Gog and Magog from Ezekiel to Revelation Gog and Magog

gog , magog besiege city of saints. depiction hooked noses noted paul meyer.

over next few centuries jewish tradition changed ezekiel s gog magog gog , magog. process, , shifting geography of gog , magog, can traced through literature of period. 3rd book of sibylline oracles, example, originated in egyptian judaism in middle of 2nd century bc, changes ezekiel s gog magog gog , magog, links fate eleven other nations, , places them in midst of aethiopian rivers ; seems strange location, ancient geography did place ethiopia next persia or india. passage has highly uncertain text, manuscripts varying in groupings of letters of greek text words, leading different readings; 1 group of manuscripts ( group y ) links them marsians , dacians , in eastern europe, amongst others.

the book of jubilees, same time, makes 3 references either gog or magog: in first, magog descendant of noah, in genesis 10; in second, gog region next japheth s borders; , in third, portion of japheth s land assigned magog. 1st-century liber antiquitatum biblicarum, retells biblical history adam saul, notable listing , naming 7 of magog s sons, , mentions thousands of descendants. samaritan torah , septuagint (a greek translation of hebrew bible made during last few centuries of pre-christian era) introduce name of gog hebrew original has else, or use magog hebrew has gog, indicating names interchangeable.

chapters 19:11–21:8 of book of revelation, dating end of 1st century ad, tells how satan imprisoned thousand years, , how, on release, rally nations in 4 corners of earth, gog , magog, final battle christ , saints:

when thousand years over, satan released prison , go out deceive nations in 4 corners of earth—gog , magog—and gather them battle. in number sand on seashore.