The rise of the kings from the east

The Russian ruble has been increasing rapidly in value, to the point where the Russian central bank has had to work hard to slow it down. Before the sanctions were imposed on Russia a few months ago, it took about 80 rubles to buy one US dollar. The sanctions immediately dropped that figure to 150:1 for a few weeks, as most people thought that Russia’s economy would collapse.

Russia fought back by raising its interest rate from 9.5 percent to 20 percent in a single move. Then they demanded payment in rubles for their oil and gas to strengthen the ruble.

Once everyone figured out that the west was being hurt more than Russia, the value of the ruble increased dramatically, going quickly back to its pre-sanction strength of 80:1. But it did not stop there. Today it is now about 58:1 and is now considered to be the best performing currency in the world. Western currency traders, ironically, were prevented by sanctions from making money on the ruble’s rise.

A few days ago Russia’s central bank lowered interest rates back to the pre-war 9.5 percent.

https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/russias-central-bank-cuts-interest-rates-prewar-level-85308437

The sanctions put the world on a course that cannot easily be reversed. Western politicians apparently failed to see the obvious—that Russia’s economy is based on its commodities, while the economies of the west are based on unbacked money. In their haste to destroy Russia, they shot themselves in the foot. It’s hard to run a race after shooting one’s foot.

First, the sanctions caused the price of oil and gas to double. Russia has plenty of both, and so Russia’s profits doubled. Europe tried—and failed—to stop buying Russian oil and gas. In theory, Russia could no longer sell its oil and gas to Europe, but in practice, Europe had little choice but to continue their purchases from Russia. So they found expensive ways to get around the sanctions. With energy costs doubling, Europe’s economy is now on the ropes.

Meanwhile, the war is going badly for Ukraine, as even some western analysts are now admitting. On June 10 Biden himself began to distance himself publicly from President Zelensky so that he will not be blamed for the failure in Ukraine. At the start of the war, Russia invaded with about 180,000 troops. They faced Ukraine’s well-equipped army of 600,000.

Nonetheless, Russia slowly took more and more territory, in spite of Ukraine’s claims of huge victories. They said the Russians were expending all of their ammunition and would soon be completely helpless. But this turned out to be wishful thinking, and Zelensky soon had to go on a campaign to beg Europe and America for more equipment and ammunition. It is now known that Russia has 10-20 times as much military equipment as Ukraine, and for this reason, the Ukrainian army is on the brink of collapse.

In spite of the bravado coming out of Washington, Biden is now distancing himself from Ukraine.  Zelensky was making speeches recently, telling the world that he would soon raise a million-man army that would drive out the Russians in August. But it takes time to recruit and train an army, and it takes military equipment to fight a war. By the time August comes around, Zelensky might not have much of a country left. The people will blame him for losing the war and for being responsible for needless deaths. It is likely that he is in danger of being overthrown by a military coup.

A Russian victory in this war would have far-reaching implications. It would be seen as a Russian victory over NATO, Europe, and the United States. These are the seat of the one-world government being pushed by Babylon today. For this reason, there would be a shift in the world’s political center of gravity, moving from west to east.

So I believe that a Russian victory in Ukraine is inevitable and that it will deliver a huge blow to the Babylonian seat of power that is centered in the west.

The Kings from the East

I have believed for many years that the rulers of Russia and China are the modern “kings from the east” that are mentioned in Revelation 16:12,

¹² The sixth angel [the Angel of Pure Influence] poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates; and its water was dried up, so that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east.

In the days of the prophet Daniel, these kings were Cyrus of Persia and Darius the Mede. They diverted the Euphrates River in order to capture the city of Babylon. This established a prophetic pattern for the overthrow of modern Mystery Babylon. If this were not so, John would not have mentioned this in his prophecy of the future.

Many Bible teachers tell us that this is a reference to China. Some even include Russia. However, most of them think of this prophecy negatively, thinking that China and Russia will invade the Israeli state. But, in fact, the historic pattern shows that God had raised up Cyrus and Darius to overthrow Babylon, so that the captives of Judah might be set free to return to the old land. Hence, these “kings from the east” are not the enemy but represent God’s deliverance.

They are enemies only to Babylon—not to God’s people. Of course, if we side with Babylon, then the kings from the east are viewed as the enemy. But you are not among such people, because the Scriptures have been opened to you.

The Medes and Persians are no longer the kings from the earth. They were pattern setters that prophesied of events that are unfolding in front of our eyes today. I wrote about the work of the Angel of Pure Influence in The Revelation, Book 6, chapter 7. It is the angel that was seen pouring out the sixth bowl of wine upon Babylon. His purpose was to raise up Russia and China to overthrow Babylon, so that the captives in Babylon could be set free to build (rebuild) the Kingdom.

Today, the Euphrates River signifies the liquidity of the banking and financial system, through which Babylon rules the world. Rivers have “banks” and water currents (currency). Currency is Babylon’s source of life and fruitfulness. Euphrates means “fruitful.” What Cyrus and Darius did physically (in drying up the Euphrates) is now being fulfilled on a higher level. The banking and financial system of Babylon is being “dried up” by the sixth angel to prepare the way for the seventh angel who oversees Babylon’s fall.

The war in Ukraine, I believe, is part of the work of the seventh angel. For this reason, the western Babylonian leaders see Russia as an existential threat. By their words and actions in recent months, they have made it clear that if Russia wins in Ukraine, they are finished. I believe they are right! But most people view this war as just a conflict between those two countries. They do not see the deeper picture, because they do not understand Revelation 16.

Drying Up the Red Sea and the Jordan

Precedents for the overthrow of Babylon were set many centuries earlier when God dried up the Red Sea and, 40 years later, dried up the Jordan River. Drying up the Red Sea lured Pharaoh’s army to their destruction. Drying up the Jordan River prepared the way for the fall of Jericho—a prophetic type of Babylon.

When the angel of God dried up the Euphrates to enable Cyrus and Darius to take down the city of Babylon, the prophetic precedents had already been set in the days of Moses and Joshua. But Revelation 16 prophesied of another fulfillment of the same pattern. That is what we are seeing today. Understanding the plan of God in prophecy gives us the divine perspective of world events, so that we may align ourselves with His plan and put on the mind of Christ.

By seeing how Cyrus and Darius were “the kings from the east” in earlier times, and knowing God’s purpose in raising them up to overthrow Babylon, we are able to interpret modern events in light of God’s purpose and plan. Though China’s oppressive government is the model by which the Babylonians intend to oppress us, God has no such intention. We need not fear China’s threats, because God has not lost control of the situation. The precedents have already been established, and we are now seeing those patterns repeated on a grand scale.

This is why I comment on current events, particularly in regard to the banks, the financial system, and the war in Ukraine.

Remember that Darius established “120 satraps” (provinces with governors) and put “three commissioners” over them (Daniel 6:1, 2). The chairman of the three commissioners was Daniel himself. This set a prophetic pattern, comparable to Pharaoh’s elevation of Joseph (Genesis 41:41). This pattern will soon be repeated in a new context in our day.

So if we know the prophetic patterns of Scripture and in history, we will look upon current events with new eyes, seeing the world as God sees it and not as men see it with carnal eyes. Carnal eyes see things that bring fear; spiritual eyes see things that bring hope and faith.