The strange and significant events happening now in Russia, 1998, could well be the fulfilment of Biblical
prophecy, as found in Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39. This amazing prophecy indicates a battle will be fought in the
Holy Land, either just before the Rapture, or soon after it, with Russia and Israel taking the major positions.
Russia today is in turmoil, almost bankrupt, with new frightening leaders taking their places in history.

There are conflicting remarks being bandied around on the Ezekiel prophecy about Gog Magog, our readers
will do well to study Scripture for themselves in order to grasp what the Bible actually does say about Russia.
May God help us to help you in this matter.

HOW DO WE KNOW THAT THE BIBLICAL PROPHECY IS ABOUT RUSSIA ANYWAY?

Read the two chapters carefully. The Ezekiel passages describe an invasion into Palestine by a certain wicked
nation, it is north of Israel and the battle takes place in the latter days. It gives the identity of the invaders, they
are called the land of "Magog."

Why is Magog considered to be Russia by Biblical scholars? The proofs of this are historical, geographical and
linguistic. The proofs show quite clearly that the Ezekiel verses refer to the Communistically inclined Russian
Bear. Let us look firstly at these proofs. Wilmingtons' Guide to the Bible, Scofield's Bible Notes and Larkin's
teachings are references:

HISTORICAL PROOF:
Josephus, the first century AD historian, who was Jewish, assures us that the descendants of Magog (he was
Japheth's son and Noah's grandson) was an immigrant to an area NORTH of Palestine. Before Josephus, the
Greek historian Herodotus, in the fifth century BC, wrote that Meshech's descendants settled NORTH of
Palestine (Gen.10:2).

GEOGRAPHICAL PROOF:
Ezekiel gives us the details of where this wicked nation is situated. In three passages it is made clear by God -
38:6, 38:15; and 39:2. The invading army is said to come from "uttermost part of the north", this is how, scholars
tell us, the original Hebrew text renders it. We only have to examine a world map to know that no other nation but
Russia could fulfil the prophecy about Magog.

LINGUISTIC PROOF:
Language soon indicates who this invading army will be. In Ezekiel 38 we see "the prince of Rosh." "Rosh" is
the root of the modern day "Russia." Gesenius the famous lexicographer, gives assurance that "Rosh" is an
early form of the word which is now "Russia." The word "Mesheck" is used in Ezekiel, which is similar to the
modern day name "Moscow', and "Tubal" is mentioned as well, which is one of the Asiatic provinces of Russia,
now called "Tobolsk." Ancient words have often come down to us with the consonants reImagesing the same, and
the vowels are changed - i.e. "o" in Rosh becomes a "u" in Russia, with a suffix added.

So, the three proofs - historical, geographical and linguistic all agree that Ezekiel 38,39 indicates the wicked
nation is RUSSIA!

WHY WILL RUSSIA INVADE PALESTINE?
The reasons are given to us by God. Russia wants to get the riches of the Holy Land (Ezek.38:11,12). There are
vast mineral deposits in the Dead Sea, a treasure chest, and the oil in the Middle East is a huge drawcard.
Russia is very poor in our day, could she be about to fulfil prophecy by trying to take away the riches of the Holy
Land? Great gain is to be had by controlling the Middle East. THE BRIDGE OF THE MIDDLE EAST  leads to
three continents. Those who would seek to control these continents, must first control this bridge-area. Europe,
Asia and Africa are those continents, of course.

Another reason is given in Scripture, Russia will want to invade Palestine because that country will want to
challenge the authority of the Antichrist system, the New World Order (Daniel 11:40). The Antichrist is not yet
revealed, but his power is already stretching across the globe.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN?
The Bible gives definite indications, but the details will only become crystal clear as the events occur. This is a
possible scenario, based on various commentators:

1. Egypt attacks Palestine from the south (Dan.11:a); 2. Russia then invades Israel from the north by land and
sea (Dan.11:b); 3. Russia is not satisfied with Israel, but goes southward and occupies its own ally's territory,
Russia double-crosses Egypt. (Dan.11:42,43). 4. Russia hears disturbing news in Egypt, this news comes from
the East and North. So Russia returns to Palestine.  The Bible does not tell us what that news is per se,
although there are educated theories on the subject. One is that news reaches them that the Antichrist system is
making a counter attack, under the western leader who will be the Antichrist.

WHAT HAPPENS TO RUSSIA?
The defeat that happens is nearly the end of Magog, for the victory over them is appalling! The events that lead
to this defeat are all caused by the Lord God Almighty:

1. There is a great earthquake (Ezek.38:19,20); 2. The Russian troops turn against the leaders (38:21); 3.
There is terrible illness through a plague amongst the Russian troops (38;22). 4. There are floods, a mighty
hailstorm, fire and even brimstone (38:22; 39:6).

COULD ALL THIS BE HAPPENING AT THE END OF THE TRIBULATION?
No, for this is not Armageddon. Armageddon happens in the plain of Megiddo, and the battle of Magog occurs
on the mountains of Israel (Ezek.39:2 compare Revelation 16:14; 19:17). Armageddon is west of Jordan in the
plain of Jezreel.

WHAT ARE RESULTS OF ALL THIS?
1. 83% or five-sixths of the Russian troops are killed (Ezek.39:2).

2. The first awesome "feast" of a wrathful God occurs (Ezek.39:4,17,18,19,20). Let the reader take note, for we
Christians serve a Holy God, and He is to be worshipped. Another hideous feast will take place at the end of
the Tribulation period, at the battle of Armageddon (Rev 19:17; Matt.24:28). There will be ravenous birds which
will eat the flesh of dead men in both the Magog war and the war of Armageddon!

3. It will take seven months to bury the dead (Ezek.39:11-15). It may well be that the whole population of Israel
will take part in burying the bodies of the slain (Ezek.39:13). Travellers who are passing through the area where
the skeletons or corpses are lying will have to, by law, put up a sign to indicate where these are (v.15). The
place will be called "Hamon-Gog" or Gog's multitude, to remind people of God's destruction of them (v.11).

4. And it will take seven years to get rid of the weapons of war. These will be weapons that will burn, most likely
being the advanced guns which are not metal, but a combustible substance. These are now in use in our world.
Walvoord tells us: "A reference is made to bows and arrows, to shields and chariots, and to swords. These, of
course, are antiquated weapons from the stand point of modern warfare. The large use of horses is
understandable, as Russia today uses horses a great deal in connection with their army. But why should they
use armour, spears, bows and arrows? ...Ezekiel is using language with which he is familiar - the weapons that
were common in his day - to anticipate modern weapons...." (This could well be!)

WILL THERE BE OTHER COUNTRIES WHO WILL JOIN RUSSIA IN THIS BATTLE?
There will be a number of countries who will join with Russia. The Bible lists five of them. This seems to be the
consensus on who these will be: 1. Persia - modern Iran; 2. Ethiopia - the black African nations (South Africa);
3. Libya - the Arabic African nations (North Africa); 4. Gomer - East Germany; 5. Togarmah - southern Russia,
the Cossacks possibly, or Turkey.

WHAT ABOUT THE "HOOKS" IN RUSSIA'S "JAWS"?
God says in Ezekiel 38:3,4: "Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of
Meshech and Tubal: And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine
army..."

To lead up to the battle in the Middle East on the mountains of Israel, God will take Russia to her destiny by
forcing her like an animal to go to Palestine! He will "put hooks into thy jaws."

What is this exactly?
Easton's Dictionary tells us this: "HOOKS:
1. Heb. hah, a "ring" inserted in the nostrils of animals to which a cord was fastened for the purpose of
restraining them (2 Kings 19:28; Isa. 37:28, 29; Ezek. 29:4; 38:4). "The Orientals make use of this contrivance
for curbing their work-beasts...When a beast becomes unruly they  have only to draw the cord on one side,
which, by stopping his breath, punishes him so effectually that after a few repetitions he fails not to become
quite tractable whenever he begins to feel it" (Michaelis). So God's agents are never beyond his control." A
"hook" in the JAWS of Russia!

WILL GOG AND MAGOG EVER BE SEEN AGAIN?
Yes, for the Bible shows Gog and Magog in Rev.20:7-8. After a thousand years of Christ Jesus' reign Satan will
be loosed from his prison in the bottomless pit (Rev.20:1,2), and will vent his wrath on the nations of the earth.
Here we see the complete doom of Gog and Magog.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN "GOG" AND "MAGOG"?
GOG is the leader and MAGOG is the nation. Here is a little information from Easton's Dictionary.

"GOG: 1.A Reubenite (1 Chr. 5:4), the father of Shimei. 2. The name of the leader of the hostile party described
in Ezek. 38,39, as coming from the "north country" and assailing the people of Israel to their own destruction."

"MAGOG: Region of Gog, the second of the "sons" of Japheth (Gen. 10:2; 1 Chr. 1:5). In Ezekiel (38:2; 39:6) it
is the name of a nation..."

WHEN AND WHY WILL THIS BATTLE HAPPEN?
There are a variety of views of when the Gog and Magog battle will happen, some excellent commentators view
the battle as happening in the middle of the "week" of seven years (the Tribulation). Israel will be dwelling in
relative peace (Ezek.38:8), the Antichrist will have confirmed a peace covenant with Israel, see Daniel 9:27.
Then the covenant will be broken, and the obscenity of war will engulf the Holy Land again. It seems from Daniel
11:41 that the invasion from the North could be an event in the breaking of that covenant.

Others see the confirming of the covenant happening AFTER the Magog battle, because of the devastation
caused by the Magog war in Israel.

We must bear in mind that the seven years of getting rid of weapons in the Holy Land could correspond with the
seven years of the Tribulation. It hardly seems likely that the weaponry-being-burned episode could extend into
the Millennial Reign of Christ, which would be the case if the battle happened too far into the Tribulation's seven
years.

Rev. Bill Thitchener tells us in "Ezekiel's Endtime Evidence" (p.5), on the subject of the burning of weapons:
"It has been reported that advanced nations today are researching the use of compressed wood instead of
steel in the manufacture of weapons. It is said that this has become necessary due to the world's dwindling
supply of mineral resources and has become advisable due to the greatly reduced weight of weapons
manufactured from compressed wood as opposed to steel. Here (v.9) we discover the discarded weapons will
supply city-dwellers with sufficient fuel for their domestic needs for seven years, dispensing with the necessity of
laboriously winning timber from fields or forests (v.10)."
 

No matter when exactly the Gog and Magog battle happens, we know that all indications in the world today point
to the fact that RUSSIA may soon be forced into a battle in the Middle East, by God Almighty.

How close, then, is the Rapture of the Church?

These strange plagues and the intervention of the Lord at the time of the Magog war are seen by some to show
GOD, the LORD of Israel, taking up Israel again, as He did in Egypt, where plagues occurred to defeat their
enemies.

God will NOT take up Israel again in a religious sense until AFTER the Rapture! when the Church Age is
closed. The Church Age will close at the Rapture itself.

Could Russia's odd rumblings in 1998 point prophetically, then, to an imminent Rapture?

W. B. Howard ...Editor of Despatch

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