Today, there are Old Testament scholars in Israel who link the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East to the War of Gog and Magog prophesied by the prophet Ezekiel, in which Russia and Iran (Persia) are the leading nations. In this war, an army united under the leadership of a ruler named Gog from the land of Magog (Russia) advances against Israel from the north (Syria) and meets its end in the “mountains of Israel.” According to biblical prophecies, these conflicts will reach their climax around Israel.

In the Book of Ezekiel, the Word of the Lord speaks thus: “Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, toward the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him! And say: ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I am against you, Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal! I will drag you out and put a hook in your jaw; I will bring you out, you and all your army—horses and riders, all dressed in splendid attire, a great multitude of people, all carrying shields and bucklers, and all wielding swords; along with them I will bring out those from Persia, Ethiopia, and Put, all with shields and helmets: Gomer with all his armies, the land of Togarmah from the far north, with all its armies—many peoples along with you! So prepare yourself, be ready—you and all the multitude gathered around you! Be their leader! After many days, you will be at their head; in the latter days, you will march against the land whose inhabitants, having escaped the sword, will have been gathered from among many peoples to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate, but, having been brought out from among the nations, will dwell securely in their homes. And you will ascend, advancing like a storm; you will be like a dark cloud covering the land—you with all your armies and many nations with you.” Thus says the Lord God: “On that day, many thoughts will come into your mind, and you will devise evil plans. You will say: ‘I will march against this open land; I will invade these peaceful people, who dwell carefree in their homes—all in dwellings without walls, with neither bars nor gates! I will go to plunder and pillage, to seize these ruins that have been repopulated, this people gathered from among the nations, who have flocks and estates and dwell in the heart of the land.” Sheba and Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish, and all their young lions will say to you: “Are you coming to plunder? Have you gathered your army for plunder—to take silver and gold, to seize flocks and wealth, and to make a great haul?” (Ezekiel 38:1–13).

The prophecy speaks of something that will happen in “the last days,” after the Jewish people have been brought back from their dispersion among the nations to dwell in “the mountains of Israel.” The mountainous region of Israel consists of the Golan Heights and the mountainous region of Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), with Jerusalem at its center.

The Bible tells us that a hostile force will come from the north (from the direction of Syria) and attack Israel. The leader of this force is “Gog of the land of Magog.” In Hebrew, the term Gog refers to an exalted leader, implying that he will rise up against God. The Hebrew word ‘gag’ means roof or something high and exalted. In this context, Gog is the leader of a country called Magog and rises up against God and His people.

Magog was a region in biblical times that must have been inhabited by ancient tribal groups and now encompasses southern Russia and Central Asia, including the territories of some of the southern Islamic republics that were part of the USSR. Magog was the second son of Japheth, the son of Noah (Genesis 10:2), and his descendants are often referred to by their Greek name: the Scythians.

The Jewish historian Flavius Josephus identified Magog with the territory of present-day Russia: “Magog founded the race of the Magogites, named after him, but who are called Scythians by the Greeks.” (Josephus, Antiquities, 1.123). He went on to say that these people lived in the northern regions beyond the Caucasus Mountains, settling north of the Black Sea.

Gog is described as the “great prince” of Meshech and Tubal, who comes from the northernmost part of the earth. In Hebrew, the term “nissirosh” is used for “the most prominent prince,” which can also be translated as “the prince of Rosh.” The place name Rosh (or its equivalent in the respective languages) appears at least twenty times in other ancient documents, referring to groups of the Rosh people who lived in an area north of the Black Sea. It has a linguistic connection to the name “Rossiya” or Russia. Meshech appears 10 times in the Hebrew Old Testament, including its first mention in the Table of Nations (Genesis 10:2). In Genesis 10, Meshech is listed as the sixth son of Japheth, who settled in the northeastern part of Asia Minor. His descendants occupied vast regions, from the Black Sea coast to the southern Caucasus. He was the father of Rossi and Moschi, who spread their colonies across a vast portion of Russian territory.

Wilhelm Gesenius, a world-renowned Hebrew scholar whose Hebrew lexicon remains the finest ever compiled, identified Meshech as Moscow, the capital of modern Russia. He also identified Tubal as Tobolsk, the first province in Asian Russia to be colonized. He asserts that the Greek name “Moschi,” derived from the Hebrew “Meshach,” is the source of the name of the city of Moscow (Moskva in Russian). His conclusion was that these people constitute the modern Russian people. If you travel far north from Jerusalem, you will reach Moscow.

In Ezekiel 38, “Gog of the land of Magog” leads this army, which is an alliance of nations, including Persia (Iran) and Togarmah (Turkey). They come against Israel from the north. The text states that, at that time, Israel will be living in safety. Some have argued that this cannot apply to today’s Israel, which faces threats from all sides, but the Hebrew expression here is “la betach,” which conveys the idea of “in safety.” Israel has one of the strongest armies in the world, with high-tech equipment and a missile defense system that is second to none. The country is currently developing a new laser defense system that could destroy incoming missiles before they enter Israeli airspace.

According to Ezekiel 38:12–13, this invading army descends to take plunder. Sheba and Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish, and all their young lions will say to you: ‘Are you coming to take plunder? Have you gathered your forces for plunder—to take silver and gold, to seize flocks and wealth, and to make a great haul?’” Israel has discovered a large amount of natural gas and oil off the coast near Haifa, in the north, in the area settled by the tribe of Asher in biblical times. The Bible contains a promise that “Asher will dip his foot in oil” (Deuteronomy 33:24).

The Hebrew word for “oil” used here is “shemen,” which originally meant olive oil but is the modern Hebrew word for industrial oil. This could be of interest to Russia, which is trying to control the flow of oil and gas to the Western world. There is a view that Russia’s strategy in Ukraine is to create a corridor of power extending from Russia, through Turkey, all the way to Syria and then to Israel and Egypt, in order to control oil and gas exports from the Middle East and the Caspian Sea region.

The invasion is opposed (verbally, not militarily) by Sheba, Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish. In the Bible, Sheba and Dedan are located on the Arabian Peninsula, which corresponds to the Gulf states, which are now allied with Israel. One of the reasons for this alliance is that both are threatened by Iran. They are aided by Israel through its missile defense system, which is also provided to Saudi Arabia. Tarsus is a region located far to the west of Israel. The biblical Tarsus was likely located in modern-day Spain, but it has been suggested that this name could refer to the Western alliance, including Great Britain and the United States (the “young lions” could allude to the lion symbol associated with Great Britain).

These powers protest against what Gog is doing, but they take no concrete action. They do not need to, because God intervenes, destroying the invading army.

Ezekiel 38:18–23:

But on that day—the day Gog marches against the land of Israel—says the Lord God—My fierce anger will rise up within Me. I declare this in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath: On that day, there will be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. The fish of the sea and the birds of the sky will tremble before Me, as will the beasts of the field, all the creeping things that crawl on the ground, and all the people on the face of the earth; the mountains will be overturned, the cliffs will crumble, and all the walls will fall to the ground. Then I will bring terror upon him from all My mountains, says the Lord God; everyone’s sword will turn against his brother. I will judge him with pestilence and bloodshed, with torrential rain and hailstones; I will rain down fire and sulfur upon him, upon his armies, and upon the many nations that are with him. “In this way I will display my greatness and holiness; I will make myself known before the multitude of nations, and they will know that I am the Lord.”

In the next chapter, Ezekiel describes walls collapsing, a great earthquake in the land, and rain, hail, and judgment falling upon the invading army. Fire falls upon Magog (Russia) and upon those who dwell securely in the coastal regions.

Likewise, the book of the prophet Joel speaks of an event in the last days, when a northern army comes against Israel and is defeated:  I will drive away from you the enemy from the north; I will banish him to a land without water and desolate; I will push the vanguard of his army into the eastern sea and the rearguard into the western sea, and their stench will rise up, and the smell of their decay will ascend into the air, for they have become arrogant.” (Joel 2:20)

In contrast to the fate of the people led by Gog, God’s people will be blessed, and the Holy Spirit will be poured out in abundance upon them (Joel 2:28–32), before the final battle—which involves all nations and ends with the Lord’s coming to Israel to bring deliverance and peace to His people. “And not only upon the people of Israel, but upon all who have faith in the atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus and repent of their sins,”“for this promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far off—as many as the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:39).

The Bible tells us that at the end of the Lord Jesus’ reign on earth, Satan will be released and will make his final, doomed attempt to fight against God: When the thousand years of the Lord Jesus’ reign on earth are fulfilled, Satan will be released and will come out of his prison to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to gather them for war. Their number will be like the sand of the sea. And they came up over the face of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. But fire came down from heaven and consumed them. And the devil, who had deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. (Revelation 20:7–10) 

Gog certainly represents an unclean spirit who draws a great multitude of people from the land of Magog into his rebellion. This futile rebellion will end in complete defeat for Satan and all who join him. They will be cast into the lake of fire following the judgment before the Great White Throne. The verdict will result in an eternal state for the unbelievers, and their eternal home will be hell. But in the lives of all those who accept the Lord Jesus as Savior and Lord, the Sun of Righteousness will rise, and healing will be found under His wings. They will be filled with joy, and their happiness will last forever. May God help us! Amen!