Some Christian leaders see the Russian invasion of Ukraine as fulfillment of biblical prophecy. Hank Hanegraaff, also known as the “Bible Answer Man,” disagrees.
Ezekiel is about the “prince of Rosh” coming with other nations to attack the “land of Israel,” leading to God’s judgment. Verse two reads, “Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshek and Tubal; prophesy against him.”
Many Bible scholars believe that the mention of Magog attacking Israel in Ezekiel 38 is modern-day Russia. Televangelist Pat Robertson recently said Russian President Vladimir Putin is being “compelled by God” to invade Ukraine. “He went into Ukraine, but that wasn’t his goal. His goal was to move against Israel, ultimately,” Robertson said, suggesting that this was all prophesied by Ezekiel, who lived more than 2,500 years ago.
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However, Hanegraaff said understanding the historical context is crucial to properly evaluate biblical text.
“Remember this, Ezekiel was prophesying during an extremely dark period in the history of Judah.,” he said, according to “The Christian Post.” “He was born into the priesthood in Jerusalem, right about the time that Josiah found the book of the law in the temple. This was a time in which spiritual renewal had broken out in the land. But unfortunately, the reformation was short-lived.
“By the time of Josiah’s death, the idolatrous practices of the past had returned with a vengeance, and thus the acts of God’s judgment fell. As a result of the acts of God’s judgment falling, Ezekiel found himself on the dusty plains of Babylon.”
And “Rosh” does not mean Russia, Hanegraaff said.
“The word ‘Russia’ is an 11th century Viking word and not semantically linked, in the least, to the Hebrew word Rosh,” he said. “We need to understand the principles of biblical interpretation so that our modern-day imaginations don’t go wild.”
–Alan Goforth | Metro Voice
