Gog and Magog
May 28, 2026
David Cloud, Way of Life Literature, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061
866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org
866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org
The following is enlarged from The Future According to the Bible, which is available from the Way of Life web site, www.wayoflife.org.
The Gog and Magog of Ezekiel 38-39 refer to a great military alliance that will attack Israel from the north in the latter days.
Who Is Gog and Magog?
There are seven reasons we believe Gog and Magog refer to Russia:
1. The genealogy points to Russia.
“Magog was the second son of Japheth (Gen. 10:1-2), one of the three sons of Noah. Before the dawn of secular history his descendants seem to have inhabited exclusively the region of the Caucasus and of northern Armenia” (Louis Bauman, Russian Events in the Light of Bible Prophecy, 1942, p. 23).
2. The name points to Russia.
Robert Lowth (1710-87), Oxford Professor of Poetry, wrote, “Rosh, taken as a proper name in Ezekiel, signifies the inhabitants of Scythia, from whom the modern Russians derived their modern name.”
Wilhelm Gesenius (1786-1842) said in his Hebrew-English lexicon that Gog is “undoubtedly the Russians.” “He declared that ‘Rosh’ was a designation for the tribes then north of the Taurus mountains, dwelling in the neighborhood of the Volga, and he held that in this name and tribe we have the first trace in history of the ‘Russ,’ or Russian nation. Gesenius also identified ‘Meshech’ as Moscow, the capital of modern Russia in Europe. ‘Tubal’ he identified as Tobolsk, the earliest province of Asiatic Russia to be colonized, and, also, the name of the city wherein Peter the Great built the old fortress after the pattern of the Kremlin at Moscow. Moscow bespeaks Russia in Europe, and Tobolsk bespeaks Russia in Asia” (Bauman, Russian Events, p. 24).
Richard Watson, writing in his 1831 Biblical and Theological Dictionary, said, “Magog signifies the country or people, and Gog the king of that country; the general name of the northern nations of Europe and Asia, or the districts north of the Caucasus, or Mount Taurus” (p. 417).
3. The location points to Russia.
Ezekiel tells us exactly where this enemy of Israel lives—to the north of Israel (Eze. 38:6, 15; 39:2). And Ezekiel doesn’t merely say “north.” He says Gog’s place is in “the north parts.” John Darby translated this “the uttermost north.” A quick reference to a modern map reveals only one great power to the extreme north of Israel, and that is Russia.
4. The size of the army points to Russia.
“... even a great company … like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands ... a mighty army” (Eze. 38:4, 9, 15).
Israel has many enemies other than Russia, particularly the neighboring Arab nations, but no Arab enemy can field an army as mighty as the one Ezekiel sees descending from the north.
5. The alliance points to Russia (Eze. 38:4-7).
Gog does not come against Israel alone. Gog is the leader of and “a guard unto” a massive military alliance. Those who are said to be associated with him remind us of Russia and its former satellites. It is significant that six of the former Soviet republics are Israel-hating Islamic nations today (Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan).
Persia, modern Iran (the name was changed in 1935), is a friend of Russia and an enemy of Israel. In September 2008, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Sallai Meridor, warned that Russian arms sales to Iran and Syria are “destabilizing and dangerous for Israel” (“Israel Irked by Iran-Russia Military Ties,” PressTV.ir, Sept. 13, 2008). Russia is a major player in providing Iran with nuclear technology and high-tech armaments. In 2009, Iran’s defense ministry hailed the nation’s military ties to Russia (AP, Feb. 20, 2009). In June 2014, Russia pledged to build two more nuclear power plants in Iran (“Iran, Russia Agree to Continue Nuclear Cooperation,” ITAR-TASS, May 29, 2014). In 2007, Iran president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he was “assured that the United States and the Zionist regime of Israel will soon come to the end of their lives” (“Iran’s Ahmadinejad: Israel, U.S. Soon Will Die,” NewsMax.com, Jan. 24, 2007). In August 2012, Ahmadinejad said “the ultimate goal of world forces must be the annihilation of Israel” (Jerusalem Post, Aug. 2, 2012). “Ahmadinejad believes the apocalypse will occur in his own lifetime and says Allah himself chose him to play a role in ushering in the end of days” (Ron Rhodes, Northern Storm Rising, 2008). Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for the annihilation of Israel. On November 8, 2014, he tweeted, “This barbaric, wolflike & infanticidal regime of Israel which spares no crime has no cure but to be annihilated.” A year earlier, Khamenei called Israel the “sinister, unclean rabid dog of the region.” In July 2024, Iran’s newly elected president, Masoud Pezeshkian, reaffirmed Tehran’s dedication to destroying Israel, saying its proxies across the region will not allow the Jewish state’s ‘criminal policies’ to continue (Israel Today, July 9, 2024). Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Ali Hosseini Khamenei were killed on February 28, 2026, in a targeted military strike by Israel.
Ethiopia in northern Africa also has close ties with Russia. In 2008, Russia announced that it had strengthened military ties with Ethiopia and other African nations.
The same is true for Libya. Wikipedia says, “Russia regards Libya as its strongest ally in the Arab world, both politically and historically.” In August 2008, Libya said that it is good for the world and the Middle East that Russia is re-emerging as a military power. In January 2010 Russia announced an arms deal with Libya worth $1.8 billion.
Gomer refers to Germany and neighboring people. Gomer “settled in the north of the Black Sea (Gen. 10:2) and spread southward and westward to the extremities of Europe” (Young). Arno Gaebelein says, “Valuable information is given in the Jewish Talmud; Gomer is there stated to be the Germani, the Germans. That the descendants of the Gomer moved northward and established themselves in parts of Germany seems to be an established fact” (The Annotated Bible, Proverbs-Ezekiel). Richard Watson says, “The colonies of Gomer extended into Germany. ... In fact, under the names of Cimmerii, Cimbri, Cumbri, Umbri, and Cambri, the tribes of Gomerians extended themselves from the Euxine to the Atlantic, and from Italy to the Baltic” (Biblical and Theological Dictionary, 1832 edition, p. 417).
It is interesting that eastern Germany was aligned with Russia until recently.
Thus, “Gomer and all his bands” probably refers to the former East European satellites of Russia, particularly East Germany, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania, and Poland. The latter has long been a hotbed of anti-Semitism. Jews returning to their homes after the defeat of Hitler “were terrorized and sometimes murdered by Poles” (“Confronting Poland’s Anti-Semitic Demons,” Time magazine, Jan. 23, 2008). In May 2012, the Polish edition of Time published a feature story on the country’s anti-Semitism. The cover announced, “Jews! How contemporary Poland handles the shame of anti-Semitism.” In “Jew, the Eternal Enemy,” historian Alina Cala claimed that “anti-Semitism in Poland is still far from being erased from the public consciousness.” Jan Tomasz Gross’s book Fear: Anti-Semitism in Poland after Auschwitz makes the same claim. At a press conference in 2008, Gross said, “A very brutal anti-semitism was widespread in Poland. Many Poles agreed with the opinion that Hitler should have a monument elevated for helping Poland solve the Jewish question. That was happening not only in only Poland, but in all of post-war Europe” (“Confronting Poland’s Anti-Semitic Demons,” Time, Jan. 23, 2008).
Togarmah refers to the former southern republics of the Soviet Union and to Turkey. Togarmah was a son of Gomer, son of Japheth (Genesis 10:3) and settled in Armenia (Young). “Armenia, a former kingdom of NE Asia Minor; generally understood to include eastern Turkey and the Armenian S.S.R.—a constituent republic of the Trans Caucasian Soviet Union” (Funk & Wagnalls). “Both Christian and Jewish writers tell us that Togarmah refers to the Turkoman tribes of Central Asia--enemies of the Jews and anti-Christian all!” (Bauman, Russian Events in the Light of Bible Prophecy, p. 37). In June 2010, Turkey’s formerly good relationship with Israel (good compared to that of other Muslim nations) deteriorated dramatically after the Gaza flotilla incident. Major joint energy and water projects were halted, and Turkey has taken a more strident anti-Israel stance. On March 30, 2025 Turkish President Recep Erdogan, at the Grand Camica Mosque, prayed, “May Allah, for the sake of his name Al-Qahhar [All-Prevailing One], destroy and devastate Zionist Israel. And may we all, witnessing what is happening there [in the Gaza Strip], stay united, strong and resilient as brothers; may Allah keep our unity everlasting” (“May Allah Destroy Israel,” World Israel News, Mar. 30, 2025).
6. The equipment points to Russia (Eze. 38:7).
The northern enemy of Israel is a great provider of war materiel. Who has been equipping Israel’s enemies for decades? The answer is Russia. Libya, Syria, and Iran, for example, have large stockpiles of Soviet-supplied weapons. Iran’s nuclear program is protected by Russian missiles, by Russian threats against Iran’s enemies, and by Russia’s diplomacy in the United Nations.
7. This power’s hatred of Israel points to Russia.
Of the great world powers today, none have expressed as much hatred toward God and Israel as Russia.
Russia has a long history of anti-Semitism, stemming back to ancient times under the Russian Tzars.
Catherine the Great (r. 1762-1796) restricted Jews to the Pale of Settlement in western Russia (modern-day Belarus and Moldova, Lithuania, Ukraine, and east-central Poland). She charged them with double the tax rate of the Russian Orthodox. Jews were expelled from St. Petersburg, Moscow, and other large Russian cities.
In 1844, the Jewish self-governing community of Kehillah was abolished by Tsar Nicholas I.
Alexander III (r. 1881-1894) put severe restrictions on where Jews could live and what occupations they could engage in. This encouraged violent pogroms in 1881-84 that drove many Jews to Western Europe and America.
Violent pogroms against the Jews were renewed in 1903-06.
Before his assassination in 1917, Tsar Nicholas II, Russia’s final emperor, read to his family the antisemitic libel Protocols of the Elders of Zion, which describes an alleged Jewish plot for world domination. Though long exposed as “a crude forgery,” it is “probably the most influential work of antisemitism ever written” (Stephen Bronner, A Rumor about the Jews: Anti-Semitism. Conspiracy, and the Protocols of Zion).
One of the chief propaganda cries of Russian communism was “Zionism is Racism.” In the late 1940s, Stalin “unleashed a national anti-Semitic campaign.” Hundreds of prominent Jews were tortured and killed. Tens of thousands of Jews were fired from their jobs (Leon Aron, “Putin Is Worried,” The Atlantic, Sept. 24, 2023). It was called “the doctors’ plot” because “a group of Jewish doctors was alleged to have poisoned important party officials, and planned Stalin’s murder.” “]Khrushchev stated] that Stalin was planning to send the entire Jewish community to Siberia in his secret speech to the 20th Party Congress” (Steven Rosefielde, Red Holocaust, p. 111).
In 1947, the famous Baptist pastor J. Frank Norris of Texas, following a visit to the Holy Land, wrote the following to President Harry Truman:
“I interviewed many Arab leaders, and without question I found that the whole crowd are for Stalin, just like they formerly were for Hitler. ... If the Arabs and Jews in Palestine were left alone they would get along and settle their troubles. Russia is doing everything at her command to foment the trouble.”
In 1984, the U.S. ambassador dealing with human rights under the Helsinki Accords said, “Berlin was once the world capital of anti-Semitism; I am afraid that today it is Moscow.” The July 30, 2002, issue of Pravda, Russia’s official government newspaper, featured an article entitled “Explosion of Anti-Semitism in Russia.” The Israel Insider, June 30, 2005, stated: “It seems that just as anti-Semitism was at the very core of the old Russia, it is at the very core of the new Russia.”
Russia has been arming Israel’s Muslim enemies since the early 1950s. When Israel penetrated the Sinai Peninsula in 1956 to force Egypt to allow free movement for its ships, Russia threatened her with annihilation (Moshe Dayan, Diary of the Sinai Campaign, 1966, p. 185). Russia armed Syria for the 1973 Yom Kippur War with some of its most advanced weapons systems, ferried a Moroccan Army brigade to Syria on Soviet ships, and provided Soviet technicians to help the Syrians operate the equipment (Duel for the Golan, Kindle location 520). In September 2008, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Sallai Meridor, warned that Russian arms sales to Iran and Syria are “destabilizing and dangerous for Israel” (“Israel Irked by Iran-Russia Military Ties,” PressTV.ir, Sept. 13, 2008).
In 2014, Russia pledged to build two more nuclear power plants in Iran (“Iran, Russia Agree to Continue Nuclear Cooperation,” ITAR-TASS, May 29, 2014).
In November 2024 Russia delivered air-defense systems to Iran in preparation for its promised revenge strike against Israel over the killing of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Sergei Shoigu, head of the Russian Security Council, “described Iran as a key strategic ally of Russia’s in the region” (Israel365News, Aug. 6, 2024). Iranian armed forces commander, Brig. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, noted that Russian-Iranian ties are “deep, long term and strategic” and would only expand under Iran’s new government.
In 2025, after Israel and America bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities, Russia pledged to build new nuclear power plants (“Iran strengthens nuclear ties with Russia,” World Israel News, Oct. 10, 2025).
Since the break up of the Soviet Union in 1991, more than 1 million Jews have left Russia to immigrate to Israel.
When Shall Gog and Magog Attack Israel?
1. It will occur in the latter days.
“... in the latter years thou shalt come into the land,” Eze. 38:8).
This is a prophetic term that describes the time when Old Testament prophecy will be fulfilled and the kingdom established.
2. It will occur when Israel is back in the land.
“After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them” (Eze. 38:8).
Since 1948, Israel has had her own state and Jews have resettled there from all over the world. But a greater regathering remains for the future at the beginning of Christ’s reign when Jews will be brought to Israel on the shoulders of the Gentiles (Isaiah 50:22).
3. It will occur when the desolate places are inhabited and Israel has riches.
“To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land. Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?” (Eze 38:12-13).
When the Jews began to come back to Israel in the 19th century it was indeed desolate. Through hard labor and God’s blessing they have turned the desolate places into a fruitful field, at least in parts of the country. Israel grows enough food not only to feed herself but also to be a major exporter. She has harnessed the meager water resources and used them to amazing advantage. Her technological achievements have been phenomenal. In spite of almost constant warfare and many other obstacles, Israel has become an advanced, wealthy nation.
But she will be much more wealthy after Christ returns as described in prophecies such as the following: Psalm 72:15; Isaiah 49:23; 54:11-12; 60:5-6, 9, 11, 16-17.
4. It will occur when Israel dwells safely.
“And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates” (Eze 38:11).
Obviously, Israel does not feel secure today. The villages are not walled as in the old days, but they are well protected. The tiny nation is armed to the teeth with the best technology that money can buy, and its citizen soldiers can be called together within hours.
When is this time of safety described in Ezekiel?
It could be when Antichrist makes the peace pact with Israel described in Daniel 9:27 and 8:25. Israel will be deceived into thinking that this guarantees them safety, and possibly one of the Antichrist’s requirements will be disarmament. This is a major policy of the United Nations today.
It is also possible that Ezekiel 38:11 describes the time after Armageddon when Christ’s reign has begun and Israel feels no need of armaments of any kind.
5. It will occur when Israel has seven months to bury their enemy’s bones.
“And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land” (Eze 39:12).
This seems to point to the beginning of the Millennium. If the battle of Gog and Magog occurred at the beginning of the last half of Daniel’s seventieth week, Israel would not have seven months of peace to carry out this task.
6. It will occur when the heathen nations will acknowledge God.
“And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them” (Eze 39:21).
This, too, points to the beginning of the Millennium. The heathen nations certainly will not acknowledge God prior to the Rapture or anytime during the Tribulation.
7. It will occur in conjunction with Israel’s conversion.
“So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward” (Eze 39:22).
God’s judgment upon Gog will result in Israel realizing that Jehovah is her God. We believe that the destruction of Gog and Magog will be the final evidence to Israel of Christ’s power and authority.
We conclude that the battle of Gog and Magog can’t take place before the end of the Tribulation, which leaves only two possibilities. Either it will occur at about the same time as the Battle of Armageddon, or it will occur afterwards at the beginning of the Millennium.
There are unanswered questions in regard to both positions. For example, since the judgment of the nations occurs right after Christ returns, how is Gog and Magog still able to gather a confederacy and march on Israel? That would seem to require a time during the Tribulation.
But the judgment of the nations described in Matthew 25 does not necessarily take place immediately after Christ returns. Matthew 25:30-31 says the judgment will occur when Christ sits in the throne of His glory. This could point to a time after the Millennial Temple has been built and Jerusalem glorified.
The establishment of Christ’s kingdom and the bringing of the Gentile nations under Christ’s authority will take time. It is accomplished by Christ’s divine power, but it does not happen overnight. Zechariah indicates that some nations will refuse to submit to Christ and they will have to be judged to be brought under His yoke (Zec. 14:16-19). This is why the Bible describes the Millennial rule in terms of “a rod of iron.”
Arno Gaebelein offers a description of the beginning of Christ’s reign as follows:
“We do not believe that the judgment of the living nations takes place on a single day. Such a judgment of necessity covers a longer period of time. Nation after nation will have to come up for judgment. This will consume considerable time. There is no question the Millennial reign of our Lord will have two sides. There is first the Davidic aspect. He will begin to reign first as David did; His people are with Him and blessed, but all their enemies are not yet subdued and overcome. He will have to rule first with a rod of iron. And then when this final enemy is dealt with, He begins to reign as Prince of Peace, foreshadowed in the Solomonic reign. Gog and Magog, etc., complete and end the judgment of the nations. They are the last enemies to disappear” (The Prophet Ezekiel, 1918, p. 257).
Another question is how can Gog and Magog attack Israel at the beginning of the Millennium when Satan will be bound in the Bottomless Pit by then? The binding of the devil is described in Revelation 20:1-2, following the description of Christ’s return in Revelation 19:11-21. Our answer is that, first, we do not know if Satan is bound immediately after Christ’s return. A bit of time might transpire. Prophetic events are often collapsed so that the exact time element is difficult to discern. Second, men are capable of rebellion on their own accord even without Satan. We are not told in Ezekiel that Gog and Magog’s plan is satanic. Like the rebellion of certain nations during the Millennium as described in Zechariah 14:14-19, Gog and Magog’s evasion could simply be a product of the fallen human heart.
What Will Happen to Gog and Magog?
1. No earthly army will confront Gog and Magog.
“Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?” (Eze. 38:13).
Sheba and Dedan refer to modern-day Saudi Arabia, while Tarshish is Spain. They don’t confront Gog. They don’t even threaten to confront them. They simply ask whether Gog and Magog have come to take spoil. This sounds like United Nations-style diplomacy to me!
2. The armies will be destroyed by God’s miraculous power through a great earthquake, by turning the soldiers against each other, and by “great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.”
“So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground. And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man's sword shall be against his brother. And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone” (Eze. 38:20-22).
Only one-sixth of the soldiers will return home.
“And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel” (Eze. 39:2).
3. It also appears that God will send a fire of judgment on Gog and Magog’s homelands.
“And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD” (Eze. 39:6).
What Will Be the Result of This Battle?
1. God will be magnified in the eyes of many nations.
“Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD” (Eze. 38:23).
“So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel” (Eze. 39:7).
“And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them” (Eze. 39:21).
God is magnified both in grace and in judgment, in love and in power. By this judgment on the great armies of Gog and Magog the world will learn that Jehovah is an omnipotent God and a holy Judge of sin.
2. Israel will know God as her Lord.
“And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone” (Eze. 38:22).
3. The world will also know that Israel suffered in captivity for her sin.
“And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the sword. According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions have I done unto them, and hid my face from them” (Eze. 39:23-24).
The meaning of Bible prophecy will be opened up to the nations. They will be taught God’s law (Isa. 2:3). They will understand spiritual things. Again, it appears that the battle of Gog and Magog occurs at the very end of the Tribulation or the beginning of the Millennium, because prior to this the nations are in rebellion and spiritual blindness.
The Gog and Magog of Ezekiel 38-39 refer to a great military alliance that will attack Israel from the north in the latter days.
Who Is Gog and Magog?
There are seven reasons we believe Gog and Magog refer to Russia:
1. The genealogy points to Russia.
“Magog was the second son of Japheth (Gen. 10:1-2), one of the three sons of Noah. Before the dawn of secular history his descendants seem to have inhabited exclusively the region of the Caucasus and of northern Armenia” (Louis Bauman, Russian Events in the Light of Bible Prophecy, 1942, p. 23).
2. The name points to Russia.
Robert Lowth (1710-87), Oxford Professor of Poetry, wrote, “Rosh, taken as a proper name in Ezekiel, signifies the inhabitants of Scythia, from whom the modern Russians derived their modern name.”
Wilhelm Gesenius (1786-1842) said in his Hebrew-English lexicon that Gog is “undoubtedly the Russians.” “He declared that ‘Rosh’ was a designation for the tribes then north of the Taurus mountains, dwelling in the neighborhood of the Volga, and he held that in this name and tribe we have the first trace in history of the ‘Russ,’ or Russian nation. Gesenius also identified ‘Meshech’ as Moscow, the capital of modern Russia in Europe. ‘Tubal’ he identified as Tobolsk, the earliest province of Asiatic Russia to be colonized, and, also, the name of the city wherein Peter the Great built the old fortress after the pattern of the Kremlin at Moscow. Moscow bespeaks Russia in Europe, and Tobolsk bespeaks Russia in Asia” (Bauman, Russian Events, p. 24).
Richard Watson, writing in his 1831 Biblical and Theological Dictionary, said, “Magog signifies the country or people, and Gog the king of that country; the general name of the northern nations of Europe and Asia, or the districts north of the Caucasus, or Mount Taurus” (p. 417).
3. The location points to Russia.
Ezekiel tells us exactly where this enemy of Israel lives—to the north of Israel (Eze. 38:6, 15; 39:2). And Ezekiel doesn’t merely say “north.” He says Gog’s place is in “the north parts.” John Darby translated this “the uttermost north.” A quick reference to a modern map reveals only one great power to the extreme north of Israel, and that is Russia.
4. The size of the army points to Russia.
“... even a great company … like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands ... a mighty army” (Eze. 38:4, 9, 15).
Israel has many enemies other than Russia, particularly the neighboring Arab nations, but no Arab enemy can field an army as mighty as the one Ezekiel sees descending from the north.
5. The alliance points to Russia (Eze. 38:4-7).
Gog does not come against Israel alone. Gog is the leader of and “a guard unto” a massive military alliance. Those who are said to be associated with him remind us of Russia and its former satellites. It is significant that six of the former Soviet republics are Israel-hating Islamic nations today (Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan).
Persia, modern Iran (the name was changed in 1935), is a friend of Russia and an enemy of Israel. In September 2008, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Sallai Meridor, warned that Russian arms sales to Iran and Syria are “destabilizing and dangerous for Israel” (“Israel Irked by Iran-Russia Military Ties,” PressTV.ir, Sept. 13, 2008). Russia is a major player in providing Iran with nuclear technology and high-tech armaments. In 2009, Iran’s defense ministry hailed the nation’s military ties to Russia (AP, Feb. 20, 2009). In June 2014, Russia pledged to build two more nuclear power plants in Iran (“Iran, Russia Agree to Continue Nuclear Cooperation,” ITAR-TASS, May 29, 2014). In 2007, Iran president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he was “assured that the United States and the Zionist regime of Israel will soon come to the end of their lives” (“Iran’s Ahmadinejad: Israel, U.S. Soon Will Die,” NewsMax.com, Jan. 24, 2007). In August 2012, Ahmadinejad said “the ultimate goal of world forces must be the annihilation of Israel” (Jerusalem Post, Aug. 2, 2012). “Ahmadinejad believes the apocalypse will occur in his own lifetime and says Allah himself chose him to play a role in ushering in the end of days” (Ron Rhodes, Northern Storm Rising, 2008). Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for the annihilation of Israel. On November 8, 2014, he tweeted, “This barbaric, wolflike & infanticidal regime of Israel which spares no crime has no cure but to be annihilated.” A year earlier, Khamenei called Israel the “sinister, unclean rabid dog of the region.” In July 2024, Iran’s newly elected president, Masoud Pezeshkian, reaffirmed Tehran’s dedication to destroying Israel, saying its proxies across the region will not allow the Jewish state’s ‘criminal policies’ to continue (Israel Today, July 9, 2024). Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Ali Hosseini Khamenei were killed on February 28, 2026, in a targeted military strike by Israel.
Ethiopia in northern Africa also has close ties with Russia. In 2008, Russia announced that it had strengthened military ties with Ethiopia and other African nations.
The same is true for Libya. Wikipedia says, “Russia regards Libya as its strongest ally in the Arab world, both politically and historically.” In August 2008, Libya said that it is good for the world and the Middle East that Russia is re-emerging as a military power. In January 2010 Russia announced an arms deal with Libya worth $1.8 billion.
Gomer refers to Germany and neighboring people. Gomer “settled in the north of the Black Sea (Gen. 10:2) and spread southward and westward to the extremities of Europe” (Young). Arno Gaebelein says, “Valuable information is given in the Jewish Talmud; Gomer is there stated to be the Germani, the Germans. That the descendants of the Gomer moved northward and established themselves in parts of Germany seems to be an established fact” (The Annotated Bible, Proverbs-Ezekiel). Richard Watson says, “The colonies of Gomer extended into Germany. ... In fact, under the names of Cimmerii, Cimbri, Cumbri, Umbri, and Cambri, the tribes of Gomerians extended themselves from the Euxine to the Atlantic, and from Italy to the Baltic” (Biblical and Theological Dictionary, 1832 edition, p. 417).
It is interesting that eastern Germany was aligned with Russia until recently.
Thus, “Gomer and all his bands” probably refers to the former East European satellites of Russia, particularly East Germany, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania, and Poland. The latter has long been a hotbed of anti-Semitism. Jews returning to their homes after the defeat of Hitler “were terrorized and sometimes murdered by Poles” (“Confronting Poland’s Anti-Semitic Demons,” Time magazine, Jan. 23, 2008). In May 2012, the Polish edition of Time published a feature story on the country’s anti-Semitism. The cover announced, “Jews! How contemporary Poland handles the shame of anti-Semitism.” In “Jew, the Eternal Enemy,” historian Alina Cala claimed that “anti-Semitism in Poland is still far from being erased from the public consciousness.” Jan Tomasz Gross’s book Fear: Anti-Semitism in Poland after Auschwitz makes the same claim. At a press conference in 2008, Gross said, “A very brutal anti-semitism was widespread in Poland. Many Poles agreed with the opinion that Hitler should have a monument elevated for helping Poland solve the Jewish question. That was happening not only in only Poland, but in all of post-war Europe” (“Confronting Poland’s Anti-Semitic Demons,” Time, Jan. 23, 2008).
Togarmah refers to the former southern republics of the Soviet Union and to Turkey. Togarmah was a son of Gomer, son of Japheth (Genesis 10:3) and settled in Armenia (Young). “Armenia, a former kingdom of NE Asia Minor; generally understood to include eastern Turkey and the Armenian S.S.R.—a constituent republic of the Trans Caucasian Soviet Union” (Funk & Wagnalls). “Both Christian and Jewish writers tell us that Togarmah refers to the Turkoman tribes of Central Asia--enemies of the Jews and anti-Christian all!” (Bauman, Russian Events in the Light of Bible Prophecy, p. 37). In June 2010, Turkey’s formerly good relationship with Israel (good compared to that of other Muslim nations) deteriorated dramatically after the Gaza flotilla incident. Major joint energy and water projects were halted, and Turkey has taken a more strident anti-Israel stance. On March 30, 2025 Turkish President Recep Erdogan, at the Grand Camica Mosque, prayed, “May Allah, for the sake of his name Al-Qahhar [All-Prevailing One], destroy and devastate Zionist Israel. And may we all, witnessing what is happening there [in the Gaza Strip], stay united, strong and resilient as brothers; may Allah keep our unity everlasting” (“May Allah Destroy Israel,” World Israel News, Mar. 30, 2025).
6. The equipment points to Russia (Eze. 38:7).
The northern enemy of Israel is a great provider of war materiel. Who has been equipping Israel’s enemies for decades? The answer is Russia. Libya, Syria, and Iran, for example, have large stockpiles of Soviet-supplied weapons. Iran’s nuclear program is protected by Russian missiles, by Russian threats against Iran’s enemies, and by Russia’s diplomacy in the United Nations.
7. This power’s hatred of Israel points to Russia.
Of the great world powers today, none have expressed as much hatred toward God and Israel as Russia.
Russia has a long history of anti-Semitism, stemming back to ancient times under the Russian Tzars.
Catherine the Great (r. 1762-1796) restricted Jews to the Pale of Settlement in western Russia (modern-day Belarus and Moldova, Lithuania, Ukraine, and east-central Poland). She charged them with double the tax rate of the Russian Orthodox. Jews were expelled from St. Petersburg, Moscow, and other large Russian cities.
In 1844, the Jewish self-governing community of Kehillah was abolished by Tsar Nicholas I.
Alexander III (r. 1881-1894) put severe restrictions on where Jews could live and what occupations they could engage in. This encouraged violent pogroms in 1881-84 that drove many Jews to Western Europe and America.
Violent pogroms against the Jews were renewed in 1903-06.
Before his assassination in 1917, Tsar Nicholas II, Russia’s final emperor, read to his family the antisemitic libel Protocols of the Elders of Zion, which describes an alleged Jewish plot for world domination. Though long exposed as “a crude forgery,” it is “probably the most influential work of antisemitism ever written” (Stephen Bronner, A Rumor about the Jews: Anti-Semitism. Conspiracy, and the Protocols of Zion).
One of the chief propaganda cries of Russian communism was “Zionism is Racism.” In the late 1940s, Stalin “unleashed a national anti-Semitic campaign.” Hundreds of prominent Jews were tortured and killed. Tens of thousands of Jews were fired from their jobs (Leon Aron, “Putin Is Worried,” The Atlantic, Sept. 24, 2023). It was called “the doctors’ plot” because “a group of Jewish doctors was alleged to have poisoned important party officials, and planned Stalin’s murder.” “]Khrushchev stated] that Stalin was planning to send the entire Jewish community to Siberia in his secret speech to the 20th Party Congress” (Steven Rosefielde, Red Holocaust, p. 111).
In 1947, the famous Baptist pastor J. Frank Norris of Texas, following a visit to the Holy Land, wrote the following to President Harry Truman:
“I interviewed many Arab leaders, and without question I found that the whole crowd are for Stalin, just like they formerly were for Hitler. ... If the Arabs and Jews in Palestine were left alone they would get along and settle their troubles. Russia is doing everything at her command to foment the trouble.”
In 1984, the U.S. ambassador dealing with human rights under the Helsinki Accords said, “Berlin was once the world capital of anti-Semitism; I am afraid that today it is Moscow.” The July 30, 2002, issue of Pravda, Russia’s official government newspaper, featured an article entitled “Explosion of Anti-Semitism in Russia.” The Israel Insider, June 30, 2005, stated: “It seems that just as anti-Semitism was at the very core of the old Russia, it is at the very core of the new Russia.”
Russia has been arming Israel’s Muslim enemies since the early 1950s. When Israel penetrated the Sinai Peninsula in 1956 to force Egypt to allow free movement for its ships, Russia threatened her with annihilation (Moshe Dayan, Diary of the Sinai Campaign, 1966, p. 185). Russia armed Syria for the 1973 Yom Kippur War with some of its most advanced weapons systems, ferried a Moroccan Army brigade to Syria on Soviet ships, and provided Soviet technicians to help the Syrians operate the equipment (Duel for the Golan, Kindle location 520). In September 2008, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Sallai Meridor, warned that Russian arms sales to Iran and Syria are “destabilizing and dangerous for Israel” (“Israel Irked by Iran-Russia Military Ties,” PressTV.ir, Sept. 13, 2008).
In 2014, Russia pledged to build two more nuclear power plants in Iran (“Iran, Russia Agree to Continue Nuclear Cooperation,” ITAR-TASS, May 29, 2014).
In November 2024 Russia delivered air-defense systems to Iran in preparation for its promised revenge strike against Israel over the killing of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Sergei Shoigu, head of the Russian Security Council, “described Iran as a key strategic ally of Russia’s in the region” (Israel365News, Aug. 6, 2024). Iranian armed forces commander, Brig. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, noted that Russian-Iranian ties are “deep, long term and strategic” and would only expand under Iran’s new government.
In 2025, after Israel and America bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities, Russia pledged to build new nuclear power plants (“Iran strengthens nuclear ties with Russia,” World Israel News, Oct. 10, 2025).
Since the break up of the Soviet Union in 1991, more than 1 million Jews have left Russia to immigrate to Israel.
When Shall Gog and Magog Attack Israel?
1. It will occur in the latter days.
“... in the latter years thou shalt come into the land,” Eze. 38:8).
This is a prophetic term that describes the time when Old Testament prophecy will be fulfilled and the kingdom established.
2. It will occur when Israel is back in the land.
“After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them” (Eze. 38:8).
Since 1948, Israel has had her own state and Jews have resettled there from all over the world. But a greater regathering remains for the future at the beginning of Christ’s reign when Jews will be brought to Israel on the shoulders of the Gentiles (Isaiah 50:22).
3. It will occur when the desolate places are inhabited and Israel has riches.
“To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land. Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?” (Eze 38:12-13).
When the Jews began to come back to Israel in the 19th century it was indeed desolate. Through hard labor and God’s blessing they have turned the desolate places into a fruitful field, at least in parts of the country. Israel grows enough food not only to feed herself but also to be a major exporter. She has harnessed the meager water resources and used them to amazing advantage. Her technological achievements have been phenomenal. In spite of almost constant warfare and many other obstacles, Israel has become an advanced, wealthy nation.
But she will be much more wealthy after Christ returns as described in prophecies such as the following: Psalm 72:15; Isaiah 49:23; 54:11-12; 60:5-6, 9, 11, 16-17.
4. It will occur when Israel dwells safely.
“And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates” (Eze 38:11).
Obviously, Israel does not feel secure today. The villages are not walled as in the old days, but they are well protected. The tiny nation is armed to the teeth with the best technology that money can buy, and its citizen soldiers can be called together within hours.
When is this time of safety described in Ezekiel?
It could be when Antichrist makes the peace pact with Israel described in Daniel 9:27 and 8:25. Israel will be deceived into thinking that this guarantees them safety, and possibly one of the Antichrist’s requirements will be disarmament. This is a major policy of the United Nations today.
It is also possible that Ezekiel 38:11 describes the time after Armageddon when Christ’s reign has begun and Israel feels no need of armaments of any kind.
5. It will occur when Israel has seven months to bury their enemy’s bones.
“And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land” (Eze 39:12).
This seems to point to the beginning of the Millennium. If the battle of Gog and Magog occurred at the beginning of the last half of Daniel’s seventieth week, Israel would not have seven months of peace to carry out this task.
6. It will occur when the heathen nations will acknowledge God.
“And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them” (Eze 39:21).
This, too, points to the beginning of the Millennium. The heathen nations certainly will not acknowledge God prior to the Rapture or anytime during the Tribulation.
7. It will occur in conjunction with Israel’s conversion.
“So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward” (Eze 39:22).
God’s judgment upon Gog will result in Israel realizing that Jehovah is her God. We believe that the destruction of Gog and Magog will be the final evidence to Israel of Christ’s power and authority.
We conclude that the battle of Gog and Magog can’t take place before the end of the Tribulation, which leaves only two possibilities. Either it will occur at about the same time as the Battle of Armageddon, or it will occur afterwards at the beginning of the Millennium.
There are unanswered questions in regard to both positions. For example, since the judgment of the nations occurs right after Christ returns, how is Gog and Magog still able to gather a confederacy and march on Israel? That would seem to require a time during the Tribulation.
But the judgment of the nations described in Matthew 25 does not necessarily take place immediately after Christ returns. Matthew 25:30-31 says the judgment will occur when Christ sits in the throne of His glory. This could point to a time after the Millennial Temple has been built and Jerusalem glorified.
The establishment of Christ’s kingdom and the bringing of the Gentile nations under Christ’s authority will take time. It is accomplished by Christ’s divine power, but it does not happen overnight. Zechariah indicates that some nations will refuse to submit to Christ and they will have to be judged to be brought under His yoke (Zec. 14:16-19). This is why the Bible describes the Millennial rule in terms of “a rod of iron.”
Arno Gaebelein offers a description of the beginning of Christ’s reign as follows:
“We do not believe that the judgment of the living nations takes place on a single day. Such a judgment of necessity covers a longer period of time. Nation after nation will have to come up for judgment. This will consume considerable time. There is no question the Millennial reign of our Lord will have two sides. There is first the Davidic aspect. He will begin to reign first as David did; His people are with Him and blessed, but all their enemies are not yet subdued and overcome. He will have to rule first with a rod of iron. And then when this final enemy is dealt with, He begins to reign as Prince of Peace, foreshadowed in the Solomonic reign. Gog and Magog, etc., complete and end the judgment of the nations. They are the last enemies to disappear” (The Prophet Ezekiel, 1918, p. 257).
Another question is how can Gog and Magog attack Israel at the beginning of the Millennium when Satan will be bound in the Bottomless Pit by then? The binding of the devil is described in Revelation 20:1-2, following the description of Christ’s return in Revelation 19:11-21. Our answer is that, first, we do not know if Satan is bound immediately after Christ’s return. A bit of time might transpire. Prophetic events are often collapsed so that the exact time element is difficult to discern. Second, men are capable of rebellion on their own accord even without Satan. We are not told in Ezekiel that Gog and Magog’s plan is satanic. Like the rebellion of certain nations during the Millennium as described in Zechariah 14:14-19, Gog and Magog’s evasion could simply be a product of the fallen human heart.
What Will Happen to Gog and Magog?
1. No earthly army will confront Gog and Magog.
“Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?” (Eze. 38:13).
Sheba and Dedan refer to modern-day Saudi Arabia, while Tarshish is Spain. They don’t confront Gog. They don’t even threaten to confront them. They simply ask whether Gog and Magog have come to take spoil. This sounds like United Nations-style diplomacy to me!
2. The armies will be destroyed by God’s miraculous power through a great earthquake, by turning the soldiers against each other, and by “great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.”
“So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground. And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man's sword shall be against his brother. And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone” (Eze. 38:20-22).
Only one-sixth of the soldiers will return home.
“And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel” (Eze. 39:2).
3. It also appears that God will send a fire of judgment on Gog and Magog’s homelands.
“And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD” (Eze. 39:6).
What Will Be the Result of This Battle?
1. God will be magnified in the eyes of many nations.
“Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD” (Eze. 38:23).
“So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel” (Eze. 39:7).
“And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them” (Eze. 39:21).
God is magnified both in grace and in judgment, in love and in power. By this judgment on the great armies of Gog and Magog the world will learn that Jehovah is an omnipotent God and a holy Judge of sin.
2. Israel will know God as her Lord.
“And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone” (Eze. 38:22).
3. The world will also know that Israel suffered in captivity for her sin.
“And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the sword. According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions have I done unto them, and hid my face from them” (Eze. 39:23-24).
The meaning of Bible prophecy will be opened up to the nations. They will be taught God’s law (Isa. 2:3). They will understand spiritual things. Again, it appears that the battle of Gog and Magog occurs at the very end of the Tribulation or the beginning of the Millennium, because prior to this the nations are in rebellion and spiritual blindness.
- Receive these reports by email
- www.wayoflife.org
______________________
Sharing Policy: Much of our material is available for free, such as the hundreds of articles at the Way of Life web site. Other items we sell to help fund our expensive literature and foreign church planting ministries. Way of Life's content falls into two categories: sharable and non-sharable. Things that we encourage you to share include the audio sermons, O Timothy magazine, FBIS articles, and the free eVideos and free eBooks. You are welcome to make copies of these at your own expense and share them with friends and family. You may also post parts of reports and/or entire reports to websites, blogs, etc as long as you give proper credit (citation). A link to the original report is very much appreciated as the reports are frequently updated and/or expanded. Things we do not want copied and distributed are "Store" items like the Fundamental Baptist Digital Library, print editions of our books, electronic editions of the books that we sell, the videos that we sell, etc. The items have taken years to produce at enormous expense in time and money, and we use the income from sales to help fund the ministry. We trust that your Christian honesty will preserve the integrity of this policy. "For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward" (1 Timothy 5:18). Questions? support@wayoflife.org
Goal:Distributed by Way of Life Literature Inc., the Fundamental Baptist Information Service is an e-mail posting for Bible-believing Christians. Established in 1974, Way of Life Literature is a fundamental Baptist preaching and publishing ministry based in Bethel Baptist Church, London, Ontario, of which Wilbert Unger is the founding Pastor. Brother Cloud lives in South Asia where he has been a church planting missionary since 1979. Our primary goal with the FBIS is to provide material to assist preachers in the edification and protection of the churches.
Offering: Offerings are welcome if you care to make one. If you have been helped and/or blessed by our material offerings can be mailed or made online with with Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or Paypal. For information see: www.wayoflife.org/about/makeanoffering.html.
