Habakkuk 1:5 Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told. -LORD God
On This Week in Prophecy… Turkey’s President Recep Erdogan has reached out to incoming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“President Erdogan and the prime minister-designate discussed ways to significantly strengthen economic and diplomatic ties between the countries.” -Netanyahu Spokesman
“I congratulate you on your victory in the election and believe that the new government will continue the cooperation between the countries in all areas, in a way that will bring peace and stability to our region.” -President Recep Erdogan
Ezekiel 38:1-3 The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him and say, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.
Ezekiel 38:6 Gomer and all his hordes; Beth-Togarmah from the uttermost parts of the north with all his hordes—many peoples are with you.
The Federal Reserve has initiated a 12 week pilot program for the Digital Dollar. The following banks are involved: BNY Mellon, Citi, HSBC, Mastercard, PNC Bank, TD Bank, Truist, U.S. Bank, and Wells Fargo.
This is not a conspiracy theory. The train has left the station. The genie is not going back in the bottle. Pick your cliche…
Countries around the world are looking to link digital currencies with identification. Turkey is already on board.
Revelation 13:16-18 And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.
Ezekiel 38:10-12 Thus says the Lord God: “On that day it shall come to pass that thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will make an evil plan: You (Gog) will say, “I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; I will go to a peaceful people, who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates to take plunder and to take booty, to stretch out your hand against the waste places that are again inhabited, and against a people gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and goods, who dwell in the midst of the land…”
With God’s help, Bibi can walk this tightrope. But now, at least the formation of the government hurdle is past the President’s office.
Many important strategic decisions will shake out of this. Regional allies (crazy age we live in that one can type that with respect to Israel) want to see a muscular, assertive Israel that acts with dignity. These would be the Abraham Accord partners. Rumor has it that if another weak Lapid like coalition government had come out of the elections that the Saudis would have continued fence sitting. The same set of speculation to Czekmate holds that with a reliably strong leader like Netanyahu, the Saudis are disposed to negotiating a more durable peace with Israel.
What is even more fascinating is that in partnership with Israel, the Arabs are prepared to go their own way on economic redundancies.
Much of the world’s energy must cross through three maritime choke points: – the Strait of Hormuz, where the Persian Gulf empties to the Indian ocean; – the Strait of Bab al Mandeb, where the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean meet; – the Suez Canal, joining the Mediterranean and Red Seas.
In the cases of Hormuz and Bab Al Mandeb, there are Iranian direct or proxy military hazards to free navigation. In Egypt, which is the custodian of the Suez Canal, there is a stirring of the Muslim Brotherhood within the country.
Among western oriented Arab elite, there is growing doubt over the attenuated strength of the US Navy and it’s enduring strategy to keep maritime sea-lanes and choke points open.
The remedy, since the Briben administration came into office, has been to work bilaterally with a strong Israel. But alas, they’ve had a downright epicene (and corrupt) specimen of a government in Jerusalem under Lapid. There was not much upon which to predicate a reliable diplomatic/economic partnership. Netanyahu’s success renews a dynamic that again invites serious, durable changes to the national economic postures of all concerned.
The credible rumor of what is ahead went on, that Saudi Arabia would be more inclined to negotiate a permanent peace with attendant economic measures. This includes, major capital investments in partnership with the UAE to build pipeline infrastructure from the Persian Gulf to the Israeli coast for onward export. This would bypass all three maritime chokepoints, diminishing the growing Iranian influence in all three places and hedge against the absence of a robust and ubiquitous US Navy upholding it’s tacit obligation to enforce freedom of navigation in those places.
Solution wise, is this a panacea? No. It presents a whole new set of problems.
Having Israeli gas online in concert with overland energy flows, you are now talking a supra-national energy output to Europe that rivals Russia. Russia and Iran have become more symbiotic than ever, especially since the Ukrainian mis-adventure. More on that at another time perhaps.
In the meantime, keeping an eye on Israeli government formation is the mission of the day.
Ezekiel 38:13 Sheba, Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish, and all their young lions will say to you, “Have you come to take plunder? Have you gathered your army to take booty, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to take great plunder?”
The Watchmen, just a couple of dudes sitting on the wall watching the world…
In this episode of The Watchmen we look at the destruction of Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus.
Mark 3:24-25 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.
Revelation 2:9 I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
Israel’s fractured coalition government is splintering. Coalition whip Idit Silman from Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s Yamina party announced she was joining the opposition led by Benjamin Netanyahu, allegedly.
Waves of terror from the Palestinians continue across Israel during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. The Mosaic Law’s Spring Feast of Passover is set for later this week. Civil tension is growing.
Listen to the latest from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Check out up to date situational maps from the region.
The ripple effects from the war are having economic implications. Turkey is experiencing historic inflation. Lebanon has declared bankruptcy.
China has locked down 25,000,000 in Shanghai due to a COVID 19 variant. People are starving. Supply chain disruptions are occurring in the world’s largest logistical port.
The chatter around the Iran Nuclear deal continues. What does the arrest of 2 men in Washington have to do with this? Where did they come from? Visas trace their activity back to Iran and Pakistan.
The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, has received a vote of no confidence and has been ousted from power. Who is behind this? People are taking to the streets across Pakistan by the thousands protesting. Pakistan is home to the largest Shia population outside of Iran. Something smells fishy…
All of this and more from the Watchmen. Click on the link below for content and analysis.
Joseph’s Tomb is a heritage site sacred to Jews, Muslims and Christians.
Palestinian rioters vandalized and set fire to the tomb last night.
Shanghai’s lockdown measures are causing tremendous hardship for 25mn residents, from food shortage, inaccessible medical service, to families separated by quarantine. How long will it last? Our analysis of Shanghai’s case curve does not bode well. 1/5 pic.twitter.com/toDXF47OX1
Never have such crowds come out so spontaneously and in such numbers in our history, rejecting the imported govt led by crooks. pic.twitter.com/YWrvD1u8MM
Leviticus 19:15 You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.
At literally the last hour, Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid informed Israeli President Reuven Rivlin he has formed an 8 party coalition to establish a government. The coalition has 61 seats in the 120 member Knesset for a majority.
The parties include: Yesh Atid, Blue and White, Yisrael Beytenu, Yamina, New Hope, Labor, Meretz, and Ra’am.
Yair Lapid and Yamina chief Naftali Bennett will alternate as Prime Minister. Bennett will be the first prime minister until September 2023. Then Lapid would serve as the prime minister until November 2025 under the agreement.
All of this was made possible by Ra’am Islamist leader Mansour Abbas. This would be the first time a majority Arab party would be a part of a leading coalition in Israeli government.
Per the Times of Israel, Ra’am was promised NIS 53 billion ($16.3 billion) for Arab society development. In addition, another NIS 2.5 million ($770,000) to fight violence and organized crime in Arab society. Plus, another NIS 20 million ($6 million) will be invested over the next 10 years to fix crumbling infrastructure in Arab cities and towns. Also, three Bedouin unrecognized villages, Abda, Khashm al-Zena, and Rakhma, are set to be legalized in a government decision.
This is the leadership agreement.
Yair Lapid, Foreign Minister for the first two years of the government
Blue and White leader Benny Gantz, Defense Minister
Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman, Treasury
New Hope leader Gideon Sa’ar, Justice Minister
Yamina’s Ayelet Shaked, Interior Minister
Labor’s Merav Michaeli, Transportation Portfolio
Labor’s Omer Barlev, Public Security Minister
Meretz leader Nitzan Horowitz, Health Minister
Meretz Tamar Zandberg, Environmental Protection Minister
Meretz Arab Issawi Frej, Regional Cooperation Minister
All of this has to be ratified by a vote in the Knesset in about 12 days. This would set up a vote on approximately June 14th, 2021.
The coalition stated, “We will do everything to unite Israeli society.”
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…
~
For more information linking Ezekiel’s ancient names to modern day Russia, Turkey, and Iran, click on the articles below.
March 14, 2019: Two rockets have been fired from Hamas in the Gaza Strip towards Tel Aviv, Israel. Sirens were activated in Tel Aviv. Below is video of the Iron Dome intercept of the two missiles over the sky line of Tel Aviv.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called an emergency meeting. Israel is responding with rocket strikes on terrorist sites in Gaza. Stay tuned…
Ezekiel and Zephaniah had some things to say about the Gaza Strip…
Ezekiel 25:15-17 Thus says the Lord God, “Because the Philistines have acted in revenge and have taken vengeance with scorn of soul to destroy with everlasting enmity,” therefore thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I will stretch out My hand against the Philistines, even cut off the Cherethites and destroy the remnant of the seacoast. I will execute great vengeance on them with wrathful rebukes; and they will know that I am the Lord when I lay My vengeance on them.”
Genesis 50:13 for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place.
This is one of many references for the burial place of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The wives of the patriarchs were buried here as well. That includes Sarah, Rebekah, and Leah. The reference in Genesis 50 is to Jacob.
Abraham originally purchased the plot of land with silver.
Genesis 23:16-17 Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver that he had named in the hearing of the Hittites, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weights current among the merchants. So the field of Ephron in Machpelah, which was to the east of Mamre, the field with the cave that was in it and all the trees that were in the field, throughout its whole area, was made over…
Genesis 23:19 After this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah east of Mamre (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan.
Machpelah is Hebron in the book of Genesis. And roughly 4,000 years later, the location is still Hebron in the 21st century. Hebron is located in the West Bank south of Jerusalem approximately 20 miles. Hebron is the largest Palestinian city with a population of 200,000.
Friday, July 07, 2017: Under the cloak of darkness, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) held a secret vote in Krakow, Poland. The World Heritage Committee introduced the secret Hebron Solution at the request of three member states.
UNESCO voted the Tomb of the Patriarchs and Hebron’s Old City as a Palestinian World Heritage Site. Jews refer to the site as the Jewish Tomb of the Patriarchs. Muslims call the location the Ibrahimi Mosque. The location was also deemed an “endangered Palestinian site” by UNESCO.
The vote went down as follows. Twelve nations voted in favor, three opposed, and six abstained. As far as what countries voted and how they voted, that information is not available.
The following countries are members of the World Heritage Committee per the UNESCO website: Angola, Azerbaijan, Burkino Faso, Croatia, Cuba, Finland, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Tunisia, Turkey, Tanzania, Viet Nam, and Zimbabwe.
“Today, Palestine and the world, through UNESCO, celebrate Hebron as part of world heritage, a value that transcends geography, religion, politics, and ideology. This vote celebrated facts and rejected the shameless high-profile political bullying and attempts at extortion.” -Palestinian Foreign Ministry
After the UNESCO vote, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cut $1 million dollars to UNESCO funding.
“In the face of UNESCO’s denial, the prime minister is determined to present to the whole world the historical truth and the thousands of years of deep Jewish roots in Hebron.” -Netanyahu Spokesman
Zechariah 12:3 It will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it.
January 15, 2017: Dateline Paris, France. Today the French hosted a Middle East Peace Conference with the expressed goal of a two state solution. Leaked information indicated the conference is looking to divide the land of Israel for a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. The city of Jerusalem would be divided. The division of Jerusalem includes the real estate of the Temple Mount. The region of the Golan Heights would be handed over to Syria as part of the deal. The result of the conference was tough talk for incoming President Trump. For now, the land and Jerusalem were not divided.
Seventy nations gathered in Paris for the event. Representatives from Israel and a future Palestine are not participating in the discussions and process. French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault stated the French have “no intention other than promoting peace”.
The backdrop of the event is the pending inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the United States on Friday, January 20, 2017. The conference is intended to send a strong message to President Trump. World leaders are very uncomfortable with the proposed move of the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Many have stated a potential move would only complicate matters and increase the risk for further violence. A potential embassy move would interrupt and discourage an opportunity for peace in the Middle East per critics of Trump. This topic appears to be the focus of today’s meeting. The drum beat coming out of today’s conference is a potential US Embassy move to Jerusalem is a threat to peace.
Current Secretary of State John Kerry, “an explosion, an absolute explosion in the region, not just in the West Bank, and perhaps even in Israel itself, but throughout the region.”
The Palestinian Authority’s supreme Sharia judge Mahmoud Al-Habbash stated an embassy move to Jerusalem would be a “declaration of war.”
The Palestinians are asking the Russians and Vladimir Putin to help stop a potential US Embassy move.
The French are threatening President elect Trump with “serious consequences” with a move to Jerusalem. These actions would be deemed a “provocation”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called the meeting “useless” and “futile” and “rigged”. “Tomorrow’s world will be different, and it is very near.”
Scripture says the land will ultimately be divided. Frankly this process has already begun when the Gaza Strip was given to the Palestinians in 2006. We were told peace will come in exchange for land…
Joel 3:2bIsrael…and they have divided up My land.
A little food for speculative thought…was the antichrist in the shadows in Paris??? Are we that close??? Geopolitical events could get very Biblically real in a hurry. Get concerned when humanity is talking peace and security.
1 Thessalonians 5:3 While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.
Have you looked into the biography of Jesus? You may want to read it. If you are not familiar with Him, I would recommend the Book of John or 1 John. They are straight forward and easy to read, no tricks.
Zechariah 12:9 And in that day I will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
Zechariah 12:3 It will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it.
December 28, 2016: As of the posting of this article, the 2,500 year old prophetic last sentence of Zechariah 12:3 (And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it) is a true statement. All the governments of the world, including the current government of the United States, are against Israel.
The United Nations recently voted against the Israeli construction of neighborhoods and settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem. The vote was 14-0. The following countries voted against Israel: New Zealand, Senegal, Britain, France, Russia, China, Japan, Ukraine, Angola, Egypt, Uruguay, Venezuela, Malaysia, and Spain.
The United States could have blocked the resolution by voting no. Instead, the United States Ambassador abstained in voting. This allowed for passage of the resolution. This is the first time since Israel became a nation in 1948 the United States did not support Israel.
In response Israel has recalled ambassadors to Senegal and New Zealand. Israel has also limited a working relationship with the other countries except Venezuela and Malaysia.
Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claim President Obama was behind the drafting of the UN resolution against Israel. Israel states Obama was the force behind “ganging up” on Israel at the UN.
A spokesman for Israel David Keyes made the following claim, “We have rather iron clad information from sources in both the Arab world and internationally that this was a deliberate push by the United States and in fact they helped create the resolution in the first place.”
Israel Ambassador to the United States Ron Dermer further stated, “We will present this evidence to the new administration through the appropriate channels. If they want to share it with the American people, they are welcome to do it.”
John F. Kerry has been the Secretary of State since February 2013. Multiple attempts to secure peace in the Middle East have been a failure during his tenure. Now with roughly three weeks left in the Obama Presidency, Secretary Kerry has a vision for peace.
Secretary John Kerry believes “the two state Israel/Palestine peace solution is in jeopardy.”
Secretary Kerry stated the framework for peace lies in the Oslo Accords. The Oslo Accords were based on the Camp David Accords in 1978 under the Jimmy Carter Administration. The Oslo Accords were signed in 1993 and 1995 during the Bill Clinton Administration.
Kerry was highly critical and scolding of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel. He stated the Israeli construction of settlements in “occupied territories” is a threat to peace. The Secretary denied United States involvement in the drafting of the recent UN resolution against Israel.
Secretary Kerry finished his remarks with a six principle plan and framework for Middle East Peace and a two state solution for Israel and a future Palestine.
“No American administration has done more for Israel’s security than Barack Obama’s,’’ John Kerry.
The nations of the world are desperate to force the issue with Israel and the Palestinians. The United Nations knows time is short before the swearing in of Donald Trump as President of the United States on January 20, 2017.
Five days before President Trump would take control…on January 15, 2017 France is scheduled to hold a Middle East peace conference in Paris. Representatives from seventy (70) countries are scheduled to attend.
If seventy nations rings a bell, see Genesis 10-11 and the original table of nations. This is the original UN emerging from the Tower of Babel, seventy countries.
“January 15 is the date that has been fixed and 70 countries are invited. We are not going to give up now.” – Jean-Marc Ayrault, French spokesman
Israel and Palestine representatives will meet separately after the meeting. Israel prefers direct negotiations with Palestine.
We cannot continue to let Israel be treated with such total disdain and disrespect. They used to have a great friend in the U.S., but…….not anymore. The beginning of the end was the horrible Iran deal, and now this (U.N.)! Stay strong Israel, January 20th is fast approaching!
Israel is becoming more and more isolated on the international stage.
Obadiah 1:15 For the day of the Lord draws near on all the nations. As you have done, it will be done to you. Your dealings will return on your own head.
December 22, 2016: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel encouraged President elect Donald Trump to offer his opinion on the United Nations vote to stop the construction of Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
The United Nations was to vote on the construction of Israeli settlements. The settlements have been a sticking point in the peace process. Egypt had written a proposal to stop all construction in “occupied territories”. The draft stated Israel had “no legal validity”.
The UN resolution drafted by Egypt stated Israel “immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem; no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation under international law.”
Later, Egypt postponed the vote. There appears to have been multiple contacts between Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, Prime Minister Netanyahu, and President elect Trump. Allegedly, Trump called al-Sisi specifically after the vote was postponed.
Trump later issued a statement.
“The resolution being considered at the United Nations security council regarding Israel should be vetoed. As the United States has long maintained, peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians will only come through direct negotiations between the parties, and not through the imposition of terms by the United Nations. This puts Israel in a very poor negotiating position and is extremely unfair to all Israelis.”
December 23, 2016: The drama is not over. New Zealand, Malaysia, Venezuela and Senegal were co sponsors to the Egyptian draft. These countries stated they have the ability to “proceed to put it to vote ASAP.”
UNESCO voted the Tomb of the Patriarchs and Hebron’s Old City as a Palestinian World Heritage Site. Jews refer to the site as the Jewish Tomb of the Patriarchs. Muslims call the location the Ibrahimi Mosque. The location was also deemed an “endangered Palestinian site” by UNESCO.
