Isaiah 2:13 And it will be against all the cedars of Lebanon that are lofty and lifted up, against all the oaks of Bashan…
Bashan is the modern day Golan Heights. This would be the area in the far north east corner of modern day Israel. This place is south of modern day Damascus, Syria. Geographical land marks would include a region east of the Jordan River and north of the Arnon River. This territory extended from Gilead in the south to Mount Hermon on the north.
Joshua 21:27 And to the Gershonites, one of the clans of the Levites, were given out of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan with its pasturelands, the city of refuge for the manslayer…
Photo: CIA
President Trump has recognized the Golan Heights as part of Israel.
After 52 years it is time for the United States to fully recognize Israel’s Sovereignty over the Golan Heights, which is of critical strategic and security importance to the State of Israel and Regional Stability!
In an interview with Fox Business News, President Trump made the following statement.
“I’ve been thinking about doing that for a long time. Every president has said ‘do that’. I’m the one that gets it done.” -President Donald Trump
The United Nation recognizes the Golan Heights as part of Syria. Resolution 242 calls on Israel to leave the Golan. Israel captured the land in 1967. In 1981, Israel stated they annexed the Golan Heights as part of their land. The link below provides a Middle East Eye perspective on the Golan Heights.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lavished praise on Trump’s decision.
“He did it again. First, he recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and moved the US embassy here. Then, he pulled out of the disastrous Iran treaty and re-imposed sanctions. But now, he did something of equal historic importance.” -Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke this evening with @POTUS Donald Trump and thanked him for the decision to recognize the Golan Heights.
Prime Minister Netanyahu told US President Trump: "You made history."
1 Thessalonians 1:1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.
Located in the shadows of Mount Olympus, Thessaloniki was a major hub of trade during the Roman Empire. The wealthy city minted its own coins. It was the chief port and capital of Roman Macedonia. Thessaloniki was located on the Via Egnatia, the major road that connected the Roman Empire to the east.
Another large natural gas deposit has been discovered in the eastern Mediterranean Sea near Cyprus.
United States Ambassador to Greece Geoffrey Pyatt discussed the significance of the natural gas discovery. Here is a paragraph from the story noted in a Greek newspaper in the link below .
He welcomed Greece’s strengthened role in the Balkans, noting that the Prespes Accord is “the most obvious expression” of this development, which will restore Thessaloniki’s historic role as a cosmopolitan crossroad in the Balkans.
The following leaders are expected to attend the meeting on March 20, 2019: United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades.
Israel, Greece, and Cyprus are expected to sign and reach a deal to build a natural gas pipeline from the eastern Mediterranean into Europe.
Prime Minister Netanyahu stated, “(This) will bring vast revenue to the state coffers.”
Russia and Turkey are watching the action closely. The EastMed Pipeline is estimated to cost $8 billion and will deliver up to 12 billion cubic meters of gas annually to Europe. The EastMed will be the deepest under sea pipeline. The line is estimated to be 1,250 miles (2,000 kilometers) long. Egypt is rumored to want in on the action to export their natural gas to Europe.
Greece and Israel are increasing military and economic ties. Turkey’s President Recep Erdogan has called Greece and Cyprus actions “reckless”.
This is direct competition with Russia’s Turk Stream pipeline. This will cut into Russia’s and Turkey’s bottom line. Turkey’s economy has recently fallen into recession.
Ezekiel 38:12 to capture spoil and to seize plunder, to turn your hand against the waste places which are now inhabited, and against the people who are gathered from the nations, who have acquired cattle and goods, who live at the center of the world.
These are the intentions of Gog, the leader of Magog (Russia). The Russians along with Turkey, Iran, and others are going to invade to steal natural resources from Israel.
The pieces of the puzzle keep falling into place…
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For more information linking Ezekiel’s ancient names to modern day Russia, Turkey, and Iran, click on the articles below.
For Seven years Turkey has borrowed from Western Banks; European Banks like Deutsche Bank seem to be the favorites. However, JP Morgan has estimated that $179 Billion US or 25% of Turkish external debt will rollover between August of 2018 to July of 2019. Some $146 Billion in private debt. As shown by the chart below, the Turkish Lira has recovered some from the August 2018 conversion low of 6.95 Turkish Lira to the US Dollar, however, the repayment in Lira is significantly higher than what was originally borrowed. The Cyclical change in International Exchange Rates has drastically altered the Foreign Debt owed by Turkish Governmental Agencies and Private Corporations. If Turks borrowed $100 in 2014 with the exchange rate at 2 Lire to the US Dollar, they received 200 lira. Today, not only must they pay interest, they repay with drastically depreciated currency at 5.4 Lira to the US Dollar; instead of 200 lira, it is today over 540 lira. Almost 2.5 times the original amount! Loan Shark Territory!!
The drastic depreciation of Turkish currency has driven local inflation through the roof with skyrocketing prices for basic commodities like fuel for the family car, electricity to light the home and maintain modern life, food, medicine such as heart medication for elders, insulin, and hospital supplies. Not only have prices risen, but as the currency depreciates, the international suppliers are reluctant to extend credit limiting quantities. Not only can basics be expensive, they can be difficult to obtain. There is no end in sight.
As I warned in October of 2018, Turkey was heading into Economic Turmoil. Now, it appears Turkey has officially entered a Recession.
Repayment will be even more difficult as Business Conditions deteriorate.International Systemically Important Banks will be at risk for non-payment of Turkish Debt or delayed payment, and even possibly total default of loans made to Turkish entities. The Global Economy is intertwined; these may be early symptoms that will eventually spread. As Revenues decline, the solutions for repayment to worried Banks decline in tandem with the accounts receivable. Debt default may be a more and more plausible option; we will know shortly in the next few quarters.
Look for more and more Military Adventure in Economically Challenged nations as Governments seek to distract their population. Globally Systemic Banks are not prepared for an Economic Contagion of Sovereign defaults; well known but under-Capitalized Banks could fail. A Global Recession will lead to major Civil unrest; political institutions will be challenged. The US Dollar and US Financial Assets likely will rise as Capital flees to Safe Havens. Turmoil throughout the World will rise in both Developed and Un-developed nations. It is time to be careful, it is time to be cautious, it is time to be very conservative.
Raise cash, pay down debts, look to US short term Treasuries for safety of principal. Extra food, medicine, along with cash for 3 to 6 months of expenses might be prudent to have at home. Review Income Streams for credit downgrade vulnerabilities, review Tenant quality to protect Cash Flows, and prepare to purchase the opportunities that will surely arise.
Isaiah 19:5-7 And the waters of the sea will be dried up, and the river will be dry and parched, and its canals will become foul, and the branches of Egypt’s Nile will diminish and dry up, reeds and rushes will rot away. There will be bare places by the Nile, on the brink of the Nile, and all that is sown by the Nile will be parched, will be driven away, and will be no more.
This prophecy was written approximately 2,800 years ago. There is not any record where the Nile River has dried up since this was written. The prophecy is quite a statement. The Nile River is predestined to go dry.
The notion of a dry Nile is also noted in…
Zechariah 10:11b …And He will strike the waves in the sea, so that all the depths of the Nile will dry up…
Ezekiel 30:12 And I will dry up the Nile and will sell the land into the hand of evildoers; I will bring desolation upon the land and everything in it, by the hand of foreigners; I am the LORD; I have spoken.
God states this is His will.
God does not say what causes the Nile River to go dry.
How is this going to happen? There is the obvious answer of drought. Outside of the Nile River, Egypt is not a hospitable place. It is desert and nothing grows there. It would take a drought in central Africa in the highlands of Lake Victoria, the source of the Nile.
Humanity is exerting its will to control the waters of the Nile River. Human intervention does not always result in its desired intention. History is littered with ecological disasters at the hands of humanity. Countries across Africa and the Middle East threaten each other with limited access to water.
A possibility is the Aswan Dam in southern Egypt. The waters behind the dam could be withheld. Ironically, the primary purpose of the dam is to manage flooding of the Nile River.
There is also the matter of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam construction continues on the Nile River. Construction of the dam is located in northwest Ethiopia. When finished, the GERD will be the largest hydroelectric plant in Africa. As of the Spring of 2019, the project is estimated to be completed in 2022. Once finished, it estimated to take 5-15 years for the reservoir to fill to capacity.
As a trend, the levels of the Nile River are receding in recent times. This is due to countries up river in central Africa who are using more of the water as a resource. As of December 2006, the following statement was issued by NASA based on satellite imagery. “Several African basins, such as the Congo, Zambezi and Nile, show significant drying over the past five years.” A February 2010 headline from a newspaper in the Sudan read, Nile River Volume Decreases, The Problem To Local Communities.
Breaking Israel News recently conducted an interview with Rabbi Azariah Ariel. The rabbi indicated there are two potential red heifers which may be candidates for sacrifice. The purpose is the preparation of ashes for ritual purification. The ashes would be used for the purification of the people of Israel. And the ashes are necessary for the dedication of the Third Temple.
The red heifer candidates are currently being raised at a secret location with specific circumstances and surroundings.
“We are working on this but the most important thing we can do is to keep their location secret. If we succeed, in two years we will be permitted to perform more mitzvoth in the manner God commanded.” -Rabbi Ariel
Historically, a pure red heifer is exceedingly rare.
“We know that there have been nine red heifers throughout history, the first having been prepared in the times of Moses and Elazar, the son of Aaron. A red heifer is a female cow that is red. In the language of the Bible, red is not exclusively what we know today as red. It also includes brown and other similar shades of red. This excludes black. All of the hairs on its body must be the same color.” -Rabbi Ariel
Recently, a prospective red heifer was declared ineligible. The calf was disqualified because of six white hairs in and around the nose.
Let’s look at the qualifications of the red heifer per the Bible in Numbers 19:1-2.
Numbers 19:1-2 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, “This is the statute of the law which the Lord has commanded, saying, ‘Speak to the sons of Israel that they bring you an unblemished red heifer in which is no defect and on which a yoke has never been placed.
The ashes from the sacrifice of the red heifer are necessary for purification prior to the building of the Temple.
Interpretation of verses provided by the Temple Institute. This is the criteria used for the identification of the red heifer.
…and take a heifer… Since the verse instructs us to take a heifer, we do not purchase a calf and wait for it to grow older while in our custody; “and take a heifer” means that the act of acquisition has to take place while the animal is a heifer. However, if a red calf is available, a price can be set with its owner, and the transaction can be concluded, but we do not take possession until it reaches the proper age as mandated by the Bible.
A heifer by definition is a female cow.
…an unblemished red heifer in which is no defect… This means that the presence of as few as two hairs of any other color will render it invalid. Even its hooves must be red. It must also be totally free from any physical blemish or defect, whether internal or external. A list of blemishes that would disqualify the animal for sacrifice are noted in Leviticus 22.
…on which a yoke has never been placed. The red heifer must have never been used to perform any physical labor. This would include riding, or even leaning on her. But if a yoke were placed upon her even once, even if she were not used to plow – this would be enough to render the heifer unfit for use.
Three to four years of age is an oral tradition that has been passed down through the generations.
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The innocent, shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross is the fulfillment of forgiveness and the release from sin.
Hebrews 9:22 And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
As the red heifer was and will be again sacrificed outside the city limits of Jerusalem, so was Jesus Christ. As the sacrifice of the red heifer is for the purification and consecration of the people of Israel, so was and is Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 13:12 Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate.
Christ’s sacrifice is not only for the people of Israel, but for all the people of the world. He is the sacrifice for all sin for all time.
1 John 1:7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
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For more information regarding the red heifer, see the links below.
Isaiah 19:3 and the
spirit of the Egyptians within them will be emptied out, and I will confound
their counsel; and they will inquire of the idols and the sorcerers, and the
mediums and the necromancers…
Demoralized, their chosen attitude, the Egyptians will turn to idols, talking to the dead, and the occult in Isaiah 19:3. That is the Egyptian response and plan. God allows the Egyptians the free will to make their own way.
God in turn responds to the Egyptians and their plans. The translation of “confound” does not tell the whole story. He will “confound” or bala in the Hebrew. The idea communicated is intentional, intensive, and repeated action of swallowing their strategy. One could get the idea that the Egyptians will have many ideas and solutions to try to stop the civil war. These ideas (political, economic, religious, etc.) will be repeatedly shot down by God. The Egyptian solutions to the civil war will not succeed because God directly acts. Translated another way, the LORD will swallow or engulf their plans. Again, God allows the people to have their own ideas. Humanity’s ideas are no match for the LORD.
Photo: Ancient Symbols
Isaiah 19:4Moreover,
I will deliver the Egyptians into the hand of a cruel master, and a mighty king
will rule over them,” declares the Lord GOD of hosts.
God will intentionally give (piel stem verb form in Hebrew) the Egyptian people this leader. There are two adjectives that describe this leader in the verse. You can bet this leader will likely use force on the population.
Qasheh or “cruel”:
This word can be defined as hard, cruel, severe, obstinate, difficult, fierce,
intense, vehement, stubborn, stiff-necked, rigorous (of battle).
`Az or translated “mighty”: This word can be defined as strong, mighty, fierce. (Strong’s Concordance)
Will a God-given overbearing dictator likely act cruelly
toward his populous? Yes. Are the people responsible for how they respond to this
tyrant? Yes.
These first four verses of Isaiah 19 make one point over and over and over. God is managing
the action. Yet, people have choices and actions. God does not make Egypt or us
do anything. We don’t always get our way.
This is a direct quote from God Himself. God states in the language and grammar, He is in charge.
There are many examples in Scripture where God addresses individual nations. The prophet warn Russia, Turkey, Iran and others in Ezekiel 38-39. Damascus, Syria has a destructive date with destiny in Isaiah 17, Amos 1, and Jeremiah 49. Ancient Nineveh or modern-day Mosul, Iraq is warned in Nahum. Amos 1 warns modern day Lebanon. The Gaza Strip is informed of judgment in Ezekiel 25. Prophecy against Iran is noted in Jeremiah 49. And the list goes on and on and on…
The focus here is the destiny of the nation Egypt. A significant prophecy regarding the future of Egypt is located in Isaiah 19. Like every other nation, Egypt is predestined in their journey through history. God knows the collective choices they will make. God knows literally and figuratively where their road leads. The prophet Isaiah lays out the course of Egypt prior to the coming of the Messiah.
click on the link above for audio/video
Isaiah 19:1 The oracle concerning Egypt. Behold, the
LORD is riding on a swift cloud and is about to come to Egypt; the idols of
Egypt will tremble at His presence, and the heart of the Egyptians will melt
within them.
The first observation is that the LORD directly intervenes. God is the one pressing these events. The Hebrew word for “oracle” is massa’. Simply stated, it means a burden or load. This same word, massa’, was also the name of Ishmael’s son (Genesis 25:14). Ishmael’s name means burden. Ishmael’s mother Hagar is Egyptian (Genesis 16:1). Prophetically speaking, Hagar’s offspring were destined to carry a burden.
Photo: Shutterstock
The LORD is coming quickly on a swift cloud. The Hebrew word
for “cloud” is `ab. What is not
stated in the translation is the type of cloud. It is a dark, thick cloud. The
introduction states this is going to be swift, quick, and ominous. It reminds
me of a supercell thunderstorm you can see rolling in on the plains.
Isaiah 19:2 “So I will incite Egyptians against
Egyptians; and they will each fight against his brother and each against his
neighbor, city against city and kingdom against kingdom…”
This is how God is
going to bring the nation of Egypt together and return them to the LORD or
Yahweh. God is going to bring about circumstances that will knit them as a
unified country and be His people.
The first thing to happen is an Egyptian civil war. God says
He will “incite” or cakak in the
Hebrew. This word is also translated as “cover” per Strong’s Concordance. This
is the same term used repeatedly in reference to the angels’ wings of the Ark
of the Covenant. Their wings “covered” or cakak
the Ark.
Exodus 25:20 The
cherubim shall have their wings spread upward, covering the mercy seat
with their wings and facing one another; the faces of the cherubim are to be
turned toward the mercy seat.
See also: Exodus
37:9, 1 Kings 8:7, 1 Chronicles 28:18b.
Figuratively, cakak
can be seen as protection, hedge in, or join together.
Will the people choose to fight each other? Yes, the Egyptian people will opt to fight against one another throughout the country. But Egypt will be watched and protected by Yahweh or the LORD. The idea is to intensively, purposely weave together the Egyptians against each other repeatedly.
God is in control regardless of our actions. He can overcome our repeated bad decisions.
