The Russian Bear

Russian Adventurism in Ukraine, and soon, against Israel.

Chapter 1

A bear is an animal with a large appetite. The bear has symbolized Russia for many years. Bears try to take what they want. They don't mind using intimidation to get their way.

We've had problems with bears at our national parks. Park visitors have been advised not to feed the bears, or the bears will expect more.

Polar Bears have made a nuisance of themselves in Canada. I understand they've built a Polar Bear prison at Churchill, Canada, to cope with the Polar Bear problem.

The Russian adventurism in Ukraine is personified in Vladimir Putin, head of state of Russia.

Apparently, the worst day of Putin's life was the day that the U.S.S.R. broke up, and now Putin would apparently like to put it back together for Mother Russia, and for the glory of Russia.

But there's a legitimate way to endeavor to advance one's nation, and its economy and industry and quality of life, and there are illegitimate ways.

Putin has grabbed Crimea from Ukraine by force. The excuse was given that the people there felt more like Russians than Ukrainians.

And Putin is trying to take part of Eastern Ukraine. Someone said he wants a land bridge to Crimea.

That's no surprise.

But if the Crimeans had really felt so strongly about being Russian, how is it that they didn't try to secede from Ukraine prior to the time Putin came along and started stirring the pot?

No, I believe that's just an excuse Putin has used to justify his land grabbing that he has wrongfully done.

The events there derive from Putin's orchestration and choreographing of that business.

Perhaps the United States could do something about it, but on the other hand, the U.S. can't really be Policemen to the whole world, now can we? Nor should we try to do so.

What we might try to do is provide some humanitarian aid, such as to starving people in the world.

It's a pity that Ukraine let its defenses get so weak that they were not able to defend themselves against Putin.

But I've heard that many of the leaders that Ukraine has had were more interested in looting their nation than in advancing their nation's interests.

If that's the case, then naturally, when Putin got grabby, Ukraine's defenses were weak.

But there is scripture that shows that Russia will also have designs on Israel.

Chapter 2

Here is a passage of scripture from the book of the Prophet Ezekiel--

___Ezekiel chapter 38

1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

2 "Son of man, set your face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him,

3 And say, thus says the Lord God, see, I am against you, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal,

4 And I will turn you back, and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you forth, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all kinds of armor, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords,

5 Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them, all of them with shield and helmet,

6 Gomer, and all his bands, the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands, and many people with you.

7 Be prepared, and prepare for yourself, you, and all your company that are assembled to you, and be a guard to them.

8 After many days you shall be visited, in the latter years you shall come into the land that has been brought back from the sword, and has been gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, that have always been waste, but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.

9 You shall ascend and come like a storm, you shall be like a cloud to cover the land, you, and all your bands, and many people with you.

10 Thus says the Lord God, it shall also occur that at the same time shall things come into your mind, and you shall think an evil thought,

11 And you shall say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages, I will go to those who are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,

12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey, to turn your hand on the desolate places that are now inhabited, and on the people that are gathered out of the nations, that have gotten cattle and goods, that live in the land.

13 Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions of it, shall say to you, have you come to take a spoil? Have you gathered your company to take a prey? To carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?

14 Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog, thus says the Lord God, in that day when my people of Israel live safely, shall you not know it?

15 And you shall come from your place out of the north parts, you, and many people with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company, and a mighty army,

16 And you shall come up against my people of Israel, like a cloud to cover the land, it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring you against my land, so that the heathen will know me, when I shall be made holy in you, O Gog, before their eyes.

17 Thus says the Lord God, are you he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days many years that I would bring you against them?

18 And at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, says the Lord God, my fury shall come up in my face.

19 For in my jealousy and in the fire of my anger I've spoken, surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel,

20 So that the fish of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep on the earth, and all the men that are on the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.

21 And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, says the Lord God, every man's sword shall be against his brother.

22 And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood, and I will rain on him, and on his bands, and on the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and sulphur.

23 Thus I'll magnify myself, and make myself holy, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the Lord."

___Ezekiel chapter 39

1 "Therefore, you son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, thus says the Lord God, see, I am against you, O Gog, the top prince of Meshech and Tubal,

2 And I will turn you back, and leave but one sixth of you, and will cause you to come up from the north parts, and will bring you on the mountains of Israel,

3 And I will strike your bow out of your left hand, and will cause your arrows to fall out of your right hand.

4 You shall fall on the mountains of Israel, you, and all your bands, and the people that are with you, I will give you to the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.

5 You shall fall on the open field, for I have spoken it, says the Lord God.

6 And I will send a fire on Magog, and among those who live carelessly in the islands, and they shall know that I am the Lord.

7 So will I make my holy name known among my people Israel, and I will not let them pollute my holy name anymore, and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy one in Israel.

8 See, it has come, and it's done, says the Lord God, this is the day about which I have spoken.

9 And those who live in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the hand staves, and the spears, and they shall burn them with fire for seven years,

10 So that they shall take no wood out of the field, neither cut down any out of the forests, for they shall burn the weapons with fire, and they shall spoil those that spoiled them, and rob those that robbed them, says the Lord God.

11 And in that day, I will give Gog a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the travelers on the east of the sea, and it shall make a stink in the noses of the travelers, and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude, and they shall call it the valley of Hamongog.

12 And for seven months shall the house of Israel be burying them, so they can cleanse the land.

13 Yes, all the people of the land shall bury them, and it shall be to them a renown, the day that I shall be glorified, says the Lord God.

14 And they shall separate out men of continual employment, passing through the land to bury with the travelers those that remain on the face of the earth, to cleanse it, after the end of seven months they'll search.

15 And the travelers that pass through the land, when any sees a man's bone, then shall he set up a sign by it, 'til the buriers have buried it in the valley of Hamongog.

16 And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah. Thus shall they cleanse the land.

17 And, you son of man, thus says the Lord God, speak to every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, assemble yourselves, and come, gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice on the mountains of Israel, so you can eat flesh, and drink blood.

18 You shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan.

19 And you shall eat fat 'til you're full, and drink blood 'til you're drunk, of my sacrifice that I will have sacrificed for you.

20 Thus you shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, says the Lord God.

21 And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid on them.

22 So the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day and forward.

23 And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity, because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies, so they all fell by the sword.

24 According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions have I done to them, and hid my face from them.

25 Therefore thus says the Lord God, now will I undo the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy on the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name,

26 After they have carried their shame, and all their trespasses by which they have trespassed against me, when they lived safely in their land, and no one made them afraid.

27 When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies' lands, and am made holy in them in the sight of many nations,

28 Then they'll know that I am the Lord their God, who caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen, but I have gathered them to their own land, and have left none of them there anymore.

29 Neither will I hide my face any more from them, for I have poured out my spirit on the house of Israel, says the Lord God."

Gog is a northern nation, says the Power Bible, and Magog a barbarous northern region. Russia has been known for its barbarism.

Russian soldiers raped women in conquered nations during World War 2.

And Russia is in the north.

Bible scholars say that Gog and Magog represent Russia, or possibly Russia and Germany, perhaps in alliance with one or more other nations.

When they come against Israel, God's fury will come up in his face (Ezek 38:18)

In Ezek 39:2, God will fight against them, and will leave only one sixth of those who go against Israel.

So again, as so many times before, God will fight for Israel.