
Many scholars believe that the Biblical character Gog, who is from the land of Magog (Ezekiel 38)âŠis the leader (prince) of Russia (Rus/Rosh)âŠ.some would even say that Gog is Vladimir Putin. Is he? With war now looking imminent between the US backed Nato alliance and Russia (could possibly expand to include China and Iran) over the Ukraine, many of us are wonderingâŠâCould this be the beginning of the Ezekiel 38 war?â đ€The Ezekiel 38 war is presumed to be the kick-off to the final 7 year Tribulation period.
If Russia and Ukraine is the land of Magog, then could we be standing on the precipice of the Tribulation?đČ
In 2019, we wrote a post about the Gog and Magog war that pretty much aligns with what most Biblical scholars teach. It is a good interpretation of these Biblical propheciesâŠand yet, perhaps we can allow YHWH (God) to expand our thinking as Holy Spirit continues to grow our understanding and to lead us into all truth. Over the past two years, the Lord has revealed some information that has challenged my way of thinking about Gog and Magog. We would like to present these thoughts here for your prayerful consideration.
A brief look at the History of MagogâŠ.
Magog, Gomer, Meshech and Tubal were all sons of Noahâs son Japheth, who moved up into lands north of Syria. The Greek poet Hesiod (who predated Ezekiel) identified Magog with the Scythians. Â The Scythians settled on the northern shores of the Ukraine, especially along the lower reaches of the Dnieper River and the Crimean peninsula. The ancient Jewish historian Josephus identifies âMagogâ with the âScythians,â a name which among classical writers stands for a number of unknown ferocious tribes located in the region between the Black and Caspian seas.
Ezekiel 38:  Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 âSon of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, 3 and say, âThis is what the Lord God says: âBehold, I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal (Islamic Caliphate?).Â
The classic interpretation of Ezekiel 38/39, that Gog is the leader of the modern nation of Russia, is based on the similarity of sound and spelling between the Hebrew term âroshâ and âRus,â the ancient name of the principality based in the city of Kyiv.
Ezekiel 38 (literal translation): Son of man, set thy face unto Gog, of the land of Magog, prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy concerning him,
Upon further investigation, we discover that Roshâ is the common Hebrew noun for âhead,â and it is interpreted as âheadâ over three dozen times in the book of Ezekiel. It is the same Hebrew noun used for the commencement of the new year â rosh ha-shanah, the âhead of the year,â.
In the bible, the word âchief princeâ generally refers to an angelic being, not a human being. For instance, a prince rules over a principality, which is a nation or region. There are many examples of this. One such example occurs in the book of DanielâŠ.
Daniel 10:13: But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.
In this scripture, an angel of the Lord visits the prophet Daniel. The angel tells Daniel that the prince (fallen angel) over Persia withstood him for 21 days. Then the angel states that one of the CHIEF (head) princes- the ARCHANGEL Michael came to help him. There are ranks within both Godâs Holy Angelic army and also within the fallen angelic army. When Satan rebelled against God he seduced one third of the angels to come with him. These angels do not have the same position in Heaven that they once held; however they do maintain their seats of authority over particular regions of the earth.
These fallen angels and demonic entities are the same principalities (princes) that the Apostle Paul tells us we (Believers in Jesus) struggle (war) against in the book of Ephesians.
Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood (human beings), but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
The classic interpretation of Gog in Ezekiel 38 assumes that the âchief princeâ is a human leader of a nation (Russia), when he is more likely a fallen angelic being. Morever, because Ezekiel warned of an invading force from the âfar north,ââand since Russia is located to the ânorthâ of the Middle East, the two entities must be identical, or so goes the argument. ButâŠis this the correct interpretation?
Ezekiel 38:15: Then you (Gog) will come from your place out of the far north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a mighty army.Â
So who is Gog? Is he Vladimir Putin of Russia? We do not think so. We understand that there is a Holy Trinity (Father/Son/Holy Spirit)âŠand there is also an UNholy trinity (satan/antichrist/spirit of antichrist). We believe it is very possible that Gog, the chief(Rosh)prince (high ranking fallen angel) of Meshach and Tubal, is Satan (also known as the antichrist).
Gog = antichrist?đČ
Let us present the pros and cons of this position (Gog is the antichrist) and leave this for you to draw your own conclusions.
Why do bible teachers think that Gog cannot be the antichrist?
Many scholars doubt that Gog IS the antichrist because the Bible tells us that in the battle of Ezekiel 38/39 Gog comes out of the âfar northâ to attack Israel. People assume âfar northâ points to Russia, particularly because the Hebrew word for âchief princeâ looks alot like our modern word âRussiaâ. Let us take a closer look at the phrase: âfar northâ, also known as the âsides of the northâ. Please note that Gog does not just come from the ânorthâ, but he comes from the âsides of the northâ. This phrase is not used in too many places in Scripture. So where else do we see the phrase âsides of the northâ used?
Psalm 48:1: Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. 2 Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.
It appears that the âsides of the northâ, often translated âfar northâ is referring to the Heavenly realms, the place of the city of God (New Jerusalem). In the book of Isaiah we discover that Satan, who was once known as the angel (cherub) Lucifer, has determined to set his throne up above Godâs Throne in the âsides of the northâ.đČ
Isaiah 14: 12Â How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13Â For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14Â I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
It appears that the âsides of the northâ is above the heights of the clouds, it is the place of Godâs throne. Now, watch where Gog originates when he launches his attackâŠ
Ezekiel 38:4Â Therefore, prophesy, son of man, and thou hast said to Gog: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: In that day, in the dwelling of My people Israel safely, Dost thou not know?
Ezekiel 38:15Â And thou hast come in out of thy place, From the sides of the north, Thou and many peoples with thee, Riding on horses â all of them, A great assembly, and a numerous force. 16Â And thou hast come up against My people Israel, As a cloud to cover the land, In the latter end of the days it is, And I have brought thee in against My land, In order that the nations may know Me, In My being sanctified in thee before their eyes, O Gog.
This is why Biblical translations matter. We have to go back sometimes to the original text to gain a fresh and more accurate perspective. Satan wishes to establish his throne in the very place of Godâs government (Mount Zion), the âsides of the northâ. But God tells us that there will come a day when HE will kick Satan OUT of Heaven. Satan has already fallen from sin, but for now, he still has access to Godâs Throne in Heaven (âsides of the northâ) as the âaccuser of the brethrenâ. (Job 1:6, Rev. 12:10) But that access will end when Satan and his angelic army are thrown out of heaven at the time of Great Tribulation.
Revelation 12:7: And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, 8 and they did not prevail, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying,
Revelation 12:11: âNow the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down, the one who accuses them before our God day and night. 12: For this reason, rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you with great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.â
Ezekiel 38: 14 âTherefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog, âThus says the Lord God: âOn that day when My people Israel dwell safely, will you not know it? 15 Then you will come from your place out of the far north (âsides of the north/HEAVEN?â), you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a mighty army. 16 You will come up against My people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land.
Perhaps the character Gog is not the leader of Russia, coming against Israel from a country located in the north. Perhaps Gog is Satan himself who comes comes against Israel when he is kicked permanently out of Heaven (out of the âsides of the northâ) â taking on the flesh of a man (antichrist). Satan desires to sit on the farthest sides of the north, above the Throne of God. But instead, he will be thrown down into the âsides of the pitâ.
Some say that Gog cannot be the antichrist because Gog dies on the battlefields of Israel in the Ezekiel 38/39 war and antichrist is thrown alive into the lake of fire.
Revelation 19:20 Then the beast (antichrist) was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Ezekiel 39: 4 You (Gog) shall fall upon the mountains of Israel, you and all your troops and the peoples who are with you; I will give you to birds of prey of every sort and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. 5 You shall fall on the open field; for I have spoken,â says the Lord God
Ezekiel 39:11 âIt will come to pass in that day that I will give Gog a burial place there in Israel, the valley of those who pass by east of the sea; and it will obstruct travelers, because there they will bury Gog and all his multitude
At first blush it does appear that Gog cannot be the antichrist because the antichrist is thrown alive into the lake of fire and Gog is buried on the mountains of Israel, which means he is DEAD. However, let us look at some other verses that make it appear that the antichrist does die (at least his physical body).
Isaiah 14:13:For you (lucifer/satan/antichrist) have said in your heart:
âI will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation
On the farthest sides of the north;
14Â I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High.â
15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol (grave/hell/pit),
To the lowest depths of the Pit.
Isaiah 14:19: But you are cast out of your grave
Like an abominable branch,
Like the garment (body) of those who are slain,
Thrust through with a sword,
Who go down to the stones of the pit,
Like a corpse trodden underfoot.
20Â You will not be joined with them in burial,
Because you have destroyed your land
And slain your people.2 Thessalonians 2: 8 And then shall that Wicked (antichrist) be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume (slay) with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
The lake of fire is where all unbelievers (upon resurrection) will end up for all eternity. Depending on how one translates the above verses, it seems very possible that Gog could be the antichrist because we see that he ends up in a pit, grave. Gog hates Israel, he comes from the âsides of the northâ, which seems like a Heavenly abode. Currently Satan has fallen, but still has access to Godâs Throne as the âaccuser of the brethrenâ. Gogâs human body (garment) is slain on the battle-fields of Israel (Godâs Holy Mountain/government), or removed from everything that is living (Jesus IS the LIFE) â thrown into the pit/sheol. Gogâs (antichristâs) soul/spirit is thrown alive into the lake that burns with fire to experience the eternal torment and suffering that happens when one separates oneself from the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
Some say that the Ezekiel 38/39 war and the battle of Armageddon cannot be one and the same because the Ezekiel 38/39 war takes place on the âmountains of Israelâ and the âBattle of Armageddonâ takes place in the valley of MeggidoâŠ
Armageddon, sometimes rendered âHarââMagedonâ (Hebrew Har MeghiddohnÊč), means âMountain of Megiddo.â Megiddo was once a city in the territory of ancient Israel. History tells of decisive battles that were fought in its vicinity, including some that are recorded in the Bible. (Judges 5:â19, 20; 2 Kings 9:â27; 23:29) However, Armageddon cannot refer to the literal area near ancient Megiddo. There is no large mountain there, and the entire adjoining Low Plain of Jezreel could not contain all those who will fight against God. Instead, Armageddon is the worldwide situation in which the nations assemble in their last stand against rule by God.
Why do we think that Gog IS the antichrist?
There are HUGE and undisputable similarities between the Battle of Armageddon and Ezekiel 39. God wins both of these epic battles (actually these are more than single battles, this is a war against YHWH God), and upon the warâs conclusion, God prepares the âgreat supper of Godâ, where God feeds the flesh and blood of his enemies to the âbirds of the sky and the beasts of the fieldââŠlikely a metaphor for the fallen angelic realm.
Ezekiel 39:17:  âAnd as for you, son of man, thus says the Lord God, âSpeak to every sort of bird and to every beast of the field:
âAssemble yourselves and come;
Gather together from all sides to My sacrificial meal
Which I am sacrificing for you,
A great sacrificial meal on the mountains of Israel,
That you may eat flesh and drink blood.
18Â You shall eat the flesh of the mighty,
Drink the blood of the princes of the earth,
Of rams and lambs,
Of goats and bulls,
All of them fatlings of Bashan.
19Â You shall eat fat till you are full,
And drink blood till you are drunk,
At My sacrificial meal
Which I am sacrificing for you.
20Â You shall be filled at My table
With horses and riders,
With mighty men
And with all the men of war,â says the Lord God.
Matthew 24:27: For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 Wherever the corpse (dead body) is, there the vultures will gather.
Revelation 19: 17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, âCome and gather together for the supper of the great God, 18 that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.â
19Â And I saw the beast (antichrist), the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.Â
20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him (Jesus Christ) who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh
Unless God (YHWH) has planned TWO suppers where the flesh of the wicked will be consumed by the âbeasts of the field and the birds of the airâ (fallen spiritual realm)âŠthen it is likely that Ezekiel 39 and Revelation 19 are describing the same battle (WAR). This means that it is likely that Gog = the antichrist.
One of the most compelling argumentsâŠis that upon the conclusion of both the Ezekiel 39 battle and the battle of Armageddon, the whole world will KNOW that JESUS CHRIST is LORD, He is the GREAT I AM. For these reasons, we believe that the Ezekiel 38 war (struggle) is just the BEGINNING, and will continue throughout the Tribulation until the battle of Armageddon, the Ezekiel 39 conclusion when Gog (antichrist) is destroyed and JESUS CHRIST returns as KING over the entire earth.
Ezekiel 39:28 then they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who sent them into captivity among the nations, but also brought them back to their land, and left none of them captive any longer. 29 And I will not hide My face from them anymore; for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,â says the Lord God.â
Zechariah 12: 10 âAnd I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. 11 In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning at Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.Â
Zechariah 14: 3: Then the Lord will go forth
And fight against those nations,
As He fights in the day of battle.
4 And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, (2nd coming of Jesus Christ) Which faces Jerusalem on the east.9: And the Lord shall be King over all the earth.đ
In that day it shall beâ
âThe Lord is one,â
And His name one.
The book of Revelation CHAPTER 20 tells us that another character named Gog shows up AFTER Christâs 1000 year reign on the earth is complete as YHWH (God) AGAIN uses him to test the nations who had pledged their allegiance to Jesus Christ. Of course, we know that Gog dies on the battlefields of Israel in Ezekiel 39 prior to Jesusâ 2nd comingâŠbut perhaps Satan will inhabit another human body yet to be born (titled Gog) for the final battle that comes 1000 years AFTER Christâs Millennial reign on earth.  The identity of the human vessel does not matter because it is still the red dragon (Satan) at the helm.
Rev. 20:7: Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 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.
The truth is, the Jewish people have no knowledge of the antichrist. We could warn them that the antichrist is coming, and they would still fall into his trap of lies and deception. Because the Jewish people do not recognize the TRUE MESSIAH Jesus Christ, they cannot fathom the antichrist. However, observant jews have DEFINITELY heard of the Biblical character GOG, and understand that he is an adversary of Israel. It is almost like YHWH God (the Jewish people call God Hashem) has allowed these two interpretations and titles for the âman of sin/son of perdition (Gog/antichrist) so that the Jewish people (at least observant Jews) will be less likely to fall prey to the antichristâs schemes once the Rapture of the Church occurs.
We have presented a lot of material here as food for thought and prayer. The Ezekiel 38/39 war is an end-time war that will bring about the fulfillment of many Biblical prophecies. Will Russia and the Ukraine be involved? Certainly the territory of Magog seems to indicate that they will be integral players in this end-time war.
The Jewish historian Josephus said, âMagog founded the Magogians, called Scythians by the Greeks.â (southern Russia/Ukraine)
The Scythians were a nomadic tribe who inhabited the ancient territory from Central Asia across the southern part of ancient Russia. Today, this region encompasses part of the Ukraine, the Southern tip of Russia and the Islamic southern republics of the former Soviet Union with a population of approximately 60 million Muslims. The Islamic connection of the Ezekiel 38 invasion force is inescapable.
Ultimately, Jerusalem and Israel are the target of the Ezekiel 38 war, but the Ukrainian crisis could be the opening of the 2nd seal of Revelation/Red horse of war.đŽ It does not seem like a coincidence that this region sits squarely within the historical âland of Magogâ.
On December 17, 2021 Ukraine recognized Jerusalem as the âone and only Capital of Israelâ.
(December 17, 2021Â /Â JNS)Â Ukraineâs Ambassador to Israel Yevgen Korniychuk said on Thursday that his country recognizes Jerusalem as Israelâs âone and only capitalâ and that a branch of its embassy would be opened there in the next year.
Defense and security ties with Israel and other Western allies is a top priority for Kyiv as Moscow threatens to escalate the military conflict on its eastern border, seven years after the annexation of Crimea from the country. The U.S. intelligence agencies fear an imminent Russian invasion as Kremlin deploys close to 100,000 troops on its border with Ukraine.Â
https://www.jns.org/ukraine-recognizes-jerusalem-as-israels-capital-and-plans-to-move-embassy/
We want to share one other thing here that you will probably want to take to your own prayer closet. Is it possible to identify the man who is Gog (antichrist), the man who will start a global conflagration (that could begin in the Ukraine)? If Gog is not Vladimir Putin, then who is he? Is he on the earth today? Because we are clearly in the last days, we believe that Gog is on the earth today. He is quietly working behind the scenes, stirring up conflict and unrest. The New world order believes in bringing âorder out of chaosâ. The phoenix rising up out of the ashes of the âold world orderâ is their symbol. First, they must create chaos before they bring in their âsaviorâ. Because Jesus Christ is pouring out His Spirit in these last days, many people have had confirming dreams and visions regarding the antichristâs identity. However, we are not going to include them here because honestly, until God fully reveals him, we cannot be 100% certain. What we will include is a young Jewish boyâs (Nathan) powerful testimony as to the identity of Gog. This boyâs testimony of Gog exactly matches many of the dreams and visions that have been given to Gentile Christians regarding the antichrist. That is a pretty powerful confirmation that the antichrist IS Gog.
Attached below is the video clip of the testimony of young Nathan who claimed he had a NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE in 2015 wherein he spent some time in Heaven and was told the identity of GOG. He presented his testimony before many influential Jewish Rabbis in Israel. His testimony, in its entirety, is posted on Youtube. Towards the end of the video Nathan states that DURING HIS NDE, HE WAS TOLD THAT at the time of the end, there WOULD be a huge war THAT WILL INCLUDE ALL NATIONS, a world war (wwiii). According to Nathan â Gog is the driving force behind the upcoming world war. In 2015, Nathan said the world was VERY NEAR the time of that war.
Nathanâs near-death experience happened in 2015âŠhow much closer are we now to this end-time war that he was shownâŠand will this war brewing in the Ukraine lead to WWIII and the opening of the 2nd seal of Revelation? Will it lead to the Ezekiel 38 war? Time will tell.
Nathan claims to be absolutely certain of the identity of Gog based on what he was told during his near-death experience. We can confirm that there are many Christians who are in agreement with this assessment, but they understand this person as the antichrist (man of sin), not Gog.
(Accusing others of what they, themselves are doing. This is the pattern of evil. đHidden in plain sight, evil thinks we do not see. Well, YHWH Almighty God SEES everythingâŠ..) AG đ„ on Twitter: âLISTEN to every word. https://t.co/TJyNbKKdMuâ / Twitter
Today (2/17/2022)âŠwe are getting preliminary reports that the shelling has begun in Ukraine.
âFormer Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard suggested that former President Barack Obama is behind the effort to establish a Disinformation Governance Board, which she likened to George Orwellâs famed âMinistry of Truth.âđ±
5/1/2022âŠ.Tulsi Gabbard suggests Obama behind âMinistry of Truth,â says Biden just âfront manâ | Fox News
The war between Nato/Ukraine and Russia that appears IMMINENT may be the product of Gogâs secret work behind the scenes. Please pray for wisdom, discernment, and understanding. The end-times is FILLED with deception. The Mainstream Propaganda Media no longer provide accurate, impartial news. They have an agendaâŠa New World Order agenda. Do not look to them for truth. Look to the Word of God. Jesus Christ is coming soon! All that is written will come to pass.
NOW is the time to seek the TRUE MESSIAH â JESUS CHRIST.