The Ezekiel 38 and Psalm 83 Prophecies/Part 3

By: John G Weldon, PhD; ©2011

Most prophecy experts confirm this general picture of Russia and a coalition of Muslim nations. Consider a few examples that we cite below and later.

Table of Contents

The Ezekiel 38/Psalm 83 Prophecies: Russia, Iran and Muslim Nations in Biblical Prophecy

Further confirmation

Most prophecy experts confirm this general picture of Russia and a coalition of Muslim nations. Consider a few examples that we cite below and later.

Author, international conference speaker, journalist, and radio host Dr. Jimmy DeYoung is an expert on biblical prophecy, Israel, and the Middle East, having lived in Jerusalem since 1991 and having interviewed every Israeli prime minister since 1993 as well as many cabinet members and other Israeli political, military, and religious leaders. In a 17-day trip to Israel celebrating its 60th anniversary, he and Dr. John Ankerberg observed that, “Without exception, each expert we met provided remarks that fit the puzzle of often mysterious passages of biblical prophecy.”^[1] DeYoung correctly pointed out that in the last days, “It is the Islamic world that is going to come together and align themselves to try to destroy the Jewish state. There will be one exception in that group. Modern-day Russia is mentioned in Ezekiel 38.”^[2] But in fact, due to demographics and other factors, some authorities see Russia as becoming increasingly Islamized. Dr. DeYoung points out that very soon the majority of both the populace and the military will be Muslim. Then we have the multiple Muslim republics of the former Soviet Union (Central Asia). So it’s quite possible that when the war of Ezekiel 38 comes about it will, in essence, be a fundamentally Muslim assault against Israel, which would hardly be surprising.

According to Dr. DeYoung, in ancient biblical times, Gomer, Togarmah, Tubal and Meshech all referred to Turkey because Turkey was divided into four parts called by those specific names. Until the mid-1930s there were three nations that we know today that went by that name of Persia — Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Cush in Ezekiel 38:5 constituted Ethiopia, Somalia and Sudan and Put is modern-day Libya. In Daniel 11, at least partly an end times prophecy (vs. 40-45), the King of the North is known as Syria today and the King of the South is known as Egypt. In Psalm 83 the Ishmaelites are Saudi Arabia, Tyre is modern-day Lebanon. According to DeYoung, this is the coalition of nations that will combine against Israel in the last days; he combines the prophecies in Ezekiel 38 and Psalm 83, which I interpret as separate incidents.^[3]

In sum, Dr. DeYoung sees the players in Ezekiel 38 as follows: Gog is the leader, Magog is part of modern-day Russia; Meshech, Tubal, Gomer, and Togarmah refer to parts of modern-day Turkey (the four parts Turkey was divided into in biblical times); Put (in some translations) is modern-day Libya and possibly additional areas west of Libya; Ethiopia/Cush is Ethiopia, Somalia and Sudan; Persia obviously is Iran, although ancient Persia included Afghanistan and Pakistan as well.^[4] To be sure, “the nations mentioned in Bible prophecy are in many cases already aligned against Israel, preparing for future battles.”^[5]

Interestingly, retired US Lieut. Gen. Jerry Boykin was a former undersecretary for defense whose specialty was counterterrorism. He sees Russia’s Vladimir Putin as “the next czar in Russia;” he points out that many experts see him as the most powerful ruler in Russia in the last century.^[6]

Turkey, of course, is already problematically a member of NATO; some members of the European Union however, will not permit Turkey to join the EU, pushing it further into the Islamist orbit.

As noted, Dr. DeYoung apparently interprets Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 38 as involving the same event and that this war will happen at the mid-tribulation point.^[7] (Again, I tend to view them as separate incidents but am not yet certain where Daniel 11:40-45 fits in.)

As a second example, Dr. Chuck Missler is a scientist and computer and Bible expert who has done a great deal of study on the Ezekiel 38 prophecy. His conclusions are worth noting as additional general confirmation. Mary Miller of Missler’s “The Koinonia Institute” summarizes:

• Magog is the Southern Steppes of Russia (former Soviet-Bloc countries);

• Meshech and Tubal are Turkey;

• Persia is Iran;

• Ethiopia is Southern Egypt, Sudan, Somalia;

• Libya is Libya (but it may also include Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia);

• Gomer is North-Central Turkey;

• Togarmah is Eastern Turkey^[8]

As noted above, ancient Persia today constitutes modern Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Cush today constitutes the Islamic Republic of Sudan and possibly Ethiopia. Libya remains Libya.

Read Part 4

Notes

1. ↑ John Ankerberg, Jimmy DeYoung with Dillon Burroughs, Israel under Fire, 2009, 8.
2. ↑ Ibid., 60.
3. ↑ For a more thorough study see the 21-part series on Ezekiel 38-39 by Dr. Thomas Ice at: http://www.pre-trib.org/articles; Bill Salus, “Psalm 83 or Ezekiel 38 – Which Is the Next Middle East News Headline?” April 21, 2009, Bible Prophecy Blog; http://www.bibleprophecyblog.com/2009/08/psalm-83-or-ezekiel-38-which-is-next.html; Bill Salus, “The Ezekiel 35-39 Mideast War Prophecies,” January 20, 2011. Joseph, “Will Israeli Oil & Gas Discoveries Become the Hooks in the Jaw of Ezekiel 38?”.
4. ↑ Israel under Fire, 60-61, 75-76.
5. ↑ Israel under Fire, 63.
6. ↑ Israel under Fire, 80.
7. ↑ John Ankerberg, Jimmy DeYoung, Israel under Fire, CD.
8. ↑ See also, Nathan Jones, “The Gog-Magog Battle series, Rapture Forums; http://raptureforums.com/EndTimesEvents/thegogmagogwar1.cfm.