Originally posted: 8/09/2021
“I will magnify Myself, sanctify Myself, and make Myself known in the sight of many nations; and they will know that I am the Lord,” (38:23).
A great battle is prophesied against Gog of the land of Magog, who has assembled all his evil forces to wage war against the people of God.
And the word of the Lord came to me saying, 2 “Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him…. 4 I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them splendidly attired, a great company with buckler and shield, all of them wielding swords,” (38:1-2, 4).
Ezekiel’s prophecy contains the language of end times: the latter years (v7), that day (vs10,14,18,19), the last days (v16); and scholars agree that the prophecies against Gog and Magog concur and support other end times prophecies found in the books of Daniel and Zechariah, as well as those describing the Apocalypse recorded by the apostle John in the book of Revelation.
“These events will be in the latter days. It is supposed these enemies will come together to invade the land of Judea, and God will defeat them. God not only sees who are now the enemies of his church, but he foresees who will be so, and lets them know by his word that he is against them; though they join together, the wicked shall not be unpunished,” Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary.
As God speaks of the latter years, He makes known that although Gog believes he is the one who has thought up and devised his own plan, it is God Himself Who will summon the companies to war, affirming the truth that nothing transpires outside of His predetermined Will.
“Be prepared, and prepare yourself, you and all your companies that are assembled about you, and be a guard for them. 8 After many days you will be summoned; in the latter years you will come into the land that is restored from the sword, whose inhabitants have been gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel which had been a continual waste; but its people were brought out from the nations, and they are living securely, all of them. 9 You will go up, you will come like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering the land, you and all your troops, and many peoples with you.” 10 ‘Thus says the Lord God, “It will come about on that day, that thoughts will come into your mind and you will devise an evil plan, 11 and you will say, ‘I will go up against the land of unwalled villages. I will go against those who are at rest, that live securely, all of them living without walls and having no bars or gates,'” (38:7-11).
And the LORD God will call down the sword of pestilence, hailstones, fire and brimstone, for He directs the course of all history.
“I will call for a sword against him on all My mountains,” declares the Lord God. “Every man’s sword will be against his brother. 22 With pestilence and with blood I will enter into judgment with him; and I will rain on him and on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, a torrential rain, with hailstones, fire and brimstone,” (38:21-22).
And from the prophecy in the book of Revelation, we learn the war that is waged is actually against the Lamb of God, the Lord of lords and King of Kings, Who will overcome them with His chosen, faithful followers at His side.
These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast. 14 These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful, (Revelation 17:13-14).
And the end of Gog and Magog with their great company is guaranteed.
When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, 8 and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. 9 And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever, (Revelation 20:7-10).
The study of end times is beyond my depth of understanding, but one thing rose off the page of this prophecy. God Himself. For as He overcomes and conquers every enemy, there will be no doubt. All will know that He Is the LORD for He Will Magnify and Sanctify Himself.
I will magnify Myself, sanctify Myself, and make Myself known in the sight of many nations; and they will know that I am the Lord,” (38:23).
Consider Him Who Will Magnify and Sanctify Himself
From Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance:
Magnify: “1431. גָּדַל gāḏal: A verb meaning to become great, make great, magnify, grow up, grow; promote…”
Sanctify: “6942. קָדַשׁ qāḏaš: A verb meaning to be set apart, to be holy, to show oneself holy, to be treated as holy, to consecrate, to treat as holy…”
Although many don’t believe, while many may deny, the reality is, He Is Magnified and Sanctified above all. But the day is coming, in the latter years, in that day, in those days, when there will be no denying; for all will know that He Is the LORD.
- He Will Magnify Himself and all will know He Is Great above all.
- Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all. 12 Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone, (1 Chronicles 29:11-12).
- For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised;
He is to be feared above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.
6 Splendor and majesty are before Him,
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary, (Psalm 96:4-6). - “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created,” (Revelation 4:11).
- He Will Sanctify Himself and all will know He Is Holy above all.
- “Who is like You among the gods, O Lord?
Who is like You, majestic in holiness,
Awesome in praises, working wonders?” (Exodus 15:11). - “There is no one holy like the Lord,
Indeed, there is no one besides You,
Nor is there any rock like our God,” (1 Samuel 2:2). - And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come,” (Revelation 4:8).
- “Who is like You among the gods, O Lord?
How do we respond to Him Who Will Magnify and Sanctify Himself?
The LORD God certainly needs no help from anyone to make Himself known, for His Greatness and Holiness are above all. And if we have been so privileged, so gifted to know Him through Jesus Christ, then we will know that He Is Great above all, He Is Holy above all, for He alone is our LORD God.
…“Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, 2 even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. 3 This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 4 I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. 5 Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was,” (John 17:1-5).
While He does not need our help, He has called His followers to make Him known in His Greatness and Holiness. It begins by us knowing Him as LORD and readying ourselves as we set Him apart in our own heart as LORD.
but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; (1 Peter 3:15).
Christianity is often viewed as paradoxical. The way to greatness is through smallness, the way to exaltation is through abasement. And Jesus, Magnified in His Greatness and Sanctified in His Holiness, gave us His example to follow.
Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father, (Philippians 2:5-11).
Let us humble ourselves, that He Will Magnify Himself in our life and enable us to make Him known in His Greatness.
“Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. 11 But the greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted,” (Matthew 23:11-12).
Let us follow His example of Greatness as a servant of all, that all will know He Is the LORD.
“You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them,” (John 13:13-17).
Knowing His Holiness begins with knowing our own sinfulness in an attitude of humility and contrition.
For thus says the high and exalted One
Who lives forever, whose name is Holy,
“I dwell on a high and holy place,
And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit
In order to revive the spirit of the lowly
And to revive the heart of the contrite,” (Isaiah 57:15).
Let us follow His example of Holiness as we walk in humble obedience fixed completely on His grace, that all will know He Is the LORD.
Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 16 because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:13-16).
When Mary was told that she would carry the Son of God in her womb, she sang a song of praise, exalting His Greatness and His Holiness, for He had Magnified and Sanctified Himself through His servant, Mary.
“My soul exalts the Lord,
47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
48 “For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave;
For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed.
49 “For the Mighty One has done great things for me;
And holy is His name,” (Luke 1:46-49).
While we don’t carry Him in our womb, we have been made His dwelling place as a temple of His Holy Spirit. Oh, that we would walk in humility and dependence, seeking always to glorify Him in all that we do as His vessels prepared for Him Who Will Magnify and Sanctify Himself through us.
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).