Commentary: Ezekiel Chapters 38 and 39

Background Information: Ezekiel was a Jewish priest and prophet who was taken captive by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon during his second invasion of Jerusalem in 597 B.C. The Lord commissioned Ezekiel as the prophet to the Jews in exile. He began prophesying to them when he was 30 years old. In Chapters 38 and 39 the Lord tells Ezekiel to speak to the leader of Russia concerning Israel and the Battle of Armageddon set aside for the End Time, referred to as the latter years. 

Russia and India to finalize nuclear deal. The agreement, originally signed off in 2005 by both countries, will establish the outline to build Reactors 3 & 4  for India’s nuclear power plant. The “general agreement” concerning the reactors was reached during the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission meeting chaired by External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin in Delhi.

Sources said the discussions also encompassed possibilities of cooperating on space applications, including use of GLONASS, a global navigation satellite system, for tracking navigation of heavy trucks and other services.  Read Full Article

Russia and Libya sign $1.8 billion arms deal in an effort to strengthen strategic ties. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says Moscow has agreed to sell Libya weapons in a $1.8 billion deal. Mr. Putin made the announcement Saturday while meeting with the head of Izhmash, a major Russian gun manufacturer.  Russia’s Interfax news agency had quoted a “military diplomatic source” as saying Libya was ready to buy about 20 fighter planes from Moscow, as well as air defense systems and several dozen tanks. Read Full Article

Russia and Turkey sign nuclear deal worth $20 billion.  The two countries have come together to build Turkey’s first nuclear power plant set to be located in Ankara.  Several agreements, including removing visa restrictions and shipping oil products from the Black Sea, were struck during the landmark visit by Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian president, to Turkey.

Moscow has built nuclear power plants in nations from China to Iran and might build a power plant in Syria, as it aggressively seeks deal to build new stations and boost its presence in foreign energy markets.  Moscow provides 60 per cent of Turkey’s gas needs, which has raised concerns that Ankara is becoming too dependent on Russia, a major trading partner.  Read Full Article

Russia to help Iran build 2nd n. power plant in Bushehr.   Iran’s first nuclear plant was unveiled in 2009 in the same location of Bushehr.  In December, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani announced that Iran has plans to generate more electricity through the nuclear energy in the coming years by building a second nuclear power plant in Bushehr. “The power plants should have access to a huge source of water. The new power plants will be supported by desalinations, mainly located in Southern parts of the

country,” the top Iranian nuclear official pointed out.  Also in October, Salehi announced that Iran has plans to generate more electricity through the nuclear energy in the coming years.  Read Full Article