Armenia and Azerbaijan fighting over the region known as Nagorno-Karabakh
On 29 September, the clashes spilled over to Daşkəsən on the Armenian–Azerbaijani state border ()
Violent military clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan have accelerated the past several days with some fearing an all-out war:
September 29, 2020
MOSCOW — The current military conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh dates back to the fall of the Soviet Union when the two fought a bloody war over the territory.
The mountainous region is historically claimed by both Armenians and Azerbaijanis. As the two countries gained independence amid the Soviet collapse in the late 1980s, ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh sought to unite with Armenia.
The resulting six year war between 1988 and 1994 caused an estimated 30,000 casualties and displaced hundreds of thousands before a ceasefire brokered by Russia ended large-scale fighting.
But Armenia and Azerbaijan never signed a peace treaty and the conflict has remained unresolved …
The war left Nagorno-Karabakh as majority Armenian after hundreds of thousands of Azeris were forced to flee and with an Armenian-backed government in control. The enclave of 150,000 people is still recognized internationally as Azerbaijan’s and the country has never given up its claim.
Fighting has frequently occurred since. …
Why does it matter?
There are fears that the intense fighting could escalate into a full-scale war between Armenia and Azerbaijan that could pull in major regional players, in particular Turkey and Russia. …
Turkey’s strong backing of Azerbaijan complicates efforts to end the fighting around Nagorno-Karabakh, in particular by the traditional power broker in the region — Russia. Moscow has close ties to both Azerbaijan and Armenia. But it has a formal security pact with Armenia, a military base in the country, and in recent years Azerbaijan has turned more toward Turkey.
That security agreement puts Russia in an uncomfortable diplomatic position. … The Kremlin has signaled it has no desire for such a conflict and called for an immediate halt to the fighting, urging Turkey to persuade Azerbaijan to return to talks. https://abcnews.go.com/International/armenia-azerbaijan-fighting/story?id=73310472
September 29, 2020
Turkey has taken a strong stance on the side of Azerbaijan amid open conflict with Armenia that broke out early Sunday in the contested mountainous area of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The territory, which falls within sovereign Azerbaijan but has been run by a majority of Armenians, has been in dispute between the two nations since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.
The two countries have maintained a fragile ceasefire since 1994, though the most recent outbreaks of fighting have occurred in 2016 and in July.
The international community, including the United States, has called for a cessation of hostilities and a return to negotiations between Baku and Yerevan, although Erdogan has called for Armenia to withdraw from Nagorono-Krabach and has reportedly sent fighters to assist Azerbaijan.
Both Armenia and Azerbaijan have blamed the other as the aggressor, with reports of dozens killed and hundreds wounded, including civilians. Observers have raised the alarm that the use of heavy weapons and drones are a worrying sign of a wider conflict that could draw in the international community. https://thehill.com/policy/international/518794-biden-says-turkey-must-stay-out-of-armenia-azerbaijan-conflict
Armenia certainly does not want Turkey involved. Each year, the Armenians mourn over a genocide caused by Turkish troops over a century ago (see 105th anniversary of the start of the Armenian genocide).
Armenia basically believes that the area known as Nagorno-Karabakh was historically Armenian, and since the overwhelming majority of residents are Armenian, and since they do not want to be under Azerbaijani control as they have repeatedly asked for Armenian assistance in military and other matters, that Azerbaijan should not be involved in that territory.
The basic Azerbaijan view seems to be that since Nagorno-Karabakh was under the control of the Azerbaijan Soviet Republic, and that in the 1980s the Azerbaijanis were displaced, that it wants territory it considers to be its own back.
Thus, both sides feel that they have something to fight for.
In a prophecy related to the times we are now in, Jesus said:
4 “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. (Matthew 24:4-8)
We are in the ‘beginning of sorrows.’ The first horseman of the Apocalypse spreading a false interfaith and ecumenical gospel has been becoming more and more prominent on the world scene the past several years–and we also have seen a certain taking of peace from the earth within the past year (watch also Sorrows and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse).
Here is number 7 from my article 20 items to prophetically watch in 2020:
7. Strife and the Red Horse of War
Notice the following:
3 When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come and see.” 4 Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword. (Revelation 6:3-4)
Somewhat paralleling the ride of the second horseman of Revelation 6:3-4, Jesus warned about wars and disturbances:
6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. (Matthew 24:6-7a)
“Nation … against nation” is literally “ethnos … against ethnos” in the original Greek. Notice how the Orthodox Jewish Bible translates the first half of Matthew 24:7:
For there will be an intifada of ethnic group against ethnic group, …
We expect to see more wars, rumors of war, and civil unrest.
It should be noted that the opening of this second seal for the red horseman’s ride IS NOT the Great Tribulation, as that does not begin until the 5th seal of Revelation is opened (Revelation 6:9). But more and more it looks like peace is being taken away from the earth (watch also Sorrows and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse).
Jesus said that before the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21), that we are to expect wars, rumors of wars, and various sorrows (Matthew 24:4-8).
Related to the end times, we put out the following sermon:
1:15Revelation 6:1-8 shows the opening of four seals and discusses the rides of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Each of which appears to be associated with aspects of the “beginning of sorrows” that Jesus mentions in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. What do each of the horsemen represent? Did the old Worldwide Church of God teach that these rides were still in the future in the late 21st century? Could any have began in the 21st century? Does the rider of the white horse represent Jesus or false religion? Are there ties to the interfaith and ecumenical movements? What might the bow the horseman has represent? Could this be a tie to Satan the Devil? What about the Beast and False Prophet? Has the “beginning of sorrows” started? Could the first seal be opened? Could COVID-19 have anything to do with the second seal? Has “the peace” been taken from the earth? Could the rider of the red horse have begun with an opening of the second seal? What about riots, looting wars, and rumors of war? Are food inflation, food shortages, and famines associated with the opening of the third seal and rider of the black horse of famine? Could human actions such as evolution teachings, genetically-modified crops, and viral research be factors in the rides of the four horsemen? Is more than death related to pestilences associated with the rider of the pale horse, the fourth seal? Why might this be a factor in 666? Will most people fail to recognize the rides of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse until it is too late to take action? What about the fifth seal and the start of the Great Tribulation? Are there problems with Roman and Eastern Orthodox prophecies concerning the end and the Great Monarch? What about prophecies related to Noah, the King of the North, Armageddon, and Antichrist? Dr. Thiel covers these issues and also includes some speculation and analysis.
Here is a link to the sermon video: Sorrows and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
Biblically more violence is expected.
Russians and Armenians tend to be Orthodox Catholics. Officially they are known as the Moscow Patriarchate (known as the Russia Orthodox Church) and the Armenian Apostolic Church. While they are not exactly the same, they are fairly close religiously. The Azerbaijanis and Turks tend to be almost exclusively Muslim.
Armenia knows it has a defense pack with Russia and, while some Armenians would likely prefer more direct Russian involvement at this time, the prophetic reality is that it and Russia are prophesied to be together militarily in the future. Armenia (called Ararat below) and others near that region of Asia are prophesied to be involved with the Northern power (king of the Medes–Russia–below):
27 Set up a banner in the land, Blow the trumpet among the nations! Prepare the nations against her, Call the kingdoms together against her: Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Appoint a general against her; Cause the horses to come up like the bristling locusts. 28 Prepare against her the nations, With the kings of the Medes, Its governors and all its rulers, All the land of his dominion. 29 And the land will tremble and sorrow; For every purpose of the Lord shall be performed against Babylon, To make the land of Babylon a desolation without inhabitant. (Jeremiah 51:27-29)
Armenia decided in December 2014 to join the Eurasian Union, now Eurasian Economic Union (EEU/EAEU)–so it has official economic as well as military ties with Russia.
Russia would like to avoid direct military involvement, but may feel it has no choice if Azerbaijani forces clearly attack the interior of Armenia itself (as opposed to border regions only).
Whether or not Russia intervenes militarily over what is happening now, military ties between Armenia and Russia are prophesied to remain.
Russia and Armenia look prophesied to cooperate through the time of Armageddon. Azerbaijan may wish to consult scripture and reconsider.
Some items of possibly related interest may include:
The Eurasian Union, the Kings of the East, and Bible Prophecy Is there a Eurasian union that will be formed? Are any leaders working on that in the 21st century? Does the Bible teach that there will be a Eurasian union? What about the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU)? A related video would be Is The Eurasian Union Rising?
Russia and Ukraine: Their Origins and Prophesied Future Russia in prophecy. Where do the Russians come from? What about those in the Ukraine? What is prophesied for Russia and its allies? What will they do to the Europeans that supported the Beast in the end? There is also a video sermon available: Russia in the Bible and in Prophecy and a video sermonette available: Ukraine in Prophecy?
Is Russia the King of the North? Some claim it is. But what does the Bible teach? Here is a link to a video, also titled Is Russia the King of the North?
Ezekiel 38: For Russia & Iran in Our Day? Is Ezekiel 38 about to be fulfilled? Are we close to the battle with Gog and Magog? Three related videos are available: Ezekiel 38 Gog and Magog War: Is it Soon?, Ezekiel 38: For Russia, Ukraine, & Iran Now?, and Russia, Iran, Syria, & the Bible (Code).
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse What do each of the four horseman of the Apocalypse represent? Have they began their ride? Did Jesus discuss the any of this? Might their rides coincide with the “beginning of sorrows? Do they start their ride prior to the Great Tribulation? Did Nostradamus or any other ‘private prophets’ write predictions that may mislead people so that they may not understand the truth of one or more of the four horseman? There is also a related YouTube video titled Sorrows and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
20 items to prophetically watch in 2020 Much is happening. Dr. Thiel points to 20 items to watch (cf. Mark 13:37) in this article. Here is a link to a related sermon: 20 Prophetic Items to Watch in 2020.
World War III: Steps in Progress Are there surprising actions going on now that are leading to WWIII? Might a nuclear attack be expected? Does the Bible promise protection to all or only some Christians? How can you be part of those that will be protected? A related video would be Is World War III About to Begin? Can You Escape?
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse What do each of the four horseman of the Apocalypse represent? Have they began their ride? Did Jesus discuss the any of this? Might their rides coincide with the “beginning of sorrows? Do they start their ride prior to the Great Tribulation? Did Nostradamus or any other ‘private prophets’ write predictions that may mislead people so that they may not understand the truth of one or more of the four horseman? There is also a related YouTube video titled Sorrows and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
Turkey in Prophecy Do you know the Turkish people descended from? Did the Ottoman Empire possibly fulfill a promise in Genesis? Will Turkey support the European King of the North or Arabic King of the South? Will it betray one of them? Will Turkey be involved in the encouraging the destruction of Israel? Is Turkey going to become Catholic? Is Turkey mentioned in Psalm 83, Daniel 11, and elsewhere in the Bible? A related video is also available: What Should You Know About Turkey in Prophecy.
The Great Tribulation: What Happens First? What events have happened? What are some events that are now happening? And what events need to happen for the Great Tribulation to start? Here is a link to a related sermon video: Counting Down to the Great Tribulation.
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2020, 2021, or 2022? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede la Gran Tribulación comenzar en el 2020 o 2021? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon videos: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives and Can the Great Tribulation begin before 2020? A shorter and newer video is: Could the Great Tribulation Begin in 2020? Here is a link to the Spanish version of that video: ¿Podría la Gran Tribulación comenzar en 2020?
The Times of the Gentiles Has there been more than one time of the Gentiles? Are we in it now or in the time of Anglo-America? What will the final time of the Gentiles be like? A related sermon is available and is titled: The Times of the Gentiles.
Armageddon Who is involved and when will this gathering happen? Here is also a video from Dr. Thiel, from Tel Megiddo in Israel: Armageddon. Other videos include: Armageddon Will it come on Trump’s watch?, Iraq, Armageddon, & Prophecy, Freemasonry, Armageddon, and Rome, Is China paving roads to Armageddon?, and Jordan, Petra, and Armageddon.
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