Before we consider these two questions, we will briefly review a few points regarding Russia and Bible prophecy.

From the prophets, we understand that at the time of the end Russia will be a great power. As has been considered many times on Bible in the News, in Ezekiel 38, the latter day invasion of Israel is led by Russia. The Roman Empire, the eternal enemy and the power which destroyed the Jewish nation in AD 70, is represented in the image of the kingdom’s of men, in Daniel 2, as the two iron legs. There are two iron legs because the Roman empire divided into two parts, an eastern, Greek leg based in Constantinople and a western, Latin leg based in Rome. Russia traces its political ancestry from the Eastern Roman, or Byzantium Empire. Historically when Constantinople fell to the Turks, the new capital became Moscow. In Daniel 11, which focuses on the Greek side of the Roman Empire — the king of the north, again is the one who plants himself in the holy mountain, at the time of the end. From Daniel 2 we also understand that the great image of the kingdom of men will stand complete in the last days, before the Lord Jesus Christ leads its destruction, as the little stone power. The great image is destroyed together and so therefore it must stand together. (Daniel 2:35,44) This necessitates the coming together again of the Eastern and Western legs, which today would include the European Union and Russia.

It may not seem like it today, but the goal of the Roman Catholic Church and the European Union, has been to unite Europe from the “Atlantic to the Urals”. To unite Russia and Europe. While it may not seem like it, the war taking place in Ukraine, is the result of NATO pushing eastward. One could say, in an effort to unite Europe. This however, would make Russia a part of NATO and really dominated by the European Union. Russia pushed back. What is really happening in Ukraine, is a war to determine who will dominate a united Europe.

In the “Erasmus” religion and public policy section of the Economist, on March 20, 2013, there was an interesting piece entitled, "One lung or two”. It was written on the background of a historically significant meeting at the time, between the newly enthroned Roman pope Francis and the head of the Greek Orthodox Church on March 20th, 2013.

The article began:

"CHRISTENDOM has two lungs, eastern and western, and to be really healthy it must learn to breathe with both of them. That metaphor was first used by Russian religious philosophers of the late Tsarist era: thinkers like Vladimir Solovyov, who was fascinated by Catholicism and felt that eastern Christians could learn from the Western church's relatively active presence in the world. The image was taken up again by Pope John Paul II. ...

"On the face of things, the Christian world has moved a bit closer, over the past 24 hours, to acquiring a fully operative respiratory system. Bartholomew I, the Patriarch of Constantinople and therefore "first among equals" in the Orthodox hierarchy, attended yesterday's inaugural mass for the new pontiff. The Istanbul-based cleric pointed out that he was the first Orthodox Patriarch to be present at such an event since the formal east-west split of 1054, when his predecessor was rudely excommunicated by a papal legate. Today the new pope received Patriarch Bartholomew and they exchanged warm words about the need to work for full reconciliation.”

So there is an effort to unite Europe, both religiously and politically. Currently there is a war, which may determine who will dominate Europe militarily and potentially also politically.

Now, let’s consider whether Russia is losing the war.

Reading any of the mainstream western media, one gets the impression that Russia is losing the war, in fact, that the country is on the brink of collapse. An example of this is a short article on Newsweek, today. The headline is: "Russian Death Toll Soars Past 130,000 as War Nears 1-Year Mark: Ukraine”. The second paragraph says,

"The war will hit its one-year mark on February 24, and the amount of Russian losses keep mounting at a rapid rate. The Ukraine Defense Ministry stated Saturday that 720 Russian soldiers died the previous day, bringing the total to 130,590 dead Russian soldiers on the war's 346th day.”

Well from this, you would definitely understand that Russia is being defeated. However, this also highlights a major problem with western reporting. The figures are coming directly from the "Ukraine Defense Ministry”. It is easy to see the problem with this. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry, for many reasons, will obviously try and create the impression that they are winning the war, whether to convince their own soldiers and civilians that the war is worth fighting, to convincing western governments that victory is an achievable goal.

It seems like the western mainstream media, has simply been the mouth piece for the Ukrainian government. What is exactly happening is difficult to ascertain. Of course the Russian news sources, report a very different story, however, it has hard to find these reports, as the Russian media has largely been banned in the west. I have followed some of these new sources on the Telegram app. For example, in stark contrast to what the western media is reporting, the last couple of days, the Russian media has reported, that: the settlement of Belogorovka, has been liberated from Ukrainian forces; that Russian forces struck two Ukrainian army brigades in the Zaporozhye area, and; that Russian forces struck over 70 Ukrainian artillery units at firing positions, etc., etc.

Russia has a tremendous manufacturing capability, without relying on others. The Russian forces can fire 20,000 shells a day with no worries of running out. The west simply does not have that manufacturing capability and are beginning to run low on supplies.

The conservative news site, the Gateway Pundit, has had a number of pieces analyzing the situation, by  Larry Johnson. Most of them concluding that Russia is winning and it is the Ukrainian side that is suffering heavy losses. Here are some examples:

Untold Reality of Russia’s Wagner Group In Bakhmut Ukraine, First Hand Account, What the Media Won’t Tell You.

Sane, Responsible Policymakers Should be Looking for Off-Ramp in Ukraine – But They’re Not

If You Can’t Win On The Battlefield, Get The Media To Publish Fantasy

Meanwhile, the western sanctions simply have not worked as a way to defeat Russia and have probably done more damage to the western economies.

So despite what we read in the mainstream media, Russia is in fact not losing the war and in fact may be doing quite well. It is difficult to tell what is happening on the ground, as neither side is most likely telling the truth.

Why then is the war dragging on?

At this point it is difficult to answer this question and time will make the picture clearer. However, two important results are being seen as a result of the protracted war.

1. As I considered on Bible in the News early last year, the protracted war has spurred many Jews to leave Ukraine and Russia and make Aliyah to their homeland Israel. If Russia had simply walked into Kiev and took over Ukraine in a virtually bloodless coup, it is quite likely that the Jews left in Ukraine and Russia would not have had the same impetus to flee from the land of the north.

The Jerusalem Post reported on December 22, 2022, that: "Israel receives 70,000 new immigrants in 2022, highest rate in decades. An analysis of Aliyah trends in 2022 reveals that most olim this year came from Russia and Ukraine.”

This is an exciting and wonderful fulfillment of prophecy, witnessing the hand of the Almighty, continuing to bring His people back at the time of the end!

2. The second effect, of the war being dragged on, is that the west is getting more and more dragged into the war. Economically and militarily. Their economies are being weakened. Their supplies of armaments are being run down. The west itself is getting into a precarious situation. Again, if Russia had simply taken Ukraine in short order, this would not have happened. Time will tell the long term effects of this and it could be momentous.

As those many Jews found in Ukraine and Russia, it was suddenly time for them to go. For believers in the last days, it will be the same. Let us remember the blessing of Revelation 16:15.

"Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.”

Even so come Lord Jesus.

This has been David Billington with you for Bible in the News. Come back every week God willing, to www.bibleinthenews.com