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Heritage Baptist Bible Church
Dr. Max D. Younce, Pastor Walnut Grove, MN - USA
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Bible Questions & Answers Archive
Question
#0250
Russia’s plans for invading Israel:
As we continue our study in Ezekiel, Chapters 38,39, we previously have shown that Russia and her allies will attack Israel on horseback. We would like to again emphasize the use of horses.
The following is from the late Dr. M.R. DeHaan, a great scholar of Bible Prophecy. In his writing concerning Ezekiel 38 and horses used by Russia to invade Israel, which was written in 1951, he states:
“And now, right while we are reading in Ezekiel 38 about Russia’s horses, my daily newspaper comes out with the information that one of our military leaders has been under sever criticism in Korea for allowing 5,000 mounted Communist horsemen to cross the Yalu River against our forces, without even being detected by our observers and reconnaissance planes. Very interesting indeed (even though it is tragic( in the light of God’s Word.”
Of all the nations in the world, one may wonder why God has chosen Russia to be the leader of five other nations, in an attempt to destroy God’s chosen people, the nation of Israel. Notice in Ezekiel 38:10.
“Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things
come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:”
Evil thoughts come from the Evil One; Satan and his demons. Russia in the past has continued to the present and will continue to deny, defile, and make a mockery out of the God of Creation. Little does she know of the grace of God that has allowed her to continue in her rebellion. Mocking God is, in essence, mocking yourself. Just as a boomerang returns to the thrower; so does the sower reap what he sows. Galatians 6:7 confirms this.
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”
Where did it all begin? With the men in power, the leaders of Russia, Iran, Libya, Ethiopia, Turkey and Germany, haters of God, following the influence of Satan and his demons. In Acts 5:1-5 Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, followed the influence of Satan and lied to God, which cost them their lives.
“(1) But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, (2) And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. (3) But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? (4) Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. (5) And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.”
In Verses 9,10, Sapphira was struck dead for lying to God, the same as her husband.
These 6 nations have blasphemed God and followed the leading of Satan, the hater of God; their end being physical death and eternal death in the Lake of Fire. Russia’s goal has almost always been to abolish all religion from her nation.
Robert F. Kennedy, Counsel for Senate Investigations Committee, reported, following his visit to Russia in 1955, (U.S. News & World Report for October 21, 1955).
“In Leningrad they have a museum which is devoted completely to ridiculing God and people’s religious beliefs. For instance, as you enter they have God sitting on top of the cross, wearing a top hat, smoking a cigar and portrayed as a capitalist, while a working man is bent over carrying the cross and Him.”
The leadership minds of the Russians are so diabolical and sick (mentally) with the fever of anti-God-ism that it even has implications beyond the scientific and military space achievements.
Time magazine quotes from a Russian magazine, KROKODIL, the last verse of a poem which indicates that creation, from the Communistic point of view is under new management.
“And here we have our Sputnik
No secrets; the newborn planet
Is modest about its size,
But this symbol of intellect and light
Is made by us, and not by the God
Of the Old Testament.”
Note: If you are a young person reading this, you might wonder, “What is a Sputnik?” The surprise launch of Sputnik 1, coupled with the spectacular failure of the United States of America's first two Project Vanguard launch attempts, shocked the United States, which responded with a number of early satellite launches. (Wikipedia). This is probably the first, and last, time the Russians beat us into space.
Russia’s plans for invading Israel:
The last seven words of Ezekiel 38:10 are:
“...and thou (Russia) shalt think an evil thought:...”
Verses 11,12 of Ezekiel 38 describes their aspirations, which are nothing but evil.
“(11) And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, (12) To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.”
In Verse 11 when Ezekiel penned this prophecy in about 600 B.C., the towns, villages, and cities were most often surrounded by walls. These were essential for their protection and safety. Clear back in 1968, a Jewish man gave testimony that not one town in that land had walls around it. The same is true today, as you would have to hunt far and wide to find a city, village, or town with defensive walls surrounding it. (We are, of course, aware of the barrier fences installed by the Gaza Strip and the West Bank; but, these are barriers for Israel’s borders, like we have between our country and Mexico.) The towns, villages, and cities of Israel are not surrounded with defensive walls.
America has supplied Israel with all kinds of offensive military weapons. She is equipped with some of the most sophisticated aircraft, tanks, bombs, missiles and etc. to protect her people and her “land of unwalled villages.” Almost immediately after the rapture, the Anti-Christ makes a covenant with Israel, promising her protection and perpetual peace. This false Christ will no doubt convince the people, including Israel, that those who disappeared at the Rapture were the real villains who had to be eliminated so that the “New World Order of Peace” could prevail. Israel will buy the lie, submit her weaponry to the Anti-Christ, leader of the newly formed “World Nation of Peace.”
In Verse 11, the word “rest” Israel has, shows it is the result of her complete trust in the lie from the false messiah. The word “safely” comes from the Hebrew “BETACH” and is frequently used to signify (confidence and boldness and being without any care). This is what Russia sees after the Rapture as it views the nation of Israel. God foretold it about 2,600 years ago.
The Anti-Christ will attempt to convince all nations that world peace can only be obtained when all weapons of warfare are destroyed. Israel accepts this lie and Russia sees her with no army, no weapons of warfare and an easy prey. Russia and her five allies reject the Anti-Christ’s peace proposal and break from the world peace agenda formatted by the Anti-Christ.
THE CONSEQUENCES OF RUSSIA’S PLAN: GOD will be the destroyer of Russia and her armies, NOT the Anti-Christ!
In Ezekiel 38:22, God makes it perfectly clear that He will render the judgment and destruction of Russia and her armies, not the Anti-Christ.
“And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.”
The word “PLEAD” is a very interesting word. We think of this word in the English as God is pleading, begging, or trying to convince Russia not to invade Israel; but, this is not the meaning of the Hebrew word. The Hebrew translated “plead” is “shaphat” and means (to pass sentence and punish). In other words, the sentence is already passed and the punishment is now going to be rendered.
1. “Pestilence” – The Hebrew is “deber” and means – some kind of physical plague of sickness. God has used physical diseases many times for those who rebel against Him. He warned Israel before they went into the Promised Land, that if they rebelled against Him, He would bring physical infirmities upon them which could not be healed.
“The LORD shall smite thee in the knees, and in the legs, with a sore botch that cannot be healed, from the sole of thy foot unto the top of thy head.” (Deuteronomy 28:35).
Notice also in Verse 27.
“The LORD will smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed.” (Deuteronomy 28:27)
He is doing the same against Russia and her armies.
2. “I will rain.” – Hebrew is “matar,” a general rain.
3. “Overflowing rain.” – The Hebrew for this “rain” is “geshem” from a root word meaning (to rain violently, gush down, wash away), and thus described as an overflowing rain.
4. “Great hailstones.” – These hailstones are the size of a “talent” in the Greek, which is about 120 lbs. each. The Hebrew for great hailstones is equivalent to those described in Rev. 16:21.
“And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.”
God has used hailstones in His wrath of judgment many times. For example see Joshua 10:11; Exodus 9:22-26.
5. “Fire” – (Leviticus 10:1,2) destroyed Nadab and Abihu, sons of Aaron; (Numbers 11:1) consumed complainers; (Numbers 16:2,3) consumed 250 princes of Israel.
6. “Fire and brimstone” – Genesis 19:24,25 – Sodom and Gomorrah. Brimstone is the Hebrew “gophriyth” – describing it best as a resin, as from a cypress and sulphur, as equally flammable. This is the wrath of God and the means He uses to destroy Russia and her armies.
When this judgment is rendered of God, it ignites the men of these armies to actually kill each other. Notice in Verse 21.
“And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man's sword shall be against his brother.”
Let us stop for a moment and analyze the situation. Picture hundreds of thousands and millions of horsemen from six armies, headed by Russia, and enemies of God; headed for the destruction of Israel. Mountains are everywhere surrounding Israel which these armies are trying to cross. Then all of a sudden it begins to rain which escalates into a torrential downpour. Then many of the men become violently ill and fall by the wayside. Then hailstones begin to fall from the skies, each about 120 pounds, killing many of the men and their horses. Then fire, from seemingly out of nowhere, kills thousands more instantly.
The armies are in disarray as they realize that Russia, their leader, has led them into the wrath of Almighty God. They realize that only something supernatural could cause something like this to happen. Those left, now facing death, go berserk, and began killing each other until no one is left alive, thus fulfilling Verse 21, just as God has said some 2600 years ago.
Hebrews 10:31 proved the foregoing to be so true.
“It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
God will get His glory, whether an individual or a nation gives it to the Lord; or whether He has to take it Himself. In Ezekiel 38:23, the Lord states specifically that he is in control of the nations of this world and why!
“Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD.”
Will Be Continued...
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