“Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him, “and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. “I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army,” Ezekiel 38:1-4 NKJV
As the conflict between Israel and Iran progresses, most of the news this past week has centered on the question of whether or not the US will become involved. Moves by our military in sending forces to the Middle East have fueled speculation that we are indeed preparing for action to some degree, possibly as soon as this weekend. That should not come as a surprise considering Israel is our ally and we have assisted them in the past as well as statements from our administration affirming our commitment to supporting their efforts.
As often is the case, this current situation has again fueled speculation that the Gog Magog war outlined in Ezekiel 38,39 is about to occur. Yet as the biblically informed realize, this could not be the case as we are choosing to come to Israel’s aid while the account in Ezekiel makes it clear that Israel acts alone because no one comes to their aid. While this fact would obviously put the Magog war in the future, I was interested to see an article this past week which may in fact, have great import in helping to set the stage for this coming conflict.
Vladimir Putin, the leader of Russia, stated this past week that he is not interested in coming to Iran’s aid at this time, and stated they have no mutual defense agreements which would precipitate such action. So why do I find this interesting? It revolves around the description in the passage above where God says plainly “I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army.” In other words, at the time of the invasion described by Ezekiel, Magog, believed by most scholars to be Russia, is pulled into the conflict unwillingly by God Himself.
So it would appear to me that while this current war in the Middle East is not the conflict described by Ezekiel, we can certainly see a situation developing which lays the foundation of that coming prophecy. That said, one would obviously begin to wonder why Russia would “unwillingly” decide to try and invade the nation of Israel? While certainly not a prophet, I think I can come up with a plausible scenario considering that not only does God reveal that He chooses to use “hooks in the jaw” to bring Gog in, He goes on to explain the bait He uses to do so.
“ ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “On that day it shall come to pass that thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will make an evil plan: “You will say, ‘I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; I will go to a peaceful people, who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates’—“to take plunder and to take booty, to stretch out your hand against the waste places that are again inhabited, and against a people gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and goods, who dwell in the midst of the land.” Ezekiel 38:10-12 NKJV
Obviously there will be something of great value in Israel which will tempt Gog to gather his armies along the northern border of Israel and attempt an invasion with the intent of taking plunder. However, considering the size of Russia, and especially the size of their economy as opposed to Israel’s, what could Israel possibly possess that would cause them to invade? A fact that I learned long ago as a history student in college was the importance of oil as a factor in so many of the wars of the past. It has been said by many that in order to rule the world; one must first control the world’s supply of oil, and by studying the conflicts of the past it is apparent that many have believed that is true.
Russia’s economy is heavily dependent on oil and gas production and export to provide the income for their economy. Estimates run between 40 and 60 percent of their budget depend on this income, which is staggering considering the volatility of oil and gas prices. Simply consider that if the price of oil drops 50%, you immediately lose half of your income. The result is dramatic inflation, a loss of buying power, and a very angry population wanting to know just what the government is going to do about it. Of course, it follows that the volatility of the oil market occurs because too many countries produce the oil at different rates which affect the supply available at any given time.
In doing a little research I found the following figures. Russia produces approximately 38% of the world’s natural gas, and 25% of its oil. The Middle East produces 35% of the world’s natural gas and 45% of its oil. Now if Russia were to control the Middle East production they would suddenly hold sway over almost 75% of the world’s natural gas and oil as well. What kind of power do you think they would then possess over the rest of the world? Is it possible that the presence of Russia in the Middle East is a sign of their intentions to possibly attempt to take control of these resources? If so, where does Israel fit in?
Most are aware that in the past few years Israel has discovered massive fields of natural gas off of the coast of Israel which some estimates have put in the “trillions” of cubic feet. In and of itself, there you have a very tempting “booty and spoil” for someone to consider stealing, but if that were not enough, Israel has also revealed that they have discovered oil in the Golan Heights. Early estimates put that discovery in the “billions” of barrels and could possibly be even higher. Now suddenly Israel finds itself in the position of owning two of the world’s most desirable and necessary resources, and quite possibly the motivation for an invasion by an aggressor. While these discoveries could prove to be the plunder Gog is seeking, the most obvious question would be why?
Russia has found itself involved with the war in the Ukraine for quite some time now and to be truthful, many would say there is no end in sight. Yet there might be a possible clue as to why Russia would suddenly feel compelled to look jealously at Israel’s oil as a result of the war with the Ukraine. Recent reports have suggested that Russia’s oil industry might well prove to be the focus of future attacks by the Ukraine in an attempt to cripple their economy. If this were to happen, Russia might feel it has no choice but to look elsewhere for the resources it would need to survive.
Again it would appear we see the possibility that God is setting the table for the fulfillment of the prophecies concerning the future of Israel that we find occur just before the tribulation begins. Is the time short? That is a question all of us should be asking ourselves, as well as making sure we are prepared for that time in history that the Bible speaks so much about. Have you made the decision to accept the salvation offered to you by God in the person of His Son Jesus Christ? If not, I would suggest there is no better time than right now, especially as we see the day approaching when Jesus will call all those who believe to come up to Him and escape the wrath that is to come upon this world.
If you are reading this and have never made the decision to accept Jesus Christ into your heart and accept the free gift of eternal life He has offered you, I urge you to do so right now. You can do that by praying this prayer and accepting the gift of eternal life God has offered you by the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ.
Father, I know I am a sinner in need of salvation. I believe you sent your Son Jesus to die on the cross for my sin, and I ask you now to forgive me of my sins. I want to receive your gift of salvation so please come into my heart and help me to live and follow you as my Lord and Savior. In Jesus' name, Amen.
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