George W. Bush: Iraq Was a Biblical War Against Gog and Magog

In 2003, just before the Iraq War, former President George W. Bush tried once more to get the support of France. His approach to French President Jacques Chirac was straightforward, drawing on thousands of years of history and on higher authority: "This confrontation is willed by God, who wants to use this conflict to erase his people's enemies before a New Age begins." This, he added, was the "holy" war in the Middle East, predicted in the Bible, against Gog and Magog.

For you heathen out there, Gog and Magog are first mentioned in the Old Testament books of Genesis and Ezekiel, prophesied to come out of the north to attack Israel. They make their big appearance in Revelations, Chapter 20, Verse 7-9, as the Devil's commanders in the final battle of Good and Evil:

7 - And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
8 - And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
9 - And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

Some evangelists believe that Arab nations, supported by others, have to attack Israel in The Apocalypse for Gog and Magog, the enemies of Israel, to return and be defeated before the return of Jesus Christ to Earth.

More importantly, some people in very important political positions believe this. Chirac's advisors, according to a 2007 article in the university review Allez Savoir and now Chirac's memoirs, were concerned enough to ask the advice of Thomas Romer, a professor of theology at the University of Lausanne.

And it was not the only time Bush held up his wars as a religious duty. In June 2003, he told the Palestinian foreign minister that he was on "a mission from God" in launching the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan and was receiving commands from the Lord. About the same time, US military officers were adding Biblical quotes to the cover slides of intelligence reports from Iraq.

This is not to deny that there were other reasons for the US wars from 2001 to 2009, and of course the conflict in Afghanistan and Pakistan, irrespective of Gog and Magog, is still going strong. Still, rest assured that America's wars --- of Earthly or Biblical necessity --- were overseen by a "true believer" in the Bush years.

Comments

[Craig Smith]

Seriously?

Sure, GWB is/was very silly, but I had not heard of this. That's ths sort of talk I expect to hear from some guy carrying a sign up and down the street that says "REPENT", not from a U.S. President, however silly he may be.

What is the source?

[Ali Yenidunya]

It is unbelievable, isn't it?

http://www.alternet.org/politics/140221/bush%27s_shocking_biblical_prophecy_emerges%3A_god_wants_to_%22erase%22_mid-east_enemies_%22before_a_new_age_begins%22/

Indeed, the same news going back to 2007 can be found if you google it.

[Craig Smith]

Wow. Just.... wow.

thanks for the reference.

Even after eight years, GWB still manages to astonish me with just how colossally inept his administration was. An utter disaster to domestic and foreign policy, national defense, international relations, the Constitution, the rule of law, and the economy. But hey, nobody's perfect! :|

[Herb Arce]

I have my doubts about all of this. I did not nor do support him or his racist ideolegy and administration, but his using Revelations for his 'motivation' is odd at best, since there are some things that should have happened according to Revelation and even the book of Daniel. Any preacher would have told him that he was making a mistake, as he saw himself as a 'true believer'. The man was and is evil, but to start with this stuff is ridiculous. I have not been able to verify what you or alternet posted. What is the title of Chiracs' memoir, what is the issue/ publication date of this story by Romer? Please tell me, because I am not one who believes without studying to verify, as the Bible says to do.

[Dave]

"The man was and is evil,.."
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You mean RUTHLESS. But that's common among heads of state and other powerful individuals in government -- George W. Bush , Woodrow Wilson, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Henry Kissinger, Abe Lincoln, George Washington, and so on. It's just that some of them happen to have/have had PROVIDENTIAL WORLDVIEWS. That means they are no different from many common folk... George W. is now part of what is now a rare breed, however. And that is why we cannot understand him. And so we dismiss him as some kind of yahoo.

Here's a great article -- http://www.forerunner.com/forerunner/X0222_Two_Views_of_History.html

Another good one -- http://www.indiana.edu/~rcapub/v29n1/will.shtml

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TAKEN FROM FIRST ARTICLE (LINK)

Wilson’s earliest writings are reliant on a worldview heavily saturated with the Calvinist principles which were taught at Princeton. One of his first public writings, published in the North Carolina Presbyterian, was entitled, “Christ’s Army.” This essay, written at age 19 together with a discourse entitled “A Christian Statesman,” represents the cornerstone of Wilson’s Christian philosophy:

“One of the favorite figures with sacred writers in their references to the inhabitants of this world is that of representing mankind as divided into two great armies. The field of battle is the world. From the abodes of righteousness advances the host of God’s people under the leadership of Christ. Immediately behind the great Captain of Salvation come the veteran regiments of the soldiers of the cross with steady tread, their feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace, girt about with truth, their breastplates of righteousness glittering beneath the bright rays of their Master’s love, each one grasping the sword of the Spirit…."

America entered World War One in 1917. Wilson’s childhood belief that he was destined by God to accomplish a great act for the good of mankind began to come into fruition in his mind.
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[Craig Smith]

Apparently, this is the original article from "Allez savoir", from September '07.

http://www2.unil.ch/unicom/allez_savoir/as39/pages/pdf/4_Gog_Magog.pdf

I post this merely to provide the information, not as "evidence" of its veracity.

It is a fairly lengthy article, with an interview with theologian Thomas Romer, who is quoted:

«J’ai encore appris durant ce coup de fil que le président des Etats-Unis avait évoqué Gog et Magog dans une conversation avec Jacques Chirac. La discussion portait sur l’actualité au Proche-Orient. Après avoir expliqué qu’il voyait Gog et Magog à l’oeuvre, George W. Bush a ajouté que les prophéties bibliques étaient en train de s’accomplir», poursuit Thomas Römer.

rough translation:

"I have learned during this phone call [from the Head of Bible of the Protestant Federation of France] that the President of the United States had had mentioned Gog and Magog in a conversation with Jacques Chirac. Discussion covered the news in the Middle East. After explaining that he saw Gog and Magog at work, George W. Bush added that the biblical prophecies were being performed " continues Thomas Romer.

Prof. Romer appears to be a genuine authority on OT, and I can't readily accuse him of duplicity; nevertheless, I agree it sounds pretty far-fetched. Perhaps something was lost in translation from Chirac to whomever, to the "Head of Bible of the Protestant Federation" to Romer.

[Ali Yenidunya]

Craig, thank you for providing this information from Allez Savoir. I was able to get the second proof thanks to the my collegue Diane Jeanblanc's efforts to find the book in France and to translate it into English. The original name of the book is "Si Vous le Répétez, Je Démentirai - Chirac Sarkozy Villepin" (If You Repat It, I'll Deny) which was published by journalist Jean-Claude Maurice in March 2009. Here are the core paragraphs between 47 and 50:

Rough Translation:

Footsteps in the Middle East at this beginning of 2003. When I went into the presidential office, Jacques Chirac had just had George Bush Senior on phone. He said: "We always had of excellent relations. He is a friend..." I Understood that with Junior, it is not the same thing.

[…]

Jacques Chirac learnt it, previous month, from Bush Junior. A revelation received at first with surprise, then, taken piece of information, with dismay. During this phone conversation to convince his French counterpart to join the coalition, George Bush Junior used a singular argument, asserting that... «Gog and Magog are working in the Middle East” and that “the biblical predictions are about to come true “. At that moment, Jacques Chirac, stunned, did not react. He knows Bush is religious, but he has difficulty to understand that the president of the first power of the world is so melted by the Writings that he beats the reminder of the duettists Gog and Magog to justify his fight! Chirac opens to his advisers. He was at first carrying his smile. He asked them to enlighten him exactly more on Gog and Magog.

One day later, George Bush does it again, pronouncing these two mysterious names during a press conference on the "axis of the evil ." The Elysée consults immediately a specialist. Not in France, but in Switzerland, to avoid possible leaks.

It is Thomas Römer, a professor of theology at the University of Lausanne. His report has enough to freeze the blood. Gog, prince of Magog, it is the apocalypse. This character appears in the Genesis, and especially in the two of the darkest chapters of the Book of Ezéchiel, prediction of a world army delivering the final battle in Israel. A conflict wanted by God who has to bring down Gog and Magog, annihilate forever the enemies of the chosen People before a new world is born.

[Ali Yenidunya]

@ Herb: You are right in your argument to study in prior of verification. I do agree with you. However, with respect, I think Bush's use of a Biblical passage on Magog and Gog is more than something odd. It is, in terms of many ways. First of all, it does not become a belief of someone or a President anymore since its revelation within the decision-making process. It has such multi-directional effects including the high possibility of exploiting public's beliefs, changing the context of an imminent/current situation like a war or crisis. Secondly, the way of bureaucratic decision-making process starts being shaped by the actual context of war as we saw those wartime memos with Biblical quotations submited by Rumsfeld. Can you imagine how people can take straight and clear decisions under a pressure of a mystical aura deriving from the White House? It is more than a personal belief... It affects our lives all around...

[Dave]

"Can you imagine how people can take straight and clear decisions under a pressure of a mystical aura deriving from the White House? It is more than a personal belief… It affects our lives all around…"

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Decisions made in the Reagan White House were controlled by cosmic astrological forces. And rumor has it that Nixon and Kissinger were also gung-ho on astrology.