Only weeks after the Turkish bombing and downing of the Russian airliner, ISIS have now wreaked havoc in Paris, Baghdad & Beirut over a period of 24 hours.
France has closed all borders, activated a state of emergency and summoned 1500 troopers onto the streets of Paris.
ISIS released a video threatening that this is just the beginning for France, and that Washington, London and Rome will also be targeted next.
As these attacks become more prevalent across Europe and the Middle East, Putin’s legitimacy in Syria will only increase in the eyes of Europe.
Some of the attackers are proven to have arrived as migrants in France meaning that the migrant problem is now perceived to be an even greater problem. ISIS have publicly admitted that they are funnelling other terrorists into Europe as migrants.
It is time for the West to stop criticising Moscow and to form a joint coalition
~ Russian chairman of the foreign affairs committee
Revelation 16 reminds us that in the days before the return of Christ, the drying up of the Euphrates will occur and the three frog like spirits will come forth out of the mouths of the three entities: Europe, The Papacy & Russia.
The migrant crisis (a result of the drying up of the Euphrates) is bringing these three entities together to a degree never witnessed before.
As we witness this unfold, it surely cant be long until the return of our Lord.
Here are some articles that have been published over the last 24 hours covering the attacks:
Russia is beginning to demonstrate its deadly capabilities in Syria.
Here is a recent video of Russian Heavy Flamethrower Systems being used (probably by the Syrian military) to destroy enemy fortifications (allegedly ISIS) in Syria.
These missiles turn mountainsides into a ball of flame. Temperatures soar to a staggering 1,000 degrees Celsius at the epicentre of the explosion – burning out atmospheric oxygen and rupturing the lungs of the victims.
The latter day Roman manifestation will be a king of “Fierce countenance” and in Daniel 11 it will eventually turn its focus upon Israel, to “go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many”.
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Ezekiel 38:
4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia (Iran), Ethiopia (Sudan), and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
Here are three recent news articles which show that Russia has made great strides in working closely with these nations on security matters. Ezekiel 38 says that a confederacy will be built amongst these nations before the confederacy turns its focus upon Israel.
Persia (Iran)
Reuters have reported that that thousands of Iranians are now in Syria and they are working alongside Russia.
Libya
Putin hints at military intervention in Libya: “People who are not in Russia due to various reasons should be firmly sure: we will always protect your interests,” Putin said. “Moreover, in difficult and crisis situations, such as in Libya, Syria or Yemen.”
Ethiopia (Sudan)
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has reiterated his country’s readiness to help in negotiations between Sudan and South Sudan in an attempt to resolve their disputes ‘now’.
Putin’s military move into Syria was implicitly prophesied in Daniel 11.
I recall listening to a Christadelphian lecture 1 month prior to Russia’s move into Syria. The lecturer said that the fulfilment of Dan 11:40 required that Russia must occupy Syria before moving into Turkey.
Sure enough, a month later, Russia moved into Syria.
This lecturer is certainly not the only one to have this view. In an exposition entitled “The Prophecy of Daniel”, HP. Mansfield wrote the following back in 1986 – almost 30 years ago:
“Daniel 11: “And the king of the North <Russia> shall come against him <Turkey>”
The fulfilment <of this> must await the final re-forming of the… Kingdom of Syria, which the northern Russian power is poised to accomplish.
She <Russia> is spreading her control over the territory of the ancient king of the north, and only requires a controlling influence in Iran, Iraq and Syria to qualify for the title; then she will be ready to “come against him <Turkey>.”
Page 336
This understanding of Daniel 11 is not a result of the prophetic capabilities of these bible students, but simply a result of careful reading of Daniel 11 and other quotes.
To understand why it is that Russia will have a controlling military influence in Syria/Iraq, we need to understand how the prophets portrayed Gog in their prophecies.
To that end, Ezekiel provides us with a clue. In chapter 38:17, God tells ‘Gog’, that he is the individual who had been spoken of by other prophets:
Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them?
Ezek 38:17
Which of the prophets might verse 17 be referring to?
At least two other prophets lived prior to Ezekiel’s time; Micah and Isaiah, and both prophets have latter-day prophecies which refer to Gog:
Gog in Micah & Isaiah – ‘The King of Assyria’
Micah 5
The context of Micah 5 is the coming of the Messiah (v2) and the return of Israel to the land (v3) so this is without a doubt a latter-day prophecy. In verse 5, Micah begins to talk about the latter-day enemy of Israel:
When the Assyrian shall come into our land: and when he shall tread in our palaces…
…and it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots
Isa 30 & 31
The time period for both of these chapters in Isaiah are also in the latter days as they talk of a time period that occurs around the time when judgement emanates from Zion, and Jerusalem is defended. Here are the references to the latter-day Assyrian in Isaiah:
Isa 30:31 For through the voice of the Lord shall the Assyrian be beaten down, which smote with a rod.
32 And in every place where the grounded staff shall pass, which the Lord shall lay upon him, it shall be with tabrets and harps: and in battles of shaking will he fight with it.
33 For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.
Isa 31:1 Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord!
8 Then shall the Assyrian fall with the sword, not of a mighty man; and the sword, not of a mean man, shall devour him: but he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall be discomfited.
9 And he shall pass over to his strong hold for fear, and his princes shall be afraid of the ensign, saith the Lord, whose fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalem.
Notice it doesn’t say when “the Assyrians” come into our land, but rather it is the “Assyrian” in the singular.
This is not talking of the latter-day manifestation of the Assyrian’s manifested in a nation or empire (which is comparable to today’s ISIS), but rather this is talking about a latter-day individual, or King – Isa 30:33. This is an autocrat who will have occupational power in Assyria prior to the invasion of Israel.
Map of the Neo-Ancient Assyrian empire. (Dark Green)
This heartland of the ancient Assyrian empire happens to be around the area of the Tigris and the Euphrates (which today is part of Syria & Iraq) in mostly areas that are currently controlled by ISIS.
Map of the ISIS sanctuary 2015 (ISW)
While ISIS currently control this region, Russia has declared war on ISIS and are moving into the region with a ferocity unmatched by the United States.
Gog in Daniel – ‘The King of the North’
After Ezekiel’s time, the prophet Daniel was also given information about Gog.
Daniel 11
This time, in the latter part of Daniel 11, Gog is named “The King of the North”.
The empire of the “King of the North” in Daniel 11 was the Seleucid empire which extended from Turkey to Afghanistan.
It’s interesting to note that much like the Assyrian empire, the heartland of the Seleucid empire was along the region of the Euphrates and Tigris which is inclusive of today’s Syria & Iraq.
Map of the Seleucid Empire
Daniel 11 calls Gog the “King of the North” because Gog will have a controlling influence in the region of the ancient king of the North.
Today, Russia is in the process of increasing its military influence and power within this Seleucid region:
Russia already has significant influence in Iran
Russia already has significant influence in Syria.
Iraq has indicated that they would prefer the Russian military for protection instead of the US military and have already started mutual intelligence sharing with Russia to a greater degree than what exists with the US.
Putin has expressed interest in occupying Afghanistan as NATO looks to leave. When he announced this, Obama immediately cancelled his troop withdrawal.
Russia’s occupation of Syria & Iraq in the prophets.
Isaiah, Micah & Daniel all refer to Gog as being a king over the former territories of the Assyrian and Seleucid empires before invading Turkey, Egypt and Israel.
As seen earlier, this is currently a region which is under the control of ISIS, however, Russia is moving in and is likely to become the occupying power.
Daniel 11 shows that it is during this time, or after, the Gogian autocrat will focus his attention on Turkey.
Ezekiel 38 is a latter day prophecy that speaks of a time when a confederacy of nations led by Russia, will invade Israel.
Many other prophets speak of this time including Isaiah, Micah & Daniel, however only Ezekiel seems to touch on the reason why God brings Russia down into the Middle East.
‘Hooks in jaws’ – a motivation distinct from ‘taking a spoil’?
Ezekiel 38 seems to recount two different motivations which kick off two different events.
In verse 4-7, the hooks in jaws drive the “bringing forth” and creation of this confederacy.
In verse 8-21, the taking of a spoil motivates the confederacy to “come against” Israel.
That the ‘hooks in the jaws’ are distinct from the ‘taking of a spoil’ and the ‘bringing forth’ distinct from the ‘coming against’ seems to be further confirmed when considering that the idea of taking a spoil enters the mind of the confederacy, only ‘many days’ after the confederacy itself is created. It is not a confederacy that formed on the basis of taking a spoil, but rather formed as a result of the hooks in the jaws.
Even on a fundamental level, the two motivations seem unrelated: the analogy of ‘hooks in jaws’ speaks of forced, painful, unwilling movement, whereas the motivation of ‘taking a spoil’, speaks of willing and intended robbery.
… I will put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet.
So if the hooks in the jaws are distinct from the taking of spoil, what might these hooks be?
What motivation would God use to forcibly and painfully, bring Russia South to build and guard a confederacy?
Why did God choose to use such a violent analogy?
To understand why God chose to use this phrase we need to find out where it came from, and many sources show that the placing of ‘hooks in jaws’ was a brutal tradition conceived by the ancient neo-Assyrian empire.
The Assyrian’s typically put hooks in the jaws of defeated enemies, either for the purposes of humiliation or to deport them to other lands. This practices is often described in their annuls, and graphically depicted in their wall relief’s.
~ The IVP Bible Background Commentary
Why does God choose to use an ancient Assyrian practice to explain how he will drag Russia south to build a confederacy?
Would it be reasonable to suggest that an Assyrian like power could provoke Russia to move South, and establish and guard a confederacy of nations? If so, does such a power exist today?
The answer is yes, many consider ISIS to be the resurrected Assyrian power – ISIS has, and continues to provoke Russia.
Here is an article that deals briefly with some of the similarities:
If you don’t have time to read the article, here are some notable similarities:
Both powers are known for executing absolute and excessive barbarity, and subsequently advertising it to their enemies. For example, enemies of the ancient Assyrian regime were beheaded in public, and the walls of their cities were lined with impaled men, women and children in order to send a message to their enemies. In the 21st century, ISIS use social media and other technologies to project their gruesome decapitations to the world.
The capital of the ancient Assyrian empire was located in Nineveh. Today, The Islamic States biggest city – Mosul – surrounds the ruins of Nineveh, and is the hometown of ISIS.
The Assyrian’s wiped out virtual all culture prior to them as do ISIS today.
Women were forced into slavery by the ancient Assyrian’s as they are today, under ISIS
Below, two territories are seen below. Firstly the Ancient Assyrian (Dark Green) and secondly the territory held by ISIS. Both regions of control are very similar. The heartland of both empires existed between the Euphrates and Tigris but also extended beyond that at different points in time.
Ancient Neo-Assyrian Empire – 824 BC – Dark Green
ISIS area of Control – 2015
So there are many indicators which show that ISIS bears many of the hallmarks of the ancient neo-Assyrian empire.
So when God uses an Assyrian practice to describe how he will drag Russia down South, is God saying that ISIS will provoke Russia and bring her down?
Perhaps this question has already been answered. In September, we saw Russia move South into Syria, to fight none other than… ISIS.
Persia (Iran) joined them, a month later, sending in 2000 troops.
Last week, a Russian airliner crashed in the Egyptian Sinai where Egypt is at war with Islamic militants. ISIS claimed responsibility for the death of 224 people on board – most of whom were Russian. The cause of the crash is yet to be determined by investigators, however it seems that a trend is emerging. ISIS is beginning to become, not just an inconvenience, but a security problem for Russia, and Putin wont have it.
It is also interesting to note that ISIS has declared its intention to take control over Turkey, Egypt, Libya, and Sudan – all nations which become amalgamated within this Russian confederacy. It wont be an Israeli spoil which continues to bring this confederacy together, but rather, the hooks in their jaws, and this could be happening now through ISIS.
Russia is already moving south, building its confederacy, and guarding those of its confederacy. Its reason for doing so, according to Putin, is to fight ISIS.
Even if it is true that ISIS represent the hooks in the jaws (something worth watching over the next few years if Christ hasn’t returned God Willing), Ezekiel shows that ultimately, the objective of this confederacy will become consumed in the destruction and spoiling of Israel.
Note: This article does not suggest that ISIS are the latter day invader of Israel.
Bible Prophecy & Current Events 