credit: IsraelToday
On Tuesday, January 15th, Prime Minister used the occasion for the swearing in of the new Israeli Defense Force (IDF) Chief of Staff, Aviv Kochavi, to send a very powerful message to Iran. For several years now, Iran has been building up its military forces in Syria. Israel knows that the purpose of Iran’s military presence in Syria is to develop a powerful Iranian military force on the northern border of Israel to ultimately attack Israel. Iran has openly bragged to the world that it will destroy Israel. The former out-going DF Chief of Staff, Gadi Eisenkot, revealed that Israel has destroyed the Iranian military installations in Syria with thousands of missiles and bombs in recent years. According to Israel Today, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent a very powerful message to Iran. He said, “I’m telling you, get out of there fast. We won’t stop attacking.”
As students of Bible prophecy, we know that Iran, Russia, and Turkey will attack Israel probably immediately before the Tribulation begins. (Read Ezekiel 38-39.) Three times in Ezekiel 38 we are told that this attack on Israel will take place when Israel is dwelling “safely” in the land. The Hebrew word used here speaks of the military self-reliance Israel will exhibit at the time of Iran’s attempted attack. These words by Prime Minister Netanyahu certainly illustrate that Israel is very confident in its own ability to defend itself, even in the presence of the Russian and Turkish forces in Syria as well.
Israel may not fully recognize it yet, but their greatest defense is from above. The Holy One of Israel has promised to defend His people when they return to their land in the last days. Read Psalm 121. In Isaiah 54:17, God promised Israel, “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper.”
For more, check out this link to the Israel Today article quoted here.
On August 2, after warning Turkey’s Islamist President Recep Erdogan that he would do so, U.S. President Trump imposed sanctions upon Turkey. President Trump has been calling for the release of an American pastor, Andrew Brunson, who was arrested and imprisoned in Turkey in October, 2016 on false charges that he was involved in terrorist activity. For more than a decade, Erdogan has been aggressively and steadily leading Turkey into the radical Islamic fold in the Middle East. While Turkey is still a part of NATO, it has been alarming that no other country in NATO has had the courage to step up and condemn Turkey for its radical Islamic actions in the last decade.
Recently 232 Jews from North America immigrated to their ancient homeland – Israel. There are more Jewish people living in Israel than any other nation. That mark was just reached a few months ago. Since the beginning of the 20th century the world has watched a miracle in the making. According to many biblical prophecies, the Jewish people are doing what no other people group has ever done – go back home and help rebuild a nation that was dead. In both of Mike’s August Bible studies he will speak about this amazing miracle. His message is entitled: “The Miraculous Return of the Jewish People to Israel.”
Israel is now officially recognized within Israel as ‘a Jewish state.’ The “Israel’s Knesset, by a vote of 62-55 with two abstentions, passed the contentious ‘Jewish Nation-State’ bill into law Thursday morning, July 19, making it the 14th Basic Law. ‘122 years after Herzl published his vision, we have stated by law the basic principle of our existence,’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said from the Knesset podium. Arab [representatives] denounced the new law as ‘racist’ and declared that it heralded the ‘death of our democracy.’ The law declares Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people and codifies Jewish symbols of the state, including the Menorah on various official documents and seals, the status of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and national holidays centered around Jewish traditions and customs.” (