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“Three air ‘lily pad’ bases in central Azerbaijan -- Kurdamir, Nasosnyy and Gyulakh -- which used to be Soviet air bases. Kurdamir was a strategic base, with Tu-22M ‘Backfire’ bombers located there. The base's upgrade, including its runway, already is completed, local sources say. This means
air base can receive U.S. strategic bombers or other heavy air transport. The Nasosnyy base used to host Soviet heavy transport Il-76es for Soviet airborne forces and other troops. With Nasosnyy upgrade soon to be completed, U.S. strategic transport planes should be able to use it too, making air base a major point in Caspian air corridor from Western Europe to Caucasus and Central Asia, where U.S. troops and aircraft are located. Initially, United States probably will deploy some special operations forces aircraft, military transport planes, air surveillance and other spy planes (including drones) and perhaps F-16s.”
Of course, Donald Rumsfeld’s visits to locals in Azerbaijan (be it ever so innocuous) normally portends an extension of Democratic Globalism nearby and/or a continued presence in region guaranteeing abundant oil flows from just opened Caspian oil pipeline, and perhaps, a little from Iran “on side.”
Likewise, if Turkey doesn’t play ball with us, we can simply do one of two things: (1) Extend pipeline directly through Georgia to Black Sea and on to Europe (we figured that one out a long time ago); or (2) in general, make things miserable for Turks! In our other articles we’ve presented a powerful case for Islamic Turks to throw their weight behind Iran and Syria . . . you’ll have to go to those chapters in The Gog-Magog Scenario.
WHAT’S THEOLOGY GOT TO DO WITH RUMSFELD, RITTER, AND IRAN?
Not surprisingly, a whole lot, according to Thetribnet (us, of course); but little or nothing according to otherwise brilliant evangelical eschatologist and New Age basher, Dave Hunt. You see, Brother Hunt sees nothing in current possibilities of a Gog-Magog confrontation, lumping, as he does, entire “initial prospects for conflict in Middle East” into final conflict itself: Armageddon. Consequently, all this sound and fury in Middle East (although fun speculation making for great book sales: Judgment Day, Israel, Islam, and Nations) is a whole long ways off (at least seven years) signifies nothing . . . besides, we’ll be “outta here”—especially us American Christians (because there’s so many of us righteous ones) and that will leave room for America’s economic collapse, and revelation of Antichrist from a resuscitated European Union). Hey, these guys actually believe this.
There you go again—meaningless eschatological food fights amongst otherwise nice people (they just are a little nuts when it comes to forecasting future). Folks, bear with us. We do appreciate absolute brilliance enunciated by one Dave Hunt and for his valiant synthesis of occult incursions into Church and of Rome’s pervasive influences to catapult ecumenism into immediate present wherein Antichrist will have more than a firm base of support to inflict his dastardly script upon unsuspecting earthlings.
However, when it comes to this nuance (and we’ll get into why such “nuances” are paramount in how we live our lives today); i.e., difference (yea, blatant distinction) between Gog-Magog conflict and horrific descriptions of entire Armageddon Campaign (i.e., FINAL conflict), we affirm blurring of that distinction is tantamount to discrediting (seriously discarding) very Biblical literalism we know he holds dear. In sum (as you see below) Hunt has cavalierly discarded all such differentiations as trivial and disproportionate to their theological value—i.e., there’s but one end of age conflict and we, as Pretribulationists, have naught to concern ourselves, because we’re not part of “Left Behind” crowd in any event: Sorry guys, we’ve been raptured from final conflict—you’ll have to endure Great Tribulation yourselves!
Quoting from Hunt’s 1995, “A Cup of Trembling . . . Jerusalem and Bible Prophecy” . . .
“It is true that there has been some unwarranted speculation and even sensationalism in attempts to apply apocalyptic prophecies. That fact, however, does not warrant throwing these prophecies out, but instead calls for care in interpreting them. Ezekiel 38 and 39 list certain leaders, peoples, and nations that will be involved in future attack upon Israel. ‘Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya’ are specifically named. Others are not so easily identified: ‘Gog, land of Magog . . . Meshech and Tubal . . . Gomer, and Togarmah of north’ (38:5, 2, 6). Some prophecy writers have allegedly traced these names and peoples to Russia and northern Europeans. It is difficult, however, to verify accuracy of such claims, and it is not necessary.
“There is no reason to believe that Ezekiel’s listing is intended to name each and every nation that will be involved in last-days attack upon Israel. Moreover, we find ‘Gog and Magog’ mentioned again in Revelation 20:8, representing all nations on earth coming against Jerusalem and Christ at end of millennium. Clearly that final battle is not one mentioned in Ezekiel 38 and 39. If ‘Gog and Magog’ represent all nations in Revelation, then we may assume that same is true in Ezekiel (monster conjecture on Hunt’s part here). There are two battles involving all nations: Armageddon just preceding and battle in Revelation 20 at end of Christ’s 1000-year reign. This is only one of several reasons for concluding that Ezekiel 38 and 39 refer to Armageddon and not to some earlier World War III” (pp. 414-415, Dave Hunt, “Cup of Trembling”).
It is baffling to me that Hunt’s Biblical literalism appears to be convenient only when it fits his presuppositions—in this case there are but two future conflicts of Biblical magnitude: Armageddon (a.k.a., Gog-Magog) and final postmillennial Gog-Magog conflagration. The incredible specificity of Ezekiel’s constellation of nations in initial Gog-Magog outburst is unparalleled in Scripture. What is even more incredible—notwithstanding turn-of-the-century Premillenarian hype regarding Russia’s identification with Gog-Magog—the current alignment of nations in Ezekiel 38 and 39 virtually fits immediate contestation between world’s super power, USA, and configuration of antagonists in Middle East.
Likewise, those Middle Eastern nations either leaning toward US approbation or in its hip pocket (i.e., providing unwavering support due to military occupation and/or economic contrivance) provide ample evidence to prophetic fulfillment. A short list is too convincing (modern and Biblical names given):
FOR OR LEANING TOWARD USA ... (To see graphics/links/full article: Please go to: http://www.the-tribulation-network.com
Doug is a member of the "Last Days Network" . . . a group of evangelical pundits providing news and analysis on Religion in Politics. "Applied Biblical prophecy," apostasy and deception, the impact of the New American World System, and the influences of the Religious Right and Left upon American culture, are topics discuss by the group.
