He could be. He is making choices that make it possible.
While we have heard repeated threats from Iran and its allies to destroy Israel and America, the recent election of Vladimir Putin as President of Russia may have put all the players in place for the fulfillment of the battle of Magog.
Putin is a former KGB bigwig and expresses his vision to expand the borders of Russia. Just what he means by this is hard to tell for certain.
In his election campaign, Putin made a number of financial promises that he cannot possibly pay for unless the price of oil goes even higher. Creating conflict in the Middle East could be just the ticket to make that happen.
I watch what is occurring in the Middle East by watching Fox News and CNN as well as reading Joel Rosenberg’s blog.
Ezekiel indicates that the attack on Israel by Magog and its allies will come from the north through Syria and Lebanon. So, Russia’s alliance with both nations is critical.
Why does Russia have so much interest in Israel and the Middle East? As Rosenberg reported on March 20, 2012, “An intriguing New York Times story over the weekend explained that for the Kremlin to raise enough money for Putin to keep his lavish campaign promises over the next few years, oil prices would need to average $150 a barrel, significantly higher than the current $120 a barrel. One way to drive up oil prices, of course, would be to encourage or foment more tensions in the Middle East.”
On March 19, 2012, Joel Rosenburg reported the following in his blog:
“A Russian military unit has arrived in Syria, according to Russian news reports, a development that a United Nations Security Council source told ABC News was ‘a bomb’ certain to have serious repercussions,”reports ABC News. “Russia, one of President Bashar al-Assad’s strongest allies despite international condemnation of the government’s violent crackdown on the country’s uprising, has repeatedly blocked the United Nations Security Council’s attempts to halt the violence, accusing the U.S. and its allies of trying to start another war. Now the Russian Black Sea fleet’s Iman tanker has arrived in the Syrian port of Tartus on the Mediterranean Sea with an anti-terror squad from the Russian Marines aboard according to the Interfax news agency. The Assad government has insisted it is fighting a terrorist insurgency. The Russian news reports did not elaborate on the Russian troops’ mission in Syria or if they are expected to leave the port….Moscow has long enjoyed a cozy relationship with the Assad regime, to which it sells billions of dollars of weapons. In return Russia has maintained a Navy base at Tartus, which gives it access to the Mediterranean.”
In his New Czar Rising blog entry on March 1, 2012, Joel Rosenberg notes, “More than anything, Putin wants to regain and reassert the glory and the power of Mother Russia. That means he wants to expand her territory and enlarge her borders. The problem Putin faces is that Russia can’t significantly expand westward because NATO is moving eastward (though Putin has spoken openly of creating a merger with the neighboring country of Belarus, which is also currently run by a tyrannical dictator.) Russia can’t expand eastward because China is now a rich and strong and nuclear-armed power. Russia can’t seriously expand northward because there’s not much to gain from the North Pole. Thus, we should expect him to project power southward. Since 2000, he has, in fact, been building strategic alliances with Islamic countries throughout North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. He has sold billions of dollars worth of arms to Iran, Syria, Algeria, Libya, Sudan and other Islamic powers. He’s been particularly vocal in defending the tyrants in Tehran and Damascus. Expect Moscow’s focus on the Islamic world to increase dramatically. (Note: Putin has spoken openly of creating a Eurasian economic union in Central Asia, similar politically and economically to the European Union but likely dominated by the Kremlin.)”
Also, in 2010 Israel discovered significant oil and natural gas reserves that could make them energy independent. These findings are also a source of temptation for other nations to invade Israel in hopes of claiming these reserves. Might this also be part of the ‘hook in the jaws’ that the Lord uses to lure Magog and its allies to launch their attack?
Thankfully, we know who wins. So, take heart and keep your eyes on all that the Lord is doing! Pray for the peace of Israel!
Hi Robyn! I am on word press already with school, and I now have to check both email accounts daily. The whole thing with Russia does not surprise me. The jump on gas prices and our economy collapsing does not either. Our economy will change. It is in Revelation that people will wind up taking the mark. I feel that we are approaching the end times. Things will get worse, but God is in charge. Jesus, the man and fellow abuse survivor who I follow, will take HIs place! My new supervisor is saved. She was commenting on how society is upside down. Men are getting worse and worse. We are studying Revelations in Bible class, in the forty plus singles group at Calvary Church. In Thessalonains it is said how people will behave. God will not turn His back on the Jewish. They are His chosen, and I believe that the veil will lift, and they will be saved with us. They will see that Jesus is Lord! We will know when he comes for us and not fall away to the Antichrist. It says in scripture,”My sheep will know my voice.” As bad as it gets His hand is on everything.