As I was reading the news today, the situation between Israel and Lebanon
caught my attention as some are calling it a war of no choice as can be seen in
the article below.
So I did some searching to see if there are any passages in the word of God
that would associate or point to a conflict between Israel and Lebanon as being
a possible trigger for the events leading into the rapture. I found some very
interesting information in Zechariah 11. The passage starts off with Lebanon
being instructed to open its doors (the word that is used here for doors is the
same as the two-leafed gate that was opened before Cyrus when he entered into
Babylon) and Lebanon is instructed to allow the “fire” to devour the cedars. –
This passage also associates with some other prophecies that I will point out in
a bit.
Zec 11:1 Open thy doors, O Lebanon, that the fire may devour thy cedars.
Just a little earlier in Zechariah 5 we see another vision in which Zechariah
sees an ephah or container containing a “woman” – but the Hebrew Word that was
translated as woman is spelled exactly the same as “fire-offering” which in my
opinion would possibly be a more appropriate translation. The passage that I am
referring to, is given below, where an angel would seem to be describing
missiles containing “wickedness” or possibly a nuclear payload.
Zec 5:5-8 Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me,
Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth. And I said, What
is it? And he said, This is an ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is
their resemblance through all the earth. And, behold, there was lifted up a
talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah. And
he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he
cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.
Zechariah 11 then continues to talk about the howling of shepherds and the
spoiling of the trees and other entities:
Zec 11:2-3 Howl, fir tree; for the cedar is fallen; because the mighty are
spoiled: howl, O ye oaks of Bashan; for the forest of the vintage is come down.
There is a voice of the howling of the shepherds; for their glory is spoiled: a
voice of the roaring of young lions; for the pride of Jordan is spoiled.
God then instructs the flock of the slaughter to be fed and this would not
seem to point to anything pleasant if we read a little further along and it
would seem to refer to Israel who, at this point, has not yet recognized their
offense of rejecting their Messiah. It also points to Israel being possessed by
“owners” and that these will slay the nation and not have any pity on them.
Zec 11:4-7 Thus saith the LORD my God; Feed the flock of the slaughter; Whose
possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty: and they that sell them
say, Blessed be the LORD; for I am rich: and their own shepherds pity them not.
For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD: but, lo, I
will deliver the men every one into his neighbour's hand, and into the hand of
his king: and they shall smite the land, and out of their hand I will not
deliver them. And I will feed the flock of slaughter, even you, O poor of the
flock.
Next, the passage tells us about two staves – Beauty and Bands – and both of
these are cut into pieces. There are many commentators that have given their
ideas of what these two staves represent, but I am of the opinion that beauty
represents the covenant that Jesus gave to His church to exercise authority over
Satan and his Kingdom. When the Church is removed, those who remain behind, will
no longer have the authority over Satan and His Kingdom that we enjoy today as
the church of God on the earth. This is explained to us a few verses further:
Zec 11:10 And I took my staff, even Beauty, and cut it asunder, that I might
break my covenant which I had made with all the people.
The covenant that our heavenly Father made with all the people and not only
the Jews is the new covenant explained to us in the gospels which was initiated
when the Holy Spirit was poured out over the disciples on Pentecost.
This authority over Satan and his kingdom was given to the church by Jesus
and is described in Matthew 16:
Mat 16:18-19 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this
rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou
shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on
earth shall be loosed in heaven.
In verse 8 and 9 of Zechariah 11 it would seem that three world leaders will
be killed in one month and this would seem to happen after the rapture occurred
as this follows on the Lord stating that He fed the flock and the fact that this
passage is linked to Daniel 7 and Revelation 17, explaining the rise of the 10
kings - most likely hybrid beings or Nephilim - of which three will be disposed
of by the Antichrist or the Little Horn. Only once the restrainer had been
removed, would it therefore be possible for the Antichrist to step onto the
scene and to dispose of the 3 horns or shepherds.
Please see the passages below:
Zec 11:8-9 Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul lothed
them, and their soul also abhorred me. Then said I, I will not feed you: that
that dieth, let it die; and that that is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and
let the rest eat every one the flesh of another.
Dan 7:20-21 And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other
which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and
a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his
fellows. I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed
against them;
Dan 7:24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall
arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the
first, and he shall subdue three kings.
Rev 17:12-13 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have
received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
This passage would also point to a situation in which feeding of the flock
would seem to point to cannibalism which may result as part of the affliction
that will come over Israel during the time of Jacob’s Trouble. Isaiah 9 gives
more details about this situation where we see many other associations to the
passages mentioned above:
Isa 9:18-21 For wickedness burneth as the fire: it shall devour the briers
and thorns, and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest, and they shall mount
up like the lifting up of smoke. Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts is the
land darkened, and the people shall be as the fuel of the fire: no man shall
spare his brother. And he shall snatch on the right hand, and be hungry; and he
shall eat on the left hand, and they shall not be satisfied: they shall eat
every man the flesh of his own arm: Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh:
and they together shall be against Judah. For all this his anger is not turned
away, but his hand is stretched out still.
What is then very interesting is what we read in verse 11 regarding the day
on which this covenant with all people – represented by the Beauty staff - is
broken.
Zec 11:11 And it was broken in that day: and so the poor of the flock that
waited upon me knew that it was the word of the LORD.
This passage clearly links the events described in Zechariah to understanding
for those who waits for the Lord’s return and the word used for “waiting on” is
spelled the same as “almond”.
We have just had the New Year of Trees pointing us to the almond tree being
the first to produce fruits and that this is also linked to the church, seeing
that almonds are incorporated into the Menorah which represents the church on
earth.
Exo 25:31-35 And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work
shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his
knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same. And six branches shall come out of
the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and
three branches of the candlestick out of the other side: Three bowls made like
unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like
almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches
that come out of the candlestick. And in the candlestick shall be four bowls
made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers. And there shall be a
knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same,
and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches that
proceed out of the candlestick.
Jeremiah is shown the rod of an almond tree in the first chapter of the book
but he also sees a “seething pot” which could be linked to the ephah with the
fire-offering described to us in Zechariah 5.
At the end of the chapter in Zechariah 11, a clear description of the
Antichrist is given who will be revealed at the same time that the rapture
occurs - in my opinion - to claim responsibility for the disappearance of
millions and for ushering in a New World Order in which the veil between the
physical and the spiritual realm will most likely be removed.
Zec 11:15-17 And the LORD said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of
a foolish shepherd. For, lo, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, which shall
not visit those that be cut off, neither shall seek the young one, nor heal that
that is broken, nor feed that that standeth still: but he shall eat the flesh of
the fat, and tear their claws in pieces. Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth
the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm
shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.
A war with Lebanon may just be something for us to keep an eye on as it would
certainly seem to be connected to information that our Heavenly Father had
hidden for us, who watch and wait on Him, in his Word!