Exactly one week
later, almost to the hour, on Tuesday August 31, 2004, another woman strapped
with explosives blew herself up outside a busy Moscow subway station, killing at
least 10 people and wounding 51, according to a CBS
News report.
The
Lord drew my attention to these events, and made me understand that there was an
underlying spiritual message in all of this. As I began to ask the Lord for the
message, the Lord said to me, "Obadiah and the judgment on Edom".
The name "Edom" literally means "red", and is related to
Russia since Russia's official color has been "red" ever since the
Bolshevik revolution. As we shared in a previous
article, the color "red"
is related in Scripture to the Girgashite
spirit of earthliness. Girgashites are mind-oriented and believe only in
what can be perceived with their natural minds. Russia, after decades of
materialistic atheism, is gripped by this spirit of earthliness, and God is
declaring judgments on Russia.
In Obadiah, the Lord declares the following:
"1 The
vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning Edom;
We have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent among the
heathen, Arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle. 2 Behold,
I have made thee small among the heathen: thou art greatly despised. 3 The
pride of thine heart hath
deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock,
whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who
shall bring me down to the ground?
4 Though thou
exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars,
thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD. 5 If thieves came to
thee, if robbers by night, (how art thou cut off!) would they not have stolen
till they had enough? if the grapegatherers came to thee, would they not leave
some grapes? 6 How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his
hidden things sought up! 7 All
the men of thy confederacy have brought thee even to the border: the men that
were at peace with thee have deceived thee,
and prevailed against thee; they that eat thy bread have laid a wound under
thee: there is none understanding in him. 8 Shall I not in that day,
saith the LORD, even destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of
the mount of Esau? 9 And thy mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed,
to the end that every one of the mount of Esau may be cut off by
slaughter." (Obadiah 1:1-9)
Notice
the reference to Edom's pride and to Edom being "brought down to the
ground" in verse 3 above. This is the prophetic reason why the 2 planes
were brought down to the ground; God is declaring judgment on Russia's pride and
arrogance.
In
verse 4, the Lord says, "though thou exalt thyself as the eagle";
in its application to Russia, this passage refers to Russia's constant efforts
to equal the economic and military feats of the United States, whose symbol is
the "eagle". In verse 4, the Lord also says, "though thou set thy
nest among the stars"; this passage refers to Russia's zeal for
space exploration, referring specifically to the space station Mir, which is a source of Russian
national pride.
In
verse 7, the Lord refers to the "confederacy" that was at peace with
Edom deceiving him; this refers to the fact that these terrorist attacks are
being launched by member states in the Russian confederacy (i.e.- Chechnya and
Ingushetia). Russia has always thought that it can live in its isolated castle, up on a
mountain top, having communion only with its closest friends (i.e.- the Soviet
confederacy in the past, and the Russian confederation of states in the
present). God is therefore turning Russia's friends against her, because of her
great ambition to always be an "empire".
Verse
9 speaks of "slaughter" against everyone who takes refuge in
the mount of Esau, referring to God's judgments on those who try to take refuge
in their fortress of earthliness and refuse to surrender to the Spirit. This is
why God has caused the slaughter of so many people in Russia in the 11 days
from August 24 through September 3. The number "11" in Scripture is
related to purifying judgment that removes earthliness, as can be
inferred from passages such as Deuteronomy 1:2, where the Lord declares that
there are 11 days of journey between "Horeb" (which means "desert"
and refers to the place where the people of God received the Law) by the way of "mount
Seir" (which was in the land of Edom)
unto "Kadesh-barnea" (which means, "fugitive-field of holiness").
I
asked the Lord why 2 planes had been shut down and not just 1, and He
said, "because of Afghanistan and Iraq". As you may see in a
map, both of these countries are neighbors to the south of Russia, one to the right
(Afghanistan), and the other to the left (Iraq).
As
you may know, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979, which led to the
rise of a guerilla movement that eventually drove the Russians out of
Afghanistan. During this time, Usama bin-Laden went to Afghanistan to support
the Afghani resistance against Russia, leading to the eventual establishment
of Al-Qaeda's base in Afghanistan and to the rise of the Taliban government, a
government of ruthless, legalistic oppression. As we have seen in a previous
article, the right side is associated in Scripture with concepts such as
"law", "judgment", "death", and
"limitation"; the Taliban represented the carnal (not the
Godly) implementation of these concepts; this is why Afghanistan is on the right
side.
As
you may also know, Vladimir Putin's government established strong economic
connections with Saddam Hussein in Iraq, which was one of the two reasons why
Russia, along with France, opposed the U.S.'s overthrow of Saddam Hussein (the
other reason was pure envy against
the United States' preeminence in the world, which is typical in Girgashites,
according to Scripture). Russia's and France's opposition to military action
against Iraq gave Saddam Hussein (and the terrorists that are now in Iraq) time to prepare, and is
one of the main reasons why there have been so many casualties during the
restoration of Iraq from Hussein's tyranny. Saddam Hussein and his sons were
sadistic and hedonistic fools who turned Iraq into their own private
"pleasure garden". Contrary to the Taliban in Afghanistan, the Hussein
tyranny's focus was not on "law and order" but on sucking up the
resources of Iraq for their own private benefit. As we saw in a previous
article, the left side is associated in Scripture with concepts such as
"grace", "life", and "freedom"; Saddam Hussein
represented the carnal (not the Godly) implementation of these concepts
for his own benefit (this is why Iraq is on the left side):
"For
there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this
condemnation, ungodly men, turning
the grace of our God into lasciviousness,
and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ." (Jude 1:4)
The
first plane shot down was a prophetic judgment on Russia for meddling in
Afghanistan, which set in motion the sequence of events that led to the rise of
the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. It also represents God's prophetic judgment on Russia,
which, for years, during its Soviet days, aided in the establishment of ruthless
and repressive Communist regimes around the world. The second plane shot down
was a prophetic judgment on Russia for interfering in the liberation of Iraq. It
also represents God's prophetic judgment on Russia, which for years, during its
Soviet days, aided in the establishment of ruthless liars like fidel castro who
have turned their respective countries into personal plantations from which they
derive great wealth and pleasure while leaving the people in a permanent state
of poverty. The fact that women brought down the planes are God's way of
mocking the "male" arrogance of Russia, the "bear":
"36 Thy
servant slew both the lion and the bear:
and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied
the armies of the living God. 37 David said moreover, The LORD that
delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will
deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and
the LORD be with thee." (1 Samuel 17:36-37)
["Weak"
David slew the right-hand lion of carnal judgment and the left-hand bear
of carnal gluttony]
"How
long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? for the LORD hath created
a new thing in the earth, A
woman shall compass a man."
(Jeremiah 31:22)
"15 As
a roaring lion, and a
ranging bear; so is a wicked
ruler over the poor people.
16 The prince that wanteth understanding is also a great
oppressor: but he that
hateth covetousness shall prolong his days. 17 A man that doeth
violence to the blood of any person shall flee to the pit; let
no man stay him."
(Proverbs 28:15-17)
[Notice
that verse 17 warns against supporting oppressors; God will unleash judgments on
all those who support tyrants such as fidel castro and Saddam Hussein; in both
cases, Russia is included]
While
the three attacks during the 11-day period were an overall attack on the
Girgashite spirit of Edom in Russia, each of the attacks was a direct judgment
on certain specific spirits. The downing of the 2 planes is God's direct
judgment to cast down Russia's spirit of pride and self-exaltation, which, as we
have studied in a previous article, is an Amorite
spirit.
The
second terrorist attack during the 11-day period was another woman blowing
herself up outside a busy Moscow subway station. This is God's direct
judgment against the left-handed Canaanite
spirits in Russia, since, as we saw in a previous article,
"Canaan" literally means "lowlands", and this attack
was directed at a station that is underground. Russia is known for its
alcoholism problems, and this alcoholism is caused by Canaanite spirits that
have entered as people seek to escape the spiritual oppression in Russia. Russia
is also known for being a proud exporter of vodka throughout the world, so it
has acted as a "spreader" of its Canaanite disease to others.
The
third terrorist attack was the school takeover, which was God's direct judgment
against the right-handed Girgashite
spirits. As we have studied before,
Girgashite spirits are very strong on teachers who stray from God's plans
and purposes. Russia is a very intellectual nation that prides itself in its
academic and scientific achievements. This is why the third attack was directed
at a school. Since this was the most direct attack on the Girgashite
spirits, it was the longest, bloodiest and most gruesome of all 3 attacks.
Russia's Girgashite spirit of atheistic materialism has led to the oppression
and unnecessary "limitation" of millions of people throughout the
world for decades. Just like the hostage who was not allowed to drink water or
even to go to the toilet, millions of people around the world have been denied
the liberty to drink from the waters of the Spirit and to find relief from the
grinding monotony of Girgashite life as the result of an atheistic doctrine that
denies the spiritual essence of man.
If
you refer back to the triangle of evil that we have studied before,
you will notice that each of the three attacks were judgments against each of
the 3 corners of the triangle. What happened in Russia is a prophetic figure of
what God will do to the spirit of Edom throughout the Earth, as He prophesied
through Obadiah thousands of years ago.
Notice
that the first two attacks involved 3 women, while the third attack involved 28
people, including women. This makes for a total of 31 attackers.
As we
have shared before, the number
"31", when used in a positive sense, refers to prophetic
intercession, which is the key to the tearing down of the triangle of evil.
It is not by natural means but by the sword of the Spirit that the arrogance of
Edom will be brought down to the ground:
"Then
shall the Assyrian fall with the sword, not of a mighty man; and the sword, not
of a mean man, shall devour him: but he shall flee from the sword, and his young
men shall be discomfited." (Isaiah 31:8)
My judgments are upon the Earth --- says the Lord. Those who have ears to hear will
hear the voice of My Spirit going forth to encircle the Earth. My soul is full
of anger against the spirit of Edom, and I will unleash My wrath against all
those who uphold this spirit on Earth. As My judgments are released, My Glory
will manifest Itself --- says the Lord --- and My people shall see Me as I AM.
The earthly image they have of Me shall dissipate, and they will know Me as the
God of justice and judgment, as the God whose presence scares away the sun and
the moon, for I AM HOLY --- says the Lord --- and My Glory shall fill the Earth
as the waters fill the sea. I will drown the Girgashites --- says the Lord. I
will drown the clay dwellers now as I did in the days of Noah, for My time has
come.