Ezekiel 38:17

Ezekiel 38:17 says, Thus saith the Lord God; Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them?  God asked if Gog was not the enemy that He had prophesied many years ago would come against His people.  Nothing ever catches God by surprise, and His word will always be fulfilled, no matter how many years pass before it is.  We know about the return of Jesus Christ in victory, and it will one day happen.  

Verse eighteen adds, And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord God, that my fury shall come up in my face.  God said that when Gog came against Israel that His fury would come before Him as well. Matthew Henry says coming before His face is an illusion to how people have their face turn red when they are angry, but I believe that it likely means when He sees what Gog is doing to Israel.  Since God has provided a way of salvation for all people, He will one day allow His everlasting punishment to come on all those who refuse to accept it.  

Verse nineteen continues, For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel;  God said that He had spoken because of His jealousy over the people of Israel and that when His wrath came against the enemies of Israel, there would be great quaking in Israel.  

Verse twenty states, So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.  When Jesus Christ returns in victory, the heavens and earth will shake, and everyone will know that He is God.  I believe that saying He is jealous means that He expects those who are His people to be faithful to Him and that He will destroy anyone who has tried to destroy or abuse them.  

Verse twenty-one states, And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord God: every man's sword shall be against his brother.  God said that He was going to call for a sword against the enemies of Israel, and that they would destroy themselves.  Ultimately, it will be their own actions when they refused to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord and denied God or fought against His people that will destroy the people who have refused God’s gift of salvation.  God will never judge anyone unjustly.  

Verse twenty-two adds, And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.  God said that He was going to have it rain fire and brimstone on the people of Gog who were trying to destroy Israel.  When God’s final judgment comes, those who are not followers of Christ will be sent away to the fire and brimstone of hell.  

Verse twenty-three continues, Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the Lord.  God said that when this happened, He would be magnified and glorified in the eyes of the world, and they would know that He is God. Some who are followers of Christ already know that God is God, and when Jesus Christ returns in judgment, everyone will know this.