Tipping Points

We really can't predict what or when the tipping point will be - and by 'tipping point', we mean that last trigger point or stimulus which will lead to the long-anticipated wars of Isaiah 17 and Ezekiel 38-39 (aka "Gog-MaGog" invasion of Israel).

It is assumed that these battles will occur prior to the Tribulation or in the very early days of the Tribulation. I personally believe these epic wars occur before the Tribulation, and in fact, may serve as stage-setting for the antichrist to appear on the world stage with the offer of a peaceful solution. The working assumption involved, is the idea that once such events begin (in this case the anticipated prophetic wars), they will cascade quickly. Additionally, as Jesus informed us, all of these generational signs would progress like birth pains. We know that the process of labor and delivery ends with rapid contractions - which increase in frequency and severity. 

The situation in Syria continues to deteriorate and it finally appears that Assad is on the way out. Like Egypt, Syria and Libya, we can guarantee a more radical Islamic government and culture to ensue and thus forming the exact picture we would expect from the prophetic scriptures. 

More specifically, the whole issue of chemical weapon usage by Assad, whether real or created (as an excuse for "foreign intervention"), or even chemical weapons use by local terrorist groups  -  is rapidly becoming the issue which may serve as a tipping point for Syria and in turn a tipping point in the prophetic wars described above. 

In the coming days pay careful attention to this chemical weapons story (not that we haven't for the last 2-3 weeks), and how it is framed. Several recent stories which have focused on Syrian chemical weapons and what their use could trigger in the Middle East is very interesting. It is starting to look more and more like we are seeing a prelude to war:

Oren: Chemical Weapons In Wrong Hands Would Be 'Game Changer'

Israeli ambassador to the United States Michael Oren warned Sunday that any evidence of chemical weapons being passed from the Assad regime to terrorist groups like Hizbullah would be a “red line for Israel” and could constitute military action.

While Oren could not confirm recent claims that the Syrian regime is mixing and moving components for the deadly sarin nerve gas, he said that Israel is watching 

the situation "very carefully." 

"Were those weapons to pass into the wrong hands -- Huzbullah's hands, for example -- that would be a game-changer for us," Oren told "Fox News Sunday." 

"We have a very clear red line about those chemical weapons passing into the wrong hands,” he said. “Can you imagine if Hizbullah and its 70,000 rockets would get its hands on chemical weapons? That could kill thousands of people." 
Israel’s standard, or so-called “red line”, is different than that of the United States, which said that its trigger for military action would be any move by Syrian President Bashar Assad to use the weapons against the Syrian people. 

True Danger From Syrian Chemical Weapons Is If Militants Acquire Them

The Syrian government does not intend, and has never planned, to use chemical weapons against rebel forces, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said, addressing rumors the that the Assad regime is preparing to use its chemical weapons arsenal.

The biggest threat surrounding Syria's chemical weapons is their “probable acquisition by militants,” Lavrov said.

“According to our information, and this information we pass to our US colleagues, and European colleagues, [the Syrian] government does not have such intentions and cannot have, because this is all very serious,” the minister said on Sunday.

Russia took seriously the rumors surrounding Syria's chemical weapons and sought clarity from the Syrian government, and is passing on this information to other nations, Lavrov explained.

“It is not the first time when reports, that can be called rumors or leak, suggesting Syrian government moves reserves of chemical weapon from places where it is being storage to different locations and prepares to use it, emerge,” he said. 

Lavrov’s statement came in response to recent allegations from the US Pentagon and State Department that Syria is preparing to use chemical weapons. The rumors were quickly disseminated in Western media.

This week, NBC quoted anonymous US officials' accusations that the Syrian military loaded the deadly nerve gas Sarin into aerial bombs, which could then be dropped on rebels from Mig-23 or Sukhoi-24 aircraft.

William Hague Confirms 'Evidence' Of Syrian Chemical Weapons Preparation

William Hague has said he has seen "some evidence" that Bashar al-Assad's regime is preparing to use chemical weapons against Syrian rebels.

The foreign secretary would not give specific details of the intelligence, also seen by the US, but said it was enough to renew warnings to Assad that his regime would face action if they were deployed.

American satellites and other tools have reportedly detected increased activity at several chemical weapons depots in Syria. At least one military base is also said to have been ordered to begin combining components of Sarin nerve gas to make it ready to use.

Syria's Chemical Weapons Risk

Israeli Ambassador Threatens Syria Attack If Chemical Weapons To Hezbollah Evidenced

Sources: U.S. Helping Underwrite Syrian Rebel Training On securing Chemical Weapons

UPDATE:


Russia Arms Syria With Powerful Ballistic Missiles

Russia Rules Out Libyan Scenario In Syria


Report: IDF Tracking Chemical Weapons In Syria

Also see:

In Israel, Fears Of A New Palestinian Uprising

The rising confidence and bellicosity of Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, combined with rapidly deteriorating relations with Israel’s would-be peace partner in the West Bank, are raising jitters in Israel that a new Palestinian uprising could be near.

A number of prominent voices urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday to take steps to ease the tensions and bolster the Western-backed Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas. Netanyahu’s political rival, former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, warned that renewed violence might not be “far off.”

But the Israeli leader stood tough. Poised for re-election, it appears unlikely he will float a bold new initiative anytime soon. “We in the government have no illusions. We want a true peace with our neighbors. But we will not close our eyes and stick our heads in the sand,”Netanyahu told his Cabinet.

Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of Gaza over the weekend to welcome the movement’s exiled leader, Khaled Mashaal, as the Islamic militant group celebrated its 25th anniversary with rallies, speeches and displays of weapons.

It was the first time Mashaal has ever been to Gaza, and his presence in the seaside territory was a reflection of the group’s rising clout. Mashaal, who survived an Israeli assassination attempt in 1997, is now confident enough to enter Gaza and walk around in public, thanks to his group’s warm relations with the new Muslim Brotherhood-dominated regime in neighboring Egypt.

Mashaal, known as a relative pragmatist inside the movement, showed no signs of moderation during the three-day visit. In speech after speech, Mashaal praised Hamas fighters for standing up to Israel and repeated the movement’s original goal of wiping Israel off the map.

“God willing, we shall liberate Palestine together, inch by inch,” Mashaal told university students on Sunday, referring to the West Bank, Gaza, Jerusalem and Israel. “We started this path and we are going to continue until we achieve what God has promised.”