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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2087470/posts?page=8#8

Ezekiel 38,39 ping again.

The above link refers to those nations protesting the invasion of northern Israel by Russia as prophesied in Ezekiel in the battle of Gog/Magog.

Please note the grouping of nations with Gog/Magog and the above linking of those who protest. Note those who protest are not aggressively opposing, but merely protesting and asking the intent of Gog/Magog.

I provide an excerpt from the same text, copyrighted originally in 1982 and now in its 2003 revised edition, 9th printing, Ariel Press, “The Footsteps of the Messiah”, Chapter 4, D, a. The Alliance Ezekiel 38:1-6 P.106-109.

Concerning who, in Ezekiel 38:1-6 the prophet named the peoples involved in this invasion:

And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophecy against him, and say, Thus says the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rush, Meshech, and Tubal: and I will turn you about, and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in full armor, a great company with buckler and shield, all of them handling swords; Persia, Cush, and Put with them, all of them with shield and helmet; Gomer, and all his hordes; the house of Togormah in the uttermost parts of the north, and all his hordes; even many peoples with you.

In verses 1-4, attention is centered on Gog, leader of the land of Magog. He is the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. Who Gog will be can only be determined at the time of the invasion, for “Gog” is not a proper name but a title for a ruler of Magog, just as the terms “pharaoh,” “Kaiser,” and czar” were titles for rulers and not proper names. Whoever is ruling this alliance at the time of the invasion will be Ezekiel’s Gog. The identification of Magog, Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal is to be determined from the fact that these tribes of the ancient world occupied the areas of modern-day Russia. Magog, Meshech, and Tubal were between the Black and Caspian Seas, which today is southern Russia. It also includes part of Iran and Turkey. According to some, the tribes of Meshech and Tubal later gave names to cities that today bear the names of Moscow, the capital, and Tobolsk, a major city in the Urals in Siberia. Rosh was in what is now northern Russia. The name Rosh is the basis for the modern name Russia. These names, then, cover the modern territories of northern and southern Russia in Europe and Siberia to the est in Asia. The modern nation of Russia encompasses all these areas of Ezekiel. As if to avoid any possible doubt, verse six adds that these come from the uppermost parts of the north. This is repeated in Ezekiel 38:15 and 39:2. From Israel the uttermost parts of the north is Russia, with Moscow being almost a staight line due north from Jerusalem. Hence Russia is the leader of the northern confederacy, with Gog as the leader of Russia. This has also been the rabbinic view. The Artscroll Commentary on Ezekiel states:

The Gaonim had a tradition that these controls were indeed located in Russia... One tradition passed down from the Vilna Gaon states: When the Russian navy passes through the Bospores (that is, on the way to the Dardanelles), it will be time to put on Sabbath clothes (in anticipation of the coming of the Messiah).

In the Gog and Magog war, Messiah the son of Josepg will be killed which will then bring the coming of the Messiah the son of David.

But Russia is not alone in the invasion of Israel. She is part of a confederacy and the leader of it. Other nations involved are listed in verses 5-6. Involved in the confederacy is Persia, or present-day Iran. Once, Iran was generally pro-western and pro-Israel; after the Khomeini Islamic revolution, Iran became anti-western and anti-Israel and more within the Russian sphere of influence. At the time of this revision, Israel considers Iran as its most dangerous enemy. Another nation involved is called Cush. There were two places that had that name. One was in Mesopotamia (Gen 2:13). But all other usages of this word refer to Ethiopia. While looking at current events, it is tempting to identify it with the Mesopotamian countries of Syria and Iraq, consistency with the usage of the word “Cush” elsewhere in the Scriptures demands its identification with Ethiopia. Current events must never be the means of interpreting the Scriptures, but the Scriptures must interpret current events.

Put is mentioned next, which is not Libya (for which the name Lub would be used), but for Somaliland or Somalia. Somalia borders Ethiopia. This is followed by Gomer, located in modern-day Germany. This too was the rabbinic view. The Midrash calls Gomer Germania and that is also the way the Talmud refers to Gomer. The last name is Togarmah, which is present-day Armenia. Verse six adds the phrase, even many peoples with you. This phrase may simply define the numbers of nations already mentioned. In all probability, it is the former that is meant. In answer to who is involved in this confederacy, it is Russia and the allied states of Iran, Ethiopia, Somalia, Germany, and Armenia.

One interesting observation is that not a single Arab nation participates in this invasion. While some of the nations listed here are Moslem, they are not Arab. Another observation is that these nations are geographically located both north and south of Israel, but it is Russia that is the controlling nation and allied with Moslem, but non-Arab, states. The invasion itself is from the north. ...

end-excerpt.

With the present day events of Russia making inroads in Georgia (adjacent to Armenia), Iran, Syria, and antiSemitic tendencies still arising in modern-day Germany, this newsworthy event of armament being moved into Ethiopia, might either have been orchestrated by Russia, or an opportunity to mold closer alliances with Ethiopia.