As we pray for the peace of
Jerusalem
Prophetic News and Commentary
Jeremiah 6:17 Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet….
Isaiah 62:6 I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O
Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make
mention of the LORD, keep not silence,
V:7 And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise
in the earth.
Psalms
122:6 Pray for the peace of
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the commentator and belong to the commentator alone. They are not
necessarily representative of any other commentator's views nor that of the
management, owners or Advisory Board of Millennium Weekend Ministries.
Furthermore, the comments are not meant to be an exact end-all answer to the study and
interpretation of end-times events and how it relates to biblical
prophecy. Much of the interpretation of biblical prophecy is subjective and open to many different
viewpoints; until such time as God reveals how perfectly His Word will be
fulfilled. What we wish to accomplish in these reports is to
encourage the reader to be as the Bereans and search
the scriptures to see if these things are so (see Acts 17:10-11)
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Note: Due to copyright concerns entire News Reports will not be posted on this page. Please refer to the link for the full report. Fair Use allows for partial posting of news reports where the report has significance to the purpose for which we are posting - in our case where news reports have potential prophetic impact.
The following articles are compiled
by:
David Hilling
Ahmadinejad’s Murder Machine: A Look at Tehran's Casualty List
Monday, July 30, 2007
Source: Fox News
By Alireza Jafarzadeh
As the U.S. wound up its second meeting with Iran to discuss the security of Iraq, the Iranian regime continued to face its own escalating insecurity. The deterioration of Iran’s economy, increase in civil unrest and sharp deterioration of human rights under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are three examples of a nation unraveling at the seams.
Ahmadinejad has taken desperate measures to reign in the escalating civil unrest throughout Iranian society by closing newspapers, enforcing strict dress codes and stepping up public hangings and stoning. The high priority of implementing these new “security measures” was made clear in a July 2007 interview with the director of Iran’s prison system, Ali Akbar Yessaqi, who spoke with Iran’s state-controlled news agency (ISNA). In his interview, Yessaqi conceded the existence of the regime’s secret prisons [torture centers] for political prisoners, the execution of juveniles and the policy of making arbitrary arrests, and also reported that Tehran is building 41 new prisons in Iran.
Comments: Ahmadinejad bears a truly horrifying resemblance to Josef Stalin and Adolph Hitler. And this man will soon have control of nuclear weapons. It seems likely that he will turn his anger upon Israel as a means of getting his countrymen’s minds off of the growing turmoil at home.
According to Amnesty International. Iran gas executed over 120 people this year, including at least one death by stoning. Many of the executions have been for simply speaking out against the state.
Ahmadinejad hates the U.S. and everything we stand for. Yet we send our diplomats to treat with him. This is a national disgrace. Instead of negotiating with this madman, we should embrace the growing democratic and secularist elements in Iran.
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Rice: This is 'time to seize opportunities' in Mideast
Source: Haaretz.com
By Aluf Benn, Haaretz Correspondent, and Agencies
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, arriving in Israel with Saudi support for a regional peace conference, said Wednesday that now is the time "to seize opportunities" in Middle East peace-making.
Speaking after a meeting with Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni in Jerusalem, Rice said she aimed in her meetings in Israel and Ramallah, where she will hold talks with Abbas, to take advantage of "mutual opportunities" to advance the two-state solution.
"This is a time to seize opportunities and it is a time to proceed in a prepared and careful way, as one does not want to miss opportunities because of a lack of preparation but it is nonetheless a time when we have to take advantage of what is before us," she said.
Comments: The “opportunities” Rice speaks of are chances to divide the land of Israel and the holy city of Jerusalem. If a war intervenes here, the upcoming peace conference could produce Daniel’s covenant with many to restore the peace. I’m not accusing anyone of being the Antichrist, but such a treaty would have to be signed by the U.S. president.
Even if our president is not the prince who is to come, U.S. approval of this treaty would bring down the judgment of God upon our land. May God give our leaders the wisdom to stand firm with Israel.
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Korean hostages alive, Afghans warn of operation
Source: Yahoo! News/Reuters
By Yousuf Azimy
Afghan army choppers dropped leaflets warning the Taliban of an assault to rescue 21 South Korean hostages, whose captors said were still alive after another deadline expired.
There was no confirmation that a military operation had begun in Ghazni province, where the Christian volunteers were abducted nearly two weeks ago by the Taliban.
The Islamist insurgents, who are demanding the release of rebel prisoners, killed two men from the original group of 23 after previous deadlines they had set expired.
"The hostages are alive," Khowja Seddiqi, district chief of Qarabagh, told Reuters. "The national army has dropped leaflets from helicopters telling people in several districts to evacuate their houses because it wants to launch an operation."
Afghan army and foreign troops were stationed in the area, but no operation to rescue the hostages had begun, Seddiqi said.
A Taliban spokesman also said the hostages were alive, and that there was no sign of a bid by the military to rescue them.
Earlier the Defence Ministry said the Afghan National Army had launched an operation in Ghazni, but insisted it was "routine" and was not linked with the kidnapping.
The BBC, quoting local officials, said fighting had erupted in the area where the hostages were being held.
Earlier in the day, a Taliban spokesman said the group was expecting to hear from Afghan mediators over its demand for the government to free rebels from jail, but insisted some of the hostages would be killed if that demand was not met by 3:30 a.m. EDT.
The Afghan government has said giving in to rebel demands would only encourage more kidnapping. President Hamid Karzai was criticized in March after releasing a group of Taliban prisoners in return for the freedom of an Italian journalist.
However, the head of the Afghan government team tasked with trying secure the release of the hostages has not ruled out use of force to end their ordeal.
The hardline Islamist movement has repeatedly said any use of force would jeopardize the lives of the hostages.
"We have sent a message to the Afghanistan government that a rescue operation should not take place without the South Korean government's consent," said a South Korean Foreign Ministry official.
Comments: This story should remind us to pray constantly for our missionaries. Spreading the Gospel among the nations has never been more hazardous than it is today. Let us hope that these young men and women make it home safely and that the kidnappers are brought to justice. If they don’t make it, they will have earned a martyr’s crown. So many of us here in the land of the free are embarrassed to even ask our neighbor to go to church with us, yet there are those who put their very lives on the line for the witness of Jesus . Thank God for these young people and their courage.
Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days; be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. (Revelation 2:10)
The following articles are compiled
by:
Leo Wong
Syria willing to attend international Mideast peace conference
Source: Reuters
July 31, 2007 -- Syria is ready to take part in a U.S.-sponsored international Mideast peace conference to be held later this year, despite the country's stance that Washington is behind instability in the Middle East, Foreign Minister Walid Moallem said on Tuesday.
U.S. President George W. Bush called for an international peace conference during a major policy speech earlier this month, but gave scant details. It is not known whether the U.S. administration plans to invite Syria, whose ties with Washington plummeted in recent years.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice discussed the proposed conference with Arab officials in Egypt on Tuesday and said the meeting should not be portrayed as "Made in America."
Comments: Syria wants to be a “peace conference crasher” along the lines of the hit movie “Wedding Crashers”. It hasn’t been invited yet, but is doing a round about way of desiring to be on President Bush’s invitation list. It doesn’t help Syria to blame the inviter for the Mideast instability. You don’t win friends that way. It’s time for Syrian President to order Norman Vincent Peale’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People” from Amazon.com.
Mr. Bush wants to deal solely with the Israeli-Palestinian issue. Get that peace deal done and then schedule a future peace conference for the Israeli-Syrian-Lebanese situation. It’s the “a bird in hand is worth two in the bush” strategy deployed by President Bush’s foreign relations advisors. Put all your efforts and energy into the Palestinian front which is much more complicated than the Syrian track which calls for a complete Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights. The latter could be settled first at the conference in a matter of one hour or hours. If Syria were smart, it would stop inflaming the U.S. and apologize to Mr. Bush and beg him for an invitation with an R.V.S.P. Put aside your misguided pride.
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Damascus has deferred its war plans from late summer to November 2007
Source: DEBKAfile
July 31, 2007 -- This piece of intelligence was behind the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s comment Tuesday, July 31: “I think this summer and fall will be less hot than we expected.” He was addressing a ceremony ending a course at the National Security College in Jerusalem on expectations from the Syrian front and in the Lebanese Hizbullah. It was attended also by defence minister Ehud Barak, Chief of staff Lt. Gen Gaby Ashkenazi and graduates.
DEBKAfile’s military sources report that the latest intelligence update on Syria’s intentions reached Jerusalem via Washington in the last few days. It indicated that Syria’s political and military leaders had rescheduled the start of hostilities against Israel on the Golan for the second two weeks of November, 2007, postponing their original planning by more than two months.
Comments: In the military, you don’t usually announce to your enemy your plans. In this instance, Syria’s delay of 2 months is either a red herring meant to confound the Israelis or Syria is waiting to see if President Bush extends an invitation to Syria to attend the September 2007 International Peace Conference. It may be a “wait and see” strategy. No point in burning the bridge that you might need to backtrack later on. The Syrian leadership is crafty as a fox. It may be green behind the ears, but it’s cautious. Israel’s PM Ehud Olmert welcomed this apparent delay with delight. He thinks he won’t have to change his summer vacation plans after all in fighting Syria. He’s a buffoon to think that way. Syria’s military could easily attack at any moment. Strike when your enemy has relaxed his defences. Former Israeli PMs would have ordered a pre-emptive strike: It’s either get them first or incur considerable losses.
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Jimmy Carter purported to be willing to mediate Fatah Party-Hamas spat
Source: www.crosswalk.com
July 31, 2007 -- The Carter Center in Atlanta has refused to confirm or deny reports that former President Jimmy Carter has offered to mediate between the Fatah faction of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas, which took over the Gaza Strip in a violent coup last month.
Washington has maintained a policy of isolating Hamas and bolstering Abbas and his Fatah faction as moderates among Palestinians. Abbas is considered moderate because he publicly favors a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The Palestinian News Agency Ma'an reported last week that Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh met with Scott Custer, West Bank director of the Carter Center, in Haniyeh's office in the Gaza Strip. Custer told Haniyeh that Carter, a Democrat, was willing to mediate between the factions. Haniyeh approved Carter's offer, the report said.
Custer would not respond in any way to the report when contacted by telephone and referred Cybercast News Service to the Carter Center headquarters at Emory University in Atlanta.
Cybercast News Service was then instructed to contact Carter's spokeswoman Deanna Congileo by email.
A list of questions was forwarded to her asking for verification about whether or not Custer had indeed met with Haniyeh; if the former president had offered to mediate between Hamas and Fatah; and where he stands on the Hamas-Fatah split and U.S. policy towards the two factions.
After numerous phone calls and several email appeals over a number of days, Cybercast News Service finally received a reply from Congileo, saying in full: "Thank you for contacting us, but the Carter Center has no comment."
Asked in a return correspondence if she would at least confirm that the meeting between Haniyeh and Custer took place, Congileo declined.
Comments: If anybody can get the Fatah Party and Hamas to kiss and make it, it would be Jimmy Carter. This Baptist former U.S. president has an affinity for the Arabs. He wrote a book earlier year blasting Israel for her continued “occupation” of Arab lands. His tirade against the Jewish state was deplorable and created an uproar with the worldwide Jewish community. It seemed that his long time association with media mogul Ted Turner has turned into an anti-Semite.
He thought the “democratic” election of Hamas was as wonderful as apple pie. Now that Hamas has booted out the Fatah Party from the Gaza Strip, Mr. Carter probably feels an obligation to get the two sparring parties together to patch up their differences. It will be a tough assignment if he accepts it. He’ll need the assistance of Peter Graves and Tom Cruise to accomplish this “mission impossible”. Hamas won’t go away just like Hezbollah won’t be demolished any time soon.
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Saudis to attend Mideast peace conference
Source: www.ynetnews.com
Saudi Arabia supports and will attend a Middle East peace conference proposed by US President George W. Bush for later this year, the Saudi foreign minister said Wednesday.
Comments: There was no way the September 2007 International Peace Conference will succeed unless the Saudis attended. Saudi Arabia is where Islam originated via the Prophet Mohammed. Its holy cities Mecca and Medina are located in this oil rich kingdom. It’s also the birthplace of Osama bin Laden. The Saudi royal family are among the wealthiest oil barons in the world. Money still wields a big stick when it comes to politics. If a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians does come about, the Saudis will be expected to fund some of the displaced Palestinians who won’t get to return to Israel not to mention the infrastructure structures needed for the new Palestinian state. As such, the Saudis expect to have a big say in what will eventually form the peace documents. Dear readers, September 2007 may very well be the fulfillment of Daniel 9:27’s confirmation of the covenant with many for one week (7 years). If that will be the case, we pre‑Tribbers expect to be raptured before then. Or like past peace negotiations that ended up as failures, we could see much mud slinging back and forth such that the Arabs would abruptly walk out threatening Israel with a major war. History is replete with terrible wars followed by peace.
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Keep watching (Matt 24:42)!
Shalom!