Ezekiel 38:2-3

Set thy face, &c.— "This (says Calmet) is one of the most difficult prophesies of the Old Testament. There are very few which have more divided both ancient and modern interpreters. Not to embarrass my commentary too much, (continues he,) I have treated of it in a particular dissertation. Gog appears to me to be Cambyses king of Persia, who, upon his return from the war against Egypt, came into the land of Israel, and died there. According to this hypothesis, we may, I think, very aptly explain every part of the prophesy;" and accordingly Calmet's commentary and dissertation wholly proceed upon this supposition. Gog and Magog are mentioned in Revelation 20:8 and these, says Bishop Newton, seem to have been formerly the general names of the northern nations of Europe and Asia, as the Assyrians have been since, and the Tartars are at present. The prophesy in the Revelation alludes to this of Ezekiel in many particulars; both the one and the other remain yet to be fulfilled; and therefore we cannot be absolutely certain that they may not both relate to the same event. But it seems more probable, that they relate to different events: the one is expected to take effect before, but the other will not take effect till after the millennium. Gog and Magog in Ezekiel are said expressly, Ezekiel 38:6; Ezekiel 38:15 and chap. Ezekiel 39:2, to come from the north quarters, and the north parts; but in St. John they come from the four corners, or quarters of the earth. Gog and Magog in Ezekiel bend their forces against the Jews, resettled in their own land; but in St. John they march up against the saints and church of God in general. It may therefore be concluded, that Gog and Magog, as well as Sodom, and Egypt, and Babylon, are mystic names in the book of Revelation; and that the last enemies in the Christian church are so denominated, because Gog and Magog appear to be the last enemies of the Jewish nation: who they shall be, we cannot pretend to say with the least degree of certainty. See Bishop Newton's Dissert. vol. 3: p. 328. Houbigant says, that the prophet here means the Scythians, who are the descendants of Magog, the son of Japheth; and whose neighbours were the people of Rosh,

Meshech, and Tubal; that is to say, the Russians, Muscovites, and Tibareni, or Cappadocians; and thus Theodoret, Josephus, &c. understand it. Instead of, The chief prince, Houbigant reads, The prince of Rosh. It seems most probable, that this very difficult prophesy refers to a future event, and consequently every interpretation of it must be precarious and conjectural.