A Preterist Commentary on Ezekiel 38:8: As Implied in v. 8, Ezekiel 38-39 were Fulfilled 1,500 Years after Ezekiel was Written. This verse begins quite differently from the prophecies concerning the time of the end. Throughout the New Testament, Jesus predicted that the end was near and at hand. As shown in the rest of this commentary, Jesus’ was right. Christ’s predictions concerning the end of the age began to take place less than forty years after these prophecies were spoken. By contrast, verse 8 indicates that these prophecies would be fulfilled “[i]n future years” “after many days[.]” As implied in the above verse, the prophecies concerning Gog and Magog in Revelation 20, Ezekiel 38 and Ezekiel 39 were fulfilled about fifteen hundred years after Ezekiel was written. According to v.8, Gog would “invade a land that has recovered from war.” The Seljuk Turks seized control of Israel in A.D. 1071. Between 1063 and1099, Jerusalem was involved in five wars.[13] Verse 8 then goes on to say that the people of Israel would be “gathered from many nations.” Interestingly, in the 1000 years after the Jewish War there was a dramatic shift in demographics in Judea. Once populated almost exclusively by ethnic Jews, Judea was 95% Gentile Christian by A.D. 614[14] and remained mostly Gentile Christian right up until the start of the crusades.[15] Given the fact that Israel was settled almost exclusively by Gentiles from all over, one can see how before the Battle of Gog and Magog the people of Israel “were gathered from many nations.” Furthermore, as stated above during the thousand years between the Jewish War and the crusades, the people of Israel enjoyed unprecedented peace. Hence the fact that v. 8 predicts that these people would all “live in safety.” 9 You and all your troops and the many nations with you will go up, advancing like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering the land. 10 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On that day thoughts will come into your mind and you will devise an evil scheme. 11 You will say, “I will invade a land of unwalled villages; I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people—all of them living without walls and without gates and bars. 12 I will plunder and loot and turn my hand against the resettled ruins and the people gathered from the nations, rich in livestock and goods, living at the center of the land.” 13 Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish and all her villages will say to you, “Have you come to plunder? Have you gathered your hordes to loot, to carry off silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods and to seize much plunder?”’ 14 “Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: In that day, when my people Israel are living in safety, will you not take notice of it?
Posted on: Wed, 30 Jul 2014 23:31:21 +0000
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