Russia, Ukraine and Biblical Prophecy

The 21st Century has not been short of its wars and rumours of wars, often filling our social media feeds with devastating footage of death, destruction and fleeing civilians. This was the case when Russia first invaded Ukraine, leading to the whole saga that has stimulated an attempt, in many, to connect these events with biblical prophecy. But does the bible specifically mention these events? Do we, as Christians, have any basis to be encouraged and hopeful? This brief blog will attempt to answer some of these questions by looking at a prophecy that is said to relate to this present conflict.

Gog and Magog 

Ezekiel 38-39 contains a prophecy spoken by the prophet Ezekiel, foretelling a coming invasion of Israel at the hands of Gog and Magog, a northern province made of many kings. This is an overwhelmingly large army that is to come against Israel, yet God promises to protect His people.

Throughout history Christians have made various speculation as to the identity of Gog and Magog. They were said to be Spain and Rome in the seventeenth century and in the nineteenth century it was supposed that Napoleon was Gog, leading the forces of Magog-France. However, for the best part of the twentieth century, communist Russia has been the favourite candidate to be identified with Gog and Magog, due to its mighty military, secular worldview and location, directly north of Israel. Furthermore, it's often claimed that the original language reveals that Gog of Magog is “the prince of Rosh” (Ezekiel 38:2,3; 39:1). Because Rosh sounds like Russia, this has remained the most popular opinion on the identity of Gog and Magog. 

This has severe implications for the days we are living in doesn’t it, or does it? Is Russia’s invasion of Ukraine the prelude to a Russian invasion of Israel? Are we one step away from Armageddon? Are these really the events Ezekiel was prophesying about? Or was he referring to something else? Let’s take a brief look at Ezekiel 38-39.

When and Where?

Firstly, when and where are these events to take place? Ezekiel’s prophecy answers this question with two clear statements. The prophet declares that God’s purpose in orchestrating these events, was that the surrounding nations would know that He alone is God, and "that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity, because they dealt so treacherously with" God (Ezekiel 38:23; 39:23). These were specific events that were to take place in the life of Old Testament Israel – their future, but our past.

It may deflate you to hear this if you're getting excited about the end of the world. You may feel relieved if you find the idea of Armageddon just a little bit scary! Some of you may be thinking that Stephen is now officially a heretic, in need of prayer. Nevertheless, if this is true it matters as it affects the way we respond to current events.

Let’s think about this a little more. Do the weapons in Ezekiel’s prophecy reflect the kind of weapons we would expect to see in Putin’s army? I don’t see Ezekiel referring to tanks, missiles and fighter jets, neither do I see the Russians invading Ukraine on horses and chariots, with bows and swords. Yet these are the weapons that characterise Gog and Magog’s army (Ezekiel 38:4-5, 15; 39:3, 9). These weapons can’t be figurative ways of describing modern weapons either, as they were later abandoned, and burned for firewood for several years afterwards! (Ezekiel 39:9)

Rosh and Russia

But what about “Rosh”? The fact that it refers to Russia surely means that Ezekiel’s prophecy is about future events, right? Well, not necessarily. The name of Russia has Scandinavian origins and is based on the name of Rus, not "Rosh". It was brought into the region by the Vikings during the Middle Ages. It’s puzzling to understand why “Rosh” in Ezekiel's prophecy was ever associated with a location, especially Russia. Firstly, Rosh and Russia hold no similarity in the original language and secondly, “Rosh” doesn’t refer to a location. It’s used hundreds of times throughout Scripture and always means “chief”, “head” or “beginning”. It's used in the word “Chief Priest” (2 Kings 25:18; 1 Chronicles 27:5; 2 Chronicles 19:11; 24:6; 26:20; 31:10; Ezra 7:5; Jeremiah 52:24). Thus, a better translation of Ezekiel’s prophecy is “Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal” (Ezekiel 38:2).

Meshech and Tubal are never biblically associated with a place named Rosh (Genesis 10:2; 1 Chronicles 1:5; Isaiah 66:19; Ezekiel 27:13; 32:26), neither do the Assyrian texts, which reveal that Meshech and Tubal were actually located in what we now know as modern day Turkey.There is simply no evidence that a nation named Rosh ever existed, and therefore no reason to conclude that Rosh is Russia. 

Ezekiel and Esther

The nations mentioned by Ezekiel can’t be found on modern maps, because he wasn’t describing our world, but the world of his own day. He was foretelling events that were to take place in his near future, specifically “in the latter days” (Ezekiel 38:16). Contrary to popular opinion, this phrase doesn’t always refer to the end of time, but simply means “in future days” or “a later time”. Therefore, it can refer to the end of time, but in Ezekiel’s case it refers to the time of Esther in his near future (5th Century).

According to Ezekiel 38:5-6 Israel’s enemies come from "Persia, Cush, and Put … from the uttermost parts of the north", all of which are exactly where the Persian Empire of Esther’s day were located. According to Esther, the Persian Empire "extended from India to Cush, 127 provinces" (Esther 8:9), whilst Ethiopia (Cush) and Persia are listed in both Esther and Ezekiel’s prophecy (Esther 1:1, 3 and Ezekiel 38:5). Both passages state that the Jews were being attacked by people from the provinces of Persia.

Ezekiel declares that his prophecy would be fulfilled during a time when Israel's enemies woud attack "the land of unwalled villages" (Ezekiel 38:11). Esther records that Haman conspired against the Jews during a time when they were living in relative peace in "unwalled towns" (Esther 9:19). Israel's enemies wanted to prevent the newly returned Jews from rebuilding the city. At the beginning of Ahasuerus's reign they wrote an "accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem" charging them with rebuilding "the rebellious and evil city" (Ezra 4:6, 12). They call for a search of "the record books" revealing that "the rebellious city" is "damaging to kings and provinces", inciting revolt (Ezra 4:15). Israel's enemies used the rebuilding of the walls to imply that Israel was a future military threat, demonstrating that Jersualem was an unwalled city, and revealing the reason why Haman had the approval of King Ahasuerus.

Haman “the son of Hammedatha the Agagite” is Israel's cheif enemy in Esther (Esther 3:1, 10; 8:3, 5; 9:24). An Agagite is a descendent Amalek, a persistent enemy of God’s people and the first of nations (Numbers 24:20). If we refer back to the first nations in the early chapters of Genesis we discover the main enemies from Ezekiel’s prophecy- “Gomer”, “Magog”, “Tubal”, and “Meshech” (Genesis 10:2). The Septuagint in Numbers 24:7 has “Gog” instead of “Agag” and adds the name "Gog" in Amos 7:1, whilst a late manuscript to Esther 3:1 and 9:24 refers to Haman as a “Gogite.” Agagite means “I will overtop,” while Gog means “mountain”. The two are very similar in spelling and meaning.

Gog of the land of Magog is Haman, he is the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal (Ezekiel 38:2-3; 39:1). King Ahasuerus promoted him to lead a multinational force from 127 provinces, to annihilate Haman’s enemy; the Jews (Esther 3:1; also see 1:3). Haman is further described in Esther as the leader with satraps, governors and princes (Esther 3:12). When they were defeated by the Jews (Esther 9:5 cf. Ezekiel 38:21) they were given a burial site in Israel called "the Valley of Hamon-gog" (Ezekiel 39:11, 15). This is where Haman and his men were buried, near the city that was to be called "Homonah". Though these words are not exactly the same as Hamon, they come from the same root word in Hebrew and provide the final link between Haman the Agagite in Esther and Gog in Ezekiel 38–39.

So What Now?

Ezekiel’s prophecy finds its fulfilment in Esther, when all of the Jews are rescued through her intercession, at the hands of God. This mean't that Israel was protected and the seed of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, was presevered, leading to rightousness, peace and justice for the nations! In briefly beginning to demonstrate this, I hope I have provided some comfort and encouragement, in what are clearly times of turmoil and uncertainty. It's reassuring to know that recent events don't have to necessarily lead to an inevitable holocaust characteristic of Armageddon. The Battle of “Gog of the land of Magog” is fulfilled prophecy, and the writer of the book of Esther witnesses to it.

The bible doesn’t speak about our events specifically, but it does provide a lens to interpret them, and therefore respond. Something I have observed since the start of the Russia/Ukraine conflict is how many Christians have been stirred to pray! This is a good thing! And because biblical prophecy doesn’t predict a future war between a Russian Alliance and Israel, we need not be fatalistic about the outcome of these present events. We can pray with hope and expectancy, knowing that God is working to bring about His purposes on earth.

The reality is, no one can truly understand what God in His wisdom is accomplishing through current events. Is He stirring His people to pray? Maybe He is bringing the nations involved in the war to their knees that they may find Him? Is judgement coming upon Europe through Putin’s Russia? What if Russia’s defiance reveals that the globalists agenda for a New World Order is in the process of crumbling and caving in? Only God knows what's around the next corner. We can be sure however, that Christ will continue to build His kingdom and establish His rightousness, peace and justice in the nations, whether we currently see it or not (2 Corinthians 5:7). Let’s pray for the future of our world and do all we can to seek God’s kingdom and bring it to earth, through declaring the Gospel and discipling the nations (Matthew 28:18-20).

Christ is the Hope of the Nations!

Further Reading

James B Jordan, Esther in the Midst of Covenant History. Niceville, Florida, Biblical Horizons, 1995.

Gary DeMar, The Gog and Magog End-Time Alliance: Israel, Russia, and Syria in Bible Prophecy. Powder Springs, Georgia, American Vision, 2016.