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Tag Archives: Syria

There’s No Place Like Homs

12 Saturday Mar 2016

Posted by garybowers in The Rapture

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Tags

Heaven, Kansas, Syria

There’s No Place like Homs [Home(s)]

There’s nothing that we Americans cherish more than a trip down memory lane, all the while peering into a future that we hope will bring us to wherever we want to be and whatever we long to do. We love to reminiscence about bygone days; to also reflect on dramatic dreams that transport us to exotic places filled with exhilarating adventures or inspire us to achieve the unachievable.

Even if we don’t get there or can’t do that or haven’t tried yet, we nevertheless paint pictures, tell stories, write books, and make movies that whet our appetite to actually or vicariously follow and fulfill those dreams.

From the pre-Baby Boomer generation right down to Generation X, hardly any among us doesn’t know, has never heard, or hasn’t seen one such classic tale of a young girl’s fantasy of faraway places … to do more and be more than she ever could be or do at home.

Yes, I’m talking about the award-winning movie released a whopping 77 years ago, The Wizard of Oz!

It was a masterful story beginning with the humdrum life of a small town Kansas family whose daughter was happy, but she longed for a place and a purpose somewhere over the rainbow.

Suddenly her lackluster black and white existence exploded into a world of captivating color, filled with characters and creatures that would both help and hinder her ambiguous ambition to get to an even more beautiful paradise over the rainbow. It would be easy to get there; just follow the yellow brick road.

Of course, there was much more to it than a road with yellow bricks. Such paths can be fraught with danger. Though Dorothy would be encouraged by munchkins and accompanied by faithful friends (Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion), there were formidable obstacles in her quest to find her real home. For a while she really wasn’t sure what or where this home might be. Could or should it be the beautiful land in which she found herself? Would The Emerald City be a heavenly destination? Maybe, but what about her home in Kansas? Yes, it must be her home in Kansas.

After the incredible journey, the good witch confirmed Dorothy’s initial impression which slowly but surely became her homesick heart’s desire to return. We all remember Dorothy’s final words spoken beyond the rainbow:

“There’s no place like home!”

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Alongside of other authors who have written much about the Wizard of Oz, it would be fun to explore the symbolism of this film in more detail; but that is obviously not the specific purpose or genre of this or any Eye of Prophecy article. Rather the thematic commitment of Eye of Prophecy stated on the home page of this website is: “For the essence of prophecy is to provide a clear witness for Jesus” (Revelation 19:10).

However, I will offer one observation: Although the movie was a delightful fantasy that in some ways metaphorically depicted real life including our dreams and aspirations, it also has a dark side. And I’m not alluding to wicked witches and flying monkeys and poppy fields. Rather, I’m referring to the deceitfully clever two-part world view conveyed by the author of the book from which the movie was made: (1) our home on this earth is, by far, the best and only home we will ever have. (2) We, alone, have the power within us to make a heaven on this earth. All Dorothy needed to do was to make a wish, click the heels of her magic slippers three times and presto…!

On the contrary: There is a heaven … it’s real. According to the true and living God of the Bible, it is a far better place than this wicked, warped, war-torn, is-this-all-there-is world of ours. God has promised that all who believe and receive the sacrificial atonement of his only Son, Messiah Jesus, will one day be with him and the host of heaven, where we will live forever.

Way over the rainbow!

At the end of the Millennium reign of Christ, there will be a New Jerusalem that will make the Emerald City or any real (beautiful) city in the world seem like a dump heap. God will also perform a majestic makeover of the earth and heavens to usher in eternity. That earth will be a full circle return to the Garden of Eden, but even better. With the greatest and most wonderful realty of all:

“…Look, God’s home is now among his people. He will live with them, and they will be his people (believers in Messiah Jesus). God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever” (Revelation 21:3-4).

If anyone thinks that their home on this earth is all there is or will be, then let’s take a look at just one city in the Middle East that gives a whole new meaning to there’s no place like home. But with a polar opposite. It conjures a stark reality that can be recalled vividly by those who lived in European cities during World War II, or to those of us who have looked at photographs or seen film footage of the destruction. Cities in Poland or France that were reduced to rubble by massive bombing raids conducted by the German Luftwaffe. Or cities in China demolished by the Japanese. Or out of necessary effort to win the war, German cities leveled by Allied bombers.

The City of Homs and the Civil War in Syria

I’ve chosen this city because its name is Homs—located in western Syria not far from the Mediterranean Sea about 150 miles due north of Damascus, the capital of Syria. In the entire world, there’s no place like Hom(e)s. Sadly, not any way, shape, or form in a positive or optimistically nostalgic sense of the famous phrase uttered by Dorothy that magically whisked her back to what she believed was the only real home she would ever have or need.

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Indeed, the deplorable destruction of Homs is mind-boggling, yet this devastation is a precursor of even greater carnage to come especially during the Great Tribulation. Some of this world-wide catastrophe will be inflicted by war; some by the direct hand of Almighty God.

For example, God’s final judgment of the earth: “…And a great earthquake struck—the worst since people were placed on the earth. The great city of Babylon split into three sections, and the cities of many nations fell into heaps of rubble … and every island disappeared, and all the mountains were leveled” (Revelation 16:18-20).

Along with Arab Spring uprisings that took place in Middle East Arab countries like Libya and Egypt (that have deteriorated into an Arab Winter), Syrians began their opposition with peaceful protests against President Bashar al-Assad and his repressive government. At the time this was more than just the majority of Syrian Sunni Muslims aligning against the minority Alawite sect of Islam practiced by Assad and his regime. It was a concerted effort of the common people to alleviate the horrible economic conditions and gain more freedom from their oppressors.

With a prewar population around 1.2 million (some sources say closer to 1.5 million), Homs was the third largest city in Syria, behind Aleppo and Damascus. If not the first, Homs was one of the first cities to protest Assad’s tyranny over Syria. This protest took place in March, 2011.

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(Homs, Syria Before the War)

Assad responded with unnecessarily violent and relentless armed force, with no alternative of the protestors but to defend themselves or risk more deprivation, imprisonment, and death. In order to remain in power, it was clearly Assad’s intent to completely crush all opposition, peaceful or not. To minimize government troop casualties, Assad laid siege to Homs, with a deliberate strategy to starve not only the rebels but also the entire population. This led to hundreds of thousands in Homs (and all over Syria) to flee; which, in turn, has produced some four million Syria refugees.

For nearly three years Syrian insurgents fighting for The Free Syrian Army under the quasi-government labeled the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces scored several victories over government troops. So much so that Assad controlled less than 20% of Syria at one time or another. However, in the last two years, Assad has regained the advantage in several regions of Syria, including the city of Homs.

This siege deprived the rebels and citizens who refused to leave of basic needs such as food and water. One Homs’ resident in late 2013 described the horrible conditions:

“There is no food … we have many casualties, many people who are diseased because of the lack of food. Many have died because we don’t have the equipment or medicines to save them … People were eating anything that comes out of the ground, plants, and even grass…”

By the end of January, 2014, the Old City of Homs was still controlled by the rebels, but they realized it was a lost cause. Within a few weeks they completely withdrew, having failed to break the unbearable siege. The conquest of Homs permitted the Alawite government under Assad to consolidate their hold in central Syria, linking the capital, Damascus, to strategic areas along the Mediterranean coast.

A Ghost Town

Through this suffocating siege and indiscriminate brutal bombings that led to mass evacuations, Homs literally became a ghost town; conceivable for a small town anywhere in the world, whether by war or for other reasons. But for a thriving city with well over a million in population, a ghost town was unimaginable.

Although the Syrian Government allowed non-combatants (who were at least neutral to the government) to return to Homs, few have done so. Some who did return, at least to check on the condition of their homes in particular and the city in general, were stunned at what they saw.

Here is a description from an Associated Press article written by columnist Maeva Bambuck, posted in The Arizona Republic on March 6, 2016:

“Soldiers still patrol the streets, some of which have green grass sprouting up through the rubble while others are still coated in chalk white ash. Many are lined with the carcasses of burnt-out cars. Entire neighborhoods are without shops, electricity or running water. A monumental reconstruction effort would be needed to rebuild the city, but it’s unlikely to begin before the end of the war. In the meantime, some streets in Homs are slowly coming back to life. In one street in the Baba Amr neighborhood, women could be seen walking children…”

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(Homs, Syria after the Syrian Civil War Began)

Yet, the deplorable conditions that still prevail and will remain for a long time are reflected in the last part of this article about one family:

“Buothayna Hawlani recently returned to Baba Amr (neighborhood in Homs) with her husband and six children. Their house had been ransacked and burned. The walls were riddled with bullet-holes and the ceiling had collapsed. The family sleeps in the abandoned home of a neighbor who agreed to let them stay there…”

Said Hawlani, “We are left with nothing, we can’t live in the house at all. It is very painful.”

Multiply this Syrian family by hundreds of thousands of people and tens of thousands of homes (in Homs), and you get the gruesome big picture.

Though the devastation is greater than any other city in Syria or Iraq, Homs is but one example of many cities and towns in two of several war-scarred countries in the Middle East and Africa.

Homs is illustrative of what will happen in much greater severity during the Tribulation, which will last seven years after the soon to happen Rapture. Homs is also representative of what has taken place down through the ages to nations and cities who have never acknowledged, or abandoned, or denied, or defied the true and living God. Along with others who truly care about the tragic repercussions of war on otherwise innocent civilians, I am appalled at the devastation of this Syrian city and the death, deprivation and displacement of its people. Yet, the underlying reason is succinctly and strongly stated in Scripture:

“Blessed in the nation whose God is the Lord…” (Psalms 33:12). This applied to ancient Israel when she loved, worshipped, and obeyed the Lord God. And to modern-day Israel, because God has begun to fulfill his magnificent promise to restore his special possession physically and one day soon spiritually. A few other nations have been blessed (mostly for a temporary period of time) including the United States of America, whose government was founded on Judaic-Christian principles found in Scripture. Whose God is the Lord, himself … or was.

Conversely, how can we or why would we expect God to continue to bless and protect this once great nation when we continue to expel him from the hallowed halls of Congress, from the fertile grounds of our children’s schools and universities, from public display in town-squares, from mention of his name by our military chaplains, and even from many church pulpits across this land? This once great nation was built on Christian precepts and principles, but I fear we are no longer a “Christian nation.” We have replaced the true and living God and his Messiah with the god of secular humanism which, among many other grievous wrongs, not only allows but subsidizes the inexcusable sacrifice of millions of unborn children on the altar of abortion.

God spared Nineveh, a city of a Gentile nation, Assyria, but only because her citizens turned to God for forgiveness. But Nineveh resumed her wicked ways and was eventually conquered, with Assyria completely wiped out as a nation by Babylon. Then Babylon by Persia, Persia by Greece, and Greece by Rome. And, where is the mighty Roman Empire today? Where is the Third Reich that Hitler boasted would last a thousand years? It lasted all of 12 years.

All of the signs are clear and getting clearer that God’s final plan for the ages is unfolding in our generation. Listen to the words of our great God, who will soon judge the nations like never before.

“…At the time I have planned, I will bring justice against the wicked … I warned the proud, ‘Stop your boasting!’ I told the wicked, ‘Don’t raise your fists! Don’t raise your fists in defiance at the heavens or speak with such arrogance.’ … It is God alone who judges; he decides who will rise and who will fall” (Psalms 75:2-7).

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And, “Now then, you kings, act wisely! Be warned, you rulers of the earth! Serve the Lord with reverent fear, and rejoice with trembling. Submit to God’s royal son, or he will become angry, and you will be destroyed in the midst of all your activities—for his anger flares up in an instant. But what joy for all who take refuge in him!” (Psalms 2:10-12).

Our holy and just God equally extends compassion, forgiveness, and mercy.

“Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land” (II Chronicles 7:14).

Although this conditional promise from the Lord was directed primarily to Israel, it also extends to Gentile nations in principle and practice, such as Nineveh and to the United States of America.

Indeed, there is no place like Homs on the earth. And thank God there aren’t too many more like it as we speak. One utterly ruined city is enough. But ever so sadly, there will be many more cities reduced to rubble during the massive man-made wars and God-imposed judgments of the Great Tribulation, and possibly some before the Rapture.

For instance, during the last half of the Tribulation the awesome destruction of Rome encoded in Scripture as Babylon, for protection of the author of Revelation and other 1st century Christians.

“Babylon is fallen—that great city is fallen! She has become a home for demons” (Revelation 18:2).

And, “…How terrible, how terrible for you. O Babylon, you great city! In a single moment God’s judgment came on you” (Verse 10).

And, “…All your luxuries and splendor are gone forever, never to be yours again” (Verse 14).

Also, “How terrible, how terrible for that great city! … In a single moment it is all gone” (Verse 19).

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[Depiction of Babylon’s (Rome’s) Destruction]

Here is a prophecy about another (the most well-known) city in Syria: “The oracle concerning Damascus. Behold, Damascus is about to be removed from being a city and will become a fallen ruin” (Isaiah 17:1).

Having mentioned this in a couple of prior Eye of Prophecy articles, I’ll simply summarize (based on historical evidence both Biblical and secular) by saying that I’m convinced this prophecy was fulfilled when the Assyrians conquered Damascus around 732 B.C, then ten years later vanquished the ten northern tribes of Israel. However, there very well could be another devastation of Damascus during the Tribulation (or even before).

Returning to Homs … What’s Left of It

First, to clarify that Homs is an Arabic named city and is actually pronounced Hims. I waited until now because the pronunciation doesn’t work with my Wizard of Oz analogy of, there’s no place like Hom(e)s! As you can see by now, my awkward (if you didn’t know the correct pronunciation, the spelling would suggest Hahms) deception had a purpose. You do see it don’t you?!

Let’s examine a more positive story that comes out of Homs, Syria. One of several examples the world over that (if the media cares to search and report) reminds us that something good can be found in the most shocking situations of life. That the darkest night will yield to the morning light.

In a March, 5th, 2016 article posted on the online new source of Aish.com, written by Dr. Yvette Alt Miller, we are introduced to Aboud Dandachi, a 39-year old Syrian currently living in Istanbul, Turkey. I chose Dr. Miller’s article to dovetail with today’s Eye of Prophecy post, because Aboud’s pre-refugee residence was none other than Homs, Syria!

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(Another photo of Homs before the War)

Surprisingly, however, the article concerns Dandachi’s experience with and changed views of Israel and Israelis.

Aboud was raised both in Syria and Saudi Arabia and attended a university in Jordan. As would be expected, he and his fellow Arabs harbored a huge distrust of and animosity toward Jews, especially Jews who lived in Israel. But when the Syrian civil war erupted and during the ensuing years of exile, he, as the article states, “…began to reconsider many of his assumptions.”

Dr. Miller quotes Aboud Dandachi: “It was a gradual process, when it increasingly dawned on me that no Israeli had ever done me any harm whatsoever – and yet I was a refugee precisely because of what fellow Syrians and Arabs had done to my city. So why on earth would I want to be enemies with Israelis? It makes about as much sense as being enemies with someone from India or Japan or Argentina?”

Dr. Miller continues: “At the same time, Dandachi began to hear about Jewish and Israeli organizations that were mobilizing to help Syrian refugees – often at great danger to themselves. Hundreds of Syrians have received life-saving medical treatment in Israeli hospitals. Israel’s army has operated a field hospital at the border with Syria. Israeli aid workers are working with Syrian refugees in Greece, Germany, the Balkans and Jordan, and ordinary Israelis have flocked to donate clothes and supplies (first removing Hebrew-language tags and writing in order to disguise their origin in a Jewish state)…”

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(Another Photo of Homs after the War Began)

*Note: Please consider reading the Eye of Prophecy article entitled, The Heart and Soul of Israel (posted 1-4-14). Although I’ve written many articles on or about Israel, that article is a microcosm of (as the title states) the wonderful and generous heart and soul of not just Israel as a nation, but the Jews as a people. It includes similar examples of Israeli aid and acts of kindness to those who are sworn enemies of Israel even more than the Syrians … Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

Continuing with Dr. Miller’s article: “As he read and learned more about what Israeli and Jewish individuals and groups were doing, Dandachi, explained, his thinking gradually changed. The (his) impetus to find a way to publicly say, ‘thank you’ came in 2014, when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited wounded Syrians at the Golan Heights.”

Said Aboud to Dr. Miller, “I remember that the Syrian opposition then said that Netanyahu should stop using wounded Syrians for propaganda and other nonsense. I told the opposition (the rebels) at the time: ‘Are you crazy? You can’t even say thank you?’ It is so immature.”

Apparently, Dr. Miller discovered Aboud’s endeavor through a website he set up in December, 2015, for the express purpose of proclaiming to all who would listen, “Thank you, Am Yisrael,” which is the title of his website. Thank you, people of Israel.

In one of his posts, Aboud writes: “It is said that one of the truest moral tests of a society is in how it treats those in need, and who have nothing to offer in return save for gratitude. It is a challenge that this generation of Israelis and Jews have met with exemplary generosity and charity, and it is that generosity that Thank You Am Israel was set up in acknowledgment and appreciation of. Thank you to the people of Israel and the Jewish people the world over, for showing kindness and charity to Syrians, whether it is through your IDF medical teams, your aid workers in Greece and the Balkans, or your congregations in North America raising money to aid and sponsor Syrian refugees. God bless you and protect you.”

Utterly amazing!

My immediate and enduring response to Aboud’s incredible (after all, he is an Arab from Syria which has been, and still is as a nation, one of Israel’s most avowed enemies) change of heart and mind toward Israel is: “AMEN.”

Israel’s unselfish and unrequited kindness even toward her enemies is the stuff that much Biblical prophecy is made of. Though she has fought Arabs and Muslim nations for her very survival, and continues to defend herself against almost daily terrorist’s attacks, Israel is beginning to fulfill her destiny. First as a nation reborn from the floods of dispersion and fires of Nazi death camps; and soon her wide-spread spiritual rebirth by opening individual and collective hearts to the Messiah who died for the Jews (and Gentiles) and rose from the dead to seal the New Covenant of Grace. Soon, very soon, Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) will return to set up his glorious kingdom of Righteousness, Justice, and Shalom from Jerusalem.

Listen to the words of God Almighty as he speaks of his special possession Israel concerning his glory—the very essence of God which includes his gracious gift of salvation and goodness to Israel and to the nations:

“When I bring them home from the lands of their enemies, I will display my holiness among them for all the nations to see. Then my people will know that I am the Lord their God, because I sent them away to exile and brought them home again. I will leave none of my people behind. I will never again turn my face from them, for I will pour out my Spirit upon the people of Israel. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!” (Ezekiel 39:27-29).

Beginning with Messiah Jesus (the Light of the World) who changes our heart and alters our eternal destiny when we believe and receive him, culminating in his majestic return to make all things right in Israel and between Israel and the nations, Israel and the world will share in this (his) glorious light.

Listen to the personal description (me, my, and him) of Messiah spoken about his coming (none other than Jesus of Nazareth who fulfilled ALL of the Messianic prophecies) through the prophet.

“And now the Lord speaks—the one who formed me in my mother’s womb (the Virgin Birth) to be his servant, who commissioned me to bring Israel back to him. The Lord has honored me, and my God has given me strength. He says, ‘You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me. I will make you a light to the Gentiles, and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth’” (Isaiah 49:5-6).

Summary

Some of Aboud Dandachi’s closing remarks in this exclusive interview with Aish.com were:

“The fact is, that Syrians don’t have many friends in the world left. So these are our darkest times, and it means we should appreciate the friends we do have right now. No one could have blamed Israelis and Jews if they had stayed aloof from the refugee crisis, but they didn’t. They risked a lot to help us. And the very least you can do is say thank you. To say thank you isn’t remarkable, one act of kindness is more remarkable than a hundred thank yous.”

My commentary response: Nevertheless, any thank you from any Arab Muslim to the Jews is, indeed, remarkable. Any time the heart of one’s enemy is softened to this extent and eyes opened this much is as remarkable as anything can be. But that is the heart and soul of Israel, which is beginning to be an end time’s expression of the heart of God. Soon, Israel’s heart will be softened and changed even more to go one step further:

To acknowledge that Messiah as the Lamb of God has already arrived (two thousand years ago) to bring them salvation. And shortly to eagerly embrace him as their Savior Lion from the Tribe of Judah when he delivers them from the hands of their enemies in the final campaign against Israel led by the Antichrist and his coalition.

However, one of their enemies will NOT be Aboud Dandachi!

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(Aboud Dandachi)

Nor will a few others like him, though not as outspoken as Aboud. We can know this because of what else Aboud said in his interview: “What surprised me is the feedback from Arabs. I was expecting hostility from Arabs and instead a surprising number have told me that I’m saying what they can’t say and that I should keep saying what I’m saying…”

But then Aboud tempered that enthusiasm with a reminder that, “Unfortunately, the reality in the Middle East is that there is no Arab politician who will say ‘thank you’ to Israel.”

Things to Ponder

To all those who are wondering if your life and home on this earth is all there is, please listen to this powerful promise made by Jesus himself, to all those who have believed and received him as our personal Savior:

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going” (John 14:1-4).

Though he spoke these words directly to his disciples, they (like all of his promises) are for, “…everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

To the scene in the first passage above, his disciple, Thomas, questioned: “No, we don’t know, Lord. … We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?” (John 14:5).

To which Jesus replied in these magnificent words, often quoted: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (Verse 6).

Then the Jewish Apostle Paul reminds believers: “Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven…” (Philippians 1:27).

Yes, believers in Yeshua are already citizens of heaven. One day soon we will take up residency there. Our passport to heaven has been stamped with the redemptive sacrificial blood of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.

Of our glorious home in the New Jerusalem, John writes: “I saw no temple in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of sun, or moon, for the glory of God illuminates (literally) the city, and the Lamb is its light. The nations will walk in its light … all the nations will bring their glory and honor into the city” (Revelation 21:22-26).

Earlier in this astounding vision of what today is the very near future, John exclaims: “And I saw the holy city, the New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband” (Verse 2).

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(Depiction of the New Jerusalem)

For believers in Messiah Jesus, God’s home will be our home. Then, Immanuel (God with us) with be an everlasting reality. Soon, very soon, this will all begin when:

“…The Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up (raptured) in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words” (I Thessalonians 4:16-18).

Fully concentrate on a much better location than Kansas (though I was born there) or anywhere on this worn-out planet. Repeat after me, but with a whole new meaning:

There’s no place like home … there’s no place like home.

The Russians Are Coming!

14 Saturday Nov 2015

Posted by garybowers in Current Events

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Tags

Gog & Magog, ISIS, Syria

The Russians Are Coming!

If you vaguely recognize the origin of today’s article title, then you probably are not a Baby Boomer; however, you do watch more than just old blockbuster movies. If you immediately recall the title, then you are undoubtedly a Baby Boomer, because the movie was released in 1966, during the Cold War days. You may also remember that the full name of the film was: The Russians are Coming, the Russians Are Coming.

The title was repeated to underscore the fact that the film was primarily a comedy, i.e. the misguided and hilarious panic reaction of small-town America when a Russian submarine captain wants to get a better look at America but accidentally grounds the submarine on a sandbar off the coast of a (fictional) New England Island. The captain sends a nine-man team ashore to find something mechanized to free the submarine; but, the Americans assume that they are being invaded by the big, bad Russians.

This movie was released just four years after the Cuban Missile Crisis. Some of the starring actors were: Alan Arkin, Carl Reiner, Eva Marie Saint, Brian Keith, Jonathan Winters, and Theodore Bikel.

In the more serious context of today’s Eye of Prophecy article, the film was ironically directed by a well-known Jewish director, Norman Jewison. Though Jewison’s film portrayed the Russians in a more favorable light, the animosity and distrust between the Soviet Union and the United States then is still all too real between Russia and America today.

The Cold War Is Warming Up Again

Who would have ever imagined the Russian Bear establishing its lair and the American Eagle building its nest in the same country? For those of us old enough to vividly remember the Cold War encounters between the Soviet Union and the United States of America, it is unthinkable that military forces consisting mostly of air force and special operations from both nations are now entrenched in Syria, fighting alongside each other against a common enemy? Alongside, not in the sense of joint military action (that will never happen); rather, conducting airstrikes against rebel groups attempting to overthrow Syrian President Assad and his regime.

Since the US led-coalition entered the Syrian Civil War in 2014, they have flown over 2,500 airstrikes. Russia joined the fray just two months ago (September), and her planes have already launched nearly 1,700 sorties throughout Syria. As a result, dozens more civilians have been killed and another 120,000 displaced from their homes. But then, what’s another hundred thousand refugees when some ten million have been uprooted from their homeland in the past four years!

But who is bombing whom? Who supports what and whom (and why) in this bloody civil war, with over 250,000 killed, including many non-combatants? Trying to answer these questions and make sense of what’s happening is like trying to solve the Rubik cube or assembling a one-thousand piece puzzle with most of the pieces exactly the same shape and color.

The United States Air Force, Special Ops, and other Military Advisors (no boots on the ground) and our main allies, France and England, are there to do battle with ISIS. But they also support the rebel groups (plural) trying to overthrow the repressive Syrian government. Some of these rebel factions clash with each other. Fighting with and for the corrupt and brutal Syrian Government is the Lebanese terrorist organization Hezbollah, supported by Iran, with government forces and Hezbollah also fighting against ISIS.

Enter Iran’s ally Russia, which also backs the Syrian regime of Basher al-Assad, to ostensibly join the battle against ISIS. Which is supposedly one reason that the United States hasn’t vigorously resisted Russia’s intervention … we have the common enemy of ISIS. That, and the political and military embarrassment of the United States that its training and support of select rebel armies has not exactly been a success.

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Russian Planes Over Syria

Consequently, the US Coalition and Russia have agreed to coordinate their bombing campaigns so as not to occupy the same air space at the same time, and risk an inadvertent incident between their pilots. All the while, US President Obama and Russian President Putin are barely on speaking terms due principally to the crisis created by Russian involvement in the Ukraine and Crimea. Yet, there is enough mutual respect (fear) of each other that either side, with a couple of minor exceptions, is not going to force the issue of who they support and who they bomb.

Which is why the United States objected merely in an obligatory manner to Russian airstrikes against rebel units supported by the US, soon after Vladmir Putin sent his military to Syria. Which is also why Russia abruptly switched targets to mostly include ISIS; thereby, appeasing President Obama who (mildly) objected to Syrian rebels being targeted. Either way, as long as Russian and American bombs hit ISIS camps, everyone is happy.

Already Russia has paid a hefty price for its publicly pretentious purpose of helping the world get rid of ISIS. The latest evidence is now quite convincing that the Russian commercial plane crash on October 31st that killed 224 people (mostly Russian) was a direct result of a bomb planted on board by one of the ISIS cells in the Sinai Peninsula. How and to what extent Putin will react or retaliate has yet to be determined.

Return of the Russian Bear

What makes this absurdly complex but dangerously volatile situation in Syria so remarkably end-times in its unfolding is the continuing political and military rise of Russia to global prominence; which has resulted in Russia’s unopposed arrival in Syria. Moreover, Russia’s resurgence as a major player on the world stage is a prelude for the Biblical Gog-Magog prophecy to be fulfilled with the invasion of Israel. I have written about this astonishing prophecy in several Eye of Prophecy articles, with varying points of reference and emphasis.

The following excerpts in italics are taken from one of those articles, Beware of the Bear, posted 3-22-14. The first two paragraphs of that article mention former US President Ronald Reagan and his influential role that led to the eventual dismantling of the Soviet Union. The next paragraph in that article begins with President Reagan’s now famous demand.

Some of you may remember: “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.” The Russian President complied, resulting in the reunification of East and West Berlin; also, the end of Soviet dominance of East Germany, which had become like a vassal state to Russia. Soon to follow was the break-up of the Soviet Union, in which most of the 14 satellite states that comprised the Russian Sphere declared their independence from the mother land. By the end of 1991, the Soviet Union was no more. The principal nation of Russia converted to (still is) the Russian Federation. Many of these peripheral countries became independent states, such as Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Moldavia, Uzbekistan (and all the other “stan” states), and the Ukraine.

The American eagle flew proudly over the Russian bear, and spread her wings to protect and defend the nations that embraced democracy. The United States regained her status as the world’s only superpower. The Soviet Union seemed to implode from within … suffering from all the ills of economic collapse, political corruption, and social disarray. Virtually overnight, her status as a superpower vanished. Many politicians, social scientists, economists, religious leaders, and even evangelicals believed the once mighty Russian bear was dead.

Students of prophecy shook their heads in disbelief, questioning whether their analysis of the Ezekiel 38 & 39 Gog, Magog attack on Israel could possibly be accurate. Many students of the Bible reexamined the Scriptures to determine if, “the prince who rules over the nations of Meshech and Tubal” (Ezekiel 38:2) and, “Gog” ruler of the land of Magog would, in fact, be the ruler of the nation that comes against Israel, “from the distant north” (Ezekiel 39:1). Had they been wrong all this time? Russia couldn’t even lead itself, let alone a great multi-national army as Ezekiel so graphically portrays in Ezekiel 38:9: “You and all your allies—a vast and awesome army—will roll down on them (Israel) like a storm and cover the land like a cloud.”

The Beware of the Bear article then shifts to Vladimir Putin’s rapid rise to power. The article continues:

We see, now, that the Bear was not dead, but in a state of prolonged hibernation. Due mostly to the leadership of one man, Vladimir Putin, the people from the mother land of “the distant north” once again proudly wave the Russian flag. Recently, Mr. Putin voiced his opinion that the greatest calamity of the 20th century—indeed of modern history—was the disintegration of the Soviet Union. In no uncertain terms, he was implying that this catastrophe even exceeded the monumental disasters of World War II, including the unthinkable, unimaginable tragedy of the Holocaust. But, then, with autocrats such as Putin, we must consider the source. For many, it is crystal clear what Putin intends to do: Whatever the cost, he means to rebuild the once mighty Russian empire and reestablish its preeminence among the global family of nations.

In a little over twenty years, Russia has emerged economically, politically, and militarily as a force to be reckoned with; in large part due to Vladmir Putin’s ominous, but remarkable rise to prominence and power. After serving for 16 years as a KGB officer, Putin eventually became Russia’s President in 2000, serving in that position until 2008. (Many countries have a president, however, their highest position of leadership is that of prime minister. In Russia, it’s just the reverse … President first, then Prime Minister).

PutinRussiaAirstrikesISILmeme

Photo of Vladimir Putin in a Headline by a Pro-Russian Online News Source

Another Stunning Gog/Magog Development

Russia’s incursion into Syria is not about ISIS … that’s only a pretense. Some political and military experts accurately ascertain that Russia’s presence is a show of commitment to and support of the Assad regime. But, had Russia entered the Syrian conflict for that or any other stated objective than their purported contribution to end the growing threat of ISIS, neither the Western allies nor Israel would have condoned Russia’s military bases in Syria—a country which has been the most avowed enemy of the Jews, with the possible exception of Iran.

One Important (Real) Reason for Russia’s Entrance into Syria

This past August, a startling discovery was broadcast, but not necessarily by major news media throughout the world. From the very competent but lesser-known online newsletter of Israel Hayom, which consists of several daily articles from staff and guest journalists, an article was posted on August 31st, 2015, with headlines that read: Supergiant natural gas field discovered off Egypt’s shores.

Early in the article, we read that: “Italian energy group Eni SpA announced Sunday it had discovered a ‘supergiant’ natural gas field, potentially the largest known gas field in the Mediterranean Sea, off the Egyptian coastline, predicting the find could help meet Egypt’s gas needs for decades to come.”

Just a couple of months earlier, Egypt had signed a two-billion dollar agreement with this Italian company for exploration of energy reserves in the Mediterranean, but also in the Sinai and the Gulf of Suez.

According to estimations, the gas-field named Zohr was found about 120 miles from the Egyptian coast and may hold more than 30 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, which could, “eventually prove bigger than the Leviathan and Tamar fields combined.”

*Note: The estimated potential yield of the Leviathan field is 22 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Of the Tamar reserve, some 8 trillion cubic feet.

For Israel, who holds the rights to Leviathan and Tamar, the newly discovered Zohr field will produce intense competition in the natural gas industry. However, the Israeli government still has not officially endorsed the “framework” for commencement of drilling in the Leviathan gas field; although Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his supporters are optimistically confident that the Leviathan project will be soon approved and underway.

Israel’s National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Resources Minister Yuval Steinitz said about this incredible Zohr exploration: “The discovery of the huge natural gas field off Egypt’s shores is a painful reminder that while Israel ‘fell asleep at the wheel’ and has taken far too long to approve the natural gas framework (referring to Israel’s gas fields), the world is moving forward in a way that can affect our exports.”

Steinitz also said, “We have to approve the gas framework without delay and advance Israel’s natural gas industry.”

In my opinion, it is absolutely no coincidence that Russia moved into Syria just a few short weeks after the Zohr natural gas discovery was publicized. Which is one of the two real reasons why Russia wants to be and will be a major player in the Middle East—from this time forward to the short and getting shorter time of the Day of the Lord, the catalyst of which is the Rapture, followed by the Seven Year Tribulation.

What better way than to: (1) establish a pre-coalitional (Gog/Magog) base of operation in Syria on Israel’s northern border; (2) create an economic and political partnership with the soon to be rags-to-riches nation of Egypt … on Israel’s southern border.

Major Reason/Motive for Russian Presence in the Middle East

These two stunning developments—discovery of the Egyptian natural gas field and Russia’s inroad in Syria—are two more significant in-place pieces of the Gog/Magog prophetic puzzle. But as end-times relevant as they are, both are a means to an end … a secondary goal of Gog’s ulterior intention and ultimate objective.

Although Russia is a major producer and exporter of oil and natural gas, the leader (Putin) of this aggressive bear of a country wants more … more natural resources, more global clout, more economic power, and more land. But Russia and her current Gog/Magog allies, chief of which is Iran, covet one thing above all else: ISRAEL.

Covet in the sinister sense of destroying the Jews and taking over the land of Israel.

Leviathan-GAS-FIELD

Leviathan Natural Gas Field

In an Eye of Prophecy article entitled Gog, Magog, and Leviathan, published 1-3-15, on the matter of the (yet undeveloped) Israeli natural gas fields and their prophetic implication, I’d like to present some excerpts from that post to further expose the actual reason for Russia’s sudden interest in the Middle East. As follows:

In ancient literature and oral tradition, and as occasionally referenced in Scripture, Leviathan was a large mythical sea creature or even a real-life behemoth that was virtually indestructible by man or nature or anything except God himself. Not unlike the modern-day Loch Ness Monster legend.

The prophet Isaiah refers to this monstrosity by its name, and what will happen to it in the last days, telling us that, “In that day the Lord will take his terrible, swift sword and punish Leviathan … He will kill the dragon of the sea” (Isaiah 27:1). Whether this creature actually existed is not the issue; rather the emphasis is on its symbolical representation (depicted in ancient Aramaic literature as a seven-headed monster) of all that opposes God.

From Ezekiel and other prophets we learn that this opposition will be a Satanic led coalition of nations as presented in the Gog/Magog invasion and subsequently in the ten-nation confederation that gives itself wholly to the Antichrist. The emphasis in the symbolism of Leviathan is that of: ENORMOUS.

The discovery of these gas fields off the coast of Israel is nothing short of amazing. For several reasons, two of which are: (1) Proceeds from the sale and distribution of these natural gas fields could increase Israel’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) substantially. In the eyes of global economic powers including the Arab Cartel, it could level the playing field to the extent that Israel would become self-sufficient in natural gas consumption while cutting into the proceeds of surrounding Arab countries. It could change the financial dynamics of the entire Middle East, by making Israel a major player in the competitive field of energy production.

(2) It provides and confirms the Biblically predicted incentive for Russia and select Russian allies to launch a colossal campaign against Israel as found in Ezekiel’s prophecy. Before discovering and developing these natural gas holdings, Israel offered a variety of exports to maintain a favorable trade surplus, but nothing like what these natural gas fields could accomplish. And, thereby, attract the attention of other nations, both friend and foe.

Let’s read again what exactly it is that appeals to Russia enough to actually strike Israel. Listen to the boast of Prince Gog from the land of Magog to his cronies and against the true and living God: “I will go to those formerly desolate cities that are now filled with people who have returned from exile in many nations. I will capture vast amounts of plunder, for the people are rich with livestock and other possessions now….” (Ezekiel 38:12, italics for emphasis).

First: As most know, the Jews have returned to Israel from exile in great numbers. This has been emphasized in several Eye of Prophecy articles as well as a myriad of other articles by both Biblical and secular scholars and journalists. Indeed, it is a matter of common knowledge to anyone who knows just a little about what’s happening in Israel and the Middle East.

Second, what does Scripture say that Gog/Magog will covet in Israel? Livestock … perhaps literally but more so figuratively representing the prosperity of a nation. But even more so, Russia, Iran, and other nations in this evil, greedy confederation will crave a vast amount of gas and oil and other tangible goods that are by-products of hydrocarbon fuel … vast amounts of plunder, other possessions, including silver and gold purchased with the currency of such wealth.

Until recently, Russia wouldn’t have thought twice about Israel’s possessions. In the past, Russian officials rarely said anything about Israel and certainly didn’t go out of their way to court Israel as an economic or political neighbor. However, they could always be counted on to vote in favor of whatever sanction of the day against Israel had been proposed by countries of the United Nations hostile toward Israel … of which there are many (most). By and large, however, Russia’s animosity toward Israel remained relatively silent and unobtrusive. Until now.

In the article entitled, Gog, Magog, and Leviathan, I go on to explain that, in the past few weeks, (which now would refer to the latter part of 2014) Vladimir Putin had begun to publicly criticize Israel on such things as Jewish settlements in so-called occupied land of the West Bank. President Putin had jumped on the international band-wagon of slandering Israel by trumpeting the cause of the Palestinians voiced by (most countries of) the United Nations concerning Israel’s alleged oppression of the Palestinian Arabs.

Continuing with another excerpt from that article:

Yet the height of irony, if not hypocrisy, is that Russian political and economic officials have been subtlety and secretly (as much as some things can be secretly suppressed) reaching out to Israel with proposals of mutual benefit to both countries, particularly economic benefits. Why is that? The consensus answer from political and economic experts seems to focus on only one factor: Russia’s keen growing interest in the vast gas and oil reserves recently discovered by Israel, especially the offshore findings!

Which leads to a secondary but equally significant motive for Russia to overrun Israel with Muslim countries in tow: First, take Israel. Second, take over your Arab or Persian allies and their oil and gas fields! It’s a classic historical paradigm in which a strong country sometimes will turn on its confederates, after the ally helped the host country defeat its enemies and/or after a treaty was signed. In fact, that’s exactly what will happen between Russia and her allies (read all of Ezekiel 38 & 39); only they will turn on each other BEFORE they accomplish their diabolical objective. They won’t know until it’s too late, but the Gog/Magog campaign will be: Mission Impossible! But not until they utterly terrify Israel with one of the most massive invasions ever attempted. A Leviathan attack!

Summary

Although Egypt is not specifically identified as one of the Gog/Magog nations who will join the Russian and Iranian confederation against Israel, she assuredly will be among the “many others” (Ezekiel 38:6). Meaning other countries (mostly Muslim) that will trail along with Russia in its epic, but disastrously doomed campaign against Israel.

Listen to what the Lord says to Gog through Ezekiel: “Get ready; be prepared! Keep all the armies around you mobilized, and take command of them. A long time from now you will be called into action. In the distant future you will swoop down on the land of Israel, which will be enjoying peace after recovering from war and after its people have returned from many lands to the mountains of Israel. You and all your allies—a vast and awesome army—will roll down on them like a storm and cover the land like a cloud” (Ezekiel 38:7-9).

This prophetic word from God Almighty is both a taunt and a challenge to Gog, ruler of the land of Magog (Russian leader of Russia). Furthermore, the distant future written by Ezekiel some 2,500 years ago is NOW. All these things are falling swiftly into place before our 20th & 21st century eyes.

richardson120622_2

As previously indicated, almost single-handed Vladmir Putin has restored the fortunes of the collapsed Soviet Union, and reestablished the fighting capacity of the Russian Bear. Unwittingly, he has fulfilled God’s prophetic challenge to: get ready. To be prepared. To keep all the armies around you mobilized. That’s exactly what he’s doing in Syria; he’s getting his military prepared and keeping them ready with real war games, not just simulated exercises.

What he doesn’t know is that the Lord is setting him up, his country, and all nations who will align themselves with Gog of Magog for a great fall. For a defeat so devastatingly and divinely miraculous that all the nations of the earth, especially Israel herself, will know that, “I am the Lord.” (Ezekiel 38:16). And, “In this way, I will demonstrate my glory to the nations…” (Ezekiel 39:21).

“And from that time on the people of Israel will know that I am the Lord their God” (Verse 22).

Moreover, this awesome defeat of the Gog/Magog alliance will be accomplished exclusively by God, himself … without the need for Israel to defend herself. Israel’s fighting won’t take place until the last few months of the seven-year Tribulation, in the final war to once and for all end all wars … the even greater battles of Armageddon. At that time Messiah Jesus will fight alongside Israel and rescue the Jews from annihilation at the hands of the Antichrist (Nero) and his confederation of nations.

“On that day the Lord will defend the people of Jerusalem; the weakest among them will be (fight) as mighty as King David! And the royal descendants will be like God, like the angel of the Lord who goes before them! For on that day I will begin to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem” (Zechariah 12:8-9).

But first will come the Gog/Magog campaign. God gave this warning to Gog/Magog (Russia) through Ezekiel: “…Gog, I am your enemy. I will turn you around and put hooks in your jaws to lead you out with your whole army…” (Ezekiel 38:3-4).

And, “Son of man, prophesy against Gog. Give him this message from the Sovereign Lord: I am your enemy, O Gog, ruler of the nations of Meshech and Tubal. I will turn you around and drive you toward the mountains of Israel, bringing you from the distant north. I will knock the bow from your left hand and the arrows from your right hand, and I will leave you helpless. You and your army and your allies will all die on the mountains … You will fall in the open fields, for I have spoken, says the Sovereign Lord” (Ezekiel 39:1-5).

Although the Gog/Magog assault against Israel will entail a vast military alliance rolling down on Israel like a perfect storm, it’s evident now that Russia will prepare for this massive invasion through its recent unopposed military infiltration of Syria. The Russian Bear has been drawn to its prey by the lure of riches and power in the Middle East.

Some students of prophecy think the assault will take place just before the Rapture, others at the end of the Rapture, by equating it with the final battle in Megiddo (Armageddon). It would take at least one, probably two articles to document and explain the fact that the Gog/Magog campaign against Israel is NOT the same as the final assault against Israel led by the Antichrist, known as Armageddon. There are numerous differences between these two apocalyptic events, as presented primarily in the books of Ezekiel, Daniel, Zechariah, and Revelation.

As documented in prior articles, I’m convinced the Gog/Magog invasion will take place within a year after the Rapture, some six years before Messiah Jesus returns.

Whenever it will take place, on the authority of Scripture, this warning is issued: Beware Russian and Persian Bears. Do not defy the true and living God, His Messiah, and their special possession, Israel. The trap you set for Israel will become a bear trap.

Please refer to more details of the Gog-Magog invasion in other Eye of Prophecy articles entitled, The Omega Generation (published 2-15-14); Alliances Against Israel (9-20-14); and Russia & Iran Versus Israel (10-4-14).

Things to Ponder

The pieces are rapidly falling into place. The modern-day alignment of Gentile nations identified in Scripture against Israel is one of the twelve end-times signs that are taking place in the 21st century or have already occurred in the 20th century. These milepost signs are listed in Eye of Prophecy articles entitled, Look Up, Redemption is Near Part I, posted 7-11-15 and Part II published 7-18-15.

“…And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30).

Second-Coming-of-Jesus-Christ

The time is soon, so very soon when Jews and Gentiles alike who have believed and received the atoning sacrifice of God’s Son, Messiah Jesus, will be among those who shout when the seventh angel sounds his trumpet:

“The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever” (Revelation 11:15).

But ever so sadly, those left behind who have chosen this world and rejected so great a salvation freely given by the grace of God will recoil in terror and dismay at another loud shout from the heavens:

“It has come at last—salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ…” (Revelation 12:10).

Said the Jewish Apostle Peter to the Jewish high priest and other religious leaders who demanded to know by what power or whose authority Peter and John had healed a crippled man:

“Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead. For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’ There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:10-12).

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  • Replacement Theology (Part I)
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  • Rome and Jerusalem … friends or foes?
  • Russia & Iran versus Israel
  • Salvation … “To The Jew First!”
  • Satan in Bodily Form … When & Why (Part I)
  • Satan in Bodily Form … When & Why (Part II)
  • Scripture Says Everyone Will Die / But What About the Rapture?
  • Separation of Church and State … For or Against? (Part I)
  • Separation of Church and State … For or Against? (Part II)
  • Seven Times Seven (to the 4th power)! Part I
  • Seven Times Seven (to the 4th power)! Part III
  • Seven Times Seven (to the fourth power)! Part II
  • Shameful Saga of the Great City (Revelation 17)
  • Shocking Statistics of the Great Tribulation
  • Significant Sets of Twos in the Bible
  • Six Million Reasons … To Trust the Bible
  • Soon Comes the Antichrist … Straight From the Abyss (Part I)
  • Soon Comes the Antichrist … Straight From the Abyss (Part II)
  • Spiritual Bodies … A Contradiction of Terms? (Part I)
  • Spiritual Bodies … A Contradiction of Terms? (Part II)
  • Stand Still & Watch God Fight for Israel!
  • Stunning Catastrophes of the Tribulation / Their Timing & Purpose
  • Sudden Appearance of Antichrist … Why So Different?
  • Sukkot … The Forever Festival!
  • Tell a Big Lie Long Enough….
  • Terror, Terror, Terror (Part II)
  • Terror, Terror, Terror! (Part I)
  • The “Right of Return” … For Palestinians or Jews?
  • The Ark of the Covenant … Part I
  • The Ark of the Covenant … Part II
  • The Balfour Declaration … Beginning of the Omega Generation (Part I)
  • The Balfour Declaration … Beginning of the Omega Generation (Part II)
  • The Beast and His Name
  • The Birth of a Nation
  • The Child of Promise (Part I)
  • The Child of Promise (Part II)
  • The Cross and the Torn Curtain (Part I)
  • The Cross and the Torn Curtain (Part II)
  • The End of the Age … how close are we?
  • The False Prophet (Part I)
  • The False Prophet (Part II)
  • The Final Treaty of Rome … Part I
  • The Final Treaty of Rome … Part II
  • The Gog/Magog Countdown Has Begun!
  • The Heart & Soul of Israel
  • The Incomparable Power and Authority of Jesus Christ
  • The Jewish Dichotomy In & Outside Israel
  • The Legacy of Temple Mount
  • The Legendary Return of Nero
  • The Liberation of Jerusalem
  • The Magnificent Millennial Reign of Believers with Messiah
  • The Most Panoramic Prophecy in the Bible (Part I)
  • The Most Panoramic Prophecy in the Bible (Part II)
  • The Myth of Al Aqsa Mosque
  • The Number of the Beast
  • The Omega Generation
  • The Peace Treaty That Will Guarantee War
  • The Phenomenal Thousand Years/One Day Parallel
  • The Prophetic Endgame of Gog/Magog
  • The Rapture / Before or After The Great Tribulation?
  • The Real Reason for Palestinian Terrorism
  • The Reign of Terror
  • The Remarkable Rebirth of a Nation
  • The Rest of the Story … Bibi’s Speech to the United Nations
  • The Right to Life?
  • The Russians Are Coming!
  • The Seal of Approval
  • The Second Exodus
  • The Seven Year Treaty
  • The Shout Heard Around the World
  • The Terrible Trio of Gog and Magog
  • The Three Greatest Trials of All Time
  • The Tremendous Transfiguration of Believers!
  • The Two Witnesses (Part I)
  • The Two Witnesses (Part II)
  • The Two Witnesses (Part III)
  • The Vatican and Islam … A Perfect Match for Antichrist
  • The Virgin Birth of Messiah … How and Why?
  • The Whole Truth
  • The Woman and the Beast
  • The Woman and the Beast (Part II)
  • The Woman and the Beast (Part III)
  • The Woman and the Beast (Part IV)
  • The Woman and the Beast (Part V)
  • The Woman and the Beast (Part VI)
  • The Wonder Of It All … Birth of the Child!
  • The World Wants a Messiah … But It Needs (The) Messiah
  • There’s No Place Like Homs
  • There’s Resurrection; And There’s Resurrection!
  • Three … A Divine Number of God!
  • Times of & Fullness of the Gentiles … What Do They Mean?
  • To Be or Not To Be … in Heaven?
  • To Be Or Not To Be … In Heaven? (A Revisit)
  • Trump, Cyrus, and the Jewish Temple
  • Two-State Solution & The Seven-Year Treaty … Impossible?
  • Two Thirds of the Jews Killed … Past or Future?
  • U.S. President Agrees with God … Jerusalem Is Israel’s Capital!
  • Under the Radar
  • UNESCO / “Theatre of the Absurd” Against Israel
  • United Nations Downsizing of Israel (Resolution 2334)
  • Value of Prophecy
  • West Bank or Judea/Samaria? What’s In A Name?
  • What Is A Saint?
  • What is Palestine & Who Is A Palestinian?
  • What is the Rapture?
  • What Is The Unpardonable Sin?
  • When the Rapture?
  • Where is Messiah … Is He Already Here?
  • Where Is The Temple? Part I
  • Where Is The Temple? Part II
  • Where is the Temple? Part III
  • Who is Messiah?
  • Who Is the Antichrist & How Will He Appear (Part I)
  • Who Is The Antichrist & How Will He Appear? (Part II)
  • Who the Rapture?
  • Whom Do You Most Want To See In Heaven?
  • Why the Rapture?
  • Why the Rapture? (A Revisit)
  • Why The World Idolizes Antichrist & How It Reacts To The Tribulation
  • Wiles of the Woman
  • Will All Children Be Taken in The Rapture?
  • Will Believers Go Through the Great Tribulation? (Part I)
  • Will Believers Go Through The Great Tribulation? (Part II)
  • Will There Still Be Unbelievers Throughout Eternity?
  • Yom Kippur / With Or Without Atonement?
  • Zechariah’s Dramatic Description of Antichrist’s Fatal Wounds

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