End-Time Events According to the Bible – Program 3

By: Dave Hunt, Hal Lindsey and Dr. David Breese; ©1992

Many Bible scholars believe that the prophetic passages of the Bible do include events that apply to the nation we know as Russia.

Contents

Is Russia Mentioned in Bible Prophecy?

Introduction

The eyes of all Americans as well as the world are focused on President-Elect Bill Clinton’s plans for change. Time magazine states: “With all that is at stake and with all the hope that America has invested in him, Clinton can scarcely afford to prove unequal to his task.” If Clinton fails and has a one-term presidency, it would suggest to many that government cannot cope with our problems and that the American economy is sliding toward certain decline. Meanwhile, one Congressman has said, “The world will not stop just because we have a new president.” Boris Yeltsin heads toward a possible overthrow by hardliners frustrated with his rule. North Korea is suspected of developing a nuclear weapons capability. And China’s arms buildup is causing concern in the rest of Asia. The German defense minister has warned America not to forget the turmoil in the former Soviet republics, three of which still have nuclear weapons on their soil. And now that Baker and Bush are gone, what will happen to the Middle East peace talks?

Where are all of these world events leading? Do they parallel the prophetic picture of history outlined in the Bible? My three guests today are all best-selling authors and internationally known Bible scholars. They are Hal Lindsey, Dr. David Breese and Dave Hunt. We invite you to join us.

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Ankerberg: Our guests tonight are Dr. David Breese, Hal Lindsey and Dave Hunt. We’re talking about, what does the Bible say and what does God predict about history? Where are current events going? Last week we talked about the nation of Israel and this week we want to follow up. One of the things the Bible talks about, and Hal Lindsey, we’ll come to you with this one, is that the Bible says that a power from the north is going to come into the Holy Land, into the Middle East someday, and is going to fight Israel. Many folks have said down through the years this was Russia. Now, though, since we met the last time, about a year and a half ago, the coup took place in the Soviet Union. Communism has fallen. The republics have broken off. What do you think now the Bible was talking about in light of what has happened in the Soviet Union?

Lindsey: Well, John, for over 30 years I’ve been saying something has to stop the Soviet Union from conquering the world. This was especially true in the last 10 or 15 years. Only five years ago the Soviet Union was in a position where if they had moved, they could have actually established a control over the whole world. But the Bible predicted that’s impossible, because the only power that can conquer the world before Jesus Christ comes back is a ten-nation confederacy in Europe that grows out of the ruins of the Roman culture and people. And so as I looked at that, I said, “Russia can’t conquer the world. Something has to happen to stop them.” And it did. Surprising, yes. Surprising to all of us.

But now Russia fits more precisely than ever before what Ezekiel predicted, because Ezekiel predicted they would not be a world conquering power but a mighty regional power, one with enormous military power, but a regional power. Not reaching out to conquer the world but making an all-out assault on the Middle East and Africa. Now we see prestigious groups like the Intelligence Digest group and so forth now saying that Russia is going to align themselves with the Muslim nations and that they will join with them in invading the Middle East. This is exactly what Ezekiel 38 predicted. I believe that we’re seeing this very thing set up.

You know, I just did a report called “The Magog Factor” because many have sought to say that what students of prophecy have said for more than 300 years has been disproven by the falling apart of the Soviet Union. But there is no question for those who carefully study history that Magog was the tribe that was the forefather of the Scythians and we can trace through Herodotus, the fifth century BC Greek historian, and many other historians right up until Russian archaeology of the last several decades and see that the Scythians are the forefathers of the ethnic Russians. Not all of the other provinces, but the Russians. And the Russians have spent millions of rubles in archaeological research to discover the history of the Scythians. Why? Because they know that the Cythians are their forefathers. So, Magog in Ezekiel 38 is definitely the modern ethnic Russians. They still have enough military power to stand the world on its ear, and I think it’s foolish if we start disarming and have the idea that there’s no more capability of this power to cause trouble. They still have tremendous, enormous military power.

Ankerberg: Okay, Dave Breeze, you have said in your book, quoting Ezekiel 38, that God is very clearly putting a hook into the jaws of the Russian army and it will someday bring it into battle.

Breese: Yes. First of all, I concur with Hal’s analysis as to the background of Russia and would remind us that what has been destroyed has been the Soviet Union, not Russia. Russia has 30,000 nuclear weapons, 11,000 of which are pointed at the United States. Despite all the talk of peace, Russia continues now to manufacture and deploy new nuclear weapons. It is producing a typhoon class submarine, one every 45 days, which costs $2 billion. So, talk of peace is interesting but that reality has not in fact come to pass.

Now what could bring Russia down? I don’t want to frighten this audience and it’s not our purpose to scare anybody particularly today, but let’s remember this: the only thing that has kept Russia, that is, the Soviet Union in the past, from conquering the world, humanly speaking has been one human entity and what is that? The United States; its nuclear capability; our willingness to use it.

So we must ask the question, in that Ezekiel 38 does say that the Prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal do come down in an attempt to conquer the nation of Israel, what has happened to the protection that Israel has had up until then, namely, what has happened to the United States? And I think that I must say again to be honest, and that is, that in the Scripture the argument for the survival of the United States is not a strong one. It is very difficult to prove.

So, it is my judgment that by that time Israel has made a deal with the leader of Europe, the leader of Europe comes down based on the covenant that he signs with Israel. Ostensibly he’s involved in that battle, the battle of Ezekiel 38; but the reality is that the army that comes from the north, horses, horsemen, very primitive weapons, is destroyed by Divine intervention – fire from heaven comes down, so that for all practical purposes that entire army is destroyed. One version says one-sixth survive, another perhaps more defendable says they are all gone. So that you will have one of the most devastating wars in the history of the world as Russia comes down, motivated by several things.

But in my opinion – motivated perhaps by a last desperation to use the one weapon that cannot be withstood, namely the SS18 missile that has 14 warheads on it and it’s programmed to do easily what it cannot now do with difficulty, namely take over the Middle East and the world – we have a very ominous situation there. But the scenario that brings it down is to stand astride once again the fountainhead of the world’s energy, therefore to control the world’s money, therefore to be master of earth, which Saddam Hussein tried to do, but he ran out of altitude and ideas a little too quickly. But Russia could well be soon in a position to attempt the same thing for what seems like very reasonable causes on her part.

Ankerberg: Dave Hunt, what is the ultimate fate of Russia going to be according to the Scripture?

Hunt: Well, John, this is where, you know, prophecy is a matter of interpretation. This is where we may have a little disagreement here. I think Ezekiel 38 and 39 are Armageddon. Some people think it’s a previous war. I could give you Scripture reasons but we don’t have time for that right out of Ezekiel 38 and 39. You read the Scripture. All the nations of the world are going to come together. So I believe, yes, it’s going to be Rosh – Magog. It’s going to be Western Europe. But I think the whole world is going to join together to accomplish what Hitler called “the final solution to the Jewish problem.”

And that’s what Zechariah 12 is talking about, and that is when Jesus Christ will intervene. And of course, those armies, including Russia and all the nations of the world, will be destroyed at that time. And Christ will rescue His people Israel and they will see that He’s the one whom they have pierced, and they will believe in Him. And I would to God that they would believe sooner than that.

And I would just go back on that verse that you said. You said that all those who burden themselves with Israel will be cut in pieces. And I would just warn whoever, John Major, whoever, the forces of NATO, the Arabs. They’re going to try to impose a peace; they’re going to try to carve out a deal with Israel, when God has said, “Those are My people and this is the land that I have given to them.” They are all in for trouble and ultimately God will have His way and anyone who stands in His way will, in fact, be cut in pieces and will be destroyed.

Ankerberg: Most scholars think, and I think you guys agree, that Russia someday will come down as a group and invade the Middle East. Now the question is: Armageddon. A lot of people think this is just one battle. Hal, how do you see this?

Lindsey: I believe that… By the way, I agree with Dave Hunt in what he said. I believe that Daniel 11:40-45 is the organizing battle plan of the last war of the world. Armageddon is a campaign composed of many battles. We know that when the Russians come down with the Muslim allies that the world is going to be at peace and Israel is at peace. So it comes at a time when they are at peace. And this fits perfectly with the whole biblical scenario that the first half of the seven-year tribulation is a pseudo-peace. Now, they come down with the Muslim nations, attack Israel; this starts a war which then begins to escalate from a regional affair to a world affair. And it clearly says so. That God will send fire not only on Israel but also on the land of Russia and on all of the, it says “coastlands,” but that Hebrew word in today’s world would be all continents. So it involves all of that.

And I think the movement of this: first, there’s attack by the Russians and the Muslims; it says the north moves with the king of the south against Israel. And then it says “news from the east and from the north” will trouble this northern commander, the Russian commander, while he is standing in Egypt, look eastward. That’s Revelation 16:12-14 where it says God mobilizes over 200 million soldiers from the Orient. I’d be troubled too if I saw that coming from the East. And then it says “from the north.” Standing in Egypt he would be looking at Europe. And this would be the mobilization of the forces under the Revived Roman Empire which I believe is joining forces right now under the axis or aegis of the European Common Market.

So I believe these two come in counterattack this move to take over the vital area of the Middle East. The East, the Asians come in, Red China heading a confederacy of Asian nations, and the northern power in this case would be the Antichrist leading the Western forces to keep the covenant they’ve made with Israel. So they all join forces. And the first thing that happens, it says that the northern force and his allies will be destroyed, probably by all of the Asians coming in. And then the last stage of the war of Armageddon seems to be fought between the forces of Asia and the Revived Roman Empire. See, the first phase wipes out Russia and their allies and then that only leaves the forces of Asian and the forces of European to square off and that’s when blood stands at the horses’ bridle for 200 miles, all the way from the Sea of Galilee to the Gulf of Aqaba.

Breese: Yes, I would make a quick point that it might be well for us to mention concerning Russia that is not exactly a part of the prophetic picture but will turn out maybe to be beautifully so. And that is that in the midst of Russia’s problems, Russia and Eastern Europe have turned into one of the greatest opportunities for Christian evangelism the world has ever seen.

Sixty-five thousand public schools in Russia have invited Campus Crusade to come and show the Jesus film in these schools. Fantastic. You try to show a Christian film in one high school in the United States and the ACLU would be down your throat, have you in jail the next day for corrupting the minds of these young people. So there is a fantastic flipside of the remarkable developments in Russia.

But I would emphasize that there are these two other massive entities that need to be kept in mind. The Kings of the East will march with 200 million. And by the way, Mao Tse-Tung, just before he left this world for his eternal non-reward, said that “in the battle for the world China will field an army of 200 million.” Never possible before until this time.

But, of course, the remarkable development that we’ve been watching for the last nearly 10 years now has been Europe. They said about 10 years ago we will have a Common Market of Europe, a European Economic Community, because as fragmented states we’ll never be a power in the world. That they have been putting together. Then they said, we will put together a political unity and they said they would have a United States of Europe by 1992, which is now. Well, then they said, “We have to protect ourselves militarily because the recent wars have shown us that if you have wealth you must keep an enemy away.” So a composite military picture is developing in Europe.

In my opinion, Europe must go through five stages to fulfill what the Scripture says will happen. And that has to be economic unity, political unity, military unity, but then they must choose a great leader, and it may well be that waiting in the wings right now is a handsome, articulate, personable, sanguine man who can convince everybody to follow him. Right now, because of the difficulties of the Maastricht Treaty in which Denmark opted out of the United States of Europe, they are experiencing what the papers call the bumpy road to reunion. Well, they will then be forced because of that bumpy road to choose a leader who can by the magnetism of his life call people up from these lesser problems. Well, the final thing they do, is they make a god out of this man; he organizes a world religion, which, by the way, is a very interesting study in the Bible. And we say that couldn’t happen, but we’ve done it lots of times, even in our generation with Tojo and in a very real sense Hitler and the old Roman emperors did the same thing. So watch for a leader to emerge in Europe who is very attractive. Watch finally for that person to announce that he wants not just your obedience but your obeisance and then you may well be looking at what in the Scriptures we call the rise of Antichrist.

Hunt: Let me just read a quick Scripture here, because getting back to what we were talking about, Ezekiel 38:16, God says, “And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me.”

That’s the ultimate purpose for the Battle of Armageddon, is that all the world will finally and ultimately know that God is and that He is the God of the Bible; that He is the God of Israel. And He is the God who has said, “I have a plan for you, for your life, for this world and if you rebel and do not receive my Son Jesus Christ, my judgment will come upon you.”

God cannot allow this to go on any longer. Ultimately, He’s going to have to bring His judgment or man will destroy himself. Now, I would just urge again all of our viewers out there, if you don’t know Jesus Christ, as I said, we’re not just sitting up here making up a horrible scenario. We’re going by what the Word of God says. It has happened; prophecy has been fulfilled; this is what it says about the future; and we’d better get right with God.

Ankerberg: Next week, we’re going to talk about all the Christians of every nation around the world disappearing in less than a twinkle of an eye, just gone from planet Earth. You say, “Ankerberg, where did you get that?” Listen: 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 the apostle Paul writes, “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive [not all Christians are going to die] will be [snatched, if you want, “seized,” “raptured”] caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” That’s what the Bible teaches. We’re going to talk about it next week. I hope you’ll join us.

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