Prophetic Implications of the Russia-Ukraine War

          ​As the conflict between Russia and Ukraine unfolds, one can find possible prophetic implications.  The first that comes to mind comes from Jesus’s famous discourse regarding signs of the end of the age in chapter 24 of the book of Matthew:
 
                “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars…” – Matthew 24:6
 
        We are currently seeing war unfold in Ukraine.  But beyond that we are hearing reports speculating on how this conflict could escalate and spread (rumors of war).  Here are a few headlines:

Baltic states fear encirclement as Russia security threat rises – Financial Times
Russia threatens 'military and political consequences' if Finland, Sweden try joining NATO – The Hill
Taiwan fears China could take leaf out of Russia’s playbook after invasion of Ukraine – Independent
How war in Ukraine increases Iran’s threat to Israel – The Jerusalem Post
Will war in Ukraine lead to a wider cyber-conflict? – The Economist
 
      Granted, there have been numerous wars since Jesus spoke his words in Matthew.  What potentially makes this situation different is how it could light the fuse for so many other potential conflicts and how our modern social media enables open and widespread discussion of rumors of war.  Also, this is taking place at a time when other end times prophecies appear to be unfolding and converging (the rebirth of Israel, a move toward a one world government, and advances in technology that make the Mark of the Beast system feasible, to name a few).
 
      Perhaps a more precise prophetic fulfillment lies in how the current conflict in Ukraine could lead to Ezekiel’s prophecy of the Gog-Magog invasion of Israel in the Last Days.  This prophecy spans chapters 37, 38, and 39 of the Book of Ezekiel.  In these passages Ezekiel describes how the nation of Israel will return to its territory and be reborn as a nation in the Last Days.  He speaks of a coalition of nations that will align to attack and attempt to destroy Israel.  Many Bible scholars have interpreted the countries listed to include Russia, Turkey, Iran, Libya, and Sudan.  Russia is described as leading the coalition.
 
          In recent years we have seen this coalition come into shape.  Here are a few headlines:

Iran, Russia, and Turkey signal growing alliance – The Jerusalem Post
Turkey and Russia's deepening roles in Libya complicate peace efforts – The Guardian
Sudan Deepens Ties with Russia After Militia Leader Meets Lavrov – Bloomberg
 
        So we can see that the coalition of nations described by Ezekiel is clearly forming before our eyes.  But what would prompt Russia to lead them in a war against Israel?  This is where the conflict in Ukraine comes into play.  Russia’s main source of revenue comes from oil sales (of which China is a major buyer) and the natural gas they sell to Western Europe.  Key gas pipelines run through Ukraine.  However, in 2021, President Biden reversed President Trump’s sanctions against the recently completed Nord Stream 2 pipeline which runs from Russia under the Baltic Sea to Germany.  One might conclude that greenlighting Nord Stream 2 paved the way for Russia to invade Ukraine because Russia could risk damage to the pipelines that run through Ukraine knowing that they had Nord Stream 2 to continue to send gas into Europe.  However, in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Germany has suspended certification of Nord Stream 2.  But the fact remains that it is winter in Europe and Western Europe needs natural gas from Russia for heating, so if in fact the pipeline through Ukraine did become unusable, the sanctions on Nord Stream 2 would likely be short-lived.
 
     I explain this background to point to how Israel enters the equation.  Israel, Greece, and Cyprus are currently working on the EastMed pipeline project to transport natural gas from Israel into Europe.  It is estimated to be completed in 2025 and when complete, it will serve to undermine Russia’s energy stranglehold on Western Europe.  This makes Israel a direct rival to Russia.
 
    Keep in mind that Russia has an active military presence in Syria, a nation that borders Israel.  Up until now, Russia has tolerated Israel airstrikes of Iranian positions within Syria.  However, it would not be terribly difficult for Russia to create a situation whereby Israel finds itself accused of killing Russian soldiers in such a strike, thereby creating the pretext for Russia to lead an attack against Israel.
 
       What the conflict in Ukraine has done is it forced Western Europe to realize that they cannot be beholden to Putin’s Russia as their key supplier of energy.  This opens the door for Israel to emerge as a rival to Russia.  As we have seen, Putin is aggressive when it comes to acting in his interests and securing his position as the source of natural gas for Western Europe would be at the top of his priorities.  This puts Israel in a perilous position.  Ezekiel describes that God will put hooks in the jaw of “Gog” (the leader of the coalition that attacks Israel) and draw him into war with Israel.  One can see how the emergence of Israel as an energy rival will cause Putin to pivot from Ukraine and draw his focus to Israel.  We will likely soon see a build-up of the Russian military and proxy forces from Iran, Libya, and Sudan in Syria.  It is unlikely that Putin will wait until the projected EastMed completion in 2025 to act.  He will want to quickly disabuse Western Europe of any notion that there is an alternative to him when it comes to obtaining natural gas.
 
         When one considers the converging of other prophetic events, the conflict in Ukraine could potentially have end times prophetic implications.  This makes the duty of sharing the gospel all the more important.  If we truly are seeing end times events unfold, that means time is short to help guide others to salvation through Christ.  We as Christians must redouble our efforts to bring light to this ever-darkening world.