In latter-day Bible prophecies, we read of a major invasion of Israel that occurs before God acts through His son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will return to the earth, defend the surviving remnant of God's people of Israel, and establish God’s Kingdom on the earth.

Russia in Bible prophecy

In the latter-day prophecies of Ezekiel 38, we read of a coalition of nations led by a figure called Gog. Gog is identified as the Prince of "Rosh," and the name "Rosh" or "Rus" is considered the ancient name for the Russians. Scholar Gesenius supports this, stating, "Rosh - proper name of a northern nation… undoubtedly the Russians." The Russians are seen as a leading nation in the attack on Israel, coming "out of the north parts" (Ezekiel 38:2-4).

Daniel 11 also speaks of the invader of Israel in the same time period, calling him "The King of the North" (Daniel 11:40). Other prophecies, such as Zechariah 14 and Joel 3, mention all nations being gathered against Jerusalem for battle.

Therefore, the expectation is that, in the time leading up to this great invasion, Russia would not be on friendly terms with Israel.

Russia and Hamas

Examining the situation between Russia and Hamas since the attacks on Israel on October 7 reveals a close alliance between Hamas and Iran, which, in turn, is closely aligned with Russia. This may explain Russia's quick condemnation of Israel's bombing raids on Gaza while not outright condemning the Hamas attack on Israel.

On October 9, shortly after the attacks, The Washington Post reported that Russia expressed 'concern' but did not condemn the Hamas attack on Israel. Moscow's relationship with Hamas has been steadily developing, with high-ranking Hamas members even meeting with senior Russian officials in Moscow.

In an article entitled “What Russia Hopes to Gain From the Israel-Hamas Conflict,” Time Magazine wrote: “Russia has defended its decision to host Hamas members in Moscow, saying it is important to maintain ties with both sides in the Israel-Hamas conflict. The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the meetings were part of Russia’s efforts to secure the release of hostages from Gaza.

But Hamas’s description of the meetings paints a different picture. The group praised Russia’s efforts to end what it called “the crimes of Israel that are supported by the West,” according to Russia’s state-owned RIA news agency. In the wake of the meetings, Hamas has announced that it is looking for eight hostages in Gaza that Russia has asked to be released, “because we look at Russia as our closest friend,” Hamas Politburo member Abu Marzouk said on Oct. 28. Hamas’s visit to Moscow adds to Israeli fears that Russia is readjusting its foreign policy to move closer to Hamas. Palestinian militants have reportedly gotten around Western sanctions by funneling millions through Russian cryptocurrency exchanges. Ukraine’s Head of Defense Intelligence Kyrylo Budanov has also said that Russia has recently supplied Hamas with arms, although he did not provide evidence for his claim. There is no evidence that Russia was involved in instigating Hamas’s Oct. 7 attacks or supplied weapons used. But Russia has notably not condemned Hamas’s attacks on Oct. 7 as terrorism. Instead, Russian officials have called for both sides to put down arms and reaffirmed its support for a Palestinian state. At the United Nations Security Council, a Russian resolution that called for a ceasefire and the release of all hostages was voted down as it failed to condemn Hamas. Others in Russia have gone further, arguing that it is time for Russia to reassess its relationship with Israel. “Whose ally is Israel? The United States of America,” Andrei Gurulev, State Duma deputy and member of its Defense Committee, wrote on Telegram. “Whose ally is Iran and its surrounding Muslim world? Ours.” In the court of public opinion, “Russia has taken a pro-Palestinian position to an extent that even I was surprised by it,” says Hanna Notte, an expert in Russia’s foreign policy in the Middle East at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. “They’re trying to align themselves with the Arab mainstream” as a bid to improve Russia’s standing in the region, says Mark Katz, a professor at George Mason University. For Hamidreza Azizi, an expert in Iran-Russia relations at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, Russia’s response to Hamas’s attacks also reflects an inclination towards a closer relationship with Tehran and its allies in the region, which include Hamas. Iran, Israel’s bitter enemy, has become one of Russia's key weapons suppliers for its war in Ukraine. “I think Russia has made a strategic choice already on who to side with in the Middle East, and it’s not Israel,” says Azizi."

On October 29th, a shocking video was sent around social media of events in Dagestan, in southern Russia. Hundreds of rioters can be seen storming an airport to search for Israelis arriving on a flight from Tel Aviv. Reports that the rioters hurt Jews and that antisemitic attacks have been on the rise have been heard of.

On 30th of November, The Times of Israel ran an article entitled: “At odds with Israel, Moscow won’t even condemn Hamas for murder of its own citizens” In the article it stated: “Moscow’s refusal to investigate atrocities committed against Israelis with Russian citizenship during the Oct. 7 massacre hints at relationship issues that Israel can no longer ignore”.

This last week it was of note that Hamas released two hostages that were not to do with the negotiations with Israel. Sky News reported this in an article entitled “Hamas releases two Russian hostages after Kremlin negotiations” on the 29th November. This is what their report stated: “Hamas has released two Russian-Israeli dual nationals and handed them over to the Red Cross under a separate agreement negotiated between Hamas and the Kremlin. Elena Trufanova, 50, and her mother Irina Tatti, 73, were released on Wednesday afternoon "in response to the efforts of the Russian President," according to a statement by Hamas. That brings to three the number of hostages with Russian citizenship who have been released since Sunday.”

The Moscow Times reported on Russia's response to the release of the hostages. In an article published on Nov. 30, 2023, entitled: “Russia Says 'Grateful' to Hamas for Gaza Hostage Release,” they reported: "We are grateful to the leadership of the Hamas movement for the positive response to our constant appeals," the Russian Foreign Ministry said… "We note that the Russian citizens were given the possibility to come home without being bound by the fulfillment of the conditions agreed upon between Israel and Hamas," Moscow said. It did not say in its statement how many Russian citizens remain in Hamas captivity in Gaza. Unlike most Western countries, Russia does not recognize Hamas as a terrorist organization, and Putin has repeatedly called for the creation of a Palestinian state.”

The destiny of Russia

So where does this leave us as Bible students? Well, we are beginning to see the cooling of relations between Russia and Israel as we would expect from Bible Prophecy. The destiny of Russia is to be the leader of a coalition of nations, which include Iran and others, who will come down and attack Israel just before Christ returns. This serves as a sign of the times, indicating the nearing return of Zion's king.

Keep watching with your Bible in hand, and join us next week, God willing, for another Bible in the News.