Gog of Magog

Gog of Magog is mentioned in Eze 38–39. Gog of Magog will be the leader
of a great army that attacks the land of Israel. Note that Gog isn't a name,
it's a title for someone who acts as a king. Many believe that Magog is Russia,
as it's said to be in the furthest north (Eze 38:6, 15, 39:2), but I don't. 

Many nations will follow Gog (Eze 38:5–6): Persia (Iran), Cush (Sudan) 
(see the video: The Black Pharaohs: The Kingdoms of Kush),
Put (Libya, North Africa), Gomer, and Togamah (Turkey).

The Lord will force Gog to start the war even if it's done reluctantly by Gog
(Eze 38:4a, 39:2). Gog will be motivated by his own evil plans (Eze 38:10) 
but the attack will be in line with God's will. One reason for Gog's attack is
to capture natural resources or large possessions from Israel (Eze 38:12–13),
see ISRAEL FINDS A MASSIVE GAS FIELD THAT WILL CHANGE THE WORLD!

The attack will occur in "the latter years" (Eze 38:8a), that is, in the end times.
The attack will come when Israel is at peace with her neighbors (Eze 38:8b, 11, 14).
Israel will have peace when Israel's covenant (Abraham Accords) with surrounding nations is strengthened at the beginning of Daniel's 70th week (also known as the
7-year Tribulation period (Dan 9:27a)), see Visions and Dreams by Prophet Daniel. 

This war will likely occur at the end of the Great Tribulation. This means that Gog
is the same person as the End Time Antichrist, see Who is the End Time Antichrist?
Magog is literally the name of the entire last-day world empire, see time
1:04:34–1:06:34 in Gog/Magog - Ezekiel 38-39 Prophecy of The Antichrist.

In a supernatural way, the Lord  takes hold and rains fire and brimstone on Gog's soldiers and on the many people who follow him (Eze 38:22, 39:6). Gog will be defeated by God himself on the mountains of Israel (Eze 39:4). See this fulfilled when the seventh plague is poured out when the seventh angel blows his trumpet, see The Seventh Seal and the Seven Trumpets in the Book of Revelation, 
where the link at the end of that article provides evidence that this is the same war

that Antichrist has in the Battle of Armageddon at the end of the Great Tribulation.

For seven years, Israel will be able to use Gog's weapons and war materials
as fuel and energy sources (Eze 39:9–10), see time 48:58–52:14
in Gog/Magog - Ezekiel 38-39 Prophecy of The Antichrist. Since this is after the war, it means it's during the first seven years of the Millennial Kingdom.

Gog (Antichrist) and all his multitude will be buried in Israel (Eze 39:11),
see Gog's death explained at time 53:58–55:06 
in Gog/Magog - Ezekiel 38-39 Prophecy of The Antichrist.

For seven months the house of Israel will bury them to cleanse the land.
(Eze 39:12–16), see time 52:15–53:57 in Gog/Magog - Ezekiel 38-39 Prophecy
of The Antichrist. This time is the first seven month of the Millennial Kingdom.

See further evidence that this war is the same war as Antichrist has at the end
of the Great Tribulation (Rev 19:17–18, Eze 39:17–21, see time 55:07–58:03 
in Gog/Magog - Ezekiel 38-39 Prophecy of The Antichrist.

This Gog war is also followed by the Millennial Kingdom (Eze 39:22–29),
see The Depth of Riches in The Book of Romans.

This means that the Gog war is the same as the Antichrist's war against Israel
at the end of the Tribulation period (Zechariah 14:2). See also the following:

• Although the Antichrist's attack comes from all the nations of the world, there are some key nations that are more active in the war than others.
• When the Gog war takes place, Israel is said to dwell in safety and prosperity (Eze 38:8b, 11, 14). Israel as a nation is protected during the Great Tribulation until its end (Rev 12:6, 14), see Explanation of Satan's Attack on the Woman in the Book of Revelation. Even though Antichrist murders people who don't want to take the mark of the beast and judgments fall from heaven, see The Horses in the Book of Revelation.
• Even though Gog's motive is strategy and wealth,
  it's also a "holy/spiritual" war. 
• Although Gog reluctantly goes to war against Israel,
  he attacks fully to exterminate Israel and the Jews. 
• See also Rev 16:3/Eze 38:20a explained at time 58:04–1:01:16
  in Gog/Magog - Ezekiel 38-39 Prophecy of The Antichrist,
  and Body, Soul, and Spirit in The Danger with Gnosticism.

Gog and Magog are also mentioned in Rev 20:7–9, but that passage
doesn't refer to the same people and events mentioned in Eze 38–39.
The names Gog and Magog in The Book of Revelation are used to describe

God's enemies. It's used to show that these people will show the same rebellion against God as those in The Book of Ezekiel, but it's not the same war. 

See also these reasons why Eze 38–39 and the war at the end of
the Millennial Kingdom (Rev 20:7–9) refer to different people and battles:

• In the battle of Eze 38–39, the armies come mainly from the north with some key nations more active in the war (Eze 38:2–6, 15, 39:2), see 1:03:38–1:04:33 in Gog/Magog - Ezekiel 38-39 Prophecy of The Antichrist.
  The battle of Rev 20:7–9 will involve all nations,
  meaning armies will come from all directions, not just from the north.
• There is no mention of Satan in the context of Eze 38–39.
  In Rev 20:7 the context clearly places the battle at the end
  of the millennial kingdom with Satan as the protagonist.
• Eze 39:9–10 states that Israel will be able to use Gog's weapons
  and war materials as fuel and energy sources for seven years. 
  Eze 39:12 states that the dead will be buried for seven months.
  Since Rev 20:8–9 is immediately followed by the Great White Throne Judgement (Rev 20:11–15), it can’t describe the same war.

See a summary and God's message in Ezekiel's prophesy about Gog, 
from time 1:01:27 in Gog/Magog - Ezekiel 38-39 Prophecy of The Antichrist.

See also The Book of Ezekiel.

Ezekiel's Temple

Will Ezekiel's temple (also called the Third Temple), described in Eze 40–48,
be built, and animal sacrifices as well as the Levitical priesthood be re-established?
If so, will it be before Jesus returns or during the millennial kingdom
(the thousand years kingdom of Christ)? Is it biblical?

The Temple Institute is making preparations for a third temple to be built. 
The long-term goal of the Temple Institute is is to build a third Jewish temple
on the Temple Mount and to reinstate the worship of animal sacrifices. See
the need of red heifer described at time 9:36–11:08 in Bible Q&A • Episode 21. 

When Jesus died on the cross he took away our sins (for those who believe in him,
see Salvation), and after that there is no need for animal sacrifices. This was shown by the rending of the veil in the temple when Jesus died on the cross (Mat 27:51, Mark 15:38, Luke 23:45), see The Rending of the Veil of the Temple. Christ's body has been sacrificed once and for all (Heb 10:8–10). The purpose of the offerings
in Ezekiel's temple is to ”make atonement for the house of Israel” (Eze 45:17).
See also Eze 43:20, 26, 45:15, 20 that all say it's about atonement. The 
animal sacrifices are presented as atonement for sin, not as a memorial.
But Jesus recommends the use of wine and bread to commemorate his death 
(1 Cor 11:23–26, Luk 22:19–20). God wouldn't replace this with animal sacrifices,
as he never found much pleasure in it (Psalm 40:7, 51:18–19, Heb 10:6).

This disqualifies a building of Ezekiel's temple to be used for animal sacrifices,
after Jesus' death on the cross, as it would say that Jesus' death wasn't enough.
To take elements from the Mosaic Laws in the New Covenant would be to introduce
a different gospel than the one preached by Apostle Paul, see The Book of Galatians.
The Book of Hebrews was addressed to Jews who had accepted the gospel and become Christians, and who were subject to persecution and public pressure to bring in elements from the Mosaic Laws into the New Cabinet to ease public pressure on them. Its author explains how the Old Testament points to Jesus and that we now live in a New Covenant that has replaced the Old Covenant (Heb 9:12–14, 10:4).

Ezekiel was given a detailed vision about this temple in Eze 40–48, about 573 BC
(Eze 40:1–4), during the Babylonian captivity. That means it can’t be
Solomon's Temple which was destroyed in 587 BC by Nebuchadnezzar 
when he conquered Jerusalem, see The Book of Habakkuk.

It can't be the Second Temple built when the Jews returned from Babylon about
538 BC, and completed around 516 BC. This temple was much smaller and less elaborate than the temple that Ezekiel describes. This Second Temple was rebuilt
to be Herod’s Temple (still seen as the Second Temple), see the video 
Herod's Temple - Interesting Facts. It was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.

Ezekiel would bring this vision of the temple to the house of Israel,
to make them repent (Eze 43:10–11). So that they would begin to obey God.

Antichrist will in the end time sit in God's temple and proclaim himself as God
(2 Thess 2:3–4). He will also abolish the daily sacrifices (Dan 8:11–12, 9:27), see Who is the End Time Antichrist? It means that the temple is built at the
end time and that the animal sacrifices are reinstituted. But that temple can't be a true fulfillment of Ezekiel's temple described in Eze 40–48, because God's true temple is now in the body of Christ. The believers of Christ are the body of Christ,
that is, the temple of God (1 Cor 3:16–17, 6:19, 2 Cor 6:16, Eph 2:19–22), see 
Jesus the Light of the World. Jesus predicted that the glory of God would leave the physical temple (Mat 23:37-38), which happened when he gave his life for us on the cross. God doesn't dwell in houses made by human hands (Acts 7:48–50, 17:24). 

As Christians we give our bodies as living sacrifices (1 Pet 2:5, Rom 12:1),

see living sacrifice explained at time 33:57–34:47 in Hebrews 12 (Part 4) :18-29.

It means surrendering ourselves to the Lord by faith in obedience.

The only way that Antichrist can destroy God's true temple is to persecute believers on a massive scale (Mat 24:21–22). However, Antichrist will also abolish the daily sacrifices in a physical temple when he sits in it and proclaims himself to be God. 

A temple can’t be built during the millennial kingdom for animal sacrifices, because it involves a complete abrogation of Jesus' final sacrifice on the cross, in addition to the denial of the eternal Priesthood after the order of Melchizedek (Heb 7:11–28), see Melchizedek in The Book of Hebrews. The Tribe of Dan is mentioned in Eze 48:1–2. But this tribe was probably assimilated long before the millennial kingdom,
see the end part of Man-Made Religion and The 144,000 in the Book of Revelation.

The interpretation of Eze 40–48 is therefore a conditional outline
of what might have been if the house of Israel had repented
to obedience to the Lord, which didn't occur. 

But a physical third temple will be built before Jesus returns, but will be a false temple with animal sacrifices. It won't be a dwelling house for God. This false temple can even be called the temple of God (2 Thess 2:4, Rev 11:1). Such a temple will
likely be dedicated in God's name, but he won't be present there. There are Bible verses that indicate that such a false physical temple will exist during the Tribulation period (Mat 24:15–16, Dan 8:11, 9:27 (LXX (page 27)), 11:31, 2 Thess 2:3–4, 
Rev 11:2), see Interpretations of the 70th Week in the Book of Daniel
in When Did Jesus Die and when Was He Born? See also these videos:

• Time 28:08–28:58 in Bible Q & A With Pastor Paul │ July 2023. 
• Time 14:14–20:05 in Revelation 10 and 11 • "No more delay".

Such a temple will be built on the Temple Mount near the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Dan 9:27 says (see also Which Version of the Old Testament did Jesus Use?):

• ESV: "And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week,
  and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering.
  And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator."
• LXX (page 27): "And it will strengthen a covenant with many,
  one week, and by half of the week sacrifice and libation will cease, 
  and in the temple there will be an abomination of desolations 
  even until a consummation, and a consummation
  will be given for the desolation."

Dan 12:11 says:

• ESV: "And from the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away
  and the abomination that makes desolate is set up,
  there shall be 1,290 days."
• LXX (page 32): "And from the time of the removal of the regular offering
  and abomination of desolation will be given –
  one thousand two hundred ninety (1,290) days."

A meaning of the "abomination of desolation" is that a world political leader (Antichrist) sets up an image or statue of himself in the temple.

See the "abomination of desolation" explained at the times 32:15–42:15,
47:05–52:42 in Matthew 24:1-20 – The Temple and the Key Prophetic Sign, and 9:00–24:38 in Matthew 24:21-51 – The Great Tribulation and the End of the Age.

Antichrist will 30 days later sit in the temple and proclaim himself to be God. 

2 Thess 2:3–4 (ESV) says:

• "Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come,
  unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness (Antichrist)
  is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes
  his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God." 

See Explanation of Satan's Attack on the Woman in the Book of Revelation:

• "and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days."(Rev 12:6 (ESV)).
• "But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is
  to be nourished for a time (one year), and times (two years),
  and half a time (half a year)." (=3.5 years). (Rev 12:14 (ESV)).

This could occur at Passover, and starts the Great Tribulation for 1,260 days.
Antichrist then demands to be worshiped as God by the people of the whole world. He will make it illegal to worship or pray to any god than himself. 

These verses can be interpreted as the "abomination of desolation" occurs 30 days before the Great Tribulation begins, which will last 3.5 Prophetic Years (1,260 days) before Jesus returns to Earth. Persecution of Jews and born again Christians
will increase heavily (Mat 24:15–21, Mark 13:14–19).

Animal sacrifices in this temple won't be holy but blasphemous.
Only Jesus' substitutionary death on the cross takes away sin.
This would be the condition of this physical temple in the middle
of the seven-year Tribulation period, before Antichrist will desecrate the temple,
sit in it and claim to be God (2 Thess 2:3–4, Mat 24:15, 26b, Mark 13:14, 
Dan 8:11, 9:27 (LXX (page 27)), 11:31). 

If he sits in the temple at Passover (in April), and since Jesus returns to Earth

3.5 Prophetic Years (1,260 days) after, he will return in September–October,
see End of Time in When Did Jesus Die and when Was He Born?

The temple will remain during the Millennial Kingdom but will then
not be used for animal sacrifices, but will be used as a memorial.
Jesus will then teach from the temple. Isaiah 2:2–3 says:

• ESV: "It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, and many peoples shall come, and say: 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house (the temple) of the God of Jacob, that he (Jesus)
  may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.' For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem."
• LXX (page 4): "For in the last days the mountain of the Lord shall be manifest, and the house of the Lord shall be manifest, and the house 
  (the temple) of God shall be on the tops of the mountains and shall be raised above the hills, and all the nations shall come to it. And many nations shall go and say, 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord and to the house (the temple) of the God of Iakob, and he (Jesus) will declare to us his way, and he will walk in it.' For out of Sion (Jerusalem) shall go forth a law, and a Word of the Lord from Ierousalem (Jerusalem)."

See also The Book of Ezekiel.