Global SITREP C10-22: The Kings of the East Revisited

The East

23 August 2022: It's been twelve years since the original The Kings of the East was published on Eschatology Today, so with recent events (strong rumors of war) an update would be most appropriate. The above link is for your reference to that original, and to contrast with this update. 

Before beginning a series of notations, none of these notes have been at the forefront of any eschatological treatment published to date and to my knowledge. These notes are things that have come to mind, rather swiftly out of the blue in the past couple of days. I asked the Lord, "What have I missed? How can this subject possibly be updated?" Swiftly came His response, praise God!

The first thing to note is that the prophetic reference is to multiple kings of the east. This reference does not indicate just the Communist Chinese of the People's Republic of China (PRC) even though that nation remains the most militant threat to nations on the Pacific Rim. 

The second thing to note is that the word "kings" is plural, indicating several countries of the eastern hemisphere are involved, and their involvement in the events of the 70th Weeks of Years is specific to that time. 

Thirdly, and most importantly to note is the God-breathed Biblical defining from the text of The Apocalypse of Jesus Christ, is that these multiple kings (a grouping of Asian nations) all exist to the east of the River Euphrates. Even a cursory glance at a world map will illustrate how many nations exist on the continent of Asia to the east of the Euphrates River.

There is also a fourth note to make, all too briefly touched upon in the original linked posting above. That is the prophetic fact that their involvement in Middle Eastern or even global conflict, occurs at a minimum of two specific points in the span of the seven years of the 70th Weeks of Years. The first point is at the start of the Megas Thlipsis (Great Tribulation), or three and one-half of the 70th Week. 

We see this in Daniel 11:40-44, when the Western antichrist commences his empowerment in the final 42 months. Here the antichrist is at war with the king to the South and the king of the North. And then again at the end of those 42 months when the Euphrates has been dried up to prepare the passing of the massive army under the command of the kings of the East. This is the final battle at Har Megiddo (Armageddon).

Also worthy of being noted: there is no mention of the kings of the East within the context of Ezekiel 38/39. This is true even though some of the allied nations with Gog of Magog are, by geographic definition, found in Central Asia. Russia itself is both a European and an Asian nation as we've noted previously in the Ukraine war SITREPs.

Hopefully, this SITREP will have put some meat on the bare bones of what has been put forward thus far regarding the prophetic kings of the East.

Global SITREP C9-22: What Next?

Interim PM Lapid, DM Gantz and IDF Staff

Update 23 August 2022: It's as if certain anticipated events are in a holding pattern, which Eschatology Today views as the Restrainer being actively engaged in restraining evil forces. Human tongues continue to wag with incessant and relentless threats of violence (wars and rumors of wars) and it seems in several arenas the world stands on the top end of slippery slopes to disaster - in the WESTPAC, in Ukraine, Serbia-Kosovo, the Horn of Africa and all around Israel, most notably in the north. Any one of these points of conflict could erupt without notice, and particularly in Ukraine in less than 24 hours from now and in Lebanon within the next nine days. In the meantime we'll look to the East with the next SITREP. 

8 August 2022: Per the IDF, Operation Breaking Dawn is officially ended in a cease fire - as long as Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) holds its rocket fire. PIJ is a proxy for the Islamic Republic of Iran, so whatever quiet has been bought with Egyptian promises (to release PIJ operative Bassam al-Saadi) is tenuous at best. So, the question is, what next? A nuclear Iran? Hezbollah's threats of war? Temple Mount? It occurs that while we have multiple God-breathed prophecies there is no way for anyone to know, much less accurately speculate about what is next. For that we'll have to keep watching in real-time. It won't be long.

Global SITREP C8-22: Temple Mount (Tisha b'Av)

Rainbow over the Temple Mount (Moriah) and Mount of Olives

UPDATE 02 August 2022: In keeping with the theme of the SITREP, an item written by Rabbi Hagai Lundin (linked below) appeared in today's edition of Arutz Sheva (7 Israel National News) caught my attention, mostly because I've been expecting something along these lines to appear in Israeli media in conjunction with Tisha B'Av: Will the Temple Be Built This Year?  

The image above heads the Rabbi's article. I find it to be exceptionally appropriate in that its a type of canopy over both the Temple Mount and the Mount of Olives; it encompasses a scene of tremendous prophetic importance for both the children of Israel and Christians. If only the Jews were to realize what exactly it is they pray and fast so fervently for. They will, eventually, come to that realization but it will take the tragic events of Israel's 70th Week of Years to bring them, for the most part, to that realization. 

The land under this rainbow will be the prophetic scene of Revelation 11. Long-time readers will recall that we've covered some of this before. Almost exactly six years ago I made a re-post of what had originally appeared on Eschatology Today five years prior to that date in December 2011 regarding the text of that prophecy about The Two Witnesses. The nearness of the fulfillment of Revelation 11 begs for a re-visitation, and what better time than during the days of mourning and fasting in Israel. 

The point to re-emphasize here is that the 3rd Temple, which the word of God makes very explicit, is standing, completed and in use as the Two Witnesses begin their prophetic one thousand two hundred sixty day ministry.

To be continued shortly...

28 July 2022: Today marks the first day of the month of Av. As most know very well, the 9th of Av has historically been a day of mourning, deprivation, prayer and fasting in commemoration of the calamities that have befallen the Israel on Tisha B'Av due to a manifest lack of faith and failure to observe the ordinances of God. 

Tisha B'Av is the culmination of the first nine days of Av, and which extends to the previous three weeks as that is when several Roman legions began their siege of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount in 70 AD. While this date has no real significance of Christians, it marks 3,335 years since the first of several tragic events dating back to the time of the Exodus and the deliverance of Israel from bondage in Egypt.

As Christians we should recognize that these events in Israel's history are a progression, a process that eventually will lead to all Israel being redeemed in the Blood of our Messiah, Jesus Christ. We recall what occurred during the Exodus that caused Moses to break the first set of tablets, inscribed by the Divine finger of God Himself. How utterly priceless were those tablets! No one knows what truly became of them even though oral tradition says that were carried in the Ark of the Covenant. Purely speculative, but the breaking of those tablets when Moses saw the golden calf and Israel worshipping its as their god might seem as the initial in a multiple millennia long series of Tisha B'Av tragedies. 

Today this day Israel remains under the terms of the covenant God told Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab (Deuteronomy 29:4). Read the entire chapter for context, and Paul's reference to this in Romans 11:8.

Further, we're told that the first Tisha B'Av event occurred in 1313 BC when the spies returned from scouting the land and the children of Israel balked at entering the Promised Land due to the bad report and that God's response was for that generation to wander in the wilderness for 40 years, to die there and their children would be the first to enter Eretz Israel.

Then came the destruction of the First and Second Temples on Mount Moriah, by the Babylonians and Romans respectively in 586 BC and 70 AD. This was followed by the revolt against Rome led by Simon Bar Kokhba and which ended with Simon Bar Kokhba and his Jewish Army in the town of Betar being utterly slaughtered by Roman legions on Tisha B'Av 135 AD.

Again, this is all part of an ongoing process, a process which will ultimately culminate with the prophetic verse in Ezekiel 39:29. This is how Eschatology Today thinks of the meaning of Tisha B'Av. 

Global SITREP C7-22: "After This"

19 July 2022: This is not a new topic on Eschatology Today, but it is most certainly a different treatment of the subject on the temporal facts of the Bride of Christ. These are unassailable, undeniable facts since they come directly from God, through Jesus Christ to John the revelator on Patmos circa 90-95 AD. 

There have been innumerable discussions of the timing of our Harpazo, but unless I've had a "senior moment" or two, and having read the Scriptures many, many times, I do not recall ever seeing before what the Lord brought to my attention this time around. I selected the image above as it pretty accurately frames the scene presented by John in chapter 4 of The Apocalypse (Revelation) of Jesus Christ.

Where else have we read in Scripture about a door opening into heaven and the Lord receiving humans unto Himself as the Bridegroom? In Matthew 25:1-13 a door opens and then is shut, and those who entered through the door entered into a wedding. I have always seen this parable as one pointing to the Harpazo.

And so, in Revelation 4 we also the perfect vision of the Harpazo of the Bride of Christ, perfect because as just stated, it came from God the father, to the Son Jesus Christ to John on Patmos. And here is what struck me like I've not been struck previously.

"After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.”"

Everything which follows in what John is given to reveal is what takes place after the Harpazo. That means, clearly, that the opening of the scroll by the Lamb of God that has the Seven Seals happens after the Harpazo. All of the judgments within those seven seals happen after the Harpazo. 

We have all long been aware that the 70th Week of years, the Millennium Kingdom of Christ and Eternity all take place after the Harpazo, but in the above verse we're told point blank that the Harpazo of the Bride of Christ is the first thing in the order of events. It's not after this or that event, but it is the first event in these last days that leads to Eternity.

Marana'tha!

Global SITREP C6-22: A New Emergent Prophetic Paradigm

Destroyed Russian Armor

11 July 2022: Meanwhile, over in Ukraine, Russian battlefield losses of personnel is now well north of 37,000 troops. Many thousands of main battle tanks (MBTs) like those above litter the Ukrainian countryside as rusting, burned out and rusting hulks of scrap metal and combustible materials. There will yet be many more joining them as Russian forces now face a major Ukrainian offensive featuring a 1 Million-man army armed with the latest and most lethal Western weaponry.

"Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, ordered the Ukrainian military to re-establish control over coastal regions in southern Ukraine. Ukraine is amassing a million-strong fighting force in order to achieve this goal."

Source: Oleksii Reznikov, Ukraine’s Minister of Defence, in an interview for The Times [of London]

Details: "Ukraine is massing a million-strong fighting force equipped with western weapons to recover its southern territory from Russia," The Times wrote.

Eschatology Today asks: How does a 100,000-man, demoralized, conscripted Russian army on foreign soil stand any chance of withstanding a highly motivated Ukrainian military force 10 times its size and armed with the best and most lethal and powerful conventional weapons the Western alliance has to offer?

Might the coming days and weeks show evidence of the Hand of God at work in a process of turning Russia's vaunted military force into a mere shadow of its former regard as an unassailable juggernaut; might this all be in preparation for the "hooks" to drag the Russian armed forces to its ultimate destruction of the mountains of Israel? 

The old 20th Century "Cold War" era notion, used by all Bible prophecy interpretations for a minimum of the past 60 years no longer holds water in the second decade of the 21st Century - as the ill-conceived war in Ukraine has proven in the clear view of the whole world.

Eschatology Today answer: A new prophetic paradigm now exists and we are all seeing it manifesting before our eyes in real-time.

Global SITREP C5-22: The Unfulfilled Prophecy of (Yehoshua) Joshua 13

 

UPDATED 26 JULY 2022: Eschatology Today's military assessment (see below) of three weeks ago is now a direct threat of war launched by Hezbollah (which thoroughly controls Lebanon), and by extension the Islamic Republic of Iran, against the State of Israel. The threat of war on Israel was televised live throughout Lebanon last night (Monday, 25JULY22) on Hezbollah's television channel Al-Mayadeen.

Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah, who answers directly to Iranian Supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei, yesterday announced: "We will go to war. The decision to go to war is in Israel's hands; what we will do depends on Israel's conduct. If things drag into a war, the Lebanese people should trust Allah and Hezbollah to succeed in imposing Lebanon's will on the enemy [Israel]." 

The core of Nasrallah's declaration is not only the subject of this SITREP (the NATGAS rig on the offshore Karish field in Israel's exclusive economic zone, but ALL of Israel's offshore oil and natural gas rigs in the Mediterranean Sea. Nasrallah got specific: "All of the gas fields are under [Hezbollah's] threat and not just Karish. There is no Israeli target, at sea or on land, that Hezbollah's precision missiles {built and supplied directly by Iran] cannot reach. If Israel produces gas from Karish in September and Lebanon does not get what it deserves, we are going to have problems.

As noted three weeks ago, the Karish FPSO NATGAS rig operated under contract with Energean is expected to begin extraction of the 1.4 billion cubic feet of natural gas in September. Millions of cubic feet of the Karish product will go to the EU effectively substituting the NATGAS Russia had been supplying via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline.

4 JULY 2022: Joshua (Yehoshua) chapter 13 remains, in its totality, an unfulfilled prophecy. There is no question that this book is inspired Scripture and it was authored initially by Joshua, a man whom God had directly appointed as the leader of all Israel following the death of Moses. Following the death of Aaron Eleazer became the High Priest of Israel. Eleazer and his son Phinehas filled in historical data and commentary for this book following Joshua's death at the age of 110. 

Eschatology Today has often referenced Joshua 13 as being inclusive with the whole of the Psalm 83 prophetic scenario which also includes Isaiah 11 and Ezekiel 28. Recent events and the specifics of the time in which we live strongly suggest that this prophecy stands at the threshold of fulfillment as part of the entire scenario. The gist of it is that all Lebanon will soon be conquered by Israel. Here the concern is specifically Joshua 13:1-7 (NKJV), which reads:

Now Joshua was old, advanced in years. And the Lord said to him: “You are old, advanced in years, and there remains very much land yet to be possessed. This is the land that yet remains: all the territory of the Philistines and all that of the Geshurites, from Sihor, which is east of Egypt, as far as the border of Ekron northward (which is counted as Canaanite); the five lords of the Philistines—the Gazites, the Ashdodites, the Ashkelonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites; from the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians as far as Aphek, to the border of the Amorites; the land of the Gebalites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrise, from Baal Gad below Mount Hermon as far as the entrance to Hamath; all the inhabitants of the mountains from Lebanon as far as the Brook Misrephoth, and all the Sidonians—them I will drive out from before the children of Israel; only divide it by lot to Israel as an inheritance, as I have commanded you. Now therefore, divide this land as an inheritance to the nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh.”

From the beginning of Israel's rebirth in 1948 to the present there have been numerous military conflicts, invasions, special operations and other critical events between Israel and Lebanon, which has long been within the grasp of the Shi'a Twelvers of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the IRGC-Qods Force (QF) and their proxy army Hezbollah. All of these incidents may now be coming to a head as Hezbollah made an attempt two days ago at military reconnaissance or an actual attack against a NATGAS platform in the offshore Karish gas field with a sortie of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs or Drones). An IAF F-16I Sufa and and INS missile corvette shot all three UAVs down within minutes of their arrival at the Karish platform. 

The source for much of this data comes from OSINT; the ALMA Research and Education Center was found to have the best overall product, particularly the included imagery. 

The Energean FPSO NATGAS platform at Karish

Map to locate the Karish gas field

The Iranian-made UAVs used in the IRGC-QF/Hezbollah attempted strike against the contracted Energean power drilling rig known as a Floating Production Storage Offloading (FPSO) rig occurred following recent threats by Hezbollah to attack this rig as a military target. Israel has a contract with Energean to extract NATGAS from the Karish field as of September 2022. Therefore the enemy action of this weekend is no surprise; Israel has "eyes on" all three UAV from the moment they became airborne, indicating a robust intelligence effort is ongoing. Perhaps the IRGC-QF and Hezbollah cannot so much as bat an eyelid without Israel knowing about it immediately. 

In any event, according to the text of Joshua's prophecy, the next "Lebanon War" will bear no similarity to any of the previous. 

So now, in conclusion with respect to the title of this SITREP C5-22, "The Unfulfilled Prophecy of Joshua 13," let me be as clear as the Holy Spirit will permit. 

The text of Joshua 13 is quite explicit, and because of this I simply surmise that those who have read it or studied it fully may not have been given the spiritual insight to comprehend its message. 

Consider: Joshua was about 92 years old, but his age is not stated in terms of years, but we know from elsewhere in the Scriptures that he lived to be 110. So Joshua lived another 18 years, but was not allowed to complete the task of conquering "very much of the land yet to be possessed." This sentence should be flashing in red before all eyes which read it. That's what is meant by it being obvious. The promised land, promised to Israel by God, yet to be possessed is still "very much." God keeps all of His promises!

God did not allow Moses to enter into the promised land, his task was simply to lead Israel out of Egyptian bondage and to the doorstep of Eretz Israel. Moses fulfilled only that which God had tasked him to complete. And has there ever been a military commander on this earth who led a conquering army at the age of 90-plus years in the history of the world? Most that I am aware of were retired a minimum of a quarter-century earlier than 90 years of age. But God and the Holy Spirit powered Joshua to the point that Scripture tells us. 

So, it remains to another future leader of Israel to complete the assigned mission of gaining the "very much land yet to be possessed." If one looks at a map, with the text as a guide, it is a whole lot more land than all of Lebanon - it includes much of western Jordan and western Syria (Aram) and even further to the south (Sinai, Egypt). The locations named in the text are explicit. This is inspired, God-breathed prophetic text, and therefore it is inerrant and will be fulfilled. Other Scriptures, such as those by Asaph, Isaiah, Ezekiel, among others, also make this explicitly clear. Scripture informs us in no uncertain terms that we are understand the clear distinction between the land to be conquered by Joshua/Israel and a future military commander of Israel.

And then there is the distribution and inheritances of ALL this land, but that is almost without a doubt something accomplished during the Millennium Kingdom of Jesus Christ, and something for future historians to notate. I hope this conclusion has assisted in the understanding of the process of multiple prophetic fulfillments, many of which are imminent in the conclusion of this generation.

Global SITREP C4-22: Expectation of a Crescendo - Part II

French paratroopers make a combat jump into Estonia

UPDATE 27 June 2022: NATO announced today that the size of its Rapid Reaction Force (RRF) will increase in size eight-fold from 40,000 troops to 320,000 troops. This increase is unprecedented in the history of NATO and a direct response, albeit belated, to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. 

NATO SECGEN Jens Stoltenberg used diplomatic-speak in saying the eight-fold increase is due, in part, to NATO entering into "an era of strategic competition." Horsefeathers! It's brute force being called up to meet head on with the brute force and not-so-subtle sabre rattling of the Russian Federation. 

It is also not really surprising that this announcement was made today, just three days prior to the promised date (June 30th) of Russia's announced retaliation for the NATO "blockade" of its Kaliningrad enclave wedged in between Poland and Lithuania.

And Russia isn't the only strategic threat NATO is addressing with this expanding RRF as Communist China's threats to NATO and its partners in the WESTPAC region also are rapidly approaching critical mass. If any doubt arise concerning the prophetically important aspect involved one need only refer to Daniel 11:44. Yes, the world is that close, and getting closer with each passing day.

25 June 2022: Yesterday saw the SCOTUS render its decision to overturn an abomination that has plagued this nation for nearly 50 years. And we can make no mistake about it - this was a decision made by God Almighty, and we had a part in it in the 2016 election of Donald J. Trump to be President of the United States. No Democrat so elected would ever have made the reversal of Roe v. Wade a critical item on his/her agenda. In fact, neither Ronald W. Reagan nor the father-son tandem of George H.W. Bush or George W. Bush made a commitment to follow through on their campaign pledges to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Donald J. Trump made such a commitment and he followed through with it as the opportunity to nominate and seat truly conservative SCOTUS justices (Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and Barrett) was placed before him by our God. These three joined Justices Thomas and Alito, and therein lies the 5-4 decision victory for the sanctity of human life created in the image of God. Yes, God made the decision and He chose Donald J. Trump to effect its execution, even though the evil opposition was successful - at least and perhaps just temporarily - in removing him by illegal and unlawful means. Today and going forward, all churches who worship God can rejoice as one Church in Christ Jesus. 

This is a tangible reminder that our Sovereign God is in complete control; His Divine will has been done. As Christian Americans it will be our duty, fully armored by God, to maintain it by our votes in November, should we still be here to do so. Marana'tha!

24 June 2022: In yesterday's edition of Arutz Sheva's (7INN) briefs section was found a very interesting article by Rabbi Nachman Kahana. This article informed about the ancient Israelite practices following the Exodus from Egypt and how each breaking down of an encampment had four Levites chosen to carry the Holy Ark to the next encampment site. At this time the Holy Ark led Israel into the battles to secure the Promised Land. 

Going forward, and following the destruction of the Second Temple, it became customary to construct batei knesset (synagogues) according to the basic design of the interior of the previous Temples. According to rabbinic tradition (and opinion) the Aron HaKodesh housed Torah scrolls just as the first two Temples had the Holy of Holies (Kodesh Kedoshim) within which was the Holy Ark that contained the broken pieces of the first Tablets, the two whole replacement Tablets and a Torah scroll. To this day the Torah scrolls are contained in a symbolic Ark which is adorned "with esthetic and artistic accessories because they are sanctified entities and the closest objects Israel has today to the Temple (Bet Hamikdash) and the Holy Ark." 

IDF Major Ronen  Aharon is the commander at the HQ of the military rabbinate near Ramle, Israel. It is here that one will find hundreds of Torah scrolls, many donated to Israel's Ministry of Defense, that are being meticulously prepared for delivery IDF unit, from the northern border to the Sinai where the original Torah was received. This is being done in accordance with Israeli military law for every active and called-up reserve unit of the IDF. As in the image above, the highly revered Torah that each unit receives lead that unit into its deployment. As Rabbi Kahana makes clear, cost is no object in this endeavor. The IDF goes henceforth into battle led by hundreds of meticulous copies of the Holy Torah.

Israel Mapping Hezbollah's Military Sites

23 June 2022: With a hat-tip to our brother-in-Christ Chuck, Eschatology Today is pleased to present Part II of our "Expectation of a Crescendo" series SITREP. Additions to SITREP C4-22 will be added as we move forward or as they happen.

The information presented here can be found, and is free to all, at the website of the ALMA Research and Education Center. Consider a donation to the site if you are so led, as I have been. Mostly, I feel led due to the deterrence (and angst) the ALMA organization is causing and creating within the upper ranks of the terror organization. Much of that is due to simply the content published online and the effect it has been having. Especially the publishing of details about Hezbollah's military installations and sites in southern Lebanon. 

To be sure, much of this is very likely known to the intelligence services of the IDF, but there are likely aspects of the OSINT that have added to the overall intel picture the IDF possesses about Hezbollah's military sites. We've reported here many times over that the IDF's brass have stated abundantly that in the coming war Hezbollah will cease to exist. The prophecy of Joshua 13 would appear to foretell that coming reality in geographic detail.