Like many of you, my heart breaks over the brutal, barbaric scenes in Israel. Cold-blooded murder and senseless kidnapping of innocent men, women and children is enough to make one’s blood boil. But when bloody bodies are stripped naked and paraded through the streets of Gaza, it becomes evident that demonic evil is at play.

Exactly 50 years ago, Arab armies caught Israel totally unaware. October 7, 1973, was a peaceful Yom Kippur when, suddenly, Israel was attacked. Uncharacteristically, the IDF was once again caught by surprise. (Some evidence appears to suggest Russia may have jammed communication systems and the Iron Dome.) If you saw the recent movie, Golda, which told the story of severe anguish the Prime Minister encountered as she witnessed her fighting men brutally murdered, you get a sense of the stress in the high cost of life. In 1973, the tide turned when Golda Meir convinced America to send help.

This time, the tide has not yet turned, and Israel has once again lost countless lives. Israel will regain the upper hand, but this time is different. Current PM Bejamin Netanyahu has declared war and all the strength of the Israeli military, along with American naval fighting forces, F-35 aircraft, ammunition and intelligence will deploy. Praise God the US administration got that right. (Genesis 12:3, Joel 3:2)

A quick word to those trying to tie this attack directly to the Ezekiel 38 prophecy. This may be setting the table for that invasion from the north, but Biblically it doesn’t fit the description. Consider God’s Word, and the facts on the ground:

• Ezekiel names specific nations that will come against Israel during that invasion. Russia (Rosh, Meshech, Tubal) will lead the charge. They will be accompanied by Iran (Persia) and Turkey (likely Gomer and Togarmah). Minor players, Ethiopia (likely including parts of Sudan) and Libya, will also participate. While Iran clearly has a hand in supplying Hamas with weapons, and though Russia is now seemingly implicated as the only world superpower able and willing to jam Israel’s Iron Dome system, not all the players were present and accounted for during this attack.
• The attack was not from the far north, as described in Ezekiel 38.
• As horrific as the scenes are from this attack, they are nothing compared to the war machine that will invade Israel at Russia’s command.
• America is sending very significant military arms and intelligence. No one will come to Israel’s aid during the Ezekiel 38 invasion.

For up-to-date details on all that is happening in Israel, I recommend following Amir Tsarfati on Telegram.

Now, regarding our tour set to depart next Saturday: it is officially postponed. Thanks to the hundreds of you who called, texted or emailed regarding the situation in Israel and the status of our tour. Meanwhile, I was in constant contact with officials on the ground in Israel, determining whether or not a tour could go on. Technically speaking, the airport is open and tours are still running safely. The issue now is that US airlines are not flying there. With deadlines approaching for changes/cancellations, we had to make a decision sooner than we would like.

Please pray for us all and the myriad of details that must be worked out as a group and individually. The next EXPERIENCE ISRAEL Tour is February 2024 and we hope to move as many as possible to that tour.

Finally, if you tried to contact me and got no response, please forgive me. Hopefully, as tour chaos settles I will be able to more adequately respond. Meanwhile, continue to follow along here for more info regarding Israel and the tour.

Thank you for your prayers. Please continue to pray for Israeli families who are hurting right now. Pray for God’s wisdom upon Israel’s leaders. Also, pray this horrific event is a catalyst in bringing unity to a very politically divided nation.