Happy New Year?

Happy New Year?  - Wendy Wippel - http://www.omegaletter.com/articles/articles.asp?ArticleID=8361

 

I hope one and all had a blessed remembrance of our Lord's birth and found exactly what they wanted under their respective trees.  But does anybody else get the feeling, from our daily headlines, that those of us waiting for the Lord's return and according to a boat load of verses in the New Testament, we all should be, right? It seems to indicate that we may have another reason for celebration coming? One spelled R-A-P-T-U-R-E ?

Is it just me, or do the headlines seemingly push the date closer every day?

 

Exhibit A: The United States' decision to abstain from the UN vote on restricting Jewish settlements in land that they won fair and square, after being attacked, in the 6-day war in 1967.  A vote that every one of the other countries with voting rights enthusiastically supported.

 

Which makes a chilling confirmation of a prophecy by  Micah official: Micah 4:11:  

 

'But now many nations are gathered against you. They say, "Let her be defiled, let our eyes gloat over Zion!"

 

Other versions translate the word translated as 'gloat'  here-- as to "feast on", or to "react in ecstasy" at what they see.

 

Having read a fair amount of world reaction to the UN vote -the fact that finally, a unanimous vote against Israel had been achieved--a unanimous vote to strip them of their land -I think all of the above translations were spookily exact descriptions of the world's reaction.

 

Officially, as you read this, just as Micah described, the whole world is licking their chops and anticipating Israel's defilement.  The leaders of the whole world, in unison, are licking their chops thinkng about  Israel's ultimate destruction. 

 

Which means that last Friday really was a momentous moment in Israel's history.  A day prophesied by Micah  about 700 B.C. That the whole world would, together anticipate an imminent demise of Israel.

 

I said a momentous moment, not a merry one.

 

A momentous day fulfilled in our presence on Friday, December 23, 2016.  You probably missed it. I know I did.

 

I myself personally was making fudge Friday.  Israel was not on my radar.

 

But there was another thing, at least as prophetic that was not on my radar Friday, and probably, ditto, not on yours.

 

Exhibit B: Assad wasn't finished.

 

Destroying Aleppo and its largely innocent population wasn't enough.  Leaving bodies of babies with their intestines displaced onto Aleppo's streets wasn't enough.  Killing whole families wasn't enough. Giving the Syrian army tacit permission to rape Aleppo's fleeing women wasn't enough. There were still pockets of resistance.   

 

Mostly near Damascus.

 

So on the same Friday on which Micah's prophecy was fulfilled,  Assad began shelling another section of his own country, a rebel held valley just northwest of Damascus. Same tactics, and probably the same tragic effects. (This area also provides most of the city's water.)

 

Anybody remember that section of Isaiah called "the burden of Damascus"? Tantalizing short, it's time of fulfillment has been discussed for millennia: 

 

"Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city, And it will be a ruinous heap." Isaiah 17:1

 

That's all there is. The next few verses just confirm that Damascus and its environs will sometime in the future be toast. Whatever point at which God has ordained that this verse will be fulfilled. 

 

When exactly that will be has been hotly debated.  But many believe that the destruction of Damascus is a prelude to Armageddon.

 

Seemingly, the destruction of Damascus could be imminent.

 

Exhibit C: Assad had help. 

 

Russia and Syria have been bosom buddies for a while now,  with Soviet forces playing a big part in achieving the destruction of Pesky Aleppo for Putin's BFF Assad. We all know this, right?  

 

What has seemingly escaped the radar-I guess lost in the Santa and stockings we've been concentrating on in the states-is that Iranian  forces joined Assad's forces and helped to clinch the victory.

 

That should be setting off some mental alarms. Because  any alliance of Iran and Russia, for prophecy students, inevitably conjures up one specific passage in Ezekiel. One that talks about rulers named Gog and Magog, who come together to make war on Israel.  

 

And that series of battles is also considered by most a prologue to the ultimate final final battle on the plains of Megiddo, also known as Armageddon.  

 

No worries, though. We know where we'll be. Watching from the  mezzanine.

 

(I started to say the cheap seats, but the these seats weren't cheap!)

 

 And we know What God has ultimately promised to His people; again through Micah: 

 

"I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob, I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together like sheep of the fold, Like a flock in the midst of their pasture; They shall make a loud noise because of so many people. The one who breaks open will come up before them; They will break out, Pass through the gate, And go out by it;" Their king will pass before them, With the Lord at their head. Micah 2:12-13

 

What a day that will be, and I can't wait to see it.!!

 

Is the stage being set?

 

Happy New year, Saints!  And maybe this will be the year we meet Our Savior face to face!