I won't be surprised if I get flamed for this comment but I feel I've been betrayed by not only Obama but also by the Republican party. Any useful idiot by now should realize that behind the scenes they operate as one party and only put on a drama so the regular American can beleive he/she is living in a democracy. It's obvious Republicans and Democratic politicians are not there to serve "the people" anymore.

If there is one lesson to be learned from the Egyptians it is the fact that it's way overdue for the regular American to get off his duff and completely revamp the political elite on both sides of the aisle. The many can actually tell the few what to do. But apparently Americans are too dumbed down to realize this.

Dear Eastview and All,
In the interest of full disclosure, the interpretation I’m going to give here comes out of my background as a Baptist. My early preachers considered themselves “fundamentalist,” and though a more “politically correct” title would be “evangelical,” much of Scriptural interpretation regarding prophecy is the same. This view would be considered Pre-tribulation and Pre-Millennial. I realize that some do not agree with that view, and if you will make me aware of a blog where that discussion goes on, I’ll be glad to meet you there.

I referred to Ezekiel 38 which tells of an attack on Israel. The prophecy is spoken against “Gog of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.” This was interpreted in the churches of my upbringing as Russia/USSR, with the names, Meshech and Tubal, said to be ancient references to Moscow and Tobolsk on one hand, and cities in the Crimea on another. Gog is also identified with Russia because Scripture says this enemy will come against Israel from the far North. Along with Magog, the names of Gomer and Togarmah are mentioned. This grouping is also seen in the Genesis 10 genealogy of Noah as descendents of Japheth, one of Noah’s three sons. Ethnologists believe these peoples migrated east out of Asia Minor, spreading as far as areas beyond the Black and Caspian Seas. In speaking of descendents of Magog, Dr. Chuck Missler refers to the Scythians, who “terrorized the southern steppes of Russia from the Ukraine to the Great Wall of China,” from the tenth to the third centuries BC. Identified as descendents of Gomer, Joel Richardson states the Cimmerians were a people of Cappadocia, part of central Turkey. Some believe they are the progenitors of the Germanic and East European peoples. The peoples of Togarmah, also descendents of Gomer, are considered to be from southeastern Turkey near the Syrian border.

Of the other allies of Russia in this attack on Israel, the one everyone seems to agree on is Persia (Iran). Others mentioned in Ezekiel 38:5 are “Cush” (the upper Nile region, roughly modern Sudan) and Put (northern Africa, thought to include Libya, Algeria, Morocco and Tunis according to Walid Shoebat). In Daniel 11, considered to be parallel passage, the “King of the South” is mentioned. This was always thought to refer to Egypt according to my pastors.

Ezekiel 38:13 mentions Sheba (modern Yemen), and Dedan, which is now believed to be located in Saudi Arabia along the shores of the Red Sea, west of Medina. Also mentioned is Tarshish, thought by some to be modern Spain or even England. These latter three seem to watching as the countries above attack Israel. Interestingly, in Daniel 11:41, it is mentioned that Edom (another area of northern Saudi Arabia), Moab (east of the Dead Sea) and Ammon (roughly Jordan) will be “rescued.” In a recent talk, Missler questioned whether Ezekiel 38:13 shows these three “nations” watching as Russia and it’s allies attack Israel, perhaps because they have been defeated earlier, or are in no position economically to join in.

For many years, the question was why Russia would attack Israel. It took the discovery of oil and industrialization to answer it. Like other industrialized nations, Russia has allied itself with countries that have extensive oil reserves. However, while Russia has been known to attack its own Jewish citizens, until the discovery of oil, I am unaware of anything that would cause Russia to attack anyone so far south of its borders. The same can be said of what many believe to be China’s army (Rev. 9:16) of 200 million men. If they were not allied with Iran, Iraq, and the other oil-producing countries of the Middle East, I can think of no special reason why they would come against Israel. Yet all of these peoples are mentioned, and we can now see them coming together exactly as Scripture said they would.

Finally, I should mention the books I have used in preparing this. Dr. Chuck Missler is the author of Prophecy 20/20, and is responsible for the information on the Scythians and Cimmerians. Joel Richardson’s excellent book, The Islamic Antichrist: The Shocking Truth about the Real Nature of the Beast is the source identifying some of the more obscure nations mentioned. Finally, Jerusalem Countdown by Pastor John Hagee provided the information on the migration of Noah’s descendents. I recommend all of these books which can be found at most good Christian and secular bookstores, or through Amazon and similar online retailers.