that the Sages understood would define the end of days...../ Its members believe the generation has arrived when prophecy will be fulfilled,

FreeInChrist

Active Member
This is for those who share a common interest in the core subject.... Primarily @armylngst , @koverbd , and @jeremiah1five . And also anyone else who is looking for End Times.

First I will note that not all of you three will agree with this or the author. I dont care. I don't care because none of you three agrees with the other and truth be told.... IMO that is ALRIGHT. Certainly no other member here agrees with each other but at the same time I reserve the right to offer interesting info when I come across it, to people or in forums where appropriate.

In this case it found me in my email and the title struck me because of the one of you who is so into Biblical Covenants... or should I say OT covenants? Not that I am suggesting this is one of those but .............

Israel 365 is among my subscriptions... so have a look. If you all agree to find fault here... then Glory Hallelujah you would all agree on something.


Sanhedrin Addresses Iran and Syria, Invoking Cyrus and Biblical Covenants

The first declaration calls on the Iranian people to overthrow the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and return to the partnership with Israel exemplified by Cyrus the Great. The second urges the Kurdish and Druze populations in Syria to seek independence and alignment with Israel.

Sanhedrin1.jpg
The Sanhedrin, from an 1883 encyclopedia via Wikipedia

The nascent Sanhedrin issued two declarations that reach across centuries of history to address peoples caught in the grip of tyranny. The first declaration calls on the Iranian people to overthrow the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and return to the partnership with Israel exemplified by Cyrus the Great. The second urges the Kurdish and Druze populations in Syria to seek independence and alignment with Israel. These declarations represent a reclamation of biblical prophecy and the restoration of ancient alliances that the Sages understood would define the end of days.

The Sanhedrin’s declaration to Iran begins with a message of divine partnership: “As messengers of God, Creator of the world in His mercy, we as bearers of the voice of the Torah of the Creator of the world, want every nation to prosper, including the ancient Persian peoples.”


The court expresses deep sorrow for what the Iranian people have endured under Islamist rule and before it.


The declaration states: “Every nation has its important contribution to humanity, and for this God created them. This contribution can only be expressed when they listen to the voice of the Creator of the world, mediated through His covenant people, Israel.”

The text then quotes the prophet Zechariah, who prophesied in Israel during the days of Darius, King of Persia: “Speak truth, each man to his neighbor, truth and peaceful justice you shall administer in your gates. And let no man plot evil in his heart against his neighbor, and love no false oath… and love truth and peace…. And many peoples and mighty nations shall come to seek the Lord of Hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the presence of the Lord. Thus says the Lord of Hosts: In those days it shall be that ten men, out of all the languages of the nations, shall take hold, they shall take hold of the corner of the garment of a Jewish man, saying: Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.” (Zechariah 8:16-17, 19, 22-23)

This passage ties Persian support for Israel directly to the messianic vision. Zechariah prophesied during the Second Temple period, when Persia under Cyrus and Darius enabled the Jewish return to Jerusalem and the rebuilding of the Temple. The Sanhedrin sees in this a template for the future.

The declaration continues: “We carry a prayer for all the peoples in Iran, that they merit to free themselves from the cruel rule of the Revolutionary Guards.”

The Sanhedrin acknowledges the origins of the revolution: “The Iranian Revolution began with a noble aspiration: to free themselves from a corrupt, tyrannical, and hedonistic government, and to establish a just and modest government that serves the Creator of the world.”


But the declaration notes a terrible transformation: “Unfortunately, a short time after the revolution, it was taken over by the descendants of the wicked Haman—Khomeini and later Khamenei. Like Haman, his descendants are also obsessed with harming Israel, even at the expense of severe damage to the welfare of their own people. They invest in developing nuclear weapons to destroy Israel, while their own people do not even have water to drink. Iran is seventy times larger than Israel in territory and nine times larger in population, yet they suffer from poverty, only because of the regime’s obsession against Israel.”

This week, hundreds of thousands of Iranians have taken to the streets across the country in the largest wave of protests since the Green Movement. Demonstrations have erupted in Tehran, Tabriz, Isfahan, and Mashhad, with protesters openly calling for the overthrow of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the Revolutionary Guard. Security forces have responded with lethal force, killing thousands of protesters according to human rights groups, but the demonstrations continue to grow.

President Donald Trump issued strong statements of support for the Iranian protesters. “The great Iranian people have been badly repressed for many years,” Trump posted. “They are hungry for food and hungry for freedom. Along with peace, this is the right time for change!” Trump warned the regime against violent repression: “The world is watching. Killing your own citizens will have severe consequences.” He has reportedly directed the State Department to provide technological support to help Iranian protesters circumvent government censorship and communicate securely. Despite the president’s strong warnings, a military response has not yet materialized.

The historical irony is deliberate. Before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran and Israel maintained close diplomatic and economic relations. The Shah’s Iran was Israel’s primary oil supplier and a key strategic partner in the region. Israeli advisors helped train Iranian forces, and the two nations cooperated on intelligence and military matters. Iranian Jews lived openly and freely. The revolution shattered this partnership and replaced it with a regime that calls for Israel’s destruction.

The Sanhedrin’s invocation of Cyrus is central to its vision. Cyrus the Great, King of Persia, issued a decree in 538 BCE allowing the Jews to return from Babylonian exile and rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. The prophet Isaiah called Cyrus God’s anointed—mashiach—even though he was not Jewish. “Thus says the Lord to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him.” (Isaiah 45:1) Cyrus is mentioned by name in the Bible twenty-three times, more than any other Gentile king. He funded the Temple’s construction from the royal treasury. This partnership between Persia and Israel was not political convenience but divine orchestration.


The Sanhedrin declared: “We wish all the peoples in Iran, who are now struggling for their freedom, success in their struggle and the removal of the evil rule of the Revolutionary Guards. We pray that each of the peoples of Iran will merit an independent state in their land, and to choose for themselves just and modest leaders, God-fearing and lovers of peace.”

The declaration then issued a spiritual call: “We call upon all the peoples in Iran to abandon foreign worship and to accept upon themselves the Seven Commandments that God gave to Noah and his descendants after the Flood, as they were given to Moses our teacher at Mount Sinai for all the nations.”

These Seven Noahide Laws—the Sheva Mitzvot B’nei Noach—prohibit idolatry, blasphemy, murder, theft, sexual immorality, eating flesh from a living animal, and require the establishment of courts of justice. The Sages teach that any Gentile who observes these commandments is considered righteous among the nations and has a share in the World to Come.

The declaration issued a direct call to Iranian leadership: “We call upon the leaders of all the peoples in Iran to walk in the path of Cyrus, King of Persia, to support the building of the Temple on the Temple Mount, and even to ascend and pray there in the places designated for the descendants of Noah, ‘for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.'” (Isaiah 56:7)

The Sanhedrin is calling for the reconstruction of the Third Temple and inviting the nations to participate. In Jewish law, the Temple Mount has designated areas where non-Jews who observe the Noahide Laws may enter and pray. The vision is that of the prophet Zechariah: nations streaming to Jerusalem to seek God.


The declaration concludes with the covenantal promise: “Every nation that chooses to serve God as He commanded us will merit divine blessing, as God said to Abraham, ‘And I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you, and all the families of the earth shall be blessed through you,’ (Genesis 12:3) and to Jacob, ‘And all the families of the earth shall be blessed through you and through your seed.’ (Genesis 28:14) And they will also merit to spread the good within them to the entire world.”

The second declaration addresses the people of Syria, particularly the Kurds and the Druze. The Sanhedrin states: “As messengers of God, Creator of the world in His mercy, we as bearers of the voice of the Torah of the Creator of the world, pray for the peace of all the peoples of the world, and want every nation to prosper.”

The declaration continues: “We see with great sorrow what is happening to the Kurds and Druze in Syria, who suffer from oppression and killing by the Syrian authorities in cooperation with Turkey.”

On the Kurdish people, the Sanhedrin declared: “Every nation has its important contribution to humanity, and for this God created them. The Kurds number fifty million people today, and they are the largest ethnic group in the world without a state. They are scattered between Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Turkey, and in all these places, they suffer cruel oppression. We support the right of the Kurds to an independent state in their land northeast of the Euphrates River, and we pray that they will merit just and God-fearing leaders and lovers of peace, who fulfill the Seven Noahide Commandments.”

On the Druze, the declaration states: “We call upon the Druze in Syria, in the territory of the Land of Israel, southwest of the Euphrates River, to join the State of Israel. To continue living according to the Seven Noahide Commandments, as decided by the Druze Sheikh Amin Tarif. To walk in the path of their Druze brothers in the State of Israel, who have made a covenant with Israel. To cooperate with the children of Israel who come to settle in Bashan, and with all the people of Israel in their land.”


Bashan is the biblical name for the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in 1967 and formally annexed in 1981. The Druze maintain a tradition that they are descendants of Yitro (Jethro), the father-in-law of Moses, and therefore possess an inherited portion of land in Israel. This belief in their Israelite lineage has shaped their relationship with the Jewish state.

The Druze community in the Golan has maintained a complex relationship with Israel, with many holding Israeli residency but not citizenship. The recent fall of the Assad regime has created new realities on the ground. The Sanhedrin sees this as an opportunity for the Syrian Druze to fully align with Israel rather than face persecution under whatever regime emerges in Damascus.

The invocation of Sheikh Amin Tarif is significant. Tarif served as the spiritual leader of the Israeli Druze community from 1928 until his death in 1993. He was the first to formalize the Druze commitment to the Seven Noahide Laws and to frame Druze theology in these terms. He also established the principle of Druze military service in the Israel Defense Forces, creating the covenant between the Druze and Jewish communities that endures today. Israeli Druze serve with distinction in the IDF at rates higher than the general Jewish population and hold positions of leadership in combat units, military intelligence, and elite special forces. Druze officers have reached the highest ranks of the Israeli military, and Druze soldiers are known for their exceptional bravery and loyalty.

What the Sanhedrin is proposing is a realignment of the Middle East based on biblical boundaries and covenantal relationships rather than the artificial nation-states created by European colonial powers after World War I. The vision is that people who accept the Seven Noahide Laws and recognize Israel’s divine mandate will prosper and find their place in the messianic order. Those who reject this framework, like the current Iranian regime, bring suffering upon themselves and their people.

The Sanhedrin was reconstituted in 2004 after nearly 1,600 years of absence. Its members believe the generation has arrived when prophecy will be fulfilled, and the Temple will be rebuilt. The declarations to Iran and Syria are legal rulings with the force of biblical law, not suggestions. They represent the Sanhedrin’s assertion of its role as the supreme legal authority for the Jewish people and its responsibility to guide the nations toward their proper service of God.


The Sanhedrin sees the chaos in Iran and Syria not as accidents of history but as birth pangs of the messianic age. The protests in Tehran, the collapse of the Assad regime, the realignment of regional powers—these are signs that the old order is crumbling.

The Sanhedrin believes the Nations will either align themselves with Israel and the God of Israel, walking in the path of Cyrus and receiving blessing, or they will follow the path of Haman and inherit destruction.

The Iranian people face a choice: remain under the tyranny of the ayatollahs who impoverish them to fund terrorism against Israel, or rise up and reclaim the partnership their ancestors had with the Jewish people. The Kurds and Druze face a similar choice: seek autonomy under hostile regimes, or accept the protection and partnership Israel offers.
 
This is for those who share a common interest in the core subject.... Primarily @armylngst , @koverbd , and @jeremiah1five . And also anyone else who is looking for End Times.

First I will note that not all of you three will agree with this or the author. I dont care. I don't care because none of you three agrees with the other and truth be told.... IMO that is ALRIGHT. Certainly no other member here agrees with each other but at the same time I reserve the right to offer interesting info when I come across it, to people or in forums where appropriate.

In this case it found me in my email and the title struck me because of the one of you who is so into Biblical Covenants... or should I say OT covenants? Not that I am suggesting this is one of those but .............

Israel 365 is among my subscriptions... so have a look. If you all agree to find fault here... then Glory Hallelujah you would all agree on something.


Sanhedrin Addresses Iran and Syria, Invoking Cyrus and Biblical Covenants

The first declaration calls on the Iranian people to overthrow the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and return to the partnership with Israel exemplified by Cyrus the Great. The second urges the Kurdish and Druze populations in Syria to seek independence and alignment with Israel.

Sanhedrin1.jpg
The Sanhedrin, from an 1883 encyclopedia via Wikipedia

The nascent Sanhedrin issued two declarations that reach across centuries of history to address peoples caught in the grip of tyranny. The first declaration calls on the Iranian people to overthrow the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and return to the partnership with Israel exemplified by Cyrus the Great. The second urges the Kurdish and Druze populations in Syria to seek independence and alignment with Israel. These declarations represent a reclamation of biblical prophecy and the restoration of ancient alliances that the Sages understood would define the end of days.

The Sanhedrin’s declaration to Iran begins with a message of divine partnership: “As messengers of God, Creator of the world in His mercy, we as bearers of the voice of the Torah of the Creator of the world, want every nation to prosper, including the ancient Persian peoples.”


The court expresses deep sorrow for what the Iranian people have endured under Islamist rule and before it.


The declaration states: “Every nation has its important contribution to humanity, and for this God created them. This contribution can only be expressed when they listen to the voice of the Creator of the world, mediated through His covenant people, Israel.”

The text then quotes the prophet Zechariah, who prophesied in Israel during the days of Darius, King of Persia: “Speak truth, each man to his neighbor, truth and peaceful justice you shall administer in your gates. And let no man plot evil in his heart against his neighbor, and love no false oath… and love truth and peace…. And many peoples and mighty nations shall come to seek the Lord of Hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the presence of the Lord. Thus says the Lord of Hosts: In those days it shall be that ten men, out of all the languages of the nations, shall take hold, they shall take hold of the corner of the garment of a Jewish man, saying: Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.” (Zechariah 8:16-17, 19, 22-23)

This passage ties Persian support for Israel directly to the messianic vision. Zechariah prophesied during the Second Temple period, when Persia under Cyrus and Darius enabled the Jewish return to Jerusalem and the rebuilding of the Temple. The Sanhedrin sees in this a template for the future.

The declaration continues: “We carry a prayer for all the peoples in Iran, that they merit to free themselves from the cruel rule of the Revolutionary Guards.”

The Sanhedrin acknowledges the origins of the revolution: “The Iranian Revolution began with a noble aspiration: to free themselves from a corrupt, tyrannical, and hedonistic government, and to establish a just and modest government that serves the Creator of the world.”


But the declaration notes a terrible transformation: “Unfortunately, a short time after the revolution, it was taken over by the descendants of the wicked Haman—Khomeini and later Khamenei. Like Haman, his descendants are also obsessed with harming Israel, even at the expense of severe damage to the welfare of their own people. They invest in developing nuclear weapons to destroy Israel, while their own people do not even have water to drink. Iran is seventy times larger than Israel in territory and nine times larger in population, yet they suffer from poverty, only because of the regime’s obsession against Israel.”

This week, hundreds of thousands of Iranians have taken to the streets across the country in the largest wave of protests since the Green Movement. Demonstrations have erupted in Tehran, Tabriz, Isfahan, and Mashhad, with protesters openly calling for the overthrow of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the Revolutionary Guard. Security forces have responded with lethal force, killing thousands of protesters according to human rights groups, but the demonstrations continue to grow.

President Donald Trump issued strong statements of support for the Iranian protesters. “The great Iranian people have been badly repressed for many years,” Trump posted. “They are hungry for food and hungry for freedom. Along with peace, this is the right time for change!” Trump warned the regime against violent repression: “The world is watching. Killing your own citizens will have severe consequences.” He has reportedly directed the State Department to provide technological support to help Iranian protesters circumvent government censorship and communicate securely. Despite the president’s strong warnings, a military response has not yet materialized.

The historical irony is deliberate. Before the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran and Israel maintained close diplomatic and economic relations. The Shah’s Iran was Israel’s primary oil supplier and a key strategic partner in the region. Israeli advisors helped train Iranian forces, and the two nations cooperated on intelligence and military matters. Iranian Jews lived openly and freely. The revolution shattered this partnership and replaced it with a regime that calls for Israel’s destruction.

The Sanhedrin’s invocation of Cyrus is central to its vision. Cyrus the Great, King of Persia, issued a decree in 538 BCE allowing the Jews to return from Babylonian exile and rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. The prophet Isaiah called Cyrus God’s anointed—mashiach—even though he was not Jewish. “Thus says the Lord to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him.” (Isaiah 45:1) Cyrus is mentioned by name in the Bible twenty-three times, more than any other Gentile king. He funded the Temple’s construction from the royal treasury. This partnership between Persia and Israel was not political convenience but divine orchestration.


The Sanhedrin declared: “We wish all the peoples in Iran, who are now struggling for their freedom, success in their struggle and the removal of the evil rule of the Revolutionary Guards. We pray that each of the peoples of Iran will merit an independent state in their land, and to choose for themselves just and modest leaders, God-fearing and lovers of peace.”

The declaration then issued a spiritual call: “We call upon all the peoples in Iran to abandon foreign worship and to accept upon themselves the Seven Commandments that God gave to Noah and his descendants after the Flood, as they were given to Moses our teacher at Mount Sinai for all the nations.”

These Seven Noahide Laws—the Sheva Mitzvot B’nei Noach—prohibit idolatry, blasphemy, murder, theft, sexual immorality, eating flesh from a living animal, and require the establishment of courts of justice. The Sages teach that any Gentile who observes these commandments is considered righteous among the nations and has a share in the World to Come.

The declaration issued a direct call to Iranian leadership: “We call upon the leaders of all the peoples in Iran to walk in the path of Cyrus, King of Persia, to support the building of the Temple on the Temple Mount, and even to ascend and pray there in the places designated for the descendants of Noah, ‘for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.'” (Isaiah 56:7)

The Sanhedrin is calling for the reconstruction of the Third Temple and inviting the nations to participate. In Jewish law, the Temple Mount has designated areas where non-Jews who observe the Noahide Laws may enter and pray. The vision is that of the prophet Zechariah: nations streaming to Jerusalem to seek God.


The declaration concludes with the covenantal promise: “Every nation that chooses to serve God as He commanded us will merit divine blessing, as God said to Abraham, ‘And I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you, and all the families of the earth shall be blessed through you,’ (Genesis 12:3) and to Jacob, ‘And all the families of the earth shall be blessed through you and through your seed.’ (Genesis 28:14) And they will also merit to spread the good within them to the entire world.”

The second declaration addresses the people of Syria, particularly the Kurds and the Druze. The Sanhedrin states: “As messengers of God, Creator of the world in His mercy, we as bearers of the voice of the Torah of the Creator of the world, pray for the peace of all the peoples of the world, and want every nation to prosper.”

The declaration continues: “We see with great sorrow what is happening to the Kurds and Druze in Syria, who suffer from oppression and killing by the Syrian authorities in cooperation with Turkey.”

On the Kurdish people, the Sanhedrin declared: “Every nation has its important contribution to humanity, and for this God created them. The Kurds number fifty million people today, and they are the largest ethnic group in the world without a state. They are scattered between Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Turkey, and in all these places, they suffer cruel oppression. We support the right of the Kurds to an independent state in their land northeast of the Euphrates River, and we pray that they will merit just and God-fearing leaders and lovers of peace, who fulfill the Seven Noahide Commandments.”

On the Druze, the declaration states: “We call upon the Druze in Syria, in the territory of the Land of Israel, southwest of the Euphrates River, to join the State of Israel. To continue living according to the Seven Noahide Commandments, as decided by the Druze Sheikh Amin Tarif. To walk in the path of their Druze brothers in the State of Israel, who have made a covenant with Israel. To cooperate with the children of Israel who come to settle in Bashan, and with all the people of Israel in their land.”


Bashan is the biblical name for the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in 1967 and formally annexed in 1981. The Druze maintain a tradition that they are descendants of Yitro (Jethro), the father-in-law of Moses, and therefore possess an inherited portion of land in Israel. This belief in their Israelite lineage has shaped their relationship with the Jewish state.

The Druze community in the Golan has maintained a complex relationship with Israel, with many holding Israeli residency but not citizenship. The recent fall of the Assad regime has created new realities on the ground. The Sanhedrin sees this as an opportunity for the Syrian Druze to fully align with Israel rather than face persecution under whatever regime emerges in Damascus.

The invocation of Sheikh Amin Tarif is significant. Tarif served as the spiritual leader of the Israeli Druze community from 1928 until his death in 1993. He was the first to formalize the Druze commitment to the Seven Noahide Laws and to frame Druze theology in these terms. He also established the principle of Druze military service in the Israel Defense Forces, creating the covenant between the Druze and Jewish communities that endures today. Israeli Druze serve with distinction in the IDF at rates higher than the general Jewish population and hold positions of leadership in combat units, military intelligence, and elite special forces. Druze officers have reached the highest ranks of the Israeli military, and Druze soldiers are known for their exceptional bravery and loyalty.

What the Sanhedrin is proposing is a realignment of the Middle East based on biblical boundaries and covenantal relationships rather than the artificial nation-states created by European colonial powers after World War I. The vision is that people who accept the Seven Noahide Laws and recognize Israel’s divine mandate will prosper and find their place in the messianic order. Those who reject this framework, like the current Iranian regime, bring suffering upon themselves and their people.

The Sanhedrin was reconstituted in 2004 after nearly 1,600 years of absence. Its members believe the generation has arrived when prophecy will be fulfilled, and the Temple will be rebuilt. The declarations to Iran and Syria are legal rulings with the force of biblical law, not suggestions. They represent the Sanhedrin’s assertion of its role as the supreme legal authority for the Jewish people and its responsibility to guide the nations toward their proper service of God.


The Sanhedrin sees the chaos in Iran and Syria not as accidents of history but as birth pangs of the messianic age. The protests in Tehran, the collapse of the Assad regime, the realignment of regional powers—these are signs that the old order is crumbling.

The Sanhedrin believes the Nations will either align themselves with Israel and the God of Israel, walking in the path of Cyrus and receiving blessing, or they will follow the path of Haman and inherit destruction.

The Iranian people face a choice: remain under the tyranny of the ayatollahs who impoverish them to fund terrorism against Israel, or rise up and reclaim the partnership their ancestors had with the Jewish people. The Kurds and Druze face a similar choice: seek autonomy under hostile regimes, or accept the protection and partnership Israel offers.
In Bible prophecy, Iran (ancient Persia) is most notably linked to the end-times invasion of Israel in Ezekiel 38, where it's described as part of a northern coalition (with Magog/Russia, Cush/Ethiopia, Put/Libya, etc.) attacking a peaceful Israel, only to be destroyed by God's supernatural intervention. Some interpretations also see prophetic significance in verses from Jeremiah 49, pointing to judgment and future blessing for Iran, with current events often viewed through this lens.
Shabbat Shalom
 
In Bible prophecy, Iran (ancient Persia) is most notably linked to the end-times invasion of Israel in Ezekiel 38, where it's described as part of a northern coalition (with Magog/Russia, Cush/Ethiopia, Put/Libya, etc.) attacking a peaceful Israel, only to be destroyed by God's supernatural intervention. Some interpretations also see prophetic significance in verses from Jeremiah 49, pointing to judgment and future blessing for Iran, with current events often viewed through this lens.
Shabbat Shalom
It will be interesting to watch... A lot of things now mention Trump and I have heard more then one say they
thought God saved him in Butler PA for a purpose.

He certainly is all about the mid East which I applaud, and if things are moving as they seem to be we well could be the generation.

Maranatha,

Amen, amen
 
Ezekiel 38:1-39:16 describes an invasion of Israel from the north and the subsequent destruction of the
invading forces once they reach the area of the mountains of Israel. It will be first necessary to look at the
details of this invasion and then deal with the controversial question as to when this invasion will take place.
The passage will be approached with the questions of who, where, what, how, and when?
Concerning who, the prophet named the peoples involved in this invasion in Ezekiel 38:1-6. 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 the ruler of Magog, just as the terms "pharaoh," "kaiser," and "czar" were titles for rulers and not
proper names. Whoever rules this alliance at the time of the invasion will be Ezekiel's Gog. The identification
of the land 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 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 east in Asia. The modern nation of Russia encompasses all these areas of
Ezekiel.
As to avoid any further possible doubt, verse 6 adds that these come from the uttermost 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 straight line due north from Jerusalem.
A 1980 Jewish commentary on Daniel, published by the [Orthodox Jewish] ArtScroll Tanach Series, comments
on the identity of Magog: "The various traditions concerning the identity of Magog, who in Genesis 10:2
is listed among the sons of Noah's sons Japheth, tend to place the land of Magog in what today is southwest
Russia---the Caucasian region, which lies between the Black and Caspian Seas..."
This highly acclaimed Art Scroll commentary concludes with this fascinating comment: "In this light one may
understand an oral tradition passed down from the Vilna Gaon.....that when the Russian navy passes through
the Bosporus (that is, on the way to the Mediterranean through the Dardanelles) it will be time to put on
Sabbath clothes (in anticipation of the coming of Messiah)."

However, Russia is not alone in the invasion of Israel. She is part of a confederacy and the leader of it.
The other nations involved are listed in verses 5-6, starting with Persia, or present day Iran. There was a
time when Iran was generally pro-western and pro-Israel. Yet, after the Islamic Revolution of 1979, Iran
became anti-western and anti-Israel and moved more within the Russian sphere of influence. Presently,
Israel considers Iran its most dangerous enemy. Another nation involved is called "Cush." There are two
places that had that name. One was in Mesopotamia (Gen. 2:13), But all other passages of this word refers
to Ethiopia. However, 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 events. The next nation mentioned in Ezekiel is "Put," which is Somalia. Somalia
borders Ethiopia. This is followed by Gomer. In Midrash Rabbah 37:1, Gomer is called Germania, and that is
also the way the Talmud refers to Gomer. Hence, according to the rabbis, Gomer is located in present-day
Germany. The last name is Togarmah, which is present day Armenia. Hence, in answer as to who will be involved
in this confederacy, it is Russia and the allied states of Iran, Ethiopia, Somalia, Germany, and Armenia.
One interesting observation is that according to Ezekiel 38:1-6, not a single Arab nation will participate in
this invasion. While some of the nations listed here are Muslim, 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
force, and so the invasion will come from the north.
The cup of iniquity of Russia is almost full. With this invasion it will overflow, and this will participate God's
judgement on the nation. God is in control. He is the one who is bringing the invasion about. Thus, while studying
Ezekiel 38:1-6, one should note the sovereignty of God in this invasion. It will be the means by which God will
punish Russia for her sins. The key sin is her long history of anti-Semitism, a problem that persists to this day.

In Ezekiel 38:7-9, it answers the question as to where the invasion will take place. This passage continues to
address Gog as the leader of this confederacy (v.7). It then states that the specific place of the invasion will
be the land of Israel, more specifically in the mountains of Israel (v.8). Verse 9 describes the massiveness of
the invasion, picturing it as a storm cloud that covers the entire land. This is yet another passage that shows
the necessity of the establishment of the Jewish State and also a regathering in unbelief. Israel has to be a
state before this invasion can occur. Regardless of one's viewpoint as to when this invasion occurs, each
position requires the preexistence of the Jewish State. Furthermore, the passage shows Israel as a nation
regathered in unbelief, for only after the invasion do many Jewish people turn to the Lord.

In Ezekiel 38: 10-13, It answers the question as to why this invasion will take place on the part of Russia.
The key reason for the Russian invasion is the matter of spoil (vv. 10-12). Exactly what Israel has that Russia
would want is not spelled out in the text. The text simply mentions cattle, goods, silver, and gold, but these
are general Old Testament references for spoils of war. One of the more popular reasons given for the invasion
is that the Dead Sea contains 45 billion tons of sodium, chlorine, sulfur, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and
bromide. Another reason centers on the abundance of oil in the Middle East. Ezekiel 38:10-12 makes it clear
that the invasion is premeditated by the Russians, for they will devise an evil device and resolve to invade for
the purpose of spoils and prey. Therefore, whatever the publicly stated reasons for this invasion may be, the
actual reason will be Russia's self-interest.

In verse 13, a second group of nations are listed as protesting this invasion, for they recognize it to be an
invasion for spoil and for nothing else. These nations are Sheba, Dedan, and Tarshish. The first two are countries
in Arabia, which shows that at least some of the Arab states will not favor the Russian presence in the Middle East.
The name "Tarshish" is followed by the phrase "with all her young lions thereof" This phrase is a Hebrew idiom
meaning nations that have come out of Tarshish. The Revised Standard Version translates the idiom as "all its
villages," and it is close to the mark. But while the idiom is clear, the real issue is the identity of Tarshish from
which the other nations come out. The location of this country is England, and if this is what was meant by
Tarshish, it would include the United States of America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and other day present
democracies. It might include the British Commonwealth of Nations. Regardless of the exact identity of Tarshish,
it is this group that issues a protest. However, it does not go beyond the protest stage. Russia succeeds in
invading, and then the invading army is disposed of with no help from the protestors.

In verses 14-16a, the invasion begins, and the confederate army covers the land like a storm cloud, in massive
swarms. Hence there is initial success on the part of Russia. In verse 16b, God's reason is given for allowing
this invasion to occur, as over against Russia's reasons given in the preceding verses: that He might be sanctified
in the eyes of the nations of what is about to occur.

Having described God's purpose, the answer to the questions of what and how is provided in Ezekiel 38: 17-23.
The question of what is answered in verses 17-18. With the Russian invasion of Israel, the cup of iniquity is full.
The apple of God's eye is touched, and the wife of YHWH is violated, arousing God's anger so that He moves
out in judgement to destroy the invading army. This is followed by the answer to the question of how in verses
19-22. The invading army is deposed of and destroyed. Several means are listed: earthquake (vv. 19-20); civil
war breaking out among the invading soldiers themselves (v.21); pestilence, blood, flood, hailstones, fire,
brimstone (v.22) Since these things annihilate the invading army without the aid of other nations, God's purpose
is seen as succeeding in its objective. God is indeed sanctified in the eyes of many people (v.23).

Ezekiel 39:7-8 also adds another piece of information to the account of the invasion, namely, that not only will
God's name be sanctified in Israel, but among the Gentile nations as well. Thus a revival occurs in Israel, causing
many Jews to turn to the Lord.

Ezekiel 39:9-10 it states that it will take seven years to dismantle all the military equipment left behind, which will
be used for fuel. Finally, in Ezekiel 39:11-16 there is a description of burying the dead for seven months. According
to verse 11, the burial place will be in one of the valleys east of the Mediterranean Sea. This statement would put
this place in the Jordan Valley above the Dead Sea. The valley will be renamed accordingly. Verses 11-12 state it will
take seven months to accomplish the job. Since the enemy's armies will be destroyed in the mountains of Israel,
many of the bodies will fall into crevices where they will not easily be found. Therefore, special details will be
employed by the government to search out these bodies for burial in the valley (vv. 14-15). Overlooking the
cemetery, a new city will be built and named Hamonah, which means "multitude" (v.16).

The most controversial question in the context of Ezekiel 38 and 39 is when: when in the chronology of prophecy
will the Russian invasion occur? It is obvious from where the event is placed in this work that the author views the
event as taking place some time before the tribulation.

Shalom Rav
 
Ezekiel 38:1-39:16 describes an invasion of Israel from the north and the subsequent destruction of the
invading forces once they reach the area of the mountains of Israel. It will be first necessary to look at the
details of this invasion and then deal with the controversial question as to when this invasion will take place.
The passage will be approached with the questions of who, where, what, how, and when?
Concerning who, the prophet named the peoples involved in this invasion in Ezekiel 38:1-6. 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 the ruler of Magog, just as the terms "pharaoh," "kaiser," and "czar" were titles for rulers and not
proper names. Whoever rules this alliance at the time of the invasion will be Ezekiel's Gog. The identification
of the land 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 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 east in Asia. The modern nation of Russia encompasses all these areas of
Ezekiel.
As to avoid any further possible doubt, verse 6 adds that these come from the uttermost 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 straight line due north from Jerusalem.
A 1980 Jewish commentary on Daniel, published by the [Orthodox Jewish] ArtScroll Tanach Series, comments
on the identity of Magog: "The various traditions concerning the identity of Magog, who in Genesis 10:2
is listed among the sons of Noah's sons Japheth, tend to place the land of Magog in what today is southwest
Russia---the Caucasian region, which lies between the Black and Caspian Seas..."
This highly acclaimed Art Scroll commentary concludes with this fascinating comment: "In this light one may
understand an oral tradition passed down from the Vilna Gaon.....that when the Russian navy passes through
the Bosporus (that is, on the way to the Mediterranean through the Dardanelles) it will be time to put on
Sabbath clothes (in anticipation of the coming of Messiah)."

However, Russia is not alone in the invasion of Israel. She is part of a confederacy and the leader of it.
The other nations involved are listed in verses 5-6, starting with Persia, or present day Iran. There was a
time when Iran was generally pro-western and pro-Israel. Yet, after the Islamic Revolution of 1979, Iran
became anti-western and anti-Israel and moved more within the Russian sphere of influence. Presently,
Israel considers Iran its most dangerous enemy. Another nation involved is called "Cush." There are two
places that had that name. One was in Mesopotamia (Gen. 2:13), But all other passages of this word refers
to Ethiopia. However, 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 events. The next nation mentioned in Ezekiel is "Put," which is Somalia. Somalia
borders Ethiopia. This is followed by Gomer. In Midrash Rabbah 37:1, Gomer is called Germania, and that is
also the way the Talmud refers to Gomer. Hence, according to the rabbis, Gomer is located in present-day
Germany. The last name is Togarmah, which is present day Armenia. Hence, in answer as to who will be involved
in this confederacy, it is Russia and the allied states of Iran, Ethiopia, Somalia, Germany, and Armenia.
One interesting observation is that according to Ezekiel 38:1-6, not a single Arab nation will participate in
this invasion. While some of the nations listed here are Muslim, 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
force, and so the invasion will come from the north.
The cup of iniquity of Russia is almost full. With this invasion it will overflow, and this will participate God's
judgement on the nation. God is in control. He is the one who is bringing the invasion about. Thus, while studying
Ezekiel 38:1-6, one should note the sovereignty of God in this invasion. It will be the means by which God will
punish Russia for her sins. The key sin is her long history of anti-Semitism, a problem that persists to this day.

In Ezekiel 38:7-9, it answers the question as to where the invasion will take place. This passage continues to
address Gog as the leader of this confederacy (v.7). It then states that the specific place of the invasion will
be the land of Israel, more specifically in the mountains of Israel (v.8). Verse 9 describes the massiveness of
the invasion, picturing it as a storm cloud that covers the entire land. This is yet another passage that shows
the necessity of the establishment of the Jewish State and also a regathering in unbelief. Israel has to be a
state before this invasion can occur. Regardless of one's viewpoint as to when this invasion occurs, each
position requires the preexistence of the Jewish State. Furthermore, the passage shows Israel as a nation
regathered in unbelief, for only after the invasion do many Jewish people turn to the Lord.

In Ezekiel 38: 10-13, It answers the question as to why this invasion will take place on the part of Russia.
The key reason for the Russian invasion is the matter of spoil (vv. 10-12). Exactly what Israel has that Russia
would want is not spelled out in the text. The text simply mentions cattle, goods, silver, and gold, but these
are general Old Testament references for spoils of war. One of the more popular reasons given for the invasion
is that the Dead Sea contains 45 billion tons of sodium, chlorine, sulfur, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and
bromide. Another reason centers on the abundance of oil in the Middle East. Ezekiel 38:10-12 makes it clear
that the invasion is premeditated by the Russians, for they will devise an evil device and resolve to invade for
the purpose of spoils and prey. Therefore, whatever the publicly stated reasons for this invasion may be, the
actual reason will be Russia's self-interest.

In verse 13, a second group of nations are listed as protesting this invasion, for they recognize it to be an
invasion for spoil and for nothing else. These nations are Sheba, Dedan, and Tarshish. The first two are countries
in Arabia, which shows that at least some of the Arab states will not favor the Russian presence in the Middle East.
The name "Tarshish" is followed by the phrase "with all her young lions thereof" This phrase is a Hebrew idiom
meaning nations that have come out of Tarshish. The Revised Standard Version translates the idiom as "all its
villages," and it is close to the mark. But while the idiom is clear, the real issue is the identity of Tarshish from
which the other nations come out. The location of this country is England, and if this is what was meant by
Tarshish, it would include the United States of America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and other day present
democracies. It might include the British Commonwealth of Nations. Regardless of the exact identity of Tarshish,
it is this group that issues a protest. However, it does not go beyond the protest stage. Russia succeeds in
invading, and then the invading army is disposed of with no help from the protestors.

In verses 14-16a, the invasion begins, and the confederate army covers the land like a storm cloud, in massive
swarms. Hence there is initial success on the part of Russia. In verse 16b, God's reason is given for allowing
this invasion to occur, as over against Russia's reasons given in the preceding verses: that He might be sanctified
in the eyes of the nations of what is about to occur.

Having described God's purpose, the answer to the questions of what and how is provided in Ezekiel 38: 17-23.
The question of what is answered in verses 17-18. With the Russian invasion of Israel, the cup of iniquity is full.
The apple of God's eye is touched, and the wife of YHWH is violated, arousing God's anger so that He moves
out in judgement to destroy the invading army. This is followed by the answer to the question of how in verses
19-22. The invading army is deposed of and destroyed. Several means are listed: earthquake (vv. 19-20); civil
war breaking out among the invading soldiers themselves (v.21); pestilence, blood, flood, hailstones, fire,
brimstone (v.22) Since these things annihilate the invading army without the aid of other nations, God's purpose
is seen as succeeding in its objective. God is indeed sanctified in the eyes of many people (v.23).

Ezekiel 39:7-8 also adds another piece of information to the account of the invasion, namely, that not only will
God's name be sanctified in Israel, but among the Gentile nations as well. Thus a revival occurs in Israel, causing
many Jews to turn to the Lord.

Ezekiel 39:9-10 it states that it will take seven years to dismantle all the military equipment left behind, which will
be used for fuel. Finally, in Ezekiel 39:11-16 there is a description of burying the dead for seven months. According
to verse 11, the burial place will be in one of the valleys east of the Mediterranean Sea. This statement would put
this place in the Jordan Valley above the Dead Sea. The valley will be renamed accordingly. Verses 11-12 state it will
take seven months to accomplish the job. Since the enemy's armies will be destroyed in the mountains of Israel,
many of the bodies will fall into crevices where they will not easily be found. Therefore, special details will be
employed by the government to search out these bodies for burial in the valley (vv. 14-15). Overlooking the
cemetery, a new city will be built and named Hamonah, which means "multitude" (v.16).

The most controversial question in the context of Ezekiel 38 and 39 is when: when in the chronology of prophecy
will the Russian invasion occur? It is obvious from where the event is placed in this work that the author views the
event as taking place some time before the tribulation.

Shalom Rav
Just skimming (too much for me to think about right now), but a Jewish author I read says that the war with Iran, Russia, etc. will be before the tribulation, and has yet to happen. However, he also believes it is the rapture that is imminent, and that there is no specific time that the rapture has to happen. It could be 100 years before the tribulation. (Just to explain what he means.) So, to him, no, the rapture does not occur and then the tribulation begins. The rapture has no specific requirements... it will just... happen.
 
Back
Top Bottom