From
The Preacher's Desk . . .
"Communist hardliners have ousted Gorbachev", so the news was broadcasted on the 19th August, 1991. But, after two days Mikhail Gorbachev was restored to power.
About three years ago, in studying prophecies, I predicted that Mikhail Gorbachev would be removed from his presidency by 1992 but not beyond 1993 in order that the prophecy of Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39 might be fulfilled. Well, Gorbachev is still in power (although for a short while), the hardliners have been removed from the top government positions, and the majority of the citizens of the U.S.S.R. want some form of democracy. What are the chances that the prophecy will be fulfilled within this generation? [Note: This message was printed in November 1991. My prediction came to pass earlier than I had expected. On the 25th December, Mr. Gorbachev resigned as Soviet president, and the Soviet Union ceased to exist. Since then Mr. Boris Yeltsin has been the President of Russia and the prophetic stage is even more set for the fulfillment of Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39. It will not be long before the communist hardliners assume power again.]
In one of the visions which God showed to Brother William Branham in June 1933, God said, "Watch Russia, watch Russia. Keep your eye on the King_of the North!" If we look back, we could see that, prophetically, God has been preparing the U.S.S.R. In 1986, Mr. Gorbachev introduced perestroika (restructuring) and glasnost (policy of openness). It appeared then that the large hammer and sickle nation was beginning to turn away from communism towards some form of democracy. The populace was looking forward to a better life. However, the nation was beset by internal unrest and the economy was not getting any better. So, the communist hardliners had to topple the president. However, the coup failed. Communistic Soviet Union has now lost its grips on the populace.
Could the communistic spirit of the hammer and sickle bear really reject communism in favour of other forms of government? Many want to see it die. However, let's not forget that there still remains a force to reckon with the minority of the population who wants and, if necessary, would use force to make the Soviet Union remain the nation that it once was. However, whether or not Russia changes its political system, as a student of prophecy, I strongly believe that Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39 are clearly referring to that godless spirit and nation of Russia, and that it is a great possibility that the battle prophesied therein could be staged within this century. Perhaps the poor state of the Russian economy might spark off the need for the invasion of Israel by the Russians to take a spoil (Ezek.39:2) as there are oil and rich mineral deposits in the Dead Sea (valued at more than a quadrillion American dollars according to a report in Chemicals Magazine).
It is clear that the descriptions given in the prophecy in Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39 refer to Russia and its counterparts. Russia is the only large nation, which is north of Israel, that displays a godless spirit, that dares to defy and challenge the Lord God of Israel, Who created the Heaven and Earth, even when its astronauts were in space. For years, the arms of this Russian Bear have embraced many nations and supported them militarily to fight against the nation of Israel, which is known to be "a chosen people of God".
Communism in the U.S.S.R. may appear to be dead, but is it really dead? Like the spirit of Babylonism, it is devising new ways in order to control its people. Both of these two spirits are by nature demonic. Their main aim is to conquer and control the world. As a world power, the U.S.S.R. will meet its end just before the Gospel is given back to Israel during the 70th week of Daniel's prophecy in Daniel chapter 9.
The United States of America is a powerful nation that God has raised up to counteract the threat of communism and world instability. Under God-fearing presidents, the U.S.A. was a blessing to the people of the world in many ways. Nothing came short of God's blessings when the spirit of "Liberty Bell" brought freedom and truth to people everywhere. The Gospel of Jesus Christ was the core within the system of the government. However, the nation has deteriorated especially during the last four or five decades a result of its rejection of the Christian values once upheld by their forefathers. And God has already judged her.
The U.S. Dollars will inevitably weaken against other major currencies. The question is when. Every time there is a disaster in the world that involves the U.S.A. the U.S. Dollar will come down. But then after a while, the Economists will prop it up again. Will the stock markets, especially that of Tokyo, take a plunge soon? I believe that both the U.S. Dollars and the Japanese Yen will fail as the Spirit of God moves to completely fulfill the Bible prophecies concerning the BEAST that has 7 Heads with 10 crowned Horns a 'revival' of the world of the old Roman Empire (Rev.13:1-10; Rev.17) the European Economic Community (or European Union) which was formed under a treaty signed in Rome in 1957. The world must now focus on this region and that of the Middle East. These are the regions that Bible prophecies past, present and future are centred.
Man begun its existence in the region of the Garden of Eden later known as Canaan, Palestine and Israel. This is where the eyes of the whole world are focused. The first superpower to conquer this region was Egypt. The Egyptian Empire was the first of the 7 Heads of the BEAST that the Apostle John saw in his many visions on the Isle of Patmos. Next was the Assyrians from the north. The Egyptians gave way to the Assyrians, the land-hungry monster. The Assyrian Empire collapsed when its capital, Nineveh, fell to the Babylonians in 612 B.C. However, the Babylonian Empire did not last very long. In 539 B.C., Cyrus of Persia took over the empire with little resistance. This Persian Empire was larger than all its predecessors. In 331 B.C., Alexander the Great overran it, thus increasing the size of the Grecian Empire. When the angel told St. John that "five are fallen" he was referring to these five kingdoms, or empires, which the great BEAST embodied. The Roman Empire had literally taken over the world including the five kingdoms. That was the sixth head, the "one is", in John's time. The "other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space" the seventh and the last head was the Papal Roman Empire. The third, fourth, fifth and sixth heads correspond to the four beasts in Daniel's vision which is recorded in Daniel chapter 7. Daniel only saw four world empires in his "beast" visions. Like King Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the colossus, they pointed to the future empires. However, John's "Seven-Head and Ten-Crowned-Horn" Beast pointed to both the past and the future its beginning and its end.
Now, the "horn", "head" and "beast" refer to the man as a ruler, the government, and the empire (its system) respectively. They are inter-related and cannot be separated. Yet, a beast (empire) may not have a horn (ruler, king, emperor, etc.) but it certainly cannot do without a head (government) for the head_controls the whole beast. A man within the head (administrative body, government) can push his way up and be a ruler, or a dictator. Thus, in this way, he controls not only the head, but the whole beast. He is, therefore, the head of the beast. The head gives the beast its attributes, that is, its ISM. For example, Chairman Mao Zedong was head and dictator of the modern Chinese Empire until his death in 1976. China was symbolised by the dragon. (The "dragon" in Revelation 13:2 has nothing to do with China.) Mao's ideology was communism. Hence, when he imposed it upon the people, the beast the empire took on the attributes of communism. And because he ruled the empire, he represented the beast, its system and all.
Before the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, the whole world will once again turn its attention to the Biblical regions of the world. Papal Rome will also once again play its part within this 'revived and revised' Beast, just as it did in the past. This seventh head, which first came forth as a horn upon the head of the fourth beast in Daniel's vision (Dan.7:7-8 cf. Rev.13:1-3), did not die even though it was "wounded unto death" by Martin Luther in the Reformation, "and his deadly wound was healed" (Rev.13:3). The Second Beast, which came up out of the earth, which had two horns like a lamb and spoke as a dragon, was the U.S.A. (Rev.13:11), and it healed the wound of the First Beast when it created for that Beast an Image the Ecumenical Movement.
Yes, Papal Rome has since been healed and the Pope is again greatly respected today. With the power of Roman Catholicism and the support of Ecumenism, he will take control of the 'revived and revised' Beast. As he had subdued other horns in the past (Dan.7:24), so will he subdue the others once again in order to ride the Beast. " and when he cometh, he must continue a short space" (a period of three and a half years of the second half of Daniel's 70th Week prophecy). "And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition" (Rev.17:11). Truly, the Mother of Harlot Church will sit upon the Beast just as John saw it in the vision (Rev.17:3).
Truly, the Middle East is a power keg. And the only nation today that has the might and the ferocity to battle and defeat Israel is the large army to its north "Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal" the U.S.S.R. Prophetically, God is preparing this godless spirit of Gog to bring it down to the Land of Israel to do battle with His people, the Jews. The reason for this is clear: God has to sanctify His Name that the spirit of Gog had defiled, even when its astronauts were up in the heaven (Ezek.38:16,23; 39:27).
The two words "Gog" and "Magog" mentioned in Ezekiel's writing do not refer directly to the Reubenites (1 Chron.5:4) or the descendants of Magog, a son of Japheth (Gen.10:2). These words were also mentioned in reference to the final battle in Revelation 20:8-15. The word "Gog" denotes that which is proud, powerful, large, huge, rebellious, and anti-God in nature; and the word "Magog" symbolizes the great number of the people of the same land.
Russia is the nation in the north of Israel that fits the descriptions of Gog and Magog in the prophecies of Ezekiel.
Well then, what's news? Certainly, we are not far from the Second Advent of Christ. Chronologically, we are living on borrowed time as the Gospel Age, according to prophetic time, is far spent. Even the 70th Jubilee Sabbath is said to be within the period of this decade. Wherefore, would the world usher in the 21st Century or continue for another 25 years? Only God knows, but His Word has shown us the time and season when Christ will come and translate His Bride and take her to His Father's home.
It's later than we think!
Richard l. s. Gan,
The AuthorINDEX
SECTION II: THE EARTHQUAKES AND TIMES
SECTION III: CONFLICT IN THE MIDDLE EAST WHO WILL WIN THE WAR?
All these four sections are available in
SECTION
I:
WOMEN'S FASHIONS
SECTION
IV: THE ARK AND TIME
