Prophecy Letters
"Blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them." Matt. 13:16-17
The Prophecy Letter is a circular letter that we send out relating to the development of latter-day prophecy.
November 2024
Trump Re-Elected, Lebanon Ceasefire, and WWIII
TGP Prophecy Letter – November 28, 2024
There are some significant tectonic shifts going on in the political world! The re-election of Donald Trump as president of the US is going to have a significant impact on things to come, and there are also some big changes occurring in the Middle East (partially because of Trump’s re-election).
The holiday season and travelling have made it more difficult to write, but we’re now able to share some comments on what has been going on. The angelic host is certainly not taking a holiday break!
Trump to Become the Next US President
By now, all are well aware that Donald Trump won the US election overwhelmingly. The nations of the entire world were watching, for they knew that the outcome of this election would heavily determine their own policy. This was seen almost instantly once the results were announced. The UAE very quickly announced that Hamas was going to have to find another place to hold up, Ukraine is now fearing that their funding and weapons from the US will be reduced, and many other similar things have taken place. The question we want to ask is, How might this work into prophecy, and how does it relate to what has been developing under the Biden administration?
Most should be aware of our conviction that Israel must stand alone against the Islamic nations of Psalm 83, and this means that their allies must somehow either abandon them or be prevented from assisting. Under the Biden administration, this looked like a real possibility given the administration’s anti-Israel policies and stances, and their actions worked to not only further the Psalm 83 alliance and world-wide hatred of Israel, but also help set in place the other confederacies like that of Ezekiel 38. Yet Trump is essentially the polar opposite of the Biden administration, and he’s unquestionably one of the most pro-Israel presidents America has had. We’ve seen a number of anti-Israel actions from the US under Biden and the fear of a full-out conflict in the Middle East, but now look at what is being reported:
Trump’s Iran strategy could end Middle East wars – World Israel News
The US is now doing more pro-Israel things. But will Trump’s strategy with Iran really end Middle East wars? Of course not. God has spoken, and we know what must occur. The question is merely when. Nevertheless, the question in the back of my mind is, Now that Trump will become president and wants to reverse a number of Biden’s policies, does this mean that it will also rewind the prophetical scene? Will ties with Israel now become stronger? Will Israel’s enemies now seek peaceful ties with Israel? Will Russia now begin to tread more lightly as they know Trump has a heavier hand than Biden? These are questions that others might have as well. In short, my answer is possibly, but most likely not!
One thing we must acknowledge is that God is the chess master, and He installed the Biden administration for a specific purpose which I believe is now evident. This administration has kicked prophetical development into high-gear, and they were simply tools used for a specific purpose. The same God with the same plan for the earth has installed the Trump administration, and they will be used likewise. We therefore know that the upcoming administration will do whatever God needs them to do. His purpose will be furthered, whether this is in the same way as before or in new ways. We will see exactly how this might relate to different events in the world throughout this letter, but in short, I believe Trump may have been installed to begin the wars which the Biden administration has allowed to build up.
A Cease-fire With Lebanon
One big development in the Middle East is the apparent acceptance of a cease-fire deal between Israel and Lebanon. It seems that Israel’s operations have been wildly successful, and terms have been arranged to stop the fighting for 60 days:
Israeli Cabinet Votes 10-1 to Approve 60-Day Ceasefire with Hezbollah – United with Israel
This was partly due to Israel’s superior military capacity, but it is likely in part thanks to Trump’s victory. Many of America’s enemies are now beginning to take softer tones against the US as they fear that Trump is much less tolerant than Biden. But, as stated, the Lord’s will is going to be done, and things might happen which worsen ties all-around. This Lebanon deal is only a 60-day ceasefire, and it’ll be interesting to see if it even lasts that long. My personal view is that Hezbollah is wanting an opportunity to recoup and build back up, and that this round between the two nations is over, but we will see. Hezbollah has already said that they will resume fighting after the ceasefire, but this could just be all bark and no bite (The Jerusalem Post). They have apparently broken the agreement twice already, yet even if the ceasefire does hold, it’s certain that there will be more trouble with Lebanon in the near-future, and probably sooner than later considering that the Hezbollah deal did not include disarming them (World Israel News).
But, many will say, “What about all of the prophecies about Israel and the Islamic nations round about? Won’t things continue to worsen until that happens?” They certainly will in general, but this does not mean that this current situation is the beginning of that conflict. We must reiterate that prophecy shows a confederacy of Islamic nations coming against Israel, not multiple nations attacking one-by-one. This could not be more clear:
Psalms 83:5 – For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:
We must keep this in mind, for unless the nations of the prophecies are confederate, we can be certain that we are not witnessing the fulfillment of it yet. My view is that conflicts such as this current one act as “lessons” to the Islamic nations to teach them to unite. The lesson they are learning is that they are insufficient to defeat Israel by themselves, so they must unite if they are to have any form of victory. Even the well-organized and armed Hezbollah was not able to defeat Israel. I am therefore not surprised that this conflict could cool down. There were signs early on last year with Hamas’ October 7 invasion of Israel that this might be another “precursor war” when Hezbollah and other nations claimed that they were going to help Hamas but either didn’t or waited too long to be of much effect. Such is not what prophecy foretells. I believe things require more development, and it seems that even Hamas might be open to a ceasefire soon as they’ve stated that they are “ready” for one (World Israel News).
More Bars and Gates
As testament that things are continuing to develop, we see that tensions between Israel and the latter-day Edom, Ammon, and Moab are getting worse as we expect from prophecy. Instead of tearing down walls to create unity and peace, Israel is now building a new security wall on their border with Jordan:
Israel to build high-tech security wall along Jordanian border – World Israel News
This is the precise opposite of peace and safety and testament that the conditions of Ezekiel 38 are nowhere near existent today. When Gog comes down, Israel is called “the land of unwalled villages… them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates” (Ezekiel 38:11). Not only is Israel not safe from her enemies, but more bars and gates are being implemented. While these events show that the Ezekiel 38 conflict is still in the future, they show that the Psalm 83 conflict is getting closer, for we know that Jordan will come against Israel thanks to their mention as Edom, Ammon, and Moab in Psalm 83:6-7. It is only when CHRIST rules that Israel is safe and her defensive bars and gates are removed:
Zechariah 2:4-5 – And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein: (5) For I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.
Update on Iran
Some potentially significant changes are occurring in Iran as well. We last spoke of Iran when they were planning to attack Israel for their strike on Iranian soil. They have yet to carry out a retaliatory attack but claim that they are still preparing a response (Reuters, All Israel News). They have increased their rhetoric against Israel and specifically Netanyahu, stating that “Netanyahu must die” (World Israel News). They have also furthered their nuclear program and recently ordered new advanced centrifuges (UPI, The New York Times). Iran is therefore continuing to grow as a threat to Israel and making itself a more target for Israel.
On a more surprising note, it seems that Iran might have a new Supreme Leader soon:
Iran considering replacement for Supreme Leader Khamenei amid rumors of illness – All Israel News
Iran taps replacement for ailing Ayatollah Khamenei - report – World Israel News
The current leader Khamenei is quite old and may not be able to rule much longer, and he appears to have started the transition process to his successor. While this could bring some changes to the region, Iran is likely to stay on the same track they’ve been on.
WWIII Fears
Last on the agenda for now is the great uptick in international tensions. A great conflict between the eastern and western powers has been building up for decades, but important and more blatant moves were made by the eastern powers of Russia, China, and Iran under the Biden administration. There are a number of factors contributing to the fear of World War III:
The main one which comes to mind is Russia and Ukraine. Putin invaded Ukraine and has gotten away with as much as the West will allow. America has supplied Ukraine with weapons, but they’ve previously stipulated that Ukraine can only use them in a limited capacity. The result is that Russia and the US have been fighting each other through Ukraine, but now, however, America has announced that Ukraine can how strike into Russian territory with US-made weapons, and this looks like it will bring a direct conflict between the two nations:
Joe Biden lifts ban on Ukraine using US arms to strike inside Russia – USA Today
Moscow warns the US over allowing Ukraine to hit Russian soil with longer-range weapons – AP News
Putin directly threatens to fire missiles at US and UK if they keep helping Ukraine – Daily Express
If Ukraine uses American-made weapons to strike Russia itself, Russia will view this as an attack from the US, and this would therefore “justify” an attack on western soil. Such is Putin’s warning to the US and Britain.
On top of this, the willingness to threaten nuclear war has become the new norm, showing that things are certainly nearing a boiling point:
Putin orders gigantic Satan II nukes to be made ready for combat duty – Daily Mail
Misjudging the Bear: Is the West Underestimating Russia's Nuclear Threat? – Prophecy News Watch
North Korea Warns US of Thermonuclear War – Newsweek
'Putin isn't bluffing', Serbia's president warns – Daily Mail
US Air Force Chief's Stark Warning About War With Russia and China – Newsweek
China’s secret weapon in the space race is already hurting us – FOX News
I believe that a third world-wide war is very likely and could easily result in the eastern powers replacing the West as the leading-power of the world. We’ve written on this before and how it would explain a number of things we find in prophecy, a few being
- Why the lions of Tarshish take a submissive and weak response to Russia’s descent toward Israel in Ezekiel 38.
- Why Psalm 48:7 speaks of the ships of Tarshish being broken with “an east wind”. Not only would this indicate that the eastern powers break the power of the western nations, but China’s inter-continental nuclear missiles are called Dongfeng, which is Chinese for “east wind”.
- Why Israel would stand alone against Islamic enemies even if there was a pro-Israel administration in the US. If the US is defeated in a world war, they would be greatly hindered from helping Israel against her Islamic enemies even if Trump wanted to help.
- Why Saudi Arabia would come against Israel as described in Psalm 83 (mentioned as “the Ishmaelites” – Psalm 83:6). The Saudis have been known to play to whoever is the leading world power, so if the Eastern powers of Russia, Iran, and China who are unfriendly to Israel take the helm, Saudi Arabia is likely to resume bad relations with Israel.
In summary, troubles continue only to increase in the earth. Christadelphians have known that this would happen and have warned about it for well over 100 years thanks to the word of prophecy. Yet, even though we know it will happen, the weakness and hardness of our flesh can make it difficult to lay these things to heart. The trouble is that we can fully “expect” things to occur and thus think we are mentally and spiritually “prepared” for when it happens, but we can deceive ourselves and actually be completely unprepared! Do these headlines about WWIII scare us? They should, but not as they do the other people of the world who do not know God. Prophecy is given so that man might believe when God’s word comes to pass, and it is therefore given to teach men to believe and exhort them to obey the Word, for as certainly as these events come to pass, so certainly will God’s kingdom be established on the earth.
Man has been given the greatest offer of hope and life – an offer so great that the carnal mind cannot comprehend it! Let us be moved and motivated by the trouble we see in the earth to use whatever time remains wisely, remembering that we who have come into covenant through baptism have been bought with the precious blood of Christ, and we are not our own (1 Peter 1:18-19, 1 Corinthians 7:23). Our actions and words should reflect those of our Father in heaven just as Christ did at his first coming. If we can do this, Christ’s second coming will see us given grace and granted to live and reign with him in an age of perfect righteousness!
In the Hope of Israel,
Tanner Hawkins
Iran to Strike Israel, Forming Confederacies, and the Election
TGP Prophecy Letter – November 5, 2024
A great number of things could occur very quickly, so we wanted to send some comments out before anything happens. We discuss a supposed Iranian attack on Israel which could occur tonight, how the Psalm 83 confederacy continues to grow, the US election, and more! We rushed to send this out, so please excuse any typos if you find any.
Iran Preps Attack on Israel! Regional War Nears
The main reason we thought it important to send comments now is that Iran is reported to be planning a significant attack on Israel tonight! Iran has pledged a response to Israel’s strike on their missile production and defensive capabilities, and it seems that Iran is finally ready to make their move. Here’s what they’re saying:
Iran likely to launch 400 ballistic missiles at Israel on election night – World Israel News
Revolutionary Guard commander confirms new operation against Israel – DPA
Iran signals missile expansion, has ability to produce nuclear weapons – The Jerusalem Post
It seems that Iran is bent on making a bigger dent in Israel this time around. An article from All Israel News explores all of the potential Iranian actions and their Israeli responses, and among these is an “all-out” response. Of this, it says, “The most extreme scenario involves Iran launching attacks from multiple fronts simultaneously. While this would demonstrate maximum force, it could provide Israel legitimacy to strike any target in Iran, including oil facilities and nuclear sites.”
This is what we have been waiting for – a significant conflict between Israel and Iran which would disable Iran and thrown the entire region into the war of Psalm 83 where Israel’s Islamic neighbors attack her at once! It seems that Iran is ready to play their part, but what is Israel saying? They are ready!
Could this be it? It very well could be. A number of things have happened recently that are paving the way for Israel to make just such a move. Netanyahu just fired his defense minister Gallant as he was not on board with Netanyahu’s big plans, and the result is that Netanyahu now has more control over what happens (Axios). The other way Israel has been preparing for this was through their previous strikes on Iran.
Israel’s last strike on October 26 was initially criticized by many because Israel had opportunity to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities but opted not to. Yet what appeared to be a show of weakness has now shown itself to have been a show of wisdom. We have recently learned that Israel presently lacks the aircraft to carry the necessary bombs to eliminate Iran’s nuclear facilities. The Jerusalem Post just published an article about this and explained that B-52 bombers would be needed to carry the 30,000lb bombs which are essential to a definitive strike. Coincidentally, the US just announced that they are deploying these very bombers to the area:
Tensions between the US and Israel are rough right now, and it seems incredibly unlikely that the US would carry out the strike. While this could happen, it seems more likely that Israel could be allowed to use the bombers for the mission. This is where Israel’s supposed “weak strike” on October 26th fits in.
What Israel’s previous strike did was clear a safe path for later aircraft to travel through. The New York Post reports, “Instead of conducting outright strikes on Iran’s nuclear-weapons facilities and oil and energy infrastructure, the IDF prepped the battlefield for its next kinetic round with Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamanei.”
By taking out missile defenses, Israel now has a much safer corridor to travel through to carry out an effective strike on Iran. Israel was not being weak by only striking missile defenses – they were thinking ahead. All of this means that we could very well see a direct Israel-Iran conflict explode any day now! It seems that America might even be planning for this, for they recently told Iran that Israel’s response to any attack may be unrestrained (The Jerusalem Post).
It’ll be interesting to follow America’s involvement (or lack thereof), for just as they’re sending B-52 bombers to the region, America has also threatened to cut off military aid to Israel one week after the elections (Israel365 News). We wait to see, but there is much more developing besides this conflict!
Heightened Trouble With Psalm 83 Nations
Prophecies like Psalm 83, Zechariah 12, 14, and countless others speak of a time when the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq come against Israel as a united force. Many of these nations are already either fighting with Israel as we speak or are poised to do so, but there are four who we believe require more development. Jordan, Iraq, Syria, and Saudi Arabia have all either been neutral parties or not involved in any conflict with Israel, but now this is changing for all four of them! Let’s look at each and see what is happening:
Jordan
A “cold peace” has existed between Israel and Jordan for decades, but hostilities have grown significantly over the past two or three years to the point where we are now seeing security concerns on the Israel-Jordan border and terrorist attacks from Jordan.
IDF reservists warn of infiltration, terror threats on Jordan border – The Jerusalem Post
The Iranian Threat To Jordan's Stability, Israeli Security – MEMRI
This article says that “The security threat facing Israel from Jordan appears to be growing, with the ongoing and increasing efforts by Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) to destabilize the Jordanian kingdom in the service of Iran and to transform the country – entirely against its will – into a base for terrorist activity against Israel.” Basically, terrorist organizations sponsored by Iran are working within Jordan to rouse support among the masses. The effect of this is now being seen, for a few Jordanians recently carried out an attack in Israel. Forces are working within Jordan and changing her stature to what we would expect from prophecy as the latter-day Edom, Ammon, and Moab!
Iraq
We are told of Iraq (Assur) that they will merely help “the children of Lot”, this title referring to Moab and Ammon (Psalm 83:8). From this we wonder whether Iraq will play an active fighting role against Israel or whether they will simply support Jordan in their war against Israel. A strict interpretation of the text suggests that they simply support Jordan, but I believe this can also include active warfare. Nevertheless, we see more active hostility between Iraq and Israel on the rise to the point of Israel viewing them as a threat worth attacking:
Israeli Air Force intercepts drones fired from Iraq – World Israel News
Iran-backed Iraqi militia attacks Haifa, Israel with drones – FOX News
Israel threatens to strike Iraq over Iranian attacks - report – World Israel News
This last article says that “Israel has warned Iraq it could strike targets in the country if anti-Israel Iranian proxy forces are allowed to continue to operate”, showing that Iraq is yet another one of Iran’s puppets! These nations are already trading punches, and how exciting it is to see!
Syria and Saudi Arabia
We wrote more extensively on these two powers in our last Prophecy Letter where we discussed Israel carrying out strikes in Damascus Syria and how Saudi Arabia is now making moves to distance itself from Israel. Since our last letter which was sent out on October 28th, Israel has struck Damascus again (Israel National News) and Saudi Arabia has resumed talks for a security deal with the US and has left Israel out (World Israel News).
All of this shows that we can rest on the Word of God despite how unlikely prophecies appear to look today. While things can still change, the present motions of all of these nations is lining up perfectly with what Bible students expect from the Word!
Ezekiel 38 Federacy is Forming
Speaking of confederacies, we wanted to write on the development of the Ezekiel 38 confederacy last time but ran out of time. Some BIG things are happening to unite some of the big players of Ezekiel 38 like Russia, Iran, and Turkey. The following headlines speak for themselves:
Russia to launch two Iranian satellites on Nov. 5, Tehran's Moscow envoy says – Reuters
Russia-Iran treaty includes military pact, threatens Israel – World Israel News
Iran and Turkey strengthen bonds after death of Yahya Sinwar – The Jerusalem Post
Russia says it won't abandon Iran as it faces Israel's revenge – CNBC
What we see is cause and effect where the present conflict between Israel and her Islamic neighbors is brining about the Ezekiel 38 confederacy. We have written and given classes on how the Scriptures show the Psalm 83 Islamic conflict sets the stage and leads to the Ezekiel 38 conflict This is shown in Scripture in a great number of ways, but we are also seeing it in the news today! You can watch two classes we recently gave on this subject here. If you would rather read them, you can do so here. If you don’t have time to read the entire thing, simply scroll and read under the heading “Phase 1” – this is where we discuss some of the correlation between these conflicts.
WWIII Fears Continue to Rise
As if the trouble we have seen so far is not enough, fears of WWIII grow with each passing week.
Wars And Rumors Of Wars - World On Brink Of Four Simultaneous Conflict – Prophecy News Watch
Some believe that the Ukraine war will be the catalyst for this (Telegraph), for that war has just witnessed the introduction of a new player: North Korea. North Korea is making multiple moves of hostility. They have sent troops to fight on behalf of Russia in Ukraine, and they are also threatening war with their neighbor South Korea:
North Korea Launches 7 Ballistic Missiles; Japan on High Alert – Dagens News
North Korea Threatens To Declare War With South Korea – Newsweek
On top of this, hostilities between NATO and Russia abound as well:
Nato country threatens to wipe out major Russian city as WW3 fears explode – Express
In short, there are many things going on which could easily spark an international conflict (some of which we haven’t even mentioned), and we believe that a third World War could be prophetically significant by dethroning the Western powers as the ruling nations of the world and being replaced by the eastern powers like Russia and China. Such would make sense with what we know about the Western powers and Israel from prophecy, though we wait to see what the Lord has in mind. We lastly consider
The US Election TONIGHT!
Today, American citizens are going to the voting polls with anxiety for what lies ahead. While they go to the polls with unease, believers of God’s Word remain in the comfort of their homes in quiet confidence and peace, for we know that “he most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men” (Daniel 4:17). Christ is our King, and we therefore have no part in the politics of any carnal nation. Following the example of the faithful of old, we confess that we are “strangers and pilgrims on the earth”, because “here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come” (Hebrews 11:13, 13:14).
We know that whoever is placed at the helm of this nation is merely the chess piece of the Lord as He sets the stage for His son’s return. We therefore do not fret while the nations roar as the sea and the waves! It is in troublous times like these that we can more fully appreciate and understand what is meant by “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding” whereby our hearts and minds are kept through Christ (Philippians 4:7). Our Lord is soon to arise, and how gladly we will rejoice at the knowledge that he comes to quiet and still this warring planning and fill it with righteousness and justice. “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).
In the One Hope of Israel,
Tanner Hawkins