The Coming War: Does No One Challenge Gog?
Posted by David Ketter on June 12, 2006
Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish and all its young lions will say to you, ‘Have you come to seize spoil? Have you assembled your hosts to carry off plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock, and goods, to seize great spoil?’ -Ezekiel 38:13, ESV
In the wake of such an atrocity - unjustified war and conquest compounded by genocide, does no one stand up to Gog and his hordes? The modern mind can scarcely conceive such an event happening without any challenge whatsoever. Why aren’t the United Nations protesting? NATO? The United States? Whether for better or for worse, the United States has become, to a large extent, a peacekeeping power in the world (granted, it hasn’t preserved peace, but it’s certainly limited how many wars would be going on right now). If that doesn’t change (and, for the moment, there is no indication of such change), why don’t they say anything? We may never know until the time comes.
Yet, we do know from the prophecy of Ezekiel who does say something to Gog about his actions:
- Sheba and Dedan
- the merchants of Tarshish
- Tarshish’s young lions
Sheba and Dedan are traditionally identified with the area of Saudi Arabia. Many biblical scholars also believe them to be more closely identified with the sea-coast countries of Yemen and Oman - both of which, at one time, had a significant Jewish minority. In either case, it’s an alignment of a Muslim nation with Israel. What of the “merchants of Tarhsish”? In Ezekiel’s day, Tarshish was the westernmost ports of the Phoenicians, located in Spain. They also established a trading post in Britain as well.
At the moment, then, there are two schools of thought regarding this:
- Tarshish is Spain
- Tarshish is Britain
The phrase dealing with its “young lions” doesn’t help in its identification either since the lion figures greatly in the symbolism for those countries. Scholars of both schools, however, are virtually united that the “young lions” represent colonies or nations that have been borne from them in majority. In that aspect, we also have two answers for the identity of the “young lions”:
- If Spain: the majority of South and Central American nations, as well as Mexico.
- If Britain: the United States, Canada, Australia, and other nations party to the British Commonwealth.
Clearly, the more influential turnout, in terms of politics and diplomacy, is the Britain option. Scripture, however, has no clear answer to this dilemma. One must question, though, why these powers only ask rhetorical questions and, perhaps, diplomatically challenge Gog? Is that the best taht they can do - attempt to dissuade him? Make him feel guilty? From what we’ve seen, Gog is filled with hate for Israel - and hate has no conscience. For the sake of my nation, I pray that the Britain option is not the case, for then we have committed our most heinous offense against God’s Chosen: abandoning them entirely.
Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever… -Thomas Jefferson
June 12, 2006 at 9:16 pm
Despite the fact that we don’t understand prophecies fully, we can rest in the fact that, as a man said at church yesterday, we live in a small world, but we’ve got a big God behind us.
June 12, 2006 at 9:26 pm
Overall this is a well thought out article.
I would point out that some sources translate from the Hebrew the phrase “and all its young lions” as “and all its magnates”. It is explained that “and all its magnates” refer to the shrewd merchants, who are accustomed to roam, like young lions, in all the countries and know where the place of riches is/are.
Given this particular translation and meaning, it begins to pinpoint even closer where today’s “Gog” might be located.
June 12, 2006 at 9:50 pm
Jackie,
Please see my article The Coming War: Who is Gog? on who Gog really is. This article wasn’t concerned with Gog’s identity (which is quite clear) but that of Sheba, Dedan, Tarshish and all its young lions (which, in the Hebrew, is also used of “energetic leaders” - and no credible scholar has yet suggested magnates of the sort you suggest.
June 12, 2006 at 10:23 pm
David,
The source of my comment is a direct translation of the Hebrew with Rashi’s commentary.
It is quite credible. Just from a different ‘group’ of scholar’s than you are familar with.
Out of respect for our differing views, I refrained from posting the link here.
June 13, 2006 at 2:04 pm
Had trouble finding Rashi’s interpretation of the text…understand, any source/opinion is not just simply disregarded. I’d be truly interested in reading his interpretation. At the moment, many of the interpretations out there aren’t quite satisfactory…
June 13, 2006 at 8:09 pm
Try searching google ugly for “Tanach with Rashi”.
I am sure it is available at an on-line library, for free viewing, with the comments I mentioned.
What is on-line, however, does not include all the comments that are in the printed version.
June 14, 2006 at 3:46 pm
Thank you very much, Jackie. I’ve read his translation of the chapter…it’s interesting and I actually see that it’s quite literal - a bonus if you ask me.
As to magnates…I think it still applies to the logic above, especially in terms of the Britain option because the United States is one of the largest connoiseurs of merchandise in the world - exporting more “English” products than any other nations…
June 14, 2006 at 10:50 pm
You are Welcome.
I would tend to agree, though I am not an expert, that it does still apply to the Britain option.
Be Blessed.
June 21, 2006 at 12:06 am
Most of the ’scholarly’ attempts to identify Tarshish revolve around trying to equate it with an ancient city name. Thus it has been linked to cities in spain, and asia minor, including Tarsus the home city of Paul.
Another view point, however, revolves around the fact that Tarshish probably derives from the phonecian word for “smelter” In this case Tarshish might not be a city name, but rather a descriptive name for a place that produced metal.
In addition to this, the largest type of phoenecian trading ship, designed to carry large cargo and travel long distances, were called “ships of Tarshish”. Indicating that Tarshish was likely not a destination in the eastern mediteranian.
Of course the question then is, were the ships named for what they carried, or for where they sailed to.
In any case we know that the Merchants of Tarshish were suppliers of Tin, lead, and silver.
silver was highly valued because it was rare in the middle east, in egypt silver was valued to half its weight in gold.
tin however, was the workhorse of the deal. tin was necessary to make bronze. Bronze was by everybody for everything. The kicker, there were no sufficient sources of bronze in the near east to supply the need.
There are only two sources of tin which are known to have supplied the tin for the ancient world. One site in Northwestern Spain, on the northern atlantic coast of spain, and Cornwall in England.
Both sites are known to have had ancient mining operations. However, Cornwall is generally regarded as the major source.
That leave the silver and the lead. Both silver and lead were mined in Britain in the ancient world (actually they were produced from the same mines in britain). Silver was mined in spain, but I have yet to find a source which either confirms or denies the mining of lead in ancient spain.
Thus it is possible that Tarshish could refer to either spain, or britain. In my opinion, Tarshish was not a specific place name (like a city or anything like that) but rather was a general refrence used by the Phonecians to their sources of metal (specificly tin, lead and silver). Thus, I think Tarshish probably originally applied to both Spain and Britain.
The phonecian trade by ship, in either case, would have required the ships to travel into the atlantic, thus the “ships of Tarshish”. Or, it is also possible that the ore could have been shipped over land to southern france and then picked up by the phonecian ships.
Basicly, I think Tarshish was a name the Phonecians used to keep their sources secret. They often guarded their trade routes as secrets. So I think they applied the name tarshish to all sources of tin ore in the atlantic, possibly (as the ships of tarshish indicate) to all merchant traffic coming from those areas, or all ore traffic.
If we are working from the assumption that the prophecy of Ezekiel is close to happening in our day, then I think the merchants of Tarshish must be applied to England. It fits well within the historical refrence, and its the only option of the ancient possabilities which really makes sense.
In this case the young lions would then almost certainly be to the former English colonies. The symbol of England of course was always the mother lion. The colonies as the young lions is an easy fit. Also, the former colonies are the inheritors of English culture and tradition.
October 3, 2006 at 4:46 pm
After many years of research I am convinced that Tarshish refers to the Cassiterides or Tin Islands (Britain) and that the young lions are her former empire especially the USA. Tarshish was a maritime power and trading nation. Britain is the best example of this in world history. Just look at the political scene today in the Middle East. Interesting that the US has bases in Seba & Dedan (Saudi Arabia) an Arab state yet which took the side of the infidels against another Arab state (Iraq). Also, who are Israel’s main supporters? Who are the main fighters in Afghanistan? The US, UK & australia. The old lion and her whelps! But we will not just offer Israel advice in the fina conflict; we shall fight with her-as will Sheba & Dedan. Psalm 83 lists the Arab nations that will be in confederacy with Gog against ISrael & Tarshish.
November 20, 2006 at 9:15 am
I am in complete agreement with the response of Derek Owers.
I do not think there can be any doubt due to recent scientific research on the male carried gene of the Ancient Phoenician traders, that the modern descendents “The People Of The Ships Of Tarshish” (A direct translation)spoken of in the Bible can be found in the UK.
For more info on this research visit The National Geographic website.
My family on my Grandmother`s side are from Cornish Smugglers and the Tin trade from Cornwall is ancient and mentioned in the Bible. The British Isles was the main source of tin and the most likely candidate with it`s former Empire as a nation of merchants and bestower of crowns renowned for its naval might.
The USA fits the picture of a “Young Lion” or former Colony.
Furthermore, since Libya spontaneously declared and gave up it`s WMD`s saying that there would be no winners in a war using them against Israel. Friendlier links have been forged to everyone`s amazement between the USA and Libya.
Saudi Arabia, despite having factions funding Terrorism, has important economic ties with the USA of mutual benefit to both Nations. Much work is done to maintain diplomatic relations despite current conflicts.
It is not at all inconceivable now, that these Nations will suddenly see what is happening to Israel when she is invaded by Russian-led forces from the North.
The Bible tells us that this opposition is not only voiced, but action taken in sending a fleet of ships that will turn back this intent at least for a while.
Remember the Royal Navy sent a fleet of ships, including Aircraft Carriers and Destroyers to the waters off Lebanon, during the recent war with Israel there.
They carried refugees to Cyprus, where they have military and naval bases.
Their mere presence may have prevented an immeadiate escalation and world-conflict of dreadful destruction.
The USA did not take a similar action, sending only pleasure cruisers.
Today Turkey is also seeking to ship from Cyprus.
The chess pieces are placed by God`s hand on the board, according to His Word.