One of the main roads in the Arab city of Jericho is to be named after Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Ynet news reported quoting Russian news agencies. Welcome to Bible in the News for January 20, 2012. Medvedev visited Jericho in January 2011 and now Abbas is currently visiting Russia. He is expected to receive an award from Patriarch Alexy II. The ceremony is scheduled to take place in the largest church in Russia.

When the famous Jewish leader Joshua conquered Jericho through faith, by the hand of the God of Israel, he charged the people with an oath which is recorded in Joshua 6:26, quoted here from the ASV.

"And Joshua charged them with an oath at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before Jehovah, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: with the loss of his first-born shall he lay the foundation thereof, and with the loss of his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it."

Ancient Jericho was a fortified city, with huge walls, large enough for Rahab to have a house upon the wall. At night the gate was shut. Jericho was impregnable. The nation of Israel led by Joshua could only enter the land of Israel and secure the inheritance by overcoming Jericho.

Jericho is a symbol of the great city in Revelation - Babylon the great. Joshua and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant, compassed Jericho with trumpets and it fell on the seventh day by a great earthquake. So Babylon the great will fall at the beginning of the seventh millennium, while the seventh trumpet is sounding, under the hand of the greater than Joshua, also by the effect of a great earthquake. This is the time of Armageddon when Gog and all his host - the military power of Babylon the great - will fall on the mountains of Israel.

Ancient Jericho was later rebuilt and the prophecy and curse that Joshua pronounced was fulfilled.

"In his days did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho: he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Joshua the son of Nun." (1 Kings 16:34)

While the dedication of a street in modern Jericho to the leader of Russia, may seem like a rather insignificant event, those that renamed the street had a much larger significance in mind. Palestinian Arab leader Mahmoud Abbas said he sees the act as a token of honor that symbolizes the long lasting relations between Russia and the Palestinians. According to the report quoted by YNET, "The Palestinian Authority issued a statement saying: "Due to the historic, cultural and public relations between Russia and the Palestinian people, and due to the warm ties between Russia and the city of Jericho, the city council has decided to name one of its main roads after our friend Dmitry Medvedev." The YNET article also noted that: "Medvedev visited Jericho in January last year, where he said that his country recognized an indpenedent Palestinian state more than two decades ago, and has no intention of changing its stance."

As shown before on Bible in the News, in the later-day invasion of the Mountains of Israel in the prophecy of Ezekiel 38, the leader of the invasion "Gog", is the head of all the Russias. This was covered in some detail in the October 1, 2011, Bible in the news, "The leadership of Europe".

Gog comes down upon the mountains of Israel, in the midst of the land. This is the contested area, known today as the West Bank. Although in the Jordan valley by the Dead Sea, Jericho falls in this contested area. In Ezekiel 38 we are informed of the reasons that Gog makes this massive invasion:

"To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land."

So it is not just for monetary gain that Gog comes down, but to turn his hand upon the Jewish people, who have been regathered from all the nations and dwell in the midst of the land of Israel. The invasion has a "religious" aspect to it, it is a religious crusade. In the prophecy of Joel, speaking of the same time and the battle of Armageddon, Joel prophesies in chapter 3 verse 9, "Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up". The word "prepare" is an imperative "command" verb and is from the root to "be holy". The sense is to "consecrate" war. So it is also of significance that Abbas is to receive an award from the leader of the Russian church.

These events are of significance as we watch the signs of the times. The main street of Jericho dedicated to the leader of Russia; the leader of the Russian Church to give an award to Abbas, and; Russian support for the establishment of an Arab state in the land of Israel, involving the removing of those that God has gathered out of all nations, to the mountains of Israel.

This has been David Billington joining you for this week's Bible in the News.