The recent escalation between Israel, Russia and Iran in Syria is raising questions in Israel concerning ancient Biblical prophecies. According to the prophet Ezekiel (chapters 38-39), Russia, Iran, Turkey and other Islamic nations will invade Israel on its northern border in the last days. (Ezekiel 39:2; Joel 2:20) Ezekiel stated that God will cause certain conditions to develop that will provoke this invasion: “And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth…” (Ezekiel 38:4) What will be the nature of this divine provocation?
All of Israel is talking about the developments on their northern border. Those who know these Biblical prophecies are wondering, as I am, are we witnessing the provocation that will start this war? In the last few months, Israel has been attacking Iranian positions in Syria to stop the flow of dangerous military equipment to their proxy army, Hezbollah, in Lebanon. However, in the last few days, this has escalated. A few days ago, Iran sent a military drone (unmanned aircraft) into Israeli territory. Israel considers Iran to be an enemy that has openly sworn that it will destroy the Jewish state. Therefore, Israel retaliated. The Israeli Air Force flew into Syria and bombed the location that was the command center for the military drone that infiltrated Israeli air space. In the process, the Russian-made air defense system in Syria successfully damaged an Israeli F-16, forcing it to crash in Israeli territory. Thankfully, both pilots ejected themselves from the aircraft and safely landed, with some injuries, inside of Israel. This marked the first time since 1982 that Israel has lost an aircraft. Consequently, Israel once again sent a squadron of fighter jets into Syrian territory, destroying 12 major Syrian military installations. One of the installations that Israel destroyed was a major military command center. Syria, Iran, and Russia were shocked because they all thought this was a secret facility that Israel did not know existed.
Many Islamic enemies of Israel, in Iran, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinians, etc. danced in the streets when they heard that Israel had lost an F-16 in its confrontation in Syria. They saw this as a major military victory over Israel. One needs to understand that in the past, it has been this kind of scenario that has provoked a dangerous escalation of war with Israel. Many of the enemies of Israel view the downing of this F-16 as an indication that Israel is not invincible and that the time has come when they need to take advantage of this perceived moment of Israeli military weakness.
About a week before these developments, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a special trip, along with some of Israel’s military commanders, to talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other Russian military leaders about the developments in Syria along Israel’s northern border. The Israelis made it clear that they did not want to harm Russian military personnel deployed in Syria. However, Netanyahu boldly communicated to Putin that Israel would not be deterred from destroying any Iranian effort to develop a military presence in Syria, or transfer missiles to Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Given the blind hatred that Iran has for Israel and its determination to destroy the Jewish homeland, there is no question that all of this is about to escalate. What will happen if Iran continues to provoke Israel? What would happen if Israel were to accidentally kill some Russia military personnel in one of its defensive responses to another Iranian provocation? Will Iran give Hezbollah the green light to begin a war against Israel?
Without question, in light of the prophetic Scriptures, these developments certainly indicate that the war that Ezekiel wrote about is just over the horizon. Many rabbis in Israel are alerting the nation that these developments are heralding the coming of their long-awaited messiah. One rabbi said: “It is not a matter of whether or not the War of Gog and Magog is coming. It is a matter of time and at this point, we are counting the days.”
(www.breakingisraelnews.com)
I personally believe that the battle of Gog and Magog will happen before the Rapture. If this is a true assessment, we are very close to the Rapture. Get ready to fly! It appears we are going home soon.
Are Natural Disasters Increasing?
According to many Scriptures, historically, God has used extremes in weather as a form of judgment. These acts of God by the Creator are meant to send a sign to the wicked that He, not them, is in control. They are designed to be a divine wake-up call to the nations. (Psalm 147:15-18; Psalm 148:8; Amos 4:6-13; Malachi 4:1) According to several the New Testament passages, the increase of natural disasters will be a means of God’s wrathful judgment upon a world that is in spiritual rebellion. (Revelation 6:12-17; 8:7-13; 16:1-12)
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [recently] reported that 2017 was the worst year in recorded history for natural disasters. …They also identified 710 natural catastrophes around the globe, significantly higher than the annual average of 605.” (www.breakingisraelnews.com) I have observed that the dramatic in the increase of global natural disasters began in 1948 when Israel became a nation. In 1948, there were only 20 global natural disasters recorded. In recent decades the world has experienced an average of 605 annual natural disasters. However, in 2017, it spiked to 710!
In recent years there have been noticeable extremes in weather experienced around the world. Last summer the Middle East experienced extreme heat waves. In sharp contrast to this, in just the last few weeks, 4-12 inches of snow fell in some areas of the Sahara desert. “The Sahara is the largest and hottest desert in the world, covering 3.5 million square miles, an area approximately the size of the continental US. In 1922, a temperature of 136° Fahrenheit, the highest land surface temperature ever recorded, was set in the Sahara at El Azizia, Libya.” (www.breakingisraelnews.com)
As Jesus spoke to His disciples about the signs of the last days, he warned that conditions like these are “the beginning of sorrows [birth pangs.]” (Matthew 24:8) These increasing cycles of weird extremes of weather are an expression of the conditions that are pointing to the approaching wrathful judgments of God that are spelled out in the book of Revelation. According to this book, God will use drought, earthquakes, volcanoes, heat, hail, darkness, and tsunamis as a part of his final divine retribution against the godless nations.
It is apparent that our world is uniquely being prepared for this judgment. The increase of natural disasters is a megaphone warning from the Creator of His approaching judgment.
New Israeli Law makes it almost impossible to divide Jerusalem
The governing body in Israel, the Knesset, passed a bill on Tuesday, January 2, that effectively will make it impossible in the future to legally divide the city of Jerusalem. According to Israel Today, “This new legislation requires a three-fourths majority of 80 members of Knesset to ever alter the status of Jerusalem or surrender portions of the Holy City as part of a future peace agreement. Corralling a two-thirds majority for anything in the Israel Knesset is next to impossible, as evidenced by the vote on this very bill.” (israeltoday.co.il)
This new law, along with President Trump’s announcement to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, will receive great resistance in the Islamic world and liberal western nations. This will intensify the battle for Jerusalem. According to the prophetic Scriptures, Israel will control the Temple Mount and the Old City until the Antichrist wrestles it away from them during the Tribulation Period. The Antichrist will take charge of the newly constructed Jewish temple on the Temple Mount at the mid-point of the Tribulation. (Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15-21; Revelation 11:1-2) The struggle for Jerusalem, especially the Old City, will continue throughout the last half of the Tribulation. (Revelation 11:1-2) Israel will maintain control of the Old City until the final days of the Battle of Armageddon. During this battle, the Antichrist will take control of half of Jerusalem, the Old City. However, he will then be defeated by Messiah at His revelation. Messiah will liberate Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:1-3), making it the capital of His international kingdom. (Zechariah 14:16-21)
Without question, we are witnessing the development of very significant events that are preparing our world for the final seven years, known as the Tribulation Period. Believers in Christ will fly home to heaven in the Rapture before this time begins. “Get ready for the shout that will take us out!”
Israeli Political Party Votes to exercise Sovereignty over Judea and Samaria
On December 31, the political party Prime Minister Netanyahu unanimously voted to annex parts of Judea and Samaria, called the “West Bank” by most of the world. This would end the possibility of a Palestinian State in this area. The party said that it was time to make this bold and necessary move in light of the overwhelming support of the Trump administration and the recent announcement to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. “Now is the time to strengthen the Jewish state’s hold over all parts of the land and to prevent the destruction of Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, they said.”- worldisraelnews.com
This action demonstrates that the Israeli leadership has a great deal of confidence in their security and safety in the land. According to the prophet Ezekiel, this will be the kind of attitude of safety that will exist in Israel at the time of the Gog and Magog invasion. Three times Ezekiel says they will be dwelling “safely” in the land. (Ezekiel 38:8, 11, 14)