Being able to cite a pack of 'prophecy scholars', all of whom I wager are protestants rather than standing in the communion of any of the churches that can reasonably claim a continuity of spiritual life with the Church founded by Christ in his earthly ministry and in the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles on the day of Pentecost in the year of His Saving Death and Resurrection*, is quite frankly underwhelming to me.
I have slowly come round to the view of Tertullian, that those outside the Church, have no right to appeal to Her books.
Identifying Gog with Russia and Magog with China is quite frankly absurd, as in the original Hebrew 'magog' means 'from Gog', a fact made clear the Septuigent version of Ezekiel in Greek (the one accepted by the entire Christian Church until Luther decided the Christ-denying rabbis of Jamnia were right to shorten the canon and toss out books that were too comfortable to the Christians, thereby starting the protestant enthusiasm for an hypothetical), in which Magog is manifestly a person, while Gog is a place.
Hebrew ur-text).
Sorry, I've studied as much or more than you, but I prefer to read the Scriptures under the tutelage of the Fathers of the Church down the ages, not some johnny-come-lately heretics who fancy they are living in the end-times, even though Christ Himself told us no man could know the hour of His return.
I see though you have dropped your insistence that this war you fancy is clearly prophesied in the Scriptures has to be the one we'll call WW III. I'm glad, as that was my original point.
*I, naturally, regard us Orthodox as having the best claim, though the Latins, monophysites (Copts, Armenians and Jacobites), and Nestorians (Assyrians) can all stake a claim, too--Baptists, 'Bible believing Christians' whose Bible was shortened by Luther, Lutherans, Presbyterians, . . . quite frankly can't.
Well .. when Isaiah 17:1 is fulfilled .. maybe you'll change your mind .. but then you've already made up your mind and I wouldn't want to confuse you with facts.
The fact that "protestants" are beneath you tells me a lot. I had a lot of friends when I was growing up - some of whom were Catholics .. but I never held that against them. But .. to say we're incompetent to read and interpret the scriptures .. how uncouth of you.
And .. you stick with your "Fathers" teaching - I'll stick with "the" Father!
P.S. - I have not "dropped" my assessment of WWIII. I know what it will be about and where it will be .. and I also know that when God wins it - it will usher in the final harvest!