Let’s Talk Ukraine, Gomer, Magog and Bible Prophecy

The world is on edge after what happened in the Oval Office last week between Presidents Trump, Zelenskyy, and Vice President Vance. I am seeing some interesting comments on social media. A few Trump supporters favor Zelenskyy, and some anti-Trump people praise President Trump for his actions in the exchange between the two leaders. However, no matter what side a person takes, the consensus is that WWIII is a forgone conclusion if the other side gets their way.

Will the current conflict between Ukraine and Russia start WWIII? God only knows. When history draws to a close, how many world wars will the people of Earth fight? The answer is the same: God only knows.

The Biblical account reveals some things about Ukraine’s future and distant past.

A yet-to-be-fulfilled prophecy in Ezekiel chapters 38-39 includes Russia and Ukraine. I have written about this prophecy several times since the Russia/Ukraine war started. So today, I will only list the participants. After we look at Ukraine’s Biblical past, I will also talk about what that prophecy may have to do with what’s currently happening on the world stage.

The players in Ezekiel’s prophecy, the Biblical names, are in the parentheses.

Russia (Magog),

Iran (Persia),

Turkmenistan and Afghanistan (Meshech),

Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan (Tubal),

Ukraine (Gomer),

Turkey (Togarmah),

and Ethiopia and Libya, which still use the Biblical names of Ezekiel.

Except for a woman named Gomer, mentioned only in Hosea 1:3, every time you see the name “Gomer” in the Bible, it refers to the land we currently know as Ukraine.

Keeping the list of Ezekiel’s prophecy in mind, we find some interesting relationships between these nations.

Japheth, one of Noah’s three sons on the ark, had seven sons after the flood. Genesis 10:2, “The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.” This verse repeats in 1 Chronicles 1:5.

Notice that those who settled in Ukraine, Russia, Turkmenistan, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan all have the same father. They are brothers.

Genesis 10:3 and 1 Chronicles 1:6 list Gomer’s sons. Gomer had three sons, one of whom is Togarmah, who is in modern-day Turkey.

Currently, two of the brothers, Gomer and Magog, aka Ukraine and Russia, are fighting it out.

According to Ezekiel’s prophecy, all those nations listed above will invade Israel. In that invasion, we see Russia and Ukraine fighting side by side.

For that to happen, one of two things will happen: Russia conquers Ukraine in this war or another future conflict, or Ukraine and Russia will become friends at some point in the future. With NATO’s rejection of Ukraine because of fear of Russia taking over Ukraine and moving on to Poland, what can Ukraine do?

Some believe Ukraine is stuck between a rock and a hard place, and its only option to end the war is Trump’s deal. Could Ukraine have another option? Dealing with Russia directly. Would Russia accept an agreement in which the war ends, Ukraine keeps her government but becomes Russia’s ally? If Ukraine allows Russia to place a “peacekeeping force” with a handful of bases and a small number of troops but allows Ukraine to govern itself, similar to the agreement with the allies and West Germany after WWII, it would allow Russia to save face and have the military presence they want in the area.

The odds of the previous paragraph happening are near zero, but two weeks before the Soviet Union fell, no one thought that possible. God is in control. He knows what the future holds, and He has already told us that Ukraine and Russia will invade Israel together at some point in the future. God works in mysterious ways, and how He aligns these two nations who are currently at war is His prerogative.

One last thought on Ezekiel’s prophecy: if you notice, none of Israel’s neighbors that this invading hoard would have to go through are mentioned in Ezekiel. Where are Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan?

There is another invasion of Israel prophesied in Psalm 83. The invading countries there are Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan. The invasion also includes armies from Gaza.

This prophecy is probably closer on the horizon than Ezekiel’s. Gaza is in ruins, but Hamas is already threatening to restart the war. Reports from Syria claim that Hamas is building up a force there. With the Syrian civil war over and Syria’s new leader’s hatred for Israel, it is not far-fetched that they would join in. Jordan’s crown prince is much more anti-Israel than his father, the current king.

It stands to reason that the nations of Psalm 83 are not mentioned in Ezekiel 38 because Israel has already defeated them before Russia and the rest attack.

People, including Christians, are caught up in the politics of last week. Ezekiel 38 and Psalm 83 are only two examples of prophecies taking shape for fulfillment sooner rather than later.

Instead of arguing about the powers that be that God ordained (Romans 13:1), we need to watch and pray about what God is doing and Jesus’ return.

Mark 13:32-37, “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.”