American Jewish Leader Urges Jews to Get Out of America - by Rivkah Lambert Adler BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

Pro-Palestinian protesters from the US Pales­tin­ian Com­mu­nity Net­work in Chicago. (Photo: ADL Blog)

American Jewish Leader Urges Jews to Get Out of America

By Rivkah Lambert Adler   BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS  January 28, 2016

“And I will be found of you, saith the LORD, and I will turn your captivity, and gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you back unto the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.” (Jeremiah 29:14)

Lori Palatnik, a leader in the American Jewish community, has just released a video in which she calls for American Jews to move to Israel, in fulfillment of the Biblical prophecy about the ingathering of the exiles.  At the End of Days, Palatnik teaches, “Ultimately, the Jews are all going to move to Israel.”

Lori Palatnik (Photo: Video Screenshot)

Palatnik is a Jewish educator, author and speaker. In March 2015, Hadassah, the prestigious Jewish women’s organization, named her among the “Most Outstanding Jewish American Women of Our Time.”

The 3-minute video, first published on January 23, 2016, opens with a reference to 9/11 and “the scary prophets that talked about what happens at the End of Days.” In an interview with Breaking Israel News, Palatnik confirmed that she was referring to the Books of Isaiah, Jeremiah and Zechariah. More specifically, she spoke about the events of September 11, 2001 as a clear fulfillment of prophecy.

And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. (Joel 3:3)

Palatnik reflected on Biblical prophecy coming true in our lifetime. “After 9/11 was a huge wakeup call,” she told Breaking Israel News. “When they talk about pillars of smoke like date palms, it sounds like nuclear holocaust. When they were writing this, did anyone understand what they were talking about?”

And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the peoples that have warred against Jerusalem: their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their sockets, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth. (Zechariah 14:12)

Her warning to American Jews is controversial. Palatnik told Breaking Israel News that, although this is the first time she’s said it publicly, “I speak about this all the time in my community. I talk that way to the people around me. I say, ‘Don’t get fooled. This is coming down. This is happening.’”

Palatnik is referring to the dangers of increased anti-Semitism. “There’s been a build up. Anti-Semitism is worse than before the Holocaust. In Paris you can’t wear a kippah on the street. Is that what we’re waiting for?” she asked.

Millions of American Jews do not yet see the danger about which Palatnik is speaking. Even if they believe that ultimately they will end up in Israel, concerns about making the adjustment are common. Additionally, most American Jews think they still have plenty of time.

Palatnik disagrees. “I think it won’t be long,” she warned. “As the winds of anti-Semitism and politics change, your child having a hard time adjusting to an Israeli school will be very minor compared to the need to get out, get out now!”

Acknowledging the difficulty some Jews will have adjusting to life in Israel, Palatnik quoted the rabbinic commentary on Proverbs 13:24 which teaches that, “God has given the Jewish people three gifts, but all of them must be acquired through suffering. These are: Torah, the Land of Israel and the World to Come.”

The way she and her husband raised their own children is an echo of her deeply-held beliefs, she said. “My kids have been told since they were very young, ‘America is not your home. We’re here doing a job for the Jewish people. Israel your home.’ I hope and pray that we’ll all end up there.”

Palatnik addressed the issue of the current dangers in Israel in her video presentation by saying, “It’s not that Jews there are going to be immune to any tragedy, but it’s clear, and I checked it with different rabbis, that you’ll be safer in Israel than anywhere else in the world.” 

Asked to elaborate on this concern by Breaking Israel News, she responded, “I am a firm believer that God runs the world and He already knows when it’s your time. To die as a Jew in Israel, it has meaning. Does our life and death have meaning? I don’t want a meaningless death.”

Critics of Palatnik’s message claim that it’s wrong to scare Jews into moving to Israel. They feel that people should come to Israel for something, not because they are running away from something. In response, Palatnik told Breaking Israel News, “I strongly believe that people should make aliyah (immigrate to Israel) by choice. But you can’t stand by. Things are getting worse and worse.

“I’m not a prophetess, but the Almighty is starting to make it uncomfortable, because being comfortable seems to work against us. I don’t want to wait for that. I don’t think anyone should wait until they’re running for their lives.

“And it’s clear in the Torah that Israel is where God wants us to be.”

Courtesy of
Aish.com

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Magnificent Jerusalem in Snow ✡ "For the Lord Has Chosen Zion"

For the Lord has chosen Zion; He desired it for His habitation. This is My resting place forever; here I shall dwell for I desired it. PSALMS (132:13-14)   כִּי בָחַר יְהֹוָה בְּצִיּוֹן אִוָּהּ לְמוֹשָׁב לוֹ זֹאת מְנוּחָתִי עֲדֵי עַד פֹּה אֵשֵׁב כִּי אִוִּתִיהָ תהילים קלב:יג,יד kee ba-khar a-do-nai b'-tzee-on i-va l'-mo-shav lo. zot m'-nu-kha-tee a-day ad po ay-shev kee iv-tee-ha

Today's Israel Inspiration Jerusalem has always stood at the forefront of Jewish consciousness. Synagogues are all built facing Israel so that wherever a Jew prays, the direction of prayer is towards Jerusalem. When building a new home, it is customary to leave an unfinished square in order to remember the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. And at the conclusion of every Yom Kippur and Passover Seder, Jews declare, “Next year in Jerusalem!” The Temple Mount Heritage Foundation brings awareness of the significance of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, the place of God's "resting place forever." It is here in God's dwelling place that peace will one day emanate to all the nations of the world. Learn more about the Temple Mount Heritage Foundation » Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Placing a Note in the Western Wall Ever wonder what happens to all the prayer notes in the Western Wall? Find out here! » Biblical Prophecy Reveals Pope's Shocking Jewish Agenda On the surface, it looks like Pope Francis and the Jews are cozying up to one another. Below the surface, an End of Days prophecy that pits Rome against Jerusalem may be playing out. Read more » Jerusalem Stone Art Print: 50% Off! Over 2,000 years ago, King Solomon commanded his builders to hew stone blocks out of the hills of Jerusalem in order to build the first holy Temple and the surrounding Temple Mount, creating the holy site where God would choose to rest His presence on earth. Today, these same ancient stones can still be seen, visited and touched at the Western Wall, one of Judaism’s most treasured sites and Jerusalem’s most famous landmark. The Western Wall, or Kotel, is visited by thousands of people daily, and millions yearly, who seek to connect to the Divine Presence which once rested within these stones. Hold your own piece of Jerusalem with this beautiful and totally unique print on authentic Jerusalem stone. Get this Great Deal for 50% Off! » Today's Israel Photo Today's gorgeous photo by Zev Rothkoff features the Western Wall blanketed in snow. See more photos by Zev Rothkoff » Thank You Today's Scenes and Inspiration is sponsored by Patrick Caine of Eastern Cape, South Africa.  Todah rabah!   Sponsor a day and receive a free devotional book » “Thank You for All the News You Send Our Way” It’s great to hear from so many of you - stay in touch and let us know where in the world you are enjoying Israel365!   Stay in Touch » I enjoy any good report or update concerning things of Israel and pray often. John S. Ferris, Michigan, U.S.A. Hi. My name is Dave DiGennaro and I am from Saugus, Massachusetts. I really enjoy reading about the land of Israel and I truly believe it is protected by our most Holy God. Although I am not Jewish, I do pray for the protection of Israel and I am appalled at how our current administration is acting towards Israel. Thank you for all the news you send our way. Shalom, Dave DiGennaro Shalom, Rabbi Tuly Weisz RabbiTuly@Israel365.com

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Biblical Prophecy from Book of Daniel Connects Rapid Rise of Anti-Semitism as Precursor to Redemption - BIN

Palestinians burn the flag of Israel in Gaza. (Photo: Ashraf Amra/Flash90)

Is Virulent Anti-Semitism a Sign of Imminent Redemption?

By Rivkah Lambert Adler January 5, 2016   BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

“Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it; and it is a time of trouble unto Jacob, but out of it shall he be saved.” (Jeremiah 30:7)

From a Biblical perspective, it is possible to see the uptick in anti-Semitism as a sign of the coming Redemption.

In his address to the Israeli Knesset on December 29, Irwin Cotler, a celebrated human rights lawyer, warned that Israel and the Jewish people are suffering from a “new, escalating, global, sophisticated, virulent and even lethal anti-Semitism.”

Cotler characterized this new anti-Semitism as “discrimination against, denial of, assault upon the right of Israel and the Jewish people to live as an equal member of the family of nations, in fact the right even to live, with Israel emerging as the collective Jew among the nations – the targeted collective Jew among the nations.”

The prophet Daniel, writing about the End of Days, warned that we would witness “a time of trouble, such as never was”:

“And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince who standeth for the children of thy people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time; and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.” (Daniel 12:1)

The angel Michael historically stands to defend the Jewish people in Heaven. The “time of trouble” is understood by the Jewish sages to refer to the oppression of the Jewish people at the hands of the descendents of Ishmael at the End of Days. In other words, “the time of trouble” is a reference to the Arab terrorism of today, and the associated attempts to erase the very existence of Israel from the world.

An example of this trend of delegitimizing Israel can be seen in a recent op-ed, published by Forbes, in response to Kuwait Airlines’ recent decision to stop flying between New York and London. As a matter of policy, Kuwait Airlines refuses service to travelers with Israeli passports.

Rather than opposing this discrimination against Israelis, author Martin Rivers, an aviation journalist and Middle East politics blogger, calls the legitimacy of Israel into question. His op-ed, titled “It’s Easy To Blame Kuwait Airways For Discrimination Against Israelis – But It’s Wrong”, finds justification for Kuwait’s refusal to recognize Israel “as a legitimate country” and for its national airline to refuse to serve Israeli passengers.

“The tiny Gulf state, like 16 other mostly Arab nations, does not recognize Israel as a legitimate country. As backwards as this may seem, its stance reflects the unique manner in which the Jewish State was founded in 1948,” Rivers writes. “Even Israel’s most ardent supporters will concede that its establishment, or re-establishment, after World War II was cumbersomely managed. Displaced Arabs living in what had hitherto been known as British Mandate Palestine endured grave hardships during the process. Colonial Britain deserves much of the blame.”

Ironically, though Rivers cast aspersions on Britain, a recent report released by the Met Police in Britain indicates that, between November 2014 and November 2015, anti-Semitic crimes in Britain shot up by 61 percent.

Prolific End of Times author Rabbi Pinchas Winston told Breaking Israel News that rising anti-Semitism worldwide is a Biblical clue that it’s time for the Jewish people to return to Israel.

“We learn from the great Patriarch Jacob how anti-Semitism is an important precursor of redemption. It was the libel he heard from his brothers-in-law, and then the worsening of his relationship with his father-in-law, Laban, that alerted Jacob that it was time to leave the Diaspora and return back to Israel,” he explained to Breaking Israel News.

A desecrated Jewish cemetery in Strasbourg, France, in 2010. (Photo: Facebook Page of Natan Sharansky)

“The ‘anti-Semitism’ told him that the Divine protection that had kept Laban at bay until then was ‘moving on,’ and that he should do likewise. He heeded the message and remained safe. It’s when we haven’t [heeded the message] that anti-Semitism has increased, often resulting in the destruction of all that kept us in the Diaspora, and our lives as well.”

Rabbi Shimon Apisdorf, adult Jewish educator and award-winning author of 11 books, told Breaking Israel News that the antidote to today’s anti-Semitism lies with the Jewish people. According to Apisdorf, “[W]hen the entire Jewish people can speak with one clear voice and say from the depths of our collective soul that the land of Israel is the homeland of the Jewish people because God gave it to us—that will make all the difference in the world.”

On a more optimistic note, although both prophets Jeremiah and Daniel foretold of the increased anti-Semitism Israel would experience at the End of Days, they also both mentioned that, ultimately, salvation and deliverance would come for the Jewish people. On the verse in the Book of Daniel, Rashi, the foremost Jewish Biblical commentator, specifically assures that, “The kingdom of Gog will be destroyed and Israel will escape.”

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My heart yearns for the glory of the Lord Jesus to be revealed in the earth, touching the hearts and souls of men, women and children in each and every nation. As we see the days become darker, we believe that the Lord God of Israel will show Himself strong, and prove that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life, as He says He is. 

I wrote this book for you who also long to walk in strong faith, courage and commitment to the end, for whatever the Lord has planned and purposed for you and I. Together, as the Body of Christ, and the glorious Bride that we will become, we will one day see His Kingdom come, His will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 

The Gospel, the Good News of salvation, will be declared, and that which is just and good will for all eternity overcome the evil one. I sincerely believe we are living in the end of days, as prophetic words have been rapidly fulfilled since the re-birth of Israel in 1948. Jesus Himself had said that when we see the fig tree budding, we know that the time is near. 

This book, my 10th published in the last three years (all between 2013-2015) and before my 61st birthday, is very special to me. I sense it is something the Lord put on my heart to do several months ago, giving it that “urgency of getting it done and out there” feel as I wrote. Originally these chapters were Now Think On This messages. 

It was amazing to me how many were done in September and October of 2015 alone, as the Holy Spirit would speak a word or sentence to me, and I would write soon after. I am truly grateful for His impartation, and acknowledge Jesus (Yeshua), my Lord and Savior, above all. 

The photos I have included in the book are primarily ones I took (exceptions noted), both to document history and to share another way the Lord also speaks to His Body. Capturing moments of the Holy Spirit action, especially in the two “fire” photos, were exciting. In both cases I wasn’t even aware of it until they were “developed”. 

I trust this book will both encourage you and cause you to re-commit yourself - to know the Lord’s will for your life, do all you can to allow Him to direct your steps, and be the light in these dark days we desperately need and have been called upon by the Lord to be. I am with you, arm in arm! Ahava (love in Hebrew) and shalom (peace), 

Steve Martin

Founder

Love For His People, Inc.

Evangelical Beliefs on Israel Match Prophetic Doomsday Scenarios By Rivkah Lambert Adler - BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

(Photo: Breaking Israel News)

Evangelical Beliefs on Israel Match Prophetic Doomsday Scenarios

By Rivkah Lambert Adler   December 20, 2015   BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

“Woe is to me for I have sojourned in Meshech; I dwelt among the tents of Kedar. For a long time, my soul dwelt with those who hate peace. I am peace, but when I speak, they are for war.” (Psalms 120:5-7)

A recent survey of Christian Evangelicals has them echoing Jewish prophecies, associating trouble in Israel and the rest of the Middle East with End Times.

Brookings Institute, a Washington DC-based think tank, recently released the results of their survey entitled  American Attitudes Toward the Middle East and Israel. Among the more noteworthy results of their survey are two findings related to Evangelical Christian beliefs about Israel and the End of Days.

A staggering 73 percent of Evangelical respondents say that world events would turn against Israel the closer we get to End Times. In addition, 79 percent of Evangelicals believe that the unfolding violence across the Middle East is a sign that the End Times are near. These two findings are consistent with beliefs based in Biblical prophecy and rabbinic teachings.

In the Biblical Books of the Prophets, there are two scenarios regarding the War of Gog and Magog and the End of Days, one from Ezekiel and one from Zechariah.

In his book The Ishmaelite Exile, Rabbi Yechiel Weitzman confirms that Ezekiel’s prophecy is the more pleasant of the two. Weitzman explains that Ezekiel prophesied that the war of Gog and Magog will be fought outside of Israel. “According to the prophecy of Yechezkel (Ezekiel), the Jewish nation will not be involved at all in the war of Gog, for it will take place only in the mountains of the north,” he writes.

The darker prophecy comes from Zechariah and describes an End of Days war fought in Jerusalem:

“And I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to wage war; and the city shall be captured, and the houses shall be plundered, and the women shall be ravished, and half the city shall go forth into exile-and the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city.” (Zechariah 14:2)

Islamic terror occurring in Israel and across the Middle East – the specific violence that Evangelical Christians believe are a marker of the End of Days as revealed in the survey- was also hinted at by King David in the Book of Psalms.

“Woe is to me for I have sojourned in Meshech; I dwelt among the tents of Kedar. For a long time, my soul dwelt with those who hate peace. I am peace, but when I speak, they are for war.” (Psalms 120:5-7)

Sometimes, as in the above quote, the Bible refers to Ishmael using the name Kedar. Literally, Kedar was a son of Yishmael.

“And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael by their names, according to their births: the firstborn of Ishmael was Nebaioth, and Kedar and Adbe’el and Mibsam.” (Genesis 25:13)

Much later, troubling times for Israel at the End of Days was predicted by Rabbi Israel Meir HaKohen Kagan, born in 1839 and popularly known as the Chofetz Chaim. The Chofetz Chaim passed away in 1933, before Word War II, the establishment of the State of Israel and the ascendancy of Islamic terrorism. Nevertheless, he described the time before the arrival of the Messiah as one in which the Jewish people will endure difficulties that will occur in incredibly quick succession.

According to a translation by Weitzman, the Chofetz Chaim stated: “Before the coming of Moshiach (Messiah), Hashem (God) will act in a hurried manner so wondrous that even all who are wise of heart will be unable to fathom it. The troubles and persecutions [of the Jewish people] will follow each other so closely that there will be no space between them. Just as for an expectant woman who is about to give birth, the closer she comes to the moment of birth, the more intense her contractions and her pain, and this is the most reliable indication that the birth is nearing, so too, the wheels of the era will turn faster at the time of the birth pangs of Moshiach.”

There are those, like the prophet Ezekiel, who believe that it is still possible for God to bring the redemption with pleasantness and mercy. At the same time, like the Evangelical Christians surveyed by the Brookings Institute, the prophecies of Zechariah, King David and the Chofetz Chaim warn of a darker scenario.

(Photo: Brookings Institute)

Rabbi Pinchas Winston, international lecture, prolific author and End of Days expert, explained to Breaking Israel News that history certainly seems to be playing out a less merciful end game.

“End-of-Days scenarios have been around since the beginning of days. To many, Doomsday Sayers have seemed out of touch with reality. However, with the direction history seems to be going, and quite involuntarily, it seems more like reality is getting in touch with the Doomsdayers,” he said.

“Even mainstream media has begun mentioning the unmentionable: World War III, and all of a sudden the End-of-Days scenarios are becoming common culture for all peoples.”

After 2600 Years, Prophecies Are Coming To Pass - Israel, Israel & End Times

After 2600 Years, Prophecies Are Coming To Pass

Israel, Israel & End Times Dec. 7, 2015

WE live in a unique time in history. The words of Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Daniel, Isaiah, and other prophets are literally coming to pass in our day.

We are able to watch the unfolding of biblical prophecy today in a way that believers, only 70 years ago, did not have the privilege to see. One of the most dramatic examples of this is in Ezekiel 36.

Ezekiel 36 is a prophecy, not to people or kings, but to the land of Israel. Ezekiel was told to speak “to the mountains and to the hills, to the ravines and to the valleys” (Ezekiel 36:6); that it will put forth fruit, man and beast would be multiplied on it, and the waste cities will be rebuilt when His people Israel returns to the land. Since the time of Ezekiel, this land was conquered and reconquered over 20 times. It never became a homeland for any other people, nor would the land produce for any other people group. Only 150 years ago, Mark Twain wrote about the fertile Jezreel valley:

This change has been visible on one of my favorite drives in Israel — driving south along the Jordan River from the Galilee region to the Dead Sea. 12 years ago, about 20 minutes after we would leave the rich and fertile farmland of the Galilee, the scenery would become dry, brown and dusty desert with small communities scattered along the way until you crested a ridge and saw the green and lush oasis of the ancient city of Jericho 90 minutes later. Today, in only 12 years, it’s a different landscape. Due to new Israeli desert farming technology, this same journey is virtually green with desert orchards, vast greenhouses and small farms. The desert is literally blooming and “filling the world with fruit” as the prophets said (Isaiah 27:6; 35:1).

In the hopes that the world can see Israel’s progress for themselves, Ezra Adventures is working on a book to provide photographic evidence and document these stunning and dramatic changes. “Ancient Prophecy, Modern Lens: The Land Of Israel Reawakens” will be a groundbreaking photojournalism book that will compare old pictures of the Holy Land taken between 1880-1940 to current pictures taken from the same angle. This book will reveal the miraculous changes in this region since the establishment of Israel in a way that has never been done before. The circulation of these old, yet stunning black and white photos have been very limited, creating virtually unseen changes that will be revealed by our “then and now” photo comparisons; from the vast desert farms in the Negev desert, to booming coastal cities.

Ezra Adventures need your help and support in order to accomplish this project — Kickstarter allows you to make a pledge for our various levels of backer rewards, but doesn’t draw on those funds unless our goal is reached. Please visit our campaign for more information on how you can support this book: http://kck.st/1kL2wIJ

75-Year-Old Prediction Indicated Russia’s Role in Syrian Conflict, Final War of Gog and Magog - BIN

Syrian dictator Bashar Assad meets with Russian president Vladimir Putin in Moscow, October 20, 2015. (Photo: www.kremlin.ru)

75-Year-Old Prediction Indicated Russia’s Role in Syrian Conflict, Final War of Gog and Magog

By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz October 27, 2015  BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

“Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal.…” (Ezekiel 38:2-3)

The late Rabbi Haim Shvili, a Jewish mystic born in the early 1900s, made many predictions about the messianic era in his book, Heshbonot Hageula (Reckonings of Redemption), which he wrote in 1935. Some of the predictions in this obscure and largely unknown text were shockingly accurate, stating specific dates and names. His final terrifying vision, that of a Russian-led coalition as the prophesied Gog, is unfolding on the front pages of newspapers today. Of course, Rabbi Shvili did what the newspapers can’t: he predicted precisely how it would end.

Shvili wrote that the chronology of the Book of Daniel, along with predictions found in Ezekiel 38 and 39, Joel 4 and Zechariah 14, indicated that a great war would break out during the Sukkot holiday of the Jewish year 5751, which began on October 3, 1990. This was reported in the Jerusalem Post and the LA Times of that year, a few weeks before the holiday. Though a great war did not break out, massive and unprecedented Arab riots exploded on the Temple Mount on Sukkot of that year, resulting in 23 Arab deaths and more than 150 Arabs being injured. This incident had major implications for Israel and resulted in international condemnation.

While Shvili did not predict how long the war would continue, he wrote that this conflict marked the beginning of the messianic process. Shvili believed that after the war Jerusalem would reign supreme and the city would become a center of tourism, pilgrimage and Jewish religious learning – a prophecy that has fully come to fruition.

Based on chapters 38 and 39 of Ezekiel, Shvili predicted that the major world power involved in the war of Gog and Magog would be Russia. He specified that it would not be England, though at the time of his predictions, England was the more logical choice for Gog, being much more powerful and more active as a global power. England was also directly involved in the Middle East as part of its mandate. This prediction is even more shocking, since at the time when he wrote his predictions, and even later when they were published, Russia had been replaced by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).

Nonetheless, Shvili specified Russia as being the military leader of a coalition during the messianic wars by explaining the the verse in Ezekiel 38:2, which reads, “Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal”. Shvili interpreted the word “Rosh” through Kabbalistic techniques to mean Russia. He used the same techniques to interpret the words “Meshech” and “Tubal” to be the Balkan states, which are ruled by Russia.

Shvili emphasized that Gog is referred to as the “land of the North”, and Russia is the northernmost country in Europe. He pointed out that the return of the Jews from the north, as prophesied in Isaiah and Jeremiah, will be an enormous miracle. In fact, for a long period of time, the Soviet Union did not allow Jews to emigrate to Israel. In the late 1980s and 90s, around the time when Shvili predicted the messianic period would begin, in an entirely unexpected move, Mikhail Gorbachev opened the borders, allowing Jews to emigrate. More than 1.6 million Jews left, and almost one million came to Israel in what most thought an unlikely, perhaps even miraculous, occurrence.

The verses in Ezekiel explicitly state that Gog is a Nasi (prince) of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, indicating a republic and not a kingdom. There are presently many countries with a military presence in Syria and Iraq, forming several coalitions. The US is certainly one “prince,” or leader, while Russia is clearly the opposing “prince”.

Shvili predicted that the Russian-led coalition would be opposed by its corresponding counterpart, made up of an army composed of soldiers from all 70 nations.  There have already been confrontations with international implications, such as Turkey shooting down a Russian fighter jet, Britain authorizing its air force to shoot down aggressive Russian jets, and face-offs between Russian and Israeli jets. As alliances continue to form, it is becoming clear that the present conflict in Syria will bring many countries into the fray, just as Shvili described.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with Russian President Vladimir Putin at Netanyahu’s residence in Jerusalem on June 25, 2012. (Photo: Kobi Gideon/GPO/Flash90)

Shvili also noted that the War of Gog and Magog would begin in the Hebrew month of Tishrei, which this year began five weeks ago with the holiday of Rosh Hashana, and ended October 12. On September 30th of this year, the 29th of Tishrei, Russia began formal military intervention in Syria, which conforms perfectly with his predictions.

Based on the verses of Ezekiel (39:11), Shvili understood that Russia would come down into Israel via the Golan Heights with the intention of conquering Egypt, but would be vanquished near what is today the Israeli town of Almagor at the northern tip of the Sea of Galilee (Kinneret).

Many people, even those uninclined to Biblical prophecy, are realizing that we live in precarious and unusual times with strong parallels to the messianic process. Though this prospect might be frightening, by witnessing the predictions that have become reality and accepting them as part of a process that has been described, it is possible to take comfort in the end that has been assured. Shvili concludes that after the war of Gog and Magog, the prophecy of world peace, of “beating swords into plowshares” (Isaiah 2:4) will come into effect, centered around Jerusalem as the pinnacle of peace and holiness.