It is unlikely that when uttering this phrase, adult comrades put the true meaning into this concept. In Efremova's dictionary, as well as in the Great Reference Book of Russian Sayings, it is defined as follows: gog and magog are almighty, terrifying. Other sources give more specific, historical concepts.
Representation in Christianity
According to the biblical teaching about the final destinies of man and the world, the peoples of Gog and Magog are hostile, militant, who will come at the last moment to exterminate the remaining adherents of Christianity. The end of the world is now popping up not only in everyday conversations. This topic is heated up by numerous media outlets. They show people building bunkers with centuries of provisions, stationary power plants and other communications and household items that can support normal life. Gog and Magog, according to some interpretations, should become that destructive satanic force that will destroy everything completely.
These are not all definitions that are derived in religious teachings. Under the name "Gog"it is supposed to be the leader, the main leader, standing in front of the entire hostile army. "Magoga" has its own status. This is a country, which means that the people inhabiting it. All these people are subject to the great Gog, obedient to his command, worshiping his philosophy and worldview, believing in his destiny.
And yet, more often than not, gog, magog is a people who should be headed by Prince Rosh at a certain time. It also has several definitions. Benjamin's son, who died without heirs. Another interpretation, more general, is the commander, the head, the grand duke in the original. It has even been suggested that Russia is supposed to be behind this name, as the land ruled over by the mighty Gog.
The Old Testament mentions the son of Yaphet Magog, the founder of the clan near the settlements located north of Palestine. Gog, according to some predictions, should lead the nomadic troops to Israel. They symbolize the barbaric hostile North in Jewish culture.
According to legend, Alexander the Great drove these peoples to the East, to its most extreme territories. The time will come, they will free themselves, break into Christian lands, destroy everything around, the historically established world.
Apocalypse - the period when everything collapses
And one more word, which today is most often interpreted in a way far from the original definition - Apocalypse. Now it is mostly perceived by most as the end of the world. The biblical "Apocalypse" describes the situation when the world will collapse. It was at this moment that Satan himselfdescend to earth. He will call to his service King Gog from the land of Magog.
And with him a people whose number will be greater than the sand of the sea. Magogs will crush, torture, exterminate people, wipe them off the face of the earth. And it becomes clear that the Apocalypse is not the collapse of the whole world, it is a chapter of the Bible. And the translation from the Greek gives an exact description - this is Revelation, the last biblical book. In it, John the Evangelist sets out his visions.
In Islam
In Islam, gog and magog have their own name - Yajuj and Ma-juj. They are also warring tribes against God's people. In almost any interpretation, their invasion is associated with the Last Judgment and the coming of the Messiah.
"War of the Gog and Magog" - this is how the battle between the outer and the inner is called, according to the teachings of Kabbalah. The result of victory in this battle is to avoid the devastating consequences of the collision of two forces. This war is attributed to the people of Israel. And it is not carried out with the help of available material weapons - atomic shells, bombs, missiles and machine guns. Now this is interpreted as a battle of the inner world with external realities. Battles between desires and reality in a spiritual sense.
In today's world, many give this loud name to the proposed nuclear battle between the West and the Russian-led alliance in the near future. It is this war that is given the title of "destroyer" - actions that will turn the world into dust. Once this dubious fame was attributed in predictions to Napoleon duringthe times of his protracted battles and conquests.
Modernity
Modern politicians often use the expression "gog and magog". The meaning in any interpretation comes down to one thing - it is a force that destroys everything around. In connection with the increasing frequency of references and predictions of the end of the world, this Biblical description sounds more and more often.
Any war, in its essence, is a struggle for one's faith, for spiritual and material foundations. The people-destroyer of the established world under the leadership of Satan, no matter what name they give it, is no less frightening than Armageddon. Therefore, political scientists, historians again and again turn to the teachings of centuries ago, where, without assuming today's reality, the signs preceding any upheaval are so accurately described.
Literature, opinion of writers
It is curious that this expression has come into popular use as a synonym for "terrifying, overwhelming, dominating." Even the great Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol mentioned in one of the dialogues of the heroes of "Dead Souls": "what a gog-magog", who will slaughter for a penny. Thus, characterizing a person as corrupt and unprincipled, because of that inspiring more horror.
Armageddon is a senseless war
Armageddon is a war against everyone. Senseless in the end, unacceptable, but expected, reflected in many films and literary works. Under the guise of a false ideology, in many corners of the Earth hostilities are being carried out, striking in their destructive power and absolute senselessness. And if initially mentioned in all knownreligious descriptions of the "gog-magog" referred to the land of the faithful, to Israel, today these definitions can be attributed to any invasions and military conflicts. Unfortunately, despite the predictions, it was not possible to prevent the reigning chaos. I would like to believe that the end of the world and the previous invasion of the "peoples from the North" will remain in the descriptions in theory, and will not become a historical fact.
