While some speculate Russian troops invading Syria is a fulfillment of prophecy laid out in Ezekiel 38-39 in the battle of Gog and Magog, New York Times best-seller Joel Richardson disagrees.
“No, when we look at the biblical text, this is not Ezekiel 38-39,” the author says. “Rather, it is in all likelihood the beginnings of … the fulfillment of the first war, the Iranian invasion of the Middle East, as described in Daniel chapter 8.
According to Discover Revelation, Ezekiel reveals how God will allow Satan to use the tools already in place—Islam’s hatred of the descendants of Isaac and Russia’s need for a secure power base in the Middle East. But, God’s purpose is to reveal Himself to a remnant of His children and bring them to faith in Him.
“Ezekiel predicts that this will be accomplished when the Messiah delivers them from the invading hordes led by Gog (Russian leader), of the land of Magog (the land around and above the Black Sea), the prince of Rosh, (Rosh are the modern ethnic Russians) Mescheck and Tubal. (Sons of Japheth (Gen. 10 v.2) ancestors of peoples who settled in Eastern Europe & southern Asia) It is easy to establish who this power is,” the article reads. “The first clue Ezekiel repeats three times. He will come from the extreme or uttermost north of Israel, Russia.”
But Richardson says this prophecy is far from cut-and-dry.
To understand the prophecies about Gog and Magog fully, Richardson gives three reasons why Russian troops in Syria are not the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38-39, but of Daniel 8:23-26.
“In the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their limit, a king will arise, having a fierce countenance, skilled in intrigue. His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power. And he shall destroy wonderfully and shall prosper and practice his will and shall destroy the mighty men and the holy people. By his cunning, he shall cause deceit to succeed under his hand, and he shall magnify himself in his heart. He shall destroy many in a time of peace. He shall also rise up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken, not by human hands. And the vision of the evenings and the mornings, which was told, is true. Therefore shut up the vision, for it deals with many days in the future.”
Watch the video to see what Richardson’s reasons are.
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