The Foreign Ministry of Russia reported on January 17, 2024 that Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is expected to sign a new interstate treaty with Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi. According to Reuters, the new treaty was “in the final stages of being agreed.”
Last month, Putin and Raisi worked through the details of expanding the cooperation between the two nations on political, trade, and military fronts during five hours of talks.
According to Maria Zakharov, spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, “This document is not just timely, but also overdue. Since the signing of the current treaty, the international context has changed and relations between the two countries are experiencing an unprecedented upswing.”
Last November, the Kremlin said that Russia was working with Iran to strengthen their relations, “including in the field of military-technical cooperation.” Reuters notes that “Iranian authorities have said military cooperation with Russia is expanding day by day. Iran said in November it had finalized arrangements for Russia to provide it with Su-35 fight jets, Mi-28 attack helicopters and Yak-130 pilot training aircraft.”
Both the United States and Israel have rightly expressed concern about the deepening ties between Russia and Iran. As noted in my last article, “Iran Only Needs One Week to Make Enough Weapon-Grade Uranium for Its First Nuclear Weapon,” Iran is committed to the destruction of the United States and Israel.
For example, less than a month after Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists murdered 1,200 Israelis, raped women and young girls, and took over 240 people hostage, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khameni, declared, “The situation between America and Iran is this: When you chant ‘Death to America!’ it is not just a slogan – it is a policy. . . . “If it were not for America’s support, if it were not for the support of U.S. weapons, the corrupt and artificial Zionist regime [Israel] would have been destroyed in the first week. It would have collapsed. The Americans are behind this.”
By strengthening ties with Iran, Putin is sending a clear message to Israel, the United States, and the West. In fact, Putin’s upcoming treaty with Iran reinforces the message that he has been sending to Israel since October 7, 2023. Let’s review what Putin has said and his government has done since Hamas attacked Israel on that horrific day in Israel’s history:
- October 13, 2023 – Putin equated Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip with Hitler’s “siege of Leningrad during World War II.” (Jerusalem Post)
- October 26, 2023 – Mikhail Bogdanov, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and Putin’s Special Envoy to the Middle East, hosted representatives from Hamas and Iran in Moscow. The purpose of their meeting was to address the ongoing war with Israel and to discuss ways to stop the “Zionist crimes supported by the United States and the West.” The Times of Israel reported that the “Hamas delegation also praised the position of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the efforts of Russian diplomacy.”
- November 1, 2023 – Russia’s representative to the United Nations (UN), Vasily Nebenzya, stated during an emergency special session of the UN General Assembly, “The only thing they can muster is continued pronouncements about Israel’s supposed right to self defense, although as an occupying power, it does not have that power. . .” (Jerusalem Post)
- December 14, 2023 – Putin praised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after Erdogan declared his support for Hamas and insisted that Hamas is “not a terrorist organization.” Putin said of Erdogan, “He is certainly one of the leaders of the international community who is paying attention to this tragedy and doing everything to change the situation for the better, to create conditions for long-term peace. God bless him.” (Breitbart)
Is Putin a friend of Israel? No. Why are these developments important when it comes to understanding the events of the latter days? Because Russia and Iran will play significant roles in the events leading up to the Great Tribulation. As I have shared repeatedly, both in print and during the Blessors of Israel podcasts, the Battle of Gog and Magog will precede the Great Tribulation according to Ezekiel 38-39. During the Battle of Gog and Magog, there will be an alliance of nations against Israel which will be led by the leader of Russia, “Gog, prince of Rosh” (Ezek. 38:4). “Persia,” modern-day Iran, will be part of that alliance which will attack Israel “in the latter years” (Ezek. 38:5, 8). These nations will “devise an evil plan” against Israel and with overwhelming force “come like a storm. . . like a cloud covering the land” (Ezek. 38:9-10).
In the midst of this great opposition, God will come to Israel’s rescue and pour out His “blazing wrath” upon her foes in order to deliver Israel from certain destruction through a series of cataclysmic judgments (Ezek. 38:18-23). First, God will send a “great earthquake in the land of Israel. . . and all the men who are on the face of the earth will shake at My [God’s] presence; the mountains also will be thrown down, the steep pathways will collapse and every wall will fall to the ground.” Second, the invading armies will turn on each other because God will “call for a sword against him on all My [God’s] mountains. . . Every man’s sword will be against his brother.” Third, God will send a deadly “pestilence” upon Israel’s enemies and “with blood I [God] will enter into judgment with him.” Finally, God will rain down upon the invading armies “a torrential rain, with hailstones, fire and brimstone.”
God’s judgment against Israel’s enemies will be so severe that it will take Israel seven months to bury their enemies and seven years to gather and destroy their weapons (Ezek. 39:9-16). This divine deliverance will be in keeping with God’s promise to Abraham, “I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse” (Gen. 12:3).
These developments between Russia and Iran are setting the stage for the events prophesied by the prophet Ezekiel 2,600 years ago. And through it all, God will reveal Himself to Israel and the many nations so that they will know that He is the Lord (Ezek. 38:23).
Watch and pray. Stay alert and intercede for Israel.
by Dr. Matthew Dodd | January 18, 2024