“And it (the “leanness”, pestilence spoken of in Verse 16 along with other natural events) will consume the glory of his (Gog’s) forest and of his fruitful field, both soul and body; and they will be as when a sick man wastes away. Then the rest of the trees of his forest will be so few in number that a child may write them.” (Isa 10:18, 19)
“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: 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.” (Ezek 39:1, 2 KJV)
Only 1/6 of Gog will survive. The forces of Gog will come down like a cloud upon the tiny land of Israel, but when God delivers the Holy Remnant the “trees” of the “forest” of Gog will be decimated. Very few of the enemy will survive when God fights for His people as in days of old.
It should be understood that not all those who were residing in the Middle East at that time were actively engaged in the conflict. Tarshish, Sheba, and Dedan picture the bystanders or onlookers from Europe and the United States (Ezek. 38:13) possibly U.N. peace keeping forces still residing in the area following Israel’s last war with her neighbors (a war which Psa 83 indicates hasn’t taken place yet, but is even now upon the horizon).
Those who survive will be like the journalistic element; they will return to their homelands and give eyewitness accounts of the great drama. In other words, the survivors of Tarshish, Sheba, and Dedan will run back to their various nations, as will the survivors of Gog, so that the whole world will know something has happened in Israel. The enemy will come down from the north into Israel and surround Jerusalem. Hence most likely the allied forces, who will be eyewitnesses, will probably of had been pulled back and stationed south of Jerusalem when Gog attacks, nevertheless they too will suffer loses in this conflict.
In regards to Ezek 39:12 in which it is stated that it will take seven months for the remnant of Israel to bury the dead we also note in the following verse that “all the people of the land will be burying” the dead, the people of the land obviously being in reference others who likewise survived the great battle many of whom who reside in the Middle East.
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*leave but the sixth part of thee
“The various translations have different thoughts for this part of verse 2, not even agreeing with each other. For example, the King James margin has alternate thoughts, but note that the number six is there (although it is lacking in some other translations). “Six plagues” cannot be the correct thought because, according to the different prophets, more than six calamities will come upon the enemy host. The thought of only one sixth of the enemy surviving seems to be the most accurate based on parts of the Books of Isaiah and Zechariah. A tremendous horde will come against Israel, and this chapter later shows a huge number of bodies (carcasses) will require burial, so a five-sixths destruction ratio would seem to be correct. Of the enemy host (not of the onlookers, not of the peacekeeping force), only one-sixth will survive.”
Some translators disagree with this proposition concerning the sixth part altogether.
“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.” (Ezek 39:2 AV)
“In this text "turn thee back" is meaning to cause to come in, indicating the actual advance to the attack. The expression rendered in the Authorized Version "leave but the sixth part of thee” is made by a false etymology in which shasha was read as shashash, (a sixth), whereas the correct rendering should be "lead thee on" which confirms the earlier part of the verse.
“And I will turn you around and lead you on, bringing you up from the far north, and bring you against the mountains of Israel.” (Ezek 39:2 NKJV)
Regardless of the true meaning of this verse, Isa 10:18, 19 confirms the thought that there will indeed be survivors in Gog’s forces after the battle.
In our next post we will take a look at some of the text you supplied for further enlightenment.
“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: 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.” (Ezek 39:1, 2 KJV)
Only 1/6 of Gog will survive. The forces of Gog will come down like a cloud upon the tiny land of Israel, but when God delivers the Holy Remnant the “trees” of the “forest” of Gog will be decimated. Very few of the enemy will survive when God fights for His people as in days of old.
It should be understood that not all those who were residing in the Middle East at that time were actively engaged in the conflict. Tarshish, Sheba, and Dedan picture the bystanders or onlookers from Europe and the United States (Ezek. 38:13) possibly U.N. peace keeping forces still residing in the area following Israel’s last war with her neighbors (a war which Psa 83 indicates hasn’t taken place yet, but is even now upon the horizon).
Those who survive will be like the journalistic element; they will return to their homelands and give eyewitness accounts of the great drama. In other words, the survivors of Tarshish, Sheba, and Dedan will run back to their various nations, as will the survivors of Gog, so that the whole world will know something has happened in Israel. The enemy will come down from the north into Israel and surround Jerusalem. Hence most likely the allied forces, who will be eyewitnesses, will probably of had been pulled back and stationed south of Jerusalem when Gog attacks, nevertheless they too will suffer loses in this conflict.
In regards to Ezek 39:12 in which it is stated that it will take seven months for the remnant of Israel to bury the dead we also note in the following verse that “all the people of the land will be burying” the dead, the people of the land obviously being in reference others who likewise survived the great battle many of whom who reside in the Middle East.
.............................................................................................................................................
*leave but the sixth part of thee
“The various translations have different thoughts for this part of verse 2, not even agreeing with each other. For example, the King James margin has alternate thoughts, but note that the number six is there (although it is lacking in some other translations). “Six plagues” cannot be the correct thought because, according to the different prophets, more than six calamities will come upon the enemy host. The thought of only one sixth of the enemy surviving seems to be the most accurate based on parts of the Books of Isaiah and Zechariah. A tremendous horde will come against Israel, and this chapter later shows a huge number of bodies (carcasses) will require burial, so a five-sixths destruction ratio would seem to be correct. Of the enemy host (not of the onlookers, not of the peacekeeping force), only one-sixth will survive.”
Some translators disagree with this proposition concerning the sixth part altogether.
“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.” (Ezek 39:2 AV)
“In this text "turn thee back" is meaning to cause to come in, indicating the actual advance to the attack. The expression rendered in the Authorized Version "leave but the sixth part of thee” is made by a false etymology in which shasha was read as shashash, (a sixth), whereas the correct rendering should be "lead thee on" which confirms the earlier part of the verse.
“And I will turn you around and lead you on, bringing you up from the far north, and bring you against the mountains of Israel.” (Ezek 39:2 NKJV)
Regardless of the true meaning of this verse, Isa 10:18, 19 confirms the thought that there will indeed be survivors in Gog’s forces after the battle.
In our next post we will take a look at some of the text you supplied for further enlightenment.
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