GNITN – Special Edition

Israel At War – Day 62
Will Hezbollah Fully Attack?

Getting Hotter Up North

Near the southern border of Lebanon, Hezbollah is attacking more and more. Unfortunately an Israeli citizen, a farmer died in one of those attacks as we read in this report from The Times Of Israel (see https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-civilian-killed-by-anti-tank-missile-in-north-as-hezbollah-attacks-continue/?utm_source=article_hpsidebar&utm_medium=desktop_site&utm_campaign=idf-says-hamas-firing-rockets-from-gaza-safe-zones-as-civilian-scramble-for-shelter):

An Israeli civilian was killed after Hezbollah terrorists fired an anti-tank missile at his vehicle near the Lebanese border Thursday.

The 60-year-old man, identified as Eyal Uzan, was hit in an agricultural field near Moshav Mattat and was taken by the military to Fasuta Junction where they waited for Magen David Adom paramedics to arrive.

MDA paramedics declared Uzan dead from his wounds, the ambulance service said in a statement.

The Israel Defense Forces responded and will continue to respond to the unprovoked attack:

In response to the incident, the Israel Defense Forces said it struck the source of the fire with attack helicopters, tanks, and artillery.

In addition, several projectiles were fired from Lebanon at northern Israel during the day.

The IDF carried out airstrikes against a series of Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon due to the attacks, including rocket launch sites, observation posts, and other infrastructure belonging to the Iranian proxy group.

Hezbollah claimed to have targeted a number of IDF positions along the northern border.

Netanyahu’s Fiery Response

We read strong words from Prime Minister Netanyahu from the article:

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the IDF’s Northern Command and the Lebanese front on Thursday and held a security assessment with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi.

During the visit the prime minister vowed the military would restore security to the north.

“If Hezbollah chooses to open a wider war, then it will single-handedly turn Lebanon and Beirut, not far from here, into Gaza and Khan Younis,” Netanyahu told soldiers.

In the past few days, words like these have been uttered by various military leaders making me think that they are developing a strategy to take out terrorist threats like Hezbollah even now. During the same visit, Netanyahu also told the troops this in a report from i24news.tv (see https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel-at-war/1701960652-netanyahu-warns-hezbollah-of-dire-consequences-near-lebanon-border):

"I am here with reservists who show a tremendous spirit of willingness to fight, to complete the task, to restore security - not only to the south, but also to the north. This is our commitment," stated Prime Minister Netanyahu at the onset of the security evaluation.

"Tonight you light a Hanukkah candle. In the days of battle, this candle nevertheless spreads light, also of mourning for our heroic sons and daughters who fell, for the abductees we have not yet returned and we will return them, for the wounded who are suffering and for the citizens who also fell in heroic battles," expressed Netanyahu, addressing the sacrifice made by those defending the nation.

Terrorists Surrender

Continuing reporting from i24news.TV we read of 150 Hamas terrorists who surrendered in fighting in the south (see https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel-at-war/1701980659-over-150-hamas-terrorists-surrender-to-idf-forces-in-khan-yunis):

More than 150 Hamas terrorists surrendered to the IDF in Khan Yunis on Thursday, marking a substantial shift in the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip.

Social media platforms quickly circulated footage capturing the surrender of the militants, providing a glimpse into the scale of the event.

Upon surrender, the Hamas fighters underwent thorough checks by IDF soldiers and were subsequently transferred for initial questioning by security forces.

According to a former official in Israel intelligence offered his assessment of what happened and what will happen next:

Dr. David Shimoni, a former Intelligence Official, shed light to i24news on the Israeli intelligence procedures involved in processing and interrogating a large number of detainees.

"They will all be questioned, even though a lot of them may not know much and are very low levels in the Hamas organization," explained Dr. Shimoni. "The ones who know more will be separated and further interrogated as to where the hostages are."

The report said this about what these terrorists could offer in the way of war intel:

The goal is not only to ascertain the level of involvement of those in custody but also to glean critical information about the broader activities of the Hamas terrorist organization.

In a separate report from The Times Of Israel we read from an IDF spokesperson a of the specifics of the captures (see https://www.timesofisrael.com/footage-shows-numerous-gaza-terror-suspects-who-apparently-surrendered-to-idf-troops/):

DF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari appeared to confirm in his evening briefing that the men had surrendered to the army, in response to a question on the matter.

“Jabaliya and Shejaiya are ‘centers of gravity’… for terrorists, and we are fighting them. They are hiding underground and come out and we fight them. Whoever is left in those areas, they come out from tunnel shafts, and some from buildings, and we investigate who is linked to Hamas, and who isn’t. We arrest them all and interrogate them,” Hagari said.

What Is The Endgame?

I was talking to a friend from the church I attend and she asked me what is going to happen next in the war. I told her that I can only speculate on that, but I quickly turned to the Bible and prophetic words found there. Unlike some prophecy teachers, I do see the Psalm 83 war playing out next and the players in that war are all either speaking up or are actively involved in the military fighting. I still think that the destruction of Damascus is on the table of events up next and the IDF just attacked that city today. Will the IDF destroy Damascus first and then that causes a regional conflict or will a regional conflict erupt and the city is destroyed in response? I simply can’t say, but it would be in line with all the talk we hear about securing the safety of the northern area so people can return to their homes there. Hezbollah will need to be severely hit or taken completely out for that area to be safe enough for families and businesses to return to normal there.

Will Damascus Be Destroyed Sooner Or Later?

That is being debated even as I speak, but according to some, the city will be destroyed after the Tribulation and be part of the judgment of the nations spoken of in Matthew 25:31-33:

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left” (ESV).

According to prophecy teacher Jimmy DeYoung, Damascus will be destroyed as part of the Tribulation period. Here is how he describes it happening:

Daniel 11:40-45 is talking about the king of the north (modern day Syria) and the king of the south (modern day Egypt) coming against Israel. When they come against Israel, the Lord intercedes, and He uses the antichrist who is described in verse 36.

The antichrist will come rushing back into the glorious holy land (verse 41), he will go north and wipe out Syria, he will come down through Moab and Edom (modern day Jordan), he will not touch Jordan where Petra is (that is where the Lord will protect the Jewish people in these periods of time in the Tribulation), and then he will go to the south and attack Egypt. When Syria is wiped out, that is the destruction of Damascus as recorded in Isaiah 17.

As you can see, there is no consensus on when Damascus will be totally destroyed. I happen to see it happening as part of the Psalm 83 war events, along with the destruction of Iran’s nuclear capacity. What do I think? I lean towards Hezbollah coming against Israel in an all out attack, Israel will be hit hard, but will prevail taking out all the terrorists surrounding them. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem because this time will be truly trying for them.