JD: We're getting information that Russia is eyeing the Mediterranean that basically is on the shores of the European Union and the Middle East as well. What do we know?
KT: The Russians played the long game. We tend not to do that. The Chinese also play the long game. Putin has been working very carefully since he first came to power in 1999 - 2000 to stay in power number one and to rebuild Russia's military and to reassert Russia's interest first in the nearer broad in places like the Ukraine when he ceased Crimea and also Georgia and other places in Eastern Europe. So now he's in the Mediterranean. He's got bases in Syria. He's able to base war ships in the Mediterranean for the first time since the Cold War. He's also in Libya sending fighter jets to Libya, unmarked fighter jets. Very interesting detail that that they do not air Russian government markings. So there may be wiggle room whether Putin is really ready to assert himself if challenged.
This is the important thing, when we have challenged Putin in Syria. There's an incident a couple of years ago where Russian mercenaries working for the Wagner group which is a private military contractor. When they confronted US troops on the ground in Eastern Syria we really cleaned their clock. Some reports say as many as 200 former Russian special forces troops were killed in that confrontation with the Americans. I think Putin wants to avoid that so he tip toes into this using these military contractors such as the Wagner group. But yes he wants to have bases in the Mediterranean. Yes, he wants to begin reasserting Russia's external primacy, the power. He wants to throw his weight around in the world but he's limited by a couple of things Jimmy and the most important of those is his economy. Russia is not an economic super power and they are not about to become one. That is going to limit his ability to expand his power around the world.
JD: Ken Timmerman with the details on Russia's efforts to control the Mediterranean region.
We report this information because it is setting the stage for Bible prophecy to be fulfilled.
Vladimir Putin who has been the head of the Russian government for over 20 years is daily in the process of expanding his power and influence in our world today. In the prophetic pages of the Bible Russia is referred to as Magog that's Ezekiel 38:2. The leader of Russia is called Gog. Now we don't know the identity of Gog. However it could be referring to President Putin. We just don't know if that is the case. What we do know is that Russia will be a major player in the end times. In addition to Ezekiel 38 study Daniel 11:44 which mentions the north which is Russia.
