Events in the Middle East and Israel are moving fast

Folks, things are moving fast. It is hard to keep up. Joel C. Rosenberg used the word suddenly when he wrote about the current intensification of speculation about a possible preemptive strike by Israel against Iran. His very good and educational article outlining the current situation is called "Is Netanyahu Signaling a Preemptive Strike Against Iran?"

A week ago:
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas: I Will Never Recognize a Jewish State

4 days ago:
Rocket fire rocks south
"South under fire again in wake of IAF attack in Gaza: Alarm sounds in various southern communities. Man hit by shrapnel in Gan Yavne; rocket hits school courtyard in Ashdod. Second barrage targets residential building, one injured. Islamic Jihad claims responsibility."

3 days ago:
Ashdod mayor: "This Can't Go On Much Longer"
"Ashdod Mayor Dr. Yehiel Lasri, whose city has been under a constant threat of rocket attacks, said on Sunday that the situation cannot continue and urged the government to take immediate action."

Israel gets ready to unveil David's Sling
"The Israeli air force is preparing to deploy a new air-defense system with the biblical name of David's Sling, designed to intercept medium-range missiles, while the Iron Dome system deployed earlier battles Palestinian rockets."

2 days ago:
UN: Syria complex bolsters suspicion of nuke ambitions
"U.N. investigators have identified a previously unknown complex in Syria that bolsters suspicions that the Syrian government worked with A.Q. Khan, the father of Pakistan's atomic bomb, to acquire technology that could be used to make nuclear arms."

1 day ago:
Will Israel Really Strike Iran?
"Benjamin Netanyahu is edging closer to launching a strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities. A firestorm of violence across the Mediterranean would follow. And Tehran is already threatening to retaliate against the United States, writes Bruce Riedel."

Today:
Benjamin Netanyahu seeks cabinet support for Israeli strike on Iran
"Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, is seeking cabinet support for a military strike on Iran, Haaretz newspaper has reported after days of speculation on plans for such an attack."

Today:
Salehi: Iran Ready to Push Back Enemy Attacks
"Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi on Thursday responded to reports claiming Israel is planning a military attack against his country, stating Tehran is "ready for war" with Israel."

Today:
Israeli PM orders investigation into Iran attack leak
"Kuwaiti paper says Binyamin Netanyahu believes the heads of the Mossad and Shin Bet, respectively Israel's foreign and domestic intelligence agencies, may have leaked plans for attack."

Tomorrow: (or sometime in probably the near future):

The bible prophecies that wars will occur in the Tribulation. It prophesies these wars in Revelation 6:3-4 as one of the Four Horsemen. Wars and rumors of wars are prophesied in Matthew 24:6. However, war as a general state is not the only prophecy. There are specific wars prophesied to come. The question is not what those wars are. The questions is when. These wars are :

1. Damascus will be destroyed according to Isaiah 17:1.
2. Israel's abutting neighbors will attack Israel as prophesied in Psalm 83.
3. Israel's far neighbors will attack Israel. known as the Gog-Magog War of Ezekiel 38-39.

The only thing we know about timing of when these wars may occur is that by the very end of the Gog Magog war, the church will be gone. This is because the LORD God literally pokes His face through the veil and reveals Himself supernaturally, so that all nations know He is the LORD-

"In days to come, Gog, I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me when I am proved holy through you before their eyes." (Ez 38:16)

"And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.' (Ez 38:23)

But more importantly, not only the nations will know it is the Lord that rescues Israel in this attack (that they are about to lose) but Israel knows.

"‘I will make known my holy name among my people Israel." (Ezekiel 39:7a).

From that day forward the people of Israel will know that I am the LORD their God." (Ezekiel 39:22.)

It is this battle, prophecy students say, that calls Israel back to covenant with God, and the call for a Temple goes up and sacrifices resume after a 2000 year cessation. We know sacrifices begin because the antichrist stops them according to Daniel 9:26-27. So the wars will happen. We don't know when- before the rapture, or after?

The wars are not long-drawn out affairs. In Isaiah 17, it explicitly says that in the evening Damascus will be there and by morning it will be gone. (Is 17:14).

The Psalm 83 war with near neighbors is thought to be one that occurs quickly and decisively. It seems that Israel regains the lands promised to her by God to Abraham. It is thought that Israel's victory of all the near neighbors is so decisive that it causes the literal and mental relief and relaxation and thus will be living in a land of unwalled villages as Ezekiel 38:11- when the Iranians and the Russians come calling.

The entire scenario could be played out within months. The three battles, or wars, won't take as long as the Afghanistan and Iranian wars the Americans have been engaged in. It would be more like Israel's Six Day War.

Therefore we may indeed be around to see them. Or not. As the Lord wills.

The heat is incredibly turned up. Middle East is definitely at a boiling point when Israel is openly talking of an attack, and the US and UK are too. Iran will not take this lightly nor will Hezbollah or the Palestinian Authority.  As birth pangs will do, the cataclysms and paroxysms are coming one upon another now, the news s unfolding that fast. Pray you will be found ready to stand before the Lord. He is merciful and loving, but above all He is HOLY.

Comments

  1. I just can't imagine Isreal wanting to do something massive like attack Iran and make such hoopla about it...it's just weird to me.

    This analysis of the situation makes sense to me:http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=363169

    Either way looks like Psalm 83/Isaiah 17 could just be over the horizon.

    I recently listened to an audio drama by Jim Tetlow and one scene was about the middle east wars (Link: http://www.thecomingglobaltransformation.org/scene14.html)

    The way it happened in the series, it seriously seemed like it was something that could happen any moment now and sounded so real. It seriously gave me shivers....

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  2. wow Thank you for posting all this. I was getting confused about what specifically is happening. I love that God is in control.

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  3. Anonymous, thanks for the link to the Aaron Klein article. I was thinking along those lines! I believe that the recent news of the secret Syrian nuke facility might be the target and the hoopla of the Iranian attack a diversionary tactic to keep attention away from the south when Israel is really becoming ready to deal with their northern neighbor. Israel bombed Syria's previous nuke facility in 2007 in an attack called Operation Orchard.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Orchard

    Because Israel has shown through their actions they would and they WILL attack a nuke facility, it seems likely would not let another one go unaddressed. It could be the Isaiah 17 scenario.

    I shiver, because I could go to bed with Damascus intact and wake up any day with it gone...

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  4. These are exciting time we as Christians live in! I'd not enjoy these times if I had no idea where I'm going when it's time to go.

    We are seeing Biblical prophecy happening right before our eyes and who is it that can't revel in the fact that our God keeps his Word and His promises are kept?

    Fear not! For fear is of the devil. And be not deceived for satan's name itself means 'deception' and 'liar.'

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  5. This is a serious question, not meant to be antagonistic in any way. You stated that Israel will again be in covenant with God, rebuild the temple and begin sacrifices again. What and why will they be sacrificing? If salvation is through Jesus Christ alone, and when He died on the cross the veil was torn in two and the Holy of Holies opened so that there is no seperation now between God and His people - why will they be sacrificing something again if they are in a true covenantal relationship with God? Didn't the blood of Jesus Christ cover their sin in the tribulation as well as our sin now? This has puzzled me for a long time. Thanks!

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  6. I know some people who follow prophecy are looking forward to it but over 2.3 million souls or more gone at once and the loss of life will only increase. God was just revealing what He knows will happen because of evil in the heart of man...it's going to be awful. I'm so glad we won't be here for judgement....

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  7. Hi Anonymous who asked the serious question,

    I'm glad you did, it's a really good question! The Tribulation as stated in Daniel 9:24 tells us what the Tribulation period is for, and how long it will be:
    “Seventy ‘sevens' ('weeks of years', a Hebrew colloquialism for 'year') are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place." So it will be 7 years.

    But just after that verse in Daniel is the following in verse 25:
    "Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince,"

    and then the verses go on to explain specific timing and more about the antichrist.

    The command spoken of (in other translations it is "decree") is the decree of Artaxerxes to Nehemiah in Neh 2:1-8. There are four decrees that could be used to start the clock ticking but only Nehemiah's decree commanded that the city be rebuilt as it states in Daniel, so that is the one.

    The angel is telling Daniel that the age will be divided into times. There will be 490 years that God will spend dealing with the Jews in their iniquity until it is full. After 483 years, however, Messiah will be killed, says the verses. Jesus was killed 483 years to the DAY after the decree went to Nehemiah! But that leaves 7 years for the time to be fulfilled, doesn't it? And we know that God's word is true and what he says He does. (Ez 24:14; Isaiah 46:9-11)

    No one knew that the clock would STOP when Jesus was killed. The Jews thought it would be a continuous time until the required 490 years was filled and then the kingdom shall come. That is why the Apostles and the Pharisees kept asking, where is the kingdom, it must be appearing soon! They knew 483 years had passed. It went especially badly for the Pharisees because they especially KNEW that 483 years had passed and the time was nigh for the Messiah, and yet they still rejected Him. So, it would be over 2000 more years till it comes. Paul made this clear in Romans 11:11-- "Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious."

    God stopped the clock to build up His church. He even partially hardened the Jews because of their refusal to see Him in His first coming as He was: God. Romans 11:25, but it is revealed in Acts 15:15-18 that after the church age is through, He will rebuild David's tabernacle.

    So when the rapture happens the long pause is over and that last 7 years begins. It is literally Old Testament times again. The Holy Spirit will return to His Old Testament ministry, of coming upon and drawing a person but not indwelling. That was a gift to the church only. The believers will actually continue to sacrifice not only in the Tribulation but also throughout the millennium as well (Ezekiel 45:13-17, Ezekiel 46:13-15).

    Faith is by Jesus blood alone, it is true: for the Church. Not for the Jews pre-cross and not for the Tribulation survivors and not for the Millennium dwellers. Only the church does not have to make sacrifices.

    Let me know if I wasn't clear and I need to clarify more. Thanks for asking

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