As mentioned in the last post, the truth and the reality of the situation is sadly irrelevant - especially concerning the world's knee-jerk reflexive response against Israel. What matters now is where this all leads, and prophetically it is quite exciting in the sense that the events reveal the nearness of the hour of Christ's return.
I believe that there two scenarios worth watching. One scenario involves the short term (days-weeks) effects of the flotilla story and the next scenario includes the longer term effects (months).
As far as the short term reaction to the recent incidents we see the following pertinent news:
"Israel braces for Turkish, Hizballah, Hamas reprisals. Greece halts joint drill"
DEBKAfile's military sources report Israeli concerns that Turkey may not confine itself to strong diplomatic retaliation for the Israel Navy's seizure Monday, May 31, of the Marmora, the Turkish vessel leading the flotilla for breaking the Gaza blockade and resort to military action along with the Iranian-backed Hizballah and Hamas. A statement from Ankara threatened "unprecedented and incalculable" reprisals, following which the Turkish chief of staff Gen. Ilker Basbug was recalled urgently to Ankara from a visit to Egypt. Greece has since halted its joint exercise with Israel in protest against the naval action.
DEBKAfile reports from Ankara that the Turkish government is planning to continue pounding the Israeli blockade with more flotillas and have them escorted by Turkish warships and fighter jets. Israel merchant vessels moored outside Ashdod port have been instructed to sail into port and take shelter in case of missile attacks from the Gaza Strip against Ashdod and Ashkelon.
Israeli security forces are preparing for the Lebanese Hizballah and Palestinian Hamas to go back to shooting missiles and rockets against Israeli towns, in support of the seaborne attack on Israeli commandos. The police are also on special alert in and around Israeli Arab communities, after Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniyah called them out on a general strike, and the Holy Places, especially in Jerusalem.
"Envoy: Collapse of Zionist Regime Imminent"
Israel's attack on Gaza aid convoy showed that the collapse of the Zionist regime is imminent, Iran's envoy to Azerbaijan said on Tuesday.
Speaking to FNA about the barbaric raid on Palestine Freedom Flotilla by the Israeli forces, Iran's Ambassador to Baku Mohammad Baqer Bahrami said that the move revealed the true nature of the regime and indicated that the forged regime is nearing the end of its existence.
"Two More Boats in Their Way to Gaza"
IDF General Staff Operations Commander Col. Itzik Turjeman told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Tuesday that two additional ships of the militant left flotilla are on their way to Gaza. He said they will be stopped as well, hinting that electronic means, or others, might be used.
"Analysis: The flotilla fiasco"
Obviously, many of those in the “Freedom Flotilla” were not engaged in a humanitarian mission. Had that been their prime motivation, they would have accepted Israel’s offer to escort them to Ashdod Port and arrange for the delivery of their supplies to Gaza, after security checks, over land. They also would have agreed without hesitation to convey a package from the family of the Israeli soldier held hostage by Hamas for almost four years in Gaza, Gilad Schalit.
That Israel would lose the “media war” – against what were largely depicted internationally as well-intentioned human rights activists trying to defy the Israeli blockade by bringing supplies to Gaza – was a given.
The IDF’s intelligence was clearly deeply flawed. As the footage showed, the outnumbered, under-equipped and incorrectly prepared commandos found themselves not grappling with unruly peace activists or demonstrators, to whom they had been ordered to show “restraint,” but being viciously attacked before they had barely set foot on deck. The clips showed clusters of people swarming around each of the commandos, and beating them over and over with clubs and bars in scenes sickeningly reminiscent of the lynching of IDF reservists in the Ramallah police station 10 years ago.
In one more bit of news; in this case just a small nugget of information, but one that could be foretelling:
"Elite Troops Told: Prepare yo Go Where We've Never Gone Before"
The newly trained soldiers of the IDF's top search and rescue unit – the Israel Air Force's Extrication and Evacuation Unit, known as Unit 669 – received their unit wing pins Sunday. In his address to the newly inducted warriors, the highly revered unit's commander, Lt.-Col. Avinoam, hinted that they would soon find themselves far from Israel's borders.
"The State of Israel is facing a multitude of challenges, and we will be required to operate in places where we have not had to operate in the past,” he said. “Your opening conditions will always be tough, but you must remember – in our mission we must not fail, because there is no second chance.”
While the remarks were purposely cryptic, they could be taken as referring to possible missions in Syria or Iran.
That sums up the short-term situation:
- Turkey preparing to escalate the situation by sending in more ships and also threatening to have their navy assist in the efforts.
- The world aligning against Israel in condemning this latest episode.
- Israel braces for a new wave of attacks from Hamas and Hezbollah.
But it may be the "long-term" effects that could be within a matter of weeks. Jack Kelley has written an excellent summary of where we may be heading:
"Preview Of A Coming Attraction"
Hezbollah says that Israel’s disappearance after the next war is an established fact. Iran’s President has called Israel a dirty microbe and a savage animal that will soon disappear in a flash. The commander in chief of Iran’s army predicts that millions will soon receive the joyous news of Israel’s destruction. Israel’s chief of staff warns of a “tough ordeal” coming soon.With all the rhetoric flying around the Middle East about a major war this summer, and with multiple countries (including the US) rapidly beefing up their military preparedness, a quick review of Psalm 83 is in order to refresh our minds on the prophetic details of this coming attack against Israel.
Psalm 83
O God, do not keep silent; be not quiet, O God, be not still. See how your enemies are astir, how your foes rear their heads. With cunning they conspire against your people; they plot against those you cherish.
“Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no more.”
With one mind they plot together; they form an alliance against you- the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, of Moab and the Hagrites, Gebal, Ammon and Amalek, Philistia, with the people of Tyre. Even Assyria has joined them to lend strength to the descendants of Lot. (Ps. 83:1-8)
The language is out of today’s headlines and the countries lined up against Israel in this Psalm inhabited the lands of Israel’s current neighbors. Edom and the Ishmaelites were in land occupied by southern Jordan today while the territories of Moab and Ammon make up the rest of that country. Ahman, the modern spelling of Ammon, is the capital of Jordan.
The Hagrites were part of Aram, whose capitol was Damascus in modern Syria. Gebal (also called Byblos) and Tyre can still be found in present day Lebanon. The Amalekites lived in Israel’s southern desert and Philistia settled in Gaza on Israel’s southern border. Assyria would conquer Aram shortly after Psalm 83 was written and the descendants of Lot is another reference to Jordan.
So here we have all of Israel’s next door neighbors, all of them sworn to Israel’s destruction, and all of them being whipped into a frenzy by Syria and Iran.
Do to them as you did to Midian, as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon, who perished at Endor and became like refuse on the ground. Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna, who said, “Let us take possession of the pasturelands of God.”
Make them like tumbleweed, O my God, like chaff before the wind. As fire consumes the forest or a flame sets the mountains ablaze, so pursue them with your tempest and terrify them with your storm. Cover their faces with shame so that men will seek your name, O LORD. May they ever be ashamed and dismayed; may they perish in disgrace. Let them know that you, whose name is the LORD—that you alone are the Most High over all the earth. (Psalm 83:9-18)
Asaph, the Psalm’s writer, can’t resist telling the Lord exactly how he’d like Israel’s enemies to be dealt with. In that sense he’s just like you and me.
Asaph’s prayer was that Israel’s current enemies will be just as soundly defeated as were the Midianites and the Canaanites, their armies scattered and their leaders executed.
Thousands of missiles and rockets located in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza are positioned to strike strategic targets everywhere in Israel. As of this week, Syria has moved 800 long range missiles into firing positions, placed them on combat readiness, and given them updated target coordinates.
This was done in response to Israel’s nationwide civil defense drills. To avoid duplication in targeting, Iran has created and will direct a unified command center in Damascus to coordinate the massive simultaneous deployment of these weapons upon the outbreak of hostilities. Their thought is that the Israelis will not be able to protect themselves against such an all out attack and will be effectively disabled.
But Israel might pick this opportunity to launch a preemptive attack against the command center, wiping out Damascus in fulfillment of Isaiah 17. Losing their command and control abilities could cause the enemy attack to degenerate into a confused and chaotic effort that Israel will soundly defeat just like Gideon defeated the Midianites.
Should this be the case, Israel will become larger, not smaller, with the contention over the ownership of Gaza, the West bank and the Golan put to an end. Israel will become stronger, not weaker, its military reputation restored and even enhanced. The divided land will be divided no more, and Jerusalem will remain a unified city. The controversial security fence will likely come down, since the borders on all three sides will be safe and the threat of terrorist attacks eliminated. 60 years of war will have finally ended. It will be the perfect opportunity for Israel to be lured into a false sense of security and become a peaceful and unsuspecting people living in a land of unwalled villages as Ezekiel 38 requires. And it could all happen this summer.
Meanwhile, the Russians and Iranians, who will have fought this battle primarily by proxy, will study their defeat and learn from their mistakes, lying in wait for the next opportunity to strike. It won’t be long in coming. You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah. 05-29-10
What Mr. Kelley is saying here, is what many of us have been pondering.
The prayer of Psalm 83, which describes Israel's closest enemies (Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Gaza, Jordan) - those enemies who immediately surround Israel, is most likely answered in Isaiah 17, with a battle/war that involves the destruction of Damascus. Such a victory would lead to the sense of "peace and security" as they have "recovered from war", which are the conditions described just prior to the Gog-MaGog invasion.
In short, what we are seeing now looks a lot like Psalm 83's descriptions, and this imminent war would presumably lead into the epic battle of "Gog-MaGog" as described in Ezekiel 37-38.
We will soon have our answers. This whole thing is happening at light speed; it doesn't appear that a significant time interval is going to occur between events any more. Things are happening too fast right now.
And it is important to remember what really matters:
The events that we are currently watching are just more signs that Christ is returning soon.
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