THE PROPHECY OF

THE ANTICHRIST (The A.C.) BREAKS THE COVENANT AND INVADES & OCCUPIES ISRAEL
This Chapter from the Prophet Ezekiel describes how the A.C.— the "King of the North"— sometime during the "Great Tribulation", either after he breaks the "Holy Covenant", or already as he breaks it—which is not clear—invades Israel!
The AC—called Gog by Ezekiel —was already against the treaty in his heart. He tried to intervene in the strife there once before, but was re-buffed. Daniel 11:28-30
In the meantime he secretly gathers his forces from other worldleaders and countries that are also against the Holy Covenant, probably because of a lack of implementation, mostly on the side of Israel and the right wing religious orthodox Jews. Daniel 11:31
With an armed intervention in Jerusalem and the Temple, the AC's forces break the Covenant, but eventually he totally invades Israel and the Middle East!—To the chagrin of the Western global merchants and the Saudis, and no doubt the U.S. or Israeli King of the South!

A RUSSIAN PRINCE FROM MOSCOW & TOBOLSK
God spoke to Ezekiel the following message:
2 "Son of man, set your face against Gog, the land of Magog, the Rosh prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, 3 "And say, Thus says the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the Rosh prince of Meshech and Tubal."
The original word "Rosh" here, is sometimes translated as "chief", while in other translations is kept and treated as a proper name meaning "Russia!"
Obviously, God is against Gog—the Antichrist or AC—the Rosh or Russian prince from Moscow and Tobolsk and obviously Magog as well! Because he and they are anti-God and anti-Jesus, as during the "Great Tribulation", the AC will be doing the worst against Jesus and His followers, not just against fleshly Israel, but also against spiritual Israel!—Christians!
4 "... I will turn you back, and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you forth, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords."
I almost sounds like it isn't the AC's own idea to attack Israel! God says he puts hooks in his jaws to pull him there! You may say, "Well, why does God find fault?" Well it is more like this, that by this time the Antichrist has already rebelled too much. He has become an evil beast undeserving of God's favours, and as a horse is steered by bit and bridle by its rider, this evil Beast—the Antichrist—is also forced to go after Israel, to fill up his cup of iniquity that is about full! Most likely he has been persecuting God's Saints and people too much by this time! So he might as well go all the way!
But also the AC gets pulled into this thing, by an attack on him by the King of the South, as it says in Daniel 11:40. This U.S./Israeli King of the South pushes at him!
Also, God is still at odds with Israel and the Jews who resisted his Son's Messiahship for 2000 years and are still steeped in self-righteous legalism, and refuse to obey His law of Love: "to do unto others as you would have others do unto you!" God is almost always for the poor, and the Palestinians have been getting a raw deal now for almost 70 years!

A BIG ARMY ON HORSES?
It sounds like a huge Army, with all kinds of armour, it says, "bucklers and shields, swords, helmets" and it says "horsemen on horses!" Now we don't know if that means literal horses! As Ezekiel would not have been able to describe tanks, armoured cars and howitzers etc. But, who knows, perhaps the AC is so smart to use some huge cavalry against Israel and the US armies. That would certainly take them by surprise! Who knows that it might even be necessary, as Israel may detonate its nuclear bombs that would reduce a computerized & mechanized army to a sitting junkyard! We'll see how the drama unfolds and how God’s Word will be fulfilled!

A.C. ALLIES OF THIS GREAT INVASION ARMY.
5 "Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: 6 Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with you."

That sounds like a huge assembly of nations, and a very specific prediction of who these nations are!

THE ANTICHRIST'S PARTNERS
< RUSSIA-probably joined by its allies, the former Soviet Eastblock satelites!
< PERSIA or IRAN, probably IRAQ as well, as it was once part of Persia!
< ETHIOPIA and LIBYA! After 2500 years these still carry the same names!
< "TOGARMAH", which some interpret to be TURKEY, probably including SYRIA!
< "GOMER and all his bands!"
< "And many people with you!"
Scholars believe "Gomer" to be Germany and all its allies, perhaps all the nations of the European Union? By this time, the ten European horns are probably beginning to yield their power to the Beast!
Note the absence of Egypt--long time ally of the US, which also gets taken over by the AC!

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO U.S. AND ISRAELI INFLUENCE?
You may ask, "Why can all these countries so suddenly go after Israel, whereas before, World opinion and the UN were always quite easy on Israel, never enforcing UN Resolutions (#242 for example) on them as they did for example to Iraq and Serbia?"
First of all, it probably indicates a rapidly waning influence of the U.S. on World Politics and on the U.N., by this time. The reason America is getting less and less popular, may be a reflection of the fact that most Americans when they see him, will recognise the AC for who he is. As a result the U.S. will most likely resist his Worldwide influence, just like Israel of old resisted the take-over by the King of Babylon, which was also ordained by God for their sins! America's response to the rise of the AC and the coming Crash of its Dollar Empire, may very well be a rise and maybe even an eventual takeover by the US Reactionary Right, which is already noticeable now! America will manoeuver itself into isolation and disgrace and eventual hate from the rest of the world!— Especially the ire and eventual hate of the Ten Horns, who will join forces with the AC and finally burn America the Whore with fire!
Secondly, just as Serbia got away with "ethnic genocide" for a long time, but finally paid for its sins with the joint NATO airstrikes against it, so ISRAEL will finally have to pay the fiddler as well, as the Bible says that all and everything WILL eventually reap what it sowed! So here most of world opinion finally turns against Israel, except of course the US and its allies, as Israel is virtually PART of the USA!
But thirdly, most of all it is God who's doing it, in that He is finally letting Israel pay for its sins of unbelief in the real Messiah and a lack of love against their neighbours the Arabs!
Ezekiel continues:

TWO APPLICATIONS OF "ISRAEL"?
Here we depart somewhat from standard American Evangelical Christian interpretation, in that we bring in spiritual Israel as well! Could it be talking here also about spiritual Israel perhaps? These verses may be applicable to both Jews and Christians alike, as they both will be entities in this time!—Nations! One a physical nation and the other a spiritual nation--be it without a country!
Remember how the prophet Daniel said that "IN the days of these kings"-the 10 toes-"God would set up a kingdom?"-His Nation! They are both brought back from the sword, because it's not just Jews who have been persecuted. The last 100 years many more millions of Christians than Jews have been raided, imprisoned, tortured and martyred, and they still are, at this very moment, and will be greatly persecuted at an increasing rate!

They're both gathered from all different nations, into "the mountains of Israel!" Because God is setting up His Kingdom in these last days, in the hearts of men!-A spiritual nation!
Jesus prophesied that there will be "one fold and one shepherd" in these last 3½ years! His Endtime Children are "spiritual" Zion, the Kingdom of God, God's highlands, which throughout the ages "have been always waste"! Physical Israel has not always been waste! Only from 70 AD until 1948.
Perhaps because of the "Holy Covenant" there may have been a measure of religious peace for both fleshly Israel as well as spiritual Israel!--But only UNTIL the "Abomination of Desolation" which will be a result of this invasion of the AC, as he will then sit down in the Temple at Jerusalem and declare himself GOD! Then both "Israels" get attacked, as the AC forces come down on them both, "like a storm and a cloud!"
The Lord describes this great attack on Israel! But perhaps also the persecution against Christians by the AC in the next verse?

Watch and pray! Great persecutions for Jews and Christians alike, as well as for all people of faith, but--if that is any comfort--much greater trouble for those who are not believers, as the Great Tribulation will be worse for the unbelievers than for the believers.
It says that the AC comes to... "take a spoil and a prey"? What does that mean for the political implications and results of the AC's invasion and occupation of fleshly Israel?

ONLY SAUDIS AND WESTERN MERCHANTS PROTEST!
Ezekiel prophesies in the next verse:

Here we see the reaction of the merchants. This verse proves that this invasion is not yet the Final Battle of Armageddon, and even takes place before the fiery destruction of Babylon the Whore, as the merchants are still alive and well, and most likely in power until this time! That's probably why they seem so super surprised! They did not expect this thing!
"Sheba and Dedan" are Saudi Arabia, which is on the side of the US now, and probably will then be too! As that is the only way that their and Kuwaiti oil princes are hanging on to power anyway!
And who are the "merchants of Tarshish"? In the Bible, Tarshish usually represents a commercial naval power west of Israel! So you could say they are the Merchants of the West who trade by sea (or by air nowadays): the US, the UK and its commonwealth nations, and perhaps some European countries that did not yet follow the AC in this invasion?
These merchants do not denote one specific country! They are the international supra-nationals, the rich "old lions"-the "Lions Club" of the Western countries--the English-speaking world, as well as their "young lions", the smaller merchants! You could say the most superior or top Western merchants, like Rockefellers, Rothschilds, Morgans, Goldman Sachs, Lehman's, Lazar's, Maxwells, etc. are the Old Lions!
This is an interesting point because the AC started out with the support and sponsorship of this elite group of some 300 international merchants--Goldbarons, rich bankers, top tycoons, moguls, magnates and industrialists! And it seems to be these lions, the international merchants as well as the Saudis--the oil princes--who ask the following question:

SP….OIL? Why else would the Saudis react like that. He probably took their OIL! They only ask...almost surprised at what's happening, as if they have no more power against him and perhaps didn't expect this scenario! Is that why they only ask, almost gingerly, reproachfully:
"Why? What do you think you're doing? Are you stealing our gold and silver and riches or something? And our oil?"
Which might indicate where those riches will be by that time! It looks like the AC is taking over the financial nexus and power of the World, that by that time, seems to all be centered in Jerusalem Israel! He will most likely also swoop down and take control of all the oilfields as well, that were under the control of the US before!

12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land. 13 Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil? 14 Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it? 15 And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army: 16 And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes. 17 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days [many] years that I would bring thee against them? 18 And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, [that] my fury shall come up in my face. 19 For in my jealousy [and] in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; 20 So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that [are] upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground. 21 And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man's sword shall be against his brother. 22 And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. 23 Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD.