Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Ships of Kittim [?]


[HT: Klishlishi]

''For ships of Kittim shall come against him...''[Daniel 11:30] 

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov issued a strong warning against a military attack on Iran Monday, April 2,, saying that a pre-emptive strike would violate international law. His comments, made during a visit to Armenia, stopped short of threatening (the US and/or Israel) of consequences. But they backed up and were in tune with the explicit threat from Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei last Thursday of strong Iranian resistance to foreign intervention in Syria and vow to defend Damascus as the “center of resistance against Israel.” 

Western military observers link the two statements as representing an evolving Russian-Iranian front. After their shared success in delivering Bashar Assad from the revolt against his regime, the two partners are preparing to fend off a potential strike against Tehran’s nuclear program as well as shore up Iran’s regional interests from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean. Continue reading at Debka

25 comments:

Dov Bar-Leib said...

Just curious Devorah: The Russians are from Meshach and Tuval and Magog, not from Kittim. Kittim was a son of Yawan and according to the Targum Yonatan lived in Asia Minor specifically in the area of Constantinople aka Istanbul. Now unless this becomes a Turkish invasion, how are these Russian and Iranian ships from Kittim? Now Erdogan is definitely in the Russian/ Iranian Axis. So maybe the Turks will send forth their Navy. Then that verse will make more sense. The Targum Yonatan also mentions a place called Lombarnya. This can't be Lombardy because Lombardy is a border province between Italy and France. So the Italians would not send a Navy against Israel from there. Also the similar pasuk in Balak speaks about how this Navy will also cause Ashur (Assyria) to suffer. Now ancient Ashur is part of modern Iraq. I am not sure all the final players are on this chessboard yet.

Klishlishi said...

"If you hear that Russian warships have crossed the Bosphorus, prepare your Shabbos vestments and await the Moshiach!" (Vilan Gaon)

Dov Bar-Leib said...

Ah, Klishlishi, I remember that Vilna Gaon, but is this the first time that Russian warships have entered the Mediterranean? maybe so during the Cold War, at first glance the Russians did not have a port in the Mediterranean since Tito was an independent Communist not allied with Russia. So now they have a port in Albania. Yet but now that I think about it, weren't The Albanians allied with Russia during the Cold War too? just asking.

Dov Bar-Leib said...

I just answered my question. During the Cold War the Turks were a strong NATO ally. They would not have permitted a Russian Navy to pass through the Bosporus. Yet, with Erdogan in Turkey, there are no such limitations. So if Turkey is complicit, one then has ships from Kittim too. Ok fine.

Dov Bar-Leib said...

so this must have something do to with moshiach pesach and story that a Tzadik nistar meet rav kaduri in vision tells him less than three months is Zman Hageulah chodesh tammuz

Anonymous said...

SO Question?
Is Moshiach
Already born?
Going to come out of the sky?
A president?
A world leader of any sort?
A General in the Military?
Really how does it work, I honestly cant see.

Klishlishi said...

As they say in Yiddish: "Aller Yevonim hob'n ein ponim": "All Greeks are of one face!".

The Greeks are no Jew-lovers and are only collaborating with Israel because their fear and hatred of the Turks aggressing Cyprus' oil and gas is even greater. But if push came to shove, they too would turn against Israel and ally with their ally Russia. Does Greece figure anywhere at all in End Time prophecies in the Tenach or Sifrei Keitz eg the Sefer Eliyahu?

Anonymous said...

I thought Kittim was supposed to be Italy

Dov Bar-Leib said...

Rashi and the Targum Yonatan diverge on whether Kittim is Western Italy or the coast of modern day Turkey. If Kittim is Rome, then Bilaam's last prophesy was fulfilled 2000 years ago. Boy, time does fly!

Anonymous said...

I thought kittim was a type of wood which boats were built out of?

Dov Bar-Leib said...

The type of wood is Shittim, not Kittim. Shittim is acacia.

bracha said...

Anonymus, I think the wood you are reffering to is "atzei SHIttim".
Not Kittim - but it does sound very similar.

yaak said...

This Debka article is even more relevant.

The Vilna Gaon quoted by Klishlishi is mentioned by me here and here.

Regarding Kittim, see this post.

yaak said...

Also, Kikar is quoting Turkish news sources that Turkey is starting air maneuvers "to prepare for any scenario of conflict in the Middle East".

Moriah said...

Shittim wood -- Acacia

Devorah said...

Anonymous @ 12:18 - No-one knows.

Dov Bar-Leib said...

The Gemorrah in Avodah Zarah is pretty clear. Both Yawan and Bavel are destroyed physically or spiritually before the Great War between Rome and Paras. (That is of the four kingdoms that have conquered Eretz Yisrael, only Paras and Rome remain. And Paras remains in the merit of its part in building the 2nd Temple. Rome remains because this is their Malkhut in this present exile.) Bavel in the person of Saddam Hussein was hung on the 9th of Tevet, 5767. And Yawan has been a post-apocalyptic society at least since Rosh HaShana, and their bankruptcy was officially declared by the ISDA (International Swaps and Derivatives Assn.) last month. So the stage is clear for whatever happens next. Now Kittim is actually a separate nation amongst the 70 nations even though Kittim is Bnai Yawan. So yes, Kittim has a role to play. Thanks for the hat tip.

Dov Bar-Leib said...

Curious, both my son and I just bought a new Shabbat suit...even though this go around will likely reveal Mashiach ben Ephraim (Yosef).

Mashiach ben one or the other is better than where we are right now. I should point out in my response to Klishlishi's previous remark that the Medrash Sefer Eliyahu says that the last king of Persia will come up against Rome in three consecutive years before expanding against Rome for 12 months. If this is the case and since we are in the 4th year of the Shmittah Cycle, then this is the first of those years. Also the year where Persia expands against Rome for 12 months is the Shmittah year. And ben David comes in the 8th year. Until now both Rome and Persia have avoided confrontations.

Moriah said...

I just found this on wikipedia:

Abila (Peraea)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Coordinates: 32°40′52″N 35°52′11″E Abila(Arabic: ابيلا‎) – also, Biblical: Abel-Shittim or Ha-Shittim (or simply Shittim) – was an ancient city east of the Jordan River in Moab, later Peraea, near Livias, about twelve km northeast of the north shore of the Dead Sea; the site is now that of Abil-ez-Zeit, Jordan.[1] Abel-Shittim (Hebrew meaning "Meadow of the Acacias"), is found only in Num. xxxiii.49; but Ha-Shittim (Hebrew meaning "The Acacias"), evidently the same place, is mentioned in Num. xxv.1, Josh. iii.1, and Micah, vi.5. It was the forty-second encampment of the Israelites and the final headquarters of Joshua before he crossed the Jordan. Josephus[2] states that there was in his time a town, Abila, full of palmtrees, at a distance of sixty stadia[3] from the Jordan, and describes it as the spot where Moses delivered the exhortations of Deuteronomy. There is to this day[when?] an acacia grove not far from the place, although the palms mentioned by Josephus are no longer there.

Dov Bar-Leib said...

And now the country at the edge of the halakhic world's international date line, North Korea, Persia's number one ally is about to strike. during Pesach?? Ah it's just a missile test, really? Let's see. A 3 month war would take us to the 17th of Tamuz. Ah, it is just a missile test.

Moshe said...

It reminds me when jews cried on 9th Av for no reason, then G-d said you are crying for no reason and it will be the reason that both Bet Hamikdash was distroyed on that day. Here too, nothing happened say Baruh Hashem, that we are healthy, can do mitsvot to finish the tikkun, do it besimha, do not be paranoid, ask Hashem , talk to Him...

Devorah said...

Moshe: in the year that Moshiach is revealed, all the nations of the world will be provoking each other.
We are certainly living in a year where all the nations are provoking each other.
We're not crying or being paranoid, just reporting facts taking place NOW.

Devorah said...

Also see this post from Yaak: Death of Last Ottoman Princess Another Sign

Moshe said...

:o), yes I saw it, I enjoy it very much of all geula posts. I just comment in this manner to elevate those souls who might be affraid of what is going to be or what is not going to be that people write.

Anonymous said...

Would be nice to even get a glimpse of who we are expecting. All I know for sure is I dont know him but I do already love him because He loves HaShem and thats enough I suppose.