The Rise Of Gog

Vladimir Putin: The Spirit of Stalin

The ancient Hebrew prophet Ezekiel, who lived about 2,500 years ago, prophesied that in the end times, a powerful nation he described as Gog will lead a massive invasion of Israel along with several other nations before the Lord will supernaturally intervene and destroy these nations before they destroy the Jewish nation.

Who is Gog? According to Ezekiel, Gog is another name for an ancient Caucasian tribe that was also known as Rosh that lived in a land far to the north. If the name Rosh sounds familiar, that’s because Rosh was an ancient moniker for modern Russia. Thus, many of today’s Russians are the descendants of the ancient tribe of Gog or Rosh.

Here are the words that the God of Israel spoke to Ezekiel concerning Gog’s future invasion of Israel: “Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: In that day, when my people Israel are living in safety, will you not take notice of it? You will come from your place in the far north, you and many nations with you, all of them riding horses, a great horde, a mighty army. You will advance against my people Israel like a cloud that covers the land. In days to come, O Gog, I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me when I show myself holy through you before their eyes.’” (Ezekiel 38: 14-16)

Though there are those today who argue that Gog isn’t Russia, keep in mind that the Bible’s geographical map always places Israel at its center. Furthermore, Russia is the furthest nation that exists directly north of Israel. It doesn’t take a biblical scholar with several advanced degrees in theology to figure out the identity of the nation that Ezekiel was referring to. And given Russia’s rapid ascent again in the world politically and militarily after it was considered dead 20 years ago with the collapse of the old Soviet Union, it’s becoming clear that Ezekiel’s prophecy is going to be fulfilled.

But when? Given the current events that are happening throughout the world, Ezekiel’s prophecy is now on the prophetic horizon, albeit a distant one. Recently, Russian President Vladimir Putin made a diplomatic stop in Israel to speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. While Putin’s visit was barely noticed by the world media, it was crucially important for two reasons because (1) it came at the behest of Netanyahu who feels increasingly betrayed by the Obama Administration that has been coddling favor with Islamic extremists in the Middle East and (2) because Putin wants Russia to replace the United States as the dominant political influence in the Middle East and throughout the entire world.

Here’s where Putin’s visit to Israel was important prophetically; because biblical prophecy clearly reveals that at some point in the future, Israel will be allowed to rebuild her coveted Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. We know this is going to happen because biblical prophecy reveals that the coming Antichrist will enter that temple to defile it by declaring himself as God to the world. (Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15, 2Thessalonians 2:4) Given Islam’s overwhelming influence throughout the Middle East and its current stranglehold over the Temple Mount where its third holiest site, the Dome of the Rock currently exists, only an extremely powerful world leader will have the authority to allow the construction of the Jewish Temple. If the Israelis tried to rebuild the Temple without that authority, it would inflame entire the Islamic world and lead to a bloody, violent war with millions of casualties.

According the ancient Hebrew prophet Daniel, the Antichrist is going to come from Russia. (Daniel 11) And he won’t be Islamic as some so-called prophecy experts are claiming. Rather, he will be a counterfeit Jesus Christ who will rise to power on a combination of clever sophistry, brute force and supernatural miracles that science won’t be able to explain away. And while Vladimir Putin certainly isn’t that man, he and his government are paving the way for a transformation that will see global power shift from the western world to the eastern world that will be dominated by Russia. As the United States and the nations of Western Europe continue to decline economically, NATO will deteriorate militarily which will allow nations such as Russia and China to become the new prophetic economic and military superpowers on earth as Daniel revealed 2,600 years ago.

The Russians will build the foundation for their new political superpower on fossil energy, a commodity that much of the western world has pledged to do away with and replace with Green solar and wind energy. But Green energy is doomed to fail and when it does, the Russians will be in position to control much of the world’s fossil energy supply. In fact, Russia is currently the largest supplier of crude oil, coal and natural gas to Eastern Europe. And not coincidently, the Russians have become close friends in recent years with such oil producing nations as Venezuela and Syria. And in 2010, they signed an economic agreement with Cuba to begin drilling for oil off of Cuba’s shores in the Atlantic Ocean.

The Russians also befriended Libya’s Moamar Ghadafi and signed economic agreements with the dictator to help build new roads and highways throughout Libya before Ghadafi was toppled by the so-called Arab Spring revolution. Why did Russia’s budding relationship with Libya pose a danger to the world? Because Libya is the largest supplier of crude oil to Western Europe. Had Russia established a firm diplomatic relationship with Libya, the Russians could have positioned themselves to gain control of Libya’s oil fields and eventually the entire energy supply of the continent of Europe. And coupled with America’s growing monstrous debt and dependence on foreign oil, the Russians could acquire a strategic economic weapon through control of the world’s fossil energy supply and be in position to ruin the United States economically. Very likely, the so-called Arab Spring revolution that toppled Ghadafi may have been orchestrated by the U.S. and its western allies to prevent Russia from gaining an economic foothold in Libya.

But for now, the Russians are content to spread their influence throughout the Middle East where plenty of oil exists. And with America’s abandonment of its closest ally Israel, Russia is more than willing to become the Jewish state’s new muscle in a violent and hostile region where Israel finds herself increasingly isolated and threatened. Said Putin during his recent visit to Israel: “The region in which Israel sits greatly influences the feelings of the entire international community. Russia has a national interest in assuring peace and tranquility in Israel.”  And, delivering a direct insult aimed at the United States and the Obama Administration, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said this after Putin’s visit: “With Putin as President of Russia, the world is safer and more stable. In Israel, we will exert all efforts to strengthen our relations with Russia. Putin is a model leader.”

Israel’s new ally has already developed plans with the Jewish state to develop two large offshore fields it recently discovered that contain an estimated 24 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Russia’s state-owned Gazprom, the world’s largest extractor of natural gas, plans to help Israel extract that gas. And the Russians have also pledged to help Israel drill for an estimated 1.7 billion barrels of oil discovered in the offshore Levant Basin as well as 122 trillion cubic feet of recoverable gas and five billion barrels of natural gas liquids. And you can bet that Israel’s newfound energy will be protected from terrorist attacks by Russia’s powerful military presence that is sure be noticeable soon in the Jewish state.

Russia’s growing influence in Israel isn’t a coincidence--it’s the fulfillment of ancient biblical prophecy. And as that influence continues to grow, you can expect the eventual construction of a new Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, compliments of a nation that was referred to in the ancient times as Gog.