Woe, woe, woe: South Africa’s navy conducting exercises with Russia and China
Why is South Africa’s navy joining exercises with Russia and China? https://t.co/6TfL1OpkBd
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) February 17, 2023
The Book of Revelation speaks of three woes (Revelation 8:13).
Could the BRICS nations be involved in any of them?
The BBC posted the following:
Why is South Africa’s navy joining exercises with Russia and China?
17 February 2023
South Africa is holding a joint military exercise with Russia and China that opposition figures say amounts to an endorsement of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. …
The naval exercises, called Mosi, which means “smoke” in the Tswana language, are taking place in the Indian Ocean, off the South African coast.
The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) says 350 members of its armed forces will take part.
Russia has announced it will send its Admiral Gorshkov warship, which carries Zircon hypersonic missiles. These fly at nine times the speed of sound and have a range of 1,000 km (620 miles).
Moscow “will be trying to show that despite its setbacks in the war in Ukraine, its armed forces are still very powerful”, says Denys Reva from South Africa’s Institute for Security Studies. …
“All countries conduct military exercises with friends worldwide,” said Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor, during a visit to her country by her Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in January. …
South Africa is also taking part because its armed forces are underfunded and overstretched, according to Elizabeth Sidiropoulos, head of the South African Institute of International Affairs. …
South Africa’s governing African National Congress (ANC) also has long-standing ties with Russia. …
Russia, China and South Africa also have modern-day ties because they are all members of the Brics alliance. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-64380572
Yes, South Africa considers itself a friend of Russia and China.
The BRICS group consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The BRICS nations consider each other to be allies.
As far as BRICS goes, notice the following which is in my book Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America?:
Those in Iran and some of the Arab lands, along with nations such as Brazil, China, and India have discussed plans for the removal of the dominance of the U.S.A. in global trade as well. The former (again current) President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, even claimed that eliminating the U.S. dollar’s reserve currency status was one of the reasons that the BRICS alliance (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) was formed in the first place. [i] Others have noted that bypassing the USA dollar is still an object of BRICS—and officially BRICS nations “are currently working on setting up a new global reserve currency,”[ii] which may have gold-backing.[iii] The expansion of BRICS (which is in progress) may ultimately even hurt Australian trade as well as “severely weaken primacy of the US Dollar as an international currency.”[iv]
The Bible clearly warns against cheapening the money supply and encourages having money hold its value (Proverbs 25:4 Isaiah 1:25, Ezekiel 22:18-22). Debt is also warned against (Habakkuk 2:6-8). Yet policies enacted under the Obama, Trump, and Biden Administrations, following certain other administrations, have ignored these warnings.
[i] Escobar P. BRICS was created as a tool of attack: Lula. Asia Times, August 28, 2019
[ii] BRICS developing new global reserve currency – Putin. RT, June 22, 2022
[iii] Helms K. Economists Discuss Russia, China Potentially Developing Gold-Backed Currency. BRICS Information Portal, November 11, 2022
[iv]Hunter M. BRICS Is Becoming The Big Kid On The Block: Implications For Australia – Analysis. Eurasia Review, November 1, 2022
BRICS does face challenges. Notice the following from the Financial Times:
Within the Brics countries of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, there is a growing clamour to challenge the dollar’s hegemony. Russian leader Vladimir Putin said last June that the Brics were working on developing a new reserve currency based on a basket of currencies for its member countries. Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said in January the issue would be discussed at the Brics summit in South Africa at the end of August. The statement from Russia is probably best interpreted as a gesture of Russian obeisance to China and a desire to undermine the US. But Brazil president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva also has expressed vague support for the possibility of common currency for the Brics over time, as his country starts preparatory work on a similar project with neighbour Argentina. Some have suggested Brics could develop something akin to the IMF’s special drawing rights, a reserve currency based on a basket of leading currencies. But SDRs are far more diversified with an underlying basket of around 40 per cent dollar, 30 per cent euro, than any Brics equivalent could expect to be. …
The relative performances are stark. Real GDP per capita at constant prices between 2008-2021 rose 138 per cent for China … The most recent IMF data puts China’s share at 73 per cent (72 per cent if South Africa is wedged in). …
China’s dominance is underlined further by the fact that it is a key trade partner for the commodity exporters, which have industrial cycles that clearly track the ebb and flow of the Chinese credit cycle. And after the attack on Ukraine, China’s financial influence over isolated Russia has risen further. It is obvious but Chinese strategic interests are not especially aligned with those of the other countries. …
So not only are there practical challenges in a common Brics currency. In seeking one to challenge US hegemony in foreign exchange, the non-Chinese members of countries of the group may just increase their dependence on Beijing. 02/09/23 https://www.ft.com/content/02d6ab99-ea36-41c4-9ad3-9658bb1894a7
Yes, China is the big economic power in BRICS, though India is rising.
That said, in the Book of Revelation we see the following:
13 And I looked, and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!” (Revelation 8:13)
Notice the word “woe” three times.
Here is something about that in our free online book Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America?:
In the last verse of Revelation 8 (verse 13) the word woe is repeated three times and is later connected to three angels and three trumpet blasts which correspond to the blowing of the 5th, 6th, and 7th trumpets.
The first woe (5th trumpet) is described in Revelation 9:1-11. It involves a demonically-led force which causes torment (perhaps involving a plague of germ or chemical warfare) for those not having the seal of God (Revelation 9:4)—thus those of the 144,000 who were sealed in Revelation 7:4 are not tormented by this.
This woe looks to involve at least some of the European King of the North’s military and is consistent with something from Daniel:
44 But news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many. (Daniel 11:44)
Looking at this verse, what could be north and east of the European Beast power?
Russia, for one, which is both in Europe and Asia. Daniel suggest that it, and some of its allies, will face some of the fury of the King of the North as part of the first woe.
Despite some erroneous claims, Russia, itself, is NOT the prophesied “King of the North,” but it is prophetically pointed to as the power of “the far north” (cf. Ezekiel 38:6, 39:1-2).
Biblically, it should be noted, is that the role for at least a few of the BRICS nations seems to be related to a coming military alliance. Here is something else which is in our free online book Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America?:
Going on from first woe comes the second woe:
12 One woe is past. Behold, still two more woes are coming after these things.
13 Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. 17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone. 18 By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed — by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths. 19 For their power is in their mouth and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents, having heads; and with them they do harm.
20 But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. 21 And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts. (Revelation 9:12-21)
Such a massively large army was not possible to put together when Jesus had John pen the Book of Revelation in the 1st century. In the 21st century, however, it is possible, and that army would be expected to include Chinese, Indian, Russian, and other Asian peoples.
The European Beast empire will not last, but will fear what is coming.
Notice also the following from the Hebrew scriptures:
2 … A people come, great and strong, The like of whom has never been; Nor will there ever be any such after them, Even for many successive generations.
3 A fire devours before them, And behind them a flame burns; The land is like the Garden of Eden before them, And behind them a desolate wilderness; Surely nothing shall escape them. 4 Their appearance is like the appearance of horses; And like swift steeds, so they run. 5 With a noise like chariots Over mountaintops they leap, Like the noise of a flaming fire that devours the stubble, Like a strong people set in battle array.
6 Before them the people writhe in pain; All faces are drained of color. (Joel 2:2-6)
During the second woe, the 200,000,000 man army looks to tie in with Joel 2:2 which discusses some of that army’s expected actions.
Before going further, understand that current projects like China’s Belt and Road Initiative and Europe’s Global Gateway are looking to connect Asia, Europe, and the Middle East in ways that look to be building infrastructure that a 200 million man army would use in order to get to Europe and the Middle East.
Peoples prophetically called Medes are also shown to destroy the final Babylon according to both Isaiah and Jeremiah:
1 The burden against Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw…
17 “Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them,
Who will not regard silver; And as for gold, they will not delight in it. 18 Also their bows will dash the young men to pieces, And they will have no pity on the fruit of the womb; Their eye will not spare children. 19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, The beauty of the Chaldeans’ pride, Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. (Isaiah 13:1, 17-19)11 Make the arrows bright! Gather the shields! The Lord has raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes. For His plan is against Babylon to destroy it, Because it is the vengeance of the Lord, The vengeance for His temple. (Jeremiah 51:11)
The fact that there are multiple kings of the Medes indicates that powers involved in this end time confederation represent multiple governments. This would seem to include Russia, Belarus, and likely Crimea, Donbas, and some others in Ukraine, some in Moldova, perhaps some from the nation of Georgia, and some in Iran, etc.
The following passages seem also to apply:
8 “Move from the midst of Babylon, Go out of the land of the Chaldeans; And be like the rams before the flocks. 9 For behold, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon An assembly of great nations from the north country, And they shall array themselves against her; From there she shall be captured. Their arrows shall be like those of an expert warrior; None shall return in vain. (Jeremiah 50:8-9)
Those who believe the Bible should leave the midst of end-time Babylon by then. Certainly, the above “north country” includes Russia, but other passages clearly point to others from Asia being involved (Jeremiah 51:27-29).
Notice some of what will happen to the coming European Babylonian Beast power led by a power from the farthest parts of the earth (Russia is the nation that is the farthest east and close to being the farthest north nation):
22 Thus says the Lord: “Behold, a people comes from the north country, And a great nation will be raised from the farthest parts of the earth.
23 They will lay hold on bow and spear; They are cruel and have no mercy; Their voice roars like the sea; And they ride on horses, As men of war set in array against you, O daughter of Zion.”
24 We have heard the report of it; Our hands grow feeble. Anguish has taken hold of us, Pain as of a woman in labor. 25 Do not go out into the field, Nor walk by the way. Because of the sword of the enemy, Fear is on every side. 26 O daughter of my people, Dress in sackcloth And roll about in ashes! Make mourning as for an only son, most bitter lamentation; For the plunderer will suddenly come upon us. (Jeremiah 6:22-26)
41 “Behold, a people shall come from the north, And a great nation and many kings Shall be raised up from the ends of the earth. 42 They shall hold the bow and the lance; They are cruel and shall not show mercy. Their voice shall roar like the sea; They shall ride on horses, Set in array, like a man for the battle, Against you, O daughter of Babylon.
43 “The king of Babylon has heard the report about them, And his hands grow feeble; Anguish has taken hold of him, Pangs as of a woman in childbirth. (Jeremiah 50:41-43)
The “great nation” from the “farthest parts of the earth” includes Russia. There are also nations that will be confederate with it. Those would also include China and other nations in Asia, and particularly in the Far East. The “Daughter of Babylon” Jeremiah referred to is not ancient Babylon, but the end-time European power. The “kings … from the ends of the earth” seem to include South Africa and India, which are BRICS nations which have also conducted military drills with Russia and China.[i] Some nations in South America may also be involved as they seem to be part of the “ends of the earth.” Consider that Brazil and Russia already have a variety of military agreements.[ii] When the “daughter of Babylon” is in the process of falling, many will abandon supporting it. Jeremiah 50 is part of the second woe.[iii]
[i] Maromo J. SA-China-Russia military exercise … IOL, January 22, 2023; Pasricha A. India and China to Take Part in Joint Military Drills with Russia. Voice of America News, August 31, 2022
[ii] Shoigu lauds Brazil as ‘important strategic partner’ for Russia in Latin America. Tass, February 16, 2022
[iii] Lesson 36 – Feast of Trumpets – Why Christ Must Come Again! 58 Lesson Ambassador College Correspondence Course, 1969 revision
Much of the world is moving towards a type of integration that will result in the final time of the Gentiles (Luke 21:24; see also The Times of the Gentiles).
The joint naval exercises by Russia, China, and South Africa and the earlier joint military exercises by Russia, China, and India are consistent with that–as well as showing that the BRICS nations have more than a shared economic agenda.
While the European Union is not part of BRICS, Asia, China’s One Belt, One Road Initiative (also called the Silk Road project-it also connects Europe to more locations in Asia)–and Europe itself has pledged to make more connections to Asia (see ‘Will the United States and Europe Break Up Over China?’)–and has pledged money to do so (see ‘The European Union has unveiled its €300 billion ($340 billion) alternative to China’s Belt and Road initiative’). Such European involvement may not be so much as an alternative, but intercomplementary as roads normally run in two directions. These projects will help support the gathering at Armageddon, which is related to the third woe.
Again is something else which is in our free online book Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America?:
The second woe, according to scripture, ends 3 ½ days after the two witnesses are killed per Revelation 11:7-14. That is quickly followed by the third woe and the blowing of the 7th trumpet (Revelation 11:14-15).
Jesus returns with this trumpet (1 Thessalonians 4:16) which is also the last trumpet when Christian rise up (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:51). While that is comforting for Christians (1 Thessalonians 4:18), this angers the nations (Revelation 11:15-18).
So, the nations that gathered in Armageddon to fight the forces of the Beast, despite issues between them, will unite to fight Jesus, Himself! This is also described in Zechariah 14 and Joel 3.
The third woe releases the seven last plagues (Revelation 15:1), with victorious Christians then pictured on the sea of glass (Revelation 15:2).
During the third woe, we God sends corrective punishments, because the non-Christians refused to repent:
9 And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory. (Revelation 16:9)
Notice something that else that happens during this third woe:
12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
15 “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.”
16 And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon. (Revelation 16:12-16)
Forces from Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean would be expected to gather related to ‘Armageddon’ as “the whole world” (Revelation 16:13-16) will be involved.
Furthermore, note that Armageddon is the gathering place, but is not shown to be where a major battle is about to take place.
This world’s two great military powers — ready to fight each other for world domination — will be suddenly confronted by what they conceive to be, in their deceived minds, a common “enemy” — the returning Jesus Christ! [i]
“And the nations were angry…” declares Revelation 11:18. Men will not want to submit to God’s rule! Instead, they will seek to destroy Jesus Christ — whom they will regard, falsely, as the Antichrist — and his angelic armies from heaven who accompany him to Jerusalem.
Instead of fighting each other, the Beast and the kings of the east will join forces — to “make war with the Lamb” (Rev. 17:14).
From the staging ground or mustering area of Armageddon the world’s armies will move to confront Jesus Christ himself.
Where will that climactic battle be fought? … Joel 3:1-2, 9-14. … The battle, involving “all nations,” will take place in the valley of Jehoshaphat! This deep valley or ravine borders Jerusalem on the east, between the city and the Mount of Olives … Today it is more commonly known as the Kidron Valley.[ii]
As it turns out, Jehoshaphat means “Yahweh judged.” Anyway, the unrepentant nations of this world will be judged there by God for their rebellion and disobedience!
[i] Just What Do You Mean… ARMAGEDDON? WCG, 1982
[ii] Stump K. Just What Do You Mean – ARMAGEDDON? Plaint Truth, June 1985
Although BRICS will not dominate the world economically like the coming European Beast power will, the BRICS nations and their decisions will have major impacts on the world.
The joint military exercises and agreements that the current BRICS members have are consistent with Bible prophecies of the three woes.
UPDATE 02/22/23: We just uploaded the following related video:
BRICS and the Woes of Revelation
The BRICS nations consist of Brazil, Russia, China, India, and South Africa. In February of 2023, Russia, China, and South Africa held joint naval drills. In the Fall of 2022, India, Russia, and China held joint military exercises. Brazil also has a military cooperation agreement with Russia. The Book of Revelation uses the term woe three in chapter 8 verse 13–those woes are then discussed in later chapters. Could the BRICS nations, along with the coming Babylonian European Beast power be involved in all three of the woes? Do the BRICS nations want to push aside the USA dollar? Is one of the woes tied to the rise of a 200,000,000 man army? Is there any connection to the second woe and the two witnesses? Do the woes correspond with the last of the seven trumpets in the Book of Revelation? Is one of the woes tied to Armageddon? Does Jesus return with the seventh trumpet? Will nations not be pleased when Jesus returns? Dr. Thiel and Steve Dupuie go over these matters.
Here is a link to our video: BRICS and the Woes of Revelation.
As Jesus said: “And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!” (Mark 13:37).
Some items of possibly related interest may include:
Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America? Where did those people come from? Can you totally rely on DNA? What about other peoples? Do you really know what will happen to Europe and the English-speaking peoples? What about Africa, Asia, South America, and the Islands? This free online book provides scriptural, scientific, historical references, and commentary to address those matters. Here are links to related sermons: Lost tribes, the Bible, and DNA; Lost tribes, prophecies, and identifications; 11 Tribes, 144,000, and Multitudes; Israel, Jeremiah, Tea Tephi, and British Royalty; Gentile European Beast; Royal Succession, Samaria, and Prophecies; Asia, Islands, Latin America, Africa, and Armageddon; When Will the End of the Age Come?; Rise of the Prophesied King of the North; Christian Persecution from the Beast; WWIII and the Coming New World Order; and Woes, WWIV, and the Good News of the Kingdom of God.
The Eurasian Union, the Kings of the East, and Bible Prophecy Is there a Eurasian union that will be formed? Is one being formed right now? Are any leaders working on that in the 21st century? Does the Bible teach that there will be a Eurasian union? If some type of Eurasian union is formed, who might it benefit and who will it destroy? 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? A related video is available titled Ezekiel 38: For Russia, Ukraine, & Iran Now? Another could be Russia, Iran, Syria, & the Bible (Code).
Europa, the Beast, and the Book of Revelation discusses the largest church since the second/third century, which in a real sense is the eighth church mentioned in the Book of Revelation (it also endorses “eighth day” worship). What church would support the Beast? Here is a link to a video titled: Europe and the ‘Holy Roman Empire’.
Iran in Prophecy Is Iran in Bible prophecy? If so, what does the Bible teach? What names, other than Persia, may be used to describe Iran? There is also a related YouTube video titled Iran In Prophecy. 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.
China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 1: Genesis and Chinese Characters Where did the Chinese people come from? Japeth, Javan, Magog? Is there evidence that the Chinese peoples must have known about various accounts in the Book of Genesis up until their dispersion after the Tower of Babel? What do Chinese writings and characters help show? What about the Garden of Eden, Noah’s Flood, and the Tower of Babel? Here is a link to a version of this article in Spanish: ¿Prueban los caracteres chinos la exactitud de la Biblia? A related sermon is also available: China’s biblical past and prophetic actions.
China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 2: The Sabbath and Some of God’s Witness in China When did Christianity first come to China? What about the Apostle Thomas? Did Confucius say anything to get the Chinese to possibly consider Christianity? Is there early evidence that they observed the seventh day sabbath? What about the Ten Commandments? What type of Church of God witness has there been to China? What has been happening with China that ties it together with prophecies in Revelation? What about the 200 million man army and Armageddon? What about the Belt and Road Initiative and end time Babylon the Great? A related sermon is also available: China’s biblical past and prophetic actions. Watch also China’s Silk Road and Babylon the Great.
Asia in Prophecy What is Ahead for Asia? Who are the “Kings of the East”? What will happen to nearly all the Chinese, Russians, Indians, and others of Asia? China in prophecy, where? Who has the 200,000,000 man army related to Armageddon? Here is a link to a related sermon: Asia in Prophecy. Two YouTube video are Is China THE Threat to the United States of America? and China: A King of the East.
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.
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