Synagogue

My mind works in very mysterious ways. There is no other rational explanation. But I don’t worry, because my neural pathways take me on some very interesting journeys.

Yesterday, I received an email from the main correspondent of our Faith and Science group. He was helping us all find something to do while we’re social distancing (which I prefer calling ‘being socially distant’). The epistle was full of interesting links about Jewish worship in 1st Century synagogues, and I got to thinking how strange English is when one word can summon up a completely different image. Like “synagogue”, for example:

Sin à Gog

Where the heck did that come from? I’m blaming the language, and yet I know that it’s not its fault. It’s the way I ‘hear’ stuff when something is spoken aloud.

So, what about Gog?

For those that have studied the Bible concerning prophecy of the End Times, Gog and Magog figure strongly in Ezekiel (chapters 38 and 39) and the Revelation of St. John.

So, the consensus is that Gog is an individual from Magog, which for some reason has been changed into two entities, Gog and Magog, and that ‘they’ figure greatly in the final battle for Israel.

Doing my research, I found it is worth remembering that ancient civilizations have changed their names many times. And translations, over time, bring variations, too.

My gut instinct is that Magog refers to Outer Mongolia. This implies that Gog may be a direct reference to Genghis Khan. That’s why the prophecies speak of barbarians, and great terror for the Israelites. But Genghis Khan lived during the end of the 12th Century and beginning of the 13th. The ancients wouldn’t have known about him, at all.

So then we are in reincarnational territory again.

Nostradamus

As an aside, I want to remind you that Nostradamus predicted the return of the King of Terror, from the East. He specifically mentions the King of the Mongols. Had he been reading his Bible? It makes me wonder. The date was July 1999 in his quatrain. Did anyone come to power then? Oh, right: Vladimir Putin was made Prime Minister of Russia on August 9, 1999. How’s that for proof!

Everyone recognizes that Rosh is the ancient name for Russia. And Moscow is due north from Jerusalem. I suspect this is why everyone and their uncle think that Russia will invade Israel along with the other countries named in the scripture from Ezekiel 38:

1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of[a] Meshek and Tubal; prophesy against him 3 and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Gog, chief prince of[b] Meshek and Tubal. 4 I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws and bring you out with your whole army—your horses, your horsemen fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing their swords. 5 Persia, Cush[c] and Put will be with them, all with shields and helmets, 6 also Gomer with all its troops, and Beth Togarmah from the far north with all its troops—the many nations with you. 

[a] Ezekiel 38:2 Or the prince of Rosh,
[b] Ezekiel 38:3 Or Gog, prince of Rosh,
[c] Ezekiel 38:5 That is, the upper Nile region

In more recent Jewish history (1st Century BCE) the State of Israel was under Roman occupation. By 70 CE, the Temple had been destroyed and the Jewish race was scattered throughout Europe. The Roman Army was ‘just’ carrying on the work of their Dictator, Julius Caesar, after his death. Vladimir Putin has been shown to be the reincarnation of Julius Caesar. Now do you see why the Western world seems to be on Israel’s side against all the countries surrounding it, and especially against Russia?

It’s all coming true!