WHAT GOD HAS WROUGHT
A GREAT event has taken place! It is of earthquake proportions in the political scene. A gigantic shifting of power from a central authority to diverse republican control, and its final form is yet developing. Russia, known as U.S.S.R. and under strict Kremlin control, exercised through the feared KGB, is no more. This mighty structure which the world feared and which was known, along with the U.S.A., as the mightiest of nations, was demonstrated to have “feet of clay” on which the superstructure balanced precariously. The economy was utterly incapable to meet the needs; only about a third of the harvest reached the shops; its distribution, processing and preserving powers practically nonexistent. Even the military, so feared, were astounded at seeing how far advanced were the western powers in the Gulf War. So much is coming to light now that the charade of Marxian government has crumbled.
But with these revelations a more positive and inspiring truth has blazed forth. The faith is still strong: the prayers have been answered: the miracles are recognized as such. With the freeing from bondage the peoples seem willing to take His yoke upon them, and to accept the guidance of Western Christendom, which truly wishes them well. Just over seventy years have passed since the Bolshevik Revolution and the overthrow of the Czarist government, and the short-term interim government, and this number (70) has a profound Biblical significance implying judgment – and now, suddenly – freedom! The worldwide repercussions will leave the advocates of Communism as a political factor speechless. Terrorists who hide behind this facade will have no covering for their acts.
Cuba, Cambodia and other Eastern countries will lose support. The A.N.C. will be on its own. China will have to watch its status and relationships with other powers. Liberation Theology, which has such a grip on the churches in all the continents, is discredited. Truly a worldwide upheaval.
And students of Bible prophecy will have to do some rethinking. Not necessarily on the prophecies themselves, but on the timing. Ezekiel, chapters 38 and 39, will certainly be fulfilled as will the last five verses of Daniel, chapter 11. And Zechariah! And Joel! Over one hundred years ago Dr. Aldersmith, in his The Fullness of the Nations, and later David Davidson, and later still, present-day teachers have pointed out that Ezekiel 38 and following can only have their fulfilment AFTER Israel has been restored to the land. And they meant the whole twelve-tribed Israel, not the present inhabitants of Jerusalem; the Israelis. But no such restriction applies to Daniel 11: “. . . at the time of the end.” The present Mid-East turmoil centering on a conference of the nations involved, could well precipitate this. We must prayerfully wait and see.
Over a year ago my studies and lectures seemed directed at the wonderful eleventh chapter of Isaiah and the coming government of the Christ, our Lord and Saviour. In a past edition of The Ensign I wrote an article The Recovery of the Remnant, based on verse 11:
“And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set His hand, the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria.”
It was IN Assyria that ten-tribed Israel were placed when taken captive by Shalmaneser:
“… in Halah and Habor by the river Gozan.”
It was FROM Assyria that they went out on their long journey, through the Caucasus, to a place “… where never man kind dwelt”. This was a place called Arsareth, according to II Esdras, on the NW shores of the Black Sea.
Now it seems that we may be seeing Isaiah 27:12, 13 about to be realized, for “one by one” not necessarily corporately or nationally, but individually at least, Israel is to be regathered, for “… the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria.”
What was spoken and written at the time seems now to have been a forecast of what is and has happened in the past three weeks and now, (September 6) those peoples are now to have a new freedom, are to be self-governing republics deciding their own futures, in alliance or not with their colleague republics. The Baltic countries which came under Russian control by the infamous Yalta conference, will be completely free and recognised by the West as such. But look at the others! MOLDAVIA, amongst the first to claim independence is the Arsareth region that Israel settled. ARMENIA (the name comes from Aram, son of Shem and it was the Armenians, who later allied with Israel, settled Afghanistan. It is mentioned twice in the Bible. The UKRAINE. Here is where the tombstone inscriptions make clear that Israelites lived and were buried. Here Volodymyr the ruler, accepted Christianity in 988 and Ukraine, of Israelitish origin, also became Christian. He was the third in line of great Varangian rulers, and these Varangians were the Vikings, known later as Norsemen and Normans. And the ancient RUSSES, or Rosh of Benjamin, the largest of the republics is, under Yeltsin, determined to have its independence and banking, under its own control.
We could go on listing the Galatians of RUMANIA, the Celts of AUSTRIA, the Sarmatians of LITHUANIA, descendants of Israel’s Median allies. East of the Caspian, too, are regions where ancient Scythian artifacts have been found.
How wonderful is the promise that He will seek out his sheep! That the “other sheep” will also be gathered, And that ALL Israel “… shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem ” .
Admittedly great political and geophysical changes will have to be made. But they will be! His promises stand!
