The Arab Spring: The Perspective of Biblical Prophecy

2011 saw countries which have been ruled for so many years by the same rulers suddenly thrown into the heat of revolution. Ben Ali in Tunisia, Mubarak in Egypt, Gaddafi in Libya- were all overthrown by a disgruntled, poverty stricken majority who want a better life. And there’s ample evidence that the rest of the Arab world is likewise unhappy. The Old Testament prophecies a latter day invasion of Israel by her Arab neighbours; this will bring Israel to her knees, making her cry out to God in repentance for the crucifixion of Jesus, and He will then return to save them from their enemies. The prophecies of Daniel 11:43 and Ezekiel 38:5 clearly mention Libya as being one of those latter day invaders. Ez. 30:5 talks of Libya being condemned when all the nations are judged, in "the time of the Gentiles" (Ez. 30:3; the "time of the Gentiles" will ultimately come at Christ's return, Lk. 21:24). Libya will be judged "along with all the mingled people"- and the Hebrew word translated "mingled" is arab! They will be judged because of their "league" they have made against Israel- which sounds just like some kind of political union of Arab nations sworn to Israel's destruction. The Babylonian invasion and destruction of the first temple involved not only Babylon, but it was a confederacy of nations- including Libya (Jer. 46:9). This was a prototype of the final, latter day invasion of Israel- by the same group of nations. The Assyrian invasion of Israel was another such prototype of the latter day invasion; and again, Libya was a major supporter of it (Nahum 3:9).

The significance of the uprisings in Israel's Arab neighbours in 2011 is that moderate Moslem regimes have been overthrown. Leaders like Mubarak and Gaddafi may have been abusive, but they were left-leaning Socialists and not radical Islamists. The West sometimes behaves really foolishly. The simplistic cowboy and Indian, black and white, we're right and you're wrong, 'my enemy's enemy is my friend' dichotomy is simply mismatched to reality. They wanted Gaddafi out, demanded a regime change, and smashed and bashed their way to that end. Gaddafi's enemies were assumed to be their friends, just as in the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s, the West backed the very groups who later became the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. The USSR was the West's enemy, and so the Afghan enemies of the USSR were seen as the West's friends. It was conveniently overlooked that those warlords the West were supporting were radical, extremist Moslems who also had as their aim the destruction of the Judaic-Christian culture upon which the West was [supposedly] founded- at least according to the Western capitalist myth. As the Soviet leader Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev several times commented in dialogue with Western leaders, the real enemy was not each other, not Capitalism nor Communism- but radical Islam; and the years proved him right. And the same is set to happen in Libya, Egypt, Syria and other Aran states which feature in Bible prophecies of the last days. Old, long established regimes have been brought down, but a power vacuum has been created. Already in Libya, the rebels who have taken power have shown themselves to be hopelessly divided. The promise of any revolution is "A better time's coming". But the poor masses of Arab north Africa are unlikely to find that prosperity and those good times for which they fought. The bankrupt West cannot just make them rich overnight. And so those impoverished, disillusioned masses will turn to radical Islam, with its hatred of Israel at the very heart of its credo. And there in the centre of their Middle Eastern, Arab world is the state of Israel, prosperous and thriving. Looking at it from this macro level, bird's eye view, I would say that the revolutions of the "Arab Spring" of 2011 will lead to Islamic extremists taking power in the Arab world, using their oil and geographically strategic positions as a stranglehold against any Western opposition to their policies concerning Israel; and ultimately an invasion of Israel by those very nations. As someone who has travelled and interacted extensively in the Arab world, including Libya, as someone living in the ex-USSR for 25 years and who was originally from the West, that is my honest opinion. But as a Bible student, the possibilities are exciting indeed. The stage is being set for the final invasion of Israel, by the very players required by the prophecies such as Libya, who for centuries lay dormant and insignificant in geopolitical terms. Whether or not the stage is being set, He who shall come, will come; and we are to prepare against that day, living as if His return is imminent, however we understand the prophecies.

Zion Forsaken
Zion at her last end shall be forsaken of all her lovers (Jer. 30:14); Israel must stand alone. Bible prophecy speaks of a massive invasion of the land which will bring the Jews to their knees, and the minority who survive will repent of their rejection of the Lord Jesus as Messiah. He will then come and save them through His visible, literal second coming to earth (Zech. 12-14). For this situation to arise, Israel’s neighbours won’t be passive- they will be aggressive to her. The situation in the Arab world seems set to follow the classic pattern of popular unrest and revolutions- the jubilation at toppling the old regime soon gives way to disillusion when the imagined good life doesn’t materialize. And into the vacuum comes extremism, often coming to its ultimate term in a war of aggression to steal or grab the ‘good life’ from those who are perceived to unfairly have it. And so it wouldn’t take any great gift of prophecy nor serendipity to predict that the Arab world is set to go through the same. The extremism which will fill the void left by the crumbling regimes is going to be Islamic extremism. If they use their oil stranglehold, the West will be speeded up in its path towards decay and at best irrelevance. A bankrupt America and an EU held to ransom by Arab oil and Russian gas will be unable and unwilling to stand up for Israel. There will be no longer be any buffer between Islamic extremism and the state of Israel. 

“To take a spoil”
The motive for the final invasion of Israel is made explicit in Ez. 38:12,13: “To take a spoil, to take plunder”. The way Babylon [modern day Iraq-Jordan-Syria] invaded Judah was a prototype of the final Arab invasion of Israel in the last days (1). And that invasion had this same feature- of taking a spoil (Jer. 20:5). The poverty stricken masses of the Arab world have been failed by the socialist revolutions of the previous generation. Socialism and Communism didn’t come up with the goods; the fine rhetoric and great ideas had no cash value for the majority, and only enriched an elite minority, just as Colonialism had done previously. But there amidst all those poverty stricken masses- there will lie Israel, undefended by the West, and with spoil worth taking. The economic growth and prosperity of Israel is therefore something we as Bible students could also be expecting in the last days. It just is obvious that she will be invaded by those impoverished militant Islamic masses. And this would exactly fulfil Bible prophecy. When the Egyptians charged into the Red Sea against the Israelites, their cry was: “I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them” (Ex. 15:9). But the Egyptians at that time are the prototype, the basis, for prophecies of Israel’s latter day invasion (2). Likewise the way in which Israel’s Arab neighbours invaded her previously is understood by later Bible prophets as precursors of the final invasion of Israel by her neighbours immediately prior to Christ’s second coming (3). And those invasions were likewise to “take a spoil” (Jud. 5:30). Time and again, we are given to understand that ‘taking a spoil’ is the motive of Israel’s invaders. I suggest that this Arab desire to take a spoil of Israel is more than primitive jealousy, wanting what another has got. The rhetoric of the PLO and other Palestinian organizations has repeatedly been a desire to, as they see it, ‘take back’ from Israel what they consider is rightfully theirs (4). This has its historical and psychological root in the situation between Jacob and Esau, the forefathers of the peoples who are now commonly known as Jews and Arabs respectively. The Arabs have a desire to take that which is Jacob’s because they consider it to be rightfully theirs, and thus this sense is far more passionate than mere greed or jealousy, the kind of mindset a person has as they cast their covetous eye over their neighbour’s wealth. What we’re seeing in the current changes in the Arab world is the growing power of the impoverished majority- and make no mistake, they want a better life. And if they can’t get it by reforming their own economies, then they shall go on to take it by force from their Jewish neighbours. And it will be so much ‘easier’ for them to do this, when their religion and extremist Islamic leadership [which will have come to power on the ruins of the old regimes] urge them to do this. Zech. 14:1 specifically says that Israel’s latter day invaders will capture Jerusalem and sit down there to “divide the spoil”. And then, “Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east” (Zech. 14:3,4). The Lord Jesus ascended to Heaven from the mount of Olives, and at that time it was promised that He would return in the same manner (Acts 1:11). What we’re seeing in the Arab world at the moment is creating the desire for Israel’s Arab neighbours to attack her in order to “take the spoil”. 

The Identity Of The Invaders
But looking in more detail at the prophecy of Ezekiel 38, we find the invading powers as including “Persia, Ethiopia and Libya”. They are joined by “Sheba, Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish”. These people say: “Are you come to take a spoil… a prey?” (Ez. 38:13). Harry Whittaker pointed out many years ago that the Hebrew here could imply ‘If you’re coming to take a spoil and prey- we shall join you!’: “Instead of the words: “Art thou come to take a spoil ...?” being read as a challenge and a rebuff to the northern invader, they can be taken to mean: “You are going to invade Israel and profit from its prosperity? then we will join you in this and share in the plunder.” Such an interpretation is not impossible, and would certainly accord well with the historic character of the Arab races in their dealings with Israel” (5). Sheba, Dedan and the merchant powers who traded with Tarshish or Tyre are the Gulf States- the very areas where right now there is an impoverished majority who are turning to aggressive, radical Islam and seeking to “take a spoil” from Israel.

These people will be in league with “Ethiopia and Libya” (Ez. 38:12) in the final invasion of Israel around the time of Christ’s return. “Ethiopia and Libya” in Ezekiel’s time may refer to the whole of North Africa as we know it today. “Ethiopia” may refer to areas south of Egypt- not just Ethiopia as we know it, but perhaps also northern Sudan, Somalia and Eritrea. Watch for changes there too. These various Islamic neighbours of Israel will be united in their invasion and ‘taking a spoil’ from Israel. Pan-Arabism will in the end come to its full term (however shortlived), in the final invasion of Israel. The Hebrew word translated “Libya” is also translated “Phut” or “Put”, which was another name for Libya in Bible times. “Mizraim” likewise is the Biblical name for Egypt. Significantly, Phut, Mizraim and Canaan were brothers (Gen. 10:6). There is therefore a strong and valid idea of Arab brotherhood between the Palestinian Arabs [i.e. the Arabs living in Canaan or the land of Israel] and the Arabs of Libya, Egypt and the other countries in the surrounding Arab world. The Babylonian invasion of Judah was a type of the invasion of Israel by latter day ‘Babylon’, which will bring on the return of Christ. But this invasion [as at the time of the Assyrian invasion of Israel] was really by a confederacy of nations- including the Ethiopians, Lydians, Egyptians and Libyans (Jer. 46:8,9 cp. Nahum 3:9). And history will repeat itself- in that these nations along with Babylon will invade Israel in the last days. But where history shall stop, the red line of human time come to a terminus, will be in the simple fact that this time, the Lord Jesus shall return to earth to establish God’s Kingdom here. 

Notes
(1) I’ve made the case for this in The Last Days chapter 9 and Digression 2- online at http://www.aletheiacollege.net/ld/9.htm 
(2) See The Last Days chapter 5- online at http://www.aletheiacollege.net/ld/5.htm
(3) See The Last Days chapter 5- online at http://www.aletheiacollege.net/ld/6.htm
(4) An example would be Niqula Al-Dor (one time member of the P.L.O. Executive), Thus Lost and Thus to be Returned (Beirut, Lebanon: Al-Hawadith Press).
(5) H.A. Whittaker, The Time of the End (Cannock, UK: Biblia) ch. 19.

Youtube Video Response to Milestones to the Kingdom Video

666 'ISIS' and the Papacy the Beast of Revelation 13? The reason for making this video is that we have two conflicting teachings on our prophecy talks about whom the Antichrist or the beast system is. One understanding is teaching that the papacy is the beast or Antichrist yet on the other prophecy talks, the speaker is declaring that the Islamic State is the beast.

youtube video response to these videos

(Milestones) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1y9DKyif1Q
(Revelation 13 The number of the Beast 666 Islamic State) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHYzZmxFbX8
(The Antichrist revealed 666 The Papacy ) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRPnz3B7yGw


However, this is not a conflict, as I believe both teachings are correct because the Mark of the Beast has many different forms like making the sign of the cross, the doctrine of the trinity, the names and titles of the Pope and the Islamic State

Therefore, there are two great antichristian religious systems of deceit revealed in the book of Revelation. The 'great western Antichrist' of Roman Catholicism (Rev 17; 18) and the 'great eastern Antichrist' of Islam (Rev 9)

Indeed, both 'Islam' and 'the Papacy' are 'the two horns of the beast Rev 13:11

Thus, they correspond to the two legs of the image of Daniel 2 Islam and the Papacy.

Another way of looking at it is that the first beast of Revelation chapter 13 is the Papacy and the second BEAST, COMING OUT OF THE EARTH: is "The religion of Islam, which will certainly be fully re-establish in Jerusalem when the Islamic State overrun Israel. This is the religion of the False Prophet. And there is a description of this Beast coming up out of the earth that is the Land of Israel or Palestine for Islam has had roots in Palestine for long centuries. The oppression of Jews both religiously and economically by this False Prophet goes without saying...

the Beast represents the revival of an Islamic State to a position of dominance in Arab anti-Jewish politics.

Since the Papacy (Roman Catholicism) and the powers of Islam are both blaspheming and stirring up trouble for Israel today, it surely does seem that we are still in the "two legs" interpretative section of the image of Nebuchadnezzar's dream of future empires, and very, very close to the image's feet becoming shattered by Christ's return.

Welcome to the Bible Prophecy Channel  which we hope you will find an informative and stimulating source of information relating to Eschatology and Biblical Christianity

New Book Islamic State ISIS in Bible Prophecy

http://www.lulu.com/shop/duncan-heaster/the-islamic-state-in-bible-prophecy/paperback/product-21778153.html

Product Details

ISBN

9781291997941

Copyright

Duncan Heaster (Standard Copyright Licence)

Published

27 August 2014

Language

English

Pages

121

Binding

Perfect-bound Paperback

Interior Ink

Black & white

Weight

0.23 kg

Dimensions (centimetres)

14.81 wide x 20.98 tall

" COUNTDOWN " TO CHRIST'S RETURN . . . ISIS TERRORISTS MASSING NEAR EUPHRATES (HADITHA) DAM

" COUNTDOWN " TO CHRIST'S RETURN . . . ISIS TERRORISTS MASSING NEAR EUPHRATES (HADITHA) DAM

BIBLE PROPHECY is being fulfilled before our eyes !!! The ISIS insurgency continues to ravage Iraq. Now reports ISIS forces are moving in on the huge Haditha Dam , situated on the mighty Euphrates River. Aside from the capital Baghdad , Haditha Dam is the 2nd most important strategic site in Iraq. If ISIS were to take Haditha Dam it could cripple Iraq's agricultural region & literally sever the nation's food & water supply. The ' drying up of the Euphrates River ' is a major prophetic sign-post , heralding the Lord's Return.

In the Bible's final book - Revelation - 5 short verses provide a chronologcal timeline of unfolding events at the time of Christ's return the first being 1. the ' drying up of the Euphrates River '. This pivotal event is followed by 2. a period of corrupt ideological ' spirits ' being promolgated by the 3 most influential global identities , unmistakably symbolised in scripture as Russia , the Euro Union & theCatholic Papacy ( each coming to the forefront of global affairs in recent days ... Co-incidence ?? ) During this period of ideological spirits , 3.the Lord Jesus Christ will return ' as a thief ' ( unknown to the world ) to collect His followers for judgment. Finally , 4. ' all nations ' are then gathered together in the Mid-East in preparation for judgment by Christ & His Glorified Saints . . . Read the verses. Judge for yourself

Revelation 16v12-16 - And the sixth angel poured out his vial 1. upon the great river Euphrates & the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east ( Middle East ) might be prepared. 2. And I saw three ' unclean spirits like frogs ' come out of the mouth of the dragon ( Russia ) & out of the mouth of the beast ( EuroUnion ) & out of the mouth of the false prophet ( Papal Rome ). For they are the ' spirits of devils ' working miracles , which go forth unto the kings of the earth & of the whole world , to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. 3. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth & keepeth his garments , lest he walk naked & they see his shame. 4. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue ' Armageddon '

THE RISE OF ISIS . . . IS AN ' ISLAMIC CALIPHATE ' COMING ???

THE RISE OF ISIS . . . IS AN ' ISLAMIC CALIPHATE ' COMING ???

As the fear-some terrorist group ISIS , swallows up vast regions of Syria & Iraq & threatens Jordan , Saudi Arabia & even Israel - many believe this may be the emergence of the first-ever ' Terrorist Nation State ' that will lead to an Islamic Caliphate , the supreme objective of radical Islam. As the world watches the unthinkable brutality & chaos unfolding across the Middle East , the prospect of a new global empire led by Islamic ' extremists ' would be a frightening outcome. However , God's Word the Bible provides both hope& absolute certainty , such an empire will ' never ' come to pass. On the contrary , the Bible ( with more than 1,000 quotes ) speaks extensively of God's coming ' Kingdom on Earth ' . . . which under the just & all-powerful rulership of the Lord Jesus Christ will conquer & replace all the corrupt kingdoms ' of men ' & usher in an enduring age of ' peace , happiness & godliness ' for all mankind.

Micah 4v1-3 - But IN THE LAST DAYS it shall come to pass , that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains & it shall be exalted above the hills & people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come & say , Come & let us go up to the mountain of the LORD & to the house of the God of Jacob ( Israel ) & he will teach us of his ways & we will walk in his paths : for the law shall go forth of Zion & the word of the LORD from Jerusalem . . . & he shall judge among many people & rebuke strong nations afar off & they shall beat their swords into plowshares & their spears into pruninghooks : nation shall not lift up a sword against nation , neither shall they learn war any more.

Bible Prophecy The Latest Crisis in the Middle East civil war is spilling over into Iraq from Syria

The civil war is spilling over into Iraq from Syria on a major level, the peace talks in Israel have come to end as Abbas joined up with Hamas and now the kidnapping of three Israeli teenagers in the hills near Hebron makes the Middle East about as hot as ever. Certainly peace in the Middle East is something that seems like mission impossible for world leaders I’m sure.

This you can be sure of, the events of this week are a huge blow to the United States of America, a country that has lost many lives and billions of dollars trying fix Iraq. To explain the depth of the crisis an editorial of USA Today put it this way: “The lightning-fast march of a violent al-Qaeda splinter group through the heart of Iraq is not just one new slice of bad news from the Middle East. It is a defining moment that exposes more than a decade of failed U.S. policy and leaves the Obama administration with deeply disquieting choices.” The editorial continued to say “The administration cannot simply stand aside while the jihadists attain their goal of establishing radical Islamist rule. The threat posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is too direct to ignore. Its tactics are so extreme that al-Qaeda disowned it, and its leaders are openly hostile to America. Letting such a group gain a permanent foothold would destabilize the region and repeat the history that led to 9/11. But neither can the U.S. easily crush ISIS by plunging back into a re-invigorated Iraqi civil war.” This is such a serious blow to the US and really the entire western world that sent troops, but their options are terrible all around. Further to this as America has pulled out of Iraq, Iran has filled the power vacuum to some extent. Now Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards are guarding the president of Iraq and helping to secure Baghdad. Many are now talking about the map being redrawn but it is still early days, will we see the crisis in the Middle East change the geopolitical landscape there? Well on Bible in the News and long before that in the Bible Magazine much has been written about this, change must come according to Bible prophecy, the question is when and how, that is what we watch for! Back at the time of the first Gulf War, Paul Billington wrote in the second edition of the Guardians of Israel and Arabia the following: “The fact that war has now taken over from diplomatic activity may suggest two things. Firstly, that a major geopolitical upheaval in the area is now a distinct possibility ¬– perhaps laying the basis for the north-south situation we have described. Secondly, that a speeding up of events will bring about the requirements of Ezekiel’s prophecy (chapter 38) quite soon.” That statement was written almost 25 years ago and we still watch for the same requirements of Ezekiel’s prophecy. Over the last while we have seen the dramatic events in Ukraine bring us closer to what we expect in the North. In the Middle East we still watch for the temporary peaceful situation described in the same prophecy that is present when the Northern Confederacy comes down. Israel is described as “dwelling safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates…” In case there is any confusion it is certainly not the picture there today, ask the mothers who did not have their teens come home this week. Our heart goes out to them. Will the current crisis bring about this temporary peace? Time will tell but something has to and the status quo does not seem to be going anywhere let’s be honest. The other factor that is still playing out is the role of the United States in the new crisis. This we know, when the Northern confederacy comes down there is “Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof” on the other side. Much has been written in the Bible Magazine on this subject but simply put Sheba and Dedan would be represented by the Gulf nations that are in that territory today, and Tarshish is Phonecia which is today Britain, the mother lion leading the merchants or other trading nations. From this understanding of who Tarshish is, the writer John Thomas correctly foretold of Britain’s role in helping the Jews back to their land. In time Britain turned its back on the Jews and the “young lion” of America picked up the mantle of protector of the Jews. Now as America is lessening its support of Israel we have seen Canada show unprecedented support of the Jewish nation and even Australia this week has raised the ire of the Palestinians by refusing to call east Jerusalem “occupied territories” thereby causing the BBC to ask in a headline – “Israel and Australia: New best mates?” The truth is that Britain and its colonies - including the United States - have a role to play in protecting the Jewish people and are the southern power in Ezekiel 38. (On a side note the United States fits into the young lions, the group of trading nations as she was herself once part of the colonies of Britain, not only that but she has acted as a young lion in protecting and helping the Jews return. If you are uncertain about the United States coming out of Britain you have to go no further than the Declaration of Independence, the document declaring the United States’ independence FROM Britain. The following is from that document: “That these United Colonies are, and Right ought to be, FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES; that they are absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown…” Prior to this declaration the colonies were under the British Crown and although they broke away they took with them much of the culture, not the least of which was the English Bible, the book that the nations laws and government would be built upon. No doubt it was the influence of the Bible that caused many an American to be sympathetic to the Jewish cause.) Being part of the southern power of Ezekiel 38 means that a full withdrawal from the Middle East is not on the cards for America (That said it would not be surprising if Britain went back to the leading roll as she is the mother lion). It is interesting on this point that America was looking to wash her hands of Iraq and is now quite likely being pulled back at least on some level. At the time of the end Britain and her English speaking allies are in the southern Middle East, although in a weakened state are they are unable it seems from the prophecy to stop Russia invading Israel prior to Messiah standing up for his people. It is an amazing way that God has enlightened his people through the scriptures. A number of pictures are given of the end days but what road the nations will take to get into place we are always a little unsure. There is a reason for this, God wants to keep his people in a state of readiness, much like in the day of the first Passover. The Israelites were to eat the meal in a state of readiness, with shoes and coat on ready for the call to leave Egypt. God knows that if we knew Christ was coming back in 2016 that in the year 2000 we would think well, we still have another 16 years. This way we can see that things are moving toward Christ’s return but can’t be sure of the exact day. We are in the era of the redemption, of this we can be sure. Change seems to be something we will be seeing in the Middle East but the real change we need can only be brought by the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, Messiah son of David. May we be ready in that day. This has been John Billington with you this week, please join us again next week for another edition of the Bible in the News, God willing. 

PALESTINIAN UNITY GOVT -- THE DARK SPECTRE OF ' AN ENEMY ' UNITED

PALESTINIAN UNITY GOVT -- THE DARK SPECTRE OF ' AN ENEMY ' UNITED !!

TROUBLE IS COMING FOR ISRAEL !! The abortive US-led ' Peace Talks ' are now dead . . . to the north , SYRIA's Bashar al- Assad & hisHezbollah allies have all but defeated the Syrian rebels . . . meanwhile IRAN continues to defy international efforts & push on with its nuclear weapons program . . . & now , Israel's most inveterate enemies - THE PALESTINIANS - have unified their ' warring ' factions to form a ' Unity Government '. After years of bitter division & bloodshed , Mahmoud Abbas & his ' Fatah ' faction have spurned theIsraeli-Palestinian Peace Talks , joining forces with Gaza-based rivals ' Hamas ' an internationally-recognised ' terrorist organisation ' whose sworn policy ( openly stated in their charter ) is the ' the destruction of the state of Israel ' . . . a policy Hamas refuses to renounce.

The Palestinian quest for ' statehood ' & East Jerusalem as its capital has always been a deception , a false pretense for the greater goal of extinguishing the Jewish State. Despite his assurances to the international community , by now walking away from any prospect of peace with Israel ( to join with Hamas ) Abbas has made a thinly-veiled statement of ' future intentions '. Having then abandoned 'peace ', Abbas is preparing to use violence & bloodshed to achieve the Palestinian goals. With Israel now surrounded by hostile forces & largely abandoned by its closest ally the USA ( which has assured ' aid & support ' for the new Palestinian Unity Govt ) we're now seeing the fulfilment of Psalm 83. But the Palestinians will soon be utterly destroyed - as foretold in Zephaniah's prophecy


Zep 2v3-5 - Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth , which have wrought his judgment ; seek righteousness , seek meekness : it may be ye shall be hid in THE DAY OF THE LORD'S anger. For Gaza ( Palestinians ) shall be forsaken & Ashkelon ( Palestinians ) a desolation : they shall drive out Ashdod ( Palestinians ) at the noon day & Ekron ( Palestinians ) shall be rooted up ( ALL ancient Philistine cities ) Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast , the nation of the Cherethites ! the word of the L

Edom the Arab Nations in Latter Day Bible Prophecy Psalms 83

Judgment on Israel's Latter Day Invaders Psalms 83

Even if we cannot be certain which of Edom's many atrocities upon Israel provoked the tongue, and pen, of Obadiah -- it seems certain that we are intended to read Obadiah's prophecy as a Last Days prophecy as well: Obad 1:15,17,21.

Such language can only be absolutely fulfilled with the return of Christ and the establishment of God's Kingdom. Seen as a Last Days preview, Obadiah's words corroborate certain details of the general picture:

(a) This Edomite enemy will be a member of an alliance: Obad 1:11. Edom is a member of the 10-nation Arab alliance described in Psa 83.

(b) The controversy of the Last Days will concern God's holy mountain, mount Zion. There the enemies of Israel, including Edom, will rejoice over her: "Just as you drank on my holy hill...." (Obad 1:16).

And there also will God bring retribution upon these blasphemous enemies: Obad 1:15-17. This observation lends credibility to the idea that the last great conflict in and around Jerusalem -- a conflict which will bring on the literal Return of Christ -- will be a religious conflict, between two peoples desperately struggling to lay claim to the same "holy places".

(c) At this point the prophecy dramatically changes tone. The people of Israel are saved from their adversity and are spiritually regenerated. They receive back the Land promised to their fathers, to its fullest extent, and the rescued and redeemed state of Israel becomes the nucleus of the Kingdom of God: "But on Mount Zion will be deliverance; it will be holy... The house of Jacob will be a fire and the house of Joseph a flame; the house of Esau will be stubble, and they will set it on fire and consume it. There will be no survivors from the house of Esau... Deliverers will go up on Mount Zion to govern the mountains of Esau. And the kingdom will be the LORD's" (Obad 1:17,18,21).

Amazing Prophecies Fulfilled in 2013

Let's look back at 2013 and see what ties up with bible prophecies. Amazingly there is a 10 chapter section in the bible that explains in detail the following world nightmares.... Iran, Syria, Egypt, Iraq and more. But there is much, much worse to come.....

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Israel making plans for high-intensity, 3-week war with Hizbullah

:Israel making plans for high-intensity, 3-week war with Hizbullah 

GeoStrategy direct w/e 27-Nov-13 

Israel has been planning for a high-intensity three-week war with Hizbullah, a report said. 

The Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs said Israel has been bolstering its air and ground campaign for an expected war with the Iranian-sponsored Hizbullah. In a report, the institute said Israel would seek to stop Hizbullah missile barrages, which could reach 2,000 per day. 

"Israelis believe that the only solution to neutralizing Hizbullah is through a rapid, highly coordinated ground and air campaign lasting no more than three weeks and relying on actionable intelligence, precise targeting, fast and accurate data transmission, overwhelming firepower, and rapid maneuver," the report, "The 2013 JINSA Generals and Admirals Trip to Israel and Jordan," said. 

The report, based on a tour in October 2013, said Israel expected to sustain more casualties on the home front than on the battlefield. For its part, Israel, bogged down in the 2006 war, has been challenged by the prospect of heavy Hizbullah resistance to any infantry advance. 

"Logistical challenges are most acute," the report said. 

Hizbullah has also coopted the Lebanese Army and blocked operations by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, the report said. The Iranian proxy has also stored much of its weapons in villages and cities around Lebanon in an effort to foil Israeli air strikes. 

The report said Hizbullah has acquired long-range missiles, dispersed throughout Lebanon and Syria. The Israeli assessment of Hizbullah's missile and rocket arsenal was between 50,000 and 60,000, including Grad, Fajr, M-600, Scud D and the P-800 Yakhont cruise missile. 

"Advances in Israel's air-to-ground support capabilities will be necessary to avoid a repeat of the 2006 Lebanon War, when it was expected that Israeli airpower would overwhelm Hizbullah's fighting ability and IDF ground troops would rapidly advance northward, pushing Hizbullah's short-range rocket launchers out of range of Israel," the report said.

An Israeli Alliance with Saudi Arabia

Over the past couple of weeks the rifts in the Arab world have become very clear. Traditionally the Arab states have remained united against Israel, but the threat of a nuclear Iran has divided the Arabs, with some finding themselves on the same side as Israel. This division follows Biblical prophetical lines.

Welcome to Bible in the News. Over the past couple of weeks the rifts in the Arab world have become very clear. We’ve been watching divisions grown in Egypt where protests continue, and in Syria where civil war is raging. What is of particular note is the reaction of the Arab states like Saudi Arabia to America’s vacillating role in Syria, but of more concern, weak response to the prospect of a Nuclear Iran.

Traditionally the Arab states have remained united against Israel, but the threat of a nuclear Iran has divided the Arabs, with some finding themselves on the same side as Israel. This division follows Biblical prophetical lines.

A Division Amongst the Arab States

Reports have surfaced over the last couple of weeks that show alliances are being formed behind the scenes in an effort to protect unlikely allies from a common foe, nuclear Iran. The division is largely along religious lines, as was reported this week by CNN’s Barak Seener:

A Sunni-Shiite war is brewing across the region with the U.S.'s policies ironically emboldening Islamism by supporting the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and its hands-off approach that emboldened jihadists in Syria. At the same time the U.S. is relinquishing its role in the Middle East to Russia much to the consternation of Saudi Arabia and Israel. At a time of austerity leading to the slashing of military budgets and a less than comprehensive foreign policy it is surreal that the Obama administration would seek to focus on imposing a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The U.S. was reluctant to commit troops to Libya or Syria where mass slaughter has been committed, and yet is willing to commit troops to the Jordan valley.

Israel and America are being driven apart under the Presidency of Barak Obama and his Secretary of State John Kerry. Seener went on to write:

Amid austerity, the U.S. has abandoned the promotion of democracy, prevention of humanitarian catastrophe and resisted becoming involved in "someone else's civil war." Thus President Obama is incompetent by being unable to prioritize security threats and strategic interests. A senior Israeli defence official told me that the alternative is that President Obama genuinely thinks that the Palestinians and Israel are the problem -- the source of all the region's ills. He revealed his country's national consciousness saying gravely, "Jews have heard that accusation before but today is different, the state of Israel exists and we refuse to be vulnerable."

Israel will not allow a Nuclear Iran

Addressing the United Nations in October Netanyahu clearly stated:

We all want to give diplomacy with Iran a chance to succeed, but when it comes to Iran, the greater the pressure, the greater the chance. Three decades ago, President Ronald Reagan famously advised, "trust but verify." When it comes to Iran's nuclear weapons program, here's my advice: Distrust, dismantle and verify.

Ladies and gentlemen, Israel will never acquiesce to nuclear arms in the hands of a rogue regime that repeatedly promises to wipe us off the map. Against such a threat, Israel will have no choice but to defend itself.

I want there to be no confusion on this point. Israel will not allow Iran to get nuclear weapons. If Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone. Yet, in standing alone, Israel will know that we will be defending many, many others.

The dangers of a nuclear-armed Iran and the emergence of other threats in our region have led many of our Arab neighbors to recognize, finally recognize, that Israel is not their enemy. And this affords us the opportunity to overcome the historic animosities and build new relationships, new friendships, new hopes.

Israel welcomes engagement with the wider Arab world. We hope that our common interests and common challenges will help us forge a more peaceful future.

Commenting on Netanyahu’s “threats”, CNN’s Barak Seener wrote:

It is foolhardy to write off Netanyahu's threats as mere bluster and one has to understand the Israeli psyche. An Iranian bomb would be the death knell for Zionism. Former Iranian President Rafsanjani in the past observed that targeting Israel by the, "application of an atomic bomb would not leave anything in Israel but the same thing would just produce damages in the Muslim world."

An Unusual Alliance, Israel & Arab States

In his speech to the UN, Netanyahu openly declared that Israel was finding itself on the same side as some of its Arab neighbors.  Evidence of this was verified this week with several news reports.  Russia Today reported the following on November 17:

Israel’s Mossad, along with Saudi officials, is working on contingency plans that could include an attack on Iran if its nuclear program is not curbed enough during the negotiations in Geneva this week, a new report has revealed.

Both powers have expressed concern that restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program will not be enough. According to The Sunday Times newspaper, Saudi Arabia already gave Israel the green light to use its airspace in the case of an attack on Iran.

It was also revealed that the Saudis were willing to assist an Israeli attack by cooperating with the use of drones, rescue helicopters, and tanker planes. “Once the Geneva agreement is signed, the military option will be back on the table. The Saudis are furious and are willing to give Israel all the help it needs,” an unnamed diplomatic source told the paper.

This was confirmed again by the Israeli Prime Minister, speaking on CBS’s program, Face the Nation, Netanyahu had the following to say:

Remember, this is a country that has 10,000’s of people on the streets chanting, “Death to America!” the other day. This is a country that is participating as we speak in the mass slaughter of men, women, and children, 10,000’s of them in Syria. This a country that has fomenting terror in five continents. This is a country that pledges to destroy the state of Israel, and subvert so many of the other countries. It’s not only my concern that this is a bad deal, there are many, many Arab leaders in the region who are saying this is a very bad deal for the region and for the world. And you know, when you have the Arabs and the Israelis speaking with one voice, it doesn’t happen very  often, and I think it is worth paying attention to us.

Biblical Division and Alliance

It is worth us paying attention too. The significance of this cannot be lost. For years Israel has been at variance with its neighbours, but in the time of the end described by Daniel the prophet a division is clear. Daniel informs us that some Islamic nations will be with the invading King of the North, while others not:

“He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.” (Daniel 11:41–43)

So while the Libyans and Ethiopians are with the King of the North, the nation of Jordan which occupies the historical geographical area of Edom, Moab and Ammon will not… neither will the Egyptians.

Ezekiel 38 paints a picture which also gives a clear dividing line. Allied with the Gogian confederacy we find:

“Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:” (Ezekiel 38:5)

Persia is the former name of Iran, it is allied with Gog along with Libya and Ethiopia. Standing in opposition, albeit a weak protest, we find:

“Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?” (Ezekiel 38:13)

Sheba and Dedan are the geographical area of Arabian peninsular combining many Arab states who are very concerned about Iran. Although they have vehemently denied any cooperation with Israel, the evidence in the news suggests otherwise, and more importantly their Biblical destiny is outlined, a destiny which they will be unable to avoid.

So we see alliances being formed in keeping with the prophecies of the scriptures right in front of our eyes. They are alliances, which are peculiar to us, but inevitable according to the scriptural course that has been indicated.

Israel’s safety from nuclear annihilation is certain, it cannot suffer nuclear obliteration. It is the land promised by God the Abraham and his descendants, the very people living in the land today, on the mountains of Israel. It is the land Christ will reign over, headquarted out of Jerusalem, the throne of his father David, where the law will go forth from Zion. May that day be soon.

Revelation 9 Islam in Bible Prophecy

The trumpet sounding of the fifth angel is followed by a star falling from heaven unto the earth with a key to open the bottomless pit. On the opening of the pit, the sun and air is darkened by the ascending smoke, out of which pour a cloud of locusts. They are commanded to avoid any green foliage, and attack only those men who have not the seal of God in their foreheads. This they do for some months, moving as cavalry under the direction of a king. The sounding of the sixth angel is followed by the releasing of four angels bound in the great never Euphrates. They lead a vast horde of cavalrymen to battle, as a result of which, the third of men are killed. The Eastern Empire is thus brought to an end, but even this tragedy does not cause the rest of mankind to cease from their sin and blasphemy against Almighty God

What the Armageddon of the Bible Is? (AremaGaiDon)

To bring about the good news of His Kingdom, God must prepare the world first. The world’s pride must be brought low. Only when the world is humbled, will they be willing to listen to God. The battle of Armageddon is referred to in Revelation 16v16. We are told that this symbolic name should be interpreted “in the Hebrew tongue”. Hebrew is the language of modern Israel. The word “Armageddon” is a combination of 3 Hebrew words:


Arema - A heap of sheaves

Gai - in a valley

Don - for judgement


Armageddon therefore means “a heap of sheaves in a valley for judgement”. Many prophecies in the Bible liken God’s judgement on the nations in the last days to gathering sheaves of wheat to be reaped and threshed. The Bible uses symbols of nature to teach us lessons. The agricultural symbol of a farmer reaping and threshing wheat is used in the Bible to show how God will deal with nations who rebel against Him:

“Thrust in thy sickle and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.…” (Revelation 14v16)

God “shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor. Arise and thresh…” (Micah 4v12-13)

“Let the nations be roused; let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat (ie. God’s judgement), for there I will sit to judge all the nations on every side. Swing thesickle, for the harvest is ripe…Multitudes, Multitudes in the valley of threshing. For the day of the Lord is near.” (Joel 3v12-14)

The nations are broken in pieces and “become like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors…” (Daniel 2v35)

“The mountains saw you and writhed. Torrents of water swept by; the deep roared and lifted its waves on high…. In wrath you strode through the earth and in anger you threshed the nations” (Habakkuk 3v10,12)

Armageddon is therefore an Old Testament subject. While not a lot of detail is given in Revelation 16 about the battle itself, we are in effect being told to go BACK TO THE OLD TESTAMENT to find out the full story. If we go back to these chapters we are able to see that Armageddon concerns Israel and Jerusalem, and that the nations will be judged at this time. We ask you to simply read these chapters for yourself. Many of them are self explanatory. For instance read Isaiah 34v1-10, Jeremiah 30v3-11 and Malachi 4.

2013 Egyptian Revolution Isaiah 19:1 The Burden of Egypt!

As the "Arab Spring" moves into a scorching summer, the temperature in the Middle East is climbing dangerously high. We have seen events in Syria lead to civil war and now Egypt is being torn apart by the struggle between the various factions who seek power and control of that country. As far as Egypt is concerned, it brings to mind the prophecy of Isaiah chapter 19, where God says (verse 2):

The Muslim Brotherhood gained power with a 52% majority after the fall of Hosni Mubarak, but that left a large dissatisfied section of the people who have now brought down the Muslim Brotherhood through a military revolution. The Muslim Brotherhood has been removed, at least for now.

But the struggle now going on in Egypt is subject to powerful influences from outside. Saudi Arabia (the Biblical Sheba) and the United Arab Emirates have come forward with $8 billion for Egypt - all in one day! Kuwait has put up $5 billion, making $13 billion in order to support Egypt's military takeover from the Muslim Brotherhood.

On the other hand Iran, Russia and Hizbollah influences are supporting Syria and would like to see Egypt join the radical Islamic nations. This division in the Arab world is exactly what Bible prophecy teaches us to expect, creating a north-south division such as we see indicated in Daniel 11:40-43. but this divide is as much religious as it is geographic - The tug-of-war in Egypt is largely between the two factions of Islam: the Shiite and the Sunni.

The United States would normally support a pro-western Egypt, but President  Obama has apparently moved from that position as he seeks to avoid an involvement in the Middle East that could, potentially, bring him into a confrontation with Russia and Europe. He is also said by some sources to have pro-Islamic sympathies, and many will remember his speech in Egypt after his election to his first term in office, not to mention his full name "Barack Hussein Obama." 

If he does not intervene in Syria or in Egypt it could influence the outcome of the struggle going on in both of those countries.

So it may be that while men delude themselves into thinking that the modern world is controlled through the ballot box, or by force of arms and revolution, the reality is that God controls everything—

and knowing this to be so the true believer is very interested in politics because he knows that God works out His purposes through the kingdoms of men, placing in power those individuals who will accomplish that which He pleases. This is no less so in the modern age of democracy than it was when kingdoms were founded by the sword—and by by war.

The word of God has revealed that at the time of the end, the Middle East will be divided into two blocks. We have already referred to Daniel 11 (King of North and King of South), and we can also see a similar Confederacy in Ezekiel chapter 38 with Gog's "company" 

(the Hebrew word suggests a religious assembly (similar to the Greek "ecclesia"). Another prophecy that gives the idea of a North/South divide is seen in Zechariah 6 (see verses 1-8).

That is the picture that we expect to emerge; a divided Arab world with each side allied to other major powers. So when we see "the Egyptians against the Egyptians" we know from Isaiah's prophecy that the outcome will be their eventual surrender to "a cruel lord" (Isaiah 19:4), for as Daniel also says (Daniel 11:42) "the land of Egypt shall not escape."

Isaiah also tells us of Egypt's economic woes (verses 5 to 10). Such is "the burden of Egypt" (the oracle concerning Egypt, RV) before the God of Israel heals them (verse 22).

"In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land: Whom Yahweh of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance."

Syria In Bible Prophecy

Syria in the end time last days prophecy

Lasting Peace Only At Christs Return

The Times and Seasons
That is why when Jesus explained what was to happen before his Return, he very carefully emphasised the need for watchfulness. Sitting with his disciples one day on the Mount of Olives, from where he would later ascend to heaven, he gave them some general indications of what was to happen prior to his "coming and the end of the world" (Matthew 24:3). This prophecy presents a fascinating challenge, for it combines a short-term prediction about the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple, with a long-term forecast of world events.

A list of the predicted events in the three Gospel accounts (Matthew 24, Mark 1 3 and Luke 24), which does not claim to be a structured sequence of prophetic events, shows the following:

1. The rise of false Christianity and false Christs
2. The persecution of true Christians.
3. Wars and rumors of wars, nation against nation.
4. Earthquakes, famines and pestilences.
5. Jerusalem surrounded by armies.
6. The Jewish nation dispersed.
7. Jerusalem in non-Jewish occupation.
8. Tribulation and distress.
9. Signs in the sun, moon and stars.
10. The powers of heaven shaken.

Notice how believers are warned about the rise and growth of false Christianity. It is the Lord's first concern. His words were fulfilled by the rapid development of wrong teaching in New Testament times (e.g. Acts 20:29), and are being fulfilled again at the close of this age. Elsewhere the message is that the true believers will comprise a very small remnant, compared with those who hold a distorted form of Christianity.

Antichrist
The apostles also warn about this development. Paul was emphatic that there would be manifestations of false Christianity, for he prophesied that the Day of the Lord:

"shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped" (2 Thessalonians 2:3,4).

The apostle Paul describes the man of sin in language that refers back to the prophet Daniel, who accurately foretold the rise and fall of four empires that exercised power in the Middle East. He traced the development from them to a false religious system, involving the Holy Roman Empire and the papacy, that is opposed to Christ and his true followers. This is counterfeit Christianity, and the apostle Paul describes it as "the mystery of iniquity" which was already at work, and "a strong delusion".

The other thread of teaching in the Lord's catalogue of future events concerned trouble. There were to be wars and rumors of wars, both within and between nations; there would be natural disasters and widespread hardship, earthquakes, famines and epidemics; terrors and fearful sights would be in the heavens, causing much fear and distress. People would not know which way to turn for fear of what was about to happen on earth.

To some extent these problems are as old as man. The tendency to war against one another is evident even in the first book of the Bible, and famine features there too. But even within Bible history the atrocities of which man is capable become increasingly ugly, and since then even more widespread horrors have been seen. The powers now available to mankind are enough to make any sane person fear for the future. More than ever before, these words of Jesus are coming true:

"There shall be . . . upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory" (Luke 21:25-27).

Tribulation
The reference to the sea and waves roaring, like others to signs in the sun, moon and stars, may be either symbolic or literal or some combination of both. The prophet Isaiah, for example, wrote about the wicked being "like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt" (57:20). Jesus may have been drawing upon such imagery to describe a world that was full of trouble because it was full of wickedness. He may also have been teaching us to look out for some upheaval of the physical order, like tidal waves, which would also be an indication of the end of the age. Certainly there have been many earthquakes and natural disasters over the past few years, all over the world. The apostle Paul described the whole world order as groaning and travailing in pain (Romans 8:22), like a woman waiting to be delivered of a child. It is thus evident that our present troubles are the birthpangs of a new and better world, soon to begin.

In both Testaments we are told that the tribulation that will come at the end of human government is the final herald of the Second Coming. It will be:

"a time of trouble such as never was" (Daniel 12:1);
"the time of Jacob's (Israel's) trouble" (Jeremiah 30:7);
"great tribulation" (Matthew 24:21).

Will the believers waiting for their Lord have to suffer this trouble, or will they be spared? The likelihood is that present-day believers will live through this time of trouble, indeed that they have already begun to do so. Jesus promised that for the elect's sake that time would be shortened (Mark 13:20). But those who finally stand approved before the Judge are those "which came out of the great tribulation, and they washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (Revelation 7:14).

As that trouble increases, and God pours out His wrath upon the earth, there are indications that true believers will be sheltered from that outpouring. Isaiah describes the great shake-up of human society when God intervenes:

"Come, my people, enter into thy chambers. . . hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity" (24:18-23, 26:20,21).

We must therefore consider carefully what Jesus said:

"When these things (the signs of which he spoke) begin to come to pass, then look up and lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh" (Luke 21:28).

We should not wait until total disaster has struck, and there is no escape route left. It is better to learn the lesson now, that this is the time immediately before the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Nation of Sign
There is one great sign which removes all doubt concerning his imminent return. The nation of Israel is back occupying the land promised by God. The history of the Jewish nation has been a guide throughout the ages to the outworking of God's purposes. They were called as a special people, because of the great promises that had been made to their Fathers. They were given the right to occupy the land we now know as Israel, conditional upon their faithful obedience to God. They were the people whose kings occupied the throne of God's Kingdom on earth.

They forfeited these rights when, after centuries of indifference, they not only refused to accept the Lord Jesus as their Messiah, but were involved, with the Romans, in effecting his death by crucifixion. Because of that rejection, Jerusalem was overthrown. Throughout the intervening centuries Jews have wandered the earth as a stateless people, hated and persecuted almost everywhere they went, just as Scripture said they would be.

But Scripture also forecast a better future for this nation of sign, not because they would change their behavior and live to deserve better treatment, but because God would take pity on their plight and act to redeem them. He would remember the promises made of old to the Fathers and act to vindicate His great name. At the time of the end they would be brought back from the nations and once more be settled in their own land-the land of promise! So the prophets said:

ISAIAH:	"The remnant shall return . . the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion" (10:21; 35:10).
JEREMIAH:	"He that scattered Israel will gather him" (31:10).
EZEKIEL:	"I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries . . . then shall they dwell in their land . . . yea, they shall dwell with confidence" (11:17; 28:25,26).
ZECHARIAH:	"I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem" (8:8).

And so it came to pass. After nearly two thousand years of dispersion and down-treading, in 1948 the State of Israel was born by the decree of the United Nations, and in 1 967 the whole of Jerusalem was repossessed by Jews. It had taken all that time for the words of Jesus to be fulfilled:

"They shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled" (Luke 21:24).

Everything now indicates that the Times of the Gentiles are rapidly drawing to a close and the Time of the Kingdom of God is once more at hand. The bringing together of troublous times and the return of the Jews to the Land removes any doubt. Shortly King Jesus will return to Jerusalem as World Ruler, to reign over Israel and over all nations. Of all the available Signs of the Times given by Jesus and the prophets, the establishment of Israel-the Nation of Sign-is the clearest witness that the End is now at hand.