The aims of territorial expansion and the methods used to achieve those ends are very little different in the Russia of today than they were in the Russia of the Czars. This greedy bear has for centuries sought to exploit troubles in and among nations for her own gain. It has been a matter of design, although always biding her time and waiting for the suitable opportunity.
Russia, both past and present, has sought to extend her boundaries west in Europe, south into the Balkans and the Dardanelles, and to drive through Persia to the Persian Gulf, and east to Japan. The plan forever-increasing expansion is told as well, perhaps, in the will of Peter the Great, the despotic czar who died in 1725, as in any other statement anywhere. For the reader's convenience we quote this document in part:
"(1.) The Russian nation must be constantly on a war footing, to keep the soldiers warlike and in good condition. No rest must be allowed except for the purpose of relieving the State finances, recruiting the army, or biding the favorable moment for attack. By these means peace is made subservient to war, and war to peace, in the interest of the aggrandizement and increasing prosperity of Russia....
" (3) No opportunity must be lost of taking part in the affairs and disputes of Europe, especially in those of Germany, which from its vicinity is one of the most direct interest to us....
We must keep steadily extending our frontiers—northward along the Baltic, and southward along the shores of the Black Sea.
We must progress as much as possible in the direction of Constantinople and India. He who can get possession of these places is the real ruler of the world. With this view we must provoke constant quarrels at one time with Turkey and at another with Persia. We must establish wharves and docks in the Euxine and by degrees make ourselves masters of that sea as well as of the Baltic, which is a doubly important element in the success of our plan. We must hasten the downfall of Persia, push on into the Persian Gulf and, if possible, re-establish the ancient commercial intercourse with the Levant through Syria, and force our way into the Indies, which are the storehouses of the world. Once there, we can dispense with English geld.
"(10) Moreover, we must take pains to establish and maintain an in;:mate union with Austria, apparently countenancing her schemes for future aggrandizement in Germany, and all the while secretly rousing the jealousy of the minor States against her. By this way we must bring it to pass that one or the other party shall seek aid from Russia, and thus we shall exercise a sort of protectorate over the country, which will pave the way for future supremacy.
" (11) We must make the House of Austria interested in the expulsion of the Turks from Europe, and we must neutralize its jealousy at the capture of Constantinople, either by preoccupying it with a war with the old European States or by allowing it a share of the spoil, which we can afterward resume at our leisure.
We must collect round our house, as round a center, all the detached sections of Greeks which are scattered abroad in Hungary, Turkey, and South Poland. We must make them look to us for support, and then, by establishing beforehand a sort of ecclesiastical supremacy, we shall pave the way for Universal Sovereignty.
When Sweden is ours, Persia vanquished, Poland subjugated, Turkey conquered—when our armies are united, and the Euxine and Baltic are in the possession of our ships, then we must make separate and secret overtures, first to the Court of Versailles, and then to that of Vienna, to share with them the dominion of the world. If either of them accept our propositions, which is certain to happen if their ambition and self-interest are properly worked upon, we must make use of one to annihilate the other; this done, we have only to destroy the remaining one by finding a pretext for a quarrel, this issue of which cannot be doubtful, as Russia will then be already in absolute possession of the East and the best part of Europe.
"(14) Should the improbable case happen of both rejecting the propositions of Russia, then our policy will be to set one against the other, and make them tear each other to pieces. Russia must then watch for and seize the favorable moment, and pour her already assembled hosts into Germany, while two immense fleets, laden with Asiatic hordes and conveyed by the armed squadrons of the Euxine and the Baltic, set sail simultaneously from the Sea of Azoff and the harbor of Archangel; sweeping along the Mediterranean and the Atlantic they will overrun France on the one side, while Germany is overpowered on the other. When these countries are fully conquered, the rest of Europe must fall easily, and without a struggle under our yoke. Thus Europe can and must be subjugated."
While the plan is still the same and the method of accomplishing its purposes remains almost unchanged, Peter the Great never thought of an ideology which would so completely become master of men's minds that it would tie the whole empire into one grand fanatical unit bent on spreading communism to the ends of the world. This remained for the Russia of our day, and with it an expansion of territory which would have been most visionary in the days of Peter the Great.
But we see the same pattern working in all directions; it has been especially observed during the last decade. When the last great war started, Russia signed an alliance with Germany, but when the time was propitious she attacked her ally. The same was true of matters between Russia and Japan, and later between Russia and the Central Government of China. In 1945 Russia signed a 20 years pact with National China to aid it with moral and military support, but almost immediately set to work to accomplish its downfall by armed intervention in support of the Chinese communists. And thus eventually the National Government was forced to flee from the mainland to Formosa.
There is a long list of intrigues and double-dealing with the various countries of Europe which, as a result, fell completely under her domination. It is surely the pattern prescribed by Peter the Great—promise anything to accomplish your purposes, and then take it back at your convenience; set one country against another and then you come in and take the spoils when they quarrel.
All this reminds us of a divine prophecy regarding the notorious Antiochus Epiphanes of Syria. Over 300 years before he was born, God said that he would sit down at a conference table with the king of Egypt, but these kings would speak lies at one table (see Dan. 11:2727And both these kings' hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall be at the time appointed. (Daniel 11:27)). And has not this been a somewhat frequent occurrence in international conferences ever since? The marvel is that God bears with such a world! And, more than that, a world that, when He sent His Son into it in grace to reconcile men, spit in His face, cried, Away with Him, nailed Him to a cross, and cast Him out.
The strange thing is that the great politicians of the world have been so slow to learn Russia's devious methods of operation. God who knows all things knew before what her character would be, and has so described it in one verse. But first let us look at the setting of this verse, so that we may easily perceive that it is Russia which is meant:
In Isa. 30 and 31 we find the destruction of the "king of the north" (that Moslem enemy of the Jews, located north and east of Palestine, who will come against the apostate Jews in Palestine because of their idolatry). This enemy will be destroyed by the Lord Jesus when He comes in power and great glory, after He first puts down the Roman Empire. Then in Isa. 32 we find that "a King shall reign in righteousness." It is at this time that the Lord will interpose on behalf of the Jewish people and bring them back to their own land. After this, Isa. 33 introduces another enemy—Russia—who as foretold in Eze. 38 will come against a people dwelling in safety after having been brought back from the sword. God will bring Russia and her satellites against His people and His land so that He may judge them there.
Now let us look at Isa. 33:11Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee. (Isaiah 33:1)—"Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wart not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee!" Oh, what a word to describe that great nation—dealing treacherously. Is not this the pattern found in Peter the Great's will? Is not this the thing that has been proved in the last ten years? God knew it before, and has recorded it by His prophet almost 2700 years ago. Well did another say, "A Christian who understands his Bible knows more about the
course of this world than the wisest statesman without it." God has treated us as friends and told us what He is about to do, but the chief and central object before our souls should be, Our Lord is coming first to take us to be with Himself, and for Him we wait and look. What a joyful moment that will be when we see Him who loves us and died for us.
"Even so, come, Lord Jesus."