On May 13, 2026, the Prophecy Newswatch (PNW) staff posted an article about the findings of the independent investigation of the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Jews at the Nova Music Festival in Israel.

An Islamic terrorist group called Hamas killed more than 370 Israelis, wounded hundreds of people, and seized 44 hostages (11 who were tortured and killed in captivity).

The PNW staff reported that:

• For two years, investigators reviewed more than 10,000 photos and video segments, analyzed over 1,800 hours of footage, and conducted more than 430 interviews with survivors, hostages, forensic experts, first responders, and witnesses.
• Their conclusion is devastatingly clear: the sexual violence committed on October 7 was systematic, widespread, intentional, and integrated into Hamas’s strategy of terror.
• This was not chaos.
• It was not random brutality.
• It was organized evil.
• Burned homes. Bullet-riddled cars. Blood-soaked shelters. Families wiped out in a single morning.
• Women were found naked, bound, mutilated, and executed after being raped.
• Bodies showed evidence of targeted gunshots to breasts, faces, and genitalia.
• Victims were burned alive.
• Sharp objects, nails, grenades, and tools were reportedly embedded into bodies.
• Witnesses described gang rapes followed by execution.
• Some victims were assaulted after death.
• What happened on October 7 was barbarism.
• Medieval, sadistic, genocidal barbarism.
• When human beings delight in humiliation, torture, and desecration — when laughter accompanies rape and execution — we are witnessing something beyond political conflict.
• We are staring into the abyss of what humanity becomes when hatred fully consumes the soul.
• And now that the truth has been documented in horrifying detail, the world faces a choice: confront it honestly, or continue pretending evil is negotiable when it aligns with fashionable politics.

Here is a link to the entire PNW staff article.

https://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=9955

(My opinion: On Oct. 7, 2023, Islam revealed its true nature – organized evil – and the willful ignorance of world leaders who turn a blind eye and try to whitewash it. To quote the PNW staff, “Sanitizing atrocities does not honor victims. It protects perpetrators.” This is leading to God’s judgment, i.e., the Tribulation Period.)

Here are some recent current events that seem to indicate that the Tribulation Period is near:

One, on May 13, 2026, Israel’s ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva said:

• The hatred which spurred the Holocaust is not gone, but is lurking underneath the surface, including in ways where it is trivialized or distorted to apply to today’s conflicts.
• These actions, hiding under the guise of pretend righteousness, just repeat the same old tropes that have always existed.
• We have seen it all before.

(My comment: The Holocaust and the Oct. 7, 2023 events are documented organized evil. Underlying motivations include a satanic attempt to destroy Israel, establish a satanic world government, stop the fulfillment of Bible prophecy, prevent the binding of Satan, prevent the Millennial reign of Jesus, etc.)

(More: On May 18, 2026, Israel’s Foreign Min. warned the EU that some of the EU nations that are pushing for sanctions on Israel are harming Israel-EU relations.)

Two, concerning the return of the Jews, the expansion of Israel’s borders, and Israel’s prosperity at the end of the age: on May 14, 2026, Israel’s Finance Min. Bezalel Smotrich said:

• In the last three years, we have approved 60,000 housing units in Judea and Samaria.
• The people of Israel are returning home, and this time forever!
• The time has come to finally erase the lines that separate Areas A, B, and C.
• I placed a detailed plan on the cabinet table this week, and I call on the prime minister to adopt it.
• All of the land of Israel is ours.
• In the economy, we are seeing the fulfillment of prophecies.
• From a state of refugees with austerity and shortages, to an economic power.
• While fighting on seven fronts, the stock exchange breaks records, and foreign investments flow into the country.

Three, concerning Rededicate 250: on May 17, 2026, several thousand people gathered at the Washington Mall for a full day (10:30 am to 6 pm) of Scripture reading, worship, testimony, and prayer.

It was reported that (among other things):

• There was the sound of thousands of voices singing “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty.”
• The message was unmistakable: America’s rights come from God, not government, and the nation’s next 250 years depend on her willingness to remember that.
• It was not a political rally. It was a nation on its knees.
• S. Sec. of War called on patriots from every state to come together on the National Mall “under one flag and one God.”
• In a video message, Pres. Trump read these words from II Chron. 7:14: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
• Vice Pres. J.D. Vance quoted John Adams, who wrote, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

Four, concerning the U.S.-Iran war: here is a small part of what Tania Koenig wrote on May 18, 2026:

• The Middle East is again in one of those dangerous pauses that can easily be mistaken for de-escalation. The guns may not be firing at full volume, but the region is not calm. Iran is probing, Israel is watching, Washington is applying pressure, China is calculating, the Gulf is exposed, and the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow artery through which so much of the world’s energy moves — has become more than a shipping lane. It has become a bargaining chip.
• A renewed strike on Iran could send oil higher, shake markets, threaten U.S. bases, expose Gulf allies, disrupt aviation, and give China and others an opportunity to blame Washington for global instability. Iran does not need to defeat America militarily. It only needs to raise the cost of action high enough that Washington begins looking for a compromise.
• The world may want to believe this is a pause on the way to settlement. It may be. Trump still prefers a deal if the deal looks like victory. China still wants the Strait open. Iran may still want survival more than confrontation. But if Iran is using this pause to rebuild rather than retreat, Israel will see the pause differently.
• And if Israel concludes that time now favors Iran, the next round may come before the markets fully price it, before the diplomats admit it, and before the world understands that the war never really ended.
• It only changed form.

(My comment: If we are at the very end of the Church Age – and I believe we are – based on my understanding of the Scriptures, we can expect wars and rumors of wars to continue; unending efforts to destroy Israel; God to destroy Iran, Russia, Turkey, and several of their Islamic allies on the mountains of Israel; the global economy to continue to worsen; global unrest to continue to worsen; efforts to establish a world government to increase; famine to worsen; and more.)

(Update: On May 17, 2026, Pres. Trump said the clock is ticking for Iran and the U.S. to reach an agreement to end the war.)

(Update: On Mar. 18, 2026, Pres. Trump delayed his plans to attack Iran again.)

(FYI: Hal Turner said, “A person can be forgiven for feeling like they got Whiplash as this fiasco unfolded. For many observers, the worst part is that this is about the tenth time this type of scenario has occurred. We’re going to attack. Uhhhhh, no, we’re not.  Same thing, over-and-over-and-over, for weeks. The pattern got so familiar, happening on Tuesdays, that critics began referring to that day as TACO Tuesday – with TACO standing for Trump Always Chickens Out.”)

(My comment: Pres. Trump views himself as a great negotiator, but his dealings with Iran haven’t backed it up.)

Five, concerning Jerusalem: on May 17, 2026, Israel’s Prime Min. Netanyahu said:

• There are very few peoples whose capital today is the same as it was 3,000 years ago, but certainly there is no other case in which a people lost its capital, lost its sovereignty, lost its land, and returned to reestablish its sovereignty and its capital in the original place.

(My comment: This is exactly what the Bible said would happen, and Netanyahu said it at a meeting where he announced the financing of several major Israeli projects to strengthen Jerusalem.)

Here are some war reports as they came in from the U.S. and Israel:

The U.S. calls its attacks Operation Epic Fury.

Israel calls its attacks Operation Roaring Lion.

Thurs. Day 76 (May 14, 2026) (Day 23 of Trump’s latest ceasefire extension)

• Trump said China agreed that Iran can never have nuclear weapons.
• China warned of clashesbetween the US and China if the US supports Taiwan’s independence. While the US does not officially recognize Taiwan as a sovereign state, it maintains strong economic ties with the self-governing island.
• Trump said he is not going to be much more patient with Iran. He said they can make a deal, or they get annihilated. He added that any sane person would make a deal, but they might be crazy.
• Cuba has run out of diesel and fuel oil, and they have “no reserves.” There are rolling blackouts, and many people are rioting.

Fri. Day 77 (May 15, 2026) (Day 24 of Trump’s latest ceasefire extension)

• Israel said it will agree to withdraw from Lebanese territory in exchange for Hezbollah’s disarmament.
• Shell Oil and other corporations notified Walmart, Sams and Cosco that their shelves are going to be empty of all cans of motor oil and one supplier said all retailers can expect a 35% increase in motor oil costs in the next 35 days.
• Israel assassinated the Hamas leader who was in charge of the Hamas hostage program.
• An Israeli official said Israel is preparing for days or weeks of renewed fighting with Iran.

Sat. Day 78 (May 16, 2026) (Day 25 of Trump’s latest ceasefire extension)

• Vladimir Putin of Russia will go to China next week for talks with its leader, Xi Jinping, just days after Pres. Trump’s visit to Beijing.
• It was reported that there was a very large explosion at a rocket factory in Israel. Cause unknown.
• The IRGC has notified regional countries, primarily the UAE and Saudi Arabia, that if war resumes, Iran will launch devastating, crushing strikes on oil wells and energy facilities.

Sun. Day 79 (May 17, 2026) (Day 26 of Trump’s latest ceasefire extension)

• A drone strike sparked a fire at an electrical generator outside the UAE Nuclear Power Plant. There were no reports of injuries or radiation leakage.
• Trump said for Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they’d better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them. Time is of the essence.

Mon. Day 80 (May 18, 2026) (Day 27 of Trump’s latest ceasefire extension)

• Prime Min. Netanyahu’s office confirmed that the Israeli Navy started intercepting a Turkish-led attempt to sail (more than 40 boats) to Gaza to break Israel’s blockade of the Gaza coast.
• US Central Command (CENTCOM) played a role in regional air defense that helped intercept “more than 6,000 one-way attack drones and over 1,500 ballistic missiles aimed at US forces, Israel, and Arab partners,” during the recent Iran conflict.
• Hal Turner Radio reported that JP Morgan Analysis shows the U.S. hits its “Operational Floor” in September. The “Operational Floor” is when there is not enough oil in the storage tanks to weigh down the bottom oil and push it into the pumps to refine it. (The pumps can’t suck the oil into themselves because the oil is too thick and heavy.) If there isn’t enough weight, the thick oil cannot be pumped; refineries are forced to shut down.
• Trump said he is delaying more strikes on Iran after requests made by Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, and President of the United Arab Emirates Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Tues. Day 81 (May 19, 2026) (Day 28 of Trump’s latest ceasefire extension)

• Since the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz began on Apr. 13, 2026, the U.S. has redirected 85 commercial vessels.

Wed. Day 82 (May 20, 2026) (Day 29 of Trump’s latest ceasefire extension)

• An Iranian official said, “All covert and overt actions currently indicate that the enemy intends to restart the war. The people can remain confident that the Armed Forces of Iran have used the ceasefire to rebuild their capabilities.”
• The IRGC said, if the U.S. attacks Iran again, the promised regional war will this time spread far beyond the region, and our devastating blows will crush you.

Finally, are you Rapture Ready?

If you want to be rapture ready and go to heaven, you must be born again (John 3:3). God loves you, and if you have not done so, sincerely admit that you are a sinner; believe that Jesus is the virgin-born, sinless Son of God, who died for the sins of the world, was buried, and raised from the dead; ask Him to forgive your sins, cleanse you, come into your heart and be your Saviour; then tell someone that you have done this.

• duck_daymond@yahoo.com