For about 70 years, between 1920 and 1970, the USSR was ever expanding. Soviet leaders gobbled up Ukraine, Azerbaijan,Armenia, Georgia, Poland, part of Finland, Estonia, Latvia,Lithuania, Moldavia, East Germany, Albania, Bulgaria,Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Yugoslavia and much more.

In the early 90s, some nations rebelled and demanded their independence. Soviet leaders tried to hold the union together, but the rebellion spread, the Soviets lost their power and the USSR fell apart.

Some political leaders thought the collapse of the Soviet Union meant that the world had entered a new era of peace, but by the end of the decade a former KGB agent named Vladimir Putin had risen to power and became the acting president of Russia.

He went on to become president, then prime minister and then president again. He changed laws, consolidated his power, cracked down on his opposition, rebuilt the military, developed close ties with Iran and quietly nurtured the dream of restoring the old Soviet Union. Some even said he also wanted to take over all of Europe.

Mr. Putin liked to present himself as a strongman and his desire to restore the old USSR troubled some of the former Soviet Unionnations. His intervention in Georgia, Kyrgystan, Ukraine, his annexation of Crimea and the fact that he threatened to use Russian power outside Russia’s borders made them nervous.

Several of those former USSR nations joined, or tried to join NATO, primarily for protection. They had broken away from the old power-hungry bear and didn’t want to be subjugated and forced back in.

About eight months ago when Mr. Putin took over Crimea, western leaders finally decided that he had gone too far and he needed to be turned around. They demanded that he stop supporting the opposition forces in Crimea and threatened to impose sanctions onRussia if he didn’t turn around and leave. Their initial sanctions were virtually meaningless and Mr. Putin scoffed at them, but western leaders continued to ramp up the sanctions and the bear began to hurt.

Almost overnight, there was a global glut of oil triggered by an economic downturn in Asia and Europe, fracking for oil in the U.S.and stepped up production of oil in Saudi Arabia. The price of oil quickly dropped from more than $100 per barrel to less than $60 per barrel. The Russian Ruble collapsed, the Russian economy went into a tailspin, and Russia was suddenly facing the prospects of a recession or possibly a depression.

The looming economic disaster and the likelihood that the Russian people might eventually rebel got Mr. Putin’s attention. He now appears to be looking for a way to save face, turn around and leaveCrimea. But he has promised the Russian people that he will retaliate against those who have imposed sanctions on Russia and he has promised that he will solve Russia’s economic problems in the next two years.

The Russian bear’s actions made me think of the battle of Gog and Magog. Gog will try to expand his kingdom in the latter days and latter years. But God said, “I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth” (Ezek. 38:4).

Is Mr. Putin Gog? Is God turning Gog around? How will Gog retaliate? I don’t think anyone knows. We can only say that Russiamust turn away from one target before God pulls her toward a second target (Israel).

God also said, “It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought” (Ezek. 38:10).

What is this evil thought? The Bible doesn’t say but it appears to be:

“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 aregathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land” (Ezek. 38:12).

And some would add, “To satisfy the ancient Islamic hatred forIsrael.”

I don’t know what Mr. Putin was thinking when he told the Russian people he will solve Russia’s economic problems in the next two years, but China and India have offered to help Russia so it will take a little time for Russia’s recession to reach full bloom.

Israel has acquired phenomenal wealth with minerals from the Dead Sea, oil and natural gas, agricultural success, cattle and goods; and Mr. Putin has not been reluctant to steal from other countries. We don’t know when it will happen, but many would not be surprised to see the battle of Gog and Magog in the next two years.

A wounded bear is dangerous and this wounded bear may not be ready to go away. He may turn around and seek a different prey. But regardless of anything I have written, what he has been trying to do to Israel will be done to him. He will become the prey and God will be known in the eyes of many nations (Obad. 1:15; Ezek. 38:23; 39:17-20).

Prophecy Plus Ministries
Daymond & Rachel Duck

One of the most remarkable verses in the Bible reads:  “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Gal. 6:7).

Do not let people mislead you about this immutable (unchangeable) law of God. Our God cannot be misled, treated with contempt or treated like He doesn’t exist; the things we do in life will produce a harvest.

It is interesting to note that Jacob deceived his father into thinking he was Esau (Gen. 27:6-29) and later, Laban tricked  Jacob into marrying Leah instead of Rachel (Gen. 29:9-30).

Pharaoh ordered the death of all of the male Hebrew babies inEgypt (Ex. 1:16) and later, God ordered the death of all of the first-born Egyptian babies in Egypt (Ex. 11:4-6; 12:29-30).

David committed adultery with Bathsheba, got her pregnant and was directly responsible for the death of her husband Uriah (II Sam. 11:2-27), and later, others committed adultery with David’s wives and his child with Bathsheba got sick and died (II Sam. 12:11-19).

Jezebel had Naboth killed so Ahab could get his vineyard (I Kings 21:1-16) and later, Ahab died at the exact same place where Naboth died (I Kings 21:17-22:39). Saul (later called Paul) consented to Stephen being stoned to death (Acts 7:57-8:1).  And later, Paul was stoned to death (Acts 14:19).

Repentance and confession can change things, but I want to move on to something else. Another one of God’s immutable laws says:

“For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head” (Obad. 1:18).

When the Tribulation period is about to fall upon the enemies ofIsrael (not upon the saved because of the Pre-Trib Rapture), those who mistreat Israel will reap what they sow. Every attempt to harmIsrael will backfire.

God’s guiding principle will be to do to Israel’s enemies what they try to do to Israel. In essence, they will decide their own judgment and it will fall upon their head like a bolder from heaven.

Look at how the Obama Administration has treated Prime Minister Netanyahu and Israel: Pres. Obama snubbed and insulted Prime Minister Netanyahu at the White House. Members of the Obama Administration met with an Israeli politician behind closed doors to discuss an effort to topple the Netanyahu government.

Members of the Obama Administration refused to meet with members of the Netanyahu cabinet. A senior official in the Obama Administration called Prime Minister Netanyahu chicken***t (chicken manure).

Members of the Obama Administration reportedly held meetings to discuss sanctions on Israel because the Netanyahu government continues to issue building permits in Jewish neighborhoods on theWest Bank.

Terrorists have attacked women and children in Israel and the Obama Administration blamed it on Israel. Palestinians have been paid to riot on the Temple Mount and the Obama Administration blamed their violence on Israel.

The Islamic State has recruited thousands of killers and the Obama Administration has blamed their recruiting success on Israel. In the eyes of Mr. Obama and his staff—Israel can do no good, and all of the terrorism, violence and war—is Israel’s fault.

Pres. Obama’s disdain for Israel and Prime Minister Netanyahu have not gone unnoticed. Mr. Netanyahu’s political rivals should have laid the blame at the feet of America’s pro-Muslim, anti-Semitic president.

But they chose to use the Obama Administration’s snubs, insults, name-calling, lies and false accusations to belittle Mr. Netanyahu for the purpose of furthering their own political careers.

According to them, every rift between the U.S. and Israel has been Mr. Netanyahu’s fault. Every Netanyahu decision that Pres. Obama didn’t like was Mr. Netanyahu’s fault. (It worked the way Pres. Obama wanted it to work.) The internal strife hog-tied the government. Mr. Netanyahu dissolved his coalition and scheduled new elections.

Only God knows the future. But it seems unwise to me for the Obama Administration to be causing political strife in Israel. God’s immutable laws still apply. As we approach a new year, I hope I am wrong and it is just my opinion.

But I must admit that I won’t be surprised if the political division that Pres. Obama has sown in Israel produces a bad harvest of political division in America. It will be just one more sign that the Tribulation period is near.
Prophecy Plus Ministries
Daymond & Rachel Duck