Israel at War: The Day of the Lord is Near: December 15, 2024
Obadiah 1:15
For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done (to Israel), it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.
About 30 years ago, I begin to preach about the Day of the Lord is Near as found in the Book of Obadiah. In my best selling book As America Has Done to Israel, I included a chapter about the Day of the Lord. The Day of the Lord is a reference in the Bible to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Obadiah gives a clear indicator to the immanent Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The key event is when Israel enters into an all-out battle with the Palestinians in which none of them survive.
I believe the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent war was the trigger for the battle described in Obadiah. This blog will keep you on the cutting edge of events leading to proving the Day of the Lord is Near and soon Second Coming of Jesus Christ. This can be proved by the Bible.
Obadiah 1:18 And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for the LORD hath spoken it.
Hamas even named the attack and war they started. It was call: Operation Al Aqsa Flood! This means the Temple Mount in Jerusalem! All the wars triggered by Hamas’ attack are heading towards Jerusalem where God will bring his final judgment on Islam. Incredible events are soon about to unfold, but if you understand Bible prophecy you know how it is going to end.
See my complete preaching and teaching about the Obadiah and the Day of the Lord is Near: McTteachingvideo.com Two of the videos follow:
Zechariah 12:3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.
ISRAEL: Latest Update (The * is for the latest postings)
*Annexation in the West Bank? ‘Not now,’ Trump signals
From article:”The Jerusalem Post has learned that senior Republican officials have cautioned Israel against pursuing annexation as Trump prepares to take office on January 20. “This would be a mistake,” one of the Republican officials was quoted as saying. “Israel is in a difficult international situation, and such a move will only do damage.” Trump and his Republican allies are prioritizing other Middle East objectives, including reviving the Abraham Accords, securing normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, and maintaining pressure on Iran, the sources said. Trump believes that focusing on annexation could detract from these broader strategic goals, they said. In recent weeks, calls for annexation have intensified. Several coalition members, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, have reignited the debate.”
*The Messy Syrian Conflict: Too Many Actors and Complex Alignments
From article:”Far from being a straightforward struggle between regime forces and rebels, it has become a tangled web of overlapping allegiances, ethnic and religious tensions, and geopolitical rivalries. The war has turned Syria into a battlefield for local, regional, and international actors, each pursuing conflicting interests. At the heart of Syria’s complexity lies the sheer number of actors involved. On one side are regime loyalists, led by President Bashar al-Assad (now deposed) and supported by external powers like Russia and Iran. On the other side, a kaleidoscope of rebel groups battles both the regime and, in some cases, each other. These include Turkish-backed groups like the Free Syrian Army (FSA), now rebranded as the Syrian National Army (SNA), and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former al-Qaeda affiliate that now seeks to present itself as a more moderate opposition force.”
*Israel Katz: New Syrian leaders ‘pretending’ to be moderate, pose danger to Israel
From article:”Defense Minister Israel Katz on Sunday said that the new rulers of Syria are “pretending” to be more moderate but present an increased danger to Israel. He said this is true “despite the moderate vision which the Syrian rebel leaders are presenting.”
Iran Threatens Jordan, Smuggles Arms to Palestinian Terrorists in Israel
From article:”If Jordan succumbs to Iran’s designs, it would create yet another front against Israel. Kata’ib Hezbollah, the leading Iran-backed terrorist group in Iraq, has pledged to arm 12,000 Jordanian volunteers if they would embrace the anti-Israeli “resistance.” Hamas official Khaled Mashaal also has been broadcasting to Jordan messages urging Jordanian citizens to join the “resistance.”
IDF troops reach Damascus’ doorstep, uncover Syrian military weakness
From article:”The 603rd Battalion of the IDF’s Combat Engineering Corps has reached Tel Hadar, the deepest point in Syria that Israeli forces have entered—10 kilometers from the Israeli border and just over 20 kilometers from Damascus.
Top US ally, SDF commander in Syria warns of ISIS return if Turkish airstrikes don’t stop
From article:”Gen. Mazloum worries about what would happen if the U.S. pulled its forces out of Syria right now. “We saw that the Russians – they have no further leverage in the country – same for the Iranians. So if now U.S. troops withdraw from Syria that will bring a vacuum.” He added the following warning: “We expect those Islamists, different factions to unite, to fight with ISIS and that will bring back tougher extremists, terrorist organizations back to the country.” The SDF Commander fears another bloody civil war could start if the new Syrian government in Damascus does not include different minority groups, like the Syrian Kurds.”
Netanyahu says Obama ‘demanded’ Palestinian state in first appearance at corruption trial
From article:””Obama made it clear to me that U.S. policy was going to take a sharp turn against the ideas I believed in,” Netanyahu recounted of his interactions with the U.S. in the early days of the Obama administration. “He saw Iran not as a threat but as an opportunity and saw a vital need for us to return to the ’67 lines and establish a Palestinian state here.” “I had to face great pressure to create a Palestinian state,” Netanyahu said. “[Obama] demanded it during the first meeting, he said: ‘Not even one brick will you build over the Green Line.’ I responded: ‘Half of Jerusalem is over the Green Line; for instance, the Gilo neighborhood.’ Obama said: ‘Gilo too.’ He demanded a total construction freeze, massive pressure. I had to deal with this, I had to deflect it, and it was no small matter.”
Netanyahu called to mind a disagreement with then-Secretary of State John Kerry, who was urging Israeli forces to withdraw from Judea and Samaria. “Kerry explained to me that my fear of placing security in Judea and Samaria in Palestinian forces’ hands was unfounded because the Americans were training Palestinian forces and we could withdraw.”
Syrian rebel leader’s victory speech holds a message for Iran – and for Trump and Israel too
From article:”Singling Iran out appears to be a message to Tehran’s theocracy – that their meddling is over, their easy land access to their mega proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon is over, their support for Syrian Hezbollah is over, and gone too is the home they once had for Iran’s weapons stockpiles. But it is a message Jolani will know is being heard in Tel Aviv and Washington, where he is considered to be a member of a proscribed terrorist organisation with a $10 million dollar bounty on his head. A message that says to them, ‘your interests are understood in the new Syria,’ and an understanding on his part that these are the powers capable of bringing him down.”
The Lesson from Bashar al-Assad’s Collapse
From article:”Assad’s fall might put Jordan in increasing danger, albeit for different reasons. Jordan, after all, does not have a conscript army, and its Special Forces are elite and, for tribal reasons, more loyal to the king. King Abdullah II is much like Mikhail Gorbachev, the last Soviet premier: much more popular abroad than at home. Jordanians grumble about the king and his wife’s wasteful spending. Just as Russia supported Syria until it no longer could, the Gulf states underwrite Jordan. The question then becomes whether there is any scenario when they no longer can or choose not to. Add into the mix Iran seeking actively to undermine Abdullah II by supporting radical Islamist factions, Turkey willing to support Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood, and now Syrian Islamists on Jordan’s border, and the future looks challenging for the Hashemites. Israel saved the Hashemite monarchy before and would likely do so again. Regardless, Abdullah II now survives on external safety nets rather than his own base, which is hardly a formula for a successful future.”
Iran’s nuclear leap ‘extremely serious, has no civilian justification’
From article:”Iran’s increase in the amount of uranium enriched to up to 60 percent purity is “extremely serious,” unjustified for civilian purposes, and contradicts Tehran’s statements regarding credible nuclear negotiations, a Western diplomatic source was quoted by Reuters as saying on Saturday. “These measures have no credible civilian justification and could, on the contrary, directly fuel a military nuclear program if Iran were to take the decision,” the unnamed official said. “They are in contradiction with Iran’s declarations on its willingness to return to credible negotiations.” The International Atomic Energy Agency later confirmed in a confidential report to member states that Iran was speeding up uranium enrichment, a process that refines the raw material so that it can be used as fuel in civil nuclear power generation or, potentially, nuclear weapons.”
Syrian rebels topple Assad who flees to Russia in Mideast shakeup
From article:”Syrian rebels seized the capital Damascus unopposed on Sunday after a lightning advance that sent President Bashar al-Assad fleeing to Russia after a 13-year civil war and six decades of his family’s autocratic rule. In one of the biggest turning points for the Middle East in generations, the fall of Assad’s government wiped out a bastion from which Iran and Russia exercised influence across the Arab world. Moscow gave asylum to Assad and his family, Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s ambassador to international organizations in Vienna, said on his Telegram channel. His sudden overthrow, at the hands of a revolt partly backed by Turkey and with roots in jihadist Sunni Islam, limits Iran’s ability to spread weapons to its allies and could cost Russia its Mediterranean naval base. It could allow millions of refugees scattered for more than a decade in camps across Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan to finally return home.”
Elite units and tanks: IDF deployment across Syrian border signals strategic shift
From article:”In a rapid and calculated move, elite IDF units—special forces, armored brigades and paratroopers—have deployed to critical points across Syrian territory, including the summit of Mount Hermon and areas beyond the Golan Heights buffer zone. These operations, executed without resistance following the hasty retreat of Assad’s forces, aim to secure key positions ahead of advancing Syrian rebel groups. IDF plans to continue these maneuvers in the coming days to strengthen its foothold in the region.
Meanwhile, the Israeli Air Force is unleashing waves of strikes across Syria, including precise hits on Damascus. Among the reported targets is the “Security Quarter” in the Syrian capital, home to Assad regime intelligence facilities and customs offices. Sources told Reuters that Israel also struck Syria’s main military research center, which Iran allegedly used for missile development.
IDF has described its actions as a temporary defensive deployment in the buffer zone, prompted by sightings of unidentified armed Syrians over the weekend. “We are working to neutralize threats in Syria, where the situation is currently chaotic,” the IDF said. “We’ve been closely monitoring developments and coordinating with other forces in the region to avoid unnecessary friction.” IDF emphasized its ongoing strikes in Syria, designed to remove immediate threats to Israel. “Iranian influence in the region has weakened, and the Shiite axis has fractured,” the army explained. “We are witnessing a monumental and dramatic shift. An Islamist force has risen in Syria, and we are closely observing its evolution.”
From article:”U.S. president-elect Donald Trump said on Sunday that Syrian President Bashar Assad had “fled his country” after losing the backing of Russia. “Assad is gone,” he said on his Truth Social platform. “His protector, Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, was not interested in protecting him any longer. Russia had no reason to be there in the first place. They lost all interest in Syria because of Ukraine. Russia and Iran are now in a weak position, one, because of Ukraine and a bad economy, and two because of Israel and its success in fighting.”
Assad’s fall a direct result of Israel’s strikes on Iran and Hezbollah, Netanyahu says
From article:”Netanyahu labels Assad’s fall a ‘milestone’ for Israel: “The Assad regime is a central link in Iran’s axis of evil – this regime has fallen.”Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stood along the Syrian border with Israel on Sunday afternoon, hailing the end of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad’s 14-year rule and claiming Israel’s “blows inflicted on Iran and Hezbollah” had a direct impact on the Syrian revolution.On a visit to the area near the border with Syria, the prime minister said he had ordered Israeli forces to seize areas in the buffer zone to ensure Israel’s security and said: “We will not allow any hostile force to establish itself on our border.”
Fall of Assad regime continues collapse of the Iranian dream
From article:”Israeli officials, who are following the events very closely, were surprised by the ease with which the rebels captured more and more key territories. The surprise is greater when considering Assad is supported by powers such as Russia and Iran, but both countries are evacuating civilians from the region, including senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards commanders. In other words, everyone who mobilized a little less than a decade ago to save the Assad regime quickly realized that the game was up.”
From article:”Wallace told The Sun: “I think if you were advising the Ayatollah right now, you would say, ‘our proxies are in danger, they’re crumbling, we have to beat a hasty retreat’. “I think they [Iran] are defending that same hegemony to prevent the fall of their fragile empire.” Iran has been weakened so much by corruption, its economy, and the conflict with Israel that it now can’t protect its proxy pals. He said the Syrian rebels had seen Assad’s “house of cards” and Iran’s weakness as a chance to strike.”
In Fight for Syria, a Battle for Domination of the Entire Middle East
From article:”“Syria is the barometer for how power dynamics in the region are changing,” said Mona Yacoubian, head of the Middle East and North Africa Center at the United States Institute of Peace in Washington. “It is in for a period of chaos in a region that is already on fire.” Israel’s strategists refer to Syria as the “hub of hubs,” which has served as a supply conduit for men and arms to places like southern Lebanon. There, Hezbollah, Iran’s main regional ally, held sway before Israel decimated the group’s ranks by assassinating its longtime leader and much of his top echelon. Israel also launched direct attacks on strategic air defenses in Iran.”
From article:”The militants’ lightning advance has been unprecedented – seizing key cities, towns, and now parts of the capital as regime collapses. A statue of Assad’s father Hafez was toppled in Damascus’ eastern suburb of Jaramana, footage on social media shows. Protesters ripped the head off the giant bust, just six miles from the centre of the city, before attacking posters of Assad and demanding security forces leave the area.Assad’s family has fled to Russia and Egypt has asked the tyrant to form a government in exile.”
IDF announces aerial and ground reinforcements in Golan Heights
From article:”Due to the ongoing internal conflict in Syria, the IDF has announced it is reinforcing aerial and ground forces in the Golan Heights, which borders Syria. This follows a situational assessment carried out on Thursday and Friday by the IDF General Staff and Northern Command. IDF troops are deployed along the border and the IDF is monitoring developments.”
From article:”Israel showed the “power” of the F-35 stealth fighter jet during its late October retaliatory strikes against Iran, Britain’s top military officer said on Wednesday. Adm. Tony Radakin, the UK’s chief of defense staff, disclosed that Israel used its F-35s to carry out the widespread October 26 strikes against military sites across Iran, including air-defense systems and missile-manufacturing facilities.”
Who is Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, the Islamist rebel leading the Syrian advance?
From article:”In an official message Thursday after its fighters entered Hama, the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) Islamist militant group shared a message that was signed Ahmed al-Sharaa — the birth name of a rebel leader better known by his nom de guerre, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani. The move marks a broader shift for Jolani. Once a shadowy figure who rarely showed his face, Jolani served time in a U.S. prison in Iraq before becoming the commander of an al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria’s brutal, multipronged civil war. Even now, there is a $10 million U.S. reward for information that leads to his capture.”
Syrian Rebels’ Lightning Offensive Zeroes In on Major City
From article:”Syrian government forces withdrew from the city of Hama on Thursday, handing the rebels another victory after they seized Aleppo last week. The rebel advances have exposed the weakness of the Assad regime and raised the stakes for his main patrons, Russia and Iran, which have helped keep him in power.”
Turkey-Backed Militias Trap 15,000 and Engage in ‘Ethnic Cleansing’ in Syria
From article:”The Syrian National Army (SNA), an amalgam of various militias supported by the Turkish government, announced a military campaign in Syrian Kurdistan this week shortly after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a jihadist outfit with ties to al-Qaeda, conducted a surprise siege of Aleppo, the second-largest city in Syria. The dictatorship of Syrian leader Bashar Assad lost control of Aleppo last week; reports on Thursday indicate it may have also lost control of the city of Hama.”
Iran-Backed Iraqi Militias Enter Syria to Reinforce Government Forces
From article:”At least 300 fighters, primarily from the Badr and Nujabaa groups, crossed late on Sunday using a dirt road to avoid the official border crossing, two Iraqi security sources said. “These are fresh reinforcements being sent to aid our comrades on the front lines in the north,” a senior Syrian military source said, adding the fighters had crossed in small groups to avoid airstrikes.”
Trump demands immediate release of Oct. 7 hostages, says otherwise there will be ‘HELL TO PAY’
From article:”“Please let this TRUTH serve to represent that if the hostages are not released prior to January 20, 2025, the date that I proudly assume Office as President of the United States, there will be ALL HELL TO PAY in the Middle East, and for those in charge who perpetrated these atrocities against Humanity,” Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social site. He added that, “Those responsible will be hit harder than anybody has been hit in the long and storied History of the United States of America. RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW!”
