Howdy Kevin!

This is NOT in any way to "challenge" you, brother.... so please don't take it that way!

I merely pulled this snippet ~ something you wrote on Clay's thread about TV character, Dexter, saying Jesus is coming soon.

So anyway ~ my question to you is WHY do you think it is THAT close?

I tend to think with GREAT possibility that it may well yet be this year ~ but would like to hear your thoughts on the matter as well. Is there anything SPECIFIC that makes you think so?

Thanks .... ahead of time!

Here's what you wrote

the war between israel and iran seems imminent

do you think we may be raptured prior to that

GOOD question, Grace!

Here's the ending paragraph of what Todd Strandberg (RR) wrote in his column today:

FOR Discussion and eduational purpose only.
Our sources report the two key items are advanced Pantsir-1 (SA-22 Greyhound) anti-air missiles for breaking a no-fly zone against most types of aircraft should one be imposed and supersonic Yakhont (SS-26) missiles for targeting vessels blockading Syria's shores at a distance of 300 kilometers.
On Nov. 25, debkafile reported:

Israeli and Jordanian armed forces declared a state of preparedness Friday, Nov. 25, after the Syrian General Command accused an "armed terrorist" group of an ambush killing 10 airmen including 6 elite pilots on the Homs-Palmyra road Thursday, "with the involvement of foreign parties, the foremost of which is Israel."

debkafile's military and intelligence sources report the ambush was another of the major operations against Assad regime's most sensitive targets executed by the Free Syrian Army this week.

It took place at a point on the highway east of Palmyra on the fringe of the Syrian Desert and close to the Syrian Air Force base at Tiyas.

The official statement aired on Syrian state TV said the attack claimed the lives of six elite pilots, one technical officer and three technical sub-officers of the airbase.
Our sources add that the rebel army must have penetrated the highest levels of Syria's military intelligence command for the attack and was clearly receiving targeting data from inside the armed forces.
The attack took place two days after the Free Syrian Army using rocket grenade launchers and heavy machine guns smashed into the Air Force Intelligence base of Harasta near Damascus, killing at least 10 Syrian troops. The ruling Baath party headquarters in Damascus was also attacked on Thursday.

The official statement broadcast Friday described the pilots as "qualitatively trained in piloting modern military aircraft" and "prepared to carry out "the sacred duty of liberating the land and restoring the usurped rights."

It went on to say: "The General Command… considers that the beneficiaries of this terrorist act are the enemies of the homeland and the nation, foremost being Israel."

The Syrian military vowed "to cut every evil hand that targets Syrian blood, and decisively confront all who threaten the homeland's security and stability."

The 24-hour lapse between the attack and the official statement indicated the level of dismay and confusion in Damascus over the sudden assault on the most stalwart buttress of the Assad dynasty in the nine-month crisis and a body blow to his regime.

Bashar Assad cannot afford to avoid retaliating. If he does, it will be an admission that the backbone of his armed forces is falling apart and out of control.

Since there is no knowing what form his revenge will take, Israel, Jordan and most likely Turkey too were braced Friday for trouble.

Assad no doubt took into account that bombing Free Syrian Army training bases across the border in Turkey would bring forth a Turkish military strike. So for now, he decided to point the finger at Israel, a reliable standby when the regime has its back to the wall. Jordan, through which large arms supplies reach the Syrian opposition, may seem to Damascus to be easy prey for the bombardment or raid of bases hosting Syrian rebels.
In the heat of the crisis, the Syrian ruler allowed the deadline set by the Arab League of his acceptance of hundreds of monitors go by Friday without an answer. "It is a last chance, a new chance for Syria,” Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told reporters in Istanbul at a joint news conference with his Jordanian counterpart Nasser Judeh. By missing the deadline, Damascus faces possible economic sanctions spearheaded by the Arab League, which earlier this month suspended Syrian membership, amid growing international isolation.


I guess it says it all. There will be no turning back." target="_blank">http://debka.com/article/21519/[url/]

7 Nations on alert -Russia airlifting more missiles

Arab sanctions find Syria's 7 neighbors on alert. Russian missiles for Assad
DEBKAfile Special Report November 27, 2011, 6:44 PM (GMT+02:00) Tags: Syria Bashar Assad Arab League sanctions Israel Turkey Russia Russian Yakhont blockade breakerTwenty-four hours before the Arab League Sunday, Nov. 27, clamped down sanctions on the Assad regime, the first ever against a member state, the armies of Syria's seven neighbors were already scrambling into position on standby on its borders for acts of retaliation. Military suspense mounted after the Arab League vote to cut off transactions with Syria's central bank, withdraw Arab funding from projects and other painful sanctions over Bashar Assad's refusal to halt his crackdown on protest.

debkafile's military sources report Israeli armored brigades pushed forward up to the Lebanese and Syrian borders; Ankara placed three armored brigades, its air force and navy in astate of preparedness, likewise Hizballah and the Lebanese and Jordanian armed forces, while the US and Russia are in the midst of a naval buildup opposite Syrian shores.

Military sources in the Gulf report that 150 Iranian Revolutionary Guards specialists had landed at a military airport south of Damascus on their way to Lebanon to join Hizballah which began bringing its rockets out of their hideouts.

Ahead of the Arab League vote, Qatar and Turkey were reported to be airlifting "volunteers" from Libya to fight alongside the rebel Free Syrian Army, some also transporting weapons, whereas Russia has begun another airlift to deliver top-notch missiles for Assad's forces.
Our sources report the two key items are advanced Pantsir-1 (SA-22 Greyhound) anti-air missiles for breaking a no-fly zone against most types of aircraft should one be imposed and supersonic Yakhont (SS-26) missiles for targeting vessels blockading Syria's shores at a distance of 300 kilometers.
On Nov. 25, debkafile reported:

Israeli and Jordanian armed forces declared a state of preparedness Friday, Nov. 25, after the Syrian General Command accused an "armed terrorist" group of an ambush killing 10 airmen including 6 elite pilots on the Homs-Palmyra road Thursday, "with the involvement of foreign parties, the foremost of which is Israel."

debkafile's military and intelligence sources report the ambush was another of the major operations against Assad regime's most sensitive targets executed by the Free Syrian Army this week.

It took place at a point on the highway east of Palmyra on the fringe of the Syrian Desert and close to the Syrian Air Force base at Tiyas.

The official statement aired on Syrian state TV said the attack claimed the lives of six elite pilots, one technical officer and three technical sub-officers of the airbase.
Our sources add that the rebel army must have penetrated the highest levels of Syria's military intelligence command for the attack and was clearly receiving targeting data from inside the armed forces.
The attack took place two days after the Free Syrian Army using rocket grenade launchers and heavy machine guns smashed into the Air Force Intelligence base of Harasta near Damascus, killing at least 10 Syrian troops. The ruling Baath party headquarters in Damascus was also attacked on Thursday.

The official statement broadcast Friday described the pilots as "qualitatively trained in piloting modern military aircraft" and "prepared to carry out "the sacred duty of liberating the land and restoring the usurped rights."

It went on to say: "The General Command… considers that the beneficiaries of this terrorist act are the enemies of the homeland and the nation, foremost being Israel."

The Syrian military vowed "to cut every evil hand that targets Syrian blood, and decisively confront all who threaten the homeland's security and stability."

The 24-hour lapse between the attack and the official statement indicated the level of dismay and confusion in Damascus over the sudden assault on the most stalwart buttress of the Assad dynasty in the nine-month crisis and a body blow to his regime.

Bashar Assad cannot afford to avoid retaliating. If he does, it will be an admission that the backbone of his armed forces is falling apart and out of control.

Since there is no knowing what form his revenge will take, Israel, Jordan and most likely Turkey too were braced Friday for trouble.

Assad no doubt took into account that bombing Free Syrian Army training bases across the border in Turkey would bring forth a Turkish military strike. So for now, he decided to point the finger at Israel, a reliable standby when the regime has its back to the wall. Jordan, through which large arms supplies reach the Syrian opposition, may seem to Damascus to be easy prey for the bombardment or raid of bases hosting Syrian rebels.
In the heat of the crisis, the Syrian ruler allowed the deadline set by the Arab League of his acceptance of hundreds of monitors go by Friday without an answer. "It is a last chance, a new chance for Syria,” Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told reporters in Istanbul at a joint news conference with his Jordanian counterpart Nasser Judeh. By missing the deadline, Damascus faces possible economic sanctions spearheaded by the Arab League, which earlier this month suspended Syrian membership, amid growing international isolation.


I guess it says it all. There will be no turning back.

Here's the link to the article you pasted above, Mary:

Arab sanctions find Syria's 7 neighbors on alert.

And here's Todd's commentary, pasted below in its entirety, which Our Blessed Hope quoted from above:

Waiting for the Big Attack

Nov 28, 2011

Waiting for the Big Attack

The hottest question in the field of Bible prophecy today would have to be, "When is Israel going to launch an attack on Iran's nuclear program?" This quandary has been with us for an amazing amount of time. I found an article that I wrote back in 2006 that talked about preparations Israel was making for a go-it-alone bombing run.

In recent weeks, the drumbeats for action have gotten louder as even the most dovish diplomat realizes that the time to act is running out. A fresh report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) shows that Iran is clearly working on technology that is exclusive to an atomic bomb. Never mind the fact that Iran has a hundred-year supply of oil, and nuclear power plants would be ten times the cost of what they already have.

How close Iran is to assembling a bomb is anyone’s guess. I've long given up on all these Debkafile-type sites that quote unnamed sources that never pan out. If the Israelis had a game plan, they certainly wouldn't make the date known. In any pending attack, silence is always the best indicator.

Speaking of just that, the Israeli government has refused to promise President Obama a heads-up on a preemptive strike. Of course, by not telling us, Obama can claim innocence when the Arab world erupts in rage over an attack carried out by the evil Zionist state.

The disclosure of a spy ring in Lebanon and Iran is one indication of intelligence gathering ahead of military action. Tehran claims that twelve people apprehended last week were agents for U.S. and Israeli intelligence. The killing of several Iranian nuclear scientists and the introduction of the Stuxnet virus into computer networks connected to Iran’s atomic research verify that Israeli spies are working in Iran.

The West is working on a new round of sanctions that will target Iran's petrochemicals industry. Britain, France, and Canada said they would join the U.S. to intensify financial measures against Iran. The Obama administration talks of decisive action, but it admitted that sanctions on Iran’s oil production are off limits. It’s just silliness to think the mad mullahs of Iran are going to be persuaded by a few sanctions when they are so close to their goal.

The concern over Iran's nuclear ambitions is largely responsible for oil being around $100 per barrel. If it wasn't for the tension, the threat of an economic slowdown in Europe would already have oil below the $90 level.

It's obvious to everyone that a strike would send the price of oil soaring. With the global economy in a precarious state, oil going to $150 per barrel would be apocalyptic. The sky might be the only limit for oil, with Iran able to blockade the Persian Gulf, and with highly flammable oil tankers easy pickings for Iranian jets.

Not everyone in Israel is gung-ho about attacking Iran. Earlier this year, Israel’s former spy chief, Meir Dagan, said bombing Iran would be “a stupid idea” for Israel. It would mean regional war and would give Iran “the best possible reason to continue its nuclear program.”

Israel is being compelled to act because the alternative of nuclear arms in the hands of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is immeasurably worse than the fallout from a strike. Imagine if Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev claimed to have an invisible friend who lived at the bottom of a well, and he promised him that the whole world would turn to Communism if he could just wipe out America. This what Israel faces with Ahmadinejad, who has called for a destruction of Israel many times, and looks for the arrival of the Twelfth Imam during a “cataclysmic event.”

The law of self-preservation demands that Israel's leadership take measures to prevent Ahmadinejad from fulfilling his destiny. Since it would only take three nuclear weapons to effectively destroy the tiny Jewish state, the leadership in Jerusalem can’t afford to miscalculate the intentions of its enemies.

Iran already proved its craziness when it was caught red-handed in a plot to kill the Saudi Arabian ambassador to the U.S. If it had nuclear weapons, what’s to prevent it from planting a device in Times Square, New York? I can already see in my mind’s eye Ahmadinejad grinningly saying "Don't look at me” when one of our most economically vital cities disappears under a mushroom cloud.

I'm not all that concerned about knowing the time frame for an Israeli airstrike. What has me more interested is how the attack would change the whole prophetic landscape. It’s possible that the reason the attack has been delayed is because God has it tied to events that are near to the timing of the Rapture.

-- Todd

Our Bleessed Hope,
The reason I believe we could be just hours or days away from the rapture is because of the nearness of the Psalm 83 war, as Grace mentioned. Also, this year is almost over. I still continue to see 11s constantly, and I don't think it's a coincidence. It might be from the Lord letting me know that 2011 is the year we go home. I don't know for sure, but it's a possible meaning. There have been many believers having dreams and visions lately that Jesus is coming for his Bride imminently. The biggest reason is still the situation between Israel and her enemies. War is about to break out over there, and Russia will jump in to help Iran and others who are against Israel. Keep looking up!

Kevin

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/8921617/Mystery-explosion-rocks-Iran-city.html

For discussion purpose and Education only...

Mystery explosion rocks Iran city
A large explosion has been reported in the Iranian city of Isfahan as the regime issued conflicting reports apparently designed to deny any suggestions of a sabotage attack on its nuclear facilities.

Iran's uranium processing site just outside the city of Isfahan Photo: AP

By Damien McElroy, Foreign Affairs Correspondent

6:55PM GMT 28 Nov 2011

Officials gave varying accounts of a "huge explosion" in the ancient city, which hosts one of Iran's main facilities for refining uranium in its nuclear programme.

While some sources told news agencies there had been a blast on military facilities, others said there had been a fireball at a petrol station.

Residents of the city were independently telling relatives and friends overseas that the city had been shaken by a massive blast in the early afternoon.

Security experts speculated Iran had suffered another blow to its programme to build nuclear-capable missiles.

Isfahan is home to Iran's largest facility for research and development of ballistic missiles. Multiple reports said the blast did not emanate from the nuclear facility.

Tic Toc