Russian warships in Syrian waters

Ten Russian warships have been deployed at the Syrian port of Tartus based on an accord reached by the two sides after the August south Caucases conflict.

Rear Admiral Andrei Baranov, head of the Russian Black Sea Fleet's operations directorate, said Friday the Russian engineering crew was at Tartus to expand the capacity of the harbor to host additional fleet vessels.

Ezekiel's prophecy that Russia will join Persia (Iran), Syria, Libya, Ethiopia (Sudan), Togarmah (Turkey? Turkmenistan? former USSR Islamic states?) to invade Israel appears to be beginning to take shape as he predicted 2500 years ago. But according to Ezekiel's prophecy that Russian/Islamic attacking army will be miraculously driven back with practically all of it's manpower and equipment destroyed.

The prophet Joel mentions a great battle in Israel's far off future in which "pillars of smoke" rise over a future invading army as it does battle with Israel. The Hebrew word translated "pillars" in the English bible is "timarah', which means a palm tree shaped column. A palm tree shaped column of smoke would be a tall column rising to a great spreading head like a mushroom cloud and drooping around the perimeter like palm fronds. Doesn't that description sound like the photos we have all seen of nuclear bomb explosions? We know that Israel has nuclear bombs, I have seen estimates ranging from a few dozen up to a few hundred, but how many nukes does it take to wipe out an invading army on the deserts of the middle east? I don't know but the One who inspired Ezekiel's and Joel's prophecies does.

I'm not a student of bible prophecy by any stretch of the imagination. But I do believe that Israel will be attacked by a coalition of Russian and Islamic armies just as the old testament of the bible predicts, and that the attackers will be destroyed by Israel, possibly with the aid of her ally America, and for certain by the power of Israel's God Yahweh.

OTOH, I have also read commentaries on prophecy that claim America is not mentioned anywhere in prophecies of the latter days scenario, so maybe we won't be a major world power or maybe not still even be a sovereign nation by the time this attack on Israel takes place. IMHO if gullible Americans elect Obama anything is possible except something good.

"OTOH, I have also read commentaries on prophecy that claim America is not mentioned anywhere in prophecies of the latter days scenario, so maybe we won't be a major world power or maybe not still even be a sovereign nation by the time this attack on Israel takes place."

I concur.

Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum in his "Footsteps of the Messiah", Chap 4 p.111 notes

"In Ezekiel 38:13, a second group of nations are listed as protesting this invasion, for they recognize it to be an invasion for spoil and for nothing else.

Sheba and Dedan are countries in northern Arabia, which shows that at least some Arabic states will not favor the Russian presence in the Middle East. Another nation listed is Tarshish. The Revised Standard Version translates the idiom as all its villages and it is close to the mark. But while the idiom is clear, the real issue is the identity of Tarshish from which the other nations come out.

Three such places are known in history. One is located on the east coast of Africa, but the exact location is unknown. Nor has that particular area spawned other nations.

The second place was in Spain, founded by the city of Tyre. If this is the Tarshish of Ezekiel, then the nations spawned would include those of Central and South America, except for Brazil.

The third location was in England, and if this is what was meant by Tarshish, it would include the United States, Canada, Austrailia, New Zealand, and other present-day western democracies. It might include the British Commonwealth of Nations.

If any conclusion can be reached on Ezekiel's usage elsewhere, the identification would have to be Spain and the Spanish-speaking world of the western hemisphere. Since Spain was somewhat involved in settling and discovering the North American coastline, it could include the United States. But historically, Spain cannot really be credited with the United States as England can. Regardless of the exact identity of Tarshish, it is this group that issues a protest. However, it does not go beyond the protest stage. Russia succeeds in invading, and then the invading army is disposed of with no help from the protestors."

I am not very well versed in bible prophecy, so I tend to rely on teachers and commentators who I believe have a good record of being proved correct in that area of bible scholarship. Many of those lean toward an end time scenario in which the US has either become thoroughly "cleansed" of biblical Christianity and is no longer committed to Israel's survival, or more likely has been so greatly reduced in economic and military power that it isn't able to militarily confront the invading coalition. It seems to me that either of those interpretations is compatible with the mention of Sheba (Saudi Arabia?, Dedan (?), Tarshish (UK?), and the young lions (old British Empire nations?) who appear to protest the attack or question the intentions of the attackers, but take no action to stop them.

One thing I am confident of is that it will happen as prophesied. And when it happens, whether I am still here in this mortal body or in Heaven I will then see it as clearly as I now see the once seemingly impossible or highly improbable fulfillment of prophesied events such as the return of Israel to it's promised land after 1900 years in exile. If I had to understand everything about the miracle of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ in order to be saved I wouldn't be a saved and eternally secure Christian. By that same token, I don't have to fully understand how bible prophecy will work out in order to believe that it will be completely fulfilled, all in His good time.

BTW, thanks for your input in re the identity of Tarshish and the young lions. I intend to pursue more information concerning the identity of those nations myself, and your comments may help me in finding a starting point for that endeavor.

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