By COGwriter
Who are the Russians? Does the Bible give us any clues into their origins?
What is prophesied for Russia in the future? Do the Russian peoples have any future military role? Will God call all the Russians? Will most Russians who ever lived be saved?
The Bible discusses the births of many people and many nations in Genesis chapter 10. Actually, many people refer to this chapter as the origin of nations. And it is here that we get some insight into who the Russian peoples are:
Now this is the genealogy of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And sons were born to them after the flood. The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras (Genesis 10:1-2, NKJV throughout unless otherwise indicated).
Starting with Adam (the first man), the above is basically repeated later in the Bible:
Adam, Seth, Enosh, Cainan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras (1 Chronicles 1:1-5).
Some believe that Meshech is the Hebrew term from whence came the name Moscow. Tubal is considered by some to also be associated with the Russian peoples.
Regarding Meschech, notice:
...the Muskai, or Moschians, who are probably identical with the Meshech of Holy Scripture (Rawlinson G. The Five Great Monarchies of the Ancient Eastern World. Published 1881 by Dodd, Mead, and Company, New York Original from Harvard University (Google Books) Page 64).
Some 1000 years ago an ancient Slav tribe, the Meshchera, settled in these parts, not far from present-day Moscow. Since then the region has been called Meschera (Sputnik. Published 1997 by Novosti Press Agency Original from the University of California, Page 96).
Three times the Old Testament uses the expression "the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal" (Ezekiel 38:2,3;39:1). Here is one of them that also mentions Gog and Magog:
Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal (Ezekiel 38:2).
The late Herbert W. Armstrong wrote:
"Gog" in the land of "Magog" is the vast regions of the U.S.S.R. in northern Eurasia extending from the Baltic to the Pacific. "Meshech" is Moscow, "Tubal" is Tobol 'sk (Armstrong HW. Why Russia Will Not Attack the United States, reprint 1980, p. 8).
The same reprint booklet states:
Rosh is the ancient Hebrew name for the Russ ("blonds") who settled in the plains of Eastern Europe in the ninth century A.D. They gave their name to the Russian nation. The people of Rosh are among the White Russians of Byelorussia today. Living next to the people of Rosh are Meshech and Tubal...Josephus calls them the Moschevi and Thobelites...Together, the Caucasian branches of Meshech and Tubal form the two distinct branches of the Great Russians of today (pp. 10,11).
It may be of interest to note that the official names of the Russian federation is Rossiyskaya Federatsiya and hence bears a similarity to the Hebrew word Rosh.
Another book teaches:
The Hebrew lexicographer Gesenius says, "Rosh is the proper name of a northern nation mentioned along with Tubal and Meshech; without much doubt the same as the Russians, who are described by the Byzantine writers of the tenth century under the name, the Rhos, as inhabiting the northern parts of Taurus; and also by Ibn Fosslan, an Arabian writer of the same period, under the name Rus, as dwelling upon the river Rha, that is, the Volga." Koeppen says that "the Russians appear for the first time in the Byzantine historians of the ninth century under the indeclinable name Rhos. Later they were known as Russniacks, Ross, or, now, Russ-ians." The "Ross" were at first "among the many Sclavonian tribes who were driven northward from the Black Sea on the advance of the Chazars," Though at first a single tribe, the Ross at length gave name to that vast Sclavonian empire whose territory comprises the " north parts" of Europe and Asia...
It is worth remarking here that in ancient records the spelling of proper names varies so much that it need cause us no surprise to find Rosh turning into Rhos, Rus, and Russ. Nor are we to wonder to find Meshech of the Hebrew text changed into Moahok in the Samaritan, and Mosoch in the Septuagint. The people of Meshech were known to the ancient Greeks as Mosffhoi.
In the Assyrian inscriptions lately deciphered by Sir Henry Rawlinson, the same people are named Muskai, It is said that at one time the Muskai, in conjunction with their neighbors, the Tibareni, kept the inhabitants of Syria and Mesopotamia in continual dread of their ravages. One memeuto of this fact may be that exclamation in the 120th Psalm, ''Woe is me, that I sojourn in Mesech." By the advance of the Median and Persian powers the Moschoi were afterwards, about 700 to 650 B. C., compelled to cross the Caucasus and take refuge in that immense steppe region in which they had their origin. The descendants of the Moschoi figure in history as Muscovites. They built the old capital of Russia, Moscow, on their river, Moskwa, and from them Russia is still known as Muscovy throughout the east. Tubal has been identified with the Tibareni of Herodotus (Craig A. Writings and Addresses of Austin Craig. Published 1913 by The Christian Publishing association, Dayton Ohio:Pages 147-149).
In the first century, Josephus wrote:
Japhet, the son of Noah, had seven sons: they inhabited so, that, beginning at the mountains Taurus and Amanus, they proceeded along Asia...they called the nations by their own names...Now as to Javan and Madai, the sons of Japhet; from Madai came the Madeans, who are called Medes, by the Greeks... Thobel founded the Thobelites, who are now called Iberes; and the Mosocheni were founded by Mosoch...And so many were the countries that had the children of Japhet for their inhabitants. (Josephus. Antiquities of the Jews. VI, 1).
It may be of interest to note that the nation of Georgia is made up of peoples who were called the Iberians above. Also, speaking of Georgia, it may be of interest to note that its capital is Tbilisi, which sounds like it ultimately may have been derived from the word Tubal. The people of Georgia themselves claim to be descended from a great grandson of Japheth named Kartlos (whose father has been claimed to be Togarmah of Genesis 10:3; Togarmah. Wikipedia. viewed ):
Georgians call themselves Kartvelebi...and their language Kartuli ... According to legend, the ancestor of the Kartvelian people was Kartlos, the great grandson of the Biblical Japheth. Ancient Greeks (Strabo, Herodotus, Plutarch, Homer, etc.) and Romans (Titus Livius, Cornelius Tacitus, etc.) referred to early eastern Georgians as Iberians (Iberoi in some Greek sources) and western Georgians as Colchians (Georgia (Country). Wikipedia. viewed 03/09/08).
The late John Ogwyn wrote:
The Origins of the Russian People
We need to understand who the Russian people are and where they came from. In order to recognize Biblical prophecies about them, it is necessary to know their origin. Actually, several related tribes anciently migrated into European Russia and became the ancestors of the three branches of the Russian peoples: the Great Russians, the Little Russians and the White Russians. History, culture and language unite these people, though they initially sprang from different ancestors.
In earliest times we find two nations, identified in the Bible as Meshech and Tubal, dwelling in the easternmost part of Asia Minor along the southeastern shore of the Black Sea. These closely related nations were called Mushki by the Assyrians and Moschi by the Greeks. To their east were a related people, the ancient Medes, who dwelt between the Black and Caspian Seas. These peoples, under the leadership of the Medes, played a prominent role in the destruction of the Assyrian capital, Ninevah, in 612BC.
The fifth and fourth centuries BC saw increasing conflict between the Persian and Greek realms, with peoples such as Meshech, Tubal, Lud (Lydia), Medes and Elamites being drawn into the fighting. By the close of the fourth century BC the Greeks, under Alexander the Great, had triumphed over Persia. It was the subsequent Greek invasion of eastern lands that resulted in pressure on people living between the Black and Caspian Sea to migrate north into the Scythian plains. Many different peoples, including remnants of the exiled northern ten tribes of Israel, inhabited the vast plains of Scythia during the coming centuries.
According to the Cultural Atlas of Russia and the Soviet Union, by the second century BC an "...Iranian nomadic people...[whose] federation of tribes eventually seems to have included a strong Slavonic element..." (p. 34) were settled north of the Black Sea. This confederation of peoples was drawn from Elamites and Medes, together with Meshech and Tubal. By this time they must have been speaking a common language, proto-Slavic, akin to Old Persian. The name the Slavs call themselves comes from slovo, which means "word," and stresses the sense of a linguistic community that is distinct from "non-understanders," the meaning of nemets, the general Slav designation for Germans.
From north of the Black Sea the Elamites gradually spread west and south, giving rise to the Slavic population in central and southern Europe. The tribes who traced their descent from the ancient Medes moved a little north and west to lay claim to the rich farmland of Little Russia, the Ukraine. From Meshech and Tubal came the Great Russians, who spread north and east, eventually establishing Moscow and the principality of Muscovy. The River Moskva, named for the people of Meshech (called Mushki or Moschi anciently), gave its name to the city and principality (Ogwyn J. What's Ahead for Russia? Tomorrow's World Magazine, May-June 2000).
Some of the Russians themselves appear to have been from the Medes. Notice the following account:
But how are we to explain the name Russia? The old-fashioned view was to derive the word from the Rhoxolani. This, however, has long been abandoned. One thing is certain, namely, that these Rhoxolani were of Oriental descent, a Medic or Iranic tribe. They disappear from history, having, like so many other tribes — as, for instance, the Pechenegs and the Khozars—been swallowed up by the huge waves of immigration which overflowed the country (Morfill WR. Russia. Published 1890 by T.F. Unwin, London).
There are many disputes among academics as to who derived from whom, thus it is not completely clear, for example, that the Rhoxolani were Medes who went to Russia.
However, if the Rhoxolani were Medes, then it would seem to be consistent with certain biblical prophecies.
Russia is a large, primarily Gentile nations. And while it is basically known religiously as being "Russian Orthodox" (hence has many of the same teachings as the Eastern Orthodox churches, it is not always the same and seemed to tolerate seventh-day sabbath-keeping longer than other branches of the Orthodox Church.
For example, Sabbath-keeping was reported in Russia in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. And most likely began much earlier than that.
Notice this nineteenth century report from nineteenth century Adventist scholar:
The ancient Russian name for this people was Strigolniks. Dr. Murdock says of them:--
"...The earliest of the schismatics first appeared in Novogorod, early in the fifteenth century, under the name of Strigolniks. "A Jew named Horie preached a mixture of Judaism and Christianity; and proselyted two priests, Denis and Alexie, who gained a vast amount of followers. This sect was so numerous that a national council was called, towards the close of the fifteenth century, to oppose it. Soon afterwards one Karp, an excommunicated deacon, joined the Strigolniks, and accused the higher clergy of selling the office of the priesthood, and of so far corrupting the church, that the Holy Ghost was withdrawn from it. He was a very successful propagator for this sect."
...What was the origin of these Russian Sabbath-keepers? Certainly it was not from the Reformation of the sixteenth century; for they were in existence for at least one century prior to that event. We have seen that the Waldenses, during the Dark Ages, were dispersed through many of the counties of Europe. And also, were the people called Cathari, if indeed, the two were not one people. In particular, we note the fact that they were scattered through Poland, Lithuania, Sclavonia, Bulgaria, Livonia, Albania, and Sarmartia. These countries are now part of the Russian empire. Sabbath-keepers were numerous in Russia before the time of Luther (Andrews, p. 469).
"There is a sect of Greek Christians in Siberia who keep the Jewish Sabbath (Saturday)..."(Semi-Weekly Tribune, May 4, 1869. Cited in Andrews J.N. in History of the Sabbath, 3rd edition, 1887. Reprint Teach Services, Brushton (NY), 1998, p. 505)
Sadly there was persecution of Sabbath-keepers in Russia back then:
Russia...
"The accused [Sabbath-keepers] were summoned; they openly acknowledged the new faith, and defended the same. The most eminent of them, the secretary of state, Kuritzyn, Ivan Maximow, Kassian, archimandrite of the Fury Monastery of Novgorod, were condemned to death, and burned publicly in cages, at Moscow; Dec. 17,1503." Geschichte der Juden" (Leipsig, 1873), (Cited in Andrews pp.117-122).
However, I believe that knowledge and observance of the Sabbath was in Russia long before that.
Why?
One reason is that the Russian language, like many others, essentially uses a term for Sabbath to mean what we in English term Saturday. Notice the following two reports:
105 Languages: In over 100 languages the name for the day that we call “Saturday” is "the Sabbath." For example, “Saturday” in the Spanish language is "Sabado," which means “the Sabbath.” In Italian, it is "Sabbato," which also means “the Sabbath.” In Russian it is, "Subbota." In Polish, "Sobota,” etc. Interestingly enough, in Ghana the day for Sunday, literally translated, means “White man changed this day!” (Wohlberg S. Can We Know What Day is the Sabbath? White Horse Media)
Some believed that Monday is the first day of the week. I showed them from the Spanish, Swahili and Tagalog that Saturday in all those languages can be identified with the word “Sabbath.” In Spanish the word for Saturday is “Sabado.” In Swahili the word for seven is “sabad” (though Saturday is called “Jumamosi” or “Moses’ Day”) and in Tagalog the word is the same as in Spanish, “Sabado”. (King, R. United Kingdom Update. Weekly Update, Living Church of God, August 16, 2007).
суббота is how the Russian word Saturday was translated by two online dictionaries for me--but this is using “Russian” characters—using our characters it comes out as Subbota.
There simply is no serious reason to use a term that means Sabbath for Saturday unless there was knowledge of the Sabbath in Russia.
Notice the following:
The reign of Vasily (1505-1533) was characterized by cruelty and a return to ignorance. His son and successor Ivan IV (1531-1584) turned out to be a bloody ruler who terrorized all Russia, earning from history the infamous title, Ivan the Terrible. Even during his reign, there were people in Russia who were true to the teachings of the Bible, especially the Sabbath. The “One Hundred Head” Church Council, called in 1551 during the reign of Ivan IV, adopted a resolution which until today has not been annulled by the Russian Orthodox Church. This regulation states that the people, besides worshiping on Sunday, could also worship on Saturday in the confines of the Russian Orthodox Church—a statement which was recognized by the church council as authorized by the Apostles Peter and Paul (Kozhachnikov, D. E. ed., Stoglav [Source: One-Hundred-Head Council] (St. Petersburg: Tipografiia Imperatorskoi Akademy Nauk, 1863), pp. 270, 271. As cited by Zhigankov, Oleg. Ahead of their time? The 15th century Reformation in Russia. College and University Dialogue Journal).
Notice that the practices of Peter and Paul are mentioned. They kept the Sabbath. But one still may wonder how the Orthodox Church could possibly condone Saturday. Well, because Saturday had been observed by those in Asia Minor for centuries, and even after the area mainly became part of the Greco-Orthodox confederation of Catholics, in Constantinople (the primary see, "first among equals" in its words of the Orthodox Churches) the Sabbath often was kept along with Sunday. And since the Russian Orthodox had historical ties with Constantinople, apparently it was felt that Sabbath observance would still be tolerable.
Interestingly, The Catholic Encyclopedia admits that some of the Paulicians did end up in the Russian controlled area of Armenia:
There were Paulician communities in the part of Armenia occupied by Russia after the war of 1828-29 (Fortescue A. Paulicians. The Catholic Encyclopedia).
But the reality seems to be that the Sabbath-keepers in Russia to a great degree probably compromised to become part of the Orthodox church. Though some faithful probably remained in Armenia (more information is in the article The Pergamos Church Era).
Interestingly, Orthodox Church formally denounced millenarianism (also called chiliasm) at the Second Ecumenical Council in 381, it is still believed by many Russian Orthodox. Notice that news reports confirm that millennial beliefs are found within Russian Orthodoxy:
Marat Shterin, an expert in Russian religion at Kings College London, said, says: "The Russian Orthodox Church tends to be quite anti-sectarian, but on this occasion there seems to be a degree of understanding that while this manifestation of millenarian beliefs - belief that we live in 'the end time' - is extreme, some the group's views are shared by many within the Church."
He says that millenarian beliefs are fairly widespread in Russian Orthodoxy, both within the formal structures of the Church and outside it (Waiting for Armageddon. BBC - Nov 21, 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7101727.stm).
The Living Church of God also believes in millenarianism.
The Russian Orthodox, even though they seem to have the most members, is not considered to be one of the main leaders of the Orthodox as the Orthodox church there is of a much later origin and no one seems to claim that it was founded by one of the apostles or their immediate successors. While it has many of the same beliefs as the other Orthodox churches, it does not always act as they do and teach everything the same as the others do.
Interestingly, the Russian Orthodox, while earlier indicating a desire for more closeness with Rome, may be distancing itself:
VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican, which has been accused of aggressively seeking souls in Russia and some other countries, said Friday it has every right to spread its message and accept converts but that non-Catholics must never be forced to embrace the faith...
With the fall of Communism and subsequent end to bars on religious practice across Eastern Europe, the Russian Orthodox Church has accused Catholics of improperly seeking converts in traditionally Orthodox areas — a claim the Vatican has always rejected (Vatican Defends Right to Spread Message. Associated Press - Dec 14, 2007).
(Also, please see the 11/16/07 news item Orthodox Closer to Accepting Papal Authority).
Here are some statements of interest by Metropolitan Kyrill, foreign minister of the Russian Orthodox Church:
Less than 20 years after the fall of the Soviet Union, the number of churches has quadrupled, we now have twice as many dioceses, and the number of monasteries has grown by a factor of 32 -- to 700 -- today. Fifteen thousand young people are studying theology. On the other hand, even though 80 percent of newborns are baptized in Russia, only 60 percent of Russians call themselves Orthodox Christians, and less than 10 percent attend church regularly -- even fewer in some provinces...
We, as the Orthodox Church, are opposed to all attempts to establish a unipolar world. It would constitute the introduction of a forced entity that would level the differences among religions, cultures and civilizations (The Bible Calls it a Sin'. Spiegel. Interview was conducted by Martin Doerry, Christian Neef and Matthias Schepp in Moscow. January 10, 2008. http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,527618,00.html).
I hope and pray that the Russian Orthodox will still oppose "a unipolar world" when the European Beast power arises.
Is Russia mentioned in biblical prophecy?
The peoples of Russia are directly and indirectly mentioned in many biblical prophecies.
Prior to the formation of Babylonian European Empire, Russia will receive the witness of the gospel message. Notice what the Bible records:
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come (Matthew 24:14).
The "end" being discussed above is the end of this church age, as the time of tribulation begins (see vs. 21) then. What this means for the Russians (and all other peoples) is that they will have had a witness just prior to the tribulation. This witness will ultimately help them understand what really will be happening in the world and will set the stage for the ultimate conversion of nearly all the Russians.
Interestingly, the Bible identifies the ancient ancestors of the Russians as traders in the future:
Javan, Tubal, and Meshech were your traders. They bartered human lives and vessels of bronze for your merchandise. Those from the house of Togarmah traded for your wares with horses, steeds, and mules (Ezekiel 27:13-14).
Today, Russia is a major trader of commodities such as oil and gold.
Note that the Bible says that all trading nations will have become wealthy trading with Babylon (the restored European Empire--not Asia) that really prospers in the beginning of the great tribulation:
For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury (Revelation 18:3).
Thus, Russia is prophesied to attain wealth from the coming restored European Empire, but it will not then be the most powerful block of nations in the world.
When people in Russia and elsewhere see the Beast power they will marvel:The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is (Revelation 17:8).
They will marvel because of the great wealth, because they did not think Europe would gain such prominence, and because its leadership will have performed various signs and wonders. Note the following:
Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved (2 Thessalonians 2:3-10).
Because of these actions, people throughout the world, including in Russia will (to some degree) worship a false leader:
Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?" And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:1-9).
But this will not last.
Lest any have the misimpression that the Russians are not a discerning people, it needs to be understood that they will be among the first to recognize the falsehood of this European power. And they will apparently cooperate with others in Asia.
The Living Church of God reported:
Chinese-Russian Ties Continue to Strengthen. The Year of Russia is the banner in China in 2006. Some 206 different events spotlighting Russian culture and advances are scheduled to occur across China, including productions from the Bolshoi Theater. President Vladimir Putin visited China in March to assist Chinese President Hu Jintao in inaugurating the year’s events. 2007 will be celebrated as The Year of China in Russia and will spotlight similar Chinese cultural and technological events. These nation-wide events are designed to tie the nations of China and Russia more closely together (China Daily, March 18, 2006). God tells of a time, near the end of the tribulation, when nations from the north and east will overwhelm the King of the North (Daniel 11:44-45). Apparently an army of 200 million men will be used to complete this horrific task (Revelation 9:13-20). A combined force from Russia and China would relatively easily be able to muster an army of this magnitude, and will also have the financial and technological resources to back it (World Ahead Weekly Update, LCG. September 15, 2006).
It may be of interest to note that Russia is the largest supplier of arms to India (Foreign military observers laud Indian military war game Sify, India - Mar 20, 2008).
Apparently the Russians, and nearly certainly the Chinese and Indians will finally see that the European Beast power, also called "the King of the North" in the Bible, is not something to be worshiped or trusted.
Why do we in the Living Church of God teach that? Because there are certain verses in both the Book of Daniel and the Book of Revelation that appear to be discussing Asia and the European Beast power.
Notice from the Book of Daniel:
"At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. 41 He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon. 42 He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43 He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels. 44 But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many. 45 And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him (Daniel11:40-45).
Notice that the end time King of the North (the European Empire) will overwhelm the King of the South (a Moslem empire), but that those from the east and the north shall trouble the King of the North. This appears to be referring to China and Russia, and possibly other Asian nations like India. And notice that they will be used to help cause the King of the North to come to his end. There is no major power north of the King of the North (the European Empire) except the Russian Federation and the major powers east of the European Empire are Russia, China, and India (Japan and other nations may also play a role).
Notice the following:
12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. 15 Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame." 16 And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon (Revelation 16:12-16).
Here we see that the kings of the East are those that need to cross the Euphrates. Russia, China, India, Japan, and others are from the north and east and also probably "kings of the East".
The Bible shows that the leader of the final Babylonian European Empire will be called "the King of the North" and that he will be troubled by those from the north (Russia) and the east (China and other Asians):
...the king of the North... 43 He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels. 44 But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many. 45 And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him (Dan 11:40,43-45).
The Bible also shows that this "Babylonian" empire will be destroyed by a northern power (apparently Russia and its allies as Russia is really the only powerful nation north of Europe):
50:1 The word that the LORD spoke against Babylon and against the land of the Chaldeans by Jeremiah the prophet.
2 "Declare among the nations,
Proclaim, and set up a standard;
Proclaim--do not conceal it--
Say, 'Babylon is taken, Bel is shamed.
Merodach is broken in pieces;
Her idols are humiliated,
Her images are broken in pieces.'
3 For out of the north a nation comes up against her,
Which shall make her land desolate,
And no one shall dwell therein.
They shall move, they shall depart,
Both man and beast (Jeremiah 50:1-3).
Thus, the European empire is to be destroyed by a northern (apparently Russian led) force. And probably one that cooperates with nations in the East and probably the Ukraine.
Jeremiah 50:1-3 and 51:7–11 indicate that a northern nation (only Scandanavia or countries once in the old Soviet Union are north of the King of the North) will destroy Babylon and could be in the forefront of what may be a nuclear attack on Rome itself (cf. Revelation 18:9–10).
Notice that the Bible clearly states the nation is from the far north:
14 Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "On that day when My people Israel dwell safely, will you not know it? 15 Then you will come from your place out of the far north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a mighty army (Ezekiel 38:14-15).
A Russian confederation is that only place on the planet that is in the far north and currently with the military power to fulfill these prophecies.
Herbert Armstrong commented:
The second woe, with its symbols of horses and horsemen, is interpreted by Ezekiel 38:4, 15, and is also referred to as an event in the Day OF THE Eternal in Joel 2:4. This refers to a tremendous military power--also to the NORTH--due north! They come with an army of two hundred million! Think of it--an army of two hundred million! (Armstrong HW. The Book of Revelation Unveiled at Last! 1972 edition. p. 38-39).
In Revelation 16, we also see that God will issue punishment to nearly all of humanity after Babylon (the European Empire) falls:
17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, "It is done!" 18 And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth. 19 Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. 20 Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 21 And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great (Revelation 16:17-21).
God sent the punishments to get all men, including the Russians, to repent, but they refused at first:
And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory (Revelation 16:9).
After all these battles and punishments, the tribulation will end. And Christ will return:
Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory (Matthew 24:29-30).
And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS (Revelation 19:16).
Christ's return will usher in a kingdom that will be established for 1,000 years:
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years (Revelation 20:4-6).
This is the millennium that many Russians are even now looking forward to.
And people of many nations, including those of Russia, will be part of this kingdom. Notice:
After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb (Revelation 7:9).
John Ogwyn wrote:
There are other prophecies, in Ezekiel 38 and 39, which describe an alliance of the Russians with the Mongol-descended nations of China and the Far East. The timing of this particular prophecy, with its description of an invasion of regathered Israel, is actually...after Christ’s return, NOT before it. This is made plain when we see in Ezekiel 38:11–12 that Israel (all 12 tribes, not just the Jews) is described as having been regathered from the nations. They are settled in a land of prosperity and peace without any apparent defenses, or for that matter, even locks on the doors.
After the returning glorified Christ destroys the armies that had gathered at Armageddon (Revelation 16:16, 19:19–21). He will regather the remnant of captured Israelites and bring them back to the ancient land of their fathers. He will establish a Kingdom headquartered at Jerusalem, which will ultimately spread out to the whole earth...
The Russian people have had a long and turbulent history. Ground down and exploited by oppressive, autocratic rulers and hollow and bankrupt ideologies, they have had to struggle to endure and survive. The time will come when, like all nations, they will no longer be deceived, but will finally experience the good news of the Kingdom of God. Not until that time will the Russians undergo a real religious, cultural, political and economic rebirth. Finally, Russia’s sad and difficult history will have a happy ending! (Ogwyn J. What's Ahead for Russia? Tomorrow's World Magazine, May-June 2000).
After the thousand years of the millennium are over, but prior to the second resurrection, apparently a Russian-led confederation will rebel and attempt to attack God's people (apparently in Jerusalem)--but they will not be successful. They will be destroyed, but will be raised in the second resurrection. This will be the last battle by the Russians and anyone else as Satan, who deceives the whole world, will be taken away:
7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. 9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. 10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
But then all the people who ever lived will be resurrected:
11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works (Revelation 20:7-13).
It is important to note that all remaining humans are judged at the second resurrection, but not all are condemned. If they are not condemned, then what happens?
The mainstream "Christian" view correctly teaches that there is salvation in no other than Jesus (Acts 4:10-12), as "there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (vs.12).
But what happens to the multitudes in Russia who have not even heard the name of Christ? And what happens to those born before Christ's earthly ministry? Recall that the Bible teaches that after Adam sinned, humankind was blocked from the tree of life as God had it guarded so that humans would not be able to access it on their own (Genesis 3:22-24).
Even the basic Protestant view is that unless one professes belief in Jesus prior to the first death, then salvation will be unavailable. It is perhaps because of the difference between this view and that of the Living Church of God, that Protestants tend to label Church of God groups as cults.
The Living Church of God teaches that God is only calling a relatively few during this age with the Day of Pentecost (also called the Day of Firstfruits, Numbers 28:26) partially explaining this. "Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures" (James 1:18).
Jesus and the Living Church of God teach, "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him" (John 6:44). And that will be few at this time, "For many are called, but few are chosen" (Matthew 22:14), "Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it" (Matthew 7:14).
Protestants and Catholics tend to feel, correctly, that God uses ministers to preach (Romans 10:14). Yet, the message is not always clear. In Isaiah 6:9-11 God teaches,
"Go, and tell this people: 'Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.' Make the heart of this people dull, And their ears heavy, And shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And return and be healed." Then I said, "Lord, how long?" And He answered: "Until the cities are laid waste and without inhabitant, The houses are without a man, The land is utterly desolate".
In other words, the bulk of the people are not to understand until after a time of great desolation.
Furthermore, the Bible reveals that God has prohibited idolaters to have proper understanding:
And the rest of it he makes into a god, His carved image. He falls down before it and worships it, Prays to it and says, "Deliver me, for you are my god!" They do not know nor understand; For He has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, And their hearts, so that they cannot understand (Isaiah 44:17-18).
They have no knowledge, Who carry the wood of their carved image, And pray to a god that cannot save (Isaiah 45:20).
Thus, is God going to condemn those who worship idols for what He has not let them understand?
Protestant and Catholic theology tends to say yes.
Those in the Living Church of God say no.
Unless the idolater has committed the unpardonable sin (which is unlikely) they will be judged as other uncalled people are. Perhaps it should be mentioned that many Russians are Russian Orthodox--and the Russian Orthodox, like all of the Eastern Orthodox, have many idols (which they call icons) as part of the religious religious worship practices. (There are also Roman Catholics and others involved with idols in Russia.)
The Bible clearly teaches that salvation will be offered to all. And that includes the Russians. Notice the following scripture:
And all flesh shall see the salvation of God (Luke 3:6).
Those who were uncalled in this age (including most people and nearly all of the Russians, including those that have long been dead) will be offered an opportunity for salvation (two related articles of interest may include Universal Offer of Salvation: There Are Hundreds of Verses in the Bible Supporting the Doctrine of True Apocatastasis and Hope of Salvation: How the Living Church of God differ from most Protestants).
And nearly all of them will accept it. The Living Church of God teaches that God will ultimately give every individual an opportunity for salvation--and that nearly every individual will accept that opportunity. The presiding evangelist of the Living Church of God has publicly stated, "it seem, the vast majority of human beings will ultimately be in God's family" (Meredith R.C. Last Great Day Sermon. Clearwater, Florida, 20051025).
This means that ultimately that nearly all Russians will be in the permanent kingdom of God. Notice some of the descriptions from the Book of Revelation:
Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." (Revelation 21:2-4).
Conclusion
Russia has been an important nation throughout history. In the 21st Century, its wealth and influence is prophesied to increase. The Russians will most likely be among the first to benefit from the coming European Empire, as well as be among those who see that it is not what it pretends to be.
God apparently plans to use Russia and others in Asia as part of a coalition of kings of the East to put an end to the King of the North's military ambitions.
Yet, because most in Russia do not now know the true God, God will punish them as well as the other inhabitants on the Earth. And apparently many will also rebel at the close of the millennium, but will not succeed.
However, since God is a God of love, He intends to resurrect the Russians and all others and offer them salvation. A salvation that nearly all will accept as nearly all the Russians who ever lived will be in the kingdom of God. A kingdom without fear or death or sorrow. A glorious kingdom. And that is the prophesied future for nearly all of Russians.
Thiel B. Russia: Its Origins and Prophesied Future. www.cogwriter.com/russia_in_prophecy.htm 2008 0323
Several articles of possibly related interest may include:
Universal Offer of Salvation: There Are Hundreds of Verses in the Bible Supporting the Doctrine of True Apocatastasis Do you believe what the Bible actually teaches on this? Will all good things be restored? Does God's plan of salvation take rebellion and spiritual blindness into account? Is there eternal torment?
Some Similarities and Differences Between the Orthodox Church and the Living Church of God Both groups have some amazing similarities and some major differences. Do you know what they are?
Hope of Salvation: How the Living Church of God differ from most Protestants How the Living Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants, is perhaps the question I am asked most by those without a Church of God background.