First, concerning the approaching Tribulation Period, God also said, “For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head” (Obad. 1:15).

Notice, that God is talking about the Tribulation Period coming upon all the heathen (lost Gentiles, not Christians; think pre-Trib Rapture) and He is saying, “What they have done to Israel, will be done to them.”

The attitude of the lost toward Israel will pre-determine their own judgment.

Second, concerning Jerusalem, God said, “And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it” (Zech. 12:3).

Notice, that God said He will use Jerusalem at the end of the age to test the nations and to let them decide whose side they are on.

Nations can avoid God’s judgment by leaving Jerusalem alone.

Third, concerning the end of the age, God said, “For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem (after I return the captured Jews to the Promised Land and restore Judah and Jerusalem), I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat (for the Battle of Armageddon), and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land” (Joel 3:1-2).

Thus, we see that the Battle of Armageddon will be the result of two things: 1) World leaders removing Jews from part of the Promised Land after God has put them back on it, and 2) Dividing the Promised Land (the two-state solution).

Fourth, concerning the beginning of the Tribulation Period, God said, “And he (the Antichrist) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week (a week of years or seven years): and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate” (Dan. 9:27).

Thus, we see that a proposal for seven years of peace in Israel will eventually be presented to the Antichrist for his signature; and on the day that he signs it, the Tribulation Period will begin.

Fifth, God said, “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape” (I Thess. 5:1-2).

When the Antichrist signs the proposal, they (the unbelievers) will say “Peace and Safety,” but the judgments of God will immediately start falling, and they (the unbelievers) will not escape (think Pre-Trib Rapture again).

This is the point: About one week ago, Pres. Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and his Middle East Envoy, Jason Greenblatt, recently spent several days in Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Qatar.

They met with Israeli Prime Min. Netanyahu twice in two days, and he went to meet with King Abdullah in Jordan.

The purpose of these meetings was to finalize some of the issues in Pres. Trump’s Middle East peace proposal including what to do about Jerusalem (the burdensome stone) and where to locate the borders (There was no mention of a division of Israel in the media, but “where to locate the borders” is not without meaning).

 

The Arab leaders unanimously agreed to support Pres. Trump’s peace proposal even if PA Pres. Mahmoud Abbas refuses to do so, as long as the Palestinians have a nation of their own with east Jerusalem as its capital.

Some reports said Mr. Kushner agreed to that, and he is also mindful of the fact that the Arabs want the Al Aqsa Mosque to remain open to all Muslims that want to worship there (this could result in the rebuilt Temple not having an outer court).

One cause of concern for this writer is the fact that Jared Kushner said Israel will have to pay a price for Pres. Trump’s decision to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem.

A second cause of concern is that God has clearly warned everyone not to divide Jerusalem. That includes Pres. Trump and the U.S.

A third cause of concern is the kind of concessions that Mr. Kushner may offer to prove to Mr. Abbas and the Arabs that he is a neutral negotiator.

A fourth cause of concern is that Mr. Abbas may be so angry over the fact that he was bypassed, even by the Arabs for his refusal to negotiate, that he will ask Russia, Turkey, Iran and others to help him to seize what he wants in a war.

That war could be the prophesied Battle of Gog and Magog (Ezek. 38-39).

Prophecy Plus Ministries, Inc.
Daymond & Rachel Duck
duck_daymond@yahoo.com

 

A few weeks ago, Israeli Prime Min. Netanyahu was talking about Israel ’s conflict with Iran and Hezbollah in Syria; and he said, “It is not over.”

He recently saw fit to repeat that statement.

I have often said everything Jesus said is important, but the things He said more than once are very, very important.

When Mr. Netanyahu deliberately repeats something, it is very, very important.

On June 21, 2018, Israel Today Magazine carried an article by Yochanan Visser titled “ANALYSIS: Has Iran’s Multi-Front War Against Israel Already Begun?”

Every good student of Bible prophecy knows that Prime Min. Netanyahu was right when he said, “It is not over,” but Mr. Visser’s article generates at least three questions.

One, has the Psa. 83 War started (if there is one because some writers include it as part of the Battle of Gog and Magog)?

Two, are the events that are taking place in Syria a prelude to the destruction of Damascus (Isa. 17)?

Three, is the Battle of Gog and Magog on the horizon (Ezek. 38-39)?

First, concerning the possibility that the Psa. 83 War has started; since March 30, 2018, under the influence of Iran, thousands of Hamas terrorists and Palestinians have been rioting in Gaza, firing rockets and mortars into Israel, sending helium-filled balloons with bombs into Israel, etc.

These crude weapons have destroyed thousands of acres of Israeli crops and forests. And the Hamas terrorists and Palestinians say they plan to keep doing it.

Dozens of Hamas terrorists and Palestinians have been killed and thousands have been wounded.

About 200,000 Israelis are sent scurrying to bomb shelters every night.

Israeli officials say they have plans to stop it, they are prepared for war, they will be forced to launch a major invasion of Gaza soon, etc.

Three days before the Visser article, the situation was bad enough to cause the UN Sec. Gen. Antonio Guterres to warn the UN Security Council that Israel and Gaza are “close to the brink of war.”

Second, concerning the destruction of Damascus, troops from Syria and Iran recently attacked targets in a de-confliction zone established by Russia in agreement with the U.S. on Syria’s border with Israel and Jordan.

The U.S. and Israel had both warned Syria and Iran not to attack these targets, but they did it anyway.

Thousands of people have fled the area in anticipation of a widening war.

Syria and Iran want to take control of this area to create a way to get behind Israeli troops on the Golan Heights and expand the war against Israel.

Many think it is unwise for Syria and Iran to ignore the clear warnings of Pres. Trump and Prime Min. Netanyahu.

On June 26, 2018, a large Iranian cargo plane landed at the Damascus International airport in Damascus, Syria.

The plane was struck by two Israeli missiles while it was being unloaded.

There are contradictory reports on what happened, but one source said the plane exploded and many people were killed.

Third, concerning the Battle of Gog and Magog, the U.S. doesn’t believe Syria and Iran would attack targets in the de-confliction zone in Syria without the permission of Russia.

The U.S. was recently proven right when Russian jets provided air cover for another attack in the de-confliction zone.

Since that attack, Iran has started massing troops in Syria near the Golan Heights on Israel’s border with Syria.

This confirms that Iran is not satisfied with the territory they now hold.

Iranian and Hezbollah troops keep moving closer and closer to Israel’s border with Syria (or should I say closer and closer to their destruction).

On June 26, 2018, loud explosions were heard near the Golan Heights. Sources said Syria was firing anti-aircraft missiles at Israeli jets.

On that same day, Syrian and Iranian-backed Hezbollah troops violated a Syrian-Israeli agreement and took illegal possession of an abandoned UN post in a demilitarized zone on the Golan Heights.

This writer can’t predict whether Israel will respond or not, but Israel has made it clear that the Israeli military is aware of the illegal presence of those troops, and the Israeli military may have to remove them by force.

It is anyone’s guess as to whether or not the prophesied wars have started, but the conflict is definitely not over, and it is growing more serious with each passing day.

Incidentally, before I close, on June 25, 2018, the value of Iran’s currency plummeted against the dollar and massive protests broke out in Tehran.

Protesters chanted “death to Syria” and “our enemy is here, not the U.S.”

 

A report on June 25, 2018, by The Times of Israel staff said: “Videos posted to social media showed protesters chanting: ‘No to Gaza, no to Lebanon’ and ‘Leave Syria and think of us.’ Chants of ‘We don’t want the ayatollahs’ and ‘Death to the dictator’ were also heard at some rallies.”

The Mullahs of Iran badly need silver and gold, cattle and goods (Ez. 38:11-12).

Prophecy Plus Ministries, Inc.
Daymond & Rachel Duck
duck_daymond@yahoo.com