Gog and Magog

"And they went up upon the breadth of the earth, and compassed the

camp of the saints about, and the beloved city"

Apocalypse of John

Who, or what is Gog or Magog? David in various Psalms, Joel (Ch. 3), Habakkuk (Ch. 3), Zechariah (Ch 8 and 14) and Micah (Ch 7), all allude to the great army of Gog coming against the land of Israel. The Apostle John only mentions the name briefly in Revelation 20:8, but Gog and Magog also appear in the text by Ezekiel (38 and 39). Does the fire mentioned in Revelation (20:9) consume only Gog and Magog, who encompassed the camp of the saints and the New Jerusalem, or does it consume the entire world?

When John, in the Book of Revelation, refers to Gog and Magog he associates "them" with many peoples from many nations who reside "in the four quarters (or corners) of the earth. John also refers to the time-period after 1,000 years (known as the Millennium). John then informs us that these people of Gog and Magog "went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city" (20:9). Interestingly, in the Revelation of John, this occurs after the 1,000 years, and the "saints" are considered to be "believers in the Messiah, Jesus Christ," and the "beloved city" could none other be than "Jerusalem."

To the Jewish nation, Jerusalem is forever the eternal capital of Israel. All the nations surrounding Jerusalem desire the same: The Palestinians want to make Jerusalem their Palestinian capital; an Islamic city to Islam; a Roman Catholic/Christian city to the Pope; and the U.N. basically rejects Jerusalem as the capital of any one nation and wants to make it an international city belonging to all (see article on Lampholder NEW WORLD ORDER).

THE FOUR CORNERS

Is our earth, on whose surface we dwell, peradventure some square or oblong, with right, acute, or obtuse angles? Is it not certainly a sphere or almost perfect globe, whose diameter from one pole to the other is found a little less than that from east to west, drawn through at the equator? IBN EZRA, 1812

If you read the article on THE COVENANT A PROMISE WRITTEN IN THE STARS, you will certainly be aware of the four-square shape configuration for the 12 tribes of Israel during the Exodus, the four-square shape of the land for their inheritance in the Promised Land, the four-square shape for the city of Jerusalem, and lastly, the four-square shape of the New Jerusalem of Revelation. Therefore, it should be rather easy to understand what John meant by "the four corners" of the earth. What corners are these? John refers to the four corners of the earth with Jerusalem as the center!

As an example, if you were standing in the center of Jerusalem and drew two lines which cut or cross one another under your feet, one from east to west, another from north to south, you would have drawn four right angles, each of ninety degrees. This is what John refers to as "the four corners" of the earth; i.e., Gog and Magog, nd would include all of the "then known" nations as well as any uture undiscovered ones. Gog and Magog are all of the nations in the world that surround Jerusalem.

THE FAMILY OF NOAH

To understand further who these nations comprise we can find further evidence in the descendants of the family of Noah where in Genesis Magog is the second son of Japhet--but no evidence of Gog here. Gog isn't mentioned until you read of him in Ezekiel 38 and the 20th chapter of Revelation. Although, there is one further somewhat obscure reference to Gog in Chronicles 5:4, the grandson of Reuben. Could it be that the Gog of Revelation and Ezekiel (38:6) are none other than the same person known as Gomer, the elder brother of Magog, the first of the seven sons of Japhet?

According to Josephus, Noah's ark came to rest at the mountain of the Corydaeans in Armenia (Josephus, Whiston, Ch II). The sons of Japhet include: "Gomer, Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras." The sons of Japhet were referred to in Genesis 10:5, as the Gentiles and later the forerunners to the European nations. "By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations." Beginning in the mountains of Taurus (Turkey) and Amanus then migrating throughout Armenia, Asia, Caucasus, Greece, and Europe, these were in part the nations comprising the early descendants of the children of Japhet: Galatians or Galls/Gauls (France); Gomerites or Cimmerians (Turkey); and other countries including Belgium, Britain, Spain (Iberians), Germany, Switzerland, and Netherlands; the Scythians/Magogites (Goths, Huns, Moschis, Russians, Siberians); Romanians (early Dacians); Medes (Madai or Persians); Cappadocians (Parthians/Armenians); Thracians (Bulgarians, No. Greece, Athenians, No. Turkey); Rheginians (So. Italy); Paphlagonians (No. Asia Minor bordering the Black Sea, No.Turkey); Phrygians (Balkans/Turkey); Tharsians of Tarsus (SE Asia Minor/Antiochia); Cyprians of Cyprus (Alashiya); etc." (Wiseman, 1849). 

Tubal (or Thobel) were the Thobelites (now called Iberes) who descended to a region in the Caucus area now forming the Georgia Province.  The descendants of Meshech (Mosocheni) became the Cappadocians or known today as Armenia (Armenians).  The Thrugrammeans (Togarmah/Thrugramma) were known as the Phrygians, who migrated from the Balkans to parts of Turkey.

Interestingly, in a book entitled, "Science and Revealed Religion," (1849) the author indicated the Scythians (Magogites), mentioned by Aristotle in his classification of the human races, were the Germanic tribes, which were found scattered over the whole of Scythia. They were first mentioned in Julius Caesar's "Commentaries," and Tacitus' book on "Germany," where he describes these early Indo-European people as "barbarian" giants with one pleasing quality, "...they are content with one wife." This country, as described by Herodotus, is unlike the Scythia of Ptolemy, in its confinement to Northern Asia, but also comprised "Dacia, Moesia, and all of the country north of Thrace." All the inhabitants of this region were Germanic. This can be documented from various monuments and descriptions given by Ovid in his exile in Scythia when he writes of the Scythians as fair haired (i.e., yellow or light-colored) with blue eyes. ("Hic mea cui recitem nisi flavis scripta Corallis, Quasque alias gentes barbarus Ister habet Corringius, Frankfert, 1727, trans. Wiseman). Adamantius and Polemon, both followers of Aristotle, gave similar descriptions to the inhabitants of the north as being the Scythians, "homoapheticus," or of the lineage of Japheth. NOTE: During the horrible appendage of the Hitler regime, one must be reminded of one of Hitler's goals in his attempts to ihilate the Jewish race as being of inferior progeny: Hitler purposely produced a Japheticus-type, cloning of "his super breed of humans" consisting of blonde, blue-eyed German children.

RUSSIA FROM THE TIME OF CHRIST TO WORLD WAR I

Before the modern-day Russian people inhabited what we now know as Russia, they migrated from their original home in Asia. The Slavic people came into the Southern area of Russia during the time of Christ establishing various settlements and outposts. The first kingdom was settled by Rurik, a Northman, and by the Seventh Century a number of cities were established before the Byzantine mpire and later Tartar invasions. The first Czar was Ivan the Terrible, who began building a mighty empire, but it was Peter the Great (1672-1725), who brought the progress of western civilization to the area. He encouraged and brought great strides in education, industrial pursuits, commerce, great ship building projects, and military advancements, including the establishment of a new army. Peter the Great brought civilization and identity to the Russian people, including his promotion to the leadership of the Orthodox church.

The next few hundred years Russia was at odds with Sweden, Poland (who was essentially blotted off the map through successive Territorial divisions), and as part of the first opposing coalition against Napoleon Bonaparte (France), who later defeated the Russians at Friedland during the Winter of 1806-07. This war ended with the Russian Czar and Napoleon signing of the Peace of Tilsit which excluded Russian-British commerce and the recognition of French control over Italy. At the time, the Czar had not realized how this move would greatly hinder Russian commerce. As a result, he later reconsidered and reopened Russian ports to trade with Britain. Angered at Russia's defiance, Napoleon gathered together a great army and entered Russian territory. He defeated the Russian army at Borodino with heavy losses and temporarily occupied the ravaged and mostly destroyed city of Moscow.

Later, after Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo, European maps had to be redrawn. Countries, including Russia, sent delegations to The Congress of Vienna, and as a result of the Congress, Russia gained two territories: Warsaw and Finland. The Quadruple Alliance in 1815, finalized an agreement between nations to stabilize Europe and maintain the renewed boundaries of the European nations. This honorable system, unfortunately, did not work and various nations found themselves being encroached upon, and at the time, Russia became one of the bad-boys while seeking expansion in the Far East in efforts to extend the Trans-Siberian railway in the direction of the Pacific thereby gaining access to Port Arthur (1903). This aggressive action brought about the Russian-Japanese War (1904-5), where a defeated Russia retreated from its recent attempted acquisition of Chinese territory.

During the later economic revolution, many drastic socialistic ideals were adopted promoting radicalism and defeating capitalism. Governments slowly seized power and control of economic Production. Russia adopted the theories of Karl Marx' (1818-83) Socialism in efforts to sway its system of private capitalism to governmental control.

Another problem which has carried over into the current crisis in the Balkans is that Russia's long-held "...historical mission was to gain economic, political and religious control of Constantinople and the straits of Bosphorus and Dardanelles" (Fielders, 1931).

Constantinople became Emperor Constantine's capital for the New Rome of A.D. 330, "a city enthroned on seven hills," until A.D. 1453 when Constantinople was converted into the capital of the Ottoman Empire, Istanbul. The straits of Bosphorus brought Istanbul wealth from the revenues obtained from fishing boats and the tolls paid by ships passing though the Bosphorus.

"Another factor was Turkey. Her Mongolian people were Mohammedans in religion [Muslim]...A third factor was Turkey's Christian subject states: Serbia, Rumania, Greece, Bulgaria and Montenegro, all of whom had fought for and gained their European independence by 1908" (Clarke, 1932). (3) When the Russian Czar demanded control of the Russian subjects located in Turkey, it began the Crimean War (1853-1856). Seeing what was taking place in their midst, other countries entered into the conflict: "France, to gain a foothold on the Catholic Holy Places and England in opposition to Russia" (4). The Russians were defeated at Sevastopol and also observed the neutralization of previously protected territory. The Treaty of Paris (1856) essentially was organized to stop Russia from advancing into Turkey. This matter unfortunately wouldn't remain settled for long.

Twenty years later, Turkey crushes the Bosnian/Bulgarian revolts (1875) and defeats Serbia and Montenegro which results in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877. In this war, Russia again becomes allied with Montenegro, and also Serbia, fighting against Turkey with one intended purpose: the exation of the provinces of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Russian control. The Russo-Turkish War left Turkey defeated (1878) with lost territory surrendered to her enemies (The Treaty of San Stefano). These decisions were later revised at The Congress of Berlin Treaty where Austria gained control of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Austria completed this exation in 1908), and England standing in opposition to any further advancements by Russia into Asia Minor. Bulgaria then deparated and declared independence from Turkey. Turkey then went to war with Italy over Tripoli which then led to the Balkan Wars (1912-13) leaving Turkey with another defeat. Now enters Germany who proposes peaceful relations and trade with Turkey - but in reality desired its control in order to open a railroad route between Berlin and Baghdad - that angered Russia, among other nations, and later brought war with Germany. All of this going on around the same time-period and while Russia scrambled to build a vast army to gain a foothold over Constantinople.

It was all of these simultaneous events occurring all at once that brought about the tensions at the onslaught of WWI. Sidney Bradshaw Fay in "The Origins of the World War I," claim the newspaper press as the underlying cause, and this in conjunction with a murder in Bosnia. On June 28, 1914, the Archduke Francis Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian Crown, was murdered by a pro-Serb sympathizer in Bosnia. On July 23, the Austrian government forwarded a letter of ultimatum demanding restitution or penalty.

When the Serbian's didn't respond satisfactorily, Austria declared war on July 28, 1914. "Russian mobilization caused Germany to declare war on Russia, August 1, and this was followed by similar declaration on France, August 3. In order to attack France, German troops entered Belgium, an act which brought England into the war." (5) And so the story goes.... After a number of defeats, Russia withdrew from the war in 1917, the same year the United States entered the campaign. World War I ended on November 11, 1918.

This series presented in conjunction with ATHID LAVO, "The Coming Age" and the betrothal of the Bride.

To Be Continued May 1999
- Part II Will Include

1. Are Gog And Magog The Same?
2. Old Rome Or Constantinople - "The City Enthroned On Seven Hills?"
3. Why Does Ezekiel Refer Only Once To Magog But Eleven Times In Reference To Gog? Where Did Anyone Get The Idea Of Only Russia" In This Configuration Of Nations?
4. And Much More Surprising Information!!!!!

And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog,

the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him. . .And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into

thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horse-men, all of them clothed with all sorts of

armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: - Ezekiel 38:1-4