As I write this blog it is very troubling to some degree to see the violatile situation our world faces. We are living in prophetic times and as the world races closer to the advent of the Antichrist, the Great Tribulation and the Second Coming of Christ, we will continue to see these things in a more pronounced way. I hope to be posting a weekly prophecy update for those interested in some tidbits we have from years of study we’ve been doing on the end times and the books of Revelation and Daniel.
This week’s post concerns the situaion in Russia and the growing threat of war on a global basis as a result of this aggression. The United States is the world’s current superpower. We used to share that role with Russia up until the fall of Communism in 1989 when the entire world order began to shift from focus on Europe and the Soviet Union to the advent of the Middle East, Iraq, Israel and the scene of a majority of Bible prophecy.
This was no mistake. This writer believes a spiritual shift in the heavenly realm took place as the principality that controlled the world for Communism was replaced by another principality that now seeks to control the world through Islam. Our attention has been on the Middle East in earnest since 1991. This is important for two reasons. One, the role of America as the world’s current superpower is about to change and shift to the final world’s superpower -the kingdom of the beast, or the Antichrist. The Kingdom of the Beast actually is considered the Eighth Kingdom (Rev. 17:7-19) that will emerge from the SEVENTH KINGDOM, or the Revised Roman Empire that is yet future but SHORTLY to made its advent on the scene.
This revised conglomoration of nations will be centered not in Europe per say, but in the old Roman Empire territory, MUCH OF WHICH rests in the eastern part of Europe, the Middle East and the OLD territories of the crumbled Soviet Union, including the current Soviet territory of Georgia. Turkey is in this region; Iran, Iraq are in this region; and the southern part of Russia’s old territorial claims including the Ukriane are in this territory. That is what makes the current events on the world scene so riveting
Who knows where this conflict will end up but I can assure the reader of this. Whatever happens we can be sure more skirmishes of this nature will grow in nature and intensity and ultimately set the stage for world events prophesied by prophets 3500 years ago. Out of this coming conglomoration of nations will rise a man who will come on the scene to draw the world first into false peace, then into war and unleash what Jesus called in Matthew 24 the worst time of human history known to man – be it past, present of future. It’s called the Great Tribulation period.
Let me say this about Russia. Russia will certainly be a player in the end time scenario but she will not be THE player. Russia will be a tool to usher in a bigger kingdom known as the Kingdom of the Beast. No nation will be able to withstand this powerful superpower that will have the full force of hell behind it and Satan himself as the head with the Antichrist his pawn to push Israel to the brink of destruction before she cries out to God and returns to Him at the Second Coming of Christ.
Most Bible scholars for years have been predicting a Russian invasion of Israel based on Ezekiel 38 and 39. The reality though is this invasion will not just be Russia, but a conglomoration of nations that will include Turkey, the former Soviet States, Germany perhaps, Libya and others who will be with Russia. While I do believe Russia will attack Israel at some point yet future I’m not as clear as to where and when this invasion will take place. There are some clues given in Scripture to it but there is a wide arena of debate even from the most educated of scholars. Some believe it takes place at the beginning of the Tribulation, others in the middle; some believe Ezekiel 38 and 39 are actually references to the Battle of Armageddon in Revelation 19. I tend to agree with the latter but my opinion is just that –opinion. When it comes to prophetic events we are writing the fulfillment of these things as we go. A lot of older prophetic writers in the early 1950s and 1960s never saw Communism fall in one day. So even the best of prophetic writers are merely guessing at what will actually take place. We know some things for sure based on Scripture but how all of these things will “look” to the modern eye is a kalediscope at best. The key is to realize that Israel is the key to all things and everything that hapens in the scope of world events ultimately is being orchestrated to that end.
I encourage you to read our entire study on the book of Daniel we updated just last year in 2007 which by reason of events even in the past 12 months may seem a bit dated. That’s how quickly things are changing on the prophetic scene. We need to be vigiliant and understand the times we live in. All of these things are prophetic in nature!
The link to our study is: here.
