יחזקאל, פרק ל״ח, פסוק ב׳

In the end of days, after the Israelites return to their land and settle in peace, a massive geopolitical and military conflict will erupt around Jerusalem. The purpose of this war is not to harm the Israelites, but rather to serve as an arena for divine justice against the nations that oppressed them throughout history. God will draw the nations of the world to the Land of Israel to punish them for the destruction of the Second Temple and the long hardships of exile [מלבי״ם]. This conflict will be a monumental clash of empires. Armies from the north and east will arrive to battle the western empires that attempt to conquer Jerusalem, causing the historical enemies of the Israelites to ultimately destroy one another [אברבנאל].

The prophetic warning is directed at a formidable power identified as Gog and Magog. The primary approach among commentators is that Gog is the name of a supreme king, while Magog refers to his nation. This nation traces its lineage back to the historical figure Magog, a son of Japheth [רד״ק]. However, an alternative perspective suggests that Gog is actually the name of the nation itself, while Magog refers to the northern geographical region where these people reside [אברבנאל]. Regardless of the exact division of these names, the leader of this empire is recognized as an absolute ruler and a supreme king of unmatched authority [מצודת דוד, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Beyond his primary domain, this supreme king also rules over other nations descended from Japheth, specifically Meshech and Tubal [מצודת ציון, רד״ק]. The names of these allied nations reflect a deep history of global migration. The identity of Meshech indicates a people who were drawn out of their original northern homeland to settle in the west, while Tubal similarly denotes a nation that was led or transported across borders [אברבנאל].