Global SITREP A6-25: Terrorist Terminus

IDF Merkava Main Battle Tanks Enter Gaza 

19 March 2025: There is an Italian journalist named Giulio Meotti who is employed by the Italian daily paper Il Foglio who also writes a twice weekly OpEd for Israel's Arutz Sheva (INN). Unlike virtually all in the Western dhimmi media, with the exception of a scant few, Giolio Meotti is one who doesn't mince words about the barbarian nature of Islamic jihadists. For folks like me his work is essential reading because no one in the West openly publishes what he does. 

There is great carnage coming, as we are all aware in particular during the seventy weeks of years. Giulio's work goes a long way to explain why, as our Lord prophesied, "these things must take place" in the very near future. But as Giulio explains the carnage that is coming is due in large part to the carnage that is already taking place at the hands of jihadists in the Middle East. October 7 should not have shocked us as it did because of our exposure to what ISIS had done less than a decade ago, and the other terrorist actions in years gone by. But in the West, we have very, very short memories, even though most of us quickly recall why America and our NATO allies went to war in Afghanistan for two decades straight.

Warning: embedded below is a Meotti column published yesterday that is not for the weak hearted. It contains stark evidence of the Satanic nature of jihadists. You can be excused if you'd rather not read what follows.

Syrian Apocalypto

Eschatology Today has been warning for a long about who and what our enemies are, and in this I can sense reason why the blessed hope of our soon Harpazo will take place. Israel is promising Gazans annihilation, at least for those who refuse to leave. In Yemen President Trump is promising the same for the Houthis, and the Iranian Twelvers to whom he recently gave 60-days' notice.

Here's the massive Coronal Hole that was facing the Earth this past week.

Marana'tha!

Global SITREP A4-25: Playing With Fire

Playing With Fire

UPDATED February 17, 2024: Today is Day 500 of the war which began on 7 October 2023 with the barbaric jihadist invasion of southern Israel to the east of the Gaza Strip. 

During this past weekend's visit to Israel by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio he warned the enemies of Israel that they were "playing with fire." This, of course, was a rephrasing of what U.S. President Donald Trump, and subsequently Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, had warned about "all hell breaking loose" during the prior week should the jihadists in Gaza stand by their pronouncement to permanently end the release of Israeli hostages by high noon on Saturday, 15 February 2024. As we now know the Gaza jihadists capitulated from their threat by releasing three male hostages one hour prior to the noon deadline. This release of captives was in keeping with the previously agreed upon temporary ceasefire (hudna).

While the warning to Israel's enemies that they are "playing with fire" is very serious and indeed specific, Eschatology Today would note that the nations of the world are engaged in much the same type of folly. Such is the inherent nature of these "last days" as our unambiguous Scriptures plainly state. The "Late, Great Planet Earth" indeed simply because a great mass of humanity ignores the most important aspects of the prophetic Word of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

At the present time there is full agreement, intent of purpose and iron-clad mechanisms of across-the-board support between the American and Israeli governments, so much so that the Arab nations have cancelled two major summits that were to convene in the coming days. In short, Sheba and Dedan are sitting up and taking notice. Eschatology Today being ahead of the curve as usual and by design we'll pause briefly at this point and allow things to catch up.

IDF Buffer Zone Positions in Lebanon

The above map shows the five IDF high ground locations inside Lebanon. These are the posts that will be maintained until the LNA demonstrates firm control of the land south of the Litani River and Hezbollah is kept to the north of the river. 

There are no illusions that Hezbollah won't wear LNA uniforms and move south of the Litani. For this reason, the IDF will maintain many heavy (armored) brigades along the border. Detection of truce violations will be dealt with powerfully.

ARIEL, SHIRI and KFIR BIBAS

UPDATE February 23, 2025: A lot has taken place virtually overnight, so we'll try to get to all of it into this SITREP update.

IAF F35I and F-15I over Beirut today

As thousands gathered in Beirut this morning for Hassan Nasrallah's delayed funeral, the masses included Iranian IRGC-QF commanders and Hezbollah pager blast amputees, heavily armed IAF strike aircraft buzzed the funeral procession at low altitude. Message sent and unquestionably received. This flyover warning occurred as other IAF strike packages arrived at locations where rocket launchers and other weapons were being re-deployed to new sites in Lebanon from Syria. These locations are in Baalbek, northeastern Lebanon and south of the Litani River where Hezbollah under the agreement's terms should have no presence whatsoever. As usual for the IAF today's strikes were highly combat effective. The war in Lebanon, as noted here months ago, is nowhere near being concluded.

IDF Merkava MBT maneuvering

Operation Iron Wall which began on January 21st in Judea and Samaria has seen the introduction platoons of Merkava main battle tanks dispatched from Armored Brigade 188 now grinding up turf and roads in Jenin, Tulkarem and Nur Shams. This is the first occasion in 23 years that IDF armor has conducted combat operations in Judea and Samaria. The objective is to remain for a year or more to cleanse the region of terrorists and their infrastructure. Additionally, upwards of 40,000 Arabs have been evicted from "refugee camps" in and around Jenin, Tulkarem and Nur Shams. These camps are now completely emptied, the former residents will not be allowed to return and all UNRWA activities have become nonexistent. This procedure will be carried out in numerous other locations throughout Judea and Samaria where Iranian operations have been attempting to create an "eastern front." Speaking of the Operation Iron Wall mission objectives Defense Minister Israel Katz stated this morning that Israel "will not return to the reality that was in the past."

As a direct result of HAMAS and PIJ conduct in the staged, propagandistic release of the hostages, as well as the cold-blooded murder of Shiri Bibas and her two innocent babes and other repeated violations of the hudna agreement the 620 terrorists that were to be released yesterday have been returned to their prison cells. There will be no further release of terrorists until the next scheduled hostage release has taken place without the "humiliating ceremonies."

Map of Syrian Governorates

Gaza and Syria Breaking News

PM Netanyahu speaking from Israel's overwhelming position of military strength made a pair of statements within the past hour.

1.) The IDF is prepared and has operational plans in place to immediately resume intense combat operations in Gaza to completely demilitarize the strip and eliminate all terrorists groups therein.

2.) Israel demands the full demilitarization of southern Syria from troops of the new Syrian regime in the Quneitra, Daraa and Suweyda provinces. (This means any Syrian military presence south of the Damascus provincial border (heavy blue line within the above map) will not be tolerated by the IDF.) Note: Quneitra governorate is already 90% the sovereign territory of Israel (i.e. the Golan Heights), and only a tiny sliver adjacent to the Daraa Governorate is not occupied by the IDF.

Those who've followed Eschatology Today over the past few years will inherently understand what this means. No need to again state the obvious.

Marana'tha!

Global SITREP C2-24: Rockets Red Glare

RS-26 Rubezh IRBM a/k/a RS-26 Oreshnik MRBM

UPDATED 22 November 2024: The Russian ballistic Missile attack on Dnipro, Ukraine yesterday morning appears to have been a new variant of a Russian Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile known as the RS-26 Rubezh. 

Russia's clandestine development of this weapon almost certainly was the reason President Trump and SECDEF Esper announced the US's unilateral withdrawal from the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (a/k/a INF Treaty) on August 2, 2019. The development of the RS-26 Rubezh was a one of a series of blatant violations of the INF Treaty signed in 1987 by U.S. President Ronald Regan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev.

Development continued and an MRBM variant of the Rubezh was rebranded as (RS-26) Oreshnik. It is difficult to distinguish between these two missiles which led to major confusion in expert media reporting yesterday on the identity of the missile. 

RS-26 Oreshnik test launch

However, what is now known puts yesterday's strike in an entirely new perspective. First and foremost is that the Oreshnik strike is the first use of an IRBM or MRBM in the history of warfare. The proverbial genie is out of the bottle, and with this strike a clear signal was sent; the world has crossed into unknown territory. Secondly, analysis of imagery makes clear that the Oreshnik warhead contained six (6) warheads or MIRVs (Multiple Independent Re-entry Vehicles). Three were either inert, kinetic or decoys and three had conventional high explosives. These MIRV warheads were also impervious to Ukrainian air defenses; they never even came close to being shot down due to their hypersonic speed and maneuverability. A third aspect, not widely reported, is that ALL of the missiles Russia has launched into Ukraine in more than 1,000 days of warfare were capable of carrying nuclear warheads of various yields.

So, with Russia having let the genie out of the bottle who's to say that Israel would not deploy a mix of its Jericho-2 MRBMs and Jericho-3 MIRVed IRBMs in a follow-up strike on Iran's now virtually defenseless nuclear and petroleum infrastructure. Maneuverable warheads can arrive on target from every direction on the compass.

UPDATE 28 November 2024: This past Tuesday morning as I lay in my hospital bed, I turned on the wall-mounted television not intending to watch a particular program, to channel surf. It was a big surprise to find that the channel was not set to the Monday Night Football station I had been watching but was now set to a CSPAN channel. The program CSPAN was airing was a live, in-progress UN Security Council session concerning the Middle East. 

Israel's Ambassador Danny Danon was on the receiving end an exceptionally nasty series of exchanges with both the PA representative and an Algerian representative. Despite repeated decorum warnings from the UNSC chair (held by the UK), the venom being spewed by Israel's enemies continued unabated. Credit to Ambassador Danon for remaining in his seat, but a rage of volcanic anger was plainly evident on his countenance.

Then a thought came to mind and the Ezekiel 38/39 "Battle of Gog of Magog" prophecy consumed my thoughts. A seed that had been planted recently suggesting a broadening of the actual identities of both "Kuwsh (Cush) and Put" was now a necessity. This continual enlightening strongly intimates that the closer we get to that prophetic day, the clearer the prophecy becomes. 

The people Ezekiel identified as "Put" is far more than just those inhabiting Libya but includes most of North Africa on the Mediterranean Sea's southern coastline to include Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and Algeria. Together, these are the populations of Put. And of Kuwsh the same is true, they are not just Sudan and Ethiopia as many interpretations suggest. Kuwsh includes the peoples of the Horn of Africa as well as modern-day Yemen.

The Horn of Africa and Yemen

I prayed for the LORD to show me in Scriptures where this has already been revealed. Within a few minutes my gaze was directed to reading passages in Isaiah and Joel. There, in Isaiah 45:14-17, as if it were an adjunct to Ezekiel 38/39 are all these peoples listed together and who will be given into the hand of Israel by the God of Israel. Egypt, Kuwsh (Horn of Africa) and Sabeans (Yemen). We know the end of this because God has known of it from the beginning.

Thus says the Lord:

“The labor of Egypt and merchandise of Cush
And of the Sabeans, men of stature,
Shall come over to you, and they shall be yours;
They shall walk behind you,
They shall come over in chains;
And they shall bow down to you.
They will make supplication to you, saying, ‘Surely God is in you,
And there is no other;
There is no other God.’ ”

 Truly You are God, who hide Yourself,
O God of Israel, the Savior!
 They shall be ashamed
And also disgraced, all of them;
They shall go in confusion together,
Who are makers of idols.

But Israel shall be saved by the Lord
With an everlasting salvation;
You shall not be ashamed or disgraced
Forever and ever.

And then we can turn to Joel 3:4-8 where we find Tyre and Sidon (Lebanon) and all the coasts of Philistia (Gaza), as if they're all in the same basket of judgment, who have retaliation repaid upon their heads. The Sabeans (Yemenites) are seen in verse 8.

The current SITREP in the Middle East reads like a sidebar, a very short interlude, before the next and final act that sets the whole region in the conditions graphically illustrated in Ezekiel 38/39. 

Marana'tha!

Global SITREP B6-24: Northern Front

IDF troops prepare for operations in Lebanon

UPDATED 18 September 2024: It's said that an object in motion tends to stay in motion. As we have seen in the past couple of days the IDF's "center of gravity" is moving inexorably towards the Northern Front. The IDF mission objective is to fight Hezbollah on Lebanon's territory so as to allow Israeli civilians to return safely to their homes in northern Israel. Based upon Bible prophecy, the books of Joshua, Jeremiah and Isaiah especially, Eschatology Today believes that the Northern Front holds much more in store for Israel and its defense forces than merely driving Hezbollah terrorists north of the Litani River. We'll follow key events closely and as they occur.

UPDATE 23 September 2024: To use colloquial terminology, It's on! 

As of this morning, and following unprecedented leaflet drops, telephone calls and text message warnings from the IDF there are tens of thousands of Lebanese civilians in mass exodus from southern Lebanon and the Beqaa Valley. The IDF has also provided video evidence of civilian homes in Lebanon which show irrefutable proof of special construction of hatches and openings constructed by Hezbollah that contain cruise missiles and other hostile aircraft launch platforms within them. Resident and neighbors were urged for their own safety to depart from these areas with all due haste and these structures will be destroyed. Somewhere between 300 and 400 hundred structures have been destroyed in at least three waves of strikes thus far today, and its only 3:30 PM in Israel as of this writing. The warnings were specific and included the Beqa'a Valley where Hezbollah has long occupied as its primary stronghold.

Global SITREP B5-24: The Multi-Front War

IDF Mass in the North

UPDATED 29 August 2024: Indications and Warnings (I&W) of a ground war erupting on Israel's northern front (Lebanon and Syria) have increased exponentially in recent days. This is despite false global media claims that neither Hezbollah nor their Iranian overlords being desirous of a full-scale war with Israel; such claims ignore the Shi'a Twelver's core jihadist theology. Multiple sources linked to Hezbollah declare a renewed Iranian rocket and drone assault against Israel is close at hand. We should not discount that a major Israeli preemptive strike could come at any moment, the intelligence is that good.

The northern front I&W comes as the IDF is now openly operating with full military force in Judea and Samaria where the IRGC-QF has infiltrated significant advanced weaponry and distributed them via Jordan to numerous jihadist cells throughout the region. At least two of Israel's cabinet minister have stated that Judea and Samaria action is a war no different than in Gaza, including the need to evacuation non-combatant civilians to safer 'humanitarian' areas.

IDF commander's briefings of late speak to the IDF being actively engaged on seven fronts completely encircling the State of Israel. Obviously, the multi-front war described by the singing prophet Asaph in Psalm 83 and other prophecies discussed here since 2009 are present and accounted for in 2024.

4 September 2024: The update to this SITREP can been viewed as a substantial modification to the interpretation of who Assur (Assyria) is where Asaph prophesied in Psalm 83:8 (NIV) "Even Assyria has joined them, to reinforce Lot's descendants." The them are identified in verses 6 and 7. Lot's descendants are identified in the subsequent verses, 9 through 11. Lot's descendants are the peoples identified in verses 3 and 4 who cunningly consult conspire together to destroy the nation of Israel. 

This brings us to the above map which illustrates the maximum extent of Assur (Assyria), the regional military superpower concurrent with the time of Asaph. This map then gives context to the role played by the modern-day Islamic Republic of Iran in the current Psalm 83 warfare. Iran has been an existential enemy of Israel since the revolution (coup d'etat) of the Shi'a Twelvers over the Shah of Iran 45 years ago. There is no question, hindsight being 20/20, that Shi'a Iran (IRGC-QF) and its Shi'a proxies as established in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and the Houthis of Yemen are providing a strong arm of military assistance, both weaponry and foot soldiers, in the war against Israel. It would be a gross error in the exegesis of Psalm 83 not to make this interpretive distinction.

In conducting recent research on this issue, it has also resulted in the gaining of additional knowledge concerning the Lord's prophet Asaph. Asaph ("who gathers together") was a Levite and was put in charge of music by King David when the Ark of the Covenant was moved from the Tabernacle to Jerusalem. He was in the same role when Solomon was King, and the First Temple was inaugurated. Asaph's relationship with God is best known by Psalm 73:25-26. "Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire but you. My flesh and heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." We all would do well the study what Scripture says concerning Asaph.

Panoramic image of CERS strike near Masyaf, Syria.
(Image source: Ma'ariv)

UPDATE 13 September 2024: The massive air assault against the Tier-One High Value Target on the CERS complex near Masya Syria turns out to have been a highly coordinated and hugely successful air-ground assault according to new information published on numerous news sites. Moreover, this strike strongly indicates that Israel has now embarked on nothing less than a strategic offensive. Initial Iranian reaction to this assault reveals how damaging to the IRGC-QF's overall campaign against Israel and to their millions of rials investment in Syria's military-industrial capabilities. The CERS complex was the crown jewel in the Iranian investment in Syria.

IAF Shaldag special forces training at Palmachim Air Base
(Source: IDF)

The IAF's elite Shaldag unit was the ground component which assault the CERS facilities; they were reportedly on the ground collecting computers, important equipment, documentation as well as capturing at least two Iranian specialists (putting the lie to Iranian denials of any connection to the previous CERS activities), before detonating high explosive satchel charges to destroy the underground and above ground sections of the complex. The IAF commandos were able to infiltrate by repelling from helicopters due to the IAF's total suppression of Syrian air defenses, complex access denial and drone attacks on any and all responding defense forces. Access roads were cratered as well to deny access. The intelligence collected is no doubt of immense value, the exploitation of which will be evident in the near future.

Global SITREP B3-24: Please Stand By

29 July 2024: In the wake of Hezbollah's murderous massacre of 12 Druze children on a Majdal Shams soccer field on Saturday (Shabbat), Israel's security cabinet has authorized the launch of a major retaliation against Hezbollah in Lebanon. It is currently inconceivable that such an Israeli counter-strike would not spark a much larger war than is occurring at the present time. Hence, the title for SITREP B3-24. 

The Islamic Republic of Iran should also be on the receiving end of the Israeli response since they manufactured and delivered to their Hezbollah proxy the Falaq-1 rocket (110 lb. HE warhead) used in the attack. Shrapnel from the rocket proves beyond any doubt that it was a Falaq-1 of Iranian manufacture. The mere threat of a significant Israeli retaliation has not had any effect upon Hezbollah as four new rockets were fired this morning into the Gome Junction area of Kiryat Shmona this morning, with an additional report within the past hour of more rockets coming over the border into northern Israel. 

UPDATE 1 August 2024: Can't help but to make note that Tisha B'Av occurs eleven days from today. In light of Iranian threats for direct strikes on Israel, one might suppose some type of preemption might take place. Powerful US Navy task forces are on station off Lebanon and in the so-called Persian Gulf. Iran and its proxies had better think twice before launching an attack because these forces are more than likely to robustly defend Israel and then take the fight to all of them. The Iran-linked PMU forces of Babil Province in Iraq (south of Baghdad) got a taste of the power arranged against them this past Tuesday. And this was no preemptive strike but a direct, on-target punitive strike, which Hezbollah, the Houthis, the Iran-aligned Shi'a of Iraq and the Twelvers in Tehran never saw coming. 

To be continued...

 

Global SITREP A3-24: Gaza Endgame

GAZA ENDGAME

FINAL UPDATE 29 February 2024:  The final update to this SITREP is to correlate the 19 February SITREP A3-24 initial entry and the comment made five days ago (24 February) at 5:17 AM. 

The combination of these two stand as a significant development concerning Psalm 83:2-4 where the so-called "inner ring" of Israel's enemies have been called together to consult together against the people of Israel in the capital city of the Ezekiel 38-39 nation known as Magog. 

The consultation of Israel's enemies is now in progress in Moscow having commenced this morning, 29 February 2024. This coincides with the IDF ultimatum for the terrorists to surrender all of the remaining hostages, or their deceased bodies, within ten days time, that is, no later than 10 March 2024, or a full-scale IDF incursion into Rafah will be executed. The military goal of the Rafah operation is to locate and liberate those "sheltered ones" (hostages) and eradicate the remaining four brigades of HAMAS and its allied terrorist forces. 

Sundown on 10 March also marks the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. As the remnants of the terrorists who had no regard whatsoever and began their slaughter and capture of Israeli women and children on Simchat Torah, so too are there calls for the IDF to show no restraint anywhere in Gaza, or Lebanon for that matter, during Ramadan. 

On Tuesday, 27 February Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant went public with the intelligence and resulting situational assessment of the terrorists plan to turn the month of Ramadan, with emphasis on the Temple Mount and Jerusalem, into phase two of their war plan against Israel that began on October 7, with amplification of this plan being provided by Iran and Hezbollah. 

Again, be wary of disinformation being disseminated in all media with global reach; deceit and deception are running rampant as we can all see these days. 

Elbit Hermes-450 UAV

26 February 2024: Eschatology Today assesses that a significant series of actions took place earlier today (afternoon in Israel) in the airspace over Lebanon and on the ground in the Hezbollah-heavy Bekaa Valley. Hezbollah used a surface-to-air missile (SAM) to shoot down an IDF reconnaissance drone (Hermes 450 image above). 

The initial action in the morning was the detection of an unidentified type of aircraft entering Israeli airspace in the Galilee region. A David's Sling interceptor shot the intruder aircraft out of the sky with parts of the wreckage landing near a synagogue in the town of Alon Tavor (between Afula and Kfar Tavor). Alon Tavor is the site of a three-generator 600 megawatt power generating station serving northern Israel and adjacent metal industrial plant. These are obvious high value co-located targets for Hezbollah.

Hezbollah's Bekaa Valley, Northern Lebanon

This was followed by the IDF's Hermes-450 UAV conducting its surveillance mission over Lebanon and its subsequent shoot-down by a Hezbollah SAM. The Hermes 450 wreckage came down on Lebanese territory. Immediately thereafter IAF strike aircraft were launched and began systematically attacking Hezbollah's Aerial Defense Array in northern Lebanon's Bekaa (Beqaa) Valley seen in the map above. 

The assessed significance of the Bekaa Valley airstrikes is that they recall to memory the IDF's June 1982 "Operation: Peace for the Galilee" of forty-two years ago. Most folks born in 1982 or afterwards almost certainly have little, if any, knowledge of this cross-border war and the loss of life which ensued. The "Peace for Galilee" operation was executed to remove the threat of cross-border bombardment from southern Lebanon on Israel's border communities. Sound familiar? 

This time it's not the PLO bombarding northern Israeli towns from southern Lebanon, but Iran's primary and very heavily-armed proxy Hezbollah. As the IAF (F-15I Ra'am and F-16 Sufa with Cobra and Defender attack helicopters) took control of Lebanese skies IDF ground forces invaded along three south-to-north access routes destroying all enemy bases and logistics in their path. And this time it's not Syrian SAM sites defend the Bekaa, but Hezbollah's Iranian-supplied SAMs, which some say may now eclipse the Syrian SAM systems which constituted the deadliest SAM environment on planet earth at that time, even more so than in Russia itself! 

Syrian and possibly even Russian air defense sites in Syria could tango with the IAF during this coming engagement. It can be expected that the Israel Defense Forces have fine-tuned the coming engagement so as to methodically degrade and ultimately decimate the enemy before them, probably to the Litani River and beyond if not all the way to the Bekaa Valley.

19 February 2024: SITREP A3-24 Gaza Endgame is intended to be a gap-filler for the next 20 days or so. March 10 is according to Israeli military command is the deadline upon which HAMAS and its associate terrorist organizations must unilaterally release all hostages (dead or alive) or face the IDF entering Rafah in full force. During this 20-day or so interim we'll attempt to capture important developments as Israel stands against the world in denial of the creation or recognition of a "Palestinian state" within its borders, and the threat of war with Hezbollah and/or enemies based in Syria. 

Global SITREP D4-23: A Greater MidEast War Part III

U.S. CENTCOM and IDF Commanders Meeting

UPDATE 17 December 2023: The commanders of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM) and Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have met for the third time since the war erupted on October 7, 2023. No doubt one of the topics discussed at this meeting is the continued resupply of munitions from the American arsenal and the preparations underway for escalating warfare on Israel's northern front. 

Few are they who believe Hezbollah will accept, or that Iran will allow them to accept, the diplomatic initiative for their forces to withdraw (retreat) north of the Litani River in Lebanon, per UNSC 1701 of 2006. Such a refusal will make a full-scale war in the north inevitable. A second and equally important topic is the initiation of Operation Prosperity Guardian in the Red Sea and strait at Bab al-Mandab against the Iranian Houthi proxy in Yemen. 

As the operation's name implies, global prosperity hangs in the balance with the Houthi attacks on all commercial vessels transiting the Red Sea through the strait. The top four or five global shipping concerns have shut down their commercial vessels from moving through at this strategic choke point. As a result the USS Eisenhower CSG moved from the Persian Gulf into the Gulf of Aden in preparation for possible military action against Houthi military forces. Such action might well follow the heels of U.S. SECDEF Austin's in Israel today and the message he will shortly convey to all willing to listen.

11 December 2023: PM Netanyahu definitively let the proverbial cat out of the bag today:

"First of all we will win in the south and then we will deal with the north. As a first step, we will push Hezbollah beyond the Litani River and later we will also have to take care of the organization itself."

Therefore, Hezbollah is not on a count-down timer to initiate full-scale hostilities with Israel, Israel will initiate its Hezbollah solution in due course. Yet Hezbollah cannot be solved in a vacuum - the IRGC-QF Unit 340 proxies in Syria will also need to be decisively defeated by the IDF. 

Of course this is how the men in charge of Israel's war cabinet, and those in the U.S. government may envision how current events will evolve over time. However, neither of the two allies appear to be cognizant of Isaiah 11:14, a direct statement which is very clear.

With respect to the Gaza operation, the most current interactive graphic available is found on the ISW and Critical Threats webpage. Click on the link if you're so inclined and you can explore the entire Holy Land in exceptional detail, but zooming in and moving the image around with the controls and your mouse.

The above graphic will be used as Israel and the IDF have to "deal with the north" in a military campaign that is all but inevitable. Secular Israelis have some hope pinned on diplomacy by France and the United States who singularly and together still have some influence in Lebanon, albeit not with Hezbollah or the other Islamic terrorist groups in the country. It's extremely doubtful the can convince Hezbollah to move all of its forces north of the Litani River (just north of Tyre on the map). And even this fails to deal with the Hezbollah organization itself, much less the IRGC-QF forces to the immediate east of Galilee and the Golan.

Once again, we're out in front of the issue because a head start is far better than having to play catch up. 

Global SITREP D2-23: A Greater MidEast War

Iran Surrounded

UPDATE 18 November 2023: The big Ohio-class nuclear-powered submarine in the Middle East is sailing with the Eisenhower CSG somewhere in the Arabian Sea. The converted boomer boat is the USS Florida (SSGN-728) and she's carrying 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles for delivery to Iranian military targets should either Hezbollah or Iran join the war against Israel as they've threatened. 

There may be a significant indication that this US power-play is not enough to deter Iran (and its proxies) from entering the war. On Wednesday, 15 November, the Twelver regime's Houthi proxy in Yemen launched an armed drone strike against one of the Eisenhower CSG combatant vessels in the Arabian Sea. That ship was the Arleigh-Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Thomas Hudner (DDG-116) as it was transiting in international waters in the Red Sea. The Houthi drone was shot down at distance by the ships air defense systems. 

This attack by Iran's regional proxy forces is in addition to the current total of 61 attacks on US troops in their bases in Iraq and Syria as of yesterday, 17 November. The Biden Administration is between Iraq and a hard place in that it must put brute, kinetic military force on the table if deterrence of the Iranian Twelver's is to have any change of success. Thus far, and according the the Pentagon, 60 American troops have sustained minor injuries in the proxy attacks in Iraq and Syria, but all have since returned to duty. 

And can be seen in the above collage image, the Islamic Republic of Iran is surrounded by a most impressive array of American military power in every direction on the compass. The USS Ford CSG to the west, B-1 Bombers to the north, the USS Bataan ARG to the south, and the USS Eisenhower CSG to the east, not to mention dozens of the world's best strike aircraft based throughout the region. As Israel presses on to the south of Gaza in its hunt to exterminate HAMAS, PIJ and other terrorists, push will come to shove at some point as almost no one believes Iran will back down at this point.

IDF in Northern Israel

13 November 2023: The prospect for a much greater war across the MidEast looms today as the deterrent warnings from both Israel and the United States appear to have fallen upon deaf Islamist ears. From Lebanon, through Syria and Iraq to the heartland of the Islamic Republic of Iran the rhetorical flames of a great war increase by the hour. IDF commanders in the north want to take the war of attrition with Hezbollah deep into Lebanon but are, for the moment at least, being held back by political decisions and international pressure. This pressure will likely evaporate should the IRGC-QF proxies invite a large U.S. retaliation. At that time the IDF will initially seek to drive to the Litani River in Lebanon, but DM Gallant is not bluffing when he recently stated that Beirut could become Gaza.

In Israel the prospect of full-scale war with Hezbollah in Lebanon is being discussed in terms of not if it will escalate, but when. At this time the when this war will escalate is regarded as imminent. Hence the need for this new SITREP. Israeli civilians living in eight villages, moshavim and kibbutzim located along Israel's northern border, just inside the so-called 2000 U.N. Blue Line and within the Ma'ale Yosef Regional Council and the Upper Galilee Regional Council, have been instructed by the Northern Command to enter protective spaces.

Within prophetic Scripture this larger war can be seen within the texts of Jeremiah 49:23-27, Isaiah 17 and Joshua 13:1-7 which have never previously found fulfillment. The death toll will be great.

Global SITREP D1-23: Regional Warfare

USS Ford and USS Eisenhower CSGs in the East Med

UPDATE 6 November 2023: In the image above the USS Ford and USS Eisenhower Carrier Strike Groups (CSGs) cruising the Eastern Mediterranean Sea as part of the overall US military build up in the Middle East, as direct warning to Iran and its proxy forces in Lebanon and Syria to stay out of the Israel-HAMAS war in Gaza. For its part the Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed-Reza Ashtiani issued a direct threat yesterday saying the US forces would be "hit hard" if the war in Gaza was not stopped immediately. Right on cue two US International Coalition bases in Syria, Tel Haydar in al-Hasakah and al-Tanf on the Jordanian-Iraqi border, were attacked yesterday and early this morning by IRGC proxy drones. The drones were shot down. International Coalition retaliation is expected shortly.

In Syria, and due to the IAF's repeated knocking out of Damascus and Aleppo International Airports, the Russian military has given the IRGC-QF permission to fly in military hardware to the Hmeimim Air Base. The first IRGC-QF charter aircraft landed at Hmeimim this past Thursday under joint Russian and Iranian security forces protection. An IRGC-QF military convoy departed Hmeimim soon thereafter for IRGC bases to the east, T4 most likely. Iranian military flights are also landing at the Syrian al-Shayrat Air Base southeast of Homs.

Concurrent with these developments Israel's relations with Russia have deteriorated precipitously, to the point now that Israel will no longer provide advance deconfliction warnings to the Russian military in Syria when IAF aircraft are inbound to strike Iranian and Iranian proxy targets in Syria. Both the US International Coalition and Iranian military forces are pouring in large contingents of reinforcements. These movements indicate a steady decline into a regional conflagration.

War in Gaza City - IDF Grinding HAMAS into Pulp

2 November 2023: In continuing this series which began exactly one month ago today with Global SITREP C5-23: The Coming War, Eschatology Today assesses that the Iranian overlords of Hezbollah in Lebanon and IRGC-QF proxy militias have green-lighted the launch their offensive against Israel from Lebanon and Syria approximately on or before 24 hours from now.

There is no reason other than military for IRGC-QF overall commander, Esmail Qa'ani to be coordinating with Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon on Wednesday, two days in advance of the expected address of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, at 3 PM Israel time (8 AM EDT in the US) which for all intents and purposes is a matter of semantics; a chance for him and his terrorist organization to save face and avoid total humiliation. Thus Lebanon will be destroyed due to the Shi'a Twelver's lust for Israel's blood to be spilled.

This is Esmail Qa'ani's second trip to Lebanon in three weeks time, the first being within 24 hours of HAMAS barbaric assault on kibbutzim in Israel on October 7th. Iranian fingerprints are all over this attempt at a war of extermination against Israel. To the apocalyptic Twelver Shi'a clerics of Iran this war is essential in their eschatological and theological beliefs, foremost of them being the hastening of their non-existent al-Mahdi messianic figure. Truly a massive satanic deception upon millions of their religion.

We are now learning in real-time that all of the associated prophecies of the Psalm 83 scenario are as most other Bible prophecy in that they find fulfillment over several months to years. Many have dual fulfillment over much longer periods of time. None of these prophesies are "one and done" in a single day, but as we've always made clear, have an active process towards their literal fulfillment. It occurs that this time ought not to be wasted, that active witnessing is the order of the day while there is still time to do so. This proves to the unbeliever that God has known the end from the beginning, His word is to be trusted in ALL things.

Global SITREP C7-23: WAR! Phase II

 

UPDATED 11 October 2023: Eschatology Today is expectant of the second phase of this war to commence shortly with the IDF ground invasion of the Gaza Strip, notwithstanding developments on the northern borders with Lebanon and Syria. 

It is anticipated that the IDF operation in Gaza will mirror very closely the imagery contained within the Hebrew text of Isaiah 11:14.  They key words as pronounced are Oof kah-thayf and their meaning is to cover or obscure the shoulder. This evokes the image above of the map of Gaza and the two "shoulders" of the region on the upper right and lower left. This text may be descriptive of a classic pincer movement of armored forces simultaneously moving into Rafah and Gaza City. Another visualization of these two words would be to liken them to a bird covering her young with her wings, or, if you will, how the cherubim covered the Mercy Seat on the Ark of the Covenant with their wings. There are the images that come to my mind, others may consider them differently.

There's one other important thing to note that relates to this war. Prior to Saturday Israel was deeply divided, to the point of violence and verbal assaults among the two political camps of the citizens. This appears to be reflected in Isaiah 11:13 where Ephraim and Judah join together and Oof kah-thayf against their common enemy. 

IN THE NORTH The developments in the north could intensify in ferocity and breadth of military action at any moment as for the past couple of days intermittent strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syria push towards a literal fulfillment of the Psalm 83 prophecy. At the time of this posting there are ongoing alerts of airborne threats to Israel from Lebanon and Syria.

Today at approximately 10:30 Hezbollah fired and anti-tank missile (ATM) at an IDF M113 personnel carrier known in the IDF as a Zelda. The Zelda was along side the access road to the Blue Line in Avivim, northern Israel, less than a half kilometer from Lebanese territory. The rocket struck the reactive armor on the front of the vehicle but apparently did not destroy it. So we see here that Hezbollah troops are forward deployed up against Israel's border.  Israel's retaliation consisted of addition UCAV air strikes on Hezbollah observation towers in extreme southern Lebanon and saturation artillery fire in the area where the ATM had been launched from. Israeli residents in the Mater Asher region have been directed to their shelters. Israeli police and counterterror forces are prepared for extreme outbreaks of violence and rioting in Judea and Samaria and Jerusalem.

INTERNATIONALLY Russia, Byelarus, Turkieh, Iraqi militias loyal to Iran, Houthi-ruled Yemen and Taliban-ruled Afghanistan have clearly and unsurprisingly sided with the Islamic terrorists against Israel. In the US the Biden speech yesterday fell woefully short in complete omission on the culpability of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the IRGC-QF specifically, as bearing responsibility for instigating this war and providing materiel support which made it possible. This war might have been delayed had Biden moved the 6th Fleet much earlier into the Eastern Mediterranean Sea and said "Don't" to Iran weeks ago instead of releasing $6 billion in funds to the mullah terrorists. He bears personal responsibility for this  inaction. 

UPDATE 13 October 2023: Through the UN the IDF has given instructions to Gaza civilians where they are to immediately move to ensure their personal safety. In the map above is a dark line south of Gaza City that stretches from the Israeli border to the Mediterranean Sea. This line is the Wadi Gaza, or Nahal HaBesor, a/k/a the Gaza River. There are just a very few hours remaining before the IDF executes military operations in the entire region of Gaza north of the Wadi Gaza.

Given the Islamist threat of violence for today caution is advised in public gatherings and Jewish neighborhoods everywhere.

Updates will continue as necessary...

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!