Podcast appearances and mentions of israel syria

Headlines ... Why the PKK's disbanding should be the biggest news of the week ... How did Turkey get the PKK to lay down arms? ... A breakthrough for Turkey-Iraq relations ... How Syrian Kurds are trying to make nice with Damascus ... The end of US sanctions on Syria ... Rebuilding a shattered state ... Turkey and Israel: Syria caught in the middle ...

Headlines ... Why the PKK's disbanding should be the biggest news of the week ... How did Turkey get the PKK to lay down arms? ... A breakthrough for Turkey-Iraq relations ... How Syrian Kurds are trying to make nice with Damascus ... The end of US sanctions on Syria ... Rebuilding a shattered state ... Turkey and Israel: Syria caught in the middle ...

World news in 7 minutes. Friday 2nd May 2025.Today: Ukraine US deal. Romania election. Turkiye protests. US shuffle. Brazil Collor prison. Chile arrests. Somalia Taiwan problem. Uganda oppression. Israel Syria bombing. New Zealand storm. Japan snake stops trains.SEND7 is supported by our amazing listeners like you.Our supporters get access to the transcripts and vocabulary list written by us every day.Our supporters get access to an English worksheet made by us once per week.Our supporters get access to our weekly news quiz made by us once per week.We give 10% of our profit to Effective Altruism charities. You can become a supporter at send7.org/supportContact us at podcast@send7.org or send an audio message at speakpipe.com/send7Please leave a rating on Apple podcasts or Spotify.We don't use AI! Every word is written and recorded by us!Since 2020, SEND7 (Simple English News Daily in 7 minutes) has been telling the most important world news stories in intermediate English. Every day, listen to the most important stories from every part of the world in slow, clear English. Whether you are an intermediate learner trying to improve your advanced, technical and business English, or if you are a native speaker who just wants to hear a summary of world news as fast as possible, join Stephen Devincenzi and Juliet Martin every morning. Transcripts, vocabulary lists, worksheets and our weekly world news quiz are available for our amazing supporters at send7.org. Simple English News Daily is the perfect way to start your day, by practising your listening skills and understanding complicated daily news in a simple way. It is also highly valuable for IELTS and TOEFL students. Students, teachers, TEFL teachers, and people with English as a second language, tell us that they use SEND7 because they can learn English through hard topics, but simple grammar. We believe that the best way to improve your spoken English is to immerse yourself in real-life content, such as what our podcast provides. SEND7 covers all news including politics, business, natural events and human rights. Whether it is happening in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas or Oceania, you will hear it on SEND7, and you will understand it.Get your daily news and improve your English listening in the time it takes to make a coffee.For more information visit send7.org/contact or send an email to podcast@send7.org

In this episode, we return to the ever-escalating tensions in the Middle East. From the latest prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas—where each side's reactions reveal deep-rooted asymmetries—to repeated violations of agreements, the region is once again teetering on the edge.We also turn our attention to Hezbollah and a lingering question—can you truly defeat an organisation's ideas through military force alone? Meanwhile, Syria briefly steps back into the international spotlight, even earning a mention in Vatican News. That's more than enough reason for us to examine what the Western Bubble gets wrong about the country's latest developments. And, of course, no episode on Middle East would be complete without the familiar Western headlines: Iran is once again "on the brink" of building a nuclear weapon—just like it has been for the past two decades.This podcast is published with the help of RAIA NOW gUG but is an individual project between the Director of RAIA Dario Hasenstab and Balder Hageraats. If you would like to get in touch with us, write us an email at thewesternbubble@gmail.com.

Donate (no account necessary) | Subscribe (account required) Join Bryan Dean Wright, former CIA Operations Officer, as he dives into today's top stories shaping America and the world. In today's episode, we cover: Trump's Government Overhaul: The "Five Bullet Points" Controversy – Federal workers received a surprise directive: submit five bullet points detailing their work—or face termination. FBI Shake-Up: Dan Bongino Joins as Deputy Director – The former Secret Service agent and media personality steps in alongside Kash Patel, promising a major housecleaning at the Bureau. Pentagon Purge: Generals and Senior Brass Fired – President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dismiss top military leaders, sparking Democratic outrage and comparisons to past presidential firings. Macron Meets Trump: The Future of Ukraine on the Line – France's president pushes for stronger U.S. military support, while Trump demands Ukraine hand over mineral rights in exchange for aid. Germany's Election Shocker: A Victory for Conservatives and Populists – The right-wing AfD party gains historic ground, setting the stage for clashes with Washington. Middle East Tensions Rise: Hezbollah's Funeral and Hamas' Deception – Hezbollah vows continued war against Israel, while Hamas botches a hostage release, fueling new Israeli military actions. Hope for Syria? A New Constitution in the Works – Tribal and religious leaders convene in Damascus, seeking a path to lasting peace in the war-torn nation. "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." - John 8:32

University of Tehran professor Seyed Mohammad Marandi discusses Western propaganda, the Middle East, Israel, Syria, and more. ----- Watch full episodes on Rumble, streamed LIVE 7pm ET. Become part of our Locals community Follow Glenn: Twitter Instagram Follow System Update:  Twitter Instagram TikTok Facebook LinkedIn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Check out our YouTube channel to never miss the Watchman Newscast live updates during the week and be sure to subscribe. WATCH Stakelbeck Tonight episodes for free on TBN+ here. The Watchman Newscast with Erick Stakelbeck features host Erick Stakelbeck's breakdown and understanding of current events and how they play an impact on Biblical Prophecy, Israel, and how it all impacts the world, no matter where you live. Tune in for more understandings on the major issues and news that matter to you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/antiwarcom/Phone bank for Defend the Guard: https://defendtheguard.us/phonebankChapters00:00 - Intro00:21 - Biden To Approve Massive Weapons Sale to Israel03:14 - Blinken Not Worried the World May Think He's Backed Genocide06:40 - Report: Israel Considers Cutting Aid to Gaza Even More Under Trump10:30 - Israeli Attacks Kill 88 Palestinians in Gaza13:58 - Israeli Lawmakers Demand 'Complete Cleansing' of Northern Gaza15:38 - Israel Rushes Soldier Out of Brazil To Avoid War Crimes Probe17:14 - Syria's New Justice Minister Oversaw Executions20:11 - 100 Killed in Fighting Between Syrian Kurds, Turkey-Backed Fighters21:32 - Israel Launches Major Airstrikes Against North Syria22:55 - Ukraine Launches New Offensive in Kursk24:14 - Moscow Vows Response After Ukraine Fires More US ATACMS26:03 - Israeli DM Says Lebanon Deal May Be Scrapped Entirely27:36 - Cybertruck bombing, viewpoints, outro

With the Israel Gaza war reportedly on the brink of a ceasefire and Iran reeling after the devastation of Hezbollah in Lebanon and the fall of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, the Middle East is on the cusp of a complete realignment in 2025. Will Syria buck the trend of so many nations after the Arab Spring that have descended into chaos after the fall of a tyrant? The country's new de facto leader Mohammed al-Jolani, who is now using his real name Ahmed al-Sharaa, says he will be moderate and will stay out of his neighbours affairs. But will neighbouring powers stay out of Syria?  What will Iran do now that so many of its proxies have been devastated since October the 7th?  And if there's a ceasefire in Gaza, what next for the Palestinians? To discuss all this and more in this week's episode of the Fourcast, Matt Frei was joined by Channel 4 News' Foreign Affairs Correspondent Secunder Kermani and Jonathan Rugman - who covered the Middle East for years at Channel 4 News and is a now a Senior Associate Fellow at the defence and security think tank Rusi. Produced by Calum Fraser, Rob Thomson, Silvia Maresca, Ka Yee Mak

In today's addition of "Two Intellectual Idiots Fostering Political and Cultural Literacy" Dan, Corey, and Bel "The Bodysnatcher"  take YOU, the disenfranchised or politically homeless sane person into: 1) The 1500 page spending boondoggle that congress is trying to pass just hours before they head home for their Holiday break.  What's in it? Nobody knows. And certainly not any of the congresspeople. 2) The impending TikTok ban being taken up by the Supreme Court prior to it's implementation on January 19th (a very convenient date) AND MORE...  IF YOU LIKE: Breaking Points With Krystal & Saagar The Fifth Column The Tom Woods Show Scott Horton Reason Magazine The Reason Round Table The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie The Grayzone Dave Smith's "Part of the Problem" Blocked and Reported NPR Based Politics The Daily Wire StatusCoup The Jordan Harbinger Show The Jimmy Dore Show The Joe Rogan Experience Useful Idiots "Honestly" With Bari Weiss Matt Taibbi Glen Greenwald Aaron Matè Max Blumenthal 

Israel carries out air strikes on Yemen. Houthi forces there launch missiles at Tel Aviv. Attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon and the fall of Assad in Syria have put the Houthis' key ally, Iran, under more pressure. So how might all this affect Yemen? In this episode: Farea Al Muslimi, Research Fellow, Chatham House Nabeel Khoury, Former U.S. diplomat and deputy chief of mission to Yemen Sultan Barakat, Professor of Public Policy, Hamad Bin Khalifa University Host: James Bays Connect with us:@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook At Al Jazeera Podcasts, we want to hear from you, our listeners. So, please head to https://www.aljazeera.com/survey and tell us your thoughts about this show and other Al Jazeera podcasts. It only takes a few minutes!

Breaking down the prophetic implications of Syria's collapse and rising Middle East tensions. Learn how current events perfectly align with biblical prophecies. Essential viewing for understanding the times we're living in. #Prophecy #BiblicalTruth #Israel #EndTimes

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's Daily Briefing podcast from the Jerusalem office. We are continuing a new Friday tradition that we instituted last week and giving a deeper look into one aspect of the news. Today, we’re going to delve into Israel’s ever-evolving relationship and strategy with Syria. We turn back the clock to the foundation of Syria and take a look at each decade of Israel’s existence vis a vis its neighbor to the north. We see how this background plays into Israel currently filling the vacuum in the buffer zone between the two countries after rebel forces decimated the Asad regime’s forces in the past week. We learn that following a series of wars, Syria discovered that it would not win back the Golan Heights through force. Berman speaks about the decades-long peace talks between the two countries -- and what foiled them For news updates, please check out The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog. Discussed articles include: Israel rejects French call to withdraw from Syria buffer: ‘Necessary for defense’ France calls on Israel to exit Syria buffer zone as Spain, Germany urge restraint IDF building along UN-patrolled demilitarized zone in Syria, satellite images show Pro-Assad troops take over Golan UN post in demilitarized area on Israeli border UN calls for armed groups to leave Golan area separating Israel-Syria forces Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves. IMAGE: Israeli soldiers stand guard on a security fence gate near the so-called Alpha Line that separates the Golan Heights from Syria, in the town of Majdal Shams, December 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(12/3/2024-12/10/2024) Mr. Rager type beat. Tune in. patreon.com/isaiahnews #applepodcasts⁠ ⁠#spotifypodcasts⁠ ⁠#youtube #amazon⁠ ⁠#patreon⁠ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/isaiah-m-edwards/support

PREVIEW: ISRAEL/SYRIA Colleague David Daoud analyzes IDF operations advancing into the Golan Heights and Syrian DMZ. More later. 1870 Damascus walls

Bibi's unilateral military moves there

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's Daily Briefing podcast. Israeli Air Force fighter jets on Sunday struck dozens of targets across Syria, taking out weaponry that Israel feared could fall into the hands of hostile forces in light of the dramatic fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime some two weeks into a lightning offensive by rebel groups. Also on Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces seized control of a buffer zone between the Israel-Syria border in the Golan Heights, in what it described as a temporary defensive measure. We discuss why we have a buffer zone with Syria, when it was established and the legal standing of the Golan Heights. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday claimed credit for starting the chain of events that led to the sudden fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria, hailing it as an “historic day.” According to Berman, "Seeing that Hezbollah and Iran were exhausted and that Russia was stretched to the limit in Ukraine, Syrian rebels poured out of their statelet in the northwest, driving south until they took the capital." He explains some of the scenarios of what may happen next. On Sunday night, Netanyahu told the family members of hostages held in Gaza that the regime change in Syria could help advance a deal, while US President-elect Donald Trump said he did not believe there were many captives left alive. This morning, it was reported that mediated negotiations between Israel and Palestinian terror group Hamas to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip have advanced to the point where the sides are discussing lists of those who would be released. Berman updates. For news updates, please check out The Times of Israel's ongoing live blog. Discussed articles include: Sinwar's ‘Al-Aqsa Flood' washed Iran's axis away, but new groups could reach Israel As Assad falls, Israeli jets destroy his deadly arsenals before they fall to rebels Netanyahu claims credit for starting ‘historic' process that led to fall of Assad regime Netanyahu tells hostage families fall of Assad regime could advance negotiations Israel and Hamas exchange lists of names for release as talks advance – report Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves. IMAGE: Troops of the elite Shaldag unit are seen on the Syrian side of Mount Hermon, December 8, 2024. (Israel Defense Forces)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On what Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu dubbed a "a historic day in the Middle East," the Syrian regime led by President Bashar Assad was overthrown by rebel groups on Sunday. Netanyahu credited Israel's weakening of Iran and Hezbollah for the regime collapse. As a result, Israel has deployed troops in the Israel/Syria buffer zone for the first time since 1974, to ensure that none of the rebel groups turn their attention towards the Jewish State. It remains to be seen what will happen, but the Iran/Syria/Hezbollah access of evil has certainly been depleted. This breaking story, and all the latest news from Israel, on this week's Israel Uncensored, with Josh Hasten.

APAC stocks were mixed for a bulk of the session before eventually trading mostly lower, with South Korean stocks underperforming amid more political angst.US President-elect Trump said he cannot guarantee Americans will not pay more as a result of tariffs, according to NBC's Meet the Press.Syrian rebel fighters captured the capital Damascus and toppled Bashar al-Assad's regime; Israeli ground forces advanced beyond the demilitarized zone on the Israel-Syria border over the weekend.European equity futures are indicative of a subdued cash open with the Euro Stoxx 50 future -0.2% after cash closed +0.5% on Friday.Looking ahead, highlights include US Employment Trends, US Wholesale Sales, NY Fed SCE, Commentary from BoE's Ramsden, EZ finance ministers' meeting, Earnings from OracleRead the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk

Back from a week off... got started with an Olympic athlete in Kenya getting burnt to death by boyfriend, and a Swiss model was dismembered and "pureed" by her boyfriend. Plus an Israeli ground raid in Syria, Ohio Haitian controversy, Ukraine seeks to launch missiles into Russia, Alabama women kills boyfriend with chainsaw, and a guy in DC was caught on camera rectally pleasuring himself with a cucumber. Music: Bloodhound Gang/"Boom"

In our study of Isaiah 17-18, we see God's judgement extends over both his people and surrounding nations. While ABP is not a scholarly work, I would like to reference any material that my teaching was based on or influenced by: -John Oswalt, The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1-39 (The New International Commentary on the Old Testament) (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1986) Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Be sure to check us out at our website, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠adoptedbelievers.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. You can find out more about us, articles, and access to all our podcast content and links to various podcast platforms.

Im Ö1 Mittagsjournal gesendet am 03.06.24

(3/22/2024-3/29/2024) A very "violet" episode. Tune in. patreon.com/isaiahnews #applepodcasts #spotifypodcasts #youtube #patreon --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/isaiah-m-edwards/support

TERRORISM GOES TO WAR WITH ISRAEL: #Syria: 2/4:  Damascus Station: A Novel, by  David McCloskey. . CIA case officer Sam Joseph is dispatched to Paris to recruit Syrian Palace official Mariam Haddad. The two fall into a forbidden relationship, which supercharges Haddad's recruitment and creates unspeakable danger when they enter Damascus to find the man responsible for the disappearance of an American spy. But the cat and mouse chase for the killer soon leads to a trail of high-profile assassinations and the discovery of a dark secret at the heart of the Syrian regime, bringing the pair under the all-seeing eyes of Assad's spy catcher, Ali Hassan, and his brother Rustum, the head of the feared Republican Guard. Set against the backdrop of a Syria pulsing with fear and rebellion, Damascus Station is a gripping thriller that offers a textured portrayal of espionage, love, loyalty, and betrayal in one of the most difficult CIA assignments on the planet. 1910 DAMASCUS

TERRORISM GOES TO WAR WITH ISRAEL: #Syria: 1/4:  Damascus Station: A Novel, by  David McCloskey. . CIA case officer Sam Joseph is dispatched to Paris to recruit Syrian Palace official Mariam Haddad. The two fall into a forbidden relationship, which supercharges Haddad's recruitment and creates unspeakable danger when they enter Damascus to find the man responsible for the disappearance of an American spy. But the cat and mouse chase for the killer soon leads to a trail of high-profile assassinations and the discovery of a dark secret at the heart of the Syrian regime, bringing the pair under the all-seeing eyes of Assad's spy catcher, Ali Hassan, and his brother Rustum, the head of the feared Republican Guard. Set against the backdrop of a Syria pulsing with fear and rebellion, Damascus Station is a gripping thriller that offers a textured portrayal of espionage, love, loyalty, and betrayal in one of the most difficult CIA assignments on the planet. 1910 DAMASCUS

TERRORISM GOES TO WAR WITH ISRAEL: #Syria: 3/4:  Damascus Station: A Novel, by  David McCloskey. . CIA case officer Sam Joseph is dispatched to Paris to recruit Syrian Palace official Mariam Haddad. The two fall into a forbidden relationship, which supercharges Haddad's recruitment and creates unspeakable danger when they enter Damascus to find the man responsible for the disappearance of an American spy. But the cat and mouse chase for the killer soon leads to a trail of high-profile assassinations and the discovery of a dark secret at the heart of the Syrian regime, bringing the pair under the all-seeing eyes of Assad's spy catcher, Ali Hassan, and his brother Rustum, the head of the feared Republican Guard. Set against the backdrop of a Syria pulsing with fear and rebellion, Damascus Station is a gripping thriller that offers a textured portrayal of espionage, love, loyalty, and betrayal in one of the most difficult CIA assignments on the plane 1910 DAMASCUS

TERRORISM GOES TO WAR WITH ISRAEL: #Syria: 4/4:  Damascus Station: A Novel, by  David McCloskey. . CIA case officer Sam Joseph is dispatched to Paris to recruit Syrian Palace official Mariam Haddad. The two fall into a forbidden relationship, which supercharges Haddad's recruitment and creates unspeakable danger when they enter Damascus to find the man responsible for the disappearance of an American spy. But the cat and mouse chase for the killer soon leads to a trail of high-profile assassinations and the discovery of a dark secret at the heart of the Syrian regime, bringing the pair under the all-seeing eyes of Assad's spy catcher, Ali Hassan, and his brother Rustum, the head of the feared Republican Guard. Set against the backdrop of a Syria pulsing with fear and rebellion, Damascus Station is a gripping thriller that offers a textured portrayal of espionage, love, loyalty, and betrayal in one of the most difficult CIA assignments on the plane 1910 DAMASCUS

Facts & Spin for August 30, 2022 top stories: Libya clashes kill at least 32, Israeli strikes on Syria cause major destruction, An international team is en route to inspect the bombed Zaporizhzhia nuclear reactor, The Justice Dept. has reviewed Trump's Mar-a-Lago documents, The Fed signals persistent high interest rates, T-Mobile and SpaceX team up to end cellphone dead zones, Colombia and Venezuela restore full diplomatic relations, US sends warships through the Taiwan Strait, Brazil's presidential election heats up with a first debate, and Mississippi reels from major floods. Sources: https://www.improvethenews.org/ Brief Listener Survey: https://www.improvethenews.org/pod

In a new USIP book, Ambassador Frederic Hof tells the story of a secret U.S. effort to broker peace between Israel and Syria between 2009-2011. Just as that effort seemed to be making important progress, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime began to violently suppress Syrian protesters, scuttling the chance for peace. Hof discusses what the foundation of Israel-Syria peace would have looked like, the pre-2011 perceptions of Assad as a "reformer," President Biden's trip to the Middle East and how the international community should deal with the Syrian dictator today.

This week on Babel, Jon speaks with Ambassador Fred Hof about his new book, Reaching for the Heights: The Inside Story of a Secret Attempt to Reach a Syrian-Israeli Peace. They talk about Ambassador Hof's effort to negotiate peace between Syria and Israel between 2009 and 2011, what complicated those efforts, what he thinks he could have done differently, and the qualities that make for a good mediator. Then, Jon continues the conversation with Natasha Hall and Caleb Harper, taking a closer look at U.S. mediation in the Middle East and the interplay between U.S. mediators on the ground and policymakers in Washington.  Frederic Hof, "I almost negotiated Israel-Syria peace. Here's how it happened." Atlantic Council, May 26, 2022. Frederic Hof, Reaching for the Heights: The Inside Story of a Secret Attempt to Reach a Syrian-Israeli Peace, (Washington, D.C.: USIP Press, 2022). Transcript, "Lessons Learned from U.S. Negotiations with Syria," CSIS, May 31, 2022.

In 'EPISODE 247 PUTIN, GOG AND MAGOG WAR COMING SOON? ISRAEL, SYRIA  AND THE FATE OF DAMASCUS? WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT WW3?' author and host Elbert Hardy reviews portions of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Matthew 24, Daniel and the Book of Revelation concerning Ukraine, Russia and the NATO Alliance.

Well, you have your Bible, please open up with me to Isaiah. We're going to be in Isaiah 9:1-7. Over the last couple of weeks or so leading up to Christmas, Pastor Jacob has been working through the story of Christ's birth in the Gospel of Matthew, one of the most popular text. I think we would all agree in the Bible and yet the events that we read about in that passage and Mark or in Matthew Chapters one and two and in the corresponding infancy narrative in Luke's Gospel are stories and events that didn't arise out of the blue. In other words, the event of Christ's birth were events that were planned before the foundation of the world and events that were anticipated in the Old Testament. Today we're going to look at just one of those prophecies that looks forward to Christ's birth. It looks forward to Christ's incarnation some seven hundred years before it actually took place. So hear now the word of the Lord from Isaiah 9:1-7, I will be reading out of the English Standard Version. "But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. 2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. 3 You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. 4 For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. 5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. 6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. Isaiah 9:1-7, ESV This is the word of the Lord. In the year sixty-nine A.D., about two thousand years ago or so, a year that's been called the so-called "Long Year" by historians. The Roman Empire went through something of a tense period of conflict and civil war. It actually all started the previous year back in sixty-eight A.D., when one of the most deranged emperors to ever govern Rome died. His name was Nero, and in 68 A.D., Nero killed himself. His successor, a guy named Galba, Emperor Galba, became emperor. Now, when word of this event, this transition of power, reached the eastern boundaries of the empire, where two generals named Vespasian and his son, Titus, were busy leveling Jerusalem and the surrounding area because of a large scale Jewish revolt that was underway. The younger of the two generals, whose name was General Titus dropped everything to go back to Rome and congratulate the new emperor who had ascended to the throne. You see, if you were among the first to greet the new guy and to make sure that he likes you, well, in the end, that would work out on your behalf. So that was Titus' plan, get the new guy to like me. So he began his long journey back to Rome to greet Emperor Galba. On his long, way back, a few things happened. First, long before Titus even got to Rome, Emperor Galba was assassinated a few months after he took control in January of 69 A.D. A new emperor named Otho took power of the empire in Rome. Right when that happened, something else happened. Another general and another area of the empire whose name was Vitellius decided that now was his opportunity to become emperor, and so he declared himself emperor and decided to march upon Rome and against Otho and his supporters. A few months later, Vitellius successfully overthrew the second guy named Otho as emperor. Given all of this upheaval that was going on in Rome, what was Titus, the first general who was going back to Rome to congratulate the first guy who had now died, what was he going to do? In the midst of all of this upheaval, he was kind of stuck in the middle and wondering, who should he get behind? You see, if you tied yourself to the wrong guy. That wasn't good because their downfall would eventually be your downfall. Well, in the end, here's what Titus did. He decided that with all of this turmoil unfolding, he'd go back and make sure that his dad Vespasian became emperor, and a few months later, Vespasian and marched on Rome, and he became emperor, too. Now, if you found that whole historical synopsis to be somewhat dizzying and confusing, that's because it is. Un the history of the Roman Empire sixty-nine A.D. was a dark and tumultuous year of political upheaval. It saw, if you were counting four different emperors in the course of a year, it was a year of backbiting and civil war. If, like General Titus, you were caught in the middle of all that, well, your next move would seal your own fate as well. You see, your future was bound up in who you supported. Support the wrong guy and you're not going to have much of a future. When you think about it, even if you support the winner and this is the kind of environment you call home, how long do you think you really have until somebody comes for you next? Now, on the one hand, the events of that story of sixty-nine A.D. and the tumultuous time of the Roman Empire are far removed in a variety of ways from our own context. On the other hand, you and I are always faced, we're always faced with decisions in life like Titus about who or what to support who or what to hitch our future ambitions to. Whether we're talking about the world of politics or our own future ambitions, or even something that's inconsequential as the world of sports. We're always trying to navigate this world and hopefully come out on top by supporting the right causes and the right people. Be that as it may, the Bible tells us that whatever we decide to get behind in this world, whatever alliances we gravitate towards and however shrewd we are in navigating this environment of competing forces, no amount of skillful maneuvering in the present can give us the kind of triumph that we look for or the satisfaction that we long for. You see, the Bible tells us that there are many good things and right things to get behind in this world, spiritually speaking, we live in a world of sin and unbelief and darkness. This world could never and will never yield a solution to its own problems. Our only hope then, while we live in this world, is to get behind somebody who is not of this world, but who nevertheless came into this world some two thousand years ago to triumph over the present darkness. So our big idea this morning is this walk in the light of the Son. Now we'll talk about the historical setting of our passage, Isaiah chapter nine, in just a moment. For now, keep in mind that when Isaiah writes what he writes here in Isaiah nine, some seven hundred years before Christ's birth and incarnation, Isaiah is speaking into a bleak and dark situation that's unfolding in his own day. He sees God's people descending into a time of darkness and gloom. Yet, in the context of that, he also looks forward to a future day where he sees a dramatic reversal on the horizon, a reversal that subverts expectations. So as we look at our passage, we'll see first how Isaiah describes this reversal as glory that overcomes gloom and then how he explains this reversal as deliverance that overcomes bondage. First, a description of how glory overcomes gloom and versus one through three and then an explanation deliverance, overcoming bondage and verses four through seven. Most commentators break this passage down and those two parts, and so I'm following accordingly. 1. How Glory Overcomes Gloom 2. Deliverance that Overcomes Bondage How Glory Overcomes Gloom So let's begin with seeing how glory overcomes gloom. Now throughout this passage, again, keep in mind that Isaiah is looking forward. He's looking forward to a future day. He's standing in about the seven hundred B.C., and yet he's looking to a future day on the horizon. To appreciate the descriptions that Isaiah provides of that coming day, we have to first appreciate when he says what he says. In other words, we have to appreciate something about the historical context in which Isaiah is prophesying. As we'll see, it's a context of doom and gloom and darkness. Understand that in the lead up to what Isaiah tells us here in Isaiah chapter nine, the prophet has been speaking from Isaiah seven through Isaiah eight, and now into Isaiah, nine, into a particular situation that was transpiring in Judah during the reign of King Ahaz around seven hundred thirty-four B.C. You see at that time, King Ahaz and the kingdom he led, known as Judah, were faced with a kind of international turmoil of their own. You see immediately to their north and alliance was forming. Actually, an alliance had already formed between two nations between Syria and the 10 northern tribes of Israel. This new alliance that had formed just north of Ahaz decided to put Ahaz and the Kingdom of Judah in their crosshairs. In fact, they were intent with overthrowing Ahaz and the Kingdom of Judah. As Isaiah is writing what he's writing, those armies from the North are already on the move. They're already pressing down southward, taking over city after city in Judah intent on overthrowing Ahaz and his kingdom. So Ahaz is faced with the potential loss of the kingdom he governs. He has a choice to make. Would he get behind the Israel-Syria alliance so that they would stop attacking him? Perhaps he could surrender to them while he still has time left and promised to pay them tribute so that they wouldn't attack him any longer? Kind of like paying the mafia for protection. Or on the other hand, maybe Ahaz would rather than align himself with that alliance to turn to the real superpower of the day a nation known as Assyria and get behind them so that they would offer him protection from this alliance forming in the north. In short, Ahaz is faced with a decision about what alliances to form, about who to get behind so that perhaps his kingdom that was under attack would be spared. Before he makes that decision, the prophet Isaiah comes to him in Isaiah chapter seven, and he pleads with Ahaz not to get behind anyone. Rather, he tells him to forsake all of these worldly alliances and the geopolitical wheeling and dealing that's going on in the day and instead look to the Lord. To trust that the Lord is going to deliver Judah from international threats near and far, just like he's always done throughout their history. Does Ahaz listen to Isaiah's advice? Well, no, he doesn't. Instead, and we would find this out if we were looking at Isaiah seven, he proceeds with forming an alliance with Assyria and though it saves Judah in the short term, ultimately, it's the decision that would lead to the devastation of his kingdom. First, after he makes that decision, Syria and the 10 northern tribes of Israel would be devastated by Assyria, the superpower of the day. That might have been good news for someone like Ahaz, who was only living in the short term by what he could see. After Ahaz is gone later, in history after he dies, Judah would suffer at the hands of that superpower too. Throughout Isaiah chapter seven and eight in the lead up to Isaiah nine, the prophet Isaiah looks forward to the future, and he outlines the consequences for rejecting the way of faith that he held out for Ahaz. Isaiah announces that because many in Judah, including the king himself, have rejected the way of faith and have chosen instead to live in the short term by what their eyes could see, the nation as a whole would be plunged into deep darkness and gloom. Even in that darkness, here's the good news. God would preserve a faithful remnant, a portion of his people who still trusted in him. Who were marked not merely by their national identity as Israelite or Judahites, but by their spiritual identity as a people who hunger and thirst for the Lord and for his promises. For people like that, here's where we come to the burst of light in Isaiah 9:1, the day of salvation would eventually dawn. Look again at verse one where we read, "But there will be no gloom for her, who was in anguish." There will be gloom after Ahaz, gloom will set in for the nation of Judah. Isaiah is looking beyond that at this point, and he says, "But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations." Back in the early 1990s, and some of you might remember this, one of the most dangerous cities in the world was Medellin, Colombia. In fact, at the time, I think it was labeled the most dangerous city in the world. During the heights of Pablo Escobar's drug cartel, which was based in Medellin. The city had something like a murder rate of nearly 400 murders per 100,000 people. It was by far the highest in the world. To give you a comparison, the highest murder rate in the United States today is St. Louis, which is about 64 murders per 100,000 people. So that was, you know, doing the math something like eight fold what St. Louis is today. Moreover, the poverty rate in Medellin in the early 1990s was something like 50 percent. The infrastructure of the city left much to be desired. After Escobar's death that the city underwent this incredible transformation, the homicide rate plummeted, the poverty rate fell too. Over the course of the next few decades, Medellin has been transformed into what one publication calls it one of the smartest cities in the world. Now, of course, all cities have issues Medellin included, but the transformation that city has undergone in three decades is truly remarkable. Well, when our text opens in verse one, we hear Isaiah announce an even more remarkable transformation than that. He tells us that the lands to the north of Judah and Jerusalem, the lands of Zebulon and Neftali would be transformed. Now this was land that was originally settled by God's people all the way back in the book of Joshua. The people of God who lived there, the Israelites who lived there under King David and under King Solomon, they flourished in that place. After Solomon died, well, that land quickly became a land of idolatry. False worship sprang up on the mountains of Zebulon and Neftali and the surrounding regions, and the land became a setting for international conflict. It was eventually land that was devastated by Assyria, in Ahaz's own day. We learn in the Bible that after a Syria devastated the land of Zebulon and Neftali, the carried away the Jewish population that lived there and then repopulated it again with pagan gentiles who didn't worship the Lord instead. In God's providence Assyria turned this land into a place of deep darkness and gloom in more ways than one. Yet, Isaiah looks forward to a day when that depleted and dark territory would be the first to be transformed. Of course, the kind of transformation that Isaiah envisions and Isaiah 9:1 has nothing to do with the implementation of any social or technological program. It has nothing to do with any kind of earthly glory whatsoever. Rather, Isaiah sees transformation of this territory because God himself is on the move. Understand that whenever we hear about light breaking into darkness in the Bible, it's nearly always associated with the presence of the glory of God. For example, the psalmist proclaims in Psalm 104:1-2, "You are clothed with splendor and majesty, covering yourself with light, as with a garment." The advent of light into the world, then, is nothing more and nothing less than the emergence of God's presence into the world, to dwell with his people. And to deal with the dominance of spiritual darkness that had overtaken not only the land but also the world. As Isaiah looks forward to this day, the advent of God's glorious presence, well, he tells us in verse three that this really has nothing to do at all with a geographical plot of land. Rather, it has everything to do with what this will mean for God's people. Look at verse three, where the prophet Isaiah proclaims quote, "You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you, as with joy at the harvest as they are glad when they divide the spoil." Again, Isaiah is peering forward to a future day just like he was in versus one through two. As an aside, what's interesting is that throughout these verses, these first three verses in Isaiah, he sees these events of the future as so certain that he actually speaks about them in the past tense. He did that when he spoke of God's presence back in the land, and now he does that again when he talks about the effects that this has on God's people. So what is the effect that God's presence has on God's people? Well, first he talks about the multiplication of God's people. Remember, in Isaiah's own day as he's writing this prophecy, those who were actually looking to God by faith were few. It was maybe a small remnant among the people of Judah and Israel who actually believed in the Lord and love the Lord. In the future, Isaiah tells us when light breaks through the darkness, he sees a dramatic increase in numbers. Not only Jews, but also pagans from the nations would soak in the light of God's presence. Remember, because of Assyria, those northern regions became a mixture of gentiles and Jews, which is why Isaiah calls them here Galilee of the Nations. When light arrives, when God's presence breaks into human history, he paints this picture where even a remnant of the Gentiles will be transformed from a people of unbelief to a people of faith. God's people, then we learn when God's presence arrives would swell numerically. They would spread out geographically, and we only need to read through the book of Acts to see how that takes shape and in their growth. We also learn that their joy would increase, too. If you're looking at the imagery of verse three Isaiah likens the joy of God's people when God's presence arrives to that of a farmer after a bountiful harvest. Much of you farmers are joyful right now, that's the kind of joy that's envisioned here. Then he pictures that likewise as joy of a victorious army dividing up plunder after a battle that they won. But that leads to the question why? Why are they so joyful? Why are they filled with such joy? Well, very simply, the joy of God's people is conditioned by nothing other than the fact that with the advent of this light, they now dwell secure in the presence of God. When I was a kid, my parents were kind enough. Year in and year out to take my sister and I on a number of great vacations. Often one of the places we would go to was the happiest place on Earth, Walt Disney World. Now, as a kid who was spoiled and got to go to Walt Disney World fairly often, you would think that I would appreciate the thoughtfulness of my parents and the sacrifice that it was to take me there year in and year out and that as a kid, I would have simply just appreciated being at Walt Disney World, but that that would have been enough for me. But if that's what you're assuming, then you've never vacationed with kids. You see, without fail, every time we went on one of these extravagant vacations as a kid, even to Disney, it was never enough just to be on vacation. I always wanted something more. I remember one year in particular as a kid, that there was this toy Davy Crockett rifle that I saw in one of the gift shops, the gift shop that Disney strategically locates just to drive every parent crazy. I had to have it. For days in the so-called Happiest Place on Earth, all I thought about was this toy rifle asking my parents for every five minutes and unable to find any semblance of joy in the so-called Happiest Place on Earth until I held this overpriced faux wooden rifle in my hands. Talk about needing to shift my priorities. If we're all honest with ourselves, I think this also captures how we too often live in God's world, too. You see, when we become Christians, I think many of us can attest to the fact that God was enough. To be in his presence, to be in his church and to study his word might have felt like drinking water from a fire hose. It was a lot, but it was also a satisfying place to be. At some point we settle in and we often begin to obsess over comparatively insignificant things. Remember, in verse three of our passage, God's people are rejoicing with exceedingly exceeding joy simply because they're in God's presence. Their joy isn't conditioned by anything else other than God is in their midst. Friends, that's a game changer for God's people. That's everything in dictating our joy in the Christian life, too. But is that enough for you? Does that reality by itself produce joy in your life, or is your joy conditioned by a host of far more insignificant factors? If you profess Christ, let me ask you this, do people know you by your joy? You see, one of the fruit of the Holy Spirit is joy, and we're called to be known as God's people for our joy. So do people know you as someone who professes steadfast joy in Christ? Or are you on the flip side, known more is a critical curmudgeon, as a bitter killjoy, always upset about something and always with an axe to grind. Now, of course, that's not to say we need to fake it when we walk through real suffering in life and when the world feels like a two ton elephant on our back. But even in suffering, the Bible tells us that there is a profound, not superficial, but substantive joy in knowing God and being in his presence. Joy in trusting that our identity as Sons of God is rooted and secured through the work of Christ. Friends, it's true that we live in an angry and scared and delusional world, but we're a people who don't belong to this world. We don't think like this world. We don't relate with each other in the back biting and exhausting way that citizens of this world relate with each other. Our joy is not and cannot be conditioned by anything in this world because if it is, it's understandable why we would be a miserable kind of people. We have what the world does not. So let me exhort you with this don't so obsess over the scraps of life that you fail to appreciate the feast that's laid before us in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Find your joy, real joy, substantive joy in Jesus Christ. So Isaiah describes this future day when God's glorious presence would powerfully break into the world and his people would flourish in quantity and quality as a result. When we turn to verses four through seven, Isaiah puts meat on the bones, as it were, by describing for us more about the character of God's presence in the world and more reason that we have to be a joyful people as we pilgrim in this world. Deliverance that Overcomes Bondage So this leads to the second point deliverance that overcomes bondage. Now, when we turn to verses four through seven, if you're looking at your Bible, you may notice that in verses four or five and six, Isaiah begins at least in the English translation. With this word for the idea here is that in each of these verses, Isaiah is explaining both the nature of God's advent and the reasons we have to be a people of joy. In doing this, he gives us three what we call vignettes, three pictures to explain God's advent as our deliverance out of bondage, the bondage of darkness. So let's take a look at these three vignettes. First look at verse four, where Isaiah tells us that through the advent of God's glorious presence, God's people are delivered from bondage. They're pictured here as a people who were once pressed down with a wooden bar on their necks. That's this idea of a yoke with a rod in the hands of a taskmaster used against them. This symbolism pictures God's people living under an oppressive burden, a burden that that clearly goes beyond merely physical things. When the light arrives, what happens? Well, this burden is dramatically broken. Notice that the relief they experience is also likened in our passage to the relief that was brought about by Gideon in the book of Judges. That's what this reference at the final line of verse for when we hear about Midian, that's what that calls to mind. If you don't know the story in the book of judges. When God's people, particularly in the north of Israel, the land of Zebulon and Naftali were oppressed by the Midianites, God raised up Gideon to deliver them. If you were to look at the book of Judges and read about that deliverance, you would find that Gideon's triumph over the Midianites was, by all accounts, unexpected. It subverted expectations because the Lord called Gideon to go up against Midian with only 300 men. Yet, through that unexpected band of men led by Gideon, God saved his people. In the same way, I say, tells us that the deliverance that God's advent brings will come about in an equally, actually an even more unexpected way. A way that subverts expectations. We'll have to wait until verse six to hear more about that. In verse five Isaiah tells us that through the advent of God's presence, it's as if a war has also been won. The imagery is that of a military equipment being burned by fire. What's important in this imagery is that at no point in Isaiah's forward looking future picture that he gives; do we hear anything about God's people actually fighting a battle or winning a battle. In fact, the only picture we have is that of God's people enjoying the end of a battle that's already been won. As Alec Motera puts it, "They have entered the battlefield only after the fighting is done." They win a victory without actually fighting a war on their own. Now these two vignettes the one in verse four and the one in verse five are both helpful for us in explaining God's advent. They explain the character of God's presence and what it means, what he breaks into human history. They explain the reasons that we have to be a people of joy. When we come to verses six and seven, the final two verses in our passage, we also come to the vignette, the picture that holds everything else together, this is the one in verses six through seven that explains the victory. This is the one that explains the nature of the burdens lifted, and this is the one that puts flesh and blood to the coming of God's presence into the world. Unexpectedly, at least for those hearing and reading this and Isaiah's own day, the climax of deliverance is a child. Talk about deliverance through unexpected means. Yet in this child, we find that God himself has come. Notice in verse six that there are four names that are ascribed to this child. This is a famous passage; it was read for us earlier. Most of us probably all know what these titles are, we read Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Now, each of these four names, when you really get down to it, would simply be inappropriate to give to any ordinary child, even a child who's born into royalty because each one of these titles are packed with notions of divinity. Let's just look at two of these. First, the title wonderful counselor may seem tame on the surface of things. It may seem as if this is simply somebody who doles out pious and positive advice, and that's about it. Kind of like a motivational speaker of sorts. That's not at all with this title suggests. In fact, one commentator named Paul House opts for a translation "wonderful planner", because this title points to one who plans supernatural things and then carries them out. It has nothing to do with somebody who just sits on high and doles out positive advice that you can take or leave. In short, the language here suggests that this child is vested with the knowledge to plan redemption and then the authority to carry it out. The next title, Mighty God, suggests even more clearly that than the first the divinity of this child. This is a child who embodies the power of God in his person. Who defeats the enemies of God, and then, like God himself, is the rightful object of worship for the people of God. Understand, then, that the descriptions and the titles that are given to this son point to a ruler that the world could never produce on its own. This is one who represents perfectly God's people before God and who in turn perfectly rules over God's people as God's true king. It's no surprise, then, that Isaiah nine, this passage that we've been reading and studying and preaching on is cited in Matthew chapter four at the outset of Jesus's public ministry in Galilee of the Gentiles and applied to Jesus. It's no surprise that Jesus, in his incarnation, is described in John one as light that had broken into the world. John 1:09 tells us of Jesus, the true light which gives light to everyone, has come. The future hope that Isaiah declares then for the small and faithful remnant in his own day, living in darkness, living in gloom has nothing to do with political deliverance from an international enemy. It has nothing to do with anything earthly whatsoever. It has nothing to do with getting behind the right earthly power or the right earthly king or the right earthly kingdom. Rather, the ultimate hope that Isaiah holds out to them and us is Jesus Christ. The one who has dealt with our greatest enemies of sin and death and the devil and the only one through whom, to paraphrase the Apostle Paul in Colossians one, transfers us his people from the domain of darkness to his own glorious kingdom of light. Application Friends, the gospel tells us that the things this world values, things that may have a veneer of wisdom and power, of things that we might be really tempted in our own lives to invest all of our capital into are ultimately things that are powerless to do what we really need from them. So often the world pulls us into thinking that our ultimate hope depends on what we get behind in this world. You see these metaphors of light and darkness, metaphors that we find all over the scriptures, are also commonplace elsewhere in life. Typically, when the world wants to baptize something as good, even if it's not good, it's associated with light. Any time the world wants to identify something as evil, it cloaks it in the metaphor of darkness. For example, the Philadelphia Eagles are a team of light, and the Dallas Cowboys are a team of deep, deep darkness. That's true. Yet the Bible tells us that the true light, the true light that has come into this world has nothing to do with this world. The true light is not found in what looks powerful in this world. Rather, it's found in what the world considers lowly and despised. It found in the one who is born to a teenage girl from a backwater town in Galilee of the nations, on the fringes of the most powerful empire in the first century A.D. By all accounts, the light that dawns in the first century A.D. in Jesus Christ subverts expectations in a plethora of ways. Yet in this child lies the power of God. Friends like General Titus and Ahaz before him, we're often driven by angst about being on the winning team. After all, nobody wants to be on the "wrong side of history". The Bible pleads with us to vest our hope not in anything that this world values, but in this child, Jesus Chris. The one who stands at the center of human history and the one who stands at the end of human history. So if you're not a Christian this morning, let me ask you this. What alliances in this world are you banking on right now? How's that working out for you? You see, the Bible pleads with us, as do I, to ally yourself above everything else with God's king, Jesus Christ through faith alone. That is our only hope in this ruthless and dark, dark world. At the same time, this passage calls all of us, whether you're a Christian or not, to check our allegiances and to align ourselves or realign ourselves with the true light and the true king. This is what I want to leave us with. That is just as we do not seek salvation from anything that this world offers, so too do not despair, the apparent dominance of darkness in this world. You see, there's much in this world that could distress us if we let it. I don't think I need to say that, but I'll say it when we look out into our neighborhoods and into our worlds, we see that the darkness of sin and unbelief hangs over everything. Then we turn inward and then we examine our own hearts and we see our own sin. When we do that, how many of us have cried out with the Apostle Paul, "wretched man that I am, who will save me from this body of death?" While there will always, always be much to pray for, and there's always much that could drive us to despair, understand the light of the glory of God's presence has already broken into this world. The church has already spread abroad all across the world and continues to do so to this very day, even in places that we would identify as places of deep darkness and persecution for the church. The Spirit, we know is also actively at work in the church, actively at work, even in our own local church, in our ministries, at work in our members. All of us are learning day by day what it means to walk in the light of the glory of God. The Bible tells us that the light has already dawned and far from disappearing or fading into the night sky, the Bible looks forward to the day when Jesus Christ will come again in a second advent and the light of the glory of God will be so bright that sun and moon will no longer have a purpose in the new heavens and the new Earth. Revelation 21 has something to say about that. Again, there's much we could despair over in this world, but brothers and sisters, the first advent that we celebrate has already come. The second, I promise you, is on its way. In the meantime, the Lord, our God, through his Spirit, is in our midst. What alliance could be any more consequential than that one? Pray with me. Father, we thank you for what Isaiah looked forward to, that we look back upon. That is the advent and appearing of your glory and your Son. Lord, we thank you for Jesus Christ. We thank you that Jesus Christ was and did everything that Isaiah looked forward to in his own day. Lord, I pray that as we walk, as sojourners and exiles in this often dark world that you would help us remember who we are and whose we are. That you would help us correct any battle allegiances that we have with this world. That you would instead realign us day by day with what is true and what is right and what is good. What we ask this in Christ name. Amen.

On today's Watchman Newscast, host Erick Stakelbeck heads to the Israel/Syria border with former Israeli intelligence officer Avi Melamed. They get an up-close look at what Iran and its terror proxy Hezbollah are doing next door in Syria and show why the strategic Golan Heights region is a red line that Israel will not allow Iran to cross. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's Watchman Newscast, host Erick Stakelbeck breaks down reports that Israeli helicopters struck Hezbollah targets in Syria overnight, near the Israel/Syria border. The strikes come just days after Israeli Prime Minister Nafatli Bennett met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss Iran's presence in Syria. Did Putin give Israel a green light to continue strikes in Syria and can he really be trusted? Plus, does today's military coup in Sudan threaten that country's shaky peace agreement with Israel? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Topics: China Moves to 3-Child Policy, School Kids Kidnapped in Nigeria, Israel Opposition Uniting, Syria Presidential Election, More Places to Grow Weed in the U.S. Always remember that Lofi Poli Sci is more than just me, it's the “we”, that we be. Episode 93 Season 3 (287) Email: lofipolisci@planetmail.com Instagram: lofi_poli_sci_podcast Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lofi-poli-sci-podcast/id1513691477 Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/4Ii0JKbsKEzkO8SA2u3796 Google Podcast: https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8xNzg1MjhjYy9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaLg4TOVb7nh4laDatZZ3yQ LinkedIn: Michael Pickering #lofipolisci #lofi #politicalscience #news #worldnews #globalnews #lofiGlobalNews #alwaysHope #podcast #lofipoliscipodcast #Top10 #GoodNewsFriday #PickeringUnplugged #LettersOfTheLofiPoliSci #China #Nigeria #Israel #Syria #Weed

EPISODE 29 In our study of Isaiah 17-18, we see how God again shows His control over the whole world, and why we must look to Him in trust. While ABP is not a scholarly work, I would like to reference any material that my teaching was based on or influenced by: -John Oswalt, The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1-39 (The New International Commentary on the Old Testament) (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1986) Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

On today's Watchman Newscast, host Erick Stakelbeck breaks down the strategic importance of Israel's Golan Heights region. U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken was non-committal recently when asked if the Biden administration recognized Israel's legal sovereignty over this crucial, mountainous area along the Israel/Syria border. Yet whoever controls the Golan controls the high ground in any future conflict between Israel and Syria (or any hostile powers, like Iran, operating from within Syria's borders). This makes Israeli control over the Golan an absolute necessity--not to mention the region's ancient heritage as a part of the Land of Israel over 2,000 years ago. Get an up close look at the Golan Heights and why it matters to Israel's last, present and future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Started this week with looking at the Texas winter storm and the chaos that unfolded with its power grid and water supply. Then it was the missile attack on US forces Iraq, Israel-Syria prisoner exchange, Nigeria bandit kidnappings, Scottish women attack man with battery sodomy, Viral military tiktok video, and an UberEats driver was caught in the act pleasuring himself in a Walmart parking lot. Music: Power Trip/"Nightmare Logic"

Countries/topics Covered: Canada, Israel/Syria, Freedom House: Guyana, Honduras, Lunar Landers

A major focus of tension this year is sure to be the Israel-Syria relationship. while gradually coming out of its domestic nine-year conflict, Israel’s northern neighbor is still hosting forces threatening it – most prominently, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards elite Quds Force, as well as the Lebanese Hezbollah organization. Panel: - Jonathan Hessen, host. - Amir Oren, analyst. - Dr. Nir Boms, Research fellow, Moshe Dayan center at Tel Aviv University. -Colonel (Reserve) Reuven Ben-Shalom, cross-cultural strategist and associate at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism. -Prof. Ze’ev Khanin, Expert on Russian and Middle Eastern Studies, Bar Ilan and Ariel Universities. Articles on the topic: https://www.tv7israelnews.com/idf-drill-simulates-combat-on-northern-front/ https://www.tv7israelnews.com/russian-fighter-jets-reportedly-thwart-israeli-airstrike-in-syria/ #IsraelNews #tv7israelnews #newsupdates Rally behind our vision - https://www.tv7israelnews.com/donate/ Live view of Jerusalem - https://www.tv7israelnews.com/jerusalem-live-feed/ Visit our website - http://www.tv7israelnews.com/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/tv7israelnews Like TV7 Israel News on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/tv7israelnews Follow TV7 Israel News on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tv7israelnews/ Follow TV7 Israel News on Twitter - https://twitter.com/tv7israelnews

Josh Rogin joins Ben Domenech to discuss the direction of U.S. relations with Israel, Trump's Syria policy, and the threat of China. Rogin is a columnist for the Global Opinions section of the Washington Post and a political analyst with CNN.

On this episode of Fault Lines, hosts Garland Nixon and Lee Stranahan discuss some of the key global conflicts currently taking place and how the Trump administration is approaching these various situations. Will events in Venezuela, Israel/Syria, and Ukraine continue to escalate in a dangerous manner, and what role will the US play moving forward?Guests:Stephen Lendman - Writer and Geopolitical Analyst | Pence and Pompeo's Influence: Plans for VenezuelaMark Sleboda - International Relations & Security Analyst | Mike Pompeo and Upcoming "Actions" in UkraineIan Shilling - Geopolitical Analyst, Researcher & Blogger | Will a Brexit Deal Pass? Will Theresa May Resign? Dr. Bosworth - Internal Medicine Physician & Author | Are YOU at Risk of Heart Disease? How Can You Find Out?John Kiriakou - Former CIA Officer & Co-Host of 'Loud and Clear' | RussiaGate and the Career of John BrennanAs the Trump administration continues to attempt to alter the political situation in Venezuela, Russia has emerged as the main counter to US influence in the country. Writer and Geopolitical Analyst Stephen Lendman returns to the program to discuss what is happening in Venezuela, the influence of Mike Pompeo and John Bolton over President Trump's foreign policy, and to give his major takeaways on the conclusion of Robert Mueller's Investigation.Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's recent comments about taking new actions in Ukraine could further escalate tensions with Russia ahead of the upcoming Presidential Election in Ukraine. International Relations & Security Analyst Mark Sleboda joins Garland and Lee on today's show to give his take on Pompeo's remarks and what events could potentially transpire before the second round of the Ukrainian Presidential Election which takes place on April 21st. UK Prime Minister Theresa May has stated that she is willing to step down from her position if she can get her latest Brexit deal passed. Geopolitical Analyst Ian Shilling joins today's show to discuss the likelihood of a Brexit deal getting passed, rising anger with the political class in the United Kingdom, and how the political establishment and media elites have sold out everyday people in the UK throughout this process.Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and oftentimes people are unaware that they are at risk of heart disease until it is too late. Internal Medicine Physician Dr. Bosworth returns to the show to talk about some ways to test for heart disease including a Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring (CACS) Test and strategies for limiting the risk of having serious heart problems.For the final segment, the hosts are joined in-studio by Former CIA Officer & Co-Host of 'Loud and Clear' John Kiriakou to get his take on the conclusion of the Mueller Investigation and the people involved in promoting the RussiaGate narrative. Kiriakou also talks about how John Brennan ascended the ranks of the CIA and why Brennan needs to apologize to President Trump for accusing him of committing treason.

7 terrorists killed after infiltrating Gaza border The 19 year old Palestinian terrorist who carried out a stabbing attack in the West Bank on Thursday has been arrested. According to the IDF, an army reservist and an Israeli civilian were wounded on Thursday outside an IDF base in the West Bank when the attacker ran at soldiers with a knife. The future of the P.A. in jeopardy Ran Bar-Yoshafat, Attorney, Public Diplomacy Expert & Lecturer speaking at ILTV Studio about the continuously dissolving relations between Hamas in Gaza and the PA in Ramallah. 3. Israel-Syria border crossing reopens In yet another sign of some sort normalcy returning to Syria, the main border crossing between Israel and Syria, the Quneitra crossing is now set to reopen Monday. The pass was closed four years ago due to the violence of Syria's brutal and ongoing Civil War. 4. B'tselem NGO invited to U.N. Security Council Moving on, Israeli envoy to the United Nations Danny Danon, took time this weekend to blast NGO B'tselem and their leader Hagai El-Ad, just prior to El-Ad's scheduled address at the United Nations Security Council. Lara Alqasem to be deported In an update from last week, it seems that University of Florida student Lara Alqasem lost her appeal with the Israeli courts on Friday and will be deported back to the United States. Trump tariffs kick into effect Eli Tilson, Owner & CEO, Pancho Real Estate speaking at ILTV Studio about the United States-Israel relations with the effects of U.S. President Trump's tariffs. 7. Stricter rules unveiled for electric bikers As the number of accidents involving electric bicycles and scooters rise, the implementation of new restrictions on their use is becoming a lot stricter or at least that's what the ministry of transportation is planning. Forbes top 50 European women in tech It seems that almost every week, some brilliantly talented Israeli fashion designer is making headlines in the international arena, and this week is no different. Israeli fashion designer, Danit Peleg, has just made Forbes list of Europe's top 50 women in Techn and ILTV'S Emanuelle Kadosh joins me here with the details. Kanye West pushes for new ‘Iplane-One' Rapper Kanye West made headlines again last week after making another visit to the Trump White House. West held out his phone to show Trump a picture of a hydrogen powered plane that he claims should replace air force one. The ‘Iplane' idea that West was just a concept created by Israeli designer, Shabtai Hirshberg. Israeli film day approaches Guess what Cinephiles Israeli Film is again turning some influential heads just as Israeli film day is finally coming up as well.  So get ready for an incredible lineup and some amazing deals. ILTV'S Yael Shir has the story. Hebrew word Of The Day: KONDITUR | קונדיטור = PASTRY CHEF Learn a New Hebrew word every day. Today's word is "konditur" which means "pasty chef" See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ray McGovern, in his inimitable style, brings his rich history and experience to discuss Russia, Trump, Impeachment, the 25th amendment, Democrats, Israel, Syria and more.

“Over the past six years, Israel has launched at least 100 attacks against convoys in Syria that were allegedly carrying weapons (perhaps advanced missiles) to Hezbollah and other Shi’ite militias. In February, the Guardian reported that Israel had been conducting near weekly strikes in Syria for the past 18 months, and there’s little reason to think that the rate of attacks has since ebbed. These attacks, which escalated under Trump, target Syrian government forces, Hezbollah and, as of late, Iran.” What are the aims of the Israeli government in attacking Syria? How does U.S. President Nixon’s infamous “Madman Theory” describe the kind of behavior coming from the state of Israel? Zak Witus, freelance journalist and activist, goes over the details in this segment. Read up on the subjects discussed in this segment in Zak’s recent article published in Truthout ‘Israel Continues Aggression Against Syria While Playing the Victim’ here: https://bit.ly/2stsHKZ This is a segment of episode #123 of Last Born In The Wilderness “A Bull In A China Cabinet: Israel, Gaza, and The Madman Theory w/ Zak Witus.” Listen to the full episode here: https://bit.ly/2sJyKue Podcast website: https://www.lastborninthewilderness.com Support the podcast: PATREON: www.patreon.com/lastborninthewilderness ONE-TIME DONATION: www.ko-fi.com/lastborninthewilderness Follow and listen: SOUNDCLOUD: www.soundcloud.com/lastborninthewilderness ITUNES: www.goo.gl/Fvy4ca GOOGLE PLAY: https://goo.gl/wYgMQc STITCHER: https://goo.gl/eeUBfS Social Media: FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/lastborninthewildernesspodcast TWITTER: www.twitter.com/lastbornpodcast INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/patterns.of.behavior

Damon Rosen reports from the Israel-Syria border, the day after the US, France and Britain strike Syrian chemical weapons facilities.

As the Syrian conflict enters what looks to be its end game, one old player on the scene is emerging stronger than it has ever been, a point of concern for all the nations in the area.How has the Syrian civil war changed Hezbollah and her allies, and what does it signal about the post-war order?To discuss this and related issues will be our guest for the full hour, Sulome Anderson.Sulome is journalist and author based between New York City and Beirut, Lebanon. An alumna of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. She writes regularly for publications including Newsweek, The Atlantic, New York, Harpers, Foreign Policy, VICE, Village Voice and Vox.com. Her first book, The Hostage’s Daughter was published in 2016. We will use her latest article, Hezbollah’s New Strength Leaves Israeli Border Tense, as a starting off point for our conversation.

1. Israel Strikes Hamas Bases In Gaza Strip After Rocket Fire Israel has launched a series of airstrikes in the Gaza Strip after a rocket was fired into Israeli territory by an Islamist group in the coastal enclave. While the attack has been claimed by an Islamic State linked group, rather than Hamas, Israel says that Hamas is responsible for any attacks coming from its territory. #Gaza #ISIS #Rocket ____________________ 2. Israel And Hamas Reportedly Negotiating A Prisoner Swap New reports are saying that there are secret talks between Israel and Hamas to release several Israeli nationals who have been kidnapped and held by Hamas in exchange for Hamas prisoners. #Gaza #PrisonerSwap #Hamas ____________________ 3. Army Closes Off Border Area With Syria After Stray Fire Hits The Israeli army closed off border area with Syria to Israeli civilians following the rise of tension on the Israel-Syria border. #Syria #Army ____________________ 4. American Jewish Groups Shocked By Reversal On Western Wall American Jewish groups are furious after the Israeli government has frozen plans to build a new egalitarian prayer plaza by the Robinson's arch site at the Western Wall. #WesternWall #EgalitarianPrayer ____________________ 5. Ultra-Orthodox Parties Push For Control Over Jewish Identity Rabbi Dov Lipman, Former Knesset Member; Yesh Atid Party, Rabbi Dov Halbertal, Former Head of the Office of the Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Galia Sadan, Former CEO of the Council of Israeli Reform Rabbis; Rabbi at Beit Daniel Congregation of Tel Aviv, and Linda Avitan, Board Member with the Women of the Wall and Co-Chair of Adat Shalom Emanuel Masorti of Rehovot speaking at ILTV studio to discuss the national conversion bill that annuls non-rabbinate-performed conversions. #Judaism #Conversion ____________________ 6. Knesset Unanimously Votes To Ban Binary Options Industry The Knesset assembly unanimously voted in favor of an outright ban of binary and forex industry in Israel. Fraudulent scams have been hurting Israeli public image worldwide. #Knesset #Binary #Forex ____________________ 7. New Bill To Allow Immigrants To Quickly Get Israeli Passports The Knesset has just passed a bill that will allow new immigrants to receive passports as soon as they acquire citizenship, but the Israeli police are worried that this could be a gift to criminals. #Knesset #Passport #Immigrants ____________________ 8. Anglo-Immigrants Receive Prizes For Contributions To Israel The fourth annual Sylvan Adams Nefesh B'nefesh Bonei-Zion prize has been awarded in recognition of top English-speaking immigrants who've had a major impact in Israel. Prize recipients include doctors, educators, artists, athletes and more. #Prize #Immigrants 9. Israelis Cover Hit Spanish Justin Bieber Song ‘Despacito' Two Israelis made a remake of the famous Spanish song 'Despacito' in Hebrew. Ram Vashdi and Shoval Moshon uploaded their own cover version, and it's gotten over 10,000 views since it was uploaded. #Despacito 10. Israeli Opera Focuses On English, Italian And Hebrew Rona Israel-Kolatt, Director of the International Žamboki Masterclasses of Vocal Arts of Opera speaking at ILTV studio about Israel's school of opera that's emerging on the world stage. #RonaIsraelKolatt ____________________ 11. Mariah Carey In Israel For Press Conferences, Photoshoots Mariah Carey is the new face of the Israeli makeup brand “Premier Cosmetics.” Reportedly, she's received around 1.4 million dollars to represent the company. #MariahCarey #Premier ____________________ 12. Hebrew word Of The Day, LEAT | לְהַאֵט = SLOW Learn a new Hebrew word every day. Today's word is "leat" which means "slow" #Hebrewwordofday _____________________ 13. The Weather Forecast Tonight should be partly cloudy with a low of seventy-four or twenty-three degrees Celsius. Then tomorrow you can expect a slight drop in temperatures with a high of eighty-six or thirty degrees Celsius. #Israelweather See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My latest guest for 'On the Issues' is Frederic C. Hof, director of the Atlantic Council's Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East and a specialist on Syria. Prior to becoming director, he was a resident senior fellow with the Center. On March 28, 2012 President Obama conferred on Hof the rank of ambassador in connection with his new duties as special adviser for transition in Syria. Hof was previously the special coordinator for regional affairs in the US Department of State's Office of the Special Envoy for Middle East Peace, where he advised Special Envoy George Mitchell on the full range of Arab-Israeli peace issues falling under his purview and focusing on Syria-Israel and Israel-Lebanon matters. He joined the State Department in 2009 after serving as the president and CEO of AALC, limited company, an international business consulting and project finance firm formerly known as Armitage Associates LC. Hof's professional life has focused largely on the Middle East. In 2001 he directed the Jerusalem field operations of the Sharm el-Sheikh Fact-Finding Committee headed by former US Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell and was the lead drafter of the Committee's 2001 report. In 1983, as a US Army officer, he helped draft the "Long Commission" report, which investigated the October 1983 bombing of the US Marine headquarters at Beirut International Airport. Both reports drew considerable international praise for fairness and integrity. A 1969 graduate of the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, Hof began his professional career as an Army officer. He is a Vietnam veteran and served as a US Army Middle East Foreign Area Officer, studying Arabic at the Foreign Service Institute in Tunisia and receiving a master's degree from the Naval Postgraduate School. He served as US Army attaché in Beirut, Lebanon and later in the Office of the Secretary of Defense as director for Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Palestinian Affairs. Hof has written extensively on Arab-Israeli issues. He is the author of Galilee Divided: The Israel-Lebanon Frontier, 1916-1984 (Westview Press, 1985); Line of Battle, Border of Peace? The Line of June 4, 1967 (Middle East Insight, 1999); and Beyond the Boundary: Lebanon, Israel and the Challenge of Change (Middle East Insight, 2000). He has also written many articles on Jordan Valley water issues. His writing on the Israel-Syria, Israel-Lebanon, and (by virtue of his work on the "Mitchell Committee") Israel-Palestinian tracks of the Middle East peace process has contributed positively to the body of literature promoting Arab-Israeli peace. His awards include the Purple Heart, the Department of State Superior Honor Award, the Secretary of Defense Meritorious Civilian Service Medal, and the Defense Superior Service Medal. He resides in Silver Spring, Maryland with his wife, Brenda. A full transcript of this conversation is available here: http://alonben-meir.com/audio/issues-episode-9-frederic-c-hof/

1) His week that was- Kevin Healy 2) Sad passing of Dr Bill Williams- Dr Margaret Bearis- President M.A.P.W. 3) Exposing Israel's apartheid system- Bishop George Browning- President Australian Palestine Advocacy Network 4) Pt. 2- Jacob Grech and Pine Gap 5) Massacre in Syria and Australia's complicity- Dr Tim Anderson- Hands Off Syria Australia 6) Cultural genocide in Sri Lanka- Dr Brian Senewaratne 7) G.M.O. activism- Bob Phelps, Director Gene Ethics Network

Covers Isaiah's signs to King Ahaz during the Syro-Emphraimite Crisis of 735BC. Israel & Syria banded together to persuade Ahaz of Judah to oppose Tiglith-Pilesar's invading army with them. When he refuses, they invade Judah, so Ahaz turns to Assyria for help. Isaiah calls Ahaz to trust God. His failure means that judgement will come ('hand upraised': 9:12,17,21,10:4; cf. 5:25), but out of judgement salvation will emerge in the great Messiah (7:14; 9:6-7; cf. Mt 4:15-16) along with a remnant who survive (10:20-23; cf. Rom 9:27-28). It is worth noting that Ahaz was a very wicked king following the sins of Ahab's descendants (2 Kings 16)!   [bible passage="Isaiah 7, Isaiah 8, Isaiah 9, Isaiah 10” heading="h3"]

October 2-2013 (2:22)

October 2-2013 (2:22)

While the U.S. Congress remained on vacation, British Parliament was called back to debate a pending attack on Syria. We also look at some facts about Syria that suggest we might be getting into a Shock Doctrine type of situation. Links to Information in This Episode Intro Music: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) Song: Blood is Thicker Than Oil by The Undercover Hippy (found on Music Alley by mevio) Buy The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein (Amazon) Episode CD003: The Free Market vs. US Transcript of the British Parliament debate on August 29, 2013 Reddit thread with videos of the Syrian chemical attack on August 20, 2013 Obama Administration says an attack will not be motivated by regime change According to the British, there have been 14 chemical attacks in Syria The twitter feed of the random Syrian Assad supporter The twelve things about Syria the Assad supporter wanted Americans to know:   Syria does support Hezbollah Syria does support the Palestinian resistance Syria is against Israel Syria is Iran's closest ally There is a water shortage in Syria, and in the Middle East in general Syria must share its water with neighbors: Syria has natural gas reserves Syria has oil reserves A third of Syria's budget comes from oil sales Syria is #33 on the world's largest oil producers list Assad's "Four Seas Strategy" intends for Syria to become a transportation hub for fossil fuels Turkey also wants to be the fossil fuel hub July 25, 2011: Syria, Iraq, and Iran signed a $10 billion deal for a natural gas pipeline that would export Iranian natural gas out of Damascus (read this too) August 18, 2011: President Obama announces that Assad must resign The United States sanctions on Iran target Iran's nationalized oil industry Assad banned genetically modified food The State Department pushes genetically modified food around the world on behalf of the American monopoly patent holders USAID distributes genetically modified food in their humanitarian missions Syrian local businesses have been destroyed by financial reforms Syrian citizens are getting poorer since financial reforms What the International Monetary Fund (IMF) wants Syria to do: Strengthening the monetary policy framework and the financial sector 29. Notwithstanding the progress in activating monetary policy in the past two years, Syria's monetary policy framework remains rudimentary and in need of major strengthening to allow the central bank to use indirect instruments of monetary control to operate effectively in a financial system that will increasingly become market-based. Indirect instruments will strengthen the price mechanism in the financial sector, ensuring a more efficient allocation of financial resources and a proper pricing of financial risks. 30. Progress toward this medium-term goal should start by having the central bank gain full control of existing direct instruments. The central bank should have the right to decide on credit ceilings and credit policies of banks with a view to ensuring a pace of credit and monetary expansion consistent with maintaining price stability while fostering economic activity and employment. Banks have to abide by all prudential regulations. Beyond this, the role and responsibilities of the central bank and the ministry of finance in exercising oversight on the banks should be clearly defined. While the government could play a lead role in choosing the board and the management of public banks, the CBS should have the authority to evaluate and approve banks' policies, and procedures related to the credit and investment. 31. Furthermore, the CBS should have operational independence and the institutional capacity to exercise effective banking supervision. Indeed, in the absence of effective banking supervision, the strong credit growth and the rapid opening of the banking system could endanger the soundness of the financial sector. Therefore, the mission urges the authorities to: give the central bank power to: (i) address noncompliance, as well as safety and soundness concerns it may have for certain banks, and (ii) to ensure that fit and proper criteria are met in appointing senior staff in public and private banks and that credit policies are consistent with safe and sound best practices; allocate adequate resources to continue to build capacity for banking supervision; and complete the banking supervision framework including a licensing manual to ensure prudent and transparent licensing policy. The majority of Syria's banking sector is still government owned (Another article here) Afghanistan's banking system was privatized after invasion Iraq's banking system was privatized after invasion "Rebels" set up a central bank in Libya after Qaddafi was removed from power The Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran is entirely government owned

Guest Preacher/Host

Guest Preacher/Host

Whats Next in the Middle East?

Guest Preacher/Host

Guest Preacher/Host

PODCAST SATELLITE  /  The Voice of IsraelWWW.PODCASTSATELLITE.COMwith Prince Handley ISRAEL - SYRIA & OSAMA BIN LADEN - PROTECTION Click the center of the pod circle ... give it 30 seconds to load.Listen now  ... or download for later.DESCRIPTION:How to protect your home and business from terrorists. Syria is getting ready for war with Israel: military details of their plans. Olmert opens door to terrorists and loss of 5,000 Israeli jobs. What bin Laden is doing NOW to prepare for the next terrorist attack. How to stop Iran helping Hamas. How two Passover suppers originated.In this podcast I discuss, give you answers, and a strategy for protection.    1. War with Israel is possible and Syria is getting ready                2. Open doors to 5,000 Palestinian construction workers???                3. Osama’s next project ... attacking Western Europe                4. How Iran is helping Hamas in Gaza and how to stop it                5. Why some observe two Passover suppers                6. How to protect your home and business from terrorists    7. Next year in JerusalemWAR WITH ISRAEL IS POSSIBLE AND SYRIA IS GETTING READYLast week, Syrian ruler Bashar Assad made the statement “War with Israel is possible and we are getting ready? in a speech in Damascus.It has been reported that Damascus has deployed the 10th armored corps at the Massaneh crossing of Mount Hermon. It links up with the northwestern positions the 14th division took up last month on the Syrian-Israeli border which cuts through the Hermon range.Syrian troops are now strung along a continuous crescent-shaped line from the central Lebanese mountains through Mt. Dov on the western slopes of Mt. Hermon and up to southeastern Lebanon. This deployment, commanding Syria’s Israeli and Lebanese borders, is under the command of the president’s brother, Maher Assad.The 10th armored corps was moved forward straight after Syria’s civil defense exercise which flopped after about three hours on Thursday, April 10. The exercise was ordered without notice by President  Assad on the last day of Israel’s five-day homeland defense drill.Israeli officials are saying that Syria’s latest military movements are the result of domestic troubles inside Syrian leadership; however, this is NOT the case. These escalated military threats to Israel from Hezbollah, Hamas, and Syria are strategically planned ... and Israel needs to take action NOW!The Syrian buildup has accelerated in the last few weeks and can attack Israel quickly. The Israeli Defense Forces are aware of this ... and so should you be aware of this!The connection between Syria’s 10th and 14th Division should be a signal for Israel.Listen to and study last weeks podcast to learn HOW to take care of Syria.  It’s very simple: Israel, Y-H-W-H will give you detailed plans ... if you listen.Israel, you have to start taking care of these fires as they start. What do you think King David would have done? You’ve got to start being proactive. Stop worrying about what the UN, the EU, and the US thinks. Stop pandering to them! They are NOT in your shoes. You are God’s Chosen People, Israel. Start acting like it.OPEN DOORS TO 5,000 PALESTINIAN CONSTRUCTION WORKERS???In a meeting with PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, PM Ehud Olmert mentioned licensing the entry to Israel of 5,000 Palestinian construction workers. This was in a “rough draft? before Abbas meets with President Bush on the 23rd of April. This entertains the risk of: 1. terrorist infiltration; and, 2. Loss of Israeli jobs to Palestinians. Let me add here: this is worse than a “Trojan Horse.? When will the leadership of Israel decide that to show weakness is one thing, but to show stupidity exacerbates the situation ... and especially for a people who are called by the name of G-d. It’s no wonder G-d is not helping you. You are NOT flexing your muscles in faith.OSAMA’S NEXT PROJECT ... ATTACKING WESTERN EUROPEOsama bin Laden’s next project is to prepare for a major terrorist offensive in West Europe. Terrorist forces have been deployed  from Iraq and sent to Lebanon for intensive courses. Remember, wherever, terrorists organize, the Jews are their primary objective, and NOT considered collateral damage.HOW IRAN IS HELPING HAMAS IN GAZA & HOW TO STOP ITSenior defense officials have told The Jerusalem Post that Iran has stepped up its efforts to smuggle weapons into the Gaza Strip by using floatable devices that it drops near the waters off the Gaza coast to be picked up by Palestinian fisherman.According to defense officials, Iran is now sending rockets and other advanced weaponry to Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip by sea as well as via tunnels dug under the Philadelphi Corridor and connecting the Sinai peninsula with Rafah. WHY SOME OBSERVE TWO PASSOVER SUPPERS14 Nissan, 5768, April 19, 2008, Passover Eve, I celebrated Passover with my family. During Seder I explained to my family WHY the Passover we celebrate today is NOT the same as that given to Moses by G-d in the Torah (Exodus Chapter 12).Only the PASSOVER in Egypt was observed exactly according to the instructions given in Exodus 12. The blood was usually never again put on the doors of the houses, and instead of being in great haste and ready for travel, the people now observe the Feast from sunset to midnight, with great leisure, profuse praise, and thanksgiving to God for the miraculous deliverance from slavery in Egypt. After the Temple was destroyed in 70 AD, we notice that very definite practices other than we read in the Torah center around the PASSOVER FEAST. The TIME of its observance was fixed in accordance with the full moon after the first day of Spring. This was done so that the people had moonlight to travel by. However, in those days there were no almanacs or calendars giving the exact waxing and waning of the moon. The Sanhedrin, or governing body of the people had to be guided by the testimony of two witnesses. These men were appointed to go to the highest mountaintop and there scan the sky for the first sign of the new moon. When the first sign appeared, they built bonfires on the top of the mountain. Then the people up and down the land of Judea passed on these signals by building bonfires from mountaintop to mountaintop until all the land was notified that the official witnesses had seen the first sign of the new moon. Every Jew knew that he should count from that time of the bonfire signals a period of 10 days, and that on the 10th day he was to select the LAMB, and then there were four (4) more days to the actual time of killing the lamb. These four (4) additional days were ample time for each family to examine the LAMB minutely to see if there was any blemish. If such a blemish should be found, the LAMB was to be rejected and another one taken in its place. So it was that Messiah Yeshua offered Himself, four (4) days before the PASSOVER, as the LAMB OF GOD that takes away the sin of the world. It was on Monday, the 10th of Nisan, when Messiah made what is now known as the as the triumphal entry into Jerusalem by the way of the "Sheep Gate". It was at the very time Jews were selecting the LAMBS for the coming PASSOVER. Yeshua challenged the scribes and Pharisees: "Which of you convinces me of sin?"  (Brit Chadasha, Yochanan 8:46) There was abundant opportunity to find fault, blemishes, or sin in the Messiah Jesus … four (4) days! However the final verdict came from the lips of Pilate when he cried out to the crowd, "I find no fault in this man!"  (Luke 23:4) The Messiah Jesus was the LAMB, without spot and without blemish. In Him all the Old Testament types were fulfilled. Another interesting fact is: it was on Thursday at sundown that Yeshua observed the last PASSOVER with His disciples, although the official date was Friday. This may seem a contradiction but it isn't. There were many devout Jews who were so faithful in their desire to serve God and obey His commandments that they often leaned over backwards - went to extremes - to make sure that they did not break "ONE YOD" of the Law. These devout men were fearful, lest the witnesses might possibly have made a mistake by one day when they observed the New Moon, and so cause the PASSOVER to begin a day over time. It was therefore the practice, which was legally permitted, that such Jews could properly celebrate the opening night of the PASSOVER one-day ahead of the time officially set. However, they were NOT allowed to eat the PASSOVER LAMB until sunset on Friday evening, the actual time fixed by the Sanhedrin. To this very day many Jews observe two PASSOVER suppers (or, Seder). So it was quite proper that messiah and His disciples partook of the PASSOVER on THURSDAY evening, but there was NO LAMB. And how wonderfully divine was this plan, for on the NEXT DAY - the official day - the Lord Yeshua haMeshiach would offer Himself as the SPOTLESS LAMB - the Paschal Lamb - slain from the foundation of the world … once for ALL TIME … to make atonement for the sins of the world. Every year, true Jews who believe in G-d, and other Messianic believers, keep this great memorial feast of the Passover as well as Pesach. The Holy One has blessed me with seven children and seven grandchildren, all who know the LORD. One year, after Seder, my seventh (7th) child, who was eight years old at the time, asked me if he could take part in mikvah. We filled up the bathtub and when he came out of the water he was speaking in another language: the biblical experience of tongues. He received the baptism in the Ruach ha Chodesh as described in the Brit Chadasha. His name is Efram Abraham Kasher.HOW TO PROTECT YOUR HOME, FAMILY, AND BUSINESS FROM TERRORISTSSpeaking of Passover, here’s HOW to protect your home, your family, and your business from terrorist attacks. Apply the BLOOD of Messiah Yeshua IN FAITH over the door (the top lintel and the two side posts) of your home and businesses. Just PRAY and SPEAK the BLOOD of Messiah over them. Just PRAY and tell G-d that He promised that the death angel would PASS OVER when he sees the BLOOD upon your door.NEXT YEAR IN JERUSALEM!“Then Moshe called for all the elders of Yisra'el, and said to them, "Draw out, and take lambs according to your families, and kill the Pesach. You shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin; and none of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning. For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when he sees the blood on the lintel, and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not allow the destroyer to come in to your houses to strike you. You shall observe this thing for an ordinance to you and to your sons forever. It shall happen when you have come to the land which the LORD will give you, according as he has promised, that you shall keep this service. It will happen, when your children ask you, 'What do you mean by this service?' that you shall say, 'It is the sacrifice of the LORD's Pesach, who passed over the houses of the children of Yisra'el in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians, and spared our houses.'" Podcast time: 14 minutes, 04 seconds (with music)Podcast size: 12.8 MBIf you have been helped or received a miracle as a result of this study, email us and let us know what G-d has done for you. You may contact us by email at: PrinceHandley@gmail.comRemember to tell your friends about Podcast Satellite podcast.You can subscribe to all of Podcast Satellite podcasts and receive previous shows and all new ones automatically downloaded for you. Click here for instructions: SUBSCRIBEYou can download Prince Handley podcasts for your iPhone on Blubrry (or listen). Note the spelling of Blubrry. www.blubrry.com/messiah/For free literature to distribute, write to:WORLD SERVICES PO Box ADowney, CA 90241 USAFor rabbinical studies, go to: www.realmiracles.com/rabbinical.htmCAUTION:  G-d is calling out a separate people who know His Word and WIll. Watch this video about the New World Order. Also, RDIF chips to replace UPC codes on products ... and WHY this is happening NOW! The New World Government ... Don’t miss the following video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuBo4E77ZXoMy Odeo Channel (odeo/413398b7070f1daa) My Podcast Alley feed! {pca-c19edb0fd3f59f4f8c59be3fa8551f50}My Odeo Channel (odeo/b0ebadc898624b9e)

PODCAST SATELLITE  /  The Voice of IsraelWWW.PODCASTSATELLITE.COMwith Prince Handley ISRAEL - SYRIA & OSAMA BIN LADEN - PROTECTION Click the center of the pod circle ... give it 30 seconds to load.Listen now  ... or download for later.DESCRIPTION:How to protect your home and business from terrorists. Syria is getting ready for war with Israel: military details of their plans. Olmert opens door to terrorists and loss of 5,000 Israeli jobs. What bin Laden is doing NOW to prepare for the next terrorist attack. How to stop Iran helping Hamas. How two Passover suppers originated.In this podcast I discuss, give you answers, and a strategy for protection.    1. War with Israel is possible and Syria is getting ready                2. Open doors to 5,000 Palestinian construction workers???                3. Osama’s next project ... attacking Western Europe                4. How Iran is helping Hamas in Gaza and how to stop it                5. Why some observe two Passover suppers                6. How to protect your home and business from terrorists    7. Next year in JerusalemWAR WITH ISRAEL IS POSSIBLE AND SYRIA IS GETTING READYLast week, Syrian ruler Bashar Assad made the statement “War with Israel is possible and we are getting ready? in a speech in Damascus.It has been reported that Damascus has deployed the 10th armored corps at the Massaneh crossing of Mount Hermon. It links up with the northwestern positions the 14th division took up last month on the Syrian-Israeli border which cuts through the Hermon range.Syrian troops are now strung along a continuous crescent-shaped line from the central Lebanese mountains through Mt. Dov on the western slopes of Mt. Hermon and up to southeastern Lebanon. This deployment, commanding Syria’s Israeli and Lebanese borders, is under the command of the president’s brother, Maher Assad.The 10th armored corps was moved forward straight after Syria’s civil defense exercise which flopped after about three hours on Thursday, April 10. The exercise was ordered without notice by President  Assad on the last day of Israel’s five-day homeland defense drill.Israeli officials are saying that Syria’s latest military movements are the result of domestic troubles inside Syrian leadership; however, this is NOT the case. These escalated military threats to Israel from Hezbollah, Hamas, and Syria are strategically planned ... and Israel needs to take action NOW!The Syrian buildup has accelerated in the last few weeks and can attack Israel quickly. The Israeli Defense Forces are aware of this ... and so should you be aware of this!The connection between Syria’s 10th and 14th Division should be a signal for Israel.Listen to and study last weeks podcast to learn HOW to take care of Syria.  It’s very simple: Israel, Y-H-W-H will give you detailed plans ... if you listen.Israel, you have to start taking care of these fires as they start. What do you think King David would have done? You’ve got to start being proactive. Stop worrying about what the UN, the EU, and the US thinks. Stop pandering to them! They are NOT in your shoes. You are God’s Chosen People, Israel. Start acting like it.OPEN DOORS TO 5,000 PALESTINIAN CONSTRUCTION WORKERS???In a meeting with PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, PM Ehud Olmert mentioned licensing the entry to Israel of 5,000 Palestinian construction workers. This was in a “rough draft? before Abbas meets with President Bush on the 23rd of April. This entertains the risk of: 1. terrorist infiltration; and, 2. Loss of Israeli jobs to Palestinians. Let me add here: this is worse than a “Trojan Horse.? When will the leadership of Israel decide that to show weakness is one thing, but to show stupidity exacerbates the situation ... and especially for a people who are called by the name of G-d. It’s no wonder G-d is not helping you. You are NOT flexing your muscles in faith.OSAMA’S NEXT PROJECT ... ATTACKING WESTERN EUROPEOsama bin Laden’s next project is to prepare for a major terrorist offensive in West Europe. Terrorist forces have been deployed  from Iraq and sent to Lebanon for intensive courses. Remember, wherever, terrorists organize, the Jews are their primary objective, and NOT considered collateral damage.HOW IRAN IS HELPING HAMAS IN GAZA & HOW TO STOP ITSenior defense officials have told The Jerusalem Post that Iran has stepped up its efforts to smuggle weapons into the Gaza Strip by using floatable devices that it drops near the waters off the Gaza coast to be picked up by Palestinian fisherman.According to defense officials, Iran is now sending rockets and other advanced weaponry to Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip by sea as well as via tunnels dug under the Philadelphi Corridor and connecting the Sinai peninsula with Rafah. WHY SOME OBSERVE TWO PASSOVER SUPPERS14 Nissan, 5768, April 19, 2008, Passover Eve, I celebrated Passover with my family. During Seder I explained to my family WHY the Passover we celebrate today is NOT the same as that given to Moses by G-d in the Torah (Exodus Chapter 12).Only the PASSOVER in Egypt was observed exactly according to the instructions given in Exodus 12. The blood was usually never again put on the doors of the houses, and instead of being in great haste and ready for travel, the people now observe the Feast from sunset to midnight, with great leisure, profuse praise, and thanksgiving to God for the miraculous deliverance from slavery in Egypt. After the Temple was destroyed in 70 AD, we notice that very definite practices other than we read in the Torah center around the PASSOVER FEAST. The TIME of its observance was fixed in accordance with the full moon after the first day of Spring. This was done so that the people had moonlight to travel by. However, in those days there were no almanacs or calendars giving the exact waxing and waning of the moon. The Sanhedrin, or governing body of the people had to be guided by the testimony of two witnesses. These men were appointed to go to the highest mountaintop and there scan the sky for the first sign of the new moon. When the first sign appeared, they built bonfires on the top of the mountain. Then the people up and down the land of Judea passed on these signals by building bonfires from mountaintop to mountaintop until all the land was notified that the official witnesses had seen the first sign of the new moon. Every Jew knew that he should count from that time of the bonfire signals a period of 10 days, and that on the 10th day he was to select the LAMB, and then there were four (4) more days to the actual time of killing the lamb. These four (4) additional days were ample time for each family to examine the LAMB minutely to see if there was any blemish. If such a blemish should be found, the LAMB was to be rejected and another one taken in its place. So it was that Messiah Yeshua offered Himself, four (4) days before the PASSOVER, as the LAMB OF GOD that takes away the sin of the world. It was on Monday, the 10th of Nisan, when Messiah made what is now known as the as the triumphal entry into Jerusalem by the way of the "Sheep Gate". It was at the very time Jews were selecting the LAMBS for the coming PASSOVER. Yeshua challenged the scribes and Pharisees: "Which of you convinces me of sin?"  (Brit Chadasha, Yochanan 8:46) There was abundant opportunity to find fault, blemishes, or sin in the Messiah Jesus … four (4) days! However the final verdict came from the lips of Pilate when he cried out to the crowd, "I find no fault in this man!"  (Luke 23:4) The Messiah Jesus was the LAMB, without spot and without blemish. In Him all the Old Testament types were fulfilled. Another interesting fact is: it was on Thursday at sundown that Yeshua observed the last PASSOVER with His disciples, although the official date was Friday. This may seem a contradiction but it isn't. There were many devout Jews who were so faithful in their desire to serve God and obey His commandments that they often leaned over backwards - went to extremes - to make sure that they did not break "ONE YOD" of the Law. These devout men were fearful, lest the witnesses might possibly have made a mistake by one day when they observed the New Moon, and so cause the PASSOVER to begin a day over time. It was therefore the practice, which was legally permitted, that such Jews could properly celebrate the opening night of the PASSOVER one-day ahead of the time officially set. However, they were NOT allowed to eat the PASSOVER LAMB until sunset on Friday evening, the actual time fixed by the Sanhedrin. To this very day many Jews observe two PASSOVER suppers (or, Seder). So it was quite proper that messiah and His disciples partook of the PASSOVER on THURSDAY evening, but there was NO LAMB. And how wonderfully divine was this plan, for on the NEXT DAY - the official day - the Lord Yeshua haMeshiach would offer Himself as the SPOTLESS LAMB - the Paschal Lamb - slain from the foundation of the world … once for ALL TIME … to make atonement for the sins of the world. Every year, true Jews who believe in G-d, and other Messianic believers, keep this great memorial feast of the Passover as well as Pesach. The Holy One has blessed me with seven children and seven grandchildren, all who know the LORD. One year, after Seder, my seventh (7th) child, who was eight years old at the time, asked me if he could take part in mikvah. We filled up the bathtub and when he came out of the water he was speaking in another language: the biblical experience of tongues. He received the baptism in the Ruach ha Chodesh as described in the Brit Chadasha. His name is Efram Abraham Kasher.HOW TO PROTECT YOUR HOME, FAMILY, AND BUSINESS FROM TERRORISTSSpeaking of Passover, here’s HOW to protect your home, your family, and your business from terrorist attacks. Apply the BLOOD of Messiah Yeshua IN FAITH over the door (the top lintel and the two side posts) of your home and businesses. Just PRAY and SPEAK the BLOOD of Messiah over them. Just PRAY and tell G-d that He promised that the death angel would PASS OVER when he sees the BLOOD upon your door.NEXT YEAR IN JERUSALEM!“Then Moshe called for all the elders of Yisra'el, and said to them, "Draw out, and take lambs according to your families, and kill the Pesach. You shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin; and none of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning. For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when he sees the blood on the lintel, and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not allow the destroyer to come in to your houses to strike you. You shall observe this thing for an ordinance to you and to your sons forever. It shall happen when you have come to the land which the LORD will give you, according as he has promised, that you shall keep this service. It will happen, when your children ask you, 'What do you mean by this service?' that you shall say, 'It is the sacrifice of the LORD's Pesach, who passed over the houses of the children of Yisra'el in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians, and spared our houses.'" Podcast time: 14 minutes, 04 seconds (with music)Podcast size: 12.8 MBIf you have been helped or received a miracle as a result of this study, email us and let us know what G-d has done for you. You may contact us by email at: PrinceHandley@gmail.comRemember to tell your friends about Podcast Satellite podcast.You can subscribe to all of Podcast Satellite podcasts and receive previous shows and all new ones automatically downloaded for you. Click here for instructions: SUBSCRIBEYou can download Prince Handley podcasts for your iPhone on Blubrry (or listen). Note the spelling of Blubrry. www.blubrry.com/messiah/For free literature to distribute, write to:WORLD SERVICES PO Box ADowney, CA 90241 USAFor rabbinical studies, go to: www.realmiracles.com/rabbinical.htmCAUTION:  G-d is calling out a separate people who know His Word and WIll. Watch this video about the New World Order. Also, RDIF chips to replace UPC codes on products ... and WHY this is happening NOW! The New World Government ... Don’t miss the following video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuBo4E77ZXoMy Odeo Channel (odeo/413398b7070f1daa) My Podcast Alley feed! {pca-c19edb0fd3f59f4f8c59be3fa8551f50}My Odeo Channel (odeo/b0ebadc898624b9e)