Seminar 5Russia in Bible Prophecy & the Judgment of the Nations - Armageddon

Russia in Bible ProphecyMentioned in two chapters of the bible

Leading role among nations

Force, catalyst gathers European nations to Middle East for battle Armageddon

Ezekiel 38Describes massive invasion of Israel

Northern confederacy of nations

Head: ‘Gog, of the land of Magog…Prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal’ (38:2 Revised)

Rosh = Russia

Ezekiel 38:2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog,

the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him (KJV)

Son of man, set thy face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him (English Revised Version)

Son of man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him (World English Bible)

'Son of man, set thy face unto Gog, of the land of Magog, prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy concerning him (Young’s Literal Translation)

‘Rosh’ Identified as Russia ‘Rosh’ Hebrew means ‘head, top, chief’

Proper Noun, associated with location

Gesenius’ Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon

Samual Bochart

Edward Gibbon

GogHebrew title, means ‘Roof’

Represents a leader

Unger’s Bible Dictionary

‘Great northern confederacy

…headed up by Russia’

Verse 8, 9, 15 – a great storm

coming from North

Magog Josephus (AD 37-100) ‘Antiquities of the Jews’

Magog – Scythians

Herodotus (5th century BC)

Scythians – central and northern Europe

Gomer Josephus – Galations or Gauls

Isidore of Seville (560-636 AD) ‘ Origines’ – France

Verse 5, Persia, Ethiopia, & Libya join invading European nations

The TimingVerse 8, 16 – ‘the latter years, latter days’

Events just prior to return of Christ

State of Israel established, 1948 +

verses 8, 11, 16

Defenders of IsraelVerse 13 – Sheba, Dedan, and Tarshish

‘Have you gathered to take a spoil’

Joel 3:2 ‘I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will put them on trial for what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel’

Zechariah 14:1-2 ‘Behold, a day is coming for the LORD when the spoil taken from you will be divided among you. For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured’

Sheba & DedanSmith Bible Dictionary – ‘greater part of Yemen’

Doe, Thomas, & Hudson ‘Southern Arabia’ – Sheba, or Saba, coastal states south Arabia

Isaiah 21:13 ‘A prophecy against Arabia: You caravans of Dedanites, who camp in the thickets of Arabia’

Doe, Thomas, & Hudson – South Jordan and Northern Saudi Arabia

TarshishGen 10:4-5 ‘And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and

Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.’

‘Their descendants became the seafaring peoples’ (New Living Translation)

‘From these the coastland peoples spread in their lands’ (English Standard Version)

Tarshish Jonah 1:3 – Jonah tried to flee to Tarshish on a boat from

Joppa (Mediterranean coast, likely sailing west)

Isaiah 23:6-7 Tarshish ‘far off’ from Israel

Ezekiel 27:12 Tarshish traded with Tryre- providing silver, iron, tin and lead

McGraw Hill World History textbook – the Phoenicians were said to ‘have reached as far north as Cornwall (England) for lead and tin’

Smith’s Bible Dictionary – the countries in Europe or on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea where tin is found are very few…except Spain, Portugal, and Cornwall in Great Britian’

Tarshish – Great BritianThe home of merchants

Possessor sea going ships

Helper of Jewish people

Isaiah 60:9 ‘Surely the islands look to me; in the lead are the ships of Tarshish, bringing your children from afar, with their silver and gold, to the honor of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor’

Friendly with Nations of Arabian Peninsula

The Young Lions Verse 13, Young Lions – ‘whelps’ (Hebrew)

Gesenius, Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon – ‘such an one (young lion) as already goes abroad for prey

Modern independent nations abroad from Great Britian but still involved or associated with her

Commonwealth countries; Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa

Historical roots and allies: United States

Judgment of the Nations -

ArmageddonRevelation 16

Joel 3

The Sixth VialRevelation 16:12-16

Vial, container

Signifies epoch of time

The sixth end in our time ‘the time of the end’

The Sixth Vial Verse 12, ‘the great river Euphrates’

Rivers refer to political powers

Isaiah 8:7, Euphrates – King of Assyria

‘therefore the Lord is about to bring against them the mighty floodwaters of the Euphrates-- the king of Assyria with all his pomp’

Euphrates ran through Ottoman Empire (modern day Turkey) has it’s source in Turkey

‘dried up’ diminished Ottoman empire 1290 - 1920

Ottoman Empire

The Sixth Vial Symbol of the frog, verse 13

Influence of the French Revolution

Wikianswers.com –

Historically frogs have long been associated with France. The Franks originated in the marshy lands of Westphalia and frogs are inhabitants of marshes. Three frogs constituted the heraldic symbol of the French people. Pharmond who reigned in Treves in 420 adopted the three frogs on his shield, Childeric, king of the Franks in 456 struck a medal displaying the frog as his symbol and the banner of Clovis, the son of Childeric, and the first Christian king of France (466-511) used the symbol of three frogs to represent the army of France

Frogs John saw ‘spirits like frogs’ – spirits as in

teachings or doctrines.

‘Liberty, Equality, Fraternity’

Influenced the Russian Revolution 1917

Dragon & Beast

Unclean spirits like frogs came form the dragon

Beast and the false prophet

Dragon – great military power, Russia

‘People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, "Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?”’

Beast - united governments in Europe

(economic union) not including Tarshish

(England)

False Prophet1. The Catholic Church, dominated by Pope

2. Russia

3. United Europe

16Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.

13Then I saw three impure spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14They are demonic spirits that perform signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty.

ArmageddonHebrew word – ‘a heap of sheaves, valley of

threshing’

Sheaves – symbol for nations

Threshing – judgment

Zechariah 14:1-2

‘Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken’

Armageddon Joel 3: 1-2

‘For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.’

Subsequent to return of Israel to homeland

Armageddon  Joel 3: 9-10, 12

‘Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:10 Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.11 Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord.12 Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about’

Jehoshophat Valley of Judgment in Revelation 16

Valley of ‘Hinnom’ runs west and south of Jerusalem

Jehosophat – Yah (God) has judged

Joel 3:13 14 

‘Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great.14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision’

Decision – Judgment (International Standard Version)

Valley of Armageddon, the valley of ‘Threshing’

ConclusionArmageddon is the place where the armies of

the earth will be gathered and Judged by God

Those armies will then march on Jerusalem to battle against Jesus Christ in the battle of the great day of God Almighty.

Christ, of course, will defeat those armies.

Christ will then establish the Kingdom of God on the earth, which will rule forever.