A Modern Woman's Perspective On The Kingdom of God on Earth


March 2, 2022

For A Time Such As This: A Look At Biblical Prophecy


Sometimes, as I begin to write, the Holy Spirit reminds me that I am treading familiar ground -- that He has counseled me on a particular subject in the past, and suggests I revisit what I received to see if I need to renew my mind. I was amazed! I wrote in 2014-15 about the world in crisis and what I wrote seemed almost like déja vu.

Here is how the Holy Spirit informed me in 2014, and what I wrote.... "What appears to be happening before our very eyes is an alarming coalition between Russia and China.  In reaction to strong embargoes on the part of the U.S. against Russia, China appears to be positioning itself as Russia's new strategic partner.  In fact, over the last several months, Chinese leader Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party have repeatedly exhorted the People’s Liberation Army to “be ready to win a war.” Xi has repeatedly called for greater military modernization, increased training, and enhanced overall readiness of the Chinese army, navy, and air force. And, if we think Russia and President Putin are just going to sit idly by while we attempt to destroy their economy, then we're more naive than I've thought".  

So, just as in 2014, we now see Russia's currency destabilizing, following the ruble's precipitous decline. And it is in China's best interest to prop up Russia because of their dependency on Russia's energy supply. In fact, if you will remember, Russia and China were communist allies throughout the Cultural Revolution and Cold War. And as neighbors, their financial and strategic interests overlap. China is a huge buyer of Russia's natural resources, and Russia is a great consumer of Chinese exports.  They are natural allies when it comes to destroying the power of the West, especially the U.S, and it's only logical that they would like nothing better than to crush our fragile financial system. There's so much in play right now, and it sure seems like it is aligning with Biblical prophecy. 

Which brings me to what I wrote in 2015 as I realized that oil (especially the oil reserves discovered in the Golan Heights of Israel) could certainly be the "hook" that draws the nations into the Biblically prophesied Gog-Magog war. Additionally, Christians, for centuries, have tried to make sense of Ezekiel 38:15....  And you [Gog] shall come from out of your place in the north parts...".  However, "the north" or "the north parts" has often been understood to be the heavens, and in this case, the second heaven, where satan and his fallen angels and demons live.  But that hasn't stopped people from trying to relate specific humans and geographic locations on the earth when dissecting Ezekiel 38.  But in taking counsel from the Holy Spirit in regards to the spiritual war in the heavens, I am beginning to see a different picture.  

Let's consider Ezekiel 38:1-2, which says, And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, set your face against Gog of the land of Magog, the chief ruler of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief ruler of Meshech and Tubal. I will turn you around and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them magnificently clothed in full armor, a great horde with buckler (small shield) and [large] shield, all of them wielding swords; Persia (Iran), Cush (Ethiopia), and Put (Libya, N. Africa) with them, all of them with shield and helmet; Gomer (modern Ukraine and Russia) and all its troops; Beth-togarmah (Turkey) from the remote parts of the north and all its troops—many peoples with you.

OK, now I'm going to ask you to follow my train of thought and perhaps connect the dots; try to consider this possible interpretation... Let's start with Genesis, Chapter 10, in which Magog is listed as a son of Japheth, who, himself, was a son of Noah.  Genesis 10:5 tells us that from these men, "the nations were separated and spread into their lands, every one according to his own language, according to their constituent groups (families), and into their nations"...  so the fact that Magog is usually understood to be a nation or country makes sense; having been named for the descendant of Noah who was given that land.  Just think of Washington, D.C. named for George Washington, or America, named for the explorer Amerigo Vespucci.  Naming a land after a specific person makes sense to me.

But then who is this Gog that our God is prophesying against?  In Ezekiel 38:3, he is called "the chief ruler of Meschech and Tubal".  In other versions of the Bible, this verse reads "O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal".  Before we try to identify Gog, let's clear up the discrepancy in the use (or lack of) the word Rosh in that verse.  Some versions of the Bible translate the Hebrew word ‘rosh’ in verse 3 as a noun referring to a place in Russia. The least credible support for this view is that Rosh sounds like the modern-day name Russia and Meshech sounds like Moscow. In this translation they treat rosh as a proper name. Other versions of the Bible translate ‘rosh’ as an adjective, a disjunctive form of grammar, that indicates a pause.  So, verse three would read: “Behold, I am against thee, o Gog, the prince, {pause} chief of Meshech and Tubal”, rather than “Behold, I am against thee, o Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal.”

It is not as important to me to understand where Gog is chief ruler or prince, as it is to know the identity of who Gog is.  I can accept that he rules over the nations of Meshech and Tubal, and I can agree, without any problem, that those nations may comprise parts of modern-day Turkey, southern Russia and Iran.  It is important to know who this Gog is, and why the Lord God is against him.  

So, now I'm going to finally tell you the understanding that I have come to, after much study and prayer.  I believe that Gog is one of the demonic rulers (or princes) that satan has assigned to particular nations to carry out his evil directives.  Once again, I feel that's why Paul made such an effort in Ephesians, Chapter 6, to spell out for us that we do not fight against flesh and blood!  (Could he have been telling us to not try to identify flesh and blood men as these enemies?) These rulers and princes are the spiritual commanders of the forces of spiritual wickedness that coordinate the game plan and align demonic forces on the battlefield of each nation. 

And I do not believe they are constrained by time or place.  Gog has obviously been assigned to govern and administer the nations of Meshech and Tubal at a time when they will be unleashing their armies on Israel [remember those all-important and valuable oil reserves in Israel that are tempting to today's world powers].  Since I often find that the Bible expresses overlapping and dual prophecies -- a word from the Lord that is specific to an ancient historic event, but that also applies to an End Times scenario.  In this case, the Old Testament prophet Amos says, Thus the Lord showed me, and behold a swarm of locusts were coming, and, behold, one of the young devastating locusts was Gog, the king.  

Then in the New Testament, in Revelation, Chapter 9, the Apostle John is given a vision of the Fifth trumpet being sounded, the bottomless pit opening, and the power of the locusts descending upon man to torture him.  In verse 11, John says, And [the locusts] had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.  It is well understood in the 21st Century that this king will be the Anti-Christ.  So, it is certainly possible, and it is my opinion, that the "devastating king of the locusts", that the prophet Amos saw is the same king of the locusts that John saw.  "Gog" could just be the designation of his title or position, [Prince]; and at the End Times he will be known by his proper name, Abaddon. 

Nonetheless, I think we must consider that Gog is a demonic spiritual king [chief ruler or prince] who isn’t limited in the length of time he lives or functions.  He can rule over many nations at different times; simultaneously or throughout the centuries.  But I think it is clear that he is an agent of the devil; with specific duties to battle against God's plan of reconciliation.  I believe that when God commanded Ezekiel to set his face against Gog and prophesy against him, the prophet was being instructed to battle in the spiritual realm against this demonic ruler, and to tell him the Lord God was against him and would defeat him.  That was in the Old Testament.  In this New Testament Age, I contend that we can do the same thing ... in our power and authority in Christ, we can declare to the demonic forces in the spiritual realm, in the Name of Jesus, that God is against them and they are defeated.  

I'm sure that this may be a new and very difficult concept for you to accept, since it is virtually never discussed in the Church today.  And maybe, you are one of those Christians who doesn't feel it is necessary to understand Old Testament prophecy.  But the God who spoke to, and instructed, Ezekiel is the same God who wants to speak to us today through His Word ... all of His Word!  For me, it is a matter of knowing that His character never changes.  So if God was against the demonic rulers in the spiritual realm in Ezekiel's time, He is against them today.  

And if He asked Ezekiel to set his face against that demonic ruler in that spiritual realm, I believe he wanted the prophet to take a stand, with God by his side, and announce the defeat of the evil entities.  I believe His command and His desire is for us to do the same. We need to change our focus from trying to identify a flesh and blood man as the source of power coming against Ukraine and the world, and instead, look up and partner with the Heavenly Host in a battle to conquer the Prince of Magog. Just as we understand that the prince of the kingdom of Persia [i.e., a high-level evil angel representing the interests of Satan in the nation Persia] was defeated by the Archangel Michael in Daniel, Chapter 10, we must understand that Gog is a prince of darkness, assigned by Satan to spiritually rule the land of Magog, which includes the nations of Meschach and Tubal (portions of modern Turkey, Russia, the "Stans", and Iran). He is bigger than any man, but his defeat is prophesied and certain! Hallelujah! May the God above all gods rule this time in history!Amen!

Habakkuk 2:3    For the vision is yet for the appointed [future] time. It hurries toward the goal [of fulfillment]; it will not fail. Even though it delays, wait [patiently] for it, because it will certainly come; it will not delay.

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