The first link and second link detail a threat by Russian Prime Minister Putin that the Russian military could be in Kiev in two weeks if he gave them the order to conduct an all-out attack on the Ukraine. He made this threat to the head of the EU, so it is a credible threat and a credible source who reported it. Since the Ukraine is not a member of NATO, NATO nations would not be required to intervene in any such war. However, if NATO stood by passively during such an invasion that approached the eastern borders of NATO’s nations, NATO would look exceptionally weak.
Personally, I don’t think Putin will order such an invasion, but if he did, his expectation that Russian troops would roll into Kiev in two weeks is probably a true assessment of the likely outcome. Indeed, given the dispirited performance of the Ukrainian forces in Eastern Ukraine so far, Russian troops may be able to enter Kiev in less than two weeks.
I think Putin was also giving NATO nations in Europe a serious warning “between the lines” of his comment about being able to seize Kiev in two weeks. Diplomatic threats like this are often worded very precisely and carefully. I think that Putin was also dropping a strong hint that if he unleashes the Russian military into the Ukraine and they reach Kiev in two weeks, they may just keep on going and reach Berlin in two more weeks. He didn’t want to threaten NATO nations directly, but I think he did so indirectly by making the threat not to a Ukrainian leader, but to the leader of the EU, many of whose members are NATO nations.
Daniel 11:40-45 speak of a final “king of the north.” After winning a war in the Mideast in verses 40-43, this king of the north receives a very rude surprise when he is targeted by a later surprise attack from the east and north in verses 44-45. These are two separate wars, and we don’t know how long a time will transpire between them. However, this war in Daniel 11:44-45 is the final world war of this age, and it starts with attacks against the king of the north’s domain from the north and east. I do believe the final king of the north will be the “beast” mentioned as a global leader in the book of Revelation. Where else do we have prophecies about age-ending attacks from the north and east at the end of this age? Ezekiel 38-39 describes the age-ending attack from the north at the end of our age, and Revelation 16:12-21 describe the final attack from the east which leads to the age-ending battle of Armageddon. Obviously, we are looking at three different biblical perspectives on the same age-ending war. Keep in mind the Bible is written from a Hebraic perspective. The Ezekiel 38-39 attack from the north is against the ten tribes of the house of Israel, while the eastern attack coming out of Asia heading straight westward across the Euphrates River is headed toward the modern house of Judah (the Israelis). Zechariah 14 is another age-ending prophecy which shows what happens when God intervenes to destroy this attack from the kings of the east against the Holy Land nation of modern Judah. These are all parallel prophecies. These directions and actors make total sense in modern geographical terms. The Israelite nations of the USA and Canada would be attacked from out of the north (“over the pole” and via Alaska) by Russia, China and others. Australia and New Zealand would be attacked from the north by China. The Israelis will be attacked by Iran, Shiite Iraqis, and other central Asian nations from the east. Europe would be attacked from both the north and east (as will be the final king of the north in Daniel 11). Scandinavia isn’t part of the European landmass but is rather a northwestern extension of Asia which is located north of the European landmass. Scandinavia (inhabited by Israelite tribes) would be attacked from the north by Russia and others from Murmansk and from the east through Finland. European nations would be attacked from Russia out of the north from Kaliningrad and from the east out of Russia proper. The modern geographical realities of the nations of the house of Israel, the house of Judah and the Gog-Magog alliance all fit very well together.
An example of just how weak Europe is militarily is found in the last link. The European NATO nations are trying to put together a 4,000-member rapid reaction force which can be quickly sent to a militarily threatened region. The fact that such a force doesn’t already exists is a stark testimony to the inadequacy of NATO’s military planners. Apparently, they have been sleeping on the job since the end of the Cold War. A 4,000-member force placed in the way of a Russian-led force of hundreds of thousands would be little more than a speed bump in their path. I’d be more impressed if NATO already had a 40,000 member force with the transport aircraft on hand to fly them somewhere quickly, and where they would be armed to the teeth with anti-tank and anti-aircraft weaponry. That would give Russia some pause for consideration. A 4,000-member force will be little more than a symbolic “trip-wire” force, and NATO apparently has difficulty putting together even such a tiny force! The European continent with nations that fielded armies of millions of men in World Wars I and II now has trouble finding 4,000 war-capable troops to act in a single unit. My how the mighty have fallen!
It is not my opinion that Putin will attack Europe now. It doesn’t fit with my understanding of biblical prophecy. However, I could be wrong. It would make sense for Russia, China and Iran to launch an attack while the USA is led by an indecisive president with little or no grasp of military matters and while Europe is pathetically weak militarily. Matthew 25:1-13 warn latter-day believers that Jesus Christ will come much sooner than any of them expect in the latter day period. Who knows what might happen? If Jesus Christ comes far sooner than anyone (including me) expects, that will be terrific news!
- http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2014/09/01/Vladimir-Putin-Trolls-West-If-I-Want-I-will-Take-Kiev-in-Two-Weeks
- http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/02/putin-russian-forces-could-conquer-ukraine-capital-kiev-fortnight
- http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/05/nato-4000-rapid-reaction-force-baltics-russia
