Some passages in Scripture don’t just speak to history — they echo forward into the last days. Isaiah 36 is one of them. At first glance, it’s simply the story of the Assyrian empire threatening Judah. But when you slow down and look closely, a startling prophetic pattern emerges, one that connects directly to the war described in Ezekiel 38.
It begins with a shocking claim.
“The LORD said to me, ‘Go up against this land and destroy it.’” — Isaiah 36:10
When the Assyrian commander, the Rabshakeh, stands before the walls of Jerusalem, he doesn’t merely threaten the people. He declares that God Himself sent him to destroy the nation.
This is the heart of the arrogance:
• A pagan ruler claims divine mandate.
• He mocks the God of Israel.
• He insists Judah cannot be saved.
• He speaks as though he possesses God’s authority.
Then he tells the people not to trust Hezekiah, declaring that God will surely give them into the king of Assyria’s hand.
This spirit is more than political aggression.
It is spiritual antagonism — the same spirit that rises again in the last days.
The Prophetic Echo: “I will put hooks in your jaws.” — Ezekiel 38:4
In Ezekiel 38, Gog of Magog rises against Israel in the final era. But notice something crucial: Gog doesn’t set out on this war in his own strength.
God says:
“I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws, and bring you out…”
Just like Assyria, Gog believes he is acting from conquest, destiny, and strength.
But in reality, God is drawing him into judgment.
The parallel is unmistakable:
• The king of Assyria claims God sent him.
• Gog is dragged into the conflict by God.
• Both boast against the God of Israel.
• Both believe Israel cannot be defended.
• Both embody a spirit that challenges God to His face.
Isaiah gives us the template.
Ezekiel gives us the final fulfilment.
The Same Spirit Across the Ages
Throughout Scripture, certain rulers rise as archetypes — not just political powers, but spiritual manifestations of the same rebellious force:
• Assyria in Isaiah 36
• Babylon in Isaiah 14
• Gog in Ezekiel 38–39
• The Beast in Revelation 13
Different names. Different eras.
Same spirit — the spirit that mocks God, assaults His people, and exalts itself over heaven.
What Assyria said openly, Gog will enact globally.
Why This Matters for Our Moment in History
Isaiah 36 isn’t just a historical footnote — it’s a prophetic mirror held up to our time.
The pattern looks like this:
Isaiah 36–37
• Enemy mocks the God of Israel
• Enemy claims God is on their side
• Enemy declares Israel is indefensible
• God intervenes dramatically
Ezekiel 38–39
• Enemy boasts in their own power
• Enemy moves against an unsuspecting Israel
• Enemy believes victory is inevitable
• God intervenes dramatically — again
The first was a preview.
The second will be the main event.
The Spirit of the King of Assyria Is the Spirit of Gog
When you read these passages side by side, a single prophetic insight rises to the surface:
The arrogance of Assyria is the arrogance of Gog — the same spirit, the same boast, the same blindness, and ultimately the same downfall.
Isaiah points backward in history but forward in pattern. Ezekiel reveals how that pattern will culminate at the end of the age.
This is why biblical prophecy is so relevant today:
history repeats, but the spirit behind it never changes.