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.
September 2024
BREAKING: Israel Eliminates Hezbollah Leader Nasrallah
TGP Prophecy Letter – September 28, 2024
A potentially cataclysmic event just occurred in the recent Middle East conflict between Israel and Hezbollah and Hamas: Israel has destroyed the leader of the terrorist group Hezbollah:
Hassan Nasrallah killed in Israeli strike in Beirut, IDF confirms – The Jerusalem Post
The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has been steadily growing for many months, but this recent strike from Israel represents a significant uptick in the tension, and many in the world are worried of what will come of it. The entire Middle East region has been on the precipice of war, and the fear is that this could ignite just such a conflict.
Of course, we as Bible students know to expect such a war, for the final battle between Israel and her Arab neighbors is a prominent feature of latter-day prophecy (Psalm 83, Zechariah 12, 14:4-21, Ezekiel 28:24-26, and countless others). Though we are not lovers of war, we are particularly exciting for this event as it is from these enemies that Israel is saved by Christ and the immortalized saints, meaning that those in covenant have been gathered and judged already (Zechariah 14:5). While we cannot know exactly how close we are to the full conflict breaking out, the fact that we are such things being so clearly developed as we speak is powerful testament to its nearness.
This strike from Israel was carried out for two main purposes: firstly, Nasrallah was planning a series of strikes on Israel, and secondly, he was Iran’s most valuable puppet, and his assassination (if an airstrike qualifies as that) sends a message to all of Israel’s enemies – “we can reach you.” It is a very powerful deterrent to anyone else who might join the conflict, and it would seem at this early stage that it is having that very effect. Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei has been moved to a secure area for fear of him being eliminated as well (The Jerusalem Post). We will see though!
There are two general ways in which things go from here. It could either unite the Arab enemies against Israel and strengthen their resolve to end the Jewish state, or it could deter and discourage them from making any attacks. Iran’s leader has called on Muslim nations “to stand by the people of Lebanon and the proud Hezbollah with whatever means they have and assist them in confronting the ... wicked regime (of Israel)” (The Jerusalem Post). This is exciting to see as we have long thought that what might form and solidify the confederacy of nations we see in Psalm 83 could be a call from Iran to unite and destroy Israel once and for all. This recent call from Khamenei is along these lines, but in my view is not charged with the strength which I would expect from one earnestly trying to unite nations for war. We are still at a very early stage in this development, but my initial estimation is that Iran is barking loudly but is afraid to bite. This could be wrong, but it seems so to me at this point. We will watch it carefully and see what happens. It could well be that Iran kicks things into high gear!
Either way, this is unquestionably having a furthering effect on prophecy. It will almost certainly add fuel to flame of antisemitism that is raging across the world and be used to paint Israel as the aggressor. News headlines are likely to show Israel as a cancer to the area who only seeks the oppression of her Arab neighbors, and the media is likely to ignore (or admit quietly) that Nasrallah was planning large strikes against Israel. I believe this will also help teach the Arab nations that if they are to have any success against Israel, they cannot fight Israel one nation at a time over a long period – they must join together and attack at once. Not only would this logistically be capable of overwhelming Israel, but it is what the prophets show. Zechariah 12:2 says that “all the people round about… shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem”. Psalm 83:5 says that Israel’s Arab enemies will “have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee.”
Another thing we have been expecting is an Israeli attack on Iran which would prevent them from personally acting too heavily in this conflict, and Israel has certainly shown their ability to reach anywhere in Iran they need. Netanyahu just gave a warning to Iran at the UN to send this message (The Jerusalem Post). He has also expressed his great concern over the threat of Iran and her proxies, many of whom comprise the Psalm 83 confederacy (Deseret News)!
Let us keep a close eye on these things as they develop, for our Master indeed draws nigh!!
In the Hope of Israel,
Tanner Hawkins
Israel and The Coming Arab, Gogian, and Papal Wars
TGP Prophecy Letter – September 19, 2024
In this letter, we examine and give brief updates on each of what we believe to be the three phases of Christ’s plan to conquer the earth among other subjects. I did not begin this letter with that intention, but things are developing on all three of these items and they require comment.
Matthew 13:16-17 – blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. (17) 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.
Indeed, although these words of the Master were directed at the events of his time, they have the same meaning for us today.
The Miracle of Present Middle East Geography
Before getting into the details of the Psalm 83 prophecy, I think it is important to point out one simple fact:
Since the days of the prophets, the Scriptures have foretold of a time when Israel would be surrounded by enemies (plural) who would seek to annihilate her, and that such would be the enemies from which the Messiah would physically intervene and save them (Zechariah 12:2, 7-8). They speak not only of enemy states, but that these would be united in a confederacy, and the players themselves have been identified by the names of the old inhabitants of the land (Psalm 83). For thousands of years, these lands passed under the hand of dozens and dozens of rulers. Bible students would read prophecies of the end days and look at the Middle East only to see that much had yet to be done for the end to be near. In Bro. John Thomas’ time, these lands were under the rule of the singular power of the Ottomans. Yet the Scriptures disclosed what would happen and how things must be situated before Christ returns, and in the years since Bro. Thomas’ falling asleep, these nations have been formed.
The Scriptures foretold that the Philistines would be a latter-day enemy of Israel, and through the events following the two World Wars, a plot of land called the Gaza Strip has been formed and inhabited by “Palestinians” (meaning “Philistines) in the precise territory of Philistia. The nation of Jordan has arisen to answer to the ancient Edom, Ammon, and Moab. Without examining the prophecies any further, the geographical status of the Middle East is an incredibly powerful testament to the “sure word of prophecy” and the fact that we are indeed living in the last days. The map which exists today lines up perfectly with what is described in prophecy, and I believe we must conclude that this shows how near we are to the fulfillment of such prophecies.
War Update & the Psalm 83 Confederacy
The war which began on October 7th of last year continues on. Israel has had good success in Rafah and has inflicted heavy blows on Hamas, and the IDF recently stated that Hamas’s Rafah Brigade has been defeated (Times of Israel). It appears that their support amongst Palestinians in the Gaza Strip is beginning to dwindle (World Israel News). Their leader Sinwar has been in hiding for months, but he remains defiant and has recently vowed to continue the fight until the “occupation is swept away” (All Israel News). But while their power is dwindling, we know that they, or some similar power in the Gaza Strip, will continue to exist until the return of Christ, for it is he who will be destroy them, not Israel on their own (Psalm 83:7, 17).
The same goes for Hezbollah to the north in Lebanon where the conflict only continues to worsen. Rocket strikes are traded almost every day, and it appears that Israel has been planning to take a more direct approach. Just the other day, thousands of Hezbollah terrorists were injured by exploding pagers, an eerie fact which shows how closely Israel has been watching Hezbollah (World Israel News). This was followed by another explosion of a similar sort – Hezbollah’s radios exploded and injured hundreds more terrorists (Jewish Press). The psychological damage this incurs on Hezbollah’s soldiers runs deep. If Israel can implant bombs into their pagers and radios, what else do they know? What else might explode? Tensions keep on mounting!
On a larger scale, Israel appears to be planning an invasion of Lebanon:
Israel Moves IDF’s 98th Division from Gaza to Northern Front – Jewish Press
Invasion soon? IDF moves thousands of troops to northern border – World Israel News
Defense Minister: We're starting a new stage in the war – Israel National News
As we expect the formation of the Psalm 83 confederacy and a regional war between Israel and those enemy states, we look for what might spark this confederacy and conflict. The Hamas war has done much to inch closer to this, and it could well be that an invasion of Lebanon by Israel could be the straw which breaks the camel’s back.
The prophecies show a confederacy of ten entities which unite against Israel, the others to include Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and others. It appears, though, that not much may be needed to coerce the other entities to join together. The relevance of the Gaza and Lebanon conflict is that it is building up to the regional war which the Scriptures describe. Bible students have been saying this for many years, but now this fact is being proclaimed by the world’s news agencies:
Israel braces for possible ‘all-out’ war against Hezbollah, Iran proxies – Al-Monitor
Erdogan calls for Islamic alliance against Israel – World Israel News
'Israel surrounded by Iran's axis of evil,' says Netanyahu – World Israel News
As for Syria and Iraq, hostilities and tensions with Israel are continuing to grow as well:
Syria built clandestine atomic reactor, says Israeli nuclear chief – World Israel News
Israel 'intercepts Iraqi drone' as fears of full-scale Middle East war grow – Daily Express
Saudi crown prince says no Israel ties without Palestinian state – AFP
The relevance of these developments is well seen and has been the subject of much discussion, so we will not take the space to go into great depth here. Let it simply be known that things continue to progress as we expect thanks to the revelation of God’s plan! The time will soon come when these Arab nations fully unite against Israel and move to remove them from the map – an act which will be nullified by the appearance of Christ and his saints!
The Ezekiel 38 Confederacy Develops
After this Arab war, the Scriptures show a second alliance coming against Israel which will be comprised of Russia, Turkey, and other outlying states as described in Ezekiel 38:4-6. Iran is included among these, and we therefore would expect them to draw closer to Russia in the days leading up to the war. Again, this is precisely what we are seeing:
Report: Russia sharing nuclear secrets with Iran – Arutz Sheva
Putin Approves Strategic Deal with Iran Despite Western Sanctions – Dagens
The angelic host is certainly busy at work amongst the nations! Yet it is worth noting that their work is not as the world would expect “the work of angels” to be. It is perhaps beneficial here to examine this for a moment.
Modern Christendom often thinks of the work of angels to be miracles of great show similar to the account of Constantine, for he declared that he converted to Christianity after receiving a vision of an enormous flaming cross and being told by Christ himself, “In this sign, conquer.” Such kinds of things are what is often thought of as the typical work of the angels.
While the angels have indeed worked through visions and signs in Biblical times, their primary mode of work has always been through seemingly natural channels. We are given a glimpse of how Divine acts are discussed and executed in the case of Ahab’s death. In 1 Kings 22:19-23, we’re shown the Lord declaring what needed to happen, which was for Ahab to go up to Ramothgilead so that he might be killed in battle. This was brought before a group of angels to discuss how it might be accomplished. “One said on this manner, and another said on that manner,” (22:20) but one suggested that they would persuade him by utilizing the false prophets and putting lying spirits in their tongues. And so it was that Ahab was convinced by these false prophets to go to Ramothgilead where he fell in battle. The angels used the tools which existed in that political sphere to accomplish their goal.
This is also seen in Daniel 10 where the angel Gabriel tells Daniel that he would have come to him sooner had not “the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days” (10:13). This shows the angels to be influencing the rulers of the world through the various means which surround them. It is in this way that the nations are being gathered into their prophesied confederacies. Where the world sees as natural cause and effect, we see the work of the angels accomplishing God’s will.
On this same note, we see that Russia is becoming more and more of a threat to the world order as tensions rise of Ukraine:
I do not believe that Ezekiel 38-39 illustrate a third world war, but perhaps the aftermath of one which results in the eastern powers usurping the West as the leading world power. The first World War resulted in the clearing of the land for Israel, the second World War resulted in the establishment of Israel, and it may well be that a third World War will expedite the circumstances which will bring the return of the King of Israel.
A Nerve-Wracking Election and Israel’s Isolation
It is difficult to think of a time when so much fear and distrust has been seen around an American election. Our focus at this moment is strictly on the possibility that Kamala Harris “wins” the presidency and what it would mean for Israel and prophecy (it seems unlikely that she would win the majority of votes, but countless means of conniving, cheating, and manipulation are being utilized). What we expect from what we’re told in the Bible is for Israel to stand alone against her enemies, and my opinion is that Kamala would be the most natural and obvious means of accomplishing this as she supports the “Palestinian” cause. Indeed, many Jews are fearing her presidency:
Former Israeli Ambassador: Kamala Harris will Isolate Israel on the World Stage – Israel365 News
While this would be a very easy way for God to isolate Israel, we must remember our mortal limitations and not be dogmatic, for God could just as easily use any other candidate to accomplish His will. That being said, He places certain rulers in power who will accomplish His purpose, so it may well be Kamala who becomes the next US president.
While the US continues to distance itself from Israel, the rest of the world follows suit. Britain, on old-time friend of Israel, recently placed a partial arms embargo on Israel (World Israel News). The UN has taken even greater steps against Israel and has adopted a resolution which calls for an arms embargo on Israel and also demands that Israel withdraw to pre-1967 borders (Ynet News, UPI). If enforced, all Jews would be expelled from the Old City of Jerusalem – something which has happened just once in history during the 1948 war (World Israel News).
The resolution, which was drafted by “Palestinians”, received support from all but 14 countries and clearly shows the direction which things are heading. For years, the “Palestinians” have claimed that Israel is illegally inhabiting the land. The goal has been to make this nonsense law, and this is a significant step in that direction. The result will be the further criminalization of the Jews and the uniting of the world against them. The importance of these developments cannot be understated, for they are the stepping stones which connect our present time to that which God foretold thousands of years ago.
The False Prophet Speaks Frog-Spirits
On a final topic, we feel it important to briefly address recent actions of the False Prophet, the Pope (Revelation 16:13, 19:20). We have not given much attention to this important subject in our writings simply because of the more immediate relevance of the Psalm 83 war, for the Roman-Papal influence will not be destroyed until after the Kingdom is planted in Jerusalem and Israel dwells safely. Yet it is important to discuss this subject not only because it shows the furtherance of God’s plan, but because it has direct impact on how we as the sons and daughters of God ought to conduct ourselves and remain separate from the evils of the world, both in deed and speech.
The Pope is “the man of sin”, “the son of perdition” as described in 2 Thessalonians 2, for it is he alone “who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God” (2 Thessalonians 2: 3-4). The Spirit foretold of a great “falling away” not long after the 1st century which would create and reveal this system which corrupts the truth of God, taking on the name of Christianity and adopting the Bible as its “basis”, but perverting its principles and “teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:9). Much like the Pharisees, it has the appearance of holiness and godliness but is full of rottenness and death. To the world, however, the Vatican proclaims itself to be the religious authority, and the Pope declares himself to be God on earth and speaks on His behalf. He is therefore also called “the false prophet” in Revelation.
The reason we mention these things now is because of a recent event which is a direct fulfillment of prophecy. Revelation 16:12-16 records the outpouring of the sixth vial which would initiate the drying up of the river Euphrates and what events would follow afterwards. The Euphratean power was the Ottoman Empire, for the river itself begins in what was the heart of the Ottoman territory, and they ruled the holy land from 1517 until 1917. But this power was to decline and retract so “that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared” (verse 12). And so it happened that the Ottoman Empire fully dried up through the events of World War I and was dissolved completely in 1920 with the Treaty of Sevres. The result was the creation of Jordan (called Transjordan originally), Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq, the new kings of the east. But after this occurred, the Scriptures foretold the next great events:
Revelation 16:13-16 – And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. (14) For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. (15) Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. (16) And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
After the Euphratean power dried up, these frog-like spirits would proceed from three entities; spirits which would cause the nations to war against Christ when he returns. There are many thoughts on what these spirits are, and my understanding is that they represent the sentiments of the French revolution which have been the pillar of inspiration for man ever since – Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity. These things have created the humanistic thoughts which permeate the earth today. They are largely what will cause the nations to refuse to submit to Christ (Psalm 2), and we’re told that the false prophet is one of the entities from which these doctrines would be breathed. It’s notable that since the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire after World War I, society as a whole has taken the greatest steps toward liberality and humanism than ever before. Enter the relevance of a recent address from Pope Francis from Israel365 News. The article says,
“The pontiff praised Singapore’s multi-faith nature at an interreligious meeting at a Catholic junior college, saying that ‘all religions are a path to God.’ ‘They are like different languages in order to arrive at God, but God is God for all,’ the pope said in an extemporaneous speech. ‘Since God is God for all, then we are all children of God.’ ‘If you start to fight, ‘my religion is more important than yours, mine is true, and yours isn’t’, where will that lead us?’ he asked aloud. ‘There’s only one God, and each of us has a language to arrive at God. Some are Sheik [Sikh], Muslim, Hindu, Christian, and they are different paths [to God].’”
Such nonsense is precisely the kind of speech we expect from one is God labels “the man of sin” and “whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders” (2 Thessalonians 2:9). He preaches “another gospel” which is contrary to that of God (Galatians 1:6-7). The Pope teaches that God loves and accepts everyone as they are, even if their religion directly contradicts everything which God has revealed. “You have the liberty to serve God however you’d like”, is the message. Persons who buy into this will be hateful and disappointed of Christ when he returns and commands the nations to submit to his gospel! They will fight this will all of their strength, and the frog-like spirits will have therefore done their work of gathering the nations “to the battle of that great day of God Almighty”.
To close these comments, let us be strengthened in faith by the incredible developments which show the truth of God’s Word and hardened in our resolve to keep ourselves free from the influence of these frog-like spirits. It can be difficult as they have permeated nearly every facet of our society, but we have been warned of these things specifically so we would be able to avoid them and keep ourselves “unspotted from the world” (James 1:27). These spirits will continue to deceive the nations until they are destroyed. These evils will only be vanquished from the earth by Christ himself, for “then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming” (2 Thessalonians 2:8).
It is this Roman-Papal influence which will be eradicated by Christ and the saints. We understand this to be phase three of God’s war plan. First, Christ returns and establishes the Kingdom in Jerusalem as a result of the Psalm 83 war. Second, the Ezekiel 38 nations come to take to the spoil which Christ and Israel just gained, and those nations are then conquered and the kingdom thereby expanded to their territories. The third and final phase will be to destroy the political and moral root of the problem – the Roman Babylonian harlot system and its ruler, the false prophet. This conquest will encompass the greatest number of nations on the earth as all nations have drunk of her fornication, but it will succeed as surely as God as spoken it.
We therefore wait and labor patiently for our Master’s return, knowing that once he arrives, the wonderful process of cleansing the earth and covering it with the knowledge and glory of the Lord will commence. All of these troubles we see and face will then be a thing of the past forever, for it is written,
Isaiah 9:7 – Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
In the Hope of Israel,
Tanner Hawkins