The Prophecy Update Newsletter - 11/25/24

News & Information for the End Times

Nov 25, 2024

ISRAEL AT WAR!!! Day 416 - PRAY!!!

Pray For Israel — Psalm 122:6-8, "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee."

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In Today’s Newsletter…

Threats And Aggression: Does Bible Prophecy Predict a Future Nuclear War?
A Great Blessing to Israel (and hopefully…to the U.S.)
Prophecy Update Videos
Recommended Reading
How Lebanon Became a Threat to Israel
Back to Business as Usual
Daily Jot: Our depth of faith
Daily Devotion: Give Thanks for Your Salvation
Prophecy Update News Headlines

(Scroll Down to Read)

Threats And Aggression: Does Bible Prophecy Predict a Future Nuclear War?

By Mark Hitchcock - https://harbingersdaily.com/threats-and-aggression-does-bible-prophecy-perdict-a-future-nuclear-war/

Does the Bible say anything about nuclear weapons in the end times? It’s a very pertinent question today, with all that we see happening in Russia, Iran, and North Korea.

Before we tackle that question, let me paint a little bit of the background for what we see happening in our world today, which I think makes this a more interesting and relevant question than ever before.

The United States has just given the green light for Ukraine to take US-made ballistic missiles and fire them into Russia. Up to this point, we provided these ballistic missiles with the stipulation that they not be used to fire into Russian territory. This week, that ban was lifted, and ballistic missiles began firing into Russia—at one point, even 70 miles into their territory. This is a real game changer in the war between Ukraine and Russia, and this has brought a strong response from Moscow.

Russia has now, according to their recent edicts, lowered the threshold necessary for the use of nuclear weapons. In other words, they have updated their nuclear doctrine and established new “red lines.”

They said in this updated policy that aggression against Russia by a non-nuclear state if it’s supported by a nuclear power, will be considered a joint attack. In another statement, they say that the launch of ballistic missiles against Russia would now be among the conditions that could warrant a response using nuclear weapons.

While Russia has more nuclear weapons and warheads than any nation on earth, there are eight other nations today that we know also have nuclear weapons: the United States, China, France, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, India, Israel (although the Jewish State has never acknowledged this fact), and North Korea.

Of course, a tenth nation is also trying to cross the nuclear threshold: Iran. An article in the Wall Street Journal this week has a headline that reads, “Iran Sharply Expands Stockpile of Nuclear Fuel Ahead of Trump’s Return.” Iran realizes what’s coming with an incoming Trump Administration, and they’re doing all they can to rapidly cross the nuclear finish line.

Now, at the same time that article came out, another report revealed that, during Israel’s counter-attack against Iran in October, the IAF destroyed an active top-secret nuclear weapons research facility. Within the site was significant equipment used to design the plastic explosives that surround uranium in a nuclear device and are needed to detonate it.

The elimination of this facility, they believe, has set Iran backward on its road to a nuclear weapon.

But with all this talk today of nuclear weapons, we asked this question: does the Bible tell us that there will be a nuclear exchange during the tribulation period? Let me mention a few passages of Scripture which many believe refer to nuclear weapons in the future.

Zechariah 14

The first is Zechariah 14:12, which reads, “And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.”

Some people picture this in the context of a rapid disintegration or melting away of flesh, which occurs during a nuclear explosion. There are a few problems with taking this verse in that light.

Firstly, the context at the beginning of this chapter describes a time on the earth after the second coming of Christ. Notice chapter 14 begins, “Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle…” Later in verse four, it says, “And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives”—this is the return of Jesus back to the earth. Zechariah 14:12 is after that takes place; therefore, this wouldn’t be describing a time before the rapture or during the tribulation period.

Verse 12 also states that the Lord will strike these people with a plague—pointing to divine judgment rather than human activity—like nuclear weapons.

2 Peter 3

Another passage that’s often used is in 2 Peter 3:10, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”

Now, I do agree that this is going to be a massive “nuclear explosion,” but I don’t think it is an act of mankind. Who’s doing it? God himself. He’s going to untie the atoms, if you will, and destroy this present heaven and earth, creating a new heaven and earth. This passage is parallel with Revelation 21:1, which reads, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away…”

This period of time described in 2 Peter 3:10 occurs after the millennial reign of Christ. I call this “uncreation.” The God who spoke everything into existence is going to speak it out of existence, and He’s going to make it anew again. Therefore, I don’t think that the passage in 2 Peter supports the idea of a nuclear explosion during the tribulation period either.

Revelation 8

There is one other passage of Scripture that many believe references nuclear warfare. In Revelation 8, the trumpet judgments are unleashed during, I believe, the second half of the tribulation period.

Revelation 8:8-11 states, “And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed. And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.”

Many see these judgments as describing a nuclear war. They see this “great mountain burning with fire” and “great star” that comes from heaven as a nuclear weapon—some kind of thermonuclear exchange. Now, that’s certainly possible, and a lot of good Bible prophecy teachers believe that this is describing massive warfare and destruction during the tribulation. I don’t hold that view for a couple of reasons.

These trumpet judgments are coming from God Himself. These are divine judgments, many of which parallel the plagues in Egypt. The plagues in Egypt were not natural or man-made occurrences, so we wouldn’t expect the trumpet judgments to be either.

You will also notice these are limited. Over and over again, we read that it is “a third of the sun,” “a third of the waters,” “a third of the creatures,” etc. If you did have a thermonuclear exchange, it wouldn’t be limited to a third of this and a third of that on the earth. God is displaying His precise control of what is happening and how broad the scope of the effects of His judgment will be.

Could We See a Nuclear Exchange?

Now, that raises the question: even if these verses do not describe a nuclear exchange, could there be one anyway? The answer is yes. The Bible doesn’t tell us everything about the future.

Just because, in my view, the Bible doesn’t specifically say that there’ll be nuclear weapons exploded during the end times doesn’t mean they won’t be. In fact, it is hard to imagine that there won’t be some use of nuclear weapons in the future when you have nine nations that wield them, and Iran’s trying to get them.

Could it happen before the rapture? Certainly, it could. Could it happen during the tribulation? Certainly, it could (that’s even more likely). But when the Bible doesn’t specifically tell us, all we can do is speculate.

A Great Blessing to Israel (and hopefully…to the U.S.)

By Daymond Duck - https://www.raptureready.com/2024/11/23/a-great-blessing-to-israel-and-hopefullyto-the-u-s-by-daymond-duck/

Last week, I reported that Pres. elect Trump’s choice for U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, said:

There is no such thing as the West Bank – it’s Judea and Samaria.
There is no such thing as settlements – they’re communities, they’re neighborhoods, they’re cities.
There is no such thing as an occupation.

On Nov. 13, 2024, it was reported that Trump’s choice for Sec. of Defense, Pete Hegseth, delivered a speech at a conference in Jerusalem in 2018.

Hegseth talked about how awesome it was to visit the Western Wall, some of the tunnels, and the ancient foundations of the Old City of Jerusalem.

Hegseth said:

1917 was a miracle (Allenby’s British liberation of Jerusalem).
1948 was a miracle (the recognition of Israel as a nation).
1967 was a miracle (Israel captured east Jerusalem).
2017 was a miracle (U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel.
And there’s no reason why the miracle of the re-establishment of the temple on the Temple Mount is not possible.
I don’t know how it would happen; you don’t know how it would happen, but I know that it could happen; that’s all I know.

Hegseth also appeared to endorse Israel’s annexation of settlements in Judea and Samaria and to reject the Two-State Solution.

Now it is being reported that Trump’s nominee for Sec. of State, Marco Rubio, is also a staunch supporter of Israel.

In the past, Rubio said:

Israel has no choice but to seek the complete eradication of Hamas in Gaza (because of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel and pledge to destroy Israel.
I urge the reimposition of a maximum pressure campaign against Iran and fully support Israel’s right to respond disproportionately to stop this threat (because Iran fired about 200 missiles and drones at Israel).
Iran is the primary source of violence, conflict, suffering, and instability in the Middle East (because Iran foments trouble in other nations and oppresses its own people).

And Trump’s choice of Rep. Elise Stefanik for Ambassador to the UN has strongly repudiated university presidents over their response to campus antisemitism.

Here is why I think Trump chose her.

Last month, Trump said,

They (educational institutions that do not stop the antisemitism protests) will lose their accreditation and federal taxpayer support.
We (the U.S.) will not subsidize the creation of terrorist sympathizers. We’re certainly not going to do it on American soil; we’re not going to do it anywhere.
I will inform every educational institution in our land that if they permit violence, harassment or threats against Jewish students, the schools will be held accountable for violations of the civil rights law.
On Nov. 15, 2024, Mike Huckabee said,
We have four Americans being held hostage in Gaza — Americans.
And this is outrageous that we have not put more pressure, not just on Hamas, but on Iran, who’s funded Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.
We need to put pressure on Qatar. They have influence over Hamas, and they need to understand that Donald Trump doesn’t play around.
Hamas cannot control Gaza anymore. They cannot be trusted. Their hatred toward the Jewish people was evidenced on Oct. 7 and their massacre of civilians, including babies and elderly people. So there has to be a change in what happens there.

Pres. elect Trump has been a great blessing to Israel.

In 2017, Trump recognized Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel.
In 2019, Trump recognized the Golan Heights as part of Israel.
Now, Trump has selected three men and one woman (Pete Hegseth, Mike Huckabee, Marco Rubio, and Elsie Stefanik) that love Israel to be his Sec. of Defense, his Ambassador to Israel, his Sec. of State, and his Ambassador to the UN.

These people will be a great blessing to Israel (and hopefully a great blessing to the U.S.).

Here are some current events that seem to indicate that the end of the age is near:

One, concerning a covenant of peace and the division of Israel at the end of the age: on Nov. 10, 2024, Jonathan Brentner (author, writer, and Bible Teacher) reported that more than 90 nations (many nations), including representatives from the U.S. and Israel, met in Saudi Arabia in late October to push for the creation of a Palestinian state.

This group of many nations calls itself the Global Alliance.

Brentner’s article was dated one day before a second meeting in Brussels (on Nov. 11, 2024) and about 2 ½ weeks before a third meeting on Nov. 28, 2024.

According to Brentner (an exceptionally reliable source of information, by the way), the goal is to put in place a seven-to-ten-year peace agreement that would divide the Land and the city of Jerusalem via a two-state solution.

Brentner wrote that, “This group (the Global Alliance) consists of ‘many’ nations who want to initiate a peace covenant with Israel, and they are thinking in terms of it being of a specific length of seven to ten years” (see Dan. 9:27).

(My opinion: I am thankful that God is putting some Bible-believing Christians in the White House that love Israel, but I pray that they will oppose the Two-State Solution. God clearly said He will judge the world for dividing the Land of Israel.)

Here is a link to Brentner’s excellent article:

https://harbingersdaily.com/in-a-world-obsessed-with-jerusalem-how-can-you-not-see-bible-prophecy-unfolding/

Two, concerning a covenant of peace in the Middle East, on Nov. 15, 2024, it was reported that Jared Kushner (Trump’s son-in-law, married to Trump’s daughter Ivanka) will not take an official position in the Trump administration but will likely agree to be an outside advisor to advance normalization agreements between Israel, Saudi Arabia, and other nations in the Middle East.

Three, concerning Israel having a great army at the end of the age (Ezek. 37:10): on Nov. 14, 2024, it was reported that Pres. elect Trump said, “On the first day of my term, I will cancel all restrictions and delays on the transfer of armaments and combat equipment” (to Israel).

Four, concerning the destruction of Damascus, Syria, in one night at the end of the age (Isa. 17): on Nov. 14, 2024, Israeli jets struck targets in Damascus and a suburb of Damascus.

15 people, including 2 terrorist commanders, were killed and 16 were wounded.

This was the second Israeli attack in Syria in 24 hours.

Israel’s attacks are increasing and getting more destructive.

Five, concerning deceit and Iran’s denial that it is seeking to produce nuclear weapons: on Nov. 16, 2024, it was reported that when Israel struck Iran about 3 weeks ago, Israel has learned that it apparently struck a sensitive secret Iranian nuclear weapons research facility.

(FYI: Biben threatened to cut off U.S. weapons sales to Israel if Israel attacked Iran’s nuclear facilities and/or oil wells.).

(My opinion: No weapon formed against Israel will prevail. God apparently caused Israel to destroy a nuclear research facility that Israel didn’t know existed, and He is putting a more pro-Israel administration over the U.S. government.)

(More: On Nov. 16, 2024, it was reported that Trump’s transition team is preparing executive orders to be released on his first day in office to apply maximum pressure on Iran to try to force Iran to negotiate a new nuclear deal.)

(More: On Nov. 16, 2024, it was reported that Sen. Lindsey Graham told Benjamin Netanyahu to do what you have to do to prevent the Iranian ayatollah from acquiring nuclear weapons capability.)

Six, concerning the deliberate decline of America’s military and the surrender of America’s sovereignty to a world government,

On Nov. 13, 2024, it was reported that Trump’s transition team is preparing an executive order to establish a committee to compile a list of high-ranking military officials that should be demoted.
On Nov. 14, 2024, it was reported that Trump’s team is compiling a list of senior officers, including some members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for possible removal. According to the report, Trump’s team is compiling the list in response to Trump’s criticism that “woke military officers” were promoted because of their opinions on diversity initiatives rather than their ability to promote combat readiness.

There have been past reports that said the reason Trump selected Pete Hegseth, a Fox News commentator and former Army officer to be Sec. of Defense is because Hegseth has written that reshaping the senior ranks of the U.S. military is crucial to ensuring that the U.S. military can defend our nation.

Seven, concerning the decline of America, on Nov. 16, 2024, Todd Starnes (author and radio host) reported that some official U.S. Air Force documents are now referring to mothers and fathers as non-birthing parents.

When Pres. Trump’s nominee for Sec. of Defense, Pete Hegseth, learned about it, he replied, “not for long.”

Eight, for several years, the most important political leaders of Hamas operated out of Qatar.

But following intense pressure from the U.S., they were ordered to leave, and they are now being warmly received by Turkey.

Russia, Iran, Turkey, and others will attack Israel in the latter years and latter days.

Nine, on Nov. 11, 2024, U.S. Sec. of State Blinken met with an Israeli official to discuss a ceasefire in Lebanon.

On Nov. 13, 2024, World Israel News reported that Israel’s new Defense Min. said:

We will not agree to just any ceasefires, we will not take our foot off the gas, and we will not accept any agreement that does not include achieving the war goals.
An agreement should include the disarmament of Hezbollah, its withdrawal beyond the Litani River, and creating the conditions for the residents of northern Israel to return to their homes in safety.
Also, Israel should have the right to enforce any ceasefire deal and act against any terrorist activity and organization.

The US agrees that Hezbollah should retreat north of the Litani River, that there should be a way to force them to keep the agreement, but they prefer that someone other than Israel enforce it.

France and Hezbollah have rejected Israel’s demands.

Ten, concerning the Battle of Gog and Magog (Russia and others attacking Israel in the latter days and latter years: on Nov. 19, 2024, it was reported that approximately 60-70% of the Hezbollah weapons that Israel has captured in Lebanon were made in Russia, and many have been made since 2020.

(More: Concerning the fact that armies from Russia, Turkey, Iran, and others will be destroyed by God when they attack Israel on the mountains of Israel, on Nov. 18, 2024, Russia announced that it has increased the number of troops that it has deployed in Syria near the Golan Heights (mountains of Israel).).

Eleven, concerning wars and rumors of wars at the end of the age:

With Biden’s approval, this week, Ukraine fired several U.S. made long-range missiles into Russia.
Putin authorized his military to consider using nuclear weapons if there is a missile attack by any non-nuclear state with the participation or support of a nuclear state (such as the U.S. or UK).
Then, Germany offered to host 800,000 NATO troops if they are needed to move against Russia.
Finland, Norway, and Denmark are sending out information on seeking shelter, storing food and medical supplies, etc. in case a nuclear weapon is used.

Here is my weekly update on the Israel-Hamas war:

Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024 (Day 405) The three hundred and fiftieth day of the resumed war. Day 183 of the attack on Rafah.

An Israeli study found that more than 10% of principals and senior education staff employed by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in the Gaza Strip are members of Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Israeli jets struck a road between Syria and Leban that was used for moving weapons from Syria to Lebanon.

Friday, Nov. 15, 2024 (Day 406) The three hundred and fifty-first day of the resumed war. Day 184 of the attack on Rafah.

Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister asked Iran to help secure a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hezbollah and appeared to urge Iran to convince Hezbollah to agree to a deal that could require Hezbollah to pull back from the Israel-Lebanon border.
Israel assassinated a high-ranking commander in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist organization in Gaza.

Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024 (Day 407) The three hundred and fifty-second day of the resumed war. Day 185 of the attack on Rafah.

Israeli troops reached its deepest penetration into Lebanon (about 3 miles) since the war began, but strong resistance from Hezbollah pushed them back.
During a small-scale raid into southern Lebanon, Israeli troops found a large underground weapons storage facility with crates of explosives, ammunition, grenades, and a truck equipped with a mobile rocket launcher. As they continued to search the facility, they found anti-tank missiles, mortar shells, and combat vests. Then they found more than 25 crates of new rockets, prepared for immediate launch. They seized and destroyed everything, including the underground facility.
Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024 (Day 408) The three hundred and fifty-third day of the resumed war. Day 186 of the attack on Rafah.
Two unexploded bombs were found on the grounds of Netanyahu’s home. The Netanyahu family was not at home, and there was no damage.
An Israeli strike on a building in central Beirut killed Hezbollah’s media relations chief.

Monday, Nov. 18, 2024 (Day 409) The three hundred and fifty-fourth day of the resumed war. Day 187 of the attack on Rafah.

An Israeli intelligence report says more than 450 terrorists in Gaza, mainly Hamas, are also employed by UNRWA.
Netanyahu said Israel will not allow Hamas to govern Gaza again.

Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024 (Day 410) The three hundred and fifty-fifth day of the resumed war. Day 188 of the attack on Rafah.

Netanyahu warned Hamas, “Whoever dares to harm our hostages — their blood is on your head. We will pursue you, and we will find you.”
Netanyahu pledged that those providing information leading to the rescue of the hostages would be rewarded with $5 million and safe passage out of the Gaza Strip.

FYI: God does not send anyone to Hell (all of us are born with a sin nature and destined to go to Hell because we sin), but God has provided a way (Jesus) for everyone to go to Heaven (and He is the only way to get there; John 14:6).

Finally, are you Rapture Ready?

If you want to be rapture ready and go to heaven, you must be born again (John 3:3). God loves you, and if you have not done so, sincerely admit that you are a sinner; believe that Jesus is the virgin-born, sinless Son of God who died for the sins of the world, was buried, and raised from the dead; ask Him to forgive your sins, cleanse you, come into your heart and be your Saviour; then tell someone that you have done this.

duck_daymond@yahoo.com

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How Lebanon Became a Threat to Israel

Ariel Winkler - https://midnightcall.com/articles/messages/how-lebanon-became-a-threat-to-israel.html

At the end of the 19th century, nationalism was on the rise in various parts of the world. As a result, many people groups began to desire their own state and international recognition. This also helped spur the Zionist movement, which encouraged Jewish people to return to Israel.

This historical process culminated in the period between the two World Wars. After World War I, the League of Nations divided the Middle East into two mandates (Article 22), which were administered by France and Great Britain. The stated aim of these mandates was to develop the region and establish new states there. Consequently, several new states emerged during this period such as Jordan (1946), Iraq (1932), Saudi Arabia (1932), Syria, and Lebanon.

Lebanon’s creation is a very special case. It first emerged as autonomous under the French mandate, based on the division of the Ottoman Provinces (called “sanjaks,” 1417–1917). Due to the natural bond between France and the Maronite Christian population (and for convenience in the creation of a modern state), Lebanon’s territory was expanded and more areas from the south and along the coast were annexed to it. This resulted in Lebanon having many minorities: Maronites, Catholics, Druze, Alawites, Sunnis, and Shiites.

In order to preserve the balance of power between these varied minorities, while maintaining the Christian population’s dominance, it was set into the Lebanese Constitution. This was enabled by the ties between France and Lebanon’s Christian population. In order to determine a balance of power, a census was conducted in 1932. No census has been conducted in Lebanon since, for fear that a change in demographics would necessitate a change in the balance of power among the various groups.

When Lebanon was established, Shiite and Sunni populations from the south of the country began to migrate toward the center. Due to this relocation and the high birth rate of these groups, pressure was created on the Christian population. They began to emigrate to Europe, and especially France. These demographic shifts affected the balance of power in Lebanon, which resulted in calls for a change in government representation for the various groups.

Lebanon wasn’t very actively involved in Israel’s War of Independence against the Arab states in 1948, due to its own internal conflicts. During the war, Palestinian refugees fled to Lebanon, again altering its demographics. The country repeatedly fell into civil wars between the various groups (1958, 1975–1990).

These civil wars encouraged outside parties to interfere in what was happening in Lebanon. France wanted to preserve its influence from the mandate period. The Russians tried to get the country to join the communist bloc, but the United States stepped in to prevent this. Syria intervened to increase its influence in the region. When the civil war spread to Israel, Israel likewise intervened, entering Lebanon and reaching the suburbs of Beirut (1982 Lebanon War).

In 1989, the Taif Accords were signed, ending the Lebanese Civil War. It was agreed that the fighting militias would be disbanded. The agreement also demanded that all foreign troops in Lebanon be withdrawn. Israel left the security zone in southern Lebanon in 2000. There was a demand for Syria to withdraw from Lebanon as well, which it did in 2005 after much pressure and a UN resolution (Resolution 1559).

Despite the call to disband the militias and respect Lebanon’s independence, Hezbollah not only refused to give up its arms, but also increased its presence in Lebanon. The influence of Islamic actors increased: Palestinian organizations gained more influence, and Hezbollah and Iran’s Shiite axis increased their armament and their integration into Lebanese politics.

Since the signing of the Taif Accords, there have been several conflicts between Israel and Lebanon (1993, 1996, 2006). But the conflict wasn’t with the Lebanese state, but with the terrorist organization Hezbollah, which is supported by Iran and doesn’t cooperate with the weak Lebanese army. Hezbollah justified its attacks on Israel by claiming that its goal is to defend Lebanon and to drive Israel out of Lebanon. By this logic, Hezbollah should have ended its role when Israel withdrew from Lebanon in 2000.

In the summer of 2006, armed conflict broke out between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, known in Israel as the Second Lebanon War. It was triggered by a Hezbollah raid on an Israeli military patrol on the border, in which several soldiers were abducted. Israel responded with a large-scale military operation against Hezbollah, which controlled southern Lebanon. Israel used ground troops and air strikes to destroy Hezbollah positions and infrastructure. Hezbollah responded with massive rocket fire on towns and villages in the north of Israel.

In an effort to bring an end to the hostilities between Israel, Lebanon, and Hezbollah, the UN Security Council voted unanimously in favor of Resolution 1701. The resolution called for an immediate ceasefire between the parties. It also reaffirmed prior UN resolutions on the disarmament of armed militias (Resolution 1559). This clause is primarily intended for Hezbollah. It called for the evacuation of all forces not under Lebanese government control from south of the Litani River.

After the governments of Israel and Lebanon agreed to the UN resolution, a ceasefire between Israel, Lebanon, and Hezbollah was reached at 8:00 am on August 14, 2006. All parties largely complied with the main provisions. Israel withdrew its troops and kept a low profile. The UN and the Lebanese army took control of southern Lebanon along the border. And the number of soldiers from the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) increased from 2,000 to 15,000.

Although the Lebanese government agreed to the resolution, Hezbollah has not dismantled its weapons. The Secretary General of the UN said that UNIFIL’s mandate isn’t to disarm Hezbollah. Hezbollah claimed that it had withdrawn its armed forces from the south of Lebanon, but insisted that its people were part of southern Lebanon and would remain there. Over the years, Hezbollah’s armed forces have advanced southward and positioned themselves along the border. They have set up observation posts and rocket launching sites in clear violation of the UN Security Council resolution, which was endorsed by the governments of both Lebanon and Israel.

Documents seized by the Israeli army in Kahn Yunis in the Gaza Strip, show that Hezbollah had pledged to attack Israel along with Hamas on October 7th. Hamas expected Hezbollah to keep its promise, but Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel were very limited. It didn’t attack with its rocket arsenal, as it did in the 2006 Lebanon War. However, the attacks on Israeli border towns and military positions prompted Israel to clear the towns of civilians.

In response to Hezbollah’s attacks, Israel is attacking Hezbollah targets in the south of Lebanon. Hezbollah has lost around 250 people in its attacks on Israel thus far, and has not gained any advantage or benefit for Lebanese citizens. Rather, through the response of the Israeli army, residents have been injured and villages located near Hezbollah positions have been damaged, while Lebanon’s weak economic situation has worsened.

At the beginning of its history, Lebanon was a prosperous place for all its citizens. Despite conflicts and wars, Lebanon managed to develop in a positive direction. Beirut was affectionately called the “Paris of the Middle East.” But with the rise of Hezbollah and Islamic influence in the country, circumstances worsened for the Christian population. They suffer because Hezbollah doesn’t make Lebanon its top priority, but the desires of its patron, Iran. In their eyes, Lebanon is just a springboard for an attack on Israel.

But the Christian population is trying to fight back against Hezbollah. Samir Geagea, one of the Christian leaders in Lebanon, warned that Hezbollah doesn’t represent the country, and its actions do not contribute to its reconstruction. He also called for Hezbollah to withdraw from southern Lebanon.

The situation that Lebanon and its Christians are facing isn’t an isolated case. The same factors can be seen in several places in Israel, such as Bethlehem and Nazareth. They began as thriving, developing regions, with good schools and Western infrastructure. Then these areas attract other populations, who are welcomed. But as Islam grows in influence, the situation worsens. The Christian population slowly leaves, because Muslim pressure is increasing, and their freedoms are being taken away.

God calls us to be a light in the world (Matt 5:14). The core values of the Western world, which brought progress and advancement, were based in God’s Word. Many of those who set out to explore the world had the goal of bringing the gospel to the ends of the earth (Matt 28:18-20). Satan fights against the faithful and twists God’s Word. He tries to convince us that God’s love requires us to tolerate everyone and everything. God loves all people, and His very nature is love (John 3:16; 1 John 4:8). We are all sinners (Rom 3:23) who need Jesus. But He hates sin and all false teaching (Heb 1:9; Rev 2:6), so we must not tolerate it either. We must stand up for our values and not compromise. We must not conform to the world in the name of love, and watch as it disregards the values God’s Word commands us to preserve.

Israel’s war against Hamas and Hezbollah in Lebanon, as well as the present situation in Lebanon under Hezbollah’s influence, are a warning to us. Let’s hold onto our values. Let’s protect our children’s future. And let’s cultivate faith in the Messiah Yeshua. We must not be tolerant of sin, but we must love the sinner.

Back to Business as Usual

Terry James - https://terryjamesprophecyline.com/2024/11/24/back-to-business-as-usual/

Once again, I want to address the belief expressed by a number of those who watch in anticipation of the Rapture of the Church. I’m referring to those who assert that now it looks like that glorious event will occur later than expected. Things now look not so Tribulation-like in the wake of the election of Donald Trump. It is now back to business as usual, with prospects much brighter. “It will have to get much darker again before Christ will call the Church out of this doomed planet of God-rejecting rebels” represents the thought of many.

The prophecy by Jesus frames how the times must be when He calls the Church in the Rapture. I’ve written about this prophecy many times. I believe this prophecy is exactly where the world is on God’s prophetic timeline. I believe it is the most relevant prophecy for this moment in regard to expecting the Rapture. Here, again, are Jesus’ words:

Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. (Luke 17:28–30)

My series of articles I titled “Scanning a Fearful Future” had this prophecy at its center. I therefore did have some reflective/introspective moments when I observed the economies of America and the world growing extremely tenuous under the Biden regime. With inflation, the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs, and an invasion of illegal aliens this administration was increasingly funding with US taxpayer money, I was reflecting on whether my thoughts about this prophecy might be in error. It didn’t look like it was the “business as usual” environment I thought necessary to meet Jesus’ words recorded in Luke 17:28–30.

Here is a snippet of what I wrote in the series–written at the end of 2010 and beginning of 2011.

Yet Jesus tells us that it will be business as usual right up until the moment He removes believers from the planet. There is no man-made, worldwide catastrophe in Christ’s prophecy. As a matter of fact, Jesus says all will be relatively normal, in terms of human activity, until that removal. Then He will be revealed by way of His cataclysmic judgment that begins to devastate planet earth. It is God who causes the cataclysm, not George Soros or any other human or other entity.

I went on to say in the series that business as usual, like in the days of Lot in Sodom, meant that business would be more or less booming, not on a downward trajectory like during these last four years.

So, unlike those who look for the Rapture in a darkening economic environment as the most likely time for Christ to call in the Rapture, I see the opposite. Jesus says business will be as usual. And business in Sodom in Lot’s time was apparently booming, even though the culture and society beneath the surface of activity there was as wicked and evil as our own subculture has become within the last number of years.

And unlike those who think the Rapture must be farther off than before because of Mr. Trump’s election, my thinking is opposite. I believe it is Back to business as usual… There will be no collapse into economic dystopia that will be in effect at the moment of Rapture.

Since Trump’s landslide election, the business world, even as reported in Trump-hating European media, is looking for business to boom. The American stock market recorded a record high immediately following election results.

Here is one such report.

LONDON, Nov 13 (Reuters) – Global investors changed their expectations on the global economy in the wake of Donald Trump’s election win, and now see higher growth than they did before, as well as higher inflation, according to Bank of America’s monthly fund manager survey.

As a result, investors have increased their allocations to U.S. stocks and to U.S. small caps, which are more domestically focused and so potentially likely to benefit particularly from a stronger U.S. economy.

BofA polled 179 participants with $503 billion assets under management. Of those, 22% responded after the U.S. election, won by Republican former president Trump.

A net 23% of those polled after the result said they expected the global economy would get stronger in the next 12 months, the most optimistic since August 2021.

This is a turnaround from October’s survey, which had shown more respondents thought the economy would be weaker in 12 months’ time…

Investors upped their allocations to U.S. stocks. A net 29% are overweight U.S. equities, the highest since August 2013, the survey showed. (“Investors expect more growth and inflation after Trump win, BofA survey shows,” Reuters, November 13, 2024)

All of America’s most knowledgeable folks in the world of finance and business are optimistic about the coming Trump presidency. He is a businessman of first order. It is provable that he had the nation going in a positive direction that verged on a boom when, in my view, the election was stolen in 2020.

My desire is to exhort pre-Trib Rapture believers to not be part of the think not generation. We are certainly in times like the days of Lot as recorded in Genesis chapter 19. At the same time, there appears on the immediate horizon every signal Jesus gave as what to look for when the time of His Return nears.

Let us therefore do as our Lord instructs through that conversation He had with the disciples who were at His side that day on the Mount of Olives:

And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. (Luke 21:28)

Daily Jot: Our depth of faith

Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com

We live in a world of immediate gratification. Credit makes it possible for us to have what we want now rather than waiting a lifetime. Clothing, cars, houses, wants and needs can be bought on time. The latest Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit released by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York documents that total household debt in America is $17.94 trillion, the largest in history. There was a time, and perhaps there still is among some, when people counted on the promise of the American dream. The promise that if you worked hard and did the right thing, God would bless the fruits of your labor. But what if you lived a lifetime and never realized that promise? Would your faith in God remain steadfast?

Abraham and Sarah stand as examples. Abraham receives two promises—both stated five times. The first is the promise of the Land, he is told repeatedly that the land in which he traveled would one day be his (Genesis 12:7; 13:14-17; 15:7; 15:18-21; 17:7,8). The second is the promise of children (Genesis 12:2; 13:16; 15:5; 17:4-5; 22:17), to be the father of many nations. But at the time, Abraham didn’t have the land and only one son of the covenant, Isaac. Abraham will have descendants and land—however far in the future. Hebrews 11:8-13 says it well, “By trusting, Abraham obeyed, after being called to go out to a place which God would give him as a possession…” By trusting, he fathered a child, even when he was past the age for it, as was Sarah herself. They kept trusting until they died, without receiving what had been promised.

They had only seen the promise and welcomed it from a distance, while acknowledging that they were aliens and temporary residents on the earth. Just as Abraham believed God and his trust was counted as righteousness (Genesis 15:6), so are all who believe in Jesus. In this way Abraham is the father of all who believe. Romans 4:23-25 states, “But the words, “It was accredited to his account...” were not written for him only. They were written also for us, who will certainly have our account credited too because we have trusted in him who raised Jesus from the dead—Jesus, who was delivered over to death because of our offenses and raised in order to make us righteous.”

In Matthew 22:32, Jesus said that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are alive. At the end of days when the Jewish people, the seed, come to full possession of the land of Israel, the patriarchs will be with them and they will finally realize the full promise—along with those of us belonging to the Ultimate Seed of Abraham (Jesus the Messiah). As is stated in Galatians 3:29, “Also, if you belong to the Messiah, you are the seed of Abraham and heirs according to the promise.” As Jesus told Thomas in John 20:29, ““Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” The depth of our faith must be founded on the promise of God, not of the fleeting things we see in this world.

Sources:

https://www.newyorkfed.org/microeconomics/hhdc.html

Daily Devotion: Give Thanks for Your Salvation

by Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org

We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. —Colossians 1:11–14

https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/give-thanks-for-your-salvation/ - Listen

In this week of Thanksgiving, let’s take time to give thanks for God’s specific blessings in our lives. We’ll start with the greatest gift ever given, the most amazing blessing ever bestowed, and the costliest sacrifice ever offered: salvation. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (NLT).

The gift begins with justification. Romans 5:1–2 says, “Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God” (NIV).

Being justified is a two-part process. The first part involves removing our sin and the punishment for that sin. Think about the things you’ve done and said that you regret or are ashamed of. If you have placed your faith in Jesus, your sins are all forgiven—and forgotten—because of Jesus’ death on the cross. In Hebrews 8:12, God promises His people, “I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins” (NLT). If you’ve asked Christ to forgive you, God will never hold your sins against you again. So there’s no need for us to bring them up again or to beat ourselves up over them. Psalm 103:12 tells us that when God forgives us, He removes “our sins as far from us as the east is from the west” (NLT).

The second part of justification involves God putting His righteousness into our account. Acts 13:38–39 says, “Brothers, listen! We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. Everyone who believes in him is made right in God’s sight” (NLT). So, you stand before God today as a righteous person. Because of Christ alone.

God has dropped one lifeline from Heaven for us to come into a relationship with Him. Only Jesus, the Son of God, was uniquely qualified to bridge the gap between a holy God that we’ve all offended and sinful humanity. Jesus died on the cross, in our place. And it was Jesus who said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 NLT). Peter put it this way: “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12 NLT).

Jesus finished the work of salvation. Once you believe in Him, you can rest from the weight of sin, and from your fears, forever.

Salvation is a gift so precious that even the angels in Heaven celebrate it. Jesus said, “In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away” (Luke 15:7 NLT).

Let’s celebrate it too. Today, we give thanks to God for His amazing gift of salvation.

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