.- With the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, many wonder if it is the prelude to a Third World War. Is it the end of time?
On the second day of the invasion, although the situation is dangerous and violent and the death toll is mounting, none of the heads of state involved have declared a state of war, reports CBN News.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told the United Nations on Wednesday that an all-out war with Russia would be the “end of the world order.”
And in addition to the political conversations, there are also theological discussions, bringing up themes about the end of biblical times and Russia’s theoretical involvement in it.
Are we facing the end of time?
Are Russia’s actions part of the eschatological landscape? Biblical scholars are careful not to exaggerate or make definitive proclamations about nations and events, although viable theories have emerged worth exploring.
Author Joel Rosenberg is among those openly exploring Old Testament prophecies about the biblical end of days. He discusses Russia’s potential place in current events.
On his blog, a few years ago he posted about a possible relationship between world events and Ezekiel’s writings. “The Hebrew prophet Ezekiel wrote 2,500 years ago that in the ‘last days’ of history, Russia and Iran will form a military alliance to attack Israel from the north,” Rosenberg wrote.
Biblical scholars refer to this eschatological conflict, described in chapters 38 and 39 of the book of Ezekiel, as the War of Gog and Magog. “The text speaks of a ‘Gog from the land of Magog’ [Ezequiel 38:14-16] and it points not only to a battle, but to a victory of the Lord in the eyes of the world,” he continued.
What does Gog and Magog mean?
There are many theological opinions and interpretations about Gog and Magog. According to Got Questions ministries, there is a connection to Russia. “Gog is a person. And whoever Gog is, he is from the land of Magog, a leader of Tubal and Meshech [algunas traducciones agregan ‘Rosh’ a la lista]”, says the website.
In addition, it also mentions a confederation of other nations: Persia, Cush, Put, Gomer and Beth Togarmah, according to Ezekiel 38.5-6. “And whoever he is, he will have plans to ‘attack a peaceful and innocent people,’ that is, Israel [versículos 11, 14, 18]. But regardless of Gog’s plans, the Lord God is against him and will defeat him.”
Why do some believe that Russia is Magog?
On the map, if you look to the north side, you will see Russia and the former Soviet territories. So it is not surprising to see so many biblical scholars pointing to this region.
Another note mentioned in the article is “Persia”, a nation listed in alliance with Magog, i.e. modern Iran. Pastor Roger Barrier, who retired as senior pastor of Casas Church in Tucson, Arizona, had one essential thing to say: “God decided not to give us all the details about the end times.”
Therefore, there are not always definitive answers about what is happening, for example, on the issue of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But he also emphasizes that it is “incredibly fruitful to explore the scriptures and gain an understanding of what the biblical texts point to.”
“When we talk about ‘Gog and Magog,’ we are talking about a leader in the land of Russia. However, if in 500 years, if Christ delays, this land may have another name, because it will be in another time”, observed the pastor.
“Magog means the ‘Prince of Rosh’ [de Gog]. Rosh is the ancient root word for the land of Russia. God informs him that Magog will come from the far north. What is north of Jerusalem? Moscow. And ‘Meshech’ is the old name of the capital of western Russia. Tubal identifies as a Siberian city,” she detailed.
The shepherd further specifies that Gog (Russia) is the king of the North. And that the King of the South is an Arab-African coalition.
Prophecies that have not yet been fulfilled
Citing that Israel re-emerged as a nation in 1948, Rosemberg points to the fulfillment of a biblical prophecy and then focuses on those that have not yet been fulfilled, such as the prophecy of Gog and Magog.
“Russia’s leader [dijo sin dar nombres] will make an alliance with Iran, Turkey and some other hostile countries to surround and attack Israel in the last days,” he recalled.
Some might wonder if Putin and contemporary Russia fit this prophecy, but Rosenberg was cautious in saying that they may or may not.
“Perhaps these events are hundreds of years away or closer than we think. The Bible does not specify and Christians are exhorted not to set a date”, he reflected.
However, he also said in 2018 that “Vladimir Putin is more dangerous to America than radical Islam.”
In short, does the chaos between Russia and Ukraine indicate that we are at the end of time? “Nobody knows, but given the ongoing international problems surrounding Israel, Iran, and Russia, many Christians and theologians prefer to watch closely,” he concluded.
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