'Gaza gets anti-aircraft, anti-tank rockets from Libya'
Palestinians in Gaza have acquired anti-aircraft and anti-tank rockets from Libya during its six-month civil war, enlarging but not significantly improving their arsenal, Israeli officials said on Monday.
Israeli officials have detected an inflow of SA-7 anti-aircraft missiles and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), said one official, describing an overland supply route that opened up between eastern Libya -- after it fell to the rebels -- and the Gaza Strip via Egypt.
Worries grow over fate of Syrian chemical weapons
Assad regime may have world's largest stockpile of chemical warheads, which experts say could fall into terrorists' hands.
The Washington Post reported Monday some weapons experts believe Syria to have the world’s largest chemical stockpile, much of it acquired from the Soviet Union starting in the 1970s.
The newspaper cited CIA estimates that Damascus has a large store of mustard-gas and sarin-based warheads (sarin is a lethal nerve agent, even in minute quantities) and is developing VX, an even deadlier chemical that resists breaking down in the environment.
A 2009 CIA report found Syria has had a chemical weapons program “for many years and already has a stockpile of CW agents, which can be delivered by aircraft, ballistic missiles and artillery rockets.”
“We are very concerned about the status of Syria’s WMD, including chemical weapons,” Israel’s ambassador to the US, Michael Oren, told The Wall Street Journal this week. “Together with the US administration, we are watching this situation very carefully.”
Is it possible that Damascus 'ceases to exist' as a city due to a chemical weapon accident? Just food for thought.
Gaza Terror Groups Acquire Weapons from Libya
Terror groups based in Gaza have acquired anti-aircraft and anti-tank rockets from Libya during its six-month civil war, Israeli officials told Reuters on Monday.
They noted, however, that an inflow of SA-7 anti-aircraft missiles and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) has been detected as entering Gaza. One official described an overland supply route that opened up between eastern Libya, after it fell to the rebels, and the Gaza Strip via Egypt.
IDF remains on high alert in south
IDF forces stationed in the southern sector and on the Israel-Egypt border remained on high alert Monday night, as military intelligence indicated a viable terror threat in the area.
The southern sector, and especially the area adjacent to the border, has been virtually flooded with military forces, deployed in a manner defined by one security source as "unprecedented."
Rocket fire on southern Israel continues
Rocket explodes near Eshkol Regional Council despite Gaza group's proclaimed ceasefire. Radical Islamist terror group Tawhid al-Jihad claims act
Also Sunday, a Grad missile landed in the Bnei Shimon Regional Council not far from Beersheba.
And we are seeing more and more regarding upcoming demonstrations in September after the UN vote:
Palestinian rallies may follow statehood bid
Mass Palestinian demonstrations, with the potential to devolve into violence, are a likely result of the UN vote on Palestinian statehood, Kadima MK Yohanan Plesner said on Monday.
The entire situation around the epicenter continues to escalate. In fact, it has been a long time since we've seen such a prolonged escalation in violence and the "arab spring' seems to have created a lot more instability in the region, in addition to even more of an anti-Israeli sentiment.
September is almost here. It promises to be very interesting.
Hi Brother Scott :)
ReplyDeleteDamascus an accident? I would have to respectfully disagree with that :) In Verse 3 of Isaiah 17, the Israelis will take away Syrian prisoners. Damascus will be a military action from Israel. But as we've agreed before, a chem weapon launched on Israel could very well be the spark of it all.
Most importantly, Gods Word doesnt say its an accident, He allows all of Isaiah 17 to happen.
God Bless You Brother! :)
Well, maybe that term was used incorrectly. If an Israeli missile were to hit a chemical plant, or storage facility it could set off a cascade of events that could lead to a combination of death and evacuation leaving the city uninhabitable. I'm not sure if that would be the intent by the IDF but it could be the sequelae - I think of that as a kind of 'accident'.
ReplyDeleteHi Scott
ReplyDeleteIsaiah 17:12-14 says:
"Oh, the raging of many nations— they rage like the raging sea!
Oh, the uproar of the peoples—
they roar like the roaring of great waters! Although the peoples roar like the roar of surging waters,
when he rebukes them they flee far away, driven before the wind like chaff on the hills, like tumbleweed before a gale. In the evening, sudden terror! Before the morning, they are gone! This is the portion of those who loot us, the lot of those who plunder us.
Those verses sound like a description of the beginning and end to the Gog, Magog war or the one mentioned in Zechariah 12:9
Hi Mrs C, just wondering where you get the impression that prisoners will be taken from the verse in Isaiah 17:3. It doesn't mention prisoners being taken away.
I am wondering if a nuclear missile aimed at Israel from Iran may be intercepted by God causing it to hit Damascus. Maybe Israel would use this situation to then retaliate causing global uproar. Or that uproar could be caused if Islamic "lies" convince the world that Israel sent the missile. This would immediately set off the Gog, Magog war.
This, of course, is mere conjecture, but it would fit in with the sudden UPROAR of the nations.
What do you think?
Thank you all for your loving open discussions on these topics. I can't tell you how great it is to learn so much in these last days.
ReplyDeleteI feel so blessed with this group of people. People who care enough to stand firm on the word of God and to learn from those parameters set by him.
Have a blessed day!
GG
We don't know HOW the Damascus event will occur, only that we know WHY. There is no reason not to believe that an incoming missile inexplicably changes course from the intended target, Israel, only to hit a stockpile of nuclear weapons that turns Damascus into glass. We certainly didn't see the stuxnet worm coming and there's no reason to believe that an improbable event could once again occur. God can choose whatever means to deliver the final blow to Damascus.
ReplyDeleteHi Jake :)
ReplyDeleteIsaiah 17 is the stage setter, so as to speak, for the Ezekiel 38-39 war/invasion. They are two very different wars, with different participants, different battle fields etc. Most importantly God has two very different reasons for orchestrating, and allowing these wars to happen.
Forgive me, but it is not my impression, but rather Gods Word as that tells us that Israel will take Syrian prisoners.
He tells us this in Isaiah 17:3 :)
3.The fortress also shall cease from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria: they shall be as the glory of the children of Israel, saith the LORD of hosts.
The first portion of this Verse, God tells us that “fortress” of “ Epraim also shall cease”. The land of the tribe of Ephraim sits in the middle of the "West Bank". The "fortresses"" in Isaiah 17 verse 3, is a reference to the terrorist strongholds that are eliminated.
The final statement " and the remnant of Syria: they shall be as the glory of the children of Israel, saith the Lord of hosts", is a strong statement of the judgment against Syria. Isaiah was writing during the time that the Assyrians had devastated the northern 10 Tribes of Israel. Isaiah is saying that Syria will experience the same as what they did to Israel. What did the Syrians do to the Northern Tribs of Israel? They devastated Israel, and took them away into captivity.
God also affirms this in His final statement. In Verse 14, God is wrapping up His description of this war by returning to, and concluding, with the primary subject which is Damascus. He tells us that Damascus will be gone in one day. Then He again is referring to the Syrians, by describing the very people who had plundered and robbed His people.
Isaiah 17:14
14And behold at eveningtide trouble; and before the morning he is not. This is the portion of them that spoil us, and the lot of them that rob us.
Damascus will be destroyed directly from His People, there will be no “accidental” destruction. We know this, because Gods Word tells us this. He begins Isaiah 17 by telling us Damascus is no more, and in the immediate Verses, He tells us that His People then take down Jordan, followed by the West Bank. More importantly, God is watching this unfold and narrating to us how it will happen. If He had something to do with the destruction of Damascus, He would say it, and He doesn’t say that. None would get the Glory but Him. It is His People that will destroy Damascus, that is why He refers to the past of what Syria did to His People centuries ago. He tells us that His People are somewhat winning in the beginning, even taking, as mentioned, Syrian captives. But then things go really, really bad. God describes it as “desolation” and a “day of grief and of desperate sorrow” for Israel. Israel is fighting a multiple fronted war, alone, completely alone He tells us. That means no allies, no re-supplies, no help! He tells us why He allows this to happen to them. It is only at the very end, when His People are almost completely wiped out. God only steps in at the very end, and not before. He tells us that if He didn’t, whats left of His People will not have survived. He is allowing His People to be brought to their knees…with no hope but Him. This is the beginning, the beginning of whats to quickly come following this war, in Ezekiel 38. It is the beginning of Him revealing Himself to His People, His restoration of His Covenant with His People, the Apple of His Eye, to be fulfilled by the end of the Ezekiel 38-39 war…
God Bless! :)
Scott,
ReplyDeleteIf you look at Isaiah 17, just vs 1 & 14:
1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap."
14 In the evening, sudden terror! Before the morning, they are gone."
-it's clear that something very devastating happens that both wipes out the people AND leaves the city in rubble, never to be a city again.
A chemical war won't do the job.
Also, a missile hitting a nuclear stockpile won't do anything other than scattering radioactive material around the local area.
Unlike lighting up powder kegs, which spreads all around and keeps blowing up til it's all consumed, nukes require an absolutely uniform compression of the nuclear material in order to achieve critical mass. If it's poorly designed or not timed precisely, only part of it will fizzle and just scatter the rest of itself around the area, essentially just a small dirty bomb.
So I see Israel having to resort to nuking Damascus as a last ditch effort to save herself, which the rest of the world will take a dim view of since all the rest of us have been very carefully doing the Rodney King thing "Can't we all just get along?!?" since the end of WW2...
Dr No, I agree that a chemical or biological event won't do it.....at least not in one night. I don't even think one nuclear weapon will do it.....I believe this level and speed of destruction can only occur with multiple nuclear warheads or neutron warheads.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the rest of the World likes condemning Israel and believing the lies of Islamists, Israel IN TRUTH are not the aggressors (just the defenders of their Land) and are actually far more "gentlemanly" than their neighbours.
ReplyDeleteTherefore, I dont think Israel will Nuke Syria. They may seek to destroy the stock pile using conventional missiles, but I dont think they will seek to use nuclear missiles. It is more likely that Iran will try out their nuclear capabilities aiming at Israel but (with God;s intervention) hit Damascus instead.
I may be wrong, just a hunch.
I read through scripture that it is GOD who destroys Israel's enemies not Israel (by their own power). So therefore, it will be a Divine act in one way or another.
Hi Jake, :)
ReplyDeleteYes Jake, God most assuredly destroys Israel’s enemies that "rush in", but only at the very end of this war does He do that. God does not say that it is He that destroys Damascus.
God Bless!
I'm reading the bible for what it says, verse by verse and in context. Should the Lord tarry and we are here to witness the sudden and total destruction of Damascus, we will then know specifically how it was destroyed. Until then, I don't think one's opinion should be the authority over the host's opinion in an expositional argument of split hair theology. The Holy Spirit is here for guidance, correction and reproof in studying the Word. Let us seek Him as we observe the unfolding of prophetic events.
ReplyDeleteScott has graciously allowed us, as guests, to freely post our thoughts and comments on his blog. He is deserving of our respect and courtesy. Some discussions are best suited for a follow up in an email or in a separate blog post.
Dear gearedup2go,
ReplyDeleteThere is no other way to read His Word, than verse by verse in context :) Forgive me, but the only words that matter, are His Words, not “opinions”, and I don’t believe anyone is trying to exert any authority over the “host” by any means at all. If there are any disagreements, then Brothers and Sisters all simply agree to disagree. His Word cannot be studied in its Truth without the Holy Spirit. :) Forgive me, but Im sure Scott is not offended by this discussion, as very similar discussions have blossomed over the years. That is how we all learn, together with each other, with His Joy in our hearts! I believe everyone here has the utmost respect and admiration for Scott, as he is an awesome Servant for the Lord. This is an open discussion, between Brothers and Sisters that are so incredibly Blessed to even be able to openly study His Word together…as others are not
God Bless You! :)
"Damascus will be destroyed directly from His People, there will be no “accidental” destruction." That is your opinion. Scott has his and you corrected him. So let's agree to disagree and not get caught up in semantics.
ReplyDeleteIts funny because I was having this conversation off-line (actually I may have said this in a thread below - I can't recall...DrNo will find it if it exists and remind me of my poor memory :)
ReplyDeleteThere are really only a hand full of "things" that I am dogmatic about and things that are worth arguing about:
- We are in the "last generation" who will see Rapture, Trib, AC, FP, Second Coming
- Pre-Trib Rapture
- 7 Year Tribulation
- Second Coming at the end of the Tribulation
- Church Saints accompany Jesus at 2nd COming
- 1,000 year reign - Jesus reigns on earth from Jerusalem
- Satan released - God Destroys - then New Heaven New Earth
- New Jerusalem will be our eternal home
Beyond that, I agree with the "big picture" on certain events:
- Gog MaGog is pending and will happen
-Damascus will be destroyed per Isa 17
- 21 Judgements will occur during Trib
- AC will proclaim himself as god at 1/2 mark in Trib
- AC will institute the MOTB
- If you take the MOTB you have sealed your fate
(there are probably more but not coming to mind)
As far as the DETAILS of the above, it doesn't really matter much to me. For instance HOW Damascus gets destroyed is academically interesting, but it doesn't change a whole lot. The fact is, it gets destroyed.
Differences of opinion on things like this are somewhat interesting, but not that important to me.
I also think that there are enough nuances to some of these things, that I hate to be dogmatic (if some folks want to be dogmatic, thats fine too - it just doesn't matter to me).
For instance, some folks are absolutely convinced (for whatever reason) that Gog-MaGog MUST happen during the Tribulation and they'll argue that till the cows come home. Some say it HAS to happen before the Tribulation and cite those reasons.
To me, if I see it, fine - I'll witness to everyone within earshot.
IF we're taken up before Gog-MaGog, then even better:)
But I personally can't find enough in the scriptures to convince me either way
(Part II coming...)
There are some other arguments that get bounced around that are interesting but don't really change the big picture.
ReplyDeleteWill the "Mark of the Beast" be an electronic implant with RDIF or a simple tattoo? I have seen people violently argue this both ways. My feeling is - I won't be here, so it really doesn't matter. I could go into the arguments but it isn't worth it
One thing I have learned over the last 30 years is the fact that prophecy has a way of twisting and turning as it develops in ways that many of us never would have imagined.
30 years ago, the idea of 10 "world unions" would have been inconceivable. Now we all accept that as a distinct possibility.
Lets take a look at Damascus in the context of things that COULD happen, consistent with the scripture:
Israel bombs the smithereens out of Damascus, presumably to retaliate for chemical weapons being released - reducing it to rubble - (with conventional weapons, it wouldn't be uninhabitable) - and somehow the huge weapons facility just outside of Damascus released all of its chemical, gas, and bioterror weapons - I absolutely believe that could render Damascus uninhabitable (for the remainder of the Tribulation, so 7+ years
They have almost everything imaginable in Damascus now - as far as bioterror/chemical/gas weapons, - including the 'hidden' weapons from Iraq.
I think you guys may be grossly underestimating what they stored there - and underestimating these effects on a city.
For instance, they may have the components of dirty bombs in terms of radioactive materials, and in mass, exploding all at once (don't forget, we are talking about massive amounts, not a random bomb)
would certainly release into the city
and combine that with Anthrax release (just one example) - do you have any idea what tiny amounts of airborn anthrax would do?
The shelling of Damascus could actually release such materials from multiple facilities scattered around.
One reason I have a hard time with nukes at the time of Isa 17 (and as stated, I am open on this - as it is nuanced and developing) is....Part 3 coming
Enough nukes to destroy Damascus would most likely affect Israel - and although it is possible, I wonder if Israel would literally destroy the entire city with nukes, intentionally, as opposed to say - tactical nukes used somewhere away from a main city.
ReplyDeleteThere would be a lot of radiation over a very large area in the events of nukes, and then I have to wonder how troops would come into Israel "from the far north" if they had to progress through so much radiation. That is hard to envision.
Now, as Caver mentioned, I could potentially see neutron bombs being used (but isn't that supposed to leave buildings intact?)
A combination of bioweapons, chemical, gas and radioactive dirty bomb materials released from a number of storage facilities during the shelling of Damascus would, to me, seemingly accomplish what the scriptures dictate AND allow for the Gog-MaGog invasion w/o the problem of having so much radiation to deal with, which to me presents a potential problem with the nuclear scenario,
Having said all of that, it just doesn't matter that much to me (it would if I lived in Israel though...)
I think trying to predict these things with certainty can be difficult - God has ways of surprising us and developments occur that we never even considered.
But these are just opinions - none of this can be proven prospectively IMO - we're all speculating to some degree ----> there may be possibilities that none of us have even considered yet!
By the way - I have absolutely no problem whatsoever with anyone disagreeing or having a different point of view or whatever with me and my opinions - I think its great and I don't care a whole lot about a lot of the fine points of these prophecies (I'm much more of a "big picture" person)
ReplyDeleteI am the type of person that sees more possibilities developing over time (as we approach whatever prophetic events we are following) rather than less.
In other words, I believe things develop in ways that we could have never imagined and that is why I try to continue gathering information as things evolve.
In fact, that is one of the fascinating aspects of prophecy - is the twists and turns that occur that you could have NEVER predicted.
If I would have told Hal Lindsey, in 1970, that today we have a microchip that can contain all financial, health and 'regulatory' information, along with GPS tracking, he would have passed out. Back then you COULD have been dogmatic that the MOTB can only be a simple tattoo (and it may indeed), but look how that has evolved. I still have no idea what it may really be. There could be technology developed in the next 12 months making this conversation completely obsolete.
I never saw the "Arab Spring" coming along. I assumed Gadaffi would participate in the Gog-MaGog alliance, but now I see an even more radical group taking over Egypt, and now that is beginning to crystallize in a way I never envisioned. Even more prophetic.
And back to Damascus, it COULD well end up being nukes, I am completely open to that possibility. I'm just looking around thinking "what about this possible scenario" "or this scenario" - who knows.
Just to keep the speculation going...
ReplyDeleteCaver said... "...I agree that a chemical or biological event won't do it.....at least not in one night..."
Absolutely, even if Israel used chem/bios they would have to rain down a tremendous amount of ordinance to reduce one city to rubble, which would be a waste that makes no sense. Plus you'd still have a lot of 'hangers-on' that don't want to clock out after their ticket's been punched.
OTOH, judging from what a fine job our kiloton party-poppers did, and since it's always been teams of mostly Jewish scientists that have developed our collection of toys, I'm sure only one multi-megaton bottle-rocket would be enough. But they'll probably use a MRV just in case the Russians gave Syria some ABMs.
And last I heard, someone put a new twist [literally] on the MRVs to make them harder to shoot down. They have an erratic, wobble path as they angle in to their target.
Also Scott, if Israel properly, independently targets the weapons depots, the only thing that gets scattered around would be any nuclear material stashed there, as the chems & bios would be vaporized.
And if Israel has enough time to check which way the wind is blowing before they pull the trigger [I think it goes west to east 'most' of the time AND Damascus really is far enough away], most of the fallout should blow over into Iraq for a little icing on their anti-Israel cake too.
All things considered, nukes seem like the most plausible option...except for one other thing not considered...
Who knows if Israel has something up their sleeve that nobody's ever seen before??
;)
They usually do, don;t they? (something up their sleeves) - we'll see......I'm betting (if we are still here) that events around Isa 17 will involve a scenario not yet discussed....
ReplyDeleteDrNo - I still disagree. Israel could easily reduce Damascus to Rubble and if radiation fears from released nuclear material escaped that place would be a ghost town in no time.
ReplyDeletePlus, I disagree that bioweapons and/or chemical weapons wouldn't create the same panic. Not to mention the toxicity that would be released.
To shoot that down, I would want to look at each potential chemical/bioweapon and look at its specs based on nearby explosions and the release of such into the atmosphere. I haven't done that, but I would imagine with the array of different toxic substances, in an array of different storage facilities throughout Damascus (as we know exist) - the possibility is a strong one
We'll see
I'm just not convinced that it HAS to be a nuclear explosion(s) that account for Damascus' destruction
What about an Earthquake or a Volcano (are there any volcanic mountains in near Damascus?).
ReplyDeleteWe are trying to figure these things out on the basis of science. Let us consider Sodom and Gomorra. How was that city destroyed? Is it not possible that Damascus will be destroyed by fire from heaven.
Possibly only a Divine Act could destroy the City in the way described in Isaiah 17???
Scott,
ReplyDeleteI am not doubting the extreme potency of modern bio/chem weapons at all.
I am looking at the progression of modern tactics from WW2 up to the Libyan war, from the massive waste of bombs in carpet-bombing industrial centers to nail some factories, which even then, only reduced small portions of the cities to rubble, to the modern use of guiding a single concrete bomb to smash tanks in Libya [no explosives necessary!]
The distinction that I am making is that it would not take much in the way of bio/chem ordinance lobbed into Damascus to wipe out most of their population.
And I just can't see Syria being capable of or caring enough to evac all the survivors in the dark and be out by the break of the next day [according to v14].
And that would still not leave the city as rubble...
Maybe they'll use one of Kirk's Photon Torpedoes. I heard they don't leave any radioactive residue...
;)
Geezzz DrNo - those Photon Torpedoes ONLY work in space, don't you know that?
ReplyDeleteYou might be right - I mean, I could easily see a nuke accounting for the scenario given....
But OTOH, a nuke big enough to to do the extent of damage that you envision would create a LOT of radiation fall out - and just looking at the map, geographically, I still wonder how the Gog-MaGog troops will come down that area if its as radioactive as I would expect......That leaves me scratching my head. (well, I was out in the woods today, that could be ticks....)
DrNo - I just remembered this:
ReplyDeleteI worked in Germany quite a bit and those folks took me to several cities that were completely reduced to rubble during WWII - and you can look at pics of some of these cities (Cologne, Bonn etc) - and see what they were reduced to - Even in WWI conventional weapons would reduce a city to rubble (however, admittedly, there were still 'inhabitants')
Just sayin....:)
Jake
ReplyDeleteThats a good point. I saw a documentary on S&G on the History channel years ago, and they were giving 1-2 very possible scenarios on how it could have been immediately destroyed based on 'natural' events (which of course, God could have still have done - just via his natural resources.)
It has to do with massive amounts of gas which is trapped within rocks, and I believe the thinking was - an earthquake could have released this explosive gas and set off a chain of events - just one possible scenario.
Ok, fergit I mentioned Photon Torpedoes ... we need the radioactivity to keep the place uninhabitable!
ReplyDeleteJust out of curiosity, why in the world would you be concerned about the Gog-MaGog troops marching thru a little patch of radioactivity anyway?!? Obviously TPTB think it'll all work out just fine since the troops are just cannon fodder for the operation anyway.
If you recall from the post WW2 era testings, after the blast the really hot fallout stuff that kills fairly quickly begin to decay exponentially within 3-6 weeks, so unless they hurry down there in time for the really hot stuff, they'll just be marching thru the low dose stuff and should still be semi-functional when it's time to start slaughtering each other...
Plus they weren't hired for their IQs or special insights, so they can be reassured with something like "we have a new Anti-radiation spray for your uniforms ... trust us - everything will be just fine..."
"In an attempt to keep people calm, authorities in Japan (and around the rest of the world as well) have lied and lied and lied."
Where did I read that just recently??
;)
Hi Brothers Scott & Dr. No :)
ReplyDeleteOk, lets see what Gods Word tells us in a quick review :) before I have to put in ALOT of hours working :)
Gods Word tells us that it is not Him that destroys Damascus. We know this because He does not say that He does. When He sends Judgment, He tells us that its Him as He has consistently done throughout time. This isn’t just any war, it has extreme significance. As He clearly states in Isaiah 17:13, it is He that rebukes the nations, where as in Verse 1, He does not say that it is Him.
13.The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.
He doesn’t say He “sends” anything like fire and brimstone, or causes any great quake, like He does for example in Ezekiel.
What He does say immediately following Verse 1, in Verse 2 & 3, is that His People next take Jordan, the West Bank, and at the same time take captive the “remnant” of Syria. We know that this cant be any kind of immense natural disaster, because then it would not be part of what He clearly describes as a multiple fronted war.
We know He tells us in Isaiah 17:1, that Damascus, will never, ever be a city again.
Isaiah 17:1
1.The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.
Bibi has said for years, that Israel will hold “Damascus”, not Syria, but specifically “Damascus” responsible for ANY attacks on his nation from Hezbollah etc., even if they launch from Lebanon.
I completely agree, that this will be a military action. Mr.C and you both, are much more qualified to speak on weaponry. But we do know two important things regarding Damascus’s destruction. Gods Word tells us that is will never again be a city, not occupied, in a ruinous heap, and it happens in less than a day! From “evening tide” and “before the morning”.
Isaiah 17:14
14And behold at eveningtide trouble; and before the morning he is not. This is the portion of them that spoil us, and the lot of them that rob us.
(Continued)
ReplyDeleteThe question is, what weapon can destroy an entire city within hours? As for the Ezekiel invading troops from the North, I believe the “rebuking” God does of these evil enemy nations surrounding Israel, at the end of this war, will indeed be His fulfillment of His Judgments against these nations in Ezekiel 25-32. The topography will have change, especially with Lebanon being under water never to be found again! Yike! This will all happen very quickly, like dominos falling. Russia will have those that survive this (the ones that “flee a far off”) running to them for vengeance against Israel like little bear cubs to mama bear. I believe you are right Dr. No, when you mention the possible radiation that Gog and his forces may encounter. I believe this, and the other disastrous surroundings, is what causes Gog to hesitate at first, which in return God places a “hook” in his jaw.
The “hooks in your jaw” symbolism comes from a special bridle used on a rebellious horse to make it submissive to the rider’s will. Sharp hook-like protrusions on the bit (mouthpiece) irritate the inside of the horse’s cheek, making it painful to resist turning when the reins are pulled and forcing to horse to go where the rider wants. It’s a graphic illustration of how the Lord will drag Russia into this confrontation.
Another description of the "hooks in your jaw", God gives us in Ezekiel 29:4-5, when He Judges Egypt. He describes it like catching and landing a fish
Ezekiel 29:4-5
4. But I will put hooks in your jaws,And cause the fish of your rivers to stick to your scales;
I will bring you up out of the midst of your rivers,
And all the fish in your rivers will stick to your scales.
5. I will leave you in the wilderness,You and all the fish of your rivers;
You shall fall on the open field;
Vengeance, hatred, retaliatory action, will cause Gog to invade Israel. Russia will have lost billions, and will be expected to enact reprisal against Israel, as they are in very deep with Syria for a long time now. As the time appears to be closing in on all this, Putin could very well fit the roll of Gog. Just look at the headlines from 2010 & 2011, and this reaction from just terrorists, imagine the reaction when Damascus (they are their strong ally) is gone within hours…
“ Putin Vows Revenge on Terrorists”
March 30,2010
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/latest/2010/03/30/putin-vows-revenge-on-terrorists-115875-22148259/
“Putin Vows Revenge for Moscow Airport Bombing”
January 25, 2011 (AP)
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=12754460
Just been reading Isaiah 19
ReplyDeleteHow does this chapter and in particular verses 16-24 fit into the whole scenario?
Ezekiel 38 mentions Israel as an unsuspecting people who are in unwalled villages and secure. So the Islamic war of Gog. Magog cannot come until Egypt has been saved, with its highway through Israel. This could be a picture of security.
Isaiah 17 destruction of Damascus could lead to that highway also.
If destruction of Damascus comes before Gog Magog war, then the salvation of Egypt must also come before to fit in ?
Could it be that a great revival springs out in the Middle East away from Islam which provokes the other Islamic nations to fight?
How do you all place Isaiah 19 within the whole scheme of things?
Scott,
ReplyDeletejust noticed you have a new feature recent comments. That's good. Sorry for posting my last comment in two places, but I thought having the comment here might not get seen.
Now you have the new feature, I will resume here then and look forward to everybody's thoughts here on my questions.
Thanks