A curious phrase in Daniel 11 shows Libya and Ethiopia in alliance with the King of the North at the time of the end:

(v40) … the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown…

In verse 43 we read:

 …the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps...

Let us look at the use of this phrase in various translations:

The YLT: “Lubim and Cushim are at his steps."

The ESV: “the Libyans and the Cushites shall follow in his train."

The NIV: “the Libyans and Nubians in submission."

The words used in this word “steps” is “mits’ad” (Strong’s #4703). Gesenius describes it as “in his footsteps” i.e. “in his company”. It is derived from the word tsa’ad (Strong’s #6805), meaning to march, strep, stride, cause to march. A similar idea is expressed in Judges 4:10 of the armies that marched with Barak:

 “And Barak called out Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh. And 10,000 men went up at his heels, and Deborah went up with him.” (Judges 4:10 ESV)

The ancient nation of Cush, called Ethiopia in Daniel and Ezekiel.

We are told the Libyans and the Cushites (a geographical area containing Sudan, Eritrea, and Northern Ethiopia), are to be marching with the King of the North, or Russia, during the time of the end.

This is corroborated by the words of Ezekiel, identifying these tribes with the Gogian invasion at the time of the end:

“Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:” (Ezekiel 38:5)

Here the reference is to Ethiopia (or Cush) and Libya, (or Phut). The area of  the Lubims and Put begins west of Egypt and runs across North Africa including ancient Carthage covering modern Libya and Tunisia.

These areas were hotly contested during WWII when Rommel battled Montgomery making place names such as Tobruk and Tunisa famous for the battles fought there. However, the battle for Africa shifted from Nazi Germany vs. the Britain to the Soviets vs. America.

The Cold War

A Cold War emerged after the Second World War, where the great game revolved around two super powers, the Soviet Union and the United States of America. They both developed sphere’s of influence and defence: America with NATO and the Soviets with the Warsaw Pact.

The Korean, Vietnam, Afghanistan wars were all part of this great game where the contest was played out in lands remote from the super powers.

Africa and the Middle East were also drawn into the vortex. The Soviets and Americans vying for influence and control.

When the Soviet Union collapsed from 1989-1991 America was left to stand alone in a vacuum. Many wrote Russia off as irrelevant. Under Yeltsin it seemed this was the case.

America was able to act unilaterally across the globe without much opposition. In this vacuum smaller nations became belligerent, such as Iraq, sparking the first Gulf War. In 1998 the US and NATO bombed Yugoslavia, Russia’s ally.

A Newsweek article observed this past September:

Moscow’s influence in Africa was at its peak during the Soviet era, as Russia jostled with Western powers for dominance, posting KGB agents across the continent and sending weapons to Communist insurgents in Cold War proxy conflicts. But the collapse of the USSR triggered a decline in influence in the 1990s. Economic chaos forced Russia to wind down its overseas activities.

The status quo in the Arab world was shaken following 911 when America sought to hunt down those responsible for the attack on its homeland. The Taliban regime in Afghanistan and the Iraqi regime under Sadam Hussein were both overthrown by American-led coalitions. Russia was still out of the game.

Russia was slowly rebuilding itself under Putin. Putin had cemented his popularity within Russia with the Chechen War in 1999.

A decade later, the Arab spring swept through the Middle East, sparking regime change in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. The CIA worked behind the scenes in an endeavour to manipulate the outcome, but the situation boiled out of control.

The Arab spring hit Libya, and NATO began a military intervention in 2011. The intervention eventually led to the collapse of the government with the death of Libya’s leader, Muammar Gaddafi. Russia protested NATO’s involvement but was unable to stand in its way.

An New Cold War

Russia was reawakening in its own intervention in the Ukraine, invading and annexing Crimea in 2014.

The Arab spring was still percolating in the Middle East and Syria appeared to be its next victim. Then, following Barak Obama’s lame red line, Russia was asked by Syria for assistance, which it rushed to give. 

A new cold war has begun to cast its shadow over the world, and the great game has started up again. 

Back in April, Stephen Sackur of BBC’s Hard Talk, interviewed Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow about the new Cold War.

Here is an excerpt from the interview:

Reporter: The Secretary of the UN, António Guterres, said the other day:

“The Cold War is back with a vengeance, but also with a difference, because now the safeguards to manage the risk of escalation are no longer present.” That is a truly frightening thought. You’ve been foreign minister for 13 years, is this the most scary time that you have lived through?”

Lavrov: The safeguards, one of the safeguards is having normal channels. The channels between us and the UK have been closed by the British, with all agencies fighting against terrorism, between the military. It was dropped long ago by the initiative of London. NATO-Russia Counsel, which was a very useful mechanism to promote confidence and transparency, was closed by all practical purposes by NATO, who only wants to discuss Ukraine in that body. The European Union closed all the avenues of cooperation with Russia except talking with us on Syria and other things.

Reporter: Do you feel you are in a new Cold War?

Lavrov: I think it is worse, because during the Cold War there were channels of communication, and there was not an obsession with Russo-phobia, which looks like genocide by sanctions.

There you have it folks, confirmation by the Russian Foreign minister that we are living in a revival of the Cold War… but a more serious one.

A New Contest

This new cold war has seen the growth of a contest between world powers. We are seeing the shadow of the Russia cast over specific nations in Africa.

At the end of June, Sergey Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister was interviewed by Britain’s Channel 4 News.

Lavrov: I think we are in the Post-West world order, but this order is being shaped. It will take a long time. It is a historical epoch, if you want. Certainly, after five or so centuries of domination of the collective West, as it were, it is not very easy to adjust to new realities. There are other powerhouses economically, politically, financially: China, India, Brazil, African countries are going to be very much on the rise, as soon as they resolve at least some of their conflicts which are there on the continent.

Russia certainly would like to be an independent world player. Independent in the sense that we don’t want to violate an international law norms….but the decisions we would be taking on the basis of international law would not be influenced by pressure, money, sanctions, threats, or anything else…

The contest to shape the new world order has seen Russia becoming involved in Africa once again, as it was during the Cold War. A Newsweek article entitled ‘Battle for Africa’ observed:

As the Trump administration reduces America’s diplomatic and military footprint, Putin’s vision for Africa expands. Moscow seeks to become a major security partner to counter international isolation, to combat a growing jihadi threat and to profit from the continent’s natural resources. There’s potential to increase its naval foothold and foster support among leaders there for its global actions, undermining the U.S. and limiting the West’s ability to maneuver.

From the shores of the Mediterranean Sea to the veld of southern Africa, Russia’s moves disrupt a status quo that has existed since the early aftermath of the Cold War.

Ethiopia With Them

Specifically, Russia is imbedding itself into African states that make up the ancient nation of Cush, described by both Daniel and Ezekiel as being in an alliance with Russia in the time of the end under the name of Ethiopia. These nations include Sudan, Eritrea and Northern Ethiopia.

Eritrea

On September 2nd, Voice of America ran a headline: “Russia-Eritrea Relations Grow with Planned Logistics Centre.” The article stated:

Russia and Eritrea expanded their diplomatic relationship Friday when Moscow announced plans to build a logistics center at a port in the East African country.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov disclosed the plans at a meeting with a high-level delegation from Eritrea, according to RIA, a Russian state-owned news agency....

For Russia, it’s the latest effort to forge alliances with countries in Africa, following multiple trips to the continent this year by Lavrov to discuss military, economic and diplomatic partnerships…

Eritrea faces U.N. sanctions against specific individuals, along with an arms embargo. It’s hoping to use evolving diplomatic relationships to build momentum to remove the penalties. Lavrov said Friday that sanctions against Eritrea should be lifted.

Eritrea is part of ancient Cush, and Russia is discussing military partnership with them. This is in keeping with Ezekiel’s description:

“And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:” (Ezekiel 38:4)

It is an armed confederation that joins the Gogian confederacy, and Russia is actively arming its compatriots who will “march in its footsteps” (Dan 11:43). The port it is developing is on the Red Sea.

Sudan

Sudan also makes up part of ancient Cush. In July the Middle East Monitor ran a headline, “Russia and Sudan look to develop military cooperation.” The article stated:

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with his Sudanese counterpart Omar Al-Bashir on Saturday, with both leaders pledging to develop military cooperation in the near future.

“We have good opportunities to develop relations in a wide range of sectors, including defence technology,” said Putin. “This cooperation is developing.” He noted a substantial growth in trade and an increase in Russian wheat exports to Sudan.

Al-Bashir hailed Russia for encouraging shifts in defence technology and military cooperation: “We see big exchanges between specialists in Russia and Sudan,” he told Putin. “A large number of Russian specialists work in our country and this is why we praise highly the role that your country plays in preparing Sudanese military personnel.”

The government in Khartoum hopes to enhance Russian investments in Sudan, especially in the gold, oil and gas fields, and to use the income to fund the modernisation of its army’s weapons.

Newsweek commented:

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir—wanted by the International Criminal Court for genocide and war crimes—visited Moscow. There, he expressed an interest in purchasing Russian-made jets and an air-defense system, inviting his hosts to build a base on his country’s Red Sea coast and insisting that Sudan needed “protection from the aggressive actions of the United States.”

Last December, Alexander Kots, a journalist for a pro-Kremlin newspaper, posted a video that purportedly shows Russian instructors training local soldiers in the Sudanese desert. Breaking years of silence on the Kremlin’s shadow wars, one Russian veteran group recently said Moscow is sending private military contractors into foreign war zones, including CAR, Libya and Sudan. Separately, another contractor described malaria-stricken mercenaries returning from deployment in Sudan.

Not only is Russia supporting Sudan with weapons to modernize its army, it is also looking to help exploit its oil and gas fields. Weapons, oil and gas is a recurring theme.

Ethiopia

The third nation involved in the geographical area of Cush is Ethiopia. Earlier this year, the Russian news agency TASS ran a headline stating: “Russia, Ethiopia preparing intergovernmental agreements on military cooperation”. The article reported:

Russia and Ethiopia are drafting intergovernmental agreements in the area of military technical cooperation and education, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said following the meeting with his Ethiopian counterpart Workneh Gebeyehu on Friday.

"We have discussed training of two groups of Ethiopian diplomats, postgraduate courses at the Diplomatic Academy of Russia's Foreign Ministry. We have delved into cooperation in the area of military technical field. Additional intergovernmental agreements, memorandums are being drafted on all mentioned agreements to strengthen the contractual basis of contacts," he said.

So Russia has been involving itself in all three of the nations that make up the geographic area of Cush. It is preparing them military for the role the Bible has predicted for them.

Newsweek also published an article in September entitled: ‘Battle for Africa’: Russia Pushes Into ‘Free Country for the Taking’ In Attempt to Rival the West.

The article stated:

President Vladimir Putin is pushing into Africa, forging new partnerships and rekindling Cold War–era alliances. “There will be a battle for Africa,” says Evgeny Korendyasov, head of Russian-African studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences, “and it will grow.”

The Kremlin is using diplomatic, economic and military tools to prospect for political influence and new markets in Africa—signing multibillion-dollar arms deals, bidding for big construction projects, boosting space communications, exploiting hydrocarbon reserves and launching publicized military interventions, alongside more clandestine operations.

Russia is involved in countering the influence of the “King of the South” forming the alliances the Bible predicts.

Libya

The most notable alliance that hit the news this week was Libya. Russia’s involvement with this nation has been growing. It is a nation that has been embroiled in civil war since NATO helped topple the Gadhaffi regime.

Lavrov, in the same interview with Britain’s Channel 4 News mentioned earlier, laid the fault of the migrant crisis in Europe at the feet of NATO:

I am watching the EU summit that is going on right now, and the discussion on migration brought an interesting thought to my head, namely, it is about the relationship of NATO and the EU.    NATO bombed Libya, turned Libya into a black hole, through which waves of migrants, illegal migrants rushed to Europe.  Now the EU is cleaning the broken China for NATO….

 Now that Libya was invaded in gross violation of the UN Security Council Resolution, that Syria is where it is now, there is another beast that is born: Jakarta Mustra, which changes names, but is another terrorist organization. Whatever the civilized West is trying to bring to the Middle East and North Africa, turns out to be in favor of terrorists....

Russia blames the west for the civil war in Libya. It frustrated when Ghadaffi fell from power, and has thrown its support behind Libya’s new strongman, Kalifa Haftar. The World News ran a piece on Haftar in April of this year:

General Haftar commands the Libyan National Army which is the strongest force in Libya. His forces are better equipped than any other force which includes MIG 21 fighter jets and combat helicopters. His Libyan National Army (LNA) consists of a nationalist coalition of military units, local and tribal militias, Salafi fighters and Sudanese mercenaries, particularly from the Darfuri rebel groups.

It went on to state:

Haftar’s popularity has grown as his military governance structures provide a semblance of stability although his rule seems to be autocratic and undemocratic.

Haftar has visited Moscow multiple times, as was reported earlier on Bible in the News.

In July, the Washington Times ran an article under the headline “Russia moving into Libya”. It reported:

U.S. intelligence agencies are closely monitoring Russian military activities in Libya for signs that Moscow may soon build a military base in the divided North African state.

The push for a Russian military presence in Libya is being led by retired Maj. Gen. Khalifah Haftar, whose militia forces, the Libyan National Army, control eastern Libya. Russian private military forces have been operating in eastern Libya since March 2017, including the RSB Group that has deployed several dozen armed mercenaries to join forces with Haftar militias.

News reports from Libya stated recently that the RSB Group mercenaries are engaged in advance work, scouting locations for a Russian military base in Tobruk or Benghazi.

In addition to RSB, the notorious Wagner Group of Russian mercenaries also is operating in eastern Libya, reportedly to service Gen. Haftar’s Russian-supplied weaponry. Wagner mercenaries also are helping set up an intelligence network for the general’s forces.

This past week, Britain’s SUN ran a headline which stated: Putin 'is planting troops and missiles in eastern Libya in bid to seize control of the biggest illegal immigration route to Europe', UK intelligence fears.

The article stated:

Russian president Vladimir Putin is planting troops and weapons in Libya to establish a strategic stronghold against the west, intelligence chiefs say.

Prime Minister Theresa May has been warned that the country will become Putin's 'new Syria' by using it as a base for missiles.

Two military bases have been set up in the towns of Benghazi and Tobruk under the cover of Wagner Group, a private military firm.

It is believed Moscow's main priority is to take control in the North African country, which is the biggest illegal immigration route to Europe, The Sun Online reports, with fears the influx would be 'like a tap' being turned on.

Kalibr missiles as well as S300 air defence systems are also thought to be on Libyan ground. 

The Kremlin backs General Khalifa Haftar, the country's most powerful warlord. Russia is channeling equipment to his troops in the Libyan National Army.

Haftar has established himself as the military ruler of swathes of the country's eastern regions.

The SUN is a British tabloid, and therefore somewhat questionable, but a Russian publication Meduza stated the following:

While The Sun’s reports are often unreliable and hyperbolic, reporters from the Russian business magazine RBC later verified the story, finding sources who confirm that Moscow has been transferring troops to Libya for several months now….

This publication went on to state:

In 2016 and 2017, Haftar visited Moscow three times, reportedly to ask for Russian military aid. In January 2017, he also received a full-dress parade aboard Russia’s only aircraft carrier, where he video-conferenced with Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu from the ship’s stateroom.

The publication continued:

Additionally, experts say that Russia could dramatically expand its influence in the Mediterranean region with another military outpost.

According to another theory, Russia is trying to gain control over Libya’s oil reserves, which rank 10th in the world. While Libyan oil production is only 20th worldwide, the country has steadily expanded its output in recent years.

This past month, Russia’s publication Sputnik reported:

Roman Panov, CEO of the Russian exploration company Rosgeologia (Rosgeo), discussed with Mustafa Sanalla, head of the Libyan National Oil Corporation (NOC), the conduction of exploration works in Libya.

Again, Russia’s interest in Libya is both military and economical – especially around Oil and Gas.

The New Cold War the world is seeing develop is the preparation of the Gogian confederacy described in Ezekiel:

“Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.” (Ezekiel 38:7)

Strong’s defines the word prepared as “to set up, firmly establish, secure, direct, to make ready” and also to “provide for, furnish, direct toward, and arrange.” This is exactly what Russia is currently doing with the nations it is recorded as being in an alliance with. It is securing them, and furnishing them with arms, making them ready for the conflict that is coming in the very near future.

The question for us, as we watch the Bible vividly alive in the news, is are we preparing for that great day too, so that master will find us as “men that wait” when he comes?