecy underscores God’s sovereignty and His covenant faithfulness, revealing a dramatic vision of Israel’s restoration and the nations' recognition of God’s power.

Ezekiel 39:1-10 (NKJV)
1 “And you, son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal;
2 and I will turn you around and lead you on, bringing you up from the far north, and bring you against the mountains of Israel.
3 Then I will knock the bow out of your left hand, and cause the arrows to fall out of your right hand.
4 You shall fall upon the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops and the peoples who are with you; I will give you to birds of prey of every sort and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 You shall fall on the open field; for I have spoken,” says the Lord God.
6 “And I will send fire on Magog and on those who live in security in the coastlands. Then they shall know that I am the Lord.
7 So I will make My holy name known in the midst of My people Israel, and I will not let them profane My holy name anymore. Then the nations shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel.
8 Surely it is coming, and it shall be done,” says the Lord God. “This is the day of which I have spoken.
9 “Then those who dwell in the cities of Israel will go out and set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and bucklers, the bows and arrows, the javelins and spears; and they will make fires with them for seven years.
10 They will not take wood from the field nor cut down any from the forests, because they will make fires with the weapons; and they will plunder those who plundered them, and pillage those who pillaged them,” says the Lord God.

God declares His opposition to Gog, prophesying the utter defeat of Gog’s forces on Israel’s mountains. He will disarm them, making Gog's weapons useless, and the slain will be left for the animals to consume. This dramatic judgment serves to exalt God’s name, affirming His holiness among His people and the nations. The survivors in Israel will then collect and burn the abandoned weapons, symbolizing the finality of Gog’s defeat, and they will turn the tables by plundering those who once plundered them.

Ezekiel 39:11-16 (NKJV)
11 “It will come to pass in that day that I will give Gog a burial place there in Israel, the valley of those who pass by east of the sea; and it will obstruct travelers, because there they will bury Gog and all his multitude. Therefore they will call it the Valley of Hamon Gog.
12 For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them, in order to cleanse the land.
13 Indeed all the people of the land will be burying, and they will gain renown for it on the day that I am glorified,” says the Lord God.
14 “They will set apart men regularly employed, with the help of a search party, to pass through the land and bury those bodies remaining on the ground, in order to cleanse it. At the end of seven months they will make a search.
15 The search party will pass through the land; and when anyone sees a man’s bone, he shall set up a marker by it, till the buriers have buried it in the Valley of Hamon Gog. 16 The name of the city will also be Hamonah. Thus they shall cleanse the land.”’

Following Gog’s defeat, God commands a cleansing of the land. Gog and his fallen forces will be buried in a specific valley called Hamon Gog, emphasizing the enormity of the destruction and the need to purify the land from the defilement of the dead. The task will be extensive, taking seven months and involving specially appointed individuals. This act of burial not only serves practical purposes but also glorifies God as He is acknowledged in the judgment upon Israel’s enemies.

Ezekiel 39:17-20 (NKJV)
17 “And as for you, son of man, thus says the Lord God, ‘Speak to every sort of bird and to every beast of the field: “Assemble yourselves and come; gather together from all sides to My sacrificial meal which I am sacrificing for you, a great sacrificial meal on the mountains of Israel, that you may eat flesh and drink blood.
18 You shall eat the flesh of the mighty, drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams and lambs, of goats and bulls, all of them fatlings of Bashan.
19 You shall eat fat till you are full, and drink blood till you are drunk, at My sacrificial meal which I am sacrificing for you.
20 You shall be filled at My table with horses and riders, with mighty men and with all the men of war,” says the Lord God.

In this passage, God describes Gog’s defeat in sacrificial language, inviting the birds and beasts to feast on the fallen armies. This grotesque imagery serves as a form of divine judgment, symbolizing the total humiliation of Gog’s forces. The "great sacrificial meal" highlights the powerlessness of Gog’s warriors against God’s will. This display of sovereignty underscores God’s authority and serves as a testimony to the nations of His righteousness.

Ezekiel 39:21-24 (NKJV)
21 “I will set My glory among the nations; all the nations shall see My judgment which I have executed, and My hand which I have laid on them.
22 So the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day forward.
23 The Gentiles shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity; because they were unfaithful to Me, therefore I hid My face from them. I gave them into the hand of their enemies, and they all fell by the sword.
24 According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions I have dealt with them, and hidden My face from them.”’

The outcome of this judgment not only serves to affirm God’s sovereignty but also clarifies Israel’s past suffering. The nations will witness God’s actions, recognizing that Israel’s previous exile was due to their own sins. This declaration of judgment and mercy reveals God’s righteousness, explaining the reasons behind Israel’s historical hardships and His ultimate plan for their restoration.

Ezekiel 39:25-29 (NKJV)
25 “Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Now I will bring back the captives of Jacob, and have mercy on the whole house of Israel; and I will be jealous for My holy name—
26 after they have borne their shame, and all their unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, when they dwelt safely in their own land and no one made them afraid.
27 When I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and I am hallowed in them in the sight of many nations,
28 then they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who sent them into captivity among the nations, but also brought them back to their land, and left none of them captive any longer.
29 And I will not hide My face from them anymore; for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,’ says the Lord God.”

God promises to restore Israel, driven by His mercy and zeal for His name. He will bring back the exiled people and will be honored among the nations through His actions. Once restored, Israel will fully understand that God, who allowed their captivity, has now brought them back. This closing promise of restoration and the outpouring of God’s Spirit marks the completion of His redemptive plan, assuring Israel of His unwavering presence and favor.

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