Prophecy Update: Is the Hook in the Jaw? Oct.19th2018
The imagery of the ‘hook in the jaw’ comes from Ezekiel 38:4 when God says that He will bring Russia and her allies into Israel in the Last Days! In Ez.38:16 God makes clear what He is doing when He says, “and you will come up against My people Israel like a cloud to cover the land. It shall come about in the last days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me when I am sanctified through you before their eyes, O Gog.”
The important thing to note is that God is bringing these nations into His land which He gave to Israel. The end times prophecies are very clear that when God brings the Jews back into His land, the nations, all of them will be in opposition. The majority of the end times prophecies regarding the reestablishment of Israel teaches us that the nations will reject what God is doing with His people and His land. As an example, In Jeremiah 30:11, the Lord said to Israel, “For I am with you to save you, declares the LORD; I will make a full end of all the nations among whom I scattered you, but of you I will not make a full end. I will discipline you in just measure, and I will by no means leave you unpunished.” Isaiah 60:12 “For the nation and kingdom that will not serve you will perish. Yes, those nations will be completely wasted.” In context, after being scattered among the nations, Israel is being restored by God. Zechariah 12:2-3, 9 “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling to all the peoples all around, when they shall come against Judah and Jerusalem. And in that day I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all peoples. All who lift it shall be cut to pieces, and all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it… And it shall be in that day I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.”
I am going to talk about three hooks in the jaw of Russia dragging them into war.
The first hook is Syria.
Syria is the greatest ally of Russia in the Middle East. The BBC had this report: “Why does Russia support Syria and President Assad?” ‘The story goes back at least to Cold War times, when the Soviet Union gained influence in Syria in the 1970s, giving aid and arms. In 2000, Vladimir Putin became president of Russia and Bashar al-Assad became president of Syria. Russian ties with Syria began to strengthen because of their previous Cold War relationship. This conflict is the first time Russia has really been able to test out the capabilities of its newly-expanded military.’
“It’s basically a theatre to test out their military equipment and doctrine.”
Syria gives Russia a foothold in the Middle East so that they can project power to protect energy interests.
The second hook is energy:
One year ago, God was working to recognize Jerusalem as the undivided eternal capital of Israel. When Donald Trump made that move in December 2017 and moved the embassy in May of 2018, the world went nuts. Russia and China declared that there are two states and one of them has their capital in East Jerusalem so Israel cannot claim Jerusalem as their capital. This was in late December 2017 after the UN voted to condemn Israel and America for the declaration regarding Jerusalem. The claim is that it is a violation of international law. To be blunt, Russia is using international law in several cases to fuel their war aims against Israel. Russia claims that Jerusalem being the capital of Israel violates international law and the world agrees. Russia also claims that Israel’s claim that the Golan Heights is Israeli territory is also a violation of international law.
This past week, Donald Trump said America does not recognize international law and that we will not follow the dictates of some court in Europe telling us what to do. Israel has been doing that for years. The World Court, United Nations, European Union, and most international bodies do not recognize either Jerusalem or the Golan Heights as Israeli territory. God said it is His land and He is giving it to Israel, but the world has rejected the decision God made. Satan is using Russia as his first foray into destroying Israel. This important because Israel struck oil in those Golan hills!
What is it that Israel has that Russia wants? How about everything! If you compare the two countries, there is no comparison. Israel is better at everything when compared to Russia. Israel is the 8th most powerful nation in the world. Israel has gas and oil, enough to fuel Israel for the next 200 years. For many years Russia has wanted in on Israel gas industry, they have been shut out by Israel. Vladimir Putin has never been shut out like this and he is not taking it lying down. This is an old fashioned story. One nation has what another nation wants and they will fight over it. That is the bottom line for Russia.
Israel has a lot of natural gas and they are going to ship it to Europe, this is competition with Russia. Russia is not sitting down for this and that is why they are in Syria on the border with Israel. The British Express had this article in April this year: “Will Israel be the next big oil power? asks FREDERICK FORSYTH. YOU do not have to be an eco-geologist or international financier – both of which I am emphatically not – to realise there is a quiet revolution brewing in the East Mediterranean. I refer not to the Syrian civil war nor Russia’s naked imperialism in that zone but to something happening far beneath those blue touristic waves. Only mentioned in tiny hiccups in our newspapers one of the most gigantic discoveries ever made of natural oil and gas under the East Mediterranean will soon be coming on stream. The gas field lies off the coasts of Turkey, Lebanon, Cyprus and Egypt. But the biggest two fields of all, Leviathan and Tamar, lie off Israel, between 50 and 80 miles offshore. Estimates are of 26 trillion cubic feet lying untapped down there – more than enough to transform the economies of the entire zone. Germany has for years been the docile customer of Putin’s Russian gas and oil supplies. Competitors are not welcomed and the East Med discoveries, when exploited and transportable in bulk, would blow the Russian supremacy in EU gas supply out of the water.” Did you hear what was said by the Brits, they are worried about the Russian response.
The trouble with the great Russian bear is that it is extremely paranoid. Putin is like a new Tsar and he wants glory for Russia. He believes that the Russian empire is destined for a come back and that is why he threatens his neighbors all of the time. He also has moved on some nations—Crimea and Ukraine specifically. When Russia moved into Syria in 2015, it was to save Assad and set up Russia for the war prophesied in Ezekiel 38-39. The New York Post reported August 19, 2018. “Russians are now patrolling the Golan Heights — and you can thank Barack Obama” Russian military police have been deploying in all areas recaptured from rebels, including on the edge of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, after Syrian government forces regained control of the area last month. “The Russian military police work in close interaction with the U.N.,” he said, adding that they have set up a hotline with the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) and held regular meetings to co-ordinate their actions.
You heard that right folks, Russia is there with the UN peace keeping forces on the Golan Heights, bringing peace to Syria. Are you kidding me—this is the biggest joke and threat to Israel I can imagine. The UN does not recognize Israeli presence in the Golan and Russia wants the oil and gas. On Oct.9th Netanyahu in a speech said “World Should Recognize Occupied Golan Heights as ‘Israeli Territory” but Moscow said, Russia rebukes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for asking the international community to recognize the regime’s claim to “sovereignty” over the occupied side of Syria’s Golan Heights, warning that any such move would constitute a flagrant violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.” As you can see, this conflict is going to grow towards war.
The third hook in the jaw is anti-Semitism.
Russia and the nations that follow her into this war are doing it because they hate Israel. Remember that Israel is made up of a large number of Jews from Russia. The anti-Semitism that they experienced in Russia is following them. Now here is a big problem: no superpower attempts to stop Russia and her allies from invading Israel as recorded in Ezekiel 38-39. That does not fit the situation we face today. America would come to Israel aid today if Russia invaded. So the obvious question is: where is America when the Gog invasion happens?
Ezekiel 38:13 is clear when it records the protest of the nations but no one comes to the aid of Israel but God alone, “Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish with all its villages will say to you, ‘Have you come to capture spoil? Have you assembled your company to seize plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to capture great spoil?’ God does not want anyone else getting the glory for this victory!
With America out of the way, Russia will feel free to attack. How are we removed? I do not know but one thing I do know is that America is under the divine discipline of the Lord. We as a nation have had the blessing of God for many years but now as a nation—we are under divine discipline. The leading indicators of a healthy society are dismal and at an all time low. We need to pray for revival because we do not have enough people in America who live in such a way that will make America Great Again! The left is in full time rebellion against God and they are advocating violence against Christians. God gave us a reprieve with the election of Trump and He gave us a president and vice president that have opened the door to choose right. Many have walked through the door but the repentance has to go to the courts, schools, and local governments. That has not happened. I see that this election cycle in November will bring more division not less. It is a battle to the end folks—we need to pray that Americans will stand for the truth and reject the evil way. Light is greater than darkness, walk in the light and we will have blessing from God!
