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
Recently, protests in Iran over rising gas prices turned violent. Amnesty International claimed that “more than 100 protestors had been killed in 21 cities.” Shockingly, protestors in one Iranian city burned a billboard of Iranian dictator Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Given the deteriorating situation in Iran, President Trump gave the order to deploy more troops to the Middle East. Don’t expect them to stay long.
After all, the protests prove that President Trump’s strategy of maximum pressure on Iran is working. Economic sanctions on Iran have devastated their economy. In April of this year, the United States announced it wouldn’t grant any more sanctions waivers to existing importers of Iranian oil. The goal is to “bring Iran’s oil exports to zero.” Although Iran’s exports aren’t quite at zero yet, they’re getting there. Trump is absolutely destroying the Iranian economy with sanctions, which means it won’t be long before the Iranian regime is neutralized.
When the Iranian regime is neutralized, the US will militarily withdraw from the Middle East. The US will probably maintain a small deployment in Iraq to keep an eye on the region, but nothing more. Who will fill the void? Trump’s economic sanctions, which are neutralizing Iran’s regime, are allowing Russia to consolidate its power in Syria.
Without question, Russia’s influence in Syria’s reconstruction is bound to cause problems with Israel and the Arab states.
LINK: https://www.theepochtimes.com/iran-protests-over-gas-prices-grip-major-cities-1-dead_3148909.html
Sheep/Goat nations
A little while back, The Wall Street Journal reported, “Russia, China Vie for Influence in Central Asia as U.S. Plans Afghan Exit.” Russia and China are competing for resources and influence throughout the globe, with China making significant inroads in Central Asia. Of course, Russia has invested quite a bit in Central Asia over the years. For example, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are currently both members of Russia’s Eurasian Economic Union. Why would China risk alienating Russia? Simply put, they can’t afford not to.
China is badly losing trade war with the United States. With falling exports, Central Asia is a strategic investment for the Chinese because it allows them to export some of their “excess manufacturing production.” Likewise, it gives China another option for acquiring “needed natural resources.” Although they’ll probably still need American natural gas, the Chinese have built several pipelines in the region. Obviously, this hasn’t made them any friends in Russia.
In a previous prophetic roundup, under the “Daniel 11:22 War” category, the emerging rivalry between China and Russia was discussed. Russia is going to win because President Trump’s ultimate goal is to destroy the Chinese Communist Party by decoupling the US economy from the Chinese economy. That said, access to the American market isn’t China’s only problem. China has a rapidly aging and shrinking population. According to The Guardian, “By 2050 as much as a third of the country’s population will be made up of people over the age of 60, putting severe strain on state services and the children who bear the brunt of caring for elderly relatives.” The disastrous one-child policy is already having an impact. With a smaller working-age population, Chinese consumer spending continues to decline.
What will Chinese people do when faced with a reduction in their standard of living? Domestic unrest is likely, which will assuredly invite a heavy-handed response from the Chinese Communist Party. Violently confronting protestors in Hong Kong and suppression of the Muslim Uighur community are just the tip of the iceberg. All told, China’s future is bleak.
Satanism
A couple months back, a Siberian shaman tried to exorcise Vladimir Putin. This was discussed in a previous roundup, under the “Satanism” category. The gentleman believed Putin had a demonic affliction and was determined to do something about it. Before he had the chance, he was arrested and thrown into a psychiatric hospital.
Now, leaders can fall under demonic influence and this shaman claimed that Putin is “a beast, a fiend of hell, the son of Satan.” Certainly, shamans are often afflicted by demons themselves, but that doesn’t mean he was wrong about Putin. Indeed, in Acts 16, Paul cast a spirit of divination out of a young woman in the name of Jesus. This girl was following Paul and his entourage, saying, “These men are bond-servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.” That’s a true statement, so was this shaman telling the truth too?
It’s tough to say, but there’s another interesting aspect to this story. In early November, Foreign Policy reported about the man’s arrest. Their article included some important observations about Russian culture. Apparently, “It is not unusual for someone in Russia’s more remote stretches to pay his or her last penny to wise men or fortunetellers for good luck, a plentiful harvest, more money, or love.” Despite its reputation as an Orthodox society, “there are more than 1,000 shamans in Russia, and in 2018, the shamans of the Russian Federation elected a “supreme shaman” and called for their practices to be an official recognized religion in the country.” On top of that, “studies have shown that two-thirds of Russian women have consulted some sort of shamanic or psychic figure.”
Just as a reminder, Russia is the Antichrist’s homeland. Considering the enduring popularity of Slavic paganism and the Russian political establishment’s fascination with occultism, it’s not a surprise.
LINK: https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/11/11/alexander-gabyshev-anti-putin-shaman-drive-demon-out-russia-moscow/
London = Babylon the Great?
Back in May, the Knight Frank Wealth Report concluded that London remains the world’s top wealth center. Since Babylon the Great is an international city known for its extravagant wealth, that’s appropriate. As a matter of fact, The Institute for Fiscal Studies has pointed out that “The richest 1% in Britain have become increasingly concentrated in London over the past two decades.” Amazingly, many of them have lived on the same street.
The Bishops Avenue in London is called Billionaires Row for a reason. Insider has been doing a series on the subject, noting that The Bishops Avenue is “a street of 66 mansions worth a combined $620 million. Its houses are vast, with colorful histories: homes for swindlers, exotic royals, industrial tycoons, and, briefly, Justin Bieber.” That’s quite the lineup. Fittingly, “The street is also a monument to the avoidance of tax.” Many of the homes are owned by “shell corporations registered in foreign tax havens.” In London, which is often considered the money-laundering capital of the world, that’s just business as usual.
LINK: https://www.insider.com/inside-london-billionaires-row-property-interactive-2019-11
That’s all for this week! Thanks for reading and Godspeed!