Iron Side Effects

Russia will invade Israel at a time when war is not expected. Students of Bible prophecy have long expected a Russian military move in the Middle East. Early in the 20th century, Dr. Ironside wrote:
In the last days, the final head of the Russian people will look with covetous eyes upon the great developments in the land of Palestine. They will determine that Russia must have her part of the wealth there produced. Consequently, we have the picture of a vast army, augmented by warriors from Persia, Cush, Phut, marching down toward Palestine.

Aggressors in Conflict

But why have prophetic experts come to this conclusion?

The reasons are found in chapters 38 and 39 of Ezekiel’s prophecy. There a devastating war is described that takes place in the Middle East involving Israel, Russia, and a number of other nations. The following is Ezekiel’s indictment of the aggressors in the conflict:

And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of amour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands: and many people with thee… (Ezekiel 38:1 – 6)
It is no secret that the majority of prophetic speakers and writers identify the prime mover among these nations named by Ezekiel as Russia. Millions of booklets, pamphlets, and books have been circulated describing the coming war between Russia and Israel. But is there hard evidence that the conclusions of these students of prophecy are correct?

Did Ezekiel really foresee Russia rising as a military power in the end time and having a special interest in the Middle East, or have present-day writers and speakers simply used today’s international tensions as an opportunity to sell books and attract crowds? Is the public the victim of ecclesiastical opportunists who have themselves set the stage for what they describe as the end-time drama? How can anyone be sure that Ezekiel’s prophecy has anything to do with modern nations when the words used in his description of this conflict are so unfamiliar to today’s Bible reader?

Who is Gog? Where is the land of Magog? Where would one look on a map to find the cities of Meshech and Tubal? To what nations did Ezekiel refer when he wrote of Gomer and Togarmah?

Unless these questions can be answered satisfactorily, there is good reason to question the conclusions being so widely accepted and promoted in our time.

Convincing Evidence

Let us begin at the beginning. A table of nations is given in Genesis 10. At the opening of this important chapter, we are confronted with the key names in Ezekiel’s prophecy: “Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood. The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras” (Genesis 10:1, 2).

These key verses describe the repopulating of the earth after the flood.ironside. It was the custom in ancient times for the descendents of a man to adopt his name for their tribe. Understanding this, historians and Bible students have been able to trace the movements of some of the tribes and know where their descendents can be found today. Using this system, the editors of the Scofield Reference Bible have furnished the following information about the names that concern us in the table of nations:

Magog — “From Magog are descended the ancient Scythians or Tarters, whose descendents predominate in modern Russia.”

Tubal — “Tubal’s descendents peopled the region south of the Black Sea from whence they spread north and south. It is probable that Tobolsk perpetuates the tribal name.”

Meshech — “Progenitor of a race mentioned in connection with Tubal, Magog, and other northern nations. Broadly speaking, Russia, excluding the conquests of Peter the Great and his successors, is the modern land of Magog, Tubal, and Meshech.”

The Scofield Reference Bible was published in 1909. These notes alone let us know that the identification of Russia as the main aggressor in Ezekiel’s end-time battle is not the conclusion of prophetic opportunists.

In the orient al tongue, the name of the Caucasus Mountains that run through Russia means “Fort of Gog” or “Gog’s last stand.” If you were to ask a Russian what he calls the heights of the Caucasus Mountains, he would say, “the Gogh.”

The word that is translated “chief’ in Ezekiel 38:3 is “Rosh” in the Hebrew language. For centuries prophetic scholars have generally agreed that the word “Rosh” is a proper name. Allowing this long-accepted conclusion in the translation of this verse would make it read, “And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the Rosh prince of Meshech and Tubal.”
But who is Rosh?

“Rosh” was the name of the tribe dwelling in the area of the Volga. And “Rosh” is the word for “Russia” today in some languages of the world. In Belgium and Holland it is “Rus.” Here, abbreviated, it’s “Russ,” and often appears in that form in the headlines of newspapers. An understanding of this truth moved Robert Lowth, Bishop of London two hundred years ago, to write: “Rosh, taken as a proper name in Ezekiel signifies the inhabitants of Scythia from whom the modern Russians derive their modern name. The name ‘Russia’ dates only from the seventeenth century and was formed from the ancient name ‘Russ.’ It is clear then that Ezekiel was delivering a warning to the Russian prince (leader) of Meshech and Tubal.

We have already seen from Scofield’s notes of 1909 that Tubal is the root of the name Tobolsk, but what about Meshech? In his note on Ezekiel 38:2, Scofield continues his work of identification, stating: “That the primary reference is to the northern European powers headed by Russia, all agree… Gog is the prince, Magog his land, the reference to Meshech and Tubal (Moscow and Tobolsk) is a clear mark of identification.”

As has been already shown, Dr. Scofield was by no means the first to come to this conclusion. In 1890, Arno C. Gaebelein wrote a book on Ezekiel. Commenting on chapters 38 and 39, he declared: “This is Russia, Moscow, and Tobolsk.”

Another important voice of the past is that of Josephus. In Book I, Chapter VI of his work, this historian who lived almost two thousand years ago stated that the Scythians were called Magogites by the Greeks. Why is that important? The Scythians populated Russia.
It is little wonder then that the weight of prophetic scholarship has gone with the conclusion that Russia is the chief aggressor named by Ezekiel in this end-time war with Israel. The allies of Russia in that fierce conflict will be Persia (Iran and Iraq), Ethiopia, Libya, Gomer (Eastern Germany and Slovakia), and Togarmah (Turkey).Where Is The Old Ironsides In The The Uss?.

It is interesting that Daniel adds Egypt to the names of nations coming against Israel and the final world dictator, so that the invasion includes attacks from the north and the south, as well as the prospect of trouble from the east (see Dan. 11:40-44). There is no need to marshal the scholars of the past to confirm the place or purpose of this war. Ezekiel explained:

After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them (Ezek. 38:8).

What a clear and up-to-date description of Israel! She is certainly the land that is brought back from the sword — gathered out of many people — a former wasteland — brought forth out of the nations.

The invaders of Israel will come with immense air power: “Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee” (Ezek. 38:9).

They will also come in full confidence of victory:

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, To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land (Ezek. 38:11,12).

The Unfolding Mystery

The purpose of this war has long caused questions for commentators . Ezekiel explains the purpose to be twofold: to take a spoil and to take a prey. The poverty of Palestine has made this difficult to understand, but now the mystery is unfolding.

The Jews have been the prey of persecutors for thousands of years. Today, if it were militarily possible, they would be the prey of their Arab neighbors. In the coming war with Russia, nearly all the Arab nations will be allies of Russia, and their primary purpose will be to take a prey — Israel. The Russians, however, will be marching to the Middle East to take a spoil. They will be pleased to cooperate in the conquest of Israel, knowing that when their military forces overrun the Middle East they will control all the wealth there, including the Arab oil.

Recent history has demonstrated that those who become the allies of Russia are soon totally controlled by her; witness Eastern Europe. So while the Arabs will join the attack against Israel to take a prey, Russia will be invading to take a spoil.

And the spoil is oil.

In addition, the mineral wealth of the Dead Sea, valued at two trillion dollars, must be considered, as well as the wealth being generated in Israel through industry and agriculture. The protest of Israel’s allies makes this clear:

Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchant s of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, and take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil? (Ezek. 38:13)
Sheba and Dedan represent a small number of Arabs who will not participate in the attack on Israel. The merchants of Tarshish are Western powers who by this time will be under the control of the Antichrist, soon to be revealed for who he is and to become the final world dictator.

Important Timing

When will this war take place?

There are four time factors that allow us to arrive at the approximate time of the war between Russia and Israel.

1.The war takes place in the “latter years” (38:8), or the “latter days” (38:16).

2.The war can only take place when the Jews are in their land. This prophecy could not have been fulfilled before 1948. Any invasion of the Middle East by Russia previous to statehood for Israel would have been meaningless in regard to this prophecy. The enactment of this scene in the last days also guarantees the survival of Israel until the war with Russia. Were the Arabs to succeed in destroying the Jews, it would be impossible to fulfill Ezekiel’s prophecy.

3.At the time of the invasion of Israel, Russia must be a major military power, a fact that guarantees the survival of Russia until the war with Israel. The increase of Russian military might is well known, but that immense and fearsome buildup would have no prophetic significance if the Jews were not in their homeland. Conversely, the gigantic Russian arms effort in view of the present Middle East situation must be seen as preliminary to an attack on Israel as prophesied by Ezekiel.

4.This war between Russia and Israel must take place when the Jews are dwelling securely in their land. The threat of Arab invasion will therefore have been removed to the point that the Jews feel safe: “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” (Ezek. 38:11). It seems likely that this Jewish security will come from enacting a treaty with the head of the Western alliance or the revived Roman Empire. It will be an agreement intended to last for seven years: “…And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week… ” (Dan. 9:27).

Since by the time of the Russian attack, the treaty of peace will have been in force long enough for the Jews to feel safe, it appears that the Russian invasion will come at about the middle of the Tribulation period or approximately three and one-half years after its signing. There is also a hint that the Antichrist will come to world power at that point in time. The extension of his dominion over all the earth seems to follow the defeat of Russia and the armies of the East (Rev. 9:16).

Russia’s attack on Israel will be her greatest military blunder. Though brief, the conflict will be one of the most destructive in history. Ezekiel’s description of the battle is as follows:

…Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground. And I will call for a sword against him through all my mountains, saith the Lord God: every man’s sword shall be against his brother. And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone (Ezek. 38:19-22).

The prophet’s vision carries with it many of the characteristics of nuclear war. There are earth-splitting explosions. Mountains are toppled. Rain, hail, and fire become part of the picture as nature erupts in rebellion against the forces marching to bring destruction to the Jews.

While details of military action in this war are few, something about the defeat of the northern invaders will make it clear to the Jews that God has protected them: “Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD (Ezek. 38:23).

The casualties of the Russian invaders are so great that only one-sixth of the fighting force is left after the battle: “And I will turn thee back, and l eave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel” (Ezek. 39:2).

Two important developments will follow the defeat of the invaders of Israel. First, the attack by Russia will give the Antichrist an excuse for full occupation of Israel under the pretense of protection and will, along with his defeat of the huge Eastern force (Rev. 9:16), extend his power over the entire world. Second, the divine protection of Israel as prophesied by Ezekiel and proclaimed to the world by evangelists and writers throughout the closing time will turn many Jews to their Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.

The remaining forty-two months of the Tribulation will show man at his worst.

The final world dictator will become the most evil of all earth’s political and religious leaders. His blasphemy, oppression, and self-exaltation will surpass that of all tyrants before him.
Persecution of believers in Christ will reach an all-time high. Millions will be martyred.
Anti-Semitism will become the passion of those in power.

And the world will continue its age-old march to the most fierce and foolish war of all — the Battle of Armageddon.

The modern term ‘bereavement’ originates from an Old English word meaning ‘to rob’. In contemporary society, bereavement can refer to any great loss, but it commonly refers to the death of a loved one. ‘Mourning’ refers to the various public displays of bereavement; funeral ceremonies, wakes, visiting cemeteries to put flowers on graves, memorial services on anniversaries etc. ‘Grieving’ refers to the psychological component of bereavement, the feelings human beings have when a loved person dies. Since Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross published her seminal book ‘On Death And Dying’ in 1969, it has been assumed that coming to terms with death has five distinct phases; denial and isolation, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally acceptance. Health care professionals believed that anyone bereaved or facing their own death should move through these phases, one at a time, but potentially a person could get ‘stuck’ at any stage, impeding the ‘resolution’ of their grieving process. The above view assumed that while each bereaved person may feel things in somewhat different ways, everyone’s bereavement process was essentially the same.

It is now accepted that human beings are far more complicated than that. After years of dealing with patients who did not conform neatly to this view of distinct phases, psychologists, psychiatrists, counselors and psychotherapists, began to change their assumptions. It is now recognized that each person experiences bereavement in his or her own way and every bereavement will have its own unique process. A bereaved person might move back and forth between denial, anger, sadness, fear, and guilt many times a day and never reach ‘resolution’ in Kubler-Ross’s sense. The way bereavement is experienced depends not only upon personality: a person’s individual sensitivities, the way a person typically responds to crises and loss, but also upon the circumstances of the death and the relationship the bereaved person had to the person who has died. It can also be affected by how much we are supported by others and by how much other stress we have in our lives at the time.

Bereavement can bring feelings of isolation, anxiety, and confusion, as well as physical effects such as weight loss, lack of concentration, and sleep disturbance. The bereaved person may experience a loss of memory, loss of self-esteem and identity, and on occasion may even begin to take on the characteristics of the person who has died. They may begin to neglect their appearance for a time and feel that nothing matters any more. Although these are all normal rather than pathological reactions, at such times it can help to talk to others about what is being felt. Friends, family, health care workers, religious leaders, all may be able to offer support until life begins to make sense again.

A ‘complicated bereavement’ can occur when the bereaved person begins to suffer from more complex mental health problems as a result of not being able to deal with their feelings of loss and grief. The following are guidelines only and a person who does not fulfil any of these may still have a difficult experience of bereavement. Likewise, someone who fits all of the following may be able to move through the feelings of grief without undue difficulty. However, if some or all of the following conditions apply, it may be more likely that the bereaved person could suffer from a complicated bereavement:

oIf the bereaved person is a carer for others, especially a single parent of young children.
oIf the bereaved person has had a history of mental health problems.
oIf the death was sudden, or violent.
oIf the relationship between the bereaved and the deceased was a difficult one, characterized by strong feelings, both positive and negative.
oIf the bereaved person is under additional stress at the moment of the death, for example, a divorce, financial worries, his or her own poor health.
oIf the person who died was the person that the bereaved would have turned to for help or support.
oIf the bereaved person has experienced multiple bereavements within the past few years.

Bereaved persons have to learn to live with the emptiness of the absent person, as well as deal with intensified self-reflection regarding their own lives, their choices, regrets, and their own mortality. Bereavement can instigate many deep changes that can affect those left behind in ways that extend far beyond the specific loss of relationship they are mourning. Although living through these changes often feels painful and sometimes even overwhelming, the eventual outcome of this process can be quite positive. By confronting the fact of death it is possible to become more compassionate, or galvanized into pursuing what’s really important in one’s life.

Dealing with the Feelings of Grief and Bereavement:

oThe reaction to bereavement will be influenced by the relationship the bereaved person had to the person who died, and the way that person died.
oWhat is ‘normal’ will feel different for a while. For example, the bereaved person might feel numb, or like everything is unreal.
oThis change in reality can feel scary and isolating. It can be helpful to seek the advice and support of a GP and/or counselor during this time.
oSadness, fear, and anger are common feelings during bereavement.
oThe energy of sadness often rises up the front of the body, into the chest, throat, face, and eyes. Tears can release this sadness.
oFear can feel like a stiffness around the body, or a frozen feeling in the middle of the body. Another’s comforting touch or embrace can let the body relax a little.
oAnger can feel hot, like pressure, and can be quite intense. It may be a challenge for the bereaved person to have compassion for their own suffering while not taking their anger out on others.
oWorking through grief takes as long as it takes, and it can take longer than is commonly expected, long after others think it has passed. These feelings can also re-emerge if the bereaved person suffers another loss of any kind.
oIt is advisable that the bereaved avoid making important decisions, when possible, during the months immediately following the death.

Bereavement Counsellings

No matter how a person responds to bereavement, their response inevitably reveals something about how they function as a person, and this ‘something’ can be explored in a safe and confidential way with a counselor. Bereavement counseling, like all counseling, offers a person the opportunity to hear themselves express their thoughts and feelings, or to sit in silence with someone who is willing to be with them as they are, without trying to change them or cheer them up. Counselors usually do not give advice, but will help a person to find their own answers to their life issues and conflicts. Bereavement counselors will expect a person to want to talk about the person who died and also about how to adjust to life without that person. But a person can talk about anything that’s important to them and this means that a counseling session might be spent talking about practical matters, future hopes and plans, or new relationships that are developing with neighbors, family members, and others. Although bereavement is the issue that may bring a person to a counselor, the sessions may eventually and naturally begin to lead to other matters.

Bereavement counselors are trained to work exclusively with people who are coping with the death of someone important to them. However, most counselors and psychotherapists will work with bereaved people. Some hospitals and all hospices offer bereavement support and in these settings it is becoming clear that people can also benefit greatly from the opportunity to talk about their anticipated bereavement before the person has actually died, and there is some suggestion that support before the bereavement can make bereavement support afterwards less necessary. Counseling can also be accessed from many GP surgeries, voluntary bereavement services, hospices, counseling centers, and some hospitals.What Does USS Stand for?. Some volunteers from bereavement services (volunteers may not be trained counselors but will always have completed a bereavement training course) can meet in the person’s home but most counselors work from an office or health center. Some people seek counseling for only one session, or occasionally when they feel they need it, or on a regular basis (often once a week) for a longer period. It is important to note that a person does not have to feel in crisis to ask to see a counselor. He or she may just want to check out how they are coping, to be reassured that what they feel is OK.

Some professionals suggest that bereavement counseling is best left until six months or more after the bereavement. It is at this time that friends, families, neighbors, have begun to get on with their own lives and may assume that the bereaved person is ready to do the same. It can be difficult to continuously bring up the issue when others expect the person to be over it. It is perfectly acceptable for a person to seek counseling years after the bereavement, when others seem to think everyone must be over it. Another bereavement, illness, divorce, job loss, etc. can unexpectedly rekindle feelings of grief that had subsided.

A first session of bereavement counseling usually begins with the person seeking counseling (the client) telling their story. This often includes a full history of the relationship they had with the deceased, how they met, what they enjoyed doing together, how long they were together, and perhaps any difficulties in the relationship. Clients also often begin counseling by talking about the present, how difficult it is without the person who has died, how it has changed their other relationships, and almost always, a detailed discussion about how the person died. As nowadays more and more people die in hospitals, this discussion can focus on anger regarding what was done or not done by hospital staff. The bereaved person can sometimes be left almost ‘haunted’ by questions about their loved one’s illness or care that no one can adequately answer. Dwelling over and over again on these specifics may be one way of trying to deny that the person has died.

It is not uncommon for people to continue to feel the presence of the person who has died. Sometimes the deceased person’s voice is heard, or their image is seen in a favourite place. The counselor can offer reassurance that this is not uncommon, and eventually, after some months of talking about their feelings, a new sort of continuing relationship may develop between the bereaved person and the memory of the deceased. Clients might begin counseling thinking it will help them to get over the person’s death, making that person less important so life can proceed. But most people don’t want to ‘forget’ how important their loved one is to them. They want to be allowed to ‘talk’ to the person they miss, and think about how they would handle present situations. This can be quite comforting. Counseling can be used to help find a way to integrate the bond with the deceased back into present life, albeit now without that person’s physical presence.

The ‘If only’ phrases uttered by family, friends, doctors and nurses, (‘If only I’d said…’ ‘If only we’d done…’ ‘If only he’d left a few minutes later’) suggest that our society forgets that despite medical advances and our scientific age, we all still die. And as a consequence of this everyone needs to find ways of adapting to their mortality and to the fact that others they care about will also die. Counseling is one source of support in trying to make sense of the shattered certainties, loneliness and confusion that bereavement may bring. Unresolved grief can become a barrier between the bereaved person and others. It can seem so unfair that this person is no longer there. This feeling can become general, until life itself seems unfair. The bereaved person may begin to relate to the world as if it is an unsafe and aggressive place. The counselor can help the person begin to discover the source of this negativity in their own reaction to their loss and the reassurance that what they are feeling is quite normal can help their world seem understandable again. Bereavement counseling aims to provide comfort and support, facilitate mourning, and ameliorate complicated bereavements. Clients typically feel grateful for the space that counseling provides and studies suggest that ‘high risk’ clients benefit significantly from these sessions.

Useful Books

The Power of Focusing. A Practical Guide to Emotional Self-Healing. By Dr. Ann Weiser Cornell (1997). New Harbinger Publications.

‘You’ll Never Get Over It’ The Rage of Bereavement. Virginia Ironside (1996). Penguin Books.

All In The End Is Harvest. Agnes Whitaker (Editor) (1984). DLT Publ.

Badger’s Parting Gifts. Susan Varley (A Children’s Book)

Your local bookshop will have a selection of other books on bereavement and how to help feelings change.

Children and Death

Children’s reactions to death vary according to their age and it can be helpful to seek the advice of a counselor if an adult is not sure how to explain death to a young child. Hospices can usually offer information and literature appropriate for young ages. Generally it is advised to include children in the pre-death period, explaining some of what is happening, answering questions, and allowing the child to say goodbye to the person who is dying. It is often helpful to allow children to attend funerals and services as they wish, but to remember that, unlike an adult, a child may alternate between extreme distress and playful indifference quite quickly, and this is normal. Bereavement projects that work with children often use play, arts and crafts, in individual and small group settings, to explore the child’s loss and relive their memories in a safe and productive way.