Mideast Prophecy Update 2010 - 2011 (Part 2)

PART TWO – What Should We Watch For In 2011

By Bill Salus

Read part one now

Israel is prepared to strategically strike Iran’s nuclear sites. This past September I spoke with retired Israeli Defense Forces General Shimon Erem who confirmed Saudi Arabia opened up a thin strip of air for Israel to attack Iran. It’s interesting that no Jewish Synagogue can be constructed in Saudi Arabia, but Israeli war planes are now allowed to fly overhead as long as they are on route to attack Iran. (Picture of Bill Salus and I.D.F. General Shimon Erem)

The open Saudi airspace, pending $60 billion arms deal with America, and the Wikileaks statements that the Saudis told the U.S. to “Cut off the head of the (Iranian) snake,” add credence to suspicions the Saudis are desperately concerned about Iran’s nuclear program. This clock is ticking.

The apparent reasons Israel has refrained from attacking Iran thus far:
1. Sanctions needed time to work.
2. Diplomatic efforts toward Mideast peace were underway and remotely possible.
3. The Stuxnet virus and other related covert efforts inside Iran partially disrupted some aspects of Iran’s nuclear program.
4. It could provoke Hezbollah, Syria, and Hamas to join Iran in a multi-front war imposing significant Israeli casualties.
5. It could initiate unpredictable retaliatory responses from Iran and its proxies, like international terror and / or restricted oil production that could adversely affect America and other parts of the international community.

Interestingly, end time’s expert Jimmy DeYoung informed a group of us attending the Pre-Trib rapture conference in December, 2010 that Prime Minister Netanyahu informed him there were two red lines Israel would not allow Iran to cross;

1. The receipt from Russia of the S-300 missile defense system,
2. The development or acquisition of a weapon of mass destruction.

The missile defense system, which Iran has contracted Russia to deliver, would hinder Israel’s ability to attack Iran through surface to air missiles and endanger Israeli Air Forces in an air assault. Netanyahu takes Ahmadinejad’s genocidal threats to wipe Israel off the map literally and seriously.

Additionally, DeYoung informed us a movement for a Palestinian state within the United Nations is already underway. This movement threatens to set retro borders for the Palestinian state based upon the territories as they were before June 6, 1967 when Israel captured the West Bank, East Jerusalem, the Golan Heights and other additional land. Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay have already accepted such a Palestinian State against harsh rebuke from Israel. Similarly, Venezuela is expected to soon follow course.

Possible events to be watchful of in 2011 are:

Mideast Prophecy Update 2010 -2011 (Part 1)

PART ONE - Looking Through the Rear View Mirror At 2010

By Bill Salus

As the door shuts on 2010, American led Middle East peace efforts have officially unraveled. The Obama administration has backed away for now from pressuring Israel into extending its moratorium on settlement building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. In the absence of peace we are reminded Israel, which equipped its citizens earlier this year with gas masks, remains war ready as 2011 approaches.

Even though 2010 has as of yet escaped a Mideast military conflict and a global financial collapse, by no means did it insulate humanity from the potential for either. The fact that Mideast war was averted in 2010 means it’s overdue in 2011. As we stand on the unstable threshold of the New Year it is helpful to review some 2010 Mideast events. In so doing it might reasonably be concluded that 2011 could be the year the Middle East goes apocalyptic.

In November 2009 the Obama administration hailed Israel’s decision to temporarily halt all residential building in the West Bank. This good will gesture opened up a ten-month window for Mideast peace talks to resume. However, as the world entered into 2010 Mideast peace remained elusive. Throughout most of 2010 Mideast peace talks were at best “indirect.” It wasn’t until September 2, 2010 that the Obama Administration seriously attempted to jump start “direct” Mideast peace talks.

To the Obama administration’s chagrin, but to nobody’s surprise, three weeks later on September 26, Israel’s temporary moratorium freeze on settlements and direct peace talks concluded. At the time Obama seemed content to leave Mideast matters alone as he was preoccupied with the November 2, 2010 midterm elections. Some analyst attributed Obama’s decision to concerns many of his Democratic colleagues were running against pro-Israel Republicans and pressuring Israel further could complicate their already compromised campaigns.

In June, 2010 I wrote an article outlining a series of alarming Mideast events spanning April to June linked here called Mighty Muscles Flex in the Mideast. It would be helpful to read the chronology of events outlined in the article before going further.

Turkey: Iran No. 2?

By Michael Mickey
 

In my 8-27-10 commentary, I highlighted indicators from the news of our world today pointing to the nation of Turkey, a NATO member and long-time ally of the West, posturing itself for fulfillment of Ezekiel 38 which will see Turkey, Russia and Iran (among others) attack the nation of Israel in a time when Israel will falsely perceive it is dwelling in safety as a nation. (Ezekiel 38:11)

Little more than two weeks after my last commentary on this subject, there is much more to document. Let’s get right to it. 

On 9-12-10 the Christian Science Monitor reported that 26 amendments to Turkey’s Constitution were approved by 58% of voters in what many believe is going to strengthen the role Islam plays in dictating Turkish policy on a host of fronts. 

On 9-13-10 EUBusiness.com reported that Turkey is “losing patience” in its bid to become a member of the European Union. This comes as no surprise to me. Based on bible prophecy, I’ve been expecting it to happen for some time because it appears Turkey’s future is tied to powers not associated with the West. I wrote the following on 10-18-05 for example:

“Czech Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda is stating Turkey’s ongoing negotiations to join the European Union will probably end with Turkey obtaining a kind of partnership rather than full membership, something I’ve documented on numerous occasions Turkey has said it will not accept. Suffice to say I expect, sooner or later, that Turkey, which has already been nuzzling up to its former enemy and future Gog-Magog ally, Russia, is going to turn from its goal of EU membership and align with its Gog-Magog counterparts. As we see, the tensions that may lead to this are already taking shape.”

On the heels of Turkish PM Erdogan’s Islamist AKP Party getting the voting public to back it in amending the Turkish Constitution,Ynetnews.com reported (on 9-15-10) that Iran would be donating $25,000,000 to aid Erdogan in his next election campaign. Is there anyone who believes the Iranian government would invest in the political future of a friend of Israel or a supporter of the West? Make no mistake about it, these two future Gog-Magog allies are becoming very cozy with one another! 

On 9-15-10 World Tribune reported that the Israeli defense community has assessed that Turkey is moving toward becoming a radical and nuclear Islamic state. Former Israeli National Security Council director Uzi Dayan summed up the tone of the report by saying, “If there is not a change in personality, then Turkey will become Iran No. 2.” 

It appears highly unlikely that a “change in personality” is forthcoming for Turkey, at least where its prophetic future is concerned. On 9-16-10 Ynetnews.com reported that recent polling indicates Turkey’s attitude toward the West has shifted with a solid majority of Turks now favoring Turkey strengthening its ties with Middle Eastern countries instead of the European Union. 

Having been one of the most frequent writers in the bible prophecy community to focus on Turkey’s role in Ezekiel 38′s prophecy of the battle of Gog-Magog, primarily how we should be able to witness Turkey swing from being a pro-Western nation to a nation willing to align itself with the likes of Iran as a sign of us living in the last days (Ezekiel 38:8), I am happy to report that God’s prophetic plan is proceeding exactly as anticipated. Simply put, this means we are getting closer and closer, both chronologically and conditionally, to the return of Jesus Christ our Lord! 

ARE YOU READY?

(HT: Standing for God)

Iran's "Ambassador of Death"

By Justin Edwards

Just on the other side of a weekend that started with the inauguration of Iran's first nuclear reactor and test launch of a surface to surface missile (nicknamed "Ya Mahdi" in reference to Shia Islam's 12th Imam),  President Ahmadinejad announced their new domestically built long-range unmanned bomber aircraft named "ambassador of death" (story here: Iran Unveils "Ambassador of Death" Bomber).

Vahid Reza Alaei / AP

During his speech at the unveiling ceremony, Ahmadinejad made a most interesting statement (that is sure to elude the blind eyes of global leaders) in that Iran should seek the ability to make pre-emptive strikes against a perceived threat, although he said it would never strike first.

Might that "perceived threat" be in the form of Israel? That is a veiled threat against Israel if I've ever seen one. It is times like these I feel like I'm living in the twilight zone due to the sheer ignorance of those who are sworn to protect us (eg POTUS). Then I am immediately reminded this blindness is the result of the spiritual warfare of powers and principalities whereby those who have not the Holy Spirit cannot discern these things. Good is called evil, and evil called good. It is for this reason the world can justify its condemnation of Israel as she fights for survival among her sworn enemies.

Thanks be to God who has given us the knowledge to know how it all ends - "that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:9-11).

Let us remain in prayer that God's will be done and in His perfect timing He will reveal His sovereignty over the nations. Let us pray for the peace of Jerusalem and let us pray that people from all tribes, nations, and tongues will come to the Lord Jesus Christ while there is still time.

The footsteps of the Messiah are getting closer and closer. Can't you hear them?

Time's Up on the Middle East Powder Keg?

By Justin Edwards

Looking at the Drudge headlines over the last hour makes it clear that war is brewing on the near horizon in the Middle East. The headlines read like a road map to war rather than any sort of road map to peace like  Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is hoping for next month.

This week's developments leave the watchman on the wall with no doubt that events are converging to an all out war in the Middle East that is sure to rock the global economy, send the price of oil sky-rocketing, potentially ignite a swarm of suicide bombings within the United States, and usher in World War III. Drudge's headlines follow throughout the post:


Hours Away from Nuclear - Iran Prepares to Start Up First Nuclear Reactor

From the report,

"Iranian and Russian nuclear technicians made final preparations to start up Iran's first reactor on Saturday after years of delays, an operation that will mark a milestone in what Tehran considers its right to produce nuclear energy."

As  if they had any chance of working, UN sanctions against the Islamic regime proved meaningless as they have from the beginning. Now Western nations find themselves in a greater predicament as Iran has continued its uranium enrichment and plans to build 10 more nuclear reactors in Iranian mountain regions.

A day after the United States "persuades" Israel that Iran's nuclear threat is not imminent (as an effort to postpone and Israeli preemptive strike against Iran's nuclear reactors) and a day before Iran goes nuclear, the Iranian military boasts a test launch of a surface-to-surface missile: Iran broadcasts missile launch on state television. At the end of the video chants of "Allahu Akbar" (Allah is Greatest) can be heard, and what's more, the side of the Qiam missile was tattooed with the inscription "Ya Mahdi", which is a reference to Shia Islam's end-time savior. It should be noted that Iranian President Mahmood Ahmadenijad believes it is his divine mission to usher in the "12th Imam" by starting the apocalypse.

Coincidentally, a new Gaza aid flotilla is being reported to leave from Lebanon this weekend as Israel vows to the UN it will stop any attempts to violate the naval blockade. A second ship is awaiting clearance from Lebanese authorities with the same intentions. Whether this will result in a confrontation is yet to be seen, but it is certain that Israel will not allow the ships to port in Gaza. Could these be coordinated efforts to instigate war with Israel? 

Even Al qaeda is preparing and hoping to exploit a war between these nations.

One thing is clear: there will not be peace in the Middle East this side of Christ's return. All things considered, a war seems nearly imminent whether it starts between Israel and her immediate neighbors or Israel and Iran. Either case, it will be a regional war to include all of these countries including Syria with its advanced chemical warfare program. Scripture says Russia will eventually lead a coalition that will come against Israel only to be utterly destroyed by the hand of God.  Preempting the Russian-led war coalition, we could very well see the fulfillment of Isaiah 17 which may be the result of a Israeli nuclear strike against the Syrian capital of Damascus for a potential WMD attack against Israeli cities. Whether these recent events will tip the first domino is yet to be determined, but there can be no doubt that this is a "rumor of war" that very well could lead to a war that will surely thrust us into the beginning of sorrows.

Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near. - Luke 21:28

Maranatha!

Iran to Start Up First Nuclear Plant in Days

By Dr. Chuck Missler

"You don’t want a messianic apocalyptic cult controlling atomic bombs," Benjamin Netanyahu told Jeffrey Goldberg shortly before Netanyahu was sworn in as Israel's Prime Minister. "When the wide-eyed believer gets hold of the reins of power and the weapons of mass death, then the world should start worrying, and that’s what is happening in Iran."

Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton announced on Tuesday that Iran will go nuclear within eight days unless somebody does something about it - and fast. Fox News' headline certainly grabs one's attention: "Israel Has Until Week's End to Strike Iran Nuclear Facility, Bolton Says."

In other words, Israel strikes Iran, or we face the end of the world. That's how it sounds.

The situation is this: Iran has been working to build nuclear facilities on its own for awhile, and it has faced its share of struggles. Jeffrey Goldberg quoted National Security Council official Gary Samore in the September issue of The Atlantic as saying, "They are running into some technical difficulties, partly because of the work we’ve done to deny them access to foreign components. When they make the parts themselves, they are making parts that don’t have quality control."

It was expected that Iran could cross the "nuclear threshold" within a year, despite these problems. Policy makers have therefore long been struggling to decide how to handle Iran as sanctions fail to halt Iran's nuclear program altogether.

A year is not a great amount of time, but there is a buffer there. How did we get from a year buffer to suddenly facing the point of no return on Saturday? Russia.

Russia has been working to build the Bushehr facility for Iran since 1995, but has faced a variety of setbacks. Those have apparently been overcome. Russia announced on Friday that a company will begin loading nuclear fuel at Iran's Bushehr plant on Saturday, August 21st. If Israel were to strike the plant, they would have to do so before those fuel rods are loaded. Once they are in place, a strike on the nuclear facility could send radiation into the air and water, including the Persian Gulf.

Bolton doubts that Israel will be able to do anything in such a short amount of time. Barring additional problems, Iran will likely have its first power plant started up by next week. If the power plant is only used to produce power, that's one thing. However, spent fuel rods can be used to derive weapons-grade plutonium – which presents a major problem. As Bolton noted, "What this does is gives Iran a second route to nuclear weapons in addition to enriched uranium. It's a very, very huge victory for Iran."

There are some small comforts in all of this: Russia did make Iran agree – cross their hearts – to return all spent fuel rods to Russia. Also, Israel has been quite aware of the nuclear plant problem for some time now and has certainly worked out various plans for ways to deal with it. The US can still factor into this predicament as well. The Obama Administration has repeatedly said that all options are on the table and Obama has made it clear he recognizes the serious danger posed by a nuclear Iran. Obama knows that if Iran goes nuclear, all non-proliferation hopes whisk out the door.

Yet, Iran may not stick by its agreement with Russia, and Israel and the United States may just stand by with their mouths open. That is quite possible too.

Policy makers around the world know that Iran's nuclear prowess is definitely the biggest international security issue facing the conscious world today. Iran's potential future possession of nuclear weapons will affect us all. The big question has always been, so, what is the best way to deal with this problem?

Israel could possibly strike Iran. The Israelis have successfully destroyed the nuclear power plants of two of their enemies in the past, and they got away with it. Syria and Iraq never fully recovered their nuclear programs after those strikes. Israel could hardly lose respect on the world stage for making the attacks. In fact, a number of countries would be secretly grateful for the destruction of Iran's nuclear plants, including Western-allied Arab states in the Middle East who would be forced to align with Iran if it possessed nuclear weapons. Besides, the world has come to expect preemptive strikes from Israel.

Taking out Iran's nuclear sites would not be a simple feat, however. Not only would Israeli planes have to get through Saudi or Iraqi air space (with or without tacit permission), and destroy all the centrifuges and missile plants on the first try, but they would have to find some way to guarantee that they did indeed annihilate all the bad stuff. Israel would also be exposing her people to immediate harm. Iran has warned that "Israel's existence" would be in danger if it made the strike, meaning that Iran would retaliate, and Israel would have to contend with attacks both from Hezbollah and Iran. The threat of regional war looms. Israel has to consider the possibility that its relations with the current US Administration might also be sacrificed in an Iran strike. The whole thing could get wildly out of hand.

On the other hand, as Benjamin Netanyahu has joked, "Let me tell you a secret. The American military is bigger than Israel’s." As some Israeli officials have noted, the United States could make a strike on Iran's nuclear plants with much greater ease than could Israel. Netanyahu also has made the point very clear over the years that a nuclear Iran is not only a danger to Israel, but to the entire world. The United States has a deep interest in keeping Iran nuke-free, and the United States has the power to make strategic strikes in a way that Israel never could. Of course, while George W. Bush repeatedly said he would not attack Iran's nuclear plants, few people believed him – and while the Obama Administration has repeatedly said that all options are on the table, nobody really thinks Obama will order strikes on Iran, especially not right now, this week.

Israel is deeply endangered by a nuclear Iran. The current Persian regime has made its severe anti-Semitism excruciatingly clear. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denies the Holocaust and openly excoriates Israel, but he's not alone. Former Iranian president Ali Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani said nine years ago, "The use of an atomic bomb against Israel would destroy Israel completely while [a nuclear attack] against the Islamic countries would only cause damages."

The Persians aren't apparently fazed by the doctrine of Mutual Assured Destruction.

Ezekiel Chapters 38 and 39 describe the occasion in which God Himself intervenes to quell the ill-fated invasion of Israel by Magog and its allies (Persia, Cush, Phut, Libya, Gomer, Togarmah, Meshech, and Tubal). Hesiod, ''the father of Greek didactic poetry,'' identified Magog with the Scythians and southern Russia in the 7th century B.C. - before Ezekiel was born. This passage also appears to anticipate the use of nuclear weapons.

One nation notably absent from Ezekiel's list of invaders is Syria. In Isaiah 17:1, 4, the prophet warns that that one day Damascus would become a heap of ruins; perhaps its destruction occurs before the events of Ezekiel 38 and 39.

For now, Iran and Syria both strain to see what Israel does while Iran's first nuclear plant prepares to go live. The whole world is on watch. Whether now or later, it's just a matter of time before one of the most anticipated battles in Scripture takes place.

(HT: BPT)

Israel at the Rubicon

By Sean Osborne

After years of endless debate, delayed decisions, additional deliberations, bald-faced lies and disinformation, followed by economic sanctions packages piled upon other ineffective economic sanctions packages, coupled with incessant Iranian and Western bellicose rhetoric which would have been considered casus belli in years gone by, the announcement made on Friday by Sergei Novikov, the spokesman for the Russian Federal Atomic Energy Agency (Rosatom), that the fueling of the Iranian Bushehr nuclear plant will commence on Saturday, 21 August has left the State of Israel standing on the southern bank of a literal River Rubicon.

In the absence of a decision by Western governments, the United States of America in particular, to back up its own rhetoric with concrete actions, Israel has been left holding the baggage containing approximately 144 hours of time. At the conclusion of those 144 hours it will have become irreversibly too late for military action to halt Iran and its current apocalyptic regime's nuclear weapons program. This is the conventional wisdom being related by many subject matter experts in the past 36 hours, experts such as former Ambassador John Bolton. Bolton's comments to Fox News last Friday speak of just such a window of time remaining.

However, there's another window no one is openly considering, a window that may likely already have closed. The name of this window is "Russian nuclear technicians at Bushehr." Those Russian technicians effectively constitute a "human shield" guarding against a pre-emptive Israeli strike on the Bushehr reactor complex. Not to mention the Russian VIPs who will begin arriving on-site at the Bushehr complex for the opening ceremonies prior to the end of the 144 hours.

Short of starting a war with Russia, the physical presence of Russian technicians at Bushehr affords Israel no option but to focus its contingency plans against deeply buried Iranian enrichment cascades, weaponization plants and delivery systems as well as the suppression of Iran's military retaliation capabilities. The Iranian response to an Israel air assault also includes thousands of missiles, some of them likely tipped with biological or chemical weapons in Lebanon (Hezbollah) and Syria, as well as an Iranian assault against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

Have I just described a recipe for an armageddon-like scenario to unfold in the Middle East? No doubt about it. This is precisely the type of scenario the leaders of apocalyptic Iran want more than anything. Great chess players those Iranians. So here stands Israel on the southern bank of the River Rubicon with virtually no time left to ponder her next move. Irregardless of the next action taken this world will never be the same, and only the ancient Biblical prophets have told us what lies ahead.

(HT: BPT)

Turkey, Jihad, and Prophecy

By Michael G. Mickey

I know I've done it repetitively, but I want to point out, once again, that the nation of Turkey, presently a member of NATO and a candidate nation for membership in the European Union, has a different future than its recent history has been indicative of.

According to Ezekiel 38 & 39, Turkey is to be part of an Russian-Arab confederacy of nations that will attack the nation of Israel in the last days. For many, seeing this as Turkey's future has been difficult to grasp until now, but are things changing rapidly or what?

In the aftermath of the Gaza flotilla incident, the anti-Israel sentiments streaming from Ankara have been nothing short of outrageous, at times coming close to threatening in tone. Not only that, recent stories in the news seem to indicate there is going to be no turning back for Turkey where relations with Israel are concerned. Truly, it seems, we are witnessing Turkey's long-anticipated move toward foreign policy unity with it future Gog-Magog allies where Israel is concerned.

Who would've imagined getting online and reading a headline like "Turkey is calling for a jihad against Israel" a year ago or even 6 months ago? Few I imagine, but that is the headline of a story on The Guardian's website dated 6-8-10.

The following is an excerpt from that article (emphasis added mine):

Support for Turkey is at an all-time high in the Arab world. The last time Turkish flags were carried through the streets of Middle Eastern capitals was during the first world war, as people took to the streets in continued support for the Ottoman sultan-caliph against the western entente powers. The sultan-caliph had proclaimed a jihad. Thanks to Turkish government support of a blockade-running mission led by a group of Hamas sympathisers, they are flying once again. No ruling Arab leader is as popular as the Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose discourse amounts to calls for a jihad against Israel.

Israel's relations with Ankara – military, economic, and tourist (Israelis once flocked to Turkey) – have been sacrificed on the altar of Turkey's retrograde aspiration to lead the Islamic world and establish itself along with Iran as an alternative to American power. Turkey is once again turning eastwards.

Turkey establishing itself alongside its Gog-Magog ally Iran, as an alternative to American power in the Middle East? It's almost surreal for me to read that even though it's precisely what I've anticipated was going to occur at some point.
How blessed are we, as Christians keeping watch for the return of Jesus Christ for His Church, to be witnessing what we are at this juncture in the prophetic timeline? Think about it!

A short time ago it was difficult to see how Turkey was going to go from being a firmly-entrenched pro-Western nation to a key power in the prophesied battle of Gog-Magog described in Ezekiel 38-39, but now - RIGHT NOW - the transition is occurring in rapid-fire fashion before our very eyes! We are witnessing in our flesh the prelude to what the prophet Ezekiel foretold was going to be a battle occurring in the "latter years" or last days! (Ezekiel 38:8) Wrap your mind around that and give thanks to the Lord that you were chosen to live in a moment such as this, bible prophecy literally exploding to life in the news of our world today!

The end times drama continues.

(HT: The RaptureAlert Blog)

Gog-Magog Alliance Continues to Take Shape as Russia, Iran, and Turkey Discuss Security

By Justin Edwards

I continue to stand in awe as we watch what seems to be prophecy unfolding before our very eyes. Joel Rosenberg reports on the forming alliance of Russia, Turkey, and Iran which are the major players in the alliance of Ezekiel 38-39.  For more on this development, check out Jimmy DeYoung's piece here: The Leaders of Russia, Iran and Turkey Meet to Discuss Security Needs that Will Affect the Stability of Our World

RUSSIAN, IRANIAN, TURKISH LEADERS MEET: Pray for Helen Thomas

Joel Rosenberg

The plot thickens.

As Israel becomes increasingly isolated from the world, anti-Semitism rises, and Helen Thomas — dean of the White House press corps — retires after an anti-Semitic rant in which she said Jews should ”get the —- out of Palestine” and go back to Germany and Poland, there are intriguing new developments in the epicenter. The leaders of Russia, Iran and Turkey are meeting today in Istanbul, Turkey to discuss how to form a closer alliance, fueling further interest in whether the events we are seeing unfold are consistent with the coming fulfillment of the Bible prophecies of Ezekiel 38-39 and the “War of Gog and Magog.”

“Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin arrived in Turkey on Tuesday to attend the third summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) and hold bilateral talks with top officials from Turkey and other countries,” reports the Russian news agency, RIA Novosti. “The CICA is an inter-governmental Asian security forum, which was established in 1992 and currently comprises 18 member states, including Russia, China, South Korea and Turkey….Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told RIA Novosti Monday that in Istanbul, Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan will also discuss bilateral cooperation. [Russian President Dmitry] Medvedev visited Turkey’s capital Ankara on May 11-12. The Istanbul talks are seen as a continuation of the dialogue started at the level of the heads of state.”

Let’s keep praying for the peace of Jerusalem, and let’s pray, too, for Helen Thomas, the daughter of Lebanese immigrants. Her recent remarks were anti-Semitic and reprehensible. If she hadn’t retired, she should have been fired. But let’s pray for her to come to know Jesus Christ as her Savior and Lord. She’s confused, but God loves her, as He does us all.

Hook in the Jaw?

U.S. GOVERNMENT REPORT: ISRAEL HAS 122 TRILLION CUBIC FEET OF NATURAL GAS OFFSHORE - Joel Rosenberg

Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey

A recently-released report by the U.S. Department of Interior indicates that Israel has massive reserves of natural gas and oil supplies just offshore, lying under the Mediterranean.

“The U.S. Geological Survey estimated a mean 1.7 billion barrels of recoverable oil and a mean of 122 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in the Levant Basin Province using a geology based assessment methodology,” stated the report’s executive summary.

Israelis for years have lamented that if God wanted to bless them with a “promised land” He could have given them the oil-rich Arabian peninsula. Thus the report has become big news in the Israeli media and the energy industry. Several oil and gas companies are already at work there and have made more modest discoveries in recent years. But this is by far the biggest development to date and some reports indicate Israel could begin using the natural gas — and possibly exporting it — within two years.

“A U.S. energy company announced [in March] that a project it is developing off the Israeli coast could soon end the country’s longtime dependence on natural gas imports,” reported Ynet News, a major Israeli daily. “Noble Energy Chief Executive Charles D. Davidson said the Tamar gas field – set to become operational in 2012 – will allow Israel to meet its own energy needs, and potentially even become an exporter of fuel….Tamar’s five wells are each expected to pump 150 million cubic feet of natural gas per day – a pace on par with the Houston company’s other wells operating in places like the Gulf of Mexico, he said. The company hopes to open operations in a second Israeli field, called Dalit, at a later time. The possibility of exporting fuel would mark a dramatic turnaround for Israel, a country in an oil-rich region that is notoriously empty of natural resources and has always relied heavily on fuel imports. The late Prime Minister Golda Meir famously lamented that Moses could have picked somewhere other than ‘the one spot in the Middle East that has no oil’ as a Jewish homeland. A national supply of natural gas could mean major energy savings for Israeli citizens, as well as revenue for the government from corporate taxes and profit royalties, Davidson said.”

What intrigues me is that such developments are consistent with several Bible prophecies that indicate petroleum will be discovered in Israel in the last days, adding to the nation’s prosperity. For more details, please see Chapter Five of my 2006 non-fiction book, Epicenter: “FUTURE HEADLINE: ISRAEL DISCOVERS MASSIVE RESERVES OF OIL, GAS.”

Ezekiel 38-39 Alliances Continue to Take Shape

 Joel Rosenberg

RUSSIAN-TURKISH-SYRIAN ALLIANCE GROWS AS MEDVEDEV VISITS

Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev (R) waves as he is welcomed by Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara May 12, 2010. (REUTERS/Umit Bektas)

>> Netanyahu turns to Bible in tussle over Jerusalem, cites Old and New Testaments

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is on an historic three-day tour through Syria and Turkey. It was the first visit by a Russian leader to Damascus since the end of the Cold War. 

His top agenda items arms sales and helping both countries build nuclear power facilities. Ominously, Medvedev in Damascus called for Israel to give up its nuclear arsensal and help create a “nuclear free zone” in the Middle East. 

The visits come at a time when Russia is steadily building diplomatic, economic and military alliances in the region that are consistent with the Ezekiel 38-39 prophecies about the coming “War of Gog and Magog” against Israel.

• Medvedev vows major Mideast role during Syria visit – “Assad and Medvedev called on Israel — which has the Middle East’s sole if undeclared nuclear arsenal — to join the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as a ‘non-nuclear state’ and become subject to International Atomic Energy Agency control.”
• Medvedev seeks to revive ties on landmark Syria visit – “President Dmitry Medvedev began the first visit by a Russian head of state to Syria, seeking to revive the once thriving partnership between the Soviet-era allies.”
• Medvedev to Discuss Arms, Gas on First Syria Visit
• Russia says may build nuclear power plant in Syria
• Russia, Turkey becoming strategic partners – Medvedev
• Turkey’s Energy Ministry hopes to seal nuke plant deal with Russia