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<p>The critical expositors have enough to do here to enquire out Gog and Magog. We cannot pretend either to add to their observations or to determine their controversies. Gog seems to be the king and Magog the kingdom; so that Gog and Magog are like Pharaoh and the Egyptians. Some think they find them afar off, in Scythia, Tartary, and Russia. Others think they find them nearer the land of Israel, in Syria, and Asia the Less. Ezekiel is appointed to prophesy against Gog, and to tell him that <i>God is against him</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="Ezek.38.2,Ezek.38.3" href="/passage/?search=Ezek.38.2,Ezek.38.3"><span class="bibleref" title="Ezek.38.2">Ezek. 38:2</span>, <span class="bibleref" title="Ezek.38.3">3</span></a>. Note, God does not only see those that are now the enemies of his church and set himself against them, but he foresees those that will be so and lets them know by his word that he is against them too, and yet is pleased to make use of them to serve his own purposes, for the glory of his own name; surely <i>their wrath</i> shall <i>praise him</i>, and the <i>remainder thereof he will restrain</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="Ps.76.10" href="/passage/?search=Ps.76.10">Ps. 76:10</a>. Let us observe here,</p>
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<p class="tab-1">I. The confusion which God designed to put this enemy to. It is remarkable that this is put first in the prophecy; before it is foretold that God will <i>bring him forth</i> against Israel it is foretold that God will <i>put hooks into his jaws</i> and <i>turn him back</i> (<a class="bibleref" title="Ezek.38.4" href="/passage/?search=Ezek.38.4">Ezek. 38:4</a>), that they might have assurance of their deliverance before they had the prospect given them of their danger. Thus tender is God of the comfort of his people, thus careful that they may not be frightened; even before the trouble begins he tells them it will end well.</p>
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<p class="tab-1">II. The undertaking which he designed to engage him in, in order to this defeat and disappointment. 1. The nations that shall be confederate in this enterprise against Israel are many, and great, and mighty (<a class="bibleref" title="Ezek.38.5,Ezek.38.6" href="/passage/?search=Ezek.38.5,Ezek.38.6"><span class="bibleref" title="Ezek.38.5">Ezek. 38:5</span>, <span class="bibleref" title="Ezek.38.6">6</span></a>), <i>Persia, Ethiopia</i>, etc. Antiochus had an army made up of all the nations here named, and many others. These people had been at variance with one another, and yet in combination against Israel. How are those increased that trouble God’s people! 2. They are well furnished with arms and ammunition, and bring a good train of artillery into the field—<i>horses and horsemen</i> (<a class="bibleref" title="Ezek.38.4" href="/passage/?search=Ezek.38.4">Ezek. 38:4</a>) bravely equipped <i>with all sorts of armour, bucklers and shields</i> for defence, <i>and all handling swords</i> for offence. Orders are given to make all imaginable preparation for this expedition (<a class="bibleref" title="Ezek.38.7" href="/passage/?search=Ezek.38.7">Ezek. 38:7</a>): “<i>Be thou prepared, and do thou prepare</i>. See what warlike preparations thou hast already in store, and, lest that should not suffice, make further preparation, <i>thou and all thy company</i>,” Let Gog himself be a guard to the rest of the confederates. As commander-in-chief, let him engage to take care of them and their safety; let him pass his word for their security, and take them under his particular protection. The leaders of an army, instead of exposing their soldiers needlessly and presumptuously, and throwing away their lives upon desperate undertakings, should study to be a guard to them, and, whenever they send them forth in danger, should contrive to support and cover them. This call to prepare seems to be ironical—<i>Do thy worst</i>, but I will <i>turn thee back</i>; like that <a class="bibleref" title="Isa.8.9" href="/passage/?search=Isa.8.9">Isa. 8:9</a>. <i>Gird yourselves, and you shall be broken in pieces</i>. 3. Their design is against <i>the mountains of Israel</i> (<a class="bibleref" title="Ezek.38.8" href="/passage/?search=Ezek.38.8">Ezek. 38:8</a>), against <i>the land that is brought back from the sword</i>. It is not long since it was harassed with the sword of war, and it has been always wasted, more or less, with one judgment or other; it is but newly <i>gathered out of many people</i>, and <i>brought forth out of the nations</i>; it has enjoyed comparatively but a short breathing-time, has scarcely recovered any strength since it was brought down by war and captivity; and therefore its neighbours need not fear its being too great, nay, and therefore it is very barbarous to pick a quarrel with it so soon. It is a people that <i>dwell safely, all of them, in unwalled villages</i>, very secure, and <i>having neither bars nor gates</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="Ezek.38.11" href="/passage/?search=Ezek.38.11">Ezek. 38:11</a>. It is a certain sign that they intend no mischief to their neighbours, for they fear no mischief from them. It cannot be thought that those will offend others who do not take care to defend themselves; and this aggravates the sin of these invaders. It is base and barbarous to <i>devise evil against thy neighbour while he dwells securely by thee</i>, and has no distrust of thee, <a class="bibleref" title="Prov.3.29" href="/passage/?search=Prov.3.29">Prov. 3:29</a>. But see here how <i>the clouds return after the rain</i> in this world, and what little reason we have ever to be secure till we come to heaven. It is not long since Israel was brought back from the sword of one enemy, and behold the sword of another is drawn against it. Former troubles will not excuse us from further troubles; but when we think we have <i>put off the harness</i>, at least for some time, by a fresh and sudden alarm we may be called to <i>gird it on again</i>; and therefore we must never boast nor be off our guar
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