The Prophecy of Ezekiel 38 & 39 | Jonathan Cahn Sermon
The Ancient Prophecy Awakens: Ezekiel’s Vision and the Invasion of Israel
The same nations that Ezekiel once wrote about—those destined to rise against Israel in the last days—have now stepped onto the world stage. What was once written in ancient parchment is beginning to echo through our modern age.
The Word of the Lord came to Ezekiel: “Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him.” This prophecy describes a future invasion of Israel—not by one nation, but by a coalition of distant powers. In Ezekiel’s time, such an alliance seemed impossible. The nations he named were separated by vast distances, divided by deserts and seas. To the ancient world, this was unthinkable. But in our modern age—where technology connects continents and alliances can form overnight—the prophecy no longer seems distant.
Ezekiel foresaw a people returning to their homeland after centuries of exile—the dry bones coming to life, Israel reborn from the dust. He foresaw nations conspiring to seize the land “of unwalled villages,” a land restored, flourishing, and secure. Only now does this vision fit perfectly within our time.
The Scriptures speak of a final gathering of nations against Jerusalem—Zechariah, Joel, Revelation—all pointing to a day when the world’s attention would fix upon Israel. Today, that prophecy no longer feels impossible. Nearly every headline, every global debate, circles around the same tiny piece of land.
But Ezekiel’s war is distinct. It is not the battle of Armageddon, not the final war of Revelation. The nations he names are not all nations—just a select few. They are Turkey, Sudan, Libya, and Persia, which is modern-day Iran. Ezekiel could never have imagined that all four would share one defining characteristic: they would all become Islamic nations, united by hostility toward Israel.
Look at the world today. Turkey, under President Erdoğan, has grown increasingly hostile toward the Jewish state. Sudan remains deeply Islamic and unstable. Libya continues to harbor groups openly opposed to Israel. And Iran—ancient Persia—stands as the greatest threat, funding terror, arming Hamas, and proclaiming the destruction of Israel as its goal.
Ezekiel’s words come alive in modern headlines. When you replace today’s nation names with their biblical equivalents, the news begins to sound like prophecy itself:
Gog (Turkey) backs militias in Put (Libya) smuggling weapons to Hamas.
Paras (Persia, Iran) transfers weapons to Hamas through Kush (Sudan).
It’s as if the newspapers of our time have begun to speak in the language of Scripture.
And then came October 7th, 2023—the first large-scale invasion of Israel in 50 years. It stunned the world. But when you trace the origins of that attack, every road leads back to the same nations Ezekiel named 2,500 years ago. Without the weapons, funds, and strategies supplied by Iran, Turkey, Libya, and Sudan, the invasion could not have happened.
This is not yet the fulfillment—but it is a sign. A shadow of what is to come. The pieces are moving, the alliances are forming, and prophecy is unfolding before our eyes.
When Ezekiel wrote those words, the world doubted they could ever come true. Yet today, we are watching them take shape in real time. God’s Word has never failed—and what He revealed through His prophet will come to pass.
The prophecy of Ezekiel 38 and 39 is no longer distant history. It is living, breathing reality—reminding us that we are not just witnesses of history, but participants in prophecy.
