Barry’s Beacon - Shining Biblical Light on Current Events
The Houthi – Red Sea Problem:
Despite US and UK missions against the Houthi Rebel positions in Yemen and the Red Sea, there is little evidence that these missions have deterred the Houthis from attacking shipping in the region. In mid-February, the Houthis suggested that if attacks against them went on, they would cut some of the 17 fiber-optic cables running through the Red Sea and interrupt communications. Western security analysts, thought this most unlikely as all the cables were at a depth of at least 330 feet down to an average 1610 feet deep. Some specifically equipped submarines are required to repair and monitor the cables. Later in February, the Houthis announced that Iran had supplied some Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUV) - drone submarines - for use in the region against shipping. Iran had been experimenting with their production. Then on February 26th 2024, it was announced that 4 cables had been cut at the 14 mile wide Bab al-Mandab Strait that lies between Yemen and the Horn of Africa at Djibouti. As it turns out, the UUV or drone submarines would not require any special equipment – just the ability to place explosive mines accurately.
The Hindustan Times (HT) gave an excellent presentation here:
They reported that, not only did 15% of global shipping go that route, but also 70% of world internet traffic travels via those cables as well. They claimed the worst affected regions were the Arab nations and India. The HT pointed out that 3 entire continents were affected by the cutting of 4 communications cables. The damage is severely disrupting communications between Europe and Asia. However, they claim the situation is not yet critical as other cables also pass through the same location and connect the 3 continents. The cables that were cut are the AAE-1 which connects the West to East Asia and Europe via Egypt, and also China via Pakistan and Qatar. The second cable is the EIG, sometimes known as the Europe Hidden Gateway system, that links southern Europe to Africa and Asia, involving Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Djibouti, UAE, and India. The third line is the SEACOM cable, again connecting European, African and Asian countries including South Africa and India. Finally, there is the TGN cable set up by the USA and sold several times to different communication companies.
The Hindustan Times YouTube session pointed out that repairing the cables will be a difficult and dangerous task that may take up to 2 months to achieve because of Houthi attacks quite apart from the natural hazards. As a result, repair under these conditions will be costlier because insurance companies will charge higher premiums. With this ‘success,’ no-one is sure just what the Houthis will do next with their drone submarines.
Israel and the International Court of Justice (ICJ):
Feb. 27th : The UN’s top court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), is hearing the final arguments in a case that challenges Israel’s 56-year ‘occupation’ of the West Bank and Gaza. This case was initiated by a UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution in December 2022, before the 7 October attacks by Hamas last year, and Israel’s military response in the Gaza Strip. It represents the first time since the 1940s that the UN’s highest judicial body has had a chance to address the totality of these issues.
If the ICJ issues a non-legally binding advisory opinion, it then goes to the UN General Assembly, which adopts a resolution. That would be significant and could constitute a catalyst for negotiations and set the legal parameters for a future negotiated settlement. If the court’s opinion is that Israel’s occupation is illegal, it will tell all UN bodies and nations they must do nothing to support or contribute to the current situation. Such a ruling could potentially have far-reaching trade implications, but of greatest significance would be the consequences for the legitimacy of Israel’s position. Countries like the US may find it increasingly difficult to continue to support Israel.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68401909
Related 1: On Feb. 25th US declared West Bank & Gaza settlements illegal under international Law – and from here on, the US will not support any housing or other Israeli developments in the “occupied territories”.
Related 2: Feb. 25th : Israel Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, accused the UN Human Rights Council of collaborating with Hamas, after a group of UN rights officials called for an arms embargo on Israel, saying that any export of weapons, ammunition, or intelligence to the Jewish state was “likely to violate international humanitarian law.”
Beacon Comment 1: If all this is, in fact, followed through internationally, as the above report seems to expect, then it means Israel will become isolated entirely from the rest of the nations. This is in line with what Numbers 23 states will happen near Messiah’s return.
Beacon Comment 2: This case was initiated by the UN, and stems from the results of the 6-Day War of June 1967. Just before that war began, Israel did not have the West Bank or Gaza, or the Sinai or the Golan. In the build-up a week or so before the war, Israel was surrounded by the armies of Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq and in the international press these nations were all saying they were going to “push Israel into the sea” and eliminate her. When the attack came, Israel exploded out and gained the land in all these ‘disputed’ areas, including Jerusalem, in an incredible fight against the much greater numbers of the Arab militias. Since then, these lands have been considered by the Arabs and the UN to be illegitimately “occupied” by Israel, and in all the so-called Peace negotiations since, the aim has been to get Israel to go back to the pre-1967 borders and give up East Jerusalem which the Palestinians now demand as their capital. It is like Mexico asking for the USA to return the lands it conquered north of the Rio Grande, which included parts of seven states, plus the return of Los Angeles to become the newly adopted Mexican capital. In the case of the Arabs and Israel, an additional consideration may be relevant. The Arab nations across the Middle East have approximately 10 million square miles of land that they own and control. In contrast, Israel has about 8,000 square miles – and yet the Arabs want that too … when Israel is fighting for its life????
Beacon Comment 3: There is a further aspect to all this, namely the viewpoint of the Creator of Heaven and Earth. He has stated that the “earth is the Lord’s and all its fulness, the world and those who dwell in it,” (Psalm 24:1). However, just like landlord who owns much property and has selected a portion to live on himself, the Lord has stated that He has selected the Land of Israel to uniquely be His land, and the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to be His caretakers for His land (Deuteronomy 32:8, 9 and Ezekiel 36:5, 8). In a similar manner, the surrounding nations have been called “My evil neighbors” (Jeremiah 12:14) because they had “appointed My land to themselves as their possession with whole-hearted joy and spiteful minds,” (Ezekiel 36:1-12, especially verses 2, 5, and 8). This situation arose because, first of all, God punished Israel by dispersing them around the world for 2000 years because they rejected Messiah, just as Moses and Hosea said God would (Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Hosea 5:15 – 6:2). After the period of punishment was over for them, the Lord then restored the Jews to His appointed inheritance for them, just as He promised He would (Isaiah 11:11-14; Jeremiah 46:27-28; Hosea 5:15 - 6:2, etc). During that time of punishment for Israel, the Arabs took God’s Land for themselves, not knowing God’s Plan as revealed in the Scriptures. They then became upset when God kept to His schedule and started to fulfill His promise for Israel.
Other Developments:
Saudi Arabia & US sending mixed messages
(1) Feb. 26 th: Saudi Arabia is increasingly eager to shore up its security and ward off threats from rival Iran so the kingdom can forge ahead with an ambitious plan to transform its economy and attract massive foreign investment. The Saudis are seeking access to top-notch American military equipment and Washington’s support for a civilian nuclear program, according to US and Arab officials. Analysts say the Saudis are determined to secure the deal before the American presidential election in November because in the event that US President Joe Biden is not re-elected, Democrats in Congress will be less likely to ratify a deal inked by a Republican White House.
(2) Feb. 28th : US Secretary of State reiterates the Biden administration’s commitment to a Palestinian state in conversation with Saudi Foreign Minister. Saudi officials have long insisted that statehood for the Palestinian Arabs must be part of any process which concludes with the kingdom recognizing Israel and normalizing ties. Saudis said that normalization has been put on ice until after Gaza war over…
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385927
Feb. 28th : Hamas has rejected the latest offer of a cease-fire and hostage release according to Arab, Israeli and US sources.
Feb. 28th : The Jerusalem Post indicated that the Biden Administration has imposed sanctions on an Israeli firm, which is the sole producer of a vital Iron Dome component.
Developments concerning Iran:
Feb. 26th : Quarterly report of the International Atomic Energy Agency: The IAEA states that as of February 10th, Iran’s stockpile of uranium enriched to a military level of 60% now stands at 5,525.5 kilograms. This is said to be an increase of 1,038.7 kg since November 2023. “According to the IAEA’s definition, around 42 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60% is the amount at which creating one atomic weapon is theoretically possible. The 60% purity is just a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%.”
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385870
Feb. 27th : The Israel Air Force under commander Maj.-Gen. Tomer Bar has officially established an Iran department in response to Tehran’s growing threat against Israel. This department will handle all military preparations for potential future attacks by Iran, and is mainly set to combat the Iranian nuclear program. Official sources within the security establishment stated that this move intends to signal a warning not only to Iran, but also to the United States, which has been criticized by some for its poorer handling of the Iranian nuclear program, as well as the funding of Iran’s terrorist influence in the Middle East.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-788089
Feb. 27th : Israeli Defense Minister Galant said: “We’re observing an effort by Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas to escalate tensions during Ramadan, akin to the second phase of 7/10, igniting the region.” The Muslim holy month of Ramadan starts on March 10th .
Feb. 28th : Israel now uses open attacks against Iranian Republican Guard Corps (IRGC) members in Syria and the Golan as well as Damascus, since the demographics of Syria has changed. While the Iranian military presence in Syria was initially justified to support the Assad regime against rebel groups, the Shiite fighters in the Golan were imported with the explicit goal to “free Jerusalem,” that is, attack Israel. Their training was carried out by the Hezbollah in the region.
Israel and Lebanon Developments:
Feb. 21st : In Israel, an interview on Radio North 104.5FM on Tuesday, with the Alma Center’s director of research, Tal Be’eri, referred to a report by the French newspaper Liberation claiming that Hezbollah has a secret tunnel network. The report said this tunnel network is even more advanced than that of Hamas in Gaza. “Hezbollah started building in the 1980s, with the help of Iran and North Korea, who brought the professional know how. The result is a large system of tunnels under Lebanon.” This tunnel system is hundreds of km long and stretches into the Galilee in Israel and into Syria. Some tunnels are capable of carrying huge trucks and cruise missile batteries. Some tunnels are already packed with explosives under key locations ready to be exploded at an appropriate time causing devastation.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-787919
Feb 23rd : Israeli Navy is carrying out extensive drills in preparation for a potential war in the North. Also, Israel warns it won’t ‘be patient much longer’ for a diplomatic solution on northern border after sending a report to the UN
Security Council detailing Iran’s arming of the Hezbollah.
Feb. 27th : More than 100 rockets were fired from Lebanon into Israel in less than 24 hours. They penetrated deep into the Galilee as well as onto the Golan Heights. Israel’s northern border may be heading for a big war.
Feb. 29th : The Arabic Post reported that Tehran gave the go-ahead to the Hezbollah chief, Nasrallah, amid fears that, after the IDF completes an invasion of Rafah, southern Lebanon “will be next”. Esmail Qaani, the IRGC’s Quds Force commander, visited Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah on Monday “Hassan Nasrallah told Qaani that the attack is likely to be very imminent, most likely in the month of Ramadan, or with Israel’s invasion of the city of Rafah”; an IRGC source told Arabic Post. “Nasrallah asked Qaani to give him complete freedom in how he intends to attack”; another diplomatic source in Iran said. Apparently that permission was given.
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-789447
Beacon Note: At this stage, it looks possible that Israel and the Hezbollah may begin a serious war in the very near future. However, the USA, Britain and France are all exercising maximum pressure on both parties to prevent this. No-one is sure precisely when this war will occur. Our Israeli sources seem it feel it is very soon as shown by the news reports included above. It is with that proviso in mind that we offer the following analysis as well as the Biblical prophecies as to what could happen once the major attack starts, whenever that may be.
Analysis of possible results of an Israeli – Hezbollah war:
Beacon Summary - Israel has a choice between initiating a surprise attack on Hezbollah and Lebanon OR a response to an attack on Israel by the Hezbollah. Here are selected portions of an article by Dr. Aaron Lerner, head of Independent Media Review Analysis, published in: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385821
“If Hezbollah doesn’t remove the rockets and missiles it has embedded in Beirut and other populated areas of Lebanon, those areas will be turned into moonscapes [when Israel attacks or responds to an attack]. To be clear: We won’t turn those areas into a moonscape as punishment. We will do this because the rockets and missiles are so deeply embedded inside the civilian population that even precision attacks will level the areas.
[Israel] has no choice. [In turn] the devastation [Israel] could suffer in a full-scale battle with Hezbollah is [also] unprecedented. [Israel] is being warned to expect no electricity for days, and that some areas may have no power for many weeks. The Ministry of Health is scrambling to arrange solutions for the many tens of thousands of Israelis who rely on oxygen to survive. People are buying battery systems that include solar panels to recharge them. And since the telephone system and mobile towers will crash in areas with extended blackout periods, many who must maintain constant contact with the world are buying telephones and modems that communicate via satellite. It is finally sinking in that when this full-scale battle takes place, we will not have the resources to even attempt to intercept [incoming] rockets and missiles [that are] on the way to hitting non-strategic targets. Indeed, it is a nightmare scenario. But a real one. [The Hezbollah have over 150,000 guided missiles and rockets already programmed to hit strategic targets in Israel]. Even if there is some kind of deal that pulls back the Hezbollah forces away from [Israel’s] northern border, those rockets and missiles will continue to be a clear and present danger.
The only question the Israeli leadership must make on “judgment day” is whether or not Israel will choose to take the initiative and make a surprise attack [against the Hezbollah]. [If they do make that surprise attack], it will save thousands of Israeli lives and a huge chunk of our economy. Because that is the difference in the destruction [Israel] will endure between a surprise Israeli attack or [simply] an Israeli response on the heels of an attack by the Hezbollah.”
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385821
The Biblical Scenario on this Matter:
Introduction:
Since at least 2015 Iran (and Russia) have had bases in Syria which are used to transfer ammunition, rockets, missiles, weapons, and drones, as well as military advisors to the Hezbollah and the other groups. As a result, the Hezbollah moves just as freely in Syria as in Lebanon. The conclusion is that both Lebanon and Syria will be involved when the war between the Hezbollah and Israel finally takes place.
The other important item is that the capital of Syria, Damascus, is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the Middle East, and some say in the world. It has never been destroyed. In the present context, Iranian proxies, including the Hezbollah, have been using bases in and around Damascus for arms and personnel transfers.
Despite Israeli precision action against both, Damascus has remained largely intact. With this background, we look at what the Bible says about this in Isaiah 17:1-11; Amos 1:3-5; Zechariah 9:1-2; Zephaniah 2:1-3, 9 LXX. In each case the focus is on the city of Damascus. The other areas involved in this war are also designated in these chapters prophesying the demise of Damascus.
Isaiah 17:1 – 11 “Behold, Damascus will be taken away from being a city; it will be heap of ruins, abandoned forever. It will be a resting-place and a shelter for flocks to lie down and none will make them afraid. The fortress will cease from Ephraim [that is, northern Israel will not need to be fortified as the Hezbollah threat has been entirely removed], but the kingdom will cease from Damascus and also from the remnant of the Syrians says the Lord of Hosts… And in that day, it shall come to pass that the glory of Jacob will wane, and the fatness of his flesh will grow lean… And it will be like the shaking of an olive tree after the harvest, two or three olives in the top of the outermost bough, four or five berries in its most fruitful branches says the Lord God of Israel… But the harvest will be a heap of grief and desperate sorrow. [Israel seems to win, but at a high cost. Why did God allow that outcome???] “… Because you have forgotten God your Salvation [Yeshua], and have not been mindful of the Rock of your strength.”
Zechariah 9:1-2. “The burden of the word of the Lord is against the land of Hadrach, and Damascus is its goal. …It is also against Hamath which borders on it, and against Tyre and Sidon, though they are very wise.”
Zechariah 9:5: “Ashkelon shall see it and fear; Gaza also shall be very sorrowful…for the king will perish from Gaza.”
Zechariah 10:9-10: “I will sow [the Jews] among the peoples [70 AD], and they will remember Me in far countries; they will live together there with their children. And then they will return [Israel formed as a nation in 1948]. And I will bring them back and gather them from the [nations], and I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon, and settle them there until no more room is found for them.”
Obadiah 15, 17, 19, 20: “When the day of the Lord [the Tribulation] is near upon the nations….the house of Jacob will possess their possessions … and the inhabitants of Israel in the south will possess the mountains of Esau and the Philistine lowland [Gaza]. And they will possess the fields of Ephraim and Samaria [the West Bank] and Benjamin will possess Gilead [Golan heights]. And the children of Israel will possess the land of the Phoenicians [Lebanon] as far as Zarephath [Litani River between Tyre and Sidon] … Then the Savior(s) [Messiah and the Old and New Testament believers] will come to Mount Zion to judge the nations, and the kingdom will the Lord’s [the Millennium].”
Amos 1:2-5: “The Lord will utter His voice from Jerusalem [when He returns in glory at the close of the battle of Armageddon to start the Millennium]. Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of Damascus [attacking Israel in 1948, 1967 & 1973] and for four [the current Hezbollah attacks leading to a war with Israel], I will not turn away its punishment. But I will send a fire … which will devour the palaces of Ben Hadad and break the gate of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitants from the Valley of Aven [the Beqaa valley]…”
There is one final aspect to this scenario; it is a different event, but within the context of the Damascus wipe-out, as it is part of Isaiah 17 and mentioned in verses 12 to 14. Israel comes back from the battle against Syria, Lebanon and the wipe-out of Damascus, much weakened and would only able to defend their land with great difficulty. It is at that point that the closing verses of Isaiah 17 come into play. Other nations take this opportunity to rush against Israel to knock her out. We are not told how long after the Damascus wipe-out this happens, but it is within the context of that event that this subsequent attack occurs. The Lord has a say in the outcome of this attack against the Jewish people. The prophet Isaiah says “Woe to the multitude of many people who make a noise like the roar of the seas, and to the rushing of nations like the rushing of many waters [basically, a ‘military tsunami’]. But God will rebuke them, and they will flee far away…and be like a rolling thing before the whirlwind. For behold! At eventide, trouble! But before the morning they are no more.
This is the portion of those who plunder [Israel] and the lot of those who rob us [the Jewish people].” From this prophecy, it seems that a huge force comes to wipe out Israel when she is at her weakest moment. Just at that time, there is a miraculous intervention of God such that the invading army is destroyed within less than 12 hours. There is only one other end-time event in the Bible which resembles this commentary; it is Ezekiel 38 where a huge confederacy of Russian and Iranian forces and their allies come upon Israel “and will ascend like a storm, covering the land like a cloud.” This description suggests that Russian paratroopers may be involved – indeed they have over 70,000 elite paratroopers and associated equipment. Ezekiel says that Russia turns back from where she was intending to go, as events cause her to invade Israel instead.
Ezekiel 38:18-19 tells us that when this happens, God says to Russia: “My fury will come up in my face. For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath I have spoken.” Ezekiel 38:18-23 then lists off the natural forces that God uses to miraculously wipe-out the Russian-Iranian coalition, as Israel is helpless against this military tsunami. Ezekiel notes that the Lord uses a massive earthquake, which causes individual personnel to turn on each other for fear; an overflowing rain, which bogs down all machinery and immobilizes them; great hailstones, which would pound men and machinery to ribbons on the ground and knocks planes out of the sky; volcanic fire and brimstone, since this region is associated with the Jordan rift valley, whose movements have historically caused disasters (like Sodom and Gomorrah); and finally the breakout of pestilence. The outcome will be that “all the nations [and Israel] will know that I AM the Lord.” Isaiah 17:12-14 seems to indicate that this wipe-out happens within about 12 hours. The armies descend on Israel near sunset and have been destroyed by the Lord before morning.
Zechariah 9:1-5 picks up another aspect of this. It starts with the destruction of Damascus and other parts of Syria; then Gaza in Israel; and then Tyre and Sidon in Lebanon. The implication is that these events are all in the same time-frame. Then verse 14 presents additional information. It is not clear whether it is the battle associated with Damascus, or the Ezekiel 38 event, just as Isaiah 17:12-14 does. No matter how this works, there is one key comment in Zechariah 9:14 about one or other of these two battles. It says “Then the Lord will be seen over them, and His arrow will go forth like the lightning. And the Lord God will blow the Trumpet [that is uniquely the trumpet of God] and go with the whirlwind [the Shekinah cloud as in Job 38:1] from the south. The Lord of Hosts will defend them…” If the Lord leaves the Rapture [1Thessalonians 4:16] to the last moment before the Tribulation, this Trumpet of God may well mark that event. Humanly speaking, the timing of all this seems to depend on the decisions made by the leadership of Israel and the Hezbollah. Or this reason, Jesus said in Mark 13:35, 37, “Watch therefore, for you do not know when the Master of the house is coming… and what I say to you I say to all: Watch!”
Question of God’s Love for Israel:
Because of the diverse theological opinions currently being taught, some have questioned if the Lord God of Heaven and Earth really does feel for Israel as outline above. Indeed, does He really still hold to His promise to bring them back from world-wide dispersion. In response, consider what He says to Israel in Isaiah 49:14-21. We have used the NIV as a basis, and used the Amplified Bible, the Living, the NKJV and the Septuagint where a clearer statement seems to have been made.
Isaiah 49:14-21
But Zion [Jerusalem and her people in world-wide dispersion] said, “The LORD has deserted me, the Lord has forgotten me.” 15 [And the Lord answered saying] “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Yet even if that should be, I will not forget you! 16 See, I have indelibly imprinted your name on the palms of my hands; and a picture of Jerusalem’s walls in ruins is forever before Me. 17 Soon, your children will hasten back and chase away all those who destroyed you and laid you waste, and your children will cause them to depart from you. 18 Lift up your eyes and look around; all your children [those returning from the dispersion] are gathering and will come to you. As surely as I live,” declares the LORD, “you, Zion, will surely clothe yourself with them, all of them, as with an ornament. They will be as jewels to display, just like bridal ornaments. 19 “Though you were ruined and made desolate, and your land laid waste and the scene of destruction, you will soon be too small or restricted to accommodate your people returning from the dispersion. And those who devoured you will be far away. 20 The children born during your bereavement [world-wide exile] shall return and yet say in your hearing, ‘This place is too small for us; give us more space to live in.’ 21 Then, Zion, you will say in your heart, ‘Who has borne me all these children? I was bereaved and barren; most of my children were killed and the rest sent into exile, leaving me unfruitful and all alone. So, who brought these up - where have they come from?’”
