Is Russia In The Bible?

The Internet is filled with claims that modern-day Russia is the ‘Rosh’ of Ezekiel 38 and 39. Those who believe this rarely read the chapters in terms of the time the prophecy was revealed to Ezekiel, the weapons used in battle, and parallels to other parts of Scripture.

There’s a much simpler solution. Consider these words: “King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite [Gogite?] and advanced him and established his authority over all the princes who were with him” (Esther 3:1; also see 1:3). Having “authority over all the princes who were with him” made him the “chief prince,” not the “prince of Rosh (Russia).

In Esther 3:12 we read how Haman is described as the leader of the satraps, governors, and princes.“Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, ‘There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from those of all other people and they do not comply with the king’s laws, so it is not in the king’s interest to let them remain. If it is pleasing to the king, let it be decreed that they be eliminated, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who carry out the king’s business, to put into the king’s treasuries.’

Then the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. And the king said to Haman, ‘The silver is yours, and the people also, to do with them as you please.’”Where was Haman going to get the silver to pay the mercenaries and fill the king’s treasury? From the Jews he was planning to exterminate: “Have you assembled your contingent to seize plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to capture great spoils?” (Ezek. 38:13, compare with Ezra 1:4).

Using the Bible to interpret the Bible is a better approach than trying to find an interpretive solution outside the Bible.

The following is from ‘An Exposition of the Prophet Ezekiel’ by William Greenhill (1591–1671). Greenhill was an English Puritan and member of the Westminster Assembly. His extended comments show the diversity of opinion on Ezekiel 38 and 39 over the centuries. There is a common feature among most of them: they try to find a solution outside the Bible.

“Son of man. Set thy face against Gog.”

There are a great variety of opinions concerning Gog and Magog. The Jews affirm them to be the Scythians, which live near Caucuses and the Caspian mountains: some understand by them the Roman emperors and empire: some, the pope: some, the Turks and Saracens: some, the Goths: some, heretics: some, all the persecutors of the church: others, antichrist: some interpreters understand the affliction of the Jewish nation, by the successors of Alexander, which possessed Asia Minor and Syria.

Junius hath labored to give light here, and tells us, that Gog is the name of a nation, derived from Gyges, or Gog, the servant of Candaules, king of Lydia, whom he killed and married his queen, namely the land Gygaea., or Gog’s land, which, sayeth he, is Asia and the Less, and Syria, where was a city called Gog’s City: these nations should infest the Jews, which were held by Antiochus, Seleucus, Demetrius, and Nieanor.

Bibliander and Bullinger interpret this prophecy literally of Alexander and his successors, especially of Antiochus Epiphanes, King of Syria, who, as you find in the Maccabees, did greatly afflict the Jews; and especially of antichrist and his members. Alapide, denies this prophecy to concern Alexander, the Kings of Syria and Egypt, because the Jews never conquered them, though they had some notable victories over them; and had they had such destruction as is spoken of in the end of this chapter.

Josephus, who was an exact observer of Jewish affairs, would have mentioned it. Neither did Josephus Gerionides speak anything thereof, who wrote the history of Gog. Sanctius leans to that opinion, which conceives Gog to be Antiochus, in whom antichrist was prefigured, and the great troubles of the church by him; so do many expositors: yet, Maldonate and Vatablus think this prophecy not fulfilled; of which mind are divers [many] who write up on the 20th of the Revelation, where John, in the 8th and 9th verses, alludes to this prophecy.

By “Gog” here, understand, the name of a man, not of a province; for he said to be a “prince,” verse 3; to come “out of the north,” ver. 14; and he with his multitude, shall be buried in “the valley of Hamon-Gog,” chapter xxxix.11: these things cannot be spoken of a province, but of a person. The prophet must set his face against him; that is, he must prophecy constantly and firmly against him…. “The chief prince of Meshech.” In Hebrew it is, prince of the head; that is, the principal head, or the chief prince.