A number of questions have come in with the worry over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russia’s Vladimir Putin seems to be in the process of fulfilling the Gog-Magog prophecy in the opinion of some of those among whom have sent emails, etc.

Of particular interest in this regard is Russia’s sending the warning to Israel that Russia no longer considers the Golan, etc., to be Israel’s sovereign territory. i.e., apparently, it’s now open for Russia’s taking it over because of Israel’s dealings with Syria in some perceived unjust way.

Putin took unkindly to Israel saying they supported the Ukrainian people in opposing Russia’s assault on their nation.

During all this perhaps stage-setting for the Gog-Magog attack of Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39, another powerful player of prophetic dimension is starkly in view. The developments in the regions east of the Euphrates, the oriental world, are indeed worth delving into in terms of likely prophetic progression.

I refer to the matter of the persistent probing into Taiwan’s air space with military jets. The actions are intended not only to intimidate but to see just how not only Taiwan itself but how the western powers – particularly the U.S. – will react and respond.

Of course, China is the culprit in all this. Taiwan’s monstrous neighbor, under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP,) has had for many years a festering hatred for that democratic republic just miles off China’s coast. They are now making that hatred manifest for the world to see.

Vladimir Putin’s daring invasion of Ukraine has, without a doubt, given China’s despot, Xi Jinping, the evidence he needs that confirms America’s weakness of leadership. The current presidential administration’s perceived inability to deal with Putin and his aggression with military action or even with other effective means to deter Russian incursion have no doubt caused Xi Jinping to become more aggressive by the day in probing Taiwan’s vulnerability.

The buildup of China’s aggressiveness has been coming more clearly into the picture of events shaping for prophetic fulfillment for several years of late. The building of artificial islands in the South China Sea, for example, has been part of this buildup. They have thus challenged navies and anyone other who passes through that sea, even though that is legally, in terms of maritime law, open waters for movement of ships from around the world. China has proclaimed it as its sovereign waters and has threatened military action even against U.S. naval ships.

So among the questions I’ve gotten through email and in personal conversations as well as on TV and radio interviews is: “Do you think China will attack Taiwan and take it over?”

People who are well-versed in Bible prophecy already can see the proverbial handwriting on the wall when it comes to Russia. They are fairly certain the Russian actions, with their taking of Ukraine (or at least parts of it at this point), is a sure signal that it might be all setting up the Gog-Magog assault at some point. Russia’s aforementioned threatening of Israel, denying the Jewish state’s sovereignty in the matter of the Golan, strongly adds to the evidence that the Gog-Magog attack must be somewhere in the not-too-distant future.

But China is another matter. The questions concerning its intentions, etc., are not issued with any certainty that they see potential prophetic fulfillment within the matters involved.

“Will China attack and take over Taiwan?”

The question has been ruminating within the aging gray matter and within my spiritual neurons that want to know, too.

Here is my assessment, or at least my best epiphany, if that’s the correct term.

I do believe that because of this American presidential administration’s weak actions and reactions to most everything that involves aggression, China will decide to take Taiwan. If they wait until the midterm elections in this nation, they will face much stronger opposition if, as expected, there is a complete rout of the Democrat Party, particularly in the House of Representatives.

If they await the presidential election of 2024, their prospects for successfully taking the Taiwan island-state without use of nuclear weapons might be even more greatly diminished.

Bible prophecy tells of the massive force of 200 million troops that will cross the dried-up Euphrates River at the end of the Tribulation period. This force is called the kings of the east. I have always believed that China, who now can easily put together that size force, joined by all the other “kings of the east” in that oriental part of the world, will be the lead nation in the demonically-possessed horde. I believe that China will be the King of the kings of the east in that attack that will kill one-third of people on earth.

If this generation is at the very end of the Church Age (Age of Grace) – as many of us believe the world is – all prophetic progression must soon come together in preparation for the wind-up of history this side of the Tribulation and the Triumphant Return of Christ. Just as the Gog-Magog forces seem to be coming together at present, so, too, the things in the oriental world must be coming together.

China, by bringing Taiwan into its hegemonic embrace, is almost a certainty in firming up the kings of the east assault force. Xi Jinping, or whomever is the Chinese leader, will soon be bringing all of those oriental nations that are now independent, sovereign countries into their orb through whatsoever means necessary.

I don’t believe those means will be nuclear – at least not this side of the Rapture of the Church. That would throw the world into configuration other than prophesied by the Lord Jesus as recorded in Matthew 24:36-42 and Luke 17:26-30. It would not be business as usual if there were nuclear exchanges all over the world, or, I believe, even on a limited basis.

No matter the way things will play out within the near term, the God of Heaven is in complete Control. We can be absolutely certain of that Truth. And He will take Christ’s Bride, the Church, out of this doomed world because of its rebelliousness before His Wrath must fall.

Here again is how to avoid that coming Judgment and Wrath.

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10: 9-10).