Steven Collins
August 8, 2007
Several news reports have highlighted the fact that Russia’s foreign policy toward the Western nations is becoming steadily more belligerent. This is entirely to be expected as Ezekiel 38 prophesies that Russia will lead a large alliance of nations (including China and Iran) which will oppose the USA and the Western nations. This opposition will climax in a military attack by the Russian-led alliance against the USA and the Western nations at the very end of this “latter day” period in Bible prophecy. Let’s review the latest growlings by the Russian bear (and its allies).
A. Russian intends to begin mass production of AK-47 assault rifles in Venezuela in 2009 or 2010. Obviously, Russia doesn’t need to “outsource” the production of such weaponry for use by Russian forces so these weapons are intended for use in the Western Hemisphere. The deal was consummated in talks between Venezuela’s leader Hugo Chavez and Russian’s Vladimir Putin. Iran has also hosted Hugo Chavez and discussed basing Iranian missiles in Venezuela (aimed obviously at the USA and pro-American Latin American nations). Russia has now become Venezuela’s main weapons supplier. Venezuela is purchasing (or is considering the purchase of) Russian helicopters, jet fighters, submarines and air-defense systems. Russia clearly sees Venezuela as a new client state in America’s own hemisphere. Does Venezuela need such an arsenal? Hardly. I see the transfer of increasing numbers of Russian weaponry to Venezuela as a pre-positioning of Russian military equipment for the eventual invasion of the USA and Canada which Ezekiel 38 is Divinely-guaranteed to occur at the end of this age. See the link below for the complete story.
New readers who, like most of Christendom, mistakenly think the target of the Ezekiel 38 attack is the Jewish/Israeli state in the Mideast are urged to check out my book links and articles on this subject located at this website. The Bible uses the term “Judah” when it is referring to the Jews, and it uses the term “Israel” when it refers to the nations descended from the ten tribes of Israel which went into exile from the Promised Land in the 8th century BC. “Judah” isn’t mentioned anywhere in Ezekiel 38 so the Israelis aren’t even discussed in Ezekiel 38. “Israel” is the target of the Ezekiel 38 attack by Gog and Magog’s alliance so it is vital to identify the modern nations descended from the ten tribes of Israel in order to understand this prophecy’s application to our current “latter day” world.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=aRqax1rrsR8w&refer=latin_america
B. Mikhail Gorbachev, who was once perceived as a “friendly” Russian leader, has now turned hostile to the USA. In an July 28, 2007 AP story entitled “Gorbachev Blasts US imperialism,” It is stated that Gorbachev is now “a supporter of Vladimir Putin’s assertive foreign policy and resistance to American power.” Gorbachev’s “criticism of the United States …was especially harsh.” The former President of the USSR said the world is “dangerous” and “entering a period of growing global disarray.” [Source: Sioux Falls Argus-Leader, July 28, 2007, p. 6A]
C. There have been many media articles about Russia’s laying claim to the mineral rights of the Arctic seabed by having one of its submarines plant a Russian flag on the seabed’s surface. This action may seem to have a comic “Kilroy was Here” quality, but Russia is deadly serious. Russia already has a stranglehold over most of Europe’s energy and gas supplies and current high energy prices are filling Russia’s coffers to build large quantities of new weaponry. Canada has objected to Russia’s action as much of the Arctic seabed lies within Canada’s territorial waters, and Canada wants the energy resources in the Arctic as much as does Russia. However, Canada has a small population and a tiny military so it cannot hope to challenge Russia on its own. Unless Canada joins forces with the USA on this issue, Russia will prevail. One AP story entitled “Russians to lay claim to seabed at North Pole” stated this issue “could mark the official start of a very cold diplomatic war for the Arctic.” [Source: Sioux Falls Argus-Leader, July 29, 2007, p. 6A] The Minneapolis Star-Tribune, in a July 28, 2007 story entitled “Russia to plant flag on polar seabed,” added “the effort is part of Russia’s long-range efforts to expand its energy empire.” Clearly, Russia is placing itself on a collision course with the USA and the West in many areas of its foreign policy.
D. Russia is also rapidly re-militarizing its armed forces. In an “Inside the Ring” story in the July 30, 2007 issue of The Washington Times (National Weekly Edition), Bill Gertz writes that “Russia and China both are established powers with nuclear build-ups under way” and cited a Report by the US Secretaries of Defense, State and Energy which asserts that the Russians are “aggressively modernizing their nuclear forces” and China is “building new strategic nuclear forces and the buildup cannot be ignored.” In a rational world, these build-ups wouldn’t be ignored. But one does wonder about the rationality of the foreign policies of the USA and Western nations nowadays. Most media outlets ignore the rapid militarization of Russia and China as well as the fact that Venezuela plans to host Russian and Iranian weaponry.
The corporations of the Western world clearly have their heads in the sand about modern geopolitical realities. They continue to relocate factories to Communist China even though China is openly and increasingly hostile toward the USA and the Western world. This may be the stupidest policy ever pursued by any nation or group of nations at any time in the history of the planet! This makes as much sense as having the USA and Great Britain relocate their factories to Nazi Germany in the 1930s just prior to World War II. China is cleverly gaining massive leverage over all aspects of the USA’s economy and product-delivery systems. Don’t the gullible leaders of the Western nations and corporations realize the very-predictable fact that Communist China will eventually nationalize all Western factories in China during a future crisis or use the threat of such action to force Western nations into policies which steadily weaken the Western nations? Anyone who understands the flow of history can see this is inevitable, even from a secular perspective. However, Ezekiel 38 makes it evident this is certain to occur. Nothing can stop it. Its only a matter of time.
