Habakkuk 1:5 Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told. -LORD God
What are the ripple effects of Russia invading Ukraine?
photo: Wikipedia
Finland and Sweden are discussing NATO membership. Russia’s response is a threat of military and political consequences.
Syria’s President Assad is supportive of Russian intervention in Ukraine. Assad sees this as a “correction of history.”
As a reminder, Ezekiel 38-39, Jeremiah 49, and the Burden of Damascus from Isaiah 17 are looming and appear to be coming into focus with each passing day.
A significant consequence of Russia’s actions will be the inflation of grain prices throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Egypt will bear the brunt with 80% of grain imports coming from Russia and Ukraine.
Revelation 6 instructs there will be hyperinflation at the onset of the tribulation. Wheat is specifically mentioned in verse 6.
Lastly, Kyiv has spiritual significance in Putin’s grand plan for what he sees as Russia. What role does spirituality play in the conflict? Putin states he wants to rebuild Christendom.
#Polyanskiy: We're concerned over Tel Aviv’s announced plans for expanding settlement activity in the occupied #GolanHeights, which contradicts the provisions of the 1949 Geneva Convention. Russia doesn't recognize Israel's sovereignty over Golan Heights that are part of #Syria. pic.twitter.com/slHQSefJp5
Ezekiel 38:4 And I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in full armor, a great host, all of them with buckler and shield, wielding swords.
The context of the verse God is talking to Gog of Magog. Gog is the leader of what many scholars and historians believe to be modern day Russia. See the link below for detailed analysis.
Click on the video link below for additional analysis.
The focus of the verse is the size of the army arrayed by Gog.
…and all your army…The Hebrew word for “all” is kol. Simply put, it means the whole or all of the army.
It is stated a second time, all of them clothed in full armor…Again it is the term kol in the Hebrew. This group is well dressed and has provision to fight. Their gear is “splendid” or miklol. This word could be translated as perfection or gorgeous. The army looks impressive.
A third time, the army is described as a great host. They are rab in the Hebrew which can be stated as much, many, or great.
And finally a fourth time, all of them. Yes, it is the word kol. This is emphasized four times. This is a massive army that is well armed and prepared to attack and defend. Definitions provided by Strong’s Concordance.
photo: Sputnik International
April 24, 2018: Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov of Russia has challenged reports Moscow will deliver to Syria the S-300 missile defense system “soon”.
“We know what President Vladimir Putin said. He has discussed such matters with an official of our Defense Ministry from the standpoint of preventing a situation where Syria might turn out insufficiently prepared for aggressive attacks, like the one that occurred on April 14. It remains to be seen what decisions will be made by the Russian leadership and Syrian officials.” – Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
Russia claims they have not made a decision on delivery to Syria…yet.
If Russia were to send the S-300 missile system to Syria, the defense system would be FREE to President Bashar al-Assad and the Syrian Government. Hypothetically, the missiles would be to defend Damascus and Syrian air bases. The Russians are thinking out loud if anyone is listening.
Isaiah 17:1 The oracle concerning Damascus. “Behold, Damascus is about to be removed from being a city and will become a fallen ruin.
Jeremiah 49:27 And I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it shall devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad.
Russia has outfitted Syria with old Soviet equipment.
Russian Main Operational Directorate Sergei Rudskoy said, “In the past year and a half Russia has fully restored Syria’s air-defense system and continues to further upgrade it.”
The Russians also had these comments for Israel.
“Experts believe that the reaction of the Israeli military to such a move will be predictably negative and do not exclude attacks on their locations. If Israel decides to carry out rocket strikes on the deployment locations of the S-300, the consequences will be catastrophic for all sides.” -Russian Defense Spokesman
Isaiah 17:1 The oracle concerning Damascus. “Behold, Damascus is about to be removed from being a city and will become a fallen ruin.
Jeremiah 49:27 And I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it shall devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad.
April 13, 2018: United States President Donald Trump has ordered a military strike against Syria. In coordination with France and the United Kingdom, precision missiles have been fired at military targets throughout Damascus and the country of Syria. The military intervention is in response to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s use of chemical weapons against people in his country. This is a developing story…
See video link below for geography and detail of military strikes.
The statement below is from Anatoly Antonov, Russian Ambassador to the United States. See the tweet below.
Click on the video link below for President Trump statement. Video compliments of VOA.
Is this the beginning of the fulfillment of a prophecy written by Isaiah and Jeremiah? If so, Jesus Christ is at the door and He is knocking.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures…
Please search your heart. One way or another, we are running out of time.
Isaiah 17:1 The oracle concerning Damascus. “Behold, Damascus is about to be removed from being a city and will become a fallen ruin.
Isaiah 17:9 In that day their strong cities will be like the deserted places of the wooded heights and the hilltops, which they deserted because of the children of Israel, and there will be desolation.
See video link below for geography and additional analysis.
April 9, 2018: Russia is upset with Israel over a missile strike in the heart of Syria. Previously, Russia has been silent with previous Israeli intervention in Syria. Reports out of Syria indicate 14 were killed in the strike including Iranians.
The strike took place at the Tiyas air base. The T4 air base is near Palmyra. The event took place at 4 a.m.
Wikimapia
Many think the missiles were a response to a Syrian poison gas attack held in east Damascus over the weekend. At least 40 people were killed.
“This is a very dangerous development. I hope at least that the US military and those of the countries participating in the coalition led by the United States understand that,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
On a curious note, some local sources are indicating Russian staff was tipped to the attack. See the tweet below from a journalist.
“Security sources tell me Russian advisors left Tayfour airbase last night, they were forewarned about the airstrikes.”
Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad is blaming Israel.
The United States has maintained innocence. France says they did not do anything.
Israel has not commented on the incident. But the following statements were made.
“In Syria many forces, from various bodies and coalitions, are operating. Each one says what it says and denies what it denies. We have clear interests in Syria and we set red lines. We will not allow weapons to pass from Syria to Lebanon, and we will not allow the establishment of an Iranian base.” Construction Minister Yoav Galant, Israeli Security Cabinet. He is a former IDF Major General.
“There’s no need to run and tell your friends or to take responsibility. Whoever needs to understand will understand,” Former Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon.
April 9, 2018: Russia has expressed concern over Israel’s tactics near the Gaza Strip. Russia calls the military application an “indiscriminate use of force against the civilian population.”
Isaiah 17:1 The oracle concerning Damascus. “Behold, Damascus is about to be removed from being a city and will become a fallen ruin.
Jeremiah 49:27 And I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it shall devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad.
February 20, 2018: East Damascus/Ghouta…Hundreds of civilians have been killed with the “extreme escalation” in bombing. The United Nations has claimed the situation is “spiraling out of control”.
Click on video for geography and analysis.
A couple of days ago, social media users were reporting increased troop activity in eastern Damascus. It turns out those reports were accurate.
Hospitals and civil services have been targeted.
Eastern Ghouta is home to approximately 400,000 residents. The area is occupied by rebels opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Syrian rebel leader Nasr al-Hariri has called the hostilities “war crimes”.
Al-Assad government officials state they only target military sites.
“The warplanes are not leaving the sky at all…” Siraj Mahmoud, a civil defense spokesman in Ghouta
Isaiah 17:1 The oracle concerning Damascus. “Behold, Damascus is about to be removed from being a city and will become a fallen ruin.
January 9, 2018: Syria is claiming Israel has fired missiles from fighter jets at targets northeast of Damascus. Surface to surface missiles were fired from the Golan Heights area. Targets appeared to be related to scud missiles near the town of al-Qutayfah, Syria.
The incidents took place at approximately 2:00-3:00 in the morning.
Syria says that Israel is “fully responsible” for the military action.
Damascus is upset with Israel “as Israel does not announce their raids against Syrian targets.”
“The Israeli aggression affirms again the support of the occupying entity to terrorist organizations in Syria and its desperate attempts to raise their morale after the painful blows they received in Harasta in eastern Ghouta in Damascus countryside and the sweeping victories the Syrian Arab Army is achieving in Idlib.” -Syrian Army Spokesman
Syria is claiming to have hit an Israeli jet and intercepted incoming missiles…allegedly.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has sent a letter to the United Nations (UN). Syria warned Israel had better stop the aggression. Excerpts from the letter indicated the following…
“Israel’s aggressive attitude will lead to a regional conflagration and further exacerbate the situation. This is in order to support terror and perpetuate the occupation of Arab lands. The repeated Israeli strikes on Syria will not succeed in protecting terror organizations of Israel’s that are used as its agents, with the heads being ISIS and the Al-Nusra Front.”
“The Syrian government will repeat its warning to Israel of the serious consequences of striking Syria and the continued support to armed terror movements, and it holds it responsible. The Security Council must condemn the Israeli strikes and take steps to stop its aggression.” President al-Assad letter to UN
The Israeli Defense Forces have not publicly commented. It should be noted that Israel has admitted to hitting over 100 Hezbollah convoys and military targets. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated the Jewish state will strike when “we have information and operational feasibility.”
Ezekiel 38:1-3 The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him and say, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.
Ezekiel 38:5 Persia, Ethiopia and Put with them, all of them with shield and helmet…
Ezekiel 38:6 Gomer and all his hordes; Beth-Togarmah from the uttermost parts of the north with all his hordes—many peoples are with you.
These are the modern day countries of Russia, Iran, and Turkey. For a detailed study of each ancient name and correlation to the 21st century country, see the links below. These articles were posted on Trey Smith’s God in a Nutshell project.
November 22, 2017, Sochi, Russia: President Vladimir Putin welcomed Turkey’s Recep Erdogan and Iran’s Hassan Rouhani for a summit. The goal was peace in the Syrian civil war. All three leaders are in favor of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad maintaining power.
“The militants in Syria (ISIS) have sustained a decisive blow and now there is a realistic chance to end the multi-year civil war,” per Vladimir Putin.
A follow up meeting is scheduled for December in Russia. The goal is to pave the way for a Syrian constitution which would include presidential term limits. Assad’s previous time as president would not be included in future term limit discussions.
It appears Russia, Iran, and Turkey will be the primary actors in rebuilding Syria.
The United Nations is complaining that Putin is interrupting the “peace process” in Syria. The United States and the European Union were not part of the discussions. Vladimir Putin is establishing himself as the dominant power broker on the world stage.
Later the same day, the following statement was made by Vladimir Putin. The Russian president placed all Russian companies (public and private) on alert. Prepare for a “rapid transition to war time operations”.
“I would like to note that the ability of any economy to rapidly increase the output of defense products and services when it is needed is one of the most important conditions of the nation’s military security. All strategic and… large enterprises must be ready for this.” -Russian President Vladimir Putin
Ezekiel’s gang is together as promised. If the prophesied time and events are approaching, more troops from the three countries will pour into Syria near the Golan Heights. Are we watching Gog of Magog take the lead?
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Isaiah 2:13 And it will be against all the cedars of Lebanon that are lofty and lifted up, against all the oaks of Bashan…
Bashan is the modern day Golan Heights. This would be the area in the far north east corner of modern day Israel. This place is south of modern day Damascus, Syria. Geographical land marks would include a region east of the Jordan River and north of the Arnon River. This territory extended from Gilead in the south to Mount Hermon on the north.
The following groups are currently located in the Golan region: Syrian Government forces supported by Russia, ISIS, rebel forces supported by the United States, and Israeli forces.
Russia’s Vladimir Putin and the United States’ Donald Trump agreed to a cease fire in southwest Syria on July 7, 2017. Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov attended the meeting as well as US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Tillerson said there was a “defined agreement” between the parties. The meeting between Trump and Putin lasted two hours and 16 minutes.
“This is our first indication of the US and Russia being able to work together in Syria,” Tillerson said.
The ceasefire started in the de-escalation zone at noon Damascus time, July 9, 2017.
July 10, 2017: UN peace talks regarding Syria started in Geneva. The ceasefire has generally held despite “teething problems”.
The ceasefire is for three provinces in southern Syria. Four “de-escalation zones” or “baskets” have been established. But these baskets have not been implemented or enforced.
The sticking point in the negotiations is Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
“The specter that is hanging over all of that is the fate of Bashar al-Assad. I think it is fair to say that this is one area where the two sides are still diametrically opposed – whether Assad should be allowed to stay or whether he should go,” Al Jazeera’s Sue Turton.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has expressed concern about Iran and its terrorist proxies Hezbollah from moving into the region during the ceasefire. Hezbollah is from Lebanon. Israel wants the United States and Russia to enforce a buffer zone in southwest Syria.
“I had deep discussions about this last week with US Secretary of State Tillerson and with Russian Vladimir Putin. Both told me that they understand Israel’s position and will take our demands into account,” Prime Minister Netanyahu.
“For our part, we will continue to monitor developments beyond our borders while strongly upholding our red lines: prevent the strengthening of Hezbollah via Syria, with emphasis on the acquisition of precision weapons; prevent Hezbollah — or Iranian forces — from establishing a ground presence along our border; and prevent the establishment of an Iranian military presence in Syria as a whole,” Benjamin Netanyahu.
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“For our part, we will continue to monitor developments beyond our borders while strongly upholding our red lines: prevent the strengthening of Hezbollah via Syria, with emphasis on the acquisition of precision weapons; prevent Hezbollah — or Iranian forces — from establishing a ground presence along our border; and prevent the establishment of an Iranian military presence in Syria as a whole,” Benjamin Netanyahu.
