{"id":73705,"date":"2022-02-22T07:00:23","date_gmt":"2022-02-22T15:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cogwriter.com\/news\/?p=73705"},"modified":"2022-02-25T18:46:31","modified_gmt":"2022-02-26T02:46:31","slug":"what-to-know-about-the-donetsk-and-luhansk-regions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cogwriter.com\/news\/prophecy\/what-to-know-about-the-donetsk-and-luhansk-regions\/","title":{"rendered":"‘What to Know About the Donetsk and Luhansk Regions’"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nDonbas consists of Luhansk and Donetsk
\n(Picture by RGloucester<\/a><\/span><\/span>)
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COGwriter<\/a><\/p>\n

Yesterday, Russia’s president declared he had recognized and accepted the Luhansk People’s Republic and Donetsk People s Republic as independent nations (see I365: Right before Messiah, US will fight Russia and China will capitalize, rabbinic \u201cprophecy\u201d reveals\u2019 COGwriter: No, that is not what the Bible teaches<\/span><\/a>).<\/p>\n

Here are a couple of news reports related to those areas:<\/p>\n

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Kremlin Says It Hopes Donbass Recognition Will Restore Calm; Still Open to Diplomacy<\/h2>\n

February 22, 2022<\/p>\n

The Kremlin said on Tuesday it hoped Russia’s recognition of two breakaway Ukrainian regions as independent would help restore calm and that Moscow remained open to diplomacy with the United States and other countries.<\/p>\n

In a conference call with reporters, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said he was unable to say if Russian forces had already entered the two separatist regions that are often referred to simply as the Donbass. https:\/\/www.newsmax.com\/newsfront\/kremlin-donbass-ukraine-russia\/2022\/02\/22\/id\/1057876\/<\/a><\/p>\n

What to Know About the Donetsk and Luhansk Regions<\/h2>\n

February 21, 2022<\/p>\n

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday recognized the Russian-speaking regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine as independent states, signing documents declaring them no longer part of Ukraine. Hours earlier, the separatist leaders of the regions made a video appeal for the independence declaration.<\/p>\n

Location <\/strong><\/p>\n

The Donetsk and Luhansk regions \u2014 collectively known as the Donbas \u2014 are in eastern Ukraine, near the border with Russia. The region comprises both Kyiv-controlled parts as well as separatist-controlled areas. Its main industries are coal mining and steel production.<\/p>\n

Population <\/strong><\/p>\n

Most of the 3.6 million people living in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions speak Russian, …<\/p>\n

Rebel control <\/strong><\/p>\n

Pro-Russian separatists in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions took over government buildings in 2014 and proclaimed the regions as independent “people’s republics.” The move followed Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.<\/p>\n

Fighting <\/strong><\/p>\n

Since 2014, more than 14,000 people have been killed in fighting in the Donbas region between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces. …<\/p>\n

Independence <\/strong><\/p>\n

After separatists in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions took power in 2014, they held a vote to declare independence. Until now, no country recognized their bid. On Monday, Putin announced the independence of the regions after meeting with the Russian Security Council. His announcement followed a video appeal by the regions’ separatist leaders for the recognition of independence. https:\/\/www.voanews.com\/a\/what-to-know-about-the-donetsk-and-luhansk-regions-\/6452835.html<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

As far as what you may wish to know about Donetsk and Luhansk, the events of the past two days are consistent with biblical prophecies as well as what I have been posting at COGwriter.com for many years.<\/p>\n

In the Fall of 2013, I wrote that Russia would end up with some territory that Ukraine claimed. That was confirmed on March 18, 2014, when Vladimir Putin signed a treaty to make Crimea part of Russia (https:\/\/www.rferl.org\/a\/putin-to-visit-crimea-to-mark-five-years-since-peninsula-rejoined-russia\/29826559.html<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Why did I write that back in 2013?<\/p>\n

Because of my understanding of biblical prophecies while also watching some of what was happening in Ukraine.<\/p>\n

Back in 2013 there were protests against the democratically elected and pro-Russian government in Ukraine. Instead of backing Ukraine’s elected president, the USA backed a coup. Because of prophecies related to the “kings of the Medes” in the Book of Jeremiah, I concluded that at least some territory controlled by Ukraine would end up supporting Russia and wrote about that.<\/p>\n

When Ukraine’s coup government took over in early 2014, one of the first things it did was to pass a bill (that ended up not being signed into law) to make Russian a second-class language in Ukraine. That incensed those in Crimea and various ones in the eastern portion of Ukraine. Many in Donbas and Crimea speak Russian as their native language.<\/p>\n

So in 2014, Crimea voted to leave Ukraine and become part of Russia. Russia later accepted the territory, which it had long wanted. Crimea has been a fairly poor region that felt neglected and discriminated against by the western portion of Ukraine. Many in Donbas also have felt neglected (or worse) by western Ukraine and have long wanted to be closer to Russia.<\/p>\n

Many of those in Crimea (other than the Tartars) and Donbas believed that they would be better off with Russia who wanted them than Kiev who claims to want to keep them, but apparently had not shown them enough signs that it would truly be able to help them.<\/p>\n

The USA would not accept the vote by the Crimeans primarily because it seems to want to stop Russia from expanding. The USA pushed for international sanctions with Europe, many of which still remain, in an effort to hope Russia would release Crimea to Ukraine.<\/p>\n

The USA’s position seemed to be based mainly on politics as opposed to its professed belief in democracy.<\/p>\n

Even though the USA and many in Europe have wanted Russia to leave Crimea, on March 18, 2019, I posted:<\/p>\n

It remains my view that Crimea and at least parts of eastern Ukraine will ultimately align with Russia.<\/p>\n

International sanctions will not stop biblical prophecies from being fulfilled. (Thiel B. \u2018Putin in Crimea as Russia Marks Five Years Since Annexation\u2019 the \u2018Kings of the Medes\u2019 will arise.<\/a> COGwriter, March 18, 2019)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And the events of the past couple of days confirmed my view that sanctions would not stop Russia from having territories align with it. The sanctions recently announced by the USA and the Europeans look to be announced as political punishment, as opposed to being announced by those who seriously believe that they will get Russia to cede the Donbas back to Ukrainian control (it would probably take a pro-Russian government in Keiv for Russia to do that).<\/p>\n

Perhaps it should also be mentioned that on the Sabbath of February 5, I did a sermonette where I mentioned that lands associated with Ukraine would be confederate with Russia:<\/p>\n

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21:20<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Russia, Ukraine, Babylonian Europe, and Prophecy<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The situation between Russia and Ukraine has again heated up, although it has been tense since the Euromaiden protests and Russia\u2019s annexation of Crimea. There was later a separation of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church from the Russian Orthodox Church. Is war prophesied for Russia and Ukraine? Are prophecies in the Bible associated with the \u2018kings of the Medes\u2019 and a power from the \u201cnorth country\u201d related to any in Russia and Ukraine? Is a confederation of powers from the north, east, and central Asia prophesied to destroy the coming end time European Babylon? Will the destruction be reminiscent of what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah? How is the King of the North and who will destroy him? Do those in Russia and Ukraine have a hope of salvation? Will Russia and powers of the east be involved in the gathering in Armageddon as prophesied in Revelation 16? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Here is a link to our video: <\/em>Russia, Ukraine, Babylonian Europe, and Prophecy.<\/a><\/p>\n

Bible prophecy, as well as ancient origins of various peoples, are normally ignored by the major media.<\/p>\n

As it turns out, certain records of history indicate that some of the \u2018Medes\u2019 dwell in Russia as well as in Ukraine and other parts of the east, as well as Crimea itself.<\/p>\n

In the first century, Josephus wrote:<\/p>\n

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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).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

As far as the Medes go, they were once in a land called Media, which was near Persia (modern Iran). The Bible uses the terms “Medes” and “Persians” together five times in the NKJV (e.g. Daniel 5:28). The ancient empire of Media contained Persia, but did not go all the way to the land now known as Ukraine.<\/p>\n

The Median empire, around 600 B.C. stretched west from the southern center of the Black Sea (Crimea would have been north of that empire, but would have been accessible by a boat that would head straight north in the western portion) and went east almost to India. But there were also various migrations of peoples, which is why it is believed that at least some made it into the area of Ukraine and\/or Crimea (and likely Russia itself as well as some of the nearby states).There were also descendants of Israel who were living in the land of the Medes at the time of Jesus. Notice the following account from the New Testament, circa 31 A.D.:<\/p>\n

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8 And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs \u2014 we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God. (Acts 2:8-11)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

So, there were contacts from the descendants of Israel and the Medes in New Testament times.<\/p>\n

The Medes and the Russians seem to have shared some history. But it is not clear to many. Notice the following:<\/p>\n

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The history of the Medes is dark and unknown. — Dmitri Ivanovich Ilovaisky …<\/p>\n

In linguistic terms, the Russians are identified as East Slavs, that is, speakers of East Slavic, which eventually evolved into three distinct languages: Greater Russian, often simply called Russian; Ukrainian; and White Russian, or Belorussian (Belarus).<\/p>\n

(Riasanovsky NV. Russian Identities : A Historical Survey: A Historical Survey<\/span>. Oxford University Press, 2005<\/span>, p.7)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The above is at the beginning of the first chapter in the book cited on the origins of the Russians and Ukrainians. The author, a professor of history emeritus from UC Berkeley.<\/p>\n

It should be noted that part of the reason that Dmitri Ivanovich Ilovaisky and others are unclear about the connection is because of multiple migrations or peoples with differing names.<\/p>\n

As far as names go, the historian Herodotus claimed that there were six different tribes\/families of Medes. Herodotus identified the tribes of the Medes as Busae, Parataceni\/Paratakeni, Struchates\/Strukhates, Arizanti, Budii, and the Magi (Herodotus<\/span>: A New and Literal Version with a Geographical and General Index by Henry Cary<\/span>. Histories, book 1, chapter 101. Translated by Henry Cary. Harper, 1896. Original from the University of Virginia, Digitized Jan 23, 2009, p. 46).<\/p>\n

Here is one report about the six tribes:<\/p>\n

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