Popular interpretations in
the West claim “Rosh” in the book of Ezekiel refers to Russia,
therefore the prophet predicted a Russian-led attack against the nation
of Israel. Ezekiel’s had a vision of an invasion
of Israel led by “Gog of the land of Magog, the
prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal” (Ezekiel 38:1-2).
Two arguments are used to
support this proposition. First, the perceived similarity of sound and spelling
between rosh” and ‘Rus’; second, Ezekiel’s description of a hostile
nation from the “far north” (Ezekiel 39:2). Further, this belief
validates the geopolitical beliefs of some groups.
Yet the linguistic evidence
demonstrates that any similarity in spelling or pronunciation is superficial. ‘Rosh’
is the common Hebrew noun for “head” and is so used over three dozen times by
Ezekiel.
Due to geographical
conditions, invasions of ancient Palestine normally came from
the north regardless of the invader’s place of origin. Invaders from Mesopotamia,
for example, traditionally followed the Euphrates
or Tigress River to a point to the north
of Palestine before turning south to invade. And Russia is
by no means the only nation located north of Israel.
But what is decisive to this
question is how the book of Revelation applies Ezekiel’s prophecy to a global
effort by all nations united to annihilate God’s people.
The American Standard
Version translates Ezekiel 38:2, “set your face toward
Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh,
Meshech, and Tubal.” In contrast, the King James Version reads,
“set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief
prince of Meshech and Tubal.”
In the American
Standard Version “rosh” is transliterated,
not translated, and becomes one of three lands ruled by Gog. In the King
James Version, “chief” translates “rosh”
and is combined with “prince.” This difference is the crux of
the matter.
“Rosh” occurs at least six hundred
times in the Hebrew Bible and most often means “head.” Derivative
meanings include “chief,” “top,” “sum,” “foremost” and “principal,” all derived
from the literal sense “head.”
“Rosh” is not a proper
name in the Old Testament, with the possible exception of Genesis 46:21 (“Rosh,”
a son of Benjamin). Nowhere does the Hebrew Old Testament mention a nation,
people, territory or city named “rosh,” the only possible exception
being “Rosh” in Ezekiel 38-39.
“Rosh” is the noun used to name the start of a year or rosh Hashanah, the “head
of the year,” as well as each new month (rosh chodesh or “new moon” [Exodus
12:2; Numbers 10:10]). Other examples of this sense include “chief”
of tribes (Deuteronomy 1:15; 5:23), “chief priest” (2
Kings 25:18; 1 Chronicles 27:5; 2 Chronicles
19:11; 26:20), and the “chief prince” (1 Chronicles
7:40).
“Rosh” occurs
thirty-eight times in Ezekiel and always denotes “head,” with the only
possible exceptions of Ezekiel 38:2-3 and 39:1.
For example, Ezekiel 1:22 refers to the “heads” of the
living creatures; in 5:1 Ezekiel is commanded to shave his “head”
(see also 6:13; 7:18; 8:3; 9:10; 10:1; 10:11; 11:21; 13:18; 16:12; 16:25; 16:31;16:43; 17:19; 21:19; 21:21; 22:31; 23:15; 23:42; 24:23; 27:30; 29:18; 32:27;33:4).
In Ezekiel 17:4, “rosh”
refers metaphorically to the “top” or “head” of a branch (also 17:22),
in 27:22 to the “chief” of all spices, and in Ezekiel
40:1 to the “head” or “first” of the year (see
also Ezekiel 42:12; 43:12; 44:18; 44:20).
Ezekiel thus consistently and repeatedly uses “rosh” for “head,” whether
for a literal “head” or metaphorically for the “head” of something.
Note also the structure of
the Hebrew clause in which “rosh” or “chief” follows the
noun “prince” (nasi), which puts it in the attributive
position. This is the normal construction when one
substantive modifies another (the so-called Hebrew ‘construct state’).
While the clause may not disallow the translation “prince of Rosh, Meshech,
and Tubal,” “chief prince” is the more natural reading (Ezekiel
38:2).
“Meshech and Tubal”
elsewhere in Ezekiel are always paired and without any mention of “Rosh”
(27:13; 32:26). They are commonly listed together in Ezekiel
and the rest of the Old Testament (Genesis 10:2; 1 Chron 1:5; 1:17).
They are not elsewhere linked to any person or location named “rosh” but
often are listed alongside “Javan" or Greece (Genesis
10:2; 1 Chron 1:5; 1:17; Ezekiel 27:13).
This pairing is based on geography; both nations were in Asia Minor to the
northwest of Israel.
The nations that are listed in Ezekiel
Chapter 38 were known to ancient Israel. Besides “Tubal and Meshech,” the
chapter includes “Persia, Ethiopia, Libya, Gomer, and
Togarmah,” regional powers there were known to Israel. All of them are
included in the judicial pronouncements
against Tyre and Egypt in Ezekiel 26-32 (27:26; 29:10; 30:4-5).
The trading partners of Tyre
are listed eastwards, beginning from Spain (Tarshish) through Greece (Javan),
Asia Minor (Tubal, Meshech, Togmarah) and the Aegean Islands (27:12-15),
then listed south to north (27:16-17). Finally, Arabia and parts
of Mesopotamia are named (27:18-24). Nowhere is any entity
called “Rosh” included among the nations surrounding Israel.
“Gomer” is not
mentioned before Chapter 38 but probably is identical with the “Gammadim”
found in Ezekiel 27:11, a Hebrew rendering of the “Gimirra”
people there were known to Assyria, and the “Cimmerians” found in Greek literature,
a nomadic people from eastern Asia Minor also to the north of Israel.
Elsewhere “Gomer” is included with Magog in lists of descendants of
Japheth (Genesis 10:2; 1 Chron 1:5).
All the nations listed in
Ezekiel Chapters 38-39 are known from other Bible passages and ancient documents; all
were known to Israel, with the exception of “rosh.”
No kingdom that was known by the name
“Russia” or “Rus” existed in the sixth century B.C., whether in the
immediate or more distant regions to the north of Israel; consequently, no
such nation was known to Ezekiel or his Israelite compatriots exiled
in Babylon.
Similarities in spelling
and pronunciation are offered as primary evidence that “rosh”
is Russia, but the similarities are more apparent than real. “Rosh”
is written with three Hebrew consonants, Resh (ר), Aleph (א)
and Shin (ש), and in earlier times only with Resh and Shin. Aleph was
added in later phases of biblical Hebrew to mark the long vowel sound or ‘ō,’ and Aleph is
not pronounced when “rosh” is spoken.
The kingdom of ‘Rus’ centered
in Kiev did not exist prior to the ninth or the late eighth-century A.D., some fifteen hundred years after Ezekiel’s time. Its name does
not appear anywhere in the Hebrew Bible.
Since the ninth century A.D., Rus has
been transliterated into Hebrew as רוס with the
consonants Resh (ר), Vav (ו)
and Samech (ס), not using Resh (ר), Aleph (א)
and Shin (ש). The letter Vav in the
Hebrew word רוס marks a
long vowel sound, ‘ū,’ and is not pronounced. Samech is a
different letter than Shin and more akin in sound to ‘s’ than
to the ‘sh’ of shin. The only sound in common between “rosh”
and “rus” is the initial ‘r’ sound. ‘Russia’ in modern Hebrew is
spelled רוסיה).
The nations listed in
Ezekiel Chapters 38-39 are not only from the north but, also, from regions to
the east and south of Israel. “Gog” leads this alliance to
invade from the direction of its home territory to the north of Palestine.
Due to the geography and
climate of the Fertile Crescent, invading armies
entered Palestine from the north. The Old Testament speaks of
several hostile nations that attacked from the north, including Aram,
Assyria, and Babylon (Isaiah 8:4-7; Jeremiah 1:13-15; 25:9-10).
Such references are too common to determine a nation’s identity by the compass
direction of its attack.
The Book
of Revelation
The decisive factor is how
the book of Revelation interprets and applies Ezekiel’s prophecy; it alludes to
the prophecy in Revelation 16:12-16, 19:17-21 and 20:7-10.
The reference in Revelation 16:12-16 is brief.
The sixth bowl is to “PREPARE
THE WAY for the kings of the east.” Unclean spirits “GATHER
THE KINGS OF THE WHOLE HABITABLE EARTH to the great day of God
the Almighty…And he gathered them unto a place called in the
Hebrew tongue ‘MOUNTAIN of Megiddo’.”
The language is from Ezekiel
38:7-8: “Be PREPARED, you and all your companies that are
assembled unto you…in the latter years you shall come into the land that is
brought back from the sword that is GATHERED OUT OF MANY PEOPLES UPON
THE MOUNTAINS of Israel.”
The linguistic borrowing from
Ezekiel is more obvious in Revelation 19:17-21. An
angel cries to “THE BIRDS OF THE AIR TO COME AND GATHER YOURSELVES TO THE
SUPPER of the great God, that ye may eat the flesh of
kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the
flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both
free and bond, both small and great. And I saw the beast, and THE KINGS
OF THE EARTH AND THEIR ARMIES GATHERED TO THE WAR against him that sat
on the horse.”
Note the parallel
descriptions from Ezekiel 39:17-19: “Speak to EVERY
FEATHERED BIRD and to every beast of the field, GATHER
YOURSELVES ON EVERY SIDE TO MY SACRIFICE that I do sacrifice for you,
even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel THAT
YE MAY EAT FLESH, and drink blood. Ye shall EAT THE FLESH OF THE
MIGHTY and drink the blood of the princes of the earth.”
The use of Ezekiel’s prophecy
is explicit in Revelation 20:8-9. Satan deceives the “nations
from the four corners of the earth, GOG AND MAGOG, TO GATHER THEM TO
THE WAR: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And THEY
ASCENDED OVER THE BREADTH OF THE EARTH and encompassed the camp of the
saints and the beloved city.”
Common to all three passages is
the transformation of regional nations from Ezekiel Chapter 38 into the “kings
of the whole earth and their armies,” the nations from every “corner” of
the earth are “gathered to the war,” singular. The same event is in view
in all three passages.
Rather than descend from the
north, this force “ascends” over the entire earth to attack
not Israel but the worldwide “saints” of God. “Saint”
in Revelation refers to men and women from every nation that follow the Lamb (5:8; 8:3; 11:18; 13:7; 14:1-4).
Conclusions
The decisive factor in
identifying Rosh, Gog or Magog is how the book of Revelation interprets them,
not perceived similarities in pronunciation or contemporary geopolitical
perspectives.
Russia may participate
in this final assault but only in the same sense as the other countries that
make up “all nations” in Revelation 20:8-9. Presumably, this
would also include Canada, Germany, South Africa and
the United States of America, among many others.
In Revelation, “all”
means “all.” The point is that all the regimes of the world unite under the “Beast”
in a final attempt to annihilate God’s people across the globe.
What the book of Revelation
does is apply Ezekiel’s prophecy to its picture of Satan’s final assault
against God’s people at the end of history. “War” refers not to
conventional battles between national armies, but to worldwide persecution of
men and women who follow the Lamb “wherever he goes.”
No comments:
Post a Comment