We are living in a time when the God of the Bible is no longer relevant to most of the world. While some Jews still seek their Messiah, billions of other people search for God in strange and untested religions. We live in a world without truth, and a world that has chosen its own way. However, before these days of confusion came, God had already formulated a plan to reveal His glory to a lost world. Thousands of years ago, God gave Hebrew slaves the land we call Israel. This gift to the Jews is recorded in Exodus 6:8. Historically, the Jewish people have had a continuous history of rebellion against God. Consequently, they suffered repeated punishments from Him. Because of their continual rebellion and disbelief, God punished the Jews again in the year 70 A.D. He allowed Roman legions to drive the Jews out of their land, destroy Jerusalem, and tear down their temple. The Jews that survived were led off into captivity and scattered throughout the nations. Although God punished the Jews of the past, he did not revoke their land contract for future Jewish generations.

God is aware that the world does not believe the Bible. He knew the world would not honor His agreement with the Jewish people today. It is because of this unbelief, God is allowing the Jews to return to their land one last time. According to Ezekiel 36:24, God speaks of the Jews and says, "For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land." This prophecy is being fulfilled in the day we live. In Ezekiel 36:22, God also tells the Jews that He is not doing this for their sake, but for His holy name. God states that the Jews profaned His name among the nations wherever they went. In Zechariah 12:7, God tells the Jews that when they return to the land of Israel they would reoccupy Judah first and Jerusalem second. Interestingly enough, Judah, southern Israel, was occupied in 1948 and Jerusalem was recaptured later in 1967. This sequence occurred in the exact way that God said it would. God tells us in Zechariah 12:2 that Israel will be surrounded by enemies. Then, in Zechariah 12:3, God said He would make Jerusalem an "immovable rock," and also stated that He would seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem in that day (Zechariah 12:9).

The Middle East conflict will not be resolved with paper and pen. In the future, all nations that attempt to dominate Israel will learn the same lesson that Pharaoh did at the Red Sea crossing. The problem Israel is having with its neighbors will become unmanageable after a radical change occurs within the Russian government. The new Russian leadership will bring absolute terror to the world. The day will come when Russia and its allies will rise up to destroy the state of Israel. On that day, the God of the ages shall rise up revealing himself to a disbelieving and unprepared world (Ezekiel 38:14-23). The invaders of Israel will learn too late that they have made war not against the Jews, but against the Holy God of Israel. God has not worked in such a way since the time of the Pharaoh. In the years that lay ahead of us, the God of the Bible will be dramatically entering into the affairs of men. Before the Russian invasion of Israel occurs, however, Israel will be at peace with its surrounding neighbors. There will be no walls dividing it. The great wall that is presently being built across Jerusalem to protect Israel from its enemies will be removed, just as the Berlin wall was torn down. This is recorded in Ezekiel 38:11 "And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates." A short time of peace will come to Israel before the great Russian Invasion.

In Ezekiel 38, God speaks of the ancient tribes of Meshech and Tubal and of their leader Gog. Although these ancient tribal names are not common today, it is important to understand that these tribes settled in the land that we recognize as Russia. So, when the Bible speaks of Gog, understand that God is identifying and talking about Russia. In the Old Testament, God says that Gog will assemble a massive and mighty army that will invade Israel in the latter years. In Ezekiel 38:9, He tells us that this invading army will be so large, that they will be like a "cloud to cover the land." Also, God said Gog would come from the "utter most north." By looking at a world globe, one can see that the only nation to the utter most north of Israel is Russia. Bible scholars knew that Gog was Russia years before Israel even became a nation. One can verify this by picking up a Scofield Bible from 1900. Curiously enough, by drawing a straight line north from Jerusalem on a globe, the line perfectly intersects Moscow. Do not be fooled by Russia and their present passive government. They are only the calm before the storm. Evil war like leaders will be coming back into power. The Bible demands it.