Bilvavi Part 5 - 365 Two Stages of Moshiachs Arrival

בלבבי משכן אבנה ח"ה (עמ' שסח) – "משיח וגוג ומגוג – מה יקדם"

There is a dispute in the words of our sefarim hakedoshim about the order of events concerning Moshiach’s era. Some of the sefarim hakedoshim say that first there will be the war of Gog and Magog, and after that Moshiach will come; others say that first Moshiach will come, and after that will be the war with Gog and Magog.

Both of these views are correct, for “their words and their words are the words of the living G-d”[1]; [let us try to understand the two different views and how they can both be correct].

The explanation of the matter is that there are two layers going on over here – an external layer (chitzoniyus), and an internal layer (pnimiyus).[2] In the internal layer to reality, Moshiach is slowly being developed as the generations go on, but we aren’t able to [physically] see this internal Moshiach taking place. The external Moshiach will therefore come “pisom”, “suddenly”, [as the possuk says] because since we aren’t able to see how Moshiach is developing throughout time, it will appear very sudden when he comes.

But the truth is that there is an internal Moshiach that is constantly developing; if someone is connected to the inner layer of reality (pnimiyus), than to him, Moshiach will not feel “sudden” at all when he arrives [on the physical world because he already identifies with Moshiach from his internal world.].

[This is how we reconcile both opinions in the sefarim hakedoshim about the order of events]: First Moshiach will come in the internal sense, and then there will be the war with Gog and Magog [in the world]. But on the external layer of things, Moshiach will only come after the war of Gog and Magog. [Therefore, both views are correct, and they are each coming from a different angle. The first opinion is coming focusing on the external layer to reality, while the second opinion is looking at it from the inner layer of reality].

Gog and Magog [together] has the numerical value in Hebrew as 70. This is because they represent the 70 nations. After they are destroyed – the roots of all evil – the external [physical] Moshiach will then be fully revealed.