What About… Putin’s Russia? By Dave DeWitt anD Steve SeBaStian First a Brief History of the Russian Orthodox Church In the year 988 A.D., Prince Vladimir was ruling Russia from Kiev (the current capital of Ukraine). Vladimir sent envoys to the Jews, the Muslims, the western Roman Catholics, and the Eastern Orthodox to select a religion for the Russian people. He chose Eastern Orthodox Christianity, reportedly because they had the most beautiful church buildings. So the Russians were mass baptized as Orthodox Christians. This brought not just the Orthodox Church but Christian culture to Russia. Kiev remained the capital of Russia, and the center of Russian Orthodoxy, for the next 400 years. But during that time, Russia (centered in Kiev) fell to the Mongols. In 1237, the Kahn came across Russia, destroying everything in his path. One visitor reported that no town or village remained standing, and dead bodies lay everywhere. But during the rule of the Kahn, a monk named Sergius of Rodonez moved to the forests 15 miles north of Moscow. A mon- astery formed around him, which is still the headquarters of the Russian Orthodox Church to this day. In 1380, Sergius convinced Dmitry, the prince of Moscow, to lead an allied rebellion, which was successful in defeating the Kahn in Moscow. This had the effect of (1) the eventual downfall of the Kahn throughout Russia, (2) the establishment of Moscow as the headquarters of the Russian Orthodox Church, and (3) Moscow replacing Kiev as the principal Russian city. The two centuries from 1350-1550 are called the Gold- man values that unite the peoples of Russia, Ukraine en Age of Russian Orthodoxy because of the many and Belarus.” Russia is a Christian country, Putin … beautiful (gold-covered, onion-domed) churches that spoke of Russia as standing against a decadent West: were constructed and the elaborate liturgy that was es- “Many Euro-Atlantic countries have moved away tablished. During that time, in 1453, the Muslim Turks from their roots, including Christian values.” Indicting captured Constantinople (today’s Istanbul, the center of the “Bolsheviks” who gave away Crimea to Ukraine, Eastern, Greek, Byzantine, and Orthodox Christianity). Putin declared, “May God judge them…” In 2013, the So Ivan III, emperor of Russia at Moscow, took it as a Kremlin imposed a ban on homosexual propaganda, a sign from God that Moscow was “The Third Rome.” ban on abortion advertising, a ban on abortions after Rome was the first center of Christianity, then Constan- 12 weeks, and a ban on sacrilegious insults to religious tinople, and now Moscow and the Russian Orthodox believers. Church. His son Ivan the IV (Ivan The Terrible) then titled himself a Tsar (after the Roman Caesars) and be- On March 24, 2014, “Liberty headed all those who opposed him. This lasted until the Voice” published the following 1600s, when a conflict between Tsar Peter the Great and comments by Robert Pannier: the Patriarch was resolved by Peter replacing the Pa- Putin declared that he would triarch with a council called “The Most Holy Synod,” provide defense of Chris- which ruled the church until the Communists took over tians throughout the world, in 1917. But with the fall of Communism in 1989, the as part of his overall foreign Orthodox Church resumed power. policy. He would defend Christians from persecution wherever they were… Pu- Vladimir Putin and Christianity tin has taken the first steps in making this happen, by On April 4, 2014, Pat Buchanan posted a letter with the denying numerous U.N. resolutions demanding that following information, much of it quoted from Breitbart Syrian President Bashar al-Assad abdicate his position News, London: as head of Syria. Al-Assad has a long-standing record “Crimea,” said Putin, “is the location of ancient of supporting Christian churches in Syria, and there is Khersones, where Prince Vladimir was baptized. His a growing amount of violence against Christians and spiritual feat of adopting Orthodoxy predetermined churches within areas that are now controlled by rebel the overall basis of the culture, civilization and hu- factions… Putin believes that Russia is the new leader May 2014 • relationalconcepts.org in supporting Christian values and morals. ing on horses, a great assembly and a mighty army;… and I will turn you around, drive you Notice: on, take you up from the remotest parts of the 1. Putin is aligning Russia with Christianity, not north and bring you against the mountains of Communism. He is identifying himself with Israel. Prince Vladimir, who brought Christianity to Rus- sia in 988, and condemning Lenin’s Bolshevik Daniel 11:40; 44—At the end time the king of party that brought Communism to Russia in 1917. the South will collide with him [the antichrist], 2. Putin is claiming that Russia is a Christian nation and the king of the North will storm against because the Orthodox Church “predetermined him [the antichrist] with chariots, with horse- the overall basis of the culture, civilization, and men and with many ships… But rumors from human values that unite the peoples of Russia, the East and from the North will disturb him Ukraine and Belarus.” [the antichrist], and he [the antichrist] will go 3. Putin is taking the conservative moral high ground forth with great wrath to destroy and annihi- against a decadent West by imposing “a ban on late many. homosexual propaganda, a ban on abortion adver- tising, a ban on abortions after 12 weeks and a ban Without discussing the details, any literal view of on sacrilegious insults to religious believers.” Scripture dictates a strong northern (territorially 4. Concerning the Ukraine, Putin’s position is that it Russian – Ezekiel 38:1-3) power at odds with both has been part of Russia and Orthodox Christianity Israel and a decadent wealthy western (resurrected for over a thousand years (since 988), Kiev being Roman) empire of the antichrist. No one should the original capital and center of Russia and Rus- say, “This is that,” but this is a whole lot like that. sian Orthodox Christianity. The West (especially the European Union) is trying to take the Ukraine B. We should not equate conservative principles away from its Christian roots and turn it toward with biblical Christianity. Putin (who claims to the debauchery of the West. be baptized as an Orthodox Christian when he 5. Concerning Syria, Putin is supporting al-Assad was a month and a half old) is setting himself up because he is protecting the Christian churches in as representing a conservative traditional culture Syria, whereas the radical Muslim rebels would (opposing homosexuality, easy divorce, feminism, close them and persecute the Christians. Putin late-term abortion, promiscuity, pornography, and claims to be the protector of Christians every- euthanasia). But so do the Muslims. Like the New where, in Syria against Muslim radicals and in the Testament Pharisees, Putin represents an applica- Ukraine against the hedonism of the West. tion of the Law of God, but not the God of the Law. The Eastern Orthodox Church (unlike Islam) And the Russian people love it. According to the VCI- is indeed Christian, in the sense that it holds to the OM All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center, Trinity, the necessity of the cross of Christ, a literal since the beginning of 2014, Vladimir Putin’s rating resurrection of Jesus, and a historical Bible. But has risen 15 percent and stands at 75.7 percent—the they do not believe in the sufficiency of the cross highest in the last five years. Russians generally love or the Bible. And they do not proclaim the Gospel. two things: (1) Russian imperialism and (2) the Ortho- dox Church. And Putin is promoting both. C. Christianity is about a personal decision to fol- low Christ, not cultural or national traditions. Why Is This Important [In Our Opinion]? Christianity, as defined by Christ and the apostles, is about whoever believes in Him shall not perish A. End time prophecy includes a strong king of but have everlasting life (John 3:16), not establish- the North, which will occupy territorial Russia. ing a national culture. In the mind of the Orthodox, Ezekiel 38:15; 39:2—You will come from your there is no separation between church and state. place out of the remote parts of the north, you Putin is not promoting the salvation of individu- and many peoples with you, all of them rid- als, he is using the Orthodox Church and western debauchery to promote Russian imperialism..