Steve Dupuie speaks with Dr. Bob Thiel about rising tensions between Europe and Russia — and what Bible prophecy says about the future of this conflict.
Dr. Thiel analyzes recent comments by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, who warned of a growing certainty of war between Europe and Russia. Are nations like Germany, Poland, Finland, Romania, and Russia preparing for an inevitable conflict? And more importantly — does the Bible predict this war?
Drawing from Daniel 11, Jeremiah 50, Isaiah 13, Isaiah 47, Ezekiel 32, and other key passages, Dr. Thiel discusses:
🔹 The rise of the European King of the North
🔹 The Eurasian alliance led by Russia
🔹 How nations from the east and the north will trouble Europe
🔹 Why a future war is prophesied but still years away
🔹 The role of nations such as Iran, Belarus, Ukraine, China, Japan, and Korea
🔹 How the “daughter of Babylon” (end-time Europe) faces destruction from a northern power
Dr. Thiel also explains why Russia is not the King of the North, despite popular misconceptions, and references insights from the late Herbert W. Armstrong.
📘 Free eBook Mentioned: Lost Tribes and Prophecies — available at ccog.org
🌐 Visit: BibleNewsProphecy.net for articles, audio messages, and additional interviews.
TRANSCRIPT
Greetings, friends. This is Steve Dupuie for the Bible News Prophecy Program with Dr. Bob Thiel, bringing you news and analysis of world events in the light of Bible prophecy.
Dr. Thiel, are the European nations and Russia going to go to war against each other?
Yes. Now, interestingly, this week, RT posted an article related to comments made by the Serbian president, Alexander Vucic. And here's what he said: “My conclusion is that there's a growing certainty that a war between Europe and Russia will happen. They're preparing for war, or for defense, as they call it. Romania, Poland, Finland, smaller countries too, and the Russians as well. Everyone is preparing. What can come from that? Only conflict.”
Then he added that Serbia itself is between a rock and a hard place and therefore must strengthen its own military readiness. Now, Serbia has ties with Russia as well as with the European Union, which wants to be a member of, but it so far hasn't been. Well, anyway, that said, yes, to quote the Serbian president: “A war between Europe and Russia will happen,” end quote.
Are there any verses from the Bible that support your statement?
Yeah, the Bible shows that Russia is going to lead a future massive Eurasian alliance militarily. The alliance will also have a connection to Armageddon. Now, over in Europe right now, you've got Germany, and this week it was announced that the German armed forces, Bundeswehr, are doing well and getting better all the time because they're preparing for something as well.
Now, if a war comes between the two, who's going to win? Well, we look to the Bible to find this out. I'd like to start the book of Daniel. It talks about the rise of coming European beast power that it calls the King of the North. 39, he's shown to defeat the power with the strongest fortresses. That would be the United States of America and his British and his allies currently. Then he defeats a power from the Middle East and North Africa called the King of the South. Then he's got issues.
So I want to read a few verses in Daniel 11, starting verse 40: “At the time of the end, the King of the South shall attack him, and the King of the North will come against him like a whirlwind.” And anyway, he ends up winning, according to the Bible.
Now, verse 44: “But news from the east and the north shall trouble him. Therefore, he'll go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many. And he shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him.”
Could you add a little clarity to those verses for us?
Yeah, at the time of the end, this European King of the North empire is going to overwhelm basically what's going to be an Islamic empire. But then something rises up that bothers him from the east and the north. And this would be referring to Russia and other Eurasian nations because Russia is really the only northern power, major power, that's north of Europe. And, of course, pretty much all of Asia is east of Europe. The book of Daniel shows that they're gonna help cause the King of the North to come to his end.
Now, I wanna add that the end is not yet. It's not a current plan of Russia's, by the way, and that war is at least seven years away.
Why isn't Russia the King of the North?
No, a lot of people think that, including the late Hal Lindsey, but no, it doesn't make sense. Now, the Bible shows that Russia, Iran, and maybe in Serbia, and some others are going to unite.
In the book of Ezekiel, chapter 32, talks about Elam and all her multitude. And that, again, would seem to include Iranians and maybe some Serbians. And then verse 26, it talks about Meshech and Tubal and all their multitudes. This is Russia and its allies, and they're going to cause terror. And this terror is going to affect the European King in the North.
Now, the late Church of God leader, Herbert W. Armstrong, taught that the 17th chapter of Revelation, you find a lady, the daughter of ancient Babylon, described. In the 47th chapter of Isaiah, verse 11, it says: “Desolation shall come upon her suddenly,” but she won't know. And that desolation, that thing, this newly revived Europe that is coming up, and the desolation comes from Russia.
Then he cites Jeremiah 50, verses one to three, says: “The word that the Eternal spoke against Babylon, the land of Chaldeans, by Jeremiah the prophet. Declare among the nations and publish it. Babylon is taken. Merodach is broken into pieces. Her articles are confounded, images broken pieces, for out of the north there comes up a nation against her.”
Now, this is against Babylon. This is speaking of the countries finally coming against what you call Catholic Europe. And Russia is in the north, and they're to the south. Out of the north comes up a nation against her.
So Babylon is basically the area of Roman Catholic Europe, which is led by the King of the North. And it is this European empire that goes to war with a power from the far north. Are there any other verses in the Bible that support this?
Well, yes. Well, I cited Jeremiah 50 from Herbert W. Armstrong, the first couple of verses. But you say in that chapter, for example, let's go down to verse 41. We read: “Behold, a people shall come from the north, a great nation and many kings.” So it's not just one country. “Shall be raised from the ends of the earth.” Okay, so all the way to the Far East, and I suspect perhaps maybe even from South Africa, maybe from South America, 'cause those would be the ends of the earth as well.
“They shall take hold of the bow and the lance. They are cruel and shall not show mercy. Their voice shall roar like the sea. They shall ride on horses, set in array like a man for the battle.” Okay, now against who? Bible says: “Against you, O daughter of Babylon.” So it's the daughter of Babylon. It's not ancient Babylon. It's a descendant of Babylon.
And verse 43: “The King of Babylon.” Now, by the way, I think this is the same person the Bible calls the King of the North. We just read about him. “The King of Babylon has heard the report about them, and his hands grow feeble. Anguish has taken hold of him, pangs as of a woman in childbirth.” Okay, so that's what the Bible says.
Anyway, Russia is the leading power of the north. And we see that the coming European empire is the daughter of Babylon, and it's going to be destroyed by this Russian-led force that cooperates with nations from the ends of the earth, like nations in the east.
Could you give us an idea of the names of some of these nations in the east?
Well, I mentioned Iran. I also believe at least parts of Ukraine, and I do think, by the way, Ukraine's going to have European cooperation for a while, but because of other prophecies regarding the people of the Medes, I think at least part of Ukraine will ultimately turn against Europe and support Russia. Then you got countries like Belarus, and they're also kind of basically Russian Orthodox in terms of religion. And so I think they're going to get together. I mentioned Serbia. And I do think parts of Asia, all the way like China, Korea, and even Japan, will be involved.
Now, I want to go back to Jeremiah 50. I'm going to read a couple other verses, this time starting in verse 8: “Move from the midst of Babylon, get out of the land of the Chaldeans and be like rams before the flocks. For behold, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the north country.” The north country being Russia, the assembly is going to put other nations in basically the confederation. “And they shall array themselves against her. From there she shall be captured.” Who? The daughter of Babylon. “Their arrows should be like those of an expert warrior, and none shall return in vain.” They're gonna be successful.
Now, I wanna go to the book of Isaiah, unless people think, oh, that's only one, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, the only ones talking about this. Well, I've also quoted Daniel. Let's go to Isaiah, Isaiah chapter 13. And, by the way, I've mostly been reading from the New King James Version of the Bible, mainly because it uses more or less modern American English.
Anyway, Isaiah the prophet, chapter 13, starting at verse 1, wrote: “The burden against Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw. Lift up a banner on the high mountain. Raise your voice to them. Wave your hand that they may enter the gates of the nobles. I've commanded your sanctified ones. I've called my mighty ones for my anger, those who rejoice in my exaltation. The noise of the multitude in the mountains, like that of many peoples. A tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together. The Lord of hosts musters the army for battle. They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, the Lord and his weapons of indignation, to destroy the whole land.”
“Wail, for the day of the Lord is at hand. It will come as destruction from the Almighty. Therefore, all hands will be limp, every man's heart will melt. They will be afraid. Pangs and sorrows will take hold of them.” Remember, I read about pangs as of a woman in childbirth from Jeremiah. We're talking about the same incident. Well, it even says the next verse. I've heard of it. “They will be in pain as a woman in childbirth.” Okay, I should have read that one before I went back there. “They will be amazed with one another. Their faces will be like flames.”
So we see an account in both Jeremiah and Isaiah talking about the same invaders. This is referring to an end-time confederation. They've got some distance to travel. It's apparently a type of union of powers from the east, including Russia, who's also a major power from the north.
Now, I mentioned prophecies about the Medes, and I didn't read them, but we have a free ebook that's available called Lost Tribes and Prophecies. And this goes into more depths about other prophecies that involve, as I mentioned, the Russians and the Medes, which include, I think, not only the Russians, but some in Belarus and some in Ukraine.
As longtime listeners of our broadcast may be aware, we said, by the way, years ago, I think back in 2013, that at least parts of Ukraine were going to end up supporting Russia. The next year, 2014, you got Crimea. Now, irrespective of what the president of Ukraine thinks, some parts of Ukraine are going to support Russia, if not all of it.
Anyway, having said that, this book goes into more depth. There's more prophecies about that. And so people can learn more about what's going to happen in terms of also Armageddon and the various woes in the Bible. Again, it's free at ccog.org. It's a free ebook.
Now, I also want to read one other passage from Isaiah. This also talks about, ties in with this far country. 11: “Calling a bird of prey from the east.” And remember, Russia is east of Europe. Matter of fact, Russia is the most east you can be.
What do you mean by that?
You've got parts of Russia that go so far east, they had to change the date line 'cause it would be in the west. Okay.
Anyway: “Calling a bird of prey from the east, the man who executes my counsel from a far country. Indeed, I've spoken it. I'll bring it to pass. I purpose it. I'll also do it.” So it's gonna happen. So yes, the president of Serbia is right. War will occur between Russia and Europe, and despite preparations, Europe is going to be defeated.
Thank you, Dr. Thiel. For more interviews with Dr. Thiel, in addition to written as well as audio articles, visit our website at BibleNewsProphecy.net. This is Steve Dupuie for the Bible News Prophecy Program. This Bible News Prophecy Program was sponsored by the Continuing Church of God.
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