In the previous parts of this series, we examined the inner circle of nations surrounding Israel and the potential destabilizing role of Damascus in the region. As the prophetic narrative unfolds, the scope of conflict expands beyond Israel’s immediate neighbors and begins to involve a broader coalition of powers.
This transition appears most clearly in the book of Ezekiel 38–39, where the prophet describes a confederation of nations approaching Israel from the north under a leader called Gog.
The passage identifies several regions that would have been familiar to Ezekiel’s audience. Among them are Persia, Gomer, Beth-Togarmah, Meshech, and Tubal. These names refer not to modern nation-states but to ancient territories stretching across areas that today include parts of Iran, Turkey, and the regions north of the Black Sea.
For the original audience, the message was clear: a coalition from beyond Israel’s immediate borders would one day assemble against the nation.
What makes this passage particularly interesting is the language used to describe the motivation of this alliance. God declares to Gog:
“I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws, and bring you out…”
The imagery is vivid. Something draws this northern coalition toward Israel, something powerful enough to pull multiple nations into alignment.
Interpreters have debated the meaning of this “hook in the jaw” for centuries. Some see it as territorial ambition, others as strategic opportunity or economic incentive.
When viewed through the lens of modern geopolitics, the region surrounding Israel contains one resource that has dramatically increased in value over the past two decades: natural gas.
Beneath the waters of the Eastern Mediterranean lies what is known as the Levant Basin, an area containing massive offshore natural gas reserves. Major discoveries have been made in fields such as Leviathan and Tamar off the coast of Israel, as well as Aphrodite near Cyprus.
These discoveries transformed Israel from a nation once dependent on energy imports into a potential regional energy supplier.
The geopolitical implications of these resources are significant. Europe has historically depended heavily on energy exports from Russia. The emergence of Eastern Mediterranean gas as a potential supply source for Europe introduces a new dynamic into the region’s strategic landscape.
Pipeline proposals have already been discussed connecting Israel and Cyprus to southern Europe. If expanded, these routes could provide an alternative source of natural gas to parts of the European market.
Energy competition has long been a driver of geopolitical tension. Control over resources, supply routes, and markets can reshape alliances and alter strategic calculations.
While the prophet Ezekiel did not speak in the language of modern energy economics, the concept of a powerful incentive drawing nations toward the region fits remarkably well with the type of motivations that have historically fueled international conflict.
The idea that valuable resources could become a catalyst for geopolitical confrontation is not difficult to imagine.
Interestingly, the Bible itself contains references that describe the land associated with the tribes of Israel as possessing hidden abundance beneath its surface. When Moses blessed the tribes before Israel entered the land, he spoke of Joseph’s territory as being rich with “precious things of the deep that lies beneath,” as recorded in the book of Deuteronomy 33.
Another blessing in the same chapter describes the tribe of Asher with the phrase:
“Let him dip his foot in oil.”
At the time these blessings were spoken, the imagery likely referred to agricultural richness and the abundance of olive oil produced in the region. Yet the language also paints a picture of prosperity connected to resources associated with the land and its depths.
Today, thousands of years later, massive energy reserves have been discovered beneath the waters just off Israel’s coastline.
Whether coincidence or providence, the alignment between ancient descriptions of hidden abundance and modern discoveries beneath the Eastern Mediterranean is difficult to ignore.
As the prophetic narrative continues, Ezekiel describes the northern coalition advancing toward Israel during a time when the nation is living securely. The text suggests that Israel’s immediate threats have been diminished, allowing the country to dwell in relative safety.
This detail is significant because it suggests that the events described earlier in this series, involving Israel’s immediate neighbors, may have already reshaped the regional security environment.
In other words, the stage may already be set.
The biblical narrative moves outward once again, from regional pressure to a larger international alignment. And as we will see in the next part of this series, the story does not end with the defeat of Gog’s coalition.
The prophetic timeline continues to unfold with the emergence of global power structures and the rise of what the book of Revelation calls Mystery Babylon, a system of economic and political influence that ultimately shapes the final alignment of nations.
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Troy P Zehnder 