FYI: Here is a link from a reader to an interesting video by Messianic Jewish pastor Jonathan Cahn that I think would be well worth your time (23 min).
https://www.facebook.com/ariellelionessofgod/videos/1044341329988402/
The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon has been going on for years.
There has been tit for tat attacks on an almost daily basis since the Israel-Hamas war broke out on Oct. 7, 2024, and they show no signs of ending.
To the contrary, on Feb. 14, 2024, Hezbollah released an unusually vicious missile barrage against several targets in Israel that killed a female Israeli soldier and injured at least eight other people.
Israeli officials said they will hold the Lebanese government as well as Hezbollah accountable because the Lebanese government is doing nothing to stop Hezbollah from firing rockets and missiles into Israel from Lebanese territory.
Israel’s national security minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, said, “This isn’t just a dribble anymore, this is war. It is time to change the way we think.”
A member of Israel’s war cabinet, Benny Gantz, said,
- All of the Israeli citizens that have been evacuated from their homes in northern Israel can never return until Hezbollah is pushed north of the Litani River, and Hezbollah will never pull back willingly.
- The IDF will be going into southern Lebanon.
- It is just a matter of time.
Israel said it would respond forcefully, and they wasted no time in doing so.
Israeli fighter jets struck deep into Lebanese territory.
A Hezbollah commander, a deputy, a third terrorist, and ten civilians were killed.
A Hezbollah official quickly declared, “The enemy (Israel) will pay the price for these crimes.”
The U.S., UN, EU, Arab League, and others say they are trying to keep the war from spreading, but their efforts are not working.
When asked about the signs of His coming and the end of the age, one of the signs Jesus mentioned is wars and rumors of wars.
Every jot and tittle of God’s Word must be fulfilled, and it is just a matter of time.
(More: In response to an early morning Hezbollah drone attack on Israel, on Feb. 19, 2024, Israeli jets struck two Hezbollah weapons storage facilities deep in Lebanese territory.)
Here are some signs that seem to indicate that the Rapture and Tribulation Period are drawing near.
One, concerning the Two-State Solution and a peace treaty in the Middle East: the U.S. and many Arab nations are feverously pushing the division of Israel and the creation of a Palestinian state as soon as the Israel-Hamas war is over.
They say this is necessary for the establishment of peace and security (peace and safety) in the Middle East.
In response to this, on Feb. 15, 2024, Israel’s Finance Min. said, “We will in no way agree to this plan, which says Palestinians deserve a prize for the terrible massacre they carried out against us: a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.”
It is also being reported that PA leaders do not want a Two-State Solution; they want a final solution (the destruction of Israel).
That is what the chant “From the river to the sea, Palestine must be free” is all about.
As of now, it looks like someone will have to produce a different plan, or an unacceptable peace treaty will have to be forced on both parties.
In either case, the fact that powerful people are calling for a peace treaty when the Israel-Hamas war is over sends a strong signal that it is just a matter of time until the Antichrist confirms a peace treaty with many and world leaders wrongly declare peace and safety on earth.
(More: A second article on the same day said, “The proposed plan includes steps that Israel has previously refused, including the evacuation of many West Bank settlements, a Palestinian capital in East Jerusalem and a combined security apparatus and government for the West Bank and Gaza.” The writer also said the plan will include a firm timeline for the creation of a Palestinian state.)
(More: A third article on the same day said many Israeli officials have expressed outrage at this dangerous plan.)
(More: Israel’s National Security Min. said, “1,400 murdered, and the world wants to give them a state. It won’t happen. The intention of the US, together with the Arab states, to establish a terror state alongside the State of Israel is delusional and part of the misguided conception that there is a partner for peace on the other side…. While we are in the government, no Palestinian state will be established.”
(My opinion: If the U.S. continues to push the division of Israel and a Palestinian capital in East Jerusalem, the U.S. will soon experience a response from God.)
Two, On Feb. 16, 2024, concerning persecution: according to the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, more than 8,000 Christians were killed in Nigeria (a Muslim nation) in 2023.
(Question: Israel was recently tried in the International Court of Justice for genocide in its war with Hamas; can we expect Nigeria to be tried in the International Court of Justice for genocide? My answer: Probably not.)
Three, concerning the possible decline of America: on Feb. 15, 2024, it was reported that George Soros has bought 40% of the stock in the second largest radio broadcast company in America (220 radio stations), and some pundits are already concerned that he will use the stations to spread his anti-American beliefs and influence the next election.
Four, concerning the decline of America and the coming persecution of believers: highly respected Pastor Jack Hibbs of Calvary Chapel in Chino Hills was recently invited to deliver the invocation at an opening session of Congress.
A coalition of Democrats led by an atheist member of Congress, Jared Huffman, sent a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, expressing the rage of congressional members over Pastor Hibbs’ prayer.
Democrats complained that Hibbs is a “radical Christian Nationalist who helped fuel the January 6th insurrection and [he] has a long record of hateful vitriol toward non-Christians, immigrants, and members of the LGBTQ community.”
They said Hibbs offended them because he prayed about America’s “national sins.”
(My opinion: There is something rotten in Washington, DC when many of our representatives think being a faithful Christian is wrong, wanting America to remain as a sovereign nation is wrong, and when they are offended by a preacher praying about sin in America. These are things that everyone should be praying about.)
Five, concerning a departing from the faith and the decline of America: based on a recent study at Arizona Christian University:
- Author and Pastor David Fiorazo said, “A sobering conclusion to a brand-newstudy is that it appears America is on the precipice of Christian invisibility.”
- George Barna, Director of Research and co-founder of the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, said, “Children are following in the unfortunate spiritual footsteps of the generations that have preceded them, and this trajectory leads to the total abandonment of biblical Christianity in record numbers.
Six, on Feb. 20, 2024, former Pres. Trump posted a comment on Truth Social about the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
Trump said,
- “The sudden death of Alexei Navalny has made me more and more aware of what is happening in our Country. It is a slow, steady progression, with CROOKED, Radical Left Politicians, Prosecutors, and Judges leading us down a path to destruction. Open Borders, Rigged Elections, and Grossly Unfair Courtroom Decisions are DESTROYING AMERICA. WE ARE A NATION IN DECLINE, A FAILING NATION!”
(My opinion: The things Trump mentioned are part of a deliberate plan to weaken America and establish a New World Order, also called world government. The death of Alexei Navalny was bad, but I agree with what Tucker Carlson said at the recent World Government Summit in Dubai: Transhumanists who think they are God are very dangerous and will get a lot of people killed. The death of one Russian is negligible compared to the billions that will die under the New World Order.)
Seven, concerning Iran’s efforts to build nuclear weapons and the implication for the Battle of Gog and Magog: on Feb. 12, 2024, the former head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Agency said in a TV interview, “We possess all the nuclear science components and technology. We’ve crossed all the lines and overcome all obstacles. It’s like having all the parts to build a car: we have the chassis, the engine, the transmission, everything. Each component serves its purpose, and everything is in our hands.”
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said, “Please show me the proof.”
It looks like more war is coming (a nuclear confrontation with Israel) because world leaders are doing nothing to stop Iran.
(More: On Feb. 15, 2024, it was reported that “Tehran -Iran – reportedly test-fired advanced ballistic missiles this week as part of war drills to prepare the Islamic Republic for a strike on Israeli military sites.”)
Eight, concerning the Battle of Gog and Magog: on Feb. 18, 2024, Russian Pres. Putin said Turkey has emerged as Russia’s most reliable partner in the gas sector.
Russia, Turkey, and Iran will team up with others to attack Israel in the latter days and latter years (Ezek. 38-39).
These traditional enemies are settling their differences and becoming allies.
(More: On Feb. 17, 2024, it was reported that Russia has invited representatives of Hamas, Fatah, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Palestine Liberation Organization, and others to Moscow on Feb. 29, 2024, to discuss Russia’s growing criticism of Israel and its Western allies. Russia wants to exert more influence on the Middle East.)
Nine, concerning a borderless world and an increase in drug use at the end of the age: on Feb. 16, 2024, a routine traffic stop by the Texas Dept. of Public Safety discovered $1.2 million of cocaine in the vehicle.
(Note: A different stop in Dec. 2023 discovered $10 million in meth and cocaine. Biden’s open border is enriching the drug cartels and killing many U.S. citizens.)
Ten, concerning famine: on Feb. 17, 2024, it was reported that Biden’s Dept. of Agriculture allocated $130,000 to study the value of using crickets that have been fed municipal landfill waste as a source of protein for humans.
The agency believes raising livestock uses too much of the world’s resources, and it wants to know if feeding crickets waste from municipal landfills will lower the cost of cricket production that can be passed on to customers who need to save money by eating them (especially in poor countries).
Eleven, concerning deceit and an economic collapse: on Feb. 16, 2024, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) said:
- America’s economy is on an unsustainable fiscal path.
- Accounting problems in several departments are unreliable, and the GAO was unable to properly evaluate the financial reliability of the federal government.
If I remember other reports correctly, they are not saying an economic collapse is imminent, but they are saying things must change, or America’s economy will collapse in a few years.
(My opinion: If the Rapture happens, the economic collapse will happen sooner than they expect.)
Twelve, concerning the patient that Musk’s company implanted a brain chip in: on Feb. 20, 2024, it was reported that Musk said the patient seems to have made a full recovery with no ill effects that the company is aware of; the patient can control a computer mouse, and the system can read the person’s intended movement and thoughts.
Below is my daily update on the Israel-Hamas war.
Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024 (Day 132): The seventy-seventh day of the resumed war.
- Israel said it captured dozens of suspected terrorists when it raided Nasser Hospital today.
- In a call to Netanyahu, Pres. Biden urged him to hold off on attacking Rafah.
- The Biden administration has grown increasingly frustrated in its attempts to reign in Israel’s war with Hamas.
- Egypt is building a 16-foot high wall on its border with Gaza to keep Palestinians at Rafah from fleeing from Gaza into Egypt when Israel starts attacking Hamas at Rafah.
- Israeli intelligence officials said Hamas will survive as a terrorist organization in Gaza despite Israel’s effort to destroy it.
Friday, Feb. 16, 2024 (Day 133): The seventy-eighth day of the resumed war.
- Benny Gantz, a member of Israel’s war cabinet, said, “There will not be a ceasefire of even one day until the hostages are returned…. Either the hostages will be returned, or we will extend the fighting to Rafah.”
- Two released hostages said they were held at the hospital in Khan Younis. Today, Israel killed several gunmen near the Khan Younis hospital. Israeli troops found weapons inside the hospital, and they arrested about 100 suspected terrorists at the hospital complex. According to Israel, the hospital complex had been turned into a military base.
- Israel publicized a video of a UNRWA employee helping a member of Hamas put the body of a hostage in an SUV. The bodies of two other murdered hostages can be seen on the ground near the vehicle.
- Biden wants to keep giving aid to the Palestinians, but he wants it to go through other agencies, not the UNRWA. Some members of Congress said there will be no more U.S. aid going through the UNRWA.
- Since the start of the war, there has been a 300% increase in Aliyah (Jews immigrating to Israel) applications from France, a 150% jump from Canada, a 100% rise from the United States, and a 40% increase from the United Kingdom.
Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024 (Day 134): The seventy-ninth day of the resumed war.
- The head of the UNRWA claimed that Israel is out to destroy the agency.
- Israel identified dozens more UNRWA workers that are members of Hamas or the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorist groups.
- Israel now says more than 30 employees of the UNRWA participated in the Oct. 7, 2023 rapes, murders, beheadings, seizure of hostages, etc. (My opinion: Providing UN aid to the Palestinians shouldn’t include raping, murdering, beheading, and kidnapping Jews.)
- House Republicans have launched an investigation of Biden’s funding of the UNRWA.
- One of Turkish Pres. Erdogan’s chief advisors (a friend of Iran) openly called for the death of Jews.
- Netanyahu said Israel will lose the war if it does not destroy Hamas in Rafah.
Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024 (Day 135): The eightieth day of the resumed war.
- A vote in the Israeli government cabinet formalized Israel’s opposition to the so-called international community’s creation of a Palestinian state.
- Biden suggests that a revised Palestinian Authority could rule over a new Palestinian state, but Israel rejects that because the Palestinian Authority supports terrorist attacks on Israel.
- S. Sec. of State Blinken said virtually every Arab nation wants to normalize relations with Israel, but they require the creation of a Palestinian state. (My opinion: This movement to establish peace in the Middle East will ultimately lead to the covenant of death and the Tribulation Period.)
- When Israel raided the hospital in Khan Younis, they discovered dozens of pkgs of medicine with hostage names on them. These medicines were supposed to be delivered to the hostages in exchange for more medical supplies for the Palestinians, but it appears that the medicines were never delivered.
- Houthi terrorists in Yemen fired a missile that struck a cargo ship in the Red Sea, set it on fire, and forced the crew to abandon ship. Nearby ships helped put the fire out.
- Israel said Yahya Sinwar is in hiding and has lost control of his troops, and Hamas is looking for a replacement.
Monday, Feb. 19, 2024 (Day 136): The eighty-first day of the resumed war.
- Israel has released video from a captured security camera that shows Hamas terrorists moving a captured woman hostage and her two children.
- Israel said if the hostages are not released by the beginning of Ramadan (a Muslim holy month that begins on Mar. 10, 2024), Israel will attack Rafah.
- The cargo ship that was struck by a Houthi missile yesterday in the Red Sea is in danger of sinking.
- Several Arab countries privately say they want Israel to deal a blow to Iran by destroying Hamas in Gaza.
- Netanyahu said if there is a Two-State solution, Israel will maintain military control over Palestinian territory.
Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024 (Day 137): The eighty-second day of the resumed war.
- It was reported that an anonymous Arab nation is saying that Hamas has admitted that its situation is grave, it is running out of ammunition, and its military structures are deteriorating.
- Israel’s ambassador told the UN Security Council, “In Gaza, Hamas is the UN, and the UN is Hamas!”
Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024 (Day 138): The eighty-third day of the resumed war.
- The U.S. told the International Court of Justice that Israel should not be forced to withdraw from Palestinian territory without security guarantees.
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.