Apocalypse Revealed #859
859. That Gog and Magog symbolize people who engage in external worship without any internal worship can be seen from chapter 38 in Ezekiel, where Gog is the subject from beginning to end, and from chapter 39 there, verses 1-16. But that these are symbolized by Gog and Magog is not clearly apparent there except through knowing the spiritual sense, which, because it has been revealed to me, will be disclosed. First, the contents of those two chapters:
The contents of chapter 38 in Ezekiel are as follows: The subject is people who attend to the Word's literal sense only, and whose worship is therefore an external worship without any internal worship, meant by Gog (verses 1, 2). That each and every component of that worship will perish (verses 3-7). That such worship will overwhelm the church and destroy it, so that it will be caught up in outward shows without any inward realities (verses 8-16). That the state of the church will change therefore (verse 17-19). That the truths and goods of religion will consequently perish and be replaced by false ones (verses 20-23).
[2] The contents of chapter 39 in the same prophetic book are as follows: Regarding people who attend to the Word's literal sense only and whose worship is an external one, that they will come into the church meant by Gog and perish (verses 1-6). That this will be the case when the Lord makes His advent and establishes His church (verses 7-8). That this church will then dispel all the people's evils and falsities (verses 9-10). It will entirely destroy them (verses 11-16). That the New Church to be established by the Lord will be instructed in truths and goods of every kind, and infused with goods of every kind (verses 17-21). That because of its evils and falsities, the previous church will be destroyed (verses 23-24). That the Lord will then gather together His church from all nations (verses 25-29).
[3] We must say something, however, about people who engage in external worship without any internal, spiritual worship. They are the kind of people who go often to church on the sabbath and on holy days, who sing hymns then and pray, who listen to sermons and attend then to the preacher's eloquence, but pay little or no attention to the substance, and who are moved somewhat by prayers uttered with feeling, such as that they are sinners, without reflecting on themselves or on their life; who also partake annually of the sacrament of the Holy Supper; who pour out prayers morning and evening, and pray also before midday and evening meals; and who also converse at times about God, heaven and eternal life, and know how to cite as well then some passages from the Word and to pretend to be Christians, even though they are not. For after they have done all these things, they think nothing of adulterous affairs and obscenities, of vengeance and hatred, of covert theft and robbery, of lying and blasphemy, and of lusting for and intending evils of every kind.
People of this character do not believe in any God, still less in the Lord. If asked what the good and truth of religion are, they do not know and think it of no great moment for them to know. In a word, they live for themselves and the world, thus for their inherent disposition and body, and not for God and the neighbor, thus not for their spirit and soul. It is apparent from this that their worship is an external worship without any internal worship. They also readily accept the heresy of faith alone, especially when they are told that a person cannot do good of himself, and that they are not under the yoke of the law. That is the reason we are told that the dragon will go out to lead astray the nations, Gog and Magog.
In the original Hebrew, too, Gog and Magog mean a roof and deck, which is something external.
Ezekiel 39
1
Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:
2
And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3
And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4
Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5
Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6
And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
7
So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the holy One in Israel.
8
Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.
9
And they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the handstaves, and the spears, and they shall burn them with fire seven years:
10
So that they shall take no wood out of the field, neither cut down any out of the forests; for they shall burn the weapons with fire: and they shall spoil those that spoiled them, and rob those that robbed them, saith the Lord GOD.
11
And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude: and they shall call it The valley of Hamon-gog.
12
And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.
13
Yea, all the people of the land shall bury them; and it shall be to them a renown the day that I shall be glorified, saith the Lord GOD.
14
And they shall sever out men of continual employment, passing through the land to bury with the passengers those that remain upon the face of the earth, to cleanse it: after the end of seven months shall they search.
15
And the passengers that pass through the land, when any seeth a man's bone, then shall he set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamon-gog.
16
And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land.
17
And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood.
18
Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan.
19
And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.
20
Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD.
21
And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them.
22
So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward.
23
And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the sword.
24
According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions have I done unto them, and hid my face from them.
25
Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name;
26
After that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against me, when they dwelt safely in their land, and none made them afraid.
27
When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies' lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations;
28
Then shall they know that I am the LORD their God, which cause them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there.
29
Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.
