NOTE: The following post gives more details on the topics covered below: “The Daniel 11:22 War”, “Sheep/Goat Nations”, “Satanism”, “London = Babylon the Great?” https://dangreenup.com/geopolitics-and-bible-prophecy/
The Daniel 11:22 War
While Moscow’s foreign policy tends to grab most of the headlines, recent domestic issues in Russia have stolen the spotlight. On top of a bizarre nuclear explosion and haphazard cover-up, there’ve been protests in Moscow for weeks. According to CNBC, the protests have focused on the “inability of opposition politicians to contest a municipal election.” Some mainstream media outlets have argued the protests are a threat to Vladimir Putin’s stranglehold on Russian politics. That seems more like wishful thinking than solid analysis, but to be fair, Putin isn’t as popular as he used to be.
Russian’s incomes have fallen for five consecutive years and economists are predicting a sixth year of decline. The fall in incomes has caused consumer debt to skyrocket. The Russian economy continues to lag, with low levels of foreign investment. Sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union may have something to do with that. Without question, lower oil prices aren’t helping matters. Russia is still heavily dependent on oil and gas exports. Perhaps the most damaging hit to Putin’s popularity was pension reform. Last year, he signed a bill that raised the retirement age for men and women, in spite of several protests against the measure nationwide. Nevertheless, it’s doubtful that Putin relinquishes power anytime soon. Sure, he’s scheduled to leave office in 2024, but he could appoint his successor and retain power as prime minister. He’s done this before, back in 2012.
For the sake of argument, however, let’s say Putin steps down when his term is up or he decides to leave political life after 2024. Assuming one of Putin’s loyalists doesn’t rise to power, it’s important to note that Russia’s leading opposition figure, Alexei Navalny, isn’t that different from Putin when it comes to foreign policy. The Russian political establishment, including its most outspoken opposition figure, wholeheartedly supports the creation of a united Eurasian empire to replace Western globalism. In other words, even if Putin leaves, don’t expect Russia to leave Syria.
LINK: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/14/moscow-court-victory-but-more-protests-for-putin-and-russia.html
Sheep/Goat nations
Although it’s difficult to pick just one failure, in Barack Obama’s opinion, his policy of regime change in Libya was his greatest mistake. Even to this day, the civil war continues. When the dust settles, the man who may emerge victorious is Khalifa Haftar. President Trump has shown support for Haftar because in the Middle East, there are only two types of leaders: secular military strongmen and Islamic terrorists. The strongmen are the lesser of two evils. In a rare display of unity, the United States and Russia refused to support a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in Libya. The Russians and the Americans don’t necessarily endorse what Haftar’s about, but they recognize he’s probably the only guy who can bring stability to the war-torn country. Frankly, the pragmatism is wonderfully refreshing.
At some point, Libya is likely to stabilize. Given their role in the end times, it wouldn’t be surprising if Libya was eventually run by a military strongman. First off, Libya is probably going to start out as an enemy of the Antichrist during the Daniel 11:22 War. Just to recap, the Daniel 11:22 War involves Israel and many nations from the Middle East and North Africa. They will attack the Antichrist in Syria, but he’ll win (Daniel 11:21-22).
Afterward, he’ll make a seven-year covenant with Israel and many nations (Daniel 9:27; 11:23). Although it’s not explicitly stated, these nations will be from the Middle East and North Africa because the international recognition of Israel as a state is a key part of the Antichrist’s seven-year deal (Daniel 9:27; 11:28, 30). Most nations in the world today that haven’t recognized the State of Israel are in the Middle East and North Africa. Many of them are members of the Arab League. Naturally, Libya is a member of the Arab League and they haven’t recognized Israel.
Halfway through this seven-year covenant, the Antichrist will break the deal by invading Jerusalem with a large, multi-national force (Ezekiel 38:1-9). One of the participants is called Put (Ezekiel 38:5). Is this name referring to a place or a people group? Well, Put was a son of Ham, one of Noah’s sons (Genesis 10:6). So, Put is referring to a people group, not a geographic location. Obviously, this invasion will happen in the final years before Christ’s return (Ezekiel 38:8). Consequently, it’s important to find out where this people group eventually settled. According to research by Bodie Hodge, Put’s descendants mainly wound up in Libya, but they also spread throughout North African countries such as Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania and Mali.* In summary, Libya and much of Northwest Africa will join the Antichrist in invading Israel during the end times.
Needless to say, trusting the Antichrist is a pretty stupid move. After successfully invading Israel, the Antichrist will begin conquering other countries (Daniel 11:31-45). Libya will be one of those countries conquered by the Antichrist (Daniel 11:43). Clearly, Libya’s current civil war is far from the last military conflict they participate in. Sadly, in the end, they’re going to pick the wrong side.
*Hodge, B. The Tower of Babel: The Cultural History of Our Ancestors (Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 2013), p. 128-129, 182.
LINK: https://www.voanews.com/middle-east/libya-officials-fighting-around-tripoli-resumes-truce-over
Satanism
Despite having some enthusiastic supporters, Marianne Williamson is unlikely to win the Democratic presidential nomination. Yet, the fact she’s even in the running tells us a lot about Democrats. Although some Democrat voters have only embraced occultism to ‘resist’ President Trump, many prominent Democrat politicians have been occultists for years. Hillary Clinton is one notable example.
During her time as the first lady, Clinton held séances in the White House. To be fair, they were described as “imaginary conversations with Eleanor Roosevelt and Mahatma Gandhi as a therapeutic release.” Jean Houston, a close advisor to Clinton, helped her with these meetings. Houston co-founded the Foundation for Mind Research, which “studies the psychic experience and altered and expanded consciousness.” Well, Clinton enjoyed the supposedly imaginary conversations so much, she continued having them long after she left the White House.
In 2012, Bill Clinton gave a speech at Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Park. He highlighted Eleanor’s role in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 and said, “I know that because, as all of you famously learned when I served as president, my wife, now the secretary of State, was known to commune with Eleanor on a regular basis.” He concluded, “And so she called me last night on her way home from Peru to remind me to say that. That Eleanor had talked to her and reminded her that I should say that.” That’s not normal.
Just to bring things full circle, Hillary was also friends with Marianne Williamson. On Christmas Day, 1994, the Orlando Sentinel reported that Clinton was hanging out with Williamson who was described as “the New Age guru-in-a-suit with Hollywood groupies.” The report added, “Williamson met the first lady at a fund raiser and made such an impression that she was invited over to the White House.” Williamson and Houston weren’t the only ones in Clinton’s inner circle with occult connections.
Hillary’s 2016 campaign chairman John Podesta was invited by his brother Tony to a “Spirit Cooking dinner” by Marina Abramovic. What is spirit cooking? It “often incorporates human elements—particularly blood, breast milk, urine, and sperm—in ritualistic cooking.” That doesn’t sound particularly appetizing. Also, why was the sex cult NXIVM, which illegally funneled money to Hillary Clinton’s campaign, conducting experiments on humans? Why did billionaire pedophile and child trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, who flew Bill Clinton to his private island on a number of occasions, have a temple on his island with a fake door? For the Clintons, what started as harmless, feel-good New Age fun eventually turned into something much darker. It always does.
2 Corinthians 11:14 says, “Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” Many New Age practitioners promote contacting “spiritual beings” to receive enlightenment. This is extremely dangerous. Astral projection, channeling and other means of getting in touch with so-called “spiritual beings” is an easy way to become tormented by demons. I mean, do you really think Hillary was talking to Eleanor Roosevelt? What other things were these demons telling her? Here’s the deal: there’s a reason God forbids divination, consulting mediums, witchcraft and other occult practices (Deuteronomy 18:9-12). Demonic affliction is real. It can turn you into a heartless, inhuman monster; it can destroy your life.
London = Babylon the Great?
This week, US National Security Advisor John Bolton said, “to be clear, in the Trump administration, Britain’s constantly at the front of the trade queue, or line as we say.” In fact, Reuters reported that “Britain and the United States are discussing a partial trade accord that could take effect on Nov. 1, the day after Britain is due to leave the European Union.” Certainly, for the United Kingdom, a trade deal with the United States would soften the blow of any supply chain disruptions or trade issues with their European neighbors. That said, the US and the UK stand to gain quite a bit more from an exclusive trade arrangement. Besides being two of the largest economies in the world, the US is the world’s biggest consumer market and the UK is strategically located near continental Europe. Given their shared language and culture, a close partnership is possible and it would be very profitable.
Here’s the likely scenario. The EU wants to punish the UK, which means in order to leave the EU, the British will have to go without an agreement. This is called a no-deal Brexit by the British media and it’s scheduled to happen on October 31st. On November 1st, the UK announces an agreement with the US which they’ve been negotiating behind the scenes. This deal includes tariff-free trade between the UK and the US. Almost immediately, companies from all over the world, especially Europe, would relocate in Britain. Everybody wants tariff-free access to the US market. Now, the EU won’t put tariffs on Britain right after Brexit. There’ll be a negotiation period. So, by shipping to the UK, the US would get tariff-free access to the EU. A new supply chain would be created. European companies would set up shop in Britain to export to the US tariff-free and US companies would export to Britain to get around EU tariffs. Capital investment in both countries would expand rapidly.
By the way, if this seems far-fetched, this same principle was exploited by Canada and Mexico under the North America Free Trade Agreement. Canada and Mexico used their trade agreements with other countries to take advantage of their tariff-free access to the US market. That’s why NAFTA hurt the US economy. Countries could avoid US tariffs by shipping their products to Canada and Mexico. It increased foreign investment in Canada and Mexico, while American manufacturing suffered.
Fortunately, the US ditched NAFTA and has negotiated the USMCA, which is awaiting congressional ratification. The USMCA, “eliminates NAFTA rules that allowed producers to ‘deem’ non-North American content as originating, regardless of origin. This will reduce free riding and help ensure key auto parts are made in the region.” Put differently, China can longer export auto parts to Mexico and Canada to avoid American tariffs. American automobile manufacturing is back. Likewise, Article 32.10 of the new USMCA contains the following provision: “Entry by a Party into a free trade agreement with a non-market country will allow the other Parties to terminate this Agreement on six months’ notice and replace this Agreement with an agreement as between them (bilateral agreement).” Translation? The US can leave the USMCA if Canada or Mexico try to give another country, like China, unrestricted access to the US market.
Now, supposing the US and the UK work out a deal that allows the US to export to the EU tariff-free, wouldn’t the EU impose tariffs on the UK? It’s unlikely, because the US would put tariffs on the EU. This would crush the EU. They need access to the US market and the European business community would lobby heavily against such action. Quite the opposite, they would lobby to keep the arrangement, because it’s easy enough to invest in the UK. Ultimately, the EU couldn’t do anything to stop a genuine free trade agreement between the UK and the US. The handwriting is on the wall. The US has already overtaken Germany as the UK’s largest source of imports and the German economy is slowing down. Reuters noted, “Germany’s traditionally export-reliant economy – Europe’s largest – has been particularly vulnerable.” A deal between the US and the UK would turn the UK into Europe’s biggest economy and reestablish London as the world’s trading hub. Appropriately, Revelation 18:11-20 describes Babylon the Great in the same manner.
LINK: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-britain-roadmap-idUSKCN1V31QV
That’s all for this week! Thanks for reading and Godspeed!