Global SITREP A7-23: The Significance of Shechem

Battle in Shechem 22FEB23 (Reuters/Saneen Sawafta)

23 February 2023: The heavy firefight which took place between the IDF and Islamic terrorists in Shechem yesterday, in addition to the hundreds of terrorist attacks in Judea, Samaria, Jerusalem and elsewhere in Israel should be viewed as a significant Indication and Warning (I&W) of what lies ahead. Efforts to calm the situation, even those of foreign origin, are highly unlikely to succeed as the appointed times the prophets pointed to are rapidly approaching their final fulfillment.

To that end we recognize that God controls all things! And so why are the enemies all around Israel on every side and even within the midst of the country rising up against Israel in battle? Do they have no fear of Israel's overwhelming military superiority; that certain death and destruction awaits them in such a conflict? Eschatology Today believes the prophetic text of Joshua 11:20 is instructive as being explanatory for what would ordinarily be a suicidal military endeavor:

"For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that He might utterly destroy them, and that they might receive no mercy, but that He might destroy them, as the Lord had commanded Moses."

Shechem has a most ancient history for Israel, it's first mention in Scripture is found in Genesis 12, which is prior to when God would re-name Abram as Abraham. In Genesis 33:18-20 Jacob arrives safely from Padan Aram (Haran in Upper Mesopotamia) standing up his tent before the city and purchases that land from Hamor for 100 pieces of currency of the day. And on that spot Jacob builds an altar which he names "El Elohe Israel," or God, the God of Israel. Then in Joshua 24 you can read about The Covenant at Shechem which Joshua gathered all Israel and spoke to them "Thus says the Lord God of Israel..." And the covenant at Shechem is made there, where also the bones of Joseph brought out of Egypt by Israel, are buried. 

The battle which took place in Shechem yesterday was by no means insignificant. It has become part of the continuing saga in the history of Israel. Perhaps even a turning point when compared to recent Israeli history following the evacuation of Israel's settlements in Gaza 18 years ago (2005). In its aftermath rockets of HAMAS targeted Ashkelon, Sderot and other communities at 4 AM Israel time this morning with at least six rockets, declaring that HAMAS patience is "wearing out." Just as quickly the strike aircraft of the IAF began pummeling HAMAS targets in Gaza. 

Thirty minutes ago PM Netanyahu announced, "We have a clear policy - to hit the enemy with full force." 

Watching...

Global SITREP A6-23: SIGNS! and the "Jesus Revolution"

UPDATED 19 February 2023: SITREP A6-23 is a special addition that comes from two different categories, signs in space (sun, moon, stars) and the Lord's calling us and the unsaved through the Holy Spirit into revival.

Signs in the Sun, Moon and Stars

The graphic interchange format (.gif) images of our sun were taken of a never-before-seen by human eyes of a "solar crown" by the James Webb space telescope. This spectacular event of a little over a week ago (circa 10 FEB) involved a very peculiar filament of plasma that came off the surface of our star as a major prominence and them unexpectedly began to circle the pole in a counter-clockwise vortex movement. The solar crown was not unlike a hurricane. 

At no time during human history on earth would this type of event have been observed until now when our limited knowledge all things celestial has increased. The plasma vortex circled our star's northern pole at 60 degrees north latitude, traveling at a speed of 60 miles per second for a period of eight hours. The obviously compressed time .gif is a collection of individual laced images of the entire eight hours of observation. Astrophysicists have no idea what caused this. Eschatology Today believes this collected data is, in fact, a sign of the times in which we live. We're being messaged.

The Holy Spirit Leads a Kentucky Revival

Back on the earth, at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky, there's been an in-process revival led by the Hoy Spirit following a routine service in the University's chapel.  Upon the conclusion of the service a handful of students began worshipping by the chapel altar as the choir continued signing hymns. The Holy Spirit came upon all and the worshipping has been non-stop since 8 February. 

There had been no advance advertisement of the worship event as Asbury officials determined beforehand; it was simply a routine Christian worship service. Yet videos of the ensuing and ongoing revival went viral in the internet and folks were called by the Holy Spirit to come and participate. And come they did to the dimly lit chapel in central Kentucky. Reports are that people came from Canada and from distant lands such as Singapore. As one participant describes it, "there were no fancy lights, no timing devices, no pre-planned productions, no human leader, no "teams" of individuals, literally no structure whatsoever. God initiated this worshipping and His Holy Spirit sustains it. 

As of this past Tuesday there were 3,000 in over-flow attendance. When there was no more room in the chapel those who had made this pilgrimage began worshipping in four ancillary buildings; when they were full the worshipping continued in the streets. This brings back memories of the 1970's when this kind of powerful movement of the Holy Spirit brought yours truly into salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ.

These events are unmistakable signs from the Lord concerning the lateness of the hour.

UPDATE 21 FEBRUARY 2023: Obviously SITREP A6-23 has been restored to its proper place in the series of SITREPs for 2023 and has had its title updated as well. There are numerous locations around the country, and overseas no doubt, where the Holy Spirit is moving powerfully! Without mentioning any specific online naysayers, the fact of the matter is those who deny these revivals being led by the Holy Spirit do, in fact, deny the words of our Lord Jesus Christ who said, "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them." (Matthew 18:20 NKJV) 

Pastor Greg Laurie has discussed the "Asbury Revival" on 17 February via a post on his Harvest page "Greg's-Blog." The link is embedded here for your easy access to it. Pastor Greg titled that post "Is Another Jesus Movement Beginning to Happen?" That blog post hit home because the young high school girl he speaks of, Adriana Kuch, lived nearby. The freshman student was bullied relentlessly in the woke, brutal high school culture that infests not just New Jersey school systems, but is found all across America. School Administrator's did nothing and therefore 14-year old Adriana found no respite, and sadly committed suicide in the first week of this month after being senselessly assaulted in a school hallway by a handful of female classmates. This isn't about politics completely, it is about allowing the spirit of antichrist to fester in our midst.

If there was ever a time for Spirit-led revival, it is now. And, as just noted, it is happening, and not just at the impromptu Asbury University chapel revival, but wherever two or three gather in Jesus' name across this nation and the world. And gathering together our brethren are for what could in all likelihood be one final Spiritual awakening before the Harpazo - the harvest of the Bride of Christ. To this end, of sharing the Gospel and recalling the Spirit-led revival which swept America about 50 years ago, the theatrical release of the movie "Jesus Revolution" premiers tomorrow in select theaters (check local listings) and nationwide on Friday, 24 February. This is not coincidental, the Holy Spirit is moving powerfully.

Global SITREP A5-23: Jordan Valley Revisited

The Jordan River Valley, Galilee to Dead Sea

UPDATED 15 February 2023: We're revisiting the Jordan River Valley once again as some things have changed with the passage of the past ten years, and some other things have advanced that make the "Sovereignty Plan" achievable in the very near future. First, the image above illustrates the Jordan River Valley in yellow and green colors. The red shaded area illustrates the "Valley of the Passengers" (Valley of Hamon Gog) of Ezekiel 39:11-16, but that's already been discussed at length here. 

One thing which has not changed is the fact that Israel has militarily controlled the Jordan River Valley since the War of June 1967 when it was conquered in a defensive war from Jordanian forces. Arab forces from Syria to Jordan to Egypt invaded Israel in an attempt to reverse the outcome of the 1948 war of Israel's independence. Jordan, following the 1948 war annexed the Jordan Valley to incorporate it into its existing territories east of the Jordan River, but the June 1967 war cancelled the annexation.

Putting on our strategic thinking caps we will now look graphically at precisely why military control of this territory is essential to make the heartland of Israel, Judea and Samaria, secure. This is illustrated by the image above. The Jordan Valley, shaded in gray, secures the eastern flank of Judea and Samaria. Without Israel's control of the Jordan River Valley would require engaging in that part of the 1967 Six Day War war all over again necessary. That clearly was not within the will of God, so the conquest became a strategic fact. However, even though the IDF has controlled this territory for the past 56 years for the purposes of its national security, and even as of this writing, the status of the Jordan River Valley is that it is not officially part of the State of Israel. That status is about to change!

MK Danny Danon of Likud, and Israel's former U.N. ambassador, decided not to be part of the new government so that he would be free to focus on drafting legislation the new government intends to act upon. To this end MK Danon has drafted legislation that will put all of the Jordan River Valley under full Israeli sovereignty. If we thought that the government of Israel officially recognizing the nine Jewish communities that have existed in Judea and Samaria for decades would be a problem, we clearly forgot the repercussions that the long-promised annexation of the Jordan River Valley might present.

MK Danon's legislative bill has the support of powerful groups on the political right, most notably Israel Beytenu and the National Camp, and its is also codified within the agreements that made the governing coalition a reality. Possibly of equal importance is the fact that the Israeli Left also supports Israel's control of the Jordan River Valley. The absence of genuine opposition makes the realization of this imminent legislation an irreversible fact, as is the newly emergent Zionist Israel upon the world stage. Bible prophecy being fulfilled in real-time.

 Marana'tha!

See comments for the updated information.

Global SITREP A4-23: Middle East Earthquakes

 

NEW UPDATE 08 February 2023: Jesus' Olivet Discourse was in response to His Apostles wanting to know the signs that would herald His return. Earthquakes in diverse places was one of key signs He gave. Yet how many are aware that the prophet Ezekiel was explicit in the seismic prophecy he passed on to us living in this day?

At the same time also when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord God, my wrath shall arise in mine anger. For in mine indignation, and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken it: surely at that time there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel, So that the fishes of the Sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all that move and creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the earth, shall tremble at my presence, and the mountains shall be overthrown, and the stairs shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground. - Ezekiel 38:18-20 (Bold lettering mine for emphasis) 1599 Geneva Bible (GNV).

As most have noticed of late, all of the earth's tectonic plates as well as the major and minor faults around the entire globe have been extremely active. This activity will continue, progressively increasing in severity and frequency. The recent massive back-to-back earthquakes in Turkey and along the Syrian border momentarily caught global media and our attention. Even in Israel there is much news about just three earthquakes occurring from the Golan in the north to Eilat in the south in the past two days. Three earthquakes.

Three earthquakes in Israel is nothing when one looks at the details found on the Geological Survey of Israel webpage. Over the past two days there have been ten times that number of quakes throughout Israel. 30 earthquakes in just the past two days (7 and 8 February). Tomorrow's tally will certainly increase. But the important fact is that all of these quakes are preparatory or leading up to the really "big one" that will occur at the time when Gog comes against Israel. 

And folks, some still wonder having read this same passage in Ezekiel umpteen times, how it is that the muslim sites on the Temple Mount would come to their end so that the third Temple could be built? It seems to Eschatology Today that God has has had something else in mind in that regard, even in far more ancient times (Ezekiel 38:17). If you'll use the above geological survey link, you can clearly see the north-south axis or bearing of the Levant quakes from Israel and northward through Lebanon. That line of axis points directly at the Turkish-Syrian quakes of the past week. They're all related as the illustration below the latest update attests.

NEW UPDATE - 13 February 2023: The earthquakes and recent rains in Israel have caused new damage to Muslim structures on the Temple Mount. An article appeared this morning at https://www.israel365News.com/366818/more-damage-reported-at-the-muslim-structures-on-the-temple-mount/ which contains considerable historical detail in this regard. The bottom line is this: "Muslim structures standing on Judaism's holiest site have a long history of collapse due to the earthquakes that are common to the region." This gets to the point made in the last paragraph above. The article is worth your time to read from an educational standpoint.

However, it is the historical data that has the most relevant interest to add as an update to this SITREP: 

The Dome of the Rock was constructed in 692 A.D. 117 years later (808 AD) the structure was severely damaged by an earthquake. This was repeated by a second quake 38 years later (846 AD). 187 years later a third earthquake collapsed the Dome (1033 AD). In July 1927 a quake resulted in severe cracking of the walls and other parts of the structure to collapse. The Al-Aqsa mosque was built circa 700 AD but destroyed by an earthquake 46 years later. It was destroyed in the same 1033 AD quake that collapsed to Dome. An 1847 quake caused additional damage, and 90 years hence the July 1927 quake also caused severe damage to the mosque. More recently there was the 2004 quake which resulted in new cracks in the Dome of the Rock and the nearby Marwani mosque. The Waqf refused Israeli experts to repair the damage.

To sum up the seismic situation on the Temple Mount in early 2023, as noted by Israeli archeologist Eilat Mazar, "It is just a matter of time... It is pure stupidity to think if we do nothing that nothing will happen."  Eschatology Today's bottom line: Unquestionably, the Islamic structures on Temple Mount will be coming down. It is far less likely such destruction will occur due to human warfare than seismic forces mankind has no control over. This puts due emphasis on the quake described by Ezekiel and the timing factor entirely within an appointed time ordained by the LORD God.

09 February 2023: The time when Ezekiel 38/39 takes place is prior to Israel's 70th Week of Years. This has always been the position of Eschatology Today. Ezekiel in receipt of the prophecy from God in ancient times make no mention of either Jerusalem or Temple Mount or of a standing 3rd Temple on the Mount. These details speak to a time that is immediately prior to the 70th Week of years, as does the deliberate past tense of Ezekiel 39:29.

Another key aspect to this is found in the narrative given by God, to Jesus to John on Patmos that we read in The Apocalypse (Revelation) of Jesus Christ, Chapter 11. This chapter opens to a view of the Third Temple standing on the mount at the very beginning of the 70th Week of years. The measured Temple itself is where Israel worships God, performed daily sacrifices and oblations are occurring there, and the unmeasured outer court and the city itself is an international city (i.e. given to the gentiles) for the first 42 months or exactly 1,260 days of the Tribulation (Thlipsis).

And there we have the Two Witnesses of God performing their ministry and prophesying for that exact period of time in the first half of the Thlipsis. At the termination of their ministry they are overcome and killed by Antichrist who is indwelt by the beast from the pit (Abaddon/Apollyon). They lie dead on the street in Jerusalem for three and one-half days when the Spirit of God resurrects both of the Two Witnesses and they are harpazoed into heaven with the command "Come up hither" just as the bride of Christ was harpazoed approximately 42 months previously. 

And in that same hour, as the world beholds this harpazo with their own eyes, a great earthquake (megas seismos) occurs in Jerusalem destroying ten percent of the city and killing seven thousand residents. Witnesses to this incredible scene in Jerusalem, despite the destruction and death around them will give glory to God. 

These two prophetic earthquakes, the first in Ezekiel 38:18-20 virtually marking the start of the 70th Week of years, and the second of Revelation 11 marking the ascension of the Two Witnesses and the start of the Great Tribulation (Megas Thlipsis) are distinct signposts on the prophetic Road to the Revelation of Jesus Christ as King of kings and Lord of Lords and the establishment of the Kingdom on God on this earth. 

Marana'tha!