Russia in Biblical Prophecy
By
James Scott Trimm
When I was a young man, there was a popular theory of prophecy that identified Gog and Magog (Ezekiel 38-39) with Russia. In fact in 1974 (they started work on the book in 1972) Thomas S. McCall and Zola Levitt (A Jewish believer in Yeshua) co-wrote a book on the subject titled The Coming Russian Invasion of Israel. And for a while this theory seemed very compelling in light of world events of the twentieth century. When the U.S.S.R. invaded Afghanistan in 1978 it was really looking like this theory could be right on the money.
But in 1988-89 the U.S.S.R. withdrew from Afghanistan and by 1991 the Soviet Union collapsed, and the idea that Ezekiel 38-39 prophesied of a coming Russian invasion of Israel was soon forgotten.
Recent events, however, have given us reason to re-examine old theories about the place Russia might hold in biblical prophecy.
The Bear
In the late 20th century, some biblical interpreters saw a second meaning to the four prophetic beasts of Daniel 7 (in addition to the traditional meaning). They understood the first beast (Dan. 7:4) the lion with eagle’s wings, to represent the Britain (represented by a lion) and the United States (represented by the eagle’s wings). The second beast,the bear (Dan. 7:5) represented Russia, with the three Baltic nations represented by the three ribs in the bear’s mouth. The third beast, a leopard with four heads (Dan 7:6), represented Germany with it’s “panzer” tanks (based on a pun on “panther”). And then the fourth beast would represent the kingdom of the antichrist. In light of recent world events, one must certainly ask whether or not the bear in Daniel 7:5 has a second last days meaning referring to Russia.
Gog of the Land of Magog
In Ezekiel we read:
1 And the word of YHWH came unto me, saying:
2 Son of man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog–the chief prince of Meshech and Tuval, and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus says the Adonai YHWH: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tuval.
4 And I will turn you about, and put hooks into your jaws. And I will bring you forth and all your army; horses and horsemen–all of them clothed most gorgeously; a great company with buckler and shield–all of them handling swords:
5 Paras, Cush, and Put with them; all of them with shield and helmet;
6 Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah in the uttermost parts of the north and all his bands–even many peoples with you.
7 Be you prepared, and prepare for yourself, you, and all your company that are assembled unto you, and be you guarded of them.
8 After many days you shall be mustered for service: in the latter years you shall come against the land that is brought back from the sword, that is gathered out of many peoples, against the mountains of Yisra’el which have been a continual waste. But it is brought forth out of the peoples, and they dwell safely, all of them.
9 And you shall ascend, you shall come like a storm; you shall be like a cloud to cover the land–you, and all your bands, and many peoples with you.
10 Thus says the Adonai YHWH: It shall come to pass in that day, that things shall come into your mind, and you shall devise an evil device.
11 And you shall say, I will go up against the land of unwalled villages; I will come upon them that are at quiet, that dwell safely–all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates.
12 To take the spoil and to take the prey; to turn your hand against the waste places that are now inhabited, and against the people that are gathered out of the nations, that have gotten cattle and goods; that dwell in the middle of the earth.
13 Sh’va, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the magnates thereof, shall say unto you, Come you to take the spoil? Have you assembled your company to take the prey; to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take great spoil?
14 Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus says the Adonai YHWH: In that day, when My people Yisra’el dwells safely, shall you not know it?
15 And you shall come from your place, out of the uttermost parts of the north: you, and many peoples with you, all of them riding upon horses–a great company and a mighty army.
(Ezekiel 38:1-15 HRV)
It should be mentioned here that while the phrase is “Gog of the Land of Magog” in the Hebrew, it is “Gog and the Land of Magog” in both the Peshitta Aramaic Tanak and the Greek Septuagint. Moreover, in Rev. 20:8 the phrase is “Gog and Magog”.
In Genesis 10 “Magog” is one of the sons of Japheth (Gen. 10:2) who was the traditional progenitor of the European peoples. Josephus identifies Magog with the Scythians. At that time “Scythia” was a term used to refer to the lands northeast of Europe and the northern coast of the Black Sea. In the Book of Jasher, one of Jepheth’s other sons Tiras, is said to have been the father of Roshash (Russia?) Certainly Ezekiel 38:15 describes this Land of Magog as ” the uttermost parts of the north” so an identification of Magog with Russia seems very likely.
Certainly there is a good case for identifying the prophecy of Ezekiel 38-39 with the invasion of Israel by Russia. Some theorists equate Gog and Magog with the last days “King of the North” of Daniel 11:36-45 however this was not the view of McCall and Levitt:
Many competent interpreters of prophecy have equated the king of the north with Ezekiel’s Gog, who perpetuated the Russian invasion. This is one of the controversies existing about just when the Russian invasion occurs in the scheme of things. Naturally if the king of the north is Gog, then the Russian invasion would occur after the Antichrist’s blasphemy, or about the halfway point of the tribulation period. The king of the north reacts to Israel’s revolt. We are disinclined to equate these two invaders. Ezekiel’s Gog comes from the “uttermost north” and Daniel’s king of the north is discussed in connection with his prophecies about the Greco-Syrian powers.
(The Coming Russian Invasion of Israel by Thomas S. McCall and Zola Levitt, 1974 page 55)
There is another big question of interpretation here. Is the Gog and Magog event of Ezekiel 38-39 the same event as the Gog and Magog event of Revelation 20:8-9? If so, that event does not take place until near the end of the millennial Kingdom, when HaSatan is again released (Rev. 20:7-9).
Certainly with the recent aggressiveness of Russia in it’s invasion of Ukraine, Ezekiel 38 has taken on new relevance. As McCall and Levitt said back in 1974:
“We feel that it is a grim necessity to warn the world, believers and unbelievers alike, that the biblical messages about today’s world affairs are relevant and imminent.” (Ibid p. 7)
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