Global SITREP C3:19: Elam and Iran in History and Prophecy

Elam/Iran  Susa/Anshan

27 June 2019: Elam and Iran (Paras), from the biblical prophetic perspective, are they the same or different? There are, according to the conducted Eschatology Today research, as many differing opinions or interpretations of this question as there are maps or drawings which depict the territory of ancient Elam within what we know today as the Islamic Republic of Iran (Paras). What appears as a fact is that ancient Elam does not exist today, but within its ancient territory are several provinces of the present Islamic Republic of Iran. Perhaps that is all we need to know about the subject. But maybe there is more. This discussion of the "more" will be brief but detailed overview of the Biblical and historical perspectives.

The Biblical Perspective

Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel all referenced this land within the prophecies given them directly by the LORD God, or in the case of Daniel, by His angelic messenger Gabriel. One question that arises is why Jeremiah's prophecy (Jer. 49:34-39) only refers to Elam, and Ezekiel's prophecy (Ez. 38:5) only refers to Iran (Paras). Not many venture futher to acknowledge that Ezekiel also referred to Elam during the time of his prophetic ministry. 

Ezekiel 27:10 refers to Paras (Iran). Then in Ezekiel 32:24 the prophet speaks lamentations upon the nations that will go down into the pit having been conquered by the sword (war). Among them is Eylam (Elam), gone into the pit,; conquered for having caused "their terror in the land of the living." With Elam in the pit is also Asshur (Assyria), Meshech, Tubal, Edom, Sidon and Egypt). So here are two example of Ezekiel using both terms for modern Iran in the same general time period (circa 580 BC).

The Historical Perspective

In those ancient times Elam had been an established political state for a couple of millennia in the general region of Iran we know today as the province of Khuzestan when Jeremiah and Ezekiel received their prophecies. Back then Elam was a contemporary of Akkadia and Sumeria. Elam emerged from that domination circa 1300 BC, and over hundreds of years there emerged within Elam two regional powers, Susa, with which we're eminently familiar from the Old Testament, and Anshan. In those ancient days the kings of Elam were known as "the king of Elam and Anshan. 

Then, circa Nebuchadnezzar the First (Nebuchadnezzar I) reign, about one-hundred some-odd years prior to King David's rule in Israel, the western half of Elam came under the control of the Babylonian Empire, while in the east, in Anshan, the Achaemenids began establishing what would come to be known as the Achaemenid Persian Empire. Before taking on Babylon, as the Bible recounts for us, successive kings of Anshan (Achaemenes, Teispes, Cyrus I, Cambyses and finally Cyrus II (Cyrus the Great 559 BC) took all nations and empires east of the Tigris River, until the sack of Babylon, as we know from Scripture. The languages of this second of the great world empires after Babylon was Persian, Elamite, Akkadian and Aramaic as the official language of government.

The point here is that from a bible-based eschatological perspective, Elam and Persia are virtually synonymous. This is why Ezekiel used both names. And this is how Eschatology Today interprets Jeremiah 49:34-39 and Ezekiel 38:5 as referring directly to the modern-day Islamic Republic of Iran. In the days of Jeremiah and Ezekiel both Elam and Anshan (proto-Persia) were located within the same geographic region of southwestern Iran.

Global SITREP C2-19: Behold! Elam's Bow Has Been Broken

Iranian Ballistic Missiles in Underground Storage Site

UPDATED 23 June 2019: Did President Trump really call off a military strike on several IRGC missile sites? The answer is Yes... and No. Yes, a fairly significant kinetic strike involving American missiles and aircraft on the designated terrorist IRGC missile sites was prudently aborted, but the long-planned strike on Iranian computer-based command and control (C2) by United States Cyber Command, a/k/a CYBERCOM, the 10th Combatant Command of the United States Armed Forces, was approved by President Trump and was launched as the Stand Down order was issued for the kinetic strike last Thursday. So, yes, the US military attacked Iran with great power as a direct response to the shoot down of our surveillance drone in international airspace over the Strait of Hormuz.

And guess what primary target CYBERCOM, in coordination with US CENTCOM, was authorized by POTUS to attack? The Command and Control (C2) network of the Iranian ballistic missile forces. In fact, President Trump has pretty much given our cyber warriors a blank check to launch cyber attacks on adversaries, like Iran, at will and continuously as the need arises. Now, while most of the world wasn't looking Eschatology Today immediately recognized this crippling cyber attack on the Iranian C2 infrastructure for what it really could be - fulfillment of Jeremiah 49:35. "Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the foremost of their might." Without their C2 computer network functioning the "bow" that launches Iranian "arrows" is inoperative. No ballistic missiles threatening US and Israel and other allies in the entire region can be launched. The "bow" has been broken.

From last Thursday to this moment, no one within the government will speak openly about this attack on the Iranian C2 network. However, their are dozens of examples of cryptic remarks by high-ranking folks in the know that have been made during these past four days with National Security Advisor John Bolton's comments being primary among them. Nevertheless, "As a mater of policy, and for operational security (OPSEC), we do not discus cyberspace operations, intelligence or planning" was the routine response by the US CYBERCOM spokesperson as noted in several open source and media reports. This is the war that nobody but those persons directly involved can see being waged. The American posture in this cyber warfighting is one that is known as "defending forward." It's a forward leaning defense using offensive cyber weapons. Offense is the best defense as we all know, and this is an unseen practical application of that sporting adage. It's part of the blank check referred to above.

This, make no mistake, is a major escalation in the ongoing war. And it will escalate even further into the realm of kinetic military action as "the sword" is brought against the Islamic Republic now that the "foremost of their might" has been neutralized. 

CyberWar

25 June 2019: When it comes to Jeremiah 49:34-39 and its fulfillment, some folks would do well to become acquainted (or re-acquainted) with the interpretive view that has been integral to Eschatology Today since 15 September 2010. There are a few other directly related posts here that are available by using the search engine in the upper left-hand corner of this main page. Enter 'Jeremiah 49:34-39' as the search criteria. 

The key phrase that should be noticed right off the get-go when accessing the above link are the words "Coalition of Nations Move Against Iran." As we can clearly see in 2019, that post title is no longer a question as originally posed. In 2019 it is an established fact. And, lo and behold, those words are precisely the action being taken by U.S. SECSTATE Pompeo in his current mission to the Middle East. He is about building a "coalition of nations" to oppose Iran. So, with respect to the now 9-year old original post and Eschatology Today's former "interpretive theory" about Jeremiah's prophecy two words apply: Nailed It. It is no longer a theory, it is reality.

And when it comes to the war against the clerical regime running the Islamic Republic of Iran, how can we not include the ongoing economic war known simply as "sanctions." How can we not see this aspect as being integral to the "sword" brought by the Lord against the Iranian Twelver regime? 

The economic sanctions are utterly crippling to the fiscal health of the country and its bastions of absolute power, such as the IRGC as well as the personal wallet of the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. President trump just closed that wallet shut and made "tens and tens of billions of dollars" completely out of the Ayatollah's reach. In short he's broke. The Islamic Republic of Iran is broke and getting more broken by the hour. The only economic blood flowing through its veins is a mere fraction of what had been a few months ago.

Here's another fact. As it stands today, 25 June 2019, there is no longer any path to a diplomatic solution to the problem the coalition of nations, led by the United States, has with the Shi'a Twelver regime of Islamic Republic of Iran. That ship has sailed; those waters have passed under the bridge and are well down-stream now. 

And the next update is coming soon and will be accompanied by a brief backgrounder concerning Jeremiah's prophecy.

Global SITREP C1-19: Potential for War in Strait of Hormuz

Marine Transport (M/T) ship on Fire following Iranian limpet mine attack

Location of the attacks

UPDATED Below 16 June 2019: The Iranian limpet mine attacks on two merchant vessel transports (MV Front Altair and MV Kokuka Courageous) off Iran's southern coast and in the northernmost point of the Gulf of Oman this past week were covertly observed by several U.S. reconnaissance aircaft. A video of that surveillance was declassified and released to the world by USCENTCOM. Iranian forces then launched an SA-7 missile at one of the US aircraft, yet the SAM missed its target by about 1km. Nevertheless, this was an act of war by Iran in a continuing series of attacks against the U.S. and our Middle East allies, as well as international commerce in international waters and airspace.

Screen capture of CENTCOM video of IRGC-N removing unexploed
limpet mine from the hull of the M/T Kokuka Courageous.

This SITREP was delayed until a majority of of factual information could be corroborated. Corroboration takes a little time. As a direct result of these attacks the UK MoD announced the deployment of at least 100 Royal Marines to the region to add to the currently deployed forces tasked with safeguarding marine traffic from additional attacks, or to respond if and when new attacks occur.

The US released this much clearer full color image on Monday, 17 June.

Long-time readers will recognize a staple of Eschatology Today's "interpretative theory" of Jeremiah 49:33-39, originally posted in September 2010. What we have in the summer of 2019 is this theory becoming a very strong candidate for imminent, literal fulfillment. As you can read in the link to the original posting, this interpretive theory is about a coalition of nations coming against Iran from all directions. The prophet Jeremiah prophesied that the Lord would cause "Elam" (Iran) to be dismayed; that He would bring a sword after them. There is zero ambiguity in that the sword is a reference to direct military action.

In fact, this is exactly what the United States and our closest allies are currently engaged in. These allies are fully engaged building the case that Iran is a threat to international peace and the security of international commerce in the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman, the Arabian Sea, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea (image below). All of these straits and sea lanes are known as choke points where the flow of international commerce could be shut down by military actions, such as been seen in limpet mine attacks and missile attacks in the last few years. The series of US DoD images seen in this SITREP are a key part of this effort; they go hand-in-hand with the American pledge that Iran will not be permitted to effect such a stangulation of global commerce. Nor will Iran be permitted to possess a nuclear weapon.

Choke Points of international commerce around the eastern periphery of Israel.

If disruptions were to occur to petroleum products trans-shipments around the eastern periphery of Israel, then consider how much more important the oil and natural gas fields under Israeli, Greek Cypriot and Greek control in the eastern Mediterranean Sea could become. Exactly how secure are the land-based pipelines for these commodities where they must cross active war zones in Iraq and Syria? These are factors in the overal security and supply-side jitters the international community, particularly Europe, are experiencing at this time.

There will also be an additional 1,000 or so US troops heading to the Middle East. These troops are said to be primarily intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and Force Protection (FP) troops. These are also a match for the 1,000 or so UK troops earmarked for a rapid Middle East deployment. French, Spanish, Australian and New Zealand forces are already in-theater along with smaller contingents from several other allies. NATO is in the Middle East in an ever increasing footprint as well.

US Navy MQ-4C Triton

Approximate location of the MQ-4C Triton shootdown.

UPDATE 20 June 2019: Multiple reports this morning stating the IRGC fired a Surface-to Air Missile (SAM) from Iranian territory (Hormozgan Province) at a very large, unarmed American UAV flying in international air space over the Strait of Hormuz. The UAV is reported to have been shot down. Given the specific maritime mission of the drone over the Strait of Hormuz, Eschatology Today assesses the downed UAV to have been the U.S. Navy MQ-4C Triton. This act of war massively increases the potential for direct American military action against the IRGC, an already designated foreign terrorist organization. The seriousness of this is found in that US CENTCOM has not released an official public statement, indicating they're standing by for a higher headquarters directive (POTUS and/or JCoS).

Global SITREP B10-19:: Scaling Up The War Part III

Mount Hermon, Israel

UPDATED (below) 2 June 2019: Part III of this series begins with Israel having responded with great military force to rocket attacks from Syria this past weekend. The United States also reassured Russia that our support for Israel is unwavering as long as Iranian forces and their proxies remain in Syria.

The two rockets which began this flare of of fighting landed on the slopes of Mount Hermon, one is Israel and one not quite across the border. Israel's immediate response was to completely erase two Syrian Army artillery batteries, one east of beityama, the other west of Khan el-Shieh. Observation and intelligence posts in Quneitra and Tel al-Sha'ar, and an SA-2 SAM battery near Kiswah which was also eradicated.

Israel then closed the airspace over the Golan region effective from 06:30 this morning through approximately 21:00 on Thursday, 6 June. Then about three hours ago Israel began striking the T4 (Tiyas) Air Base with massive explosions being reported by Syrian media. It appears that Israel is striking Iranian weapons depots and armories at T4. 

Meanwhile, Russia, Syria and Iran are indiscrimanately bombing civilian areas in Iblib governorate. President Trump at 20:00 EDT this evening described this ongoing bombardment as butchery in advising Russia, Syria and Iran that "the world is watching. STOP!"

USS Abraham Lincoln Air Wing exercising with B-52H in the Arabian Sea.
This is one very rare sight to see!

7 June 2019: The immediate crisis between the U.S. and Iran subsided somewhat after the Iranian vessels that had missiles loaded into their launch tubes pulled into a port and the missiles were removed. These vessels were (and still are) under surveillance by U.S. intelligence assets on a 24/7 basis. Given the nature of the apocalyptic nature of the Twelver Iranian regime, the building U.S. posture to keep them in military check-mate has not subsided and will increase in the coming weeks.

On the Golan the tensions continue to rise. Israel detected, and in a rare move immediately made public, its detection of series of newly constructed Hezbollah outposts for observing the Israeli Golan. Also made public was the establishment of an IDF all-aspect intelligence collection apparatus dedicated to supporting the IDF Dotan division with real-time data acquisition. Never before has this type of real-time fusion between a combat division and on-site intelligence branch occurred in an Israeli front-line higher headquaters (HHQ). The obvious importance that Iran has attached to the ultimate high-ground of Mt. Hermon and its overview of the Golan and northern Israel belies their intentions. Further action here is imminent.

Over the years Eschatology Today has, due to the prophetic word of God found in the Book of Daniel, put an eye on the nation of Greece. Yesterday (6 June) an article was published by the Jewish World Review entitled "Greece Finds New Footing As a Player on the World Stage." The title is an instant attention grabber to anyone who knows Bible prophecy. Not lost is the fact that the article was written by the very astute writer Victor Davis Hanson. Eschatology Today has embedded a direct link, but advises that it is http versus a secure https link. in light of this, here are key takeaways from the article.

1.) Greece wants to host a far more lethal array of U.S. military power on a permanent base. There are talks ongoing precisely to this end. Given the expanding Israel, Cyprus and Greece military alliance a significant and permanent U.S. military presence in Greece makes great strategic sense, besides the fact (as long-term readers are aware) that it dovetails nicely with the Eschatology Today interpretation of military affairs in the eastern Mediterranean Sea leading up to and during Israel's 70th week of years. 

2.) As Turkey edges closer to Russia with the purchase of an S-400 SAM system, and the U.S. reciprocation of cancelling virtually all aspects of Turkey's participation in the foreign (NATO) military sales and pilot training in the F-35 program, the obvious counter-balance would be a much more integrated defense posture between Greece and the U.S., and which would also integrate near seamlessly with the increased defense integration of Cyprus and Israel that the U.S. also has developed recently. 

3.) This will only exacerbate the loggerhead issues between the European Union (principally German financial dictates) and Greece. Many Greek bitterly resent this aspect of the EU-Greek relationship. Should more nations, like Italy, Poland and other eastern EU member states drive wedges, the emergence of a new loosely aligned political block (some of the "Ten Toes") could rise rapidly and still be fully within the U.S.-led NATO alliance. Watch all of this develop rapidly in the coming months.

Global SITREP B9:19: Scaling up the War - Part II

Lincoln CSG and Kearsarge ARG exercising
in the Arabian Sea 17MAY2019 (US Navy photo)

UPDATED (Below) 21 May 2019: Part II of this topic will continue to watch developments in the MidEast. The U.S. of A. vs Islamic Republic of Iran tensions are currently at the top of the list. Obviously this is due to even the slightest agrressive move by Iran, or its proxies, having the potential to unleash brute American military force the likes of which the world has not seen before. 

A Nimitz-class Carrier Strike Group and a Wasp-class Amphibious Ready Group are just outside of the Strait of Hormuz. This is a rare combination of overwhelming naval power staring down the Islamic Republic, which is joined by a B-52 bomber task force in Qatar and and array of ground combat power to the west and east of the Ayatollah's domain. The Iranian homeland is truly surrounded and if it comes to it, American combat power can literally come at the Islamic Republic from the direction of "the four winds from the four quarters of heaven." 

Some may recognize that reference from Jeremiah 49:36. Eschatology Today believes it is literal, and those "winds" while primarily being American power the Lord could bring down on Iran, also is a coalition of nations who could serve as a force multiplier. It has been many years, but a cocnsistent theme here has been that Iran would be militarily reduced prior to its involvement in the Exekiel 38/39 scenario, and that in that scenario Iran (Persia) is among the aggressors that come against Israel, but as a much lessened military power. The point here is that the military force to bring Jeremiah 49:34-39 to at least a partial fulfillment is present right at this moment encirling that ancient country.

Breaking to "bow of Elam" in the 21st century could well be a series of surgical but devastating strikes on the IRGCs ballistic missile forces, its miltary bases, nuclear sites and critical infrastructure if Iran should act as irrationally as the apocalyptic Twelver rhetoric has long promised its adherents. And we're really close to this onslaught happening following attacks by Iranian naval special warfare against four tankers in the Gulf of Oman, and proxy attacks by the Houthis against Saudi Arabia's primary east-west oil pipeline and a Saudi Airport  near the Yemen border all occurring within the past few days.

One of the most telling things of the risks at-hand was broadcast on Martha McCallum's FoxNews program The Story just yesterday. It featured an interview with Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) who was fresh from receiving current sitreps from SECSTATE Pompeo and NatSec Advisor John Bolton. A brief four-minute video of the interview is available at the above link.

23 May 2019: Jeremiah 49 is figuring prominently these days with aspects relating to BOTH Iran and Syria standing front and center. As noted in the comments section, SITREP C5-18 from last August had the expected battle for Idlib (northwestern Syria) as a key focus. Well, the battle there has been joined and has been raging for a couple weeks or so. Russian and Syrian aircraft have been bombing the daylights out of the region. And, as of yesterday, the US State Department, officially announced its suspicion that the al-Assad regime is once again using chemical weapons against the insurgency. Will cruise missile strikes from the Western alliance result again? It's a very distinct possibility.

As some may be aware, Eschatology Today does not see Egypt as a part of the current and final fulfillment of Psalm 83 (plus Isaiah 11:14 and Ezekiel 28:24-26). Egypt and Israel have been partnering for some time now in their common war against terrorists, mainly the IS branch in Sinai. There's a new aspect to this partnership. The massive fires raging in central and southern Israel have severely taxed the Israel's fire fighting capabilities. So Egypt has offered and Israel has accepted Egypt's offer of two additional fire fighting aircraft to join the battle. The Egyptian aircraft will arrive in a few hours time and get to work.

Memorial Day 27 May 2019

27 May 2019: The U.S. will continue the ongoing build-up of land, sea and air forces and capabilities in the CENTCOM AoR well into June 2019, even as we briefly pause on this Memorial Day to honor those who have given their lives in defense of freedom.

Contrary to the predictions of some phoney teachers, the EU Parliamentary elections did not launch the antichrist onto the world stage. This is what happens when phoney teachers utilize non-bliblical sources for their prognostications, which fail, first time and every time. The prophetic truth for Bible students on the rise of Antichrist is found in II Thessalonians 2:3 and Eschatology Today posts of two years ago regarding the Ten Toes and The Little Horn. Even at this late day, there is no human being on  earth who can, with absolute certainty, identify who the ten toes are, much less the little horn to rise up among them. And that's the truth. In 2019 we continue watching as our Lord has commanded us.

And, nevertheless, what actually took place were paradigm changing big political wins for Nigel Farage and the UK Brexit Party; Marine Le Pen and the National Rally (RN) over the existing order of thir nation states and, more importantly, the European Union. In France, that order had been led by Emmanuel Macron, who will now face even more calls for his resignation and new national elections. In the UK PM Theresa May just resigned during the voting that occurred between Thursday and Sunday (23-26 May). Perhaps she had read some tea leaves or accurate exit polling data to know that the time to get out is when the getting out is good? One cannot abandon ship after it has sunk, right?

The electoral victories of the anti-EU parties is a political paradigm shift that may well lead to the only accurate description, the one given by God Himself, to the prophet Daniel in a vision concerning those ten toes as recorded in Daniel 2:40-43. When those ten toes can be identified with certainty, then watching for the 11th, the little horn, should begin in earnest., but only within the context of Gabriel's interpretation of another vision given to Daniel and recorded in the plain text of Daniel 8:15-27. All of this is but a prelude to the details revealed by Gabriel to Daniel circa 539 BC, as recorded in Daniel 9, and known as the Seventy Weeks prophecy. 

Apologies for repeating previous eschatological data here, but there are some folks who seriously require sound Bible-based instruction on these issues to offset the nonsense they've ben taught thus far by others.

28 May 2019: This update is specific to the first paragraph of the 23 May update above. The assessment for this update is that something very big is brewing in northwestern Syria. This something is a direct challenge to those who say the Syrian war has ended and Bashar al-Assad won.

For at least ten consecutive days it has been observed that a massive, even unprecedented, Russian Air Force (RuAF) heavy airlift (we call it a surge operation) has continued, non-stop, from Moscow Chkalovsky Air base and Mozdok (southern Caucasus) Air Base into the Hmeimim and Hamah Syrian Air Bases. The aircraft are strategic heavy lifters such as the Antonov-124 and IL-76MD. As these aircraft cross southwards over the eastern Black Sea they are entering and flying directly over Turkey proper before entering Syrian airspace. This is combined with Iranian and Syrian heavy lift aircraft flying daily to and from Tehran to Damascus and Tiyas (T4) Air Bases. Yes, something very big is brewing in northwestern Syria.

More as developments continue... 

Global SITREP B8-19: SCALING UP THE WAR

Patriot PAC-3, B-52H Stratofortresses, 100,000+ Combat Troops, Naval Armada

FINAL UPDATE 16 May 2013: This will be the final update for SITREP B8-19. A lot has taken place in these past two weeks, most of it from Gaza to the Arabian Peninsula. 

However, a question must be posed: Are we in a crisis? The Eschatology Today answer is, no, we're not in a crisis. It is the Islamic Republic of Iran that is in the midst of a serious crisis, and how it attempts to extricate itself from its self-made crisis will determine how severe this crisis will become for the abhorent Twelver regime and whether or not literal fulfillment of Jeremiah's and Isaiah's relative prophecies occur within a relatively short span of time. Remember, Jesus said, "these things must take place, but the end is not yet."

What will take place next is a classified briefing to the members of the U.S. Congress next week regarding what Iran has done this past week, what it has done via its proxies, and what the potential responses will be should further attacks take place. The United States took the leadership role only it can provide by surging significant military power into the Middle East. Even more will move if that becomes necessary and that depends entirely on how foolsih the clerics in Tehran decide to become. They are a seriously apocalyptic-minded lot, so no one's going to hold their breath in the hope they suddenly become peacemongers.

14 May 2019: As the title of this SITREP attests, the situation in the Middle East is being significantly scaled up. The reason for this can be stated in one word: Iran. Take a cold, hard, objective look around the whole of the Middle East and one thing becomes blatantly obvious from the Bible prophecy perspective: none of the ongoing conflicts or areas of military tension have abated one iota. To the bold contrary, the over-riding theme of "wars and rumors of wars" has only increased; scaled up, in every imaginable and even unimaginable way.

There was a very high-level meeting of all the significant players of the US National Security apparatus at CIA HQ Langley last Thursday. Speculation was rampant on what the meeting was about. Now we know, and again, it's a one word answer: Iran. To the mix of American military forces and capabilities being surged into the Middle East in the past week, the meeting also pushed forward the high potential for a 120,000-strong combat force of US soldiers to deploy into CENTCOM build-up of American combat force projection.

This projection of American power clearly focused against the Iranian Twelver regime's regional aspirations of dominance over Sunni Arab nations, but mostly against the State of Israel, has had a curious effect. It has shown how weak in the knees our European NATO allies are. They, meaning nations like the UK and Spain most notably, appear to prefer a path of appeasement towards the apocalypse-minded clerical regime in Tehran rather than stand firm and hold a line drawn in the sand. 

As of yesterday, following a weekend (Sunday morning actually) where Iranian forces clandestinely attacked four oil tankers of the coast of Al-Fujairah port in the UAE, causing significant damage (big holes) to those vessels, but without creating oil spillage or injury to the crews. A prompt US investigation issued a preliminary assessment just yesterday that Iran was responsible for the apparent limpet mine attacks against the four oil tankers. As the U.S. bristled over these attacks, a Spanish frigate sailing as a part of the Lincoln CSG which had just entered the Gulf of Aden, was ordered by its government authority to withdraw itself from the CSG operations. In the UK that government began expressing fears that another Iraq-like war was in the offing. Fear and trepidation are not signs of leadership in the face of clear aggression.

So much, at this point, for the prophecy-based theory circulating that an all-powerful all-EU, without the United States, will be the beast empire military juggernaut of the 70th Week. We would do well to read again the text of Daniel 2; not to mention chapters 7 through 12, to refresh once more about the "Ten Toes" and the rise of the "Little Horn." Prophecy theorems that do not begin with these texts, plus Ezekiel 38:13, will miss the mark, first time, every time.

We have our Lord's assurance that "these things," that is the several signs He gave in the Olivet Discourse, "must take place." We emphasize this a great deal here on Eschatology Today, and it's for good reason. While no one can foretell specifically what will happen in the next day, next week or next month, we can understand the "big picture" that has been given to us in Scripture. Eschatology Today interprets the Lord's prophets, it is not one of them.

9 May 2019: A flight of B-52H Stratorfortresses departed Barksdale AFB in Louisiana yesterday on their deployment to Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar. The "Buffs" were topped off with fuel for their intercontinental transit by KC-10 Extenders flying out of Joint Base McGuire Dix Lakehurst, New Jersey. The "Buffs" are joined in this expedition by the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group which is currently in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. The Lincoln CSG will probably not enter the Gulf without an extensive US de-mining of those shallow waters.

 

B-52H being refueled over Atlantic by JB-MDL KC-10A 8MAY19.
Image courtesy USAF AMC.

Barksdale AFB B-52H on the tarmac at Al-Udeid AB Qatar late yesterday.
This is real power projection. Image via CENTCOM.

7 May 2019:There's a very good reason why the Netanyahu government has paused operations against the terrorists in Gaza: Iran. Both President Trump and PM/DM Netanyahu are completely aligned in what is about to take place. 

The US/Israel plan of action has been developing for the past few weeks, with only glimpses of its scope hinted at in statements made prior to this past weekend. An interuption was caused by the assassination attempt on an IDF Colonel and another soldier on the Gaza border by a PIJ sniper on Friday. Israel retaliated for this action and resumed heavy rocket fire following the IAF's retaliation strike. Both assassination attempt and high-volume rocket fire were ordered to take place by Iran which hoped the resulting combat would derail the US-Israel action plan. 

Israel did great damage to HAMAS and the PIJ through Saturday and Sunday (4/5 May), and also assassinated the critical HAMAS-Iran money man in very tight quarters on a busy Gaza street in broad daylight with a precision missile strike. Even the terrorists have acknowledged this in a statement early today saying they needed the current respite from combat to lick (heal) their wounds. Netanyahu has told the Israeli people point-blank that the Gaza combat is not over and will be resumed soon.

Standing by on Gaza border...

So what took place about 8 weeks ago? Israel provided to the US the intelligence its Mossad had collected indicating that that Iran was in advanced stages of tasking the IRGC and its proxy forces throughout the region to launch wide-scale attacks on US forces in Syria, Iraq and in the Gulf. In the ensuing week or so the US detected these preparations first-hand for itself. A military response was ordered. 

As background, in March the B-1 bomber group that had deployed to Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar concluded its deployment and returned home to Dyess AB in Texas. This left the Middle East without a combat bomber group in the CENTCOM CJTF-OIR AOR. The announced deployment of a new bomber group (either B-52 or B-1, or a mix of both) fills this void. Concurrent with the new bomber group deployment the US has also rerouted the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group (Lincoln CSG) to the the Gulf and operations within 5th Fleet. These two combined are part of the "unrelenting force" promised to Iran by NSA Bolton should Iran follow through on its attacks.

Updates as they occur. This situation should develop rapidly over the next day or so, and there is sporadic firing along the Gaza border as you read this.

5 May 2019: The Eschatology Today expectation forecast of the previous B7-19 SITREP hit the proverbial nail on its head - the Twelver regime of Iran has commanded its Gaza proxies to launch a rocket war (500+ and counting) against the civilians of southern and central Israel just as Israel prepares to celebrate its 71st anniversary of modern-day existence. 

This time there is a mounting death toll in Israel, and the Israeli response has all appearances of being a more lethal and expanded or upscaled set of military actions. The IDF even struck and destroyed a mosque adjacent to the beach area of al-Shati (NW of Gaza city) that the PIJ was using as a Command and Control (C2) facility. 

Israel has also begun targeted assassinations of the HAMAS and PIJ leadership in Gaza. Israel will also go after this leadership cadre in Beirut, Lebanon and wherever else they may hole themselves. No quarter is to be given, vehicular movement is also no guarantee of avoiding death from above as HAMAS' senior field commander Hamed Hamdan el-Hadary just learned while driving his Toyota. Before his death this morning El-Hadary was the Iran-to-Gaza money transfer official for HAMAS and the PIJ according to IDF sources.

Hamed Hamdan el-Hadary's Toyota destroyed in IAF precision missile strike

Israel has reinforced the IDF envelope around Gaza with the deployment of an additional armored brigade. The closure envelope announced by PM/DM Netanyahu extends outwards from Gaza by 40km (25 miles). Netanyahu and his Security Cabinet has also issued the order this morning ti intensify the IAF airstrikes in Gaza as well as a general mobilization of deploying ground forces. It is a near certainty the IDF inject itself into Gaza at some point. Whether these insertions are hit-n-run strikes are rocket launch sites or a campaign to seize territory remains to be seen. 

Going Forward: Eschaology Today's focus will be whether or not this round of warfare becomes a fulfillment of Isaiah 11:14 and Ezekiel 28:24-26 as the culmination of the Psalm 83 prophecy, meaning an armed conflict which begins in Gaza but comes to involve Lebanon, Jordan, Sinai, Syria and Iran. Ongoing rapid and fluid developments wil be covered in the next update.

Global SITREP B7-19: A True SITREP

1 May 2019: This will be a SITREP of current events around the world, some with prophetic significance and some not so much, at least not yet (we're always looking forward).

The recent rocket fire coming out of Gaza was Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) doing Iran's bidding in an attempt to sabotage the current ceasefire. A handful of PIJ rockets were fired into the Mediterranean Sea to test their range, which roughly equates to central Israel being the eventual target for this class of missiles. A final PIJ rocket impacted the sea off of Ashkelon beach. This was the PIJ messaging Israel of an impending renewal of hostilities.

Israel responded with a message to all Gaza factions that it did not seek conflict with them, would respect the current status quo, but would not sit idle if attacks were launched against it. The factions then responded that Israel's failure to adhere to all demands which halted the recent hostilities would result in an escalation of hostilities against Israel.

Eschatology Today expects (it seems rather apparent) that these enemies, supported by the Islamic Republic of Iran, will not allow Israel's upcoming independence celebrations beginning on the evening of May 8 and concluding the evening of May 9, to occur in peace and relative safety. 

The crisis in Venezuela appears to have arrived at a point of no return. The pro-democracy forces of Juan Guaido, backed by the US and most nations of the world, except for Russia, Cuba, Iran and China who back the communist dictatorship of Nicolas Maduro. Guaido's OperacionLibertad began in earnest yesterday and will certainly continue today. 

In social media yesterday President Trump made clear that the participation of foreign military forces within Venezuela supporting the Maduro regime had better cease and desist from suppression of the will of the Venezuelan people. Those forces include an estimated 20,000+ Cuban soldiers, and approximately 300 Russian Wagner Group mercenaries and regular Russian army troops.

The pressure was such that at one point yesterday Maduro was prepared to flee the country, but Vladimir Putin intervened and convinced him to stay put. This should speak volumes to Israel. Putin supports the dictator al-Assad in Syria against his own people. Putin then invaded neighboring Ukraine, and now supports the communist dictator Maduro against his own people in Venezuela. Does this sound like a Russia which can or should be Israel's friend? Can Israel trust Russia which trains "Palestinian" terrorists in Syria for war against Israel? 

I was reading some material related to Gabriel's prophecy of the 70 weeks of years, Daniel 9:25 to be precise, and that beginning timeline caught my attention. We all know it's about the the time from the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem to the appearance of the Jesus Messiah would be 69 weeks of years. But it occurred to me there might be more information to that statement. As I dug deeper I found that Cyrus' command for the Jews to return to and rebuild Jerusalem was given in 538 BC. 

But the construction of the 2nd Temple, which is not mentioned in this prophecy, was not begun immediately as many teach, thereby leaving the impression that it took 23 years for the 2nd Temple to be completed. Temple construction actually began in 521 BC, at the God-sent urging of the prophet Haggai, and that occurred 17 years after Zerubbabel and the first wave of Judah's captives had returned to Judah from captivity. At that time Cyrus was gone, and Darius was on the Persian throne (Haggai 1:1 and Ezra 4:1-5). So, from 521 BC when it was begun the 2nd Temple wasn't completed until 6 years later, in 515 BC. It only took 6 years to build the 2nd Temple once God impressed its importance by the prophet Haggai. 

It will probably be not too far in the future when this type of Divine prodding will cause Israel of today to build the 3rd Temple, the 70th Week Temple, and they will do so very, very rapidly with all of the modern construction capabilities now available.

Speaking of not too far in the future...which in the twinkling of an eye could be an event in the past... Eschatology Today has come to a final conclusion on the era in which we live. This current dispensation, to so-called "church age" is very close to ending and Israel's 70th Week commencing. To this end the position taken in determining the true SITREP about what time it is falls on the determination of the year that Jesus' was crucified, died and was resurrrected, ascended into Heaven and also sent the Holy Spirit down (Pentecost) to indwell the Body of Christ. That year on our Western calendar was 30 AD.

If the current dispensation was determined long ago by our Father in Heaven to span 2,000 years, and include both the Church Age and Israel's very specifically alloted amount of time (i.e. 2,520 days) for the 70th Week, then the math is very simple, and it all would conclude in the year 2030. But the Body of Christ will not be on this earth for Israel's 70th Week, meaning the 70th week of years start date would be closer to the present time by those 7 years, or circa 2023. 

More simple math follows: 2023 is slightly less than four years from now. Since the day and the hour of the Harpazo of the bride of Christ is known only to the Father and is always the imminent blessed hope of this age, why is the Body of Christ so silent about the most important event since the Holy Spirit descended to be with us on this world on Pentecost one-thousand nine-hundred eighty-nine years ago? 

The next anniversary of Pentecost is Sunday, June 9, by our calendar. And here's the rub in all of this calculating... the Lord's calendar year is not like ours, but is one of 360 days as seen in the specifics about Israel's 70th week of years. Dizzy yet? Good, because at any instant all of this would be made moot by His shout in the voice of an archangel and the trumpet of God.

Psalm 27:5; Isaiah 26:19-21; Zephaniah 2:3, John 14:1-3 and i Thessalonians 4:13-17.  It is going to happen. Marana'tha!