Prophecy Update Newsletter
December 30, 2016
IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
Happy New Year? - Wendy Wippel - http://www.omegaletter.com/articles/articles.asp?ArticleID=8361
I hope one and all had a blessed remembrance of our Lord's birth and found exactly what they wanted under their respective trees. But does anybody else get the feeling, from our daily headlines, that those of us waiting for the Lord's return and according to a boat load of verses in the New Testament, we all should be, right? It seems to indicate that we may have another reason for celebration coming? One spelled R-A-P-T-U-R-E ? Is it just me, or do the headlines seemingly push the date closer every day? Exhibit A: The United States' decision to abstain from the UN vote on restricting Jewish settlements in land that they won fair and square, after being attacked, in the 6-day war in 1967. A vote that every one of the other countries with voting rights enthusiastically supported. Which makes a chilling confirmation of a prophecy by Micah official: Micah 4:11: 'But now many nations are gathered against you. They say, "Let her be defiled, let our eyes gloat over Zion!" Other versions translate the word translated as 'gloat' here-- as to "feast on", or to "react in ecstasy" at what they see. Having read a fair amount of world reaction to the UN vote -the fact that finally, a unanimous vote against Israel had been achieved--a unanimous vote to strip them of their land -I think all of the above translations were spookily exact descriptions of the world's reaction. Officially, as you read this, just as Micah described, the whole world is licking their chops and anticipating Israel's defilement. The leaders of the whole world, in unison, are licking their chops thinkng about Israel's ultimate destruction. Which means that last Friday really was a momentous moment in Israel's history. A day prophesied by Micah about 700 B.C. That the whole world would, together anticipate an imminent demise of Israel. I said a momentous moment, not a merry one. A momentous day fulfilled in our presence on Friday, December 23, 2016. You probably missed it. I know I did. I myself personally was making fudge Friday. Israel was not on my radar. But there was another thing, at least as prophetic that was not on my radar Friday, and probably, ditto, not on yours. Exhibit B: Assad wasn't finished. Destroying Aleppo and its largely innocent population wasn't enough. Leaving bodies of babies with their intestines displaced onto Aleppo's streets wasn't enough. Killing whole families wasn't enough. Giving the Syrian army tacit permission to rape Aleppo's fleeing women wasn't enough. There were still pockets of resistance. Mostly near Damascus. So on the same Friday on which Micah's prophecy was fulfilled, Assad began shelling another section of his own country, a rebel held valley just northwest of Damascus. Same tactics, and probably the same tragic effects. (This area also provides most of the city's water.) Anybody remember that section of Isaiah called "the burden of Damascus"? Tantalizing short, it's time of fulfillment has been discussed for millennia: "Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city, And it will be a ruinous heap." Isaiah 17:1 That's all there is. The next few verses just confirm that Damascus and its environs will sometime in the future be toast. Whatever point at which God has ordained that this verse will be fulfilled. When exactly that will be has been hotly debated. But many believe that the destruction of Damascus is a prelude to Armageddon. Seemingly, the destruction of Damascus could be imminent. Exhibit C: Assad had help. Russia and Syria have been bosom buddies for a while now, with Soviet forces playing a big part in achieving the destruction of Pesky Aleppo for Putin's BFF Assad. We all know this, right? What has seemingly escaped the radar-I guess lost in the Santa and stockings we've been concentrating on in the states-is that Iranian forces joined Assad's forces and helped to clinch the victory. That should be setting off some mental alarms. Because any alliance of Iran and Russia, for prophecy students, inevitably conjures up one specific passage in Ezekiel. One that talks about rulers named Gog and Magog, who come together to make war on Israel. And that series of battles is also considered by most a prologue to the ultimate final final battle on the plains of Megiddo, also known as Armageddon. No worries, though. We know where we'll be. Watching from the mezzanine. (I started to say the cheap seats, but the these seats weren't cheap!) And we know What God has ultimately promised to His people; again through Micah: "I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob, I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together like sheep of the fold, Like a flock in the midst of their pasture; They shall make a loud noise because of so many people. The one who breaks open will come up before them; They will break out, Pass through the gate, And go out by it;" Their king will pass before them, With the Lord at their head. Micah 2:12-13 What a day that will be, and I can't wait to see it.!! Is the stage being set? Happy New year, Saints! And maybe this will be the year we meet Our Savior face to face! 
Obama and Israel, strike and counter-strike - By Caroline B. Glick - http://jewishworldreview.com/1216/glick123016.php3
UN Security Council Resolution 2334 was the first prong of outgoing President Barack Obama's lame duck campaign against Israel. US Secretary of State John Kerry's speech on Wednesday was the second. On January 15, stage 3 will commence in Paris. At France's lame duck President François Hollande's international conference, the foreign ministers of some 50 states are expected to adopt as their own Kerry's anti-Israel principles. The next day it will be Obama's turn. Obama can be expected to use the occasion of Martin Luther King Jr. Day to present the Palestinian war to annihilate Israel as a natural progression from the American Civil Rights movement that King led 50 years ago. Finally, sometime between January 17 and 19, Obama intends for the Security Council to reconvene and follow the gang at the Paris conference by adopting Kerry's positions as a Security Council resolution. That follow-on resolution may also recognize "Palestine" and grant it full membership in the UN. True, Kerry said the administration will not put forward another Security Council resolution. But as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu explained in his response to Kerry's address, there is ample reason to suspect that France or Sweden, or both, will put forth such a resolution. Since the draft will simply be a restatement of Kerry's speech, Obama will not veto it. Whether or not Obama gets his second Security Council resolution remains to be seen. But whether he succeeds or fails, he's already caused most of the damage. A follow-on resolution will only amplify the blow Israel absorbed with 2334. Resolution 2334 harms Israel in two ways. First, it effectively abrogates Resolution 242 from 1967 which formed the basis of Israeli policy-making for the past 49 years. Second, 2334 gives a strategic boost to the international campaign to boycott the Jewish state. Resolution 242 anchored the cease-fire between Israel and its neighbors at the end of the Six Day War. It stipulated that in exchange for Arab recognition of Israel's right to exist in secure and defensible borders, Israel would cede some of the territories it took control over during the war. Resolution 242 assumed that Israel has a right to hold these areas and that an Israeli decision to cede some of them to its neighbors in exchange for peace would constitute a major concession. Resolution 242 is deliberately phrased to ensure that Israel would not be expected to cede all of the lands it took control over in the Six Day War. The resolution speaks of "territories," rather than "the territories" or "all the territories" that Israel took control over during the war. Resolution 2334 rejects 242's founding assumptions. Resolution 2334 asserts that Israel has no right to any of the lands it took control over during the war. From the Western Wall to Shiloh, from Hebron to Ariel, 2334 says all Israeli presence in the areas beyond the 1949 armistice lines is crime. Given that Israel has no right to hold territory under 2334, it naturally follows that the Palestinians have no incentive to give Israel peace. So they won't. The peace process, like the two-state solution, ended last Friday night to the raucous applause of all Security Council members. As for the boycott campaign, contrary to what has been widely argued, 2334 does not strengthen the boycott of "settlements." It gives a strategic boost to the boycott of Israel as a whole. It calls on states "to distinguish in their relevant dealings, between the territory of the State of Israel and the territories occupied since 1967." Since no Israeli firm makes that distinction, all Israeli economic activity is now threatened with boycott. Tnuva is an "occupation" dairy because it supplies communities beyond the 1949 lines. Bank Hapoalim is an "occupation" bank because it operates ATM machines in post-1967 neighborhoods in Jerusalem. The Fox clothing chain is an "occupation" chain because it has a store in Gush Etzion. And so on and so forth. Resolution 2334 gives Europe and its NGOs a green light to wage a complete trade and cultural boycott against all of Israel. Obama is not using his final weeks in office to wage war on Israel because he hates Netanyahu. He is not deliberately denying 3,500 years of Jewish history in the Land of Israel because the Knesset is set to pass the Regulations Law that will make it marginally easier for Jews to exercise property rights in Judea and Samaria, as Kerry and UN Ambassador Samantha Power claimed. Obama's onslaught against Israel is the natural endpoint of a policy he has followed since he first entered the White House. In June 2009, Obama denied the Jews' 3,500 years of history in the Land of Israel in his speech in Cairo before an audience packed with members of the Muslim Brotherhood. Instead of the truth, Obama adopted the Islamist propaganda lie that Israel was established because Europe felt guilty about the Holocaust. Throughout his presidency, Obama has rejected the guiding principle of Resolution 242. His antisemitic demand that Israel deny its Jewish citizens their civil and property rights in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria simply because they are Jews is just as antithetical to 242 as is Resolution 2334. In his speech, Kerry repeatedly castigated the government while flattering the Israeli Left in yet another attempt to divide and polarize Israeli society. Kerry's professed support for the Israeli Left is deeply ironic because Israeli leftists are the primary casualties of Obama's anti-Israel assault. In the post-242 world that Obama initiated, the UN makes no distinction between Jerusalem and Nablus, between Gush Etzion and Jenin, or between Ma'aleh Adumim and Ramallah. In this world, Labor Party leader Isaac Herzog's plan to retain a mere 2-3% of Judea and Samaria is no more acceptable than Bayit Yehudi leader Naftali Bennett's plan to apply Israeli law to 60% of the area or to other plans calling for Israeli law to be applied to all of Judea and Samaria. All are equally unlawful. All are equally unacceptable. For the next three weeks, the government's focus must be centered on Obama and minimizing the damage he is able to cause Israel. Since Israel cannot convince Hollande to cancel his conference or Obama not to give his speech, Israeli efforts must be concentrated on scuttling Obama's plan to enact a follow-on resolution. To scuttle another resolution, Israel needs to convince seven members of the Security Council not to support it. Only measures that secure the support of nine out of 15 Security Council members are permitted to come to a vote. The states that are most susceptible to Israeli lobbying are Italy, Ethiopia, Japan, Egypt, Uruguay, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Russia. Netanyahu's furious response to 2334 advance the goal of blocking a vote on a follow-on resolution in two ways. First, they create Israeli leverage in seeking to convince member states to oppose voting on an additional resolution before January 20. Second, Netanyahu's seemingly unrestrained response to the Obama administration's onslaught enables Donald Trump to join him in pressuring Security Council members to oppose bringing a new resolution for a vote. By taking an extreme position of total rejection of Obama's actions, Netanyahu is enabling Trump to block a vote while striking a moderate tone. In three weeks, Obama's war with Israel will end. His final legacy - the destruction of the landfor- peace paradigm and the two-state policy-making model - obligate Israel, for the first time in 50 years, to determine by itself its long-term goals in relation to the international community, the Palestinians and Judea and Samaria. Regarding the international community, the Security Council opened the door for its members to boycott Israel. As a result, Israel should show the UN and its factotums the door. Israel should work to de-internationalize the Palestinian conflict by expelling UN personnel from its territory. The same is the case with the EU. Once Britain exits the EU, Israel should end the EU's illegal operations in Judea and Samaria and declare EU personnel acting illegally persona non grata. As for the Palestinians, Resolution 2334 obligates Israel to reconsider its recognition of the PLO. Since 1993, Israel has recognized the PLO despite its deep and continuous engagement in terrorism. Israel legitimized the PLO because the terrorist group was ostensibly its partner in peace. Now, after the PLO successfully killed the peace process by getting the Security Council to abrogate 242, Israel's continued recognition of the PLO makes little sense. Neither PLO chief Mahmoud Abbas nor his deputies in Fatah - convicted, imprisoned mass murderer and terrorism master Marwan Barghouti, and Jibril Rajoub who said he wishes he had a nuclear bomb so he could drop it on Israel and who tried to get Israel expelled from FIFA - has any interest in recognizing Israel, let alone making peace with it. The same of course can be said for the PLO's coalition partner Hamas. An Israeli decision to stop recognizing the PLO will also have implications for the Trump administration. In the aftermath of 2334, calls are steadily mounting in Congress for the US cancel its recognition of the PLO and end US financial support for the Palestinian Authority. If Israel has already ended its recognition of the PLO, chances will rise that the US will follow suit. Such a US move will have positive strategic implications for Israel. There is also the question of the Palestinian militias that are deployed to Judea and Samaria as part of the peace process that Obama and the PLO officially ended last Friday. In the coming months, Israel will need to decide what to do about these hostile militias that take their orders from leaders who reject peaceful coexistence with Israel. Finally, there are the territories themselves. For 50 years, Israel has used the land-for-peace paradigm as a way not to decide what to do with Judea and Samaria. Now that 242 has been effectively abrogated, Israel has to decide what it wants. The no-brainer is to allow Jews to build wherever they have the legal right to build. If the UN says Israel has no rights to Jerusalem, then Israel has no reason to distinguish between Jerusalem and Elon Moreh. More broadly, given that for the foreseeable future, there will be no Palestinian Authority interested in making peace with Israel, Israel needs to think about the best way to administer Judea and Samaria going forward. The obvious step of applying Israeli law to Area C now becomes almost inarguable. Shortly before Obama took office eight years ago, he promised to "fundamentally transform" America. Trump's election scuttled any chance he had of doing so. But by enabling Resolution 2334 to pass in the Security Council, Obama has succeeded in fundamentally transforming the nature of the Palestinian conflict with Israel. Israel's actions in the coming weeks will determine whether it is fundamentally transformed for better or for worse. 
Watchman Warning : 'Shameful' - By Hal Lindsey - http://www.hallindsey.com/ww-12-29-2016/
The Drudge Report headline read, "OBAMA BACKSTABS ISRAEL." The New York Post titled their editorial on the subject, "Obama's appalling UN betrayal." It happened on the Friday afternoon before a Sunday Christmas. The United States allowed passage of a UN Security Council resolution that condemned Israel's settlements and, in effect, proclaimed that every bit of land beyond the 1967 borders already belongs to the Palestinians. That includes East Jerusalem with the Temple Mount and the Wailing Wall. The original resolution had been sponsored by Egypt and scheduled for a vote on Thursday the 22nd. But a phone call from President-elect Trump to Egyptian President el Sisi convinced Egypt to withdraw the resolution from consideration. Trump persuaded Sisi that the new U.S. Administration should be given the opportunity to work on the problem without such a constraint. Then on Friday the 23rd, New Zealand, Malaysia, Venezuela and Senegal jointly sponsored the same resolution. Any of the permanent members of the Security Council - Russia, the UK, France, China, or the US - could have vetoed it. The Council voted 14-0 in favor of the resolution. The United States chose abstention. The best chance for peace clearly lies with the next U.S. Administration. After all, this one only has three weeks left in office. Egypt recognized this, and decided not to harm the incoming Administration's efforts toward peace. But President Obama and his team seem intent on undermining the Trump team's ability to get the job done. Think about this. They say they want peace. They know it will not come during their time in office. But instead of supporting the next Administration's efforts, they throw a bomb in the mix. It gets worse. Israeli officials blame President Obama and Secretary of State Kerry for behind-the-scenes maneuvers to bring the resolution before the Council in the first place. When Egypt wisely decided to pull back, the U.S. made sure other sponsors took up the cause. Israeli officials say they have "ironclad information" proving the U.S. government's involvement. They say they will present their proof to the new Administration, and let it decide whether to make that data available to the public. Prime Minister Netanyahu said, "The Obama administration not only failed to protect Israel against this gang-up at the UN, it colluded with it behind the scenes." One Israeli official said, "President Obama and Secretary Kerry are behind this shameful move against Israel at the UN. The U.S administration secretly cooked up with the Palestinians an extreme anti-Israeli resolution behind Israel's back which would be a tail wind for terror and boycotts and effectively make the Western Wall occupied Palestinian territory." Ron Dermer, Israeli ambassador to the United States told CNN's Jake Tapper, "The Palestinians want... to wage a diplomatic and legal war against Israel. They don't want to negotiate peace. You know why? Because when you're negotiating a peace there's give and take. What they want is take and take. And the way that you do that is to try to internationalize the conflict, to put more and more pressure on Israel, to call for boycotts and sanctions, to take our soldiers to the international court, something they're already calling for." It's important to understand that, unlike many UN resolutions, this one carries real world consequences. It puts peace even further out of reach. Ambassador Dermer said, "The one negotiating chip that we have at the peace table is that territory. If the UN Security Council says that that territory actually belongs to the Palestinians - which it does not and which we reject - that's going to make actually achieving peace much harder." Washington usually lines up according to party. But not this time. Both Republicans and Democrats are condemning the Administration's actions. For instance, Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, tweeted, "Extremely frustrating, disappointing & confounding that the Administration has failed to veto the UN resolution." Bob Casey, Democratic senator from Pennsylvania, tweeted, "Resolutions like the one offered at the UN Security Council this week have the potential to move peace further from our reach." Republicans used stronger words in condemning the Democratic Administration. House Speaker Paul Ryan said, "This is absolutely shameful." Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman, John McCain, called it an "outrageous attack" on Israel. Senator Lindsey Graham said the abstention "empowers evil." Graham, who chairs the Senate Appropriations subcommittee, which deals with foreign aid, threatened to reduce U.S. contributions to the UN and to any country that voted for the resolution. But even with that kind of leverage, getting the Security Council to back down from this awful resolution would take a miracle. The worst may be yet to come. Washington, New York, and Jerusalem are rife with rumors that the Obama Administration is planning an even more devastating Security Council resolution before Donald Trump's inauguration. The rumors say that, with the next resolution, the Council will impose sanctions. Remember, that in Genesis 12:3, God promised to Abraham, "I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse." (NASB) President Obama is causing America to tread on very thin ice. 
Did Obama Just Bring a Curse on America With Anti-Israel Vote? - http://www.charismanews.com/world/62093-did-obama-just-bring-a-curse-on-america-with-anti-israel-vote
There are consequences for our actions, and on a national level, we are going to experience tremendous consequences for the very foolish decisions of our national leaders. When Barack Obama decided to betray Israel at the United Nations, he made the most fateful decision of his entire presidency. Because the Scriptures tell us that those that curse Israel will be cursed, and so America is now under a great curse due to what Barack Obama has done. All throughout the Scriptures, there are equations. What I mean by that is there are many passages that tell us that if we do things God's way, we will get one result, and if we do things another way, we will get another result. One of my favorite examples of this is Matthew 5:19. I have been on both sides of that particular equation, and being on God's side of the equation is much better by far. As far as Israel is concerned, all throughout the Bible we see the principle that those that bless Israel are blessed and those that curse Israel are cursed. The very first place where we find this is in Genesis 12 where God makes his famous promise to Abraham. The following is what Genesis 12:1-3 says in the Modern English Version: Now the Lord said to Abram, "Go from your country, your family, and your father's house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless them who bless you and curse him who curses you, and in you all families of the earth will be blessed." In the book of Numbers, we see almost the exact same wording being used. In this case, Balaam had been summoned to cast a curse on Israel, but God had him deliver a blessing instead. This is what Numbers 24:9 says... "He crouches, he lies down as a lion, and as a lion, who will stir him up? 'Blessed is he who blesses you, and cursed is he who curses you.'" So how does one curse Israel? There are lots of ways to do that, but one thing that God really doesn't like is when someone tries to divide up His land. In Joel 3 we find a prophecy about the last days, and one of the things that God says He will really be upset about is the fact that the nations have "divided up My land." "In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations, and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. I will enter into judgment with them there regarding My people and My heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations; they have also divided up My land" (Joel 3:1-2). This warning has been around for well over 2,000 years, but our leaders are completely ignoring God's warning that He will judge them for dividing up His land. On Friday, U.N. Security Council Resolution 2344 declared that all Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank are illegal, and it gave the Palestinians legal ownership of those territories. Is this the dividing of the land that Joel 3 warns about? If not, it is pretty close. Many are still anticipating that there may be another U.N. Security Council resolution that would formally establish a Palestinian state, and if that happens, it would definitely fulfill Joel 3. In Zechariah 12, we are told that the city of Jerusalem will be particularly troublesome in the last days. The following is what Zechariah 12:3 says in the Modern English Version: "And it will be on that day that I will set Jerusalem as a weighty stone to all the peoples. All who carry it will surely gash themselves, and all the nations of the land will be gathered against it." And of all the issues that separate the Israelis and the Palestinians, the status of Jerusalem is perhaps the most controversial. You see, the truth is that the Palestinians will never accept any solution that does not give them East Jerusalem as their capital, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged that the city of Jerusalem will remain undivided forever. By attempting to divide God's holy city, Barack Obama and the United Nations are setting themselves against God, and the consequences are likely to be quite dramatic. Sadly, relatively few Christian leaders are speaking out about this. There has been only a limited uproar against this betrayal of Israel, and this is something I simply do not understand. Fortunately, there are a few who are speaking out. One of them is Franklin Graham, and I really like what he had to say about this crisis on his Facebook page. Israel is America's closest ally in the Middle East and the only true democracy in that region of the world. I'm disappointed that the current administration in Washington seems to have such contempt for this nation and its elected leaders. For the U.S. not to stand with Israel is shameful. Without a doubt, what we have done to Israel is shameful. And now that we are on the wrong side of the equation, we will most definitely be cursed. Nothing extremely dramatic has happened so far, but there have been some rumblings. For example, it is being reported that there have been nearly 700 earthquakes in California and Nevada over the past week. A reporter for KWTV News tweeted that there have been at least 28 reported earthquakes since the early morning hours in California and Nevada. A map put out by the Southern California Earthquake Data Center shows that in the last week that have been almost 700 light-to-moderate tremors in the area. And on the east coast, a horrible winter blizzard is set to dump nearly two feet of snow on some areas of New England. A powerful winter storm will unleash heavy, wet snow and howling winds across portions of New England from late Thursday through midday Friday, with blizzard conditions possible in some areas. Much of New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine should see a foot of snow, with nearly two feet expected in some spots, the National Weather Service said. "This looks to be a high-impact storm with power outages and significant drifting issues likely," the weather service warned. But if God continues to respond to U.S. moves toward diving the land of Israel as He has in the past, we could potentially see something much more dramatic happen in the days ahead. In a previous article, I detailed 10 of the most striking examples of how God has hit America with disaster when our government has cursed Israel. 1. The last time the U.S. government refused to veto an anti-Israel resolution at the UN Security Council was in 1979. On March 22, 1979, the Carter administration chose not to veto U.N. Resolution 446. Four days after that on March 26, the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty was signed in Washington. As a result of that treaty, Israel gave up a tremendous amount of territory. Two days later, on March 28, the worst nuclear power plant disaster in U.S. history made headlines all over the globe. The following comes from Wikipedia: The Three Mile Island accident was a partial nuclear meltdown that occurred on March 28, 1979, in reactor number 2 of Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station (TMI-2) in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. It was the most significant accident in U.S. commercial nuclear power plant history.[2] The incident was rated a five on the seven-point International Nuclear Event Scale: Accident With Wider Consequences.[3][4] 2. On Oct. 30, 1991, President George H.W. Bush opened the Madrid Peace Conference which brought Israelis and Palestinians together to negotiate for the very first time. In his opening speech, Bush told Israel that "territorial compromise is essential for peace." At the exact same time, "the Perfect Storm" was brewing in the north Atlantic. This legendary storm traveled 1,000 miles the wrong direction and sent 35-foot waves slamming directly into President Bush's home in Kennebunkport, Maine. 3. On Aug. 23, 1992, the Madrid Peace Conference moved to Washington, D.C., and the very next day, Hurricane Andrew made landfall in Florida, causing $30 billion in damage. It was the worst natural disaster up to that time in U.S. history. 4. On Jan. 16, 1994, President Clinton met with President Assad of Syria to discuss the possibility of Israel giving up the Golan Heights. Within 24 hours, the devastating Northridge earthquake hit southern California. It was the second worst natural disaster up to that time in U.S. history. 5. On Jan. 21, 1998, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived at the White House but received a very cold reception. In fact, President Clinton and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright actually refused to have lunch with him. That exact same day the Monica Lewinsky scandal broke, sending the Clinton presidency into a tailspin from which it would never recover. 6. On Sept. 28, 1998, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright was working on finalizing a plan which would have had Israel give up approximately 13 percent of Judea and Samaria. On that precise day, Hurricane George slammed into the Gulf Coast with wind gusts of up to 175 miles an hour. 7. On May 3, 1999, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was supposed to hold a press conference to declare the creation of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as the capital. On that precise day, the most powerful tornadoes ever recorded in the U.S. ripped through Oklahoma and Kansas. At one point one of the tornadoes actually had a recorded wind speed of 316 miles an hour. 8. On April 30, 2003, "the Road Map to Peace" that had been developed by the so-called "Quartet" was presented to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon by U.S. Ambassador Daniel Kurtzer. Over the next seven days, the U.S. was hit by a staggering 412 tornadoes. It was the largest tornado cluster ever recorded up to that time. 9. In 2005, President George W. Bush (son of George H.W. Bush) convinced Israel that it was necessary to remove all of the Jewish settlers out of Gaza and turn it over entirely to the Palestinians. According to the New York Times, the very last of the settlers were evacuated on Aug. 23, 2005. On that precise day, a storm that would be given the name "Katrina" started forming over the Bahamas. The city of New Orleans still has not fully recovered from the damage that storm caused, and it ranked as the costliest natural disaster in all of U.S. history up to that time. 10. On May 19, 2011, Barack Obama told Israel that there must be a return to the pre-1967 borders. Three days later on May 22, a half-mile-wide EF-5 multiple-vortex tornado ripped through Joplin, Missouri. According to Wikipedia, it was "the costliest single tornado in U.S. history." Barack Obama is scheduled to leave the White House on Jan. 20, and many are hoping that the new Trump administration will rapidly repair the damage that has been done to our relationship with Israel. One of the things that is already being discussed is cutting off U.S. funding for the United Nations. Congress is already setting the stage to cut off U.S. funding to the United Nations in the wake of a contested vote last week in which the Obama administration permitted an anti-Israel resolution to win overwhelming approval, according to congressional leaders, who told the Washington Free Beacon that the current administration is already plotting to take further action against the Jewish state before vacating office. Other punitive actions by Congress could include expelling Palestinian diplomats from U.S. soil and scaling back ties with foreign nations that voted in favor of the controversial measure, according to multiple sources who spoke to the Free Beacon about the situation both on and off the record. Hopefully members of Congress will take very swift and decisive action once they return to Washington in early January. Because at this moment, we are definitely under a curse, and we need to do whatever we can to change direction. And let us pray that the Obama administration will not betray Israel again by supporting a U.N. Security Council resolution that would officially establish a Palestinian state before Jan. 20. If that happens, all hell is going to break loose in America. 
Top Bible Prophecy Stories of 2016 - By Jan Markell - www.olivetreeviews.org
At the end of each year I like to review how Bible prophecy played out during the year. Seeing dark news items from a prophetic perspective causes the darkness to be more bearable. I often post these stories to my "headlines" daily which can be found here. These Tribulation stage-setting events aren't in any particular order. But we must keep our eyes on Israel, God's timepiece. The minute-hand is Jerusalem and the second-hand is the Temple Mount. They have all been prominent in the news. 1) Zechariah 12:3 became a blunt reality on December 23. This was the day the U.N. Security Council voted unanimously to come against Israel. America abstained which is essentially voting with the other members. She symbolically became the world's burdensome stone. This was initiated and instigated by the President of the United States which means terrible repercussions are coming to this land. So Israel is to return to 1967 "Auschwitz" borders. The holy city of Jerusalem becomes "occupied territory." And Israel is further isolated and alienated as predicted. 2) The great falling away didn't stop falling in 2016. Many evangelical churches became nothing more than advocates for open borders and multiculturalism. The social gospel made such giant inroads and salvation issues became unrecognizable. Emergent/Postmodernism raged. Other churches fell into lukewarmness. Hardly any would deal with the issues of the day or the Lord's return. 3) The longing for a "man with a plan" was never so prominent. Even CNN's Home page begged for a man who could restore order. It asks in smaller print, "Is there a leader who can stop the chaos and heal America?" 4) II Timothy 3 character was on overdrive in 2016. Various presidential candidates were consumed with pride and self-aggrandizement. Values seemed to tank this past year. National industries featured same-sex ads with no shame. It seemed like everyone was drowning the lake of me-myself-I. 5) Israel's re-convened Sanhedrin took the momentous step of nominating a High Priest for the Temple--for the first time since it's destruction in 70 A.D. The Tribulation Temple is in the works, even though the United Nations just declared this area off-limits to the Jews! 6) Israel struck Damascus in early December, targeting some weapons. This is a precursor to what is predicted in Isaiah 17:1. 7) God continues to intervene for His sovereign nation of Israel. In November, he sent a pillar of a cloud of dust and rain to push back ISIS on Israel's border. See it here. He who keeps Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121). The cloud of dust and rain stayed right at the border and did not cross into Israel. 8) There was stage-setting for the Tribulation's natural disasters which will be far worse than anything the world has known thus far. Publications called many events "record setting," "unprecedented," and "of biblical proportion." The Bible calls them "birth pangs." 9) The war on cash intensified. A few nations are banning cash and this will eventually lead to "Mark of the Beast" accounting. Technology was introduced that enables the total payment of goods and services using only an embedded chip. 10) Gog-Magog players are getting ready. Russia is the new power player in the Mideast thanks to America's absence. So is Iran. Turkey is in chaos and looking to Russia for support. These are the three primary players in Ezekiel 38-39, although other nations participate. 11) Europe is in a meltdown--setting the unstable stage for the arrival of the Antichrist out of Europe. Its godless culture welcomes all things dark and occultic. Their refugee policy has thrown the continent into chaos. It will welcome a "Mr. Fix-It" to calm the storm. On June 1 they had a literal Satanic ceremony as they dedicated the Gotthard Base Tunnel in Switzerland. European leaders cheered this. Below is the demonic "goat man" who was celebrated. This was addressed by Amir Tsarfati at our October 15 conference. 12) The season of mocking the Lord's return intensified. The Christian publication "Christian Today" scorned the Lord's return and said a "zombie apocalypse" was more likely. 13) The predicted rise of evil continues as foretold in II Timothy 3:13. A new term was introduced in late 2016: "Spirit Cooking." It is too dark to write about but you can Google the information. We don't recommend it for sensitive people. It is borne out of the occult followers of Satanist Aleister Crowley and it would have entered the White House and Oval Office had Hillary Clinton won. This may be the biggest reason the Left lost as many in the Clinton campaign were cheerleaders for this evil. 14) The run-up to the lawlessness in the Tribulation has begun. There was post-election rioting with the promise of much more to come -- all a blatant rejection of Donald J. Trump. Barack Obama was the most lawless president in U.S. history. He even told illegals they could vote with no consequences. Now the Left is making daily comments about assassinating Donald Trump. 15) The gay agenda has turned blatant. Many major corporations promoted this with their national advertising. The "days of Noah" have returned as predicted by Jesus. The transgender agenda also flourished. In both cases Target led the way with promotion. 16) The predicted rise in the persecution of Christians and Jews intensified. At the same time, some pastors were forced to turn over sermons for inspection in America and Christian businesses were hammered for trying to stand for righteousness. Yet Islam is protected and no condemnation can be given. 17) For most of these to play out required the prophesied rise in strong delusion (II Thess. 2:10-12). Those who take delight in mocking and rejecting Him, He will condemn, confuse their thinking, and cause them to believe fables. And they do! Remember, global warming is a greater danger than radical Islam. Today it would seem the Mad Hatter is in charge. 18) Technology giants came against righteousness once again. From Facebook to YouTube to Google to Twitter, their progressive agenda rejected a conservative and Christian message. The Christian film "I Am Not Ashamed" had their YouTube trailer taken down one year in advance, marginalizing ticket sales. Things are not falling apart -- they are falling into place. Can you hear the hoof beats of the four horsemen of the apocalypse in the distance? I won't be silent about the signs of the times. If Jesus chastised the Pharisees for not knowing the signs of His first coming, why would we not be expected to be aware of today's apocalyptic signs? Rise up, wake up and look up! 
My Review of "Rapture Ready...Or Not?" Over the last 35 years, I have literally read hundreds of books on Bible Prophecy and End Time signs. I especially enjoy books on the Rapture, and I have read almost every Rapture-related book published. In all those years, devouring thousands of pages, and millions of words, I have not read a better book on the Rapture than, Rapture Ready...Or Not? Terry James might be physically blind, but he is spiritually sharp and well discerning beyond most authors. In "Rapture Ready...Or Not?" Terry has nailed the pre-trib Rapture, and removed any doubt what so ever about the Church going through the Tribulation. With great insight and Godly discernment, Terry explains with simple, yet profound words, why and how that he has come to believe the ways he does about the Rapture, the Tribulation, and the End Times scenario. I think after reading "Rapture Ready...Or Not?" you too will believe as Terry does, and be Ready for the Rapture like never before! - Randy Thomas - Publisher / Editor - Prophecy Update For more information and or to get your copy of "Rapture Ready...Or Not?" use this link: http://www.raptureready.com/terry/book35.html 
News from Hal Lindsey Media Ministries - Hal Lindsey - www.hallindsey.com
The book of Daniel is the most important prophetic book in the Bible, even more than the book of Revelation. This week, however, I will focus, not on the prophecies of Daniel, but on the man and his character. It's an especially timely study in a world charging headlong into a new dark age. Daniel lived one of the most remarkable lives in the history of the world. Even as a teenager, he changed the course of history. But in the story I want to examine this week, many years have gone by. The Medes and Persians had defeated the Babylonians and taken their empire. Darius now ruled. For about twenty years following the death of King Nebuchadnezzar, it had seemed like Daniel's career was over. But as happened to him so often, he quickly rose through the ranks again. After becoming one of the most important figures in the empire, Daniel's integrity and the king's confidence in him ignited the jealousy of his peers. But the only way they could eliminate him was by concocting a plan that depended on his faithfulness to God. As the world grows darker, God can and will prosper and care for His people, but don't expect everything to be easy. The psalmist wrote, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous." But he doesn't stop there. He goes on to affirm, "But the Lord delivers him out of them all." (Psalm 34:19, NASB) Daniel is testimony to that promise. He made the decision to honor his convictions rather than obey the dictates of the state. By doing so, he assured himself of a terrible fate. He was thrown to the hungry lions. And his friend, King Darius, trapped by the power of his own words, was helpless to intervene. It's interesting to note that because the law of the Medes and Persians, once signed and confirmed by the king, was unalterable, King Darius found himself facing a dim reflection of the dilemma God Himself once faced when Adam and Eve chose death over life with Him. He loved them, but had given His word that sin always carries a death sentence. And God's word is infinitely more certain than the law of the Medes and Persians. So in His infinite wisdom, God devised a way for His love to deliver sinners from His wrath while not compromising His righteousness and justice. Jesus Christ took upon Himself a human nature, lived as a true man, and never once sinned. He therefore qualified to voluntarily take upon Himself the penalty and punishment for our sins. He died in our place and secured a true forgiveness for each one who will receive it as a gift. Salvation cannot be given if any human merit is attached to it. Salvation is an absolute gift. Tune in this week as I examine how the intractability of the Law of the Medes and Persians, and Daniel's faith in his God, led to a national revival of faith in the one true God. Don't miss this week's Report on TBN, Daystar, CPM Network, The Word Network, various local stations, www.hallindsey.com or www.hischannel.com . Check your local listings. For those of you who watch "The Hal Lindsey Report" on Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), please note that we are moving to a new time. Beginning Friday, January 6, 2017, the Report will be seen 30 minutes later, beginning at 6:00 pm Pacific/9:00 pm Eastern. Hopefully, this new time will make it even more convenient for those of you in the western United States. I want to wish all of you a wonderful, blessed and happy new year. Thank you so much for your prayer and financial support of "The Hal Lindsey Report" during the past year. We are on the air around the world only through your faithfulness and persistent giving. As I look back on 2016, I'm amazed by the prophetic developments that have occurred. The Bible warns us that in the final days of this Age, the appearance of the signs of the times will occur with greater frequency and intensity. I will continue to report them to you as long as God gives me the strength, the resources, and the opportunity. I feel, however, that the rapture of the true believers could occur any day of this new year. If it does, I'll see you on the way up! Maranatha! And Happy New Year! 
Daily Jot: C'mon Man, Really? Top 10 Awards 5 through 1 - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com
There were a lot of statements made and deeds done in 2016 that are deserving of a slap on the forehead followed by the words "C'mon Man, really?" As the year draws to a close, The Daily Jot wanted to just step outside its regular analytics and provide you what we thought were some of the most foolish statements and actions that characterized 2016. You may agree or not, but they should serve as a reminder of what not to do and how common sense is lacking within our contemporary society. These are things we may want to forget, but for wisdom's sake, should be remembered. So as we count down to the new year, here are The Daily Jot "C'mon Man, Really?" Top 10 Awards, with 5 through 1 going to... Number 5: After spending 9 months drawing polling samples purposely skewed by at least 12 points in favor of Democrats, reporting that Hillary Clinton would win the election hands down, and ignoring the thousands showing up in favor of Donald Trump when only dozens were attending Clinton campaign rallies, the news media blamed "fake news" and the Russians for trying to mislead the American people. C'mon man, Really? Number 4: The CIA, Hillary Clinton and the "president" conspiring to say that Russia hacked Democratic National Committee and Clinton's unsecured home closet email servers to influence the election. It was the classic "look, there's a squirrel" attempt to divert public attention to the unethical and possibly illegal content of the emails themselves. C'mon man, Really? Number 3: The "president" repeatedly said that he was a friend to Israel. That's why he made Israel's Prime Minister exit the White House where the trash was thrown after making him wait hours for a meeting. But even more recently, he directed the US to abstain in a UN vote condemning Israel after President Elect Trump got Egypt and others to change their minds. The US move sent ripples throughout the Middle East. Friend to Israel, yet supporting Israel's enemies? C'mon man, Really? Number 2: In the third Presidential Debate, Donald Trump said he would keep people in suspense about accepting the results of the election if he lost. Hillary Clinton immediately went in "aghast" mode and said this would be horrible and damaging to America's democracy. Then she bankrolled the Green Party's challenge of election results; her campaign chairman refused to say the election was fair and accurate; and Clinton tried to undermine the election results after she lost. C'mon man, Really? Number 1: The occupant of the Oval Office giving an interview to a former staffer now working for CNN (go figure) and talking trash about the election. He said if he had a third term, Americans would have elected him based on his vision which has worked for the nation. The "president" obviously doesn't get it that Hillary Clinton ran on his platform and Americans overwhelmingly rejected it. C'mon man, Really? Jesus said in John 8:32, "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." And that's how we at The Daily Jot really see the lies and how they were reported as truth in 2016. May your 2017 be blessed! 
Daily Devotion: Bad for Business? - Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org
The whole city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region. -Matthew 8:34 You would think that after the miracle of casting out demons from two men who had violently oppressed them, the people in the area would have said, "Jesus, You are the man! We love what You did! Now we can go back to the cemetery and pay our respects to our loved ones and put flowers on their graves. We wouldn't even go near there before. These guys were scary. Thank You, Lord, for coming to our community." But that is not what happened. Instead, they wanted Him to go away. Why? It was because Jesus was bad for business. Jesus had cast the demons out of the men and into a herd of swine that went over a cliff. I don't know if those who kept the herd were Jewish, because if they were, this was not a kosher thing to be doing. They had been making money off the pigs, and there was no more bringing home the bacon for them. It was the end of that story. So they thought, We don't like this. This is bad for our economy. Go away. For some people, Jesus is bad for their business. It is typically the kind of business that preys on human suffering-even contributes to it. And if you have discovered that Jesus is bad for your business, then you need to get another job. In the region of the Gadarenes, the people realized that Jesus wasn't good for what they did, and therefore, they wanted Him to go away. Matthew's Gospel tells us, "The whole city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region" (Matthew 8:34). So guess what Jesus did? He left. Jesus won't force His way into anyone's life, including yours. Have you invited Him in? 
FROM THE HEART
IF YOU HAVE BEEN BLESSED THROUGH THIS MINISTRY, THEN WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD PLEASE REMEMBER PROPHECY UPDATE IN YOUR GIVING - WE ARE TRULY, TRULY, THANKFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT Prophecy Update has no corporate sponsors. This ministry is paid for and prayed for by readers and supporters. Without your support, there would be no Prophecy Update, Please pray about becoming a monthly supporter - thanks! If ever there was a time to invest in God's Kingdom, it's now! What on earth are you doing for Heaven's Sake? "Share in the Blessings and Rewards that will last Forever!" "Folks, it's all beginning to unravel. America is in more danger of falling than at any time in its history. But I believe Bible prophecy predicts this very decline. From this point on, we believers have to get serious. We are going to face discouragement, disillusionment and, most certainly, persecution in the time between now and the Rapture. But don't be discouraged or disillusioned. The coming turmoil will provide us unrivaled opportunities to share the good news of the Gospel. So be ready to share your faith and your hope with those who need Christ. We still have time to reap a great harvest of souls for God's kingdom!" - Hal Lindsey 1) We need your prayers!- We proclaim the Truth of the Word of God and we are under constant spiritual and sometimes even physical attack. 2) We need your encouragement!- We need to hear from you, let us know how the Lord is blessing you through this ministry so that we can share it with others. 3) We need your input! - If you have a prophetic article or story or if there is a news related item we missed, let us know. 4) We need your financial support!- To put it quite simply, without your support, there would be no Prophecy Update. I ask that you would prayerfully consider partnering with us to get the Word out and keep the world informed. Remember, your gift, no matter how small, does make a difference! You will be helping to touch lives, around the world, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, thanks to the internet your generosity carries a global impact! - Thanks! Our Prayer for You- "Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else." 2 Corinthians 9:10-13 Prophecy Update is a 501 (c) (3) tax exempt - non-profit organization, and all your donations are tax deductible. If you have been blessed by Prophecy Update and would like to help support this ministry financially. You can make a secure donation online by going to: DONATE NOW Or Visit our website: http://prophecyupdate.com/donations/ Or write us at: Prophecy Update P.O. Box 40516 Bakersfield, CA 93384-0516 
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