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Bella Davidov

A Great Miracle Happened Here, Then and Now

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NOT BY MIGHT, NOR BY POWER, BUT BY MY SPIRIT, SAYS THE LORD
(Zech. 4:6)

Yeshua was in the Temple for the Celebration of the Dedication (Hanukka) of the Temple at the time of the Maccabees.

Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. And Yeshua walked in the temple, in Solomon’s porch…“I and the Father are one.”
(John 10:22, 23, 30)

Tomorrow evening, Israel and Jews around the world will celebrate the beginning of the holiday of Hanukkah, which falls this year on the same day Christians celebrate Christmas. [click here to read the article: Christmas and the Jews]

Hanukkah (dedication) is a holiday of miracles. It commemorates the miraculous victory of a small army of brave Jews over the Syrian/Greek much bigger and better-equipped army, and the liberation of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem from the hands of the pagan ruler Antiochus Epiphanes (read more in the article about the historical account of Hanukkah.)

One of the benedictions Jews say when lighting the candles of the Hanukiah (Hanukkah candelabra) is: “We light the candles for the miracles that You have done for our forefathers in days of old, and are still doing today.”

The “dreidel,” or top that children play with, has four sides, each with a Hebrew letter which together says, “Nes Godal Haya Poe,” meaning “a great miracle happened here.”

In the Oral Law that was written in 500 CE, legend tells us (this does not appear in the historical account in the book of the Maccabees) that the Maccabees upon reclaiming and cleansing the Temple discovered that all of the oil to light the Temple’s menorah had been defiled except for one cruse. That cruse had just enough oil to light the Menorah for one day, but by a miracle of God it continued to burn for eight days.  

In all the wars Israel had to fight against her hostile neighbors, many miracles caused the tiny nation to survive and thrive.

Today, Israel is facing fierce and violent enemies from the north to the south whose aim is to wipe Israel off the map. But if God is for us, who can be against us?

The Full Story of Hanukkah

After the untimely death of Alexander the Great, the Greek Empire was divided into four kingdoms, (see also the prophecies of Daniel)

In 174 B.C.E, Antiochus IV ruled the Seleucus Hellenistic empire that included the Middle Eastern territories (what is today Israel, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Syria, and Lebanon.)

He was a harsh, arrogant, and cruel tyrant who proclaimed himself a god, and called himself Epiphanies— meaning “the gods’ beloved.”

With the influence of Hellenism – idol worship and the Syrian-Greek lifestyle that emphasized physical human beauty – the Israelites were divided between Hellenistic Jews and Jews who worshiped the invisible God of Israel, obeying His Torah commandments.

Antiochus Epiphanies replaced the righteous High Priest Yochanan with his Hellenistic brother, Jason, to serve in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem after Jason bribed the king for the position. Later, King Antiochus replaced Jason with Menelaus, who offered King Antiochus an even greater bribe.

Fearing Jewish rebellion for his actions, Antiochus sent his armies to invade Jerusalem.

The Holy Temple was desecrated and plundered. Antiochus arrogantly entered the temple and stole precious vessels of silver and gold as well as hidden treasure.

An unclean pig – forbidden by Jewish law – was sacrificed on God’s Holy altar which was replaced by an unholy altar to the pagan god, Zeus.

The Jews were forced to bow before Zeus under penalty of death. Syrian soldiers forced the Jews to eat forbidden foods and to engage in other immoral acts.

Antiochus then enacted a series of harsh decrees forbidding Jewish worship, including sacrifices and atonements according to the Law of God; Sabbath rest; the celebrations of the festival days, and the learning and teaching of the Torah. Torah scrolls were confiscated and burned while circumcision and the dietary laws were prohibited under the penalty of death.

Many innocent people were massacred for refusing to eat pork that was forced on them by Antiochus’ men, who went from town to town and from village to village to force the citizens to worship pagan gods.

The Syrians even pursued the Jews to the one remaining refuge area, the hills of Judea with their caves, and many Jews died there too and the survivors were heavily taxed.

Many Jews complied with the king’s commands either voluntarily or out of fear of the penalty of death. However, most God-fearing Jews did not comply with Antiochus’ commands and were willing to take the punishment of great suffering, torment, and death.

They were whipped with rods and their bodies torn to pieces. While they were still alive, they were crucified. 

Women who circumcised their baby sons were strangled and their sons were hanged by their necks. Any Torah books that were found were destroyed and their owners were killed.

The honorable, old priest, Mattityahu the Hashmonite, who lived in the village of Modiin with his sons and brothers, was determined to remain loyal to the covenant of the God of Israel and to obey only His commandments. They refused to offer sacrifices to the Greek gods on the altar that the Syrians had built in the village marketplace.

In his jealousy for the God of Israel, old Mattityahu slaughtered a Hellenistic Jew who approached the altar to offer a sacrifice to the foreign gods.

Then, together with his sons and friends, Mattityahu attacked the Syrian officers, killing many of them and chasing the rest away. They then destroyed the altar.

Mattityahu called with a loud voice in Hebrew: “Mi La’Adonai Ela-eye” (whoever is for our God, let him follow me.)

Knowing that Antiochus would send his soldiers to retaliate and punish them, Mattityahu and his sons and friends fled to the Judean hills. Many loyal and courageous Jews joined them in answer to Mattityahu’s call.

They formed a small army and from time to time came out of their hiding places to attack enemy outposts, and to destroy the pagan altars Antiochus had erected.

Old Mattityahu, nearing his time to die, gathered his sons and urged them to continue to fight in defense of God’s Torah, even at the risk of losing their lives for the cause of keeping God’s covenant.

He appointed his son, Shimon the Wise, as an adviser and his son, Judah the Strong and Courageous, to be the military leader.

Judah was called “Maccabee” – a word composed of the initial letters of the four Hebrew words Mi Kamocha Ba’eilim YHWH, “Who is like You, O God.” Exodus 15:11.)

Maccabee also means “big hammer” in Hebrew as Judah’s attacks were hard like big hammers.

Antiochus sent his general, Apolonius, to destroy the small army of Yehuda the Maccabee. However, the greater and better-equipped Syrians were defeated.

Antiochus then sent Seron, captain of the army of Syria, to fight the rebellious Maccabees with a greater army, sure that his mighty soldiers would destroy the rebellious, small Jewish army.

Judah, the courageous Maccabee, was ready to face them. However, when his people saw the size and strength of the enemy’s army, they said to Judah: “How can we, being so few, fight against such a great and strong army?”

Judah, in the spirit of King David, answered them with great faith:
“Fear not their multitude, for the success of war is not in the multitude of the army, but in strength from heaven. The Lord himself will overthrow them before us.”

Then, Judah the Maccabee led his small army in a surprise attack on Seron and his army, destroying and killing many of his soldiers. The surviving soldiers fled to the southern coastland.

Enraged by the news of the defeat of his soldiers, Antiochus sent even greater more powerful forces, consisting of more than 40,000 soldiers and seven thousand horsemen to go into the land of Judah to destroy the small Maccabee’s army, sure that this time his two great commanders, Nicanor and Gorgias, could defeat Judah and his Jewish Maccabees.

Merchants from the nations who heard of the great Greek army coming to battle the small Maccabean army, were also sure of the Jews’ defeat, so they came with large quantities of silver and gold ready to buy the Jews for slaves.

Judah and his brothers, zealous to defend the Holy Temple and willing to fight unto death, gathered in Mitzpah, which was a place of prayer (where Samuel, the prophet of old, had offered prayers to God,) to prepare for battle, to pray and ask for His mercy and compassion.

They fasted that day, in sackcloth and ashes, rent their garments, and cried with a loud voice to God in heaven:
“For your holies are trodden down, and are profaned, and your priests are in mourning, and are brought low. The nations are coming together against us with the intent to destroy us. How can we stand up to them, unless you, O God, help us?”

After sending men who built houses home; newlyweds; planters of vineyards and all who were fearful, Judah appointed captains over the thousands, over hundreds, over fifties, and tens, and he and his small army left the camp in Mitzpah and camped on the south side of Emmaus.

Facing the big and strong enemy army, Judah prayed to God and said: “Blessed are You, O Savior of Israel, Who destroyed the fierce and mighty uncircumcised giant by the hand of Your servant David. Now give up this army into the hands of Your people Israel. Let their army and horsemen be confounded. Strike them with fear, cause the boldness of their strength to vanish, and let them quake at their own destruction. Cast them down with the sword of the ones who love You, and let all that know Your Name praise You with hymns.”

Then Judah turned to the men that were with him and said: “Fear not their multitude, neither be afraid of their assault. Remember how our fathers were saved in the Red Sea when Pharaoh pursued them with a great army. And now let us cry to heaven, and the Lord will have mercy on us, and will remember the covenant of our fathers, and will destroy this army before us this day. And all nations shall know that there is One Who redeems and delivers Israel.”

Then they sounded their trumpets, cried out with a loud voice, and marched to battle. The brave Maccabees were ready both to live or die.

Thousands of Syrian soldiers fell. The Maccabees had set fire to the enemy’s camp and the Syrian soldiers were struck with great fear of the Jews and fled.

Judah and the Maccabees returned to the camp to take the spoils of great riches, including a lot of gold and silver. Upon returning home they sang a hymn, and blessed God in heaven, Who is good; Whose Mercy endures forever and Who gave Israel a great deliverance that day.

The victorious Maccabees returned to Jerusalem to liberate the Holy City. They entered the Temple and saw the sanctuary desolate, the altar profaned, and the gates burnt.

The Jews destroyed the odious idols; renewed the sacred vessels and the lampstand, and brought the altar of incense and the table into the Temple.

They decorated the front of the Temple with golden wreaths and ornamental shields, renewed the gates and the priests’ rooms, and fitted them with doors. Then they put the Bread of the Presence on the table and hung the curtains.

They destroyed the altar that had been defiled and threw it out. Then they took whole stones according to God’s instructions and built a new altar upon which they offered a holy sacrifice according to the law (Torah) of God.

On the twenty-fifth of the month of Kislev in the year 3622, 164 BC, the same day when the heathens had defiled it, the temple was dedicated anew with music and celebration. And all the people fell upon their faces and worshipped God, and blessed Him for the great victory He gave them.

The joyous Celebration of the Dedication of the Temple (Hanukkah in Hebrew) lasted for eight days, with offerings of sacrifices, praising God for salvation and deliverance from the reproach of the Syrians.

Judah, his brothers, and all the congregation of Israel decreed that the Day of the Dedication of the Altar should be kept every year from the twenty-fifth day of the month of Kislev for eight days, with joy and gladness. (Kislev is the tenth month of the Jewish calendar corresponding, approximately, to early December on the Gregorian calendar.)

What About Now?

As the Jews celebrate Hanukkah and the Christians celebrate Christmas, Israel is still at war against enemies that surround the small nation intending to destroy the tiny nation and take the Land God has promised to His people Israel.

Let us pray, as Judah did:

“Fear not their multitude, for the success of war is not in the multitude of the army, but the strength that comes from heaven. The Lord himself will overthrow them before us.”

For a “deliverer will come from Zion, “His name is Salvation (Yeshua.)
Pray for a miracle, the safe return of the Jewish captives in Gaza to their homes in Israel.

Christmas and the Jews

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Most Jews in Israel and around the world reject the idea that Christmas is a Jewish holiday. As far as they are concerned, Christmas is a Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of someone they don’t believe to be the Messiah and is in direct opposition to their Jewish faith. Many Holocaust survivors claim Hitler and the Nazis were Christians and that the Christian church is anti-Semitic; that in the name of Jesus, the Church persecuted Jews as “Christ-killers.”

Even non-Jews around the world who celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas day do not realize that He is the Messiah of Israel, as well as the Savior of the world.

Nativity Image by Michelle Scott from Pixabay

The prophet Isaiah made this Messianic prophecy to Israel about the Jewish Messiah, Who also fulfilled the promise God gave to Abraham in Genesis 12, that through Him all nations would be blessed. Therefore, the prophecies of the Messiah’s coming, His sacrifice for humanity, His resurrection, and His return to earth apply to Israel as well to all nations.

“The people living in darkness have seen a great light; upon those living in the land that lies in the shadow of death, light has dawned. For a child is born to us, a son is given to us; dominion will rest on His shoulders, and He will be given the name Pele-Yo‘etz (Wonderful Counselor,) El Gibbor (Mighty God,) Avi-‘Ad (Everlasting Father) Sar-Shalom (Prince of Peace)”. Isaiah 9

The world celebrates Christmas with cheers, decorated evergreen trees, flickering lights, manger scenes, and baby Jesus, all the while unaware of its Jewish roots. That the story took place in Israel with Israelites and angels who spoke Hebrew seems far away. But the fact is that Mary was Miriam, Joseph was Yoseph and Jesus was Yeshua – all Hebrew names. Yeshua was born in Beth Lehem (the house of bread in Hebrew) fulfilling the Hebrew prophet Micah’s words as recorded in Micah chapter 5:1 “But you, Beit Lehem Ephratah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall He come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting days.”

The story of Christmas starts with God’s angel appearing to the priest Zecharya (Zechariah in English which means God remembers in Hebrew) who was chosen by lot to enter the Temple of the God of Israel for the incense offering (Luke 1:9-11). This was in accordance with the law God gave to Moses for the priests from the tribe of Levi. Exodus 30:7-8: “Aaron must burn fragrant incense on the altar every morning when he tends the lamps. He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at twilight so incense will burn regularly before the Lord for the generations to come.” The angel announced to Zecharya that his barren wife would bear him a child to fulfill the prophecy of Malachi 3 to “go as a forerunner before Him (the Messiah) in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children” (Luke 1:16-17). His name would be Yohanan, meaning God pardons (known as John the Baptist in English.)

A short time later the angel Gavriel (Gabriel, means God is my strength) appeared to Miriam, announcing that she would conceive by the Holy Spirit of God. Miriam was a young Jewish virgin from the Jewish village of Natzeret, Israel, engaged to a Jewish man, Yoseph, of the house of David. The angel Gavriel told her (in Hebrew,) “Do not be afraid, Miriam; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Yeshua (meaning Salvation in Hebrew.) (Jesus is the English letters of the name Yeshua.) He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and God will give Him the throne of His father David (the Jewish king.) And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end” (Luke 1:26-33).

It is no coincidence that the Savior of the world would have a Hebrew name and would be born of a Jewish mother in a Jewish town near Jerusalem, the Jewish capital. He is Emmanuel (God with us in Hebrew) Who will sit on King David’s throne forever and rule from Jerusalem. All nations will come to hear the Word of the Lord from Zion (Jerusalem). (Isaiah 2)

When Yoseph (Joseph) learned Miriam was pregnant, he feared she had been unfaithful to him. As a righteous man, he didn’t want to expose Miriam to public disgrace and planned to divorce her in secret. But the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said (in Hebrew), “Yoseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Miriam as your wife because what is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Yeshua (meaning Salvation) because he Yoshia (will save) his people (Israel) from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ – which means (in Hebrew, ‘God with us.)” Matthew 1:18-25

We present this holiday to our Jewish people in this Jewish setting with Jewish characters, saying that Yeshua is our Jewish Messiah, as well as the Savior of the world, and that He didn’t come to start a new religion. As a matter of fact, Yeshua was against religion as well as men’s traditions.

Pray for the Holy Spirit to open the eyes of our Jewish friends, family, and neighbors to see that Christmas celebrates the birth of our Jewish Messiah Who came to the world in Israel.

From the first verses in the New Testament, we see how Jewish it is. This is the genealogy of Yeshua the Messiah (a Hebrew word,) the son of David, the son of Abraham (the father of the Jewish nation). Yeshua’s birth and reincarnation were prophesied in the Hebrew Bible, written in Hebrew, by Hebrew prophets. His Jewish parents took him to the Jewish Holy Temple when He was eight days old to be circumcised; how much more Jewish can you get?

Image: Nativity by Michelle Scott from Pixabay

How Persia Became Iran

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How Persia Became Iran

Iran was known for centuries as Persia – a name originating from “Parsa”. However, this term was given by foreigners, not the people of the land itself.

The indigenous people used the name “Iran,” a word that derives from “Airyam” which is a term found in the country’s ancient texts dating back to the time of Cyrus the Great (4th century BC).

The glorious Persian Empire was vast and included many religions, cultures, and civilizations. It was known for its literature, poetry, art, and variety of food. By the 4th century AD, the term Iran was being used in writing and literature.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the Pahlavi dynasty was established, led by Reza Shah Pahlavi who was influenced by the West. Reza Shah changed the name Persia to Iran in an attempt to reconnect with the nation’s ancient glorious imperial past while at the same time aiming to modernize the nation.

Reza Shah’s attempt to officially change the country’s name from Persia to Iran came into force in March 1935. However, the British who occupied Persia and Iraq during WWII objected to the change as the name Iran was too similar to Iraq and could cause confusion.

In 1959, Reza Shah’s son announced that the terms Iran and Persia could be used interchangeably in formal correspondence.

When oil was discovered in Persia in the early 20th century, its development made permanent changes in the political and economic arena in the Middle East. It drew the attention of other international countries to Persia. The British were the first to capitalize on Iran’s oil discovery when in 1909 they gained full control of Iran’s oil industry by establishing the Anglo-Persian Oil Company.

Iran’s oil and petroleum industry has remained at the heart of internal and external politics ever since.

Since the 1979 revolution, the official name of the country is the Islamic Republic of Iran, which emphasizes the Iranian Shi’i Muslim domination of the regime. This has caused divisions within the newly established state of Iran which persist today.

Today, most of the world refers to the country as Iran, while some cultural exports such as food, art, and literature are often referred to as Persian goods because they come from this historic region.

The Relations Between Iran and Israel

In biblical times, Iran was known as Persia. The Hebrew biblical books of Isaiah, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Chronicles, and Esther contain references to the life and experiences of Jews in the Persian empire.

In 586 BC, the Babylonians expelled large populations of Jews from Judea in the Babylonian captivity. Subsequently, the Persian Empire conquered the Babylonian kingdom. Persia was known to have a tolerant attitude toward the cultures and religions of the people under its rule.

In the book of Ezra, the Persian King Cyrus the Great permitted and even enabled the Jews to return to Judea and rebuild the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. In late 6 BC, the reconstruction of the temple was carried out “according to the decree of Cyrus.” King Cyrus died before it was completed and his successor, Darius the Great, as well as successive kings of the Persian empire, Darius and Artaxerxes, ordered the completion of the temple. (Ezra 6:14). The last chapters of the Tanach, the Hebrew Bible – 2 Chronicles 36:23 and the Book of Ezra – speak of Cyrus’ decree allowing the Jewish exiles in Babylon to return to Judea, along with the commission to rebuild the temple. King Cyrus is honored in Jewish history as a righteous king.

Not all Jews left Persia and Jewish communities have existed in today’s Iran for over 2,700 years.

According to the Book of Esther, there was a large number of Jews in the Persian empire. In 6 BCE, during the reign of Persian King Ahasuerus, (aka Xerxes the Great, son of Darius the Great), The evil antisemite, Haman, plotted to annihilate all the Jews in the Persian Kingdom.

And though God’s Name is absent from the book of Esther, it is obviously He Who used a beautiful Jewish maiden and the Persian King to thwart Haman’s evil plot and save the Jews from annihilation. Evil Haman and his sons were hanged on the gallows and the Jews’ enemies were destroyed. This event is celebrated by the Jews as the holiday of Purim.

Israel-Iran Relationship From the 20th Century

After the establishment of the State of Israel in May 1948, Iran – a non-Arab Muslim majority country – recognized Israel as a sovereign state and maintained close ties with it for years. Israel even had a permanent delegation in Tehran which later became an embassy.

However, pro-Palestinian Ayotallahs criticized the Iranian government’s diplomatic relations with Israel and they, along with Iranian citizens who were sympathetic to Palestinians, supported the Palestinians financially, much to the dismay of the Iranian government.

In 1953, the pro-Western leader Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was reinstated as the Shah of Iran. After the Six-Day War, relations between Iran and Israel flourished, and trade between the two countries was very active. Iran supplied Israel much needed oil and Israel provided the means by which Iranian oil was shipped to European markets via the joint Israeli-Iranian Eilat-Ashkelon pipeline. Israeli construction firms and engineers were active in Iran and El Al, the Israeli national airline, operated direct flights between Tel Aviv and Tehran. Iran and Israel exchanged military projects, though kept secret, such as the joint attempt in the years 1977–79 to develop a missile in the Project Flower.

After the Islamic Iranian Revolution in 1979 and the expulsion of the Shah, Ayatollah Khomeini became supreme ruler of Iran and declared that Israel was an “enemy of Islam” called the “Little Satan. The United States was called the “Great Satan.”

Iran severed all diplomatic and commercial ties with Israel. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its Quds Force were established to carry out military assignments.

Theocratic regime, now named the Islamic Republic of Iran, does not recognize the legitimacy of Israel as a state.

Aggressive posturing and hateful rhetoric against Israel coming out of the leaders in Tehran became common occurrences. The then-Iranian President Ahmadinejad said that Israel should be “wiped off the map.” Other factors that have contributed to the escalation of bilateral tensions include Iran’s development of nuclear technology, aimed mainly against Israel, and Iran’s funding of Islamist terror groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Houthi movement. Iran has also been involved in terrorist attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets in other parts of the world.

Israel has hit Iranian targets in Iran through assassinations and cyber attacks.

Overall, the Iran-Israel proxy conflict is a complex and ongoing dilemma that has had a significant impact on the political and security dynamics of the Middle East.

Iran’s Massive Direct Attack on Israel

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Deuteronomy 20:3

He shall say: “Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be terrified or give way to panic before them. For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”

A Second Direct Attack From Iran

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The October 1st Iranian ballistic missile attack on Israel included over 200 ballistic ground-to-ground missiles targeting the entire populated areas in the land of Israel. Thankfully, most were intercepted by the IDF’s multi-layered air defense network. US forces in the region also intercepted some of the Iranian missiles.
[Picture From Facebook – the remains of a ballistic missile in the Dead Sea]

The IRGC, The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, an Iranian military arm, excuse for the missile strike was retaliation for the assassinations of the Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in July and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on September 27th, as well as the killing of Lebanese and Palestinian people.

This was Iran’s second attack on Israel after its  very first direct attack on Israel on the night of April 13th, 2024 with ballistic and cruise missiles and bomb-laden unmanned aerial vehicles. That strike was a response to the Israeli air strike on the Iranian Consulate in Damascus that killed Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, commander of the IRGC’s Quds Force.

In addition to the usual use of its many proxies, Iran has attacked all of Israel directly by firing more than 300 missiles and suicide drones.

In response, Israel has launched a series of missile strikes on Iranian military sites, including one near Isfahan, Iran’s main nuclear research facility as well as other strategic military strikes. According to many Israeli opinions, it was a weak symbolic attack yielding to Biden’s request to avoid escalation. Nevertheless, it had some significance in exposing Iran’s weak defense systems.

The second Iranian attack October 1st sent the entire Israeli population to bomb shelters while Iran launched a barrage of ballistic missiles everywhere.

In response, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Iran “made a big mistake and will pay for it” and that Iran “does not understand” Israel’s “determination to retaliate” against its enemies. “They will understand,” said Netanyahu. “We will stand by the rule we established: whoever attacks us – we will attack.”
(Picture of a Bibi from USA Today)

In the two attacks, Iran has fired about 500 missiles and drones, and thank God, not a single Israeli has been killed. There have been just a few injuries and little damage.

Now the question is how and when Israel’s retaliation will occur. Israel has several options. 

Iran’s Nuclear Weapon

Iran’s ability to produce a nuclear weapon is an existential threat to the Jewish state. striking Iranian nuclear facilities would be Israel’s first response to the Iranian massive attack.

However, while still claiming that America’s commitment continues to be very clear and ironclad on Israel’s security, US President Biden demands “an Israeli response that will look powerful but will not ignite the region and still put an end to the story.”

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U.S. Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, commander of US Central Command, is due to arrive in Israel over the weekend for what will likely be a series of meetings to discuss the situation. The main concern of the U.S. is that the Gulf States will be harmed as a result of Israel igniting the region through a massive attack on Iran’s oil and/or nuclear facilities. There were media reports of Iran threatening Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states oil facilities should Israel attack the same Iranian facilities.
Lt. Gen. Michael Kurilla testifies before the Senate Armed Services committee during his confirmation hearing on Feb. 8. (Susan Walsh/AP) Picture from DefenseNews

PM Netanyahu has threatened Iranian nuclear ambition for many years. Many in Israel see this planned retaliation as a window of opportunity for Netanyahu to do so. However, Israel has to consider the complexities and numerous consequences of such a strike. To be well protected, Iran has intentionally spread the nuclear sites across the country. The sites are hidden under rocky mountains, more than 1,000 miles away from Israeli Air Force bases, making it hard if not impossible to be targeted and cause severe damage.

However, Israel has spent years developing capabilities not yet seen in action.

The attacks on Isfahan and in Yemen demonstrate the Israeli air force can reach anywhere. 

American Directives

President Joe Biden suggested last week that Israel should not strike Iran’s oil and that he opposed strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites. Nevertheless, Israel is considering attacking Iran’s oil facilities or ports. Oil is critical to Iran. This could have severe consequences on global oil markets.

What Will Israel Do?

Another option is to strike government symbols, or military targets. Striking Iran’s missile depots would limit Iran’s capability to manufacture missiles. Such an attack would ignite the weapons and produce a spectacle for all the world to see. Hopefully, this would reinforce Israel’s deterrence among its enemies in the region. Can Israel eliminate all the threats from the head of the octopus and its proxies by using only military force?

We need to pray for wisdom to make the right decision at the right time. With God’s help, we pray for a supernatural victory.

“As long as the enemy threatens our existence and the peace of our country, we will continue to fight. As long as our hostages are still in Gaza, we will continue to fight,” Netanyahu said in a pre-recorded television address, vowing not to give up on the “sacred mission” of achieving the war’s goals.

Last year on Yom Kippur, Israelis observed the holy day as usual  – kids riding bicycles in the streets and people attending local synagogues. Then October 7th happened – Black Sabbath!. This year many have truly joined in the whole month of repentance leading up to tonight – Yom Kippur. We pray that the Lord touch  our hearts as in the days of Esther, when the whole nation participated in repentance and fasting.
pray for our people in the synagogues that as they chant the regular prayers of repentance the Lord touch those hearts that truly seek Him, to return to Him through our Messiah Yeshua and worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. 

Iran – The Head of the Octopus

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“You will set Your throne in Elam (Persia, today Iran), And will destroy from there the king and the princes, We pray You destroy the evil anti-semite regime of Iran and its military that aims to destroy Israel…You will bring disaster upon them, Your fierce anger,’ ‘And I will send the sword after them Until I have consumed them.'”
According to Your Word, Lord in Jeremiah 49:35, 38 

O God, You are more awesome than Your holy places. The GOD OF ISRAEL is He who gives strength and power to His people.

Iran, the arch enemy of Israel, which many Israelis consider to be the head of the octopus, is today the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism and the greatest threat in the Middle East. Iranians are not Arabs but they are Shiite Muslims. The Iranian revolutionary regime’s basic ideology opposes Western values and interests.

Iran aim is to reach the Mediterranean coast and Israel’s borders by creating a passage through Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon by providing advanced weapons to its terrorist proxies to attack Israel. Today, it uses this passage to transfer military equipment and terrorists to Israel’s northern border.

Iran’s Nuclear Program

The development of Iran’s nuclear program poses an existential threat to the Jewish state and the rest of the world. It even risks triggering a nuclear arms race with the Arab world, further destabilizing the region and damaging U.S. interests. For years, the PM of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu has warned leading world nations in the world that the leading state sponsor of terrorism can never be allowed to obtain the world’s deadliest weapon. The Iranian regime has fooled the world by consistently lying of the true purpose of its nuclear program and hiding key aspects of it. Israeli intelligence has exposed Iran’s true intentions by breaking into Tehran’s Nuclear archives, demonstrably proving that Iran has been engaged in a nuclear arms developing program.

In June 2022, the IAEA Board (International Atomic Energy Agency) censured Iran for failing to provide “technically credible” answers regarding hidden nuclear sites, expanding its nuclear program beyond agreed limits, and limiting international inspectors’ access to suspected undisclosed nuclear sites.

By spending enormous amounts of money to further its nuclear project and funding its terrorist proxies throughout the region, the Iranian regime demonstrates that this is its priority over providing for their own people.

Iran’s Objective

The Ayatollah’s aims is to expand Iran’s influence in the Arab world by spreading hatred to Israel and America.

Iranian leadership encourages its people in public events to burn and stamp on US and Israeli flags and chant the slogans “Death to America” and “Death to Israel”.
Picture of Khamenei from X

Furthermore, along with verbal demonstrations of hatred toward America and Israel, Iran has taken action against the two Western nations.

The regime is a threat to U.S. forces stationed in the region, to Israel, Saudi Arabia, and other U.S. allies. Since 1979, the Iranian regime has invested resources in attacking Israel and American forces deployed in the Middle East and beyond.

Iran’s Arsenol

Iran has the largest and most diverse ballistic missile arsenal in the Middle East. It is the only country to develop a 2,000-km missile without first having nuclear weapons capability. Most were acquired from foreign sources, notably North Korea.
Picture from War on the Rocks
 It is noteworthy that Israel has more ballistic missiles, but they are fewer in number and type.

The fundamental motivation behind Iran’s supreme Muslim Shiite leadership is anti-Antisemitism. Since it took over rulership in the revolution, it has deemed Israel as illegitimate. According to its religious concept, “Palestine” (the land of Israel) belongs to the Muslim Palestinians and not to the ‘Jews.’

In their pure antisemitic libel propaganda, Israel is a Western imperialist state and the Jews advance American imperialism in the Middle East. According to the Ayatollah’s regime, this is a struggle between good (them) and evil (America, the big satan, and Israel the little satan.) and that Muslims have a religious obligation to resist Israel and global Jewry, accusing the Jews of being the first to start anti-Islamic propaganda.

Iran’s “Sacred Duty” and the Proliferation of Anti-Semitism

The Ayatollahs claim that resistance to the Jewish state is the sacred duty of “every Muslim and anyone who believes in Allah.” “Israel is a cancerous tumor on Islam’s body [in the Middle East] that must be removed [from existence.]”

Recently, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei declared: “The divine promise to eliminate the Zionist entity will be fulfilled and we will see the day when Palestine will rise from the river to the sea.” (that is the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea (which is today the land of Israel.)

Iran’s supreme leader leads in Holocaust denial, making such false ridiculous statements as: “there are documents showing close collaboration of the Zionists with Nazi Germany, and exaggerated numbers relating to the Jewish Holocaust that were fabricated to solicit the sympathy of world public opinion, to lay the ground for the occupation of Palestine, and to justify the atrocities of the Zionists.”

For four decades, the Iranian regime has propagated hatred for Zionism and the Jews by promoting the infamous booklet, “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion” and other anti-Semitic tracts.

Iran trains and arms terrorist groups, such as Hamas, Palestine Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah, promoting their attacks on Israel.

For the last year, the Head of the Octopus Iran has been using its arms to fight Israel on several fronts. With ground troops in Gaza and Lebanon, Israel’s air force backs those forces by bombing enemy targets to thwart attacks from Yemen and Shiite militias in Iraq and Syria. Israel also fights Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists in the Judea and Samaria.

Escalation

Iran’s last missile attack last week could likely provoke an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities.This would open the largest, biggest, and most intense front so far.
(Illustration from The Cryptonomist)

Last Monday, 7th of October, Israel marked the first anniversary of the October 7, 2023 massacre when thousands of Hamas terrorists stormed into southern Israeli cities and villages, destroying civilian homes, murdering, burning, beheading, and raping and kidnapping over two hundred Israelis.

Two people were injured on the Memorial Day of October 7th, 2024, while sirens sounded across central Israel as a result of rockets fired by Hamas from northern Gaza.

An estimated tens of thousands of Iranians participated in a procession through Tehran with a leader enticing the crowd in chanting “Death to America!” “Death to Israel!

Before the October 7th first anniversary, in a video statement on October 5th Benjamin Netanyahu said: “Today, Israel is defending itself on seven fronts against the enemies of civilization…and we are fighting against Iran, which last week fired over 200 ballistic missiles directly at Israel and which stands behind this seven-front war against Israel,” Netanyahu added.

The Iranian ballistic missile barrage came in response to the limited Israeli ground operation in southern Lebanon to eliminate the Hezbollah threat. It was the first land incursion since the war against Hezbollah in 2006.

Following intelligence that Hezbollah is hiding its weapons and missiles inside homes of southern Lebanese villages, the IDF informed the Lebanese residents to evacuate before the IDF dismantled the Hezbollah infrastructure, underground tunnels included.

“We are targeting Hezbollah strongholds that threaten northern Israeli towns, kibbutzim, and communities along our border,” said IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari. He presented evidence that Hezbollah was planning an operation involving thousands of its terrorist fighters copying Hamas’ October 7, 2023 terror attack on Israel.

“Hezbollah turned Lebanese villages next to Israeli villages into military bases ready for an attack on Israel,” he said. In addition to ground raids, the Israeli Air Force has also increased its air attacks on  Hezbollah headquarters since mid-September, including the capital, Beirut.

Terrorist Leadership and the IDF

Until now, Israel has eliminated the commander of the IRGC’s Quds Force following the air raid Damascus on 1 April 2024, Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Teheran, Hezbollah leader and key Iran ally Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut on 27 September and many top Hezbollah commanders. All the while the IDF continues to target Hamas, Hezbollah, and all other regional foes.

Octopus (Illustration from Stable Diffusion Website)