The Russian-Islamic Invasion Of Israel

by Phillip Goodman

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Will this be the next event of Bible prophecy?

Will it occur before the Rapture? What is the evidence that the invasion is led by Russia? A 2600-year-old prophecy on the brink of being fulfilled!

Here are the facts.

Ezekiel 38-39 foretells of the in-vasion of Israel by a massive coalition of Russian-Islamic forces in the last days. Gog, of the land of Magog (Russia), will convene an overwhelming army of Muslim nations, with Iran at the helm. They will launch their assault from the “far north.” That means that Russian must have a route south through Georgia, Turkey and Syria.

Recent Headlines

Russia has gained a foothold in Georgia. Russia has gained a port-hold in Syria. Russia is on the move! And they are moving from NORTH to SOUTH, laying a path for the invasion route and setting the stage to fulfill Ezekiel’s prophecy.

`Thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. “And I will turn you about, and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army…Persia [Iran] with them… you will be summoned; in the latter years you will come into the land that is restored from the sword, whose inhabitants have been gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel…you will go up, you will come like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering the land, you and all your troops, and many peoples with you… you will come from your place out of the remote parts of the north… and you will come up against My people Israel…It will come about in the last days that I shall bring you against My land…And it will come about on that day, when Gog comes against the land of Israel,” declares the Lord GOD, “that My fury will mount up in My anger. “‘Ezekiel 38:2-18

Ours is the first generation ever in prime position to see the prophecy of “Gog of the land of Magog” launch forth from the pages of the Bible and from the “northern-most” regions of the earth.

The GOG-MAGOG Prophecy of Ezekiel 38

THE KEY TO THE IDENTITY OF RUSSIA

Ezekiel 38:1-3 lists the ancestral root-names of the lead nation that will invade Israel in the Last Days:

And the word of the LORD came to me saying, “Son of man, set your face toward 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, prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. Ezekiel 38:1-3

Gog is the official title of the leader, who is from the “land of Magog.” Though the names “Rosh,” “Meshech” and “Tubal” give clues to the identity of the lead nation, it is the phrase “land of Magog” that points us on a modern map to Russia.

1. The first century Jewish historian, Josephus, wrote that Magog (Noah’s grandson through Japheth) was the forefather of the Scythians.

2. The Scythians settled in Russia in the lands surrounding the Black and Caspian Seas and constituted one of the tribal ancestors of today’s Russians.

3. Therefore, one can accurately read Ezekiel 38:2 as “Gog of the land of Magog, which is the land of Scythia, which is the land of Russia.”

Josephus (37 – sometime after 100) was a first century Jewish historian and apologist of priestly and royal ancestry who survived and recorded the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. His works give an important insight into first-century Judaism. Josephus’s two most important works are The Jewish War (c. 75) and Antiquities of the Jews (c. 94). The Jewish War recounts the Jewish revolt against Rome (66-70). Antiquities of the Jews recounts the history of the world from a Jewish perspective. These works provide valuable insight into the background of first cen-tury Judaism and early Christianity. Wikipedia

[The Scythians] remained lords of the Russian steppe from the seventh to the third century B.C. Rene Grousset, ―The Empire Of The Steppes,‖ Rutgers University Press, 1970, page 7

Modern Russians sometimes call themselves Scythians… No doubt some of the old Scythian stock was absorbed… John Lawrence, A History of Russia, 7th ed., New York, Meridian-Penguin Group, 1993, pp. 18-28.

Russia and the Rise of the Tribulation (Third) Temple

As a sign of the coming Tribulation, the Jewish Temple will be rebuilt. A possible (and I emphasize “possible”) scenario based on the Biblical information

1. A half century of strife and violence between Israel and Arabic nations drives the international community to demand a peaceful solution to the Mid East problem.

2. An internationally-brokered peace agreement gives Israel a false sense of security. This blanket of false peace would be even more decep-tive if Russia was the lead nation standing behind the treaty.

3. Russia then leads a massive coalition of Islamic forces to invade Israel in the wake of the “peace” agreement.

4. In defense of Israel, God miraculously destroys the Russian-Islamic forces. That Israel‟s God has intervened on her behalf is clear to all!

5. The reaction across the world includes both true and false professions of faith from gentiles and Jews, and a recognition from the nations that Israel‟s God has acted.

6. Ezekiel 38:23 says that unbelievers will “know that [God] is the Lord.” How can this be? In anticipation of His judgment of the Egyptians at the Red Sea, God says in Exodus 14:18 “Then the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” When the Red Sea began to close in on them, verse 25 says “the Egyptians said, „Let us flee from Israel, for the Lord is fighting for them against the Egyptians.‟” It is with this same “knowledge” of the Lord through His fearful judgment of the Russian forces that the Antichrist musters the world‟s support and demands that peace be made for Israel and that her Temple be rebuilt on its original site. Furthermore, the divine overthrow of the Muslim nations because of their part in the invasion renders them impotent regarding any opposition to the rebuilding of the Temple on the site now occupied by the Dome of the Rock.

7. The Antichrist then rises to his moment of destiny and proclaims the divine right of the Jews to rebuild the Temple. He acknowledges God‟s intervention on behalf of Israel. He then strikes a 7-year “peace” covenant and orders the rebuilding of the Temple in satanic unbelief!

Come From Your Place out of the Uttermost North

If our first clue pins the label “land of Magog” on Russia (see page 2), then the second one nails it. In Biblical geography, Jerusalem is directionally at the center of the nations.

1. All nations radiate outward from Jerusalem in their various directions like spokes on a wheel. The land of Magog is said to be situated to the remote parts (uttermost parts) of the North.

2. Russia is caught squarely on the needle of the com-pass here—the hard facts of the global grid locate Moscow directly to the far north of Jerusalem. Add to this the fact that the rise of the Russian state to super-power status has paralleled the birth of the State of Israel and we have what appears to be conclusive evidence that Russia is the perpetrator of Ezekiel’s vision of the latter-day invasion of Israel.

*1. Eze. 5:5; 38:12; Luke 24:47 2. Eze. 38:15 *

The Russian Invasion Path: SOUTH!

(excerpted from the Prophecy Watch Alert, 8-08) By Phillip Goodman

“And you will come from your place out of the re-mote parts of the north, you and many peoples with you… Ezekiel 38:15

The Scripture foretells Russia and her allies coming out of the “remote parts of the north” on its invasion path into Israel. Ezekiel calls Israel “the people… who live at the center of the world.” (Eze. 38:12)

Therefore, in biblical terms the “north” is directly north of Israel. And to the “remote parts of the north” from Israel is none other than Russia. Russia has already acquired two ports in Syria, the country immediately north of Israel. Syria is a Muslim nation. So is Turkey, which is the next country just north of Syria. So far Turkey has semi-friendly relations with Israel. But the only other country between Syria-Turkey and Russia is Georgia. If Russia persist in its invasion of Georgia, and is successful in commanding Georgian territory, then the path south into Israel is two-thirds secured. And of course, Iran [Persia] is in the mix, with its avowed mission to “wipe Israel off the map. “ Recent news releases say that “Russia’s strategic goals include increasing control of energy pipelines to Turkey.” With a Russian path carved through Georgia, Turkey and Syria, the next stop is Israel! Keep your eyes on Jesus. He’s coming soon!

“And you will come from your place… out of the remote parts of the north…” Ezekiel 38:15

… I will go against those… who live at the center of the world.’ Ezekiel 38:11-12

*”… in the latter years you will come into the land that is restored from the sword, whose inhabitants have been gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel which had been a continual waste; but its people were brought out from the nations, and they are living securely, all of them. Ezekiel 38:8 *

Who Are The Other Nations? (gleaned from Mark Hitchcock’s classic work, based on his doctoral dissertation, called After The Empire)

Rosh— The ancient Sarmatians, who were known as Rashu, Rasapu, Ros, and Rus, are the people Eze-kiel called Rosh in Ezekiel 38:2. The Sarmatians origi-nally inhabited the land around the Caspian Sea, which is territory inhabited by eight of the former So-viet republics— Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Ka-zakhstan, Kirghizia, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan …six of these former republics are Muslim nations.1

Meshech and Tubal— at every point in the history of Meshech and Tubal, these two nations occupied terri-tory in the modern nation of Turkey. To ascribe any other location to them is totally inconsistent with the clear facts of ancient history.2

Gomer— Josephus [the ancient Jewish historian, see page 2] identified the people of Galatia with Gomer. He says that the people the Greeks called the Gala-tians were the Gomerites. The Galatians, of course, lived in an area that today is in the west-central part of Turkey.3

Beth-togarmah— always associated with a city or district within the boundaries of the modern nation of Turkey.4

Persia— the modern nation of Iran is ancient Persia. The name Persia, which was writ-ten all over the pages of ancient history, was changed to Iran in foreign usage in March 1935.5

SUMMARY

Therefore, according to the thirty-eighth chapter of Ezekiel, the Iranians will join forces with Turkey, the former southern Soviet republics, and Russia to attack Israel in the last days.6 *1. After The Empire, Mark Hitchcock, 1994, Tyndale House, p. 37. 2. Ibid, p. 59. 3. Ibid, p. 62. 4. Ibid, p. 64. 5. Ibid, p. 72. 6. Ibid, p. 72. *

The Prophet Ezekiel, whose name means “God strengthens,” was a captive in Babylon when he received the prophecy of Gog & Magog over 2500 years ago

―…and I shall turn you around, drive you on, take you up from the remotest parts of the north…You shall fall on the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops, and the peoples who are with you…‖ Ezekiel 39:2-4

The Russian-Islamic Attack Will Come When Israel Is Living “Securely”

Thus says the Lord GOD, “On that day when My people Israel are living securely… you will come from your place out of the remote parts of the north…” Ezekiel 38:14-15

It is difficult to imagine Israel “living securely” today. But if Russia played a major role in a Mid East Peace Treaty, then such a scenario becomes plausible, and would surely set the stage for what is foretold to come next,

‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “It will come about on that day, that thoughts will come into your mind, and you will de-vise an evil plan, and you will say, ‘I will go up against the land of unwalled villages. I will go against those who are at rest, that live securely…’” Ezekiel 38:10-11

Gog & Magog—THE TIMING ISSUE

W hen will the Gog-Magog (Russian-Islamic) invasion of Israel occur? Will it occur at the end of the Millennium, or at the start? If neither of these is an option, will it occur at the end of the Tribulation (Armageddon), in the middle, or at the start?— or sometime before the Tribulation? Using the Biblical information, and by the process of elimination, we have our answer. And it speaks loudly to this generation— the stage is being set and the LORD IS NEAR!

AT END OF MILLENNIUM? No, because the Magog invasion causes the Jews to awaken spiritually. “And My holy name I shall make known in the midst of My peo-ple Israel…(Ezekiel 39:7) Yet, for the 1000 years of the Millennium the Jews are in fact wide-awake spiritually. “And they shall not teach again… ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them …as the waters cover the sea.” (Jeremiah 31:34; Isaiah 11:9)

AT START OF MILLENNIUM? No, because the Magog invasion is an attack by unbelievers and warring na-tions “… and I will bring you out, and all your army, … all of them wielding swords… with all its troops… “ (Ezekiel 38:4-6) Yet no unbelievers are permitted to enter the Millennial Kingdom, for “…unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3), nor is war an option, for “Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they train for war…” (Micah 4:3; The “Gog-Magog” event of Revelation chapter 20 is not a war— God instantly judges the malevolent nations and prevents a war)

AT END OF TRIBULATION? No, because the Magog invasion occurs when Israel is at peace. “After many days you will…come into…Israel…they are living securely…” (Ezekiel 38:8) Yet during the Tribulation Israel is the direct target of history’s worst nightmare, teetering on the edge of genocidal extinction at Armageddon, for *“Alas!…that day is great, There is none like it; And it is the time of Jacob’s (Jewish) distress, But he will be saved from it.” (Jeremiah 30:7) *

AT MIDDLE OF TRIBULATION? No, because the Magog invasion is the record of an unsuccessful invasion into the Holy Land, for we read that “all the nations will see My judgment which I have executed, and My hand which I have laid on them.” (Ezekiel 39:21) Yet in the middle of the Tribulation Scripture records a successful invasion into the Holy Land— even into the heart of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem— by the Antichrist, when the Jews are forced to flee, for from the mouth of our Lord we hear these words, “Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION [the Anti-christ invading and profaning the Jerusalem Tem-ple] … then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains…” (Matthew 24:15-16)

AT BEGINNING OF TRIBULATION? Yes, because the Magog invasion happens when Israel is “living se-curely.” (Ezekiel 38:8) And the only Biblicaly-recorded “security” for Israel during the last days is the false peace covenant given by the Antichrist. “And he will make a firm covenant [of peace] with the many [Jews] for one week [7 YRS]…“ (Daniel 9:27) This false covenant is broken by the Antichrist three-and-one-half years later. Incidentally, the Antichrist covenant starts God’s countdown for the final seven-years of this age (the Tribulation period), and the only other seven-year period in prophetic end-time history is mentioned in the Gog-Magog Invasion; “…Then those who inhabit the cities of Israel will go out… for seven years …” (Ezekiel 39:8-9) This fits well with the Daniel 9:27 Antichrist covenant with Israel (“living securely” when Gog attacks) followed by the seven year Tribulation period, making the seven years recorded in Daniel 9:27 and in Ezekiel 39:9 one and the same.

The Invasion—Before or After the Covenant?

There is good Biblical support, then, that the Russian-Islamic invasion of Israel will come immediately after the Antichrist confirms his covenant with the Jews. But could it come before that covenant? The answer to this question is important. If the invasion is concurrent with— even immediately after— the 7-year Covenant, then it will occur after the Rapture of the Church and Christians living now will be gone, and will not see the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38-39. But if the invasion occurs before the Covenant, then an earlier peace treaty, followed by the Russian invasion, could precede the Rapture and could come at any time. There is strong evidence that the Russian invasion of Israel occurs before the 7-year peace Covenant. For more on this, get my booklet entitled The Russian-Islamic Invasion Of Israel—Next? Call 918-748-1800

Why Gog and Magog? There are way too many kings!

Why will God, in Ezekiel 38-39, say to “Gog of the land of Magog… I will turn you about, and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army…After many days you will be summoned… to the mountains of Israel …” (Ezekiel 38:2-8) ? The answer is given in verse 3, where the Lord declares *”Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal.” *

God has always been against the enemies of Israel. Romans 9:4-5 gives us the reason:

“[the] Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed for-ever. Amen.” The chief enemy of Israel is Satan. Since the dawn of time Satan has wanted to be king of creation. “…I will raise my throne above the stars of God,” he said, and “I will make myself like the Most High.” (Isaiah 14:13-14)

But God had another plan, and another King! The Lord declares in advance, “But as for Me, I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain.” (Psalm 2:6) Meanwhile, down through the ages, Satan has continued to raise up kings upon the earth to stamp our the Jews, through whom salvation in Christ was preordained. (John 4:22) And, from the time of the Russian-Islamic invasion of Israel to Armageddon (about 7 years later), “The kings of the earth take their stand, And the rulers take counsel together Against the LORD and against His Anointed.” (Psalms 2:2)

The history of the earth, then, is the history of way too many kings. But beginning with the Russian-Islamic attack on the Jews, that will come to an end! The last satanic king, the Antichrist, will arise to fill the vacuum left by the divine destruction of the forces of Magog, only to be destroyed himself by the only King “whose right it is.” (Ezekiel 21:27)

And the LORD will be king over all the earth; in that day the LORD will be the only one, and His name the only one. (Zechariah 14:9)

Then, another purpose for the Russian-Islamic attack on the Holy Land will be realized.

*”And My holy name I shall make known in the midst of My people Israel; and I shall not let My holy name be profaned anymore. And the nations will know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel…from that day onward.” (Ezekiel 39:7, 22) *

Then the only King, Jesus, will raise up rulers from His body, the Church, to *“reign upon the earth” with Him. (Revelation 5:10) “..and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into [the New Jerusalem].” (Revelation 21:24) *

A PROPHECY-TIMELINE Will the Russian-Islamic (Magog) Invasion of Israel come before— or after — the Rapture. We do not know. But regardless, the stage is being set, and Christians can see the pieces of the Ezekiel 38-39 puzzle being assembled right before our eyes in today’s headlines!