Trouble! Israeli gas find agitates Lebanon, claims it's theirs

On Friday, June 4, I posted a piece titled "Israel poised for prophecy fulfillment". It involved the prophecy of Gog-Magog in Ezekiel 38-39 where Israel is surprise-attacked by a coalition of nations that include Turkey, Iran, Russia, and others. In Ezekiel 38:13 it is prophesied that neighbor nations stand by and watch the attack coming, crying out,
"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?'" Ezekiel 38:13
It has been suspected that the 'great spoil,' or plunder sought after by the coalition could be oil or natural gas.

Well, Israel has discovered both, and in the natural gas find off the coast of Haifa, a double blessing continues. In 2009 the biggest gas discovery in the world was made by a U.S.-Israel consortium at a site called Tamar. The site is estimated to contain 238 billion cubic meters. Then another field was discovered near the Tamar site. The site is called Leviathan, and it is estimated to be twice the size of Tamar!  A news article out today states the obvious, even if one is not familiar with the prophetic implications of a jealous enemy: "Israeli gas boom could ignite trouble." The article explains that Lebanon is claiming part of the field as within their own territorial waters. The article reveals that the Arabic-language Lebanon newspaper As-Safir ran an article stating: "Israel prepares to steal gas fields in Lebanon's waters" and reported that if Israel tried to take the gas Lebanon would defend it. The conflict of words between Israel and Lebanon over this field is heating up tremendously even over the last day or so. Lebanon has asked Cyprus to help them determine maritime boundaries.


Here is a good editorial piece from Israel's Haaretz newspaper that looks at the situation from a geopolitical point of view. It's called  "A geopolitical game-changer" and the piece sets the current situation into context as to the import to Israel and the Middle East as to this discovery, what Israel's options are, and where could Israel go to create an energy corridor to export this natural resource.

Whether politically or prophetically we see the Gog-Magog battle coming into view. This battle is considered important because it is the gateway to the tribulation. As this battle ensues, Israel is about to lose. In order to protect His Land and His people, God supernaturally wins the battle for Israel and everyone sees it and knows it. This act brings Israel back onto covenant with God and likely it is this very battle that initiates the 7 year peace treaty that begins the Tribulation.
" '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. (Ezekiel 38:10-11)
The LORD is speaking to Gog, Chief Prince of the nation Russia. The land of unwalled villages is Israel, spoken of  in the previous verses, Ez 38: 8b-9:
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.
Of course, Israel is not now living in peace and safety, but the wars that precede the Battle of Gog/Magog are the Isaiah 17:1 propecy of Damascus (Syria) being destroyed into a heap of ruins and the Psalm 83 war in which Israel is completely victorious in defending an attack from her near neighbors. After these two victories, Israel stands down, thinking she has finally fought enough to win the right to relax...and that is when Gog steps in. The coalition takes the tiny nation completely by surprise and she is on the verge of losing when:
Gog attacks the land of Israel, my hot anger will be aroused, declares the Sovereign LORD. In my zeal and fiery wrath I declare that at that time there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. The fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the beasts of the field, every creature that moves along the ground, and all the people on the face of the earth will tremble at my presence. The mountains will be overturned, the cliffs will crumble and every wall will fall to the ground.  I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign LORD. Every man's sword will be against his brother. I will execute judgment upon him with plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him. And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.' (Ez 38:18-23)
 Whoa! That is pretty devastating, But wait, there's more!
"Son of man, prophesy against Gog and say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of  Meshech and Tubal.  I will turn you around and drag you along. I will bring you from the far north and send you against the mountains of Israel. Then I will strike your bow from your left hand and make your arrows drop from your right hand.  On the mountains of Israel you will fall, you and all your troops and the nations with you. I will give you as food to all kinds of carrion birds and to the wild animals. You will fall in the open field, for I have spoken, declares the Sovereign LORD.  I will send fire on Magog and on those who live in safety in the coastlands, and they will know that I am the LORD. (Ez 39:1-6)
This natural gas find IS a game-changer. Except ... unless you know the Lord, you do not know how MUCH this could be the end of days game changer of ALL game-changers. Tensions have increased. Enemies are jealous. Threats are made. Allies are enlisted. The pieces are moving inexorably together until, when they are finally fitted, the tribulation begins.  I can almost hear the trumpet call.

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