Mission NOT Accomplished!
What would Russia, Iran, and the other invading nations hope to accomplish by wiping out Israel?

1. Control of over 70% of the world’s oil supply, critical to every industrialized nation
2. A nearly instant economic shutdown of the United States, Europe, and even China
3. Isolation (if not peaceful defeat) of the current world superpower: the United States
4. By the attack, Russia would become the new world superpower and control the oil supply
5. Russia would gain the loyalty and praise of the entire Islamic world by the complete destruction of Israel
6. Russia would get a warm water port on the Mediterranean, at the junction of Europe, Asia, and Africa
7. The entire world would fear Russia and the Islamic force, and radically change their foreign policies
8. With no military and the United States isolated, Europe would ally themselves to Russia

Russia (and possibly China) have been making alliances with Iran and the other Islamic nations, even though they have radically different motives, cultures, and long-term goals. With it's population decreasing at an alarming rate, Russia knows that it will be reduced to a 2nd-rate nation within the next 30 years. Russia is economically unstable with limited sources of revenue, but still has the most powerful and best-equipped military in the world. So, Russia simply partners with the oil-rich Islamic nations to change the world, but will turn on them at a future, more opportune time. Russia also fears the radicalism of Iran, which is one of the reasons why they partner with them;  they may even use the confusion of the Magog Invasion to destroy some of Iran's forces and blame it on Israel.  Two steps forward, one step back, but ever marching towards the goal.

In Russia, the goals of world-domination have never really changed, just the mechanism and presentation of how to reach those goals have. Their immediate threat is the power and influence of the United States. Russia would not risk a catastrophic war with America, but it could accomplish the same result if it were able to isolate America from the world-scene and get them out of the Middle East long enough to establish a stronghold. Once firmly in the Middle East surrounded by Islamic allies, Russia could begin re-building it's former empire and economic structure.

Remember the famous saying in military art (paraphrased): "When you are weak, present yourself as strong. When you are strong, present yourself as being weak." Russia has not stopped building their military machine since the fall of the Soviet Union, yet they present themselves as a weak, poverty-stricken country. Are they really as weak as they seem, or is that simply the image that they want the world to see?

The Mission That WILL Be Accomplished
The reason that God brings about and puts down the entire Magog Invasion is to reveal Himself to His people Israel, and turn them from their unbelief. Currently, the mainstream religion of Israel is secular humanism, very similar to the United States and Europe. Many in Israel are also atheists, and many there simply tolerate Judaism because of it's cultural traditions and heritage.

But the Magog Invasion changes all that -- the purpose of it is declared over and over in Ezekiel: "...and they shall know that I am the Lord". After the supernatural salvation of Israel, the nation as a whole will realize that God (or any supernatural being/force) has saved them and they will turn to Judaism as the answer. The passages of Ezekiel 38-39 will be read and re-read by most of the world, if not everyone in Israel, and they will KNOW that God has interceded on their behalf.

God will also use His destruction of the invasion forces to judge (or avenge Himself on) the slaughter of millions of innocent people by these nations in the days of communism, persecution under Islam, and the Holocaust.  God is a God of justice, and sooner or later, He repays nations for their evil, especially when the evil is by a government upon it's own inhabitants.  The government of a nation is supposed to protect and free their people, not murder and enslave them. 

Also, in this judgement, God may be giving these invading armies exactly what they worship:  death.  In Proverbs 8:36, God says that "all they that hate me love death".  Neither communism nor Islam promote life -- but both worship and revere death, especially of the innocent.  Communism worships death in it's promotion of atheism and evolution, while Islam worships death in it's glorification of terrorism and martyrdom.  In Islam, the only real guarantee of going to "heaven" is to die in Jihad, or a holy war of Islam.  So, when God destroys these invading forces, He may just be giving them what they seek:  martyrdom and death.

In October of 2004, the Sanhedrin of Israel was re-established for the first time in over 1900 years. Some Bible scholars and students have seen this as a significant development in moving further towards the End Times. The basis for this is Hosea 5:15, in which God/Jesus states that He will not come back until they ask Him to. Since the Jewish rulers of Israel were the ones who officially rejected Him at His First Coming, it's likely that the same ruling party will have to be the ones to petition Him to return.

After the Magog Invasion, the turning of Israel back to Judaism may change their entire system of government, and they may give the power back to the Sanhedrin, instead of the various coalition governments they have today. Once the Sanhedrin is back in power, their primary move would be to re-build the Temple and re-establish the worship there. However, Judaism still follows the Old Covenant, and sadly, it will take the horrors of the Tribulation to turn them from Judaism to Jesus, who will then save them and put His Spirit in them as described in Ezekiel 36-37.

The World Demands Peace In Our Time
After the events of Ezekiel 38-39, the world will be completely shocked at the attack and will demand either widespead disarmament of nuclear weapons, to guarantee that such an attack will never again take place. Incidentally, one of the characteristics of the anti-christ/false Messiah is that he will be a brilliant peacemaker. The prophet Daniel says that through peace, he will destroy many (Daniel 8:25). Even in our day, there is an outcry for peace without regards for the people being suppressed, or the threat that is being diminished by military action. Historically, peace treaties have seldom proved to be of more worth than the paper they were written on.

War in itself is not evil, only the reasons and actions of a war can be deemed as evil. War has freed many countries from the cruel hands of tyrants, and has freed many slaves. The Civil War in the United States put an end to slavery not just in America, but in many other parts of the world. The Revolutionary War freed a nation from a tyrannical king, and opened the doors of freedom and democracy for many other nations. In the current War in Iraq, many on the left side of the political spectrum care nothing for freeing the people of Iraq from tyrants (and the rest of the Middle East) as long as there's not war -- they simply want there to be no war at any cost!

It is interesting to observe the recent, world-wide spreading of democracy. God intends for people to be free and to choose their own forms of government, but democracy is not necessarily the best form of it -- democracy is often weak and fickle, since it changes with the whims of the people. Democracy in it's purest form is mob-rule, and the Founders of the United States feared pure democracy, because of how easily and frequently the majority will crush the rights of the minority. And so they built a representative republic in which the nation is ruled by the people indirectly through the law, but not by the people directly.

During the events of the Tribulation, the world as a whole will choose the anti-christ to be their leader (some directly, and other through their representation). God is just, and it fits with His character to give everyone a choice in the end, so no one can say they were force to do or believe this or that against their will. People will be able to choose whether or not to take the mark of the beast (with it's present and future consequences: life but damnation) or NOT to take it (with it's present and future consequences: death but salvation).

After the Tribulation (in the Millenium), people will NOT have their choice of government. There will be ONE King: Jesus Christ, the King of Righteousness. And He will rule and reign whether they like it or not...