What Lies Beneath: Team of Israeli and German Scientists Discover System of Deep Fresh Water Springs, New Life Forms on Dead Sea Floor

Ezekiel 47:8, “Then he said to me: ‘This water flows toward the eastern region, goes down into the valley, and enters the [dead] sea. When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed.”

By Dr. Jimmy DeYoung – “It almost seems like a contradiction of terms to read the headline for this story that life, in fact, new life has been discovered in the Dead Sea by a team of Israeli and German scientists and this report comes at a time when the Dead Sea is dangerously low due to evaporation of the salty Dead Sea water.

Deep beneath the sea bed of a body of water long believed incapable of sustaining life, Israeli scientists have found deep fresh water springs and German scientists have discovered microorganisms growing on the sea floor.

While researchers have known for decades that the Dead Sea is a misnomer, the rich variety of life evidenced in the underwater springs and the microorganisms at the bottom of the Dead Sea may lead to new life for this body of water…

Freshwater springs at the bottom of the Dead Sea and newly discovered microorganisms in this body of water set the stage for Bible prophecy to be fulfilled.

For a number of years, I have been reporting on the death of the Dead Sea as this famous body of water has been going down in level almost 3 feet per year. There have been major discoveries that may also be used to save the Dead Sea from death. These underwater springs and even the microorganisms discovered by the marine scientists could well be a lifeline needed for this project.

What is so interesting to a student of Bible prophecy is that two ancient Jewish prophets foretold of freshwater flowing into the Dead Sea and making this body of water, which is ten times saltier than any ocean on earth, a freshwater lake.

Zechariah wrote of what happens after Jesus Christ returns to the earth, how living waters flow from Jerusalem to the former sea in the text which is the Dead Sea, Zechariah 14:8. Ezekiel, in the 47th chapter of his prophecy, wrote of water flowing from the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, actually from the Temple itself, down the Kidron Valley, all the way to the Dead Sea, Ezekiel 47:1-8. Verse 8 reveals that the saltwater in the Dead Sea will be healed and the fishermen will dry their fishing nets at Ngedi.

The Dead Sea will indeed be healed.” Source – Prophecy Today.

Scientists Discover New Life in the Dead Sea – “Deep beneath the sea bed of a body of water long believed incapable of sustaining life, scientists have discovered new micro-organisms. Researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev announced Wednesday they have found deep fresh water springs on the floor of the Dead Sea. These secret springs are apparently providing fresh water to the rapidly shrinking lake. Meanwhile, a parallel study being conducted by German scientists has found new life forms in the mineral-laden waters. The micro-organisms were discovered growing around the fissures in the sea floor.” Read more.

Tip of the hat to Willard for the link.

Arab Spring Begins Weeding Out Christians as Sunni and Shia Ideologies Lock Horns Over Control of New Islamic Kingdom

Daniel 2:41, “Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay.”

By Michael Carl – “Islamic factions jockeying for position from out of the ashes of the Arab Spring are posing an increased threat to Middle East Christians, an international human rights group contends.

The British group Barnabas Aid says that Christians in Iran and Azerbaijan are coming under increased pressure from their governments.

Barnabas Aid wrote in its December prayer alert that there is cause for concern for Iran’s persecuted believers, because Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei recently urged more than 2.5 million Muslims on a pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia to form ‘an international Islamic power bloc.’

The Ayatollah Khamenei told the listeners the Arab Spring was guided by Islam and said Muslims worldwide should rally to the Islamic cause.

The prayer alert also said the Iranian leader called on Muslims ‘to make the most of the opportunity’ created by the Arab Spring, as well as the anti-capitalist ‘Occupy’ movement across the world…

Center for Security Policy senior fellow Clare Lopez said the Ayatollah Khamenei’s call for an Islamic power bloc fits together with the objectives of other Islamic groups and countries.

‘Iran’s jihadist objectives are exactly the same as al-Qaida, the Muslim Brotherhood and Turkey. Indeed, the Iranian leadership was among the first, most consistent and most vocal of supporters of the ‘Islamic Awakening,” Lopez said.

‘Notice that the Iranians don’t call it the ‘Arab Spring,’ because the Iranians want to be the ones seen as the leaders of the jihadi movement,’ Lopez said.

Lopez said the Iranians’ desire to lead the movement may run into a barrier with Turkey.

‘Turkish leadership, seized with neo-Caliphate illusions, has decided on claiming that role for themselves. Moreover, the Turks are openly opposed to the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad and the Alawites, which is an ally of Iran,’ Lopez said.

‘Plus, the Arab League has decided it wants Turkey to lead the next Caliphate, not a bunch of Shias who long for an Imamate and the imminent return of the 12th Imam Mahdi, together with Armageddon,’ Lopez said.

Lopez said Iran is in a battle against the rest of the Muslim world.” Read more.

Fox News Host Boots Atheist Off Show for Belittling Jesus

Psalm 14:1, “… The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’ …”

Isaiah 5:20a, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness …”

By Gabrielle Devenish – “Two rules to avoid family blowouts at holiday gatherings: don’t bring up politics and don’t bring up religion. For proof, just look to Eric Bolling’s show on Fox Business News, where the host booted an atheist leader off the show Monday night for ‘denigrating the name of Jesus.’

What was supposed to be a civil discussion about a nativity scene on public property in Wisconsin quickly turned into a rapid-fire attack upon Christianity when Bolling interviewed Dan Barker, a spokesman for the atheist group Freedom From Religion Foundation. When asked why his group was pushing for the nativity scene’s removal, Barker began to attack Christianity, first by declaring that America is not Christian.

‘America is a diverse country. It is not a Christian country,’ Barker firmly stated. He went on to say, ‘The nativity scene basically is an insult to human nature, that we are all doomed and damned…’

Bolling quickly cut him off by saying that he was a Christian and the nativity scene was not an insult to him. He then tried to steer the conversation back to the issue at hand – whether or not the nativity scene should be allowed on public property.

But Barker only wanted to continue hurling insults.

‘By the way, why was Jesus even born?’ Barker asks. ‘To save us from our sin. What an insult to say we are degraded and depraved human beings.’

Again Bolling tried to cut him off, firmly stating, ‘I cannot allow that on my show. … You sir, are denigrating the name of Jesus and I’m not going to let it happen.'” Read more.

Utah: Thousands of Migratory Birds Die On Impact After ‘Crash Landing’ in Walmart Parking Lot, ‘They’re Just Everywhere’

“ST. GEORGE, Utah – Thousands of migratory birds died on impact after apparently mistaking a Wal-Mart parking lot and other areas of southern Utah for bodies of water and plummeting to the ground in what one wildlife expert called the worst downing she’s ever seen.

Crews went to work cleaning up the dead birds and rescuing the survivors after the creatures crash-landed in the St. George area Monday night.

By Tuesday evening, volunteers had rescued more than 2,000 birds, releasing them into nearby bodies of water.

‘They’re just everywhere,’ said Teresa Griffin, wildlife program manager for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resource’s southern region. ‘It’s been nonstop. All our employees are driving around picking them up, and we’ve got so many people coming to our office and dropping them off.’

Officials say stormy conditions probably confused the flock of grebes, a duck-like aquatic bird likely making its way to Mexico for the winter. The birds tried to land in a Cedar City Wal-Mart parking lot and elsewhere.

‘The storm clouds over the top of the city lights made it look like a nice, flat body of water. All the conditions were right,’ Griffin told The Spectrum newspaper in St. George. ‘So the birds landed to rest, but ended up slamming into the pavement.’

No human injuries or property damage have been reported.

It’s not uncommon for birds to mistake hard surfaces for water. However, Griffin noted most downing are localized, while ‘this was very widespread.’

‘I’ve been here 15 years and this was the worst downing I’ve seen,’ she told the newspaper.” Read more.

Israeli Officials Say Assad is Doomed and Will Fall Within Weeks

And this is being said while Assad is listening. What Syria does next is anybody’s guess …

By Joel Greenberg – “JERUSALEM — In a shift, Israeli officials are welcoming the prospect that Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, will be overthrown, an event Defense Minister Ehud Barak says could be weeks away.

As Assad has come under mounting pressure from a revolt at home and moves to isolate him abroad, initial wariness of speaking out publicly about the fate of his regime has given way to open speculation by officials and analysts about how long he can hold on to power, who might replace him and the possible risks of a chaotic disintegration of his rule.

‘Basically, it’s inevitable,’ Barak said in a telephone interview before flying Wednesday to Washington for meetings with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and other administration officials. ‘The Assad family, through their own behavior, have lost their last drop of legitimacy and put themselves beyond the point of no return with their brutal slaughter of their own people. He has ceased to be something relevant.’

‘It might take many weeks,’ Barak added, ‘but it’s not a matter of months or years.’

In a separate interview, Moshe Ya’alon, the minister of Strategic Affairs, said: ‘It’s a matter of time and bloodshed before we will witness Assad’s departure. That is our assessment.’

Barak predicted that an eventual removal of Assad would undermine an alliance of Israel’s enemies, including militant Islamist groups backed by Iran and Syria that have fought Israel across its northern and southern borders.” Read more.

Expert: A Threatened Assad May Attack Israel – “Middle East expert Professor Eyal Zisser warned on Monday against a possible Syrian attack on Israel, if President Bashar Assad feels threatened by the anti-regime protesters. In an interview with Arutz Sheva, Zisser said that in the short term there is no reason for particular concern, because a situation which is bad for Assad is good for Israel as this means that the Syrian president is preoccupied with his internal affairs and not with attacking Israel.” Read more.

Report: Syria Arms Medium-Range Missile Arsenal with Chemical Warheads – “The Syrian regime, which has endured nine months of civil unrest spurred by the Arab Spring as it swept across the Middle East, has armed its medium-range missile arsenal with chemical warheads … Damascus armed 600 one-ton chemical warheads to use in the event of a foreign military intervention. Furthermore, President Bashar al-Assad ordered the deployment of 21 missile launchers along its border with Turkey. Syria’s medium-range missiles that can be equipped with chemical warheads have a range of up to 1,300 kilometers…” Read more.

It’s Christmas in Fallujah: Hundreds in Iraqis Burn U.S. Flag to Celebrate Troops Pulling Out of Iraq

No, this isn’t their way of saying ‘thank you’ …

“FALLUJAH, Iraq — Hundreds of Iraqis set alight U.S. and Israeli flags on Wednesday as they celebrated the impending pullout of American forces from the country in the former insurgent bastion of Fallujah.

Shouting slogans in support of the ‘resistance,’ the demonstrators held up banners and placards inscribed with phrases like, ‘Now we are free’ and ‘Fallujah is the flame of the resistance.’

Surrounded by the Iraqi army, demonstrators carried posters bearing photos of apparent insurgents, faces covered and carrying weapons.

They also held up pictures of U.S. soldiers killed and military vehicles destroyed in the two major offensives against the city in 2004.

‘We are proud to have driven the occupier out of Iraq, at the cost of enormous sacrifice,’ said Khalid al-Alwa, the local leader of the Islamic Party, a Sunni Muslim grouping.

‘Those who destroyed Iraq paid the price because the people here held them accountable.’

The demonstration, which was held in Al-Khadra Mohammediyah Square in the centre of Fallujah, was dubbed the first annual ‘festival to celebrate the role of the resistance.’

The United States is due to pull out the last of its troops from Iraq by the end of December, more than eight years after the invasion to topple Saddam Hussein.

Fallujah, a city of about half a million people 60 kilometres west of Baghdad, was home to some of the earliest anti-U.S. protests in the aftermath of the March 2003 invasion.” Read more.