On Oct. 19, 2023, Israel Today posted an article by Charles Gardner (author, founder of Christian Publications International, former correspondent, former reporter, etc.) that says,
“Tyrants have tried to destroy the Jews before and suggests that the Hamas killing rampage is “a sure sign that God has a glorious plan in mind which the enemy (Satan) is determined to prevent.”
I think Garder is right, and here is my understanding of what he wrote:
>In Egypt, Pharaoh’s order to midwives attending women giving birth to cast Hebrew male babies into a river was an effort by Satan to prevent the first coming of Jesus by destroying the line of people that would lead to Jesus’ birth (Ex. 1:1-22). But God protected a male baby called Moses who eventually led the Jewish people out of slavery. They went to the Promised Land and established the nation of Israel.
>In the Promised Land, Herod the Great was visited by wise men seeking the newborn King of the Jews; Satan influenced Herod to order the death of all the babies in Bethlehem from two years old and younger (Matt. 1:1-2:23). But God protected Jesus. He eventually died on a cross to defeat Satan, redeem a people for His name (including many Jews), and come a second time to rule over His Creation.
>In Germany, after the Romans had destroyed Israel and scattered the Jews all over the world, Satan influenced Hitler to wipe out all the Jews there (men, women, and babies) and establish a world government. But God raised up opposition forces, defeated Hitler, and used the killings to create sympathy for the Jews that allowed the nation of Israel to come back into being.
>In Gaza, Satan influenced Hamas to find ways to enter Israel, kill Jews (men, women, and children), and try to stop the Second Coming of Jesus. But God has always acted when tyrants have tried to destroy all the Jewish people, and this gives us reason to believe that He will soon move forward with the next phase of His glorious plan.
So, be encouraged and expect to see another major fulfillment in Bible prophecy soon.
Here is a link to Gardner’s article:
https://www.israeltoday.co.il/read/the-dragons-fury/
(FYI: On Oct. 19, 2023, many Jews gathered at the wailing wall to pray for the hostages and the success of the Israeli military. I encourage Christians in other countries to pray for the hostages and protection for their troops.)
(Incidentally: On Oct. 24, 2023, Michael Synder asked, “Is it just a coincidence that the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse—white, red, black, green—are the same as the four colors on the Palestinian flag—white, red, black, green; Rev. 6:1-8?)
Here are some recent stories that could mean we are getting close to major events:
One, concerning a seven-year covenant with many (worthless peace treaty): on Oct. 25, 2023, Pres. Biden said, “It (the Hamas attack on Israel) means that when this crisis is over, there has to be a vision of what comes next …. It means a concentrated effort for all the parties, Israelis, Palestinians, regional partners, global leaders, to put us on a path toward peace.”
(Note: This war may produce that covenant, and it may not, but it is interesting that Biden is already talking to many about a path toward peace.)
(My opinion: On Oct. 25, 2023, Israel released a video of Palestinian Pres. Mahmoud Abbas and several other leaders expressing support for Hamas, calling them heroes, etc. It would be foolish for Israel to cede more of the Promised Land to people who think that those who behead Jewish babies, rape Jewish women and children, etc., are heroes. Israel should view those things as a warning from Jehovah.)
Two, leaders from Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (terrorist groups on Israel’s border that are funded by Iran) met to conspire against Israel (sounds like Psa. 83:3-5).
Three, concerning wars and rumors of wars: on Oct. 25, 2023, Pres. Biden sent a direct message to the Ayatollah Khamenei of Iran, saying if Iranian forces continue to move against U.S. troops in the Middle East, the U.S. will respond, and he should be prepared.
Biden added, “It has nothing to do with Israel.”
(More: On Oct. 26, 2023, U.S. planes struck Iranian targets in eastern Syria.)
Four, concerning the Battle of Gog and Magog: on Oct. 26, 2023, it was reported that groups from Iran and Hamas have traveled to Russia to discuss ways to stop Israel’s attacks on Hamas and win an all-out war against Israel.
Russia and Iran continue to support each other.
Iran is helping Russia in her war against Ukraine, and Russia is helping Iran in her war against Israel (effort to destroy Israel).
In addition to this, Turkey’s Pres. Erdogan is calling Hamas “Holy Warriors.”
(More: On Oct. 30, 2023, it was reported that a former speechwriter for Vladimir Putin said, “Russia is quickly turning into another Iran proxy just like Hamas and Hezbollah.” He added, “I think Putin no longer cares for Netanyahu. Now he has taken this pro-Palestine stance on the conflict; any Israeli government is an enemy for Putin.”
(My opinion: It is probably a little early to be dogmatic, but the latter years and latter days Battle of Gog and Magog appears to be shaping up.)
Five, concerning wars and rumors of wars, despite Israel delaying its all-out invasion of northern Gaza: on Oct. 26, 2023, an undisclosed number of Israeli troops and tanks entered Gaza and destroyed several Hamas targets to “prepare the battlefield” for a decisive war.
Israel is also striking targets in Syria and Lebanon on a near-daily basis.
Here are some of the daily reports:
Friday, Oct. 27, 2023
>Israeli troops and tanks entered Gaza for the second consecutive night. According to the IDF, they destroyed dozens of terrorist targets, some on the outskirts of Gaza City, and killed many terrorists.
>Israel’s UN Ambassador told the UN Gen. Assembly, “Any call for a ceasefire is not an attempt at peace. It is an attempt to tie Israel’s hands, preventing us from eliminating a huge threat to our citizens.” He added that Israel “is not at war with the Palestinians. Israel is at war with the genocidal Jihadist Hamas terror organization. Hamas’s genocidal ideology, just like ISIS, al-Qaeda… is not just about destroying Israel. It is ultimately about world domination.”
Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023
>Israeli jets struck sights all over the Gaza Strip; the military warned citizens in the northern part of the strip to move south as soon as possible, Israel announced that it was expanding its operations, thousands of troops and tanks have entered Gaza, the U.S. said the ground invasion has started, but it will occur in phases instead of being one single invasion.
>Israel said they destroyed 150 underground targets. Israel also gave the Palestinians one last warning to leave the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
>Turkey’s Pres. Erdogan threatened to attack Israel and send his military to Gaza (sounds like the Battle of Gog and Magog).
Monday, Oct. 30, 2023
>Author and prophecy teacher Michael Snyder said Netanyahu has “rejected a ceasefire”; it looks like Israel’s troops are trying to “encircle Gaza City”; “Hamas is not strong enough to stop them”; “they are completely and utterly doomed unless they get help.”
Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023
>Israeli troops have started fighting Hamas inside the tunnels.
>Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis launched several missiles and drones toward Israel and declared war on the Jewish nation. The missiles and drones were intercepted outside Israeli territory, and now people are asking, “Will Israel strike back?”
>UN Sec. Gen. Guterres said he is deeply alarmed by the intensifying conflict and appealed for the divided UN Security Council to act.
>Israel struck a building in northern Gaza where several Hamas terrorists were holed up, and a tunnel under the building collapsed. This led to several other tunnels in the area collapsing, several buildings falling, the death of 50 people, and injury of about 150.
>Israel is moving slowly into Gaza to protect her troops from booby traps and ambushes and to reduce civilian casualties.
>Hezbollah has not launched a full-scale attack on Israel because they want to avoid the destruction of Lebanon.
Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023
>Iran signaled that it does not want a regional war (Note: This is interesting because Russia, Iran, Turkey, and others won’t attack Israel at their discretion. They will attack Israel when God drags them onto the mountains of Israel).
>A Hamas official said, “We will repeat the Oct. 7 attack time and again until Israel is annihilated.” (Note: The only way for Israel to prevent this from happening again is to thoroughly defeat them.)
Six, concerning world government: in a video released on Oct. 26, 2023, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organization (WHO), urged nations to quickly ratify WHO amendments to the Pandemic Accords and the International Health Regulations (IHRs) with accountable implementation.
If the nations ratify these documents, many experts say the nations will lose their sovereignty during a declared emergency, and the WHO will control the healthcare of everyone on earth (order face masks, vaccinations, and more).
The WHO will be authorized to decide what is a pandemic, when it begins, when it ends, penalize nations that do not obey, and retain its global power for as long as it wants.
Seven, concerning inflation, famine, and a global economic collapse: on Oct. 30, 2023, a World Bank report said Israel’s war with Hamas will have little impact on world oil prices if the war does not worsen, but if it gets worse, oil prices could soar, and that would drive the price of everything up (food, fuel, etc.).
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.