Israel poised for prophecy fulfillment

Events are rapidly coming together and have recently entered the spiritual vision of many Christians and even many unsaved. The Lord's program with Israel that has been written since the foundation of the world contains prophecies that have yet to be fulfilled, but seem close to fruition.

Of most concern is the prophesied Gog-Magog battle. This future event is prophesied to occur in the last days and can be read in Ezekiel 38-39. It is this event which God uses to draw Israel back to Himself by announcing His presence on earth. In the last days, Israel is surprised in an attack by an alliance of nations that include Russia, Iran, Libya, Sudan, Armenia, Turkey and others. Israel is so surprised, perhaps exulting in relaxation after her decisive win in the Psalm 83 prophetic war, that she is on the verge of losing the battle. Until the last moment, it seems that Iran's long-standing promise to "wipe Israel from the face of the earth" will come true. However, God supernaturally saves Israel and all who participate in this battle know it. The Gog-Magog battle is widely considered to be the gateway into the Tribulation, because it is at this time that God returns His attention to dealing with Israel as the prophesied last 7 years of the original decree states:

Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up prophecy and to anoint the most holy.” – Daniel 9:24

490 years...but Jesus came in year 483 of the decree and when He died, it stopped the decree clock for a 2000 year 'pause' in order to build His church. When the church is built, and Paul told us that it will be finished when "the full number of the Gentiles has come in" (and no one but God knows that number) then God will resume His dealings with His people and their transgression of the last 7 years.

So that you will not be conceited, brothers, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery: a partial hardening has come to Israel until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. Romans 11:25

The Israelites cannot understand about their transgression (rejecting Jesus) until we are raptured out of the way and that will occur sometime between this moment and the end of the Gog-Magog Battle.

What gets Russia et al so furious that they combine to attack Israel directly? Prior to the Gog battle likely it could be any number of things: a fulfillment of the Isaiah 17:1 prophecy that Damascus will be destroyed ... Israel's resounding win in the prophetic Psalm 83 war ... or Israel's extreme wealth that draw Russia to plunder. The neighboring onlookers cheer the Gog alliance on:

"Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish with all its villages will say to you, 'Have you come to capture spoil? Have you assembled your company to seize plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to capture great spoil?'" Ezekiel 38:13

Sheba and Dedan are Saudi Arabia and the identification of Tarshish is contended, but may be Britain. It is thought that the onlookers are cheering because they participated in the Psalm 83 war that likely occurred just prior to the Gog battle and are out of commission, having been soundly beaten by Israel.

So are there events today which are serving as a catalyst for the Gog-Magog coalition to join forces against Israel? Does the world hate Israel? Does it look like friend Turkey will finally tip over from pro-Western to pro-Muslim and become Israel's enemy? Does it look like Damascus is at risk, that Israel's neighbors will attack her, that Iran is crazy enough to nuke go against her long-hated nemesis? All these are conditions that need to be in place for the prophecies to come about. And the answer is Yes.

Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the peoples round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all peoples; all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the nations of the earth be gathered together against it." Zechariah 12:2-4

Allies turn on Israel
Israel's allies froze military ties and summoned its ambassadors on Monday over the storming of an aid flotilla bound for Gaza, as Muslim leaders slammed the deadly raid as "criminal" and "inhuman".

Israel's attack on Gaza flotilla outrages the world
The predawn Israeli naval forces attack against international aid convoy Gaza Freedom Flotilla, in which 20 activists on the board were killed and more than 30 wounded, outraged Arab and world countries.

Joel Rosenberg writes: Israeli Rabbis say current events could lead to "War of Gog and Magog"
A pastor friend of mine who is helping us set up the 2010 Epicenter Conference in Philadelphia later this month just sent me an urgent text message with this headline from Israel National News: Rabbis: Flotilla Clash Similar to Gog and Magog Prophecy. As you might expect, it caught my attention right away. Excerpts-
'The Rabbinical Council of Judea and Samaria issued a statement Thursday in which it said that the results of the incident in which Israel intercepted a flotilla trying to break the naval blockade of Gaza seem like the Biblical description of “the beginning of the Gog and Magog process where the world is against us, but which ends with the third and final redemption….'

And of the 'great spoil' and the 'plunder' the Gog coalition seeks from Israel?

Israel set to become gas exporter Consortium finds enough gas to secure energy needs for 50 - 70 years.
A consortium led by billionaire Yitzhak Tshuva announced on Thursday that it has struck natural gas in a field called 'Leviathan' off the coast of Israel. The field is estimated to contain 15 trillion cubic feet of gas and is the second large scale gas find in a month. Last month's find, in a field called 'Tamar', is thought to contain enough gas to supply Israel for the next twenty years.

 Is Iran capable of wiping Israel from the map? And do they have the will? Yes

U.N. says Iran has fuel for two nukes
In their last report before the United Nations Security Council votes on sanctions against Iran, international nuclear inspectors declared Monday that Iran has now produced a stockpile of nuclear fuel that experts say would be enough, with further enrichment, to make two nuclear weapons.

Events of the day are hurtling us toward fulfillment of the last seven years. The timing is the Lord's and no one knows exactly when the the now-lit match will reach the fuse. The best thing for the Christian to do is pray, stay in the Word, and witness like there's no tomorrow. For there may be no tomorrow.