Gog and Magog: Is Russia a Sign of the End?

 

An old but still popular view is that Gog and Magog in the Bible refers to Russia, and toward the end of time Russia and its allies will join forces to fight against the nation of Israel. And with all the wars going on, it’s no wonder that people are talking about Gog and Magog. Israel is at war with the Palestinians. Russia is at war with the Ukrainians. The United States is it war with Iran. All this conflict is drawing attention to the Middle East. Preachers and podcasters are speculating about the end of time, and they’re looking for prophecies in the Old Testament and clues from the book of Revelation. They think those prophecies predict what’s going on today in the Middle East, and that’s why we’re hearing the words Gog and Magog more than usual.

 

Most people, even many Bible readers, have never heard of these strange words. Who or what is “Gog and Magog,” and what does this Bible prophecy mean? This episode goes back to the book of Ezekiel where these words were first written and looks at what they mean in their biblical and historical context.

 

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• Scripture: Ezekiel 38-39; Daniel 8; Revelation 20:7-9

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• “Gog and Magog”

Transcript

Kerry Duke: Hi, I’m Kerry Duke, host of My God and My Neighbor podcast from Tennessee Bible College, where we see the Bible as not just another book, but the Book. Join us in a study of the inspired Word to strengthen your faith and to share what you’ve learned with others.      

 

Have you ever heard about Gog and Magog in the Bible? If you haven’t, then you’re probably wondering, who or what or where this is. But if you have, then most likely you’ve heard that it has something to do with the end of time. An old but still popular view is that Gog and Magog in the Bible refers to Russia, and toward the end of time Russia and its allies will join forces to fight against the nation of Israel. And with all the wars going on, it’s no wonder that people are talking about Gog and Magog. Israel is at war with the Palestinians. Russia is at war with the Ukrainians. The United States is it war with Iran. All this conflict is drawing attention to the Middle East. Preachers and podcasters are speculating about the end of time, and they’re looking for prophecies in the Old Testament and clues from the book of Revelation. They think those prophecies predict what’s going on today in the Middle East. And that’s why we’re hearing the words Gog and Magog more than usual.

Is this interpretation right? Is Russia the Gog and Magog in the Bible, and are all these wars a sign that the end of the world is near? This is one of those issues that combines two things people have deep feelings about: religion and politics. I’m not saying that’s always or necessarily a bad thing. I’m not saying it’s wrong for Christians to be passionate and patriotic. But I am saying that we need to be careful that our feelings don’t cloud our judgment when we read the Bible. It’s easy to read some verses in the Bible and get excited about them because we think there’s some kind of connection to what’s going on in our time.

 

So let’s look in the Bible and see what it says about Gog and Magog. I know some of you are busy or you may be driving, and you can’t get to your Bible right now. But if you can open your Bible, that will be very helpful, especially if you’ve never read much on this subject. But either  way I think you’ll see some things about this that will help you.

 

The Bible does talk about Gog and Magog engaging in war. There are two books that talk about this: the book of Ezekiel in the Old Testament and the book of Revelation in the New Testament. The first thing some of you see already is that both of those books are highly symbolic. Many passages in Ezekiel and Revelation are figurative. They are not meant to be taken literally. And yet, that’s what many people do. That’s one of the key things to remember about this subject.

 

Another thing to remember is that this view that Gog and Magog is Russia is part of a belief that most evangelicals and fundamentalists and Pentecostals believe strongly. It’s the idea that Jesus will come to be the king of Israel for 1000 years. That theory says before He comes, He will rapture Christians into heaven for seven years. The world will be full of chaos and darkness during that seven years which is called the period of great tribulation. An evil man will rise to become the ruler of a OneWorld government. Then Jesus will come back and put down the antichrist in a great war called the battle of Armageddon. Then there will be a perfect peace on the Earth for 1000 years as Jesus sits on the throne in Jerusalem raining as the king of Israel. The battle involving Gog and Magog will occur toward the end. We’ll talk about that more in a few minutes. What I want you to see right now is that this whole discussion about God and Magog, as well as all the talk about the rapture and the great tribulation and the antichrist and the thousand year reign, is really about one thing: the belief that the nation of Israel will be the greatest nation the world has ever seen. That’s what you have to keep your eye on as you’re sorting through all these details about Gog and Magog and other parts of this belief.

 

Now let’s get started. The first time we read about Gog and Magog is in Ezekiel chapter 38. Beginning in verse one the prophet wrote, “And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ‘Son of man” (that’s God talking to Ezekiel; God often calls him that—it’s not Jesus) “set your face against Gog of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. Prophesy against him” (verses 1 and 2). So the first thing you see about Gog and Magog is that God is condemning Gog and Magog. God is pronouncing judgment upon Gog and Magog. Why? That’s what we’ll see as we keep reading. Verses three and four say, “and declare that this is what the Lord GOD says: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws, and bring you out with all your army—your horses, your horsemen in full armor, and a great company armed with shields and bucklers, all brandishing their swords.” So God is definitely against this Gog. This is an enemy of Israel. Then the Lord mentioned the allies of Gog in verses 5 and 6: “Cush, and Put will accompany them, all with shields and helmets, as well as Gomer with all its troops, and Beth-togarmah from the far north with all its troops—the many nations with you.” So whoever Gog is, he, or they, have enlisted the help of these countries. They are obviously going to war against somebody. And who is that. We’ll see that in the verses that follow.

 

Here’s what God says beginning in verse 7. “Get ready; prepare yourself, you and all your company gathered around you; you will be their guard. After a long time you will be summoned. In the latter years you will enter a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations, and all now dwell securely. You and all your troops, and many peoples with you will go up, advancing like a thunderstorm; you will be like a cloud covering the land.” Now what land are Gog and his allies going to attack? He said it is Israel. There’s no debate about that. The key is this: WHEN was this battle to take place? This is where a lot of people today use this chapter like a launching pad and fly in all directions. They forget all about the historical context. They don’t stop and think about where is Ezekiel was. They don’t think about where the Jews are at the time he’s writing these words. They don’t consider what the Jews have been through. And most of all, they don’t remember a great promise that God made to these Jewish people.

 

Here’s the setting when Ezekiel heard these words from God and wrote them. The Jews had disobeyed God and God punished them. Jeremiah warned them for 40 years and told them to repent. Jeremiah plainly told them that the Babylonians would conquer them. But the Jews were stubborn. They didn’t listen. As a result, they were taken as captives to the strange land of Babylon, where they stayed for 70 years. Ezekiel was a priest who was captured by the Babylonians and taken to Babylon himself. Now here’s the context to remember in the book of Ezekiel. Ezekiel rebuked these people, but he also reminded them of a promise that God had made through the prophet Isaiah over 150 years earlier. God not only foretold that the Jews would go into Babylonian captivity for 70 years, but He also promised that He would bring them back to their homeland after those 70 years. That’s what Ezekiel was talking about. In the chapter before this, in Ezekiel chapter 37, he wrote the vision of the valley of dry bones coming back to life. That’s not the resurrection at the last day. It’s a symbolic picture of the nation of Israel being revived. They would be in Babylon for 70 years. They almost lost hope there. They felt dead and depressed as a people. But Ezekiel is saying in the vision of the valley of dry bones that He will restore them to life as a people in their homeland. Listen to Ezekiel chapter 38 verses eight and nine again, and remember that Ezekiel is prophesying of something in the future. “In the latter years you” (the Lord is talking to Gog here) “will enter a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel” (that’s the Jews who will return in the future to Judah) “which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations, and all now dwell securely. You and all your troops, and many peoples with you will go up, advancing like a thunderstorm; you will be like a cloud covering the land.” So this is definitely about Gog attacking Israel. This would happen after the Jews returned from Babylonian captivity. God said the Jews would settle back into their home in Judah and feel secure and then Gog would attack.

 

So here’s the question: Did the Jews return home? Yes they did. Is that in the Bible? Yes it is. You read about it in Ezra and Nehemiah and other Old Testament books. They had problems with foreigners trying to stop them from rebuilding their wall around Jerusalem and the temple, but this attack from Gog was later after they had settled in long enough to feel secure. I say later than the time of Ezra or Nehemiah because God said this battle will occur in the “latter years.” That’s the latter years of the Jewish nation as it approached its end in AD 70. We’ll look more at that time frame shortly. For now I just want to lay the historical foundation of this prophecy. The battle of Gog against Israel happened after the Jews returned from Babylon, not right away, but certainly not 2,500 years in the future in our time like some are saying.

 

God tells us in this chapter that He sent Gog to punish His people Israel for their sins. That is not unusual. He sent the Babylonians against Judah; Jeremiah 25 verse 9 says Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon was God’s servant in this. He was not a willing servant who loved and obeyed God, but an unwitting instrument in the hand of God. Here is what God said in verses 14 through 16 of Ezekiel 38. “Therefore prophesy, son of man, and tell Gog that this is what the Lord GOD says: On that day when My people Israel are dwelling securely, will you not take notice of this? And you will come from your place out of the far north—you and many peoples with you, all riding horses—a mighty horde, a huge army. You will advance against My people Israel like a cloud covering the land. It will happen in the latter days, O Gog, that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me when I show Myself holy in you before their eyes.” 

 

So the Bible does say that Gog will attack Israel. It says that God would punish Israel by sending Gog and His forces against these Jews. But that’s not the whole story. God also said He would punish the people of Gog and his allies. God promised that He would turn the tables. God chose the nation of Israel to be His people, to send the Messiah into the world through this nation. But God is a just God, and even though He chose Israel, His justice demanded that they pay for their sins. That’s what would happen when Gog attacked Israel. But in Ezekiel 38 God said he would see to it that Gog paid for his sins also. Remember, Gog is evil. He is no friend to God or to God’s people. The Bible says in Ezekiel 38 verse 21, “‘I will call for a sword against Gog throughout all My mountains,” says the Lord God. “Every man’s sword will be against his brother.’” So Gog and his people won’t get away with what they’ve done. God will see to it that they are punished. And the punishment they would receive is the same kind of punishment they gave to Israel and others—war and bloodshed. 

 

Now the question is, did the battle of Gog against Israel happen in the past, or will it happen in the future—our future—or maybe it’s beginning to happen now? The truth is, it happened long ago. A Syrian ruler named Antiochus the Fourth led his army into Israel and slaughtered thousands of Jews about four hundred years after Ezekiel made this prophecy about Gog in Ezekiel 38. Here is why Gog in Ezekiel’s prophecy refers to this ancient ruler, not to Russia today. 

 

The book of Daniel is the best commentary on this prophecy of Ezekiel. And, Daniel foretold the rise of this evil king that Ezekiel called Gog. Daniel, who was in Babylon at the time of Ezekiel, foretold a great conflict in Jerusalem and used the same language to describe the time it occurred. In Daniel 8 the prophet saw a vision of a male goat that killed a great and powerful ram. There is no question as to who the ram and the goat are. The angel Gabriel gave the interpretation. “The ram which you saw, having the two horns—they are the kings of Media and Persia. And the male goat is the kingdom of Greece. The large horn that is between its eyes is the first king” (Daniel 8 verses 20 to 21). 

 

Alexander the Great was the first king of the consolidated Greek Empire. He destroyed the Persian forces like a swift male goat running into a ram with two horns. 

 

But Alexander died a young man in 323 B.C. with no son to take his throne. The kingdom of Greece divided into four parts just as Daniel prophesied in verses 8 and 22. Eventually two rival kingdoms emerged as the reigning powers over the former Greek nation: the northern and more prominent Seleucid Empire and the southern Ptolemaic Empire. 

 

Daniel said a powerful ruler would arise from one of these divisions and persecute the Jews. He wrote in Daniel chapter 8, “And out of one of them came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious land. And it grew up to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them. He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down” (verses 9 through12). 

 

The angel Gabriel explains this prophecy beginning in verse 23: “And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their fullness, a king shall arise, having fierce features, who understands sinister schemes. His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; he shall destroy fearfully, and shall prosper and thrive; he shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people” (verses 23-24). 

 

That man was the Syrian ruler Antiochus IV. He named himself Antiochus Epiphanes (The Illustrious One). He was king of the northern Seleucid empire from 175 to 163 B.C. He was everything God said He would be—fierce, cunning, powerful, audacious, and blasphemous. Like all greedy kings, he sought to take as much land and gain as much power and people as he could by conquering and consolidating other countries. 

 

Antiochus tried to force the Jews to accept Greek culture. He forbad them to observe the Sabbath, to circumcise their sons, and to read the Scriptures. In fact, he burned copies of the law and ordered anyone who possessed a copy to be put to death. He offered swine on the altar of the temple, decreed that Greek gods should be worshipped, and built a gymnasium in Jerusalem and promoted lewdness. 

 

Some Jews compromised and accepted this worldliness. Others refused. Over the years the tension between the Jews and Antiochus intensified. 

 

While he was away fighting Egypt, the rumor spread in Jerusalem that Antiochus was dead. Some of the Jews saw an opportunity and rebelled. This infuriated Antiochus. Here is what the book of II Maccabees says happened next:

“When news of what happened reached the king, he took it to mean that Judea was in revolt. So, raging inwardly, he left Egypt and took the city by storm. And he commanded his soldiers to cut down relentlessly everyone they met and to slay those who went into the houses. Then there was killing of young and old, destruction of boys, women, and children, and slaughter of virgins and infants. Within the total of three days 80,000 were destroyed, 40,000 in hand-to-hand fighting; and as many were sold into slavery as were slain” (Second Maccabees 5 verses 11 through 13).

 

This invasion took place in 168 B.C.

 

These correlations fit with Antiochus Epiphanes being the ruler called “Gog” in Ezekiel 38 and 39. But if this is true, when did God destroy him, and, how?

 

When Antiochus tried to force Greek customs on the Jews, some of the Jews resisted. One group fought back verbally by teaching and defending the law of God. The other group fought militarily through guerrilla warfare in the beginning and eventually in organized forces. A Jew named Judas Maccabaeus became leader of this resistance. 

 

Judas was a capable leader against the larger Seleucid army. He defeated them in a number of battles and that infuriated Antiochus. I Maccabees says, “When King Antiochus heard these reports, he was greatly angered; and he sent and gathered all the forces of his kingdom, a very strong army” (I Maccabees 3 verse 27). 

 

But he had a problem: he didn’t have enough money to pay the soldiers. That is when he went to Persia “to collect revenues from those regions and raise a large fund” (I Maccabees 3 verse 31). 

 

Remember that Ezekiel 38 verse 5 says that Gog enlisted soldiers from Persia. There were over forty thousand infantry and seven thousand calvary in this army (I Maccabees 3 verses 39 through 41). 

 

But Judas and his army were able to stand their ground against the Syrians who greatly outnumbered the Jews. This made Antiochus even more determined to destroy them. The next year Lysias, the commander of the Syrian army, gathered sixty thousand infantry and five thousand calvary to put an end to the Jewish rebellion. 

 

But he failed again. This time, Judas and his men not only won the battle, but were also able to cleanse and rededicate the temple in Jerusalem. 

 

This was the fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy which said “the sanctuary shall be cleansed” (Daniel 8 verse 14). The dedication of the temple became known as Hannakuh (meaning to dedicate) which Jews celebrate to this day. This happened in 164 B.C.

 

The records of these battles are brief, but the information we have fits what Ezekiel said about Gog. If Gog was Antiochus, then God punished him and his army through the Jewish people. As Ezekiel had prophesied, his forces fell “on the mountains of Israel” (Ezekiel 39 verse 4). 

 

The best commentary on the Bible is the Bible. That’s what we see in the case of Gog in Ezekiel 38 and 39. Notice the parallels between Ezekiel and Daniel:

1. The Place is the same. Ezekiel said Gog would attack Israel (Ezekiel 38 verse 8 and 16). Daniel said the “little horn,” Antiochus, would attack the place of the sanctuary where sacrifices were offered. That was Jerusalem in Israel (Daniel 8 verses 11 and 12)!
2. The Time is the same in both books. Ezekiel said Gog would come up against Israel in “the latter years” or “latter days” (Ezekiel 38 verses 8 and 16). In Daniel 8, the angel Gabriel said in verse 19, “Look, I am making known to you what shall happen in the latter time of the indignation: for at the appointed time the end shall be.” 
3. The Direction is the same. Ezekiel said Gog would come from the North (Ezekiel 38 verse 15). Antiochus is called “the king of the north” in Daniel 11.
4. The Circumstances are the same. The invasion of Gog was to take place when Israel was at peace in their homeland. Ezekiel 38 verse 11 says the Jews at that time were a “peaceful people.” In the book of Daniel, the Jews in Daniel’s prophecy were at peace, offering daily sacrifices and worshiping God (Daniel 8 verses 11 and 12).
5. The Allies of Gog are the same. Gog enlisted the support of Ethiopia and Libya in this war in Ezekiel 38 verse 5. Antiochus used Libyans and Ethiopians in his campaigns (Daniel 11 verse 43).
6. The Manner of the attack is the same. Gog’s army came like a storm upon the land of Israel (Ezekiel 38 verse 9). In the book of Daniel, Antiochus came like a whirlwind upon his enemies (Daniel 11 verse 40).
7. The Offence is the same. In Ezekiel’s prophecy, Gog defiled and polluted the name of God (Ezekiel 39 verse 7). In Daniel’s prophecy, Antiochus polluted the temple when he desecrated the holy place (Daniel 11 verse 31).

When you put the book of Ezekiel beside the book of Daniel and place ancient history beside both books, the evidence points to Gog as Antiochus the Fourth, or Antiochus Epiphanes as he called himself, in the year 164 B.C. 

 

Why don’t you hear about this today? Because saying Gog was an ancient ruler who died over two thousand years ago doesn’t excite people. People would rather believe something that’s sensational even though it’s not based on the facts. And then when the world does NOT come to an end like they thought,  they start looking for another sign of the times. Do you remember the Gulf War? How many people thought it was a sign of the end of the world? It was in the Middle East. It involved armies from all over the world. People thought it was Armageddon. They said the rapture was right around the corner. And what really got their attention was the fact that ancient Babylon was in the country of Iraq. The ruins are still there. Preachers tried to connect the dots between Old Testament prophecies to Desert Storm. But it didn’t happen. Jesus did not come. That’s been almost a generation ago, and yet it seems that people never learn not to attempt to do something the Bible says we CANNOT DO and that’s predict the coming of the Lord. Nobody knows. Jesus said, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only” (Matthew 24 verse 36). Jesus said no man knows. Not even the angels know. So why do people spend so much time and effort trying to figure out something they cannot know? Here’s something else the Bible says. In Second Peter chapter 3 verse 10, Peter wrote, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.” Now what you’re hearing today goes against that passage. In the first place, this verse says Jesus will come like a thief the night. Does a thief let people know when he’s coming to rob them? Of course not. He comes unannounced and unexpected. That’s how Jesus will come. In First Thessalonians 5 verses 2 and three Paul wrote, “For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.” Nobody knows. Nobody can know until that day comes. Yet it seems that everybody and his brother is trying to guess when it will happen instead of getting ready for it like they should be doing! But here’s something else Peter said that people are not listening to. In Second Peter 3 verse 10 the Bible says when Jesus does come, the world will be incinerated. The earth and everything in it will be burned up! Now that’s really the end! That’s why all this talk about the rapture and the thousand year reign of Christ as King in Jerusalem is not going to happen. There won’t be any earth left. That verse says even the heavens will be dissolved. That’s the sun and the moon and the stars. The physical world will be brought to nothing! That’s why Jesus called it the “last day” in John chapter six and other places. It will literally be the end. But this modern theory says, “No, when Jesus comes, it will be the beginning of a thousand-year period of peace on earth.”

 

There is only one other time in the Bible where you’ll read the words Gog and Magog. It’s in Revelation 20. In Revelation 20 verses 7 through 9 the Bible says, “Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.” 

 

Remember that the book of Revelation is full of symbols. Numbers in this book are often symbolic. They express an idea, not necessarily an amount. That’s not that foreign to the way we talk. We say a person is on cloud nine. We say a man is three sheets in the wind. In the last book of the Bible, you see numbers like 12 and 144,000 and 10 and 1,000. Ten is a number of completion or fulness. A hundred times ten which is 1,000 is a period of fulness or completion. This thousand years refers to a time when the gospel had free course. It was not 1,000 literal years. After that period, the devil was loosed. Gog and Magog represents the Roman army when it attacked the city of Jerusalem in AD 70 and destroyed the temple and the holy city. That was the great tribulation Jesus warned about in Matthew 24 verse 21. Why does the Bible say Gog and Magog if that happened long before this war in AD 70? Because the book of Revelation uses Old Testament places and people and events as symbols of the great bloodshed when He poured out His wrath on the nation of Israel for all its sins in AD 70. That’s why you read about Babylon representing Israel and Gog and Magog representing the Romans.

 

But here’s something I don’t want you to miss. Many say this 1,000 years is literal and that it’s on earth. They say it’s a time of perfect peace for a thousand years with Jesus as king. But Revelation 20 verses 7 through 9 says Gog and Magog will attack “the beloved city” (that’s Jerusalem) AFTER the thousand years. How can that be? If Jesus reigns for a thousand years and puts down all the evil people, then where will all these evil people come from? Revelation 20 says they will be, in a figurative way of speaking, as many as the sand of the sea. How can there be so many evil people and how can they build such a massive army after Jesus has put an end to all such evil? 

 

You may have questions or objections that I have not dealt with in this discussion because of a lack of time. But if you look at the transcript for this episode, you’ll see a link to a video I recorded on this subject. It covers material I didn’t have time to present in this episode and responds to objections and questions about this mysterious and popular topic of Gog and Magog.

Thank you for listening to My God and My Neighbor. Stay connected with our podcast on our website and on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever fine podcasts are distributed. Tennessee Bible College, providing Christian education since 1975 in Cookeville, Tennessee, offers undergraduate and graduate programs. Study at your level. Aim higher and get in touch with us today.