Signs of the Times

On some days you can literally see the end-times signs almost everywhere. It is interesting that on such days, the news hits on multiple "signs" all at once. Today is one of those days:

Earthquakes:

"Twin quakes strike Indonesia"

The first 6.6 magnitud.e tremor struck at 2.10am local time near the southern coast of Papau at a depth of 21.2km.

The second, measuring 7.2, struck at 2.11am local time

A 6.6 and a 7.2 represent two huge quakes. Also see:

"Strong earthquake hits eastern Indonesia"

There is also a lot of additional earthquake activity around the world at this time:

Seismic Monitor

Also of note - at a quick glance we have the following quakes measuring > 5.0:

5.5 Northern Sumatera
5.3 Volcano Islands Region
5.6 Philippines
5.4 Samoa Islands
5.8 Chile

The EU (aka "Revived Roman Empire") gets involved in Middle East Peace talks:

"Europe joins U.S. in effort to save peace talks"

European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said she would depart for the Middle East on Wednesday as diplomatic pressure intensified to save faltering Israel-Palestinian peace talks.

"I'm going to the Middle East tonight and I'll meet (US Middle East peace envoy) George Mitchell when I land tomorrow," Ashton told Reuters in an interview in Washington, adding that she also planned to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Right on schedule. The EU's involvement in this process is always well worth watching and watching closely. For the usual reasons.

Pestilences are back in the news:

"South Asian 'superbug' spreads to Australia"

Indian doctors warned earlier this year about the threat from a new multi-drug resistant “superbug” — months before a British study that New Delhi has condemned for scaremongering.

A team of researchers from a leading private hospital in Mumbai came to similar conclusions as the British study, which warned that foreigners coming to India for cut-price treatment could pick up NDM-1 and spread it worldwide.

Indian researchers themselves had said in March that they found 22 incidences of “New Delhi metallo-lactamase-1″ producing bacteria in 24 infection cases between August and November last year.

“This high number in a relatively short span is a worrisome trend,” the team from the Hinduja hospital said in the Journal of the Association of Physicians of India.

Equally worrying is the fact that NDM-1-carrying bacteria are resistant even to carbapenems, a group of antibiotics often reserved as a last resort for emergency treatment for multi-drug resistant bugs.
“The growing incidence and also the diversity of carbapenemase-producing strains is therefore of major concern,” the researchers added, warning that the superbug “has the potential for further dissemination in the community”.

An Australian infectious diseases specialist on Friday said three people who had travelled to India for treatment had contracted the infection and the cases could be just the “tip of the iceberg”, amid concern about its global spread.

It is almost a guarantee that this superbug will spread - and this is a story worth following very closely.

More rumors of a new round of terrorism:

"A 'credible' terrorist attack threat"

ABC News is reporting that the US and European intelligence have uncovered what they believe to be a "major, coordinated series of commando-style terror attacks in Britain, France, Germany and possibly the United States."

US law enforcement officials say they have been told the terrorists were planning a series of "Mumbai-style" commando raids on what were termed "economic or soft" targets in the countries. Pakistani militants killed 173 people with guns and grenades during the 2008 attacks in Mumbai, India.

And lastly, we see if Israel can JUST extend the building freeze ONE MORE TIME:

"Palestinians: No talks without freeze"

The Palestinians dug in ahead of a crucial meeting Thursday with Washington's Mideast envoy, saying they can't be expected to continue peace talks unless Israel reverses a decision to lift restrictions on West Bank settlement construction.

President Barack Obama's emissary, George Mitchell, is making a secretive last-minute attempt to rescue the negotiations.

"Obama asks for 2-month W. Bank construction moratorium"

US President Barack Obama has requested Israel extend the West Bank settlement construction moratorium by only two months and in return "will not ask for a moratorium extension beyond sixty days," according to David Makovsky from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a close associate to Dennis Ross and Obama's Middle East adviser, Army Radio reported Thursday.

Yea, right. And I have ocean-front property in Arizona. How many times have we seen such requests of Israel?

Yet the only contribution the "Palestinians" have brought to the "Peace Table" have been missiles launched into Israeli cities - declarations that they will NOT recognize Israel as a Jewish nation - and continual promises to destroy Israel (when speaking to Palestinian audiences, away from western media).

It is amazing how many prophetic signs can be observed in a single day of prophecy watching.

Stay tuned, there is no telling what tomorrow may bring.

Terrorist Plots and Worms

From several news sources there is increased "chatter" (whatever that means) among terrorists and there are a number of predictions of coordinated actions in both Europe and the U.S. We've heard this one before, but it is always something to watch.

Additionally, there are a few items on an otherwise slow news day:

"Analysis: Could Iran retaliate for cyber attack?"

Security experts say they believe the release of the Stuxnet computer worm may have been a state-backed attack on Iran's nuclear program, most likely originating in the United States or Israel. But they say the truth may never be known.

Some analysts believe Iran may be suffering wider sabotage aimed at slowing down its nuclear ambitions, and point to unexplained technical problems that have cut the number of working centrifuges in its uranium enrichment program.

Some analysts suggest Iran might like to retaliate with a cyber attack against Israel or the West -- although there are question marks over its capability to do so.

The risk, some worry, is that Iran might be tempted to either intensify its own nuclear program or target the West's own nuclear installations in return.

"How prepared are we all for this and could this set in motion a deadly game that catalyses a nuclear program no one intended to engage in?" said Mark Fitt, managing director of N49 Intelligence, a firm that advises businesses in the Middle East.

"An alarmed Iran asks for outside help to stop rampaging Stuxnet malworm"

Tehran this week secretly appealed to a number of computer security experts in West and East Europe with offers of handsome fees for consultations on ways to exorcize the Stuxnet worm spreading havoc through the computer networks and administrative software of its most important industrial complexes and military command centers.

The impression DEBKAfile sources gained Wednesday, Sept. 29 from talking to European computer experts approached for aid was that the Iranians are getting desperate. Not only have their own attempts to defeat the invading worm failed, but they made matters worse: The malworm became more aggressive and returned to the attack on parts of the systems damaged in the initial attack.

As it is, the Iranian officials who turned outside for help were described by another of the experts they approached as alarmed and frustrated. It has dawned on them that the trouble cannot be waved away overnight but is around for the long haul. Finding a credible specialist with the magic code for ridding them of the cyber enemy could take several months. After their own attempts to defeat Stuxnet backfired, all the Iranians can do now is to sit back and hope for the best, helpless to predict the worm's next target and which other of their strategic industries will go down or be robbed of its secrets next.

This situation is getting very interesting to say the least. We'll see what happens from this point on and where this could lead.

In some other news:

"Terrorist plot uncovered in Europe"

Intelligence agencies disrupt plans for multiple attacks on cities in Britain, France and Germany by group of militants based in Pakistan thought to be linked to al-Qaeda, Sky News reports.

Militants based in Pakistan were planning simultaneous strikes in London, as well as cities in France and Germany, the channel's foreign affairs editor, Tim Marshall, said.

US counter-terrorism agencies are poring over intelligence reports suggesting a major attack plot is currently in the works against unspecified targets in Western Europe or possibly the United States, they said.

"Credible but not specific" Threat of New Terrorist Attack

"IDF Kills Three Rocket-Launching Terrorists in Gaza"

In the news

More on the computer virus which is attacking Iran's nuclear facilities:

"Computer virus in Iran actually targeted larger nuclear facility"

Experts on Iran and computer security specialists yesterday voiced a growing conviction that the worm that has infected Iranian nuclear computers was meant to sabotage the uranium enrichment facility at Natanz - where the centrifuge operational capacity has dropped over the past year by 30 percent.

The recent revelations about the Stuxnet worm might provide new insights into the problems encountered by the enrichment facility. German computer expert Frank Rieger wrote in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on Sunday that Wikileaks, a website specializing in information leaked from government agencies, reported in June on a mysterious accident at Natanz that paralyzed part of the facility.

Rieger now thinks the Wikileaks report was connected to the Stuxnet worm. He noted that whoever developed the virus refined its programming to allow it to damage small, sensitive components like regulators, valves and pressure gauges, all of which are found in centrifuges.

"France keen to muscle in on Middle East peace process"

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has called a Middle East summit in Paris and criticised Barack Obama's and Catherine Ashton's handling of the peace process so far.

Speaking at a press conference with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the Elysee palace on Monday (26 September), the French leader invited Mr Abbas, Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to come to the French capital in late October.

He said the Paris summit will prepare for a larger meeting of the EU-sponsored multilateral club, the Union for the Mediterranean, in November and noted that US domination of the process has yielded no results so far.

The next two articles reveal life under Hamas/Sharia law:


"Hamas Campaign to Arrest 'Spies for Israel' in Gaza"

In other words, life under this terrorist regime:

A campaign by Hamas attempting to catch PA Arabs spying for Israel has spread panic among Gaza residents, AP reported last week.

According to the report, since early September Hamas has detained many residents of the Gaza Strip, including two prominent physicians, a respected engineer, and even members of the terrorist group itself. Concern has been expressed over the secrecy surrounding the arrests, as Hamas refuses to say exactly who has been arrested.

On Thursday, Hamas officials said they arrested several suspected spies for Israel. Though officials did not reveal the exact number of people who were arrested, they did say that the detainees include women.

The announcement on Thursday came as a Hamas court sentenced a Gaza man to death by firing squad after he was convicted of spying for Israel. At least two other alleged spies were executed earlier this year.

Hamas, who took control of Gaza from rival Fatah in 2007, has continuously cracked down on its political Fatah rivals, while at the same time imposing its stringent interpretation of the Islamic Sh'aria law in Gaza

"Liberals, Palestinians and the sanctity of life"

Traditionally, abolition of the death penalty was always a primary objective of liberal establishments throughout the world. But clearly, there are notable exceptions. For example, when Hamas activists throw Palestinian Authority leaders off the rooftops and the PA reciprocate, that is hardly newsworthy.

Likewise when our Palestinian "peace partner" reaffirms its long-standing policy of killing any citizen who commits the cardinal crime of selling land to a Jew, there is no global backlash, no BBC reports and no New York Times or Guardian editorials condemning such behavior.

This commentary elaborates on the above theme, and the hypocrisy involved. One more piece of this commentary is worth repeating:

Some bleeding heart liberals may privately be disappointed that our moderate peace partner Mahmoud Abbas reaffirmed such a barbaric policy, which on previous occasions already resulted in the torture and murder of Palestinians alleged to have sold land to Jews

The question we are entitled to ask is this: How can President Obama and the US liberal establishment conceivably expect Israel to come to terms and reach a settlement with the "moderate" sector of Palestinian society, whose leaders not only celebrate the anniversaries of the monsters who butchered Jewish civilians, but are to this day prepared to boast to the world at large that they will execute anyone selling land to a Jew.

Indeed. But we cannot for get this important fact: We're living in Bizarro World at this particular moment in time, and nothing should be surprising.

More Terror Looms as Talks Break Down

As expected, the talks break down and more violence is anticipated. Debka provides an update from the Middle East:

"Direct Talks Collapse - One Up for Hamas, Hizballah"

US and Israel skirted around admitting that direct Israel-Palestinian dialogue had foundered after 26 days Sunday, Sept. 26, as Israel's 10-month moratorium on settlement construction on the West Bank expired.

These talks, such as they were, generated three important Middle East developments - none of them conducting to the comprehensive peace the Obama administration has been striving for: Hamas is preparing to go to the next, expanded phase of its terror campaign which has already claimed four Israel lives; Egypt and Syria are patching up their quarrel and the two terrorist organizations, Hamas and Hizballah, are crowing.

Fatah officials and the Egyptian Arab League secretary put all the blame for the talks collapsing on the Netanyahu government's refusal to extend the West Bank building freeze.
Defense minister Ehud Barak spoke of a 50-50 chance of a deal on the settlements and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu called on the settlers to exercise restraint.

The breakdown of the talks was widely predicted by every seasoned Middle East hand

Washington may go back for another try to restart the talks in a few weeks or months, but the process has already had a negative impact in the region, hardening the moderates and strengthening the rejectionists:

So what is the bottom line?

The summary is below and it is very predictable:

1. Israel is bracing for a fresh round of terror in the light of Hamas threats;

2. The feuding Fatah and Hamas are talking again, a process that will force Mahmoud Abbas into continuing to harden his posture;

3. Egypt and Israel have drawn apart on the Palestinian issue;

4. Cairo and Damascus have begun talks to bury the hatchet.

All four developments are a triumph for the Middle East radical camp and strengthen the hands of Hizballah and Hamas.

Indeed. As mentioned yesterday - peace most likely won't come until after the Gog-MaGog battle of Ezekiel 38-39. Until then there is absolutely no motivation for the Islamic terrorists to agree to any peace deal. They have now armed up to the max, and they are ready for battle - see Hudna - which is the main reason for any false peace agreement by the terrorists. This period of relative peace has ended and now that Hezbollah/Lebanon, Syria and Hamas have been armed and ready for battle - the only scenario left is war.

War will erupt soon, and when it does, the cascade of prophetic events will quickly follow. I believe the ONLY thing that has prevented full-scale war in the region is the hand of God. Future events will only happen according to His divine timeline - at His perfect timing.

The main question for a follower of Jesus is - how much will we actually witness before the gathering up of the Church?

It's anybody's guess. Meanwhile we watch, and I, for one, actually try and learn some patience - something I wasn't exactly gifted with. In daily Bible reading I recently stumbled across this passage which is very germane to a prophecy watcher in these last days:

"Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near.

Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. "

(James 5:7-11)

Patience and perseverance. Got it. Something worth remembering as we enter another week.

Israel Reduced to the Size of a Jail Cell

This is one of the best articles I have read in a while:

"Israel Reduced to the Size of a Jail Cell"

These first paragraphs are just incredible and leaves me speechless. :

“I said, ‘Natan, what is the deal [about not supporting the peace deal. He said, ‘I can’t vote for this, I’m Russian… I come from one of the biggest countries in the world to one of the smallest. You want me to cut it in half. No, thank you.’”

I responded, “Don’t give me this, you came here from a jail cell. It’s a lot bigger than your jail cell.” —President Bill Clinton

It is truly astounding that Bill Clinton, who in the 1970’s was visiting Moscow and conducting Anti-American rallies on behalf of the Kremlin, had the gall to tell, Sharansky, who had risked his life as a political dissident during the 1970’s fighting the Kremlin, that he should be satisfied that his new country is bigger than the old jail cell where the Soviet authorities had stuck him.

Just be happy that we’re allowing you to keep half of the 8,500 square miles, instead of a few meters in a prison cell. That was the message from the red-faced leader of the free world. And under it, the subtext that if you don’t like it, a prison cell might still be waiting for you. Perhaps somewhere under the Hague by the diktat of the ICC.

The article reminds us of what Clinton said a few days ago:

According to Clinton, Russian Jews are the biggest obstacles to peace, followed by Mizrahi Jews who escaped Muslim rule

The article elaborates on this point:

According to Clinton, Russian Jews are the biggest obstacles to peace, followed by Mizrahi Jews who escaped Muslim rule.

Naturally these are the groups in Israel who are the least naive about what happens when you surrender to tyrants. While many of the Israeli lefties, the grand-children and great-grandchildren of native Israelis whom Clinton interacts with, the cultural elite who live in Tel Aviv and rarely set foot outside it unless they’re paying a visit to Paris or Brussels, have forgotten the reality that lurks in the hills of the Shomron.

Now for some important truths that go largely ignored by the MSM:

And what of the country that Clinton and his successors have tried to reduce until it is hardly more than a jail cell.

Israel is already tiny. At 8500 square miles, it is smaller than all but 3 US states, Connecticut, Delaware and Rhode Island. Compared to its Muslim neighbors, it’s even smaller than that. It’s barely 2 percent of Egypt, which it nevertheless defeated in several wars. It’s 1/4th the size of Jordan and 1/8th the size of Syria. Compared to Turkey or Iran, it hardly even appears on the map.

Under the Palestine Mandate, Israel’s territory would have been six times as large as it is now. Since 1967, Israel has ceded territory 3 times its own size. This would be astonishing even if Israel were a larger country. Instead it’s one of the world’s smaller countries, with one of the world’s highest population densities. And still the Muslim world and its Western backers continue demanding that Israel continue giving up land even though over 7 million Israelis live on a piece of land smaller than New Hampshire

More on the shrinking land borders of already tiny Israel:

And it gets even worse from there. Because Israel’s width at its narrowest point is less than 10 miles (15 kilometers). Considering that Israel is surrounded by Muslim countries whose populations still consider Israel the enemy, despite whatever territory was already conceded in order to sign peace agreements with them, it means that hostile armies from both sides could cut Israel in half in only a matter of miles.

Just to make matters worse still, that narrow point intersects Israel’s capital, the seat of its government and its largest city—Jerusalem. And finally to put it all into perspective, that is exactly the territory that every “peacemaker” from Clinton to Blair to Obama want to slice into. And not just “slice into”, but turn into a geographically contiguous state for Hamas and Fatah terrorists that would cut Israel in two at its must vulnerable point.

That covers the land issue, but what about the "false consequences" of NOT giving up MORE land?

The “Peace Pushers” have always argued that cutting a deal is the only way to stop terrorism. But Israel has been cutting deals for 18 years now, and not only is there no peace, but the violence has hit a whole new threat leve

Israeli towns and villages are now being shelled on a regular basis, the way that Egypt and Jordan used to, but now the shelling is being carried out by terrorist groups whom Israel allowed into the country, and whom Clinton and his successors financed and trained.

And that is the best case scenario that Clinton has to offer us. And even that is based on a series of lies and illusions. That is the “dream” for which the “Peace Pushers” would like Israel to carve itself up and ethnically cleanse its own population. Not the reality of peace, but the dream of it. A dream based on lies and manipulation by terrorists and their enablers.

Wait, there is even more information coming from our Bizarro World:

The truth is that the “moderate” terrorists we are supposed to negotiate with, were and still are terrorists. They’re just terrorists that the State Department and the EU likes and finances. They have absolutely no democratic legitimacy because they refuse to hold elections.

They refuse to even acknowledge Israel as a “Jewish State”, rather than an entity they can invade and take over. The majority of Palestinian Arabs don’t even support the state that Abbas is negotiating to create. The majority of Israeli Jews don’t support any concessions on Jerusalem to create such a state. Jews, Muslims and even Americans in poll after poll, expect the talks to fail. No one outside of Washington D.C. and Brussels even sees any point to having them. The only way this process could have any less legitimacy, was if the negotiating panels were replaced by kangaroos.

OK, but other than that (above), things are great (sarcasm). My favorite part is found in these concluding remarks:

But the “Peace Pushers” keep on singing the siren song of “Somewhere over the rainbow, when we’ve invested enough billions into institutions, militias and training, then it’ll all work out for the best.” How and why, are questions that are best not asked, because there are no answers to them. To any of them.

The talks don’t serve the cause of peace. They never did. Both sides are being marched to the table, because Obama desperately needs a photo op, and Europe thinks it can appease Muslim anger by bullying Israel into handing over parts of Jerusalem.

The Arab Socialists whom Clinton and the EU backed have lost badly, they’re nothing more than puppets now, and they know it. That is why Abbas is doing everything he can to throw the talks. The era of Arafat and his ilk is over. It’s the Islamists’ turn now and no amount of hot air out of Washington D.C. or Brussels will change that.

And in Jerusalem, a new siege of the city continues. The focus on the city continues to touch off new acts of Muslim violence and terror. As what began as a political siege may well end in actual war.

Indeed. We know how this all ends - the question is how do we get there. War is inevitable - it is just a matter of time and circumstances. We also have a figure known as the antichrist waiting in the wings for his moment to appear.

As mentioned before, these peace talks are a complete sham. I believe it will take the events of Ezekiel 38-39 and the destruction of the surrounding Islamic groups before the "covenant" is "confirmed". Prior to that, there is absolutely no incentive/motivation for the terrorist groups as led by Iran to forge any peace. Their goal is the destruction of Israel.

Until God directly deals with these groups (again, as described in Ezekiel 38-39) there will be no peace. And when there is "peace" - it will be a deal confirmed by the antichrist (Daniel 9:27). And that begins the Tribulation.

For the non-believing world, this is as good as things will get in the Middle East, and in the world for that matter. Its all downhill from this point on - as the world begins it descent into the Tribulation.

Thankfully, we have a merciful God who has a different plan for the followers of Christ.

Cyber War on Iran Begins

It looks like Israel may have found another way to thwart Iran's nuclear ambitions. The question then becomes: "Will this be enough?"

"Iran's nuclear agency battles virus that can bring down power plants"

Iranian media reports said Friday that the country's nuclear agency is trying to combat a complex computer worm that has affected industrial sites in Iran and is capable of taking over power plants.

The computer virus, which attacks a widely used industrial system, appears aimed mostly at Iran and its sophistication suggests a state may have been involved in creating it, Western cyber security companies said earlier in the day.

Kevin Hogan, Senior Director of Security Response at Symantec, told Reuters 60 percent of the computers worldwide infected by the so-called Stuxnet worm were in Iran, indicating industrial plants in that country were the target.

"Stuxnet is a working and fearsome prototype of a cyber-weapon that will lead to the creation of a new arms race in the world," it said in a statement about the virus, which attacks Siemens AG's widely used industrial control systems.

The companies' remarks are the latest in a series of specialist commentary stirring speculation that Iran's first nuclear power station, at Bushehr, may have been targeted in a state-backed attempt at sabotage or espionage.

"It's pretty clear that based on the infection behavior that installations in Iran are being targeted," Hogan said of the virus.

Related articles:

"Worm hits worker's computers ar Iran nuclear plant"

The computer worm, dubbed Stuxnet, can take over systems that control the inner workings of industrial plants. Experts in Germany discovered the worm in July, and it has since shown up in a number of attacks — primarily in Iran, Indonesia, India and the US.

The ISNA report said the malware had spread throughout Iran, but did not name specific sites affected.

"Cyber War on Iran: the Siemens Connection"

Yesterday, I wrote some preliminary words about this highly sophisticated attack by the so-called “Stuxnet” worm; today we learn the startling news the Iranians themselves have admitted that something serious has happened. Such admissions are certainly not common from the secretive state. From Asia Bizz:

The Iranian Ministry has stated that some 30000 industrial computers have been infected by Stuxnet. One of the main operations done by Stuxnet is that it extracts vital information from these systems and then sends it somewhere abroad. Iran has termed this virus as a spy virus, as it is deploying vital data to other countries. On the other hand it is said, a similar attack has been reported from Iran’s latest nuclear power plant facility, but these reports have not yet been confirmed.

Three-thousand industrial computers … what industries and how extensive the damage is Iran isn’t saying. But we can hazard the guess that most of it is militarily related. Besides the ability to send information abroad, “Stuxnet” is reportedly able to commandeer computers and direct them to destroy what they are managing. If true, this changes the face of warfare.

This is very interesting news. The extent of this virus and the long-term effects are anyone's guess at this point, but it is most definitely worth watching as more information will probably be leaking out in the coming weeks.

In other news:


"Are We in the 9th Year of a 10-year Hudna"

If you are not familiar with the concept of "Hudna", then this article is worth reading.

But a chill ran through me this month when I realized that September 2010 might be more than just another anniversary of the 2001 savagery. According to Islamic law, 2010 could be the start of the ninth year of a 10-year hudna. So, what is a ‘hudna' and what is so special about the ninth year of an Islamic terror standoff?

A ‘hudna' is a temporary peace entered into by an Islamic force when it is weaker than its enemy. Its purpose is to buy the Islamic side time to rearm and regroup. But don't think of it as a ceasefire as Westerners understand the concept, because there are fundamental differences.

First, according to Islamic thought, the Muslim side is entitled to break the hudna at any time without giving notice to its adversary. However, the non-Muslim side is entitled to no such change of mind.

"If I take an oath and later find something else better, I do what is better and break my oath," Muhammad said. "If you ever take an oath to do something and later on you find that something else is better, then you should expiate your oath and do what is better."

Second, 10 years is the longest time authorized for a hudna before the Islamic side is obliged to resume making war. And since the last Islamic assault on Washington and New York, our political and economic capitals, respectively, we have now passed the nine-year mark.

If this "Hudna" applies, then we are rapidly approaching the 10-year mark. This too is something worth watching closely as the end date approaches.

In the news: Violence Erupts in Jerusalem

High Alert in Jerusalem

Jerusalem police are on high alert Friday morning as Muslim prayers take place at the Al-Aksa Mosque on the Temple Mount. There is concern that worshipers will be inspired to further violence, as Arab rioting near the Old City continues for a third day. There is a massive police presence in the Old City and no Muslim males under the age of 50 are being allowed on the Temple Mount.

Rioters have thrown rocks at passersby, police, vehicles and buildings, wounding one officer and 11 civilians. Firebombs have also been used. Four buses sustained severe damage, and three cars were burnt.

16 rioters were arrested early on Friday morning, all of them Arab residents of Jerusalem from the neighborhoods of Mei Shiloach (Silwan) and A-Tor.

Police are planning for possible riots on Tuesday, which will mark 10 years since the day that former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, then the leader of the Knesset opposition, visited the Temple Mount. Muslim worshipers reacted to the presence of a Jewish leader on the Temple Mount with riots so intense that they were considered by many to be the first attacks of the Oslo War (Second Intifada).

Palestinian violence in Jerusalem leaves 16 injured, including 5 policemen

Israeli police stormed Temple Mount Wednesday Sept. 22 where Muslim worshippers barricaded themselves inside the Al Aqsa Mosque after they rioted and threw stones below to the Western Wall. The police did not enter the mosque. On the Mount of Olives an Israeli was stabbed in the back and moderately injured.

Four Israeli policemen and four Israel civilians were injured in the riots spreading around the Arab neighborhoods of East Jerusalem and the Old City. They erupted at the funeral of Samir Sirhan, who was killed earlier in Silwan by an Israeli security guard shooting his way out of a mob ambush closing in on his car.

The funeral party hurled rocks at passing Israeli civilians and police brought in to restore order and torched Israeli cars. Eight rioters arrested. After nightfall, Palestinians returned to the attack, throwing firebombs at police patrols raising the number of injured on both sides to 16 including 5 policemen.

To add further fuel to this fire, the settlement freeze is about to end. This will almost ensure more rioting:

Settlers prepare for end of West Bank building freeze

Settlers have hauled construction equipment into a settlement deep inside the West Bank in preparation for the end of the 10-month construction moratorium scheduled to take place on Sunday.

Pro-settler MK Danny Danon (Likud) said Saturday that activists plan to lay the cornerstone of a new neighborhood in the Revava settlement Sunday, the last day of the slowdown.

Nawaf Souf, the Palestinian deputy governor in the area, said settlers have moved construction equipment and 20 to 30 mobile homes into Revava in recent days. "The moment that the freeze is lifted, they will do the work openly," he said.

The end of the settlement slowdown presents the first major crisis in Mideast peace talks launched early this month in Washington.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who imposed the slowdown 10 months ago as a peace gesture, said he will not extend the restrictions. But the Palestinians say they will not continue negotiations if building resumes. The US is trying to broker a compromise.

In a furious, last-minute round of diplomacy, the Obama administration is pressing Israel to extend the settlement slowdown, while urging Abbas not to make good on his threat to leave the negotiations.

Well, so much for the peace-process. We'll see where this goes. Based on events of the past, it seems a good bet that Israel will
be the first to blink and reinstate the building freeze. Either way, its almost a guarantee that violence will continue. Violence will break out if any peace plan is approached (or agreed) and violence will ensue if the building freeze ends.

So it looks like violence will break out with any of the foreseeable scenarios. Business as usual in the Middle East.

Ahmadinejad's Prayer for the 12th Imam

I remain fascinated by the fact that dozens of articles have been written about Ahmadinejad's speech to the UN yet no one has noted the most significant element of his speech.

At least not until Joel Rosenberg's commentary:

"Ahmadinejad Prays To Hasten Coming Of The Twelfth Imam And Bring Islamic 'Victory'"

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made yet another inflammatory speech to the U.N. General Assembly on Thursday. He began his remarks by praying, “O God, hasten the arrival of Imam al-Mahdi and grant him good health and victory and make us his followers and those who attest to his righteousness.”

Imam al-Mahdi is another name for the “Twelfth Imam” or the “Hidden Imam.” Shia Muslims believe this Islamic messiah will come at the End of Days to destroy Judeo-Christian civilization as we have known it, force infidels to convert or be executed, and will set up a one-world Islamic government known as the “caliphate.” Ahmadinejad believes the way to “hasten” the Twelfth Imam’s coming is to annihilate the U.S. and Israel. This would bring about the “victory” that Ahmadinejad prayed for on American soil. The speech went downhill from there. Ahmadinejad accused the U.S. government of masterminding the 9/11 attacks in order to save Israel. Few in the West, including our leaders, understand what Ahmadinejad and his colleagues in the Iranian government believe. And that’s the problem.

What should we do in response? We need to “get ready” and “be prepared,” according to Ezekiel 38:7. We need to gather in small groups and as entire church congregations and pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and mobilize others to pray, too. We need to travel to Israel to do prayer walks, and worship the Lord, and study and teach the Word of God, and to encourage Israelis that we are standing with them, and that the God of Israel loves them without limit. We need to care for poor and needy Israelis and Palestinians with unconditional love and unwavering support. We need to stockpile humanitarian relief supplies in Israel and build infrastructure to distribute even more emergency aid when the next war comes. We need to strengthen the Church in the epicenter in real and practical ways. We need to help our brothers and sisters throughout the region preach the gospel and make disciples and plant churches and show that Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace and the only hope of reconciliation. Time is short, but our path forward is clear.

Unfortunately, most politicians in both America and in Europe don't seem to appreciate what we are dealing with here. Ahmadinejad is on a religious mission. What he is attempting to accomplish in his nuclear plans goes way beyond issues such as the defense of Iran, or the more blatant lie which involves peaceful nuclear power. That isn't the case AT ALL.

As stated before, Ahmadinejad's mission - in fact one could argue his purpose for living - is to hasten the return of the Mahdi and see Sharia law instituted throughout the world. This is the end game for certain islamic groups who share these beliefs.

These beliefs make Ahmadinejad unpredictable and much more dangerous that anyone will admit. He is on a religious mission to destroy the U.S. and Israel and that serves as his primary motivation in life. Not recognizing this - or worse - ignoring this main fact will put the entire world at risk, as he rapidly approaches his goal of possessing nuclear weapons. He has also recently acquired the capability to deliver such weapons anywhere in Europe and soon he will be able to reach the borders of America with these weapons of mass destruction.

Failure to recognize these basic facts puts the entire world at great peril. And at this precise moment in history, I see no world leaders who are up to the task of dealing with Iran appropriately.

Somehow, however, all of this ties into God's master plan. Because we are so close to the world's concluding events, prophetically, we know that everything we see happening in the world today is part of His overall plan.

Meanwhile we watch these events unfold and we wait with the prophetic knowledge that our redemption is drawing near.

Maranatha! The Trumpet call is coming and coming soon. Jesus told us so - it is a guarantee. Like a light shining in darkness (2 Peter 1:19) the prophetic scriptures given in our Bible give us hope and encouragement in these dark days.

That's the great paradox. The darker the world becomes, and the more signs we see - the closer Jesus is to fulfilling the promise of John 14:1-3, a passage that is ALWAYS worth repeating:

Do not let your hearts be troubled.
Trust in God; trust also in me.

In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you.

I am going there to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back and take you to be with me
that you also may be where I am.

That moment is coming and it is coming soon.

The Reality of the Situation

The commentary linked below is incredibly timely and hits to the heart of matters in the Middle East. It has been a long time since such a politically incorrect yet accurate article has been in print but this one hits the bulls-eye dead center and it is well worth reading in full.

Not surprisingly, it comes from Caroline Glick who seems to have a radar for the truth, despite perhaps being somewhat uncomfortable to read - but that often comes with the truth of certain matters - in this case, Israel. Additionally, most of what is stated in this commentary could appropriately apply to the U.S.

"What the left is really after"

Following the example of its counterparts in the West, for decades the Israeli Left has carefully cultivated its image as the fun side of the political divide.

From the Left's perspective, the peace process between Israel and the PLO was the fulfillment of its promise. It was also its key to a permanent cultural monopoly and control of government.

Israelis who objected to handing control over the country's heartland and capital city to the PLO were nothing more than gloom and doom preaching, messianic extremists. The Right was angry. The Left was happy. The Right was the party of war. The Left was the party of peace. The Right was suspicious and tribal. The Left was optimistic and international.

OK, so good so far. Now she dives into the reality of the situation - a reality conveniently ignored by the masses on the left:

The first blows to the Left's otherwise perfect narrative were cast just seven months after the moment of its greatest triumph. Just seven months after the epic handshake between Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat on the White House lawn on September 13, 1993, the first Palestinian suicide bomber made his appearance. On April 6, 1994, the bomber murdered eight Israelis on a bus in Afula.

By the time the peace process was a year old, the image of the suicide bomber had begun to eclipse the image of the balloon-festooned peace the Left sought to embody.

It was at this time that the Left could have been expected to reconsider its commitment to the peace process. But that is not what happened. The Left maintained absolute allegiance to the phony peace process. It simply ditched hope.

She elaborates effectively on this point, but for the sake of brevity, lets move on to her next points:

True, transferring land to the PLO had turned out to be a very bad idea. True life had been better and safer before the fake peace process.

YET EVEN as its plan of surrendering land to jihadists was exposed as so much idiocy, and its demographic doomsday scenarios were proven wrong, the Left remained steadfast on its course. It simply found a new argument.

Beginning around 2006, the Left began threatening that if Israel does not remove itself from Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem, the US will abandon us. On Sunday night, former prime minister Ehud Olmert presented this argument in his keynote speech before the Geneva Initiative's annual conference.

Olmert claimed that if Israel does not retreat voluntarily to the indefensible 1949 armistice lines, the US will force it to retreat. Israel, he said, has no choice but to voluntarily partition Jerusalem and withdraw from Judea and Samaria. Left unsaid was the assumption that such a retreat will entail turning between 100,000 and a half million Israelis who live in the areas to be ceded into homeless internal refugees.

Now she dismantles this "argument":

Olmert's statement is worth considering not because he said it, but because today it is the Left's central argument for withdrawal. In analyzing this claim, lt us assume at the outset that Olmert is correct and that if Israel does not voluntarily cede Judea and Samaria and partition Jerusalem, the US will try to coerce Israel to do so.

In this scenario Israel faces two possible futures. It can withdraw or it can resist US pressure, try to remain in place and only leave when compelled to do so.

If Israel withdraws it will relinquish defensible borders and clear the way for the emergence of a terrorist-controlled area abutting all its major population centers.

At a minimum, this terror enclave will be in a de facto state of war with Israel as it cultivates warm ties with Syria, Hizbullah, Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood.

If Israel does not withdraw, its cities will remain secure and its population will not be in crisis. But Israel will have to contend with a hostile US government threatening to take unknown steps to force it to contract to within indefensible borders.

Now the dirty truth on the U.S. involvement:

What will those US threats involve? Washington is already arming and training a Palestinian army. It is already selling the Arabs the most advanced weapons in the US arsenal. It is already providing military assistance to the Hizbullah-controlled Lebanese army. It is already permitting Iran to develop nuclear weapons.

Would Olmert and his leftist colleagues have us believe that the US military will invade Israel to force us to exit Judea and Samaria and Jerusalem?

If that is what the Left is hinting, let us assume it is right. But if the Left is right, is Israel better off preemptively dooming itself to chronic wars and strategic vulnerability by accepting indefensible borders than by refusing to do so? At least if we refuse to stick our neck in the noose, the US government will be forced to make the case for destroying Israel to the American people.

Ouch. Genesis 12:3 keeps coming to mind right about now.

More truths:

And then there is the Left's certainty that it can foresee the future. That would be the same Left that promised us peace, demographic destruction, and that Gaza would become the new Singapore after we withdrew. But even if there is a residue of reality in its new threats, why should we squander Israel's security based on a scenario that may or may not play out?

Now we get to the final truths - and the most important points - points that directly apply to the situation in both the U.S. and Israel, something you'll never read in the MSM's slanted commentaries:

THE FACT of the matter is that like the peace fantasy and the demographic fantasy, the international-isolation-and-war-with-the-US fantasy is pure nonsense. None of these leftist scenarios - whether rosy or bleak - have ever withstood the slightest scrutiny.

So what accounts for the Left's behavior? Why is it that intelligent people like Olmert and Kadima leader Tzipi Livni and their comrades in the Labor Party and Meretz and the Geneva Initiative are so quick to make insipid arguments? Why won't they just admit that Israel is better off remaining where it is and not contracting to within indefensible boundaries?

What do they really want?

THAT is the 10 million dollar question, and here it is - like a ton of bricks:

The answer to this last question is as simple as it is insidious. What the Left truly seeks is not peace or even security. In pushing their land surrender policy in the face of a mountain of evidence that it imperils the country, leftist ideologues and political leaders are seeking to destroy their ideological rivals on the Right. That is, they wish to destroy religious Zionism.

It is religious Zionism, which looks to Jerusalem rather than to Tel Aviv, that drives the Left to distraction. It is the hope of destroying religious Zionism by destroying the Jewish presence in Judea and Samaria and eastern Jerusalem - the Jewish nerve center of the country - that keeps the Left on its path. This truth was exposed in a Haaretz editorial published in July 2005, a month before 10,000 predominantly religious Israelis were expelled from their homes in Gaza and northern Samaria.

As the Left's mouthpiece explained, "The disengagement of Israeli policy from its religious fuel is the real disengagement currently on the agenda. On the day after the disengagement, religious Zionism's status will be different."

The editorial concluded, "The real question is not how many mortar shells will fall, or who will guard the Philadelphi route, or whether the Palestinians will dance on the roofs of Ganei Tal. The real question is who sets the national agenda."

The dispute is between the religious public and the rest of the Israelis."

The bottom line is quoted below and this is the part that applies as much to the U.S. political situation as it does to Israel.

What the Left's move from hope to fear in the service of its plan to destroy its ideological rival shows is that in contrast to its carefully crafted image, the Left is fundamentally out of step with the public. They are not the optimistic side on the political divide. And they are not interested in making our lives better or more fun. They are motivated by hatred of their rivals, not love of country or devotion to peace.

Perhaps the only question then is how many more times they will be allowed to lead us astray before we stop allowing them define the terms of our national debate?

It is that last line that finally puts things in perspective. It explains how someone who embraces and supports views such as radical Islam, with their unbelievable mistreatment of women and children. It explains why this group-think embraces every communist leader from Mao to Castro. It explains why such philosophy embraces terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, despite all evidence of their violent blood lust. It also explains much of the left's hatred of Christians and Jews.

When human government becomes your "religion" and your faith-substitute then it is easy to turn your hatred towards those who oppose you. Two sentences are the most haunting:

"And they are not interested in making our lives better or more fun. They are motivated by hatred of their rivals, not love of country or devotion to peace."

Wow. What can be added to that?

The irony is - there is coming a time, when these dreams - dreams of an all encompassing human government will be applied, on a world-wide basis. Preceding this, the perceived "enemy" - the followers of Christ - will have been removed from the planet. A secular leader will emerge and liberal utopia will reach its final and complete fulfillment. There will even be a temporary period of apparent peace.

But not long after that brief period, the unfortunate truth and reality will set in. For a detailed view of this future, all one has to do is read Revelation 6-18.

For the alternative future - the future of those who follow Christ - that too is found in the Holy Bible: A future which begins with the description given in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 and then proceeds immediately into the description given in Revelation 21-22.

Compare and contrast these two separate futures. Both descriptions contain the truth and the reality of these two separate futures. And both of these futures are coming soon.

In the news...

At the risk of stating the obvious:

"Israel: No choice but to attack Iran"

Israeli officials are becoming increasingly frustrated by the international community’s foot-dragging regarding Iran’s defiant nuclear program. Sanctions are having almost no impact, and there is no credible threat of force. For most Israelis, it seems the world has accepted a nuclear-armed Iran as a foregone conclusion.

Speaking at a counter-terrorism conference at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya on Sunday, former Mossad chief Danny Yatom said that if NATO or some other coalition of air forces would attack even just some of Iran’s nuclear facilities, it could buy plenty of time to ultimately prevent the Islamic Republic from obtaining atomic weapons.

But Europe and the Obama Administration have signaled they have absolutely no intention of using force to stop Iran, and so Israel must retain the right to self-defense. “Figure out for yourselves what that means,” Yatom told his audience

And that admonition applies not only to Israel, but to every other nation as well. “I believe that the whole world has to take it seriously,” said Barak. “A nuclear Iran…will start an arms race towards nuclear capacity among several members of the Middle Eastern community. It will give a tailwind to (global jihad).”

“We continue to be open to diplomatic solutions to resolve this,” said Obama, sidestepping the fact that diplomatic efforts to talk Iran down have been going on for nearly a decade with absolutely no positive results. In fact, as many Israelis see it, the situation has worsened since Obama took office and effectively took the military option off the table. Iran is now more convinced than ever that international sanctions and threats have no teeth.

"Abdullah: If freeze issue not settled, war may follow"

Jordan's King: "If we fail on the 30th [of September], expect another war by the end of the year. And more wars in the region over the coming years."

Jordan's King Abdullah warned Thursday that if the issue of the building moratorium in West Bank settlements was not solved a regional war could break out by the end of the year.

He hinted at his displeasure with Iran involving itself in the Middle East peace process, stating that the Palestinian issue had been "hijacked" by some non-Arab elements that were preventing moderate elements from voicing their opinion. He expressed his belief that a resolution to the conflict would end Iran's involvement in the issue

There we see Iran again, right in the thick of things - pushing the buttons in the Middle East. They already control Hamas and Hezbollah and now they are finding ways to intervene in the "peace process". It isn't surprising. At least others in the region recognize this fact.

Haaretz is also carrying the story:

"Jordan's Abdullah: Peace talks failure will drag U.S. into new Mideast war"

In other news, this one (below) is coming from the Temple Mount:

"Israel Police leave Temple Mount as calm returns to Jerusalem"

At least 10 Israelis wounded in riots near Temple Mount, Western Wall following shooting death of Palestinian by Israeli security guard in East Jerusalem; Israeli man stabbed, in moderate condition.

Calm appeared to be prevailing on the streets of Jerusalem on Wednesday evening, after hours of bloody clashes apparently sparked by the shooting of a Palestinian by an Israeli security guard in the early hours of the morning. Police also redeployed from the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, situated on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem.

The action came after more than 10 Israelis were wounded when hundreds of Palestinian protesters began hurling stones at security officials, following the funeral for Sami Sirhan, a Palestinian resident of the East Jerusalem area of Silwan - an area that sees frequent tensions over its settler enclave - who was shot dead by an Israeli security guard protescting settlers' homes earlier in the day.

An Israeli man, 35, was stabbed by a rioter near Mount Scopus and hospitalized with moderate wounds, while three more Israelis were slightly wounded in the same area as Palestinian rioters overturned their car.

The guard shot the 32-year-old man in a pre-dawn incident, a police spokesman said, saying that the guard told police investigators he had opened fire after his car was blocked and stoned by dozens of Palestinians.

The rumors of war are continuing. The violence is escalating in the Middle East. The obsession with a peace deal in the region tells us that the covenant of Daniel 9:27 is approaching.

Things are right on schedule.

Confirming the Covenant?

Jack Kelley has written an excellent overview of the covenant of Daniel 9:27 and it is well worth reading. Here it is in it's entirety:

"Confirming The Covenant"

He will confirm the covenant with many for one ’seven.’ In the middle of the ’seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him. (Daniel 9:27)


Judah’s King Hezekiah had become deathly ill during the reign of the Assyrian King Sennacherib. But when he prayed for recovery the Lord agreed to extend his life by 15 years, confirming His promise to defeat the King of Assyria at the same time. As a sign of this confirmation, He had Hezekiah watch as the shadow caused by the sun reversed course and went back up 10 steps on the stairway of Ahaz (Isaiah 38:1-8).

After Hezekiah had recovered Merodach-Baladan, the King of Babylon, sent envoys with letters and a gift to congratulate him on his return to good health. In a reckless display of hospitality, Hezekiah took them on a grand tour of the palace, showing them everything including the armory and the treasury. “There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them” (Isaiah 39:2)

Isaiah conveyed the Lord’s displeasure. “Hear the word of the LORD Almighty,” he said. “The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your fathers have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the LORD. And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood who will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”

“The word of the LORD you have spoken is good,” Hezekiah replied. For he thought, “There will be peace and security in my lifetime.” (Isaiah 39:5-8)

About 100 years later, Nebuchadnazzer fulfilled this prophecy on his way home from defeating the combined forces of Assyria and Egypt at the Battle of Carchemish. Remembering the stories he’d heard of Israel’s wealth as a boy, he surrounded Jerusalem. Taking Daniel and other princes of Israel hostage, and completely stripping the temple and the treasury of its wealth, he carried everything off to Babylon. Daniel and his three friends, known to us as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, were castrated and made administrators in Nebuchadnezzar’s government.

Hezekiah knew this wasn’t going to happen immediately and, in the short-term thinking common to politicians of his day and ours, was comforted that the consequences of his ill advised actions wouldn’t be felt during his reign, even though they would be partly responsible for the nation’s eventual downfall.

What’s Going On Here?
By now you’re wondering why I’ve put these prophecies of Isaiah 39 (fulfilled) and Daniel 9 (still in the future) together. Well, in the Isaiah passage we see the typical politician’s mentality of making short term decisions without taking their long term consequences into consideration. They convince themselves that by separating the cause from the effect, they won’t be blamed if things don’t turn out well.

As an example of how this works today, the practice of granting government backed mortgages to people who couldn’t afford them really had its beginnings in the Carter administration. It was a social experiment that proved to be financially unsound. Ignoring the dire predictions of experts, President Clinton dramatically expanded this program and every president since then continued to support it. But in most peoples’ minds, do they share the blame for the financial meltdown this program triggered, or was it just the guy in office when it happened?

As for Daniel’s prophecy, its importance here rests in the word “confirm”. The Hebrew word literally means to strengthen, as in making it binding. It means the coming ruler won’t negotiate this covenant, he’ll just give it the force of law. This implies that at least the general points of the agreement will already be in place.

Here’s where it gets interesting. This has not been announced in the main stream media yet, but there is a hint in diplomatic circles that the goal for this round of direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians might be an agreement in principle that will be executed later. One editorial I read said the implementation could follow the agreement by as much as 10 years.

It may be just coincidence, but 10 years is the maximum duration permitted in Islam for a peace treaty with a stronger enemy. Such treaties are only allowed for the purpose of buying time to acquire enough additional strength to defeat the enemy, and while they can be broken as soon as sufficient strength is achieved, they can’t last more than than 10 years.

Followers of Islam point to Muhammad’s Treaty of Hudaybiya as their example. It resulted from his contention with the more powerful Quraysh of Mecca that forced him to leave the city and take refuge in nearby Medina in 622 AD. According to Arabic history Muhammad had dramatically increased the strength of his forces by 628 but instead of attacking offered the Quraysh a 10 year treaty of peace, to which they agreed. 22 months later when the opportunity presented itself he attacked and conquered the unsuspecting city. Yasser Arafat used this example to justify his diplomatic policy whenever he was criticized by the Arab nations for offering ”concessions” to Israel.

I’m just offering conjecture at this point, but given 1) the propensity for politicians to make agreements that ignore future consequences, 2) the Islamic justification for breaking treaties when it suits them, 3) the wording of Daniel’s prophecy, and 4) our presence in the End Times, I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see something like this happen as a result of the current talks.

Keep in mind, the treaty doesn’t have to be for 10 years in order to meet the Islamic requirement, that’s just the maximum amount of time allowed. It could just as easily be for 7 years.

The Current Situation
So here’s the current situation. On one hand, the world is becoming ever more insistent in its demand for peace in the Middle East. But peace is impossible to achieve under the current circumstances. None of the parties involved in these negotiations can bring peace to the Middle East. Those who could make it happen weren’t invited to the talks and don’t want peace, but don’t think they’re strong enough to go to war yet. Therefore an illusion of peace has to be created, allowing them the time they need to become strong enough to attack, just like Muhammad showed them.

With the illusion in place the US negotiators can go home proclaiming peace where there is no peace (Ezekiel 13:10). Like Hezekiah, they’ll comfort themselves with the hope that they won’t be blamed when the shooting starts, not realizing that their ongoing betrayal of Israel will be partly responsible for America’s demise.

An illusion of peace is the best available outcome for these talks, and to achieve even that, Israel will have to be made less able to defend itself when the day for war arrives, as it inevitably will. From the very beginning, experts have been warning that the final outcome of the Middle East peace talks will be war.

The Bible says a false peace will precede war in the Middle East. Through a series of events such as preliminary battles (Psalm 83, Isaiah 17) and meaningless peace agreements the Israelis will come to believe the threats to their national security have been removed, and they’ll let down their guard. A that point a coalition of Moslem nations will attack with such force that nothing short of God’s direct intervention will save them. But He will intervene and Israel’s enemies will be defeated (Ezekiel 38).

That’s when a powerful man will come forward with the suggestion that it’s time to enforce a covenant that’s already been negotiated between the combatants. This time the world will be convinced that real and lasting peace has finally come, and this man will be hailed as a great peace maker, unlike any the world has ever seen (Daniel 8:25).

Will the agreement currently being negotiated be the foundation on which this coming world leader will restore peace after the Battle of Ezekiel 38? That’s not for us to know. But given the times we’re in we shouldn’t be surprised if it turns out that way.

Epilogue
Alas our story doesn’t end here because, as it is with the current talks, the peace brought about by this great leader will also turn out to be false and will bring Israel into the worst time in their history, the worst time in the history of the world.

After presenting himself as their savior, he’ll turn out to be their destroyer and once again they’ll find themselves on the brink of utter defeat. That’s when the Lord will pour out His spirit of grace and supplication, Israel’s eyes will be opened to their true Messiah, and He will again intervene on their behalf to destroy their enemies (Zechariah 12:10, 14:3). This time the peace will be real and the remnant of Israel will be ushered into their glorious Kingdom Age. You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah. 09-18-10

Lies and Deception IV

Although the U.S. administration and the MSM would like to conveniently forget all about the Gulf oil spill (we can't expose yet more government ineptitude can we?), this situation is FAR from being over. There are a vast array of articles coming from the region all around the gulf. Stories of divers seeing the sea floor completely covered in oil, millions of dead fish, cover-ups by BP and the U.S. administration, oil just beneath the sand all along the shores, people getting sick etc etc etc.

America has moved on to other stories, football season is now in high gear, elections are coming and with our collective Attention Deficit Disorder, no one is looking at the Gulf anymore. Some folks are still carrying the story. I personally believe that as part of the cover-up, BP sprayed millions upon millions of gallons of dispersants into the Gulf - a process which kept the oil beneath the surface, and is now found on the seabed and looming somewhere beneath the surface.

For a deeper read, the following sites contain a lot of ongoing information:

This first link has two very interesting videos worth watching:

"Millions of Dead Fish...Authorities Pretend It Is Wholly Unrelated to BP Oil Spill"

While the government denies that they are connected with the oil spill, there have been massive fishkills in Louisiana (and see this). Oil can be seen at fishkill sites (and see this), and the EPA has discovered high levels of nickel near the biggest fishkill. There have also been kills of starfish and other sea animals, including whales and dolphins:

The next link has several stories every day from the Gulf as related to the oil spill:

"Florida Oil Spill"

This link is worth bookmarking if you have any interest in the ongoing problems in the Gulf. Some of the headlines:

- "Fisherman: 'Never seen nothing like this before in my life'"

- "Alert: 173 ppm oil found in sand at Southwest Florida beach - "Toxic levels" near Sarasota"

- "Entire food web at risk" say researchers just back from Gulf: OIL 'may be hidden in large marine mammals"

- "Gulf Biologist: 'Stunned' if oil product isn't washing up for at least 20 years"

- "Breaking Gulf researchers discover SIX INCHES of 'oily snow' on seafloor

- "Scientists find 'areas in the water column where there is NO OXYGEN'"

And on and on it goes.

More lies and distortions, as you won't find these news anywhere in the MSM.

Why not?

Good luck figuring that one out. In my opinion, it is intended to protect the inept U.S. administration.

It's just more lies and deceptions during these last days.

News From Bizarro World

I just don't know how else to title today's news. I can accept the usual end-times upside-down, "good-is-bad, bad-is-good", crazy news which is understood during these days, but today's news goes beyond the norm.

Maybe he was joking around, and somehow I missed the joke:

"Bill Clinton: Russian immigrants 'obstacle to peace'"

Huh? Did I read that right?
Before proceeding - recall that God's prophets informed us that the Jews would return to their homeland from the four corners of the earth - it is not only expected, but God Himself dictated this. Just a reminder before looking at this absurd article:

Russian immigrants to Israel are one of the main obstacles to reaching a peace agreement with the Palestinians, former US President Bill Clinton said Tuesday to reporters in New York, according to Foreign Policy magazine.

Clinton expressed his fear that the large numbers of Russian immigrants and settlers serving in the IDF will make it hard for the army to confront the settlers if this should be required. An increasing number of IDF soldiers are children of Russians and settlers, who are those most strongly opposed to dividing the land, the former president said. He noted this was a serious problem, and that Israel had changed – some 16% of Israelis now speak Russian.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday evening said the remarks attributed to the former US president were 'distressing.'

Let me see if I understand this. It isn't the terrorist groups (well, and the "mainstream" groups for that matter) who refuse to accept Israel as a nation, or the terrorist groups who have been launching missiles into civilian areas within Israel, or the surrounding nations who are arming to the teeth with chemical, biological and nuclear weapons all while calling for the destruction of Israel. Nope - none of that is the problem. its those pesky Jews who have returned to their homeland from Russia. OK, I got it now. Lets proceed:

Clinton said the Russian immigrants constitute the group least interested in a peace agreement with the Palestinians. They have only just arrived, see the State as their own and are committed to its future, he explained, and they cannot imagine any historical claim which justifies division of the land.

Well, actually Bill, neither can God, but I digress.

The Jerusalem Post has also picked up this story:

"Bill Clinton claims Russian immigrants obstacle to peace"

More news from Bizarro World. I copied this next story, not for the content but for the photo contained in the article. Anytime I see the EU parliament building in Brussels, it reminds me of what we are REALLY dealing with - a spiritual war which is reaching its pinnacle as we approach the Tribulation. Remember - the EU built this building INTENTIONALLY - to look like the Tower of Babel (well, at least the popular artist's renditions of the Tower):

"Tower Building in Brussels"

Only in bizarro world would the largest consolidation of countries overtly put together a structure such as this. In my humble opinion, this is basically the same as giving "the finger" to God. And it doesn't even get discussion outside of prophecy circles. Only in Bizarro World.

Continuing this thought process - we see the main world-wide "peace activist" (sarcasm) once again giving a speech to the UN:

"Speeches from Obama, Ahmadinejad to top UN session"

It should be interesting however. There is no telling what Ahmadinejad will say this afternoon.

Sometimes it really is like being dropped into a parallel universe. Or perhaps some very strange dream - one in which you wake up and immediately tell your spouse "hey, honey, you won't BELIEVE the dream I just had! Ahmadinejad is addressing the UN and Bill Clinton blames the Middle East problems on Jewish immigrants in Israel!! How crazy was THAT dream?"

But this is our new reality and we see such stories almost every day.

Bizarro World - that's where we are. I suppose such news and events seems perfectly normal for those folks who lack the presence of the Holy Spirit. Maybe that's how things are divided now. In these last days, people who do not have the Holy Spirit are seemingly unable to see any truth or reality in this world; meanwhile we look at these same events and happenings in complete and utter disbelief.

As stated so many times, this phenomenon will continue to worsen as we approach the Tribulation.

After all, it is Bizarro World.

Ahmadinejad Threatens the U.S.

Now we see Iranian President Ahmadinejad issuing a threat to the U.S.

" U.S. War 'Without Boundaries"

My my, he is getting bolder and bolder as these last days approach. I have a feeling if he had read Ezekiel 38-39 he may not be quite so bold, but I digress:

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad warned the Obama administration today that if Iran's nuclear facilities are attacked, the U.S. will face a war that "would know no boundaries."

The Iranian president, who is in New York for the annual meetings of the United Nations General Assembly, spoke at a breakfast meeting with reporters and editors at Manhattan's Warwick Hotel.

He said that Iran is on the brink of becoming a nuclear power, and warned Israel and the U.S. against attacking its nuclear facilities.

Asked about the possibility of a U.S.-supported Israeli air strike against Iran, the fiery Iranian leader said an attack would be considered an act of war, and suggested the U.S. is unprepared for the consequences. Such a war "would know no boundaries," Ahmedinejad said. "War is not just bombs."

Another day, another threat by Ahmadinejad. What's new?
On the other hand, with our current U.S. administration, I'm not exactly feeling overly confident these days either.

Strategic Perversity

That's the title of a new article as found in Pajamas Media, and it is well worth reading. I'm just glad that there is someone out there in the media who is noticing:

"Mideast Strategic Perversity"

Russia has decided to sell Syria P-800 Yakhont supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles despite heavy Israeli and American protests.

Last month Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally asked Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to call off the sale. The U.S. is also described as putting up “stiff opposition” to it. Yet over the weekend, Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov announced the sale in Washington during talks with U.S. Defense Minister Robert Gates.

Both the U.S. and Israel fear that the Yakhont, a difficult-to-intercept missile that cruises just above sea level at twice the speed of sound, could threaten their naval vessels in the Mediterranean.

That not even Israel’s superpower ally could dissuade Russia from taking this aggressive, dangerous step is unfortunately part of a pattern. Reuel Marc Gerecht and Mark Dubowitz have noted in the Wall Street Journal that, even at a time when the major European states and Japan are cutting business ties with Iran, Russia (along with China) is stepping in to fill the void.

Well, yes, of course. We know that Russia is the land of MaGog and it's leader will ultimately lead an invasion against Israel, as described in Ezekiel 38-39. We are seeing the preparations for war. If I was around 40 years younger, I'd simply say "DUH!".

But wait - it even gets better in "bizarro world", this world that we find ourselves in at the end of the age:

Meanwhile outspoken Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has said the U.S. is applying “massive” pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to extend Israel’s settlement moratorium beyond its rapidly approaching expiration date on September 26.

In other words, at a time when Israel’s security environment is worsening, in no small part because of the Obama administration’s strategic weakness, Israel is being pushed hard by that same administration into making its security environment even worse.

What environment is this? The article continues:

As Iran keeps advancing toward nuclear weapons despite sanctions, Syria keeps arming with Russian backing, and their proxies Hezbollah and Hamas keep building their power in southern Lebanon and Gaza, respectively. Jerusalem should be focusing on these threats instead of facing what is in effect a U.S.-orchestrated power play to make it give up — in the name of “peace” — West Bank territory that is even more strategic. But the Obama administration’s penchant for being soft toward foes and tough on friends continues, and Israel is bearing the brunt of it.

All of this coming from the "peaceful religion":

In another development, Israel’s ostensible peace partner, the Palestinian Authority, has reaffirmed the death penalty for the misdeed of selling land to Israelis

Why would a U.S. administration regard turning this political entity — along with Gaza, even more barbaric under Hamas — into a sovereign state a cardinal interest? Why would it pursue this goal obsessively to the point of relentlessly undermining a democratic ally, while showing weakness and passivity toward real threats and adversaries? These are indeed difficult questions.

Difficult questions indeed.

But we all ("all" = U.S. administration, the MSM, etc.) play the pretend game. Pretending that the truth and the reality of the situation don't actually exist. Even the Palestinians admit that the "peace talks" are a sham:

"Peace Talks are a Sham"

While Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas puts on a show of playing nice with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the sake of the Obama Administration, the Palestinian ambassador to Lebanon this month assured the Arab world that the current negotiations are just part of a larger plan to delegitimize Israel.

The Palestinian daily newspaper Al-Hayat Al-Jadida reported that on September 9, Ambassador Abdullah Abdullah insisted that “the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations…are not a goal, but rather another stage in the Palestinian struggle… to isolate Israel, to tighten the noose on it, to threaten its legitimacy, and to present it as a rebellious, racist state.”

So much for genuine talks leading to lasting peaceful coexistence.
Like Abbas, Abdullah is sticking to Yasser Arafat’s conclusion decades ago that Israel cannot be defeated in one knock-out blow, but must be slowly whittled away at.

This scenario ("sham") has been played for years and years. Speaking to the American and European groups, the Palestinians say one thing, then, in Arabic to a "home crowd", reassurances are given in the native language and always unreported by the MSM:

Of course, Abdullah’s remarks were not reported by the mainstream media, because they were spoken and reported on in Arabic. It seems Arabic is the language that simply doesn’t matter. You can say anything, reveal any nefarious plot, and everyone will simply brush it off because you said so in Arabic.

But, can anyone imagine an Israeli ambassador, speaking in either English or Hebrew, saying that Israel was only in the current negotiations to reveal the Palestinian Authority as liars with the ultimate goal of delegitimizing the “Palestinian cause” into oblivion?

So painfully predictable and hidden by the MSM (good luck finding this story in the New York Times).

In other news:

"Lebanese Gunfire at IDF on Northern Border"

"PA Court: Death Penalty for Selling Land to Jews"

"Quartet to urge Israel to keep settlement freeze"

The Coming War

Joseph Chambers has written an excellent commentary on the coming war of Gog-MaGog (Ezekiel 38-39):

"God's Firestorm"

The entire episode around the mosque at Ground Zero or the burning of the Koran is a precursor of prophecy. The War of Gog and Magog will be driven by the false prophecies in the Koran and its dictates for the cleansing of all Jews from Jerusalem and Israel. Ezekiel gave us a powerful timeline for this war and clearly promised that the nations in this coalition will be eliminated from the earth. A firestorm – the likes of which only Sodom and Gomorrah can compare – will erase the Islamic religion from the Middle East and portions of Europe and may affect America.

Chapters thirty-six and thirty-seven of this prophetic book, which was written by Ezekiel, promised the revival of the Nation of Israel. In chapters thirty-eight and thirty-nine he revealed this war by Israel’s enemies and their effort to cleanse Jerusalem of what they view as the nasty Jews. Immediately after this picture of God’s firestorm against Israel’s enemies, the Scripture promises Israel the rebuilding of their glorious temple and an age of indescribable peace. These Scriptures are so exact that to doubt the present movement towards God’s plans requires disbelief of the Holy Bible. Ezekiel received this prophecy while in exile from Jerusalem and living on the bank of the Kebar River in Babylon.

Some writers speak of the Islamic religion as the religion of the Antichrist, but this is misguided. The Antichrist is clearly pictured in Revelation chapter seventeen as the intimate companion of the false whore church of Christianity. At no point in the twenty-two chapters of Revelation is there one bit of evidence of an Islamic religion even existing. The Islamic religion is the religion that drives the War of Gog and Magog but the apostate religion of the false church drives the Antichrist movement. The Antichrist’s passion is to unseat the God of the Bible not the god of Islam.

The nations that Ezekiel prophesied to lead this War of Gog and Magog are in perfect alignment. The two leading nations are Russia and Iran, named by Ezekiel by their original connections – Gog and Magog and Persia. If Ezekiel was alive today he could not state the facts around the coming war better. Look at this precise statement — a little research will show its perfection. “Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him.” “Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee” (Ezekiel 38:2, 5-6).

The coalition may well embrace as many as 25-30 governments and an army of incredible numbers. They all will be driven by the Islamic fury against Israel and America. There is no date set by this prophecy, but the present storm is certainly evidence of how quickly the fury can reach the necessary pitch. What is happening may cool down or it may not, but at God’s ordained hour it will explode and the world will tremble.

Such an army will gather to march that all possibilities of defense will be eliminated. Israel will clearly see her existence as beyond human hope to survive. Some believe Israel already has a plan that they understand as “Ezekiel’s Option.” Their intent is to exhaust all their military resources and to accept whatever results. When this massive army crosses the borders in Northern Israel – stretching all the way from Russia and covering the countries that border the Promise Land – it will be God’s signal to intervene. Chills of joy run up and down my very being when I consider what our Great God of the pure faith of the Bible is going to do.

Burning the Koran is barely worth mentioning. This dark religion is an affront to God and everything He loves and will defend. The firestorm will break with a fury that only faith in God and the Bible can possibly understand. God said it like this, “And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man’s sword shall be against his brother. And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD” (Ezekiel 38:21-23). When God issues this call, the angels of Heaven and Earth will move into action and Israel’s defense will no longer be human.

I believe that when the War of Gog and Magog is over, there will not be any capitols in Russia, Turkey, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Libya, and on and on. The city called Mecca will be non-existent and the sands of these capitols will be melted as glass. Joel spoke of the ruins that will welcome the remnant of this army as they try to go home, “But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things. Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things.” (Joel 2:20-21).

I have no desire to burn the Koran although I understand that this book is on the same level as the Satanic Bible. The apostate church of America is full of people that are perfectly willing to call it a “Holy Book.” To do this reveals a state of mind towards the absolute Bible that borders on blasphemy. It’s dark out there and will get darker until our God says it’s enough. That could be and probably is right at the door. To all my Bible-believing friends, “Get ready, judgment is coming.”


In a related bit of news, we see the following:


"PA: Give us a State or It's War"

Senior Palestinian Authority negotiator Nabil Shaath has announced that the PA will never accept Israel as a Jewish state

Lets repeat that one more time:

Senior Palestinian Authority negotiator Nabil Shaath has announced that the PA will never accept Israel as a Jewish state

This is the group of people who are involved in the sham "peace talks". Thats right.

In addition, he threatened war if the PA fails to obtain its demands through negotiations, saying, “A Palestinian state will arise, either through negotiations or through armed resistance.”

Unfortunately, this sentiment isn't isolated to the PA:

The Arab League voted last week to support PA Chairman Abbas' refusal to recognize Israel as Jewish.

Shaath said that recognizing Israel as Jewish state would undermine the PA's demand for the “right of return,” which would grant Israeli citizenship to the millions of descendants of Arab who fled Israel during its War of Independence.

There is more to this article, but nothing needs to be added. The above quotes say it all.

In the news...

More news from the Middle East:

"Hizbullah successfully tests new missile in Iran"

Special Hizbullah units in Iran have successfully launched and tested a new Iranian missile "Fatah 110," according to a report over the weekend by Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Rai, Channel 2 news reported. Iranian "Fatah 110" has a range of 200 km, capable of reaching Ashdod, Jerusalem; Lebanese terror group reportedly has list of priority targets.

According to the report, the Iranian missile, which was displayed with great pride in Teheran less than a month ago, has a maximum range of 200 kilometers. This means it is capable of reaching Jerusalem and Ashdod if it was to be launched from the Israel-Lebanon border. The Kuwait newspaper said the test launches took place in Iran since such an event could not take place in Lebanon.

"Clinton's 'Peace Partner Syria' Hosts Ahmadinejad"

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited Syria on his way to the United States Saturday, two days after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sent U.S. envoy George Mitchell to Damascus and Beirut for peace talks. Both countries are declared enemies of Israel.

Continuing U.S. President Barack Obama’s policy of “engaging” enemies, Mitchell pushed the idea of expanding the proposed agreement with Israel for a new Arab country within Israel’s current borders, to be headed by the Palestinian Authority.

But it should be obvious to any casual observer that this policy is doomed for failure. The evidence is seen in the quotes below:

However, previous efforts to win over Syria at Iran’s expense have failed. Syrian political commentator Ayman Abdel Nour noted, "The Syrians have assured the Iranians that any progress in ties with the United States or in peace with Israel will not come at the expense of Tehran."

If thats not enough, we see this:

The Obama administration’s attempts could boomerang, with the Iranian-Syrian-Hizbullah-Hamas axis insisting that a new Palestinian Authority country be dependent on further Israel concessions

Of course, the story isn't complete without Ahmadinejad weighing in:

Ahmadinejad told Assad that the American-sponsored direct talks between the PA and Israel would fail without the participation of the "true representatives of the Palestinian people,” meaning Hamas. He also said that Israel has no place in the future of the Middle East, a mild paraphrase of his warning two years ago that Israel should be "wiped off the map.”

One more story; this one is about the peace-loving Muslims:

"Seattle Mohammed Cartoonist Runs for Her Life"

A Seattle cartoonist who stirred up Islamic ire at her whimsical "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day" has gone incognito because of threats against her life. The FBI has not officially encouraged her to do so, but “top security specialists at the FBI” have advised her to hide.

As a Seattle Weekly cartoonist several months ago, Molly Norris inadvertently caused an international storm by encouraging people to draw Mohammed – something that is not forbidden in the Quran but is banned by some hadiths (Islamic texts).

A Yemeni cleric named Anwar al-Awlaki – an American-born radical who is said to have inspired the Fort Hood Army base massacre - singled out Norris this summer as a "prime target," saying her "proper abode is Hellfire."

In addition, postings on RevolutionMuslim.com stated that other artists who drew Mohammed could wind up like Theo van Gogh, the Dutch filmmaker who was knifed to death by a Muslim murderer.

"There is no more Molly," wrote the Seattle Weekly newspaper on Wednesday. Though she is “alive and well,” the article stated, she will, “on the insistence of top security specialists at the FBI, [be] ‘going ghost’: moving, changing her name, and essentially wiping away her identity… She is, in effect, being put into a witness-protection program—except, as she notes, without the government picking up the tab. It's all because of the appalling fatwa issued against her this summer, following her infamous 'Everybody Draw Mohammed Day' cartoon.”

So this artist has effectively lost her life - at least the "normal" life that she once knew, and is now on the run and in hiding because of the peaceful Muslims threatening her life. Because of a cartoon.

But don't forget, we're living in that parallel universe of bizarro land. The land in which Christianity is "bad" and Islam is "good".

Meanwhile, we need to pray for this artist, Molly Norris, and hopefully she won't experience the same fate as Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh, who was brutally butchered for a similar "offense", or the American soldiers who were massacred at Fort Hood.