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Libya figures into Bible prophecy in the book of Daniel and in Ezekiel chapter 38. In both sections
it is to do with the time of the end. In Ezekiel the Confederacy that joins Roche is described to us
as Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them, all of them with shield and helmet, Gomer and all his
bands, the house of Takarma of the North Quarters, and all his bands, and many people with thee. Be
thou prepared and prepare for thyself, thou and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be
thou a guard unto them. And that's chapter 38 verses 5 to 7. In the parallel section in Daniel 11,
the cohorts of the King of the North are described similarly. We read in verse 43,
but he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, over all the precious things of
Egypt, and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. Well, who are the Libyans? Ezekiel's
Libya is the ancient nation of foot in the modern day form. They traced their origins back to the
people of Ham in Genesis chapter 10, where we read in verse 6, and the sons of Ham were Kush and
Mizrayim and foot and Canaan. Well, Canaan we are familiar with. Sudan and Ethiopia comprise the
area of ancient Kush today. Mizrayim is the ancient name of Egypt, and foot is what we know
today as Libya, albeit a large, attractive land. Throughout the Bible, they are depicted as a
warlike people, often confederate with the Ethiopians. We read in Jeremiah in chapter 46 and verse 9,
Come ye up ye horses and rage ye chariots and let the mighty men come forth, the Ethiopians and the Libyans
that handle the shield and the Lydians that handle and bend the bow. Ezekiel also describes him as
men of war, a warrior people. In chapter 27 verse 10, they of Persia and of Ludd and of foot, which
is Libya, were in nine army. Thy men of war, they hang the shield and helmet in thee, and set forth
thy comeliness. Nahum goes on to describe them as mercenaries as well in chapter 3 and verse 9.
Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite. Put and Lubbim were thy helpers.
When Nahum mentions they are associated with the Lubbim, this is the same word used in Daniel
when he describes the Libyans. They appear to be from a similar region and again are seen in the
Bible as a warlike people who utilized chariots and horsemen. We read to them in 2 Chronicles 12
and verse 3, with 1200 chariots and 3000 horsemen and the people that were without number that came
up to him out of Egypt, the Lubbims and the Sukims and the Ethiopians. Chapter 16 verse 8 also says,
were not the Ethiopians and the Lubbims a huge host with very many chariots and horsemen. And so
it's no surprise to find this people marching in stride with the king of the north, interesting in
getting in on the action in Israel in the latter days. When we consider Libya throughout history,
we find that Libya was ruled by the Carthaginians. These were Phoenicians that established an
empire there following the decline of the ancient nation of Tyre. It was sieged by Nebuchadnezzar,
later subjugated by Cyrus and the Persians and eventually Tyre was destroyed by Alexander the
Great. Carthage and Rome battled for control of Sicily during the Punic Wars, made famous by
Hannibal's exploits in Europe. Carthage eventually fell to the Romans in about 146 BC and ceased to
be a major power, becoming a Roman client state under the name of Libya. Libya was ruled by the
Romans until Gaseric's vandals conquered them in about 435 AD and it remained Christian until it
was conquered by the Arabs under the banner of Islam in the 7th century. It was taken by the
Ottomans in 1551 and remained such until it was conquered by the Italians in 1911, finally gaining
independence in 1951 under a man named King Erdis. Well, Colonel Gaddafi, inspired by Egypt's Nasser,
overthrew the King Erdis of Libya in 1969 and established a republic and later a socialist
state ruled by his decree. He was an Arab nationalist who nationalized the oil industry in
Libya and used its revenues to build up the military. Libya has the 10th largest oil reserve in the
world. Well, Gaddafi was a strong supporter of the Palestinians, funding Black September who
carried out the massacre of the Israeli athletes at the Olympics in West Germany in 1972. Gaddafi
allied himself with the Soviet Union in the late 1970s and 80s. He was responsible for the Pan Am
airline bombings over Lockerbie in Scotland in 1988. Libya has remained a pariah state and on the
list of states sponsoring terror since or until 2006. For a while, Gaddafi had both a nuclear and
chemical weapons program. In 2011, the Arab Spring erupted across the Middle East and Libya was
plunged into civil war and NATO supported the rebels with a no-fly zone and targeted strikes.
By September, Gaddafi was on the run and he was killed on October the 20th. Since then,
Libya has had two governments. One in the east calls the House of Representatives and one in
the west called the General National Council led by Prime Minister Suraj. A deal called the
Skirat agreement was supposed to unite them under one house, but this has not materialized as the
HOR would not approve it. While the House of Representatives or HOR government in the east
and the GNC or the General National Council in the west battle it out, they have also been fighting
ISIS simultaneously. Well, the two warring governments have both courted the US. However,
the USA has abandoned Libya. According to the Guardian newspaper, the USA were horrified that
in the wake of the Benghazi attacks on the US consulate in September 2012, they killed the
ambassador and three other Americans. With political fallout in Washington that continues to this
day, the Obama administration decided the country was too toxic and walked away. End quote. Well,
a vacuum has been created in Libya, similar to the situation in Iraq. The government has been
removed, but in its place anarchy has ensued. The different tribes once united under a powerful
leader are vying for power. Into this vacuum, radical Islam has arisen as a threat to both sides
and as an opportunity for others to rise to the surface. According to the headlines, a man named
Khalifa Haftar is a renegade general who has been who is causing upheaval in Libya. The Guardian
reported of his exploits back in May of 2014. Khalifa Haftar is offensive against the government
that replaced Gaddafi, which he accuses of being a haven for terrorists, has been far more successful.
It has seen him attack Islamic militias in Benghazi and the parliament in Tripoli. In less
than a week, key army units, political parties and tribal forces have rallied under his banner.
On Thursday, tension mounted when a powerful brigade from Misrata deployed in the center of
the capital. The renegade general's moves are being closely watched both at home and abroad.
Well, at the time, it looked like he was just another tribal leader who would come and go as
the Guardian reported. But this week, Libya and Haftar resurfaced in the news headlines,
and it is significant why. Haftar, the rebel general, asked Moscow for help in Libya back in
June. The Middle Eastern Monitor reported on Tuesday, Haftar was in Moscow in June to discuss
weapons supplies, including aircraft spares, and Moscow's potential role in helping broker a
settlement in Libya. Last week, Haftar called on the international community to end the arms
embargo in Libya, criticizing it for hindering the fight against Daesh or ISIS. Well, following
the meeting in June, the Russian news agency Tafts reported Russian Foreign Minister Sergei
Lavrov as stating, Libya is an example of catastrophic results of the mindless power
politics aimed at changing regimes, an example of a catastrophe that was created by those who
flagrantly violated the UN Security Council resolutions on the no fly zone. Well, this past
week, Haftar again met with the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on Tuesday,
as Reusich reported. Khalifa Haftar, the military commander of Libya's Eastern
government, has met Russian Foreign Ministry Sergei Lavrov, and he said he was seeking
Moscow's help in his fight against Islamic militants at home. Haftar, on his second visit to
Moscow since the summer, requested military support from the Kremlin in September, according
to Russian media. Well, the article pointed out that Haftar is officially asking Moscow
for help. It went on to state Haftar, who is aligned with the Eastern parliament and
government based in Tobruk, the HOR, has been fighting a two year military campaign with
his Libyan National Army against Islamic extremists and other opponents in Benghazi and elsewhere
in the East. Many suspect he seeks national power. Donning a Russian fur hat as he entered
the snow last foreign ministry, Haftar told Lavrov he had met Russian Defense Minister
Sergei Shugoy on Monday to tell him about his military needs. So, government affiliated
general from Libya has gone to Russia to officially ask for Russia's help in fighting a war against
Daesh, ISIS, or whatever label one wishes to put on the Islamic group this week. What
is interesting is that this whole situation is being blamed by Vladimir Putin on Western
interference, helping to remove a leader and plunging a country into civil war. It was
under the same circumstances that Russia launched its military operations to support Syrian
President Bashar al-Assad last year in the war against terrorists. Russia has placed
its support largely behind the Tobruk parliament as Lavrov stated back in June. We know about
the attempts to ignore rather large units of Libyan tribes that have been most effective
fighting against IS militants that have taken root in many parts of Libya, he stated. There
is a decision approved by the UN Security Council, the Russian Foreign Minister said.
This is the Shiraq agreement, which was concluded in Morocco at the end of 2015 in accordance
with which the so-called government of the national unity was established. However,
he states, the creation of this government in accordance with the Shiraq agreement must
be ratified by a parliament, which will be recognized by the international community
as the legitimate parliament of Libya that sits in Tobruk. So Lavrov made it clear that
Russia has never abandoned Libya, unlike the USA, and is working to help heal the rift
in Libya. He stated, we are convinced that it is necessary to consolidate all the Libyan
forces and only then take heed to the requests of the international community that will be
put forward by the united Libyan people. The people who remember the Libya-Russia ties
have never broken contact with us. We cooperate with them and support them in their aspiration
for a nationwide dialogue and accord. Well, this week Lavrov plays General Haftar and
the Libyan National Army according to TASS. Moscow highly appreciates the role of the
Libyan National Army, the LNA, in upholding Libya's independence and territorial integrity.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday, opening talks with LNA Commander
Khalifa Haftar, we appreciate your role in protecting the country's independence and
territorial integrity, the minister said. We can see how deeply you understand the interconnection
between the struggle for sovereignty and the need to suppress terrorists.
Well, Haftar reiterated that Russia is looking at how it can cooperate with the Libyan National
Army to combat terror. He stated that yesterday we had the honor of being received at the
Russian Defense Ministry. We discussed quite a few military issues outlining all requirements
for combating terrorism. We hope that we will be able to eliminate terrorism with your support,
that is, Russia, very soon, Haftar added. Well, just how far Russian support for Libya
will go is something well worth watching. A Debka file report stated Russia's support
was a new Putin move to win a military base in Libya. The report gave detail. It stated
that the Libyan General Khalifa Haftar arrived in Moscow Sunday, November 26, with a request
for Russian arms and military support for his army. He was welcomed in Moscow, which
saw an opening for Russia to gain its first military base in North Africa. According to
Debka files military and intelligence sources, President Vladimir Putin began to envision
a second Mediterranean base on the coast of Benghazi, twin to Hememem in Syria's Latakia.
This one would accommodate Russian naval as well as air units and be located 700 kilometers
from Europe. Will the report outline some of the practical aid being offered? It said
that Putin is now offering Haftar's army fighter jets, attack helicopters, armored vehicles
and assorted missiles as well as air support for fighting the Islamic State. The target
is the Islamic State, the very same target that Russia is purportedly fighting in Syria.
It is going to help protect Libya from that threat. This is in keeping with the words
of Ezekiel that identify Libya as an ally of Russia in the time of the end. We read
earlier Ezekiel 38 verses 5 to 7, identifying Libya with them with shield and helmet. And
it goes on to state that Russia would be prepared and prepare for thyself, thou and all thy
bands or the company that they're assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them. So
Russia is to be a guard unto the host that is gathered to it. It has already assumed
this role in regards to Iran and Syria, is looking to do so in Iraq, and now appears
to be picking up the mantle in Libya. The DEBKA report went on to point out the significance
of Russia's involvement. At all events, Russian planes in Hamimim are capable of covering
the 1500 kilometer distance to Libya, while the Russian carrier, Admiral Kuznevets, is
anchored not far away off Syria's Mediterranean shore. Both are therefore available for operations
in support of the Libyan general. This would be the first time a Russian aircraft carrier
went into action in this part of the Mediterranean. The battles ongoing along the Mediterranean
coast this week, among the various militias, include Haftar's army, are in fact a tug
of war for control of Libya's oil fields. Libya's oil fields, oil riches are certainly
not absent from Putin's calculations, DEBKA said. Moscow's assistance in helping his
Libyan visitor gain the upper hand in this struggle could augur the first Russian stake
in the Libyan oil industry." So don't forget that Libya's oil fields are the 10th largest
in the world. Russia has rebuilt its military on the proceeds from the oil and gas industry,
and it is well known that a large part of Russia's global strategy is control of energy.
So it will be well worth watching Libya in the months ahead, as Russia may repeat its
actions in Syria, rushing to the aid of a nation that invites it in to help deal with
ISIL. We know the alliance will form up in the end, exactly how it will happen we do
not know, but it is fascinating to see the moves being made to bring this about right
before our eyes. We know for certain that we are living in the time of the end.
For The Bible in the News, this has been Jonathan Bowen joining you.
