For those believers who understand that the PreTrib view of eschatology (study of end things) is truth presented by God’s word, seeing movement toward initiation of World War III should be especially pertinent. Not only is evidence of such movement front and center at the moment, but astoundingly dramatic movement it indeed is, by my way of analysis, at least.
The prophetic heart of the matters involved revolves around the Gog-Magog prophecy of Ezekiel, chapters 38 and 39.
We have looked at Gog-Magog numerous times from most every angle. And many top prophecy ministries have done the same. So, it isn’t necessary, I sense, to delve again here into the nuts and bolts of Ezekiel’s greatly detailed foretelling of that assault that will come against God’s chosen nation, Israel. Rather, let’s take a look at most recent developments that, collectively, almost certainly are precursor issues that seem to be late-date stage-setting for that devastating invasion.
Most who are of the PreTrib view believe there are two prophecies leading to the Tribulation (some believe these might be fulfilled perhaps in the early days of the Tribulation). That is, there are likely, we consider, two prophecies in the immediate future that could happen soon following the Rapture of the Church, which ends the Age of Grace.
One of those prophesied events, I believe, might even precede the Rapture of the church. But I think it not likely. That is the foretold destruction of Damascus, Syria.
“The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.” (Isa 17: 1)
The other prophecy that most PreTrib students believe is probably next for fulfillment on God’s prophetic timeline is the Gog-Magog attack on Israel found in Ezekiel chapters 38-39.
What I hope we will look at with intention to gain insight is the reality that the Gog-Magog primary actors are in the headlines each and every news cycle. The nation prophetically scheduled, according to God’s Word, to bring Ezekiel 38-39 to fulfillment –the nation Rosh (Russia) has been dominating the news for some time now. Not only has it been dominating the news, but it is at present feared to at any moment bring man’s worst nightmare to fruition. Russia and its nuclear capability –either ranked 1 or 2 so far as numbers of stockpiled nuclear weapons— is positioned to initiate World War III at any moment.
This is the nation, according to most who study the Ezekiel 38-39 prophecy that will lead the coalition over the mountains of Israel to take great spoil, as the scripture says.
Russia has at present, as its leader, a man that fits the profile of Ezekiel’s description of Gog. Gog, as we have seen, is the demon-spirit from the abyss that will indwell an end times leader of Rosh.
Therefore, with these facts in mind, it is more than prudent to look at the man Vladimir Putin, president of Russia. It is important to think on the profound threats and other relevant statements surrounding Mr. Putin and his actions of late while his forces zero in on his objective –taking over at least part of Ukraine.
Whether Putin is in fact the one who will become Gog is beyond our knowing for certain. But he, as stated before, seems to fit the profile Ezekiel provided for us to consider. And issues and events surrounding Russia and this leader point to dangers that portend perhaps war that could engulf the world in nuclear holocaust.
Russia, as configured as the Soviet Union, was often characterized as a bear. Soviet dictator Leonid Brezhnev, as some will remember, seemed to personify that bear, so intimidating was his appearance with the bushy eyebrows and his frowning, hulking figure.
The Russian bear still, I think, is a proper caricature of present-day Russia. And this American presidential administration –and the military-industrial complex controlled by the globalist powers-that-be are poking that bear. It is as if they are wanting Vladimir Putin to unleash the bear’s destructive power from its nuclear cave.
Although a smaller figure of a man and not as physically intimidating as Brezhnev, Putin none-the-less is possessor of a nuclear arsenal more powerful than his Soviet predecessor commanded. And it is the Putin version of the bear that is being gouged in ways not done in any era of the cold war.
There are so many examples of this poking going on that there isn’t room to begin writing them here. So, I will just give the most recent as of this writing. It is a profound indicator of the globalist war mongers’ trying to goad, thus provoke an “evil thought” from the Russian bear.
Former White House national security adviser John Bolton is now taking to the networks to call for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s assassination. “I think we should make it clear publicly so that not just Putin but that all the top Russian leadership… that if Putin authorizes the use of a nuclear weapon, he’s signing his own suicide note,” the well-known neocon hawk said to CBS in a Friday appearance.
Describing that Putin is head of command and control for all Russian – including nuclear – forces, Bolton continued by stating what he says should be official US policy: “He’s a legitimate military target… he needs to know that he’s on our target list at this point.” Bolton essentially called for the US to assassinate the Russian leader if the opportunity ever arises. Bolton went on the discuss an op-ed he penned days prior in the online military journal 1945 wherein effecting regime change in Russia was the focus.
“There is no long-term prospect for peace and security in Europe without regime change in Russia. Russians are already discussing it, quietly, for obvious reasons. For the United States and others pretending that the issue is not before will do far more harm than good,” Bolton spelled out in that op-ed. (Watch: John Bolton Calls For Putin Assassination, Regime Change, by: Tyler Durden, ZeroHedge)
Why the insanity –to call for an already angry bear’s assassination? Many observers of the globalists –like those within the World Economic Forum (WEF)– believe the new world order minions are willing to bring on nuclear conflict and World War III in order to accomplish the Great Reset those such as Karl Schwab and George Soros desire.
Other than that explanation, one can properly conclude that it’s all part of the reprobate mind-set of Romans 1: 28. It is because of the Ephesians 6: 12 human minions’ turning of their collective back on God. They are sin-infected with satanic insanity.
All this said, the Russian bear and his hordes as foretold in Ezekiel 38-39 will have the hooks in the jaws only when God does the hooking.
Before that time, when the nukes, I believe, will be unleashed, Jesus Christ will Call His Bride to Himself. That very day of Rapture, Jesus said Judgment will begin to fall like it did on the wickedness and evil of Sodom and Gomorrah of Lot’s day (Luke 17: 28-30).
Don’t be left on this Judgment-appointed earth when God’s Wrath must do its Righteously destructive work. Here is how to avoid that time of Tribulation.
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:9–10)
Terry James Prophecy Line 
Excellent article Terry! Putin may very well be what the Bible calls the Chief Prince of the Gog-Magog alliance and invasion force onto the Golan Heights(Trump Hts now). I think I’m referring to him correctly without referencing my Bible, anyway, in both of our lifetimes we haven’t seen a Soviet or Russian leader like Putin! Stalin was maybe the closest from what I’ve read re:his sending millions to their death in the Gulags, or somewhere in Russia-Siberia. I only remember Kruschev from the early sixties & the Cuban Missile crisis. Everything you read about concerning this man and how his opponents mysteriously disappear is just insane! His grip on the Duma or Kremlin in general has only grown in the 20 yrs he’s been in power. Boy, if it isn’t him, its hard to imagine a yet future ruler who fits the ‘bill’. When you see how Iran and N. Korea are furnishing Russia with drones to bomb Ukraine, then see Erdogwan, Ayatollah Homenii & Putin grasping each other’s fists a few yrs back, then again fairly recently. Then the alliance with Cush, Put, & Ethiopia, still future, makes me marvel how God’s Word is perfect. I’ve heard more than 1 prophecy expert say they believe the Ezekiel war will be extremely short-like 24-48 hours. Maybe this is because the Damascus prophecy will have happened already, or more likely its because we are told in Bible prophecy because this invading army is so utterly destroyed so quickly that Israel will know a supernatural event happened here because Israel’s own forces will not have the capacity to overwhelm the invading forces described in the Bible as a ‘horde’ of many militias! Israel will know this defeat was done by God alone-PTL!
Bolton is a fool. He is and always has been a war hawk. It seems his greatest lust is to see the U.S. enter into war at any cost. The man is a tool of Satan to bring great destruction to this planet. Satan will use many people just like Bolton to accomplish his goals.
I do not agree with John Bolton’s idea of assassination of President Vladimir Putin, he is wrong.
Russian Vladimir Putin IS NOT THE ENEMY here. The push is to take out the power of influence of the USA and render us powerless and to destroy Russia and their influence as well, namely Russian Vladimir Putin. Russian Vladimir Putin is objecting to the NWO Globalist scheme, Joe Biden is not objecting for he is presently dragging this nation into takeover and takedown of this nation. Anyone closely following the events surrounding the corruption in the Ukraine and the USA under Joe Biden Regime will see the reason why everything has evolved in the direction it has taken. So many lies have been crafted by the warmongers about Russia and the leadership of Vladimir Putin. Putin has decried the takeover of WEF, the NWO, OWO of Globalists. There are over 25 Bioweapon chemical virus labs sitting in the Ukraine on the border of Russia that are USA Military owned labs. NATO has been summoned to establish their site in the Ukraine with a range of 5 minutes to attack Russia with ultra sonic missiles and 10 minutes with a slower missile to attack Russia. The Ukraine is killing it’s own people, of which many of those people are residents from Russia and have been forbidden to leave. The alleged Russians inside the Ukraine border are Nazis not aligned with Russia. Vladimir Putin was summoned by the Russian people of the Ukraine to help them flee the Ukraine, as it was not a time of peace for them but a vicious attack upon them. President Zelinskiy is not preventing war he is escalating war against the people and collecting money for himself and his own personal gain from the USA. And it appears to be open blackmail on President Biden for the nefarious deeds of his own son’s corrupt business deals in the Ukraine of which some members of congress are directly involved in as well. The Ukraine is a cesspool of corruption and has been for years and there are some very bad actors in the Ukraine. The wicked Joe Biden Regime would like nothing better than to replace Putin with a corrupt Russian evil president, the one who will become an end time threat according to the account in the written word of God. We are living in the time of massive deception, disinformation and misinformation. The MSM is bought and paid for by George Soros and controlled to do the bidding of the shadow governments for a price. The fruit of the Joe Biden Regime is escalating violence, lawlessness, wickedness, at an unprecedented acceleration, and this should not be ignored. Joe Biden and VP Harris have sold their soul for filthy lucre, with no thought or care for the populous in this nation as they follow the dictates of the Global Elitists, Global Cabal, efforts to bring forth a One World Order, of total Tyranny, and slavery of the common place populous. Americans and the Church MUST DO THEIR OWN HOMEWORK, OPEN THEIR EYES, and KNOW THE TRUTH. We must defend this nation, that GOD gave to the world to send forth the gospel into all the nations of the world and STOP DRINKING THE KOOL AID OF THE WICKEDNESS OF THE WORLD, FOR THE WORLD IS ENEMITY WITH GOD. Without Faith it is impossible to please GOD. And it is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God who is going to bring forth JUDGMENT to the world. Anyone who has ears to hear please listen, anyone who has eyes to see, watch and see, we are racing towards JUDGMENT QUICKLY! Choose ye this day whom ye will serve, if it is GOD serve him, if it is BAAL then serve BAAL. BE STILL AND KNOW THAT HE IS GOD! To GOD Be the GLORY, GREAT things HE has done and Great things HE will do.
Agreed! Maranatha!
A God blessed Evening to you Terry in Jesus name. Enjoyed your commentary this evening. I too have been considering the Gog/Magog invasion and thedestruction of Damascus. The more I read about it and pray for wisdom and understanding about it,I find myself coming to the conclusion that both events will happen after the Church is raptured to Christ.And I would lean towards these Gog and Damascus events happening very close on the heels of the rapture of the Church. I’m of the opinion that we are really going to see birthing contractions increase in frequencyand in intensity shortly after next months election results.
I’m also of the opinion that the rapture will happen not like Noah, but more like Lot. I perceive this time we are in (especially in the USA) as fitting very well the description of Sodom and Gomorrah. It was at the last momentthat the angels were able to quite literally snatch them out of being consumed alive in the flames of judgement sent by God to hit at a specific time. Rescent excavations of Sodom and Gomorrah show that what ever hitthem was so hot, it turned the top four inches of soil into glass almost instantly. (if memory serves me correctly). I was doing some additional checking on the Hosea 6:1-3 prophecy in my Defenders Study Bible andfound out that they understand the time frame the same way I did, in that with God, 1000 years is as oneday, and one day is as a thousand years. doing the math, it would point towards the rapture possibly happeningsometime between 2024 and the end of 2025. Or earlier. As always Terry,Lord BlessMark
Let’s keep in mind that if Putin is taken out of the picture, then it is certain someone worse will take his place, if not immediately, then ultimately. Just as I believe Satan always had someone in place to become the Antichrist all through history, we can be sure that he also has someone ready to step into the Gog role.
Events will pass exactly as the Bible has revealed. God exists beyond our conception of time and space, so I believe that happenings future to us have ALREADY happened from his perspective.
Sadly, Putin unlike the US has retained his Sovereignty the only way he could. He begged Nato and US to listen but instead we support the Nazi regime in Ukraine. The NWO globalists control Canada, France, etc & now they put puppets in Ukraine & USA they control. Its all to provoke war while money laundering continues to make Biden, Pelosi, Kerry, & Romney’s sons all rich off the backs of the Ukraines! As for leaving Afghanistan, Biden put the lithium deal in place for China to profit. WE have a power grid issue and fools think these batteries are ‘green’ which is the new red! Its all imploding and we need an enemy to blame when deep state globalists are laughing all the way to the bank and also to hell. Maranatha!
I don’t fully understand it, but I once thought that John Bolton was a valuable participant in politics and government. But when he wrote a book attempting to harm President Trump, I felt anger towards Bolton. And now hearing that he is trying to provoke Putin, I think we need to assassinate Bolton before he gets us all killed and nuked by Putin.
The more I study Ezek 38 the more I am more persuaded that Magog is not Russia though I don’t think it’s possible to be sure. Magog itself is unknown, so it is the other players that we can identify–and these are around the Black Sea/Caucasus/ME/Africa. And the nation id’d as Togarmah is the one to the far north, not Magog I think. I believe it will be an Islamic coalition. I lean toward Turkey as Magog, but we shall see. It seems so many have decided it’s Russia and can’t even consider anything else. Maranatha!