Israel On Brink Of Major Ground Attack; Hezbollah Says They Are Ready!

Israel massing troops on Lebanese border
BEIRUT, Lebanon - Israel massed tanks and troops on the border Friday and warned civilians to flee Hezbollah-controlled southern Lebanon as it prepared for a likely ground invasion to set up a deep buffer zone. An Israeli envoy said it will allow aid supplies into Lebanon, a day after the United Nations warned of a growing humanitarian crisis in the country. Hezbollah militants fired at least 11 rockets at Israel's port city of Haifa, wounding five people.

Rice to Leave for Mideast Trip Sunday
WASHINGTON  — Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, heading for a weekend trip to the troubled Middle East, said she would work with allies in the region to help create conditions for "stability and lasting peace."

She ruled out a quick cease-fire as a "false promise" and defended her decision not to talk to officials from Hezbollah or Syria.

RUSSIA MAY SEND GROUND TROOPS TO MIDEAST
Gingrich says this is the start of WWIII * Is a 2,500 year old Bible prophecy beginning to come true? The crisis in the Middle East continued to worsen overnight.

Israeli ground troops briefly raided enemy bases in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah rockets continued to pound Israeli towns, killing eight Israeli civilians in Haifa and striking as far south as Tiberias, along the Sea of Galilee. The IDF is concerned that Iran will soon authorize Hezbollah to fire longer-range missiles that could reach as far as Tel Aviv.

Arabs and Palestinians face 'strategic risk': Hamas PM
AFP via Yahoo! News Fri, 21 Jul 2006 6:08 AM PDT
Palestinian prime minister Ismail Haniya has warned that massive Israeli offensives in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon were exposing Arabs and Palestinians to "strategic risk".

New leaders for military forces in Gaza
UPI Fri, 21 Jul 2006 7:14 AM PDT
JABALIYA, Gaza, July 21 (UPI) -- Analysts in Israel and the Gaza Strip say the governing leaders of Hamas are no longer controlling their military forces in the West Bank and Gaza.

The failure of Israeli unilateralism
International Herald Tribune Fri, 21 Jul 2006 7:05 AM PDT
Ten months after Israel's disengagement from Gaza, the escalating crisis throughout the Middle East demonstrates the resounding failure of this policy.

Palestinian terrorists prepare to target U.S.
WorldNetDaily Fri, 21 Jul 2006 7:53 AM PDT
JERUSALEM It is only a "question of time" before Palestinian terror groups and other Islamic organizations in the Middle East target the United States both abroad and on the home front, Abu Nasser, second-in-command of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, told WorldNetDaily in an exclusive interview.

Somali militant urges holy war on Ethiopia
MOGADISHU, Somalia - An Islamic militia leader whose forces control the capital called for a holy war Friday against Ethiopian troops protecting Somalia's weak U.N.-backed government.

Comment
Israeli troops are amassed on the Lebanese-Israeli border and it looks like a ground war is inevitable.  In fact, by the time I get this article out they may already be on the march.  But truthfully, I'm not that concerned about the invasion...it's what may come from it.  This could ultimately go in multiple directions.  

Hezbollah would love to bring Israel into a full scale war.  That might be the final straw to bring about an unified Arab holy war.  But I don't see Israel going that far.  Most analyst believe they will concentrate on destroying Hezbollah tunnels and strongholds.  Their main objective will be to weaken Hezbollah and to drive them out of southern Lebanon.  According to Israeli military sources they have no plans of occupying Lebanon, but will stay as long as a threat is present.  Estimated length of the ground war range into the months.  

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says she will be headed for the region and should be there by Sunday, but I don't see her making much difference. Leaders from all over the world are at a loss for ideas on how to restore calm.  United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has called for an immediate end to the violence calling Israel's military operation an "excessive use of force".

"The very government which Israel wants to extend control throughout the territory has become hostage to the crisis, is less able than ever to deploy its forces in the area necessary to control Hezbollah, and is appealing to the international community for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire," Annan said.  http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=81a61439-ee41-4e48-8a45-aa9af5fb3b54&k=54622

Israel has essentially dismissed any and all statements Kofi Annan has made.  If you're keeping score, you can just about eliminate anyone from being the antichrist who has been dismissed by Israel or who has been involved in the problem and deemed it hopeless.  If they're unable to solve this problem I don't see them ruling the world.  I have to believe he has not come to the forefront yet.

Russia Volunteers Peacekeeping Troops
If you haven't heard, Russia has committed troops to an international army that would patrol southern Lebanon.

I was going to write an article on the significance of this possible move but someone already beat me to the punch.  Take a look at an excerpt from an article titled "Russia May Send Ground Troops To Mideast" written by Joel C. Rosenberg.

The introduction of Russian ground troops into the region would be a dangerous development. Russia is an increasingly close ally of Iran and Syria. Moscow recently sold Tehran $1 billion of new missiles and conventional weaponry. Moscow is selling new missiles to Damascus. The Kremlin has long had designs on taking over the Middle East, and U.S. foreign policy for the second half of the 20th century was aimed at keeping Russian forces out of the region, for good reason. What's more, Moscow is currently running interference for Iran at the U.N., preventing the international community from taking tougher steps to prevent Iran from going nuclear.

Bible prophecy, however, tells us that a Russian incursion into the region is inevitable. The Hebrew prophet Ezekiel, writing some 2,500 years ago, wrote in chapters 38 and 39 of the Book of Ezekiel that a dictator will emerge in Russia and that Russia and the Central Asian republics will form an alliance with Iran, Syria, Lebanon, and other Islamic countries in the Middle East to attack Israel in the "last days" before the return of the Messiah. It was this prophecy that formed the basis of my novel, The Ezekiel Option.

I've been getting a lot of emails in recent days asking whether the current crisis in the Middle East are the early stages of Ezekiel 38-39 coming true. In two back-to-back sermons I delivered yesterday at Greenwood Community Church in Denver, Colorado, I explained the prophecy and addressed that question.

The truth is it's too soon to say for sure that this is the beginning of what Bible scholars call the "War of Gog and Magog." More pieces would need to fall into place to know for certain. Remarkably, however, it is not out of the realm of possibility. As difficult as it is for some to believe we could be living through the fulfillment of major end times Bible prophecies, the prophecies found in Ezekiel 36 and 37 have already largely come true in our lifetime. These chapters involve the rebirth of the State of Israel, the regathering of Jews to the Holy Land after centuries of exile around the world, the rebuilding of the ancient ruins in Israel, and the blooming of the deserts. This process began in the early 1900s, accelerated in 1948 and 1967 and have continued up to this present moment. Meanwhile, Israel has become a very prosperous country, as the prophecy requires, and Russia and Iran have begun to form a military alliance for this first time in human history.

What would have to happen next if Ezekiel 38 and 39 are coming true? Here is what to be watching for:

* Does Russia take the lead in building a coalition to destroy Israel? Ezekiel is clear that the Russian dictator referred to as "Gog" takes the lead is developing and executing his "evil scheme."

* Do all the countries cited by Ezekiel join Russia's coalition? See below.

* Does the whole world abandon Israel, including the United States? Currently the U.S. is standing with Israel, as is Canada. Even the G8 issued a statement defending Israel's right to exist. But the Scriptures are clear, Israel will be totally alone when Russia and Iran attack.

For the rest of the story go to http://www.theconservativevoice.com/articles/article.html?id=16225.

I have been tackling the issue of Russia's place in the war of Ezekiel 38 & 39 for years.  Could this be the beginning?  As Mr. Rosenberg said it's hard to say.  I have a feeling many of these events will hit us without warning.  It's probable that Christian's may not even be here when it happens.  For now, I'd put my main focus on the war at hand and where this might lead.  

Certainly as Christian's, every time something of this magnitude involves Israel our first thought should be the rapture of the church.  I can tell you that's where my mind is. 

Of course, this could all be resolved and life would go on, but I have a feeling this is going to lead to things much bigger. 

As far as an international peacekeeping force being placed at the border in southern Lebanon, world leaders have been calling for international troops to by deploy in the region for some time.  Don't count out the placement of international troops in southern Lebanon or Gaza/West Bank.  It may be part of a broader future peace proposal.

Are you ready to meet the Lord?  If not your time is running out!

Pastor Malone