“Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, “Thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal.’”’” Ezekiel 38:1-3.
The last study in Ezekiel 37:1-14, examined the prophecies concerning the Jews return to Israel, which they did after being dispersed throughout the earth for 1800 years.
The setting aside of a homeland for the Jews in Palestine came about through the efforts of a man named Chaim Weizmann, an ingenious scientist who helped change the course of World War I.
Because of his work the British agreed to make a place for the Jews in Palestine, this agreement, the Balfour Decision was signed on November 2, 1917.
Nearly six hundred years after Ezekiel, Jesus added the prophecy that a world war which would be accompanied by:
“…famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” Matthew 24:7b-8.
This, as it states above, would be the beginning of birth pangs (sorrows), all these things have come to pass, and the world has been writhing in birth pains ever since.
The second half of Ezekiel 37:15-28, which was not discussed, deals with Israel during the millennial reign of Jesus Christ on earth, which immediately follows the tribulation when He returns to destroy ungodliness from the earth.
Ezekiel 38:1-9 begins with the proclamation that God is against the nation ruled by Gog. Now God is for all men even stating that He is:
“…not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9b.
Yet God is against this nation; who and why?
Gog is said to be prince over Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, of the land of Magog.
Gog is a person. It is not his name, it is said by some to be a title, like czar, Kaiser, or Caesar. While the meaning of Magog is, the place of Gog, or land of Gog which gives the impression that the name Gog is simply a shortening of the name Magog, which would again be a title of sorts.
According to the concordance the name Gog means mountain. If this is so then the entire name of Magog likely means, the place of mountain, which is where his descendents settled.
The word Gog is also interpreted as mountain in both Ezekiel and the book of Revelation.
“Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea.” Revelation 20:7-8.
Since the Gog of Ezekiel and of Revelation are about a thousand years apart, it is possible that it is a title rather than an ethnic group.
There is also the possibility that Gog is a name given by God to describe the personality of the person so-called, much like the changing of Abram to Abraham by God in Genesis.
Abram means, exalted father, Abraham means, father of a multitude, a name given him after God said that He would make him a father of many nations.
“No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations.” Genesis 17:5.
It is possible that the name Gog may have been adapted from Gyges a Lydian king circa 680-648 B.C. who was also referred to as Gugu in the Assyrian annals.
The name portrays ruthless godless power. One story relates that Gyges was mythologized into a 100 handed giant who made war on the gods. This name would be very appropriate for the leader of the nation whom God is against, because he is against God.
The land of Magog consists of the vast steppes in the north settled by Magog, son of Japheth; see the table of the nations, Genesis chapter 10, specifically verses 1-5.
The tribes of Magog and his brothers Meshech and Tubal are the fathers of the Scythians and settled in southern Russia between the Black and the Caspian Seas.
Meshech and Tubal gave their names to Moscow the capital of Russia and Tobolsk a city in the Ural Mountains. Between these three the entire boundaries of Russia are delineated; Moscow in Europe, Tobolsk in Siberia and the tribes of Meshech and Tubal embracing southern Russia.
Gog the prince of Rosh; the name Rosh is known by most historians as being the ancient name for Russia. It now becomes clear why God is against the prince of Russia and punishes him and the entire Russian army.
Part of the reason is that Russia is the seedbed of communism a God hating atheistic system which has been responsible for the murder of hundreds of millions of people since 1917.
The main reason that God is against them though is its many years of anti-Semitism, so hateful of the Jews are they that the Russian word pogrom refers mainly to violence against the Jews.
“I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords.” Ezekiel 38:4.
It is stated later that Russia has come against Israel to take plunder, so it is easy to get sidetracked with that thought. But notice, God says, “I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out…”
Gog is reluctant to go against Israel, but God somehow brings him out under great compulsion. It remains to be seen just what that compulsion is.
Those who are familiar with the inner workings of Russia say that even through all the hard times that attended the breakup of the Soviet Union, Russia never stopped manufacturing weapons. And it is well known that they are supplying many weapons to the Middle East today. So, a well ordered, well armed and splendidly attired army should be no surprise today.
While you might reasonably exchange rifles for swords in a modern army and body armor for bucklers and shields, the horse will still be a part of this great army, because horses are the quickest way across mountainous terrain, and the Cossacks, great horsemen, will be among their allies.
“Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them, all of them with shield and helmet…” Ezekiel 38:5.
These first three nations are rendered, “Persia, Cush, and Put…” in the American Standard Bible.
The country of Persia is easiest to identify, it is Iran, a nation that has become even more belligerent in its tirades against Israel.
They also trained and supplied Hamas and Hezbollah for the bloodbath and atrocities they committed in Israel on October 7th, 2023.
Iran is the country where a global jihad was declared in 1979, causing untold misery ever since, this jihad has never been rescinded. Everyone fears that someone will start World War 3.
World war 3 began quietly in 1979.
Cush is a son of Ham as shown in the table of the nations in Genesis 10:6-12, and though there is some difference of opinion among scholars; Ethiopia is the country that is referred to, as it is called in the New King James Version here.
The Ethiopian government, which is dominated by the EPRDF, Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (communist in origin), describes itself as a democratic capitalist nation, which is not exactly true; in fact, they call themselves a Revolutionary Democracy.
Essentially the fertilizer of communism was put into a plastic bag decorated with prints of beautiful flowers and green grass. The bag is useful for selling and carrying the fertilizer around but eventually the bag will be discarded.
Ethiopia will, without hesitation join the Russian coalition to destroy Israel, and seemingly become rich in the process.
Put is translated as Libya in this verse, though some say that Libya is called Lub in Scripture, not Put, reasoning that the land of Put is Somalia. Both arguments are strong enough that a true and correct answer is hard to call.
One thing that is absolutely essential is that one should not try to interpret Scripture by current events. This has caused too many failures and consequently disappointment in the interpretation of Biblical prophecy.
“Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah from the far north and all its troops – many people are with you.” Ezekiel 38:6.
Gomer is almost universally regarded as Germany, with some expanding that to mean East Germany to the Danube and eastward to Poland and the Slovak countries, Czechoslovakia, now divided into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
The house of Togarmah, called Beth-Togarmah in the New American Standard Version, which means the same thing, house of Togarmah.
Togarmah alone is a reference to Armenia, a tiny country, east of Turkey, south of Georgia, and north of Iran.
But it says the house of Togarmah, which would seem to include all the tribes which came from him. If this is so then it is likely the area could include Turkey, and a geographic location called Turkistan; this is not a nation but an area that covers several nations, which may include, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Xinjiang Province in Red China (though it is unlikely that Xinjiang will be involved).
This is a lot of real estate but notice that it says of both Gomer and the house of Togarmah, “…and all its troops”. This is a phrase used only in Ezekiel 12:14, 17:21, 38:6 and 9, and 39:4; its meaning is forces, an army.
I know you are thinking, “Well, that is what it says in the verse is it not?” And you would be right.
But my point is that this appears to indicate a well-trained army like that of the Russian army. That is not what it says of Iran, Ethiopia, or Libya. It just says that they are equipped with shield and helmet, which may suggest that Russia only equips them with the essentials, not all that a full-blown army would have.
As a result, they would bring their own weapons, of which the Middle East seems to have no lack. These weapons will consist of those sold to them over the years by the Russians, and those now being provided in huge quantities by the U.S. Government.
The last phrase in Ezekiel 38:6, “…many people are with you” may be a reference to the many volunteers who join up with the Russian invaders.
This may be a reference to all of those in the Muslim world who see this huge juggernaut moving toward Israel. Islam and Israel are not compatible, since the aim of the Muslim world is to annihilate Israel.
This is the credo of the Muslim Brotherhood:
“Allah is our objective, the Koran is our law, the prophet is our leader, jihad is our way, and dying for the sake of Allah is our highest hope.”
It is difficult to imagine these people standing around with their hands in their pockets while such a unique opportunity passes them by – “…many people are with you.”
“Prepare yourself and be ready, you and all your companies that are gathered about you; and be a guard for them.” Ezekiel 38:7.
All these nations and peoples will have the security of being led by an ally as feared, and ruthless as the Russian army.
As a result, Russia will be an irresistible power not just in sheer numbers and brute strength, but a psychological power filling all who would oppose it with dread.
“After many days you will be visited. In the latter years you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate; they were brought out of the nations, and now all of them dwell safely.” Ezekiel 38:8.
This verse answers the question, whom are they are going to invade, with the statement, “…the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel”. So, we can say confidently that the Russians are going to invade Israel.
We are also told that this invasion was not to happen soon after the prophecy was written, rather, “After many days you will be visited. In the latter years…”
The sign of the return of the Jews to the land of Israel and the sign which indicates the beginning of birth pains leading to the tribulation, namely World War I and World War II, have occurred. We are in the latter years.
“You will ascend, coming like a storm, covering the land like a cloud, you and all your troops and many peoples with you.” Ezekiel 38:9.
Read this description carefully, “You will ascend, coming like a storm, covering the land like a cloud…” does it sound like aircraft?
You will ascend, take off; coming like a storm, like storm clouds building up on the horizon and moving closer; covering the land like a cloud, perhaps thousands of troop carrier aircraft overhead blot out the sun and drop troops and armament into the landing zone.
And some will be on the ground, covering it like ants, “…all your troops and many peoples with you”, troops, and horsemen, Iranians, Ethiopians, Libyans, with perhaps thousands or millions of volunteers, lusting to rape, murder and plunder.
“As it is written: ‘There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all gone out of the way; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one. Their throat is an open tomb; with their tongues they have practiced deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips; whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; destruction and misery are in their ways; and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.’” Romans 3:10-18.
“But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. ‘There is no peace,’ says my God, ‘for the wicked’.” Isaiah 57:20-21.
Flash: Russia Invades Israel! taken from godisrevealed.com updated on 10-5-15, reposted on 12-4-23.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version, copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission, all rights reserved.