Lesson 12: Living on Borrowed Time – Gog and Magog
Lesson 12 Overview
Ezekiel 38: A Study of Gog and Magog with Dr. Andy Woods
This is the final lesson in the series. Dr. Woods addresses where the United States fits in the prophecy, completes the third strategic trend of the “how” question, and closes with seven points of application. Use this overview to review the key points after watching the full video.
Where Is the United States?
Dr. Woods notes that America has historically been Israel’s friend, yet the United States is absent from Ezekiel’s list of nations that come to Israel’s defense. He offers two possible explanations. His hope is that the rapture of the church will have removed so many people from positions of leadership that America is simply no longer able to act. The sadder possibility is that America becomes so hostile to Israel that she does not oppose the invasion at all.
He argues that a change in leadership can shift American policy quickly, pointing to the Carter and Obama years as examples, and referencing a Ben Shapiro article critical of the Obama administration’s posture toward Israel. He also cites Zechariah 12:3 and 14:2, which say all nations will be gathered against Jerusalem, noting that “all” could even include the United States. His conclusion is that believers should pray for their country, since America’s historic friendship with Israel is not guaranteed to last.
Strategic Trend Three: An Overwhelming Coalition Rebuffed
Completing the “how” question, Dr. Woods gives the third strategic trend: a scenario must exist in which an overwhelming coalition comes against Israel and is miraculously turned back against all odds. He argues this has already happened three times as a kind of “dress rehearsal,” in the 1948 War of Independence, the 1967 Six-Day War, and the 1973 Yom Kippur War, when Israel was heavily outnumbered yet survived. He suggests these victories point toward the far greater deliverance Ezekiel describes, and that only in our own time has history finally caught up to the scenario the prophet foresaw.
Review of the Five Questions
Before the applications, Dr. Woods summarizes the whole study. The who is the specific coalition of nations he identified. The when is the tribulation, with chapter 38 in the first half and chapter 39 in the second. The why is spiritual (satanic anti-Semitism) and physical (greed for Israel’s wealth). The what is the coalition’s destruction by God, the seven months to bury the dead, the seven years to burn the weapons, the birds feasting on the corpses, and Israel’s regeneration. The how is the three strategic trends now in place.
Seven Points of Application
Dr. Woods closes with seven ways this study should affect daily Christian life.
First, prophecy is proof of divine inspiration. Only God can declare events in advance and bring them to pass (Isaiah 48:3-5), and he encourages using fulfilled prophecy in evangelism.
Second, prophecy has a calming effect. It reminds believers that God is in control of a world that seems out of control, so they can remain at peace.
Third, believers need not fear the rise of radical Islam. Christians should be aware of and study Islam, but not live in fear, because God has it under control and will deal with this coalition supernaturally.
Fourth, prophecy is a reminder of God’s faithfulness. God will keep every covenant promise to a wandering Israel (2 Timothy 2:13), which assures believers that He will remain faithful to them as well.
Fifth, keep your eye on Israel. Ezekiel 5:5 and 38:12 present Israel as the center of the nations, and Dr. Woods cites William Blackstone’s image of Israel as “God’s sundial,” the timepiece that shows where we are in God’s plan.
Sixth, support Israel. Since Satan wants to destroy Israel and God wants to preserve her, Dr. Woods urges believers to choose God’s side: rejecting movements like BDS and replacement theology, voting for candidates closest to biblical values who are not hostile to Israel, and praying for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6). These are his own strongly stated political and theological convictions.
Seventh, remember we are living on borrowed time. Using the analogy that Christmas decorations signal that Thanksgiving is even nearer, he argues that if the signs of the tribulation are appearing, and the rapture precedes the tribulation, then the rapture is nearer still. This should reorder a believer’s priorities toward holy living (1 John 3:2-3) and sharing the gospel while there is time.
Conclusion
Dr. Woods closes the series by reminding students of the five journalistic questions (who, when, why, what, and how) and the call to apply them. He signs off with the hope of Christ’s soon return, mentioning his resources, including his book The Coming Kingdom, Chafer Theological Seminary, and his verse-by-verse teaching at Sugar Land Bible Church.