America has six more months of political seas and waves roaring before the decision is made as to who will ascend to the seat of power. The pathetic infighting within the different parties and within the entire political system reveals deep fissures in American political society that is leading to its downfall. The fabric of society is torn. The “greatest nation on earth” is descending into chaos. Vladimir Putin of Russia waded in on what is happening in America, stating:

"The whole world is laughing at what is happening [in the United States]," he said. "This is just a disaster, not a democracy.

"Is it democratic to use administrative resources to attack one of the candidates for the presidency of the United States, using the judiciary among other things?" he asked, making an apparent reference to four criminal cases against Republican candidate Donald Trump.

The words of the Lord ring true:

“And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.” (Mark 3:24)

Although dubbed the most powerful nation in the world, America is looking more and more like a mangy lion. It is paralyzed by internal unrest, this past few weeks seeing its learning institutions being overrun by the antisemitic Hamas-sympathetic mobs. The once great “ivy league” institutions that stood as the incubator for future leaders in business and politics have now been dubbed the “poison ivy league.” If the future leaders of America are coming from these poison wells, one can only shudder to think of what America will look like in 20-30 years when these Jew-hating ignoramuses become senators and congressmen. The young leaders of the French Revolution overthrew the institutions of the day, putting to the guillotine all the leaders of the country, only to end up losing their own heads at the very same instruments they used on others.

America is proving itself to be the bruised reed that will pierce the hand of Israel if it leans upon it, instead of upon its God. To force its will on Israel, America is withholding arms it had promised to deliver. PBS reported on Wednesday:

As it targets Hamas’ underground tunnels in Gaza, Israel has relied on powerful 2,000-pound bombs provided by the United States. But now those deliveries are on hold.

The U.S. is pausing a shipment of 1,800 of the bombs, as well as 1,700 500-pound bombs, U.S. officials said. The decision comes as Israel is planning an assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah in an attempt to root out the final elements of Hamas.

Britain abandoned the Jews after the Second World War, turning to favour the Arab states in the geo-political aftermath of the war. It cost Britain their empire, and forced the Jews to push for their own state.  The promises to Abraham come into mind:

“And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” (Genesis 12:3)

Every American except Trump has pushed for a the illusive two-state solution. The pressure tactics of Biden are no different from those of Clinton, Bush and Obama.

On Holocaust Remembrance Day Netanyahu had the following to say:

We are fighting on two fronts: The first, the fanatical regime in Iran and its terror proxies, who act with the clear intention to destroy us; the second, the antisemitic volcano eruption that spits burning lava of lies against us, all around the world.

 I say this simply: The suppressed antisemitism in the West, that bubbled under the surface ever since the Holocaust, is now rearing its ugly head.

 Previous generations spread lies of how Jews poisoned wells, used the blood of children to make matza, and spread disease. Today, they spread new lies, that we are committing genocide and causing famine in Gaza. This could not be further from the truth.

The lie has become truth, truth turned into lies. As the prophet Isaiah said: 'Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that change darkness into light, and light into darkness.'

 This madness has reached the most prestigious campuses in the West. Jewish students, supporters of Israel, are facing threats, slander and harassment. They are scared to be seen with any Jewish symbols: their yarmulkes, prayer shawls, Stars of David. Jewish professors and academics are beaten up and humiliated. Brainwashed bullies break into classrooms and break the windows.

 This is reminiscent of things that happened in German universities in the 1930s. Yes, they broke windows too. Only this time, it is happening in America in 2024.

Moving from Hebrew and addressing his audience in English he was clear:

Eighty years ago, in the Holocaust, the Jewish people were totally defenseless against those who sought our destruction.

No nation came to our aid.

Today, we again confront enemies bent on our destruction.

I say to the leaders of the world, no amount of pressure, no decision by any international forum, will stop Israel from defending itself.

As the Prime Minister of Israel – the one and only Jewish state – I pledge here today from Jerusalem on this Holocaust Remembrance Day:

If Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone. But we know we are not alone because countless decent people around the world support our just cause. And I say to you, we will defeat our genocidal enemies.

 Never again is now!

On the eve of Independence Day Netanyahu made the statement:

"We are on the eve of Independence Day. In the War of Independence 76 years ago, we were the few against the many. We did not have weapons. There was an arms embargo on Israel, but with great strength of spirit, heroism and unity among us – we were victorious.

Today we are much stronger. We are determined and we are united in order to defeat our enemies and those who want to destroy us.

If we need to stand alone, we will stand alone.

I have said that if necessary – we will fight with our fingernails.

But we have much more than fingernails and with that same strength of spirit, with God's help, together we will win."

Israel won the war of Independence with God’s help. It is God who has placed Israel back in the land, whether the world likes it or not. This is the Father’s doing and marvelous in our eyes.

When President Bush vowed to pull America out of the Middle East, 911 happened, plunging America even deeper into the conflict zone. The Biden Administration is quick to forget the perpetrators of 911, and walk back from its ally in the Middle East. What will be in store for America? We wait to see what the angelic hand will bring about.

However, on the other side of the world stage, Russia is a great double headed eagle rising from the ashes. It’s leader, Vladimir Putin, has crushed all dissent, and has ascended the vertigo of power yet again. CBC Reported:

President Vladimir Putin won a record post-Soviet landslide in Russia's election on Sunday, cementing his already tight grip on power in a victory he said showed Moscow had been right to stand up to the West and send its troops into Ukraine.

Putin, a former KGB lieutenant colonel who first rose to power in 1999, made it clear that the result should send a message to the West that its leaders will have to reckon with an emboldened Russia, whether in war or in peace, for many more years to come.

The outcome means Putin, 71, is set to embark on a new six-year term that, if he completes it, will see him overtake Josef Stalin and become Russia's longest-serving leader for more than 200 years.

Putin won 87.8 per cent of the vote, the highest ever result in Russia's post-Soviet history, an exit poll by pollster FOM showed.

Regardless of Putin’s tight grip on power, the Russian people showed up in record numbers to vote, with about 75% of the population giving Putin an 87% support. Whatever the West may think, Putin is popular with Russians, restoring the country to its former glory. This is more important to most Russians who long for Russia to stand proud once again.

Putin has survived Bill Clinton, George Bush, Barak Obama, Donald Trump and Joseph Biden – 5 American presidents in all. He has survived Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, and Rishi Sunak – 7 British Prime Ministers. 10 years younger than Biden, 6 years younger than Trump, he may be around for a while to come.

The inaugural ceremony in the gilded halls of the Kremlin left nothing to be desired. The pomp and ceremony with which Putin strolled through the fawning crowds of Russia’s elite was second to none. The rousing Russian anthem, enthusiastically sung rang through the halls of power.

In his inaugural address, Putin clearly summed up Russia’s aggressive militarization:

In these solemn and responsible minutes of assuming the office of the President, I would like to sincerely thank the citizens of Russia in all regions of our country, the residents of our historical lands, who defended the right to be together with the Motherland. I want to bow to our heroes, participants in the special military operation, everyone who fights for the Fatherland.

Unlike America, that is fraying on every level, Putin spoke of the uniting fabric of Russian society:

I am confident that support for centuries-old family values ​​and traditions will continue to unite public and religious associations, political parties, and all levels of government.

Putin spoke of Russia’s role in uniting nations around the world:

We have been and will be open to strengthening good relations with all countries that see Russia as a reliable and honest partner. And this is truly the global majority.

Whether he knows it or not, it is Russia’s destiny to unite a “great company” under its banner as defined by the scripture:

“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)

Putin stressed his mission to break the western monopoly on the world stage:

Together with our partners in Eurasian integration and other sovereign development centers, we will continue to work to form a multipolar world order and an equal and indivisible security system.

A multi-polar world order is in keeping with Daniel’s vision of a “king of the north” and a “king of the south” as recorded in Daniel 11:40-45. Daniel indicates they will focus on the Middle East as the battleground to challenge each other for the top position.

Putin’s goal is to make Russia great again based on core traditions:

We must ensure reliable continuity in the development of the country for decades to come, raise and educate young generations who will strengthen the power of Russia, develop our statehood, which is based on interethnic harmony, preserving the traditions of all peoples living in Russia, a country-civilization united by the Russian language and our multinational culture.

He made it clear that world conquest is his goal, stating:

We are answerable to our thousand-year history and our ancestors. They conquered seemingly inaccessible heights, because they always put their Motherland first, they knew that they could only achieve truly great goals together with their country and their people, and they created a world power, our Fatherland, and achieved such triumphs as who still inspire us today.

We confidently look forward, plan our future, outline and are already implementing new projects and programs that are designed to make our development even more dynamic, even more powerful.

We are a united and great people, and together we will overcome all obstacles and bring all our plans to life. Let's win together!

This bellicose bluster is reminiscent of the words of the King of Babylon recorded in Isaiah:

“For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” (Isaiah 14:13–14)

Following the inauguration, and undaunted by the rain, Putin inspected the Presidential Regiment on its 88^th year anniversary in Cathedral square. He then headed to the Kremlin’s Annunciation Cathedral where Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia held a thanksgiving service. Uniting the political elite, the power of the military, and harnessing the Church, Putin has once again ascended the Russian power vertical.

The day following at the beginning of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council meeting Putin stated:

We note with satisfaction that over the past decade our association has established itself as an independent and self-sufficient centre of the emerging multipolar world.

Back in February, when addressing the Russia Duma, Putin had stated:

Russian industries are working in three shifts to roll out as many products as the front needs. The entire economy, which provides the industrial and technological foundation for our victory, has shown flexibility and resilience. I would like to thank every business leader, engineer, worker and farmer for their responsible and hard work in the interests of Russia.

The idea of a multi-polar world is one Russia is pursuing on multiple fronts. Economically, it has created the BRICS to counter the G7. At one point, Russia was part of what was re-branded the G8, but now has left the club to form its own. When addressing the Duma back in February, Putin stated the following:

We strive to unite the global majority’s efforts to respond to international challenges, such as turbulent transformation of the world economy, trade, finance, and technology markets, when former monopolies and stereotypes associated with them are collapsing.

For example, in 2028, the BRICS countries, with account taken of the new members, will create about 37 percent of global GDP, while the G7 numbers will fall below 28 percent. These figures are quite telling because the situation was completely different just 10 or 15 years ago. You have heard me say it publicly before. These are the trends, you see. These are the global trends, and there is no escaping them since they are objective reality.

Look, the G7 countries’ share in global GDP (Gross Domestic Product) in terms of PPP (purchasing power parity) stood at 45.7 percent in 1992, while the BRICS countries (this association did not exist in 1992) accounted for only 16.5 percent. In 2022, though, the G7 accounted for 30.3 percent, while BRICS had 31.5 percent. By 2028, the percentage will shift even more in favour of BRICS, with 36.6 percent, and the projected figure for the G7 is 27.8 percent. There is no getting away from this objective reality, and it will remain that way no matter what happens next, including even in Ukraine.

Later in his address, he stated:

Russia is Europe's largest economy in terms of gross domestic product and purchasing power parity, and the world’s fifth largest economy. The pace and, most importantly, the quality of growth make it possible to hope and even assert that we will be able to take another step forward in the near future and become the world’s fourth largest economy.

Russia is looking to carve out its own independent place amongst nations, as Putin outlined in his Duma speech:

Independence, self-sufficiency and sovereignty must be proven and reaffirmed every day. This is our responsibility for Russia’s present and future, something no else can do but us. This is about our Motherland, the Motherland of our ancestors, and no one will ever need it and treasure it the way we do – except our descendants, to whom we must pass on a strong and prosperous country.

Putin hung all his promises to Russia on the success of their troops in Ukraine:

Today, making good on all these plans directly depends on our soldiers, officers and volunteers – all military personnel that are now fighting at the front. It depends on the courage and resolve of our comrades-in-arms that are defending the Motherland, going on the offensive, moving forward under fire and sacrificing themselves for the sake of us, for the sake of the Fatherland. It is our fighters that are creating today the absolutely essential conditions for the future of the country and its development.

This is in keeping with the prophetic vision of a Russia that is propelled forward by force of arms:

“Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, Let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: Beat your plowshares into swords, And your pruninghooks into spears: Let the weak say, I am strong.” (Joel 3:9–10)

While America descends into further chaos, Russia is rising to new heights, with its ambitions set on world domination. Israel is being forced to turn away from trusting in man, and must focus its trust on God. This is a process that will take time to bring about, but it is what the scriptures demand.

So we watch as the world reels to and fro, recognizing that “when these things begin to come to pass, our redemption draws nigh.”

For the Bible in the News, this has been Jonathan Bowen joining you.