by
Keith Hunt
This was the headline recently (writing this in 1980) in a large
North American newspaper:
"GRIM CHALLENGES AHEAD FOR THE SOVIETS - Sixty five years
after the revolution was launched, the old warhorses of the
Kremlin are facing some hard decisions."
The article in this newspaper went on to say:
"The Kremlin leadership's escalation of its war of words
with the United States in recent days reflects hard
realities. This weekend, on the 65th anniversary of the
launching of the Bolshevik revolution in Petrograd, the
state that Lenin built is still beset with grim challenges.
A new leadership is in the offing that will be confronted
with hard decisions on the nuclear weapons balance, on
relations with the Middle East and China, and on the even
more difficult problems of developing a great, turbulent
nation stretching from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean.
There is no indication that the old warhorses of the
Kremlin, so different from the vigorous young Bolsheviks of
65 years ago, have any new approach to any of these
problems. Or if they have, that they could put new policies
into effect without endangering the vast, slothful
bureaucratic system that so many millions died to install.
Not all of Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev's recent
sabre-rattling is mere rhetoric. His pledge to build up
still further the armed forces -- whose unprecedented growth
in global striking power during his stewardship of Russia
had already alarmed nations from the Far East to the Middle
East, from Norway and Central Europe to the potential target
zones of North America -- has the ring of sincerity."
The writer went on to state THREE questions that he said
OUTSIDERS can only guess at what the answers will be. These
were the questions:
* Is the Soviet military build-up intended for use, or does
Moscow hope to see its forces as an unbeatable piece on a
worldwide strategic chessboard?
* Is the war in Afghanistan a throwback to the days of Bolshevik
internationalism or simply another sign of Soviet insecurity that
has been nurtured by the Western bid to crush the Bolshevik
republic, by the Nazi invasion, and by the humiliation suffered
at the time of the Cuba missile crisis 20 years ago?
* Who is being prepared to take over as successor to the
75-year-old Brezhnev -Konstantin Chernenko, 70, Brezhnev's
bureaucratic aide or Yuri Andropov, 68, who headed the KGB for
most of the Brezhnev years?
The western world wonders about the answers to these vital
questions (of course now today in 2003 as I enter this study on
my Website, we know the answers and have seen many things that we
probably thought would never happen to the Russian Empire - Keith
Hunt).
Many RELIGIONISTS believe the prophesied BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON
will be between the West and Russia (see my study "The Battle of
Armageddon and the Age to come").
The West sees Russia and Communism as its greatest enemy (back in
1980 it sure did, since the infamous September 11th, it probably
sees its enemy as a different one - Keith Hunt).
What IS the destiny of Russia, China and Communism? Can you know?
Yes, you can!
As the prophet Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar, ". . . there
is a God in heaven that REVEALETH SECRETS, and makes known . . .
what SHALL BE in the LAST DAYS . . . . " (Dan.2:28, emphasis
mine.)
Approximately ONE THIRD of your Bible is devoted to PROPHECY --
foretelling FUTURE events before they happen. One of the KEYS to
understanding BIBLE PROPHECY is the understanding of WHERE the
nations of today are found in the Bible. A nation is a family
grown great.
It has been well understood by students of prophecy that Russia
and China are identified in the Bible under the names of Gog,
Magog, Rosh and Tubal (see Halley's Bible Handbook, p.333).
The KEY book that mentions Russia, China and the eastern nations
by NAME is the book of EZEKIEL. In this book, we are given a STEP
by STEP sequence of events to befall certain nations up to the
return of Jesus Christ and on into the NEW AGE (be sure to study
"Armageddon and the NEW AGE").
The prophecies of EZEKIEL are mainly concerned with the peoples
who comprise the House of Israel and the House of Judah. It is
not the purpose of this article to go into the proofs and
evidence of who the nations are that make up the people of Israel
and Judah (for that detailed proof obtain the book -- Judah's
Sceptre and Joseph's Birthright by Allen -- published by Destiny
Publishers, Merrimac, MA., (or today, visit the Website
www.originofnations.org).
It will only be stated here that the descendants of the 10-tribe
House of Israel migrated north and west of Palestine after 700
B.C. and eventually settled in the northwestern nations of Europe
and Britain and eventually the New World of America, Canada,
Australia and South Africa.
The descendants of the House of Judah are the Jews of the country
called Israel in Palestine as well as those Jews who are
scattered all over the world.
As you proceed to read the book of Ezekiel, remember you are
reading a book that was written some 120 years AFTER the original
House of Israel HAD ALREADY gone into CAPTIVITY by the Assyrian
armies and all of Judah, except for the city of Jerusalem, had
been taken CAPTIVE by the armies of Babylon. Yet Ezekiel was
foretelling ANOTHER - YET FUTURE - captivity of those peoples.
His prophecies are to the MODERN descendants of Israel and Judah
and concern their future captivity (if they don't repent of their
sins) just before the return of Jesus Christ to this earth (Ezek.
chapter 1 to 24).
Chapters 34, 36 and 37 of Ezekiel foretell the RETURN of Jesus to
GATHER TOGETHER the captive dispersed remnant of Israel and Judah
and the re-establishing of them as ONE nation in the land of
Palestine. Everywhere in Bible prophecy when you read about the
coming of the Messiah to reign in glory, you find Israel and
Judah in a state of CAPTIVITY from which the Messiah delivers
them and restores them to greatness in the land of Palestine.
Now we come to the two chapters of Ezekiel that deal with Russia,
China and Communism (chap. 38 and 39).
The sequence of events has already brought us to the literal
return of Christ and the setting up of His Kingdom on this earth
with the headquarters at Jerusalem. Chapters 38 and 39 then
predict events to occur AFTER the regathering of Israel and Judah
back to Palestine during the start of the 1,000 year Kingdom age
(Rev.19;20). Only a few students of Bible Prophecy, it seems,
have been willing to acknowledge this very PLAIN fact (Henry
Halley is one - see page 334 in his Bible Handbook) -- that the
events of chapter 38 and 39 take place AFTER the Messiah has
returned and NOT at some point before His coming, as many teach.
So with this in mind, we can state VERY CONFIDENTLY that
Bible Prophecy does NOT forecast a war between the U.S.S.R.
and the U.S.A. No such war is mentioned in God's word. But
utter destruction IS foretold to come upon America and
Britain by a power that is rising right now on the world
scene -- a power that, when it fully emerges, will SHOCK the
world -- it is called in the book of Revelation the BEAST or
BABYLON.
Now to Ezekiel 38.
"And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man,
set your face against GOG (China), and the land of MAGOG
(Mongolia, Manchuria, Korea, Ukraine, N. E. Russia) the
chief prince of Meshech (should be ROSH - S. Russia) and
TUBAL (N. Russia) and prophesy against him." (v.1-2).
Notice who is WITH the Russian and Chinese hordes in v.5,6.
"Persia (Iran), Ethiopia (should be translated CUSH - India,
Ceylon, Philippines), LIBYA (or Put - West and Central Africa) .
. . . GOMER (S.Asia), TOGARMAH (Siberian Russia) . . ."
These verses show us very clearly that the whole EASTERN world
will, by the time of the return of Jesus Christ, be under the
domain of COMMUNISM!!
Verse 8 - this invasion of the eastern armies is to be upon
Palestine AFTER it is brought back and delivered from war (is
Palestine today delivered from war?), and the people of Israel
are regathered to it in SAFETY (are the Jews in Palestine today
living in safety?).
These armies and their leaders will say (v.11), they will invade
a land of UNWALLED villages (without defence), invade a people
AT REST, dwelling safely - WITHOUT WALLS, BARS OR GATES. Could
this possibly be talking about any other time but during the
Kingdom age? Notice verses 12 and 14. This invasion is upon a
people who have been GATHERED out from among the nations where
they were scattered - the peoples of Israel (all 12 tribes, not
just the Jews who are only one tribe) NOW dwelling SAFELY in
Palestine.
This is during the 1,000 year reign of Jesus Christ on this earth
when Israel and Judah have been united (ch.37) and regathered,
established again in the land of promise - Palestine. They will
have no need for armies or defenses as the Messiah is there
dwelling with them as their shield and protection - they will be
at REST, dwelling very safely (nobody in Palestine today is
dwelling safely) and these armies from the EAST will not know it.
They come to take a spoil (v.13).
This is the ONLY time when Russia and her allies will attack the
peoples of Britain, America, N.W. Europe (Israel) and the Jews
(the state of modern Israel) and it is AFTER Jesus Christ has
returned. And notice in verses 17-23. Who does the fighting for
Israel? Not themselves but their God!
There is no contest! The eternal God of Israel supernaturally
destroys these invading armies from the eastern Communist world.
Only ONE-SIXTH of these people remain alive, (ch.39:2).
It takes the people of Israel seven months to bury all the dead
and cleanse the land (ch.39:12). The weapons of war that the
armies from the east brought with them are so numerous that for
seven years the people of Palestine use them for firewood (vs.9,
10).
The day is coming when godless, atheistic Communism will be dealt
with - not by America or Britain or the west, but by the very God
they deny.
"You (Russia, China and allies) shall fall upon the open
field . . So will I make my HOLY name KNOWN in the midst of
my people Israel - and I will not let them pollute my Holy
Name any more, and the HEATHEN shall KNOW that I am the
Lord, the Holy One IN Israel" (Ezek. 39:5,7).
FROM HALLEY'S BIBLE HANDBOOK
Chapters 38,39 Gog and Magog:
QUOTE:
Gog was ruler of the land of Magog. In Genesis 10.2 Magog,
Meshech, Tubal, and Gomer are named the sons of Japheth and
founders of the northern group of nations. In I Ezekiel
27:13 Meshech and Tubal arc mentioned as being sellers of
slaves to Tyre, and in 32:26 as being ancient bandit
nations. Rosh is thought by some to mean Russia; by others
the identification is regarded as uncertain. Meshech is
thought to mean Moscow, or Muscovy, an ancient Russian name;
or a people called Moschi spoken of in the Assyrian
inscriptions as dwelling in the Caucasus. Tubal is thought
to he Tobolsk, a Siberian city, or, a people called Tibareni
on the Southeast shores of the Black Sea. Gomer is thought
to have been the Cimmerians, who poured in from the north
through the Caucasus in the days of the Assyrian Empire, and
occupied parts of Asia Minor, but were driven back.
Togarmah is thought to be Armenia.
Whatever may he the exact identification of these peoples,
Ezekiel speaks of them as dwelling in "the uttermost parts
of the north" (38:6,15; 39.2), and there can be little doubt
but that he means nations beyond the Caucasus. A glance at
the map makes it plain that he has in mind that part of the
world known as Russia....
In these two chapters Ezekiel predicts another ... invasion,
on a far more stupendous scale, confederate with peoples
from the East (38:5), into the Holy Land, against Restored
Israel, "in the latter years" (38:8), apparently during the
Messianic Age; and that with the help of God, they will be
so overwhelmingly defeated that their weapons will supply
fuel for 7 years (39:9), and it will take 7 months to bury
their dead(39:14).
In the book of Revelation the same words, Gog and Magog, are
used as representing all nations in Satan's final furious
attack on the people of God (Revelation 20:7-10).
END QUOTE
Some would laugh at the idea of this prophecy taking place in the
first years of the Millennium or 1,000 year reign of Christ on
earth, because the weapons used by this army coming into
Palestine is obviously very primitive, and they think then it is
not possible to place their defeat into the millennium or after
Jesus has returned. The argument is that such an army in the
millennium would have "space age" weapons, not ones that could be
burnt.
The answer to this argument lies in realizing that after all the
events of the book of Revelation has taken place, most of the
world has been killed off, together with their "space age"
weapons, in battles and plagues, that the Eastern army will
indeed be a nomadic, rag-tag group of people having to use old
age weapons. It will on their part be a desperate attempt to gain
what will have become a "prosperous, milk and honey" area of the
devastated earth. They will, via the grape-vine, as we say, have
heard that the Palestine area of earth is flourishing, and the
people living there have no army, no weapons, no fenced cities.
They will think it will be easy pickings, to conquer the people
living there and claim the land for themselves.
God will show them quite a different story and quite a different
result as they invade the Holy Land....all foretold in advance
centuries beforehand in Ezekiel 38 and 39.
............
Written 1980
