[Faith-talk] {Spam?} ISRAEL UPDATE, February 12, 2017

[Linda Mentink]

Hi All,

I found this article very informative and interesting, and 
thought I'd share it here.  As Christians, we need to know what's 
going on!

Blessings,

Linda

 View this email in your browser 
<http://israelupdate.acemlnb.com/lt.php?s=54154401df842acc55acd05
702dffb5d&i=34A36A2A101

 

**Greetings To All!**

_________________________________________________________________
_____

I have just completed a world news review report focusing on the 
growing
chances of a new war in the Middle East directly involving Israel 
and
possibly Russia and the United States as well.  I examine recent 
events
that seem to indicate that such a conflict is quite likely this 
year. 
I begin by examining the number seven in the Bible, noting that 
this is
the Jewish year 5777, and also the fiftieth anniversary of 
Jerusalem's
reunification under Israeli rule.  I also briefly comment on the 
new
American Trump Administration and the role it may play in world 
events
this year.  I hope you are informed and blessed by my report.  As
always, you are free to forward, copy or print it as you wish. 
 

**A BUNCH OF SEVENS: WHAT'S UP AHEAD FOR 2017?**

Anyone remotely familiar with the Good Book knows that the number 
seven
holds a special place in Biblical numerology.  This revelation 
begins
with the very first chapter of the first book of the Bible, 
Genesis,
where we are told that the Sovereign Lord created the world in 
seven
days, which then became the basis of our internationally 
recognized
seven day week.  Later in Genesis God reveals to Pharaoh through 
Joseph
that Egypt will be blessed by seven years of plenty, followed by 
seven
years of drought and famine. 

In Leviticus 25, the Creator unfolds His pattern for the 
recurring seven
year Jewish agricultural cycle that ends with the seventh 
"Shmitah"
year.  God then reveals that seven cycles of seven years will end 
with
the fiftieth "Jubilee Year."  Later Ezekiel is told that the
Israelis will spend seven years burning the weapons used in the 
end time
"Gog and Magog" invasion, led apparently by Russia (more on that
later).  The prophet Daniel learns from an angel that a total of
seventy years have been "determined" for the Jewish people before
history ends-the last week of sevens terminating with Messiah's
majestic rule over all the earth.

In modern times, years ending in seven have proved to be critical 
in the
restoration of the Jewish state of Israel after an absence from 
the
world stage of nearly 2,000 years.  In November 1917, the British
government issued the seminal "Balfour Declaration" which played 
a
pivotal role in Israel's contemporary re-creation.  Exactly 30 
years
later in November 1947, the United Nations confirmed the British
"Mandate" to oversee the establishment of a modern Jewish state
within the boundaries of the biblical Promised Land, which 
sparked off
Israel's first war with surrounding Muslim countries.

Twenty years later, in June 1947, vastly outnumbered Jewish 
soldiers
captured the walled Old City of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount,
Judaism's holiest site on earth for over three millennia, along 
with
Jordan's self-annexed "West Bank" and the outlying Sinai 
Peninsula
in the south and the strategic Golan Heights in the north.  While 
these
unexpected conquests greatly enhanced Israel's power  and reach 
in
the region, they also led to yet another major conflict in 1973, 
and
contributed to the 1982 Lebanon war and other military bust ups 
that
have taken place with wearying regularity ever since then. 

In June 1977, Menachem Begin became the first conservative Likud 
party
leader to rule over Israel after three decades of left wing Labor 
party
governance.  This led to many significant changes in Israel and 
the
region, including the Camp David peace treaty between Egypt and 
Israel
and the start of significant Jewish settlement in Judea and 
Samaria,
Israel's biblical heartland.

In the final weeks of 1987, just before I began reporting for the
American CBS radio network, the first "Palestinian uprising" 
began
in the Gaza Strip, which would ignite further regional upheaval 
and
result in many deaths.  Twenty years later in June 2007, Israeli 
Air
Force jets destroyed a nascent nuclear reactor being constructed 
in the
eastern Syrian Desert with North Korean and Iranian assistance, 
thus
removing the probability that Syria and Iran would develop 
nuclear
weapons in the near term. 

Some may argue that our Western calendar is not relevant to the 
Jewish
people who follow their own, far more ancient, calendar.  This 
might be
true except for the fact that Jewish years, which begin on Rosh 
Ha Shana
in September, always end with the same digit as Gregorian 
calendar
years.   Thus, we are now in the Jewish year 5777, which contains 
no
less than three sevens in it!!  Given the biblical significance 
of the
number seven, it may be an extraordinary year for sure.

**WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR 2017?**

Will this year, 2017-exactly 100 years since the Balfour 
Declaration
was issued, 70 years after the UN basically endorsed it, and 50 
years
since divided Jerusalem was united under Israeli rule-prove to be
another very significant year for the modern State of Israel? 
Obviously only time will tell.  However the initial indications 
are
that it may be an extremely crucial year indeed.

To begin with, it has only been a year and a half since the last 
of the
four "Blood Moon" solar eclipses was visible in the skies above
Israel and elsewhere on earth.  As many, including myself, noted 
at the
time, the rare occurrence of such Tetrad eclipses on the Jewish
festivals of Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles have 
historically
been closely related to crucial developments for the Jewish 
people,
including the 1947 UN vote and the 1948-49 War of Independence 
and the
1967 Six Day War.  I and many others expressed the conviction 
that
another major war could either precede, be concurrent with, or 
closely
follow the latest rare round of Tetrad blood moons coinciding 
with
Israel's two week long biblical festivals.  I strongly suspect 
that
this Jewish year, 5777, may well be the time when another major 
conflict
engulfs the region. 

**WAR ON THE HORIZON?**

In my estimation, the foundations for a new regional conflict 
were laid
in the 1980s.  Early in the decade, Iran-in the wake of the 1979
Shiite Muslim revolution-actively switched from being an ally of
Israel to a self-declared enemy.    This new enmity was fleshed 
out in
1982 when Iran fathered the radical Hizbullah movement in 
war-torn
Lebanon.  Today, the movement's militia wing possesses one of the
largest arsenals on earth, including chemical weapons and 
hundreds of
thousands of mostly Iranian-supplied missiles and rockets.  For 
all we
know, one or two "field" nuclear warheads may also be in its ever
growing arsenal.  It is fairly clear that Hizbullah would play a 
major
role in any new regional conflict.

Later in the decade, the radical Sunni Muslim Hamas movement 
sprang up
in the Gaza Strip.  Although Shiite and Sunni Muslims are 
currently
busy slaughtering each other elsewhere in the roiling Middle 
East,
especially in Syria, Yemen and Iraq, the mullahs in Iran have 
succeeded
in allying their country with Hamas terrorists, providing 
financial aid,
weapons, and military training to the radical movement which 
openly
calls for Israel's total destruction, as of course do officials 
in
Tehran.  Earlier this month, Israeli army leaders declared that 
Hamas
is now back to full fighting strength following the radical 
militia's
blistering defeat in the 2014 summer war, during which the 
terrorist
group blasted parts of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem with mid range 
rockets for
the first time. 

Another terror group, the self-proclaimed "Islamic State" 
movement
based in Syria and Iraq, became a fully active player in the 
Muslim
jihad war to annihilate Israel on February 9.  That is when the 
group
announced that it had fired four rockets at the southern Israeli 
resort
city of Eilat.  The attack came from the nearby Egyptian Sinai 
Peninsula,
where Islamic State fighters have been gaining strength for 
several
years.  Israel's highly sophisticated Iron Dome anti-rocket 
system
successfully intercepted three of the rockets while a fourth 
landed in
an open area outside of the Red Sea port city, which is always 
bustling
with mainly European tourists this time of year.

One of the latest threats emanating from Tehran came in late 
January
when Iranian Revolutionary Guards official Musqtada Al Sadr said 
that
any attempt by President Trump to move the American embassy from 
Tel
Aviv to Israel's capital city, Jerusalem, would be considered "an
act of war" by Iran and other Muslim countries and groups, and 
would
be responded to accordingly.  In fact, Iran needs no excuse to go 
to
war with Israel since it has already been in an open state of 
hostility
with the world's only Jewish State since 1979.  What Al Sadr's
harsh words seem to indicate is that Iran is now ready to attack 
Israel
at any time, at the very least via its Muslim proxy forces 
stationed in
Lebanon and the Gaza Strip.

In early February, the Shiite Islamic regime test fired another
ballistic missile in violation of a UN resolution endorsing the 
2015
nuclear pact between Iran, the Obama Administration and several 
other
world powers.  President Trump responded by saying Iranian 
leaders were
"playing with fire.  Later his new national security advisor, 
Michael
Flynn, told reporters that "The international community has been 
too
tolerant of Iran's bad behavior.  The ritual of convening a 
United
Nations Security Council in an emergency meeting and issuing a 
strong
statement is not enough." 

In response to the warnings coming out of Washington, Supreme 
Iranian
Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivered a fiery a speech on 
February 7,
proclaiming that President Trump "should be afraid of me."  He
added that Trump's electoral triumph "confirmed what we have been
saying for more than 30 years about the political, economic, 
moral and
social corruption in the US ruling system."

Earlier in the week, Iranian-backed Yemeni Shiite Houthi rebels
announced that their forces successfully launched a long range 
ballistic
missile that can reach the Saudi capital of Riyadh.  Any missile 
attack
upon the oil rich Sunni Arab country would probably unleash a 
much wider
regional war along with a worldwide oil price surge that would 
greatly
benefit Vladimir Putin's struggling petroleum-based economy.    

Another possible regional war spark is the vicious internal 
conflict
raging in neighboring Syria since early 2011, which has taken 
hundreds
of thousands of lives and always has the potential of spilling 
over into
Israel.  In fact, numerous clashes have already taken place along 
the
shared border, and Israeli warplanes have periodically bombed 
Syrian,
Hizbullah and Islamic State positions inside of the crumbling 
Arab
country.   Several Israeli military analysts say the Trump
Administration's contested travel ban from Syria and six other
regional Muslim countries has also increased the prospect of 
armed
attacks upon American and Israeli targets in the turbulent Middle 
East
and elsewhere.

**THE RISING RUSSIAN BEAR**

The escalating turmoil in the Middle East comes as Russia 
continues to
grow in regional strength and influence, largely due to America's
widely perceived retreat from the region under former President 
Barrack
Hussein Obama.  The prospect that Russian military forces may end 
up
clashing with Western and/or Israeli forces, either by design or
accident, is always ever present and seemingly growing. 

Meanwhile the Kremlin continues to strengthen Russian naval and 
air
force bases located on Syria's Mediterranean coast, which were 
largely
abandoned after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 
1990s. 
Most recently, Russian ballistic missiles that can carry nuclear
payloads have been spotted at Russian air and naval bases in 
Syria. 
Dozens of Russian fighter aircraft and naval vessels are now 
routinely
stationed in the blood-soaked Arab country.  To the north, the 
Kremlin
is busy strengthening ties with NATO member Turkey, announcing in
February that a major fuel pipeline will soon be constructed, 
designed
to bring Russian natural gas to Turkey and other area countries. 
Moscow is already the biggest gas supplier to many parts of 
Europe,
adding to European Union reluctance to rattle the increasingly 
brash and
beefy Russian bear.

Evidence continues to mount on the ground that Vladimir Putin is
planning to invade the three small Baltic Sea states that were 
once
under Soviet control but are now NATO members.  Analysts say 
President
Trump's expressed ambivalence about the North Atlantic military
alliance, along with his desire to improve strained US ties with 
Putin
that were severely frayed by Russia's military seizure of the 
Crimean
Peninsula, have added to the prospects that the Kremlin will 
launch
military aggression against Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia. 

With American military forces now stationed in nearby NATO member
Poland, Putin continues to strengthen his military forces and 
hardware
in the small Russian-controlled Baltic Sea enclave of Kaliningrad 
which
lies between Poland and Lithuania.  European military officials 
say a
new hot war between Russia and the United States and at least 
some of
its allies could break out in the area at any moment.

Many Christian prophecy buffs are expecting Russia to soon launch 
the
international attack upon Israel foretold in Ezekiel 38 and 39.  
I've
already mentioned that I do not share this view, given that the
prophesied end time assault is said to end with Israel's total
spiritual salvation.  Such a "pre-tribulation" attack does not 
jive
with other biblical oracles which reveal that a powerful 
worldwide ruler
known as Antichrist will govern and oppress the entire planet, 
including
Israel, for three and a half years before the final battles of 
history
engulf the Middle East and elsewhere.  However a separate 
"preview
war" pitting Russian forces against Israel and its allies, 
possibly
including the United States, is entirely possible in my 
estimation. 
Given Vladimir Putin's escalating worldwide aggression, and 
Donald
Trump's apparent assertiveness, such military clashes may now be
considered probable.  It may be that in the midst of any pending 
clash
between Syria and Israel, the Syrian capital city of Damascus 
will be
entirely wiped out, as foretold in Isaiah 17.  I suspect that 
this
ancient oracle will be the next one to be fulfilled on the world 
stage
as the prophesied final military and spiritual showdowns of 
history
unfold. 

**PROPHETIC WARNINGS**

Is the explosive Middle East about to erupt in another major 
regional
war?  A longtime friend of mine living in
Jerusalem recently sent me a report stating that several 
prominent
Jewish and Gentile believers have received "prophetic words and
dreams" in recent months concerning imminent war in the Promised
Land.  Although it now appears that Donald Trump may fail to keep 
his
campaign promise to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to
Jerusalem-in the face of intense Muslim opposition to the 
proposed
move-many Muslim countries and militant groups remain upset that 
his
newly appointed ambassador to Israel, an Orthodox Jew, intends to 
live
in and operate out of Judaism's holiest city on earth.  Trump's
failure to echo Obama's harsh condemnation of new Israeli home
construction in Judea and Samaria, and the new President's much
tougher stand against Iran, have surely added to the chances that
another major Middle East war is in the offing. 

Even before Trump was unexpectedly elected as America's next 
Commander
in Chief, Israeli security forces were busy preparing for stepped 
up
Arab violence this year.  Several Muslim groups had already 
indicated
they would mark Israel's jubilee conquest of Jerusalem's walled 
Old
City and nearby Judea and Samaria by escalating violent assaults 
upon
Israel's Jewish population.  The recent Hamas rocket attack upon
Israeli territory may well prove to have been the opening round 
in a
fresh clash between the extremist Palestinian Muslim group and 
Israeli
armed forces.  The unprovoked Hamas attack prompted Israeli 
Defense
Minister Avigdor Lieberman to warn that the world's only Jewish 
State
would "win a decisive victory this time" if another clash with 
the
terrorist militia breaks out.

Many analysts assert that Trump's unexpected election has also 
added
to the prospects that one or more of America's bitter enemies may
launch armed assaults against the United States and/or its close
allies.  I still sense in my prayer times that a major attack 
upon the
American homeland, possibly a nuclear one, is looming.  This 
could
emanate from Communist North Korea which has vowed to fire 
nuclear
weapons at the superpower.  Russia and Iran and their cronies are 
among
several other obvious adversarial candidates as well.
Many American Christian leaders have been publicly stating their 
opinion
that Donald Trump's surprise electoral triumph signals a new, 
more
spiritual road ahead for the deeply divided country.  Some assert 
that
the divine judgments which many were expecting had Hillary 
Clinton
assumed power have now been cancelled.  They point in particular 
to the
fact that the new Vice President, Mike Pence, is a born again 
Christian,
along with several other top administration appointees like Dr.  
Ben
Carson. 

Now residing in the troubled United States after living over 30 
years in
Israel, I would obviously like to believe that no major internal 
or
external upheaval is looming on the cloudy American horizon  
However
it is already clear that Trump's brashness and propensity to 
upset
other world leaders, both traditional friends and foes (along 
with not a
few of his own citizens), is stirring up anti-American feelings 
in many
places.  America was already losing global respect and influence 
under
the relatively hapless Obama, despite his attempts to placate the 
world
with his "progressive" stands.  Under the more nationalistic and
rather bombastic Trump, we can expect an escalation of 
anti-American
sentiment and action for sure. 

Many more difficult days seem to lie just ahead for America, 
Israel and
the rest of the sin-soaked world.  However we who know the Lord 
as our
Savior and King can rejoice over the fact that these dark days 
were
clearly foretold long ago by many ancient Hebrew prophets, 
including
Peter, Paul and Yeshua (Jesus).  In fact, the Lord instructed His
followers to "lift up your heads" toward heaven in response to 
the
world's end time drama because the dark days would signal that 
"your
redemption is drawing near" (Luke 22:28).    And that is the
glowing silver lining behind today's stormy skies. 

Blessings and shalom,

David Dolan

 
_________________________________________________________________
________________________

DAVID DOLAN is an author and journalist who moved to Israel from 
his
native America in 1980.  Although he now resides once again in 
the United
States, he continues to write and speak about the country that
he keeps a watchful eye on.  His latest book, a novel titled
MILLENNIUM: THE LORD REIGNS is available for purchase in both 
printed
and electronic versions at special introductory prices.   His 
first
novel, THE END OF DAYS, which is a companion work to the new 
novel, is
available for a very low price of just $5.00.

HOLY WAR FOR THE PROMISED LAND (Broadman & Holman) is a best
selling overview of the history of the Israel and of the bitter
Arab-Israeli conflict that rages there, plus some 
autobiographical
details about the authors experiences living and working in the 
land
beginning in1980.  It especially examines the important role that
militant Islam plays in the conflict.

ISRAEL IN CRISIS: WHAT LIES AHEAD? (Baker/Revell), which examines 
the
political and biblical prospects for a regional attack upon 
Israel,
settlement in the disputed territories, and related topics, is 
also
available for purchase, along with an updated edition of his 
popular
end-time novel, THE END OF DAYS (21st Century Press).

David's books are available through Amazon and numerous online
bookstores.

FOR ASSISTANCE WITH YOUR EMAIL SUBSCRIPTION, PLEASE SEND A 
REQUEST TO
ISRAELUPDATE-ADMIN at GRMI.ORG

 

_________________________________________________________________
_____

David Dolan, 2536 Rimrock Avenue, STE 400-383, Grand Junction, CO 
81505, USA

Unsubscribe me 
<http://israelupdate.acemlnb.com/proc.php?nl=2&c=34&m=36&s=541544
01df842acc55acd05702dffb5d&act=unsub> from all of your future 
newsletters.