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By Ryan Jones / IsraelToday.com

As more and more Israelis get called up for active military duty in preparation for a possible invasion of the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, the chief rabbi of the Israeli army (IDF) has been posting inspirational scriptures to his Twitter feed.

Among the scriptures posted yesterday was Zechariah 12:10, a passage Christians and Messianic Jews see as pointing to Yeshua as Messiah.
“And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication.”

Due to Twitter’s space limitations, the rabbi’s post stopped there. The verse continues:
“They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.”

The IDF chief rabbi has posted that verse before, but it seemed to many to be especially timely now as the battle in Gaza rages and the world howls against Israel. It is also timely because of the verse immediately preceding it, Zechariah 12:9:
“On that day I will set out to destroy all the nations that attack Jerusalem.”

The rabbi’s posting from Zechariah came just a day after Gaza-based terrorists fired a missile at Jerusalem.

O Come, O Come Emmanuel (Lyrics)

O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel

O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel

O come, Thou Key of David, come
And open wide our heavenly home
Make safe the way that leads on high
And close the path to misery
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel

Shall come to thee, O Israel

Islamic Republic of I R A N
Permanent Mission to the United Nations

Address by
H.E. Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran

Before the 67th Session of the United Nations General Assembly

New York
26 September 2012

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

All Praise Belongs to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and May Peace and Blessings be upon the Greatest and Trustworthy Prophet and His Pure Progeny, His Chosen Companions, and upon all Divine Messengers.

Oh, God, Hasten the Emergence of Your Chosen Beloved, Grant Him Good Health and Victory, Make us His Best Companions, and all those who attest to His Rightfulness.

Mr. President,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I thank the Almighty God for having once more the chance to participate in this meeting.

We have gathered here to ponder and work together for building a better life for the entire human community and for our nations.

Coming from Iran, the land of glory and beauty, the land of knowledge, culture, wisdom and morality, the cradle of philosophy and mysticism, the land of compassion and light, the land of scientists, scholars, philosophers, masters of literature, and writers, the land of Avicenna, Ferdowsi, Hafiz, Maulana, Attar, Khayyam, and Shariar, I represent a great and proud nation that is a founder of human civilization and an inheritor of respected universal values. I represent a conscious nation which is dedicated to the cause of freedom, peace and compassion, a nation that has experienced the agony and bitter times of aggressions and imposed wars, and profoundly values the blessings of peace and stability. I am now here for the eighth time in the eighth year of my service to my noble people in this august assembly of sisters and brothers from across the world, to show to the world that my noble nation like its brilliant past, has a global vision and welcomes any effort intended to provide and promote peace, stability and tranquility which can be only realized through harmony, cooperation and joint management of the world.

I am here to voice the divine and humanitarian message of learned men and women of my country to you and to the whole world; a message that Iran’s great orator and poet, presented to humanity in his eternal two-line poetry:

Human beings are members of a whole,
In creation of one essence and soul,
If one member is afflicted with pain
Other members uneasy will remain,

I have talked in the past seven years about the current challenges, solutions and prospects of the future world. Today I want to raise and discuss such issues from a different perspective.

Thousands of years has passed since children of Adam (peace be upon Him) started to settle down in various parts of Earth.

Peoples of different colors, tastes, languages, customs and traditions pursued persistently to fulfill their aspirations to build a noble society for a more beautiful life blessed with lasting peace, security and happiness.

Despite all efforts made by righteous people and justice seekers, and the sufferings and pains endured by masses of people in the quest to achieve happiness and victory, the history of mankind, except in rare cases, is marked with unfulfilled dreams and failures.

Imagine for a moment:

- Had there been no egoism, distrust, malicious behaviors, and dictatorships with no one violating the rights of others;

- Had humanitarian values been viewed as the criterion for social dignity in place of affluence and consumerism,

- Had humanity not experienced the dark age of medieval periods, and centers of power not hindered the flourishing of knowledge and constructive thoughts,

- Had the wars of Crusade and the ensuing periods of slavery and colonialism not happened, and had the inheritors of these dark periods followed a course on the premises of humanitarians principles,

- Had the first and second World Wars in Europe, the wars in Korea, Vietnam, Africa, Latin America, and in the Balkans not happened, and if instead of the occupation of Palestine and imposition of a fake government, displacement and genocide of millions of people around the globe, the truth behind these wars had been revealed based on justice,

- Had Saddam Hussein not invaded Iran, and had the big powers supported the rights of Iranian people instead of siding with Saddam,

- If the tragic incident of September 11, and the military actions against Afghanistan and Iraq that left millions killed and homeless had not happened, and if, instead of killing and throwing the culprit into the sea without trial or without informing the world and people of America, an independent fact-finding team had been formed to make the general public aware of the truth behind the incident, and prepare for bringing to justice the perpetrators,

- Had extremism or terrorism not been used to secure political goals,

- Had the arms been turned into pens, and military expenditures been used to promote well-being and amity among nations,

- Had the drum of ethnic, religious or racial conflicts not been beaten, and if differences had not been used for the purpose of advancing political agendas,

- Had the right to criticize the hegemonic policies and actions of the world Zionism been recognized to allow the world media to freely report and shed light on the realities, instead of taking deceitful gestures of backing freedom bent on offending the sanctities and most sacred beliefs of human beings and divine messengers, who as the purest and most compassionate human beings are the gift of the Almighty to humanity,

- Had the Security Council not been under the domination of a limited number of governments, thus disabling the United Nations to carry out its responsibilities on a just and equitable basis,

- If the international economic institutions had not been under pressure and were allowed to perform their duties and functions by using their expertise based on fairness and justice,

- Had the world capitalists not weakened or victimized the economies of nations in order to make up for their own mistakes,

- If integrity and honesty had prevailed on the international relations, and all nations and governments were treated equally and justly in the global efforts to build and expand happiness for the entire mankind,

- And if tens of other unfavorable situations had not occurred in human life,

- Imagine how beautiful and pleasant our lives and how lovely the history of mankind would have been.

- Let us take a look at the world situation today.

a) The Economic Situation:

-Poverty is on the rise and the gap is widening between the rich and the poor.

- Total foreign debt of 18 industrial countries has exceeded 60 trillion dollars, whilst the repayment of half of this amount is sufficient to eradicate poverty in the world.

- Economies dependent on consumerism and exploitation of people only serve the interests of a limited number of countries.

- Creation of worthless paper assets by using influence and control over the world’s economic centers constitutes the greatest abuse of history, and is considered a major contributor to global economic crisis.

- It has been reported that only 32 trillions of paper assets were printed by one government alone.

- Development planning based on capitalist economy that runs in a vicious circle, triggers unhealthy and devastating competitions and is a failed practice.

b) The Cultural Situation:

From the standpoint of the politicians who control the world power centers, concepts such as moral principles, purity, honesty, integrity, compassion and selfsacrifice are rejected as defunct and outdated notions, and an impediment to the accomplishment of their goals. They openly talk about their disbelief in the relevance of ethics to the political and social affairs.

Pure and indigenous cultures as the product of centuries – old efforts of nations, the common denominator reflecting human profound feeling and love towards beauties, and the force which breeds diversity, cultural vividness, and social dynamism, are under constant attacks, and susceptible to extinction.

A specific life style devoid of individual or social identity is being imposed on nations by organized and systematic destruction and humiliation of identities.

Family as the noblest institution of societies and a center emanating love and humanity has been seriously weakened and its constructive role is on the decline.

Woman’s sublime role and personality, as a heavenly being, a manifestation of divine image and beauty, and the main pillar of every society, has been damaged and abused by the powerful and the wealthy.

Human soul has become frustrated and the essence of humankind humiliated and suppressed.

c) Political and Security Situation:

Unilateralism, application of double standards, and imposition of wars, instability and occupations to ensure economic interests, and expand dominance over sensitive centers of the world have turned to be the order of the day.

Arms race and intimidation by nuclear weapons and weapons of mass-destruction by the hegemonic powers have become prevalent: Testing new generations of ultra-modern weaponry and the pledge to disclose these armaments on due time is now being used as a new language of threat against nations to coerce them into accepting a new era of hegemony. Continued threat by the uncivilized Zionists to resort to military action against our great nation is a clear example of this bitter reality.

- A state of mistrust has cast its shadow on the international relations, whilst there is no trusted or just authority to help resolve world conflicts.

- No one feels secure or safe even those who have stockpiled thousands of atomic bombs and other arms in their arsenals.

d) The Environmental Situation:

- The environment as a common wealth and heritage of the entire humankind and a constant guarantor of man’s survival has been seriously damaged and devastated as a result of irresponsible and excessive use of resources particularly by capitalists across the world, a situation that has caused massive drought, flood, and pollutions inflicting irreparable damage and jeopardizing seriously human life on Earth.

Dear Colleagues
Despite advances in scientific knowledge and technology, the aspirations of Adam’s children have not yet been fulfilled.

Does anybody believe that continuation of the current order is capable of bringing happiness for human society.’?

Today everyone is discontent and disappointed with the current international order.

Dear Colleagues,

Human beings do not deserve to be under continued sufferings of the present situation. God of wisdom and compassion who loves all human beings has not ordained such a destiny for mankind. He has ordered human, as the Supreme Creature, to make the best and most beautiful life on Earth along with justice, 10re, and dignity.

We must, therefore, think of a solution.

Who is responsible for all these sufferings and failures?

Some people try to justify that everything is normal and a reflection of divine will, putting the blame on nations as responsible for all prevalent vices and evils. They are of the opinion that:

- It is the nations that succumb to discrimination and tyranny;

- It is the nations that surrender to dictatorship and greed;

- It is the nations that accept the hegemony of Arrogant and expansionist powers;

- It is the nations that are influenced by the propaganda tactics of powers, and most all vices in our world are the result of their passive attitudes with the inclination to live under the supremacy of the world powers.

- These are the arguments raised by those who tend to blame nations for the unfavorable conditions prevailing in the world, with the intention to justify the attitudes and destructive behaviors of the ruling minority.

- These claims, supposedly authentic, can not in any way justify continuation of the present oppressive international order. Indeed, Poverty is imposed on nations, and powers’ ambitions and goals are pursued either through deceits or resort to force.

- To justify their inhuman actions, they propagate the theory based on ‘the Survival of the fittest’.

- While in principle, most governments and nations of justice-seeking people are humble and submissive in the face of Right, and are after fostering dignity, prosperity and constructive interactions.

- Masses of people never want to expand their territories, nor do they seek to obtain legendary wealth. They have no disputes among themselves in principles and have never played any role in the creation of any disastrous events in the course of history.

- I do not believe that Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, and others have any problems, or are hostile against each other. They get along together comfortably and live together in an atmosphere of peace and amity. They are all devoted to the cause of justice, purity and love.

- The general tendency of nations has always been to accomplish positive common aspirations reflecting exalted divine and human beauties and nobilities.

- The current abysmal situation of the world and the bitter incidents of history are due mainly to the wrong management of the world and the self-proclaimed centers of power who have entrusted themselves to the Devil.

- The order that is rooted in the anti-human thoughts of slavery and the old and new colonialism are responsible for poverty, corruption, ignorance, oppression and discrimination in every corner of the world.

The current world order has certain characteristics, some of which are as follows:

1- It is founded on materialism, and that is why it is in no way bound to moral values.

2- It has been shaped according to selfishness, deception, hatred and animosity.

3- It believes in classification of human beings, humiliation of other nations, trampling upon the rights of others and their domination.

4- It seeks to expand its domination by spreading discord and conflicts amongst ethnic groups and nations.

5- It aims to monopolize power, wealth, science and technology.

6- Policies of the world’s main centers of power are based on the principles of domination and the conquering of others. These centers only seek supremacy, and are not in favor of peace and definitely not at the service of their nations.

- Are we to believe that those who spend hundreds of millions of dollars on election campaigns have the interests of the people of the world at their hearts?

- Despite what big political parties claim in the capitalistic countries, the money that goes into election campaigns is usually nothing but an investment.

- In such countries, people have to vote for parties that only represent a small number of people.

- The will and the views of the masses have the least impact and influence on the big decisions especially those made about the major domestic and foreign policies. Their voices are not heard even if they constitute 99% of their societies.

- Human and ethical values are sacrificed in order to win votes and the willingness to listen to the demands of the people has become only a tool at the time of election.

7- The current world order is discriminatory and based on injustice.

Distinguished Friends and Colleagues,

What should be done and what is the way out of the current situation?

There is no doubt that the world is in need of a new order and a fresh way of thinking:

1- An order in which man is recognized as God’s Supreme Creature, enjoying material and spiritual qualities and possessing a pure and divine nature filled with a desire to seek justice and truth.

2- An order that aims to revive human dignity and believes in universal happiness and perfection.

3- An order which is after peace, lasting security and welfare for all walks of life around the globe.

4- An order that is founded upon trust and kindness and brings thoughts, hearts and hands closer to each other. Rulers must love people.

5- A just and fair order in which everybody is equal before law and in which there is no double standard.

6- Leaders of the world must regard themselves as committed servants of their people, not their superiors.

7- Authority is a sacred gift from people to their rulers, not a chance to amass power and wealth.

Mr. President, Ladies, and Gentlemen,

Is it possible to have such an order without having everybody’s contribution to the way the world is run?

It is abundantly evident that when all the people and governments start to think and commit themselves to the above-mentioned principles and become sensitive to the internationally important issues and participate in decision makings, their wishes find a chance to be materialized.

By raising collective awareness, the seeking of a joint global management becomes more vivid with the chances of its implementation increased.

Therefore, Together We Need to:

1- Place our trust in God Almighty and stand against the acquisitive minority with all our might, so that they become isolated, and can no longer decide the destiny of other nations.

2- Believe in the God’s bounty of blessing and mercy and seek it in the integration and unity of human societies. Governments emerging from the free will of nations must believe in their own ceaseless capabilities and know that they can achieve victory if they vigorously fight the unjust order and defend human rights.

3- Pave the ground for the joint global management by insisting upon justice in all its aspects, strengthen unity, friendship and expand economic, social, cultural and political interactions in independent and specialized organizations.

4- Care about the interests of all the people of the world and join hands to reform the current structures of the UN with our joint efforts and coordination. It is necessary to note that the UN belongs to nations. Thus, the existence of discrimination amongst the members is a great insult to all. The existence of discrimination and monopoly in the UN is in no way acceptable.

5- Have more coordinated efforts to generate and propagate and firmly establish the language needed for designing the required structures of the joint global management filled with justice, love and freedom. Participation in global management is the basis of lasting peace. The Non-Aligned Movement as the second largest trans-regional group after the UN, held its 16th summit in Tehran with the motto of “Joint Global Management”, cognizant of the importance of this issue and the shortcomings of the current mismanagement in the emergence of crises and problems afflicting the world today. During the Summit, participating Heads of State and representatives of more than 120 countries underscored the necessity of a more serious and effective participation of all nations in the global management.

- Fortunately, we are now at a historic juncture. On one hand, Marxism is no longer around and is practically eliminated from the management systems, and on the other, capitalism is bogged down in a self-made quagmire. It has indeed reached a deadlock and does not seem to be able to come up with any noteworthy solution to the various economic, political, security and cultural problems of the world. NAM is proud to once again emphasize the rightfulness of its historic decision to reject the poles of power and the unbridled hegemony ruling the world. On behalf of the members of NAM, I would like to invite all countries of the world to play a more active role in making it possible for everybody to contribute to the global decision-making processes. The need to remove the structural barriers and encourage the process of universal participation in global management has never been greater before.

The UN lacks the efficiency to bring about the required changes. If this inefficiency persists, nations will lose hope in the global structures to defend their rights. If the UN is not restructured, international interactions and the spirit of collective global cooperation will be tarnished and the standing of the UN will be damaged.

The UN that has been created with the purpose of expanding justice and re-institution of the universal rights has in practice been engulfed by discrimination preparing a supportive ground for the domination of a few powerful countries. Consequently, UN’s inefficiency has been on the rise. Moreover, the existence of the veto right and monopolization of power in the Security Council have made it nearly impossible to defend the rights of the nations.

The issue of UN re-structuring is very vital and is a need that has been emphasized time and again by the representatives of nations, a goal that has not yet been accomplished.

I would like to urge the honorable members of the United Nations and H.E. the Secretary General and his colleagues to place this issue high on their agenda and devise an appropriate mechanism to make it happen.

NAM stands ready to aid the UN in this essential endeavor.

Mr. President, Friends, and Dear Colleagues,

Creating peace and lasting security with decent life for all, although a great and a historic mission can be accomplished. The Almighty God has not left us alone in this mission and has said that it will surely happen. If it doesn’t, then it will be contradictory to his wisdom.

- God Almighty has promised us a man of kindness, a man who loves people and loves absolute justice, a man who is a perfect human being and is named Imam A1-Mahdi, a man who will come in the company of Jesus Christ (PBUH) and the Righteous. By using the inherent potential of all the worthy men and women of all nations and I repeat, the inherent potential of “all the worthy men and women of all nations” he will lead humanity into achieving its glorious and eternal ideals.

- The arrival of the Ultimate Savior will mark a new beginning, a rebirth and a resurrection. It will be the beginning of peace, lasting security and genuine life.

- His arrival will be the end of oppression, immorality, poverty, discrimination and the beginning of justice, love and empathy.

- He will come and he will cut through ignorance, superstition, prejudice by opening the gates of science and knowledge. He will establish a world brimful of prudence and he will prepare the ground for the collective, active and constructive participation of all in the global management.

- He will come to grant kindness, hope, freedom and dignity to all humanity as a girl.

- He will come so mankind will taste the pleasure of being human and being in the company of other humans.

- He will come so that hands will be joined, hearts will be filled with love and thoughts will be purified to be at service of security, welfare and happiness for all.

- He will come to return all children of Adam irrespective of their skin colors to their innate origin after a long history of separation and division linking them to eternal happiness.

- The arrival of the Ultimate Savior, Jesus Christ, and the Righteous will bring about an eternally bright future for mankind, not by force or waging wars but through thought awakening and developing kindness in everyone. Their arrival will breathe a new life in the cold and frozen body of the world. He will bless humanity with a spring that puts an end to our winter of ignorance, poverty and war with the tidings of a season of blooming.

- Now we can sense the sweet scent and the soulful breeze of the spring, a spring that has just begun and doesn’t belong to a specific race, ethnicity, nation or a region, a spring that will soon reach all the territories in Asia, Europe, Africa, and the U.S.

- He will be the spring of all the justice-seekers, freedom-lovers and the followers of heavenly prophets. He will be the spring of humanity and the greenery of all ages.

- Let us join hands and clear the way for his eventual arrival with empathy and cooperation, in harmony and unity. Let us march on this path to salvation for the thirsty souls of humanity to taste immortal joy and grace.

Long live this spring, long live this spring and long live this spring.

Thank you.

Read the speech in pdf format

… And Waiting For A Western Attack

F. Michael Maloof articles.BusinessInsider.com

WASHINGTON – The Russian military anticipates that an attack will occur on Iran by the summer and has developed an action plan to move Russian troops through neighboring Georgia to stage in Armenia, which borders on the Islamic republic, according to informed Russian sources.

Russian Security Council head Viktor Ozerov said that Russian General Military Headquarters has prepared an action plan in the event of an attack on Iran.

Dmitry Rogozin, who recently was the Russian ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, warned against an attack on Iran.

“Iran is our neighbor,” Rogozin said. “If Iran is involved in any military action, it’s a direct threat to our security.” Rogozin now is the deputy Russian prime minister and is regarded as anti-Western. He oversees Russia’s defense sector.
Russian Defense Ministry sources say that the Russian military doesn’t believe that Israel has sufficient military assets to defeat Iranian defenses and further believes that U.S. military action will be necessary.

The implication of preparing to move Russian troops not only is to protect its own vital regional interests but possibly to assist Iran in the event of such an attack. Sources add that a Russian military buildup in the region could result in the Russian military potentially engaging Israeli forces, U.S. forces, or both.

Informed sources say that the Russians have warned of “unpredictable consequences” in the event Iran is attacked, with some Russians saying that the Russian military will take part in the possible war because it would threaten its vital interests in the region.

The influential Russian Nezavisimaya Gazeta newspaper has quoted a Russian military source as saying that the situation forming around Syria and Iran “causes Russia to expedite the course of improvement of its military groups in the South Caucasus, the Caspian, Mediterranean and Black Sea regions.”

This latest information comes from a series of reports and leaks from official Russian spokesmen and government news agencies who say that an Israeli attack is all but certain by the summer.

Because of the impact on Russian vital interests in the region, sources say that Russian preparations for such an attack began two years ago when Russian Military Base 102 in Gyumri, Armenia, was modernized. It is said to occupy a major geopolitical position in the region.

Families of Russian servicemen from the Russian base at Gyumri in Armenia close to the borders of Georgia and Turkey already have been evacuated, Russian sources say.

“Military Base 102 is a key point, Russia’s outpost in the South Caucasus,” a Russian military source told the newspaper. “It occupies a very important geopolitical position, but the Kremlin fears lest it should lose this situation.”

With Vladimir Putin returning to the Russian presidency, the prospect that he again would order an attack on Georgia as he did in August 2008 also has become a possibility, these informed sources say.

The Russians believe that Georgia would cooperate with the United States in blocking any supplies from reaching Military Base 102, which now is supplied primarily by air. Right now, Georgia blocks the only land transportation route through which Russian military supplies could travel.

Fuel for the Russian base in Armenia comes from Iran. Russian officials believe this border crossing may be closed in the event of a war.

“Possibly, it will be necessary to use military means to breach the Georgian transport blockade and establish transport corridors leading into Armenia,” according to Yury Netkachev, former deputy commander of Russian forces in Transcaucasia. Geography of the region suggests that any such supply corridor would have to go through the middle of Georgia approaching Georgia’s capital of Tbilisi given the roads and topography of the country.

In September, the Russian military plans to hold its annual military exercises called Kavkaz 2012. However, informed Russian sources say that preparations and deployments of military equipment and personnel already have begun in anticipation of a possible war with Iran.

These sources report that new command and control equipment has been deployed in the region capable of using the Russian GPS system, GLONASS for targeting information.

“The air force in the South Military District is reported to have been rearmed almost 100 percent with new jets and helicopters,” according to regional expert Pavel Felgenhauer of the Washington-based Jamestown Foundation.

In 2008, Felgenhauer pointed out, Kavkaz 2008 maneuvers allowed the Russian military to covertly deploy forces that successfully invaded Georgia in August of that year.

Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov already has announced that new Spetznaz, or Special Forces units, will be deployed in Stavropol and Kislovodsk, which are located in the North Caucasian regions.

Russian sources say that the Russian military believes that if the U.S. goes to war with Iran, it may deploy forces into Georgia and warships in the Caspian Sea with the possible help of Azerbaijan, which since has stated that it will not allow its territory to be used by Israel to launch an attack on neighboring Iran.

There had been speculation that given the improved relations between Israel and Azerbaijan, the Jewish state may use bases from which to launch air attacks on neighboring Iran’s nuclear sites. Israel recently agreed to sell Azerbaijan $1.6 billion in military equipment.

A further irritant to Georgia’s President Mikhail Saakashvili is the prospect that Russian assault airborne troops, or VDV units, with helicopters could be moved into Georgia’s two breakaway provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. These two provinces were taken by the Russian military during the August 2008 Russian-Georgian war. Initially they were declared by Moscow to be independent countries, but now the Kremlin is indicating they may be annexed to Russia.

Similarly, Lt. General Vladimir Shamanov, commander of the VDV, has announced that Russian troops in Armenia will be reinforced by paratroopers, along with attack and transport helicopters.

“The Russian spearhead (from the Transcaucasia region) may be ordered to strike south to prevent the presumed deployment of U.S. bases in Transcaucasia, to link up with the troops in Armenia and take over the South Caucasus energy corridor along which Azeri, Turkmen and other Caspian natural gas and oil may reach European markets,” Felgenhauer said.

“By one swift military strike, Russia may ensure control of all the Caucasus and the Caspian states that were its former realm, establishing a fiat accompli the West, too preoccupied with Iran, would not reverse,” he said.

“At the same time, a small victorious war would unite the Russian nation behind the Kremlin, allowing it to crush the remnants of the prodemocracy movement ‘for fair elections,’ and as a final bonus, Russia’s military action could perhaps finally destroy the Saakashvili regime.”

Putin has made no secret that he despises Saakashvili and with his return to the presidency, he may consider taking out the Georgian president as unfinished business. Just as in 2008, Putin will not have much to worry about if he sends Russian troops into Georgia, since there was muted reaction from the U.S. and the European countries to the Russian invasion and subsequent occupation.

By Gil Ronen www IsraelNationalNews.com

Jews familiar with an ancient compilation of Aggadic exegesis called Yalkut Shimoni noticed in recent weeks that current tension between Iran and Saudi Arabia matches a prophecy it contains regarding the year in which the Messiah – the King who redeems Israel and the world – is to appear.
In particular, the recently revealed Iranian plot to assassinate Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the U.S. and subsequent reports that the Arab nations are pressuring the West to attack Iran, appear to fit the sequence of events predicted in the Yalkut Shimoni.

In to the part of the book dealing with the Book of Isaiah, the following passage appears:
“Rabbi Yitzchak said: ‘In the year in which the Messiah-King appears, all the nations of the world are provoking each other. The King of Persia provokes an Arab king and the Arab king turns to Aram for advice. And the King of Persia goes back and destroys the entire world. And all the nations of the world are in panic and distress and they fall upon their faces and are seized with pains like those of a woman giving birth, and Israel are in panic and distress and asking ‘where shall we go? Where shall we go?,’ and He says to them ‘my sons, do not fear; all that I have done, I have done only for you. Why are you afraid? Do not fear, your time of redemption has come, and the final redemption is not like the first redemption, because the first redemption was followed by sorrow and servitude under other kingdoms, but the final redemption is not followed by sorrow and servitude under other kingdoms.”

Persia is currently known as Iran, and an Arab king – or the Arab king – can be reasonably understood, in modern eyes, as referring to the king of [Saudi] Arabia, the Arab homeland.

This passage is relatively well-known and oft-quoted, and some modern versions of it substitute “Edom” for “Aram.” Ancient Jewish references to “Edom” are nowadays generally seen as referring to Europe or the West. “Aram” refers to a part of ancient Mesopotamia, roughly congruent to the northern part of modern Iraq and eastern Syria. The instability in precisely this area is reportedly what most concerns the Saudis, as a U.S. pullout from Iraq looms and Syria’s pro-Iranian regime teeters.

The prophecy bodes ill for much of the world, which, if Rabbi Yitzchak’s quote is to be taken literally, is to be destroyed by Iran before the Messiah steps in.

The identity of the compiler of Yalkut Shimoni is not known with certainty but a copy of it is known to have existed 700 years ago, in 1310 AD. The works it quotes are even older, and go back to early Talmudic times.

By Todd Baker, ZLM Staff Theologian

Q. Many people believe that the Church will be Raptured out, but that’s not true. They must go through the Tribulation to purify the Church. I have been a Believer my whole life and have taught friends about the 7 Feasts using Zola’s booklet The Seven Feasts of Israel. –J.Van S.

A. Thanks for sharing your views—and Zola’s booklet. The Bible uniformly teaches a pre-Tribulation Rapture. Below are some solid reasons why the Church will not go through any part of the Tribulation period as you suppose.

1. The Tribulation Period is signified as the wrath of God upon an ungodly, unbelieving, and unrepentant world.

Luke 21:23 But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.

Revelation 6:16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 6:17 For the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

Revelation 11:18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

Rev. 14:9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb

and again in verse 19:
Rev. 14:19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.

Rev 15:1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.

Rev 15:7 And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.

Rev 16:1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.

The Church however, does not have this same fate
Romans 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

I Thess 1:10 And to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

I Thess 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.
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2. The Tribulation Period is not intended to purify the Church. Only the blood of Christ can wash us clean of the iniquity and sin.

The Tribulation period is referred to as “The Time of Jacob’s trouble,” and God will supernaturally deliver the Jewish people. We must be careful to distinguish between God’s plan for the Church, and His plan for Israel. Jeremiah 30:7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.

The Tribulation period is the time of Jacob’s trouble-not the Church’s

It is also commonly referred to as Daniel’s 70th Week. We don’t have enough time and space to discuss Daniel in-depth, but here is the reference for you to do some research on your own. Perhaps at a later date, we will do an article dealing specifically with Daniel’s prophecy.
Daniel 9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.

The 70th Week prophesied in Daniel is a period of seven years. This is perfect harmony with the fact that the Tribulation period is 7 years.
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3. The doctrine of Imminence is only maintained with a pre-Trib Rapture

If there is one theme throughout the New Testament, it is that of the imminent return of Christ. Any view that holds that other events (most notably the Tribulation) must precede the Rapture of the Church, violates the doctrine of the imminent return of Christ. We can infer from the writers and writings of the New Testament, that the early believers expected Christ at any time. Here are just a few verses that are crucial to the doctrine of imminence (which is only preserved with a pre-Trib view).

Matthew 24:42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

Matthew 25:13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh.
Mark 13:33-37 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

Rev 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

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4. The Tribulation period will be full of signs, and fearful happenings that would alert any astute Christian that the time would be near.

The student of prophecy also is aware that the “abomination of desolation” (which is marked by the antiChrist sitting in the Temple claiming to be God Himself) takes place in the middle of Daniel’s 70th week. It wouldn’t take a mathematician to realize that exactly 3 and one-half years later, Christ will return (bodily) to the Earth, thus destroying the element of imminence. (Side note: Again, the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel and Jesus is beyond the scope of this generic article. There are volumes of studies written about the Tribulation period and should be further studied in-depth.)
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5. The restrainer must be removed before the antiChrist can be revealed

II Thessalonians 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming:

This passage is one of the most misunderstood passages in the entire Word of God. We could devote a whole article to just this one passage in II Thessalonians. But briefly, let me just point out a few things. Notice the mystery of iniquity is already at work. John tells us that “there are many antiChrists” and evil has been at work in the world for many years. But the passage in II Thessalonians is not referring to just “an antiChrist” but “THE” antiChrist (referred to as “that Wicked in the above text). I want you to notice something very important here. Notice right now, someone is hindering, restraining, or as the text stated above “letting” (old word for restraining/hindering). This restrainer is none other than the Church full of God’s Holy Spirit power. Right now, the overcoming Church is the salt and light that is keeping this world from becoming an absolute cesspool of debauchery. The antiChrist could not rise to power as long as the Church is on the Earth. I know you might be wondering “how can that be?” … well, let me show you from the Scriptures.

Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

We know that when the man of sin is revealed, that he will have a government so powerful that the whole world will say “who is able to make war with the beast?” But Jesus has promised that as long as His Church is on the Earth, the government of hell will not prevail against it.
Luke 10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

I John 4:3-4 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antiChrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.

I hope that you can see from just these few passages, that the Church is indeed restraining the antiChrist. He cannot be “revealed” (II Thess 2:8) until we are taken out.
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6. We can look at past examples of God removing His people before judgment

II Peter 2:5-9 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

Here we see the character of God revealed in these two Old Testament examples. Both Noah and Lot were spared from the wrath of God, while the sinful and unbelieving were punished. The LORD definitely wants us to learn from these two examples. These two Old Testament figures are pictures of the end-times fulfillment. Jesus also referenced these two men in His preaching about the last days:
Matthew 24:37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be.

Luke 17:26-30 And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.

So we can see that even in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, there are those like Noah and Lot who will find grace in the eyes of the LORD and be spared from the terrible Tribulation period.
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7. The Church meets the LORD in the air, not on the Earth

I Thess 4:16 For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

For those who believe the Church will go through the Tribulation, there is a big problem. When Jesus comes for His Church, He comes to the clouds and stops. When Jesus returns to the Earth (the 2nd Coming, not the Rapture), He will set His feet upon the Mount of Olives to rule and reign forever more:

Zechariah 14:4 And His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.

Israel (and the remnant of the nations that are alive when Jesus returns at the end of the Tribulation) will meet Jesus on the Earth. The Church will meet Him in the air and evermore shall be with Him. Let’s explore this even further by looking at I Thessalonians again, but this time contrasting the pronouns:
I Thessalonians 4:17-5:11 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words. 5:1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 5:3 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. 5:4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5:5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 5:6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 5:7 For they that sleep, sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. 5:8 But let us, who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 5:10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. 5:11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

Ok, I know that’s a lot to digest. But I’ve bolded the pronouns so you can clearly see who is being addressed. We (the Church) are in the clouds while they (those left behind) are on the Earth receiving wrath. I don’t think it could be any clearer. I might also add, that the message of the Rapture of the Church brings comfort (note verse 11 above), but the message of pending wrath brings anxiety and stress. It’s hard to comfort someone with the fact that they are about to endure the wrath of God.
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8. Some things to notice that are different about the Second Coming and the Rapture (the appearing):

At the Rapture, only those who are looking for Him will see Him :

Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

Now contrast that with the Second Coming to the Earth

Rev 1:7 Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen.

At the Rapture, Jesus comes FOR His Church :

I Thessalonians: 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

John 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

However, at the Second Coming (after the Tribulation period), Christ comes WITH His saints.

Jude 1:14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints.

Revelation 19:14 And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

At the Rapture, the LORD calls His Church up to a wedding/marriage.

Matthew 25:10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

But at the Second Coming to Earth, He is returning from a wedding.

Luke 12 12:36 And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when He will return from the wedding; that when He cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.

When the Lord comes to the Earth bodily (the Second Coming), the Jewish people will have had to flee to the wilderness, and much of the Earth and its population will have been destroyed. (Some believe close to 2/3s of the Earth’s population will be destroyed during the Tribulation). However, the psalms tell us that Christ is coming when Israel (Zion) is being built up.

Psalm 102:16 When the LORD shall build up Zion, He shall appear in His glory.
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But the most convincing evidence that the New Testament Church will be Raptured prior to the Tribulation …
… can be summed up in Luke 21:36 and Revelation 3:10:
Luke 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.

Jesus was clearly talking about the horrors of the Tribulation hour that is coming upon the world. The very fact that He instructed us to pray that we may be accounted worthy to escape this tribulation, is evidence enough to me that we most assuredly can escape this terrible time (otherwise that verse makes no sense whatsoever).

Rev 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of My patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

This promise was specifically to the church of Philadelphia, but it applies to all that are over-comers by their faith. This “hour of temptation” indicates something much deeper than just the everyday trials of life that we all must endure as good soldiers of Christ. This is a “worldwide” hour of trouble that most assuredly is a reference to the Tribulation period.

By James W. Goll ElijahList.com

Abraham’s wife Sarah lived almost forty years after the birth of Isaac. Genesis 23:1–2 says: Now Sarah lived one hundred and twenty-seven years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan; and Abraham went in to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.

Abraham loved Sarah dearly and must have experienced much grief and pain at her loss. After finding an excellent wife for his son Isaac, Abraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah. Genesis 25:2–4 says that Keturah: bore to him Zimran and Jokshan and Medan and Midian and Ishback and Shuah. Jokshan became the father of Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim and Letushim and Leummim. The sons of Midian were Ephah and Epher and Hanoch and Abida and Eldaah. All these were the sons of Keturah.

Keturah bore more children by Abraham than did Sarah and Hagar combined. I think that is interesting.

Before Abraham died, he gave gifts to the sons of Keturah and sent them far away from his son Isaac, to the land of the east (see Genesis 25:6). One of the sons of Keturah was Midian, the father of the Midianites. Some of the descendants of Keturah went to what was called Persia. Others were, apparently, scattered into Assyria. Genesis 25:7–8 records:
These are all the years of Abraham’s life that he lived, one hundred and seventy-five years. Abraham breathed his last and died in a ripe old age, an old man and satisfied with life.

What a way to leave this Earth – as an old man satisfied with life, and with a lineage left behind!

Abraham’s sons, Isaac and Ishmael, came together to bury their father in a cave. What a powerful statement! They came together – they united – to remember their father and put him to rest (see Genesis 25:9). I wonder if that could be a picture of things yet to come. Could it be that our Father will yet do such a work among the descendants of Abraham that they could come together in common purpose at some point and time in history?

Keturah’s Descendants Will Praise the Lord

Isaiah prophesied about the descendants of Keturah, saying: “A multitude of camels will cover you [Israel], the young camels of Midian and Ephah” (Isaiah 60:6). Remember that Midian was a son of Keturah, and Ephah was her grandson. In the next part of this verse, Isaiah mentions yet another grandson of Keturah: Sheba. “All those from Sheba will come; they will bring gold and frankincense, and will bear good news of the praises of the Lord.”

I cannot confirm that the Wise Men were descendants of Keturah, but they did come from the east, where the descendants of Keturah had settled, and they certainly fit the description of Isaiah’s prophecy. (Matthew 2:1–12)

Whether this prophecy was fulfilled literally at the birth of the Messiah or is a prophecy for the future yet to come, the minimum we can agree on is that there is prophetic destiny upon the children of Keturah. These people will rise up as people of wealth and will end up worshiping the one, true God. They will bring forth praise to the Lord!

Now let’s go to the amazing prophecy of Isaiah, which has not yet been fulfilled. In this passage you will see the descendants of Hagar, Sarah, and Keturah come together. As you read, keep in mind that Hagar was an Egyptian and that she returned to Egypt to find a wife for Ishmael, her half-Hebrew and half-Egyptian son. Remember, too, that the descendants of Keturah settled in Assyria and beyond. Isaiah 19:19-20, 23–25: In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the Lord near its border. It will become a sign and a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they will cry to the Lord because of oppressors, and He will send them a Savior and a Champion, and He will deliver them…

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.”

God is going to humble Egypt eventually, and Egypt is going to lift a cry for help. The Arabs are going to cry out due to the severity of their oppressors, and the Lord will manifest Himself as their Savior and Champion. After much pressure, and the probability of an all-out war in the Middle East, God will make Himself known to the Arabic peoples and they will turn to Him. Isaiah described the length to which they will go: “They will even worship with sacrifice and offering, and will make a vow to the Lord and perform it” (Isaiah 19:21). This not only means that they will have a God encounter, but that they will become true disciples and will walk in obedience.

Notice that this move of God will also impact Assyria: Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and other Middle Eastern territories. Keturah children were scattered throughout the vast lands of Assyria! They still have an identity today, but it is obscured because Abraham sent them all eastward into Trans Jordan and beyond (see Genesis 25:6).

Imagine – the very area of Asia Minor, where the early Church of Jesus Christ once flourished, will rise again out of the ashes into genuine, vibrant worship. Lands that appear to be held captive to the devil through Islam will be delivered and cleansed of their impurity. After thousands of years of broken promises, hatred, and enmity between Arabs and Jews, this will truly be a glorious day! A day in history when the curse is reversed and the blessing of the Lord emerges. What a day that will be! I can only imagine!

The Middle East is indeed a complex knot, but the Holy Spirit loves brooding over a mess of darkness. He is an expert at this task. Remember that the first mention of the Holy Spirit is that He hovered over the face of the deep. God loves bringing order out of chaos. The Holy Spirit is a Pro at creating change and making all things new!

There will be, according to Isaiah, a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and people will go freely back and forth – probably right through the middle of Israel – worshiping God together. I can only imagine!

All of Abraham’s Seed Will Be Blessed

The end of Isaiah 19 is so powerful that I want you to read it again:

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.” Isaiah 19:24–25

Blessed are the descendants of Hagar, God’s people! Blessed are the descendants of Keturah, the work of God’s hands! Blessed are the descendants of Sarah, God’s inheritance!

God is the Supreme Multitasker. He can accomplish more than one thing at a time! Biblical prophecy indicates that alongside God’s gathering of the outcasts of Israel to their homeland, He is setting the stage to do a great work among all the descendants of Abraham. Surprise us all, O Lord. Let it be so!

Praying for All the Peoples of the Middle East

Isn’t this good? God has declared a prophetic blessing over all the peoples of the Middle East, because they all have come from Abraham’s seed. The devil has arisen, however, to thwart God’s blessing. A holy war – an unholy war, rather – has raged for thousands of years. The conflict continues to intensify and a massive, satanic battle is coming. But I am here to declare that the Lord is going to pierce the veil of Islam. A move of God is going to come from out of Persia, out of Iraq, out of Syria, out of Lebanon, out of Egypt and, of course, out of Israel.

Times of Darkness Precede Times of Great Light

Now just to set the record straight: From the angle that I presently read the Scriptures, I see a lot of intense bickering and warfare yet to occur before the fullness of Isaiah 19 comes to pass. I am not an ostrich, with my head buried in the sand! Isaiah 60:1–3 lays out a scriptural principle that says a time of great darkness will precede the unveiling of a great light. Gentiles will come to the brightness of its shining, and even kings will bow to the brilliance of this great light. But first comes gross darkness.

Consider with me now Psalm 83:3–8, 16–18:

They make shrewd plans against Your people, and conspire together against Your treasured ones. They have said, “Come and let us wipe them out as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no more.” For they have conspired together with one mind; against You they make a covenant: The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, Moab and the Hagrites; Gebal and Ammon and Amalek, Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assyria also has joined with them; they have become a help to the children of Lot…

Fill their faces with dishonor, that they may seek Your name, O Lord. Let them be ashamed and dismayed forever, and let them be humiliated and perish, that they may know that You alone, whose name is the Lord, are the Most High over all the earth.

Many Bible teachers agree that this text has not yet been fulfilled. This particular group has not yet been brought into an alignment with this degree of hatred. The passage does not say “the peoples of the land of the north,” nor does it say “Germany.” In fact, even Egypt seems to be missing from this list! Who and what is this alliance that conspires together?

Psalm 83 describes vividly a troubling alignment set against a wearied Jewish state. Let’s turn to the pen of Sandra Teplinsky for more details: “Verses 5–8 tell how every nation in the neighborhood (except Egypt) unites against Israel: Edom and the Ishmaelites (southern Jordan and Saudi Arabia); Moab (central Jordan) and the Hagrites (Syria and Arabia); Gebal (southern Jordan); Ammon (central Jordan) and Amalek (Sinai desert); Philistia (Gaza Strip area); Tyre (southern Lebanon) and Assyria (Syria/Iraq). Verse 4 sounds their bellicose battle cry: ‘Come… let us destroy them as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no more.’”

In some ways this is nothing new. As I laid out earlier, the enemy has, from the inception of Israel’s rebirth, been standing close by with a knife to cut its throat! How did God’s prophetic psalmist respond to this threat? How should we respond when we see these things taking place? The psalmist calls for God to glorify Himself – to make His great name and His name alone known over all the Earth. God’s goal in times of testing is to glorify Himself.

He will ultimately use the Arab/Palestinian-Israeli conflict to do it. He wants both blood-drenched peoples to know that He alone is most High – not Allah, not Judaism without Jesus, not global secular humanism, not anything.

What if the eyes of the entire world were looking on at the moment of Israel’s apparent, imminent destruction – the moment when God brings humiliation to the enemies of Israel for the purpose of releasing His grace upon them?

Light Will Overpower the Darkness

Darkness comes first, and then the light shines (see John 1:5). There has never been a contest between light and darkness. When you enter a house, you simply flip the switch and (if it is wired properly) the light always drives away the darkness. Darkness is a temporary state! I am here not to declare the revival of evil – there are plenty of top-selling authors who will do that. I am here to broaden our horizons and to help us peer into the redemptive purposes of God, even in the midst of the most stressful, difficult times of the ages. Light will overpower darkness; eventually, somehow – someday!

The Scriptures I have shared regarding God’s promises to the descendants of Abraham are all for this purpose: to bring light and hope to the very dark situation in the Middle East. But if all we had was Joel’s prophecy we would still be assured that, before this world comes to an end, God will pour out His Spirit on all people (see Joel 2:28–29).

All three national families of Abraham have, by and large, failed to recognize the true Messiah, who is Yeshua, our Lord Jesus Christ. The Jews are still looking for their Messiah to appear, while the others do not even realize that they need one. Although most of them accept Mohammed and Jesus as prophets, they do not believe that a Messiah is necessary. Still the prophetic Scriptures predict that these descendants of Abraham will accept the true Messiah at a critical point in time.

I love the language of Isaiah 19:20: “He will send them a Savior and a Champion.” A champion shall come. A messenger of the new covenant will be sent to turn away ungodliness from Jacob. Yeshua/Jesus/the true Messiah said it succinctly: “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one Shepherd” (John 10:16).

A great spiritual revival is on God’s agenda, and it will encompass all the descendants of Abraham throughout the Middle East, from the Nile River to the Euphrates.

Joel C. Rosenberg, the New York Times best-selling author of Epicenter: Why The Current Rumblings in the Middle East Will Change Your Future, announced that on April 4th he will host the 2009 EPICENTER CONFERENCE to examine several rising global geopolitical and economic crises in light of Bible prophecy. Rosenberg will be joined at the conference by Lt.-General (ret.) Jerry Boykin, the former commander of the Army’s elite Delta Force and the former Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence; and Pastor Chuck Smith, Bible teacher, author, radio host, and prophecy expert.

“With wars and rumors of wars dominating the Middle East, the eyes of the world are riveted on Israel, Iran and their neighbors, the epicenter of the dramatic events that are shaping our world and shaking our future,” said Rosenberg. “Americans are reading apocalyptic headlines out of the Middle East. They are looking for answers to questions like, Is there any chance of peace in the Middle East in the near future, or are we headed toward even more catastrophic wars? Why are Iran’s leaders saying the end of the world is near, and the way to hasten the coming of the Islamic Messiah is to annihilate the U.S. and Israel? What happens if Iran gets nuclear weapons? Why is Russia helping Iran go nuclear? How will coming events in the Middle East affect us as Americans, economically and geopolitically? Were the global crises we see unfolding today foretold thousands of years ago by the Hebrew prophets? And given the urgency of such crises, is there any hope in the world today?”

WHO: Joel C. Rosenberg, Pastor Chuck Smith, Lt.-Gen. (ret.) Jerry Boykin, and others

WHAT: The 2009 EPICENTER CONFERENCE: UNDERSTANDING TODAY’S GLOBAL CRISES IN LIGHT OF BIBLE PROPHECY.

WHEN: April 4, 2009 – 9:00am to 4:00pm

WHERE: Cox Arena, San Diego, and web cast gavel to gavel at www.epicenter09.com

The San Diego event will be the first EPICENTER CONFERENCE held in the United States. In April 2008, Rosenberg, Boykin and Smith spoke at the inaugural EPICENTER CONFERENCE which was held at the International Convention Center in Jerusalem.

EXCLUSIVE: CURIOUS DEVELOPMENT IN SYRIA
By Joel C. Rosenberg

On Monday night, something remarkable is taking place in the capital of Syria. More than 1,100 senior Syrian government officials, journalists, business leaders and religious leaders — Muslim, Catholic and evangelical Christian — will attend the gala premiere of a major motion picture entitled “DAMASCUS,” written, produced and directed by entirely Arab Christians. The film, part documentary and part narrative drama, tells the story of how Saul of Tarsus — one of the first prominent persecutors of Christ-followers in the Holy Land — himself became a follower of Jesus during a miraculous encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus and eventually became known as the Apostle Paul, going on to write much of the New Testament.

It is unheard of in the Middle East to have a major Christian film about the events of the New Testament debut in a Muslim-majority country run by the secular Ba’ath Party, much less have the premiere supported and attended by senior government officials. That’s what makes the “DAMASCUS” docu-drama project so extraordinary. What’s more, the film is hosted and narrated by one of the most well-known Syrian TV newscasters who explains the historic events of the life of Paul in the very places where those events occurred. Numerous events in Paul’s life are then dramatized using famous Syrian Muslim actors playing the parts of Jews and Jewish followers of Jesus.

After the premiere, the film is expected to be launched throughout Syria and the rest of the Muslim world. Sources indicate senior Catholic leaders in the Vatican recently reviewed the film and were favorable.

The remarkable film debut comes at a sensitive time for Syrian officials who are feeling quite isolated from the West. U.S. and European leaders have been sharply critical of President Bashar al-Assad’s government on a number of fronts, for supporting Hezbollah’s war against Israel, supporting Hamas’ war against Israel, forming a strategic alliance with Iran, buying billions of dollars worth of advanced weapons systems from Russia, and building a nuclear facility with the help of North Korea (a facility that was bombed and destroyed by an Israel airstrike several years ago). Syria’s government has never been controlled by Radical Islamic jihadists. Still, it has long stifled activities by Arab Christians to teach others about their faith. It is not clear what the Assad government’s motives are for both allowing and supporting the release of the “DAMASCUS” film. But it is an encouraging development indeed.

It is especially noteworthy given two Bible prophecies — one in Isaiah 17 and the other in Jeremiah 49 — that suggest the city of Damascus will be obliterated in what the Bible calls “the last days.” The Scriptures do not say exactly when or how the Syrian capital will be destroyed. But let us pray that the powerful message of Paul’s life and Jesus Christ’s love and forgiveness for all people is clearly communicated to every Syrian, particularly those in the capital.

Zero Hour Approaches

We’ve been counting down to the year that Iran will finally become a nuclear power ever since Iranian dissidents exposed the Iranian nuclear program in 2002. European intelligence estimated it would take Iran until 2012 to achieve this. Israeli intelligence figured late 2007.

Last year’s National Intelligence Estimate completely undercut the Bush administration’s Iran foreign policy when it estimated Iran was still “many years” from being able to build a bomb.

The NIE predicted: “… with moderate confidence that the earliest possible date Iran would be technically capable of producing enough HEU [highly enriched uranium] for a weapon is late 2009, but that is very unlikely.”

Unlikely though it may have been, the International Atomic Energy Agency found that Iran had enriched enough uranium to make its first atomic bomb on Nov. 21, 2008. By now, as it brings new centrifuges online, Tehran may well have enough for a second.

The head of Russia’s state nuclear corporation, Sergei Kiriyenko, was quoted from the Kremlin on Wednesday confirming the launch of the Bushehr reactor later this year. Iran’s nuclear ambitions are no longer even remotely unclear.

Yet, knowing this, Moscow fully intends to supply Iran with all the nuclear material it needs.

In Gaza, Hamas is claiming victory on the same ground as did Hezbollah in 2006. It survived, and Israel pulled out without meeting all its objectives. Rockets continue to rain down on Israel from Gaza, and Hamas continues to hold Israeli solider Gilad Shalit hostage.

To the north, either out of nervous tension or tactical plan, Hezbollah launched several rockets into Israel. Syrian troops opened fire with small arms on Israeli troops on their side of the border near Sheba Farms. In a couple of days, Israeli voters are likely to return Benjamin Netanyahu to power, which changes the whole equation in the region.

WorldNetDaily reported yesterday of a secret message sent by Netanyahu to Hamas’ top leadership saying that if they don’t stop the rocket attacks against Israel, he will order the IDF to “wipe them out.”

Netanyahu makes three specific promises to voters upon the strength of which he is expected to win. The first is the destruction of Hamas.

The Jerusalem Post quoted Netanyahu speaking from the site of a Grad missile strike in Ashkelon on Monday, saying: “A government under my leadership will overthrow the Hamas rule in Gaza and bring about a cessation of rocket fire,” he said. “The policy of blindness followed in the past years has brought us to this situation.”

The second is the destruction of Hezbollah and Syrian influence over Lebanon. The third promise is left deliberately vague: “Iran will not be allowed to possess nuclear weapons.” Netanyahu doesn’t elaborate on exactly how Israel will prevent it. But notice something curious about that. Not many Israelis want him to.

Taking a step back and looking at the Big Picture, it is hard to miss the fact that events are developing in concert with the ancient prophecies of Scripture.

The Prophet Isaiah foretold the “burden of Damascus” (Isaiah 17:1) in which the prophet predicts the overnight destruction of that great city in the last days: “At evening time, behold there is terror! Before morning they are no more. Such will be the portion of those who plunder us, and the lot of those who pillage us.” (Isaiah 17:14)

The Prophet Ezekiel predicts an alliance between Russia and an Islamic confederacy headed by Iran, or Persia.

Hamas continues to attack Israel with rocket attacks for the sheer joy of the violence of it all. Related to this, the Prophet Obadiah pronounced this verdict against Edom, who is one of the forefathers of the people of Hamas, saying, “Because of violence to your brother Jacob, you will be covered with shame, and you will be cut off forever.” Interestingly, the word translated as “violence” in this Scripture is the Hebrew word, chamac, pronounced “hamas.”

Of all the generations in history, it is to this generation that the prophecies of the last days are addressed. Previous generations looked for the signs given by Scripture, but only this generation can truly see them all come together at one time – which is itself a key fulfillment of prophecy.

The Prophet Daniel predicted these conditions: “And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, ‘Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.’” (Daniel 12:8-9) We are witnessing the “unsealing” of the end-times prophecies.

The same Spirit that inspired the incredible accuracy of the prophets to this point is not likely to suddenly have a misstep. So what does that mean? The Lord of the Universe is getting ready to judge the world. But before that, He will come for His own. Make sure you are one of them.