Archive for Middle East

This Week in Prophecy: Iran Under Attack, Iran & Turkey Quake, Russian Navy Goes West

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Ezekiel 38-39, Persia/Elam/Iran, Prophecy, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 30, 2023 by paulthepoke

On This Week in Prophecy: Over the weekend, Iran has been under a coordinated attack. According to various outlets, Israel and the United States are suspected.

Iran says the damage was limited and drones were shot down.

https://www.iranintl.com/en/202301282372

Russia is likely to turn to Turkey for drones as their supply from Iran appears to be interrupted. These events appear to only harden the relationship between Russia and Israel.

Quakes in various places… Amidst the back drop of the explosions across Iran, a large earthquake in northwest Iran caused significant damage in both Iran and Turkey.

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2023/01/28/Magnitude-5-6-earthquake-strikes-Turkey-Iran-border-EMSC

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Iran and Russia strengthen economic ties by connecting their electronic banking systems. Both countries are looking to bypass western economic sanctions.

https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/iran-russia-link-banking-systems-amid-western-sanction-2023-01-30/

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Putin’s navy frigate armed with hypersonic missiles ‘sailed towards US in the Atlantic in a show of strength’ after passing Britain, Russian telegram channel claims

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11671083/Putins-navy-frigate-armed-hypersonic-missiles-sails-US.html

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Russia and Syria have re opened Al Jarrah airbase in northern Syria east of Aleppo. The facility is for use by both countries.

https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/syria/2023/01/24/russia-and-syria-restore-al-jarrah-airbase-for-joint-use/

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United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken is visiting the Middle East and Israel this week. Tensions are running high between the Israelis and the Palestinians as deaths are occurring on both sides in recent violence.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/30/middleeast/blinken-visit-to-israel-west-bank-mime-intl/index.html

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https://www.amazon.com/Paul-Lehr/e/B09W8FB77N

The Watchmen: Catholic Cardinal Pell, Russia & Ukraine, Iran, Abraham Accords, Brazil

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Czekmate, Ezekiel 38-39, Prophecy, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 14, 2023 by paulthepoke

Welcome to The Watchmen, just a couple of dudes sitting on the wall watching the world go by.

On this edition of the Watchmen…

Cardinal George Pell has been identified as the author of a document critical of Pope Francis. Was Cardinal Pell treated fairly by the Roman Catholic Church? Cardinal Pell was a central figure in a child sex abuse case. This is sensitive and messy. Do your own homework.

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/cardinal-pell-called-pope-francis-071026466.html

Ezekiel 38 characters of Magog (modern day Russia) and Persia (modern day Iran) are in focus.

Ezekiel 38:2 Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh…

Ezekiel 38:5a Persia…

Almost one year after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Russian ruble is stronger. Commodity and energy exports are going east to India and China instead of Europe. How is the Russian government budgeting moving forward? Is the Russian economy positioned for success into the future?

https://www.memri.org/reports/time-being-russia-looks-secure-against-financial-troubles

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What is really happening inside of Iran? Is this time different? Will change actually take place inside of Iran?

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Republican and Democratic Senators are travelling together to the Middle East. This is a bipartisan trip in support of the Abraham Accords.

The following Senators will be going to the Middle East: Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), and Ted Budd (R-NC).

Countries included in the visit include: Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco.

Who else might they see? Will there be countries added to the Abraham Accords? Lots of chatter about the Saudis…

https://www.axios.com/2023/01/12/abraham-accords-senate-rosen-lankford-visit-israel-uae

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2 Thessalonians 2:7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is removed.

Lawlessness is a hallmark of the times leading up to the return of Jesus Christ. Lawlessness is global and increasing. Let’s take a look at Brazil and the response to recent election results.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11612419/Hundreds-Jair-Bolsonaro-supporters-STORM-Brazils-Congress-building.html

This Week in Prophecy: Russia Halts Gas to Europe, Russia/China/India War Games, Currency Wars, Turkey Threatens Greece

Posted in #PaulthePoke, China, Ezekiel 38-39, Prophecy, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 4, 2022 by paulthepoke

Labor Day Weekend, September 2022, This Week in Prophecy…

photo credit: Moneycontrol.com

Russia has cut off the flow of natural gas to Europe. Nord Stream 1 has been shut down indefinitely.

“Europe’s storages are well on track to hitting or even surpassing their targets for this summer, and there’s plenty of scope to replace that gas with liquified natural gas imports for now, but when weather turns cold and demand starts to pick up in the winter in Europe and Asia, there’s only so much LNG out there that Europe can import to replace Russian gas.”

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/sep/02/nord-stream-1-gazprom-announces-indefinite-shutdown-of-pipeline

Companies are shutting down across Europe due to high gas and electricity costs. This week, the world’s second largest steel maker is closing indefinitely.

https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Worlds-Second-Largest-Steelmaker-Closes-European-Plant.html

Revelation 9:16 Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them.

Vostok ’22 is underway with China and India joining Russia in the war games. The military exercise will take place from September 1-7, 2022 in Russia’s Far East and the Sea of Japan. Russia will join with troops from ex-Soviet nations, China, India, Laos, Mongolia, Nicaragua and Syria.

“The exercise isn’t directed against any specific countries or military alliances and is purely defensive,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Fomin.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/8/29/russia-to-launch-military-drills-with-china

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Countries across the Middle East are turning away from the US dollar. Egypt has agreed to issue debt in the Chinese Yuan.

https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2022/08/egypt-issue-bonds-chinas-currency-yuan

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The Federal Reserve is tightening and pulling US dollars out of the system. The US dollar is gaining strength. Interest rates are increasing and the price of debt is going up.

https://app.hedgeye.com/insights/121507-chart-of-the-day-recent-balance-sheet-trends?type=macro%2Cmarket-insights

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Revelation 2:8a And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write…

Turkey is threatening Greece in the Aegean Sea. President Recep Erdogan invokes modern day Izmir or ancient Smyrna in his comments. Remember the churches in Revelation???

“We have only one word to tell Greece: Do not forget Izmir (Smyrna in Greek). Your occupation of the islands does not bind us. When the time comes, we will do what’s necessary. As we say, we may come suddenly one night.” Turkey’s President Recep Erdogan in reference to the end of the Greek occupation after Turkish forces entered the city in the Aegean coast in 1922.

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2022/09/03/Erdogan-warns-Greece-it-will-pay-heavy-price-over-Aegean-airspace-violations

https://paulthepoke.com/?s=smyrna

For all of this and more analysis and commentary, click on the YouTube link below. Welcome to This Week in Prophecy.

https://www.amazon.com/Paul-Lehr/e/B09W8FB77N

The Watchmen on Iran, February 2022

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Czekmate, Ezekiel 38-39 with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 20, 2022 by paulthepoke

Czekmate and Paul discuss Iran in relation to the Ezekiel 38-39 prophecy… Just a couple of dudes sittin’ on the wall having a discussion.

Iran and Russia recently signed an economic agreement in relation to natural gas from the Chalous Field in the Caspian Sea. The Russian company Gazprom appears to be the primary benefactor. The easiest distribution of natural gas goes through Ukraine.

What role do Iranian proxies such as Hezbollah play in current affairs? Iran is supporting multiple groups around the Middle East and the Arabian Peninsula. The goal is the direct flow of energy resources from Iran to western Europe.

Talks continue in Vienna with Iran and the west regarding the Nuclear Deal initially approved by President Obama and ultimately rejected by President Trump. Where do the negotiations currently stand?

Click on the video below for analysis and commentary.

https://valortube.com/groups/fighting-czekmates/

https://paulthepoke.com/

https://valortube.com/groups/paul-lehr/

Where Is America In Prophecy???

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Ezekiel 38-39, Prophecy, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 26, 2021 by paulthepoke

This Week in Prophecy

Where is America in Prophecy???

The short answer is, America is not there. It is not mentioned directly.

https://valortube.com/profile/paulthepoke/

America is stepping away from the world stage. And every place America has left, a vacuum is created. Something will fill the vacuum.

As America left Afghanistan, the Taliban took its place. As chaos rules, the Taliban is supported by players in end times Biblical prophecies, specifically Russia, Iran, and China.

In this edition, we go around the region and look at the void left by American departure and who has taken its place. The recent histories of Libya, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Syria, Turkey, and Lebanon are covered.

Ezekiel 38-39 are in play, big time!

How close are we to these events unfolding and prophecy being fulfilled?

These questions and more are answered on This Week in Prophecy.

Drum Beat to War… Czekmate

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Czekmate with tags , , , , , , , , on August 15, 2021 by paulthepoke

For those who are looking for real world technical analysis and information of happenings in the Middle East, introducing Czekmate.

Czekmate is wired into the Middle East and follows the region closely. He is up to date with current events and provides excellent analysis in the theater.

Get educated. The world is changing rapidly.

In Drum Beat to War, Czekmate addresses the newly formed Iranian government, the Shia Land Bridge, current events in Jordan, Saudi Arabia’s response, the United States roll in the evolving Middle East, and Israel’s newly elected government.

Czekmate is a must follow if you want to stay up to date with what is happening in the Middle East. He posts articles, videos, analysis and opinion. See the link below.

https://valortube.com/groups/fighting-czekmates/

The Fighting Czekmates is a home for people with an unconventional outlook on world affairs. Get in touch with your instincts and don’t get married to your opinions. We welcome good natured argument, we tolerate stubbornness, but not rudeness or trolling. It is proctored by a seasoned practitioner. Gauge your audiences above all we value information exchange and patriotic teamwork.

Czekmate is a nom de guerre for a Washington DC based consultant who specializes in International affairs and national security regulatory matters. He holds a master’s degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the US Naval War College. He has worked in Republican politics, Congress, and the Departments of State & Defense for the bulk of his career. In those endeavors he received awards for research pertaining to international illicit weapons networks.

He is a Christian and a practitioner of charismatic faith whose current work involves advising clients on cyber security compliance in the defense arena.

Czekmate is an original content provider at https://valortube.com/

ValorTube is a new social media website that provides original content from providers in the areas of Bible prophecy, Spiritual healing, Political, Paranormal, current events, and economics.

Locust Update: Winter 2021

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Prophecy, Trend Update with tags , , , , , on January 28, 2021 by paulthepoke

Joel 1:4 What the gnawing locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; and what the swarming locust has left, the creeping locust has eaten; and what the creeping locust has left, the stripping locust has eaten.

Granted, the context of Joel 1 is the land of Israel. The prophet is giving us a preview into the future of the Promised Land.

United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, January 2021: As if COVID-19 was not enough. The spawn and spread of locust swarms are growing again. Kenyan officials indicate this is the worst outbreak in 70 years. Increased rainfall is being blamed as part of the reason for the outbreak.

The United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is on location with updates.

“We saw very intense rainfall in areas of northeastern (Kenya), where normally it’s very dry. Normally there would be nothing there for locusts to feed on. They wouldn’t be able to survive there for long. But that wasn’t the case last year. And you got so much fodder which the locusts were able to feed on, and they were able to breed.” -Hamisi Williams, FAO Deputy, Kenya 

Experts state locusts can multiply x20 over the course of 3 months.

The following quotes are from Keith Cressman, FAO Sr. Locust Forecasting Officer.

“The other thing is that they have this great capacity to migrate. So they don’t get stuck in areas when conditions dry out. They just simply pick up and move to greener pastures. They fly with the wind and can travel more than 100 miles in a day.”

“They can easily cross the Red Sea so they can go from Sudan to Saudi Arabia in a day, for example. They can easily cross from northern Somalia directly across the Indian Ocean to India and Pakistan.”

“Imagine a swarm the size of Manhattan in New York, which is not a very big swarm. That single swarm in one day will eat the same amount of food as everybody in New York and California.” -Keith Cressman, FAO Sr. Locust Forecasting Officer

FAO Deputy Director-General Laurent Thomas stated, “The last time Africa saw an upsurge of locusts approaching this scale, in the Sahel, it took two years and more than $500 million to bring under control. This (current) upsurge was even bigger, but East Africa is poised to end it, provided governments can keep those aircraft flying.”

By the way, they need $40 million more…

https://www.npr.org/2021/01/19/958543535/locust-swarms-threaten-parts-of-east-africa

The swarms are moving closer to Israel. Locust plagues in Israel are a sign of the end of days per the prophet Joel. Just another sign of the times…

Proverbs 30:27 …the locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank…

Locust Swarms Gathering and Growing, April 2020

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Pestilence, Prophecy, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , on April 3, 2020 by paulthepoke

2 Chronicles 6:28 If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence or blight or mildew or locust or caterpillar, if their enemies besiege them in the land at their gates, whatever plague, whatever sickness there is…

Granted, this is Solomon’s dedication prayer in Jerusalem. The context is Israel. But, it sure sounds like today’s world in the 21st century.

As a result of COVID 19 coronavirus, countries in East Africa are running short of pesticides to combat locusts and grasshoppers. Deliveries are being affected due to the spread of the coronavirus. Borders are being closed. Distribution and supply chains are being affected.

Cyril Ferrand is leading the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Ferrand had the following comments regarding the locust swarms.

“If we fail in the current (regional) control operations, because of lack of pesticides, then we could see 4 million more people struggle to feed their families.”

“They are very active, very voracious, and very mobile.”

“…If we don’t have pesticides, our planes cannot fly and people cannot spray and if we are not able to control these swarms, we will have big damage to crops.”

https://news.trust.org/item/20200403095550-qjd7g

photo: Times of Israel

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God is absolutely sovereign and He is absolutely in control.

This is God’s creation. Look at the interconnectedness world events. One event affects another and there is a chain reaction. It is not hard to come to the conclusion that famine is next. Then people will fight over food. The end result, more death.

These awful events happen for one reason and one reason only… Sin

Genesis 2:17 “…but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Humanity has brought all of this upon itself. We have continued our slide to the point that we are the spoiled little brat who refuses to take responsibility for our actions.

But, there is hope. God the Father has given humanity an out.

Romans 5:17 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

Locusts Sweeping Across the Middle East, February 2020

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Trend Update with tags , , , , on February 1, 2020 by paulthepoke

Joel 1:4 What the gnawing locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; and what the swarming locust has left, the creeping locust has eaten; and what the creeping locust has left, the stripping locust has eaten.

Yes, the context of Joel 1 is the land of Israel. The prophet does offer a glimpse into the future of the Promised Land. There are an estimated 80-90 species of locusts in the Middle East per Wycliffe Bible Commentary. Locust plagues are a sign of the end of days per Joel.

Middle East, February 2020: Plagues of locusts are gaining steam and growing across the region in the countries of Pakistan, Oman, Yemen, Ethiopia, Kenya, Eritrea and Djibouti.

These are reported to be the most devastating swarms in over 70 years. The region is already on alert for food needs & now locusts have invaded.

Photo: Shutterstock

Officials in Kenya have resorted to using pesticides from airplanes, machine guns, tear gas, shouting and banging on drums. Officials state they are having a hard time addressing the locusts because the area is complicated by regional wars and conflicts.

2019 was a wet year for eastern Africa due to tropical cyclones. Officials are very concerned because the timing of the swarm is prior to entering the wet seasons in the region. With increased water and warm temperatures, experts warn the swarms could expand 500 fold… Allegedly.

For all the readers and followers in India, be on alert for a possible June arrival.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/africas-worst-locust-plague-in-decades-threatens-millions-11580475600

https://twitter.com/antonioguterres

In mean time, chow down. Locusts are kosher.

Leviticus 11:22 These of them you may eat: the locust in its kinds, and the devastating locust in its kinds, and the cricket in its kinds, and the grasshopper in its kinds.

The swarms of locusts are not in Israel as the prophet Joel promises. The experts can not excuse this away, locust plagues are a sign of our current times.

The question is… are we entering into the time Joel prophesied???

Middle East Super Highway

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Egypt/Nile River, Isaiah with tags , , , , on May 19, 2019 by paulthepoke

Isaiah 19:23-25 In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrians will come into Egypt and the Egyptians into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians. In that day Israel will be the third party with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom the LORD of hosts has blessed, saying, “Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.”

There will come a time when there will be a public road that connects Africa to the Middle East. The road will go through Israel. There will be a peaceful flow of travel between ancient Assyria to modern day Egypt. Even more amazing, the Egyptians and the Assyrians will worship the God of Israel.

So where is Assyria? Ancient Assyria was at the height of its power during the time of Isaiah. It was the world superpower of the time. The most fertile and densely populated part of Assyria lay east of the central river Tigris which is near modern day Baghdad, Iraq. Most of the population lived in country towns.

Ancient Assyrian Empire

Geographical boundaries were as follows. The Assyrian empire stretched from Egypt on the west to Persia (modern day Iran) on the east and from the Persian Gulf on the south to Anatolia (modern day western Turkey) on the north. This is essentially the Middle East as we know it today (May 2019). Information is noted from New Unger’s Bible Dictionary and Logos Bible Atlas.

During the time of Isaiah (approximately 700 years before Christ), these two countries (Egypt and Assyria) had caused nothing but angst for Israel. The countries flank Israel on the east and the west. Israel was stuck in the middle.

Notice what the text says regarding Israel. They are blessing in the middle of the earth or “erets”. The Hebrew word for earth is erets. It could mean the land in this context or the totality of the earth.

This would have been an incredible prophecy to the Jewish people of the day (incredible for today as well in May 2019). From the perspective of Israel, two major ancient enemies are going to get along with them in peace. And they are going to worship the God of Israel with them.

Finally, real peace on earth.

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