יחזקאל, פרק ל״ח, פסוק י״ח

At the precise moment enemy forces set foot on the land of Israel, a fierce divine reaction is awakened. God's anger in this moment does not stem solely from the current invasion. Rather, it is the climax of a long historical reckoning. The arrival of Gog and his armies triggers the memory of the destruction and exile these nations inflicted upon the Israelites in ancient times, bringing the long-promised retribution into action [מלבי״ם, אברבנאל]. This divine response involves a profound transition between two distinct types of anger. For generations, a deep, hidden anger was kept concealed, building over the historical wickedness of the nations. However, the moment Gog arrives in the land of Israel, this suppressed, internal anger rises and bursts outward into a visible, active wrath. It transforms from a silent fury into a public act of punishment and revenge for all to see [מלבי״ם].

This sudden outburst of divine wrath leads to a massive upheaval, though the exact nature of this event is understood in two different ways. One perspective views this retribution as a literal, unprecedented cosmic and physical catastrophe. In this view, the land experiences fire and a massive earthquake that terrifies all living creatures, from the fish in the sea to the animals on land. The Mount of Olives splits apart, city walls collapse, and a divine confusion descends upon the enemies, causing them to turn their swords against one another in mutual destruction [צאינה וראינה]. Conversely, another approach understands these dramatic descriptions of shaking earth, crumbling mountains, and falling walls as metaphors rather than literal physical events. Instead, they serve as a powerful symbol for a monumental military collapse, representing the massive defeat and slaughter of the enemy kings and their officers who will fall on the land of Israel [אברבנאל].