Russia has declared itself to be the guardian of Syria, so there must surely be some action - or preparation for it! That is what we would expect. But considerable preparations have already been made by Russia - especially in the matter of weapons. Our recent issue of the Bible Magazine reporting on Vladimir Putin’s ‘State of the Nation’ speech given in March focussed on Russia’s nuclear weapons which he claimed to be “invincible” and capable of penetrating any of the United States defences.

It has become clear that whatever alliances may exist, the main antagonists are Russia and the US, with Britain being “the closest ally” of the latter. As we have pointed out in the April issue of the Bible Magazine (page 6) the United States has a mission to protect Israel, and as a quotation from John Thomas writing in 1851 says:

“If... no refuge, no asylum for the civilization of the age had been provided, the night of ‘the Dark Ages’ would return, and the world be submerged in barbarism as in feudal times. But this calamity has been provided against by the extension of civilization and its establishment in the New World. All that is worth preservation in arts and science, and in social life, has become naturalized in the United States; so that if Europe with all its appurtenances were to be blotted out tomorrow, the surviving nations would still advance in their career of social improvement. Hence  the mission of the United States is to defend and preserve the civilization of the age from extinction in the transition of the old world from its present state to the Age of the Kingdom of God.  This transition period is a time of sore trouble—the time of God’s judgment upon Europe because of its superstition, blasphemy, and crime” (Herald of the Kingdom, 1851, page 246).

“Syria Latest” declared the UK Express, “British tourists on Red Alert to flee Cyprus amid World War 3 fears.”

As Christadelphians have said for well over a century—Russia will be at war with Britain. We reproduce a cutting from the 1885 Bible Lampstand (see above). Ezekiel’s prophecy urges Gog to be prepared—and that is what Russia is doing today—“preparing.” Russian warships have been passing through the English Channel for over a year and their activity has been reported on several occasions.

A recent example was reported on December 2nd, 2017 - under the headline: Putin’s game of ‘cat and mouse’ with Britain continues on the water.

“ ‘It’s very straightforward—the risk today and more so in the future is that countries like Russia and China already have capability that could hold the UK homeland at military risk at very short notice. We can’t really deal with that.’”

That is the situation as seen by the military men. It points to a very poor prognosis for Britain’s survival in the coming crisis.

As we prepare this edition of the Bible in the News, London’s Daily Telegraph says: Russia Lauches Cyber war on UK with ‘dirty tricks’ campaign as Boris Johnson warns we must guard against Attacks.”

It is now nearly 20 years ago that John Ramsden wrote the following in the Bible Magazine Vol. 12, # 1,

“One can only wonder “Who will survive when the God-appointed time comes for the Russian Amalekite to make his descent to the coasts of Chittim?”

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We do not know what the immediate future holds of course, but current events are very ominous as we consider these things. It seems quite certain that there is Trouble Ahead for Tarshish-Britain, but we ourselves must be prepared and ready for any eventuality in these stormy times.