Logo for North Thunder war games
“North Thunder” is purportedly the world’s largest military exercise and it is going on now in Saudi Arabia, with troops from 20 nations:
North Thunder: World’s largest war games takes place in Saudi Arabia
(CNN)Saudi Arabia launched a massive military exercise that will include troops from 20 nations, state media reported Monday.
The drill, dubbed North Thunder, involves Arab and Muslim countries, according to the Saudi Press Agency. It’s taking place in King Khalid Military City in northeastern Saudi Arabia.
The news agency did not provide much information on what the exercise entails but called it “the largest in the region’s history.” The agency said it will involve air, sea and land forces.
In addition to Saudi Arabia, other participating nations include Jordan, Bahrain, Senegal, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Sudan, Kuwait, the Maldives, Morocco, Pakistan, Chad, Tunisia, Comoro Islands, Djibouti, Malaysia, Egypt, Mauritania and Mauritius.”North Thunder drills represent a clear message that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its brothers and friends of the participating countries stand united to confront all challenges and maintain peace and stability in the region,” the agency said. http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/15/middleeast/saudi-arabia-military-exercises/‘North Thunder’ a clear message to TehranMilitary experts have warned that the next probable threat to the Gulf states is likely to come from the northern areas, after Iran demographically occupies Iraq and uses that country as its military arm to meddle in the affairs of neighboring countries and drain Gulf states’ resources.Col. Ibrahim Al-Marie, military and strategic analyst, said the three main goals of the exercise are to protect the joint security of the Gulf, Arab and Islamic states, increase combat readiness and coordinate joint operations between participating forces. http://www.arabnews.com/news/878206
February 17, 2016
HAFR AL-BATIN: North Thunder, the ongoing military maneuver in Saudi Arabia, is a message to the world that the Kingdom will not be a passive observer to the massacres of civilians and mayhem in Syria and Iran’s ambitions in the region, political observers have said.
According to unofficial sources, around 150,000 soldiers, 2,540 warplanes, 20,000 tanks, and 460 helicopters are participating in the largest military exercise in the history of the region.
Twenty Arab and Muslim countries and the GCC-formed Peninsula Shield are participating in the drill, led by Saudi Arabia.
A spokesman for the Arab coalition forces, Ahmad Assiri, said the aim of the exercise is to achieve the highest level of preparedness, exchange expertise and promote coordination among the participating countries.
Political observers and experts said the military exercise aims at delivering certain indirect messages at the regional and international levels, along with reaching a high level of readiness among the participating armed forces. The stage chosen for the exercise, Hafr Al-Batin in northern Saudi Arabia, adjacent to Iraq, near Iran and Syrian is also a strategic move they said.http://www.arabnews.com/news/881886
February 17, 2016
(TRUNEWS) Armed forces leaders from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have arrived in Saudi Arabia to participate in “Northern Thunder”.
It is one of the largest military training operations ever in the region. More than 350 thousand troops, over 2500 warplanes, 20 thousand tanks, and 460 helicopters are expected from over 20 nations.http://www.trunews.com/uae-forces-arrive-in-saudi-arabia-for-north-thunder/#mwJDJsXDf1sF9fkJ.99
Two months ago, Saudi Arabia announced the formation of a predominantly Islamic 34 nation military coalition (see ‘Saudi Arabia Announces 34-Nation Islamic Alliance Against Terrorism’ to Protect the ‘Islamic Nation’: Is the King of the South starting to form?).
As regular readers of this page are aware, I have long been saying that Iran will somehow be neutralized as it will NOT be the leader of the prophesied King of the South of biblical prophecy (see also Iran in Prophecy).
The Bible tells of a militaristic coalition to be formed consisting of most of the nations involved in this “North Thunder” exercise. Here is a Protestant and a Catholic translation of some of the passages in Daniel related to the King of the South:
40 “In the end times the southern king will attack him. The northern king will rush at him like a storm with chariots, horses, and many ships. He will invade countries, overwhelm them, and pass through their land. 41 He will invade the beautiful land, and tens of thousands will be defeated. But Edom, Moab, and the leaders of the Ammonites will escape from his power. 42 He will use his power against many countries. Even Egypt will not escape. 43 He will control gold and silver treasures and all Egypt’s treasuries. Libya and Sudan will surrender to him. (GOD’S WORD Translation)
40 ‘When the time comes for the End, the king of the south will try conclusions with him; but the king of the north will come storming down on him with chariots, cavalry, and a large fleet. He will invade countries, overrun them and drive on. 41 He will invade the Land of Splendour, and many will fall; but Edom, Moab, and what remains of the sons of Ammon will escape him. 42 ‘He will reach out to attack countries: Egypt will not escape him. 43 The gold and silver treasures and all the valuables of Egypt will lie in his power. Libyans and Cushites will be at his feet: (Daniel 11:40-43, New Jerusalem Bible)
Notice that the time will come when the King of the South will lead a major military force against the final King of the North. While the final King of the South has not yet formed, and will one day fail, steps to form the biblically-prophesied confederation are taking place.
Also notice that the Bible shows, in another place, that a time is coming when the confederation of Arabs and Egypt will be destroyed and it is in the FUTURE as it is near the day of the LORD:
1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says:
“‘Wail and say, “Alas for that day!” 3 For the day is near, the day of the LORD is near- a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations. 4 A sword will come against Egypt, and anguish will come upon Cush. When the slain fall in Egypt, her wealth will be carried away and her foundations torn down.
5 Cush and Put, Lydia and all Arabia, Libya and the people of the covenant land will fall by the sword along with Egypt.
6 “‘This is what the LORD says:
“‘The allies of Egypt will fall and her proud strength will fail. From Migdol to Aswan they will fall by the sword within her, declares the Sovereign LORD. 7 “‘They will be desolate among desolate lands, and their cities will lie among ruined cities. 8 Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I set fire to Egypt and all her helpers are crushed.
9 “‘On that day messengers will go out from me in ships to frighten Cush out of her complacency. Anguish will take hold of them on the day of Egypt’s doom, for it is sure to come (Ezekiel 30:1-9, NIV).
And this seems to be the destruction of the King of the South by theKing of the North in Daniel 11:40-43 as Ezekiel 30:4-5 sound very much like Daniel 11:42-43. Notice a different translation of verse 3:
3 For the day is near,
Even the day of the Lord is near;
It will be a day of clouds, the time of the Gentiles. (Ezekiel 30:3, NKJV)
The above is an end time prophecy as it ties in with the final time of the Gentiles, which also ties in with the Great Tribulation (see alsoWhen Will the Great Tribulation Begin?) and the Day of the Lord.
(Perhaps it should be pointed out that Libya is mentioned specifically above in Ezekiel 30:5 as well as Daniel 11:43–though the Hebrew word in Ezekiel 30:5 for Libya seems to be the word the NIV translators translated as Lydia (see also Libya, Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia in Prophecy.)
The large scale of the “North Thunder” military games shows that the Islamic nations in the Middle East and Africa certainly are capable of getting a large military force together.
Those who do not feel that such a prophesied confederation can take place are in biblical error as well as out of touch with international reality.Prophesied events are moving ahead.
News Presenter: John Hickey
