| Scripture |
Expanded Comments |
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| 1 And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying: |
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| 2 'Son of man, set thy face unto Gog, of the land of Magog, prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy concerning him, |
Gog – The merciless plunderers of regathered Israel. D554[D554:2]
Representing the "all nations" of Zech. 14:2. D555[D555:1]
Magog...Meshech...Tubal – Descendants of Japheth, Europeans. D556[D556:1]
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| 3 and thou hast said: Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Lo, I [am] against thee, O Gog, Prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, |
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| 4 And I have turned thee back, And I have put hooks in thy jaws, And have brought thee out, and all thy force, Horses and horsemen, Clothed in perfection all of them, A numerous assembly, [with] buckler and shield, Handling swords all of them. |
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| 5 Persia, Cush, and Phut, with them, All of them [with] shield and helmet. |
Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya – The very ones now occupying Egypt, Palestine and the east--and all these nations are Mohammedans. HG89:4[HG89:4]
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| 6 Gomer and all its bands, The house of Togarmah of the sides of the north, And all its bands, many peoples with thee, |
Gomer...Togarmah – Descendants of Japheth, Europeans. D556[D556:1]
Of the north quarters – Possibly Russia. HG89:5[HG89:4]
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| 7 Be prepared, yea, prepare for thee, Thou and all thine assemblies who are assembled unto thee, And thou hast been to them for a guard. |
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| 8 After many days thou art appointed, In the latter end of the years thou comest in unto a land brought back from sword, [A people] gathered out of many peoples, Upon mountains of Israel, That have been for a perpetual waste, And it from the peoples hath been brought out, And dwelt safely have all of them. |
After many days – Gathering of Israel to Palestine within this Harvest period. D553[D552:2]
Gathered out – Indicating that Palestine would be released from Turkish oppression, and the Jews persecuted and driven out of various countries, before the great climax of trouble. R2056:1
During the Day of the Lord when the first return of the Israelites to Palestine shall have taken place (a second and greater returning evidently will not take place until after the time of trouble). R286:3[R286:21]
Dwell safely – At the time when the rest of the world is in its wildest confusion. D553[D552:2]
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| 9 And thou hast gone up as wasting thou comest in, As a cloud to cover the land art thou, Thou and all thy bands, and many peoples with thee. |
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| 10 Thus said the Lord Jehovah: And it hath come to pass in that day, Come up do things on thy heart, And thou hast thought an evil thought, |
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| 11 And thou hast said: I go up against a land of unwalled villages, I go in to those at rest, dwelling confidently, All of them are dwelling without walls, And bar and doors they have not. |
And thou – Gog--Europeans, with Asiatic and African allies. D555, D556
Unwalled villages – An open, defenseless condition. D554
That are at rest – Regathered Israel during the time of trouble. D553
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| 12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey, To turn back thy hand on inhabited wastes, And on a people gathered out of nations, Making cattle and substance, Dwelling on a high part of the land. |
To take a spoil – Toward, or at the close of the time of trouble. R148:4, R410:1
For "the day of the Lord cometh, when thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee." (Zech. 14:1) R148:4
Many Jews have doubtless gone to Palestine, not out of respect to God's promises, but, realizing the dangers to which property will be exposed, have chosen to be far away from the strongholds of communism. R26:5, R410:1, R593:1
Their wealth and prosperity excite the cupidity of the nations. R286:3, R2056:1
To pillage and rob the wealthy Jews. R26:4, R410:1
Palestine must become wealthy to permit fulfilment. R1846:4
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| 13 Sheba, and Dedan, and merchants of Tarshish, And all its young lions say to thee: To take a spoil art thou come in To take a prey assembled thine assembly To bear away silver and gold To take away cattle and substance To take a great spoil |
Sheba and Dedan – Descendants of Ham, North Africans. D556
Tarshish – Descendants of Japheth, Europeans. D556
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| 14 Therefore, prophesy, son of man, and thou hast said to Gog: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: In that day, in the dwelling of My people Israel safely, Dost thou not know |
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| 15 And thou hast come in out of thy place, From the sides of the north, Thou and many peoples with thee, Riding on horses all of them, A great assembly, and a numerous force. |
The north parts – Europe and Asia. D555
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| 16 And thou hast come up against My people Israel, As a cloud to cover the land, In the latter end of the days it is, And I have brought thee in against My land, In order that the nations may know Me, In My being sanctified in thee before their eyes, O Gog. |
In the latter days – Literally, the last of the days. D555
The closing scenes of the day of trouble. D555
Sanctified in thee – Set apart, distinguished as thy conqueror. D555
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| 17 Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Art thou he of whom I spake in former days, By the hand of My servants, prophets of Israel, Who are prophesying in those days years, To bring thee in against them |
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| 18 And it hath come to pass, in that day, In the day of the coming in of Gog against the land of Israel, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, Come up doth My fury in My face, |
My fury shall come up – The destruction of Israel's enemies can only be compared to the terrible overthrow of Pharoah and his hosts when seeking to repossess themselves of Israel whom God was delivering. D556
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| 19 And in My zeal, in the fire of My wrath, I have spoken: Is there not in that day a great rushing on the land of Israel |
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| 20 And rushed from My presence have fishes of the sea, And the fowl of the heavens, And the beast of the field, And every creeping thing that is creeping on the ground, And all men who [are] on the face of the ground, And thrown down have been the mountains, And fallen have the ascents, And every wall to the earth falleth. |
The fishes – The men. C214
Of the sea – Masses of mankind not under religious restraint. R333:1
Fowls of the heaven – Satan and his agents. R2634:6, R817:3; C162
Beasts of the field – Symbol of Gentile governments. A261
The mountains – Kingdoms. A318; R5992:1
And every wall – Civil power. D40
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| 21 And I have called against him, to all My mountains a sword, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, The sword of each is against his brother. |
I will call – The Lord shall again fight for Israel. R1747:1
Every man's sword – National animosities will become personal animosities. R5852:5
The disconcerted hosts will effect the complete disruption of the present order of things. R5604:5, R5790:6
Against his brother – An outbreak of jealousy, revolution and anarchy amongst the various elements composing the mixed army, which will complete the universal insurrection and anarchy--the great earthquake of Rev. 16:18-21. D557
The spirit of anarchy will spread from nations to individuals. OV419:4
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| 22 And I have been judged with him, With pestilence and with blood, And an overflowing rain and hailstones, Fire and brimstone I rain on him, and on his bands, And on many peoples who [are] with him. |
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| 23 And I have magnified Myself, and sanctified Myself, And I have been known before the eyes of many nations, And they have known that I [am] Jehovah! |
They shall know – The miraculous overthrow of Gog will demonstrate to the world that Christ's Kingdom has come. R4751:3*
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