Saturday, January 8, 2011

More Violence: Mortar Attack Injures Agricultural Workers in Israel

There has been a significant increase in violence in Israel recently, and this fact is being noticed by several publications. Just on the heels of a planned ambush of Israeli soldiers, today we see more mortars launched into Israel from Gaza:

3 Thai Workers Hurt in Mortar Attack on Kibbutz

The Al-Quds Brigades military wing of the Islamic Jihad terrorist group claimed responsibility Saturday night for the mortar fire aimed at Israel from Gaza over the weekend.Earlier in the day, three Thai agricultural workers were wounded during an attack on a kibbutz in the Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council district.

Four 181 mm mortar shells exploded in the kibbutz, police said, including one that slammed into the building in which the workers have been living.

One of the workers sustained serious shrapnel wounds to the chest. A second worker was moderately injured, and a third was lightly wounded. All three were evacuated to Soroka Medical Center in Be’er Sheva for treatment.

Saturday’s attacks followed a deadly exchange of fire on Friday that left one IDF soldier dead and four wounded after their patrol spotted terrorists planting explosives along the security fence bordering central.


IDF Reassures Thai Workers, Kibbutz: "Soon We'll Have Answers"

IDF GOC Southern Command Maj.-Gen. Tal Russo traveled Saturday night to the Sha’ar HaNegev Regional Council district to reassure members of a kibbutz targeted by Gaza-launched mortar fire earlier in the day.

Israel maintains a policy of retaliating for each and every attack from Gaza.

Islamic Jihad’s military wing, the Al-Quds Brigades, claimed responsibility for the attack, and for an additional round of mortar fire launched on Saturday night.


Debka provides additional information:

Palestinian violence surges on W. Bank, Gaza

Since Friday night, Jan. 7 - when Israeli paratrooper, Sgt. Nadav Rutenberg, 20, from Moshav Ramot Hashavim, died and four others were injured during an ambush from the Gaza Strip - Palestinian terrorists have been on the offensive - both in Gaza and the West Bank, DEBKAfile's military sources report.


In addition to the episodes of violence described in the articles above, Debka reveals similar stories coming - only these are taking place in the West Bank, representing a new development:

Saturday, a would-be suicide bomber from Jenin armed with two pipe bombs shouting Allah is Great! jumped out of a taxi at the Israeli checkpoint at Beqaot in the northern Jordanian Valley and tried to rush the soldiers. They called him to stop and shot him when he kept going. The other passengers fled.

It was the first attack by a Jenin inhabitant in the four years of relative peace prevailing on the West Bank since Israel beat back the Palestinian uprising.
Friday, another Palestinian was shot on the West Bank; he was running at an Israeli roadblock with what looked like a bottle bomb.

Saturday saw a resumption of attacks on the Gaza Strip front: A volley of four mortar shells hit foreign laborers' lodgings at a kibbutz in the Shear Hanegev district. Three of them were hurt, one seriously, and were evacuated to hospital.

DEBKAfile's military sources report that Hamas and Jihad Islami have improved the aim of their mortars with the help of recently-delivered Iranian devices. They are now able to achieve more direct hits instead of their usual hit-or-miss performance.


This developing story is very interesting because it is hard to know what it may actually represent. One also has to consider what Iran may have planned, as they ultimately control the terrorist actions in both Gaza and southern Lebanon. This situation has also become further complicated by Egypt, who is now threatening Israel if they pursue any significant retaliatory actions in Gaza.

Stay tuned, this seems to be escalating on a daily basis.

8 comments:

Expected Imminently said...

Hello Scott

As I feel unable to explain myself properly, I thought it best if I give the following link to a scholarship paper on the Pre Wrath View.

The author also uses Reynald Showers critique.

I am particularly thankful that he has understood fully what I have tried to show from my personal studies regarding 2Thess2. This study handles the grammar efficiently along with the Greek.

Judging by these continuously developing news reports, we don’t have much longer before The Head comes for His body!

2 Thessalonians 2:1-8: Does it Support a Pre-wrath View?

By Eric Douma

http://cicministry.org/scholarly/sch011.pdf

MARANATHA

Sue

Scott said...

To me, Showers has THE definitive book regarding the pre-wrath view. In fact, that and his well-known "Maranatha.." are two of the best books out there. His use of the scriptures (and always going back to the greek/hebrew root words, and his in depth reasoning is irrefutable. Having said that, thanks for the link!
Scott

Expected Imminently said...

Part 3

5. The pre-wrath position that Revelation 7:14 and Matthew 24:29-31 both teach the rapture is a
contradiction.

6. It cannot be proven that God’s wrath is not present during either the tribulation or the great
tribulation period of the 70th week. In fact, a good case can be made that God’s wrath is present
during the entire tribulation period.

7. It is a logical fallacy to claim that the great tribulation is shortened to less than 3 and ½ years.

8. The day of the Lord does not begin during the last 3 and ½ year period, but at the beginning of
the 70th week.

http://cicministry.org/scholarly/sch011.pdf

Expected Imminently said...

Part 2

2 Alan Kurschner, “It’s the Antichrist Stupid,” n.p. [cited 25 November 2009]. Online:
http://www.prewrathrapture.com/2009/11/its_the_antichriststupid.php

3. The parousia is not a “coming with continued presence” as pre-wrath scholars claim. In fact, prewrath scholars must maintain a twofold or composite parousia just like pre-tribulation scholars.

4. It is logically inconsistent to argue for one parousia, while maintaining a 3 and ½ year reign of
Antichrist mentioned in Revelation 13:5.

Expected Imminently said...

Part 3

5. The pre-wrath position that Revelation 7:14 and Matthew 24:29-31 both teach the rapture is a
contradiction.

6. It cannot be proven that God’s wrath is not present during either the tribulation or the great
tribulation period of the 70th week. In fact, a good case can be made that God’s wrath is present
during the entire tribulation period.

7. It is a logical fallacy to claim that the great tribulation is shortened to less than 3 and ½ years.

8. The day of the Lord does not begin during the last 3 and ½ year period, but at the beginning of
the 70th week.

http://cicministry.org/scholarly/sch011.pdf

Expected Imminently said...

Hello Scott

I totally endorse your testimonial concerning Reynald Showers ‘The Pre-Wrath Rapture View’ and ‘Maranatha’.

I have repeatedly failed to post the following taster by Eric Douma who also puts great store by the scholarship of Reynald Showers works. It should whet the appetite of the serious student of eschatology who has yet to read Showers. I pray it works this time.

Well it Nearly worked – crazy!

http://cicministry.org/scholarly/sch011.pdf

Eight points addressed from 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8: Does it Support a Pre-wrath View?

By Eric Douma

Expected Imminently said...

Part 1B

“…2 Thessalonians 2:1-8 is integral to pre-wrath’s position because they believe this passage proves that Jesus cannot rapture the church until the Antichrist has exalted himself in the future rebuilt temple. Alan Kurschner states in an article entitled, It’s The Antichrist Stupid:… ‘How someone reads the following passage (2Thess2:1-5) and concludes that the rapture occurs before the revelation of Antichrist is a lesson in how Tradition prevents many believers from seeing the Truth.

Kurschner is claiming 2 Thessalonians 2:4 proves that Antichrist exalts himself in the temple prior to the rapture because he understands the revealing of Antichrist in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 as occurring at the midpoint of the 70th week. He also believes that the revelation of the Antichrist is synonymous with his being seated in the temple of God. This would eliminate the possibility of the rapture occurring prior to the midpoint of the 70th week and therefore eliminate the possibility of a pre-tribulation rapture. I will now prove that this is not necessarily the case for the following 8 reasons:

1. Paul does not teach that the rapture can’t happen until Antichrist is revealed; rather, he teaches
that the “day of the Lord” cannot be present because the Antichrist has yet to be revealed. Both
pre-tribulation and pre-wrath proponents see “the day of the Lord” as occurring immediately after
the rapture. These verses provide no answer to the question of when the rapture occurs, they
merely prove to the Thessalonians that they were not living in “the day of the Lord,” and
therefore could not have missed the rapture.


2. Paul does not teach that the Antichrist is revealed at the time he sets himself in the temple, but at the time the restrainer is removed (verses 7- 8). I will prove that verse 4 should be seen as
appositional in that it further clarifies who the Antichrist is, not when he comes.

Expected Imminently said...

I am so sorry for the muddle Scott - I really don't get how I messed that up.

There again, when I read a book I always read it backwards first!

Very embarrassed :[
Sue