The image described in Daniel 2 depicts a continuous record of history. The head melds into the chest, the chest into the belly and thighs and the thighs meld into the legs. The two legs represent the Roman empire. As the image divides into two legs, so the Roman empire split into two separate entities. Each leg represented a political religious system with one leg being ruled from Rome and the other from Constantinople (Istanbul, Turkey).
We realize that the world’s current political situation was revealed centuries ago in the legs and feet of Daniel’s image. The boundary which once separated the eastern and western portions of the Roman empire is being redrawn before our eyes.
To the west, we have the old Roman-ruled and Catholic-dominated area; to the east, we have the old Orthodox-dominated and Russian/ Turkish-ruled portion. This article will focus on the changes that have taken place over the last few months in the eastern portion of the old Roman empire, changes that have brought us closer to the fulfilment of scripture.
Belorussia
Belorussia is a country bounded by Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, Latvia and Lithuania to the north and Russia to the east. The ancient Roman empire’s demarcation line would have fallen between Catholic Poland and Orthodox Belorussia. The political maps were thrown into disarray in 1991 when Belorussia declared independence from the former USSR. Today Belorussia is drawing closer to her former homeland.
After her initial struggle for independence in 1991, Belorussia seems to be trying to lose it. In December, 1993, she subordinated her military policy to Russia and in January, 1994, she continued to abdicate authority to Russia when she decided to let Russia determine her economical policy.
The Economist magazine reported in January, 1994, “The parliament forced Mr. Shushkvich (the current President) to sign a collective treaty with Russia, which subordinates the signatories’ military policy to Russia. At the beginning of January, the Prime Minister signed a deal that surrendered most of Belorussia’s monetary independence to Russia, while ensuring a handsome transfer of resources from Russia.”
According to Daniel 2, we would expect Belorussia to be back under the Russian canopy and that is what we see happening.
Former Yugoslavia
Some of the fiercest fighting in modem times is transpiring today in the former Yugoslavian republic. One of the protagonists, the Serbs, are Orthodox; one of their opponents, the Croatians, are Catholic. Passions have been running deep over this war particularly since NATO has threatened to drop bombs unless the Serbian guns are pulled back. History dictates that Russia side with the Serbs and NATO with the Croatians. Indeed, this has been the case.
The Economist reported in February, 1994, “When the hyper-nationalist Vladimir Zhimovsky argued that bombing the Bosnian Serbs would be tantamount to declaring war on Russia, it seemed like pure rant. But a poll by the Center for International Sociological Research discovered that two-thirds of 4,800 respondents from all over Russia agreed with him and 77% disapproved of NATO’s threat.”
The major unresolvable issue in the war today remains: how to draw the borders. The Economist for January 15, 1994 reported, “On the eve of the war, Croatia’s President Franjo Trudjman met his Serbian counterpart, Slobodan Milosevic, at the royal hunting lodge of Karadjordjevo to discuss the partition of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Mr. Tudjman has consistently supported the division along ethnic rather than geographical lines. This plan ran into fierce opposition from the Catholic church, particularly the Franciscans, whose monasteries would have fallen into ruin.” The Croatian and Serbians could agree if not for the Catholic opposition. For the two legs of Daniel’s image to fall in place, the lines evidently need to be drawn in a different place from that intended by the two leaders, so the war rages on that God’s purpose may be fulfilled.
Soviet Georgia
Similar to Belorussia, Georgia received its independence from the former USSR in 1991, yet now it is reaffirming its former political alignment with Russia. “Russia is pushing its sphere of influence right up to the borders of Turkey and Iran. On February 3, 1994 President Boris Yelstin ‘the new tsar,’ as he is known in the Transcaucaus — signed a treaty with Georgia’s leader, Edward Shevardnadze, which confirms the former Soviet republic’s re-entry into Russia’s orbit. Under the agreement, Russia can establish military bases in Georgia, station troops on Georgia’s frontier with Turkey and train and arm the Georgian army. Russia is seeking similar rights in Azerbaijan, which borders Iran as well as Turkey” (Economist, Feb. 15, 1994).
As the political world continues to evolve, we are continually heartened by developments which show the divine hand at work. Sometimes events seem to go in the wrong direction for awhile, but eventually we see the sure word of prophecy being fulfilled.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One