Prophetic Revelation Chapter 33 – Gog Magog is NOT Russia Part II – Cush is Sudan – Throne of Satan
In part one, we covered Meshech, Tubal, Gomer and Togarmah. All in Asia Minor. Now let’s continue and look at the other nations that are listed in the war.
Ezekiel 38:5 Persia, Cush and Put with them, all of them with shield and helmet;
Persia, Cush and Put
When the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal invades Israel, Persia, Ethiopia and Put join in.
Persia is modern day Iran. No surprise there since they are committed to the destruction of Israel. It doesn’t look like the mullahs that rule Iran will be removed with the current war. Persia may become more moderate to save their country but regardless, Persia still invades Israel.
Turkey is the major player in the war. Persia is seen to ally with Turkey. Turkey is the strongest of the Gog Magog coalition. Persia’s military and economy are being greatly diminished during the current war with the U.S. and Israel, but given the chance, they will join in.
Cush also joins in. Cush in English is translated as Ethiopia but that is only partially correct. Cush refers to the region south of Egypt, corresponding to Ethiopia and Sudan. Let’s look at Ethiopia first.
Ethiopia is one of the oldest Christian nations in the world. The Ethiopian eunuch became one of the first known Gentile converts. He returned to Ethiopia and spread the gospel. Today, Ethiopia is 60% Christian and 30% Muslim. Islam in Ethiopia is peaceful with the Christians, a rarity in the world.
Psalm 68:31 “Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.” For centuries, Ethiopian Christians saw this as a prophecy fulfilled in their own nation.
Not only is Ethiopia mostly Christian, but there is also an ancient Jewish population residing there. These are Hebrew speaking, Torah observant, Jews who lived in isolation for centuries.
Ethiopian Jews are allowed to immigrate to Israel under the Law of Return. These Jewish communities immigrated to Israel during Operation Moses (1984–85) and Operation Solomon (1991), but some remained isolated for decades.
A new wave of immigration has been taking place recently. 26 Ethiopian Jews arrived in Israel in February 2026, sponsored by the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem. 40 more are scheduled to arrive soon. This is happening during the war!
There are about 130,000 Ethiopian Jews live in Israel today.
Ethiopia and Israel Relations Today
Ethiopia and Israel maintain warm, strategically significant relations today, marked by high‑level diplomatic visits including Herzog’s 2026 visit, security cooperation, agricultural and technological partnerships, and deep historical ties.
Israel has long been one of Ethiopia’s most reliable military partners since the 1950s. Israel is actively allied with Ethiopia as part of a broader push to counter the neo-Ottoman Empire of Turkey.
It is very doubtful that Ethiopia will be a part of the Gog Magog war with Israel. Now let’s talk about Sudan.
Cush, in Ezekiel 38, is Sudan, not Ethiopia
Sudan is nothing like Ethiopia. Sudan is “almost entirely Sunni Muslim”. It is currently experiencing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises:
- 40,000+ killed
- 6 million displaced internally and across borders
- 21+ million facing acute food shortages
The U.S. has designated the Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization. The UN continues to warn of genocide‑level atrocities in Darfur and Kordofan. It is one of the most severe humanitarian and security crises in the world right now.
Sudan currently has no diplomatic ties with Israel. Sudan hosted the 1967 Khartoum Resolution.
The 1967 Khartoum Resolution was issued after the Arab League met in Sudan following the Six‑Day War. It is famous for the “Three Noes”: No peace with Israel, no recognition of Israel, no negotiations with Israel. This became the cornerstone of Arab policy toward Israel for years.
Iran has provided military support to the Sudan Armed Forces since 2023. Israel views this as a major regional concern.
Cush, in Ezekiel’s prophecy, is Sudan. It is very likely to join with Sunni Turkey to invade Israel.
Put (Libya)
Put refers to the North African peoples west of Egypt—the region of modern Libya.
Libya today is overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim, 97% of the population. Islam is the state religion, and Sharia Law is the primary source of legislation.
No recognition of Israel. No embassies, no formal ties, no public normalization process. Libya remains one of the strongest pro‑Palestinian societies in the Arab world.
Summary of Gog Magog War
Ezekiel’s list is not random—it forms a geopolitical compass surrounding Israel.
The Northern arc includes Meshech, Tubal, Gomer and Togarmah. All these countries are in Turkey, Armenia, and Georgia.
The Eastern arc is Persia (Iran)
The Southern arc is Cush (Sudan)
The Western arc is Put (Libya)
This shows the coalition is broad, multi‑regional, and surrounds Israel from all sides.
All the Surrounding Nations
Joel chapter three and Zechariah chapter 14 talk about the Gog Magog war. Two times Joel says, “all the surrounding nations”. One time Zechariah says, “all the surrounding nations”. We will get more into these prophecies in another discussion down the road.
These prophecies are Middle Eastern centric. Russia is not in the context. Either is China, but that will have to wait until a later discussion. Now I want to talk about something from the New Testament.
Message to Pergamum
12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write:
The One who has the sharp two-edged sword says this:
13 ‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. Revelation 2:12-13
Pergamum is modern day Bergama, Turkey. The throne of Satan is in Turkey. Turkey leads the coalition of nations against Israel in the last days. This is no accident.
Pergamum was the perfect storm of spiritual opposition, making it the place “where Satan dwells.” This matters because Revelation often uses geography symbolically.
Why is Pergamum Called Satan’s Throne? It housed a massive altar to Zeus, shaped like a giant throne overlooking the city. It was four stories tall and had smoke rising from continual sacrifices.
Pergamum was also the center of worship for Asclepius. Asclepius was the Greek god of healing, worshiped across the ancient world. His symbol was the serpent-entwined staff—still used today in medical logos.
People came from across the empire for healing. Snakes roamed freely in the temple. The serpent imagery aligns with Revelation’s depiction of Satan as “the ancient serpent”. Asclepius claimed miraculous healings at the temple. This also aligns with the false prophet in Revelation who will perform great signs and wonders.
Antipas, a Christian martyr, was killed in Pergamum. Pergamum was the center of violent opposition to the church. Persecution and martyrdom.
Pergamum was the epicenter of everything Revelation opposes. John calls it, Satan’s throne, the place where the enemy’s influence was most concentrated. Revelation is not random. John deliberately uses Pergamum as a foreshadow of the global system he later describes in Revelation.
In other words, Pergamum is the first century foreshadow of the end‑time Beast system: political power, false religion, and satanic authority fused into one throne.
Ezekiel calls the leader ‘Gog’. John calls the leader ‘the beast’. They are one and the same.
We will talk more about these subjects down the road. The main conclusion here is that Turkey leads the Gog Magog coalition of nations surrounding Israel in the last days.