ClaimDoctrine changesverified2010sExplicit statement

Doctrine changes · Claim record

In The Watchtower of 15 May 2015 the organisation withdrew that identification and said that Gog of Magog is not Satan but a coalition of human nations.

Claim ID claim-doctrine-chg-gog-coalitionConcerns 15 May 2015Explicit statement

The claim and its evidence

Explicit statement · 15 May 2015 Verified

In The Watchtower of 15 May 2015 the organisation withdrew that identification and said that Gog of Magog is not Satan but a coalition of human nations. Source: The Watchtower, 15 May 2015

The organisation’s position or later explanation: The organisation gives its reasons: a spirit creature could not be eaten by birds of prey or buried, and Revelation 20:8 has Satan misleading Gog, so he cannot be Gog.

Show the evidence (1 source)
Primary JW publication Verified

The Watchtower, “Questions From Readers”

15 May 2015 · pp.29-30 · pars. 3, 7 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society

“For a number of years, our publications have explained that Gog of Magog is the name given to Satan the Devil after his ouster from heaven. … When we compare all these Scriptural references about the final attack on God’s people, it becomes evident that the name Gog of Magog refers, not to Satan, but to a coalition of nations.”

The answer states the previous identification, gives the reasons for abandoning it (a spirit creature could not be eaten by birds or buried), and substitutes a human coalition.

Provenance and verification note for The Watchtower, Questions From Readers

Confidence note. Document opened on wol.jw.org on 19 September 2026; the wording was read in full and the page number taken from the library's own page markers.

Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID. src-chg-d-w-2015-0515-qfr-gog

Claim page

A direct link to this claim is https://jwtruth.org/evidence/claim-doctrine-chg-gog-coalition/. Every source above opens the original document or the best available copy. If you believe the wording, date or context is wrong, report an error.