A Second ‘Cedar Revolution’ in Lebanon?
jerusalem
This week saw the continuation of anti-government protests in Lebanon. These are the largest protests in the past 15 years. Back then, those protests led to the Cedar Revolution, which successfully removed Syrian influence from Lebanon. However, as fate would have it, the time since that revolution has seen Syria replaced by Iran. Iran became the dominant outside factor in Lebanon, through the use of its proxy Hezbollah.
These current protests, which are more generally against selfish government policy, poor living quality, and proposed tax hikes, also have Hezbollah worried that its grip on power might be weakening. The protesters are calling for the whole political system to be overthrown, and that includes Hezbollah.
It’s possible we are on the verge of a second Cedar Revolution in Lebanon, one that would remove Iran’s grip on the nation.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said on Friday that he did not want the government to resign—one of the demands of the protesters. He also said that civil war might be the result if the protests continue.
Nevertheless, on Tuesday this week, the Saudi-backed prime minister, Saad Hariri, resigned from his post in an affront to Hezbollah’s wishes. But even his resignation wasn’t enough to stop the protesters. They are still on the streets.
Continue to watch this situation in Lebanon. After years of planning, Hezbollah had finally become the dominant power in Lebanon. These protests threaten that rule.
Hezbollah members were filmed storming the protest tents in Beirut on Tuesday, hurting some of the demonstrators. The next day, seemingly undeterred by Hezbollah’s strong-arm tactics, the protesters were back to set up their tents.
Hezbollah won’t go quietly into the night and neither will the protesters. This means this situation won’t go away quickly.
At the Trumpet, we fully expect Iran’s sway over Lebanon through Hezbollah to end. We base this forecast on the Bible, and a specific prophecy found in Psalm 83. These escalating protests could lead to the fulfillment of that forecast. Please read “Why You Need to Watch Lebanon,” by Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry.
Baghdadi Killed, but the Real Terrorist Threat Remains
The world’s most wanted terrorist is dead. On Sunday morning, United States Army Delta Force commandos with eight attack helicopters conducted a raid against an Islamic State compound in Syria.
At least nine Islamic State members were killed, one being their founder and leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Sunday, “Baghdadi’s demise demonstrates America’s relentless pursuit of terrorist leaders and our commitment to the enduring and total defeat of isis and other terrorist organizations.”
While the death of Baghdadi is a victory for the United States and the world, it is easy to get carried away with its significance.
As we have often stated, the Islamic State is merely a distraction from the real terrorist threat in the Middle East—the Islamic State of Iran.
The U.S. clearly sees the threat posed by Iran, but instead of going after the source, it chases the distractions—various terrorist groups within Iran’s proxy network and others, such as the Islamic State.
As Mr. Flurry wrote in The King of the South: “The only way to win such a war is to deal with the main source of terrorism, or cut off the head of the terrorist snake.” Clearly, this has not happened. And it won’t at the hands of the United States.
For more on the biblically prophesied rise of the terrorist regime in Iran, and who will eventually cause its downfall, please request Gerald Flurry’s free booklet The King of the South.
102nd Anniversary of the Battle of Beersheba
The Battle of Beersheba was hugely significant in the eventual establishment of the Jewish State.
During World War i, Beersheba was heavily fortified with Turkish artillery and lines of trenches to push back any normal military assault—and it had done so through most of the day portion of October 31. So the decision was made an hour or so before sunset to charge the Turkish line using 800 Australian Light Horse soldiers.
The brazen attack meant that the horseman would be under constant fire for two kilometers in an open field as they galloped toward Beersheba at top speed. Nevertheless, the troops charged forward directly into artillery and machine-gun fire. As they approached the Turkish line, they dismounted and used their bayonets as swords to take on the entrenched Turkish soldiers.
Stunningly, it took less than an hour for the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps to take Beersheba. Even more astounding was that only 30 horsemen were killed and another 36 wounded. The Turks didn’t fare so well, losing more than 500 men, with another 1,500 surrendering.
The event would go down in history as the last successful cavalry charge in warfare. And simply looking at the ratio of deaths, this could be classified as a modern-day miracle.
Soon thereafter, the British offensive stormed up Palestine, took Jerusalem, and allowed for the future establishment of the Jewish State.
In remembrance of that victory, and God’s role in it, I recommend reading our article “God’s Hand in the Balfour Declaration.”
