Here are some recent developments around the world, and we ask an important question: How might these events fit into the prophetic picture revealed in Scripture? Looking at Russia, we consider how she is preparing for a wider conflict that could eventually draw in Europe and perhaps the United States. Could developments such as these be shaping the geopolitical landscape for the future war of Gog and Magog?
What is particularly striking is what we have heard this summer. Within a few short weeks, political and military leaders from across Europe have begun issuing remarkably similar warnings about the growing danger posed by Russia.
For instance, in June 2026, the then-British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, warned that Russia could pose a military threat to NATO by around 2030. Germany’s Chief of Defense warned that Russia could be capable of attacking NATO by 2029, perhaps even earlier. On July 3, the Polish Prime Minister issued a particularly sobering warning: “I don’t mean to scare anyone, but the coming months may truly be critical.”
Finland and the Baltic states, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, have expressed similar concerns, while NATO continues to regard Russia as its principal long-term military threat. While the possibility of confrontation is not new, European leaders increasingly speak as though the danger is getting closer.
All of this is unfolding as the war in Ukraine continues. This war is becoming almost forgotten, not because the bombs have stopped falling, not because people have stopped dying, and certainly not because the suffering has ended. We have simply grown accustomed to it.
Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022, and we are now in the war’s fifth year. Russia may have suffered about 1.4 million military casualties, while Ukraine’s military casualties have been estimated at 500,000 to 600,000. The numbers are staggering.
But perhaps even more significant is this: Russia is no longer fighting in isolation. Thousands of North Korean soldiers have been sent to assist Russia, particularly in the Kursk region. North Korean soldiers have died fighting alongside Russian forces, and Russia has also used North Korean missiles and ammunition.
Now, concerning Iran. This country has supplied Russia with Shahed-type drones, which Russia has used extensively against Ukraine. Russia subsequently began domestic production of Iranian-designed drones. That military relationship is part of something much larger. More than 2,500 years ago, Ezekiel 38–39 described a future coalition of nations coming against Israel. In the prophetic interpretation, Rosh, Meshech and Tubal are associated with the region of Russia, while Persia is unmistakably ancient Iran.
WHY SHOULD STUDENTS OF PROPHECY PAY ATTENTION?
Today, we see Russia confronting the West while developing increasingly important relationships with Iran and North Korea, one of whom John calls The King of the East in Revelation. All these countries are seen today as opposing a Western coalition. However, we cannot look at what is happening today and declare, “This is Gog and Magog.” It is not. But perhaps we can say, “We are beginning to recognize some of the pieces Scripture tells us will one day be on the board.” As believers, we do not watch these developments with panic. We watch with discernment.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER DEVELOPMENTS WORTH WATCHING?
Europe itself may be approaching significant political change. 2027 could be highly consequential, with major elections expected across Europe, including in France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Finland, and Greece. Although each country is different, many of these elections will center on similar fundamental issues: immigration and national borders, national sovereignty, relations with Russia, and the future direction of Europe.
As these pressures intensify, could Europe increasingly seek something it has often sought in times of crisis, such as strong leadership? Could these developments eventually prepare the political landscape for the emergence of an extraordinarily powerful leader? Scripture tells us that, at the same time these events we mentioned earlier will come to pass, an exceptional political leader will arise, a man the Bible identifies as the Antichrist. In the prophetic framework we have been studying, his rise is connected to this part of the world.
We watch these developments not to set dates or make predictions beyond Scripture, but to remind us how quickly the political landscape can change. By 2028, Europe could look considerably different from the Europe we know today. Perhaps the greater question is not simply “Who will win these elections?” but “What kind of Europe will these elections create, and what kind of leader will that Europe be looking for?”
SO HOW SHOULD WE RESPOND?
Among Yeshua’s first warnings in His end-time prophecies in the Gospels is that we would hear of “wars and rumors of wars.” But these events should not simply make us look at the world. They should make us look at the harvest. People around us are increasingly hungry to understand what is happening. They sense that things are not the same, that something is changing, and that something is brewing in the world around us.
Our evangelism teams, who go out two or sometimes three times a week to share the Word and distribute Bibles, have lately been noticing something remarkable: More and more people are asking what the Scriptures say about the last days. Think about that. The uncertainty of our times is prompting people to ask what the Bible says. This gives us an extraordinary opportunity.
We are told in the Scriptures: Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity (Colossians 4:5). Perhaps there has rarely been a better time to do exactly that. These are not merely times to study prophecy. They are not merely times to watch Russia, Iran, Europe, or the Middle East. Nor are they times for believers to live in fear.
These are times to pray and to witness. The world may be increasingly uncertain, but our message has never been more certain. The fields are white. It is time for the harvest.
Click here for the Video: Israel and the Nations – Russia: Preparing for a Bigger War?