YNet Reports:
Russia begun its military intervention in Syria, deploying an aerial contingent to a permanent Syrian base in order to launch attacks against ISIS and Islamist rebels; US stays silent.
DebkaFile reports:
Russia will be the first country from outside the Middle East to send ground forces into the Syrian civil war.
Daniel 11 is becoming more of a reality every day.
As one brother aptly described it; “This is huge. It’s almost too perfect. It’s what we have been waiting for.”
What is it? If you havent already heard, Egypt has discovered what is likely to be the biggest gas field in the world.
Why is this significant? Because in Daniel 11, the King of the North invades Egypt to take her precious gold and silver.
Up till recently, Egypt didnt seem to have anything that would be of significant value to Russia, but now they do.
For almost two centuries the brotherhood have wondered what it is that Russia might want from Egypt.
We are a generation who are very blessed to be able to witness the awakening of Daniel 11 – the Invasion of the King of the North.
He (the King of the North: Russia) shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape.
But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt
~Daniel 11
RT Reports:
Italian energy giant Eni has announced on its website that it has found a “supergiant” gas field at their Zohr Prospect in the deep waters of Egypt in the Mediterranean, claiming it “could become one of the world’s largest natural-gas finds.”
It added that this is “an important day” for the company, as well as for Italy and Egypt, as it could fuel Italy’s economic development and “will be able to ensure satisfying Egypt’s natural gas demand for decades.”
“It’s a very important day for Eni and its people. This historic discovery will be able to transform the energy scenario of Egypt,” Claudio Descalzi, chief executive of Eni, said in a statement.
The field is located about 80 miles (129 kilometers) off the Egyptian coast, 1,450 meters below the surface.
According to Eni’s press-release, the discovered gas field, which covers an area of around 100 square kilometers, could contain about “30 trillion cubic feet of lean gas”(849 billion cubic meters of gas or 5.5 billion barrels of oil equivalent).
Even more oil could be found at the field during the course of further exploration, potentially amounting up to 40 trillion cubic feet (1.1 trillion cubic meters), Claudio Descalzi told Financial Times.
“I think we can discover more,” he said.
In June, Eni struck a $ 2 billion deal with the Egyptian oil ministry allowing it to carry out exploration in Sinai, the Gulf of Suez, the Mediterranean and areas in the Nile Delta.
Claudio Descalzi stressed that “Egypt still has great potential” in the energy field.”
“Important synergies with the existing [Egyptian] infrastructures can be exploited, allowing us a fast production startup,” he added.
As I write, Asian financial markets are easing from a night of financial turmoil in the US, although the Shanghai is still taking a beating.
The Dow Jones dropped 1000 points last night and closed down 588 which is the 8th biggest daily drop in the history of the Dow. It was also the first time that the Dow has ever fallen by more than 500 points on two consecutive days.
The Shanghai index had its biggest drop since the Financial Crisis, the Australian markets lost $70 billion yesterday and Europe also dropped at a record speed not seen since the GFC in 2008.
A big question hangs over the heads of world governments and experts alike – How bad can this correction get? No doubt the next few days will tell.
However, what we have seen over the last few days, is a mere sneeze in global financial markets compared to the financial cataclysm which will hit around or after the return of Christ.
Isaiah gives us some insight;
The buyer will be like the seller,
the lender like the borrower,
the creditor like the debtor.~Isa 24
This quote is one of many verses in Isaiah 24 which describes the state of the world after the return of Christ, and before He is enthroned in Zion. Its a state of affairs where the value of currency has become worthless, where the global economy and financial system have been destroyed.
Think of what that entails;
The message of Isa 24 is that that time will come. When, we ask?
There seems to be a precursor, a preface if you like to Isa 24, and that preface can be found in the Olivet prophecy.
There are at least four parallels between the Olivet prophecy and Isa 24 which begs the question, did Christ have Isa 24 in mind when he spoke to his disciples?
| Luke 21 | Mat 24 | Isa 24 | |
| The Shaking of the Earth | v11 – earthquakes in various places | v7 – earthquakes in various places | v19 – The earth is exceedingly shaken, violently broken, split open, reels to and fro. |
| Signs in the Moon and Sun | v11 – signs from heaven | v29 – the Sun will be darkened and the Moon will not give its light | v23 – The Moon is disgraced, and the Sun ashamed. |
| The Gleaning of Fruit | v30 – when they are already budding | v32 – Parable of the fig tree – when the branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves | v13 – It shall be like the shaking of an olive tree, the gleaning of the grapes. |
| Mirth & Drunkenness | v3 – Take care that your heart be not weighed down by carousing, drunkenness, cares of this life | v38 – Eating and drinking and giving in marriage – until the coming of the son of man | v7-9 – Merry hearted sigh, the mirth of the tambourine ceases. The noise of the jubilant ends, the joy of the heart ceaseth. They shall not drink wine with a song, strong drink is bitter to those who drink it. |
Note that Christ alludes to aspects of Isa 24 in the future tense, whereas Isaiah speaks of these parallels in the present tense because Isaiah was speaking as he envisioned it.
But its not until we come back to Luke 17 that we find Christ expanding more on what the world would be like prior to its destruction. We find that the world will be generally prosperous;
And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
If we compare these phrases with Isa 24 they are a remarkable contrast;
| Prosperity in Luke 17 |
Destruction in Isaiah 24 |
| v28 – “Eating and Drinking” | v9 – “Strong drink is bitter to those who drink it” |
| v28 – “Buying and Selling” | v2 – “As with the buyer so with the seller” |
| v28 – “Planting and Building” | v7 – “The vine languisheth” |
Luke 17 warns of general prosperity in the last days before His return. Isaiah 24 describes the devastation that has been brought upon the global economy after the return of Christ.
Lets not forget our Lords message to those living in prosperity in the last days:
Take care that your heart be not weighed down by carousing, drunkenness, cares of this life.
Overnight, the Dow Jones has dropped over 1000 points & the NASDAQ has dropped almost 9%
Luke 17 suggests that our Lord will return during a time of general prosperity.
And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
Is that general prosperity about to cease? The next few days and weeks will tell
Watch the story unfold here:
This is a Long Form Analysis based on extracts from: www.eurasiagroup.net & www.politico.com
The politics of the current moment represent the biggest challenge Erdogan has faced since his leadership of the country formally began in March 2003. Almost everything that Erdogan cares about is at stake—the executive presidency he desires, the future of the AKP and his legacy of peace.
For the second year in a row, Turkey has made Eurasia Groups list of the top ten geopolitical risks in 2015. Lower oil prices have been good news for this country, but that’s about all that’s going well.
Heavy-handed rule, short-sighted political decisions, and bad foreign policy bets will all conspire against Turkey. At home, Erdogan has used election victories in 2014 to ensure decisive defeat of his political enemies (of which there are many) while remaking the country’s political system to tighten his hold on power. Erdogan is unlikely to win the powers he wants, forcing him to rely on soft influence instead–a recipe for more disputes with his prime minister, less policy coherence, and more political unpredictability. A diverse population is becoming a divided one, as is the case in politics, business, the media, police and the military, and the judiciary. It’s becoming increasingly dangerous to be caught on the wrong side.
On foreign policy, Erdogan has made nearly every bad bet available. Support for the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt blew up in his face as the military ousted its government and set up a stable new government now hostile to Erdogan’s interests. He backed Hamas before last year’s conflict in Gaza left Hamas isolated and the Israeli government strengthened. He aligned with Qatar before the Saudis forced the Qataris back into line within the GCC. He got cozier with Putin just as Russia’s government was becoming a pariah and its economy began sliding into recession. He pushed hard for the removal of Syria’s Assad, a man whom the United States can no longer afford to fight and who will be around to create trouble for Turkey for many years to come. Turkey’s relations with its NATO allies have never been more troubled.
Given the instability in the region, it’s not the best time to pick the wrong friends. Refugees are bringing more radicalism into Turkey and adding to the country’s economic hardship. Lasting peace with the Kurds, who want political reform and for Erdogan to fight the Islamic State, is becoming less likely. And Turkey’s troubles also contribute to the political vacuum in the Middle East, at a time when sectarian fights and proxy wars are growing.
Turkey has too many advantages to become a disaster–a large, urbanized, well-educated, and growing population; a strong business and banking community; a competent bureaucracy. Erdogan has an authoritarian bent, but he’s not Putin. Yet Turkey’s troubled politics poses problems that aren’t going away.
Bible Prophecy & Current Events 