Gog Moves in Next Door to Israel

With the news coming out of Syria that Russian soldiers and equipment have moved in there to help keep President Assad in power...prophetic events may have just taken ONE GIANT STEP forward.

Here is the commentary from Rapture Ready this morning;

Gog Moves in Next Door to Israel

There are clear indications that Russia may be ramping up its military involvement in Syria. Russia's President Vladimir Putin has long been a stalwart ally of President Bashar al-Assad. All throughout Syria's civil war Putin's support has remained unwavering.

Over the course of the 55-month conflict, Russia has provided the Assad regime with supplies; including guns, grenades, tank parts, fighter jets, advanced anti-ship cruise missiles, long-range air defense missiles, military advisers and lots of cash.

Syria has not been a winning bet for Putin. Assad has seen the area he controls whittled down to a fifth of Syria's territory. In a bid to help the ailing regime, Russian forces are now working on establishing an airbase in the Syrian stronghold of Latakia.

Russia has reportedly set up an air traffic control tower and has also brought in pre-fabricated housing units for up to 1,000 personnel. Military flight watchers have tracked several Russian Air Force Il-76 airlifters flying to and from Syria. At least three Russian military transport planes have been spotted at the airport in Latakia.

A growing number of photos of Russian BTR-82A armored personnel carrier and military advisors in Syria have prompted rumors that Putin has already put boots on the ground and may be preparing a large-scale operation alongside Iranian proxy militias.

The U.S. has expressed its concern about Russia's stepped-up presence in Syria. In Washington, the State Department issued a statement after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Kerry warned Lavrov that such actions "could further escalate the conflict, lead to greater loss of innocent life, increase refugee flows and risk confrontation" with the anti-Islamic State coalition operating that is carrying out strikes in Syria.

The U.S. has asked Greece and Bulgaria to close their airspace to Russian transport planes. The Obama Administration's attempt to block the flights has further escalated long-running tensions between the White House and the Kremlin.

Russia has a very simple excuse for being in Syria; they're there, ostensibly, to fight ISIS. However, Russia has never really done anything to help confront ISIS. It, like China, has always sat idly by during any given international crisis.

There is no meaningful financial or strategic reason for Putin to stay in Syria. The civil war has claimed nearly 250,000 lives, making a wasteland out of large areas of the nation. If the Assad regime falls, Russia might find itself forced to make an embarrassing withdrawal.

Last spring, I listened to a prophetic tape series titled: "The coming Russian invasion of Israel." The message was over 30 years old, and it was remarkable considering how little contention Russia had with the Middle East at that time. In 1984, most of the Muslim nations that were identified as a future ally of a Gog invasion were enemies of Russia. Because of the USSR invasion of Afghanistan, Iranian leaders saw the communist giant as Islam's greatest enemy.

I find it amazing that we have arrived at the point where Russia is right next door to Israel. In the 1980s, prophecy watchers skipped over the 1000 mile gap; when they showed Russia going from the Black Sea to Northern Israel. It is also stunning that Iran is now a close ally of Russia.

The biblical description of the Gog army as being vast in size implies that at some future date Russian forces will flood into Syria. By establishing a forward operating base in Latakia, this move is now possible.

I strongly believe the Rapture will occur ahead of the Gog-Magog war. Because the invasion of Israel by a Russian-led coalition would be such a game changer for prophecy, the Church needs to be removed before this event takes place.

"I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses, and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia, Ethiopia [Cush], and Libya [Put] with them; all of them with shield and helmet; Gomer, and all his band; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands; and many people with thee.

Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them. After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them. Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm; thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.

Thus saith the Lord GOD; it shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought: and thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, to take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.

Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil? Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, Thus saith the Lord GOD; in that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it?" (Ezekiel 38:4-12).

Did you catch that blurb that the author "strongly believes the rapture will happen ahead of the Gog-Magog war."?  

For the sake of any new readers we will ask the question again:  If we can see all the decorations being set up for The Tribulation and our BLESSED HOPE is that Jesus comes for his bride (all followers of Christ) BEFORE The Tribulation....are YOU ready and excited for the trumpet to blow and transform our bodies to be whisked up into the clouds to meet Jesus?  Are you ready and eager for it to happen today, tomorrow, next week, next month or next year?

Once that trumpet blows it will INSTANTLY make all the cares of this world vanish.  We won't remember the balance in our 401k's, it won't matter how much our house is worth, and our trucks, cars, boats, jet-skis and toys will instantly become worthless and meaningless!  The ONLY thing that will matter for the rest of eternity is WHAT we did with our relationship with Jesus Christ.  Were we obedient with what the Master told us to do?  Did we use the talents and gifts he gave us for Kingdom work? Or did we get caught up with the "cares of this world and the desire for riches" so that we NEVER became all that Christ wanted us to become?

Today is the first day of Rosh Hashana, the Jewish calendar New Year.  It is the year 5776, which means it's been 5776 years since Adam was created.  If you haven't been walking close to Jesus, if you haven't been spending time in eternal things, and if you aren't excited to see The Lord return....maybe use this first day of the year to figure out how you are going to change that?

Maybe we should all have a little talk with Jesus.....