Vladimir Putin:
The Rise of Gog
and the
Prophecy of Ezekiel 38-39
Vladimir Putin, Russia
Dr. Jeff Crawford, The Good, The Band & The Ugly
March 10, 2014
We may be seeing a biblical prophecy fulfilled in front of our eyes. Ezekiel 38-39 foretells the coming invasion of Israel from a northern land known as Magog. The ruler of Magog is said to be Gog, a name that most biblical scholars identify as a title rather than a proper name itself.
The prophecy of Ezekiel 38-39 is fascinating because it is so specific in the way it names a coalition of nations that will come up against Israel. The prophecy foretells this axis of evil that invades Israel will be miraculously destroyed by the hand of God and that Gog, himself, will be killed. What is remarkable about Gog’s defeat is that the Bible declares he will be buried in Israel and not in his homeland. This will be a sure sign as to the literal fulfillment of this prophecy.
It is no secret that Israel has her share of enemies. The focus tends to always be on the Palestinian conflict and tensions with Israel’s immediate neighbors. But the Ezekiel 38-39 prophecy points directly to an invasion led by Russia. What clues in the prophecy point to modern day Russia as the biblical land of Magog?
- Magog is referred to as the land in the north. If you draw a line from Jerusalem all the way to the North Pole, that line will pass through…Moscow.
- Gog is referred to as the prince of Meshech and Tubal.
- Meschech refers to the ancient peoples who live along the Black and Caspien Seas, the Moschi, or the Moschovites. This is the word from which Moscow is derived.
- Tubal is a derivative of the modern word Tobolsk. Tobolsk is the former capital of Russia and one of its most famous cities.
It is chillingly clear that the ancient land of Magog is modern day Russia. More startling are Russia’s allies as named by Scripture. A quick survey of Ezekiel 38:5-6 and the reader will note:
- Persia – modern day Iran. It is no secret the role Russia has and is playing in Iran’s nuclear program. Iran is located to the east of Israel.
- Cush – modern day Ethiopia. A north African nation located to the south of Israel.
- Put – modern day Lybia. Another north African nation and one that has become completely hostile to the West in recent days.
- Gomer – while a modern day equivalent here is difficult, biblical scholars agree that the people of Gomer were the Cimmerians, who lived around the Black Sea and were expelled to what is modern day Turkey. So Gomer could be Turkey. However, the ancient Cimmerians lived in what is now known as…Ukraine. We should take particular notice of this as Ukraine has sprung onto the world scene as Russia is on the doorstep of invasion of this sovereign nation. Could Gomer be Ukraine?
- Beth-togarmah – this too is not certain but some scholars have suggested Germany as the modern day equivalent of this ancient land.
- The uttermost parts of the north – when one looks at a map of the nations north of Israel they will certainly see Syria, among others. Once again, the role of Russia in Syria is unavoidable.
The point is clear. Russia, the ancient land of Magog, is on the move. The headlines declare it so. The pieces of its coalition are quickly falling into place. And it is this collection of nations, led by the great bear of the north, that will at some point make a move against Israel.
Is Vladimir Putin the biblical leader, Gog? Only time will tell. But consider…
- Putin is emboldened. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War, Russia has been kept in-check by the United States. Putin no longer feels “in check.” In fact, he is playing his own game of chess and doing his best to put the United States in “check.”
- Just two weeks ago, Russia signed an arms agreement with Egypt, Israel’s southern most neighbor. Egypt now gets it military arms from Russia and not the United States.
- The world watched as President Obama, walked back from his red-line in Syria over the use of chemical weapons. Putin was paying close attention as well.
- The world watched as our ambassador and his team was slaughtered in Libya. To this day our government has done nothing by way of response. This too has been noted by Putin.
- The world has watched as the United States has been fixated on domestic issues such as the economy, same-sex marriage, immigration, climate change regulations, the minimum wage, etc. and in turn has treated international matters as less important.
- The world has watched as the United States has proposed defense cuts and troop reductions to pre-WWII levels.
So while the United States is gearing down, self-focused, and too timid to respond to international matters, Putin has decided to make his move.
Watch Russia. Watch Putin. Watch the response of the United States, or lack thereof. And watch as biblical prophecy unfolds in tomorrow’s headlines.
