Are There Two Gog Magog Battles?

It seems to be the opinion of many prophecy experts that the battle of Ezekiel 38 will take place before the tribulation begins. But, in Revelation 20 after Satan is released from his 1,000 year imprisonment, it clearly refers to Gog and Magog joining Satan in the battle against Israel. Are there two Gog-Magog battles?

Q. I hope you can help me with this. It seems to be the opinion of many prophecy experts that the battle of Ezekiel 38 will take place before the tribulation begins. But, in Revelation 20 after Satan is released from his 1,000 year imprisonment, it clearly refers to Gog and Magog joining Satan in the battle against Israel. Are there two Gog-Magog battles?

A. In a sense there are two confrontations between Gog/Magog and the Lord. When people refer to the Battle of Gog/Magog they usually mean Ezekiel 38, which many scholars place before the Great Tribulation. I also believe it has to be there in order to protect the chronological integrity of the Book of Ezekiel.

The reference in Rev. 20 is to Satan’s last effort against God and brings the Millennium to a close. As you might know I believe that Gog is a supernatural figure, perhaps the General of Satan’s army, who leads both battles. In Ezekiel 38 Magog is normally associated with the Russians. But since Rev. 20:8 says that Satan’s army will come from the four corners of Earth, Magog may be used there in it’s widest sense, referring to all Gentile nations.