Discover the intricate dynamics of prophecy with David Hawking as he answers pressing inquiries about Gog and Magog, the day of the Lord, and what biblical texts suggest about present-day global politics. Is Russia implicated in end-times scenarios? How does prophecy influence evangelism today? Explore these topics and more in a comprehensive examination that blends theology with contemporary insights.
Gog and Magog, Russia or something else? The rapture, is it actually mentioned in the Bible? Was the invasion of Israel by the Roman army all those years ago the judgment of God? And when the pastor of one of the largest churches in America said that we should steer clear of Bible prophecy and instead focus on evangelism, was he right? Well, this is Hope for Today with Bible teacher and author David Hawking. And today, as we dig deep into our archive of listener questions and David’s answers, we put together David’s response to questions on the subject of Bible prophecy. And you may wish to call or text a friend and invite them to listen along with you. And just before we get started, you know, if you’d like to support this daily radio broadcast with a financial gift, we’ll call us at 800-75-BIBLE. That’s in the U.S. or 888-75-BIBLE in Canada. And Bible is 24253. You can also give online at DavidHawking.org. DavidHawking.org. And here’s David.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, welcome again to another question and answer program. Jim, we’ve got a lot of questions here, and they seem to be focusing on prophecy.
SPEAKER 02 :
Let’s get into them. I prophesied that we’re going to get through just a fraction of them unless we keep going here. Right. David, this first one, interesting. And we’ve seen this, I think, before. Yes, we have. Do you believe that Gog and Magog is referring to Russia? Well, I don’t think so.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, I’m asked it all the time. I’m asked it in our prophecy conferences, of course, and I’ve preached on it. Let me just say off the bat, intellectual honesty tells me to tell you, I don’t know. I really don’t know. Now, that might surprise some of you, but let me explain. In Ezekiel 38, verse 2, Gog is being referred to from the land of Magog. The chief prince of Meshach and Tubal. A great Hebrew scholar named Gesenius in time past saw the word translated chief, the word Rosh, as a phonetic equivalent in Russian for Russia. Meshach was Moscow, Tubal was Tobolsk, etc. This is repeated again, by the way, in chapter 39, verse 1. Let me get a couple things straight. One, Gog is not the Antichrist. The whole biblical information we have about his leadership is a limited invasion of Israel in the Middle East, whereas the Antichrist is controlling all the nations of the world. There’s a lot of differences, but that’s just one. What we have here is a problem related to the word Rosh. Now, it’s a Hebrew word like Rosh Hashanah, the first of the year, also called the Feast of Trumpets. The question is, is Rosh an adjective modifying prince? That’s how it’s translated in the Old King James, chief prince of Meshach and Tubal. Or is it a noun referring to a location or a place? Well, here’s the problem. The problem is that the use of Rosh as an adjective in this regard is not found in any literature at all, even outside of the Bible. But used as a noun, it’s found quite a bit. even in ancient writings. Sometimes the people it’s referring to are R-O-S or R-U-S. They definitely are connected with the ancient empire called Scythian. The Scythians were the warlike people who were great with bow and arrow while riding on horses. They dominated the world in a way we have forgotten. The problem that we have is that there’s more evidence for Rosh being a people or a place. And if that is so, then what we have here, it appears, might be Russia or a northern power of Israel providing the impetus, leadership, maybe even weapons, to what appears to be, in verse 5 and 6, an Islamic invasion of Israel. The nations that are mentioned are all Islamic today. And when you have a list, usually the first nation is the one that leads away. And that’s Persia, ancient Alam, today Iran. And, of course, this Russian-Iranian alliance that is going on, I think, is what generated this question. If people who are listening have been following the intelligent websites, we have very strong evidence, well-documented, of Russia’s involvement right now. And they’re supplying the weapons, the arsenal, the personnel. This is a very serious time. So when people ask me, well, do you think it’s referring to Russia? It could be. But it’s an Islamic invasion of Israel, and everybody believes that’s a possibility, and very soon. This is something we need to continue to pray about, but we know that Ezekiel 38 and 39, there are folks who say this is Armageddon. That’s based on the translation of that verse and seeing Rosh as maybe an adjective. But if it’s referring to Russia and some Muslim allies, this battle could take place before the tribulation even begins or at the start of it. They will burn weapons for seven years. They will bury bodies for seven months. And a lot of people say, well, it’s going to happen at the middle of the tribulation. No, no way. Why? Because Jesus told the Jews when they see the abomination of desolation in the temple, the Antichrist, demanding that they worship him, then get out of there. Flee to the mountains. They’re not going to be hanging around to bury bodies. So I think this could happen at any time.
SPEAKER 02 :
David, our next question, and I’ve heard this question. Why doesn’t Israel do something about the terrorist groups within its borders that are piling up weapons? We hear so much about that.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, I think there’s two things I would say about that. And again, I’m not a scholar in this area. I’ve done a lot of reading and studying and talking to people. But the fact is that number one would be world opinion. Israel faces a very thin line here. The world is supporting the Palestinian cause. They don’t seem to care that groups like Hamas and Fatah and Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah in the north, they don’t seem to care that they are now well-equipped armies. We need to understand that. Even during the so-called ceasefire, it was terrible, the number of rockets and missiles they shot into Israel. They don’t seem to care that Israel’s being attacked. They just don’t want Israel to attack. Now, there’s a reason for that, Jim. Israel is the fourth largest nuclear power in the world behind U.S., Russia, and China. The world knows it, and the enemies of Israel know it. And so world opinion pressures Israel not to do anything because, after all, you still have the advantage. Hmm. Okay. The second thing that I believe is involved here is a weak and compromising corrupt leadership in Israel. I wish I didn’t have to say that. But as you know, coming the elections in Israel, and I’m praying that some men who believe the Bible and are stronger about taking on terrorism will get into power. So it’s a very, very serious time, and we need to keep our hearts and ears open to the Lord.
SPEAKER 02 :
Amen. David, let’s shift gears just a little bit here. Next question says, when does the day of the Lord begin?
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, it’s not only a great question, but it necessitates a little bit of an answer about the day of the Lord itself. Some see the day of the Lord without reading carefully the Bible as the day when Christ comes again. That’s not true. The Messiah comes to earth at the end of the day of the Lord. The Day of the Lord is used 25 times in the Bible. It is not a pleasant day at all. It’s a day of darkness and gloom and judgment and devastation and millions being killed. It’s otherwise known as the Tribulation. This is the day of God’s vengeance against planet Earth, the nations of the world who’ve turned their back on Him and have been hostile towards Israel, His people. So the day of the Lord looks like the beginning of the tribulation. We know that Paul said that you don’t need me to discuss again with you about the day of the Lord. He says you know perfectly well when it’s going to start. When they say peace and safety, then the sudden destruction will come upon them as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape. Some people say, well, that’s talking about the final status peace agreement with Israel. That’s possible. But what if it’s just talking about peace in general, security in general? There are many Bible teachers, Jim, who argue that that requires the involvement of the Antichrist who’s rising to power, whom the world loves, nations of the world behind him, and he gets a peace agreement between Israel and their enemies, and then we are living on the brink of disaster. That’s what some people believe. I don’t know. I think the important thing is to be ready. because I happen to believe that our Lord Yeshua is going to come before the day of the Lord begins, which makes this whole thing pretty serious.
SPEAKER 02 :
David, you said we need to be ready. What does it mean to be ready?
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, we know that the word watch is putting with that, and some people say, well, we go out to a mountain and just keep looking up, seeing if Jesus is coming today. But that’s not the point of it. Watch and being alert is used in connection with our lifestyle. When you say be ready, we need to get right with God. We need to repent of our sin. Jesus told the disciples in the garden, watch and pray that you enter not into temptation, for the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Peter wrote to watch, be alert, because the devil, like a roaring lion, is going about seeking who may devour. The whole issue is used in Paul’s writings, is talking about watching over your conduct and attitudes, thinking maybe you have more time, or you can just send up a storm and not worry about it. We need to watch. Jesus said in his teaching about the Olivet Discourse in Galatians, Luke’s account, chapter 21, told us to watch. He told us to be careful about ungodly attitudes and what we would call party time in the life of believers. Uh-uh, this has got to stop. So that’s certainly an issue. And of course, in terms of be ready, if you’re not really settled in your relationship with Jesus Christ, you better do it now. Things are getting a little tight here in terms of Bible prophecy, and I hope you are ready.
SPEAKER 02 :
Indeed. If you’d like to know more about what that means, you can contact us. We’d be glad to share with you. The next question says, why do you continue to believe in the rapture when it’s not mentioned in the Bible?
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, I didn’t have the chance to ask this person who wrote the question, but I would like to ask you, do you believe in the triunity of God? Because it’s not mentioned in the Bible either. This is a ridiculous argument that in terms of debating, it doesn’t hold water. However, to answer this, the word rapture does appear in the Latin Bible, so it depends on what translation you’re talking about. The Greek word in 1 Thessalonians 4, 17, harpazo, is translated rapturo in the Latin translation, all 10,000 manuscripts. So it’s everywhere. And it is transliterated, that is, said into English as the word rapture. So this question really is naive and lacking in knowledge about Bible translation. The rapture is clearly taught. It says caught up. That is an amazing statement. And so a lot of people think it’s a matter of timing. That I would understand a little more if you say, well, when does the rapture occur? Now we’re on the same page and we can discuss it. But when you say, why would you continue to believe in the rapture? The answer is because the Bible clearly teaches it. If you’re not sure, we have a booklet called a book called The Case for Pre-Tribulationalism. Excellent. And it’ll help you.
SPEAKER 02 :
David, the next question here says, does not the passage in Luke 21 clearly teach that God’s judgment fell on Israel when the Romans invaded?
SPEAKER 03 :
That’s a great question, and yes, it does. You are correct in that, but not correct about whether that applies to everything that is said. Matthew doesn’t even deal with this, but Luke does. Luke 21 and verse 20 says, And what we read there clearly refers to the invasion of Rome. It says, when you see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains and so forth. These are the days of vengeance that all things are written may be fulfilled. There’ll be great stress in the land. Verse 24, they’ll fall by the edge of the sword, over a million of them, by the way. and shall be led away captive into all nations, almost a million there. And Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. Well, in 1967, Israel got possession of it, even though they fooled around with the Temple Mount with their enemies. Was that the end of it? I don’t know. It may go a lot longer. But the answer to the question is, yes, Luke 21 does teach that God’s judgment came when the Romans invaded. Is that all there is to say about this? Absolutely not. It predicts a day when there’ll be signs in the sun, moon, and stars, and men’s hearts fail in for fears, powers of heaven are shaken, and they’ll see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. That did not happen in 70 A.D.
SPEAKER 02 :
David, I’m not sure how to approach this next question. The listener writes, did you say recently in a prophecy conference that you believe Barack Obama is the Antichrist? I got a lot of feedback from this.
SPEAKER 03 :
That’s not what I said. In fact, I caution people to say that. What I said was that we are being prepared. It’s a prototype. What I did, Jim, is I took the statements of the Bible about the Antichrist, put them on a screen, so they saw the characteristics. Well, that caused everybody in the audience to be nervous because all of those fit Barack Obama. And all I said was, here’s a prototype. We can see how easily the world would go after such a person. And that was the point I was making, not calling him the Antichrist. Okay?
SPEAKER 02 :
I hope that helps. Once again, David did not call Barack Obama the Antichrist. Right. Next question here says, doesn’t Acts 1, 6 through 8 show clearly that we are not to be involved with Bible prophecy, but rather evangelism?
SPEAKER 03 :
This was stated by one of the pastors of one of the largest churches in America, and I’ll be happy to answer that. It says in verse 6 of Acts 1, “…when they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” He said unto them, It’s not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power or authority, but you shall receive power. After that the Holy Ghost has come upon you, you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Now, he did not say don’t study Bible prophecy. It’s not an either-or, Bible prophecy or evangelism. It’s a both-and. Why, studying Bible prophecy is a key to evangelism, according to the Bible. So this is an improper application. All Jesus is saying is it’s not going to be now. But during this time when I’m absent and we’re waiting, you’re to reach the world with the gospel through the power of the Holy Spirit working in you. And when he said, it’s not for you to know the times or the seasons, people say, ah, you’re not supposed to know about Bible prophecy. That isn’t what he said. He’s talking about the timing of things. That’s right. Otherwise, the whole Bible is foolishly presented, telling us about all these prophetic things. Revelation says, blessed are those who read and hear this prophecy and do it. There you go. So that’s pretty strong.
SPEAKER 02 :
Amen. Amen. David, the next question we have here is, what is the meaning of Gog and Magog in Revelation 20? Oh, boy. Oh, boy. Oh, boy. Oh, boy. How much time do we have?
SPEAKER 03 :
Yeah, right. But, you know, the interesting thing, Jim, is that a lot of these questions that we’ve heard before are given because of either books or programs that they have recently heard. A lot of the people writing us are very astute on prophecy matters, and so they’re trying to find out, you know, what’s the truth here. I believe, I still believe that the greatest teaching I’ve ever read on Gog and Magog, and I’ve done an intense study of that subject in Ezekiel 38 and 39, the best articles I’ve ever read were by Dr. Thomas Ice in the pre-trib section. magazine, the monthly magazine. He had, my goodness, I think close to 30 of those issues about it. He analyzed every phrase. It was a terrific study. The problem about who Gog and Magog are, we know who some of the nations are that bring this coalition against Israel headed by Persia or Iran. But Gog and Magog is a problem. There’s been a traditional view that it represents Russia. I still favor that view, I would say, speaking lightly on it. But it comes out of Ezekiel 38, verse 2, where Gog from the land of Magog is called the chief prince of Meshach and Tubal. The King James writers have made the word rosh—rosh in Hebrew means first or head or chief—they made it an adjective modifying the Hebrew word sar, which is prince. I’m not sure that’s correct. First of all, there’s no usage of it in biblical or extra-biblical history as an adjective. It is treated as a noun. This makes it a little different. It would be he’s the prince of Rosh, Meshach, and Tubal. Rosh or Rus, we got that as a noun going back to the Scythians, ancient ancestors of the people of Russia today. I think we need to be careful in trying to identify every single thing. But it appears that Russia is a major player supporting an invasion that looks like it’s Muslim. Israel that may begin the Armageddon campaign. So keep your eyes and ears open, people. Hey, we’d like to get to all your questions, but that’s all we’re going to be able to do today.
SPEAKER 02 :
Just want to say thanks to everyone. We appreciate your prayers. Please pray for us every day. Yeah, our financial support too, Jim. We sure need that. And thank you for what you can do. You’ve been listening to our special monthly question and answer program here on Hope for Today with David Hawking. And we’ll tell you in just a bit how you can lend your support to this broadcast ministry. First of all, David’s son Matt’s here, and together we’re going to share a powerful home Bible study resource with you. And listen, this fits perfectly with today’s prophecy theme. Matt?
SPEAKER 01 :
Zechariah is an exciting prophetic roadmap that points clearly to the coming of our Lord and the restoration of Israel. In Zechariah 1.3, the Lord states, Turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of hosts. And I will turn unto you. Matt, that message applies today. We need repentance. Zechariah is crucial to understanding that and God’s plan in these last days. Absolutely. Look at Zechariah 12.10.
SPEAKER 02 :
They shall look upon me whom they have pierced. You know, I’m reminded that God has not forgotten and will not forget. His covenant people. And that a day is coming when the nation of Israel will recognize their Messiah. What a day that will be. Yeah, exactly.
SPEAKER 01 :
I understand, Zechariah, and you’ll have tremendous insight into the future.
SPEAKER 02 :
But Matt, also, the days we’re living in right now, it speaks of nations gathering against Jerusalem, Zechariah 14.2. The Lord returning and standing on a Mount of Olives, Zechariah 14.4.
SPEAKER 01 :
And of the day when the Lord shall be king over all the earth from Zechariah 14.9. Clear, literal prophecies given by God about what is yet to come.
SPEAKER 02 :
Visions of the Future was written by David Hawking to help believers understand the connection between biblical prophecy and the events we see unfolding in our world today. so that we might be prepared and watchful and strengthened in our faith.
SPEAKER 01 :
And the book of Zechariah gives us the clarity and confidence to stand firm, watch, and be ready. Amen.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, this month, we’re featuring David’s book, Visions of the Future, for $15. And when you purchase, would you prayerfully consider adding a donation to help us continue the work of Hope for Today or send a contribution by itself, either a one-time gift or a regular monthly gift?
SPEAKER 01 :
And as always, please faithfully pray for Hope for Today.
SPEAKER 02 :
You can get your copy of Visions of the Future by calling 800-75-BIBLE, that’s in the U.S., or 888-75-BIBLE in Canada. Bible is 24253. You can also order online at davidhonking.org. And you may have heard David mention the book The Case for Pre-Tribulationalism. This is available, The Case for Pre-Tribulationalism, for just $10, and you can order it directly on our website, davidhawking.org, or give us a call, and I’ll repeat the numbers in just a moment. You know, as this month is coming to a close here, can you believe it? September is just about to wrap up. We want to take just a moment to speak directly to you, our listening family. Hope for Today is not funded by a denomination or a large organization. It is sustained by gifts from people like you who love the Word of God and want to see it proclaimed clearly and without compromise. Your gift, whether large or small, is multiplied by the Lord for His glory. So we’re asking you to stand with us today. We do need the help. If the Lord has blessed you through this broadcast, would you prayerfully consider sending a special gift today? To help, visit davidhawking.org or call us at 1-800-75-BIBLE in the U.S. or 888-75-BIBLE in Canada. Bible is 24253. You can also write us at Hope for Today, Box 3927. Tustin, Tustin is spelled T-U-S-T-I-N, California, 92781. In Canada, write to Hope for Today, Box 15011, RPO, Seven Oaks, Abbotsford, B.C., V2S, 8P1. Well, thanks, and join us next time as we continue our series in the book of Revelation with a powerful and sobering look at the rise of two beasts who demand the worship of the world. We’ll see you then, right here on Hope for Today.
