Let Us Reason

  God’s Evangelism

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  ✝️ God’s Evangelism

Let Us Reason >   ✝️ God’s Evangelism

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“Purple cross glowing through storm clouds, lone figure watches from a hill—symbol of hope through conflict.”

🔥 Why Does God Use Opposition?

When discussing the concepts involved in the following situations, it is important to remember that God uses the Evil ruling spirit referred to as Gog to spiritually tempt and motivate physical people.


📖 God’s Evangelism: How Divine Opposition Becomes Redemptive Invitation

Thesis: God orchestrates spiritual conflict (Rev 20:9) not merely to judge willful sin and refine His people (Heb 10:26). God uses spiritual conflict to expose His glory to the watching enemies — turning hostility into a stage for revelation and repentance.

🔄 Dual-Scale Evangelism:

Personal to National

Personal Scale: Like Paul’s thorn or Job’s accuser, God allows adversaries to confront individuals — not to destroy, but to reveal dependence, provoke repentance, and showcase divine strength.


National Scale: In Ezekiel 39, the nations that surround Israel become witnesses to both judgment and restoration. Their encirclement becomes a lens through which they “know” the Lord (Ezekiel 39:21, 23).

🛡️ Enemies as Evangelistic Instruments:


Gog (Prince of the power of the air, Eph 2:2) is not just a threat — He is a tool. God controls Him totally, and His presence sets the stage for divine fire and Magog’s vindication.


Ezekiel 39:6 And I will send a fire on Magog (Believers captive to sin, Acts 8:23), and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD, Matt24:51 and 25:41.


Ezekiel 39:7 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.

Ezekiel 39:8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.

This situation is an illustration of “The Day of the Lord”.

In Matthew 24:36, Jesus used the same concept as it is applied to an individual.

Matthew 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.


Pharaoh’s hardening in Exodus leads to the plagues — but also to the declaration: “That My name may be proclaimed in all the earth” (Exodus 9:16).


Assyria and Babylon are used to discipline Israel, but their downfall becomes a testimony to God’s justice and mercy.

🔥 Spiritual Battle as Evangelistic Theater


Ephesians 3:10 — “Through the church, the manifold wisdom of God is made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.”


The battle isn’t just about victory — it’s about display.

God uses conflict to reveal His character to both human and spiritual audiences, as seen in 1 Peter 3:16 and 1 Peter 4:4.

God’s Discipline and Evangelism in Ezekiel 36–39

🔥 Central Theme

Ezekiel 36–39 reveals how God disciplines His covenant people when they are unfaithful. Gog is the hostile ruler opposed to God, while Magog may be understood not only as foreign nations but as the dispersed covenant people who “dwell carelessly in the isles” (39:6). Through discipline, God restores His people and makes His holiness known to the nations.

📖 Ezekiel 36 – Scattering and Cleansing

  • Israel is scattered among the nations due to covenant unfaithfulness (Deut 28:64; Ezek 36:19).
  • God promises to regather them, cleanse them, and sanctify His name (Ezek 36:23–24).
  • Discipline is correction leading to renewal, not destruction.

💀 Ezekiel 37 – Dry Bones Restored

  • Vision of dry bones = symbol of spiritual revival.
  • God breathes life into His people, restoring them from desolation.
  • This prepares for the confrontation with Gog and Magog.

⚔️ Ezekiel 38–39 – Gog and Magog

  • Ezekiel 38:3–4 Transition:
    • In verse 3, God sets His face against Gog, the hostile ruler.
    • In verse 4, the focus broadens: Gog is compelled forward, and his people (Magog) are drawn with him.
    • The Hebrew preposition עַל (‘al) can mean against, upon, toward, unto. This allows the reading that Gog is opposed, but Magog is redirected unto/into Israel.
    • This transition explains why Ezekiel 39:7 emphasizes God’s name being sanctified among His people Israel.
  • Gog = hostile ruler opposed to God (38:3–4).
  • Magog = those who “dwell carelessly in the isles” (39:6).
    • Traditional view: hostile nations.
    • Alternative view: dispersed covenant people, careless in exile, whom God disciplines back “into Israel.”
  • God is against Gog, but His fire upon Magog is corrective, turning them back to faithfulness (39:7).

✨ Alternative View: Magog as Dispersed Covenant People

In Ezekiel 38–39, Gog is consistently portrayed as the hostile ruler whom God opposes (38:3–4), yet the land of Magog may be understood not merely as foreign nations but as the dispersed covenant people themselves—those who “dwell carelessly in the isles” (39:6). This phrase resonates with Israel’s scattering among the nations due to covenant unfaithfulness (cf. Deuteronomy 28:64; Ezekiel 36:19). In this reading, God’s fiery judgment upon Magog is not annihilation of outsiders but corrective discipline upon His own people, turning them back “into Israel.” Thus, Ezekiel 39:7 flows naturally: “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.” The covenant people who once profaned His name in dispersion are restored to faithfulness, sanctifying His name before the nations. This interpretation harmonizes with Ezekiel 36:23–24, where God promises to vindicate His holiness by regathering Israel from exile, and with the broader prophetic theme that divine discipline leads to covenant renewal.

🧩 Word Study: “Against” vs. “Unto/Into” and shaw shaw

  • Ezekiel 38:4: God says He will “turn thee back and bring thee forth.” The Hebrew preposition עַל (‘al) can mean against, upon, toward, unto.
  • Implication: Gog is opposed by God, but Magog may be redirected unto/into Israel.
  • Ezekiel 39:2 – shaw shaw: Traditionally read as “leave but the sixth part,” but the rare word may better mean “to lead/turn.”
  • Integration: If Magog are dispersed Israelites, shaw shaw describes God’s act of turning them back into covenant faithfulness, not annihilating them.

🌍 Evangelism Through Discipline

  • Israel’s restoration sanctifies God’s name before the nations.
  • The nations learn that Israel’s captivity was due to sin, not God’s weakness (39:23).
  • Discipline becomes evangelism: both Israel and the nations “know” the Lord.
Who is Gog in Ezekiel 38–39? Gog is portrayed as the hostile ruler whom God sets His face against (38:3). He represents opposition to God’s purposes and is judged directly by God.
Who are the people of Magog?

Traditional view: hostile nations under Gog’s command.

Alternative view: dispersed covenant people “dwelling carelessly in the isles” (39:6), whom God disciplines and turns back into Israel.

What happens in Ezekiel 38:3–4?

Verse 3: Gog is the target of God’s anger.

Verse 4: The focus broadens—Gog is compelled forward, and his people (Magog) are drawn with him.

The Hebrew preposition עַל (‘al) can mean against, upon, toward, unto, allowing the reading that Gog is opposed but Magog redirected unto/into Israel.

What does the rare word shaw shaw in Ezekiel 39:2 mean?

KJV: “leave but the sixth part.”

Alternative: “to lead/turn.”

In the covenant‑discipline view, shaw shaw describes God turning Magog back into faithfulness, not annihilating them.

How does this fit the larger theme of Ezekiel 36–39?

Israel scattered due to unfaithfulness (36).

Revived through the vision of dry bones (37).

Gog judged, Magog redirected (38–39).

God’s holiness is sanctified among His people and revealed to the nations (39:7, 39:23).