Is the Oct 7 Gaza-Israel war the Gog-Magog war?

(source: www.factsaboutisrael.uk/middle-east-war-in-bible-prophecy/ adapted by CJ

THE HAMAS-ISRAEL WAR

On 7 October 2023, from the early morning hoursHamas and other armed groups from Gaza carried out an attack against Israel, firing barrages of rockets towards the southern and central part of the country. Israel took this seriously and then declared war on Hamas. It started an aerial assault on Gaza, and subsequently a ground invasion, trying to free the more than 100 hostages still held by Hamas, and also wiping out the Hamas soldiers.

This is not the start of the Gog_Magog war, since in the latter war Russia will be the main player. However, it could be the start of the Ps 83 war- which leads into the Jer 49 war, which eventually ends up into the Gog-Magog war.

Together with what scholars have long predicted, the following now seems possible, not necessarily in this exact order:

THE INNER-CIRCLE WARS (Ps 83)

This refers to terrorist groups and countries that are right next to or above Israel:

(a) Hamas, to the West of Israel (a proxy of Iran) invaded Israel on Oct 7 2023, which forced Israel to start a war with them. To shift the blame Iran has denied involvement in planning this, even though it is clear that they are the ones backing Hamas and others with weapons and funds. This could be the start of the Ps 83 war.

(b) Hezbollah in Lebanon, north of Israel, attacks Israel (another proxy of Iran). Hezbollah claims that they have 150,000 guided missiles ready to attack Israel, and that they can fire at a rate of 3,000 per day. Ps 83:7 talks about the “inhabitants of Tyre”- which refers to Lebanon.

(c) Syria, northeast of Israel, under presidency of pres Asas, who is a sworn enemy of Israel, either attack Israel directly or via terrorist groups sheltered in the country. Asad has used chemical weapons more than 300 times.

(d) Israel’s Iron Dome all-weather air-defence system will probably not be able to cope with missiles coming from all sides at the same time. This leaves Israel with the only option left, i.e. a localised nuclear strike. The closest and easiest big city target will be Damascus, capital of Syria. Its complete destruction will be a fulfilment of Isaiah 17. The “children of Israel” who is referred to, probably refers to the Israeli Defence Force (IDF).

(e) Their Arab enemies will probably wonder which of their cities could be next, and thus increase their attacks on Israel. The fact that Israel takes a hit here is predicted in Is 17:3-6. The Israelis are being compared to as flesh that “shall wax lean” (Is 17:4) and as “the shaking of an olive tree”. (Is 17:6)

(f) But, since God is on His people’s side, Israel will probably take out other big cities. Amman, capital of Jordan is a possibility. This will be a fulfilment of Jer 49:2 (the Ammonites, Moab and Edom refer to modern-day Jordan). These countries are also mentioned in Ps 83. So Israel will expand its land to include Jordan.

(g) Israel will further expand its territory to include (at least parts of) Egypt. Is 19:18 says that five cities in Egypt shall speak the language of Canaan (Hebrew). In Gen 15:18 God made a covenant to Abraham that he will give his seed “this land, from the river of Egypt (probably the Nile river) unto the great river, the river Euphrates”. The river Euphrates is in modern-day Iraq and Syria. This is when Isarel will “dwell safely” (Ez 38:8)

THE INNER-CIRCLE WAR (Jer49)

Iran has almost reached the stage of being capable to create nuclear weapons.  Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps has unveiled what appears to be a ballistic missile with the words “Death to Israel” written in Hebrew down the side.  Iran and its leadership have repeatedly vowed to “wipe Israel off the map”. For this reason Israel might feel forced to have a pre-emptive strike on Iran. This will be the Jer 49 war.

THE OUTER-CIRCLE WAR (Ez 38-39)

After the inner circle wars, once Israel has expanded its land, the Israelis shall dwell safely all of them (Ez 38:8)  This will give Russia, Iran, Turkey and their proxies the opportunity to invade Israel “from the north.”

This will be the Gog-Magog war. Pre-tribulation believers expect the Rapture of believers any time bwteen now and at the height of the Gog-Magog war.

A POSSIBLE TIMELINE

is concentrated around the last week of Daniel’s 70-week prophecy (just seven years):

(a) saints are resurrected and the true church is removed (‘raptured’) from the earth (Mat 24.36-44)
(b) the Gog-Magog war and humiliation of the Arab-Islamic nations (Ezek 38)
(c) Israel realizes that her God has defeated the invader (Ezek 39.22,29)
(d) the world ruler (false messiah) is revealed (2 Thes 2.3)
(e) start of week 70: the world ruler makes a (false) covenant or treaty with Israel (Dan 9.27a)
(f) mid-week: the world ruler invades Israel and the Jewish temple (Dan 9.27b, 2 Thes 2.4)
(g) Israel realizes she has made ‘a covenant with hell’ (Isa 28.15)
(h) the world enters a few years of unparalleled trouble (wars, famine, death and martyrdom)- the 7 Seals of Revelation
(i)Israel in particular suffers in the ‘great tribulation’ (Jer 30.7, Mat 24.15-28)- the 7 Trumptes and 7 Vials of Revelation
(j) the world ruler gathers all nations for war against Israel (Armageddon) (Rev 19.19)
(k) Jerusalem and Judah will be the focus of the invaders (Zech 12.2-3, 14.2)
(l) Israel suffers heavy losses and only 1/3 of the population survives (Zech 13.8,9) and possibly flee to Petra in Jordan (Rev 12)
(m) God pours His Spirit upon Israel as she cries to the LORD for help (Joel 2.28-32)
(n) God strengthens Israel (Judah in particular) to defend Jerusalem (Zech 12.4-9)
(o) Ultimately, it is Christ who lands on Mt Olives (The Second Coming to earth) and the armies from heaven who defeat the invading Russia-led armies (Rev 19.20,21)
(p) Christ gathers all nations together in the Valley of Jehoshaphat, to judge them- the Sheep and Goat judgment (Joel 3.2)
(q)Christ rules the millennial world from Jerusalem (Zech 14.8,9)
(r) In subsequent years, the Gentile nations go up to worship Christ in Jerusalem (Zech 14.16)
(s) After 1,000 years Satan is released to again deceive the nations – the ‘final’  or ‘second’ Gog-Magog war (Rev 20.1-2, 7-10)
(t) The Great White Throne judgment of unbelievers (Rev 20:11-15) Satan is thrown in the lake of fire.
(u) The existing earth gets destroyed by fire (2 Pet 3:12-13), probably by a global nuclear explosion, and God creates a new heaven and new earth (Rev 21-22)
(v) Born-again believers live on the new earth in the permanent, sinless presence of God.