Tag Archives: Isaiah

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What’s the Latest in the Middle East? (Part 1)

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Current headlines seem to confirm day-by-day what the prophets of old predicted over 2,500 years ago. As those prophetic signs continue to flash like neon in today’s dark world, it becomes more and more difficult to deny the soon return of our Lord Jesus. We’ll discover why as we view some current events through the lens of Scripture.

Let’s start with the latest activity in and around Syria.  As you know, Israel rarely confirms or denies its military operations, yet in a very rare admission, Israeli officials recently confirmed hundreds of attacks on Iranian targets in Syria, including a heavy strike on weapons storehouses near the Damascus airport last Friday.  Over months of satellite surveillance and “on the ground” intel, the IDF observed daily flights from Tehran to Damascus.  Though the planes often appeared to be commercial jetliners, they were actually carrying arms from Iran.  In typical Israeli style, Iranian troops were allowed to fully fill weapon storehouses before the IDF took care of business!  One strike, lots of collateral!

Such was last Friday’s attack on military targets near the Damascus airport.  Initial reports from the Syrian government media were that Israeli missiles were all shot down.  Yet, here are before-and-after satellite images of one of the primary targets:

Furthermore, out of embarrassment, the Syrian media reported that civilian aircraft, not Iranian transport aircraft, were hit.  But the damage is clear.  It is believed key military personnel fighting for Iran also lost their lives in the strike.

Despite genocide and use of chemical weapons by its own leaders, Syria immediately filed complaints with the UN Security Council, claiming Israel is getting away with attacks.

Meanwhile, a war of words took place between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and President Donald Trump.  Erdogan’s desire to annihilate the Kurds in Syria is obvious and President Trump vowed to impose harsh economic sanctions on Turkey if they attack the Kurds.  Because Turkey’s economy is already tanking, Erdogan was forced to back down.  Discussions are now underway to create a security zone in Syria.

In other news, Israel announced they will soon wrap up Operation Northern Shield, the initiative to find and destroy Hezbollah terror tunnels from Lebanon into Israel.  The IDF located a sixth tunnel last week and believe it is the last Hezbollah attack tunnel dug into Israeli territory.  Early on in the operation, Hezbollah denied the existence of tunnels from Lebanon to Israel.  However, when the IDF pumped cement through the tunnels, it flowed out inside Lebanon!

Additionally, a power struggle is ensuing within the ranks of Hezbollah.  The tunnel scheme has not only been embarrassingly uncovered, but totally destroyed. It is also believed the key Hezbollah leader is hospitalized due to a severe illness.

Funded by Iran, the tunnels were meant to be a means of infiltration, kidnapping and massacre of innocent Israeli citizens.  Despite being in violation of international law, Hezbollah has been met with virtually no resistance beyond Israel.

So much more is happening in the Middle East, so we’ll examine more headlines tomorrow.  However, let’s get to the point of all this.  God revealed future events to Old Testament prophets who recorded their visions of what would take place in end times.  Today, we are watching 2,500-year old prophecies play out right before our very eyes.  For example, the prophet Isaiah predicted the fall of Damascus (Isaiah 17:1), and based on the current state of things in Syria, we wonder how much longer Damascus can stand. 

God gave Ezekiel a vision of a great invasion of Israel from the north.  A coalition, led by Russia, and including Iran and Turkey, will form in order to fulfill the prophecy of the War of Gog and Magog.  Ezekiel 38 describes it, and we are seeing it

What is one to do? 

But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.

~Luke 21:28

Look up, my friends, look up!  Our redemption draws near!

See you tomorrow!

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Israel Shines as 2019 Gets Underway

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Christmas marks the birth of the Light of the World, our Lord Jesus Christ! As Christmas disappears in our rear view mirror, let’s turn our gaze to another bright light.

Rejoice! Arise and shine, Israel, for the glory of the glory of the Lord is rising and the light shines through you! The Light of the World is shining through Israel right now! Here are some examples from 2018:

  • Tourism is booming! Over 4 million tourists visited Israel in 2018. Enormous year-after-year increases have occurred since 2006 when only 1.8 million visited. Last year, over a million of those tourists were Americans, squashing rumors that it is dangerous to go there! (It is not!)
  • Israel’s population grew 2% in 2018 to almost 9 million. (74% Jewish, 20% Arab) Not only are Jews returning to their homeland from all corners of the world, but they are also living longer. Life expectancy in Israel is among the highest in the world (84 for women, 80 for men).
  • Israel’s light continues to shine all around the world. Israeli technology was used to rescue young soccer players from a cave in Thailand, and to deal with the drone problem at Gatwick Airport (in the UK) during the busy Christmas season. “Operation Good Neighbor” provided free medical care to Syrians fleeing civil war atrocities. Innovations in conservation, medicine, agriculture and technology were shared with the world, making life a little better for people everywhere.
  • Positive attitudes toward Jesus by some Israeli media. Interestingly, a stunning number of articles and other media sources in Israel are beginning to reflect very favorably on Jesus and His life. In fact, an entire documentary entitled, “Christianity in Israel,” was released, calling for greater appreciation of the Christian community in Israel. Significant shifts in attitude toward Jesus seem to indicate the centuries-old rift between Christians and Jews has taken a positive turn!
  • A growing number of Messianic believers. Very conservatively, there are now at least 30,000 Messianic believers in Israel. (There were less than 30 in 1948 when Israel was reborn.) The true number is likely much greater than that, as many are young people, unable to identify publicly for fear of being disassociated by their families. Additionally, evangelistic videos produced by One for Israel have been viewed 90 million times! 25 million of those views are in Hebrew versions…almost 3X the population of Israel, the only nation where Hebrew is spoken regularly.

Indeed, the Light of the World is shining upon His chosen land and His chosen people! The Light has come and the glory of the Lord is rising. One day, when the partial hardening is lifted from the Jewish people, all Israel will see the Light and will be saved! (Romans 11:25-26)

That hardening seems to be lifting (if only slightly), which begs the question: How soon will the fullness of the Gentiles come? (Read Romans 11!) Yet again, we see evidence that time is short!

Some day the very last Gentile to acknowledge Jesus as Lord will bow the knee to do so. At that moment, the time of the Gentiles will end as Jesus comes to take us to live with Him forever. That day is coming soon. If you have not invited Jesus to be the Light in you world, it is time to do so. We are all sinners, we cannot save ourselves, yet Jesus (through His death, burial and resurrection) paid a debt for our sins that we could not pay. He wants to be your Lord and Savior…the Light of your life. All you have to do is ask!

Click here to learn how to know Jesus personally and spend eternity with Him. Blessings, dear friend!

PS: Jews and Gentiles are saved the exact same way…by putting their faith in the Jewish Messiah, Yeshua (Jesus)!

Arise, shine; for your light has come,
And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.

~Isaiah 60:1
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Miracles in Egypt…Be Amazed!

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Egyptian President Sisi at a very special occasion. Find out the occasion below!

Welcome back, gang! Yesterday I promised to share an absolutely incredible, prophecy-fulfilling report from Egypt, and that is exactly what I’ll do! But first, consider this passage:

In that day Israel will be the third party with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth,  whom the Lord of hosts has blessed, saying, “Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.”

~Isaiah 19:24-25

Though total fulfillment of that passage will not happen before the rapture, in the end, Egypt will be blessed by God because they chose to acknowledge and worship the God of Israel. Does it seem far-fetched to think the largest Muslim country in the world will build an altar of worship to the Lord Jesus Christ? Of course it does, but there is much to know about that prophecy. I won’t take up space here to explain it, as it is explained in Egypt in End Time Prophecy. Go ahead and pause here to pick up on the teaching. I’ll wait….!

Did you catch it? Ultimately, Egypt will swear allegiance to the Lord of hosts and will believe in the God of Israel! Stunning…absolutely stunning!

Now for the really exciting part! While some of you may have watched Scott Pelley do his best to nail Egyptian President Abdul Fattah el-Sisi to the wall in last Sunday night’s 60 Minutes episode (it’s really not worth watching), I want you to see “the other side” of President el-Sisi, and the actions he is directing in Egypt! Egypt most definitely has its issues, Sisi is far from a perfect man, and he holds fast to his deep-seeded Muslim beliefs. Make no mistake about that. Yet, the Lord is working miracles through him!

However, you MUST see pictures and read about the miracle witnessed by a Christian delegation led by Joel Rosenberg and reported in his latest post, Game-changing moment: Egyptian President Sisi makes history…  (Sorry, you’ve got to go there to see how he made history!)

I realize I’ve given you more than usual to chew on today, but please take the time! Then tell me…is God’s Word more accurate than today’s headlines!?! Can you deny that God is clearly and overtly working out His plan of the end!?!

We live in absolutely amazing times, as we watch more prophecies being fulfilled in our day than perhaps any other time in history. Friends, we don’t know the day or hour in which Jesus will come to receive us unto Himself. But we DO know things that are prophesied beyond the time of the rapture are being set in motion today. We are to know the times and the season in which we live.

We’re in it!

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Israel: Living Prophecy

We talk about Bible prophecy all the time, particularly the seemingly at-our-doorstep prophecies of Isaiah 17:1 (fall of Damascus) and Ezekiel 38 (War of Gog and Magog). But did you know Israel is living out Bible prophecy every single day, right before our eyes?

It’s true! Since Israel’s rebirth in 1948, Bible prophecy has played out daily. Let’s take a look at how that has happened:

Dear friends, the prophets of past millennia clearly reported events that we see happening in the world today. Isn’t that incredible! Because of that, we can know the Bible is credible, relevant and 100% accurate.

In 2019 (and beyond!), I pray you will stand firm on God’s Word. Prophecy validates it and you can trust it!

Blessings, friends!

PS: If you haven’t heard, the Proximity: Awaiting His Return Conference is happening today in Southern California. (Featuring Amir Tsarfati, Pastor Jack Hibbs, Pastor Barry Stagner and Jan Markell) See yesterday’s post for more info.