*Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Gorshkov aircraft carrier (Wikipedia)*

ZeroHedge reported the following:

Russian Warship Armed With Hypersonic Missiles To Join China In South Africa-Hosted Drills
January 24, 2023
The Russian navy is set to participate alongside the Chinese and South African navies in exercises set for February off South Africa, Russia’s state TASS has announced.
Importantly, the Russian frigate named ‘Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Gorshkov’ is armed with hypersonic cruise missiles, after it entered deployment in the Atlantic Ocean three weeks ago.
The Zircon hyperonics it is carrying are believed to be able to fly at nine times the speed of sound, with a range of over 620 miles. The ship is expected to traverse the Mediterranean, making its way to Russia’s port at Tartus, before heading south.
“‘Admiral Gorshkov’ … will go to the logistic support point in Syria’s Tartus, and then take part in joint naval exercises with the Chinese and South African navies,” TASS reported.
The South African National Defense Force has also confirmed the drills, which will run February 17-26 and be located off the port cities Durban and Richards Bay, describing that the exercise aims “to strengthen the already flourishing relations between South Africa, Russia and China.”
The South African military also pointed out it will be the second joint drills involving the three countries, after a 2019 exercise. …
“The naval drill is a show of diplomatic independence for South Africa, analysts said.” And further, “South Africa is part of an alliance with Brazil, Russia, India and China — known by the acronym BRICS… https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/us-bristles-its-south-african-ally-host-joint-naval-drills-russia-china

Last Summer, another BRICS nation, India, was involved in joint military exercises with Russia and China (see VOA: India and China to Take Part in Joint Military Drills with Russia; COGwriter: Prelude to Armageddon?).

So, in addition to being an economic alliance which is at least partially dedicated to dethroning the USA dollar (see Russia announces 12 more countries want to join BRICS, a group working against the USA dollar), more and more we are seeing military cooperation among the BRICS nations.

Bible teaches that Russia, China, others in Asia, and likely including India, will end up in a military confederation together. But perhaps South Africa as well.

The following prophecy shows a military confederation including Russia (“people from the north”), Asian nations like China (one of the “kings…from the ends of the earth”), and parts of the ends of the earth will form:

50:41 “Behold, a people shall come from the north,
And a great nation and many kings
Shall be raised up from the ends of the earth.
42 They shall hold 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,
Against you, O daughter of Babylon. (Jeremiah 50:41-42).

South Africa could be considered to be one of the ends of the earth as it is the farthest south nation in Africa.

The New Testament also shows that the east will be involved:

12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. 15 Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” 16 And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon (Revelation 16:12-16).

Here we see that the kings of the East are those that need to cross the Euphrates. The BRICS nations of Russia, China, and India, are “kings of the East.” Military cooperation now looks to be a mild prelude to what will one day hit Europe as well as Armageddon.

Some forget that although Russia is a nation of the far north (cf. Ezekiel 38:3,6), it is also a nation that has parts in the far, far, east.

Consider also the following:

22 Thus says the Lord: “Behold, a people comes from the north country, And a great nation will be raised from the farthest parts of the earth.

23 They will lay hold on bow and spear; They are cruel and have no mercy; Their voice roars like the sea; And they ride on horses, As men of war set in array against you, O daughter of Zion.” (Jeremiah 6:22-23)

Russia, whose territory is mainly in Asia, is prophesied to work with the East militarily. It is the one nation that has the farthest north and east parts of the earth.

This concept of Asian involvement in a major battle is confirmed elsewhere in the Book of Revelation. Notice the following which is related to the second woe:

13 Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. 17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone. 18 By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed–by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths. (Revelation 9:13-18)

Only China, and possibly India and others in Asia (many of which will align themselves with China and Russia against the European Empire), are capable of fielding a two hundred million man army. Thus, Revelation appears to be discussing an Asian role in the end-time prophecies.

Notice the prophecy in Revelation 9 mentions colors. Although the Chinese flag itself is basically red and yellow, it perhaps should be mentioned that the colors of the Chinese flag for its navy and air force is military is red, blue, and yellow. Also, notice the colors of the insignia that many of its troops wear:

Interestingly, there were only about 100,000,000 males (including children) on the entire earth when God had the Apostle John pen the prophecy in Revelation 9:16 that a 200,000,000 man army would form (Rastogi VB, Kishore B. A Complete Course in ISC Biology. Pitambar Publishing, 1997, p. 24). This means, despite those who claim that the Book of Revelation was fulfilled centuries ago (see The Dangerous Rise of Preterists), that the prophecy about the 200 million man army is for a time like we are now in.

According to two sources I checked with (I cannot find a firm reference on the date), Chairman Mao allegedly boasted in the 1960s of an army of two hundred million men, and according to one source, referenced that prophecy in Revelation.

Notice something about this army from the late Pastor General of the old Worldwide Church of God, Herbert W. Armstrong:

The second WOE, with its symbols of horses and horsemen … is also referred to as an event in the DAY OF THE ETERNAL in Joel 2:4. This refers to a tremendous military power … They come with an army of two hundred million! Think of it — an army of two hundred million! World events are now moving rapidly to make possible the creation of a … Eurasian army of that unbelievable manpower! (Armstrong HW. The Book of Revelation Unveiled at Last! 1972)

Notice what Joel 2 indicates some of what that two hundred million man army will do:

2 … A people come, great and strong, The like of whom has never been; Nor will there ever be any such after them, Even for many successive generations. 3 A fire devours before them, And behind them a flame burns; The land is like the Garden of Eden before them, And behind them a desolate wilderness; Surely nothing shall escape them. 4 Their appearance is like the appearance of horses; And like swift steeds, so they run. 5 With a noise like chariots Over mountaintops they leap, Like the noise of a flaming fire that devours the stubble, Like a strong people set in battle array. 6 Before them the people writhe in pain; All faces are drained of color. 7 They run like mighty men, They climb the wall like men of war; Every one marches in formation, And they do not break ranks. 8 They do not push one another; Every one marches in his own column. Though they lunge between the weapons, They are not cut down. 9 They run to and fro in the city, They run on the wall; They climb into the houses, They enter at the windows like a thief. (Joel 2:2-9)

That massive army will cause fear and massive destruction and even ‘climb into houses’–which is what raping armies tend to do! THIS IS BEFORE THE GATHERING AT ARMAGEDDON WHICH IS RELATED TO THE THIRD WOE.

Although Russia is not the primary power that will topple the USA (nor is China or India or South Africa), the reality is that the BRICS nations have taken steps–and plan to take more steps–that they hope will one day lead to the elimination of USA dominance in the world–and the biblical reality is that the USA will lose its dominance.

And while the actual power that will defeat the USA militarily will be European (cf. Daniel 11:39), the BRICS nations are working together and do have the toppling of USA dominance as a shared mutual goal. Their joint military exercises are just one aspect of their willingness to work together to attempt to make the USA less relevant.

Russia in the Bible and in Prophecy

Is Russia the King of the North?

Gog, Magog, Vladimir Putin, and Ezekiel 38?

Russia, Iran, Syria, & the Bible (Code)

Ezekiel 38 Gog and Magog War: Is it Soon?

Armageddon

Armageddon Will it come on Trump's watch?

Iraq, Armageddon, & Prophecy

Freemasonry, Armageddon, and Rome

Is China paving roads to Armageddon?

China's Silk Road and Babylon the Great

Asia in Prophecy