Russia in the Middle East: Return of the Bear

“...I will turn thee (the Russian Gog) back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army... Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them...” Ezekiel 38:4,5. It is now fifteen years since The Bible Magazine published an article entitled “Hungry Russia: A Bear Robbed of her Whelps...” At that time (1998) Russia had lost its Soviet empire, and few expected a speedy recovery, but now the BBC runs a headline on its web-site declaring: “Russia in the Middle East: Return of the Bear!”
The turning back of Russia was foretold in Ezekiel chapter 38:4 where Russia, as Gog “the prince of Rosh,” is addressed by the God of Israel saying:

“I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws...” But He continues to say: “and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army...”

So this teaches us that there would be a temporary arresting of Gog’s (Russia’s) progress, followed by a come-back, or return. That is what news headlines are indicating now.

An article in the Daily Telegraph (London, Nov 15, 2013) said:

“Russia is launching a new front in its attempt to wrest power in the Middle East away from America, dispatching a high-level delegation to sell arms and influence in Egypt.

“Both the foreign and defence ministers, Sergei Lavrov and Sergei Shoigu, will meet their opposite numbers in Cairo on Thursday...”

“The rapprochement between Egypt and Russia, four decades after President Anwar Sadat threw out the Soviet advisers cultivated by his socialist military predecessor, Col Gamal Abdul-Nasser, is part of a crunching shift in the geopolitics of the Middle East.”

A slightly different view of the situation was suggested in a report on the Israeli website Arutz Sheva. This stated:

“Some analysts posit that the visit doesn’t necessarily signify a Russian replacement of the US military alliance.

“Mohamed Gomaa, a political analyst at al-Ahram center for Political and Strategic Studies, told Al Arabiya that ‘Egypt’s foreign affairs are being restructured, but relations with Russia shouldn’t be seen as a substitute for ties with the United States,’ adding ‘the current Egyptian decision-makers have no intention to drift away from the U.S. at this period.’

“In 1979, when Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel, the US began gifting an annual $1.3 billion in defense and economic aid, and the Nile state shifted from Russia towards America.

“Currently as rapprochement appears imminent between Egypt and Russia, Gomaa noted that while Russia can be an additional source of military equipment, unlike the US Russia intends to sell weapons, and not give them away for free.”

Bible prophecy leads us to expect that Egypt will not escape the coming advance by the northern “king.” Daniel 11:40-43,

“And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.”

It is with considerable alertness then that we watch current developments, as the news follows the path predicted in the Scriptures of Truth.