Prophetic events in the end times right now are casting their shadows over the Middle East like never before. Preparations for the Gog Magog coalition prophesied in Ezekiel 38 and 39 are increasing and intensifying. Written 2,500 years ago by Ezekiel, these chapters prophesy an end-time invasion of Israel led by the nations of Russia, Iran, and Turkey.

Two significant developments showcase that the prophetic pieces are falling perfectly into place.

Russian Weapons Development And Aggression Against The West

Russian President Vladimir Putin is making some shocking new claims about new weapons systems that are coming online. The Sun published this headline: “VLAD’S MEGA NUKE: Putin tests world’s biggest nuke missile Satan-2.”

“Russia has announced it successfully tested the world’s largest nuclear missile as chilling images show Downing Street being reduced to radioactive dust,” the article detailed. “In a show of strength to the West, the Kremlin launched the nuclear-capable Sarmat rocket – better known as Satan-2. Putin hailed the weapon as ‘the most powerful missile system in the world’ and insisted it could not be stopped by Western defences… ‘It has the ability to penetrate all existing and prospective missile defence systems. The total yield of the delivered warhead is more than four times greater than that of any existing, most powerful Western equivalent.’ One harrowing graphic appeared to show Downing Street vaporised as the deadly weapon struck at the heart of London.”

The weapon, referred to in Russia as the “Sarmat rocket,” has been nicknamed “Satan-2” by NATO and the West. The graphic depicting the destruction of Downing Street, the UK Prime Minister’s Residence in London, is an obvious shot across the bow to the West.

Here are a few facts about this missile: It’s a 208-ton intercontinental ballistic missile, launched from a silo at speeds of up to 16,000 miles per hour, stands 14 stories tall, and has a range of 22,000 miles. It can fly not only on a ballistic trajectory but also on a suborbital trajectory. It can cross the North Pole and basically penetrate any missile defense system we have. They claim that if this ballistic missile is armed with a nuclear warhead, it can wipe out an area the size of Texas or France.

NPR referenced an announcement by Putin, stating that “Russia is in the ‘final stages’ of the development of the nuclear-armed Poseidon underwater drone and the Burevestnik cruise missile powered by miniature atomic reactors.”

“The Poseidon is designed to explode near enemy coastlines and cause a radioactive tsunami,” they continued. “The Burevestnik has virtually unlimited range thanks to nuclear propulsion, allowing it to loiter for days, circling air defenses and attacking from an unexpected direction.”

Some in the West are questioning whether these things will actually be operational by the end of this year, as Russia insists.

Russia today is the aggressive nation that’s predicted and prophesied in Ezekiel 38. They took Crimea, they have attacked Ukraine, sparking the ongoing war, they continuously levy threats against the West, and they are developing massively destructive weapons. Russia aptly fits the portrait of Gog and Magog in the end times, behaving just as we should expect as the Ezekiel 38 invasion draws closer.

High-Ranking Iranian Leaders Consider ‘Assad Style’ Flee To Russia

At the same time that Russia is upping the ante in the arms race, its connections to Iran are strengthening dramatically. Russia has been providing Iran with intelligence about the location of American assets in the region, and equipping the regime in Tehran with military weaponry in its war against the United States and Israel.

Russia is supplying Iran with 5,000 unjammable fiber optic drones to use against the United States. The Economist published a headline reading: “Secret document reveals Russia’s plans to aid Iran — Unjammable drones would be used against American forces, according to proposals seen by The Economist.”

Russia has become the main outside player propping up the Islamic regime, and in a very strange turn of events, it could be the place of refuge for fleeing Iranian leaders if the regime in Iran fractures or collapses.

Fox News reported this stunning story earlier this week: “Iran regime power players may eye Russia in Assad-Style escape as US talks falter — Expert says top commanders like Ghalibaf might head to Moscow while lower figures seek shelter in Iraq or Afghanistan.”

“As military fractures deepen and succession remains uncertain, the ‘Assad model’ of seeking Russian protection appears increasingly attractive to those at the top,” Fox News continued. “The apparent collapse of high-stakes U.S.-Iran negotiations has intensified fears that senior figures inside Tehran’s leadership could flee to Russia, seeking refuge to ‘continue their insurgency and undermine any new regime,’ an analyst warns.”

The top Iranian leadership doesn’t simply plan to flee; they plan to continue working from within Russia to undermine any new—possibly pro-Western or pro-Israel—regime.

“The breakdown in talks comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also told CBS’ ‘60 Minutes’ that toppling Iran’s regime could now even be a realistic outcome,” Fox News highlighted. “Netanyahu noted that any collapse would dismantle the ‘scaffolding’ of Tehran’s global terror proxy network, also potentially ending Hezbollah’s influence in the region.”

Why would these Iranian leaders flee to Russia? Would this not make them look like cowards, watching the war at a distance instead of standing in the chaos waiting for “the coming of the Mahdi”? However, in Russia, they not only find protection, but also intelligence resources to sabotage what is happening back in Iran.

Pieces Falling Into Place

Prophetically, I believe that all of this is part of the preparation for the coming Ezekiel 38 coalition.

Russia continues to force the issue in the global arms race, often saber-rattling about nuclear war. Russia is supporting Iran and may become the headquarters for an Iranian regime in exile that would seek to undermine and sabotage any new regime in Iran and lead an insurgency. Russia could become the gathering place of Middle East leaders who hate Israel—Assad, the butcher from Syria, is already there.

The presence of top Iranian leaders in Russia could serve as a catalyst at some point in the future for Russian cooperation in an invasion against Israel.  Ezekiel 38 talks about the hooks and the jaws that are going to draw Russia into this alliance with Islamic nations to attack Israel.

The close linkage between Russia and Iran is a major sign of the times— and it is escalating quickly. These are two of the three major players detailed in the prophetic coalition, and they’re closer allies today than at any time in history, exerting strong influence over one another in a myriad of ways.

Both Russia and Iran are currently involved in wars, both refuse to back down, both have greater territorial ambitions, and both are cooperating against the United States and Israel. Someday, both will conspire together to invade Israel, just as the Bible predicts. All the pieces are falling perfectly into place.

Mark Hitchcock is an author, an associate professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, the Senior Pastor of Faith Bible Church in Oklahoma, the hosts the weekly program “Marking The End Times,” and a Contributor to Harbinger’s Daily.