Israel has found yet another massive deposit of natural gas, this time 37 miles off the coast of the Israeli city of Hadera.
As reported in Israel Finds the Mother Lode in January 21, 2009, Israel this year had already discovered only 56 miles west of the northern port of Haifa an estimated 3 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in three enormous underwater gas reservoirs, with that estimate continuing to grow as the gas deposit is explored. Israel Today in their March 29, 2009 article "More natural gas discovered off Israeli coast" reports that this new Hadera gas find could, as one of Israel's Noble's Energy partners claims, "be the largest natural gas find in history, and would transform the Israeli economy for the better for decades to come." What this means for Israel is that they will no longer be dependent on any other nation for its natural gas needs, and instead Israel will become a major natural gas exporter for the region, rivaling even Russia's exports.
What will this amazing predicament mean in the unfolding scheme of Bible prophecy?
Israel is now an even hotter commodity than it already has been. Besides the world wanting control of Jerusalem for its religious importance (Zechariah 12:1-3) and their hostile Arab neighbors coveting the financial importance of Israel's newly restored and agriculturally bountiful land, now these massive gas deposit finds will indeed make Israel a very rich country.
Israel's wealth as recorded in Ezekiel 38:7-13 is the main motivator for the armies of God and Magog, known today as Russia and Iran, to invade Israel in its desire to seize their wealth.
"'Get ready; be prepared, you and all the hordes gathered about you, and take command of them. After many days you will be called to arms. In future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations, and now all of them live in safety. You and all your troops and the many nations with you will go up, advancing like a storm; you will be like a cloud covering the land.
This is what the Sovereign LORD says: On that day thoughts will come into your mind and you will devise an evil scheme. You will say, "I will invade a land of unwalled villages; I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting people—all of them living without walls and without gates and bars. I will plunder and loot and turn my hand against the resettled ruins and the people gathered from the nations, rich in livestock and goods, living at the center of the land." Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish and all her villages will say to you, "Have you come to plunder? Have you gathered your hordes to loot, to carry off silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods and to seize much plunder?'"
Israel continues to get a whole lot more valuable to the world, and it won't be too long before some nations try to take that value for themselves. As Ezekiel 38:17-23 prophesies, God has other more final plans for the invaders.
[For more on Ezekiel 39-39 and the Gog-Magog Battle, check out the article series Timing Gog-Magog.]
Related Links
Noble Energy announces another Israeli find - Houston Chronicle
Natural gas reserve discovered off Hadera coast - Ha'aretz
Noble Energy Announces Second Natural Gas Discovery Offshore Israel at Dalit - FOXBusiness