Where/Who is Magog?

14 Tammuz 5785

One of the commenters to the previous blog post brought up the point that the Prophet Yechezkel, notably in chapter 38, describes that Gog is the leader of the nation of Magog.  The idea being that "Magog" cannot then be referring to a person, but strictly the country ruled by Gog.  I also took this at face value for many, many decades.  And yet, Daniel, as explained by Rashi, is very clear on the fact that the Fourth Empire - the Empire of Rome/Edom - is split in two and each is ruled by its own king.  This is a historical fact.  So, how do we reconcile this seeming contradiction?

First, let's look at places in the world which are now, or have in the past, been called Magog.

In the West...

1)  Gog Magog Hills, Cambridgeshire, England  - A range of low chalk hills southeast of Cambridge,.... The name "Gog Magog" for this region is documented as early as 1574 ....  The origin of the name is unclear....  The area includes Magog Down, a nature reserve named after the hills,....

2)  Oaks of Avalon (Gog and Magog), Glastonbury, Somerset, England - A pair of oak trees in Glastonbury, individually named Gog and Magog, tied to local folklore and possibly the biblical or legendary Gog and Magog.  These trees are part of the mystical and spiritual heritage of Glastonbury, often associated with ancient Celtic or Arthurian traditions.

3)  Gog and Magog, Stewart Island / Rakiura, New Zealand [settled by the British] - Twin rock formations named Gog and Magog, located on Stewart Island.  ...specific origins are not well-documented.  

In the East...

4)  Magogia (Scythia), Ancient Region - According to the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus (1st century CE), the Greeks referred to Scythia, a region north of the Black Sea, as "Magogia," associating it with the biblical Magog, a son of Japheth (Genesis 10:2).  This region, encompassing parts of modern-day southern Russia, Ukraine, and the Caucasus, was inhabited by the Scythians, whom ancient sources like Josephus and Jerome linked to Magog’s descendants.  The name "Magogia" was used in Greek contexts to describe this area, though it was not a formal place name.

5)  Magog as the Great Wall of China - Rabbi Shlomo Ganzfried (19th century) cited an Arab writer who referred to the Great Wall of China as "Magog," possibly linking it to the biblical narrative of Gog and Magog being contained behind a barrier (as in Islamic tradition with Dhul-Qarnayn).  This association is speculative and not a formal place name but reflects a historical interpretation of Magog as a distant, eastern land. [Yechezkel's Magog is noted as due north of Israel, so that rules out China.]

6)  Gogarene, Ancient Iberia (Modern Armenia/Georgia) - The Greek historian Strabo (1st century CE) mentions "Gogarene" as a region in the Caucasian Iberian kingdom (modern-day Armenia and Georgia).  Scholars consider this name a derivative of Magog, preserved through centuries of tribal migrations. The region was inhabited by descendants of Magog’s nephew Togarmah and is one of the best-preserved names linked to Magog.  (Google)

Both East and West have a legitimate geographical claim to the name Magog:  Russia, because it now occupies the territory settled by the actual original person called Magog (a grandson of Noah) and England, because it was physically occupied by the original Roman Empire and was itself one of the incarnations of that empire from the 16th century into the 20th century when, after WWII, it passed to America.

Did you ever wonder why it is that we always hear the two referred to as Gog uMagog - Gog and Magog - instead of Gog from Magog if it refers only to the one leader of the one place?  On the other hand Magog itself can mean from Gog, as in Gog from Gog.  Those who ascribe to the idea that George is a form of the name/title Gog, mention this to show the connection between England and the formation of the United States.  That is to say America is Magog because its founding father, George Washington, took it away from King George III of England - George from George.

It doesn't have to be either/or.  It can be both.  Both America (West) and Russia (East) can be Magog and consequently, their individual leaders are Gog.  They exist both separately and together as the Empire of Edom/Rome, but in their own unique ways.  Calling it generally "Gog and Magog" just serves to help make the distinction.

Let's jump over to the Chafetz Chaim's assertion that there would be three GoguMagog wars and that WW1 was the first, to be followed in about 25 years by another (WW2) and then ending with the third (WW3), after which the Messianic Age would begin.  

Britain/America and Russia all played profound roles in World Wars 1 and 2.  It is unclear to me whether East and West serve each other's interests (i.e., the Eisavian Agenda) wittingly or unwittingly.

WW1 - Various reasons are given in the history books for why WW1 started, but it doesn't really matter what they say.  If we accept that, as the Chafetz Chaim said, it was the first war of GoguMagog, then Jerusalem was the goal and it ended with the Ottoman Empire in the Middle East defeated and the British (Gog/Magog at that time) in control of Eretz Yisrael.

Britain and Russia were allies during World War I. They were part of the larger Allied Powers, which also included France, and later, the United States. The alliance was formalized in 1907 with the Anglo-Russian Entente, and further strengthened by a treaty in 1914.  (Google)

But what did Russia gain from the alliance?

Russia gained very little in concrete terms from its alliance with Britain in World War I.  ...Russia's primary motivation for joining the war was its alliance with Serbia and its desire to protect Slavic nations and prevent Austrian-Hungarian expansion in the Balkans.  (Google)

WW2 - No matter the reasons and causes attributed by the historical record, this war, which some say was just a continuation of the first, must still fulfill the goal of conquering/controlling the Holy Land.  The pesky Jews were making that very hard for the Brits as they wanted to push Britain out as an occupying power.  The Erev Rav succeeded in taking control of a portion of Eretz Yisrael, but the Arabs took Jerusalem.  WW2 set the stage for the transfer of empirical power from Britain to America.

Britain and Russia (the Soviet Union) were allies during World War II. After initially remaining neutral when Germany invaded Poland in 1939, the Soviet Union joined the Allied powers after being invaded by Germany in June 1941. This made them allies with Britain, who had been at war with Germany since 1939, and later with the United States after its entry into the war.  (Google)

What did Russia gain from this alliance?

The primary benefit for the Soviet Union was the military and material aid received from Britain and later the United States, which helped them withstand the initial German invasion and ultimately contribute to the Allied victory.  (Google)

Based on this information that I gathered this morning, I am having a change of heart with regard to who is the "iron" and who is the "clay."  Logically, Russia shows itself to be completely identified as Eastern Eisav/Edom/Rome; however, history shows that it never had the reach or held the power that the West has.  After all, "the sun never set on the British Empire."  Russia's iron curtain fell because it no longer had the strength to maintain it.  The West won.  America was seen at that time (1989) as the last remaining world superpower.  

As I'm sitting here writing this and reading what I've written, I realize that WW3 - the third war of GoguMagog for control of the Holy Land and Jerusalem - started immediately thereafter.  

Gog Bush 1 - Nov 1990 Kahane Assassination; Jan 1991 First Gulf War; Oct 1991 Madrid Peace Conference

Gog Bush 2 - 2002 Roadmap to Peace, 2003 Second Gulf War

Trump I/II   - The Abraham Accords  (2020 - Present)

Russia's contribution was "2 million" of its citizens invading Eretz Yisrael.  The destruction to Judaism and Jewish identity is incalculable.

WW3 - Predicted invasion from the north (Russia has bases in Syria; Turkey to accompany) will be fought in the Valley of Yizre'el;  Predicted invasion from the east (US has bases in Jordan and Iraq; Iran to accompany - after regime change?) to be fought in the Valley of Yehoshaphat.  (See Zechariah 12, 14; Yoel 4)

Eisav's East/West Empire - Edom/Rome - seems to embody two aspects of Eisav:  the head - calm, cool, calculating Russia - and the heart - emotional, vengeful, hedonistic USA.  What are the chances?  Eisav's head was separated from his body and they are buried in two different places! 

They also have two different ways of relating to brother Ya'aqov:  with the "bite" (annihilation) - the pogroms and blood libels of Russia - and with the "kiss" (assimilation) - the "peace"-making, melting pot of America. 

This doesn't answer all my questions yet.  In fact, it raises even more.  I'm still mulling it over and looking for more sources of information, but I'm fairly certain the events will all come to fruition long before I get it all figured out.