I know they are different. That was my point. Their leadership is different in the 70th Week than it is before the 70th Week. That tells you Gog and Magog is pre-70th Week and it's a supernatural event given who Gog and Gogs army are. That's why I said Russia invading Crimea as the start of it makes no sense. That ain't supernatural, and Crimea ain't Israel. Ez 38 regards Israel. Gog is a prince. That's short for principality, like Ephesians 6 talks about. We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against rulers of the darkness, and spiritual wickedness in high places. High places = reference to the "north parts" and the mount of the congregation in the sides of the north". North parts are referred to in Ez 38. Gog is not the prince of Russia. He's the rosh or "head/chief" prince. Like Rosh Hashanah means "head of the year", Gog isn't the prince of Rosh. He's the rosh prince... head prince... of Meschech and Tubal. Chief prince who is also king of the locust army. But Meschech and Tubal is the geographic region he's prince over. Like Daniel's prince of Grecia and prince of Persia, and Michael the Great prince, and the AC who's the prince of the people who shall destroy the city and sanctuary, and Messiah the Prince. I think we have to keep in mind though that Magog was a grandson of Noah (Genesis 10:2). The descendants of Magog settled to the far north of Israel, likely in Europe and northern Asia (Ezekiel 38:2). Magog seems to be used to refer to "northern barbarians" in general, but likely also has a connection to Magog the person. The people of Magog are described as skilled warriors (Ezekiel 38:15; 39:3-9). So that is why I feel we can’t always link Gog/Magog to demonic forces in every passage we read. The Ezekiel war is going to be a bloodbath and as far as I know only humans have blood. So I lean that it will be real people fighting that war including Russia is involved not just Turkey and Iran, etc. with perhaps using A.I equipment that will burn for 7 years. Not to keep arguing this point, but it's important in the scope of being able to dismiss things of hand when you know they're completely wrong. Do we see current events align with the people groups we see mentioned in the prophecy to aid our understanding of why they would align with Gog for the purposes of despoiling Israel? Yes. And yes, he is Gog of Magog, chief prince of Meschech and Tubal. He is supernatural, and his army is going to be supernatural. Even so, there will be many natural people with him. The prophecy states they will gather to him, like one would to an outpost. They will ascend and come like a cloud to cover the land, Gog and all his bands with him. Horses, horsemen, bows, spears, armor. It'll be an army and a vast one at that, so large that it will take 7 years to burn all their weapons. And it's likely that it would last beyond the 7 save for the fact that Jesus comes back and burns all the rest of it up, along with the earth and the works therein. We can link it to the supernatural, because the Septuagint mentions giants twice in Ezekiel 39. I'm now bowing out of this conversation. Have a blessed day, everyone! I 100% agree with Heather. Invasion of Ukraine has nothing to do with the prophecy.
