Is the Rosh of Ezekiel 38 and 39 the Russia of today?

Did the question that serves as the title of this article capture your attention? If so, it might be because you already have some familiarity with and or interest in the topic of Biblical prophesy in general and the prophecy of Ezekiel 38 and 39 in particular. Regardless, it would probably be a good idea to read or reread these two fascinating chapters in their entirety. If you are not all that familiar with Biblical prophesy, in addition to your regular systematic (i.e., cover to cover) daily devotional reading of the Bible, I would also encourage you to set aside some time for a separate study of the prophetic portions of Scripture. I think you will be glad you did.

While all of the Bible should be carefully studied to give Biblical prophesy a proper context in which to be understood, the Book of Daniel, 1^st and 2^nd Thessalonians, Matthew 24, Luke 21, Mark 13, and of course, the last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation, are especially germane to this discussion.

Again for those that may be new to the study of prophesy I would also suggest that you consult one of the many fine books that consider the prophetic program of Scripture from a conservative point of view. The Millennial Kingdom by John Walvoord, Things To Come by Dwight Pentecost, The Last Days Handbook by Paul Lightner, and Unger’s Bible Handbook are (in my opinion) among the most helpful.

<h1 align="center">The Second Son

In Genesis 10:2 we read that the second son of Japheth (one of three sons of Noah) is a man named Magog. That is:

The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. (Gen. 10:2 – NKJV)

Most conservative commentators seem to agree, that as the land of Israel was named after the man Israel, so the land of Magog was named after a man named Magog. The Authorized King James Version of Ezekiel 38 begins as follows:

Son of man, set your face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him… (Eze. 38:2)

The New King James Version says “set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog”. If the Authorized Version is correct it may mean that Gog is used representatively or even interchangeably with the land or country of Magog. If the NKJV is correct it could mean that the word Gog refers to the people or the leadership of the people of the land or country of Magog. We will consider this matter and its significance in some detail a little later.

From Genesis 10 we also learn that the man Magog had a number of brothers, two of which were named Meshech and Tubal. If Gog is the name for a leader of a country called the land of Magog, then it would (or at least could) follow that Meshech and Tubal are two additional, but less important countries that are ethnically and historically related to Magog through the father of all three brothers (i.e., Japheth). Evidently the relationship of these three peoples is such that the descendents of Gog are the leaders (i.e., chief prince) of the people of these other two nations as well.

It must be kept in mind that it is Gog that Ezekiel was to set his face against and to prophesy against. That does not mean that what God says to Gog does not have serious significance to the other nations mentioned. For if the other nations or peoples are following Gog, it is reasonable to assume that they will share in Gog’s sin and will also share in his judgement, as Scripture later confirms to be the case. As the Lord continues, He tells Ezekiel to:

…Say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: (Eze. 38:3)

Initially Ezekiel is told to set his face against and prophesy against Gog. Now he is told to tell Gog that God is against him. On behalf of the Lord Ezekiel is then instructed to say that:

⁴…I will turn you back, and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you forth, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: ⁵Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: ⁶Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with you. (Eze. 38:4-6)

If I am right about the relationship of Meshech and Tubal to Gog or the land of Magog (i.e., followers of the leader) when God turns back Gog or the leader, He also turns back Meshech and Tubal or the followers. However, with this company are included the countries of Persia, Ethiopia, Lybia, Gomer, and Togarmah.

It is also possible that there are other unnamed countries (i.e., many people with you) in this great army as well. Or it could be that the many people refer to the size of the gathered troops already mentioned. Some have suggested that Meshech and Tubal represent cities in the country of Magog. However, the fact that the other peoples that follow Magog are countries, it seems more natural (at least for me) to think of them as countries with close and perhaps even subservient ties to Magog. Besides, the names of some important cities (i.e., Rome and Babylon to name just two) in ancient times were used as the names of entire countries and even larger empires. Next the Lord tells Magog through Ezekiel to:

Be prepared, prepare for yourself, you, and all your company that are assembled unto you, and be a guard unto them. (Eze. 38:7)

As Gog is the leader, evidently he is also the protector (i.e., be a guard unto them) of these other nations. Perhaps this is one reason that these other nations will join Magog in what will clearly be an offensive (i.e., they are the aggressors) military operation. The language suggests what we would call a military pact of some kind. In a military pact, those included are expected to participate with the others of that pact. Such military pacts are the rule rather than the exception between the nations of the world all throughout history.

In our times, NATO is an example of a multiple country military pact also referred to as a military block. Counties aligned with the former Soviet were a part of what was called the Warsaw pact or Soviet bloc. If one member of a pact is attacked the others members are typically pledged to come to their aid. In like manner, if one member declares war on another nation not in their military pact, especially if that aggressor nation is the leader and protectorate of the other nations in the pact, the other member nations will likely be expected to join with the leading nation. In verse eight we read that the Lord speaks to Gog through Ezekiel and says:

After many days you shall be visited: in the latter years you shall come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them. (Eze. 38:8)

The land under attack from this military aggression is “the land that is brought back from the sword… against the mountains of Israel, which have been waste… brought forth out of the nations.” That is, it is the people and the land of Israel sometime in the “latter years” when many Jews have been re-gathered and are at peace with their neighbors and the other nations of the world.

Obviously this could not be now. If things changed dramatically and radically, it certainly could be soon. All things considered, it would seem evident that the only time the Jews will feel safe in Israel (i.e., this side of the Millenium) is when the Antichrist enters into a covenant with them and provides the kind of protection for them that Magog will evidently provide for these other nations that are in league with him (1 Thess. 5:3). Thus it would seem that Israel will be a part of a military and political block lead by the Antichrist while Gog will be the head of competing block. Such blocks are common throughout ancient and modern times.

We know that during the last seven years just before Jesus Christ returns to set up His thousand-year kingdom on earth, the Antichrist will enter into a covenant with Israel (Dan. 9:27). This covenant probably includes certain security arrangements that initially leave the Jews feeling very safe. During the middle of that covenant (i.e., three and half years after it begins) the Antichrist betrays Israel and commits the abomination of desolation (Matt. 24:15). It just might be that around this time Gog is emboldened and seizes what he sees as an opportunity of some kind. Only the Lord knows and only time will tell exactly when this time will be. However, from what Ezekiel says will occur after the failed invasion of Israel by Gog (which we will consider momentarily), it certainly fits what we know will happen in the latter half of the great tribulation, which we are told is unique to that time.

Again, regardless of when the invasion will occur relative to the great tribulation and the abomination of desolation, we know that it could not occur now because no such conditions for peace exists in Israel. Just the opposite is true. Israel is constantly under attack and threatened on all sides. Therefore, Israel is constantly on alert with no certain peace or safety in sight. This is despite all the efforts America and many other nations of the world have made to bring about peace in that region. Next God makes it clear to us what the motive for this massive invasion will be in no uncertain terms. That is, He tells Gog:

⁹You shall ascend and come like a storm, you shall be like a cloud to cover the land, you, and all your bands, and many people with you.

¹⁰Thus says the Lord God; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into your mind, and you shall think an evil thought: ¹¹And you shall say, I will go up to the land of unwalled [unprotected] villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, ¹² To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn your hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land. (Eze. 38:9-12)

Evidently the motive of Gog will not be a secret to many of the nations of that time. Apparently they have grave concerns about what they fear will occur as the result of this invasion. We do not know what Gog’s pretext for the invasion will be for Scripture does not give us that information. We are told why Gog chooses this time for an invasion some of what it is after and hopes to accomplish. Evidently at least some of the nations of the world will see right through whatever the pretext Gog gives (if any) as his justification. For the Lord declares that:

Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto you, have you come to take a spoil? Have you gathered your company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil? (Eze. 38:13)

Gog will not get away with his plans, no matter how great the army he has assembled, nor how overwhelming the odds against Israel may appear to be. This is Gog’s Waterloo. It is God who will come to the rescue of Israel. It is God who Gog would have to defeat if he is to be victorious. But such is not possible. The judgment that is to befall Gog is hereafter described in great detail and it is not a pretty picture. When Gog believes the time is right and the regathered people of Israel are most vulnerable and unprotected Gog makes his move. Thus we read:

¹⁴Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus says the Lord God; In that day when my people of Israel dwell safely, shall you not know it? ¹⁵And you shall come from your place out of the north parts, you, and many people with you, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army: ¹⁶And you shall come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring you against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes. (Eze. 38:14-16)

Next the Lord asks a rhetorical question of Gog through His prophet Ezekiel:

Thus says the Lord God: “Are you he of whom I have spoken in former days by My servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied for years in those days that I would bring you against them?” (Eze. 38:17 – NKJV)

At this point in the prophecy God tells us how He feels about what Gog is attempting to do and what He will do about Gog for attempting to do it. He says:

¹⁸…It shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, says the Lord God, that my fury shall come up in my face. ¹⁹For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; ²⁰So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground. ²¹And I will call for a sword against him [Gog] throughout all my mountains, says the Lord God: every man's sword shall be against his brother. ²²And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. ²³Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the Lord. (Eze. 38:18-23)

As already noted, to many students of prophesy, this sounds very much like what will occur during the great tribulation period, especially during the last three and a half years of that period.

Almost as if to say “If it is not clear enough how I feel about what you are attempting to do in and to Israel” the Lord reiterates His displeasure and disposition relative to Gog and what he is up to. That is:

Therefore, son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, “Thus says the Lord God; Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal:” (Eze. 39:1)

He then goes on to detail Magog’s devastating defeat in Israel. He says:

²…I will turn you back, and leave but the sixth part of you, and will cause you to come up from the north parts, and will bring you upon the mountains of Israel: ³And I will smite your bow out of your left hand, and will cause your arrows to fall out of thy right hand. ⁴You shall fall upon the mountains of Israel, you, and all your bands, and the people that are with you: I will give you unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. ⁵You shall fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, says the Lord God. ⁶And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the Lord. (Eze. 39:2-6)

This judgment of fire may fall on the land from which the people come or upon the people while they are in Israel or both. Scripture does not say. Regardless, God will use this to His glory and for His purposes. The purpose of God includes the full restoration of Israel both spiritually and nationally. It also includes using Israel, especially what He does on behalf of Israel, to get the attention of the Gentile nations as well. That is:

⁷So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel. ⁸ Behold, it is come, and it is done, says the Lord God; this is the day whereof I have spoken.

⁹And they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the handstaves, and the spears, and they shall burn them with fire seven years: ¹⁰So that they shall take no wood out of the field, neither cut down any out of the forests; for they shall burn the weapons with fire: and they shall spoil those that spoiled them, and rob those that robbed them, says the Lord God.

¹¹And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude: and they shall call it The valley of Hamongog. ¹²And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying them, that they may cleanse the land. ¹³Yes, all the people of the land shall bury them; and it shall be to them a renown the day that I shall be glorified, says the Lord God. ¹⁴And they shall select out men of continual employment, passing through the land to bury with the passengers those that remain upon the face of the earth, to cleanse it: after the end of seven months shall they search. ¹⁵And the passengers that pass through the land, when any sees a man's bone, then shall he set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamongog. ¹⁶And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land.

¹⁷And, son of man, thus says the Lord God; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that you may eat flesh, and drink blood. ¹⁸You shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan. ¹⁹ And you shall eat fat until you are full, and drink blood until you are drunk with my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you. ²⁰Thus you shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, says the Lord God.

²¹And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them. ²²So the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day and forward. ²³And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore I hid my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the sword. ²⁴According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions have I done unto them, and hid my face from them.

²⁵Therefore thus says the Lord God; Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name; ²⁶After they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against me, when they dwelt safely in their land, and none made them afraid. ²⁷When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies' lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations; ²⁸Then shall they know that I am the Lord their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there. ²⁹Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, says the Lord God. (Eze. 39:7-29)

The following is a brief recap of some of what we discovered in Ezekiel 38 and 39:

• Gog represents the leadership of a nation of people who descended from Magog, the second son of Japheth, who in turn was one of three sons of Noah.
• Gog is also the leader (i.e., chief prince) of other nations which descended from two other sons of Japheth, namely Meshech and Tubal.
• Along with Meshech and Tubal, a number of other nations join Gog when he decides to attack Israel and plunder the land and possessions of Israel.
• The time of this attack is sometime in the distant future from the time of Ezekiel when many (but not all) of the people of Israel have returned to the land of Israel.
• At the time of this attack the people of Israel are living in peace and feeling secure; probably sometime just before the middle of the great tribulation. Certainly it is not now.
• God intervenes on behalf of Israel, devastates the armies with Gog as well as the army of Gog itself.
• As a result of God’s intervention on behalf of Israel, Israel returns to the Lord permanently and the remaining Jews scattered around the world will then also return to the land.

There is a slight but significant difference between the Authorized Version or the older KJV and the newer KJV. The New King James Versions says:

²Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him, ³and say, “Thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal.’” (Eze. 38:2-3 – NKJV)

If this rendering is correct, then Gog is the prince (i.e. chief, head or leader) not only of Meshech and Tubal but of a third country called Rosh. Pay close attention to the details and the difference between the older and newer King James Versions.

Son of man, set your face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him… (Eze. 38:2 – Older KJV)

In the older KJV, Gog is the chief prince (i.e., leader) of Meshech and Tubal.

In the newer KJV, Gog is the prince of a third country called Rosh as well as Meshech and Tubal.

The difference of translation reflects a difference of opinion on the part of some translators as to how the Hebrew word Rosh, meaning chief or head, relates to the rest of the verse. The translators of the older KJV believed that it qualified the word prince. That is, they believed it should be chief prince and so translated it. The translators of the NIV came to the same conclusion. Thus they rendered this verse as follows:

Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal; prophesy against him. (Eze. 38:2 – NIV)

As opposed to the Old King James Version and the NIV, the translators of the New American Standard took the same position, as did the translators of the New King James Version. Thus they render this verse as follows:

Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him. (Eze. 38:2 – NAS)

This difference in translations has understandably led to differing interpretations of Ezekiel 38 and 39.

Some use the rendering of the NKJV and the NAS versions as support for a view that identifies the Rosh of Ezekiel 38 and 39 with modern day Russia.

The Rosh is Russia view can be stated as follows. Gog is the leader of the Russian people, Magog is the Russian people and the land of Magog is the country or territory where the Russian people live.

Meshech and Tubal are cities in Russia, or the people of those cities (i.e., Meshech is Moscow and Tubal is Tobolsk).

David E. O’Brien, in Today’s Handbook For Solving Bible Difficulties says:

“This translation makes Rosh a country, or region, along with Meshech and Tubal. Grammatically, the translation is possible. It’s unnecessary though. The regions of Meshech and Tubal are a common pair in both biblical and ancient non-biblical literature. Most readers could name at least two or more sets of names that almost always go together; Sodom and Gomorrah and Tyre and Sidon. It would be odd for Ezekiel to add a third name, Rosh, to that traditional pair.”

O’Brien goes on to say that:

“What makes it more odd is the word Rosh is not known to represent a country or region anywhere in the Bible or outside the Bible. I wouldn’t let that trouble me if Rosh wasn’t such a common Hebrew word. If it was rare I might argue that it points to some lost locality familiar to Ezekiel but unheard of for over 2,000 years. But Rosh is far from rare. Those who live in an area with a large Jewish population may have heard it used in the term Rosh Ha-Shannah, which means ‘Head of the year’ or, as we’d say in English, New Year. Rosh is the common word for head. Used metaphorically, it often means ‘chief.’ The KJV and NIV are right to translate the phrase as chief prince.”

Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, in The New Commentary on the Whole Bible say that:

“The Hebrew word for ‘chief’ is rosh, lit. ‘head,’ and some want to use this as a name of a land, not a title (See NASB, JB, NEB). No land named Rosh is otherwise attested to in the O.T. There is a tendency to associate this term, without warrant, with modern-day Russia on phonetic grounds. But the name Russia can only be traced back to the eleventh century A.D., which makes such a connection highly questionable (Alexander).

John Rea, in The Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia, while considering the difference in translations, comes down in favor of the New American and the New King James. That is, he believes:

“The name of a third northerly people is more likely.”

He also points out that:

“The Hebrew scholar Gesenius suggested identifying Russia with Rosh…”

However, Rea then acknowledges that:

“The Hebrew word [Rosh] has no relationship to the modern European country”

The evidence offered for the Rosh is Russia thesis involve matters linguistic, geographical, historical (i.e., secular history) and textual (i.e., the statements of Scripture).

<h1 align="center">The Linguistic Evidence

The linguistic evidence for identifying Rosh with Russia is to be found in the similarity (i.e., phonetically speaking) between the Hebrew word Rosh and the English word Russia. However, as already noted, the Hebrew word Rosh and the English word Russia have no etymological relationship whatsoever. That is, the name Russia cannot be traced to the word Rosh. The name Russia is in no way derived from the word Rosh.

A number of years ago someone noticed that a Hebrew word for covenant is Brit while a Hebrew word for man is Ish. They then concluded that the British must be the covenant people of God, namely the new or true Israel of today. The trouble with this thesis is that there is simply no connection between these Hebrew and English words. So it is with the words Rosh and Russia.

Concerning the view which says Meshech is Moscow, O’Brien notes that:

“Linguistically, the association of Meshech with Moscow depends on the fact that both the words contain the letters m, s, and c in English. The English letters, however, aren’t even close to the Hebrew. Since Hebrew was originally written without vowels, the consonants are what matter for this kind of discussion. There are four of them in English; m, s, c, and w, and only the English m has a parallel in the Hebrew. Hebrew uses a single letter that combines the sounds of the English s and h, so there is no parallel between the s of Moscow and the ch of Meshech. The letter c doesn’t even exist in Hebrew. The ch in of Meshech is actually k pronounced as if the speaker were clearing his throat. There is no single English letter to parallel either Hebrew letter. The identification of Meshech with Moscow might look good in English but wouldn’t have any sense at all to Ezekiel and his readers.”

None of this even takes into account that we are talking about the Hebrew word for Meshech and the English name Moscow. It seems much more reasonable to assume that the match ought to be between the Russian name of Moscow (i.e., Moskva) and the Hebrew name Meshech. However, that relationship does not exist either.

<h1 align="center">The Geographical Evidence

The geographical evidence used to identify Rosh as Russia is found in the fact that the land of Magog is said to be in the “far north”. It is rightly assumed that north means north of Israel. However, we do not know from this reference how far into the north, relative to Israel, Magog is. The Russian people have inhabited a great deal of the land to the North of Israel for more than a millenium. From a strictly geographical perspective it cannot be denied that modern Russia could be that nation Ezekiel referred to as Magog. The fact is that Russia is far north of a great deal of the world-covering as it does twelve time zones and existing mostly in the northern half of our planet.

Add this to the power and military might of Russia and the regional leadership (even domination) it has taken in recent years, especially during the Soviet period, and the case for Rosh is Russia seems on the surface to be very strong. However, in the time of Ezekiel, the north or far north could just as easily have been a reference to any one of a number of countries that were even then hostile to Israel. Considering that today, several Moslem countries are to the North of Israel, several countries make at least as good a candidate as does Russia. As everyone knows, several nations north of Israel tend to be very hostile toward her just as some of her other neighbors are as well. However, the geopolitical climate changes rather quickly. While most of Israel’s greatest enemies will probably remain hostile toward her, a foe one day can become a friend the next day. Since we cannot know how close we are to the fulfillment of this invasion of Israel, the situation today may be very different than it will be then.

Despite Russia’s past and serious persecution of the Jews, as nations go, they do not seem all that anti-Semitic today and seem to have reasonably good relations (politically speaking) with modern day Israel. Of course this could all change rather quickly and there could be “some hidden hostilities” just below the surface. For the Jews that would be the rule rather than the exception, wherever they have lived. During the height of the cold war years, when so many Jews were persecuted and refused permission to immigrate to Israel, the Russia is Rosh view was never questioned in some circles. When the Soviet Empire began to crumble, some of the staunchest defenders of this view began to reconsider. Some came right out and identified some other nation or nations as Magog. Obviously, if North means anything, Gog cannot be Australia.

I am certainly not suggesting that the people living in the land that today is Russia could not be the Magog of Ezekiel’s prophecy, especially on geographical grounds. Only that the evidence for this view is not as clear or convincing as some have suggested. However, from a strictly geographical perspective, it is far from certain that “north” or even “far north” in Ezekiel 38 and 39 can be identified as the territory that is today called Russia. If it did it would also mean that Togarmah, a country clearly distinguished from Magog is also Russia.

Just as Ezekiel 38:15 and 39:2 refers to Magog as in the north quarters or far north depending upon your translation, so Ezekiel 38:6 refers to the house of Togarmah as from the north quarter or far north. At the very least, using the exact same geographical designation for two distinct countries indicates that the geographical location must include more than one country.

Togarmah was a grandson of Noah and a son of Gomer (Gen. 10:3, 1 Chr. 1:6). The people that descended from Togarmah became horse traders during or before the time of Ezekiel in which time they did business with Israel. (Ezekiel 27:14). Therefore, whoever they were and are they must have lived close enough to the land of Israel to do business with them. It is very difficult for me to imagine much commercial traffic taking place between people in the land we know today as Russia and those living in Israel during the days of Ezekiel. It is also very unlikely that the Russians of today are descendents of those people living in that same land during Ezekiel’s day.

I do not doubt for a moment that a people descended from Togarmah lived or will live in the far north. That is not in question in so far as I am concerned. Neither is it in question that they will be with Gog and or Magog during the time of this future invasion of Israel. However, if north quarters or the far north designates a land that only Russia occupies today, as many contend, then why does Ezekiel refer to Togarmah as of this same geographical designation in the same context?

The simplest and I believe the best explanation for this matter is to view the north or far north as a relative and general geographical designation in relationship to the land of Israel. It certainly could mean the land that now belongs exclusively to Russia. However, if Ezekiel is correct, as I am quite sure he is, it will also be occupied by at least one other country at the time of the invasion.

For the sake of discussion, let us suppose that north quarters or far north is a general geographical designation relative to the nation of Israel. Then of course, several countries could rise to power or have already risen to power that will be hostile to Israel in the future. In fact, one of these countries could be the descendents of Magog while another could be the descendents of Togarmah. It could turn out that the Russian people are the descendents of Magog and some other ethnic group in that same general region has descended from Togarmah. Or it could turn out that a nation presently very hostile to Israel and not as far north may rise to become a dominant military power in the world. Since there are countries even farther north of Israel than Russia, it is even possible that they could be the Magog of Ezekiel 38 and 39.

Regardless of whoever Magog turns out to be, there is no shortage of candidates north of Israel today that would not like to be in a position militarily and politically to launch a massive invasion against Israel. I do not pretend to know who has descended from Magog, where they live today or where they will be living at the time of this invasion, except that it will be somewhere north of Israel. Again, the Russia of today could be the Magog of tomorrow. But at present this is far from certain from a geographical point of view.

<h1 align="center">The Historical Evidence

When it comes to history, we find nothing that will allow us to pin down who or where Magog is. That is not to say that there are not a lot of opinions. A survey of conservative Bible Encyclopedias, Dictionaries, Commentaries etc, will reveal many views relative to this matter. Unlike many of the countries that follow Magog into battle, no modern country, in so far as I know, traces their lineage to Magog. And even if some nation knew that they were the Magog of Ezekiel 38 and 39, given what Magog will do and what the name has come to represent, it is unlikely that they would brag about it.

While there are many candidates, (all nominated by others) there is no consensus, or even anything close to a consensus, historically speaking for who Magog is today. In some cases a nation will receive the unappreciated distinction of being Magog simply because they posed a threat (imagined or real) of some kind to those identifying them as Magog.

<h1 align="center">The Textual Evidence

Unfortunately, nothing in Scripture tells us who Magog will be in the days of the invasion. We know what the people of Magog will do; what their motives will be; what God will do to them; even the names of some of the nations that will follow them into battle and judgment. However, we are given no way of tracking Magog (in the biblical record) into the modern world. Perhaps this is just the way God wanted it to be. As a Christian I can and should accept whatever Scripture says is true. If Russia does turn out to be Magog, we still do not know when Russia will commit this incredible folly, relative to our own time.

In the mean time, I think identifying the Russia of today as the Magog of tomorrow, goes way beyond what we know to be true from the evidence which is available to us. For those who have a heart to reach the Russia of today with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it also puts what I believe to be an unnecessary obstacle in front of those we desire to see come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Now truth is not always pleasant. Some people do not want to be told they are sinners. However, we cannot spare them from this truth. If the evidence were clear that the Russia of today is the Magog of Ezekiel’s prophecy I would not withhold this information from the Russian people. However, the evidence being so lacking or weak in nature, the Rosh is Russia view comes across (to many Russians) as anti-Russian. It sometimes seems more like a hang over from cold war animosity than of Scriptural certainty. If I am right and the Bible is not clear (perhaps deliberately so) as to who the Magog of Ezekiel’s prophecy is, at the very least, we ought to be very cautious in our pronouncements on this matter.

Special Concluding Remarks

• Regardless of who the words Gog and Magog refer to in Ezekiel’s prophecy, after the thousand year reign of Christ all the peoples or nations that participate in the final rebellion against our Lord and His perfect reign are referred to as (or at least identified with) Gog and Magog.

⁷Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison ⁸and 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. (Rev. 20:7-8 – NKJV)

It would seem that just as Sodom and Gomorrah have come to represent the worse kinds of wickedness down through history, so Gog and Magog become a symbol for man’s foolish rebellion against God.