Prophecy Update Newsletter
IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
Tying it All Together - Part 1 - Pete Garcia -
http://www.omegaletter.com/articles/articles.asp?ArticleID=8591 George W. Bush once believed that his coalition of the willing was in some way, helping defeat the forces arrayed against Israel by preemptively defeating Gog and Magog. At least, that is what the Prime Minister of France at the time (Jacque Chirac) was led to believe. While we do not often see the three as interlinked, I believe the timing of the battle of Gog and Magog, is intricately linked with the Rapture of the Church and the opening of the Day of the Lord. There are two major reasons why I make that statement. The first is the absence of any United States "like" nation anywhere in the Bible when dealing with the topic of the last days. The second reason is the Rapture of the Church. While the collapse of the US may be caused by any number of reasons (economic, natural disasters, war, pandemic, etc.), the Rapture of the Church will absolutely collapse the current structure of the United States. If you run the scenario where the US collapses, the second and third order effects involve a world thrown economically, politically, and militarily into massive upheaval. Enter Gog of Magog. According to Scripture, there is a future, massive battle prophesied to occur in the latter days. Historically speaking, this war has not yet happened. Furthermore, the nations mentioned below have never been politically or militarily aligned in this particular configuration before...ever. Ancient Name Modern Nation Rosh (Rashu, Rasapu, Ros, and Rus) -Russia Magog (Scythians) -Central Asia and possibly Afghanistan Meshech (Muschki and Musku) -Turkey Tubal (Tubalu) -Turkey Persia -Iran Ethiopia (Cush) -Sudan Libya (Put or Phut) -Libya Gomer (Cimmerians) -Turkey Beth-togarmah (Til-garimmu or Tegarma) -Turkey (Source: The Battle of Gog and Magog-Dr. Mark Hitchcock) While some of the players recorded in the above list are disputed (in terms of nationalities), what is not disputed, is that this coalition contains both Russia, Iran, and Libya. This horde (as it were) does not unite because of religion or even motivation per se. It seems that each has sufficient and different motivation in their own right, but see this coalition of the willing, as an opportunity. Blow the trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; For the day of the Lord is coming, For it is at hand: A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of clouds and thick darkness, Like the morning clouds spread over the mountains. A people come, great and strong, The like of whom has never been; Nor will there ever be any such after them, Even for many successive generations. Joel 2:1-3 These forces come against Israel swiftly, and in such frightening numbers, the shock of it stuns the senses of the rest of the world. You will ascend, coming like a storm, covering the land like a cloud, you and all your troops and many peoples with you." Ezekiel 38:9 Russia sees energy, wealth, and Mid-East dominance. Iran sees the destruction of Israel and the return of the Mahdi. Turkey wants their old Ottoman Caliphate back. As to Libya and Sudan, it is hard to say other than they are acting as mercenaries for hire. This attack on Israel may also be in retaliation for (or because of) another prophecy found in Isaiah 17, in which Damascus is destroyed and ceases to be a city seemingly overnight. Here is the conundrum. This massive coalition attacks (or attempts to) Israel. Where are Israel's allies? Although the United States is not mentioned specifically anywhere in Scripture anyway, the only time that it might be is through associative symbolism (Tarshish and all their young lions) found in Ezekiel 38. Moreover, in that symbolism, the United States is found not coming to the aid of Israel. This strikes me as extraordinarily bizarre, given the current closeness between our countries. Likewise, Sheba and Dedan (modern day Saudi Arabia), are also not willing to support Israel. While this might not have seemed weird ten-years ago, but the current regime under Mohammad Bin Salman (Saudi Crown Prince) has softened his position because of the growing Iranian threat coming out of the east. Iran has already done considerable destabilization to the Arabian Peninsula, particularly in Qatar, Bahrain, and Yemen. Sheba, Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish, and all their young lions will say to you, 'Have you come to take plunder? Have you gathered your army to take booty, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take great plunder?'"' Ezekiel 38:13 If President Nixon (who was apparently Anti-Semitic) could come to Israel's aid in the 12th hour during the Yom Kippur War (1973), why doesn't President Trump? Our current president is definitely the most pro-Israel president we have ever had. Not only him, but also his Vice President Mike Pence, as well as his son-in-law Jared Kushner and daughter Ivanka Trump. If President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu do not have any daylight between them, then something prevents us from acting. Nevertheless, I am making a major assumption here that the battle of Gog and Magog occurs sometime in President Trump's first or second term. But here is why I make that assumption. Current Events When I first wrote about this topic in March 2012 (Hook in the Jaw), the Syrian civil war was still in its infancy. The US president (and his administration) at the time were increasingly growing hostile to Israel. They reluctantly and flaccidly drew a "red line" on the ground that Bashar Assad simply skipped gleefully over. He knew we would not respond and thus felt no compulsion to change his tactics of using chemical weapons against his enemies. In 2012, there were no US, Turkish, Iranian, nor Russians boots on the ground actively and openly fighting there. Now they are. In fact, so much geopolitical/prophetic maneuvering has occurred in just the past six years, it is hard to keep track of it all. In 2011, South Sudan (primarily Christian) had officially broken away from the primarily Muslim North Sudan. Although Cush speaks to the region that currently, several nations now occupy, the North Sudanese enjoy strong relations with Russia and Turkey. Their current relation to Iran is icy considering their closeness to the Saudis, but they could set that aside rather easily if called upon by Russia and/or Turkey to support operations against Israel, of whom they have long had issues. In 2012, Libya was still in full melt down mode with the Obama / Clinton sanctioned death of Muammar Gaddafi. After the Benghazi fiasco, our intentions in the Syrian Civil War became more apparent as the Obama Administration essentially got caught funneling money and weapons to rebel groups opposed to Assad by way of Libya. Furthermore, the weapons we were sending to the "freedom fighters," could not be controlled, nor could our "allies" be vetted. We (the US) in varying degrees, helped create ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) through massive amounts of money and weapons. Since then, ISIS has largely been driven from Iraq and Syria and have found safe harbor again in the Clinton-induced vacuum in what used to be Libya. Turkey has gone from friendly relations (pre-2003) to semi-icy relations with Israel up to 2010. From 2010 onward, it has been subzero, blisteringly frigid and now openly hostile towards Israel, courtesy of Turkish Prime Minister for life, Tayyip Erdogan. The outright hostility began with the Israeli stoppage of the Turkish backed Freedom for Gaza flotilla in 2010. Since then, he (Erdogan) is absolutely bent on retaking Jerusalem so as to control the Temple Mount for his imaginary caliphate. At this point, he would collaborate with just about anyone (even the Pope) to delegitimize Israel's sovereignty over the Holy city. The only problem Erdogan has at the present (aside from a failing economy, jailed dissidents, internal strife, etc.), is that the Kurds (who are friendly to Israel) are at his border and they want a nation of their own. To prevent this, he has moved his own troops into northwestern Syria in the area known as Afrin. Since 2012, the US has done a 180 on our Middle East policy with the election of Donald Trump. We have largely defeated ISIS in Mesopotamia. We bulldozed a Syrian airfield suspected of being the launch point for a chemical attack with 36 Tomahawk missiles. We have recognized Jerusalem as the undivided and eternal capital of the Jewish people. We are moving our embassy there as well. We have put boots on the ground in Syria to support the anti-Assad freedom groups. We have countered both Russian, Iranian, and Hezbollah forces through effective military force. We have finally given the defunct Palestinian "government" the ultimatum of either working toward peace (cutting off terrorist funding and support), or we will cut them off diplomatically and financially. This has since driven the Palestinians into the open arms of the Russians and Iranians, which has helped cement the ire of the Saudis and Egyptians. Russian forces, Iranian Quds forces, Hezbollah fighters, and Fifth Column elements have secured a land-bridge from Iran through Iraq, to Syria, and have inched ever closer to the Golan Heights. To date, numerous skirmishes with the US and Israel have/are occurring with increased frequency on Israel's northern border. Conclusion This brings us back full circle to my opening salvo. Why does Israel's closest ally, not come to her aid in her most dire hour? We are really left with only two courses of prophetic development.
Here is what we know:
"Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog, 'Thus says the Lord God: "On that day when My people Israel dwell safely, will you not know it? Then you will come from your place out of the far north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a mighty army. You will come up against My people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land. It will be in the latter days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me, when I am hallowed in you, O Gog, before their eyes." Thus says the Lord God: "Are you he of whom I have spoken in former days by My servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied for years in those days that I would bring you against them? Ezekiel 38:14-17 While the implication here is that in the latter days, God would once again identify the nation of Israel as His people and Israel as His land (My people, My land). This is not to say that God had forgotten or reneged on His promises to the Patriarchs (Romans 11). Rather, national Israel was set aside for a time, and her timeline put on hold for the dispensation of the church to occur (Rom. 11:25-29, Eph. 1:3-6). This would be the Church, Christ Himself , would build (Matt. 16:18-19). Remember, Jesus had foretold of Israel's impending destruction (Luke 21:20-24) and resulting diaspora until the times of the gentiles had come to its appointed end. THEN, we see the prodigal-like return and miraculous rebirth of the nation of Israel. This is discussed very clearly in the Valley of Dry Bones and United kingdoms (two branches) visions Ezekiel has in chapter 37. Just as the generation in which Christ was rejected would become the cursed and withered fig tree generation (Matt. 23, 27:25; Mark 11:12-14, 20-21), the one who saw Israel's rebirth would be the budding fig tree generation. Compare Matthew 21:19 to 24:32. It stands to reason, that all of the major players are either already in position to the north of Israel, or could be very easily. We also see Israel dwelling securely in her land of un-walled villages. Furthermore, the United States and Israel are enjoying the closest relationship they have had since Israel's rebirth as a nation. Therefore, this special relationship will not change unless something forces that change upon the status quo. Lastly, the deliverance God provides Israel will be unmistakably supernatural. This overt, divine, rescue-mission will be the cause behind Israel's drive to WANT to rebuild the temple. It will squash any political hesitation or deliberation on whether it should be done or not. I imagine in the process of this deliverance, God Himself will destroy the Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock to remove any delay in its construction. ...then they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who sent them into captivity among the nations, but also brought them back to their land, and left none of them captive any longer. And I will not hide My face from them anymore; for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,' says the Lord God." Ezekiel 39:28-29 IF this occurs because of the Rapture, and the Church (as we know it today) is no longer on the earth, then it makes sense that God pours out His Holy Spirit on the 144,000 Jews as indicated in Revelation 7 to seal them. They begin performing the job that the Church used to do in its role on the earth in our day and age. We assume that these are only on the male virgins because of a later text in Revelation 14, but the passage in Revelation 7 does not indicate it is only male, but on the children of Israel. These sealed would be the 12,000 from each of the twelve tribes (minus Ephraim and Dan) which may work in conjunction as an actual fulfillment of Joel 2. "And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. Joel 2:28-29 Perhaps Gog is cursed more for what he unleashes, which is the Day of the Lord, the 70th Week of Daniel, or what we know more commonly referred to as, The Tribulation, rather than what he actually accomplishes (Ez. 38:3). This means that his defeat must precede the Day of the Lord. For clarity sake, there is both an actual "day" [the Second Coming] as well as the general period being known as the day of the Lord. "And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, As the Lord has said, Among the remnant whom the Lord calls. The subsequent seven months, Israel spends burying the Gog-coalition in what will be known then as the Valley of Hamon Gog (Ez. 39:11). I suspect that during that time, the world is reorganizing (the rise of the Seven Heads and Ten Horns of Rev. 13), which results in one man (The Antichrist) rising to the top. He confirms the treaty with the many (Dan. 9:27) that officially initiates the start for the 70th Week of Daniel seven months after Gog's supernatural defeat. Prophecies and Headlines Hint of Coming Israeli-Syrian Conflict? - By Bill Salus - http://www.prophecydepotministries.net/2018/prophecies-and-headlines-hint-of-coming-israeli-syrian-conflict/ As the Syrian civil war winds down and President Bashar Al-Assad remains in power, what's next for Syria? Is it payback time against Israel for conducting repeated air strikes over the past few years on Syrian soil? Now possessing powerful alliances with Russia, Iran and Hezbollah, Syria is fighting back against Israel's aggression. On February 10, 2018, an Israeli F-16 was shot down by the Syrian Air Defense Force after conducting an air raid on Iranian-backed positions inside Syria. Does this set the stage for the fulfillment of the Isaiah and Jeremiah prophecies concerning the doom of Damascus? "Israel Strikes Iran in Syria and Loses a Jet" The New York Times 2/10/18 Over the seven-year span of the Syrian revolution, which began on March 11, 2011, the Isaiah 17 prophecy, concerning the destruction of Damascus has been the topic of much prophetic discussion. Prophecy buffs have been asking: 1.) Has this prophecy already been fulfilled? 2.) Who is responsible for the destruction of Damascus? 3.) How quickly will it happen? 4.) When will it happen? 5.) What is the scope of the devastation? Some prophecy teachers, like Dr. Mark Hitchcock, believe this prophecy already found fulfillment around 732 BC, when Damascus was destroyed by the Assyrians under Tiglath-pileser. But if it was fulfilled then, why did Jeremiah 49:23-27 predict a similar scenario about a century later? And, why did Isaiah mention Assyria 37 times throughout his 66 chapters, but never once mention it in Isaiah 17. For instance, Isaiah 8:3-7 clearly identifies an Assyrian conquest of Damascus. This found fulfillment in Isaiah's lifetime, but Damascus still exists today. In my book, Psalm 83 - The Missing Prophecy Revealed, How Israel Becomes the Next Mideast Superpower, I provide biblical commentaries on the Damascus prophecies of Isaiah 17:1-14 and Jeremiah 49:23-27. This article answers some of the prophetic questions being asked about the future fate of Damascus. ISAIAH'S BURDEN AGAINST DAMASCUS Three passages in Isaiah 17 deposit important details about who destroys Damascus and how quickly the city is toppled. 1.) The burden against Damascus. "Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city, And it will be a ruinous heap." (Isaiah 17:1) 2.) In that day his [Damascus] strong cities will be as a forsaken bough And an uppermost branch, Which they left because of the children of Israel; And there will be desolation. (Isaiah 17:9) 3.) Then behold, at eventide, trouble! And [overnight] before the morning, he is no more. This is the portion of those who plunder us, [Israel] And the lot of those who rob us. (Isaiah 17:14) Isaiah 17:1, 9, and 14, teach that Damascus will someday be reduced to a heap of rubble (verse 1) overnight, between some sunset and sunrise, because Damascus attempts to "plunder" and "rob" "the children of Israel," (verse 14) who in return retaliate (verse 9). The reason for the destruction of Damascus is because Syria will be guilty of plundering and pillaging Israel. The Isaiah 17:9 verse informs us that Syrians from "strong cities" are displaced. Isaiah predicts that Syrian cities, plural, will be as "a forsaken bough and an uppermost branch." The bough of a tree is directly connected to its trunk, which implies that cities near Damascus are abandoned, but the uppermost branch reference suggests that cities in Northern Syria are also deserted. This probability is further addressed below in Jeremiah 49:23 concerning Hamath and Arpad. It appears, according to Isaiah 17, that Syria will experience widespread desolation, seemingly because they preemptively attempt to create desolation inside Israel. Damascus will be destroyed, leaving Syria with no capital city. JEREMIAH'S BURDEN AGAINST DAMASCUS Against Damascus [southern Syria]. "Hamath [northern Syria] and Arpad [northern Syria] are shamed, For they have heard bad news. They are fainthearted; There is trouble on the [Mediterranean] sea; It cannot be quiet. Damascus has grown feeble; She turns to flee [Syrian refugees], And fear has seized her. Anguish and sorrows have taken her like a woman in labor. Why is the city of praise [Jerusalem] not deserted, the city of My joy? Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets [Syrian civilian casualties], And all the men of war shall be cut off in that day [Syrian military casualties]," says the LORD of hosts. "I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, And it shall consume the palaces of Ben-Hadad [Syrian capital buildings]." (Jeremiah 49:23-27). Jeremiah points out that events inside Syria digress dramatically from bad to worse. The following tabulated bullet points below illustrate the gloomy destiny awaiting Damascus; 1. Bad News - becomes fainthearted, 2. There is trouble on the sea; It cannot be quiet, 3. The city has grown feeble, 4. She turns to flee, 5. Fear has seized her, like a woman in labor, 6. Her young men shall fall in her streets, (resulting in civilian casualties), 7. All the men of war shall be cut off, (resulting in military casualties and defeat), 8. The Lord will kindle a fire and consume the palaces of Ben Hadad. By connecting Jeremiah's passage to Isaiah's, we seem to get a grander picture surrounding the destruction of Damascus. Although some expositors teach that Jeremiah 49:23-27 found fulfillment during Jeremiah's time through the Babylonian conquest over Damascus, clues in Jeremiah's passage suggests otherwise. For instance, Jeremiah asks Damascus, "Why is the city of praise not deserted, the city of My joy?" This alludes to Jerusalem, which was destroyed and deserted during Jeremiah's lifetime. Therefore, Jeremiah's rhetorical question to Damascus about Jerusalem would prove pointless at the time. Conversely, Jeremiah's passage makes complete sense when aligned with Isaiah 17. For instance, Hamath and Arpad, two northern Syrian locations, are shamed because they receive troubling news. They become distressed along with Damascus, because they are apparently all about to become battle zones. These ancient cites, mentioned dozens of times in the Bible, historically ranked among the more important cities of ancient Aram, which includes much of modern-day Syria. Hamath is approximately 120 miles north of Damascus, and Arpad over 200 miles northeast of Damascus, about twenty-five miles north of today's Aleppo. Therefore, when Isaiah 17:9 predicts Syria's "strong cities will be as a forsaken bough And an uppermost branch," we presume from Jeremiah's descriptions the IDF's retaliation against Syria will cause the abandonment of several formidable "strong" Syrian cities in addition to Damascus. (map from this website: https://bible.gen.nz/amos/places/damascus.htm) The trouble on the disquieted sea could be interpreted as a literal threat today, since Israel supposedly has nuclear weapons concealed in Dolphin class submarines off the Middle East coastline of the Mediterranean Sea. Perhaps some submarine launched missiles containing nuclear warheads could be launched toward Damascus by Israel from the Mediterranean. Could this be why Jeremiah says Damascus is seized by fear, grows feeble, and turns to flee as if anguished like a woman in labor? Is this why "young men shall fall in her streets, And all the men of war shall be cut off and the military defeated in that day?" Notice Jeremiah predicts all the men of war, not a just a few troops, will be destroyed in this coming war. According to a January 22, 2018, Times of Israel article, Syrian forces presently include Russian, Iranian and Lebanese troops along with Shiite militias being trained by Syria, Iran and Hezbollah. Assad, Hezbollah and Iran are training local militias to combat Israel' Shiite fighters on the Golan 'will not stop at Syria,' an opposition commander tells The Times of Israel... In addition to "all the men at war" being cut off in the streets of Damascus, Jeremiah also predicts that "young men shall fall in her streets." This seems to include young civilians and child soldiers. A US New article entitled, "Kids on the Front Lines," points out that, because of manpower shortages, the Syrian conflict has given rise to yet another distressing phenomenon: child soldiers. This includes younger adolescents between the ages of 13-17. THREATS OF ANOTHER ISRAELI-SYRIAN WAR ARE NOT NEW Syria is among the Arab countries that refuses to recognize Israel's right to exist. They fought against Israel in 1948, 1967, and 1973. Unlike Jordan and Egypt, Syria has refused to make peace with Israel because it wants the Golan Heights returned, which Israel captured in 1967. Technically Syria is still at war with Israel and tensions between the two countries always remain high. On September 6, 2007, Israel attacked a suspected nuclear reactor in the Deir ez-Zor region of Syria as part of Operation Orchard. Threats and rumors of war have characterized the standoff between the two countries. In an interview with BBC TV on June 17, 2010, Syrian president Assad accused the reigning Israeli administration of Benjamin Netanyahu of being a "pyromaniac government," and stated that there was no way to achieve peace with such a government. A few months prior, in February of 2010, Israel's blunt-talking former foreign minister, now Defense Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, warned Syria's president, Bashar al-Assad, that the Assad family would lose power in any war with Israel. In a speech at Bar-Ilan University, near Tel Aviv, Mr. Lieberman said: "I think that our message must be clear to Assad. In the next war, not only will you lose, you and your family will lose the regime. Neither you will remain in power, nor the Assad family." A few other alarming headlines that have appeared while the Syrian civil war was occurring are below. 'If NATO attacks Syria, we'll fire missiles at Tel Aviv' Jerusalem Post 10/4/11 "Syria: Attack on military facility was a 'declaration of war' by Israel" CNN 5/6/13 "Syria aims half-ton warhead missiles at Tel Aviv" Investment Watch 5/21/13 "Israel hits Syrian site said to be linked to chemical weapons" - Reuters 9/6/17 "Israel said to strike targets near Damascus" Times of Israel 2/7/18 These rumors of warlike headlines coupled with the details of the Isaiah 17 and Jeremiah 49 prophecies hint that a coming Israeli-Syrian conflict is on the nearby horizon. For more information on the related Arab-Israeli conflict prophecies, purchase the Psalm 83 - The Missing Prophecy Revealed, How Israel Becomes the Next Mideast Superpower, which is available at Amazon and at www.prophecydepot.com.
Major Escalation - By Daymond Duck - http://www.raptureready.com/2018/02/18/major-escalation-daymond-duck/ On Feb. 10, 2017, there was a major escalation of Israel's conflict with Russia, Iran, Syria and others. It started when Israel detected what turned out to be an Iranian drone that was launched from a Russian and Iranian base near Damascus, Syria. The drone flew over Jordan and crossed into Israeli airspace. It traveled about 90 seconds before it was approached by an Israeli helicopter that destroyed it. Eight Israeli jets were immediately dispatched to attack the Russian and Iranian base that the drone was launched from. They also attacked about a dozen other Syrian and Iranian targets in Syria. Approximately twenty Syrian anti-aircraft missiles from a system thought to be under the command of Russian officers were fired at the Israeli jets. One anti-aircraft missile locked onto an Israeli jet. The two pilots ejected, but the jet was hit after it arrived over Israeli territory. The Israeli jet went down and several Syrian missiles fell in open fields in Israel. Prime Minister Netanyahu convened an urgent meeting with Israel's defense and military leaders. They discussed what to do next and appealed to Russia and the U.S. to try to calm the situation before it broke out into a full-blown war involving Russia, Iran, Syria and Israel. Some say that appears to be the end of the conflict, but the Bible teaches that there is more to come. With God's help, Israel will defend herself; and at some point it will escalate into a full-blown war. That will be iron-clad evidence that the latter days and latter years have arrived. In the meantime, about half of Syria's anti-aircraft batteries around Damascus have been destroyed. Syria and Iran are threatening Israel. Israeli officials are threatening Syria and Iran. Israeli military vehicles with troops and anti-missile batteries have been deployed to Israel's border with Syria. Here are four troubling aspects to these events: 1) The fact that Iran (not Hezbollah) deliberately flew a drone into Israeli airspace 2) The fact that Russian commanders may have given the orders to fire the anti-aircraft missiles at Israeli jets 3) The fact that Russia, Iran and Syria may have intentionally scheduled these events to lure Israeli jets into Syria to try to shoot them down 4) The fact that they succeeded in shooting down an Israeli jet (the first in more than ten years) Here is some of the good news: 1) There was no loss of life or territory in Israel. 2) God will eventually put an end to this conflict by destroying the forces of Russia, Iran, Syria, etc. on the mountains of Israel. 3) Many people will soon know that Israel's God is God. 4) The Church Age is almost over. Prophecy Plus Ministries, Inc. Daymond & Rachel Duck [email protected] Mid-East Prophetic Alignment Accelerating - A.V. Rauf - http://bibleprophecyfortoday.com/2018/02/17/mid-east-prophetic-alignment-accelerating/ Just a few weeks ago, the Doomsday Clock was pushed to two minutes to midnight (11:58) , a reflection of experts' beliefs that the threat of global nuclear destruction is worse than at any time since 1953. In addition, it has only been a week since Israel's airstrike in Syria and much has transpired moving forward. The pieces of the prophecy puzzle are being put into place at breakneck speed. As this post is being written, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is attending a global summit entitled the Munich Security Conference. Netanyahu was quotes as saying the following, " I am leaving now for the most important security conference in the world the Munich Security Conference. I will present proof of Iran's involvement in the recent events in the north and I will reiterate our determination to defend ourselves by ourselves without any restrictions 'against any threat'. Here is the link to the article: https://worldisraelnews.com/watch-netanyahu-departs-for-most-important-security-conference-in-the-world/ Netanyahu went on to describe Turkey's role as being a threat to Israel, "What is not new is Iran's ties with Turkey as well as with the Palestinians." This would also include Hamas and Hezbollah. Interesting to see how this is clearly laid out in Scriptures: Psalm 83: 1-18-Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God.2 For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head.3 They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones.4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:6 The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes;7 Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre;8 Assur also is joined with them: they have helped the children of Lot. Selah.9 Do unto them as unto the Midianites; as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison:10 Which perished at Endor: they became as dung for the earth.11 Make their nobles like Oreb, and like Zeeb: yea, all their princes as Zebah, and as Zalmunna:12 Who said, Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession.13 O my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind.14 As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire;15 So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm.16 Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O Lord.17 Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish:18 That men may know that thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, art the most high over all the earth. Not only have Turkey and Iran been directly involved in Syria, now come reports that its was Russia that gave Syria the directive to strike down the Israeli F-16. Furthermore, it bears mentioning that Russia, Iran, Israel and Turkey have all had aircraft shot down in or near Syria this month. Folks these are the parties mentioned clearly in Ezekiel 38-39. For a detailed Scriptural analysis of this war see the following links on this web page: http://bibleprophecyfortoday.com/2015/01/07/ezekiel-38-39-the-war-of-gog-magog-part-i/ http://bibleprophecyfortoday.com/2015/01/08/ezekiel-38-39-the-war-of-gog-magog-part-2/ http://bibleprophecyfortoday.com/2015/01/09/ezekiel-38-39-the-war-of-gog-and-magog-part-3/ Approximately three years ago, I posted an article that explained the possible connection of the Syria with the emergence of Anti-Christ and I strongly urge you to re-read it: http://bibleprophecyfortoday.com/2015/05/06/anti-christ-and-the-assyrian-connection/ Now there are reports that the US has conducted airstrikes in Syria that have claimed the lives of hundreds of Russion mercenary soldiers. It is being reported that an American UAV Took out a Russion T-72 in Syria "self-defense" and in a separate engagement, scores of Russian contract soldiers were killed by US force. These two armed engagements between Russia and the United States. represent the deadliest clash between the two Superpowers since the Cold War! See below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhNmrAG-RUc I forgot to mention Turkey. Troubling news this morning from both US and Kurdish media sources revealed that Turkish troops have used rockets with chemical warheads. Here is the Kurdish report: http://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/9a54dffe-3ee2-44a8-804b-a79a82f6595b If you recall earlier this week, presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron stated that an U.N.-authorized international military force should intervene in Syria if it is proven that President Bashar al-Assad's government used chemical weapons. I am curious to hear what China's role is in this entire ordeal. Nonetheless as mentioned earlier, the prophetic pieces are all coming together in rapid succession. Maranatha! Watchman Warning: School Shootings: The Real Question - By Hal Lindsey - https://www.hallindsey.com/ww-2-16-2018/ From Broward County, Florida, comes news of yet another school shooting. Politicians and members of the media immediately began asking how such tragedies can be averted. They focused on the usual things. How do we keep weapons out of the hands of dangerous individuals, and how do we spot signs that a person might be a potential mass shooter? Those are important, but they don't address the real question, and that is, "Why?" After interviewing the suspect, reading his social media posts, and talking with people who know him, the police will tell us what they believe motivated him. But the question of why will not be answered by finding the specific motive of a specific shooter. Specific motives for seemingly insane acts don't usually tell the real story. In Charles Manson's trial, the prosecution put forward the famous Helter Skelter motive. Manson told his followers that they would start a race war that would lead to their eventual takeover of the United States. Helter Skelter was a motive, but superficial. It didn't answer the real question of why. For instance, why would Manson or any of his followers be deluded enough to think they could start a race war or that it would lead to their becoming rulers of America? Where did the madness come from? In Manson's case, it came partly from drug induced delusions reinforced by occult demons. Manson's hero was Hitler. He was trying to be the Antichrist. He loved personal power over his followers. His kick was to get them to do anything he wanted. Manson was not legally insane. He knew what he was doing was wrong. But something was clearly off. That's the case with more and more people across the country. Talking to reporters soon after the Florida school shooting, the Superintendent of Broward County Schools, Robert Runcie, told reporters, "Mental health issues in this country are growing. And they're a big challenge." The ever-increasing drug problem complicates that challenge. So many kids aren't learning discipline at home that schools can't handle them. A surprising number of parents are being forced by the schools to drug their children, or the schools won't take them. Marijuana is a gateway drug to mind-altering drugs - now legal for "recreational use" in more and more states. Alcohol in excess is mind altering. Doctors have been overprescribing opioids for a generation. While all of that is legal, it is also changing the basic structure of Americans' minds. Add illegal drugs to the legal ones, and the problem becomes unmanageable. Heroin was once looked down on as an urban street drug. But now it lives in high end suburbs where it has become cool. Then there's cocaine in its various forms. The New York Times recently ran a feature story headlined, "Meth, the Forgotten Killer, Is Back. And It's Everywhere." The article said, "12 years after Congress took aggressive action to curtail it, meth has returned with a vengeance.... When the ingredients became difficult to come by in the United States, Mexican drug cartels stepped in." Society teaches children that drugs are the answer when life becomes difficult. We teach it to them by giving it to them. We teach it when television and film heroes drink alcohol to get through a hard situation. Anecdotally, there seems to be more alcohol use on television now than ever before - especially among characters in their early twenties. Those are the characters that younger teens look up to and emulate. Drug use causes all kinds of problems in the human brain, but it does not answer the basic question of why. Instead, it is another symptom of the bigger problem. We could also talk about violent video games, where a generation of children have been playing with murder simulators since early on. Most school-shooters played first-person shooter games regularly. But the games are also a symptom, and not the answer. The real answer is that human beings need God. We were created to have a relationship with Him - to love Him with all our hearts, as well as to love our neighbors. But having a relationship with God today is something big media mocks. The very bizarre Omarosa Manigault Newman is a "reality" TV specialist. She's currently appearing on the CBS series, "Celebrity Big Brother." She recently criticized Vice President Mike Pence's faith on the show. She said, "I am Christian, I love Jesus, but he thinks Jesus tells him to say things." In other words, "Yeah, sure, I'm sort of a Christian, but the Vice President actually believes that stuff!" Responding to that on ABC's The View, Joy Behar told her fellow panelists, "It's one thing to talk to Jesus. It's another thing when Jesus talks to you. That's called mental illness." Imagine mocking something as precious as prayer. In America today, up has become down, and good has become crazy. In an interview the next day, Pence said, "I actually heard that ABC has a program that compared my Christianity to mental illness. And I'd like to laugh about it, but I really can't." He went to say, "It's an insult not to me, but to the vast majority of the American people who, like me, cherish their faith. My Christianity is the most important thing in my life." We will not solve the school shooting crisis with gun laws. We will not solve the mental health crisis with more drugs. What we need is prayer - the kind of prayer that not only speaks to God, but also listens for His voice. We need people across the country to use the access God has given them to Himself, and to pray. As they do, many of them will come to really know Jesus. There, they will find meaning, joy, and peace. That's what we who know Christ need to work and pray toward with all our hearts. Daily Jot: Washington prophesied a divided America 221 years ago - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com America's first President, George Washington, articulated a vision for the United States in his farewell address given in September 1796 that did not include political parties or class warfare--two ingredients that have culminated in a divided nation just as Washington prophesied 221 years ago. Washington said, "Citizens, by birth or choice, of a common country, that country has a right to concentrate your affections. The name of American, which belongs to you in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of patriotism more than any appellation derived from local discriminations. With slight shades of difference, you have the same religion, manners, habits, and political principles." How far have "We the People" strayed from this statement? In the name of progress, we have become a nation without pride of patriotism. We have so many religions and versions of religions that we have barely no religion at all. We are actually celebrating diverse manners and habits. We are a divided nation where some cling to Constitutional principles and others undermine it with their justification that man progresses and so, too, should the Constitution. By Washington's standards, we have lost our bearing on what it is to be an American--that citizens assimilate the national properties of religion, manners, habits and political principles rather than becoming a melting pot of diverse beliefs and practices. Washington believed that allowing political parties would be a divisive and dangerous act to liberty and limited government. He warned, "You cannot shield yourselves too much against the jealousies and heartburnings which spring from these misrepresentations; they tend to render alien to each other those who ought to be bound together by fraternal affection...they are likely, in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion." Washington believed an inoculation against the undermining of political parties was electing moral and religious leaders. He said, "Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. The mere politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them." As Exodus 18:21 says regarding good government: "provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness..." Something to contemplate as we celebrate Washington's birth. Daily Devotion: Saving Faith - By Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household." -Acts 16:31 Maybe you can remember at least one time or another in your life when someone walked up to you with a very determined expression and a Bible in their hand. Then they asked a question: "Are you saved?" I don't know about you, but before I became a Christian, I would sort of laugh it off when I would hear people say things like that. I thought it was such a sensationalistic term to use. "After all," I thought, "I'm not in a burning house. I'm not drowning at sea. What do they mean by that? In reality the term saved is a very apt description of what happens to a person who puts his or her faith in Jesus Christ. We really were lost. In fact, our situation was worse than being in a burning house or lost at sea. We were separated from God, facing a certain judgment in a place called Hell. It is possible to have a devil's faith. You can be quite orthodox in your belief, meaning that you can believe certain things are true. You can have an awe and a respect for God and yet never have belief-in the true biblical sense-as far as saving faith. James 2:19 says, "You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe-and tremble!" That is devil's faith. It is not enough to merely acknowledge intellectually that certain things are true; you must act on them. Acts 16:31 says, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved . . ." Only you can receive Christ into your life. Only you can call out to the Lord and be forgiven, and He will forgive you right now. He will change you-if you will come to Him. 
FROM THE HEART
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