Global SITREP D4-22: Russia's Illegal Annexation Guarantees War Escalation

 

Location of Kerch

The Kerch Strait Bridge engulfed in flames

UPDATE 8 October 2022: Speaking of an escalation in the war between Russia and Ukraine - it took place within hours of Vladimir Putin's 70th birthday. Some birthday present!

As noted in previous SITREPs, going all the way back to Russia's initial invasion and annexation of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula in 2014-2015, the Kerch Strait Bridge linking the eastern city of Kerch (the Kerch Strait) with Russia proper was destined to be struck if Ukraine were to have any hope of recovering Crimea from Russia's annexation. The strike, and major escalation, occurred at 06:00 Moscow time (0300 GMT) this morning. 

According to several sources, this strike on the 12-mile long Kerch Strait Bridge was a clandestine strike carried out by Ukraine's SBU (Security Intelligence Service), although Ukraine has not said so officially. It appears a truck bomb was detonated as it passed below the fuel tanker railcars heading for Russian forces in Crimea and Southern Ukraine. 

The fuel tanker railcars erupted in flames, a massive fire ensued, and al least two sections of the lower level roadway collapsed into the water below. The bridge is effectively and entirely out of commission at this time. There's little doubt this strike is the beginning of Ukraine's effort to retake Crimea. Also without doubt this strike flies in the face of Putin's threat to employ nukes if Russia or its annexed territories were attacked. Bottom line: this war is now at the anticipated crisis point with an undetermined limit on the level of escalation ahead. It will be swift, no doubt.

Banners on Red Square, Moscow:
"Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaphorizhzhia, Kherson - RUSSIA!

30 September 2022: Russian Federation president Vladimir Putin just wrapped up a speech in the Kremlin in which he announced the annexation of four occupied, or partially occupied, Ukrainian oblasts as de facto Russian territory, as well as the defense of which from external attacks from any source can be met with the use of Russian nuclear weapons. This unilateral action by the regime of Putin will result in an escalation and intensification of the war into realms previously only discussed in thrilling war novels and action films a la the late Tom Clancy.

Today's announcement in Moscow has occurred as the Armed Forced of Ukraine (AFU) have encircled and entrapped two regiment-sized forces of the Russian Army. Those units are the BARS-13 "Russian Legion" and 572nd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment of the 20th General Army which have been in a weeks-long, hard-pressed defense of Lyman, Donetsk Oblast. Lyman will fall to the AFU shortly as all Ground Lines Of Communication (GLOC) and resupply have been cut off. This is day 219 of the war.

What remains to be seen: will Putin deploy nuclear weapons in defense of the illegally annexed "Russian" territory, and how will NATO respond to it. At the moment US and NATO aircraft are airborne scouring the entire spectrum for any sign of deployed Russian nuclear weaponry. 

UPDATE 3 October 2022: The U.S. does have the capability to detect in advance a Russian deployment of nuclear weaponry. Several former and current US government officials have made this information public knowledge in recent days, not so much to assure civilians, but to let Russia's leadership know that our side will know if and when that happens. 

The Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines, as reported by Denmark's military forces, ceased leaking methane gas this past weekend. This is not due to any repair effort, but because the remaining methane gas in the pipeline is not strong enough to overcome the pressure of the Baltic Sea at the depth where the sabotage ruptures occurred.

Probably of the utmost importance was the text of Vladimir Putin's annexation speech. This speech was couched in unhinged and wildly erroneous pseudo-religious rhetoric, about a "holy war" against the West. Putin's speech was preceded in Red Square by a rally in which the battle-cry for this war and an open call within ultra-nationalist Russian society for total war against the West. The battle cry is the Russian word "Goida!" A video of the Red Square rally where this call for holy war was made can be viewed at The American Conservative website. The video is most informative. Think in terms of Ezekiel 38/39 when you view it.

Global SITREP D3-22: "This is not a Bluff"

 

UPDATED 22 September 2022: In announcing the conscription mobilization of 300,000 troops from Russia's reserve forces (veterans of prior service), Russian president Vladimir Putin this morning set in motion an escalation of his war against Ukraine and NATO. Putin's escalation of the war is replete with the threat of Russian use of tactical and strategic nuclear weapons because he now sees the tide of his war being reversed and therefore threatening the "territorial integrity of Russia." 

In Vladimir Putin's thoroughly warped worldview, all of Ukraine, from the Don River Basin (a/k/a the Donbas) westward to the NATO frontier, is Russian territory. The recent rout of Russian forces and loss of territory to Ukrainian forces armed to the hilt with the best weapons the West has provided to date is a direct threat to Russian territorial integrity. This in turn is Putin's rationale for his threat in authorizing nuclear weapons use. We must accept Putin's words, "This is not a bluff" at face value, and he will release his nukes upon his enemies. 

Make no mistake, even the Chinese Communists have been rattled by this morning's announcement from Moscow. Word came swiftly out of Beijing warning Moscow to immediately de-escalate and to seek a cease-fire in the Ukraine war. The U.S. and NATO response to this escalatory threat from Russia will be announced in the U.N. General Assembly this morning.

This is the current SITREP AS OF 10:30 EDT 21 September 2022.

An often asked question: Will nuclear war occur? Answer: Yes, both before the 70th Week begins and during it. And since the harpazo of the bride of Christ is always imminent, it cannot be stated with any certainty that a nuclear exchange will not occur prior to the blessed event. 

(Beyond this, a nuclear exchange has already occurred on this earth while the bride of Christ was present. On August 6th and 9th 1945 Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan were struck with atomic bombs dropped by two American B-29 Stratofortess aircraft. Hundreds of thousands of human beings perished in both strikes.) 

Now, an Eschatology Today explanation for why this is true.

The Gog and Magog prophecy of Ezekiel 38/39 appears to have a pre-70th Week of years fulfillment. The LORD God declares in Ezekiel 39:6 "And I will send fire on Magog and on those who live securely (confidently) in the coastlands." There is no reason to question that the land of Magog (Russia) will receive a nuclear strike as a result of the attempt to invade, rape and plunder the nation of Israel. (Note: this is exactly what Russia's intent has been for the Ukraine, and, in fact, invasion, rape, mass murder and plunder are what the Russian military forces and their proxy allies have committed in Ukraine.) 

The unknown part of this is: Is America the unknown land which lives securely (confidently) in the coastlands who receives fire (judgment) as Magog (Russia) does? Whatever the case may be, these strikes happen during the midst of the destruction of the armies of Magog and its confederates upon the mountains of Israel. It may be true also that this is not a full-scale nuclear war as the world goes on and endures almost to the point of an extinction level event through the Lord's judgments of the 70th Week of years which follow shortly thereafter. So, it may be what occurs in Ezekiel 39:6 is a limited or tactic use of nuclear weapons.

Then during the 70th Week of years, as seen in Revelation 6, a quarter of all human life on the earth will be annihilated. As of 2022, and the waning global COVID-19 pandemic, there are 8 billion souls on the earth. That means 2 billion will die in the Revelation 6 judgments. Shortly thereafter the Revelation 8 and 9 judgments occur upon the remaining 6 billion population of the earth, and of these a full one-third are annihilated. What is one-third of 6 billion? It is another 2 billion people. That's 4 billion people wiped out in the first 42 months, also known as the Thlipsis/Tribulation. Eschatology Today assesses that the vast major of these are the direct result of nuclear weapons. 

And during the Megas Thlipsis/Great Tribulation it only gets worse, so much so that if the Lord would not cuts those days short the extinction of human life would have occurred. Jesus speaking in the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24:22 NKJV: "And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened."

So, when utterly mad men talk in threatening tones about using nuclear weapons at this hour, pay attention! If Jesus Christ is not your Lord and Savior all you have to do at this point is call upon His Name to forgive your sins and be covered by His precious sacrifice.

Marana'tha!

Global SITREP D2-22: FIVE RED HEIFERS IN ISRAEL !!!!!

16 September 2022: The Lord woke me up at 03:30 this morning to receive an important email from Donald Dolmus (our dear brother in Nicaragua), which he sent at 01:30 this morning. Now, finally, after a complete Microsoft 365 update on this machine, here I am sharing what he sent with all of you. The image speaks for itself. Halleluiah and Marana'tha! This is exciting!

Global SITREP D1-22: Syria

12 September 2022: Israeli Defense Minister Gantz today revealed ten military sites within Syria which Iran is using for the production of medium and long range precision guidance missiles and weaponry. Advanced strategic weaponry in other words. These sites are known within Syria as Centre D'Etudes et de Recherches Scientifiques or CERS. A number of these sites have been struck repeatedly by Israel for the past four years, most recently in May and August this year (reference the clickable map above). 

There is no question that these CERS sites will be the targets of a major campaign in the coming days - otherwise there's really no reason to publish a map and specifically identify each of them, some above ground, others in tunnels and other underground, as DM Gantz has done today. Timing is everything. As we've noted in recent SITREPs these sites are now largely undefended by Russian air defense systems which were redeployed back to Russia for the Ukraine war, and the meager Syrian and Iranian air defense systems are simply not up to the task, especially considering that Israel is more than likely to task their squadrons of F-35I Adir with precision above ground strikes and F-16I Sufa and F-15I Ra'am aircraft with delivery of heavy earth-penetrating ordnance.

Such a campaign is assessed by Eschatology Today to result in fulfillment of the Isaiah 17 prophecy and all that it relates in a short but destructive war. This is not mere speculation, but an assessment which is subject to re-assessment given the Iranian nuclear issue. Iran's own ballistic rockets are not part of this equation simply due to what is related in the opening verses of Jeremiah 49:35. Rather it is the Iranian rockets already primed to strike Israel's population centers from launch locations in Lebanon (Hezbollah/IRGC) and Syria (IRGC and proxy militias). Great loss of life is certain in this coming exchange: Damascus destroyed complete, Syria wiped out as a nation, and Israel bloodied severely per Isaiah 17.

With Russia's battalion tactical groups being decimated and militarily dissected by Ukrainian forces armed with the best the Western Alliance has to offer, the loss of Syria, which Russia has long expected rich dividends from their billions of investment, is their any wonder that Russia would be looking to Israel in the future to recoup their billions upon billions of evaporated rubles? If this assessment holds then we are seeing clearly through the looking glass of Bible prophecy. The assessment will update accordingly as events play out simultaneously in eastern Europe and the Levant.

UPDATE 14 September 2022: Next we will lean forward and look at the inevitable changes that a Ukrainian military victory over Russia will bring to the EU and even more so to NATO!

These assessed changes will occur as a direct result of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Wars ALWAYS produce massive geo-political changes, and this war will be no different. Eschatology Today assesses that the coming changes will occur within the Russian Federation and they'll conform to the prophetic geo-political aspects we find in Ezekiel 38/39. 

As for Europe and the NATO alliance we'll likely see ten leading nations arise as per the visions and prophecy Gabriel imparted to the prophet Daniel. We also have to watch for a nation the size of Ukraine, and as well-armed as they are now if not more, becoming a major anchor, along with Poland on NATO's eastern flank. 

Early on in the SITREP series regarding the Ukraine war the Budapest Memorandum was included because of its importance. That agreement was a Russian guarantee of Ukraine's sovereignty, and in exchange for that guarantee Ukraine agreed to relinquish its nuclear weapons to Russia. 

Now that Russia unilaterally abrogated the Budapest Memorandum agreement with an unprovoked invasion its stands to reason that sooner or later Ukraine will get nuclear weapons again as a guarantee against no future Russian military adventurism at Ukraine's expense. NATO membership is almost a certainty as is membership in some type of Euro-centric federation of nations (a/k/a the feet of miry clay and iron we've referenced as the Ten Toes in the prophecy of Daniel 2.) 

We do well to remember "past as prologue." It was geo-political events (war is a type of international politics in action) which resulted in the fulfillment of the events in 70 AD between the Roman Empire and the Jewish people of Judea, Jerusalem and the destruction of the second temple. Likewise it was World War II which led to the fulfillment of Isaiah 66:8 which foretold of Israel being born again in a since day. Real-world events result in the direct and literal fulfillment of Bible prophecy. The war in Ukraine and all things related to it will be no different.

"Who is like the beast, and who can wage war against it?" (Revelation 13:4). This also is a prophecy in the process of fulfillment, and we today are witnesses to its beginning.

Global SITREP C10-22: The Kings of the East Revisited

The East

23 August 2022: It's been twelve years since the original The Kings of the East was published on Eschatology Today, so with recent events (strong rumors of war) an update would be most appropriate. The above link is for your reference to that original, and to contrast with this update. 

Before beginning a series of notations, none of these notes have been at the forefront of any eschatological treatment published to date and to my knowledge. These notes are things that have come to mind, rather swiftly out of the blue in the past couple of days. I asked the Lord, "What have I missed? How can this subject possibly be updated?" Swiftly came His response, praise God!

The first thing to note is that the prophetic reference is to multiple kings of the east. This reference does not indicate just the Communist Chinese of the People's Republic of China (PRC) even though that nation remains the most militant threat to nations on the Pacific Rim. 

The second thing to note is that the word "kings" is plural, indicating several countries of the eastern hemisphere are involved, and their involvement in the events of the 70th Weeks of Years is specific to that time. 

Thirdly, and most importantly to note is the God-breathed Biblical defining from the text of The Apocalypse of Jesus Christ, is that these multiple kings (a grouping of Asian nations) all exist to the east of the River Euphrates. Even a cursory glance at a world map will illustrate how many nations exist on the continent of Asia to the east of the Euphrates River.

There is also a fourth note to make, all too briefly touched upon in the original linked posting above. That is the prophetic fact that their involvement in Middle Eastern or even global conflict, occurs at a minimum of two specific points in the span of the seven years of the 70th Weeks of Years. The first point is at the start of the Megas Thlipsis (Great Tribulation), or three and one-half of the 70th Week. 

We see this in Daniel 11:40-44, when the Western antichrist commences his empowerment in the final 42 months. Here the antichrist is at war with the king to the South and the king of the North. And then again at the end of those 42 months when the Euphrates has been dried up to prepare the passing of the massive army under the command of the kings of the East. This is the final battle at Har Megiddo (Armageddon).

Also worthy of being noted: there is no mention of the kings of the East within the context of Ezekiel 38/39. This is true even though some of the allied nations with Gog of Magog are, by geographic definition, found in Central Asia. Russia itself is both a European and an Asian nation as we've noted previously in the Ukraine war SITREPs.

Hopefully, this SITREP will have put some meat on the bare bones of what has been put forward thus far regarding the prophetic kings of the East.

Global SITREP C9-22: What Next?

Interim PM Lapid, DM Gantz and IDF Staff

Update 23 August 2022: It's as if certain anticipated events are in a holding pattern, which Eschatology Today views as the Restrainer being actively engaged in restraining evil forces. Human tongues continue to wag with incessant and relentless threats of violence (wars and rumors of wars) and it seems in several arenas the world stands on the top end of slippery slopes to disaster - in the WESTPAC, in Ukraine, Serbia-Kosovo, the Horn of Africa and all around Israel, most notably in the north. Any one of these points of conflict could erupt without notice, and particularly in Ukraine in less than 24 hours from now and in Lebanon within the next nine days. In the meantime we'll look to the East with the next SITREP. 

8 August 2022: Per the IDF, Operation Breaking Dawn is officially ended in a cease fire - as long as Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) holds its rocket fire. PIJ is a proxy for the Islamic Republic of Iran, so whatever quiet has been bought with Egyptian promises (to release PIJ operative Bassam al-Saadi) is tenuous at best. So, the question is, what next? A nuclear Iran? Hezbollah's threats of war? Temple Mount? It occurs that while we have multiple God-breathed prophecies there is no way for anyone to know, much less accurately speculate about what is next. For that we'll have to keep watching in real-time. It won't be long.

Global SITREP C8-22: Temple Mount (Tisha b'Av)

Rainbow over the Temple Mount (Moriah) and Mount of Olives

UPDATE 02 August 2022: In keeping with the theme of the SITREP, an item written by Rabbi Hagai Lundin (linked below) appeared in today's edition of Arutz Sheva (7 Israel National News) caught my attention, mostly because I've been expecting something along these lines to appear in Israeli media in conjunction with Tisha B'Av: Will the Temple Be Built This Year?  

The image above heads the Rabbi's article. I find it to be exceptionally appropriate in that its a type of canopy over both the Temple Mount and the Mount of Olives; it encompasses a scene of tremendous prophetic importance for both the children of Israel and Christians. If only the Jews were to realize what exactly it is they pray and fast so fervently for. They will, eventually, come to that realization but it will take the tragic events of Israel's 70th Week of Years to bring them, for the most part, to that realization. 

The land under this rainbow will be the prophetic scene of Revelation 11. Long-time readers will recall that we've covered some of this before. Almost exactly six years ago I made a re-post of what had originally appeared on Eschatology Today five years prior to that date in December 2011 regarding the text of that prophecy about The Two Witnesses. The nearness of the fulfillment of Revelation 11 begs for a re-visitation, and what better time than during the days of mourning and fasting in Israel. 

The point to re-emphasize here is that the 3rd Temple, which the word of God makes very explicit, is standing, completed and in use as the Two Witnesses begin their prophetic one thousand two hundred sixty day ministry.

To be continued shortly...

28 July 2022: Today marks the first day of the month of Av. As most know very well, the 9th of Av has historically been a day of mourning, deprivation, prayer and fasting in commemoration of the calamities that have befallen the Israel on Tisha B'Av due to a manifest lack of faith and failure to observe the ordinances of God. 

Tisha B'Av is the culmination of the first nine days of Av, and which extends to the previous three weeks as that is when several Roman legions began their siege of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount in 70 AD. While this date has no real significance of Christians, it marks 3,335 years since the first of several tragic events dating back to the time of the Exodus and the deliverance of Israel from bondage in Egypt.

As Christians we should recognize that these events in Israel's history are a progression, a process that eventually will lead to all Israel being redeemed in the Blood of our Messiah, Jesus Christ. We recall what occurred during the Exodus that caused Moses to break the first set of tablets, inscribed by the Divine finger of God Himself. How utterly priceless were those tablets! No one knows what truly became of them even though oral tradition says that were carried in the Ark of the Covenant. Purely speculative, but the breaking of those tablets when Moses saw the golden calf and Israel worshipping its as their god might seem as the initial in a multiple millennia long series of Tisha B'Av tragedies. 

Today this day Israel remains under the terms of the covenant God told Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab (Deuteronomy 29:4). Read the entire chapter for context, and Paul's reference to this in Romans 11:8.

Further, we're told that the first Tisha B'Av event occurred in 1313 BC when the spies returned from scouting the land and the children of Israel balked at entering the Promised Land due to the bad report and that God's response was for that generation to wander in the wilderness for 40 years, to die there and their children would be the first to enter Eretz Israel.

Then came the destruction of the First and Second Temples on Mount Moriah, by the Babylonians and Romans respectively in 586 BC and 70 AD. This was followed by the revolt against Rome led by Simon Bar Kokhba and which ended with Simon Bar Kokhba and his Jewish Army in the town of Betar being utterly slaughtered by Roman legions on Tisha B'Av 135 AD.

Again, this is all part of an ongoing process, a process which will ultimately culminate with the prophetic verse in Ezekiel 39:29. This is how Eschatology Today thinks of the meaning of Tisha B'Av.