You may review all our Prophecy Updates from last year, Numbers 1 through 48, by clicking on the arrow to the right of “Prophecy Archive Reviews” at the top of this page.

Revelation 16:16

Throughout all of last year’s Prophecy Updates, and for the last 30 years, I have consistently taught that the final war, which is to culminate with the battle of Armageddon, would not begin until a false peace came to the Middle East.  I have never taught any other position.  For some 54 years Israel has existed as a nation, and has been involved in three major conflicts with its Islamic neighbors in 1948, 1967, and 1973.  But in all that time she has never been at peace with the Palestinians within or the Syrians to the north.  Until this happens there can be no final battle of Armageddon.  However, each time there is a conflict of any sort in the Middle East, a fear of it turning into the battle of Armageddon fills the hearts of many men and women, both believers and unbelievers.  I repeat, until a false peace comes to the middle East between the Israelis, Palestinians, and Syria, there can be no final battle of Armageddon.

For the past 22 years I have traveled across the U.S. land mass from one end to the other, to Hawaii, to Alaska, and to Africa, and former Soviet satellite countries, attempting to prove from the Scriptures that, for the first time in history, it was possible for one to legitimately say: The coming of Christ is “nigh” and “your redemption draweth nigh.”  You may review my reasons for saying “this is the first time in history” by reviewing Prophecy Updates 18 through 20 in our Archives.

Luke 21:28,31

[28] And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. [31] So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.

In Prophecy Update Number 33, issued immediately following the horrific terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, we closed it by stating: “There can never be a true and lasting peace in the Land of the Bible until Jesus returns to reign on this planet.  However, out of this ungodly act of infamy against an America at peace, there will eventually come a brief period of peace, and many will believe it to be genuine and lasting.  But the terrorist groups will only hold off their activities for a short period of time, and they will do this only as a ruse to lead Israel, and the rest of the free world, into a false sense of security.  But this brief period of false peace will be broken by a blitzkrieg attack from the north of Israel".

I was convinced the American and free world reaction to the September 11^th attacks would lead to the false peace within two years, and in Prophecy Update 36 stated: “The U.S. will be eminently successful in breaking the back of the worldwide terrorist network made up of fundamental Islamic extremists.  It will lead some 10 Islamic nations to realize that terrorism will not cause Israel to give back ALL of the land from Dan to the city of Beersheva in the Negev, which has always been their objective.  They want the Jews OUT OF ISRAEL, which, in the Scriptures is identified as the land from Dan to Beersheva.  So they will wield a new plan to meet their objective.  They will meet, behind closed doors over the coming months, among themselves, and with the leaders of their terrorist cells.  It will be decided to cease all terrorist activities for a period of time sufficient to lull Israel, and the free world, into a false sense of security.  The terrorist cells will be told of a future Jihad that will be conducted as soon as Israel begins to feel secure.  One might say: Israel will never be led into feeling secure.  But, if we had been oppressed, afflicted, hated, persecuted, prosecuted, and killed by the millions, as they have been for some 2000 years, as well as having been under constant fear, for the last 53 years, of being blown up or shot by terrorists, and then if suddenly it all ended, believe me, after a short period of time, we would believe it was all over.  I look for a peace to suddenly come to Israel.  The current off again, on again, gone again character of negotiation will continue for a short time, but I believe that suddenly, probably next year, the terrorist activity will cease, and a short period of peace will come to the Middle East.”

So, as you can see from the quotes of these previous Prophecy Updates, I have consistently held the view that false peace would come to the Middle East in 2002 since last September, and have repeatedly written about it through Prophecy Update Number 48.  I  believe the ingredients for this false peace are now moving into place in the Middle East.  In Prophecy Update Number 1, our first of last year, titled “Significant World and Middle East Events,” I stated: “Eventually there will be some form of peace between the Palestinians and Israel.  It may be a ‘forced’ peace, but the end result will be an enclosed Palestinian State within the borders of Israel.  This will create an impossible situation for Israel.  There is no worse military position than to have an enemy within while being attacked from without.  I believe it is quite likely that, by the time the year 2003 rolls around, there will have been numerous meetings behind closed doors between the leaders of Iran, Syria, Iraq, Palestine, Libya, Sudan, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Afghanistan, and Lebanon.  I believe that these meeting will eventually result in a consolidated plan to lure Israel into a sense of false security, after which a vicious surprise attack will be launched against Israel from the borders of Syria and Lebanon.  It will be the best coordinated attack ever launched against Israel.  The attack from the north, combined with the internal attack of the Palestinians, will force Israel into the Negev.  I suspect this attack may occur at some point in time between 2003 and 2005.”

Well, so much for tooting my own horn by quoting from the predictions we made last year, as if to say: “I told you so.”  And, indeed, we seen to be right on target with our timing if you look at what is happening between Israel, the Palestinians, and the Syrians at the present time, but there is “many a slip between the cup and the lip.”  There is absolutely no question in my mind that a false peace will come to the Middle East, nor does doubt exist in my mind that it will be broken by an attack from the north, and I know that this particular train of events will be followed some three years later by the battle of Armageddon.  Why am I so certain of these three statements?  Because the Scriptures teach it!  What is NOT certain is precisely WHEN the false peace will arrive to begin the inevitable chain of events that end with the battle of Armageddon.  I expect the terrorist activity to be erratic for awhile, and then suddenly to end in all of Israel.  When the peace agreements are finalized, and a new Palestinian State exists, then the countdown to Armageddon will begin.

In Prophecy Update Number 1, the very first issued last year, I advised as follows: “The beginnings of a pattern of military unity between Syria, Iran, and Iraq, are now emerging in the Middle east.  Iraq recently conducted large scale military maneuvers on the Syrian border, reportedly after making prior agreements with the new Syrian President, Bashar Assad.  Then Bashar made a trip to Iran to hold talks with Iranian President Mohammad Khatami.  The talks were described as ‘a strategic dialogue.’  Eventually there will be some form of peace between the Palestinians and Israel.  It may be a ‘forced’ peace, but the final result will be an enclosed Palestinian State within the borders of Israel.  This will create an impossible situation for Israel.  There is no worse military position than to have an enemy within while being attacked from an enemy without.  I believe it is quite likely that, by the time the year 2003 rolls around, there will have been numerous meetings behind closed doors between the leaders of Iran, Syria, Iraq, the Palestinians, Libya, Sudan, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Afghanistan, and Lebanon.  I believe that these meetings will eventually result in a consolidated plan to lure Israel into a false sense of security, after which a vicious surprise attack will be launched against Israel from the borders of Syria and Lebanon.  It will be the best coordinated attack ever launched against Israel and, with the Palestinians operating from within, it will force Israel into the Negev.” In this special update the aforementioned pattern of cooperation between Syria, Iran, and Iraq will be brought to light, as it relates to the capture of the arms shipment by the Israelis last Thursday, which was supposed to be downloaded off the coast of the Palestinian controlled Gaza Strip.

In Prophecy Update Number 2, issued early last year, I advised:

“The Palestinians have also been sneaking in thousands of katyusha rockets through tunnels under the Egyptian border.  These rockets pass through the Palestinian controlled Gaza Strip, and eventually end up in the areas around Tul Karm and Kalkilya (Qalqilya).  These are two autonomous Palestinian cities on the Samarian bluffs east of the coastal cities of Haifa, Netanya, and Tel Aviv, and they will play a major role in the future attack of a confederation of Arab nations against Israel.  Approximately 70% of Israel’s Jewish population lives in the coastal zone to the west of these bluffs, with most of that being concentrated in Haifa, Netanya, and Tel Aviv.  About 80% of Israel’s industrial productivity is also in this area, as well as many important military installations.  The high elevations, on which Tul Karm and Kalkilya sit, strategically dominate the  coastal zones from a military standpoint.  I expect the IDF to eventually raid these areas, but with only limited success.  The Palestinians have been smuggling some katyushas across the Jordan River at night.  They move them westward through the dendritic openings of the eastern Samarian Mountains.  They are then passed through the highlands around Nablus, and to the south of Jenin and Afula.  They will be used for launching against Israeli forces that come north through the Jordan Valley to repulse the Syrian attack from the north.  But the main weaponry smuggled into these areas consists of anti-tank launchers, which have been concealed in this zone in countless numbers from south of Jenin to Nablus to north of Ramalla.” And in closing Prophecy Update Number 2 we concluded with: “When the future surprise attack is launched against Israel from the north, thousands of these rockets will shower down on the coastal population from Tel Aviv to Haifa.”  As the Israelis come north with their M-3’s and M-4’s up the Jordan Valley to repulse the inferior Syrian tanks, every dendritic opening in the western Samarian Mountains will be full of Palestinians who have come down them to await the Israeli tanks, and they will be packing two different types of anti-tank weapons.  It is possible that even the M-4 might not be able to withstand the ones they are currently smuggling in by ship.  Since Prophecy Update Number 2 was issued early last year, the Israelis have penetrated into the aforementioned West Bank areas to root out terrorists, but, as we indicated last year would be the case, have met with little success in finding the weapon hoards concealed in the karst limestone topography.

In Prophecy Update Number 11A, I wrote: “These weapons are being held in reserve for the time that a coordinated attack by Syria, leading several other Arab nations, can be conducted with the Palestinians creating internal chaos in central Israel.  I am persuaded it will take at least two to four years for this well coordinated sneak attack to be planned.  It will require the united effort of all the Arab forces to defeat Israel.  And it must include the partnership of all the terrorist groups.  They MUST cease their activities before Israel can be sure the peace will be genuine.  It is my opinion that the war between God and Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, found in the 38^th and 39^th Chapters of Ezekiel, will not occur before 2003, but is likely to occur before 2006.”

Well, so much for all this quoting myself in order to toot my own horn.  Let’s discuss weapon smuggling into Palestinian held areas, especially into the West Bank.  Two years ago, after I had ridden the Israeli ski lift to the top of Mount Hermon, I descended, and a few days later found myself in the southern Negev.  I led an incursion of several men on a “rough and ready” tour through the Negev, which I had been promising I would do for years, having been through it many times on the surface, and also seeing it from satellite readouts on countless occasions.  We had been on the Israeli road from Eilat to the Gaza Strip, but were stopped by Israeli border guards at a point south of the Gaza Strip.  The IDF would only let us proceed northward if we had weapons to defend ourselves, because the Palestinians were actively engaged in attempting to smuggle weapons across the border of Egypt (Sinai) both on the surface and through tunnels.  I speak conversational Hebrew, so I told the young Israeli guard in charge that I had a weapon.  He asked to see it, and I jokingly replied, “Young man, my whole body is a weapon.”  Looking at my chubby 67 year old body, he thought that was funny.  I kept on buttering him up, and finally he said, alright, go ahead.  I turned to the men I was leading and said quietly, move, move, move, before he changes his mind.  We got in our vehicles and were heading out, but suddenly he ran out in front of us waving his hands for us to stop.  He had gotten on his walkie-talkie to his field commander, and was told no, no, no!  The Israelis have become proficient in stopping a large part of the surface and underground smuggling efforts, but it is too late, because large quantities of katyusha rockets, anti-tank weaponry, AK 47’s, land mines, and a multiplicity of modern killing equipment is already in place in the West Bank.  Because of the increased Israeli proficiency on land, the Palestinians and their allies turned to the sea.  They have not abandoned attempting to smuggle by land, but it is now on a smaller scale.  Please bear in mind that I am using the word “Palestinian” in a very broad sense.  I am using it to refer to ALL smuggling activity that puts weaponry into the areas controlled by the Palestinians.  It may involve the Palestinian police force, their al Fatah, Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, or any other group opposed to Israeli occupation.  In other words, any group sponsored by, or associated with, or linked to, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, the Palestinians, and ESPECIALLY Iran.

Early last year, the Israelis intercepted one of their first sea going smuggling vessels.  It came directly from Lebanon with a load of weapons from Iran that were brought across Syria into Lebanon.  It also had katyushas and anti-tank weapons.  In fact, the inventory was pretty much the same type as that on the Karine A, only much less in quantity.  The Israeli naval police off the coast of Israel, as a result of that conquest, have become expert at interception in that zone, and it is very difficult to penetrate it by night or day.

So now, in this latest intercepted catch of weapons, we have seen a much more elaborate plan put in play against Israel.  Bearing in mind what I have been saying about the growing union between Iran, Iraq, the Palestinians, and Syrian controlled Lebanon, let us examine the recent episode as it has unfolded.

Step 1. Ali Mohammed Abbas, an Iraqi national, in August of last year, purchases the Rim K., a Lebanese flag,  general vessel, operated  by Diana K shipping of Beirut.

Step 2. The Rim K is then registered on the other side of the globe in Tonga (South Pacific) in September, and its name is changed to the Karine A.

Step 3.  The Karine A leaves out of Lebanon for Sudan, and from there takes a cargo of merchandise from Sudan to Yemen.  Sudan has been the home of Osama bin Laden and, regardless of what it says, is still a terrorist state.  The Yemen hills are loaded with terrorists.  In Yemen’s port of Hudayda, the crew is replaced by one headed by Omar Akawi, a colonel in the Palestinian naval police.  Then, last month, it sailed to a designated spot off the Iranian island of Qeshm or Kesh. 

Step 4. The weapons, prepared and packed for deployment in northern Iran, have been transported southward, and are waiting at the port of Bandar e Abbas.  There they are loaded on ferries, which take them to a predetermined location for transfer of their cargo to the Karine A.  They are packed in dense waterproof plastic sleeves.  These sleeves may be inflated or deflated, such that the crates can be made to float visibly on the water surface, or invisibly just below the surface.

Step 5. The Karine A sets sail around the southern coastline of the Arabian peninsula, passes through the Gulf of Aden, then northward into the Red Sea.  But her crew is unaware that she has been the object of satellite surveillance for some time, and is about to be intercepted by Israeli commandos in Operation Noah’s Ark.  So, instead of going north through the Gulf of Suez into the Suez Canal, she is commandeered through the Gulf of Aqabah to the Israeli port of Eilat.

Aboard the 4,000 ton ship there were some 50 tons of multiple types of weaponry, mostly of Iranian and Russian manufacture, which was packed in about 83 crates.  The two most important things in her weapon array were the katytusha rockets and the anti-tank weapons, of which I have spoken repeatedly for years as being used internally in the coming Jihad.  It is likely that the interrupted treachery involved dropping the crates into the water at night at some distance off the Gaza Strip.  They would probably have inflated them just enough to float about a foot below the surface.  If they were dropped at the right location at the time of current and tide, they would eventually float up on the Gaza Strip shoreline.  I have been called upon to perform oceanographic estimates of where floating objects in the oceans would be in six-hour increments for up to a thirty-six hour period while a member of the National Security Agency.  It would be no big deal to make a reasonably accurate estimate of when such an object would make land, and there they could be quickly concealed for eventual smuggling into the West Bank.

There were thirteen crewmen, four of which were Palestinians.  The Captain, a Palestinian, Omar Akawi, is an official of the Palestinian shipping authority.  Akawi has been a member of Arafat’s Fatah organization since 1976.  In his first interview, he said that a Palestinian Authority official had overseen the operation.

Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi President, lashed out as usual, calling the taking of the vessel in international waters as “criminal piracy.”

So, is there a linkage of cooperation here preparing the way for an eventual Jihad a few years down the road?  Well, we have a former Lebanese Ship, supposedly owned by an Iraqi national, proceeding out of Lebanon, the home of Hezbollah, and stopping at two terrorist infested countries, Sudan and Yemen, on its way to a secret loading off the coast of Iran with weapons mostly of Iranian origin.  Four of the crew are Palestinians.  The Captain has been a member of the Palestinian Fatah terror group for 25 years, and he admits the weaponry was to be smuggled in by way of the Gaza Strip.

I have been monitoring the events in the Middle East since my first tour there in 1952 and 1953, where we were intercepting, and I was plotting and analyzing Soviet Mesrans.  I now see Iraq, Iran, and Syria beginning to overlook their past hatred of one another.  They are beginning to come together for what they believe will be the destruction of Zionism.  Algeria, Libya, Sudan, Somalia, Lebanon, and others are involved in terrorism, but Iran, Iraq, and Syria are the “Big Three” that control the terrorist groups, ESPECIALLY Iran.

Soon you will finally see a false peace come to the Middle East, which will suddenly be broken by a lightning Jihad from the North that will initially be composed of Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Iran.  I do not believe it will occur before 2003, but I do believe it will occur before 2006.