Russia, Syria and Bible
Prophecy
In September 2013 Mother Jones.com ran an article
entitled “Oh Magog! Why End Times Buffs Are Freaking Out About Syria.” In response to allegations that the Syrian
government used chemical weapons on its own people many Americans called for
the United States to bomb this government’s inhuman military. Syria’s military controls its capital city of
Damascus, one of the oldest cities in the Middle East. For end time buffs this brings to mind an end
time prophecy from the Old Testament Book of Isaiah. In Isaiah 17:1 KJV the prophet wrote “The
Burden of Damascus. Behold Damascus is
taken away from being a city and it shall be a ruinous heap.” If the U.S. bombed Damascus this could result
in the city becoming a ruinous heap and be the fulfillment of Isaiah’s
prophecy?
This controversy over Syria has renewed attention in end
times Bible prophecy, especially since both Russia and Iran support the Syrian
government. Many Christians believe that
Russia and Iran will play key roles in the fulfillment of end times Bible
prophecy that ultimately leads to Armageddon and the end of the world as we
know it. Many end time enthusiasts
believe Russia is Gog/Magog, the
leader and his evil empire that Ezekiel 38/39 says will lead a multi-national
invasion of Israel during the end times. The battle of Gog/Magog of Ezekiel
38/39 is considered to be one of the most important events prophesied for the
end times. Many evangelical Christians
believe that Ezekiel 38/39 offers an exact description of Russia with Ezekiel
38:5 also listing Persia (Iran), Libya and Ethiopia among the invaders. Historian
Paul Boyer at the University of Wisconsin in his book When Time Shall Be No More: Prophecy Belief in Modern American Culture,
Harvard University Press, 1992, (p.162)
wrote “So hackneyed had this
scenario (Magog and Scythia as
Russia) become by the 1980’s that its proponents hardly bothered with
geographic and linguistic evidence marshaled by earlier writers.”
The Mother Jones article “Oh Magog!” focused on
bestselling novelist Joel Rosenberg books (Implosion,
Epicenter 2.0, Damascus Countdown, The Ezekiel Option). Rosenberg talks about how the innocent
bloodshed in Syria is setting the stage for terrible judgment that includes the
battle of Ezekiel 38/39 and Armageddon.
Rosenberg fervently believes that the Ezekiel 38/39 Gog/Magog invasion
involves Russia. In his book Epicenter
2.0 on page 87 Rosenberg writes, “Based on the textural, linguistic
and historical evidence we can therefore conclude with a high degree of
confidence that Ezekiel is speaking of Russia and the former Soviet Union in
chapter 38/39.” The only data Rosenberg gives to support this bold statement is
given on page 364 in footnote no. 8 of Epicenter which lists
outdated information from scholastically questionable sources. He also refers
to this same footnote for reasons why Russia is Gog/Magog in his recent book Implosion in
the endnotes for page 116. Yet throughout his books Rosenberg keeps repeating
the mantra that Russia is represented by Gog /Magog with no further support. In other words Rosenberg calls for a
Russian-led Gog/Magog alliance invading Israel even though there is no credible
historical or Biblical evidence for connecting Russia to Gog/Magog.
Rosenberg has taken up the call for Russia leading the
invasion of Ezekiel 38/39 that was first popularized by Hal Lindsey, an
evangelist famous for his 1970 book The
Late Great Planet Earth. Hal Lindsey
still calls for a Russian led Gog/Magog alliance invading Israel despite new
archeological and historical evidence to the contrary. This new primary evidence comes from the
ancient records of the Assyrian Royal Court.
These cuneiform records cover the time
period of when Ezekiel wrote. The Assyrian Empire lay to the south of Asia
Minor and it was the dominant power of the region. Their court records talk
about all the ancient countries referred to in Ezekiel 38/39. The Assyrians received annual tribute from
all of the nations of Asia Minor. The documents record the dealings these nations had with the Royal Court over
the years. The Assyrian records were
not discovered and translated until the 1900’s. These ancient records constitute primary
evidence in identifying the nations referred to in Ezekiel 38/39.
These court records tell of a warrior king called Gog
(Gugu to the Assyrians and Gyges to the Greeks) from the country of Lydia
(Ludu), a country the Assyrians also referred to as Magog. “Magog” simply means “the land of Gog” (matu-gugu). They tell how Gog and the nations allied with
Gog were situated across Asia Minor (modern Turkey). We also read how Gog sent
two shackled Cimmerian (Gomer) chieftains with rich gifts to Assurbanipal, the
Assyrian King.
The Scythians
(Ashkuza to the Assyrians and Ashkenaz to the Hebrews-Genesis 10:3) were at
different times friends or foes of the Assyrians, and these court records make
it clear that the Scythians were in no way related to Magog. Therefore it is very clear that there is no relationship between Magog and Russia, a
nation that would not come into existence for another 1400 years or so. Russian origins are Scandinavian not Scythian.
In May 2000 National Geographic did a
special issue and documentary on Russian origins. The Assyrian Court records also support the
information given in Ezekiel 38/39 and Ezekiel 27:13-14 about Meshech, Tubal
and Togarmah trading people, brass vessels, and horses. Archeologists now know Gog was a militant
king who led the countries of Meshech and Tubal to defeat the Cimmerians (Gomer
- Ezekiel 38:6) who were invading Asia Minor just as Ezekiel 38:2 refers to Gog
of the land of Magog, as the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. In yet another tie to scripture Gog even sent
an army to Egypt to help support Pharaoh Psammetichus the son of Pharaoh Necho
(II Chronicles 35:20-22) who met with Judah’s King Josiah.
. Everything that is
needed to properly identify the nations referred in Ezekiel 38/39 is given in
the records of the Assyrian Royal Court.
These records can all be read in Ancient
Records of Assyria and Babylonia, vol.ll – Historical Records of Assyria,
University of Chicago Press, 1926, Greenwood Press Reprint, 1968, by Daniel
Luckenbill. If the Assyrian court
Records are correct in these events, why would they be wrong about the identity
of Gog/Magog? As an archeologist it is astonishing to see that the scriptures about
the ancient nations of Ezekiel 38/39 are directly supported by the Assyrian
records. The primary evidence of the Assyrian
records trump all of the subjective evidence put forth for Russia being
Gog/Magog of Ezekiel 38/39. There is one historical record; Christians cannot have a separate historical
record for Bible interpretation. The bottom line is that Russia is not Magog of
Ezekiel 38/39. I believe that there will be a war as prophesied in Ezekiel
38/39 but Russia will not be the leader of the invasion of the nations named in Ezekiel 38/39. The correct identification of
these nations brilliantly ties together .a number of important Biblical prophetic
passages and shows that the Bible contains information about some very
important ancient events which only recently came to be known by archeologists
and historians. These new discoveries are based on DNA studies of ancient
skeletons and DNA studies of Tuscan cattle.
When I read the Mother Jones article
“Oh Magog!” I
was disturbed that some prominent politicians such as some members of Congress,
Rep. Louie Gohmert, Rep. Michele Bachman, former Senator Rick Santorum, Governor
Sam Brownback, Governor Rick Perry, and Benjamin
Netanyahu seem to be buying into the erroneous Biblical interpretations
Rosenberg and some other evangelicals are espousing. During his presidency Ronald Reagan even
bought into this erroneous Biblical interpretation which portrays Russia as an
“evil empire” and the “focus of evil in the modern world”. As one critic
said “Bad Biblical interpretation makes for even worse politics.” It is
important that Christians and political leaders have a correct understanding of just who the nations of Ezekiel 38/39 are
to be as they are being influenced and making decisions based on this
information.
Below is a more detailed
report about Russia and the War of
Gog and Magog
Russia and the War of
Gog and Magog
While most end
times Bible prophecy authors have argued that Russia's origins trace back to
the ancient nation of "Magog” described in Ezekiel 38-39, this is
simply not true. This myth that traces back to the mid 1800’s
is built on historical statements that were deliberately altered, and on the
assumption that the similarity of certain words could mean something else in
another language. Although ancient
records have been found that tell a different story about the identity of Magog
and about Russia’s origins, the “Russia is Magog” myth persists.
Assyrian Court Records
The popular identification of the nations of Ezekiel 38-39 is not
correct. Despite the traditional
viewpoint, professional archeologists know the identity of these nations from the Assyrian Royal Court records. The
reliable, clear and detailed records of Assyrian
Royal Court show they dealt directly
with each of these nations about 100 years before
Ezekiel wrote. These are the same records that
are referred to in Ezra 4:15, 19 and 5:17-6:7. These passages tell how the Jews of the fifth
century BC 538 BC–457 BC overcame opposition by the local Persian governor to
the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem by referring to these same Assyrian
cuneiform court records. They are also the same
records Bible scholars now use to provide independent verification and
edification of the Bible’s historical accounts from about 805 BC to 530 BC.
The Assyrian Royal Court
records provide direct evidence and represent an incontestable primary source
on this subject, since they were written during the time period in question by
people who were directly involved.
Primary sources have greater
value than secondary sources, which can include generalizations, speculation and interpretations made long after
the occurrence of the events. On this
particular subject, too often what has been written about these countries
constitutes secondary evidence and is not based on facts. In some instances statements are the product
of mischief, bias or not studying all of the available information.
The Assyrian Court records show dealings with Magog, Meshech, Tubal, and
Togarmah (Ezekiel 38:3-6), the nations that stretched across ancient Asia
Minor (modern Turkey) from west to east. From these records we also learn that
the ancient nation of Gomer (Ezekiel 38:6), an enemy of the Assyrians invaded
Asia Minor by coming down from an area around the northeast shore of the Black
Sea. Archeologists know that the militant
leader called “Gog” in Ezekiel 38/39 led a confederacy of these nations against
invading Gomer.
Who and what are Gog and Magog?
Gog is a historical man who the Greeks called Gyges of Lydia. In Gyges of Lydia we have the leader the Assyrians called “Gugu, King of Ludu,” and “Gugu of Magugu,” who is referred to in the Bible as Gog of Magog. “Magog”
simply means “the land of Gog.” In Akkadian ma means land, so in Akkadian Ma- gugu
means “the land of Gugu,” which
becomes our Ma-gog. (Just as the Assyrian eponym for the land
of the leader called Zamua is rendered as Ma-zamua). Magog
is an eponym for the ancient nation of Lydia
that was in the westernmost part of Asia Minor. The Assyrians often referred to
a new land by the name of the first leader they learned of from this land. The
Assyrians dealt with Lydia through Meshech, who were subsequently defeated by Gomer, and thus the Assyrians
finally came to deal with Lydia directly. In the prophecy of Ezekiel 38/39 Gog
is being used as a “historical type” of the “antichrist” who is prophesied to
come during the end times, and Magog is being used as a “historical type” of
“the land of the antichrist.”
It has been mistakenly believed that the ancient nation of “Magog” in western Asia Minor was the ancient “tribal name” of the
“Scythians,” a group of Iranian speaking nomadic tribes from
Central Asia (north of Iran) that traveled across the Russian steppes, and came
to live in the territory north of the Black Sea. Then, in turn, and again in
error, it has been believed that the ancient Scythians were the progenitors of the modern Russians. In Foes from the Northern Frontier Dr. Edwin Yamauchi, a professor of history at Miami University in Ohio emphatically
explains that none of the
ancient nations referred to in Ezekiel 38-39 can possibly be related to modern
Russia. Further, Yamauchi says:
“Even if one were to transliterate the Hebrew rosh as a proper
name (as does the NAS) rather than translate it as ‘chief’ (as does the KJV,
NIV, and Hebrew Tanakh), it can have nothing to do with modern
‘Russia.’ This would be a gross
anachronism for the modern name is based upon the name Rus, which was brought
into the region of Kiev, north of the Black Sea, by the Vikings only in the Middle Ages.”
Daniel I. Block, a professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College in Wheaton,
Illinois in The Book of Ezekiel writes,
“The popular identification of Tubal with Tubolsk in Russia (H. Lindsey, The Late Great Planet Earth
1970, p.53) is ludicrous . . . The popular identification
of Meshech with Moscow (of Lindsey, The Late Great Planet Earth
p.53) is absurd.
How did Russia become associated with Magog?
The erroneous belief that
Russia is Magog can be traced back to a small group of 18th and 19th century
theologians who wrote long before the primary evidence from the ancient
Assyrian records was discovered, translated and made available to the public. Instead, they based their assertions on
secondary sources, historical works written over 500 years after the time of Ezekiel, and to make matters worse some of these
sources had come to be purposefully altered. These altered references include
statements attributed to the first century AD Jewish historian Josephus, and
first century AD Roman historian Pliny.
In his book The Antiquity of the Jews Josephus says
that the Greeks called the “Magogites” the “Scythians” despite the fact that
the Greeks did not call the Magogites the Scythians. In this same passage there are other errors
in the identification of other ancient nations of Asia Minor. This passage shows
that the author did not understand that Ashkenaz
is the Hebrew word for the Scythians. (Interestingly, the Assyrian word for the Scythians, Ishkuza or Ashguza is similar to the Hebrew word for
the Scythians – Ashkenaz.) This passage also comes into conflict with what the
ancient Greek historian Herodotus who after living with each group wrote about
the Scythians and the Lydians in his book The
History. Since Josephus used
Herodotus’ book as a reference, one can only speculate how and why these
obviously wrong statements are in Josephus’ book. Were these
inaccurate statements the products of Josephus’ imagination, or were they the result of alterations to
the few copies of Josephus’ work that existed in medieval times? (Jews did not preserve the
writings of Josephus because they considered him to be a traitor.) Beginning in the 11th century these
surviving manuscripts were copied by Catholic monks, and obviously altered in some places to suit prevailing
beliefs. Ecclesiastical
acceptance of the erroneous connection between Magog and the Scythians traces back to Saint Jerome of the late fourth century
AD. Unfortunately, the oft quoted
statement that has Josephus connecting Magog with the Scythians is an act of
document forgery.
Similarly, the oft quoted statement that has the ancient Roman
historian Pliny in his work The Natural
History that connects Magog with the Scythians is another forgery. Nineteenth century Scottish Reverend John
Cumming is credited as being a leading promoter of the Bible interpretation
that calls for Russia invading Israel. In his book The Destiny of Nations Cumming quotes a passage from Pliny’s book
about Magog which he purposefully altered.
Reverend Cumming on page 126 wrote: “Pliny says ‘Hierapolis taken by
the Scythians was
afterwards called Magog.’”
Pliny on page 439 actually wrote: “Bambyx (a part of Lydia) the other name of which is Hierapolis, but by
the Syrians called Magog.”
Pliny’s statement has been misquoted by Cumming in a way that
makes it seem that Magog was related to the Scythians rather than the Lydians.
Unfortunately, this same misquote of Pliny has been carried forward in time and appears in Hal Lindsey’s book The Late Great Planet Earth (page 53). This alteration is easily verified by
going to a copy of Pliny’s book and seeing how key words were changed and
switched around. It is difficult to believe that none of the
many authors of books that discuss Ezekiel 38/39 and the war of Gog and Magog
have not discovered this sleight of hand and exposed the deception. (While many contemporary Evangelicals gave Cumming’s
books on prophecy favorable reviews, an article in the Westminster Review in 1855 about Cumming attacked him for his
“intellectual dishonesty, anti-Catholic bigotry, and moral and spiritual
perversion.”)
The correct identification of Magog with Lydia and not Scythia is consistent with the ancient texts of the Assyrians, who at various times were either the allies or the foes
of the Scythians, but had peaceful dealings with the Lydians, who they
also referred to as “Magog.” Within academia today, no professional archeologists, historians or serious Bible
researchers associate Magog with the Scythians or the Scythians with the
Russians. The truth is that modern
scholars have unequivocally documented that a group of Scandinavian Viking traders
called the Rus began the Russian state during the mid AD 800's, and gave their
name to Russia. Therefore there is no
historical or factual basis for any connection of Russia to Magog.
ANCIENT NATIONS OF
EZEKIEL 38/39 Ezekiel 38/39 makes reference to a group of ancient nations that
are all found in Asia Minor: Magog (Lydia), Meshech, Tubal, Togarmah and Gomer.
The correct identification of these nations comes from the “Royal Court Records
of the Assyrians”; the primary source on this subject. These same Assyrian
Court records are referred to in the Bible (Ezra 4:15, 19).
LYDIAN MIGRATION TO ITALY An early Lydian
dynasty experienced a prolonged famine which caused half of the Lydian
population to migrate to the west coast of Italy, just north of Rome. The
Romans called these Lydian migrants “Etruscans.” The Etruscans settled in an
area called Tuscany and they helped found the city of Rome and jump start the
Roman civilization. Hundreds of years after this migration, the Lydian
population in Asia Minor came to be ruled by a militant ruler whom the Greeks
called “Gyges of Lydia.” To the Assyrians this same leader was known as “Gugu
King of Ludu,” and “Gugu of Magugu.” Ezekiel referred to this same leader as
“Gog of Magog” where “Magog” means “the land of Gog.”
Why understanding Gog and Magog is important
As for comparing Gog and Magog of Ezekiel 38/39 to Gog and Magog
of Revelation 20:7-10, two different wars are being referred to and the terms
Gog and Magog are not being used literally but being used as “historical
types.” As referred to in Ezekiel 38-39,
the historical Gog who was a “prince” of
the nations of Magog, Meshech, and Tubal, serve as “historical types” of
the “antichrist” and the multi-national confederacy over which the antichrist
is to rule during the tribulation period. The Bible uses the historical leader
Gog as a historical type of the antichrist to come in the exact same ways the
Bible uses the historical King David as a type of Jesus’ Second Coming (Ezekiel
34:23 and Ezekiel 37:22-24). Similarly, in
Matthew 11:14 (also see Malachi 4:5) and Matthew 17:10-13 (“if you will
receive it”) Jesus in effect says
that John is a historical type of Elijah.
In other words, “Gog and Magog” (remember in Akkadian “Magog” means “the land of Gog”) in their most basic meaning, are taken to be types or
references to any “antichrist” and “the land of this antichrist;” just as I
John 2:18, 22, 4:3, and II John 7 says “there
are many antichrists.” Thus, Revelation
20 tells of a second and separate battle involving another Gog and Magog, that is, a different battle involving another
antichrist and the lands of this antichrist that takes place around 1,000 years
after the battle of Gog and Magog of Ezekiel 38/39. The Gog or antichrist of Ezekiel 38 is involved with one
war that is to occur before Jesus returns, and the Gog or antichrist of
Revelation 20 is involved with another war that is to occur after Jesus returns
and dwells with mankind for one thousand years.
The bottom line for what is said
in Ezekiel 38/39 is
that just as a real person called Gog led a confederacy of nations
around 660B.C., Ezekiel is using Gog as a historical type of the antichrist,
and Magog as a historical type of the nations the antichrist is to lead, for a
war that Ezekiel is prophesying to occur during the end times. This could be fulfilled by the
appearance of an antichrist and a confederacy of European nations representing
a revived Roman Empire. Ecclesiastes 1:9
and 3:15 teach that which is to be hath already been and that there is nothing
new under the sun. Has such an invasion of the Holy Land and effort to kill
Jews by a confederacy of European nations ever occurred before? Yes, deadly invasions of Israel have taken
place a number of times. These invasions are called the Crusades of the Middle
Ages. A confederacy of European
nations has invaded Israel before and according to scripture it seems that
these nations will do so again. While Russia’s anti- Israel actions regularly
appear in the news, it is interesting to note the ever growing anti-Israel
attitude and actions of the European Community.
