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Gog Watch
Sitting On Top of the World
By Gary Stearman
It is no secret that Vladimir Putin is in
the process of consolidating his power in
Russia. On May 7, 2000, he was elected
President of the Russian Federation. In
2004, he was reelected for a second term.
The Russian populace saw in him a way to
put the country’s rampant corruption and
gangland activity to a stop. But as is often
the case, the one called in to exterminate
the rats becomes the new leader of the rats.
Lately, his opponents have mysteriously
begun to disappear. Putin’s henchmen have
quickly stepped in to fill the gaps. Bit by bit,
power is being transferred to his inner circle.
Russia is once again a total police state.
His KGB background and his internal
political connections have given him the
opportunity to take charge. He is rapidly
building a vigorous nationalism. He prom-
ises that the new Russia will no longer be a
beggar on the world scene, but a proud, new
Russia staked its claim to billions of dollars worth of oil and gas reserves in the
force for the twenty-first century. Among
Arctic Ocean when two mini submarines reached the seabed more than two and a
other things, he has bragged that a new
half miles beneath the North Pole. In a record-breaking dive, the two craft planted a
generation of Russian ICBMs can reach any
one meter-high titanium Russian flag on the underwater Lomonosov Ridge, which
point on the globe. Furthermore, he boasts
Moscow claims is directly connected to its continental shelf. However, the dangerous
that they incorporate a new technology that
mission prompted ridicule and skepticism among other contenders for the Arctic’s
makes them unstoppable.
energy wealth, with Canada comparing it to a 15th-century colonial land grab.
He is clearly in the process of celebrating
his expanding influence, and whipping up century colonial land grab.” support it. But Russia has pressed on.
nationalistic fervor. At times, his audacity is As strange as this report sounds, it trans- “‘We must determine the border, the most
stunning. Nothing illustrates this better than parently reveals the current Russian way northerly of the Russian shelf,’ Mr. Chil-
a strange new development that sounds more of thinking. No country would risk inter- ingarov said on national television before
like fiction than reality. Putin has claimed national ridicule, unless they felt that this the dive, which was billed as the first of its
the North Pole as Russian territory! dangerous and expensive expedition would sort — a descent into the inky darkness far
net them support from its citizens. beneath a large window cut in the ice sheet
The Underwater Flag The New York Times (August 2) adds by a nuclear-powered ice breaker.
As reported in the U.K. Guardian, on interesting detail to the story: “After resurfacing more than eight hours
August 2, 2007, “Russia symbolically “Inside the first of the mini-submarines later, Mr. Chilingarov spoke as if he had
staked its claim to billions of dollars worth to reach the sea floor were two members of been the first to the moon. ‘If a hundred or
of oil and gas reserves in the Arctic Ocean Russia’s lower house of Parliament, one of a thousand years from now someone goes
today when two mini submarines reached whom, Artur Chilingarov, had led the expe- down to where we were, they will see the
the seabed more than two and a half miles dition to seek evidence reinforcing Russia’s Russian flag,’ he said. The flag was made
beneath the North Pole. claim over the largely uncharted domain. of titanium.”
“In a record-breaking dive, the two craft “That claim, which has no current le- Chilingarov played politics to his Russian
planted a one meter-high titanium Russian gal standing, rests on a Russian assertion audience, saying, “Our task is to remind
flag on the underwater Lomonosov Ridge, that the seabed under the pole, called the the world that Russia is a great Arctic and
which Moscow claims is directly connected Lomonosov Ridge, is an extension of scientific power.”
to its continental shelf. Russia’s continental shelf and thus Russian It has been estimated that the Russian
“However, the dangerous mission territory. claim would add nearly half a million
prompted ridicule and skepticism among “Russia submitted its claim in 2001 to an square miles of territory to their country.
other contenders for the Arctic’s energy international commission, which has ruled Of course, it is underwater, but submerged
wealth, with Canada comparing it to a 15th- that the available data is not sufficient to drilling and mining are being done today at
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many sites around the world. Furthermore, Long before cartographers perfected their 39:2: “And I will turn thee back, and leave
the technology is improving at a rapid rate. craft, the Bible already viewed geopolitics but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee
Trillions of dollars are at stake. Looking for- as global realities. Indeed, long before to come up from the north parts, and will
ward, the Russians are hoping for a United Isaiah’s prophecy, Job, the desert-dwelling bring thee upon the mountains of Israel.”
Nations endorsement of their land claim. keeper of flocks and herds, listened to the This phrase is a translation of the Hebrew
Since Russia is the only nation whose Lord describe the globe: iarcah tsaphon [iupm vfrh]. Its precise
modern name (Rosh) is mentioned in proph- “Hast thou commanded the morning meaning is, “from the extreme recesses,
ecy, we watch developments like this one since thy days; and caused the dayspring uttermost or most distant part of the north.”
with surpassing interest. The land called to know his place; In other words, it describes the land of
Magog and its leader, Gog, are principal “That it might take hold of the ends of Magog as extending as far north as one
players in the events of the Tribulation the earth, that the wicked might be shaken can imagine. This, of course, would take
Period. It may just be that Vladimir Putin out of it? us all the way to the North Pole — to that
is that leader. “It is turned as clay to the seal; and they recently-planted titanium flag of the Rus-
With this in mind, Russia’s recent power stand as a garment” (Job 38:12-14). sian Federation!
play adds a fascinating dimension to the Not only is it a globe, it rotates, just as Biblically, the Lord has foreseen that lat-
interpretation of Bible prophecy. an ancient cylindrical clay seal would rotate ter-day Magog would attempt to consolidate
about its axis when rolling out an imprint on its power, even to the uttermost possible
Geography fresh clay. This image must have filled Job northern location. This prophecy is seen
Today, detailed maps and globes of with surprised incredulity. How, he must from Jerusalem’s perspective. In fact, this
Earth’s geography are so common that have wondered, could the Earth turn in such holy city is the prophetic center of the Earth.
they are taken for granted. But in the era of a way? Furthermore, the Lord told him that Jerusalem’s longitude is 35 degrees, 13
the Bible’s origins, maps were a treasured this rotation measures out the “dayspring,” minutes east. Moscow’s longitude is 37 de-
rarity, hand-inked on vellum and papyrus. which is the daily flow of the calendar. grees, 35 minutes east. If we were to extend
Doubtless, the ancient seafarers, such as Jerusalem’s line of longitude northward all
the merchants of Tyre, perfected maps for Judgment From the “North Parts” the way to the pole, it would pass only a few
their trade routes. But their ancient concepts Note that when the Lord speaks to Isaiah miles to the west of the Russian capital, now
probably never dreamed of a spherical map and Job about geopolitics, He speaks in Vladimir Putin’s center of power.
of the planet. terms of bringing “princes to nothing,” and As this is written, a tiny Russian flag sits
Any schoolboy can now hold a globe shaking the “wicked … out of it.” Man’s deep underwater at the northern tip of that
and easily visualize its circular latitude days on a rotating planet are nothing but line — in the uttermost part of the north.
and longitude lines. He can see the United measures for the Lord’s judgment. It seems quite fitting that Mr. Chilingarov,
States, and turn the globe eastward to the With all this in mind, let’s return to Gog’s the Russian parliamentarian who planted it
Middle East. Then, he can rotate it so that prophesied invasion of the land of Israel. there, views it as a permanent fixture. That
his gaze roams northward toward Russia. The prophet Ezekiel lays out the timing, little Russian flag, he said, will be there a
In a single, sweeping exploration, he can place and manner of this invasion in some thousand years from now.
understand the connections and separations detail: His millennial visions may require some
that have ruled economies, politics and wars “Therefore, son of man, prophesy and modification as time passes and the Lord’s
down through the centuries. say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord GOD; In judgment rains down from the heavens.
This is the biblical view — God’s view that day when my people of Israel dwelleth We would again point out (as we have so
— of our world. However, we see only its safely, shalt thou not know it? many times before) that the arrogance of
external aspects. He is able to view it both “And thou shalt come from thy place out Gog will bring about the judgments of the
physically and metaphysically, even as of the north parts, thou, and many people Tribulation. Ezekiel’s prophecy establishes
given by the prophet Isaiah: with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a a definite link between the Russian invasion
“Have ye not known? have ye not heard? great company, and a mighty army: and the “day of the Lord”:
hath it not been told you from the begin- “And thou shalt come up against my “And it shall come to pass at the same
ning? have ye not understood from the people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the time when Gog shall come against the land
foundations of the earth? land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, that my fury
“It is he that sitteth upon the circle of bring thee against my land, that the heathen shall come up in my face” (Ezek. 38:18).
the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are may know me, when I shall be sanctified There can be no misunderstanding about
as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the in thee, O Gog, before their eyes” (Ezek. what is being said here. For many thousands
heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them 38:14-16). of years, the Lord has held His peace, as
out as a tent to dwell in: Here, we see the conjunction of four men have blasphemed Him and trans-
“That bringeth the princes to nothing; he interesting factors. First, Israel is dwelling gressed against Him. His prophets have
maketh the judges of the earth as vanity” safely. Second, the invasion comes from foretold that His fury would be unleashed
(Isaiah 40:21-23). the “north parts.” Third, it comes “as a on a particular day.
Here, the “circle of the earth,” is a meta- cloud,” depicting some sort of aerial and That day is approaching; the tipping
phor for those latitude and longitude lines ground force … a coordinated strike force point is near. A tiny flag at the uttermost
that we take for granted on a myriad of mod- of huge proportions. And fourth, it comes part of the north now stands as a token
ern maps and globes. They trace their way in the “latter days.” As many have written, of supreme arrogance. One man makes a
through our thoughts, as we visualize the the conditions of this prophecy look much proud announcement. He says, “I’m sitting
trade routes of oil and cargo, or the move- as we see them today. the top of the world. Nothing can stop me
ments of armies. From God’s perspective, The phrase “north parts,” is used twice now!” Of course, he is deeply and tragically
their massive plans are as nothing. in this prophecy. We see it again in Ezekiel mistaken. ◆
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