"Instances where Russian forces might be considered to have outstayed their welcome during Mr Putin’s two decades in power would include Georgia, Ukraine, Belarus, Syria and, more recently, Libya.”

Not a good track record on time limited peace keeping missions and I may add, a list of countries right in sync with Ezekiel the prophet’s list in chapter 38. Which we will look at in a moment.

So in a month in which it was expected that Russia would move further into Ukraine, with a 100,000 strong battlegroup on its border, Russia is instead, or possibly, as well as, moving south.

Here are some more headlines from UK The Telegraph over the last few days.

"Energy chaos sparks its 1rst national crisis as protests rock Kazakhstan"

"Vladimir Putin's troop deployment in Kazakhstan is a throwback to Tsarist Russia - President's current operation also has parallels with the Warsaw Pact invasions of Hungary and Czechoslovakia in 1956 and 1968”

"The West looks on as Putin crushes Kazakhstan's democratic uprising - This is a political earthquake with profound implications — we should be doing more”

I agree. This is a political earthquake with profound implications. The bear is hungry and on the move. John Thomas would have agreed as well, writing over 170 years ago in the oft quoted preface to Elpis Israel, “The future movements of Russia are notable signs of the times, because they are predicted in the Scriptures of truth.” John Thomas continued to state that “When Russia makes its grand move for the building-up of its Image-empire”, it is the time of the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to the earth.

John Thomas referred to Gog as “the Autocrat of all the Russias”. This title was used by the Tzars. However, it is also very fitting in the way in which this empire and its ruler are described by Ezekiel the prophet. Let’s turn to chapter 38 and have a look.

Gog is described by Ezekiel in the first few verses as the prince of 3 dominions (in the Revised Version), Rosh, Meshech and Tubal. The word prince, which is “nasee”, is used interchangeably in Ezekiel in other places, such as Ezekiel 12:10 and 21:30 for king. It is clear in Ezekiel 38 that Gog is king of these northern territories. In Ezekiel 39:2, Gog is described as coming from "the uttermost parts of the north”. Therefore he is the “king of the north”. This later-day “king of the north”, called Gog, is of the land of the Magog (v2) — Magog has the definite article. Gog’s origin is from Magog’s land.

Young’s concordance defines “Gog” as meaning, “high, mountain”. The word “Gog” is akin to the Hebrew word for roof, “Gag”. The roof is obviously the elevated place in the house, originally intended as a place of prayer it became a place of idolatrous worship — Jeremiah 19:13. Gog is a king who elevates himself, making himself the object of idolatrous worship. 2 Thessalonians 2 says of the man of sin, that he, “…opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.”

The Land of Magog.
We know that the land of Magog is in the uttermost north in relation to Israel. Genesis 10:2 informs us of the sons of Japheth, ("The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.) Of which the ESV says "From these the coastland peoples spread in their lands” In other words, the sons of Japheth spread north from the coastlands of the Mediterranean into Europe. These included Gog’s company; Gomer, Magog, Tubal and Meshech.

The Jewish historian Josephus, who wrote almost 2000 years ago said, "Magog founded those that from him were named Magogites, but who are by the Greeks called Scythians"--Antiquities B00k. 1, section 122. So Josephus says that Magog is Scythia.

The Greek historian Herodotus who wrote about 100 years after Ezekiel, said that, “Immediately that the Ister is crossed, Old Scythia begins…” (Book 4, p99) The Ister is the Classical Greek name for the Danube river. The Danube crosses Germany from the Black Forest to Vienna, through the Iron Gates in modern Romania and out to the Black Sea delta. This is the western border of Scythia. Again in Book 4, and in paragraph 57, Herodotus defines the eastern border of Scythia as the river Tanais, now called the Don in Russia. This is the land of Magog. Eastern Germany and into Russia. This is where Gog is from.

Meshech and Tubal “have usually been identified with the Moschi and Tibareni, lying to the south and south east of the Black Sea. This is some of Northern Turkey, Armenia and Georgia. Rosh as a proper noun is identified as an ancient name for Russia. These are the territories of Gog.

From this, we can summarize:

1. Gog is the King of the North.
2. He is of the land of Magog, which historically extends from Germany and into Russia.
3. He has dominion over many other territories in Europe and the area south east of the Black Sea.

Daniel 11, informs us of more detail of this later day “king of the north”. Daniel says in chapter 11:40, that, “...he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.” This is exactly what we are beginning to see today. The overflowing of Gog territory.

Ezekiel 38 begins by saying, “And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog…” Ezekiel 38 then is a contest between the “son of man” and this self exalted king — Gog. This is why “The future movements of Russia are notable signs of the times”. Ezekiel’s prophecy is a contest between, the one represented by the “son of man” — the Lord Jesus Christ and Gog, who comes to destroy the regathered Israelites. When Gog stands up, the son of man sets his face against him, draws him down and destroys him on the mountains of Israel.

That day is soon approaching. Join us week by week as we watch these events on www.bibleinthenews.com