IS RUSSIA’S ATTACK ON UKRAINE PROPHETICALLY SIGNIFICANT?

IS RUSSIA’S ATTACK ON UKRAINE PROPHETICALLY SIGNIFICANT?

Steve Miller

Is the Invasion of Ukraine Prophetically Significant?

The answer to this question is twofold: In an indirect sense, Russia’s attack is significant. But in a direct sense, it is not.

Let’s look at the direct sense first. There is nothing in Scripture that prophesies or even hints at this attack. None of the Bible’s mentions of Russia describe the crisis taking place in Ukraine. This war doesn’t have anything to do with the tribulation or any specific end-times prophecies. While there is no doubt that we are drawing closer than ever to the last days, this isn’t a last-days event.

But indirectly, Russia’s power move is consistent with the belligerent Russia we read about in Ezekiel 38–39. Nearly 2,600 years ago, the prophet Ezekiel declared that “Magog” and “Rosh” (Ezekiel 38:2 NKJV) would be among the foreign invaders who launch an attack on Israel at some point in the future. Prophecy scholars have identified “Magog” as southern Russia, and “Rosh” as Russia.[7]

Ezekiel 38:2-6 lists the nations that will participate in this massive military coalition created for the purpose of destroying Israel—they include Russia, Iran, Turkey, Sudan, Libya, and others. We know this prophecy is still future because these countries have never formed an alliance before, nor have they ever attacked Israel as a group.

Russia’s stature as a military superpower makes it likely that it will be the nation that spearheads this invasion. The fact that Russia is becoming more militarily aggressive on the world stage today is consistent with Ezekiel’s future description of Russia as an aggressor nation. Thus, Russia’s attack on Ukraine may be one of perhaps several stepping-stones toward what is to come.

Where Does Russia Fit into the Prophetic Picture?

This raises an important point: In recent years, Russia has already been engaged in military actions that do have major prophetic significance—in Syria, which shares a northern border with Israel. Putin is good friends with President Bashar al-Assad of Syria and has provided significant armed support for al-Assad during the Syrian civil war. Russia’s intervention was successful enough that in 2017, Syria agreed to provide Russia with permanent access to a key air base as well as to its naval facility in Tartus, which means Russian warships can now be stationed in a Mediterranean seaport.[8] These developments give Russia dangerously close access to Israel.

So Russia—one of the invading nations listed in Ezekiel 38—has already established a strong military foothold immediately north of Israel. When it comes to Bible prophecy and the end times, we need to pay careful attention to Russia’s presence in Syria. As tensions in the region escalate and members of the Ezekiel 38 coalition become more and more connected, we can know we are drawing ever closer to the fulfillment of the prophecies in Ezekiel 38–39.