Russia in Biblical Prophecy
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"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)
Russia has taken center stage in geo-politics. For over a month, the leader of Russia, Vladimir Putin, has violently attacked the nation of Ukraine. We have all seen the horrific images on the news. I listened to the message Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered to the United States Congress last week. Part of his message included showing a series of images of the war-torn nation of Ukraine. It was a painful yet poignant moment. The world is watching to see what the rest of the world will do as Ukraine struggles to defend itself.
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In Ezekiel 38-39, we read of a coming war against Israel by a powerful nation in the north and her allies. Ezekiel lists the nations, and though some of the names have changed, the land has not.
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Rosh, for example, is Russia, and Magog is central Asia. Tubal is modern-day Turkey, Persia is Iran, and Cush is Sudan. Other nations Ezekiel lists have kept their names to this day, like Ethiopia and Libya.
C.H. Dyer, in his commentary on Ezekiel in The Bible Knowledge Commentary, states:
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However, while one must avoid dogmatic assertions, three reasons suggest including the Soviet Union within Ezekiel's prophecy: (1) Some of the countries named by Ezekiel were located in what is now Russia. (2) The armies are said to come "from the far north" (Ezek. 38:6, 15; 39:2). This probably includes the land bridge between the Black and Caspian Seas, now part of the Soviet Union. (3) Ezekiel spoke of a coalition of several nations, many of whom are today aligned with or under the influence of the Soviet Union. These include Iran ("Persia"), Sudan and northern Ethiopia ("Cush"), Libya ("Put"), and Turkey ("Meshech," "Tubal," "Gomer," and "Beth Togarmah"). All these nations (see 38:2–3, 5–6), possibly led by the Soviet Union, will unite to attack Israel.
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This war against Israel has not happened yet. Ezekiel 38:8 states, "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." Even though Russia and these allies mentioned by Ezekiel will amass a mighty army, God will defend Israel and defeat her enemies. Ezekiel 38:22-23 state, "And I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed; I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. Thus I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the Lord."
When will this war happen? I believe it is still in the future, albeit it may be a near future! This war against Israel by Russia and her allied nations will happen either just prior to the Great Tribulation or perhaps during the Tribulation. Let us continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6) and even more for the salvation of the Jewish people (Romans 10:1), that they would recognize that Jesus is the Promised Messiah who has come and will come again.
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The Beatitudes, Pt. 15
Pastor Danny continues his series about the Beatitudes of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount, recorded in Matthew 5-7. In this episode, he examines Matthew 5:10-12: "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake..."
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