Psalm 83 War & the Gog Magog End Time Invasion

Many believe the Psalm 83 war will be among the next prophecy events to occur. Should we expect it to begin soon?

I will share my findings on the war in this article. I will discuss when it will take place. I will also discuss how it may relate to the events of Ezekiel 39 and the end time siege of Jerusalem.

Psalm 83 War Overview

Psalm 83 describes a future attack against the people of Israel. Verses 6-8 names the participants of this attack:

“(1) Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. (2) For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head. (3) They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones. (4) They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. (5) For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee: (6) The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes; (7) Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre; (8) Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah.” (Psalm 83:1-8)

The following table summarizes the likely modern day location of the participants in the conflict.

ParticipantModern Location
IshmaelitesSaudi Arabia
PhilistinesGaza Strip
AsshurMainly Northern Iraq **
Gebal & TyreLebanon
HagarenesJordan*
Edom, Ammon, MoabJordan
AmalekSinai

I believe the “hidden ones” mentioned in Psalm 83:3 refers to a remnant of Israel that will be hiding in the wilderness to avoid the Antichrist’s persecution (Revelation 12:6, 14-16).

The statement “come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance” in verse 4 indicates that the goal is to wipe out the people of Israel hiding and not hiding.

Verses 9-18 contains a plea for the Lord to arise to punish the attackers who threaten the existence of the people of Israel. The following passage is the end of this plea:

“(13) O my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind. (14) As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire; (15) So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm. (16) Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O LORD. (17) Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish: (18) That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.” (Psalm 83:13-18)

Psalm 83, Ezekiel 39, and Psalm 79

Psalm 79 & Psalm 83

We can find the time frame when Psalm 83 will occur by comparing details the chapter with details from Psalm 79 and Ezekiel 39.


Comparing Psalm 79 & Psalm 83

  • A Request for the Lord to Arise to Help the People Under Distress
  • A Request for the Lord to Punish Attackers
  • The Heathen Do Not Know the Lord But Will Come to Know Him When He Acts

Psalm 83:1-2, 17-18: (1) A Song or Psalm of Asaph. Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. (2) For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head…(17) Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish: (18) That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.

Psalm 79:1-10: (1) A Psalm of Asaph. O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps. (2) The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the heaven, the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the earth. (3) Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem; and there was none to bury them. (4) We are become a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and derision to them that are round about us. (5) How long, LORD? wilt thou be angry for ever? shall thy jealousy burn like fire? (6) Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name. (7) For they have devoured Jacob, and laid waste his dwelling place. (8) O remember not against us former iniquities: let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us: for we are brought very low. (9) Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name’s sake. (10) Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is their God? let him be known among the heathen in our sight by the revenging of the blood of thy servants which is shed.


The parallels between the two chapters suggest:

The events of Psalm 83 indeed relate to the events surrounding the end time siege of Jerusalem. But, Psalm 83 does not necessarily describe the siege itself.

  • Psalm 83 describes a focused attack on a remnant of Israel hiding in the wilderness (“the hidden ones” in verse 3).
  • The end time siege of Jerusalem is focused on those living in the vicinity of Jerusalem.
  • Both campaigns are part of an overall effort to “cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.” (verse 4).

Psalm 83 & Ezekiel 39

We may also get an idea when the conflict will occur by examining the contrast between Psalm 83:18 and Ezekiel 39:6-7.

  • Psalm 83:18 calls for the Lord to make His name known to men.
  • Ezekiel 39:6-7 indicates that the heathen will gain knowledge of the Lord when He destroys Gog and his forces and sends “fire on Magog and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles.”

“(17) Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish: (18) That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.” (Psalm 83:17-18)

“(6) And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD. (7) So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.” (Ezekiel 39:6-7)

The people’s realization of who the Lord is when He destroys Gog and his forces suggests that the destruction of Gog and his forces will occur after the events of Psalm 83 begin. Therefore, the events of Psalm 83 may begin some time around the end time siege of Jerusalem but before the destruction of Gog and his forces.

The war will come before the destruction of Gog and his forces. But, it’s unclear how much time will pass between events or whether the attack by Gog and his forces relates to the war.

We may get a better idea of how the war relates to Gog and his forces by comparing Ezekiel 39 with passages about the end time siege of Jerusalem. We’ll find that some key details from Ezekiel 39 are also in passages about the Lord coming to defeat the forces that will attack Jerusalem.

Ezekiel 39:21-22 states that:

  1. The Lord will set His glory among the heathen.
  2. The house of Israel will also know that He is the Lord when He judges Gog and his forces.

“(21) And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them. (22) So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward.” (Ezekiel 39:21-22)

Each of these details can be found in passages about the end time siege of Jerusalem.

The Lord Shall Set His Glory Among the Heathen

As was just mentioned, the Lord will set His glory among the heathen when He destroys Gog and his forces according to Ezekiel 39:21. Psalm 102:13-16 and Isaiah 59:16-20 also mention that the Lord will set His glory to the nations and relate to the rescue of Zion.

The parallels between all these passages are shown in table below:

  • Zechariah 14:2-3 also appears in the table to further show how Isaiah 59:16-20 relates to the end of the end time siege of Jerusalem. Isaiah 59:16-17 describes the Lord preparing for battle while Zechariah 14:3 describes the Lord ready for battle.

The Context of the Lord Setting His Glory

  • The Lord Will Fight
  • The Lord Will Set His Glory to the Nations
  • The Rescue of Zion

Ezekiel 39:21: And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them.

Psalm 102:13-16: (13) Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come. (14) For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof. (15) So the heathen shall fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth thy glory. (16) When the LORD shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory.

Isaiah 59:16-20: (16) And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him. (17) For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke. (18) According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence. (19) So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him. (20) And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD.

Zechariah 14:2-3: (2) For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. (3) Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.


The House of Israel Shall Know the Lord

As was just mentioned, the house of Israel shall know the Lord when He destroys Gog and his forces according to Ezekiel 39:22. This detail implies that the house of Israel will not know the Lord prior to the demise of Gog and his forces.

Isaiah 35:4-5 and Isaiah 42:13-16 indicate that Israel’s spiritual eyes will open when the Lord comes with vengeance. Isaiah 59:16-20 adds that the Lord will come to recompense His enemies with vengeance when it is time to redeem Zion.

The table below shows the similarities between Ezekiel 39:21-22, Isaiah 35:4-5 42:13-16, 59:16-20:


The House of Israel Shall Know the Lord

  • Spiritual Eyes Will Become Open
  • The Lord will Come with Vengeance

Ezekiel 39:21-22: (21) And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them. (22) So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward.

Isaiah 35:4-5: (4) Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you. (5) Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.

Isaiah 42:13-16: (13) The LORD shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies. (14) I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once. (15) I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools. (16) And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.

Isaiah 59:16-20: (16) And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him. (17) For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke. (18) According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence. (19) So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him. (20) And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD.


The parallels between all these passages suggest that the demise of Gog and his forces relates to the termination of the end time siege of Jerusalem and the Lord’s coming.

Timeline Summary

The mini-timeline below summarizes the order of events described in this article in chronological order:

Mini Timeline of Events
Event 1: A Large-Scale Effort to Destroy the People of Israel

  • The Psalm 83 war and the end time siege of Jerusalem appear to be parts of this effort
    • Both will occur around the same time frame given the parallels between Psalm 83 and Psalm 79.

Event 2: The Destruction of Gog and His Forces

  • The destruction of Gog and his forces will occur around the same time the participants of the end time siege of Jerusalem are destroyed. It appears this event will coincide with the Lord’s coming.

Given this, it is likely that the invasion of Gog and his forces will also be part of the effort that already connects the events of Psalm 83 with the end time siege of Jerusalem.

The verses presented above do not directly link Psalm 83 with the invasion by Gog and his forces. But, the connection between the demise of Gog’s forces and the demise of the forces involved in the end time siege of Jerusalem suggests:

  • The invasion by Gog and his forces will occur near the time of the siege (and thereby the time of Psalm 83 ) if it does not coincide with the time of the siege itself (and thereby the time of Psalm 83).

To learn more about the end time siege of Jerusalem, read “When Will Jerusalem Be Attacked During the End Times“.

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Note

  1. Another way to see a connection between Psalm 83 and the end time siege of Jerusalem is to compare Joel 3, a chapter about the time near the termination of the end time siege of Jerusalem, and Psalm 83. The Philistines and the inhabitants of Tyre from Psalm 83:5-8 are mentioned in Joel 3:4 as the “coasts of Palestine” and Tyre respectively.
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Wayne Croley
Wayne Croley

Hi! I’ve studied and written about Bible prophecy since I was a teenager. My goal is to make Bible prophecy easy for you to understand while avoiding the sensationalism seen elsewhere. I am the author of several end time books, including Prophecy Proof Insights on the End Times, a comprehensive book about the end times. I hold an M.B.A. and degrees in Managerial Economics and Political Science.