Is the Current Israel-Hezbollah War a Fulfillment of Prophecy?

Two weeks ago, Israel pulled off what previously had only been imagined by Hollywood screenwriters and authors of best-selling spy thrillers.

To initiate an offensive against Hezbollah, Israel detonated explosives hidden within the communication devices of thousands of the terror organization’s top operatives. In the first 48 hours, they killed at least 27 and injured thousands more. Since then, aerial strikes have taken out additional Hezbollah targets, including high-profile individuals such as Ibrahim Aqil (long wanted by the U.S. for the 1983 attacks on the U.S. Embassy and Marine barracks in Beirut) and Hassan Nasrallah (the longtime leader of Hezbollah). As I write this, news reports confirm Israel has launched a targeted ground invasion of southern Lebanon named Operation Northern Arrows to uproot Hezbollah positions.

It’s clear Israel is determined to destroy Hezbollah as a threat to Israel. For decades now, Iran has funded, trained, and equipped Hezbollah. Iran has expended a significant amount of time, energy, and financial resources building proxy forces and positioning them around Israel. Their aim is to threaten (and eventually destroy) Israel from a distance while maintaining plausible deniability when it comes to their direct involvement. Nevertheless, it’s no secret Hezbollah is an extension of Iran. It’s the crown jewel of Iranian proxy forces.

Right now, Israel is in the process of wiping out that prized proxy force. The big question is what will Iran do? Will they simply stand by and watch all their efforts training, funding, and equipping Hezbollah come to nothing? Will they watch the destruction of Hezbollah from a distance and do nothing? If not, then what will they do?

What Will Be Iran’s Response?

As it stands, I believe Iran has only four options it can pursue. Iran can:

1) Do Nothing – Iran could make the choice to simply do nothing. They can stand by and idly watch as Hezbollah is uprooted, dismantled, and destroyed. To do so means Iran is willing to watch as years of meticulous planning and investment in Hezbollah as a military asset literally goes up in smoke. Is Iran willing to watch their proxy army get erased in short order, all while they do nothing? It’s highly unlikely, but it can’t be completely ruled out.

2) Engage in an All-Out Direct War with Israel – Iran could also make the choice to directly engage Israel in all-out war. I don’t think they have the option of launching an attack as they did back in April unless they’re willing to follow through with additional attacks and engage in all-out war. Based on statements from Israel’s leadership, any attack from Iran will likely be viewed as a declaration of war. And given the timing of events (the U.S. election is just five weeks away) and the prospect of another four years of the Biden-Harris administration, Israel will likely use any opportunity it has in the near term to eliminate any threats – including Iran.

If Iran chooses this option, they need to be confident they can survive such a choice. The missile and drone attacks Iran launched back in April were a total failure. If reports are true, the Ayatollah is currently in hiding because he fears for his life following a series of surgical strikes on high-profile Hezbollah, Hamas, and Iranian leaders in the region. Based on the failure of the April attack, Iran may fear the repercussions of a direct assault on Israel – especially if they’re incapable of striking a significant blow to Israel. It also begs the question – why build a proxy army if your first option is a direct strike? Given Iran’s past investment in its proxy forces (most notably Hezbollah), I think it’s unlikely they’ll engage in all-out direct war with Israel. However, this, too, cannot be ruled out.

3) Engage in an All-Out Proxy War with Israel – A third option available for Iran is to respond through its proxies by engaging in an all-out proxy war with Israel. I believe this is the most likely scenario. After all, why build up Hezbollah for decades only to see it destroyed without ever using its full capability?

If reports are true, Hezbollah has over 150,000 rockets, missiles, and drones at its disposal – many of them hidden in deep underground caverns. No doubt, Israel has identified many of these installations. It’s highly likely they will act swiftly to destroy as many of them as possible while Hezbollah struggles to reorganize following the decapitation of their leadership. With Hezbollah in disarray, Israel will move quickly to destroy them before they have a chance to rebuild their communications and backfill their leadership ranks. If Hezbollah is at all capable of acting and launching an all-out assault on Israel, now is the time. Iran will most likely give them a green light to do so.

4) Apply International Pressure on Israel – A fourth option available for Iran involves the application of extreme international pressure on Israel to call off its attack on Hezbollah positions. This fourth option could be pursued alone or in tandem with Option #2 or Option #3. Iran could even pursue Options #2, #3, and #4 simultaneously. While Israel’s enemies constantly appeal to the international community, hoping to apply pressure on Israel, Iran is unique in its ability to apply pressure guaranteed to make world leaders act. How? Just as its Houthi rebel proxies managed to close the Red Sea to all shipping traffic related to Israel and its allies, Iran is capable of closing the Strait of Hormuz – the most critical shipping lane in any body of water on the globe.

As the only way in or out of the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz sees 21% of global oil production flow through its waters on a daily basis. Moreover, this equates to 40% of all the world’s exported petroleum. If Iran decides its best option is to appeal to the global community by closing the Strait of Hormuz until Israel ceases hostilities toward Hezbollah, then many world leaders will be desperate to find a resolution in order to restore the free flow of oil at market prices.

Foremost among these world leaders will be U.S. President Joe Biden. His Vice President, Kamala Harris, is in a tight election race with only five weeks to go. A prolonged closure of the Persian Gulf would cause oil prices to skyrocket. That, in turn, would solidify the current global downturn into a global depression. Gasoline for most U.S. consumers would exceed $10 per gallon. It’s hard to imagine such a scenario takes place and Harris doesn’t lose in a landslide. So, faced with this prospect, President Biden would likely demand Israel cease its assault on Hezbollah.

Other world leaders, whether engaged in reelection battles or not, will also want a quick resolution to such a crisis. Energy is the lifeblood of all economic activity. Without it, nothing moves. Elevated oil prices will result in much higher prices for everyday essentials, and the most important of those is food. Hungry people spark revolutions. So, every leader in the world will have a vested interest in seeing oil prices return to normal.

I’ll be very surprised if Iran chooses Option #1. I’ll be equally surprised if they don’t choose Option #4. My best guess is they’ll pursue Options #3 and #4. If they choose Option #3 – an all-out proxy war with Israel – then I believe Psalm 83 and Isaiah 17 have a high probability of being fulfilled.

Psalm 83 and Isaiah 17

How do Psalm 83 and Isaiah 17 factor in? It’s possible they don’t. Many people who have diligently studied the Bible believe Psalm 83 is not prophetic in nature. Others believe Isaiah 17 was fulfilled in the past, and it does not prophesy a future event. I believe differently. However, I’m not rigid in this position. I could be wrong. In fact, I hope and pray I’m wrong because of what it means for the people of Syria and Israel.

However, this is why I believe these two passages in the Bible point to a coming conflict involving great devastation:

The consensus view says Psalm 83 is an imprecatory prayer and nothing more. I believe it’s a prayer and a prophecy. First, Asaph – the author of Psalm 83 – is named as a prophet in Matthew 13:35. Second, when you read verses 4 thru 8, they cite many of the same people groups standing against Israel today, and they say the same things today that Asaph cites in verses 4 and 12:

“‘Come,’ they say, ‘Let us wipe out Israel as a nation. We will destroy the very memory of its existence'” Psalm 83:4 (NLT).

And…

“For they said, ‘Let us seize for our own use these pasturelands of God!'” Psalm 83:12 (NLT).

Verses 9 thru 18 consist of a prayer asking God to take specific actions against Israel’s enemies.

So, why do I believe Psalm 83 is more than a prayer, but a prophecy of things to come? Because God says He will answer this prayer. In verse 13, Asaph says:

“O my God, scatter them like tumbleweed, like chaff before the wind!” Psalm 83:13 (NLT).

In Isaiah 17:13, we read about God’s response:

“But though they thunder like breakers on a beach, God will silence them, and they will run away. They will flee like chaff scattered by the wind, like a tumbleweed whirling before a storm” Isaiah 17:13 (NLT).

Because of this, I believe these two passages describe the same event. Both use the same words for “tumbleweed” (Strong’s 1534) and “wind” (Strong’s 7307). Also, both verses use different words for “chaff” (Strong’s 7179 and 4671), but the translated meaning of both words is the same. Therefore, it’s reasonable to conclude both verses describe the same event – Psalm 83:13 as a prayer and Isaiah 17:13 as God’s response to the prayer.

So, if both passages describe the same event, what does Isaiah 17 point to? Isaiah 17 prophesies a future devastating event. Again, some people disagree. They say this has already happened, and maybe they’re right. But this is what I believe the scriptures point to.

Verse 1 says Damascus will disappear:

“This message came to me concerning Damascus: ‘Look, the city of Damascus will disappear! It will become a heap of ruins'” Isaiah 17:1 (NLT).

Some believe this occurred in 732 B.C. when Assyria defeated the Arameans, captured Damascus, and carried away its people as slaves (2 Kings 16:9). However, this did not result in the complete destruction of Damascus. It continued to exist. In fact, Damascus is believed to be the longest continuously inhabited city on earth, with a history dating back almost 5,000 years. So, I believe this is a prophecy yet to be fulfilled.

As if this isn’t bad enough, Isaiah 17 paints a picture of widespread destruction in Israel as well:

“‘The fortified towns of Israel will also be destroyed, and the royal power of Damascus will end. All that remains of Syria will share the fate of Israel’s departed glory,’ declares the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. ‘In that day Israel’s glory will grow dim; its robust body will waste away. The whole land will look like a grainfield after the harvesters have gathered the grain. It will be desolate, like the fields in the valley of Rephaim after the harvest. Only a few of its people will be left, like stray olives left on a tree after the harvest. Only two or three remain in the highest branches, four or five scattered here and there on the limbs,’ declares the Lord, the God of Israel” Isaiah 17:3-6 (NLT).

How could all this happen? We can only speculate. But it’s not difficult to envision a cornered Hezbollah firing thousands of missiles, rockets, and drones into Israel. If they overwhelm the Iron Dome defense system or if a weapon of mass destruction makes it through, Israel will respond with overwhelming force – quite possibly using nuclear weapons. One of the most likely targets? Damascus – a city long known for harboring terrorist leaders.

Where Will This Lead?

So, what is the likely end result of the events we’re seeing play out in Israel and Lebanon right now?

Whether or not Psalm 83 or Isaiah 17 play into this, I believe once the dust settles from this current conflict, we will see the stage set for the events prophesied in Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39.

These chapters foretell a future surprise invasion of Israel by a coalition of nations involving Russia, Iran, Turkey, and a number of other nations. The Bible is clear this invasion will come against the modern-day nation of Israel in the last days. It also clearly states Israel will be a land of unwalled villages, living in a state of tranquil peace (Ezekiel 38:11). Israel is currently not in such a state. However, if Israel pursues the goal of destroying Hamas, Hezbollah, and all the enemies on its border – all those enemies that pose an existential threat at the current moment – then we could see Israel end up in such a state of tranquility (at least for a time).

What Happens Between Now and Then?

In the meantime, what happens between now and then? I don’t know. I’m not a prophet. However, I know what the Bible says. Israel as a nation-state will not be destroyed (Amos 9:14-15). Between now and the events of Ezekiel 38-39, something has to take place in order to create the state of peace Israel will be living in prior to the Gog of Magog invasion. It’s quite possible the events we’re witnessing right now will result in the destruction of Hezbollah, Hamas, and other terrorist organizations committed to the destruction of Israel. If Israel wipes out these threats, they may well find themselves in the state of peace outlined in Ezekiel 38-39.

If Psalm 83 and Isaiah 17 are yet-to-be-fulfilled prophecies, then it’s highly likely we’ll see them fulfilled in the very near future as this conflict unfolds. Again, I hope I’m wrong. To be right means catastrophic war. It means the destruction of Damascus. It means devastation to a large part of northern Israel. It means an entire world in turmoil.

It also means Jesus is coming. Because no matter what happens, the world is currently setting the stage for the seven-year Tribulation and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ at the end of that Tribulation. That means the rapture of the church (which I believe the Bible teaches will come before the Tribulation) will occur even sooner. In other words, Jesus could return at any moment. Make sure you’re prepared!

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Britt Gillette is the author of several books on bible prophecy and the end times. You can find more of his work at brittgillette.substack.com.

 

Why the Constant Need to Sensationalize What’s Already Sensational?

In my lifetime, people have made a number of sensational claims regarding the end times and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, most of these claims turned out to be (at best) misleading and oftentimes false.

For instance, take The Bible Code. I remember walking through the local mall back in the mid-1990s, passing the bookstore, and seeing The Bible Code book featured in a window display. It piqued my curiosity. The book claimed the Bible contained secret codes, and until the invention of modern computers, those codes remained hidden. But under scrutiny, The Bible Code’s claims didn’t hold up. Once you examine the methodology used, you realize you could find these types of “secret hidden codes” in almost any book ever written.

Another “event” capturing the popular imagination was the appearance of “the blood moons.” In the years 2014 and 2015, a tetrad (four consecutive lunar eclipses) appeared on Jewish feast days. Many people linked these celestial events with Joel 2:31, a prophecy concerning the Day of the Lord. Needless to say, the blood moons came and went, and the world didn’t enter the end times as some suggested, nor did the rapture of the church take place.

This past April, an eclipse took place over the United States, and its path of visibility intersected with another eclipse path from seven years earlier. The two paths formed an “X” over the continental United States, and yet again, many people made fantastic claims – this was a sign of God’s impending judgment on America, the beginning of the Tribulation, or the rapture of the church. Yet, like the blood moons, the April eclipse came and went – no rapture, no Second Coming, and no massive destruction of the United States.

We could catalogue page after page of similar claims from the past that came to nothing. People love to tout or sensationalize these types of “new teachings” or “new prophecies.” For some reason, we have a need to sensationalize what’s already sensational. It’s important to be alert and vigilant against such claims. We must examine them in light of what the Bible says. When we do, the overwhelming majority of these claims don’t survive scrutiny. Yet, these sensational claims grab headlines and capture attention. This is odd because we don’t need to sensationalize Bible prophecy. It’s already sensational. What do I mean by that?

Define “Sensational”

Look at the Merriam-Webster dictionary definition of “sensational.” When you do, you find this:

1) of or relating to sensation or the senses

2) arousing or tending to arouse (as by lurid details) a quick, intense, and usually superficial interest, curiosity, or emotional reaction
sensational tabloid news

By this definition, the example they provide is perfect – “sensational tabloid news.” Think of all the sensational headlines you see as you walk down the checkout aisle in the grocery store – headlines like “Kamala has Trump’s Love Child” or “Alien Baby Found in Kansas.”

These types of headlines are “sensational” – meaning superficial (and most of the time, false). They’re meant to evoke an emotional reaction, but when you dig into the facts of the story, there’s nothing there.

But this isn’t the only definition of “sensational.” Merriam-Webster offers a third:

3) exceedingly or unexpectedly excellent or great
a sensational talent

Think of a gold medal winner in the Olympics, a world-famous artist, or a renowned musician. By this definition, “sensational” means the pinnacle of excellence.

This third definition applies to the Bible. The prophecies in the Bible aren’t sensational in a tabloid sense. They’re sensational in a “pinnacle of excellence” sense. The Bible’s track record when it comes to predicting future events is 100% accurate.

The Bible doesn’t contain vague prophecies. It’s filled with detailed, specific prophecies made hundreds and, in some cases, thousands of years in advance. Prophecies recorded by men from different time periods and life circumstances who claimed to be moved by God’s Spirit. Yet despite their diversity in both time and circumstance, the words of those men fit together in perfect harmony. How is this possible? Because none of these men prophesied on their own; they simply recorded God’s Word as it was revealed to them (2 Peter 1:20-21).

Bible prophecy doesn’t need to be sensationalized. It’s already sensational.

Here are just a few examples:

1) Israel Back in the Land

In A.D. 70, Roman soldiers put down a rebellion, sacked Jerusalem, destroyed the Temple, and carried the Jewish people to the farthest corners of the Empire to serve as slaves. They tried to eliminate every trace of the nation of Israel, even renaming the land Palestine in honor of Israel’s historical enemies, the Philistines. Rome intended to erase the memory of Israel forever.

But God had other plans. Thousands of years ago, He foretold the long exile of His people. He promised to call them from “among the nations” (Ezekiel 39:28), from “the farthest corners of the earth” (Isaiah 11:12), and from “north, south, east, and west” (Psalm 107:3). He promised to welcome the Jewish people home from the lands where they were scattered (Ezekiel 20:34), and He promised to restore them to the land of Israel from distant lands (Jeremiah 30:2, 10). And this is exactly what He did. Every person on earth is an eyewitness to the modern miracle of Israel.

Think about how sensational this fulfilled prophecy is. Previous conquered and scattered people assimilated into other nations and cultures. For example, Rome and Carthage fought three wars known as the Punic Wars. After more than one hundred years of fighting, Rome finally conquered Carthage (both the city and its empire), salting the earth so nothing would ever grow again. Rome’s goal was to completely and utterly destroy Carthage as a nation, people, and culture. Did they succeed? I think so. Have you ever met a Carthaginian? I haven’t either. But I’ve met quite a few Jewish people.

Despite the mighty Roman Empire’s best efforts, the Jewish people miraculously retained their distinct racial, religious and cultural identity for centuries while living as exiles among the nations of the world. How? Why do the Jewish people thrive to this day while other conquered ancient peoples have assimilated among the nations? Where are the Hittites, Ammonites, Edomites, Jebusites, and Philistines? The answer is found in the Bible.

The Jewish people are still around because of the God of Israel – the same God who promised Abraham his descendants would number more than the stars in the sky (Genesis 15:5). He’s the same God who promised over and over again to bring His people out of exile and back into the land of Israel, and He did it in our day and time. We’re all witnesses to what happened in 1948. The rebirth of a nation almost 2,000 years after its destruction is nothing less than sensational – and the Bible foretold it.

2) Israel With An Exceedingly Great Army

In his Valley of the Dry Bones vision (where God breathes life back into the Jewish people), the prophet Ezekiel saw the Jewish people come to life and stand up as “an exceedingly great army” (Ezekiel 37:10). Zechariah repeated this promise, speaking of a day when Israel is like a fire among sheaves of grain, burning up the neighboring nations (Zechariah 12:6). In fact, he claims even the weakest soldier among them will be like David (Zechariah 12:8). Do we see this today? We do.

What are the odds of Israel winning four conventional wars in a 25-year period? Israel barely cracks the Top 100 nations in terms of population, but its military consistently ranks among the most powerful in the world. The whole country is less than 13,000 square miles (approximately the size of New Jersey). That’s less than one-tenth of one percent of the land mass of the surrounding nations that wish to destroy her. Does this sound like a recipe for “an exceedingly great army”?

Yet, that’s exactly what the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) is. Surrounded on all sides, a brand-new nation that didn’t even have a formal military emerged victorious in a multi-front war in 1948. With Syria, Jordan, and Egypt preparing for war, the Israelis struck preemptively in 1967. The result? They achieved overwhelming victory in just six days.

Caught by surprise on Yom Kippur in 1973, her enemies almost cut Israel in half within 48 hours. But the IDF quickly won back all the territory it lost in the opening days of the war, and the world brokered a truce with the IDF at the gates of Cairo and Damascus. Against all odds, Israel always seems to come out on top.

3) The Gospel Preached Throughout the World

When His disciples asked Jesus to describe the signs of His Coming and the end of the age, Jesus described many signs to look for. Among them, He said this: “And the Gospel will be preached throughout the entire world, so that every nation will hear it – and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14). Many people today take this sign for granted. They fail to recognize how sensational it is.

Nearly 2,000 years ago, a Jewish carpenter with some fishermen as followers claimed His message would be preached throughout the entire world. That’s a bold proclamation. His disciples didn’t know whole continents existed. Jesus wasn’t a wealthy, earthly king. He never wrote a book. He never led a nation in military conquest. Nothing up to that time or since would suggest such a person would achieve fame throughout the centuries. Jesus even said in reference to a woman who poured expensive perfume on His head, “I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman’s deed will be remembered and discussed” (Matthew 26:13).

Today, the Bible is available in hundreds of languages. Satellites broadcast Christian programming throughout the world. Every day, missionaries carry the Gospel to people who have never heard it before. And everywhere the Good News is preached, the woman’s deed is remembered and discussed. No need to sensationalize it. It’s already sensational.

4) Rise of the Gog of Magog Alliance – Six centuries before the crucifixion of Jesus, the prophet Ezekiel foretold a future invasion of Israel. He said a military alliance that includes Russia, Iran, Turkey, and a number of Muslim nations will attack Israel “from the north” (Ezekiel 38:15; Ezekiel 39:2) “in the latter days” (Ezekiel 38:8) when God brings His people home from among the enemy nations (Ezekiel 39:27).

Never before have these nations been in alliance. But today, we see them coming together. Russia and Iran have grown closer and closer, especially since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Turkey, a member of NATO and the first Muslim-majority nation to officially recognize the state of Israel, is breaking from its traditional Western allies on many issues. One of the nations, Afghanistan, is once again under control of the Taliban and antagonistic toward Israel. Libya and Sudan have developed close military ties with Russia. And Russia, Iran, and Turkey all have a military presence in Syria, putting them right on Israel’s northern border. Is all this a coincidence? I don’t think so. Who knows when they’ll ultimately attack, but rest assured, they will. The stage is being set in our day and time for the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38-39.

5) The Rising Mark of the Beast System

Ours is the first generation of Christians able to witness some of the events foretold in the Book of Revelation outside of a supernatural fulfillment. For example, the ability of the mark of the beast to determine who can buy or sell (Revelation 13:16-17) was, outside of the supernatural, impossible for past generations to implement. While a global government could have demanded such a system, it’s unrealistic to believe they could have implemented it and ended all black-market activity. But today? Such a system is waiting in the wings, preparing to roll out.

Right now, 134 countries, representing 98% of global GDP, are exploring the use of central bank digital currency (CBDC). The Atlantic Council hosts a CBDC tracker where you can check the status of these rollouts. CBDC is centralized, digital fiat currency. But unlike the currencies of the past, CBDC will be fully programmable. This means central banks can manipulate it in real-time. They’ll have the ability to raise and lower interest rates on your currency in real-time. They’ll have the ability to put restrictions on your currency in real-time, such as where you can spend it and on what. And with CBDC, governments will have full insight into every financial transaction you make. Throw in tokenized assets and digital IDs, and you get a gated global financial system indistinguishable in function from the mark of the beast system.

In addition to these signs, we see many more, such as:

• The Jewish People Back in Control of Jerusalem (Luke 21:24-28)
• Arrival of the Exponential Curve (Matthew 24:3‐8)
• An Increase in Travel and Knowledge (Daniel 12:4)
• Israel Surrounded by Enemies (Psalm 83:4; Psalm 83:12; Ezekiel 11:14‐17; Ezekiel 35:10)
• The Rise of a Revived Roman Empire (Daniel 2:43)
• The Rise of a Global Government (Revelation 13:7-17)
• The State of Mankind (2 Timothy 3:1-4)
• Denial of the Signs (2 Peter 3:3‐4)

All This is Sensational!

Our generation is witness to the emergence and convergence of so many specific and detailed events – events Jesus told us to look for – and that should command the attention of every Christian on Earth. Because for more than 1,800 years following the crucifixion, these signs were noticeably absent. But today? Today, we see them all around us. For the first time ever, each of these signs is present. The Bible foretold them all in advance. We’re witnesses to these things. Now that’s sensational!

So don’t get distracted by tabloid-like headlines telling you a comet, asteroid, eclipse, or any other imagining of man indicates Jesus is about to return. Instead, focus your attention on the Word of God. Jesus is coming, but the reason we know that doesn’t have anything to do with bible codes, blood moons, or crossing eclipse paths. We know Jesus is coming because the Bible told us to look for specific signs, and we see those signs in our day and time. They’re amazing and sensational. And there’s no need to sensationalize what’s already sensational.

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Britt Gillette is the author of several books on bible prophecy and the end times. You can find more of his work at brittgillette.substack.com.