Jan 31, 2013

Iran and Syria Vow Retaliation After Israeli Airstrike

Joel RosenbergBy Joel C. Rosenberg
JoelRosenberg.com

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What will be next?

As the implosion of Syria continues unabated, Israeli officials are increasingly worried that weapons of mass destruction positioned on Syrian soil will be used against the Jewish state. Or that they will fall into the hands of anti-Israeli forces. Or be handed over to anti-Israeli forces.

Israel attack

Syria, Iran Threaten retaliation Against Israel

Prime Minister Netanyahu and the IDF top brass are also deeply concerned about Iran's efforts to use the chaos in Syria to divert international attention away from stopping Tehran's nuclear weapons program. As I've written before on this blog—and explore in more detail in my forthcoming geopolitical thriller, Damascus Countdown—the corridor between Tel Aviv, Damascus and Tehran is the most dangerous corridor on the planet at the moment. Iran is getting closer to building The Persian Bomb. More than 40,000 people have been slaughtered inside Syria. The world is not taking decisive action to stop any of this. And there is a growing fear in the region that a countdown may have begun to something even more catastrophic happening in the not-too-distant future. I pray that it doesn’t. But governments are increasingly on edge, and for good reason.

Here's a snapshot of the latest developments in the last 48 hours:

"Israel bombed a suspected shipment of antiaircraft missiles in Syria on Wednesday, according to regional and U.S. officials, in its most ambitious strike inside its neighbor's territory in nearly two chaotic years of civil war there," reports the Wall Street Journal. "The early-morning strike in a border area west of Damascus targeted a convoy of trucks carrying Russian-made SA-17 missiles to Hezbollah, the anti-Israel Shiite militant and political group in Lebanon, according to a Western official briefed on the raid."

"Syria maintained that the accounts of a strike on an arms convoy near the country’s border with Lebanon were wrong. Instead, Syria’s military said, Israeli jets had attacked a military facility near Damascus," the Journal reports. "'Israeli warplanes violated our airspace at dawn today and directly struck one of the scientific research centers responsible for elevating resistance and self-defense capabilities in the area of Jamraya in the Damascus countryside,' Syria’s military said in a statement carried by the official Sana news agency. The attack killed two workers and injured five others, it said, and 'caused significant material damage and the destruction of the complex' and an adjacent parking lot. Syrian activists say the Jamraya site is in a mountainous area of military facilities and training camps located on a heavily guarded road just off the main Damascus-Beirut highway. Later Wednesday, a U.S. official said the accounts of two targets—a convoy of weapons, and a military site—weren’t mutually exclusive. The U.S. believes Israeli warplanes bombed a Hezbollah-bound convoy of antiaircraft missiles, U.S. officials said. The vehicles may have been close to a military facility, they said, cautioning their information remained incomplete."

Meanwhile, "Iran threatened that a reported Israeli strike in Syria would have 'grave consequences for Tel Aviv' on Thursday, days after saying that an attack on Syria would be seen as an attack on Iran," reports the Times of Israel. "Syria added that the attacks 'would not go unanswered.'"

"All options for a response against Israeli aggression are open," an official close to the Assad regime said, according to Syrian press reports. "The Zionists are trying to use the situations in Syria to restart the crisis when the government was managing to work toward a diplomatic solution."

"Angry statements from Russia, Iran and the militantly anti-Israel group Hezbollah underscored the risk that Israel's action—which analysts and Western officials described as an attempt to stop the transfer of weapons from Syria to Hezbollah outposts in Lebanon—could hasten the spillover of the civil war in Syria into a wider conflict," reports the Washington Post.

"Russia said on Thursday it was very concerned about reports of an Israeli attack in Syria and that any such action, if confirmed, would amount to unacceptable military interference in the war-ravaged country," reports Ynet News. "'If this information is confirmed, then we are dealing with unprovoked attacks on targets on the territory of a sovereign country, which blatantly violates the UN Charter and is unacceptable, no matter the motives to justify it,' the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement."

Jan 30, 2013

Report: Israel Hits Syrian Target; Israelis Scramble for Gas Masks

Ryan JonesBy Ryan Jones
Israel Today

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Israeli fighter jets attacked an unknown target along the Syria-Lebanon border overnight, according to Western security and diplomatic sources cited in the Israeli, Arab and mainstream medias.

One diplomat told Reuters correspondent Dan Williams that "there was definitely a hit in the border area."

That revelation came just hours after Lebanese army officials had confirmed the penetration of their airspace by Israeli jets several times in recent days.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned earlier this week that the transfer of Syria's chemical weapons to Lebanon's Hezbollah terrorist militia would result in preemptive Israeli action.

The Israeli fly-overs and the reported attack are believed to be connected to the monitoring and prevention of Hezbollah smuggling operations along the border.

Iron Dome

Israel has deployed two of its vaunted Iron Dome anti-missile systems to the northern port city of Haifa should the situation spiral out of control.

Israel's Home Front Command reports that it is receiving triple the usual number of requests for gas masks.

Jan 29, 2013

Iran’s Underground Nuke Site Struck?

Ryan MauroBy Ryan Mauro
WorldThreats.com

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The biggest blow in the covert campaign against Iran’s nuclear program may have just been delivered. It is reported that a mysterious explosion was set off inside the underground enrichment site at Fordo on Monday. The Iranian regime predictably denies the report. Anonymous Israeli officials have confirmed that an explosion took place, but the White House says it doesn’t believe the report is credible.

The original report was written by "Reza Kahlili," a former CIA spy inside the Iranian Revolutionary Guards who is now in the U.S. and active in the Iranian opposition. His source is Hamid Reza Zakeri, a former Iranian intelligence officer who defected in 2001. Zakeri claims to have worked in Supreme Leader Khamenei’s Intelligence Office and his information helped convince Judge George Daniels to rule in December 2011 that Iran and Hezbollah hold responsibility for the 9/11 attacks.

Fordo

Conflicting Reports Surround Explosion at Iran’s Fordo Nuclear Plant

The Fordo site is about 300 feet under a mountain in order to protect it from aerial attack. It can hold about 3,000 centrifuges, which is far from what is needed for a domestic nuclear program but adequate for nuclear weapons. This is the site drawing the most concern of those that have been publicly disclosed because it is also where Iran is storing the uranium it has enriched to 20 percent. Nuclear expert David Albright says that 20% enriched uranium can be brought to bomb-grade level in as little as six months using 500 to 1,000 centrifuges.

The explosion reportedly took place at about 11:30 in the morning inside the third centrifuge chamber that lies above the stock of enriched uranium. The blast disabled two elevators, leaving no way to rescue the 240 personnel stuck inside. The report says that traffic was blocked off for 15 miles and the Tehran-Qom highway was temporarily closed off. There was no evacuation of nearby residents.

The Iranian regime denies that any explosion took place. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said, "We have no information to confirm the allegations in the report and we do not believe the report is credible." Anonymous Israeli intelligence officials, on the other hand, confirmed that an explosion took place and said that the damage is still being assessed.

It is difficult to determine the impact of the alleged explosion on Iran’s nuclear ambitions because the program’s full extent is unknown. Kahlili has identified three other secret nuclear sites and a biological weapons site. His sources report that the regime is making progress in warhead production, uranium enrichment and plutonium reprocessing at these sites. He recently provided a briefing on these activities in a RadicalIslam.org webinar on Iran’s nuclear program.

The explosion would be just the latest in a series of likely covert operations against Iran’s nuclear program. In January 2012, the number of killed nuclear scientists rose to five. In December 2011, there was an explosion at a steel plant in Yazd. In November 2011, an underground facility next to the Isfahan uranium conversion site was destroyed. That same month, a Revolutionary Guards missile base blew up, killing the top missile engineer. The previous month, an ammunitions stockpile at another Revolutionary Guards missile base at Khorramabad exploded. And of course, there is the famous "Stuxnet" cyber attack on the Natanz centrifuge site.

The reported explosion comes as Mohammad Reza Heydari, a former Iranian consul in Norway that defected in 2010, warns that Iran is trying to build two or three nuclear weapons as "insurance" but would use them against Israel or another enemy country. He also said that Venezuela is sending uranium to Iran and that our fears about the regime’s beliefs are warranted.

"They are busying themselves with ideological preparations for the arrival of the Hidden Imam and are preparing the ground for that in a practical way, for this purpose, they are willing to spill much blood and destroy many countries," he said.

Hagel Nomination Undermines Credibility

A successful covert strike on Iran’s nuclear program is vital in order to demonstrate strength in the wake of the nomination of Chuck Hagel as Secretary of Defense. Iran expert Kenneth Timmerman reports that "the Iranian regime loves Chuck Hagel" and that its state-controlled press is interpreting his nomination as a sign that the U.S. is eager for a "grand bargain."

The Hagel nomination undermines the credibility of the U.S. pledge to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, even if it means military action. In 2006, Hagel said a military strike "is not a viable, feasible, responsible option." The Iranian regime certainly knows of his record, which even includes opposing the designation of the Revolutionary Guards as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.

The Iranian regime will also doubt that the U.S. would support Israeli action. In 2006, Hagel criticized Israel’s offensive against Hezbollah, decrying the "systematic destruction of an American friend [Lebanon]" and declaring, "this madness must stop." If Hagel wouldn’t support an Israeli offensive against Hezbollah, then there’s little reason for the Iranian regime to believe he’d support an Israeli military offensive against its nuclear program.

We should hope that the report of an explosion inside the Fordo site is accurate. Only strong action will convince the Iranian regime that its enemies are capable and—most importantly—willing to stop it.

Jan 28, 2013

Obama Secretly Pledges to Divide Jerusalem

Aaron KleinBy Aaron Klein
Klein Online

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Now that he has secured his second term, President Barack Obama has already secretly pledged to the Palestinians he will press Israel into a new round of so-called land-for-peace negotiations, a top Palestinian Authority negotiator told KleinOnline.

The negotiator said top members of the Obama administration told the Palestinians the U.S. president will renew talks aimed at creating a Palestinian state in the so-called 1967 borders—meaning in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and, notably, eastern Jerusalem.

Barack Obama, Benjamin Netanyahu, & Mahmoud Abbas

Obama to Push for New Talks in Second Term

The negotiator further revealed when it comes to dividing Jerusalem, Obama wants to rehash what is known as the Clinton parameters.

That formula, pushed by Bill Clinton during the Camp David talks in 2000, called for Jewish areas of Jerusalem to remain Israeli while the Palestinians will get sovereignty over neighborhoods that are largely Arab.

KleinOnline previously reported how Palestinians are building illegally in Jewish-owned areas of Jerusalem, changing facts on the ground and resulting in Arab majorities on certain neighborhoods.

This is not the first time the Palestinians are claiming Obama will push for new talks during a second term.

Just before November’s presidential election, a senior PA negotiator claimed to KleinOnline if Obama secures another four years in office, he will use his second term to target Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the main party to blame for the collapse of Mideast peace talks.

The negotiator further claimed Obama quietly pledged to the Palestinians a campaign at the United Nations to renew U.N. Security Council Resolution 242, which calls for a Palestinian state in the "1967 borders."

The negotiator further said Obama had promised the PA that the establishment of a Palestinian state will be one of the main priorities for a second term.

"We were told that the negotiations for a Palestinian state will be a main goal for Obama," said the negotiator. "Netanyahu will be declared the main person responsible for the collapse of the peace process."

Jan 25, 2013

The Coming Kingdom (Part 12)

Andy Woods

Dr. Andy Woods
Sugar Land Bible Church

Because today's evangelical world believes that the church is experiencing the Messianic kingdom, we began a study chronicling what the Bible teaches about the kingdom. This earthly kingdom is anticipated in the office of Theocratic Administrator that was lost in Eden, in the biblical covenants, in the predictions of the Old Testament prophets, and in the earthly theocracy governing Israel from the time of Moses to Zedekiah. This theocratic arrangement terminated with the initiation of the "Times of the Gentiles" when the nation had no king reigning on David's Throne as Judah was trampled by various Gentile powers. Against that backdrop entered Jesus Christ, the rightful Heir to David's Throne. Had first-century Israel enthroned Christ, the earthly kingdom would have become a reality. Despite this unprecedented opportunity, Israel rejected the kingdom offer (Matt. 12) leading to the kingdom's postponement.

Due to this postponement, Christ explained the spiritual conditions that would prevail during the kingdom's absence. This interim program includes His revelation of the kingdom mysteries (Matt. 13) and the church (Matt. 16:18). This interim program was explained in detail in prior installments. The important point to grasp is that neither the kingdom mysteries nor the church represent the fulfillment of God's Old Testament kingdom promises. Rather, they epitomize fresh works of God independent of the Old Testament kingdom expectation. Thus, the kingdom will remain in a state of abeyance as long as God's present work in the world continues through His interim program.

Re-Offer of the Kingdom to Future Israel

However, one day the church's mission on the earth will be completed (Rom. 11:25b) resulting in the church's removal through the rapture. Then God, who is not forgetful of His prior unconditional covenants with Israel (Exod. 2:24; Ezek. 36:22), will re-extend the offer of the kingdom to national Israel in the midst of the coming Great Tribulation. As noted in prior installments, when the Abrahamic Covenant is considered alongside of the Mosaic Covenant, Israel's covenantal structure can best be understood as an unconditional covenant with a conditional blessing. Once the nation fulfills the condition of enthroning Christ, she will then become the possessor or enjoyer of what she unconditionally owns. This coming time of unparalleled distress is the means by which God's covenanted nation will become not just the owner but also the possessor of the covenanted blessings. Just as God today oftentimes brings people to Himself through tribulation, God will use the events of the coming Great Tribulation period to make Israel aware of her need for her Messiah (Yeshuah or Jesus). During this time, He will draw Israel to Himself. Thus, Jeremiah 30:7 predicts, "'Alas! for that day is great, There is none like it; And it is the time of Jacob's distress, But he will be saved from it."

The Antichrist will desecrate the Jewish temple midway through the future Tribulation period (Dan. 9:27; Rev. 13:15). In so doing, he will replicate a well-remembered historical event indelibly etched on the minds of the Jews, when Antiochus Epiphanies did virtually the same thing in the days of the Maccabees during the intertestamental era (Dan. 11:31). Once history repeats itself in this manner, the Jews, who had been trusting the Antichrist as their Messiah up to this point in time, will come to their spiritual senses and recognize that it is not the Antichrist who is their long-awaited Messiah but rather it is Jesus Christ who came into the world some two thousand years ago. It will take a betrayal of this magnitude to bring the nation to saving faith in Christ.

Once Israel trusts in Christ as her Messiah, she will have fulfilled the long unfulfilled condition found in the Mosaic Covenant. Once this condition is satisfied, that future generation of Jews will then enter into the unconditional covenantal promises thus ushering in the earthly kingdom not only for Israel but the whole world. This covenantal structure shows why Christ conditioned His Second Advent upon Israel properly responding to Him as her Messiah. Christ explained this condition to the Jewish people in Matthew 23:37-39. He said,

"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, 'BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!'"

In other words, first-century Israel's failure to fulfill this condition resulted in the kingdom not being established as well as the imposition of covenantal discipline in A.D. 70 (Deut. 28:49-50). Conversely, future Israel's fulfillment of the condition will be evidenced by the nation's citation of the phrase "BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!" This phrase comes from Psalm 118:26, which is a Messianic psalm (Matt. 21:9). Once this condition is met, Christ will return to rescue Israel and establish His kingdom through her (Matt. 24:30-31; 25:31).

Therefore, the fact that the Davidic Covenant is not being fulfilled in the present day in no wise negates its future fulfillment. When the disciples inquired as to when the kingdom would be restored to Israel, Christ never challenged the idea of an eventual fulfillment. Rather, He simply challenged the disciples' presupposition of its immediate fulfillment (Acts 1:6-7). In the future Tribulation period, the offer of the kingdom will once again be extended to Israel (Matt. 24:14). Unlike at the First Advent (Matt. 23:37-38), this time the offer will be accepted leading to Christ's return (Matt. 24:30-31) and subsequent earthly kingdom (Matt. 25:34; Rev. 20:1-10).

Worthy Is the Lamb

The Transfer of Earthly Authority

Thus, one of the dominant themes of the Book of Revelation is how this world is transferred from the grasp of Satan to the earthly Messianic kingdom predicted in the pages of the Old Testament. In other words, Revelation explains how the world will eventually transition from the rule that Satan has had on the world ever since the Fall in Eden (Luke 4:5-8; 2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:2; 1 John 5:19) to the future time in history when God and His people "will reign upon the earth" (Rev. 5:10b). Revelation 11:15 captures this theme when it says, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever."

The mechanism for this transition of authority is the seven-sealed scroll in Revelation, which represents the title deed of the earth. [1] As each of the seals is broken, another divine judgment comes upon the world thereby progressively loosening the grip that Satan has had on the planet ever since the Fall of Man. This reality explains why so many of Revelation's judgments bear a striking resemblance to the ten plagues of the Exodus. For example, the sores of the sixth plague (Exod. 9:8-12) resemble the first bowl judgment (Rev. 16:1-2). The rivers to blood of the first plague (Exod. 7:19-21) resemble the third bowl judgment (Rev. 16:4-7). The darkness of the ninth plague (Exod. 10:21-23) resembles the fifth bowl judgment (Rev. 16:10-11). The hail of the seventh plague (Exod. 9:22-26) resembles the seventh bowl judgment (Rev. 16:17-21).

What is the point of these similarities? God took His people out of four hundred years of Egyptian bondage (Gen. 15:13) in the Exodus. In Revelation, God will perform the ultimate Exodus by taking the entire world out of the Satanic bondage it has been under since the Fall. Each Exodus plague progressively weakened Pharaoh's resolve to hold Israel in captivity. Pharaoh's will was ultimately broken through the death of his first born as expressed in the tenth plague. In the same way, each divine judgment in Revelation will progressively weaken Satan's grip on the planet until finally the entire world will be transferred into the glorious Messianic Kingdom. The death of God the Father's "first born" son laid the groundwork for Satan's ultimate defeat (Rev. 5:9). Satan's sentence will finally be imposed as the scroll is progressively opened by God the Son.

Given the significance that the scroll of Revelation 5 plays in releasing the world from Satanic bondage, it is easy to see why John weeps when he first learns that none is worthy to open the scroll (Rev. 5:2-4). John weeps because he sees the world continuing indefinitely under Satanic bondage. Yet, the apostle John stops weeping (Rev. 5:5) when he learns that Christ is worthy to open the scroll because of His role in redemption (Rev. 5:9) and creation (Rev. 4:11). John stops weeping because the scroll can now be opened and thus the liberation of planet earth from Satan's ruthless rule can now begin.

Satan certainly does not want this transfer of authority to take place. He has enjoyed ruling the world for all of these centuries since Eden. He knows that once the kingdom comes he will be bound (Rev. 20:1-3) and eventually thrown into the lake of fire at the conclusion of the thousand years of Christ's earthly rule (Rev. 20:10). Thus, he has always worked in history to prevent the establishment of this coming Messianic kingdom (Rev. 12:9-10). Just as he sought to prevent Christ's First Advent (Rev. 12:1-5; Ps. 2:9), he will again try to prevent the coming kingdom by eradicating all the Jews (Rev. 12:1; Gen. 37:9-10) during the Tribulation period (Rev. 12:5-17). The logic of this preemptive attack is that if there are no Jews left to accept the re-offer of the kingdom and call Christ back to the earth (Matt. 23:37-39), then the kingdom will never come thereby allowing Satan to continue indefinitely as the world's unchallenged ruler. Yet, just as God worked to prevent Satan from thwarting the birth of Christ (Rev. 12:4-5), He will work once again in the future Tribulation period to protect Israel from Satanically inspired annihilation (Rev. 12:6, 13-16; Zech. 13:8-9). God will do this so that He can ultimately fulfill Israel's unconditional covenants thereby resulting in the manifestation of the earthly Messianic kingdom.

(To Be Continued...)

Endnotes

[1] Renald Showers, Maranatha Our Lord, Come! (Bellmawr: FOI, 1995), 88.


Jan 23, 2013

New Flights to Israel

David DolanBy David Dolan
DDolan.com

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Despite the fact that fighting is raging in neighboring Syria and tensions remain high with Iran, Israeli officials say tourist visits to Israel continues to blossom. The Israeli public continues to travel quite extensively as well, mainly to relatively close European destinations. Recently the Israeli national carrier, El Al, announced that it will be doubling its flights to and from London this year. Scandinavian airlines said traffic to and from Israel from the many European cities it serves is also going up, causing it to add several additional weekly flights to Tel Aviv. El Al says it will add the Danish capital city, Copenhagen, to its list of destinations later this year.

El Al

2012 Tourism Sets All-Time Record

Most foreign tourists travel to the Holy Land to see the country’s many historic biblical sites. In recent years, the Israeli government has been pouring millions of dollars into developing nearly 300 sites all over the small country, many near the Sea of Galilee. Twenty five of the projects are located in the eastern half of Jerusalem and other areas that the Palestinians claim for a future state, prompting protests from some Palestinian leaders.

Jan 21, 2013

Jerusalem and the Harlot of Revelation

Tony GarlandBy Dr. Tony Garland
SpiritandTruth.org

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Q. I just found your website and I really enjoy most of its content. It is set up in a great way and is really helping me understand idea's and concepts. it is encouraging to see others pour over these scriptures with fasting and prayer. I believe they are vital to understand.

My question is in regards to the Harlot of Revelation 17. You say in your notes that Jerusalem could not be the great harlot because she was not the one who started the harlotry, it was Babel/Babylon. I am leaning towards agreeing with you on this idea. I am currently in a discussion with a group of ministers in regards to this. They have been wondering why then, if Jerusalem is not the great Harlot, does almost every passage in the OT where the word harlot is used, it is referring to the nation of Israel? Also, I have heard it said that in order for one to become a harlot they would have had to have been in covenant with God. Israel is the only nation that was in covenant with God.

Thanks for you time and your diligent study of the scriptures.

A. I am pleased to hear that the materials on our website have been helpful to you as you continue to study the Revelation of Jesus Christ. I hope my additional comments can prove useful.

Why is the term Harlot so frequently applied to Jerusalem in the OT?

The main reason that Harlotry is more frequently associated with Israel and Jerusalem than other nations or cities in the OT is because Israel and Jerusalem were both specially chosen by God. Therefore, there is much greater emphasis upon Israel and Jerusalem than contemporaneous nations and cities. This is, in effect, why the OT—indeed the entire Bible—is so fixed upon the chosen nation and city. It is, from God's perspective, as if the other nations and cities are by-in-large secondary to the historic story-line of Scripture. It is because Israel and Jerusalem both enjoy a special relationship with God that God is especially upset by their harlotry and sends prophets to continually point out this grievous sin. So the frequency of warning relates to God's love and special relationship with the nation and city.

Must a Harlot be in Covenant Relationship?

The idea that for one to become a harlot they have to have been in covenant relationship with God is not supported by the Biblical evidence. A few examples demonstrate that this is so.

In Exodus 34, God warns the Israelites not to make a covenant with the surrounding pagan nations:

Take heed to yourself, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest it be a snare in your midst. But you shall destroy their altars, break their [sacred] pillars, and cut down their [wooden] images '(for you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name [is] Jealous, [is] a jealous God), lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they play the harlot with their gods and make sacrifice to their gods, and [one of them] invites you and you eat of his sacrifice, and you take of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters play the harlot with their gods and make your sons play the harlot with their gods. (Exodus 34:12-16, NKJV)

Notice that scripture identifies the practice of idolatry by the non-Israelite pagan nations as harlotry. These pagan nations were entirely separate from Israel and did not have a national covenant with God as Israel did.

In another passage, we see Isaiah apply the title of harlot to the Gentile city of Tyre:

Now it shall come to pass in that day that Tyre will be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king. At the end of seventy years it will happen to Tyre as [in] the song of the harlot: "Take a harp, go about the city, You forgotten harlot; Make sweet melody, sing many songs, That you may be remembered." And it shall be, at the end of seventy years, that the LORD will visit Tyre. She will return to her hire, and commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world on the face of the earth. (Isaiah 23:15-17)

Tyre was not in a special covenant relationship with God and yet was declared to be a harlot.

There are also examples where an unmarried woman is said to be guilty of harlotry (Lev. 19:29; 21:7-9,14; 22:13-22). A virgin who is not in a marriage covenant with a man can still be guilty of harlotry. Harlotry does not require either a national or marriage covenant to be in effect prior to committing the sin.

Other Reasons the Harlot of Revelation 17 is not Jerusalem

There are a number of additional reasons why the harlot of Revelation 17 cannot be Jerusalem:

  • Called Babylon—The harlot is also called Babylon. Revelation 17 and 18 are about the destruction of Babylon. This is the final fulfillment of the predictions made in Isaiah 13 and 14 and Jeremiah 50 and 51. In those chapters Israel and Jerusalem are contrasted with Babylon and the Chaldeans. These passages predict the overthrow of Babylon and the vindication of Israel and Jerusalem. Those who would teach that the harlot in Revelation 17, who is identified with Babylon (Rev. 17:5), is to be understood as Jerusalem must explain how it is that God's Holy Word, which Jesus said cannot be broken (John 10:35) can have its initial meaning completely reversed in fulfillment and still qualify as truth? How is it acceptable for God to prophesy the destruction of one city, but then "fulfill" that prophecy thousands of years later by destroying a completely different city? If so, then God is no longer a God of truth and Scripture is no longer inerrant. More than that, the prophecies as given to the original recipients were entirely misleading and essentially unknowable.

  • Euphrates—The river Euphrates is associated with the events transpiring in the Book of Revelation (Rev. 9:14; 16:12). Euphrates is associated with literal Babylon, not Jerusalem.

  • Global Scope—The harlot of Revelation 17 "sits on many waters" representing "peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues." This points to her global influence which much more naturally implicates Babylon, originally Babel, the first kingdom of man and the place where godless rebellion was globally dispersed by the introduction of languages.

  • The Mother of Harlotry—She is said to be the "Mother of Harlots and of the Abominations of the Earth". This speaks of her role as the originator of harlotry and abominations. This much more naturally applies to Babylon (in the form of Babel, Nimrod's kingdom, Gen. 10; 11) than to faithless Israel or Jerusalem who's harlotry originated elsewhere.

    Regarding Israel's harlotry, Ezekiel observes that it originated in Egypt (Eze. 23:8, 27).

    She has never given up her harlotry [brought] from Egypt, For in her youth they had lain with her, Pressed her virgin bosom, And poured out their immorality upon her. (Ezekiel 23:8)

    Ezekiel also points to the Hittites and Amorites as having been a source of Israel's harlotry:

    'Like mother, light daughter!' You are your mother's daughter loathing husband and children; and you are the sister of your sisters, who loathed their husbands and children; your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite. (Eze. 16:3, 44-45)

    Elsewhere, Ezekiel identifies those who commit harlotry with unfaithful Israel as having had their nativity in Babylon (Eze. 23:14-15).

    Clearly, the passages show that harlotry infected Israel from a preceding influence—the mother of Harlotry—Babylon.

  • Global Slaughter of Saints—In the harlot of Revelation is found "the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth". Although apostate Jews contributed to this bloodshed ("... that on you [all, plural] may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth", Mat. 23:34-39), this speaks of unbelieving Pharisees in Jerusalem of Jesus' day as agents participating in the historic influence of the harlot. The slaughter of saints has now far surpassed the time of Jesus in both number and global scope. This can be seen in the multitudes of Christian martyrs who have perished since then in countries and under regimes completely disconnected from Israel and Jerusalem, including Islamic movements and nations in Asia and Africa who are responsible for many Christian martyrs in our own day, not to mention Rome of the past. If the final destruction of Babylon the harlot is future—and there are many reasons which indicate so—then she must also account for all the righteous blood spilled since the time of Jesus from all around the world. It simply isn't possible to place this at the foot of Jerusalem alone. A global responsibility is in view which is completely in agreement with the idea that the harlot is Babylon, the culmination of the rebellion which initially began at ancient Babel and resulted in all non-Christian systems of belief (including Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Atheism, Darwinism, etc.). Restricting the harlot to be Jerusalem or Judaism is simply too narrow given the global scope of the Book of Revelation.

If language has any meaning and God is not the author of confusion, Babylon the Harlot in Revelation can only be made to represent Jerusalem by turning many OT passages entirely on their head.

For reasons why we believe the harlot of Revelation 17 is the city of Babylon rather than a separate entity, see our Revelation Commentary which discusses the unity of chapters 17-19 in the Book of Revelation.

Jan 16, 2013

Russia Building Toward Military Dominance

Chuck MisslerBy Dr. Chuck Missler
Koinonia House

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The U.S.S.R. has been gone for just over 21 years now, the terror it once exercised over the West deflated into a patched-up old Halloween ghost. Yet, despite the death of the superpower, Russia's determination to expand its military might has hardly waned. Russia has recently touted itself as producing the best military hardware in the world, and the nuclear power continues to provide all manner of weaponry to the buyers in the Middle East and elsewhere, despite complaints from the western countries whose enemies Russia is arming.

Russian President Vladimir Putin recently stated that Russia sold more than $14 billion in arms and services in 2012. Russia exports its weapons and hardware to eighty-eight countries. Fifty-seven countries are regular buyers, and India remains the largest buyer of Russian military equipment. Putin promises to increase his country's military spending by $770 billion from 2014-2020. Russia's booming sales and profits from their natural oil and gas resources have allowed them to increase their manufacturing of military hardware for export.

Russia's T-90, T-70 tanks, and Su-35M jets arm some of the strongest armies in Africa, namely Algeria, Uganda, and Chad. Business Insider has called the T-90 Russian battle tank "just as advanced" as the United States' M1 battle tank at more than half the cost. Russia plans to introduce the T-99 in 2014.

The Su-35 Russian jet is a twin-engine multi-role fighter, an old name on a new plane that Russia hopes will dominate the world market. Libya was a major buyer of the aircraft before the overthrow of the Gadhafi regime. Fresh talks between the new Libyan authorities and Russia are expected to resume military cooperation between the two parties. Libya recently signed a contract to upgrade 200 T-72 tanks, offering Russia another promising customer as it seeks to build business in the market of restoring, upgrading, and repairing military hardware.

Russia has a healthy portfolio of agreements with Iraq worth more than $4 billion. Between tanks and aircraft, other countries have a shopping list of items to purchase from Russia's weapons and hardware store.

  • Russia's MSTA-S 152mm self-propelled howitzer has been in service since 1989. There are currently 800 in Russia's inventory. The uniqueness of this weapon is the fact that it can run on six different fuel types, among them diesel, gas, aviation fuel, and spirit alcohol.

  • The Sukhoi T-50 is Russia's fifth generation of stealth fighter jets a likely contender with the U.S. F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jet and slightly faster than the F-22 Raptor by 190 km/h. The Russian Defense Ministry plans to purchase 60 of these fighters by 2016 while confining the development cost to $10 billion with a lifespan of 30 years.

  • The Yasen-class submarine has been called the quietest sub in the ocean by the Office of Naval Intelligence. It carries up to 32 cruise missiles and is scheduled for ocean deployment by 2015 at a cost of $1.2 billion each. Perhaps the development of the Bulava, Sineva, and Layner ballistic missiles best describe why Russia is obsessed with submarines.

    These three submarine-launched ballistic-missiles (SLBM's) are the forefront of Russia's naval missile defense. The Layner SLBM is scheduled to augment the Bulava and has 12 warheads capable of piercing anti-ballistic missile defenses. The Bulava SLBM nuclear warhead carries six 150 kiloton bombs with an effective range of 6,100 miles. They are expected to be in operation this year.

Russia is also expanding its littoral water fleet navy with the Steregushchy-class corvette ships. There are currently three ships in service with three under construction, and two more for export to Algeria. At a cost of $150 million per ship exported, these vessels are far more affordable than the planned U.S. Littoral Combat Ships with their price tag of $1.2 billion each.

Eurasian Union

Eurasian Union

Russia's key plan to strengthen its conventional military and strategic nuclear capabilities is perhaps the forefront of Vladimir Putin's vision to enact a Eurasian Union. The U.S. State Department has accused Russia of using the Eurasian Union as a cover to "re-Sovietize" those countries that were part of the former Soviet Union.

One of Russia's closest allies is Syria. Syria has opened its port of Tartus, allowing Russia's Black Sea Fleet to base their warships as a strategic show of force against the Mediterranean NATO fleets. Russia has not confirmed that it has exported a supply of S-300 surface-to-air missile systems to the Syrian government leadership under President Assad.

Russia has maintained a strong military presence in Syria, causing a challenge for a future U.S. led intervention in that region. Russia's military advisors are currently manning Syria's sophisticated missile-defense systems. Moscow has upgraded Syria's old surface-to-air systems and deployed new ones since the Syrian revolution broke out 21 months ago. The strategic deployment of these defense systems makes it risky and costly for any future western campaign to support a no-fly zone or air strikes against the current leadership.

Guy Ben-Ari, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said:

"They [Russia] didn't just sell the equipment. They also help man the crews and train the crews. Sometimes, there is just no domestic capacity to run these systems, and that is the case in Syria where Syrian crews are not capable of using the equipment to its full capacity."

Moscow has invested a great deal in Syria, and it doesn't want to lose that investment.

Putin is determined to have his Eurasian Union become "one of the global poles of power." Some analysts speculate that Russia intends to increase its annual budget for national defense and security by 30 percent. A show of increased military strength at home and abroad is Vladimir's warning to the U.S. that he is prepared to defend his Eurasian Union policy—with force if necessary.

Jan 15, 2013

Obama: I Know What's Best for Israel

Ryan JonesBy Ryan Jones
Israel Today

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US President Barack Obama apparently believes that he knows better than Israel's democratically elected leader what is best for the Jewish state.

In further evidence that US-Israel relations will remain on the rocks for the foreseeable future, a prominent American columnist revealed this week that President Obama has been repeatedly stating that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is leading Israel toward isolation.

Atlantic

Obama: 'Israel Doesn't Know What Its Own Best Interests Are'

Jeffrey Goldberg, national correspondent for the Atlantic, wrote on the Bloomberg network that when Netanyahu recently announced plans to build new Jewish homes in Judea and Samaria in response to provocative Palestinian moves at the UN, Obama didn't even bother getting angry.

Goldberg noted that an "inured" Obama simply started telling people that "Israel doesn't know what its own best interests are."

The entire affair is representative of Washington's typical reaction to the failing Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

When Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas went to the UN in November to unilaterally seek recognition for a Palestinian state outside the framework, and in violation of, signed agreements, Obama opposed the move, but refrained from accusing Abbas of harming the quest for peace.

When Netanyahu responded by approving increased Jewish settlement construction, the White House was all too clear that the Israeli leader was hindering peace efforts.

This double standard has been a long-standing feature of the peace process.

Obama's remarks and the timing of their publication can also be seen as an attempt to influence Israel's upcoming election and scare Israeli voters from choosing Netanyahu.

Netanyahu's challengers are already playing on fears that he will damage vital US-Israel relations at a time when the Jewish state needs Western support in its nuclear face-off with Iran.

But unlike many Israeli politicians, Netanyahu knows well that Obama alone cannot turn the US against Israel, and that while the White House may be antagonistic toward the Jewish state, Congress and the majority of Americans lean far in the opposite direction.