I have watched certain passages in the Bible that speak about Russia for many years now. When God pays attention to a nation and it’s behavior, He wants us to pay attention too. So with the attack of Russia against Ukraine, could that also be foreshadowed in the Bible? I believe so.
Few if any of the current nations are mentioned in the Bible by their contemporary names, but they are still there. Russia is mentioned in the Bible under her ancient name of Gog. One of the ancient prophecies about Gog is found in Ezekiel 38. In that chapter there is a unique verse that speaks of Russia’s relationship to the satellite nations around her, and it’s very telling. Let me share it with you.
Ezekiel 38:5-6 speak of the nations that are aligned with Russia, and some of them are in close proximity to her. Then, Ezekiel 38:7 says this directly to Russia. “Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.”
Russia’s mindset is self-serving. She prepares, primarily for herself. Russia takes advantage of the satellite countries around her to perpetuate her power. When Ukraine was a part of the Soviet Union, Russia lived off of her assets. Eighty percent of Russia’s food came from Ukraine. Ukraine’s natural resources were used to further Russia’s gains. Russia came first, and that has never changed.
This passage also reveals another critical issue. Russia sees itself as a guard over her allies and satellites. So when Ukraine began her overture to join NATO, that was too close for comfort. In June, 2020, Ukraine joined NATO’s enhanced opportunity partner program. According to an official NATO statement, the new status “does not prejudge any decisions on NATO membership.” This is too close for comfort, for Russia.
If Russia sees itself as a guardian over the region around her, and Ukraine is being friendly and making overtures to NATO, something has to give. Obviously there are other issues behind the scenes. Ukraine has been corrupt for decades, playing games with various world powers. Putin is no saint, but more of the order of Stalin, as he protects the Russian oligarchs and assets that keep him in perpetual power. He is ruthless and respects only intelligence and superior power. But could it be that God is pulling all of these strings on the global scene?
I believe this is the case. God removes and also establishes kings (Daniel 2:21). No nation on earth is beyond His control. If Putin, Ukraine, even the United States are dancing on a global stage orchestrated by God, what happens next?
At some point in time (perhaps sooner than we want to think) the ancient prophecy found in Ezekiel 38 will happen on a street corner near you. In the meantime, perhaps Verse 7 of Matthew 24 bears watching. “All these are the beginning of sorrows.” It all has to start somehow, somewhere. Jesus lists wars, rumors of wars, natural disasters, pestilence and famine in his prophetic words of Matthew 24. It may bear reading, studying and pondering.
Are we there yet? Judge for yourself? What must we do? Which nations will be impacted? Those are questions we may have to deal with at some point in the future. In the meantime, Russia and Ukraine are finding out that the Bible is very, very real.