This 83rd posting in monitoring the Gog-Magog alliance, as prophesied in Ezekiel 38-39, refers to yesterday’s Jewish News Syndicate report summarised in William Koenig’s daily updates:
Gog-Magog Update: Russia and Iran defence partnership
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Tag Archives: Putin
Bible Update: ‘Gog-Magog’ axis moves onto financial footing
Latest developments on ‘axis of infamy’ foreseen by OT prophet Ezekiel is that last week’s Putin-Rouhani-Erdogan summit in Tehran determined ways of circumventing US economic sanctions against their three nations (ie Russia, Iran and Turkey).
Once their troops in Syria overcome the rebels last stronghold in Idlib then Syria will be rebuilt and become a sanctions-busting hub. According to DebkaFile, ‘the three leaders forged an economic-strategic pact to create measures for fighting American sanctions. One measure approved was to contract all business deals among Russia, Iran and Turkey, including gas and oil, in local currencies instead of American dollars. The same rule would apply to banking transactions….US and Israel paid special note to the trilateral decision reached in Tehran to convert the massive projects for Syria’s post-war recovery (after Iran had solidified its military foothold there) into a back-door hatch for escaping US sanctions against Iran. During the Obama presidency, Oman and Abu Dhabi served this purpose; under Donald Trump, it will pass to Damascus, with the added benefit of protection from the deepening Russian-Iranian-Syrian military cooperation…’
Many have long suspected events are well on the way to final fulfillment of the prophecy of the destruction of Damascus (Isaiah 17:1). With ‘Basher’ Assad’s obliteration of rebel areas, large parts of that capital are already in ruins!
‘Gog-Magog’ on ‘front-burner’: Iran’s president warned “Never, ever threaten the US again or…”
We read in the previous post about Putin’s response to PM Netanyahu’s no-nonsense stance on the presence of his Iranian ally’s proxy forces on the Israel-Syrian border. After posting that I read the news-feed on Koenig’s World Watch Daily of President Trump’s reaction to Iranian president Rouhani threatening America with “the mother of all wars”! He tweeted:
(Source: CNBC; for more on Iran’s perspective see BIN.)
So, around the 6th anniversary of the previous Iranian president’s End-times threat to Israel announced in the United Nations – plus years of belligerent threats, including that of “the mother of all wars” (ie. ‘Armageddon’), as oft’ reported here – at long last there’s now someone with a very big stick promising to make them eat their words!
Thank you Donald.
Status quo resumption realigns Russia-Israel Realpolitiks with Bible prophecy!
The ‘Gog-Magog’ prophecy of Ezekiel (chapters 38 and 39) is back in play! Events in last week’s news made me reconsider its relevance to current international affairs.
But now comes new news!
After posting Thursday’s Bible Update on the implicit accord or ‘understandings’ agreed between Netanyahu and Trump with Putin, I thought this development deviates from the prophesied wars against God’s people in Israel from an alliance of peoples in north and north-eastern Middle-East: currently, Iran, Syria and Turkey under Russian leadership. As that stance seems to be changing by Russia supposedly ignoring or going against Iran’s policy and by coming to an ‘understanding’ of Israel’s need to defend itself against continuous Iranian hostility, perhaps the prophecy isn’t yet applicable?
Therefore, perhaps we need to be open to such a possibility bringing an outcome that doesn’t line up with scripture as it’s not yet the ‘appointed time’?
HOWEVER, yesterday brought news of a diplomatic rift, as exclusively reported by DEBKAfile in Breakdown in Russian-Israeli “Understandings” for S. Syria:
‘The US-Russian-Israel formula for South Syria, composed in painstaking discussions for weeks, is not working. This became clear in phone conversations on Friday, July 20, between Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and President Vladimir Putin and their defense ministers. The “understandings” they had apparently reached were proving inoperable, including Russia’s guarantees for the non-presence of Iranian militias and Hizballah near Israel’s Golan border.
‘The breakdown stemmed from an abrupt Russian U-turn. Russian diplomats were suddenly claiming that Moscow never agreed to have Iranian proxies and Hizballah pushed back from the Israel border or out of Syria at large…’
Thus, PM Netanyahu said Israel is free to engage and wipe out Iranian or Hezbollah forces in the Golan border area, and went into a high state of operational readiness.
So today (Monday), the Russian Foreign Minister and Chief of Staff urgently arrived in Israel for further talks. Last night Netanyahu had described events to his Cabinet in these revealing terms:
‘He said Israel will not accept the Syrian army’s entry to the buffer zone set up by the 1974 Syrian-Israeli separation of forces accord, thereby indicating that he did not trust in Syrian compliance with this accord, despite the guarantee offered by President Vladimir Putin in their phone conversation on Friday, July 20. DEBKAfile’s sources note that Putin’s pledge came after he reneged on a series of promises he gave US President Donald Trump and Netanyahu in recent weeks, relating to keeping the Iranians and their proxies away from the Israeli border.’ (Read full details here)
UPDATE on MONDAY’s MEETING
The Russians returned empty-handed to Moscow after offering to move Iranian-allied forces in Syria back beyond 100km of the Israeli border but being rejected by Israel.
The Times of Israel reports, ‘Israel is sticking to its demand that Iran not be allowed any military foothold in Syria, the official stressed. Israel is furthermore demanding that all long-range missiles be removed from the war-torn country and that any factories producing precision-guided missiles there be shut, the official said.
‘Additionally, Jerusalem has asked Moscow to guarantee that all air-defense systems that protect the aforementioned arms be taken out of Syria. Lastly, Israel requested the closing of border crossings between Syria and Lebanon and between Syria and Iraq, to prevent Iranian weapons being smuggled into Syria.’
Military sources had provided Debka ‘pre-news service’ with details of 8 pro-Iran militias operating in the Golan area. Therefore, according to their latest report:
‘Israel’s leaders confronted their Russian visitors with the charge that, if they can’t – or won’t – remove these hostile forces from Israel’s doorstep, how can they be trusted to keep their pledge to hold them at a distance of 100km?
‘Putin’s emissaries, despite their high rank, had little hope of talking Israeli leaders around when the evidence of his perfidy was in full sight. Contrary to his pledges to the US and Israel, Hizballah and Shiite militias loyal to Tehran were operating freely at this moment on the Syrian-Israeli Golan border.’
[Hand with News Icon by Watcharakun, courtesy Freedigitalphotos.net]
Bible Update: Russia’s lead in Middle-East recognised
Vladimir Putin’s ‘twin summits’ with Benjamin Netanyahu and then with Donald Trump, bring this update on developments relating to the Gog-Magog alliance, as foretold by Ezekiel. (Click this posts tags for background, and links for full reports):
16 July: Trump & Putin agree on keeping Israel safe (but) not much else – ‘Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin told the press that their two-hour face-to-face on Monday, July 16, in Helsinki, was a success. But, the impression was that there was very little agreement on the issues they touched on, including Iran, Syria or Crimea. Neither referred to the removal of Iran and its proxies from Syria, as Israel has demanded. Putin appeared to say that Israeli security was served by the Israeli-Syrian 1974 Separation of Forces agreement on the Golan and advised extending it to the Syrian-Jordanian border as well. Trump noted: “We both talk to Benjamin Netanyahu, work with him on Syria and agree on the importance of Israel’s safety.”..It would seem that the high speculation ahead of the summit of a deal in the making between the two presidents for Iran to quit Syria in return for a US military pullback was pie in the sky.’
16 July Debka Exclusive: Netanyahu’s secret consent to hand Golan crossing to Syria led to Trump-Putin deal on Israel’s border security – ‘(Trump and Putin) joined in their support for Israel’s security (as above) after Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told them both that he had withdrawn his objections to the Syrian army reinstating its line of outposts in the Quenitra district, including control of the Ein Zivan-Quneitra border crossing. This is the only transit point between Israel and Syria….’
18 July: Secret Helsinki deal: US & Israel hand Russia controlling role on Syria’s Israel-Jordan borders – ‘…DEBKAfile has obtained exclusive access to this deal and can reveal for the first time that it provides for the handover to Russian responsibility of all parts of southern and southwestern Syria abutting on the Israeli and Jordanian borders, including, most importantly, surveillance and observation elevations that oversee all parts of Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon and the eastern Mediterranean. Trump and Binyamin Netanyahu thereby gave Putin a valuable asset for boosting Russia’s military presence in Syria and the region at large…’ (emphasis added)
For a better grasp of President’s Trump’s apparently incorrect and/or muddled remarks on investigations into Russian hacking read investigative journalist Melanie Phillips’ in-depth analysis in The Hysteria Over Helsinki and the Real Threat to the Free World.
Melanie wisely concludes (emphases mine):
‘Trump’s personality flaws – his self-obsession, his lack of attention span, his thin skin against criticism, his inability to speak carefully and accurately – are plain for all to see. The crucial point, however, is not what Trump says, nor the content of his character, but what he does and what he achieves.
‘And here’s what Putin said that was potentially so significant. For his remarks suggested that he would support Trump’s attempts to defang both Iran and North Korea. If Trump turns out to have succeeded in detaching Russia from Iran over Syria and from China over North Korea, that would be a huge step towards defeating two of the most evil and dangerous regimes in the world.
‘Seen in this light, the reaction of the media and political class to the Helsinki press conference was not just hysterical and disproportionate and a display of near-pathological hatred towards Donald Trump, but a malevolent undermining of the most promising attempt for years to tackle some of the major threats to the peace and security of the world.’
Postscript:
Does Russia’s apparent change towards Iran and favouring Israel disprove the ‘Gog-Magog’ prophecy or indicate it’s not yet applicable in its fullness? Within days events changed and got realigned to that prophecy and put it back on the front burner’, as told in the next post Status quo resumption realigns Russia-Israel Realpolitiks With Bible prophecy!
Bible Update: Gog-Magog developments
Further to February’s Bible Updates on Israel & USA vs Iran & Russia, I’m now reading DebkaFile’s exclusive report issued just after midday, Jerusalem, about Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu and Russian president Putin at loggerheads during yesterday’s phone conversation, which Bibi had initiated:
‘Vladimir Putin warned Binyamin Netanyahu to discontinue Israeli strikes in Syria because they may rock the Assad regime [backed by Moscow] and insisted on Israel respecting Syrian sovereignty and security. By this warning, Russia clamped down on the freedom the Israeli air force had hitherto enjoyed in Syrian air space for striking hostile elements, primarily Iran and Hizballah.
‘Netanyahu shot back, according to our sources, that Israel cannot possibly desist from action over Syria, since this would leave Iran at liberty to establish a permanent, hostile military presence in that country. And so, said the prime minister, Israel would have to persevere in its efforts to stop this happening. The conversation between Putin and Netanyahu ended in total discord…‘
Previously, Israel had kept Russia appraised of possible action against Iranian military activity inimical to Israel’s safety. As well as his knowing the existence of many sources of the nerve agent toxin Novichok, the release of which necessitated continued closure to the public of many locations within the city of Salisbury, that most sensitive working relationship meant Netanyahu refrained from joining the wide, international censure of Russia over the poisoning incident. It’s no wonder their villainous and deeply sinister schemes countenance their Syrian vassal’s continued commissioning of war crimes.
[UPDATE: ‘Without revealing his source, French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday: “We have proof that last week chemical weapons, at least chlorine, were used by the regime of Bashar al-Assad” in Douma – Debka Breaking News.]
There was, however, another reason: Israel was preparing a pre-emptive airstrike against Iranian hardware at the T-4 airbase near Homs in Syria and this time kept Russia in the dark but informed President Trump! This change of tack brought forth a dramatic change in Kremlin’s longstanding practice of letting Israel’s military operations pass without comment. Moscow’s tone towards Israel turned hostile (9 April) reports:
‘DebkaFile’s military and intelligence sources say that Moscow’s ire was prompted by five causes and more hostile steps against Israel may be coming:
- Israel’s reported military strike in Syria hit President Vladimir Putin at a highly vulnerable moment, when the US and its Western allies were holding him directly accountable for chemical weapons attacks in Syria and the United Kingdom.
- Putin never imagined that the nerve agent attack on the former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter would be tied in with allegations that the Russian-backed Assad regime was using poison gas against Syrian civilians in Douma near Damascus.
- The Russian president suspects that Israel struck the T-4 airbase, a shared Syrian-Russian-Iranian air facility, as an advance foray on behalf of the US for testing Moscow’s reaction to a larger operation. He is therefore pushing back strongly against the Israeli attack to ward off a US sequel.
- After Israel’s wide-ranging air offensive on Feb. 10, which ended in one of its F-16 jets being shot down, Putin warned Jerusalem to desist from further attacks on Syrian targets, else the Russian air force would hit back. Israel complied for two months. But then, the compulsion became pressing to take out a key Iranian target, even at the risk of Russian disfavor.’
On the ‘Ezekiel 38 Alliance’, or Gog-Magog, political front we need to note the recent summit in Ankara between the leaders of Russia, Turkey and Iran. Most noteworthy is the fact their currencies are ‘tumbling in tandem’, as reported by Asia Times.
Close on the heels of the summit Iran’s supreme leader once again spoke about their intentions of removing Israel. On arriving in Damascus on Tuesday his senior adviser, Ali Akbar Velayati, bluntly stated, “Israel’s air strike on the Syrian air base will not go unanswered,” he said, At the same time Tehran gained support from its Russian ally in the visit of special Russian emissary on Syria, Alexander Lavrentiev. In a long meeting with Iran’s national security adviser Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani, the Russian said Iran’s decision for a military response to the T-4 attack was understandable. He proposes combining Iran’s action against Israel with Russia’s plans for countering the forthcoming US-British-France operation in Syria (Moscow-Tehran link up to strike Israeli targets in response to US-led operation in Syria).
Those familiar with the prophetic nature of the holy scriptures watch all developments with deep interest. For example, here’s what the prophet Isiah brought that’s now coming into fulfillment in our days on ‘The burden (oracle/prophecy) against Damascus’ (Isaiah 17:1):
“Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city, and it will be a ruinous heap.”
Selah!
Further headlines/reading at Bill Koenig’s World Watch Daily.
Bible Update: Ezekiel 38-39 – Iran vs. Israel : USA and Russia?
After the weekend news of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard’s threat to ‘open the gates of hell’ over the Zionist regime (not the first such threat) and all American bases, we look at the headlines from pre-MSM (mainstream media) DEBKAfile and a few from MSM in Israel as a synopsis of latest events in Israel and in Syria. Links are provided should you wish to read further (MSM ones are slowed by adverts):
NB: Underlined items all now available (added 14 & 15 Feb ) per further Update with explanation of Iran’s deep animosity towards Israel:
- 16 Jan – Fading Trump-Putin trust derails pre-escalation zones on Syria’s borders with Israel, Jordan
- 28 Jan – Putin plans to end Alawite hegemony in Damascus and evict pro-Iranian Shiite militias, including Hizballah
- 1 Feb – Russia builds 4 new air bases, deploys another 6,000 troops in Syria
- 7 Feb – Secret Iranian missile factory in Lebanon requires pre-emptive Israel attack (this reports recent Netanyahu-Putin talks)
- 8 Feb – US artillery and air strike Hizballah and Iranian forces in East Syria
- 9 Feb – More on US strike: Russians who laid Euphrates bridge among targets
- 10 Feb – Israel urges Russia to prevent escalation in Syria
- 10 Feb – Russian troops were involved in Iranian-Syrian clash with Israel
- 10 Feb – Israel intercepts Iranian drone, F-16 hit whilst striking (I-S source)
- 10 Feb – Moscow implies Israel air offensive hit Iranian, Syrian & Hizballah targets
- 11 Feb – Israel said to have conveyed a warning to Iran before latest flare-up
- 11 Feb – Israel: Iran’s aggression from Syria escalated faster than expected
- 13 Feb – Upto 200 Russian ‘advisers’ killed in last week’s clash with US forces.
Yesterday’s DEBKAfile report Iran’s Saegheh drone in Syria a worry for US as well as Israel gives penetrating insights into this conflict, as hinted in this extract:
‘The infiltrator drone was discovered to have been part of a whole fleet of advanced armed Saegheh UAVs housed at the T-4 base. The second wave of Israeli air strikes against 12 Syrian and Iranian targets decimated this fleet. Most importantly, the drone intrusion and its sequel exposed the incident to have been no one-off, but part of a calculated Iranian plot against Israel at the highest level, that was coordinated in advance with the Russian air force, which shares the use of T-4, and the Syrian air defense systems, which operate under Russian command. It is equally important to note that Iran brought its Saegheh UAV’s to Syria with Moscow’s consent.
This may be accounted for by the drone’s unique provenance.
‘In a long and arduous process of reverse engineering, Iran’s munitions industry copied some of the components of the CIA’s most secret stealth drone, the RQ-170 Sentinel, after it was intercepted and captured over Iran in December 2011. The American drone, armed and capable of detecting clandestine nuclear tests, is rated the finest UAV of its kind in operation. Tehran claimed it had intercepted the Sentinel’s overflight by taking control of the American surveillance satellite communications which navigated the drone’s course. This was vehemently denied by Washington. At the time, DEBKAfile’s intelligence sources revealed that the those responsible for the feat of bringing the secret American drone down intact were not Iranian but Chinese cyber experts.
‘The Russians were keen on getting a look at the wonders of the American drone, but the Iranians refused to give them access. Eight years later…’ (click to read in full).
NOTE: for news/opinion without left-wing bias see my Not On The 10 o’Clock News.
Prophetic Scripture Update #5 cont’d: Rosenberg on Putin summit with Iranian & Turkish leaders to strengthen anti-Western alliance…Trouble for Israel.
(Jerusalem, Israel) — After several years of darkness falling on the Middle East, we’re actually seeing quite a bit of good news in recent months. The U.S.-led coalition of Sunni Arab countries is systematically crushing the Islamic State. The Caliphate has been dismantled. ISIS jihadists are still a threat, but they’re being driven out of […]
Click to read in full > Ominous: Putin holds summit with Iranian & Turkish leaders to strengthen anti-Western alliance, discuss next steps in Syria. Trouble for Israel. Here’s the latest. — Joel C. Rosenberg’s Blog
Prophetic Scripture Update #5: Gog-Magog coalition solidifies, Assad’s secret visit to Russia
THE HOLY BIBLE CONTINUES TO DISPLAY ITS RELEVANCE TO TODAY’S NEWS
As I read yesterday’s (Wednesday 22nd November) Telegraph report it kept speaking to me of chapter 38 in the Book of Ezekiel. That’s where the Lord told that Old Testament prophet about a future international alliance that would come against His people.
As outlined in Update #2, Ezekiel 38 and 39 describe an alliance known as ‘the Gog and Magog’ coalition that will eventually invade the land the Holy One of Israel gave to His people. Most Bible scholars regard the various people named as forming that group as coming from the land between and north of the Black and Caspian Seas. ie modern Russia.
The prophet received a word from the Lord to ‘set his face’ against Gog, a leader of those nations north of Israel and which include Persia/Iran. And in coming into battle he and those nations would be used for God’s own purpose for this almighty battle:
“So I will make My holy name known in the midst of My people Israel. I will not let them profane My name anymore – Then the nations shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.” (Ezekiel 38:7 NKJV)
Let’s check the pertinent points of Middle East correspondent Raf Sanchez report, emphases mine. His opening gives the game away!!
‘Syria’s Bashar al-Assad has thanked Vladimir Putin and the Russian military for helping to save his country as the Russian president prepared to host the leaders of Iran and Turkey for high-level talks on ending the war in Syria. Mr Assad made a secret visit to Socchi (Black Sea resort) on Monday…(where he) met Mr Putin for 3 hours to discuss a potential political settlement for Syria’s future…
‘Mr Putin ordered Russian forces to intervene in Syria on Mr Assad’s behalf in late 2015…(and) with their Iranian allies have swung the tide of war decisively in Mr Assad’s favour.
‘The Kremlin said the two men had worked to “prepare the groundwork for possible understandings” that might be reached during today’s (22nd) summit between Mr Putin, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani and President Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey.
‘ Iran and Russia supported the Assad regime throughout the war whilst Turkey has backed the opposition. The three countries have acted as guarantors of local deals in Syria and Mr Putin hopes they will be able to agree on a comprehensive pact to end the fighting.
Mr Putin has placed himself centre-stage in talks over Syria’s future. As well as hosting the Turkish and Iranian leaders, he spoke to Donald Trump by phone…briefing him on the talks with Mr Assad.
‘The Geneva talks (with Syrian opposition) have collapsed several times…observers agree it’s more likely major decisions will be made by Russia, Iran and Turkey.’
SO, WHO’s IN CHARGE? Clearly the Russian leader is! Although often disagreeing with each other, the leaders of Iran and Turkey kowtow to him.
The above Reuters’ photo of Assad and Putin speaks volumes to those who read body language.
MEANWHILE ON ISRAELI-SYRIAN BORDER
Previous posts on Gog/Magog referred to the Iranian strategy of getting a strong swathe of influence westwards from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean by means of proxy-terrorist, regular military and diplomatic activities. In view of their declared ambition of attacking and capturing Jerusalem, Iran’s military presence in the Golan and within 10 miles of Israel is totally unacceptable to the Israeli government.
Several bulletin point headlines in Middle-East Update #2 highlight those deep issues. Note the reference to a special ‘eschatological’ brigade in the Golan. One whose aim is undoubtedly to prepare the ground for the Shiite Mahdi to appear (with Jesus in tow!) – obviously a blasphemous counterfeit of Christian theology. (Read more on this in third section of Iran and the Nuclear ‘Fix’.)
Moreover, Monday’s long telephone conversation between Putin and PM Netanyahu ended up with them at odds over removing Iran/Hizballah from the Golan border (Debka). It would appear Donald Trump has quietly withdrawn the US from involvement on this front. Having close Christian input, details of the Ezekiel 38 Gog-Magog prophecy will have been brought to his attention.
Next, we’ll consider Joel Rosenberg’s ‘take’ on this week’s news…(click to read)
NB: In view of the increasing relevance of Old Testament prophecy to current world events I’ve set up a new tag: OT-UPDATE. Click thereon to read a multitude of posts on news of, and developments towards, the fulfillment of Bible prophecies.
Further Reading:
- Tracking Bible Prophecy – The Gog and Magog War
- The Watchman – The Debate of the Gog Magog Battle
- Koinonia House – The Treacherous Trio of Ezekiel 38 – Part 1 (Turkey) – Part 2 (Iran) – Part 3 (Russia).
Middle-East update #2 – selection of this week’s headlines
Continuing with this week’s Middle-Eastern headlines of Biblically-related developments:
- Nov 9 – Saudi Arabia tells its citizens to leave Lebanon immediately [Haaretz]
- Nov 10 – Trump’s secret weapon: the hidden ties that bind Israel, Saudis [Bloomberg]
- Nov 10 – Israel to embark on diplomatic offensive against Hezbollah/Iran at the UN [Jerusalem Post]
- Nov 11 – Syrian drone over Golan follows Trump-Putin disagreement over Syrian buffer-zone [Debka]
- Nov 12 – Iran establishes military base in Syria within 35 miles of Israel border [BreakingIsraelNews]
- Nov 13- New Trump-Putin deal on Syria/Golan grants Iran/Hizballah free movement within Israeli-Jordanian border regions [Debka]
- Nov 14 – Iranian military force taking shape right under Israel’s nose – NB see 313th battalion awaiting Shiite ‘messiah’ ie Hidden 12th Imam or Mahdi! [Ynet]
- Nov 15 – Iran already has 13 bases in Syria and tens of thousands of troops. Is their removal realistic? [Debka]
- Nov 16 – Abbas: PA could move back to one-state solution if two states fail [TimesofIsrael]
- Nov 16- In first ever Saudi interview, IDF head says ready to share intel on Iran [TimesofIsrael]
- Nov 16 – UN gives Egypt 1 week to re-open closed Coptic churches as Christians cry out [CPWorld]
Part three brings the very latest news before we look at its direct relevance to the ‘Four Signposts’ interpretation of Bible prophecy.
On the eve of Yom Kippur, “Putin in Ankara to forge alliance of Russia, Turkey & Iran.” Why that’s interesting.
Further developments in the ‘Gog-Magog coalition’..
(Denver, Colorado) — Readers of my novel, The Ezekiel Option, and non-fiction book, Epicenter, and this blog know how interested I am in the ancient prophecies of Ezekiel 38 and 39 and what is known by rabbis, pastors and Bible scholars as the “War of Gog and Magog.”
The Hebrew prophet Ezekiel wrote some 2,500 years ago that in the “last days” of history, the Jewish people will be gathered back to the land of Israel from all the nations where they have been scattered and exiled, they will rebuild the State of Israel, and they will create a nation of ever-increasing security and prosperity.
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Russia/Iran’s, the Gog-Magog coalition’s, game-changer
I’ve been twice ‘nudged’ to check Israel’s politico-military-diplomatic intelligence website Debkafile. The first time was just before I was about to go offline for dinner last night, only hours after having posted Prophetic Scripture Update #4.
Not only did I find news of expanding Russian-Iranian military cooperation in Syria, and inserted a linked ‘alert’ at the close of that post, but also I found the website’s layout had been changed within those four hours. Then first thing at my desk this morning I got another ‘nudge’! I regularly check links within blogs before publication, but in view of that new site I again checked all Debka links in that post only to find they now give a ‘404’ unavailability error.
Readers who may have tried them without success should now try again via above link.
Photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem/Pool/Flash90
Notwithstanding PM Netanyahu’s frequent meetings and contacts with president Putin, Russia is radically ramping up its direct involvement with Iranian-backed forces in Syria against ISIS. Also, in refusing to permit/oversee a wide buffer-zone between Syria and Israel as well as enabling an Iranian corridor through Syria to the Mediterranean, Russia is turning a blind eye to Iranian forces coming within easy striking distance of Israel.
[1pm breaking news: Israel shoots down Hizballah drone over Golan Heights border.]
Even so, the Lord has this and every outcome subject to His sovereign purposes:
“So I will make My holy name known in the midst of My people Israel and I will not let them profane My Holy Name anymore. Then the nations shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel…” (Ezek 39:7)…”I will set My glory among the nations; all the nations shall see My judgement which I have executed and My hand which I have laid on them…” (Ezek 39:21)
The following extracts give an idea how on-the-ground conditions are lining up with the Gog-Magog prophecies. AND let’s not overlook contemporary words from the Lord about His shaking the earth and heavens!
Last night’s Syrian/Hizballah may call up Russian air-strikes as cooperation deepens –
- ‘The license now awarded to Syrian and pro-Iranian Hizballah commanders to contact the operations rooms of Russian air squadrons, without going through the main Russian air base at Hmeimim in Latakia or the Syrian high command in Damascus, dramatically boosts the autonomy of Syrian, Hizballah and Iranian commanders in the field…(all emphases mine)
- ‘Word of this game-changer was delivered by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, (to) Syrian ruler Bashar Assad in Damascus last Thursday, Sept. 14…(he) then flew to Tehran – this time in secret – to discuss Russia’s new operation plans for Syria with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and Military leaders.
- ‘DEBKAfile’s military sources note that the actions set in train by Shoigu have radically ramped up Russia’s military cooperation in Syria with Iran, Syria and Hizballah. They were timed to take place shortly before President Donald Trump’s meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu at UN Center in New York on Monday, Sept. 19…
- ‘The Kremlin was also putting Washington on notice that, after investing massive military and financial resources in Syria, it had no intention to let pro-American forces share in the kudos of the final victory over the Islamic State in Syria, which belonged solely to the Russian-Syrian-Iranian-Hizballah war alliance…’
This morning’s Russian pontoons convey Syrian forces across Euphrates –
- ‘Hailed as one of the most important military feats of the Syrian war. DEBKAfile’s military sources add that Hizballah forces are part of the contingent crossing the river…
- ‘While the rhetoric flows from Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s talks with world leaders in New York, a profound strategic event is taking place on the Syrian-Iraqi border: Iran is winning a land corridor through Iraq and Syria to the Mediterranean Sea with Russian support but without the US or Israel taking any counteraction…
- ‘Iran’s new army chief, Maj. Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi, threatened Monday to raze Haifa and Tel Aviv to the ground if Israel makes any mistake…‘ (rant omited!)
I won’t copy his threatening the destruction of Israel within 25 years as we’re well aware of our heavenly Father’s contempt for such plans. It is written:
“Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against I the LORD and against My Anointed, they have said to themselves, “Let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us, But I the Lord who sits in the heavens shall laugh, I the LORD shall hold them in derision”. (Psalm 2:1-4)
MOREOVER, back in April a seer known to my readers had a vision in which she heard those preceding verses and records:
‘Then suddenly I came out of the encounter and I was fully awake. Immediately I began to pray in the Spirit concerning what I had seen and what I had heard, then the Holy Spirit showed me again a great, severe and violent shaking that is about to take place in many Nations in the Earth. Then I heard these words,
“WATCH! FOR THIS IS THE HOUR OF DIVINE DERISION AND SCORN FOR THE NATIONS OF THE EARTH”.
Meanwhile, Egypt’s president el-Sisi and PM Netanyahu have held a most amicable first publicly-announced meeting during the opening day of UN General Assembly. (Times of Israel describes it as ‘Egyptian leader showing his mettle by posing with Netanyahu’!)
Prophetic Scripture Update #4: Gog-Magog coalition, Putin’s ambitions
On Friday Joel Rosenberg in Jerusalem blogged about FoxNews.com publishing that morning a new column of his on the massive Russian war games underway near the borders of three NATO countries and Ukraine. He includes findings from an exclusive poll he’d commissioned about American attitudes towards Russia and Putin earlier this year.
Regular readers of this blog will be familiar with Joel’s writings but FoxNews introduces him:
- Rosenberg has extraordinary credentials for his perspective on America’s enemies, earning him the nickname of a “modern day Nostradamus.”
- In 2002, Rosenberg opened his debut novel, The Last Jihad, with Muslim extremists using an airplane in a kamikaze attack on the president of the United States. Rosenberg wrote that scene before the 9/11 terror attack….[his] upcoming novel is focused on what seems to be his latest prophetic piece of fiction, The Kremlin Conspiracy…
Joel’s blog Putin is more dangerous than radical Islam is primarily concerned with that Russian’s intentions in Eastern Europe and on Joel’s experience as a Watcher on the walls, “Putin is the greatest geo-political threat that the West faces”.
The biblical aspect of Putin’s ambitions, however, increasingly continues to be directly connected with the Gog-Magog coalition foreseen by prophet Ezekiel in the scenario of end-times events the Lord showed him; as outlined in Update #3 (with its account of a ‘coincidental’ attack by ‘cyber-gremlins’ AND that’s not the first time with respect to my blogging about Iran!).
In view of his residence in Israel, Joel will doubtless be aware of developments over the Syrian front, as in yesterday’s Breaking Israel News of Russia rejecting Israel’s request for a 37-mile buffer zone in the Golan to keep Iranian-backed forces away from their border.
These extracts from Debkafile’s recent military intelligence analyses and reports provide more on Putin’s support of Iran:
- ‘The Russian air force has recently deployed to Syria four of its most highly advanced early warning and control aircraft, the Beriev A-50 SRDLO (“Mainstay”), which is rated the most sophisticated AWACS in operation…(The plane’s) radar is capable of pinpointing targets across a distance of 600km (covering) all parts of Israel and can detect every aerial and military movement…’ (30 Aug – Russian-Syrian radar covers all Israel)
- ‘Washington was winding up discussions with Moscow on terms for US special forces to evacuate the Al Tanf post they were holding in the Syrian-Iraqi-Jordanian triangle and hand it over to the Syrian army. Quitting Al Tanf is tantamount to the US withdrawal from south-eastern Syria and its handover to Syria and its allies, including Hizballah…’(8 Sept – US set to quit Al Tanf. Pro-Iranian forces move in)
‘Iran, Syria and Hizballah sharpened their responses to the large-scale Israeli military war game against a potential Hizballah invasion… An Iranian military buildup indeed appears to be taking place on Syria’s borders with Jordan and Israel, in response to Israel’s mock thrust into Lebanon. But they are moving in on areas outside the de-escalation zones which are manned by Russian officers. Their tactic therefore is to entrench themselves in other parts of the southeastern Syria so that Russian, Iranian, Syrian and Hizballah forces form a continuous, impermeable line along Syria’s borders with Israel and Jordan.’ (12 Sept – Iran build-up in S Syria…)- ‘The (US/UK-forbidden river Euphates) crossing operation, as well as deepening Russia’s military involvement in Syrian and Hizballah offensives, is a major boost for Iran’s objectives, with grave strategic implications for the US and Israel…Iran and its pawns were creating an accomplished fact, with massive logistical and military assistance from the Russian army…By establishing a foothold on both banks of the Euphrates River and both sides of the Syrian-Iraqi border, Iran has taken a step towards pursuing its avowed goal of Israel’s destruction.’ (16 Sept – Syrian/Hizballah troops cross Euphrates).
6pm alert – today’s game-changing tactics! (Read Russia/Iran’s game-changer.)
US, Russian & Turkish generals meet to avert clash in Syria
Debkafile’s exclusive report of Tuesday 7 March 2017 reminds me of December’s prayer alert from Veronika west concerning Russia and America against ISIS.
After analysing the six urgent challenges facing American, Russian and Turkish forces, Debka updates its Monday’s news of US armoured column deployed around strategic town of Manbij held by Russian-backed forces to deter aggression other than with ISIS as follows:
‘For the first time ever, the top soldiers of the United States, Russia and Turkey are holding a secret meeting in the Turkish town of Antalya for an urgent two-day effort to avert a clash between their three armies, which stand ominously face to face in northern Syria….’
The report concludes: Debkafile’s military sources describe this unique rendezvous as the most important US-Russian military meeting since Donald Trump took office on Jan. 20.
‘The three generals are most certainly working with open lines to their presidents – Gen. Dunford to President Trump; Gen. Gerasimov, to Vladimir Putin; and Gen. Akar, to Tayyip Erdogan. If they succeed in pulling off deals for working together, with their presidents’ endorsement, Trump will have achieved his oft-repeated target of teaming up with Moscow for eradicating ISIS.
‘Putin, too, will have chalked up an historic diplomatic and strategic feat. For the first time since the end of World War II, and after years of cold war, the Russian and American armies will come together to fight a common enemy, namely radical Islamic terror, and create an umbrella for the Russian military operation to branch out into Iraq.
‘Erdogan will also come out ahead of the game. Turkey and its army will become strategic partners in determining Syria’s future and fighting ISIS. And Barack Obama’s departure from the White House will have marked the start of Turkey’s ascent to regional power status ahead of Iran.’
Read Debkafile’s full report here.
Update on Putin-Trump halt of Iranian activity in Syria
Further to last week’s breaking news, in another exclusive report Russia Freezes Syrian, Iranian Military Movements from Debkafile published yesterday, we gain an insight into the direct connection of the US travel ban on seven Muslim countries and Presidents Trump and Putin’s negotiations. VERY interesting ramifications.:
‘..debkafile’s military and intelligence sources report that the order banned the opening of new battlefronts anywhere in Syria and the movement of Syrian air force units between bases. This order has been obeyed to date.
‘The ban came from Moscow to prevent military reprisals against the Putin-Trump deal for Syria…
‘Moscow has never resorted to extreme action of this kind in previous Russian military interventions in Middle East lands.
‘The decision was taken shortly after the Kremlin was notified that US President Donald Trump had agreed to join forces with President Vladimir Putin in Syria.
‘Since then, the Trump administration has kept all dealings with Moscow over Syria under a cloak of secrecy, including the outcome of President Trump’s first phone conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. All other concerned parties, such as Israel, have been left groping in the dark about what happens next.
‘The Russian standstill order in Syria came shortly before the US presidential decree that barred Iranians from entering the United States (along with the nationals of six other terror-prone Muslim countries)
‘Iran can no longer doubt that the two powers, America and Russia, have ganged up to push the Islamic Republic out of their way. Trepidation in Tehran was articulated on Monday, Jan. 30, at a convention staged in the Iranian capital to celebrate 515 years of Iranian-Russian relations, an anniversary that would not normally be marked by a special event….’
Breaking news: Iran ousted from Syria in Trump-Putin safe zones deal
Exclusive DebkaFile report ‘Trump-Putin Safe Zones Deal Ousts Iran From Syria’ opens as follows:
‘Syria stands on the threshold of dramatic changes that will directly impact on the strategic and military situation along the Syrian borders with Israel and Jordan, debkafile reports exclusively. They derive from a deal struck this week by US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to establish US, Russian and Turkish security zones in Syria. This scheme will transfer military control of the country to those three powers. Each of them will be responsible for a zone whose borders will be defined and agreed upon by Washington, Moscow and Ankara.
‘As part of this arrangement, all forces from the Iranian military, the pro-Iranian Shiite militias and Hizballah will be required to leave Syria…’ continue reading.
Update on geopolitical status of Syria vis-a-vis USA vs Russia
A very brief note on news and background report on the geopolitical situation behind the horrendously severe conflict in Syria.:
Interviewed by ITV News PM Theresa May reminded everyone the blame lies with the Assad regime and president personally, and she’s deeply pessimistic of any solution in the near future.
The dreadful attack against an aid convoy on 19th Sept could have been in some way connected to breakdown in communications not only between Russia and USA but also with US command over sharing of intelligence, as exclusively reported by Debka in US, Russia on brink of military showdown. Three weeks earlier they’d reported upon the ‘disconnect’ in Obama hands Syria over to Russia.
Over the weekend Bill Koenig’s World Watch Daily covered headlines on the deteriorating diplomatic situation:
For a sound in-depth analysis read Why Putin Wants Syria published by Middle-East Forum in Spring 2016.
Putin crosses a line – bans Russians from preaching the Gospel outside churches. Here’s the latest.
This comes with today’s news of Russia becoming the first world power outside the Middle-East to recognise and take military action against the trans-national Islamist peril (Debkafile Russian anti-Isis war from Syria to Caucasus).
Russian President Vladimir Putin has just crossed a very dangerous line. He has just signed a law making it illegal for Russian followers of Jesus Christ to share or preach the Gospel anywhere outside the walls of their church, or even email their family and friends to invite them to church. What’s more, he has done so under the guise of preventing “terrorism.”
As I have been warning for a decade (see here, here, hereand in my 2006 book, Epicenter), Putin — who is fashioning himself as a rising Czar — is an increasingly dangerous despot. He continues to centralize government power and control to himself. He is trampling over human rights, the media, and NGOs. He is rebuilding the Russian military. He has invaded neighboring Georgia and Ukraine. He is arming and building alliances with Radical Islamic countries, particularly Iran.
Now, Putin is positioning himself as an enemy of Christ and His Church. If he doesn’t not…
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4 Signposts perspective: Russia’s withdrawal from Syria
Mark Davidson’s analysis of this in the light of Daniel 8 is noteworthy, keeping in mind the ‘Gog-Magog’ alliance of Ezekiel 38. Debkafile claims last month’s rift between Tehran and Moscow is because of the latter’s collaboration with USA to end the conflict whereas Iran wants hostilities to continue. Their report shows Russia wants to keep its paw in the door. Also, in view of Putin’s disingenuous claims to pull troops out of Ukraine, “which later turned out to be merely routine rotation of forces”, UK’s Foreign Secretary is sceptical, saying “Russia is completely un-transparent about its motives and its plans, (so) we can only speculate.” (Brietbart) UPDATE 16/3: Russia keeping its S-400 anti-aircraft missiles (withheld from Iran at Israel’s request) in Syria until Saudi warplane build-up in Turkey is reversed (Debka Exclusive). So keep watching…
The news came out today that Putin is withdrawing the main part of Russian forces from Syria. It will maintain the airbase and naval base, but most of the fighter aircraft used in airstrikes and the support forces for those fighters, are being withdrawn. Putin said that the mission is completed.
Russian fighters sit on the tarmac at Hmeimim Airbase near Latakia.
For those who still cling to the idea that Russia will have a major role in the Middle East during the end times, this would seem like a reversal of what is “supposed to happen.” But for the Signposts, and particularly the Second Signpost, everything continues on course.
Iran needs Assad to stay in power, so that its Shia militants and IRGC can more easily flow men and materiel between the Mediterranean coast and Iran. Before the Russians arrived, Assad was almost on his way out. The…
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News alert: Israel extremely nervous over Russian ops in Golan area
Eschatological events continue to accelerate with this news just out from Debkafile.
Monday’s conspicuous goodwill between PM Netanyahu and President Putin at the Paris climate summit may possibly have soured by Tuesday because a meeting of senior military officers convened to discuss the two army commands’ cooperation wasn’t held. So far, this cooperation has averted clashes between Israeli air force and Russian warplanes over Syria.
The Special Report states,
‘Debkafile’s military sources report that this week, the show of optimism is giving way to an uneasy sensation in the offices of the prime minister, Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon and the IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gady. They suspect an ulterior motive behind Russia’s military movements in southern Syria, especially its air strikes against Syrian rebels, just across from Israel’s Golan border….’ (continue reading here).
Intercessors may wish to note the finer details of this informative Report. It concludes by noting,
‘Officials in Jerusalem point out that the threat to Golan peaked just hours after the Russian leader met the prime minister in Paris. Putin is conducting a hands-on policy on Syria and keeps close track of the slightest occurrence on the battlefield. He must have been perfectly aware of the state of play on the Golan when he met Netanyahu, but nonetheless kept it out of their conversation.’
The earlier reference to a possible ulterior motive made me recall Tony Puccio’s recent comment on my 2-part post on Paris regarding his dream of October 2014 about Betrayal, viz:
“I had a dream 10/21/2014 where I saw what I believe to be leaders of nations gathered around a table. Putin stood out as a prominent figure in the dream and it seemed that a peace treaty was being signed by the various nations with Russia. I saw Putin sign with his right hand and then I saw that in his left hand, which was behind his back, he was holding a large dagger. A dagger from what I have come to know almost always indicates a betrayal, or, as the saying goes, a knife in the back. I did not get a sense of the nations that were involved, only Russia stood out.”
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