Gog Magog is Not Russia

With the war in Iran, there is a lot of talk about the Gog Magog war in Ezekiel 38. There is a misconception that Russia is the key player in this war. Ezekiel’s prophecy is very clear on who invades Israel in the last days, and Russia is not in the list. Let’s look at the first two verses.

Note: My old friend, Walid Shoebat, was the first I know of that taught that Gog Magog was not Russia around 17 years ago. I was Walid’s event manager for Colorado back then.

KJV version

Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him.

Amplified version

Son of man, set your face against Gog of the land of Magog, the chief ruler of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him.

Rosh is not Russia

The Hebrew word for chief, in the verses is Rosh, רֹאשׁ. It means head, chief, top, or beginning. Most people know the word from the Jewish New Year, called Rosh Hashana. Rosh is head or beginning and shana is year.

A few translations treat Rosh as a place instead of a title. This causes some of the confusion with the prophecy. They translate it as, “Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him.

This incorrect translation says, the prince of Rosh, instead of the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. The Hebrew word, Rosh, does not mean Russia. Just because they sound similar does not mean they are the same. We are better Bible students than that.

Magog refers to a people group that live north of Israel

Historians say Magog refers to the ancient Scythians. They settled in the area around the Black Sea and Caspian Sea, north of Israel. Magog first appears in Genesis 10:2 as a son of Japheth and grandson of Noah.

Japheth’s line includes Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech and Tiras. Magog is a northern people group, not a city.

The chief prince of Meshech and Tubal

Magog is a large area of people north of Israel, but the prophecy now gets very specific. It tells Ezekiel to prophesy to the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. So, where are Meshech and Tubal?

Meshech refers to an ancient people known as the Mushki, located in central and eastern Anatolia — in what is today modern Turkey.

This is the consensus of:

• Ancient Near Eastern inscriptions
• Classical historians
• Modern biblical atlases
• Archaeological findings

Specifically:

• The Anatolian highlands
• Regions near Cappadocia, Phrygia, and Tabal
• South of the Black Sea
• North of Israel

This places Meshech firmly in Asia Minor, not Russia.

Tubal refers to an ancient Anatolian people known from Assyrian records as Tabal, located in central and southeastern Anatolia — in what is today modern Turkey.

This is the consensus of:

• Assyrian inscriptions
• Classical historians
• Archaeological findings
• Modern Bible atlases

Tubal is consistently paired with Meshech, and the two were neighboring peoples.

Tubal is South‑Central / Eastern Turkey

Specifically:

• The region around Cappadocia, Cilicia, and the Taurus Mountains
• West of the Euphrates
• North of Israel
• Adjacent to Meshech (Mushki)

This places Tubal squarely in Asia Minor, not Russia.

I’m going to jump ahead and talk about Gomer and Togarmah now. Then we will do Persia, Cush, and Put in Part II.

Ezekiel 38:6

Gomer with all its troops; Beth-togarmah from the remote parts of the north with all its troops—many peoples with you.

Gomer is the Cimmerians, a people located in northern Anatolia (modern Turkey) and the Black Sea region during Ezekiel’s time.

This places Gomer north of Israel, south of the Black Sea, in and around modern Turkey, Georgia, and Armenia.

Togarmah was a son of Gomer (Genesis 10:3) They are a northern people known for horses and cavalry (Ezek. 27:14) The Togarmah people lived in the Anatolian–Armenian highlands.

Scholars overwhelmingly identify Togarmah with the region of Eastern Anatolia and the Armenian Highlands. This includes:

• Eastern Turkey
• Armenia
• Parts of Georgia

Ancient sources connect Togarmah with:

• A horse‑breeding, war‑capable people north of Israel
• The same cultural sphere as Gomer and Magog

This fits perfectly with the northern arc of Ezekiel 38.

Turkey and Israel Today

Turkey was an ally of Israel until Erdogan took power. Erdogan wants to restore the Ottoman Empire, called the neo-Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Empire ruled the middle east for hundreds of years until the end of WWI.

Turkey and Israel today are no longer allies—they are open strategic rivals. Israeli leaders increasingly describe Turkey as a rising threat. Recent reporting shows a dramatic shift:

• Israeli politicians now openly label Turkey a strategic threat, comparing it to Iran.
• Turkey has become one of the loudest critics of Israel’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank.

This is a major break from the 1990s–2000s era of military cooperation.

September 2024: Erdogan calls for an Islamic alliance against Israel.

November 2024: Erdogan announces Turkey has severed all relations with Israel.

2025: Syria becomes a flashpoint

• After Assad’s fall (Dec 2024), Turkey backs the new Damascus government.
• Israel sees this as a direct threat.
• Israel tells the IDF to prepare for possible confrontation with Turkey.

Conclusion:

Gog Magog is Turkey. It has nothing to do with Russia. If the Gog Magog war began today, the chief Prince of Meshech and Tubal would-be Erdogan. He has turned Turkey from an ally of Israel into an enemy of Israel. Turkey is now a Sunni Islamic State.

Part II I will cover Persia, Cush, and Put. Cush is Ethiopia and Sudan. Ethiopia will not invade Israel, Sudan will. Also, we will talk about why Turkey is the main player in the Gog Magog War: The Throne of Satan.