Much has been written about a future invasion and battle in the land of Israel described in Ez 38/39. I have studied this Biblical account for several years and have prayed for understanding and insight regarding the truth about the peoples and nations involved. In this blog, I express what I believe God has shown me. Although that which I write herein rubs against what is commonly taught on the subject, I give it to you so you may study it out for yourself and take it to God to confirm it.
The main actors in Ez 38/39 are commonly taught as being Russia, Iran, Turkey, Libya and Sudan (a large Islamic nation which is part of ancient Ethiopia. Ethiopia once included what is now Ethiopia, Somalia and much of Sudan). Most who teach this have set their minds to believe that the word translated as "Rosh" in Ez 38:2 is Russia. Without getting into great detail, I will say simply that I have read scholarly articles and books in regard to the translation of the word Rosh which appears in English translations of Ez38:2 adjacent to the Hebrew word "נְשִׂ֕יא" (pronounced "nshia") which is typically translated as "prince". I have come to the conclusion, based on the scholarly works which are quite well researched, that "prince of Rosh" is an incorrect interpretation in Ez 38:2. Rather, the word Rosh is grammatically structured in the Hebrew in Ez 38:2 to be a modifier to the word translated as "prince", such that these words should be translated together to indicate that Gog is the "chief prince" of Meshech and Tubal, not that Gog is the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal. Gog is not the leader of Russia. Magog is not Russia.
So, let us continue by accepting this conclusion based on the assumption that Gog is the chief prince, the main influencer, of Meshech and Tubal. I believe that although Ez 38/39 does not describe Russia as Magog, I believe that Russia is described in the Bible elsewhere as a force which will come into play in this event, but not under the influence of "Gog". But more on that later regarding Russia's role and the scriptures which describe Russia.
So, who are Meshech and Tubal, who is Gog, and where is the land of Magog?
As seen in the map above, Meshech and Tubal are ancient people groups which were located in what is now modern Turkey. The same teachers (typically on TV and those writing books) that teach that Rosh is Russia also teach that Meshech is Moscow and that Tubal is Tbilisi. Both of those cities are in Russia. Most likely, they teach this because those names in English sound like Moscow and Tubal. Such teachers may also try to make the case that Meshech was in the area of Russia near Moscow. This people group, however, migrated to that region long after they were originally located in what is now Turkey, as shown on the map above. I will spare you additionally detail, but my research leads to a conclusion that the map above is correct regarding these people groups, and that Meshech and Tubal refer to the people groups who once lived in the area of modern Turkey. Therefore, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal in today's world appears to be Obama. It is he who gives the orders to the West, and to NATO to which Turkey belongs. Turkey is the home and financial supply ground of ISIS.
Regarding Gog of the land of Magog (Ez 38:2), my conclusion is that Gog is the wicked spiritual force behind the coming anti-Christ, who will be an actual or spiritual "Assyrian" (i.e., likely, to be a follower of Islam). To illustrate the location of Meshech, Tubal and Magog, please refer to the map above which shows these ancient designations being being located in modern Turkey. These conclusions are detailed in my 3-part blog on the coming Assyrian anti-Christ. Please refer to these three blogs to gain full insight and analysis, based strictly on scripture, regarding why the coming anti-Christ will be "Assyrian", and what his attributes, intentions and activities will be. This blog also describes how the book of Amos discloses that Gog shall lead an army of invaders from the east against Israel, which are described as locusts (Muslims, for reasons given in the blog) which have as their leader King Gog. Is not the leader of the West the "chief prince", or leader, of ISIS? (To understand the intent of ISIS, which is to bring about WW III, please visit a Dec. 3, 2015 article which explains this thought.)
Most everyone agrees that the Persia, Cush (Sudan) and Put (Libya) described in Ez 38:5 refer to modern Iran, Sudan and Libya, which are all Muslim countries. Turkey also is a Muslim country. Russia is not a Muslim country, except for the southern Muslim provinces of Russia which include Chechnya. Thus, an Islamic leader would not hold much sway over Russia, but would indeed hold sway over Muslim countries such as Persia, Turkey, Sudan and Libya.
Let us visit Dan 11 to get more information on the Ez 38/39 invasion of the land of Israel.
In Daniel 11 God shows us through the writing of the prophet Daniel various individuals who will, in their own time in history, be a respective "King of the North" and "King of the South." Beginning in Dan 11:25-28, God shows us an end time "King of the North" (who I say is the coming Assyrian anti-Christ, as discussed in my 3-part blog referenced above) who will carry out various nefarious activities, including: (1) attacking the land of Israel and the "King of the South" (modern Egypt); (2) deceiving, defeating and then looting Egypt; and (3) returning later a second time to come against Egypt (Dan 11:29-30). He is stopped from invading Egypt a second time by ships from the west (Kittim - e.g., NATO, or its successor). Most likely, the first invasion of Egypt by the coming anti-Christ stuns and catches the west off guard, but the second attempted invasion of Egypt is thwarted by the west.
At the time of the end, the King of the North (the coming Assyrian anti-Christ) will be attacked by the King of the South (perhaps Egypt), but the King of the North will counter-attack and defeat the King of the South with the use of many ships, tanks and and soldiers (Dan 11:40-43) and carry away and firmly control various treasures of Egypt.
However, at that time, the King of the North will hear news of forces advancing to his rear from the north and to his flank from the east. This news will trouble him (Dan 11:44) He will go out to confront these forces, but will not prevail and will ultimately be destroyed at the time Jesus returns to defeat the armies surrounding Jerusalem who are about to destroy it. This will be the battle of Armageddon described in Rev 16:16 and Rev 19.
Those advancing forces from the north and east are coming to the land of Israel to stop the King of the North anti-Christ, since at that time, the headquarter of the King of the North anti-Christ will be located near Jerusalem. (Dan 11:45 ) China is obviously the force advancing from the east with its 200 million man army (Rev 9:16), and Russia is the force advancing from the north.
The motivation behind Russia and China coming to the region of Jerusalem is uncertain at this time, but the motivation may at least include a desire to stop and "put a lid" on the King of the North anti-Christ. The motivation will certainly be revealed to us in time. Do Russia and China also have a "bone to pick" with Israel? Perhaps they simply want to control the large natural gas fields off the coast of Gaza which may be coveted and then-controlled by the coming Assyrian anti-Christ, and to keep him from controlling the oil fields of the middle east? Time will tell.
So, where is the United States in all this?
I believe that at least by the time of the third confrontation between the King of the North Assyrian anti-Christ and the King of the South (although perhaps earlier), the United States has been relegated to being a non-world power through: (1) internal civil war; (2) a nuclear attack and/or invasion by Russia and China; (3) a catastrophic event (e.g., eruption of the large volcanic cauldron in Yellowstone Park in Wyoming, large earthquakes destroying California and/or the mid-west in the region of the New Madrid fault); or (4) a combination thereof. It seems clear that the United States, at the time of the Ez 38/39 battle, is not mentioned and must no longer be a world power. Thus, the anti-Christ will have little fear of invading Egypt, and Russia and China will have little fear of invading the land of Israel to confront the King of the North anti-Christ. (Read for yourself the prophecies of the destruction of an end times Babylon in Jer 50, Jer 51, Is 47, Rev 17/18, etc. These passages of scripture refer to a nation which is the spiritually daughter of the ancient Babylon of the Bible. A wicked nation which has turned from God and is destroyed. I believe the United States is this end times Babylon. It is not hard to see that, at present, the United States is being transformed into the end times Babylon which is doomed to destruction. See my blog on this subject, based on scripture.)
Turkey and Iran, at the time of the Ez 38/39 battle, are controlled and influenced by the Islamic Assyrian anti-Christ (Gog) from N. Iraq with his ISIS army (or whatever ISIS evolves into) to come against the land of Israel to destroy it. Incidentally, most of the atrocities being committed today by ISIS (e.g., beheadings and the horrific slaughter of civilians) started to occur in the region of N. Iraq, but are spreading throughout the middle east; the geographical location of wicked ancient Assyria (Magog) and its capital Nineveh. The motivation of these Muslim nations and people groups to invade and destroy Israel is simple -- hatred. They hate Israel and the God of Israel. They will be influenced and controlled by the satanically possessed (Rev 12) King of the North anti-Christ (i.e., Gog), who will skillfully use the religion of Islam to be his controlling mechanism to unite Turkey, Iran and the nations of Sudan and Libya to join in a Islamic coalition to invade and destroy Israel. This is the Ez 38/39 coalition. Egypt is not named as part of this coalition since by that time it will have been attacked and pillaged by the King of the North, as described in Dan 11.
Thus, in summary, we see that at the time of the battle of Ez 38/39 in the future: (1) Russia will be a player in the final battle of this age, the battle of Armageddon, although not described in Ez 38/39 as being lead by Gog, who is the coming Assyrian anti-Christ; (2) the battle of Armageddon of Rev 16:16 and Rev 19 is the same battle as the battle described in Ez 38/39, which coincides with the last actions of the King of the North anti-Christ described in Dan 11; and (3) at least by the time of the advance of the armies of Russia and China toward the land of Israel to confront the King of the North Islamic anti-Christ, the United States is out of the way and is no longer a world power capable of stopping the anti-Christ, Russia or China. (Incidentally, in late 2014 China overtook the United States as the world's largest economic power. Thus, America's downfall has begun.) After the United States becomes completely impotent as a world power, Russia will become the new military power of the world.
Time is short. Repent, and prepare your heart for God.
2015 - True Believer
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