In January and March, I wrote about a coming global famine. Unfortunately, the world has remained on the same trajectory since that time. As we enter the last few months of 2022, the world will awaken to that reality as global harvests come in with lower than expected totals.

Why is this? Entering 2022, rising energy costs had driven up prices for both diesel and fertilizer. Since these are the two most costly inputs in agricultural production, this led to increased food production costs. Those, in turn, impacted the feed cost for cattle, hogs, chickens, and other animals. But now we’re entering the phase where the world will realize shortages and/or higher prices; for fertilizer, herbicides, and pesticides significantly impacted crop yields all over the globe.

What Are the Current Harvest Projections?

On August 12, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released its monthly World Agricultural Supply & Demand Estimates. At first glance, the numbers they cite seem to point to a better than anticipated harvest. However, when you take a look at the numbers and compare them to news coming from the front lines, they appear glowingly optimistic. For example, the USDA projects global rice exports to be the same as in 2021, and they estimate Indian rice production will decrease 0.9%. Yet, according to this TimesNow article:

“There has been a 13 percent decline in paddy sowing so far in the monsoon season in India. Even though the rains have been sufficient, reports say that their distribution in time and space has been inconsistent. This has affected sowing in June and July, the peak months for planting the crop which is fed by monsoon rains and is harvested in October-November.”

And according to Reuters:

“India’s top rice-producing states of Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh have recorded a monsoon rainfall deficit of as much as 45 percent so far this season, data from the state-run weather department shows. That has in part led to a 13 percent drop in rice planting this year, which could result in production falling by 10 million tonnes or around 8 percent from last year, said BV Krishna Rao, president of the All India Rice Exporters Association.”

India accounts for almost 40% of global rice exports, so an 8% decrease in their rice production vs. the USDA’s projected 0.9% decrease dramatically transforms the outlook for the global rice trade. In this video, “WARNING: A Global Food Crisis is Coming ~ GET READY,” I go through the USDA projections for global production, exports, and imports for the most important grains in the world – corn, wheat, and rice. They point to a dire situation. But the official numbers are blind to this because they’re mostly based on outdated surveys that don’t reflect recent weather issues, and they put more emphasis on “area planted” rather than yield expected (which will vary significantly from past years due to fertilizer, herbicide, and pesticide shortages).

Government’s Reaction

Throw in the ongoing war in Ukraine (which feeds a large part of Europe and Africa) as well as a historic drought in Europe, and governments around the world should be working overtime to alleviate the situation. Instead, they’ve been working to make it worse.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. and its allies put sanctions in place to punish Russia. This had serious consequences for the global food market. Why? Russia is the earth’s largest wheat exporter, accounting for 18% of global sales. In addition, Russia is one of the world’s top oil producers. Fossil fuels play a major role in food production. Diesel fuel powers farm equipment. It powers the trucks that bring food to market. And most notably, natural gas is a critical component in the production of fertilizer. As the world’s #1 exporter of fertilizer, the sanctions placed on Russia strained global supply chains and increased the price and availability of fertilizer all over the globe.

On top of the sanctions against Russia, and despite the current fragility of the global food supply, western governments continue to push a climate change agenda that involves significant reduction of fertilizer usage and cutbacks on the number of methane-producing livestock. For example, the Canadian government is pushing for a 30% reduction of nitrogen fertilizer use by the year 2030 – a target farmers say will lead to lower food production and higher food prices. In the Netherlands, the government is pushing for a 50% reduction in nitrogen fertilizer usage. Even though it’s small in land mass, it’s an agricultural powerhouse, supplying the world with billions of dollars worth of agricultural products, materials, and technology. In Ireland, the government is attempting to cull 30% of the cattle in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These types of policies will only compound food shortage issues.

Famine is Unavoidable

At this point, famine is unavoidable. The only questions remaining are how severe the food shortages will be and how high food prices will rise in the places where food is still available. Once the severity of the situation becomes clear, governments will react swiftly.

Food protectionism will sweep the globe as nation after nation bans agricultural exports. Those supplies still available for export will be vacuumed up by the wealthiest nations, who will be willing to pay whatever is necessary to guarantee their food supply. This will leave low income per capita, net importing nations on the outside looking in. Countries such as Somalia, Yemen, South Sudan, Afghanistan, and Haiti will experience severe food crisis and widespread famine and starvation.

What is the End Goal?

In the end, no country will escape the crisis as massive food inflation strikes lower-income citizens in even the wealthiest nations. In the United States, flash mobs will move on from jewelry stores to grocery stores. Food theft will run rampant until grocery stores implement strict security measures. We might even see the rollout of Sri Lanka-style digital rationing cards. Is this the end goal?

It wouldn’t surprise me to find out these government policies are being intentionally implemented to create a food crisis. If they’re starving, most people will gladly trade their freedom and liberty for food.

The Mark of the Beast Platform

While digital rationing cards are not in and of themselves the mark of the beast, they impose a social system identical to the one imposed by the mark of the beast. How? By fencing people into a system where they are completely reliant on the government for their existence. In the past few years, we’ve witnessed the rise of the mark of the beast technology platform. The marriage of corporate and state power has brought us censorship on Big Tech platforms, banking institutions willing to shut the accounts of peaceful protestors, and vaccine mandates and passports.

A global food crisis would be the perfect environment for the world’s would-be rulers to implement a digital food rationing system. Since most people no longer live on farms and don’t know how to grow or raise their own food, they’re vulnerable to becoming slaves to a system they can’t survive outside of. When that happens, the government will have complete and total power. The world is paving the way for the rise of the Antichrist. Fortunately, our hope is in Jesus Christ, and our joy is that He’s coming soon!

Britt Gillette is author of the free ebook Coming to Jesus as well as the books Signs of the Second Coming, Racing Toward Armageddon, and The End Times. Receive his book 7 Signs of the End Times for free when you sign up for his monthly newsletter.

 

Vladimir Putin will meet with Iranian and Turkish leaders in Tehran this week. The trip will mark only his second trip outside of Russia since the Ukraine war began. In his previous trip outside of the country, Putin visited Tajikistan (home to Russia’s largest military base outside of its own borders) to discuss Afghanistan’s stability. He then attended a summit in Turkmenistan to discuss energy policy with Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Iran, and Turkmenistan. Given Russia’s ongoing military campaign in Ukraine, these trips highlight the significance of Russia’s relationship with these countries – and with Iran and Turkey in particular.

So why should you care? You should care because more than 2,600 years ago, the prophet Ezekiel warned of a future time when a vast coalition of nations will attack Israel. The leader of this coalition is a man known as Gog, the ruler of Magog (Ezekiel 38:1). This is why the invading force is known as the Gog of Magog coalition. According to Ezekiel, this alliance will send an overwhelming force to invade Israel in the last days. And today, for the first time in human history, we see this alliance forming.

The Invading Nations

Which nations does Ezekiel describe? He identifies the invading nations as “Magog, Rosh, Meshech, Tubal, Persia, Cush, Put, Gomer, and Beth-togarmah” (Ezekiel 38:1-6). If you look on a 2022 map of the globe, you won’t find any of these nations. So how can I say this alliance is forming?

Because these are the ancient biblical names of these nations, and while their names have changed over the years, we can still locate them on a map today. Below is a list of each nation, followed by its modern-day name:

Rosh = Russia

Magog = Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan

Persia = Iran

Cush = Sudan

Put = Libya

Meshech, Tubal, Gomer, and Beth-togarmah = Turkey

Putin’s visit to Tehran will mark the third nation he’s visited since the Ukraine war began, and all three – Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Iran – are part of the Gog of Magog alliance. Moreover, during the course of these three visits, Putin will meet with two additional members of the Gog of Magog alliance – Kazakhstan and Turkey. Is this a coincidence? I don’t think so.

It’s been centuries since Ezekiel first recorded these prophecies. Yet, this alliance has never existed. It certainly hasn’t invaded Israel. But now? Today, we see it coming together.

An Unlikely Alliance

Putin’s trip to Tehran to meet with Iranian and Turkish leaders should be of particular interest to those who study Bible prophecy. Why? Because, until recently, these three nations made an unlikely alliance. First, these three nations have never been aligned in all of human history. Second, Turkey is a member of NATO, and until recently, actively sought EU membership. Third, for most of recorded history, Russia and Iran had a turbulent relationship with little cooperation. In fact, until the death of Ayatollah Khomeini, who deemed Islam incompatible with the atheism of the Soviet Union, the modern nation of Iran had little to do with Russia.

But in recent years, Russia’s ties with both nations have strengthened. Following the death of Ayatollah Khomeini and the end of the Iran-Iraq war in 1989, Russia (then a part of the Soviet Union) started selling arms to Iran. In 1995, the Russian Ministry for Atomic Energy signed an agreement with Iran to finish the Bushehr nuclear power plant. The civil war in Syria was another area of cooperation between the two countries. Russia and Iran share a common interest when it comes to keeping Syrian President Bashar Assad in power. Russia has a vested interest in retaining access to the Syrian naval base in Tartus and stopping the spread of ISIS. As a longtime ally of Assad, Iran also has military forces in Syria. In addition, Iran is the primary sponsor of Hezbollah, a radical terrorist organization. Hezbollah has openly operated in Syria under Assad.

It’s clear Russia and Iran have strengthened their diplomatic, economic, and military ties. But what about Turkey? Of all the members of the Gog of Magog coalition, Turkey is the most interesting. Why? Because it seems an even more unlikely ally of Russia in an invasion of Israel.

Following World War I, Turkey established a secular western democracy and became a model democratic republic in the Middle East. In 1949, Turkey became the first Muslim majority nation to recognize Israel. In 1952, it joined NATO. For the latter part of the 20th Century, Turkey was a strong ally of Israel, the U.S., and other western nations. As the 21st Century dawned, Turkey explored membership in the European Union. This would have further solidified the nation’s western ties. Instead, an event took place that reshaped the future of Turkey.

In 2003, Turkey elected Recep Tayyip Erdogan as prime minister. A former member of a banned Islamist political party, Erdogan’s administration has been hostile toward Turkey’s secular and democratic institutions. Under Erdogan, Turkey has turned from its traditional western allies and cultivated relationships with nations that oppose western democracy. In July 2016, Erdogan cracked down on his political opponents following what he claimed was a coup attempt. He imprisoned thousands of citizens and consolidated his grip on power. A 2017 referendum further extended that power. Now the president, Erdogan is the undisputed ruler of Turkey. The nation, once hailed as a model of freedom and democracy in the Muslim world, has quickly devolved into a totalitarian regime eager to befriend America’s enemies.

In September 2018, Turkey met the leaders of Russia and Iran in Tehran to discuss the future of Syria. In February 2019, Turkey met the leaders of Russia and Iran in Sochi to coordinate joint military plans in Syria. Now, these nations are meeting once again in Tehran. The relationship between Putin and Erdogan is strong and growing. All that’s left to permanently move Turkey into the Russian ally column is a clear break between Turkey and NATO. What could cause that? We may be witnessing it now. Turkey is experiencing massive inflation. They also counted on Ukraine for a significant portion of their food supply. Inflation and food shortages threaten Erdogan’s grip on power. Where can he get a steady supply of energy and food? Russia. It may be what finally drives Turkey into Russia’s corner. When that happens, the key players in the Gog of Magog alliance will be in place.

When Will All This Happen?

So when will this invasion take place? The Bible says it will come “in the latter days” (Ezekiel 38:8). The original Hebrew word in this verse is “acharith,” which means “after-part, latter part, last, close, or end.” In other words, this alliance will form in the last days just prior to the return of Jesus Christ. Ezekiel uses this same word “acharith” eight verses later, when he says the invasion will come “in the last days” (Ezekiel 38:16).

This is confirmed again when Ezekiel reveals the Russian leader’s thoughts. Gog says to himself, “I will attack the once abandoned cities now populated with the Jews who returned from exile among the nations” (Ezekiel 38:12). This tells us Russia and its allies will attack the land when it’s filled with the exiles who return from among the nations. In other words, the target is modern-day Israel. This means the invasion is coming in our day and time.

Ezekiel stresses this fact again and again when He says the invasion will occur “after Israel’s people have been gathered from among many nations” (Ezekiel 38:8) and “when I bring my people home from among the enemy nations” (Ezekiel 39:27). This return home from among many nations has happened only once in all of human history – modern-day Israel.

While we wait for that moment, the military forces of the three most powerful members of the Gog of Magog alliance – Russia, Iran, and Turkey – are now cooperating in Syria. This puts their joint military forces right on Israel’s border. And not just any border – Israel’s northern border. This is where Ezekiel said the invading force will come from – north of Israel (Ezekiel 38:15; Ezekiel 39:2). Is this a coincidence? Again, I don’t think so. Never in history have these three nations formed an alliance. Now, they’re all stationed directly to Israel’s north.

The stage is now set for the fulfillment of the Ezekiel 38-39 prophecies. Turkey has made a strategic choice to align itself with Russia and Iran. Eventually, Russia, Iran, Turkey, and the other nations in the Gog of Magog alliance will send an overwhelming invasion force against Israel (Ezekiel 38:8-9). When they do, God will destroy them and display His power and glory for all the nations to see (Ezekiel 38:23). It’s one more sign of how close we are to the Second Coming of Jesus.

Jesus is Coming

The rise of the Gog of Magog alliance is a major sign of the end times and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Remember, Ezekiel said this coalition will attack Israel “in the last days” (Ezekiel 38:16) “after they’ve been gathered from among many nations” (Ezekiel 38:8). The prophet Jeremiah spoke about this same regathering from among the nations. He said God would “gather the remnant of His flock from the nations where he had driven them and bring them back into the land” (Jeremiah 23:3-4). And then? And then God will “raise up a righteous descendant of King David, a king who will rule the land with wisdom” (Jeremiah 23:5-6). This righteous King is the long-awaited Messiah.

Through the prophet Micah, God promised to “gather His exiles and form them into a strong nation.” Then, He promised to “rule from Jerusalem as their king forever” (Micah 4:6-7). The modern-day nation of Israel is the fulfillment of God’s promise to regather His people back in the land of Israel. So it should come as no surprise to see Russia, Iran, Turkey, and the other nations Ezekiel noted in cooperation with one another. According to the Bible, it’s only a matter of time before they attack Israel (Ezekiel 38:8-9). And after that, it’s only a matter of time before Jesus returns to establish His everlasting Kingdom (Revelation 22:20). Take note – Jesus is coming!

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Britt Gillette is author of the free ebook Coming to Jesus as well as the books Signs of the Second Coming, Racing Toward Armageddon, and The End Times. Receive his book 7 Signs of the End Times for free when you sign up for his monthly newsletter.