Episode 91: The Esther Connection to Gog and Magog

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Bible Prophecy Under the Microscope-Episode 91

Gary interviews Bob Cruickshank, Jr. and Daniel Harden about Ezekiel 38-39 and how the book of Esther connects to it.

The Gog and Magog prophecy was an ancient battle fought with ancient weapons — horses, chariots, bows and arrows, swords, clubs, and shields — and has nothing to do with our time. There is no mention of Iraq, Iran, Russia, or any other modern-day nation. It’s true that “Gog and Magog” are mentioned in Revelation 20:8. This can’t be the battle that modern-day prophecy writers claim refers to modern-day Russia and current nations in the Middle East since in their view the “Gog and Magog” battle don’t appear until 1000 years after their version of the Great Tribulation. Greg Laurie and others believe the Gog and Magog alliance of Ezekiel 38 and 39 is very near to our time, not more than 1000 years in the future.

The careful reader of the book of Revelation will note that there are many references to the Old Testament. Jerusalem is described as “Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified” (Rev. 11:8). Jezebel (2:20), Sodom, Egypt, Babylon (Rev. 17:4-6), and Gog and Magog are used as symbols of judgment because Israel had become like them and would be judged as they were judged. In the way that God judged these unbelieving cities, people, and nations, God would do the same to Jerusalem because of its unbelief and conspiring with the Roman Empire and declaring, “We have no king but Caesar” (John 19:15).

The New Testament does not predict the end of the world (kosmos); only the end of the old covenant order (1 Cor. 10:11; Heb. 9:26) otherwise Peter’s statement that “the end of all things has come near” to them (1 Pet. 4:7) and John’s assurance to his readers that “it is the last hour” (1 John 2:18) don’t make sense.

The Gog and Magog End-Time Alliance

Countless authors attempt to make the case that the events predicted in Ezekiel 38 and 39 are on our prophetic horizon, and it seems that each month new books and articles appear insisting that “given the current world situation, nuclear war is inevitable” based on what we read in Ezekiel’s prophecy. What if we read Ezekiel 38 and 39 literally? Is it possible that the Gog and Magog alliance that was designed “to destroy, to kill and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, women and children” has already taken place? That’s exactly what The Gog and Magog End-Time Alliance attempts to show.

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Gary interviews Bob Cruickshank, Jr. and Daniel Harden about Ezekiel 38-39 and how the book of Esther connects to it. Most Bible commentators make Esther stand alone, without any connection to the rest of the Bible. Gary, Bob, and Dan point out how seamlessly it describes the fulfillment of Gog and Magog and how the Messianic bloodline is kept intact, despite Haman’s futile attempts to eradicate it.

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