There is a lot of talk today about a new world order. The world’s attention has been drawn to two major political powers, China and Russia. Each power has geopolitical ambitions. An article in Foreign Affairs, “How Fear of China is Forging a New World Order” states: “As China seeks to burn down what remains of the liberal order, disparate actors are starting to roll back Beijing’s power. In the process they are reordering the world. For the first time since the cold war, a critical mass of countries faces serious threat to their security, welfare and ways of life and it all emanates from a single source, China.” The United States Secretary of State was meeting in Sydney with the Quad: Japan, India, Australia, and the United States, whose purpose is to thwart the Chinese influence in the South Pacific. While there, Secretary Blinken said that China is America’s greatest enemy.
A recent article from the Washington Examiner states: “China and Russia have outlined a vision of international relations anchored in their potential to reinforce each other in disputes with the United States and its allies while cooperating on an array of economic and diplomatic fronts. Chinese General Secretary Xi Jinping and Russian president Vladimir Putin issued a joint statement that forecast the ‘transformation of the global governance architecture and world order.’ And that transformation would be marked by the progress of concepts and initiatives that Moscow and Beijing conceived separately, often in opposition to the U.S. and its Western allies, and now could develop into an integrated challenge to American power.”
This challenge has accelerated to the point we have a major war once again; Russia attacking Ukraine. Now some are saying that Russia is America’s greatest enemy. China and Russia don’t trust each other but they do have a common enemy and are seeing the opportunity to undermine the United States and its western allies through mutual cooperation. Currently it is not difficult to think that Russia and China are the West’s greatest enemies. They despise the West’s world order. They want to achieve the transformation of the global governance architecture. The world order that God established through Britain and the United States is failing, not because of the new alliance between China and Russia, but because they did not obey His world order for nations, His way of life (Deuteronomy 28:12, 43-44). Western society has lost its moral compass. And Russia and China feel embolden.
Through prophecy we can understand how this China-Russia alliance plays out in future events. Magog, Meshech, and Tubal were all sons of Japheth, who was one of the three sons of Noah. Historically, Japheth and his family migrated to the area of modern-day Russia (Genesis 10:2-3). Today the land the Bible calls Magog is dominated in the north by Russia and China in the east. Ezekiel 38 is a prophecy about the land of Magog and all the “cousins” that live there and are associated with each other, the Russians and Chinese. Ezekiel says: “Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him,'” (Ezekiel 38: 1-2). Reading all of Ezekiel 38:1 – 39:17 sums up God’s feelings and actions toward Gog, Magog, Meshech, and Tubal. They are violent people who do not value human life and God will defeat their armies and leaders as also prophesied in Daniel and Revelation.
Two “end time” superpowers will emerge who are identified in Daniel 11 as the King of the South and the King of the North. They are not on the world scene now, cannot be identified, but the focus is on the Middle East, the “glorious land”. “At the time of the end the King of the South shall attack him; and the King of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. He shall also enter the Glorious Land [Palestine], and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon. He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels (Daniel 11:40–43).
Provocation by the King of the South solicits a major military response from the King of the North who takes control of the land of Palestine. Then, the King of the North, hears news from the east, China, and from the north, Russia. They see the developments in the Middle East as a threat: “But news from the east and the north shall trouble him (King of the North); therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many” (Daniel 11:44). The graphic details are in Revelation 9:1-12, the first woe.
The second woe is the counterattack by China and Russia against the King of the North (Beast power in Revelation). This warfare is on a scale that is unimaginable. If it went through to its final conclusion, it seems like there would be no flesh saved alive. Christ declared that “except those days be shortened, no flesh would be saved alive” (Matthew 24:22). At His return, Christ delivers the seven last plagues, “for in them the wrath of God is complete” (Revelation 16:12-16).
During the time that these superpowers are at war, Christ’s return changes the focus of the warring nations. They now have a common enemy and begin to cooperate against Christ. The nations are angry. Russia and China are players in this scene. They all gather on the plain of Megiddo and advance on Jerusalem (Joel 3:1-2,9-11). Christ is victorious (Revelation 17:14).
Following the defeat of these massive armies, Christ resettles Jacob’s descendants in their land (Ezekiel 36:24, 39:25-26). Israel is at peace. They are dwelling safely and busy turning weapons of war into implements of agriculture – swords into plowshares, spears into pruning hooks. Israel is defenseless at this point. No armies, no weapons of war, at peace under the rulership of Christ. This all takes time.
A number of years after Christ’s return, Gog, (Russia and allies), is determined to defeat the nation of Israel and steal their wealth. Christ’s response: (Ezekiel 38:10-12,14-16,18-23). Christ is initially seen as an antichrist, not man’s Savior. We see the same hostile attitude again at the end of the millennium (Ezekiel 39:1-10, 21-23).
World peace may take time to achieve, but ultimately unity, harmony and peace will exist (Ezekiel 20:41-44). The bottom-line conclusion is that all peoples will know the one true God and the benefits of His way of life.
Brian Orchard