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Selected Verse: Ezekiel 37:28 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Eze 37:28	Strong Concordance	And the heathen [01471] shall know [03045] that I the LORD [03068] do sanctify [06942] Israel [03478], when my sanctuary [04720] shall be in the midst [08432] of them for evermore [05769].
	King James	And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
(Eze 36:23). sanctify Israel--set it apart as holy unto Myself and inviolable (Exo 19:5-6). The objections to a literal interpretation of the prophecy are--(1) The ideal nature of the name Gog, which is the root of Magog, the only kindred name found in Scripture or history. (2) The nations congregated are selected from places most distant from Israel, and from one another, and therefore most unlikely to act in concert (Persians and Libyans, &c.). (3) The whole spoil of Israel could not have given a handful to a tithe of their number, or maintained the myriads of invaders a single day (Eze 38:12-13). (4) The wood of their invaders' weapons was to serve for fuel to Israel for seven years! And all Israel were to take seven months in burying the dead! Supposing a million of Israelites to bury each two corpses a day, the aggregate buried in the hundred eighty working days of the seven months would be three hundred sixty millions of corpses! Then the pestilential vapors from such masses of victims before they were all buried! What Israelite could live in such an atmosphere? (5) The scene of the Lord's controversy here is different from that in Isa 34:6, Edom, which creates a discrepancy. (But probably a different judgment is alluded to). (6) The gross carnality of the representation of God's dealings with His adversaries is inconsistent with Messianic times. It therefore requires a non-literal interpretation. The prophetical delineations of the divine principles of government are thrown into the familiar forms of Old Testament relations. The final triumph of Messiah's truth over the most distant and barbarous nations is represented as a literal conflict on a gigantic scale, Israel being the battlefield, ending in the complete triumph of Israel's anointed King, the Saviour of the world. It is a prophetical parable [FAIRBAIRN]. However, though the details are not literal, the distinctiveness in this picture, characterizing also parallel descriptions in writers less ideally picturesque than Ezekiel, gives probability to a more definite and generally literal interpretation. The awful desolations caused in Judea by Antiochus Epiphanes, of Syria (1 Maccabees; and PORPHYRY, quoted by JEROME on Ezekiel), his defilement of Jehovah's temple by sacrificing swine and sprinkling the altar with the broth, and setting up the altar of Jupiter Olympius, seem to be an earnest of the final desolations to be caused by Antichrist in Israel, previous to His overthrow by the Lord Himself, coming to reign (compare Dan. 8:10-26; Dan 11:21-45; Dan 12:1; Zac 13:9; Zac 14:2-3). GROTIUS explains Gog as a name taken from Gyges, king of Lydia; and Magog as Syria, in which was a city called Magag [PLINY, 5.28]. What Ezekiel stated more generally, Rev 20:7-9 states more definitely as to the anti-Christian confederacy which is to assail the beloved city.

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

(Eze 36:23).

sanctify Israel--set it apart as holy unto Myself and inviolable (Exo 19:5-6).

The objections to a literal interpretation of the prophecy are--(1) The ideal nature of the name Gog, which is the root of Magog, the only kindred name found in Scripture or history. (2) The nations congregated are selected from places most distant from Israel, and from one another, and therefore most unlikely to act in concert (Persians and Libyans, &c.). (3) The whole spoil of Israel could not have given a handful to a tithe of their number, or maintained the myriads of invaders a single day (Eze 38:12-13). (4) The wood of their invaders' weapons was to serve for fuel to Israel for seven years! And all Israel were to take seven months in burying the dead! Supposing a million of Israelites to bury each two corpses a day, the aggregate buried in the hundred eighty working days of the seven months would be three hundred sixty millions of corpses! Then the pestilential vapors from such masses of victims before they were all buried! What Israelite could live in such an atmosphere? (5) The scene of the Lord's controversy here is different from that in Isa 34:6, Edom, which creates a discrepancy. (But probably a different judgment is alluded to). (6) The gross carnality of the representation of God's dealings with His adversaries is inconsistent with Messianic times. It therefore requires a non-literal interpretation. The prophetical delineations of the divine principles of government are thrown into the familiar forms of Old Testament relations. The final triumph of Messiah's truth over the most distant and barbarous nations is represented as a literal conflict on a gigantic scale, Israel being the battlefield, ending in the complete triumph of Israel's anointed King, the Saviour of the world. It is a prophetical parable [FAIRBAIRN]. However, though the details are not literal, the distinctiveness in this picture, characterizing also parallel descriptions in writers less ideally picturesque than Ezekiel, gives probability to a more definite and generally literal interpretation. The awful desolations caused in Judea by Antiochus Epiphanes, of Syria (1 Maccabees; and PORPHYRY, quoted by JEROME on Ezekiel), his defilement of Jehovah's temple by sacrificing swine and sprinkling the altar with the broth, and setting up the altar of Jupiter Olympius, seem to be an earnest of the final desolations to be caused by Antichrist in Israel, previous to His overthrow by the Lord Himself, coming to reign (compare Dan. 8:10-26; Dan 11:21-45; Dan 12:1; Zac 13:9; Zac 14:2-3). GROTIUS explains Gog as a name taken from Gyges, king of Lydia; and Magog as Syria, in which was a city called Magag [PLINY, 5.28]. What Ezekiel stated more generally, Rev 20:7-9 states more definitely as to the anti-Christian confederacy which is to assail the beloved city.

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⁷ And [2532] when [3752] the thousand [5507] years [2094] are expired [5055], Satan [4567] shall be loosed [3089] out of [1537] his [846] prison [5438],
⁸ And [2532] shall go out [1831] to deceive [4105] the nations [1484] which [3588] are in [1722] the four [5064] quarters [1137] of the earth [1093], Gog [1136] and [2532] Magog [3098], to gather [4863] them [846] together [4863] to [1519] battle [4171]: the number [706] of whom [3739] is as [5613] the sand [285] of the sea [2281].
⁹ And [2532] they went up [305] on [1909] the breadth [4114] of the earth [1093], and [2532] compassed [2944] the camp [3925] of the saints [40] about [2944], and [2532] the beloved [25] city [4172]: and [2532] fire [4442] came down [2597] from [575] God [2316] out of [1537] heaven [3772], and [2532] devoured [2719] them [846].

² For I will gather [0622] all nations [01471] against Jerusalem [03389] to battle [04421]; and the city [05892] shall be taken [03920], and the houses [01004] rifled [08155], and the women [0802] ravished [07901] [07693]; and half [02677] of the city [05892] shall go forth [03318] into captivity [01473], and the residue [03499] of the people [05971] shall not be cut off [03772] from the city [05892].
³ Then shall the LORD [03068] go forth [03318], and fight [03898] against those nations [01471], as when [03117] he fought [03898] in the day [03117] of battle [07128].

⁹ And I will bring [0935] the third part [07992] through the fire [0784], and will refine [06884] them as silver [03701] is refined [06884], and will try [0974] them as gold [02091] is tried [0974]: they shall call [07121] on my name [08034], and I will hear [06030] them: I will say [0559], It is my people [05971]: and they shall say [0559], The LORD [03068] is my God [0430].

¹ And at that time [06256] shall Michael [04317] stand up [05975], the great [01419] prince [08269] which standeth [05975] for the children [01121] of thy people [05971]: and there shall be [01961] a time [06256] of trouble [06869], such as never was since there was a nation [01471] even to that same time [06256]: and at that time [06256] thy people [05971] shall be delivered [04422], every one that shall be found [04672] written [03789] in the book [05612].

²¹ And in his estate [03653] shall stand up [05975] a vile person [0959], to whom they shall not give [05414] the honour [01935] of the kingdom [04438]: but he shall come [0935] in peaceably [07962], and obtain [02388] the kingdom [04438] by flatteries [02519].
²² And with the arms [02220] of a flood [07858] shall they be overflown [07857] from before [06440] him, and shall be broken [07665]; yea, also the prince [05057] of the covenant [01285].
²³ And after the league [02266] made with him he shall work [06213] deceitfully [04820]: for he shall come up [05927], and shall become strong [06105] with a small [04592] people [01471].
²⁴ He shall enter [0935] peaceably [07962] even upon the fattest places [04924] of the province [04082]; and he shall do [06213] that which his fathers [01] have not done [06213], nor his fathers [01]' fathers [01]; he shall scatter [0967] among them the prey [0961], and spoil [07998], and riches [07399]: yea, and he shall forecast [02803] his devices [04284] against the strong holds [04013], even for a time [06256].
²⁵ And he shall stir up [05782] his power [03581] and his courage [03824] against the king [04428] of the south [05045] with a great [01419] army [02428]; and the king [04428] of the south [05045] shall be stirred up [01624] to battle [04421] with a very [03966] great [01419] and mighty [06099] army [02428]; but he shall not stand [05975]: for they shall forecast [02803] devices [04284] against him.
²⁶ Yea, they that feed [0398] of the portion of his meat [06598] shall destroy [07665] him, and his army [02428] shall overflow [07857]: and many [07227] shall fall [05307] down slain [02491].
²⁷ And both [08147] these kings [04428]' hearts [03824] shall be to do mischief [04827] [07451], and they shall speak [01696] lies [03577] at one [0259] table [07979]; but it shall not prosper [06743]: for yet the end [07093] shall be at the time appointed [04150].
²⁸ Then shall he return [07725] into his land [0776] with great [01419] riches [07399]; and his heart [03824] shall be against the holy [06944] covenant [01285]; and he shall do [06213] exploits, and return [07725] to his own land [0776].
²⁹ At the time appointed [04150] he shall return [07725], and come [0935] toward the south [05045]; but it shall not be as the former [07223], or as the latter [0314].
³⁰ For the ships [06716] of Chittim [03794] shall come [0935] against him: therefore he shall be grieved [03512], and return [07725], and have indignation [02194] against the holy [06944] covenant [01285]: so shall he do [06213]; he shall even return [07725], and have intelligence [0995] with them that forsake [05800] the holy [06944] covenant [01285].
³¹ And arms [02220] shall stand [05975] on his part, and they shall pollute [02490] the sanctuary [04720] of strength [04581], and shall take away [05493] the daily [08548] sacrifice, and they shall place [05414] the abomination [08251] that maketh desolate [08074].
³² And such as do wickedly [07561] against the covenant [01285] shall he corrupt [02610] by flatteries [02514]: but the people [05971] that do know [03045] their God [0430] shall be strong [02388], and do [06213] exploits.
³³ And they that understand [07919] among the people [05971] shall instruct [0995] many [07227]: yet they shall fall [03782] by the sword [02719], and by flame [03852], by captivity [07628], and by spoil [0961], many days [03117].
³⁴ Now when they shall fall [03782], they shall be holpen [05826] with a little [04592] help [05828]: but many [07227] shall cleave [03867] to them with flatteries [02519].
³⁵ And some of them of understanding [07919] shall fall [03782], to try [06884] them, and to purge [01305], and to make them white [03835], even to the time [06256] of the end [07093]: because it is yet for a time appointed [04150].
³⁶ And the king [04428] shall do [06213] according to his will [07522]; and he shall exalt [07311] himself, and magnify [01431] himself above every god [0410], and shall speak [01696] marvellous things [06381] against the God [0410] of gods [0410], and shall prosper [06743] till the indignation [02195] be accomplished [03615]: for that that is determined [02782] shall be done [06213].
³⁷ Neither shall he regard [0995] the God [0430] of his fathers [01], nor the desire [02532] of women [0802], nor regard [0995] any god [0433]: for he shall magnify [01431] himself above all.
³⁸ But in his estate [03653] shall he honour [03513] the God [0433] of forces [04581]: and a god [0433] whom his fathers [01] knew [03045] not shall he honour [03513] with gold [02091], and silver [03701], and with precious [03368] stones [068], and pleasant things [02532].
³⁹ Thus shall he do [06213] in the most strong [04581] holds [04013] with a strange [05236] god [0433], whom he shall acknowledge [05234] [05234] and increase [07235] with glory [03519]: and he shall cause them to rule [04910] over many [07227], and shall divide [02505] the land [0127] for gain [04242].
⁴⁰ And at the time [06256] of the end [07093] shall the king [04428] of the south [05045] push [05055] at him: and the king [04428] of the north [06828] shall come against him like a whirlwind [08175], with chariots [07393], and with horsemen [06571], and with many [07227] ships [0591]; and he shall enter [0935] into the countries [0776], and shall overflow [07857] and pass over [05674].
⁴¹ He shall enter [0935] also into the glorious [06643] land [0776], and many [07227] countries shall be overthrown [03782]: but these shall escape [04422] out of his hand [03027], even Edom [0123], and Moab [04124], and the chief [07225] of the children [01121] of Ammon [05983].
⁴² He shall stretch forth [07971] his hand [03027] also upon the countries [0776]: and the land [0776] of Egypt [04714] shall not escape [06413].
⁴³ But he shall have power [04910] over the treasures [04362] of gold [02091] and of silver [03701], and over all the precious [02532] things of Egypt [04714]: and the Libyans [03864] and the Ethiopians [03569] shall be at his steps [04703].
⁴⁴ But tidings [08052] out of the east [04217] and out of the north [06828] shall trouble [0926] him: therefore he shall go forth [03318] with great [01419] fury [02534] to destroy [08045], and utterly to make away [02763] many [07227].
⁴⁵ And he shall plant [05193] the tabernacles [0168] of his palace [0643] between the seas [03220] in the glorious [06643] holy [06944] mountain [02022]; yet he shall come [0935] to his end [07093], and none shall help [05826] him.

⁶ The sword [02719] of the LORD [03068] is filled [04390] with blood [01818], it is made fat [01878] with fatness [02459], and with the blood [01818] of lambs [03733] and goats [06260], with the fat [02459] of the kidneys [03629] of rams [0352]: for the LORD [03068] hath a sacrifice [02077] in Bozrah [01224], and a great [01419] slaughter [02874] in the land [0776] of Idumea [0123].

¹² To take [07997] a spoil [07998], and to take [0962] a prey [0957]; to turn [07725] thine hand [03027] upon the desolate places [02723] that are now inhabited [03427], and upon the people [05971] that are gathered [0622] out of the nations [01471], which have gotten [06213] cattle [04735] and goods [07075], that dwell [03427] in the midst [02872] of the land [0776].
¹³ Sheba [07614], and Dedan [01719], and the merchants [05503] of Tarshish [08659], with all the young lions [03715] thereof, shall say [0559] unto thee, Art thou come [0935] to take [07997] a spoil [07998]? hast thou gathered [06950] thy company [06951] to take [0962] a prey [0957]? to carry away [05375] silver [03701] and gold [02091], to take away [03947] cattle [04735] and goods [07075], to take [07997] a great [01419] spoil [07998]?

⁵ Now therefore, if ye will obey [08085] my voice [06963] indeed [08085], and keep [08104] my covenant [01285], then ye shall be a peculiar treasure [05459] unto me above all people [05971]: for all the earth [0776] is mine:
⁶ And ye shall be unto me a kingdom [04467] of priests [03548], and an holy [06918] nation [01471]. These are the words [01697] which thou shalt speak [01696] unto the children [01121] of Israel [03478].

²³ And I will sanctify [06942] my great [01419] name [08034], which was profaned [02490] among the heathen [01471], which ye have profaned [02490] in the midst [08432] of them; and the heathen [01471] shall know [03045] that I am the LORD [03068], saith [05002] the Lord [0136] GOD [03069], when I shall be sanctified [06942] in you before their eyes [05869].