gaza

end time, gaza, hamas, ISIS, jerusalem, peace

Quick update on Gaza/Isis

Posted on August 24, 2014May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

Life in Israel today:

Warning sirens have sounded over 4,000 times in Israel over 45 days of fighting with the Gaza Strip.

Israelis take cover as siren sounds warning
of incoming rockets near the Gaza border. Photo by Reuters. Source

Joel C. Rosenberg writes of the war in Gaza against Israel. (Biography source). This is yesterday’s update.

War with Gaza Day #46, by Joel C. Rosenberg
(Jerusalem, Israel) — The last 48 hours have seen a dramatic surge of violence here in Israel, and horrific atrocities throughout the epicenter. At the moment it is 2:15 in the morning here, the beginning of Day #46.

Here is the latest:

–Hamas and its allies have fired more than 320 rockets at Israel since Tuesday night when it broke its 11th ceasefire agreement.
–This represents one of the largest surges of violence in the past 46 days.
–Why such a ferocious barrage by Hamas? Because the Shin Bet and IDF just scored an enormous intelligence and operational coup — IDF airstrikes killed three very senior Hamas military commanders.

There is much more at the link.

Bomb Fired From Gaza Kills Israeli Child, Netanyahu Vows Tough Response

In new violence, a 4-year-old Israeli boy was killed by Palestinian rocket fire, while four Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, vowed a tough response to the killing. In all, more than 2,000 Palestinians and 68 people on the Israeli side have died.

Source

A four-year-old Israeli boy was killed by a mortar shell fired from the Gaza Strip on Friday afternoon. The boy, named late Friday as Daniel Tragerman, was at home with his parents and siblings at Kibbutz Nahal Oz in the Sha’ar Hanegev Region, close to the border with Gaza, when the attack took place.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! “May they be secure who love you! (Psalm 122:6)

Why Should we pray for the peace of Jerusalem?

God tells us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem in Psalm 122:6-9: “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: ‘May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.’ For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will say, ‘Peace be within you.’ For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your prosperity.” From this passage, we see that praying for peace and good to come to God’s holy city benefits those who pray. God promised blessings on those who bless Israel and curses on those who curse her (Genesis 12:3), and since Jerusalem is depicted as the center of Jewish life, it follows that those who pray for her peace and security will be granted peace themselves.

Praying for the peace of Jerusalem is most appropriate for a city whose name literally means “peaceful” and which is the residence of the God of peace. The phrase “peace be upon Israel” is found also at the end of Psalm 125:5 and 128:6, indicating that it was a common farewell blessing. Further, Jerusalem will be the scene of Christ’s return (Acts 1:11; Zechariah 14:4), and at that time He will establish permanent peace with its walls. All Christians should be eagerly awaiting His return and praying for the time when the Prince of Peace will reign in Jerusalem.

Jesus also said that we should be peacemakers, which would include praying for peace. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9). And we are commanded to do our best to live at peace with others. “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men” (Romans 12:18). So, God wants us to seek peace among all people, and that would include praying for peace in Jerusalem, especially because of its special place in His heart.

America is not escaping the terrorists’ notice. While Hamas is busy fighting Israel in Gaza, ISIS has made threats against the US on our soil. Joel Rosenberg again

Increasingly, U.S. officials see ISIS preparing to attack Americans directly in the homeland.
“ISIS today represents a direct and growing threat to the United States,” reports National Journal.

To conclude, a biblical perspective by Joel Rosenberg,

At the same time, let’s maintain a Biblical perspective on all that’s happening. Bible prophecy warns us that such terrible things are going to happen in the last days before the return of Christ. Indeed, they are signs that the return of Jesus and the establishment of His kingdom is getting closer. Therefore, as we study the Scriptures, let us not lose heart. Rather, let us be motivated to love our neighbors, and love our enemies, and care for the persecuted church in the Middle East and around the world. We may not have the power on our own to stop such evil. But we can help our brothers and sisters to stand firm in the Lord, and be to brave in sharing the Gospel and to show compassion to the helpless, and to be true lights in the darkness.

gaza, ground war, IDF< Israel, malaysian plane, prophecy

Israel begins ground invasion of Gaza’ "imminent amphibious landing"; Missile shoots passenger plane down over Ukraine

Posted on July 17, 2014 by elizabethprata

It is a big, big news day. Any time Israel becomes involved in a ground war it puts me on prophetically high alert.

Israel Defense Force twitter stream:
BREAKING NEWS: A large IDF force has just launched a ground operation in the Gaza Strip. A new phase of Operation Protective Edge has begun. The new phase follows 10 days of Hamas attacks on Israel by land, air & sea – and repeated rejections of offers to deescalate the situation.

Twitter, Foreign Affairs Correspondent, Channel 4 News Jonathan Miller: “All we are evacuating our hotel as are all #gaza beach hotels. Warned of imminent amphibious landing. #c4news”

Jerusalem Post:
Netanyahu’s office says purpose of mission is to destroy terror tunnels and seriously harm the infrastructure of Hamas and other terrorist organizations in Gaza. Prior to the commencement of the ground invasion, the IDF launched a massive wave of combined air and artillery strikes on Thursday night. The IDF said that the operation will involve infantry, engineering corps, and tank units combined with air force and naval support and intelligence.

Analysis from a week ago, which turned out to be accurate.

“…the longer Hamas fails to stop firing rockets, the greater the likelihood for a ground incursion becomes, perhaps even as soon as within “the next 1-2 weeks,” Nisman said. He further noted that, “This would be a much larger ground offensive than Hamas is anticipating,” and that the operation, “would first aim to cut the Gaza Strip into different sections, then take control of peripheral areas which are used to launch short and medium range rockets.” Former IDF officer Dror Markus echoed this analysis, in a separate interview, indicating that if Hamas fulfills its goals of inflicting casualties on Israeli civilians, “Netanyahu will be left with no choice other than a limited ground military incursion.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Ukraine and Russia are also nations who will be active in the prophetic years, AKA the time just before, during, or after the rapture, as per Ezekiel 38-39

WSJ: U.S. intelligence confirms surface-to-air missile fired at Malaysian jet but are divided over origin

PASSENGER MALAYSIAN AIRLINER #17, allegedly shot down by Ukrainian rebels. 295 souls aboard.

Foreign Policy magazine
What We Know So Far About the Passenger Jet Allegedly Shot Down in Ukraine
A spokesman for the Russian Embassy in Washington declined to comment on charges that pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine shot down a Malaysian Airlines plane. “Why should we comment on allegations?” the official said. The spokesman did however point to an article published by the Russian news service RIA Novosti suggesting that the Ukrainian military shot down the aircraft, not the rebels.

Airspace in Eastern Ukraine is now closed ‘until further notice’
Eurocontrol, which directs air traffic across Europe, said that since the crash, all airspace in eastern Ukraine had been closed “until further notice” and that the European Aviation Crisis Coordination Cell had been activated to deal with the closure.

Obama is golfing.

In other news, GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL. He has kept His had over the fuse that will eventually light the Middle East and He may do so again today. Or He may not and this particular series of events may be the ones which lead the fuse to the rapture. Or it may be that a series of wars began today which the church will be seeing from earth’s vantage point. We simply don’t know, but His plan is perfect and His sovereignty is never in doubt.

I pray for the families of the souls aboard the downed plane. While heaven’s gate was likely opened to receive some, more likely Hades’ mouth was enlarged to receive even more. Hundreds of families are at this moment in shock and mourning at this senseless and tragic act that has rendered children fatherless, wives into widows and families torn by grief..

The Israeli soldiers fighting on behalf of a frightened citizenry should also be prayed for, as well as the leaders on both sides.

For perspective’s sake, I offer to you from 2005 John Piper’s essay, “Ten Aspects of God’s Sovereignty Over Suffering and Satan’s Hand in It“

The impetus for this conference comes from th ultimate reality of God as the supreme value in and above the universe. God is absolute and eternal and infinite. Everything else and everybody else is dependent and finite and contingent. God himself is the great supreme value. Everything else that has any value has it by connection to God. God is supreme in all things. He has all authority, all power, all wisdom—and he is all good “to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him” (Lamentations 3:25). And his name, as Creator and Redeemer and Ruler of all, is Jesus Christ. In the last four years, 9/11, Tsunami, Katrina, and ten thousand personal losses have helped us discover how little the American church is rooted in this truth.

In other words, our vision of God in relation to evil and suffering was shown to be frivolous. The church has not been spending its energy to go deep with the unfathomable God of the Bible. Against the overwhelming weight and seriousness of the Bible, much of the church is choosing, at this very moment, to become more light and shallow and entertainment-oriented, and therefore successful in its irrelevance to massive suffering and evil. The popular God of fun-church is simply too small and too affable to hold a hurricane in his hand. The approach I am going to take tonight is not to solve any problem directly, but to celebrate the sovereignty of God over Satan and all the evils that Satan has a hand in.

You should click here to read in full the ten things we celebrate in our Almighty and Sovereign God. He is still on the throne, praise Him. Here are some highlights

1. Let us celebrate that God is sovereign over Satan’s delegated world rule.
2. Let us celebrate that God is sovereign over Satan’s angels (demons, evil spirits).
3. Let us celebrate that God is sovereign over Satan’s hand in persecution.
4. Let us celebrate that God is sovereign over Satan’s life-taking power.

It is a time to mourn, but it is also a time to celebrate.

A Time for Everything

1For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

2a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

cease fire, gaza, hamas, israel

Updated- it is effect now. Hamas, Israel agree to cease fire

Posted on November 21, 2012 by elizabethprata

NBC News reports, “Israel and Hamas have agreed to a cease-fire, the Egyptian foreign minister said Wednesday in a press conference, after eight days of fighting that have killed more than 140 Palestinians and five Israelis. The cease-fire is set to start at 9 p.m. Cairo time, Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr announced alongside U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.”

Right now it is 8PM in Cairo.

PM of Israel tweeted: ‏@IsraeliPM “PM #Netanyahu spoke with Pres Obama; accepted his recommendation to give Egyptian proposal for a ceasefire a chance”.

I think Israel probably achieved its objectives and thus had less to lose by agreeing to a cease fire. Where this will go in the next days is anybody’s guess. We know from the bible that this isn’t over. Keep praying.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The cease fire is in effect officially as of now. However alerts are still going off in southern Israeli towns and after the cease fire deadline passed a rocket did explode. Pray that it was the last one.

gaza, hamas, IDF, jerusalem, jesus, prophecy, rocket

Hamas fires rocket at Jerusalem again, lands at Bethlehem

Posted on November 20, 2012May 9, 2016 by elizabethprata

Joel C. Rosenberg tweeted this morning, ‏@JoelCRosenberg, “Air raid sirens sounded in Jerusalem. All clear now. Missile hit near Bethlehem. No casualties reported. Keep praying. #PillarOfDefense”

“Michael Lawrence, @IsraelSpeaker, reacted this way, “This afternoon’s long-range Hamas missile fell near Bethlehem, holy town for the Christian world. Why is this allowed?”

I didn’t think my spiritual pain could worsen when I’d read the other day that Hamas launched a rocket at Jerusalem but it did when I’d read that the little town of Bethlehem was hit. I admit I began to cry. I honestly don’t know why it hit me so hard.

There are many protests and clashes going on in Bethlehem right now, too. Jerusalem Post reports-

W. Bank: Palestinians protest, clash with IDF troops
“More anti-Israel protests erupted in the West Bank Tuesday as Palestinians took to the streets and clashed with IDF troops. The worst clashes took place in Bethlehem and Hebron, where IDF soldiers used rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse stone-throwers.”

As we approach the season of our Holy Savior’s birth in that tiny village, we always envision this kind of peaceful scene–

Source

Phillips Brooks wrote the lyrics to O Little Town of Bethlehem. He described his horseback journey from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, where he assisted with the midnight service on Christmas Eve, 1865:

“I remember standing in the old church in Bethlehem, close to the spot where Jesus was born, when the whole church was ringing hour after hour with splendid hymns of praise to God, how again and again it seemed as if I could hear voices I knew well, telling each other of the Wonderful Night of the Savior’s birth.”

And we never envision this kind of violent scene-

Palestinian youths throw stones at Israeli security forces
Friday in a West Bank village near Bethlehem. source

On Twitter, a Stephanie Bond wrote “Oh little town of Bethlehem how still we see thee riot!” And she posted this photo —

As for the present clashes between Israel and Gaza, there are rumors flying around that change every minute. There is a cease-fire about to be announced. There is no cease fire. Israel does not want a cease-fire. Gaza does not want a cease fire. They are under pressure to accept a cease fire…and on and on it goes. Credible news outlets like CNN, Reuters, JPost and others on Twitter tweet all the above and sometimes at the same time. All I can say for sure is that things are changing by the minute.

The only thing that does not change is Christ’s love for His people- all people, for now. The IDF soldiers, the Muslim rock throwers and the Christians in the little town of Bethlehem. This is the time of Grace. Soon it will be the time of wrath, where there is no grace.

Micah 5:2 spoke of Bethlehem where the savior would be born. We associate the swaddling babe with that city and rightly so. But the same Micah reminds us just a few verses later that Jesus

“in anger and wrath I will execute vengeance on the nations that did not obey.” (Micah 5:15)

The day of grace will end.

Acts 17:30-31 reminds us of that fact-

“The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

In Revelation 6 we read that the souls of the slain cry for vengeance upon the earth.

“When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” ” (Revelation 6:9-10)

MacArthur explains this thirst for vengeance, and it is not what it seems–

“These prayers are not personal vendettas, they’re not thirst for personal revenge. Their holy desire is for the end of iniquity. Their holy desire is for the destruction of Satan. Their holy desire is for the devastation of Antichrist and the false prophet and all who followed him. Iniquity has reached its height in the slaughter, how long until You avenge our blood on…then this phrase, “Those who dwell on the earth?” … Now as we look at Revelation chapter 6 tonight, we are going to come face to face with God’s vengeance. The time of grace is really coming to its end.”

For all those who think that the grace will continue to those who dwell on the earth forever, you’re wrong. I do not know how long our Holy Savior will patiently endure the attacks at Jerusalem and on the people of the apple of His eye. Appeal to Him now while grace is still here. (Isaiah 55:6). Be His recipient of it now!

Here, the Vienna Boys Choir sings O Little Town of Bethlehem. It is grace, grace, grace Who came to us wrapped in flesh to save the world and those who dwell in it. I cry today because they bomb it and throw stones at it and spit on it. How long, O Lord? The Lord uses Zechariah to remind them and us that His patience will not remain forever–

“For thus said the Lord of hosts, after his glory sent me to the nations who plundered you, for he who touches you touches the apple of his eye: “Behold, I will shake my hand over them, and they shall become plunder for those who served them. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me. Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the Lord. And many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. And the Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem.” (Zechariah 2:8-13)

Such glorious promises! But Zechariah ends the verse with this:

“Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.”

And what a day that will be!! A day of wrath and not of grace. Therefore “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15b)

They begin singing at 1:33.

gaza, hamas, israel, prophecy

Israel gives Hamas ultimatum: ‘You have 36 hours’

Posted on November 19, 2012 by elizabethprata

Israel gives Hamas ultimatum
Unless the rocket fire at Israel ceases within 36 hours, the IDF will expand Operation Pillar of Cloud.
“On the sixth day of Operation Pillar of Cloud, the question exercising Israel’s political and military leadership is whether to launch a ground attack and substantially expand the operation, or to strive for a cease-fire. While the intense rocket fire on Israel’s southern settlements continues and the Israel Air Force continues to operate in the Gaza Strip, there are talks on a cease-fire arrangement between Israel and Hamas with Egyptian mediation. Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) reports this morning that the gaps between the demands of Hamas and the terms Israel wants are very wide. Jerusalem has therefore given Hamas an ultimatum that unless a cease-fire is reached within 36 hours, Operation Pillar of Cloud will be expanded.”

Russia Today reports, “Israel’s Finance Minister told IDF radio the time left before Israel escalates its attacks can be measured in “hours, not days.”

confirm a covenant, gaza, Golan Heights, israel, prophecy, truce

Confirming a covenant

Posted on November 18, 2012 by elizabethprata

Israel and Hamas in Gaza are talking truce.

Israel, Gaza fighting rages on as Egypt seeks truce
“Israel bombed Palestinian militant targets in the Gaza Strip from air and sea for a fifth straight day on Sunday, preparing for a possible ground invasion while also spelling out its conditions for a truce. … “We are exacting a heavy price from Hamas and the terrorist organizations and the Israel Defence Forces are prepared for a significant expansion of the operation,” he said at a cabinet meeting, giving no further details. Israel’s declared goal is to deplete Gaza arsenals and press Hamas into stopping cross-border rocket fire that has bedeviled Israeli border towns for years and is now displaying greater range, putting Tel Aviv and Jerusalem in the crosshairs. … Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi said in Cairo, as his security deputies sought to broker a truce with Hamas leaders, that “there are some indications that there is a possibility of a ceasefire soon, but we do not yet have firm guarantees”.”

It should be noted that Egypt and Israel have a peace treaty in force, negotiated by Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin in 1979. Sadat was the most hated man in the Middle East for having signed the treaty. He was assassinated in 1981. Vice-President Hosni Mubarak assumed the presidency and kept the treaty going when Sadat was assassinated. In 2011, when the Muslim Brotherhood came to power, they said they wanted to break the treaty.

Joel Rosenberg said with characteristic caution today, “The current war here between Hamas and Israel is terrible, and traumatic, and is drawing the attention of the whole world. Many people are Tweeting me to ask if this is a prophetic war and whether it will lead to the battle of Armageddon. Operation Pillar of Defense is not the beginning of the battle of Armageddon. It is not the end of the world as we know it. There is no evidence — at the moment, at least — that it is one of the specific wars against Israel that are mentioned in Bible prophecy. Still, this war could begin to establish the conditions that will lead to some of the most dramatic End Times prophecies in the Bible coming to pass in the not-too-distant future. Please keep praying for the Lord to comfort and protect the millions of Israelis and Palestinians on both sides who are being so deeply affected by the current conflict.”

I’m looking at the brokering a truce in the mirror of the Daniel 9:27 prophecy. It is widely interpreted that the Daniel prophecy is the gateway to the Tribulation. Here is what the verse says-

“And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”

The “he” mentioned in the verse is the antichrist. He will be of the Roman sphere (Chapters 2 & 7). The verse literally says he will ’cause to prevail’ or confirm a pact with Israel that he will break in the middle of the time. (MacArthur’s Study Notes).

You note that the verse doesn’t say that he will create a covenant, but will confirm one, indicating a covenant, pact, or treaty already exists and that is brought back to the table.

We don’t want to be alarmist, while at the same time we want to be watching events closely out of respect for Gods’s word and in order to pray for those affected and to encourage each other. If Egypt brokers a covenant to cease fire, will this be the one spoken of by Daniel? It may be, or it may not be. Personally I don’t think so. I think the time is not quite yet.

Of all the wars that are prophesied to come in the end of days, as Rosenberg mentioned, this current hot war could be the one or it could lead to the one. If they do broker a truce and it is for a period of seven years, we will know that it is the one.

We keep watching and praying.

Meanwhile, Syria and Israel exchanged fire last night at the Golan Heights.
“There was small arms fire (at Israeli forces), there was a response and from what I hear over Arab media it appears Syrian soldiers were killed,” Brigadier-General Yoav Mordechai, Israel’s chief military spokesman, told Army Radio.He said Israel was trying not to be dragged into battles between Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces and rebels. The chaos of the 20-month-old insurgency often makes independent assessment of casualties within Syria difficult.”

Israel is certainly surrounded.

azores, china, fajr-5, gaza, israel, kuril, prophecy

China eyes US base, sun’s humongous eruption, Israel prepares for 7 weeks of war

Posted on November 17, 2012 by elizabethprata

Some random news:

Humongous Eruption:

A truly gigantic explosion happened on the sun yesterday. On Nov. 16th, magnetic fields snaking halfway across the sun’s southern hemisphere erupted in tandem, producing a prominence so big, it doesn’t fit inside this image from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). Spaceweather.com has the photo and video

Israel told to prepare for 7 weeks of war:

Joel Rosenberg wrote today that “Israeli PM Netanyahu and his Security Cabinet have just concluded their classified meeting, which has lasted for hours. Only a few details have been released concerning their conclusions. But the main two are ominous:
* Israel’s Home Front Command has been ordered to tell the nation to prepare for 7 weeks of war.
* 75,000 IDF reserve soldiers are definitely being called up for action — up from 30,000 on Thursday, and 16,000 on Wednesday.”

Facts straight from IDF:

Israel Defense Force has a twitter stream. It is called @IDFSpokeperson. It is good to get the news directly from the IDF. He wrote today,
“This morning, the IDF targeted Mohammed Kaleb, a senior member of Hamas’ air defense unit in Gaza.
“A short while ago, the IDF targeted a senior #Hamas operative in Gaza who was in charge of the group’s weapons smuggling operations.”
“Some numbers from the last 3 days: 492 rockets fired from Gaza hit Israel + 245 Iron Dome interceptions = 737 rockets fired at us”

Fajr-5 Rockets:

The rocket that almost reached Jerusalem was a Fajr-R. Fajr 5 rockets can be fired from the back of a 6×6 truck to hit targets up to 75 kilometres (46 miles) away. These rockets are new to the Hamas arsenal. The Fajr 5 rocket has a far greater range than the home-produced Qassam rockets normally used by Palestinian militants in Gaza to target Israel, but neither are very accurate, defence analysts say. ” It is suspected that because Iran is the proxy behind Hamas that it was Iran who supplied the Fajr-5 to Hamas. Of course, they deny it.

Lebanon, Iran on alert

“The flow of arms to Gaza has not ceased despite Israel’s massive airstrikes in the Hamas-ruled territory, the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar reported Saturday. According to the Hezbollah-affiliated newspaper, a “considerable” amount of long-range missiles have been transferred to Gaza over the past 24 hours. Al-Akhbar also said Hezbollah and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards have declared a state of alert.”

Plume Spotted at Chirpoi in the Kuril Islands

“Located almost halfway between the Kamchatka Peninsula’s southern end and the northern tip of Hokkaido, Chirpoi is an isolated volcanic complex on its own island. Chirpoi actually refers to a cluster of volcanic features, including an 9-km-wide caldera and a series of smaller cones, including the active Snow Cone (I chuckled a bit at that). Two eruptions (that we know of) occurred at Snow over the 20th century, the most recent being a VEI 2 in 1962. However, the volcano did produce an eruption that was at least a VEI 4 back in 1712/3.”

“Now, as many of you know, trying to find a clear picture of the Kuril Islands via satellite can be tricky. Fabrice provided me with a small image of what looks like a plume seen on November 16. I looked back through some of the Terra and Aqua images and found a clear picture of the plume on November 11 in the Terra imagery (see above), drifting off to the southeast (towards bottom right). I’ve labeled the plume and some nearby islands and volcanoes to help get your bearings. The plume looks mainly white, which might suggest it is many a steam plume right now, but it is hard to tell from this image alone. KVERT doesn’t tend provide information about the Kuril Islands other than the northernmost, and Chirpoi’s remote location just might mean no one has been out there to notice the activity. However, this image and a MODIS thermal anomaly (as reported by Volcano Discovery and Fabrice) suggest that something is going on at Chirpoi, but so far, there isn’t any evidence of a full eruption, but rather a vigorous steam plume.”

Iran ready to double uranium enrichment at Fordo – IAEA

“A leaked report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said there were 2,784 centrifuges at Fordo, and that Iran could soon double the number operating from 700 to 1,400. The development is likely to fuel Western suspicions that Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons.”

China in Azores military base grab

The National Review reports this week that while we’re all looking at the economy or the Middle East, there is a Red Flag Over the Atlantic. They write:

“On June 27, a plane carrying Wen Jiabao made a “technical” stop on the island of Terceira, in the Azores. Following an official greeting by Alamo Meneses, the regional secretary of environment of the sea, the Chinese premier spent four hours touring the remote Portuguese outpost in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.”

“Wen’s Terceira walkabout, which followed a four-nation visit to South America, largely escaped notice at the time, but alarm bells should have immediately gone off in Washington and in European capitals. For one thing, Wen’s last official stop on the trip was Santiago, the capital of Chile. Flights from Chile to China normally cross the Pacific, not the Atlantic, so there was no reason for his plane to be near the Azores. Moreover, those who visit the Azores generally favor other islands in the out-of-the-way chain.”

“Terceira, however, has one big attraction for Beijing: Air Base No. 4. Better known as Lajes Field, the facility where Premier Wen’s 747 landed in June is jointly operated by the U.S. Air Force and its Portuguese counterpart. If China controlled the base, the Atlantic would no longer be secure. From the 10,865-foot runway on the northeast edge of the island, Chinese planes could patrol the northern and central portions of the Atlantic and thereby cut air and sea traffic between the U.S. and Europe. Beijing would also be able to deny access to the nearby Mediterranean Sea.”

It is a good article. You should read it. Remember, the Russians crept in to close territorial waters not once, but twice undetected recently. Once in the Gulf of Mexico, and they hung out there a while, and the other was off the eastern seaboard near Kings Bay GA where we maintain a huge submarine base.

The Kings of the East rise up, according to prophecy. (Revelation 16:12).

From the heights of the sun, to the depths under the volcano, to the humans on the earth from east to west, things are active.

gaza, israel, pillar of cloud, pillar of defense, prophecy

Updated, Explosion in Tel Aviv. VIDEO: Commanders Prepare Troops for Ground Invasion

Posted on November 16, 2012 by elizabethprata

Breaking News (@‏BreakingNews) reports this morning: “Explosion heard in Tel Aviv area after sirens sound, witnesses say “- source Reuters.

Gaza/Hamas barrage Tel Aviv with rockets in successive fire this morning. Explosions heard, mobile phones down. No word on casualties or injuries. Follow BBC< Reuters or BreakingNews on Twitter FMI. ——————————– Posted by Israel's Arutz Sheva this morning, our time. It is midday there.

“IDF commanders began Friday morning to brief their troops in of a possible ground operation in Gaza. Thousands of reservists have been called up for duty, and a total of at least 16,000will be summoned for service. While troops gathered outside Gaza, terrorists in the area continued their attacks on civilian communities in southern Israel. More than 40 rockets have been fired since Friday morning. At least two rockets were fired at the city of Be’er Sheva. The Iron Dome system successfully shot them down. Four rockets were fired at Ashdod shortly before 11 a.m. They, too, were shot down by Iron Dome. Earlier in the morning terrorists fired a rocket that hit next to a residential building in the city, causing damage and sending four people into shock. A short time later, terrorists hit a broadcast truck with an anti-tank missile. The truck went up in flames, but nobody was injured.”

Operation Pillar of Cloud: Egypt and Assyria have a dim near future but a bright Millennium future

Posted on November 15, 2012 by elizabethprata

The rockets that Hamas terrorists launched at Tel Aviv happened in the middle of the day, Eastern US time. It landed 15Km from the city in a densely populated area-

Times of India reports, “Militants defied a major Israeli bombing campaign across Gaza on Thursday, firing off volleys of rockets which killed three Israelis and sparked panic in Tel Aviv. It was the farthest distance ever attained by fire from Gaza. Defence Minister Ehud Barak gave the go-ahead for 30,000 reservists to be called up, with the army saying it was “in the process of expanding the campaign.”

There is much propaganda on the side of the Gazans and Hamas. This Israel National News report explains:

“Barely one day into the fighting in Hamas-run Gaza, the locals are hard at work playing the victim for the world’s press. Footage from the BBC captured by watchdog group Honest Reporting shows a heavy man lying on the ground and being carried away by residents, apparently after being injured by an Israeli attack. Moments later, that same man again fills the frame, except he is walking about and obviously unhurt. The widespread staging of such victim situations is a favored tactic of Arabs fighting Israel and has come to be known as “Pallywood.” Because Israel is stronger militarily, the Arabs cling to the underdog image of poor refugees under occupation and siege by evil Israelis, thus eliciting sympathy.”

The foray is named Pillar of Cloud, in Hebrew. The news magazine Israel Today wrote,

“Israel on Wednesday evening launched a major aerial campaign against terrorist targets across the Gaza Strip under the banner of “Operation Pillar of Cloud.” The action comes after days of incessant terrorist rocket fire against the residents of southern Israel.”

That Israel chose to use that name for this military engagement is so interesting. 38 percent of names given to Israeli military operations and weaponry between 1948 and 2007 alluded to the Bible. This present one, of course, evokes the verses in Deuteronomy 31:15:

“And the LORD appeared in the tent in a pillar of cloud. And the pillar of cloud stood over the entrance of the tent.’

and in Exodus 13:21-22,

“And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.”

It is so amazing that this foray which involves Egypt is named that, but even more so what struck me was the mention of the cloud in Isaiah 19:1

“An oracle concerning Egypt. Behold, the Lord is riding on a swift cloud and comes to Egypt; and the idols of Egypt will tremble at his presence, and the heart of the Egyptians will melt within them.”

The near future of Egypt is extremely dim. If you read Isaiah 19 it foretells of some dire things for the Egyptian people. The prophetic chapter is easy to read and understand. Toward the end of the chapter, the future becomes gloriously brighter as we read verse 20 to verse 25:

“When they cry to the Lord because of oppressors, he will send them a savior and defender, and deliver them. And the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians will know the Lord in that day and worship with sacrifice and offering, and they will make vows to the Lord and perform them. And the Lord will strike Egypt, striking and healing, and they will return to the Lord, and he will listen to their pleas for mercy and heal them. In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and Assyria will come into Egypt, and Egypt into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians. In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom the Lord of hosts has blessed, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance.”

Those are the only three nations to be specifically mentioned as existing in the Millennium and even more incredible is that each receives a specific compliment from the Lord unique to them. He considers Egypt His people…and why not, Hosea 11:1 reminds us, “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.” He allowed Egypt to shelter His own son when Herod was chasing Him.

The fact that He calls Egypt back to Himself in the above verses is so wonderful to read. Tears come to my eyes when I read of how specific His plans are and how perfectly they all come together.

But back tot he here and now. An Israeli in the southern part of Israel such as the city of Sderot only has 15 seconds to get to a shelter when the air raid sirens go off.

This is a 40 second video put out by Israeli public information filmmakers. It is called “15 seconds to save your mama”. It is not gross nor graphic, being for general distribution in Israel for public information. However, it is powerful, and gives a street level, real feel view of exactly what the Israeli people are enduring.

Is this the end of the beginning? We’ll see if the tensions de-escalate. Please pray. I pray He strengthens the church, I pray He shakes the nations so they repent, I pray He delivers wisdom to the Israeli, Egyptian, and other Middle Eastern leaders. There are so many things to pray for, aren’t there?

gaza, israel

Gaza-Israel situation: updates, leaflets announcing imminent ground invasion

Posted on November 14, 2012 by elizabethprata

I posted earlier tonight about the very tenuous situation between Gaza/Hamas and Israel. It is a very bad situation that could well lead down the final path toward the rapture, through the Tribulation and end up at Armageddon. Many wars are prophesied for the end of the end, including in Syria in Isaiah 17; Israel as seen in Revelation 12; Egypt as in Isaiah 19; Gaza, Hamas, and others as seen in Psalm 83; Russia, Iran, Turkey, Armenia and others as in Gog Magog Ezekiel 38-39.

Here is what is going on, and events are happening fast.

Iron Dome has so far successfully intercepted 25 rockets from #Gaza aimed at major Israeli cities #PillarsofDefense via @IDFSpokesperson

As prophesied, people are not coming to Israel’s side.

“Vahram Atanesyan ‏@UNDP__PRESIDENT

“As a President of United Nations Department of Political Affairs I condemn the attacks by Israel in Gaza!”

Egypt recalls ambassador following Gaza strikes

Israel okays mobilising reserve troops for Gaza if needed

Israel PM ‘prepared to expand’ Gaza operation

VIDEO – IDF drops leaflets warning Palestinian civilians to “avoid being present in the vicinity of #Hamas operatives” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPGHfTrgkgY&feature=youtu.be

Joel Rosenberg offers context for the situation:

“CONTEXT: Israel doesn’t occupy Gaza. Israel withdrew all its forces from Gaza in 2005. Yet Israeli towns along its southern borders have been hit with hundreds of rockets and mortars in recent months, while the world has remained silent. More than 1 million Israeli civilians have been under constant threat of attack. Schools are closed. Businesses are closed. People are living in fear. Children can’t sleep. It has become an unsustainable situation. So on Wednesday, the IDF killed of the top Hamas military commander — Ahmed Jabari – who had masterminded myriad attacks on Israel, had been in charge of the kidnapping of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, and oversaw the firing of thousands of rockets and mortars at Israel. See video of the airstrike that killed Jabari. The Israeli Air Force on Wednesday also bombed at least 20 terror facilities in Gaza. Hamas terrorists vowed revenge, saying Israel has “opened the gates of Hell” and that it plans a massive retaliation.’