View this email in your browser ([link removed])
[link removed]
[link removed]


** 'It's the oil, stupid.'
4 February 2021
------------------------------------------------------------

A weekly reflection on current global affairs concerning Israel and
the Jewish people from a Biblical perspective.


In Ezekiel chapter 38-39 God speaks through the prophet Ezekiel of a war that will erupt in the Middle East in the last days. This will be after the (partial) restoration of the Jewish people to the land that is described in chapters 36-37, and at a time that they are safe, peaceful and “rich in livestock and goods, living at the center of the land”. The armies of several nations will attack Israel to plunder it. The Lord will intervene to destroy the attacking armies. He says to Gog, their leader: “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.”


It is widely believed that the nations referred to in Ezekiel 38 (Magog, Rosh, Mesach, Tubal, Persia, Put, Gomer etc) correspond with today’s Russia, Turkey, Iran, Libya and other nations in the Middle East.

Interestingly, as Amir Tsarfati has explained so well in his recent teachings, these are not Israel’s immediate neighbors that have attacked Israel over the last decades – Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq. Rather, the “Gog and Magog” coalition is comprised of nations located some distance from Israel.

We are witnessing some very interesting developments at the moment, unparalleled in history, and which potentially align with the scenario described by Ezekiel:

* As the world’s leading start-up nation, Israel has developed enormous wealth over recent decades. More recently, Israel has discovered and is starting to exploit huge off-shore oil and gas reserves, becoming a net exporter of energy;
* Since the first “Abraham Accords” last year, Israel is entering into more and more “normalization” agreements with Muslim/Islamic countries that were previously hostile to it – UAE, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco - developing increasingly peaceful relations with former enemies. It is said that Israel is in intense discussions with Pakistan and Indonesia, and is even reported to be in negotiations with its arch-enemy Syria;
* Iran, that is suffering severe economic times as a result of the sanctions against it, has threatened to finalize its development of nuclear weapons to destroy Israel and the USA;
* Russia, also struggling financially, is determined to build its influence in the region;
* Turkey has not abandoned its dream of capturing Jerusalem and re-establishing the caliphate, but – perhaps sensing that President Biden will not tolerate its aggression - more recently is seeking reconciliation with Israel and the West;
* France, Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, UAE, IS and others are fighting with each other to determine who will have control of the huge oil reserves of Libya, whose economic and social infrastructure has been largely destroyed since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi.


All in all – over the last 10 years the region has been turned upside down. With the decline of the US as a superpower, the increasing irrelevance of the EU, the rise of China (economically strong but energy-poor) , and shifting allegiances within the Muslim world, it would hardly be surprising if war were to break out at some point. Oil reserves may be the trigger. All it takes is the proverbial match to light the tender straws holding this complex environment together.

Israel is increasingly seen as the only stable factor – not the cause of the problems, but the motor to development. Jesus prophesied about the restoration of Israel (the fig tree), wars, and unrest as signs of the times of His coming (Matthew 24; Luke 21).

Are we seeing these signs of His coming? Let us look up, and place our trust and confidence in Him – the Bridegroom who will come to take His bride, the shepherd of Israel who “neither slumbers nor sleeps”.

The Editorial team
Israel & Christians Today


** Is Israel in Secret Contact with Syria?
------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Mordechai Kedar at BESA: “Syrian president Bashar Assad, who now views the Iranian presence in his country as a burden, wants to oust Tehran from Syrian soil—and he has come to realize that achieving that goal will require Israel’s involvement. That may be why secret contacts are being reported between the two countries.” Read more.. ([link removed])


** After the Karabakh War, Iran Faces Stiff Competition in the Caucasus
------------------------------------------------------------
Emil Avdaliani at BESA: “The Second Karabakh War changed the geopolitical landscape in the South Caucasus. Much has been written on Russia’s and Turkey’s gains, but Iran’s diminished position has gotten less attention. Though not involved in the military operations, Iran saw a steep decline in its geopolitical fortunes in the region as a result of the war.” Read more.. ([link removed])


** Biden Must Not Reprise Obama's Middle East Policy
------------------------------------------------------------
Eric James Bordenkircher at Middle East Forum: President Biden “would be unwise to look back in time to the Obama era for his Middle East policies and should rather rethink certain core assumptions about the region so as to adopt new policies that take into account the region's longstanding trends and dynamics as well as new realities.” Read more.. ([link removed])

[link removed]


** TV7 Interview with Amir Tsafarti from Dubai
------------------------------------------------------------
In this recent interview Tsafarti explains how modern Israel continues to be one of the greatest signs of the times for the return of Jesus Christ, and current developments indicate that the Gog and Magog war may not be too far away. This is not about date setting, but the Blessed Hope we are called to live in.



** SCRIPTURE FOR THE WEEK:
------------------------------------------------------------


** Psalm 21
------------------------------------------------------------

The king rejoices in your strength, Lord.
How great is his joy in the victories you give!
^2 You have granted him his heart’s desire
and have not withheld the request of his lips.
^3 You came to greet him with rich blessings
and placed a crown of pure gold on his head.
^4 He asked you for life, and you gave it to him—
length of days, for ever and ever.
^5 Through the victories you gave, his glory is great;
you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.
^6 Surely you have granted him unending blessings
and made him glad with the joy of your presence.
^7 For the king trusts in the Lord;
through the unfailing love of the Most High
he will not be shaken.
^8 Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies;
your right hand will seize your foes.
^9 When you appear for battle,
you will burn them up as in a blazing furnace.
The Lord will swallow them up in his wrath,
and his fire will consume them.
^10 You will destroy their descendants from the earth,
their posterity from mankind.
^11 Though they plot evil against you
and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed.
^12 You will make them turn their backs
when you aim at them with drawn bow.
^13 Be exalted in your strength, Lord;
we will sing and praise your might.
[link removed]


**
The Israel & Christians Today Podcast is available on different platforms.
Find us by searching: Israel & Christians Today on your preferred platform
or click here.. ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------

============================================================
Christians for Israel
P.O. Box 1100
3860 BC Nijkerk
The Netherlands

Tel: +31 33 422 04 05
** [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])

** www.c4israel.org ([link removed])
Our mission is to bring Biblical understanding in the Church and among the nations concerning God’s purposes for Israel and to promote comfort of Israel through prayer and action.

Our vision is to establish a global network of Christians having local impact, for the blessing of the nation of Israel, the Jewish people and the Church.

Support our Ministry
Bank: ABN-AMRO Bank, Nijkerk, The Netherlands
Account Holder: Christians for Israel International
EURO € Account: NL 57 ABNA 05245.05.209
USD $ Account No: NL 12 ABNA 06275.15.460
BIC/Swift code : A B N A N L 2 A

** Donate online ([link removed])
** Update preferences ([link removed])
| ** Unsubscribe ([link removed])
** Facebook ([link removed])
** YouTube ([link removed])