Mideast War Could Break Out Tomorrow!

By Bill Salus

Rumors of war have reached an unprecedented level in the Middle East. Sabers are rattling higher and faster than ever before. Even Israel’s peace partners, Jordan and Egypt, are uttering wartime statements from high ranking officials.

Recently, Jordan’s King Abdullah told the Chicago Tribune, that a “summertime war is possible”, and at a press conference in Beirut on Saturday April 24, 2010, in a supposed slip of the tongue, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit referred to Israel as an "enemy.”

Alarmingly, Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem said on the same day, "The (Hezbollah) resistance is operating under the assumption that a war could break out tomorrow – so that we will not be caught by surprise in any way." On the same Saturday Ynet news published an article called “Syria threatens to send Israel back to 'prehistoric times.'”

It’s important to remember that, unlike Jordan and Egypt, Syria is still in a state of war with Israel. They don’t recognize Israel’s right to exist as the Jewish State or accept normalized national relations with Israel. The Syrian official was responding to a recent threat made by a high ranking Israeli minister who told the Sunday Times, Syria would be "sent back to the Stone Age" if Hezbollah launches ballistic missiles.

The rumors of war include the talk that Syria has recently shipped scud ballistic missiles across the border of Lebanon into Hezbollah’s hands. This is undoubtedly what the Israeli minister was alluding to. Reportedly, Iran’s president Ahmadinejad personally beseeched Syrian president Assad to deploy these missiles opposite Israel’s borders without delay.



In an important related matter, U.S. assistant Secretary of State, Jerry Feldman, told members of congress that the Obama Administration condemns in the “strongest terms”, Syria’s “provocative behavior” in transferring arms to Hezbollah. This is in direct violation of U.N. Resolution 1701 which demands the disarming of Hezbollah.

The Ynet news article quotes the Syrian official as saying, "Despite the fact that Syria has been outside the cycle of war since 1973, it did not sit idly by for even one day and is still working to develop its capabilities via missiles.”

White house correspondent, Bill Koenig of watch.org, informed me in December 2009 that Syria supposedly has the most advanced scud missiles in the world. Furthermore, end time's expert, Dr. David Hocking, told me at a February 2010 prophecy conference we spoke at that he has archived aerial photos of Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction, crossing the border into Syria just prior to America’s 2003 invasion of Iraq and subsequent ousting of Saddam Hussein.

Additionally, the Syrian official said “Syria has drawn lessons from Hezbollah's "success" during the Second Lebanon War and has since then developed "advanced methods of warfare."

In the summer of 2006, Hezbollah embarrassed Israel by stalemating the Israeli Defense Forces. This is something the Arabs were unable to do in any of their prior conventional wars with Israel. Syria along with many of Israel's other enemies have gleaned invaluable military strategies from that relatively recent 34 day conflict.

Hezbollah continually boasts about its ability to successfully wage war against Israel. It lavishes the opportunity to prove its proxy war power to Iran, Syria, and the Arab enemies of Israel. Syria and most of Israel’s enemies have seized the opportunity to fight their battles with Israel through Hezbollah. This has enabled them all to conduct dirty business without Jewish blood staining their own national hands.

Hezbollah epitomizes the ultimate goal of terrorism, which is to antagonize the restored nation of Israel and ultimately wipe it off of the map. This is the present attitude vocalized by Iranian president Ahmadinejad, and the stated goal of the Psalm 83 Arab confederacy in the near future.

A few of the prophecies on my radar regarding, Israel, Iran, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, and the Hezbollah are:

Israel – Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 38
Iran (Persia & Elam) – Ezekiel 38 & 39 and Jeremiah 49:34-39
Syria (Aram & Assyria) Isaiah 17:1, Jeremiah 49:23-27, and Psalm 83
Jordan (Ammon, Moab, & Edom) – Psalm 83 and Jeremiah 49:1-22, Ezekiel 25:14, Obadiah 1:18
Egypt (Hagrites and / or Hagarenes) – Psalm 83 and Isaiah 19:16-19

Biblical prophecies are clear: war is coming between Israel and its Arab enemies soon, perhaps within days. The hope of humanity for the past 62 years since the birth of Israel has been that a politically brokered peace treaty could be made between Israel and her Arab foes. However, that window of opportunity appears to be abruptly shutting. The Middle East is preparing for war, and so am I.

If war does break out, are you prepared? If war breaks out in the Middle East, it will have world-wide ramifications. Oil shipments may come to a halt and gas prices at the pump could skyrocket if available at all. Like dominoes food prices might skyrocket because of transportation costs and that could be followed by food shortages.

While attending a Hal Lindsey study about one year ago, he suggested people have about $20,000 cash on hand available, if they are financially able. Remember the lessons of Hurricane Katrina and don’t depend on the Government to come to your rescue. Food, water, and cash are essentials for survival in most all cases and I, for one, plan to have six months supply immediately available.

At the same time, I am not worried as God has made it clear not to do so, that these things must happen as He has prophesied. As a Christian I am prepared to use these unfolding events as a tool to evangelize others. I am also prepared to hear the sound of the trumpet and God’s voice signaling that I am about to be raptured to heaven. I am preparing for all contingencies—are you?

Related Bill Salus articles:
Is the Middle East about to go Apocalyptic?

Mideast Matters May Meltdown in 2010!

Mideast Matters May Meltdown in 2010!

By Bill Salus

Major Mideast wars are coming according to the Bible prophecies in Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 38-39. It would be prudent for people to prepare now, in 2010, for their soon and sequential arrivals.

It is public knowledge that as of December 2009 Iran, Syria, Hezbollah, and Hamas became allied together by bonafide war pacts against Israel. Iran is a member of Ezekiel 38-39 and Syria, Hezbollah, and Hamas appear to be identified in Psalm 83. These war pacts reportedly commit them to fight alongside each other should any of them come under attack by Israel. Had these war pacts been in place during the 22 day conflict between Israel and Hamas that ended in January 2009, the outcome could have been dramatically different.

Back then the Israeli Defense Forces (I.D.F.) seemingly ambushed Hamas with their retaliatory show of force and caught these others off guard. None of them were able to lift a finger to rescue Hamas from the pounding inflicted by the I.D.F. Iran’s nuclear program was incomplete, Hezbollah was in the process of restocking their rocket arsenals, and Syrian war scars from 1948, 1967, and 1973 made them reluctant to join alongside Hamas. Thus, these vowed enemies of Israel were reduced to sideline saber-rattling at the time.

However, matters have deteriorated and are quite different today. A brief review of Mideast events occurring since the Israel – Hamas war suggests the Fertile Crescent is presently a ticking end time’s bomb set to explode. In addition to the war pacts described above, here are a few more troublesome interim occurrences:

1. Israelis are being fitted for gas masks.
2. Israelis are preparing for a multi-front chemical war with Iran, Hezbollah, Syria, and Hamas.
3. Israel is constructing new and renovating thousands of old bomb shelters.
4. Israel is threatening a pre-emptive strike against Iran’s nuclear sites.
5. Iran could have a nuclear bomb within eighteen months.
6. Syria is now thought to have the most powerful scud missiles in the world.
7. Syria has reportedly shipped scud missiles to Hezbollah.
8. Syria has threatened to attack major Israeli cities in the event of war.
9. Hezbollah has declared that it can wipe out one-half of Israel’s army.
10. Hezbollah has been training for hand to hand combat inside Israeli cities.
11. Hezbollah and Syria reportedly have chemical weapons.
12. Hezbollah has stockpiled over 50,000 rockets.
13. Jerusalem and Tel Aviv are within rocket reach of Israel’s enemies.
14. Hamas reportedly has rockets that can reach Israel’s nuclear reactor in Dimona.

These are just a few of the numerous events that point toward war soon in the Middle East. The Israel – Hamas war created a heightened degree of animosity amongst Israel’s Arab and Persian enemies against Israel. As a result of the conflict, Turkey restricted relations with Israel and the Arab League voted unanimously again not to normalize relations with Israel.

Warranting additional concerns, King Abdullah of Jordan recently voiced serious dissatisfaction about his country's fragile peace treaty with Israel. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, he warned that "Jerusalem could blow up into another war" and declared "Jordan was better off economically before it made peace with Israel in 1994." Jordan and Egypt are the only Arab States presently at peace with Israel making Abdullah's statements extremely disconcerting.

Odds are strong that war is about to break out soon in the Middle East. Diplomatic solutions to resolve the conflict have continually failed. Relations between Iran and Israel, the Arab League and Israel, and even America and Israel are desperately tense and in a seeming state of disrepair.

At no time in Israel’s history has it ever faced an existential threat of the magnitude it faces presently. Israel’s ancient enemies possessed bows and arrows, but today the Jewish State faces arsenals that can wipe it off the map.

Humanity ought to now heed the war prophecies of the Bible and prepare for war rather than peace in the Middle East! These prophecies are scheduled to occur soon and sequentially each building upon the other. According to scripture the aftermath of these wars will lead to a one world order, construction of a third Jewish Temple, and the arrival of Antichrist.

Time is of the essence evidenced by events stage setting in the Holy Land. Christians, not knowing if they will experience these prophetic wars or be Raptured prior, should consider living each day on earth as though it were their last. In so doing, they will improve their Christian witness. These are the days when Evangelists and Eschatologists should work together in order to bring more people to Christ.

Psalm 83; The Alternative View of the Magog Invasion

Chuck Missler published the article below in his April 2010 Koinonia House Newsletter. In the article he quotes often from Isralestine, The Ancient Blueprints of the Future Middle East. (by Bill Salus)

The Missler article:
For many years we have been following the conventional view of Ezekiel 38 and 39, the ill-fated invasion attempt of Magog and its allies, notably Iran. With the growing tensions between Iran—as an ostensible nuclear power—and Israel, these passages are the subject of much current discussion and debate.

However, the conventional view still leaves a number of puzzling inconsistencies and contradictions. Ezekiel 38 indicates that Israel is dwelling safely and “without walls.” Yet, when we visit there we are confronted with a 430-mile-long wall 25 feet high. And being shelled continually with hundreds of missiles from both the Hamas and Hezbollah is hardly dwelling “safely. ”

It is also significant to notice that the motivation of the invasion attempt by Magog and its allies is to take spoil: gold, silver, cattle and goods.(1) The Ezekiel account also includes participants from distant lands.

This leaves us with a puzzling anomaly: the players listed in Ezekiel seem to exclude any of the bordering nations: Where are the
Palestinians? The Lebanese? The Syrians? The Iraqis? The Jordanians? The Egyptians? The Saudi Arabians? (Sheba and Dedan only appear as spectators rather than as participants!)

It is extremely provocative to contrast the attackers of Ezekiel 38 with the participants described in Psalm 83, which details immediate neighboring combatants. Furthermore, they also have a distinctively different agenda than the parties in the Ezekiel account:

Psalm 83

Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head. They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones. They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:
Psalm 83:1-5

This appears to be a significant difference from the motivation of Magog and his allies, which is to take spoil. These combatants are the immediate neighbors, which continue to harass and torment Israel today and are unabashedly committed to wiping Israel off the map!

Furthermore, the specific players highlighted here are nearby, and not the ones included in the Ezekiel account:

The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes; Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah.
Psalm 83:6-8

Many may be surprised that the identity of the “Tents of Edom” includes the “Palestinians” of today. This is a topic which will be treated in a separate follow-up article, tracing the origin of the "olam ebah"—the “Everlasting Hatred”—from the womb of Esau and Jacob, and Esau’s contempt of the covenant birthright, to Esau’s spiteful intermarriage with the Ishmaelites, continuing the “everlasting hatred” to this very day.(2) As the Babylonians took Judah into captivity, the Edomites (“Idumeans” in Greek), under pressure from the Nabateans in the east, moved west and established their own “Idumea” encompassing Hebron and environs.

The other members of the Confederation can be easily identified with any good concordance or Bible Handbook. (They are also explored in detail in our featured briefing pack, see page 8 of April 2010 Newsletter from www.khouse.org.)

Do unto them as unto the Midianites; as to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the brook of Kison: Which perished at Endor: they became as dung for the earth. Make their nobles like Oreb, and like Zeeb: yea, all their princes as Zebah, and as Zalmunna: Who said, Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession. Psalm 83:9-12

In pleading for the destruction of their current enemies, the Psalmist appeals to the God of Israel to do just as He did in their historical victories of the past.

O my God, make them like a wheel; as the stubble before the wind. As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountain on fire; So persecute them with thy tempest, and make them afraid with thy storm. Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O LORD. Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish: Psalm 83:13-17

The Judgment against Edom is mentioned in more Old Testament books than it is against any other foreign nation: (3) (Again, the origin, identity, and destiny of “Edom” will be subject of subsequent articles.)

All the members of the Confederacy detailed in Psalm 83 are Muslims. Each of them is the subject of specific judgments which are detailed in Ezekiel 25 through 32. However, the principal issue of the entire episode is to make a specific point:

That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth. Psalm 83:18

His name alone is Jehovah, not Allah, the moon-god. And the Abrahamic Covenant has not been repealed! If this view is correct, it suggests a very dramatic prelude to the events of Ezekiel 38.

Order of Events?

1. Israel is regathered in the Land (Ezek 37:12; Isa 11:11,12; Deut
30:3-5).
2. Ancient cities are rebuilt and inhabited (Ezek 36:1-5, 8-10).
3. They meet Muslim/“Arab” resistance (Jer 49:16; Zeph 2:8; Ezek
25:12; 32:5; 36:2; Obad 1:10).
4. Israel establishes an army for defense—see also #10 (Ezek 36:6,7;
38:8).
5. Adjacent Muslim nations Confederate (Ps 83:1-8).
6. The Confederacy is committed to the destruction of Israel (Ps
83:1-5, 12).
7. War starts between the Confederacy and Israel (Jer 49:2, 8, 19).
8. Title regained: “My people Israel” (Hos 1:8-10; Rom 9:25,26;
Ezek 36:8-12).
9. Israel decisively defeats the Confederacy (Obad 1:9, 18; Ezek
25:13,14; Jer 49:10,20,21, 23-26; Isa 11:12-14;17:1; 19:16,17).
10. Israel has become “an exceedingly great army” (Ezek 37:10; Jer
49:21).
11. Israel takes prisoners of war (Jer 48:46,47; 49:3,6,11; Zeph 2:10,11).
12. The Region is reshaped (Isa 17:1; Jer 49:2, 10; Zeph 2:4).
13. Israel expands its borders (Obad 1:19; Jer 49:2; Isa 19:18,19).
14. Israel “dwells securely” in the Land (Ezek 38:10-12).

This, then, would seem to set the stage for the subsequent events of Ezekiel 38 and 39. If this view is correct, there may be a huge surprise ready to unfold that will totally restructure the Middle East!

“The only certain barrier to truth is the presumption you already have it.” Our challenge is to keep an open mind and study diligently, continually reexamining the numerous presuppositions that tend to blind us all. We are, indeed, entering one of the most exciting times in the history of the Planet Earth! May the Holy Spirit be your personal guide as you continue your “treasure hunt” of searching the Holy Scriptures to prove that these things are so!

Bibliography (for some refreshing perspectives):
Salus, Bill, Isralestine, HighWay, a division of Anomalos Publishing House, Crane
MO, 2008.
Shoebat, Wahlid, Why I Left Jihad, Top Executive Media, 2005.
Notes:
1. Ezek 38:12,13.
2. Ezek 25:15; 35:5.
3. Cf. Isa 11:14; 34:5-17; 63:1-6; Jer 9:25-26; 25:17-26; 49:7-22; Lam 4:21-22; Ezek
25:12-14; 35; Joel 3:19; Amos 1:11-12; 9:11-12; Obad; Mal 1:4.

Click here to read entire Missler Newsletter