Does anyone know if Russia pretty much controls the countries that are part of the old Soviet Union?
Some of those new countries like Ukraine have nuclear weapons.
The Soviet countries outside of Russia do not make the news, and wonder how they view the United States.
Some...not all. I was deployed with both Russian and Ukrainian forces in the Balkans. I had no issue with the Ukrainians. We were asked by locals to protect them from the Russians. The USSR simply restructured in order to fight in the new historical context.
How's your view of end times prophecy and Russia's role?
I tend to think that Russia is the Northern Kingdom that tries to destroy Israel.
I am not sure where the exact point of this is in the timeline, but near the start of end time events.
Getting back to the Russians, if high tensions returned to Cold War status, how would these nations like Ukraine, Georgia, Ubekastan, Estonia, Belarus, etc react.
Would Russia occupy them, or would they stand with us?
When I was in the service, it wsa just the Soviet Union, and they were the enemy.
There were no shades of gray.
I see the issues linked. Russia controlling, or influencing, Georgia and the other former USSR states impacts its ability to be the player in end times events that Scripture seems to point towards. They need the resources, influence, and general power to be accomplish what Scripture says.
I have no idea about the loyalty of these states, but maybe Russia could appeal to their sense of common heritage to help their agenda.
There are fifteen states, and each might feel different.
Some are mostly Muslim, and not likely to be as friendly to the Russians.
The world is falling apart. Looking to Europe and the tremendious Muslim influence there makes me wonder the future of NATO. I'm with Webdog--seems this is lining up with End Times prophecy.
There is a general pattern of this downward spiral for sure, regardless of ones end time opinion, such as pre, post, etc.
It is not only nations, but us as individuals.
Our love for each other has grown cold.
Anyone who works with the public, especially retail or the restaruant business, for a few decades say, will tell you that the public in general is multiples of times more rude, demanding, and arrogant than they were some time back.
One can see it daily.
The other day I was in McDonalds, and this woman is shouting at the top of her voice at a kid who put too many pickles on one of the burgers.
It is beyond belief.
I take this as a sign of end times.
Our eyes are so fixed on ourselves, they cannot possibly be looking at Jesus.
Pastor,
Do you remember Kruschev pounding his shoe on the podium of the UN?
LOL
On a serious note, rising tensions with Russia bring back memories of October 1962, when we almost went to WW3 with the Soviet Union over Cuba.
It was as close as we ever got to nuclear war.
...that was a scary moment for anyone in the world, let alone America. I remember going to the LA County Fair, and seeing several displays for "bomb shelters" and wishing that my parents had enough money to build us one.
Of course, we didn't have that kind of money to toss around, and everything worked out for the good, as Kennedy didn't flinch, and, well, we are still all here.
As a side note: every so often, I'll see an ad for a home, and it will say, "converted bomb shelter/rumpus room in the back yard....:thumbs:
To add to a kid being scared during those days in 1962, my Dad had a salesman come by the house that constructed bomb shelters.
The whole situation made the imagination run wild for a ten year old.