We ended Part Eleven with three questions: Could Ezekiel’s Gog-Magog War be connected to World War 3? Could there be a connection to the opening of the Sixth Seal? Could there also be a connection to the catching away of the Church? We will take these three questions in some depth:
EZEKIEL’S GOG-MAGOG WAR CONNECTION TO WORLD WAR THREE?
The first item to settle is what classifies as a world war? I found many answers to that question but the one below by “Study.com” suits our purposes for this study.
“In order to qualify as a world war, at least one of three criteria must be met: the conflict takes place between multiple nations across the globe, battles are fought in many different locations, and the war must be fought against great powers with significantly advanced technology.”
Many experts in international affairs openly suggest that the fuse to World War 3 has already been lit, though most of the populace is oblivious to what is happening behind the scenes. Much of the fault for this lies with the mainstream media, which in our day is under the control of power brokers that determine the accepted narrative on any given subject, and that is then parroted by the majority of news sources.
We are, however, seeing an uptick in rhetoric and military build-up between the West and East. Most readers are somewhat familiar with the conflict between the Russian Federation and Ukraine. What many do not realize is that this conflict did not begin in February of 2022; nor did it begin when Russia took over control of the Crimea in 2014. This conflict has actually been brewing for two or three decades, but a comprehensive historical explanation of how it all began is not important for this writing. What is important is how this conflict, and a few other trouble spots in our current world, serve as catalysts to World War 3. But this coming war will not be “the war to end all wars” as the first two world wars were labeled. Bible prophecy warns that there are more wars to come, and we are today on the fast track to those wars.
It is my belief that “World War 3” that is on the horizon, may actually be the Ezekiel 38-39 War of Gog and Magog. In Ezekiel 38 we are given a list of combatants participating in the War of Gog and Magog:
1 Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, set your face against Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, 3 ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. 4 I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army horses, and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords. 5 Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; 6 Gomer and all its troops, the house of Togarmah from the far north and all its troops — many people are with you. 7 Prepare yourself and be ready, you and all your companies that are gathered about you; and be a guard for them.’” Ezekiel 38:1-7
The listing of Gog’s allies above is a basic list. Ezekiel’s nine-member list in today’s world include: Russia and the Southern Steppes (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan), as well as Turkey, Iran, Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, Libya, Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia.
It is important to notice that the Ezekiel 38 passage adds the phrase, “many people are with you” to Gog’s list of allies. In the current build-up toward war, these alliances have already been made. “Many people with you” could include the alliance Russia has with China today, and of course North Korea, China’s ill-tempered puppet ally. How much China is involved remains to be seen. Looking further into the unfolding of the Apocalypse in the Book of Revelation, we know that late in Daniel’s 70th Week (the Great Tribulation), the Kings of the East come across the Eurasian continent and cross the Euphrates River, eventually to take part in the final war of the Apocalypse, the Battle of Armageddon.
As detailed in Part Eleven of this series of articles, my contention (and that of many notable eschatology scholars) is that Gog and his combined hordes are not just going to attack the land of Israel. The combined forces of Gog and Magog will attack the United States of America, Great Britain, NATO, the European Union, and other nations representing Western culture, such as Australia and New Zealand. Ezekiel tells us that the primary target of the Russian-led attack will be a nation which is “gathered out of many people.” In other words, it is a “melting pot” nation. The United States of America fits that prophetic description perfectly and it has also been the leading nation of the Western alliance…..the nation most hated by the Russian-led alliance. It is entirely logical that the USA would be the number one target of an attack by the eastern bloc and radical Islamic states. The USA was always the primary enemy of Russia during the entire Cold War period, China has become extremely hostile toward the U.S. and Iran has called America “The Great Satan” for decades. History shows that if the United States is left in its superpower status, the West cannot be defeated. BUT, if the United States is destroyed or at least severely crippled militarily, the West will be brought to its knees.
What we see today is the ancient prophecy found in Ezekiel 38-39 which precisely predicted the opposing alliances of the modern world. During the Cold War, a Communist alliance led by Russia and China opposed the Western alliance led by NATO which was founded and led by the USA and the UK. The “Cold War” ended with the fall of the Soviet Union, but Russia and China are now joined by Iran and other radical Islamic nations in a new anti-American, anti-Western alliance. The USA and UK remain allied to many European nations in NATO and to other non-NATO nations in the Western world’s economy. The fact that we are seeing this ancient prophecy, written thousands of years ago, now coming to pass in our time in such detail is striking evidence that an all-powerful Creator inspired the writing of the Bible and is guiding world events to ensure His prophecies are fulfilled to the letter.
IS THERE A CONNECTION BETWEEN GOG/MAGOG/WW3 AND OPENING OF THE SIXTH SEAL?
Now that we’ve shown that the Gog/Magog War and World War 3 are very likely one and the same conflict, is there also a connection between this war and the opening of the Sixth Seal? A good place to start is to compare details of several passages of Scripture, starting with the last six verses of Ezekiel 38.
18 “And it will come to pass at the same time when Gog comes against the land of Israel,” says the Lord GOD, “that My fury will show in My face. 19 For in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath I have spoken, ‘Surely In that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel, 20 so that the fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field, all creeping things that creep on the earth, and all men who are on the face of the earth shall shake at My presence. The mountains shall be thrown down, the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.’ 21 “I will call for a sword against Gog throughout all My mountains,” says the Lord GOD, “Every man’s sword will be against his brother. 22 And I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed; I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. 23 Thus I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.”’ Ezekiel 38:18-23
In Revelation 6:12-17 we find this prophecy describing the Sixth Seal:
12 I looked when He opened the Sixth Seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. 13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. 14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. 15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him, who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of His wrath has come and who is able to stand? Revelation 6:12-17
In verse 18, Ezekiel begins the description of the great earthquake as being in the land of Israel. Yet, before his sentence is even finished, he describes the temblor as being so powerful that every fish, bird, beast, creeping thing, and human on the face of the earth is shaken. He then goes on to say that mountains and steep places will be moved or knocked down.
As we take a close look at the great quake that sets in motion the events at the opening of the Sixth Seal, it is obvious that this quake, as with Ezekiel’s great quake, is not a regional earthquake but rather a catastrophic temblor that affects the entirety of Planet Earth. In order for mountains and islands to move as described in verse 14, there must be a shifting of the outer crust of the earth and breaking apart of the continental and oceanic plates. Mountains and mountain ranges are formed by being pushed up from underneath, and it doesn’t happen in a neat, orderly fashion. Rock and earth is moved because of the extreme heat and pressure from below. Islands, although interconnected to the rest of the earth below the surface of the oceans, are rarely solid rock. The subsurface is often molten magma, which can cause islands, or mountains in the sea, to rise or sink rather quickly. During catastrophic conditions, like an interrelated series of massive earthquakes extending from fault zone to fault zone, the magma under the surface would be extremely active. Volcanic eruptions would be frequent, new mountain ranges could be formed while older ones sink away. Coastal areas like western California, Italy, and many other lands bordering large bodies of water, could totally disappear under the water while others rise. What is hard to imagine, as it says in verse 14, every mountain and island is moved from its place!
Most of us have heard reports of major earthquakes happening in different locations. Sometimes quakes are large enough to cause tsunamis. A prime example was the devastating tsunami brought about by the December 26, 2004 earthquake in the Indian Ocean that registered 9.3 on the Richter Scale. Statistics vary because it was impossible to get an accurate death toll, but the estimate of those that perished was approximately 275,000 across more than a dozen nations, including Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, India and Maldives. Below are some of the side effects around the world from this one quake.
- According to the United States Geological Survey, the island of Sumatra, and several other smaller surrounding islands, actually slid some 120 feet to the southwest when the India and Burma plates slammed into each other in the Indian Ocean.
- This earthquake sent shockwaves all across the planet, triggering earthquakes in locations on the other side of the globe.
- According to geologists at the time, the earthquake changed the map. It was also determined that the orbit of the earth may have wobbled on its axis due to the massive energy exerted and the sudden shift in mass.
- Scientists also found that there was a slight polar shift, with “mean North pole” having shifted approximately an inch, or about 2.5 centimeters.
- Scientists also found that the quake sped up the rotation of the earth on its axis, shortening the length of a day by less than three microseconds.
Could it be that due to the enormous amount of energy expended during the events of the opening of the Sixth Seal and other major earth changes during the trumpet and bowl judgments of the seven-year Apocalypse, that the rotation of the earth on its axis is sped up, maybe even to a significant degree, and maybe even its orbit around the sun altered? The prophet Isaiah makes reference to a number of colossal events that will transpire during that time period.
Behold, the LORD makes the earth empty and makes it waste. Distorts its surface and scatters abroad its inhabitants. Isaiah 24:1
The land shall be entirely emptied and utterly plundered, for the LORD has spoken this word. Isaiah 24:3
The earth is violently broken, the earth is split open, the earth is shaken exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall totter like a hut; its transgression shall be heavy upon it…Isaiah 24:19-20
Just as the islands of Sumatra and Malaysia moved in response to this earthquake, and just as the entire planet shifted slightly, so the islands and mountains will move when the exponentially greater Sixth Seal events take place. As the earth wobbled and its orbit was affected and ever so slightly thrown off kilter by this one earthquake, it will experience infinitely worse catastrophic effects of God’s judgments beginning with the opening of the Sixth Seal. Quite a number of Old Testament prophets foretold great earth shaking and disruptions at the end of the age, including Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Haggai, Joel, Isaiah, and others. It is coming, and in my opinion, is right at the door!
As we look at the account of the opening of the Sixth Seal in Revelation 6:13, it further states: “…and the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind.” For those interested in astronomy it is clear that the word for stars here is not referring to “stars” such as our sun. In comparison to the size of our Earth at just under 8,000 miles in diameter, our sun, at 865,000 million miles in diameter, is enormous. Yet, in the cosmos, our sun is considered a small star. Verse 13 is not referring to stars as we know them today. It is a reference to a meteor / asteroid storm. The example given of late figs being dropped because of a mighty wind helps us understand what is being described. There are records of actual meteor storms throughout man’s history. There have even been ancient artifacts found depicting such events. The meteor storm referred to in verse 13, however, is a massive, cataclysmic event.
As we continue our comparison with Ezekiel’s account, we find these words in verse 22 of chapter 38: “ I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.” Flooding rain and great hailstones is one thing, but then God says He will send down fire and brimstone. That is a description of cosmic rocks — meteors and asteroids!
Another reference in the Old Testament to this very series of events is found in Isaiah 34:
1 “Come near, you nations, to hear; and heed, you people! Let the earth hear, and all that is in it, the world and all things that come forth from it. 2 For the indignation of the LORD is against all nations, and His fury against all their armies; He has utterly destroyed them, He has given them over to the slaughter. 3 Also their slain shall be thrown out; their stench shall rise from their corpse, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood. 4 All the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled up like a scroll; all their host shall fall down as the leaf falls from the vine, and as fruit falling from a fig tree.” Isaiah 34:1-4
Here again we find a description of God’s indignation, anger, and the resulting slaughter of armies aligned against His purposes, and against His chosen people. The description of the mass slaughter of these armies and resultant rotting corpses could match the description of either the Gog/Magog war or the Battle of Armageddon. However, one obvious detail mentioned in both verse 4 above and also in verse 14 of Revelation 6 sets the timing of this event at the Gog/Magog war with the heavens being rolled up like a scroll, and then another description of an apparent meteor storm. As with the description in Revelation, the “host of heaven falling down” is not describing “stars” in the way we know them, but rather meteors and asteroids. Neither the unraveling of the heavens nor a meteor storm is included in the events surrounding the Battle of Armageddon.
These catastrophic wars, the War of Gog and Magog and The Battle of Armageddon, appear to be “book ends” of sorts to the Apocalypse. The population of the world will likely think they are experiencing the horrors of Armageddon when Ezekiel’s War of Gog and Magog breaks out — and those that happen to survive will think it was Armageddon they survived, but not so! As bad as the Gog/Magog War will be, it will pale in comparison to the final war that brings an end to the 7-year Great Tribulation.
There is much more that could be discussed concerning the connection between The Gog/Magog War, World War 3, and the opening of the Sixth Seal, but for the sake of time, I will only touch on one additional phenomenon that needs to be addressed because of its implication in the timing of these events. We read in Revelation 6:12 that after the great Sixth Seal earthquake, “the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood.” Those who have paid attention to Bible prophecy, and even many people oblivious to Bible prophecy, have heard much about the Blood Moons over the past few years — especially those surrounding the Jewish Feast days of 2014 and 2015. There were those who expected major prophecy fulfillments to come about surrounding these events. When nothing obvious happened, some began to ridicule the entire idea including a few well-known Bible prophecy experts. During the time these Blood Moons were being displayed before the eyes of the world, no one knew for sure what the significance might be. Blood Moons in connection with the Jewish Feast Days had happened near major historical events affecting the Jewish nation before; examples being, the time period when the nation of Israel was re-established and recognized by the United Nations in 1948 and then again when the Israeli Defense Forces took control of the entire city of Jerusalem once again in 1967. Were there important events happening pertaining to Israel during the time surrounding the Blood Moons of 2014 and 2015? Yes, but I suspect the most important thing to recognize is that these Blood Moons were harbingers of soon-to-come prophetic events. I believe this is the case with the much heralded Revelation 12 Sign which was fulfilled in September of 2017, as well as the Great American Eclipse in August of the same year, with a second major eclipse expected in April of 2024.
The phenomenon referred to in Revelation 6:12 however, is not a harbinger. It is not a warning of major happenings on the way. It is a result of a cataclysmic event that just unfolded. There are two other passages of Scripture that refer to this very event. One is found in the Book of Joel and the other in the Book of Acts, approximately 800 years later, when the Apostle Peter quoted the Joel prophecy .
30 “And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke, 31 the sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD.” Joel 2:30-31 (emphasis mine)
“I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke, the sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD.” Acts 2:19-20 (emphasis mine)
It is significant that the above passages make it clear that this event happens before the coming of the great and awesome (or terrible in some translations) Day of the LORD. Note the reaction of people when the Sixth Seal is opened causing the horrendous worldwide earthquake, the pillars of smoke (volcanoes erupting everywhere), the sun being blacked out and the moon being turned blood-red — probably from the atmosphere being filled with smoke and ash, and then the meteor storm. Note the wording of verses 15-17:
And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come and who is able to stand?”
What we have here is the testimony of an entire world of people who had ignored or rejected the God of creation and His Messiah, Jesus, the God-Man, who died for the sins of the world. Those who are panicking in this passage, may not know the exact timing of how Bible prophecy was to unfold, but they know enough to be aware that there has just been a major dispensational shift. They apparently know that there is a time when the foretold Apocalypse will interrupt man’s future, and they have just recognized it. They have also apparently been given a glimpse of God the Father sitting on His Throne and Jesus, the Lamb of GOD, standing by His side. It appears that God allowed the veil between our 3-dimensional world and GOD’s Throne Room to be pulled back long enough for mankind to see GOD for who He really is. Could it be part of what will happen when the sky recedes like a scroll being rolled up??
You, the reader, will have to decide for yourself if the chronology of these events, as presented, make sense to you, and in a way, it doesn’t matter as long as you know Jesus. I do believe we are on the very cusp of all these things unfolding, and time is of the essence to make sure our relationship with God is right . We’ve discussed war in this writing, and war is definitely at the door. Israel, I believe, is first facing an imminent major regional Mideast war with her border enemies — Iran being in the mix. The Gog/Magog Conflict will likely be right behind it. This I believe will be World War 3, and will also include the events of the opening of the Sixth Seal.
COULD THERE ALSO BE A CONNECTION TO THE CATCHING AWAY OF THE CHURCH?
My personal conviction is that this sudden destruction warned about in 1 Thessalonians occurs either soon after or simultaneously with the rapture of the Church.
1 But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. 2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” Then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.1 Thessalonians 5:1-6
God’s people have had dreams and visions for many years of the time when God removes them from this earth. Many of them have had visions of it happening just as a great cataclysm hits the planet, either by way of world war, cosmic catastrophe, or both. Much has been written about the Rapture or Catching Away in past articles, and it will be addressed again because of the lateness of the hour. God’s judgment of our Christ-rejecting world is right around the corner, yet, God does not desire for anyone to perish eternally. The way of escape was provided 2,000 years ago through the Blood of Jesus Christ. When Jesus died, He shouted, “IT IS FINISHED!” The true translation is: “PAID IN FULL.”
Even though we as humans face trouble, tribulation, and hardships throughout our earthly lives, God has decreed that those who have accepted His free gift of salvation through the perfect Lamb of God, and are followers of Jesus, will not face God’s wrath poured out on a wicked and Christ rejecting world. God’s people will be removed.
How about you? Have you accepted the free gift of salvation? Do you know that your sins have been covered by the Blood of Jesus? If not, TODAY is the day. Don’t wait until tomorrow!
To Be Continued in Part Thirteen
Jake Geier