Matthew Poole and continuators on Ezekiel 38:8

8 After many dayes thou shalt be visited : in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people against the mountains of Israel, which have been alwaies waste : but it is brought forth out of the nations , and they shall dwell safely all of them.

Some refer this to the time of the Maccabees, about 200 years after their return, and finishing the repairs of the City Wall; others say, after the expiring of the 1000 years spoken of, Revel. 20.7. But certainly the full accomplished dayes are yet to come, when Gog, and Magog shall be destroyed, and so these dayes are the latter dayes of the Messiah's Kingdom among men.

Be called to account, judged and punished for thy violence, and possibly convinced by thy overthrow, it may prove a visitation in mercy for Conversion.

These must be contemporary with the many dayes already mentioned, so that, where those, there these also are to be fixed.

Gog with all thy numbers.

The Land of the Iews, who were under this character in the Maccabees time, and will be under the same in these latter dayes▪ a people of God recovered from slavery, and captivity, into which the sword of their Enemy brought them, but God had now gathered out of the Countreys.

If it refer to Gog, 'twas against the Mountains, but, if it doth, as it may, refer to the people gathered, it should be to, not against the mountains.

Either designed to desolation by the rage, and malice of Enemies, or else because so long waste that it is beyond the memory of many living, 'twas 400 years and upwards from this prophecy to Antiochus Epiphanes Death, if he were Gog, but if the Ten Tribes, gathered to the two, and made one Kingdom, be this people, and the wasted Mountains refer to them, they may well be called Mountains alwaies waste; for 'tis already 2400 years since the Ten Tribes were carryed away by Salmanezer.

The Land of Canaan, i. e. the people of it, Land being, as often before, put for People.

Among whom they were scattered, of which Nations, though we can give account of them, to whom the Two Tribes were in Captivity, we cannot so of them, to whom the Ten Tribes are to this day Servants, but if this prediction do as much concern them, as some confidently believe, these dry bones shall revive, and come together.

This began at least to be fulfilled, when, for some 380 years after their return, they lived tolerably quiet, afterwards Antiochus vext them, and did them much damage, what remains of longer, and fuller quiet, and prosperity after the slaying of Gog, time will discover to the people of God, whose lot 'twill be to stand up in those dayes.