ISRAEL AT WAR: THE TRIBULATION IS UPON US

Posted on by Aleda Keeney

Israel at War: The Tribulation is Upon Us

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With the “October Surprise” that was recently unleashed by Hamas against Israel, end-time events have moved to within 10 minutes until midnight. Many Bible scholars are awaiting the Rapture of the Church, which they believe will occur just before the beginning of the Tribulation Period, and this event in the Middle East is fueling their passion. However, what if they are wrong? What if what they believe will occur is only a pipe dream? What happens if the Rapture of the Church doesn’t occur when they think it will?

This article will explore what is surely coming upon the world very shortly, probably within a few months. It would therefore behoove you not to blow this message off but to give some consideration to what it says.

Within the next few months, we will witness a series of events that will fundamentally alter the way we, as Believers, live in this world. God will put our faith to the test to see if it is genuine or if we are just checking the boxes and hoping to get by with little effort. Will you be able to pass the test?

Iran’s/Elam’s Destruction (Jeremiah 49:34–38)

It’s been reported that Iran has sufficient warheads for its Shahab III medium-range missiles. They have the largest stockpile of medium-range ballistic missiles in the Middle East and recently boasted about having a supersonic missile capable of reaching Israel in 400 seconds (roughly 6 minutes). It is only a matter of time before Israel attacks Iran’s nuclear facilities, as prophesied in Jeremiah 49:34–38.

Iran/Elam has always been a bitter adversary of Israel. According to the Bible, they attacked Jerusalem twice. Elam sided with the Assyrians and also aided the Babylonians in their attacks on Jerusalem. Israel has re-emerged as a nation, and ancient Elam is attempting to destroy it once more in our lifetime. With the recent Hamas attack on October 10, 2023, it appears that Iran/Elam has begun its preliminary stage by supporting and mentoring Hamas and Hezbollah in their terrorist activities within Israel. The plan is to deplete not only Israel’s military resources, making it vulnerable to Iran’s/Elam’s attack, but also paralyze the United States (the “Great Satan”) as it comes to the aid of her closest ally. Iran has always desired the destruction of both the United States and Israel. This anti-Jewish sentiment dates back thousands of years.

According to Jeremiah 49:34–38, Elam will be judged by God. Jeremiah also predicted that Iran’s bow would be broken. In modern military terminology, arrows are missiles.

Iran has a large military site in Elam, in an area called Parchin. The Parchin complex is involved in research and development, the production of chemical weapons, laser technology for uranium enrichment, and high-explosive testing for nuclear weapons. This military site is very close to Iran’s nuclear facilities, and we can see how it would be destroyed if the nuclear facilities were destroyed.

Today, we are witnessing the fulfillment of this prophecy. Israel and the United States have already prepared for an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities. This attack on Elam could be the fulfillment of the next Bible prophecy on God’s prophetic time clock. This attack has the potential to trigger the fulfillment of many Bible prophecies. It could certainly spark a war against Israel by surrounding countries that despise Israel and support Iran. This ring of fire that despises Israel includes Hezbollah to the north, which, according to recent news reports, has now entered the fray. The recent October attack was launched by Hamas to the south, and the surrounding nations are likely to join in. Because of Iran’s involvement in this attack behind the scenes, the next event will be an Israeli nuclear attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Where is Elam? 

Persian was renamed Iran in 1935. Ancient Elam was the Elamites’ homeland in today’s southwest Iran. The Zagros mountain range separates the main part of Iran from Elam. The mountain range may be the only line of defense for the majority of Iran if Israel attacks Iran’s nuclear facilities. Russian nuclear fuel rods were loaded into the Bushier nuclear reactor in 2020. Simply destroying that facility would release enough nuclear material into the atmosphere to render much of Elam inhabitable. This will result in a mass exodus of people fleeing for their lives from the area. Jeremiah forewarns that the Iranians will be forced to flee the affected area following the attack, fulfilling God’s prophecy.

This Bible prophecy appears to be coming true. If any Israeli prime minister has the guts to attack Iran, it is Benjamin Netanyahu. We need to pray for this courageous man.

The consequences for the United States, on the other hand, could be disastrous. America is now supporting two wars: one in Israel and one in Ukraine. China is moving ships into the South China Sea threatening Taiwan. This not only depletes America’s military resources but also spreads them dangerously thin. Russia and China are both eager to invade the Middle East in search of its abundant natural resources, including oil. With America so dispersed in the region, now would be an excellent time for Russia, China, or North Korea to launch a nuclear warhead or EMP attack on the United States. This would effectively paralyze the United States and prevent it from launching an attack if this group attempted to invade the Middle East, not to mention China’s intense desire to possess Taiwan. We believe that this will be the next event after Iran is destroyed.

Psalm 83 War and The Battle of Gog and Magog

Psalm 83 is one of the few Scripture passages that is both historical and prophetic. We read in Judges about the Ishmaelites, Edomites, and other descendants of Ishmael and Esau coming against Israel and inflicting damage, but not to the extent described in Psalm 83.

However, we believe that this psalm is being played out right before our eyes in the Middle East today. All of the Arab nations mentioned in the psalm have declared war on Israel. Many of the Arab leaders are now using their own version of Psalm 83 as their “war cry” to annihilate Israel.

Psalm 83 was written 3,000 years ago by a Jewish priest named Asap during a time of unprecedented blessings for Israel. They were in their own land and winning every war. They were discussing the construction of their temple and had anointed David as their king.

God told Asaph that one day ten nations would band together to attack Israel with the common goal of destroying her. Asaph listed the nations that were confederating at the time in verses 6–8:

  • Edom = Arabs that settled in the southern part of Jordan
  • Ishmaelites = Arabs that descended from Ishmael, who settled in Saudi Arabia
  • Moab = descendants of Lot, by his daughter, who settled in Jordan
  • Hagarenes = Arabs that descended from Hagar and settled in Egypt
  • Gebal = Arabs that settled in the north of Lebanon (Hezbollah)
  • Ammon = Arabs that live in the capital of Jordan, who descended from Lot through incest with his second daughter.
  • Amalek = Arabs who descended from Lot and settled in the area of Sinai
  • Philistines = Arabs who live in the area of Gaza
  • Tyre = Arabs that live in the southern part of Lebanon
  • Assur = Arabs that live in Syria and the north

In his prayer, Asaph asked God:

  • Verses 9–10: God would turn His enemies’ carcasses into manure for the soil. Consider how many people have died in Libya, Egypt, Syria, and now Gaza, the Palestinian territory.
  • Verses 11–12: for God to destroy the kings and leaders of Egypt, Libya, and other nations, as He did in the days of Gideon when they attempted to seize the Holy Places. Consider how many of those countries have experienced a regime change and/or a change in leadership.
  • Verses 13–14: to spin Egypt, Libya, and the other nations like a whirlwind’s stubble, he asked God to treat His enemies like a pile of wood in a fire, like the dry brush in a raging wall of flames on a burning mountain. Consider the riots and looting ranging out of control, rape and torture, murder, and property destruction.
  • Verse 15: to inflict His wrath on the Arabs and make them fear Him—to respect Him. There is nothing but fear in the Middle East today because everyone is worried about what other countries will do.
  • Verse 16: to shame the Arab nations and embarrass them in the eyes of the rest of the world, not just to punish them but to bring them to repentance.
  • Verse 17 – to cause confusion, strife, and trouble among the Arabs, and if they did not turn to Him, to let them be ashamed and perish. 
  • Verse 18: to defend Israel by fulfilling His Word and defending His name, so that the entire world recognizes Jehovah as God—the only God.

Because this prayer has never been answered, it appears to foretell a future time when Arab nations seeking to destroy Israel will:

  • Have no knowledge of or faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
  • Follow another god, Allah, to oppose the God of the Bible.
  • Claim the Temple Mount, Bethlehem, the Promised Land, Jericho, and other holy sites as their heritage.
  • Oppose God’s land covenant with Israel.
  • Join those whose common goal is the annihilation of the Jewish people and the destruction of Israel.

Asaph begged God to defend himself—to defend His Name by informing His enemies:

  • That He is God and the one and only TRUE God
  • That His Word is true—that it is the only Truth
  • That He upholds His promises; He is a God who keeps His promises.

Reasons Why The Psalm 83 War is Different from the Gog-Magog War (Ezek. 38–39)

The list of names of the Psalm 83 war only includes those Arab nations that are adjacent to Israel, whereas the list of names of the Gog-Magog War includes many new nations. The Psalm 83 War is about the land; it’s about pride. The Ezekiel 38-39 Gog-Magog War is about greed: Russia wants Israel’s resources.

The four prerequisites for the Gog-Magog War to begin are:

  • Israel must be living securely “without walls.”
  • Israel must be living at peace in the Middle East
  • Israel must be one of the richest nations on earth
  • If Israel makes peace with or destroys its Arab neighbors, it can relax its military and live in peace in the Middle East, and the additional land acquired will allow it to become one of the richest nations in the world as well as a respected world superpower.

The Psalms 83 War is slated to occur before the beginning of the Time of Tribulation, and it may be the reason the Antichrist allows the Jews to rebuild the temple and return to animal sacrifices (Obad. 1:15–16). The map of the Middle East will be altered as a result of God’s massive military victory over Israel. Israel’s territory will grow significantly as the country takes over a large portion of the Middle East. The nations that make up this Arab coalition are part of the covenant that God made with Abraham. At the end of this war, Israel’s borders will be reset very close to the borders that God established for her in the covenant with Abraham in Genesis 15:18.

Results of the Psalm 83 War

  • Ezekiel 28:24–26: The nation of Israel will live in relative (albeit temporary) peace, and the Arab nations will recognize that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the one and only true God.
  • Jeremiah 49:21: When the rest of the world sees how Israel has destroyed her Arab neighbors, the international community will shake in fear—at least for a while.
  • Daniel 11:41: This victory will pave the way for the Antichrist to appear, deceiving Israel into accepting him as a man of peace before turning against them to destroy them.

Looking Down the Road

  • Israel cannot live in peace and security as long as Iran possesses weapons of mass destruction.
  • Israel believes that if Iran obtains nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them, it will not hesitate to use them, particularly against Israel.
  • Israel is already preparing to launch a pre-emptive strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. This could either start the Psalm 83 War or set in motion a chain of events that would lead to it.
  • The Apostle Paul stated in 2 Thessalonians 2:7–12 that in the last days, God will send a strong delusion so powerful that the majority of humanity will believe the Antichrist’s lies about “world peace.”
  • According to Scripture, both the Psalm 83 War and the Gog-Magog War will occur, and neither will end well for Israel.

We are in the final days. The entire world’s attention is now focused on the Middle East. Zechariah predicted 2500 years ago that there is coming a day when the world’s attention would be drawn to Jerusalem (Zech. 2:1–3). Rising prices and failing economies around the world are ushering in a new economic system governed by a global government, in which no one will be able to buy or sell without bearing the Mark of the Beast (Rev. 6:5–6). Add to that rising illiteracy and moral decay, even among those who claim the name of Yeshua/Jesus (2 Tim. 3:1–7). Natural disasters are on the rise, with the news media describing them as having “biblical proportions” (Mark 13:8). Finally, the apostasy of the Christian Church and the demise of many Christian ministries due to rampant sexual perversion (Jude 3–4)

The good news is that as Believers, we are about to enter a new era, which the Bible refers to as “our blessed hope.” Our course of action is clear:

  • Those who name the name of Yeshua/Jesus need to return to the true worship of God as practiced by the 1st-century assemblies and give up their pagan holidays and unscriptural practices
  • Believers must take into account the words of Yeshua/Jesus in Rev. 12:17 that true Believers are marked by their testimony in Yeshua/Jesus and by their keeping of the Commandments of God (Torah). Anything less than this is unacceptable to Almighty God.

What Should We Expect to See in the Coming Months?

  • Israel is currently in the early stages of the Elam War.
  • Following that, Israel should launch a pre-emptive strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, destroying not only them but also Damascus, ushering in a period of security for Israel.
  • Next, we will almost certainly witness an attack on the United States by Russia, China, and/or North Korea, which will not only devastate America economically and militarily but will also have financial ramifications for the entire world economy.
  • Following this, Russia and its allies will attempt to conquer Israel (the Gog-Magog War).
  • The rise of the Antichrist will come riding in to “save the day” and usher in Middle Eastern peace with a seven-year treaty that will allow Israel to rebuild the temple and resume animal sacrifices. This peace will last for three and a half years until the Antichrist breaks the covenant by installing himself in the newly-constructed temple and demanding worship as “God.” When this happens, the Rapture of the Believers will take place 75 days later on the Feast of Trumpets at the 7th Trumpet.
  • Believers WILL be on earth during the first three and a half years of the Tribulation, but they will be spared just before God’s Wrath (7 Bowls) descends upon the earth.
  • The failure of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture to occur will result in a large number of Believers falling away, but it may also lead many into the Messianic community seeking true worship of God. This is the regathering spoken of in Jeremiah 31–32.

What Should Believers Do Now?

  • Learn as much as you can about the End Times from the Scriptures.
  • Visit the pages on the website for more information
  • Begin making material and spiritual preparations for the coming difficult times.
  • Pray for the courage and strength to persevere until the Rapture, even if it means giving our lives for Yeshua/Jesus’ sake.

For information on getting ready for the hard times to come, see our Prepare page.