Posted on 08/11/2008 8:19:25 PM PDT by Flavius
The SS-21 (NATO designation: Scarab), or the 9K79 Tochka, is a solid-fuel, single-stage, short-range ballistic missile widely deployed by the Soviet army among its frontline brigades in the 1980's. Designed as a replacement for the FROG-7 missile system, it normally carried a 120-kg HE warhead, although it has been armed with bomblets, mines, chemical agents, and the AA60 tactical nuclear warhead.
It initially had a range of 70 km, although the improved Tochka-U increased this to 120 km. As of 1988, around 140 SS-21s were deployed in the frontline divisions, most notably in those stationed in East Germany. It is launched and fired from the ZIL-131 missile truck.
All nuclear-armed SS-21s have been rendered illegal by the 1987 INF (Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces) treaty, although the non-nuclear versions are still widely deployed.
On October 21, 1999, two SS-21 missiles were reportedly launched from Mozdok, a city 60 miles northeast of Grozny, in Chechnya. Positively identified by US satellite data, the missiles hit a hospital and marketplace in Grozny, killing at least 143 Chechens, including some within the hospital's maternity ward. Data taken from www.fas.org.
Yes indeed, Putin just showed the electorate that O’Bama’s ideas of ramping down any military spending and research is dangerous.
A silver lining to Putin’s ‘excursion’
Our moral victory in the Cold War included an affirmation of the following principle: in the long run, there’s no need to fear the forces of evil. If we use everything we have—heart mind and spirit—they don’t stand a chance against us.
This is not just fanciful musing, it’s reality.
We need to think BIG here. Russiia then controls all the Western economies of S. Korea,Japan, USA, Canada, all of which are oil energy dependent.
Russia still means to rule the world, and in doing so will create a World Caliphate in aid.
This is what we really need to worry about.
The cold war is over, the Russians are our friends — Right I didn’t believe it in 1991 and this proves it. Unfortunately our peace dividend reduction of the US military after the collapse of communism shows how short sited we were in thinking that we had no more enemies in the world.
And how odd they are all of the left. Not the right.
::::::
Yeah, vote Obama....!!!!
Lincoln didn't in 1864 when the Union was on the verge of victory. Neither will Bush.
Thursday, May 05, 2005
THE “WAR OF GOG AND MAGOG”: Understanding Ezekiel 38-39
The Ezekiel Option is based on the prophecies found in the Bible, specifically in the Book of Ezekiel, chapters 38 and 39. Remarkably, the Hebrew Prophet Ezekiel, writing more than 2,500 years ago, was able to look down the corridors of time and see nations not yet born, and alliances not yet formed. In doing so, he foretold the rise of a Russian military alliance with Iran and other Middle Eastern countries to annihilate Israel during the earth’s “last days.” This is known by many Bible scholars as the “War of Gog and Magog.” In this war, Ezekiel says the world will see a supernatural judgment of these enemies of Israel, and a spiritual awakening unparalleled in human history.
Few, however, are familiar with these important end times prophecies. Fewer still can imagine such events ever occurring. I wrote The Ezekiel Option to help people learn more about these dramatic coming events, and to help people understand what such events might look like if they were to play out in our lifetime.
FIRST THINGS FIRST
In a moment, I will walk you through the prophecies step-by-step. But first thing, let me note that the predictions found in Ezekiel chapters 36 & 37 have already come true. These are the famous chapters that foretell:
* The rebirth of the State of Israel in the end times (both chapters)
* The return of the Jews to the Holy Land after centuries in exile (36:10-11, 36:24, 36:37-38, 37:12, 37:21)
* The rebuilding of the ancient ruins in Israel (36:36)
* The re-blossoming of desolate, desert lands to produce abundant food, fruit and foliage (36:8-9 and 36:30-35)
* The creation of an “exceedingly great army” (37:11)
Such prophecies began to be fulfilled in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, accelerated in 1948 and 1967, and continue to come to pass to this day. This, of course, raises an intriguing question: If Ezekiel 36 and 37 have largely come true in our lifetime, isn’t it possible that Ezekiel 38 and 39 will soon come true as well?
That said, let’s examine Ezekiel 38 and 39 more carefully.
* WHO will be involved in the “War of Gog and Magog”?
* WHAT will happen as this war begins and ends?
* WHEN will these events happen?
* WHERE will these events happen?
* WHY will these events happen?
In The Ezekiel Option, my characters carefully research the prophecy to try to understand if what they are seeing unfold before their very eyes is what was described by God in the Bible. That is, they go on a journey similar to my own in trying to understand these coming events. Every source I quote in the novel pertaining to Ezekiel 38 and 39 is real and accurate. What follows is an executive summary of the research I did for the novel.
UNDERSTANDING “THE WAR OF GOG AND MAGOG”
WHO
In Ezekiel 38:1-6, the Hebrew prophet gives a list of obscure names that will form a united coalition.
* Gog is described as being “of the land of Magog” and as the “prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal.” Most Bible scholars believe Gog is not a name but a title, like Pharoah or Czar. He is a dictator who will hatch an “evil plan” (38:10).
* Magog = Leading Bible scholars say this is Russia and republics of the former Soviet Union. The first century Roman historian Josephus said the “Magogites” were the peoples whom the Greeks called “Scythians.” Scythians were a fierce, blood-thirsty civilization that settled north of the Baltic Sea in what is now Russia and the European republics of the former USSR.
* Rosh = Russia
* Meshech = Some Bible scholars say this is Moscow, others believe it refers to Turkey
* Tubal = Some Bible scholars say this refers to the city/region of Tobolsk in Russia along the Tobol River; others say it refers to a section of modern-day Turkey. (Interestingly, in 1964, massive reserves of oil and gas were discovered in the Tobolsk region of Siberia and people now refer to the region as the “energy center of Russia.”)
* Persia = This was the official name of Iran until 1935
* Cush = Sudan and Ethiopia
* Put = Libya, and possibly Algeria and Tunisia
* Gomer = Turkey, but also possibly Germany and Austria
* Beth-togarmah = Armenia and the Turkic-speaking peoples of Central Asia
* “Many peoples with you” who will attack along “the mountains of Israel” = Other countries will be involved in the coalition as well, notably countries that border the mountains of Israel. This includes Lebanon, Syria and possibly Jordan.
* NOTE: Conspicuously absent from the list is Egypt and Iraq (typically referred to in Scripture as Babylon or Mesapotamia). This is noteworthy since Ezekiel was writing the prophecy in the City of Babylon, in the heart of Iraq. We would have to expect, then, that neither Egypt nor Iraq will participate. This is particularly interesting since Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1979 and Iraq is now so engrossed in its own internal struggles that it would be unlikely to join a coalition to destroy Israel in the next few years.
WHAT
Gog’s Plan
38:7 – Gog will build a military coalition and “be prepared” to strike
38:8 – Gog will deploy the coalition against Israel
39:9 – Gog will use overwhelming force against Israel; he and his coalition will “come like a storm....like a cloud covering the land”
God’s Plan
38:2 – The Lord God will bring judgment upon the enemies of Israel, beginning with Gog, the dictator of Russia
38:20 – The Lord will trigger a massive earthquake in which “all the men who are on the face of the earth will shake at My presence”
38:21 – The Lord will turn Gog’s forces against one another
38:22 – The Lord will subject Gog’s coalition forces to:
* pestilence
* blood
* torrential rains
* hailstones
* fire from heaven
39:6 – The Lord will “ send fire upon Magog” itself and others
39:9 – Israel will capture her enemies weapons and burn them for 7 years
39:12 – It will taken 7 full months to bury all the bodies of Israel’s slain enemies
39:17-20 – Birds and beast will feast on the bodies of Israel’s slain enemies
WHEN
38:8 – Israel will be a country again and Jews will be regathered to the Holy Land
38:11, 14 – “My people Israel are living securely” before the “War of Gog and Magog”
38:12-13 – Israel will have economic prosperity
38:16 – “It will come about in the last days” (before the return of Christ)
** NOTE: The Scriptures are not clear as to whether this war will happen before or after the Rapture of the Church.
WHY
39:21 – “I shall set My glory among the nations; and all the nations will see My judgment”
39:22 – “the house of Israel will know that I am the Lord their God”
39:29 – “I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel”
These events will not only be a judgment of Israel’s enemies in keeping with Genesis 12:1-3, in which God says those who bless Israel He will bless, and those who curse Israel He will curse. The events will also be the beginning of a great spiritual awakening. God will literally and metaphorically shake people out of spiritual apathy and lethargy to realize there is a God in heaven. He will also shake people who are following false religions and turn them to Himself. Moreover, He will shake those who are followers of Christ but not serious about their faith. It should be noted that ours is the first generation in human history in which all the nations on earth will be able to watch the “War of Gog and Magog” unfold because of the emergence of television and satellite technology.
If I read your exposition correctly, you see in Ezekiel 38, 39 a future restoration of Israel as a nation and a kingdom that God will ultimately establish and defend.
I think not too many on these threads see that. One group can only see their church organization as the ultimate fulfillment of the kingdom promises, and therefore the kingdom in “keys of the kingdom” must be referring to THEM, in their opinion. They can only see themselves and their religious leaders in every prophecy.
Another sees only a mystical body in this age, and then everything ends, and Abraham not his seed ever get the land promises.
If you believe that God will still raise up Israel and form a kingdom, and then He will defend them, I’m with you on that.
Although all the books are novels he has been frightenly accurate in content.
If you haven't read them, give them a go.
Here is his blog.
http://joelrosenberg.blogspot.com/2005/05/war-of-gog-and-magog-understanding.html
The Commies are largely responsible for much of the islamo-fascists in the middle-east. From arming every tin pot Muslim dictator with delusions of granduer during the cold war, to funding and training terrorists wherever they could find them during the same period.
Putin and Co., are simply doing the only thing they know how to do effectively.
“”...Spears shall be shaken, shields shall be splintered! A sword day... a red day... and the sun rises! Ride now... Ride now... Ride! Ride for ruin and the world’s ending! Death!””
Probably my favorite scene from LOTR...it reminded me of what Jeff Cooper once said:
“Weapons are tools of power. In the hands of the state they can be the tools of decency or the tools of oppression, depending on the righteousness of that state. In the hands of criminals they are tools of evil. In the hands of free and decent citizens they are tools of liberty. An unarmed man can only flee from evil, and evil is not overcome by fleeing from it.”
Thanks do much! I’m abroad, but maybe I can finda source. They sound fascinating. I’ve got a house full of avid readers.
Well I can't really answer your question but I can report on a short BBC blurb on the subject that ran on Sunday evening.
The comments were by some gal who sounded like a Left Coast Lib and were carried on BBC's World Broadcast (or something like that). The main point of the commentary was that it was up to the U.S. to do something about the Russian invasion (on the diplomatic front, of course) but that was no longer possible because the Americans had lost the "moral high ground" by their foolish invasion of Iraq.
I expect this idea to gain widespread acceptance by the Left over the next few days and weeks. Everything is Bush's fault and the Iraq War is the cause of all problems. We will hear a hint of it from Obama soon. Count on it.
1. My first impression is, “Oh Sh*t!”
2. Watch where the carriers are going...
INDEED.
PLEASE be always advised
that I covet and am intensely interested in your mere idle musings on such matters publicly or otherwise.
THE LAST JIHAD (2002), THE LAST DAYS (2003), THE EZEKIEL OPTION (2005), THE COPPER SCROLL (2006), EPICENTER (2006) and DEAD HEAT (2008)
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