Hazael was appointed king of Syria by no less than the God of Israel to destroy Israel – for its idolatry and evil. I have seen the rise of Putin's Russia and more recently the gains in Ukraine, I am reminded of Hazael.
Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou will do unto the children of Israel: their strong holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child. (2 Kings 8:12)
Elisha the great prophet was weeping. We can know what is prophesied but not be happy how it plays out as written. This is a key point we will return to. Elisha inherited Elijah's job of anointing this vicious warrior Hazael, because Elijah thought that there were none left in Israel to serve Yahweh Elohim the Mighty Ones of Israel.
He (Elijah) said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou come, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria: (1 Kings 19:14-15)
There was in fact a tiny minority of seven thousand faithful left, so Elijah was not alone- but the justice of Elijah's observation was answered: Israel was to be walloped by their enemy for their evil!
There is no evidence that Elijah anointed Hazael. Elijah was to also anoint Jehu as king of Israel and Elisha as prophet in his place. The evil of Israel who are not killed by Hazael would be killed by Jehu and those not killed by Jehu, Elisha would kill. We are told that Elijah anointed Elisha, then Elijah departs into heaven. Elijah did not anoint Jehu directly as one of Elisha's servants anointed him (2 Kings 9:2). Therefore Elisha was deputised to do as Elijah was commanded - to anoint Hazael. So Elisha goes to Damascus – by providence BenHadad king of Damascus is sick, but he would recover, so Elisha points out that it is in Hazael's heart to kill him and take his place as king. Elisha cements the plan, by pointing out that the Mighty Ones of Israel had shown him that Hazael would be king of Syria and do great things.
Hazael said, “But what, is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing?”
And Elisha answered, “The LORD has shewed me that thou shalt be king over Syria.” (2 King 8:13)
These events as narrated seem like our observation of matters of the nations of our world 'under the sun' as it is not clear whether Elisha's intervention caused the situation, or whether it was a foregone outcome. The clue that it was not foregone is that Elijah was told to go and anoint Hazael as king and that Elisha went, as Elijah was instructed, to Damascus. We know from the record that Hazael was how the God of Israel brought the judgement of his anger and cut Israel and made it smaller (2 Kings 10:32) and oppressed Israel all the days Jehu and of Jehoahaz. (2 Kings 13:22).
The prophets wept. It appears Isaiah wept (Isaiah 22), and Jeremiah wrote a book of lamentation and weeping. Knowing the future of Jerusalem, Y'shua (Jesus) wept (Luke 19;41). We also can see what was written long ago begin to come to pass and yet be as Elisha, and weep over it. We can know the sin of our own nation and of the allies of our nation and know our nation, having left its heritage, is to be judged – by being 'cut short'.
There is some debate whether is Putin the Gog who invades Israel of Ezekiel 38 or not. Is Putin the king of the North of Daniel 11 that is to invade Israel? Whether he is or not, Russia for all my young life during the Cold War was an evil enemy, yet one slated to do great things. In the era of the birth of my parents the great Russia of Peter and Catherine becomes after WW2 one of the 4 great powers. During the Cold War Russia emerged as one of the two great powers of a bi-polar world. Yet from 1990 until the rise of Putin it seemed as if 'the West' had vanquished Russia by forces overturning the USSR and the agency of NATO taking the states Russia used to guard with an iron curtain. But from 2008 Russia began fighting back in Georgia. Russia fought back in Syria after 2011. Now in the context of Ukraine we can consider Putin in the light of Hazael the king of Syria.
Already the Russians, in effect, rule Syria. Since 2016 they have a guard over Turkey. They are close to the border of Israel already. It is a heritage of many generations that Russia would chain Europe and do great things.
If we are not blinded by propaganda, but go to objective mapping of the Ukraine war, we would have seen that Putin like Hazel is doing great things; Though the reports of rapes and child harm havn't been proven and the Ukrainian minster responsible for the false reports has been fired, the war has done great damage to much of Ukraine.
Putin is like Hazael as not only has he taken troops form Syria but Ukraine's leader, as a Jew raised from obscurity, must have been brought to power by the God of Israel. There is no doubt that Ukraine's leader Zelensky trusts in Israel's success as his own potential success. “We will become a ‘big Israel’ with its own face,” Zelensky said 5 April 2022. Back in 2020 Zelensky visiting Israel identified with it via his direct connections and his time spent there. (ijn.com)
“The Jews managed to build a country, to elevate it, without anything except people and brains,” Zelensky, an actor who was elected in May, told the Times of Israel. “The Jewish people in Israel is a unique people, a unique population. It has economic strength. “There are many countries in the world that can protect themselves, but Israel, such a small country, can not only protect itself, but facing external threats, can respond.”
Looking at the obviously superior Russia forces amassed at his border – Zelensky thought as a Jew – that he would be given a miracle, as if Ukraine was Israel. More so, Zelensky was keen to push back and re-take back all of Ukraine including Donbass and Crimea. With Israel's history of miracle, this was possible! It seemed for a moment in a blare of propaganda that swung the EU and Zelensky's social-media stardom as if Russian miscalculation might give this miracle, but since the fall of Mariupol, the retrograde effect of sanctions and the constant slow Russian success over 100 days, this view cannot be sustained. Let us consider that Elisha was exceedingly angry with the king of Israel, as he only thumped arrows 3 times giving only 3 victories only over Syria which would make no difference (2 Kings 13:19).
In considering Putin as being like Hazael, we then have an answer as to why Zelensky's Ukraine is not given victory, as they are like Israel led by Ahaz and then Jehu. Is Zelensky a man of faith? Are his people – the Ukrainians a people of faith? Who are his allies? Ahaz was a Jew, but he also was an idolater. When asked about the anti Semitism (ADL in 2019 found at 46%) and Nazisim of Ukraine in 2020, Zelensky denied the anti-semitism pointing out it was the lowest in (highly antisemetic) Europe and as to the issue of Nazis that it was “complicated and sensitive”. Only a small amount of research will show the Nazis were made powerful by Western-led interference, which shows that the Western allies of Ukraine do not trust in God, but are willing to be ideologically corrupt and to ally with those who hate the God of Israel. It gets worse, Zelensky is accepting advice and aid from the UK - The head of MI6, who includes his preferred pronouns in his Twitter bio, faced backlash for suggesting that a large part of the war in Ukraine was about “LGBT+ rights.” eutimes.net
Britain a nation that once spread the knowledge of the Bible, now has leaders who think this - shall such an ally pushing such a message onto Ukraine be given victory? Elisha may well weep if he was here. The Israel of Jehu, though they removed the worship of Baal, was still proud walking in their own ways (2 Kings 10:29). In a way by bringing Russia to fight the Nazi's in Ukraine Zelensky has killed the Nazis as Jehu killed the Baal worshippers. Curious. Zelensky is doing an excellent job of prolonging the war, allowing Russia to economically destroy the modern 'Baal' worshippers of the West ( the immorality involving killing children). It is likely that if his heart continues to be hardened that he will bring out into the open and cause to 'be slain' politically the pro-corruption globalist elements in Europe, as Europe understands what America's weakness has done to them. Europe will likely not understand as some in Russia do that America's current leadership is now weak, as not only did it cheat to obtain power as they no longer trust in God, but they stridently defy God's laws.
Patriarch Kirill said the war is about “which side of God humanity will be on” in the divide between supporters of gay pride events -or the Western governments that allow them - and their opponents in Russian-backed eastern Ukraine. themoscowtimes
Putin since his State of the Nation address of 2014 has defended 'traditional values' washingtontimes . This has led to him being seen in deeply divided America and Australian fringe as being anti the anti-religious-globalists. Some may actually think that Putin's success in Ukraine will help stop the moral rot in their own nations. But Elisha would weep rather. Russia never had a reformation or a Great Awaking to the culture of the Bible as Britain did. Putin is raising the power of the Orthodox Church in its struggle against the Roman Church, so the two legs will stand equal.
Elisha knew what great things Hazael would do. Its is not hidden from Jews that Russia is mentioned in the Bible as invading their nation. Many know. Many Messianic Jews in Israel speak of it regularly and an entirely Jewish website often mentions it.
DID PUTIN JUST SPARK THE WAR OF GOG AND MAGOG?
BY DAVID SIDMAN | FEB 24, 2022 | BIBLICAL NEWS
O mortal, turn your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. Prophesy against him Ezekiel 38:2 (The Israel Bible TM)
Following months of Russian troops massing on the Ukrainian border and Kyiv approving a national state of emergency, Putin finally pulled the trigger and launched an armed invasion of Ukraine. According to one well-known rabbi, Russia is ‘Gog’ as described in the Book of Ezekiel.
RUSSIAN INVASION OF CRIMEA: BEGINNING OF GOG AND MAGOG
It should be noted that Russia invaded and subsequently annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in 2014. President Obama was criticized for an essentially weak response despite voicing strong rhetoric.
According to the Halacha (Jewish law), expert head of Yeshiva Bnei Zion Rabbi Ben Zion Mutzafi wrote in his book Ateret Zion B’kharakhim that ‘Gog’ as described in Ezekiel is indeed Russia: “Gog is modern-day Russia who is located in the north of the world and controls many ancient peoples.” The book explains that among those people are the Amalekites and Canaanites.
Many Israeli mystics saw this event was as the precursor to the final War of Gog and Magog. A teaching from the 18th century Rabbinic sage known as the Vilna Gaon who singled out Russian aggression as a precursor to the Messiah.
“When you hear that the Russians have captured the city of Crimea, you should know that the times of the Messiah have started, that his steps are being heard,” the Vilna Gaon told his followers just before his death in 1797. “And when you hear that the Russians have reached the city of Constantinople (today’s Istanbul), you should put on your Shabbat clothes and don’t take them off because it means that the Messiah is about to come any minute.”
This teaching was handed down in secret until it was finally revealed six years ago by Rabbi Moshe Shturnbuch, a respected rabbi in the Orthodox Jewish community.
This is also hinted at in a verse in the Book of Ezekiel:
O mortal, turn your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. Prophesy against him. Ezekiel 38:2
In this verse, the Hebrew word for ‘chief’ is רֹאשׁ (Rosh), which hints at ‘Russia.’
While the half kingdom of Israel was wallowing in their own ways and suffering as the Syrians cut them smaller, to the south there was the kingdom of Judah that survives as it sends tribute to Hazael of Syria.
Then Hazael king of Syria went up, and fought against Gath, and took it: and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem. And Jehoash king of Judah took all the hallowed things that Jehoshaphat, and Jehoram, and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own hallowed things, and all the gold that was found in the treasures of the house of the LORD, and in the king's house, and sent it to Hazael king of Syria: and he went away from Jerusalem. (2 Kings 12:17-18)
After Hazael makes the northern kingdom of Israel small and weak, they are then lost to the Assyrians and sent into captivity. There are now a lot of Ukrainians in exile, as refugees, many who will not go back anytime soon. Will Ukraine survive? So we can see a parallel. Will Putin be the one to come as prince of Rosh, as it is written to invade Israel? We will see. In any case because Putin's Russia is doing great things now we know that the success now of Russian troops – through such mighty destruction - is a precursor of the evil coming to Israel. This is why I think of Hazael. Hazael's name in Hebrew means El has seen.
But we might consider if not with tears, but with some bitterness, that the rise of Russia by defeating Ukraine as 'more right' in its cause to judge our nation for its evil, and to take away prosperity of our nation by the foolishness of our leaders 'sanctions', that have strengthened and enriched Russia. To be on the losing side, is to be on the wrong side. Hazael was the man of that era because El had seen… it is not without reason that Russia will come down to Israel whose leadership and elite partakes in the sins of the West – though it be an evil thought.
Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit. Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations? Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD. (Jeremiah 7:8-11)
We have before us two Vladimirs (Volodymyr in Ukrainian) – 'the great-famous-bright ruler' or 'world owner' or 'peace owner (ruler)'. Yahweh Elohim is the great and bright ruler that brought Hazael to power in what seemed natural events, as he brings leaders now to power to prepare for the return of the famous ruler born king of the Jews. It was when faithless Ahaz king of Judah was facing the potential invasion by its enemy Syria that (unbelievably) was confederate with Israel, that Yahweh Elohim pointed out that Assyria would destroy both and the end of all judgement in warfare was the son whose name would be the Prince of peace.
For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty El, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. (Isaiah 9:5-7)
