Ezekiel 38:8

“After many days thou shalt be visited, &c.] After the Ottoman empire has stood a long time, as it has already; when the many days will be ended that Israel should be without a king and a prince, &c. (<280304>Hosea 3:4), then shall Gog or the Turk be visited of God, not in a way of grace, but vengeance; he shall be punished for all his iniquities, and his punishment or destruction will be brought about in the following manner: in the latter years thou shall come into the land that is brought back from the sword; that is, into the land of Judea, the right owners of which shall now be returned unto it; who have been for many years drove and kept out of it by the sword of their enemies; (see…”

“thou shall be visited--in wrath, by God (Isa 29:6). Probably there is allusion to Isa 24:21-22, "The host of the high ones . . . shall be gathered . . . as prisoners . . . in me pit . . . and after many days shall they be visited." I therefore prefer English Version to GROTIUS rendering, "Thou shalt get the command" of the expedition. The "after many days" is defined by "in the latter years," that is, in the times just before the coming of Messiah, namely, under Antiochus, before His first coming; under Antichrist, before His second coming. the mountains of Israel . . . always waste--that is, waste during the long period of the captivity, the earnest of the much longer period of Judea's…”

“As Gog was drawn on to his attack upon Israel in order to his ultimate ruin, therefore his preparations were the first step in his visitation from the Almighty. After many days - For “many days.” Many a long day shall the hand of God be upon thee, drawing thee on to thy ruin, and in the latter days shalt thou come. The land - literally, a “land” once laid waste by the sword, but now delivered from it, whose inhabitants once scattered have been gathered together from out of many peoples. Always - Rather, a long time. The mountains were at the time of Gog’s advance again cultivated and populous. And they shall dwell - Rather, and they dwell. It is a description of the actual condition at the…”

“After many days - In the latter days of the Messiah's kingdom among men. In the later years - These must be cotemporary with the many days already mentioned. Thou - Gog with all thy numbers. The land - The land of the Jews, a people recovered from captivity, into which the sword of their enemy had brought them. Always waste - It is already two thousand four hundred years since the ten tribes were carried away by Salmanezer. But it - The land of Canaan, that is, the people of it. Ezekiel 38:11”

“38:8 A long time from now (literally after many days) . . . In the distant future (literally in the end of the years): This encounter is described as a climactic final battle that will precede a final state of peace. There are a variety of views as to whether this final battle is a literal event at the end of history or a literary depiction of the Lord’s protection of his permanently embattled people. Either way, the point remains that when the Lord’s favor rests upon his people, no one and nothing can separate them from that protection, even the most all-out assault of evil.”

“many days: Eze 38:16; Gen 49:1; Num 24:14; Deu 4:30; Jer 48:47, Jer 49:39; Hos 3:3-5; Hab 2:3 thou shalt be: Exo 20:5; Isa 24:22, Isa 29:6; Jer 32:5; Lam 4:22 into the land: Eze 38:12, Eze 36:24-38, Eze 37:21-28, Eze 39:27-29; Isa 11:11-16; Jer 30:3, Jer 30:18, Jer 32:37; Amo 9:14, Amo 9:15 the mountains: Eze 34:13, Eze 36:1-8 it is: Pe1 2:9 and they shall: Eze 38:11, Eze 28:26, Eze 34:25-28; Jer 23:6, Jer 33:16 Ezekiel 38:9”