Job 33:14-17 For God speaks in one way, and in two, though man does not perceive it. ¹⁵ In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, while they slumber on their beds, ¹⁶ then he opens the ears of men and terrifies them with warnings, ¹⁷ that he may turn man aside from his deed…” ESV

Psalm 19:1-4 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.² Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. ³ There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. ⁴ Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. ESV

Recently our church family, along with many other believers in our country, have completed 21 days of prayer and fasting. I trust that you have already seen the Lord answer some of your requests, and other requests are yet to manifest into reality. Php. 4:5-6 exhorts us to remember, The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Note what Paul just stated in verse 6: “…by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests…” NIV If you have yet to see the answer to your prayers – begin thanking the Lord for the unseen as if it is seen.

Along with testimonies of answered prayers I want to remind you to take notice of the ways in which God is speaking. Recently I was reminded by this – even startled by it – coming from an unlikely source. What source is that you may ask? A Jewish Rabbi, and an Israeli news article. I pasted the two Scripture above to remind all of us that God speaks in multiple ways. In this lengthy article a Jewish Rabbi reminds the Jewish people that their redemption is drawing near. In other words that the Messiah is coming. (true, practicing Jews, do not believe that Jesus was their long, awaited Messiah – they believe He has yet to come to earth). Let me encourage you to take the time to read it. Although I don’t agree with all of His theology (for example, your sin has brought suffering upon you), nor his referencing the Zodiac, I do hear faint whispers of the Lord’s Voice echoing what is true for every human being – Jew, Christian, Muslim, Atheist, or Agnostic – we need to repent. In other words there are some things we need to change: our thinking, vocabulary, actions, and lifestyle. It’s time to get ready for the Second Return of Jesus. Also, this Jewish Rabbi, puts current world events into perspective. Something that our national news propaganda is not going to do for you. He mentioned many things I really had no idea about. So please take the time to read this.

Rabbi Anava: Trump’s geopolitical moves are divine messages for Jewish repentance:  by ADAM ELIYAHU BERKOWITZ  JANUARY 29, 2026   14 MIN READ

Recently, Rabbi Alon Anava delivered a lecture that cut through the noise of global politics to reveal the spiritual reality behind current events. Speaking to a packed audience, the rabbi connected Trump’s capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, threats against Iran, and the Greenland crisis to ancient prophecies—and issued a stark warning to Jews worldwide.

The timing couldn’t be more relevant. Just weeks ago, Trump ordered what officials called “Operation Absolute Resolve,” a military strike that extracted Maduro from Caracas and flew him to New York to face narcotics charges. The president has threatened military action against Iran if protests escalate, and he’s demanded control of Greenland, threatening NATO allies with tariffs. Meanwhile, antisemitic attacks continue surging worldwide, with 20 Jews killed in such incidents in 2025 alone—15 of them massacred at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney.

Rabbi Anava began by acknowledging the unprecedented nature of recent events. “Two weeks ago, we witnessed the unprecedented kidnapping of Venezuela’s president,” he said. “The week before that, we had discussed these very possibilities. Now we see threats against Iran, and all eyes are pointed at Greenland.”

The question Rabbi Anava posed cuts to the core: Why is God orchestrating this global drama?

The Sages teach that rulers lose their free will upon assuming power. “According to Torah teaching, when you become a king, president, or ruler, you lose your free choice. It’s 100% Hashem,” Rabbi Anava explained. “Kings and leaders don’t have free choice—their decisions are guided by divine will.” This principle transforms how we must view Trump’s actions—not as political strategy, but as divine messaging.

The Talmud records in Sanhedrin that in the years preceding Mashiach’s (Messiah) coming, nations will provoke each other with threats, sanctions, and economic warfare. The Yalkut Shimoni,  an aggadic compilation on the books of the Hebrew Bible compiled centuries ago, provides an eerily accurate description of our current moment. It describes how the king of Arabia will clash with the king of Persia, and then seek help from the king of Edom.

“The Yalkut Shimoni states that in the year when Mashiach comes, all nations will start having frictions with each other,” Rabbi Anava noted. “They will provoke each other with threats, sanctions, customs, and taxes—and we’re seeing this now.”

The text describes Saudi Arabia (modern Arabia) confronting Iran (Persia), then turning to America (Edom) for assistance. The Persian king rises up and threatens the world. The prophecy concludes with Jews everywhere becoming frightened by world events—and Hashem telling them they have nothing to fear because redemption has arrived.

As King Solomon wrote: “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He will” (Proverbs 21:1). Trump, Putin, Erdogan—all are instruments in Hashem’s hands.

Venezuela: The Opening Move

Rabbi Anava dissected Trump’s Venezuelan operation with precision. “Many people think the kidnapping of Venezuela’s president was just to eliminate drug cartels, which is partially true,” he said. “But that’s not sufficient reason to kidnap a president and deploy an army.”

The rabbi identified the deeper strategic layers. Venezuela served as Iran’s proxy in America’s backyard, hosting Iranian military bases and terrorists. “This is a dangerous front, having Iran in America’s backyard,” he explained. “Iran can’t send missiles to America easily—unless they’re in Venezuela, where they’re much closer.”

Drug trafficking provided another motive. “At least 90% of drug money from Venezuela funds terrorism,” Rabbi Anava stated. “Hezbollah is one of the richest terror organizations, funded primarily through drugs.”

But the ultimate target is China. “In Trump’s view, China is the biggest enemy,” the rabbi said. “China is trying to change the world’s economic regulation from being based on the US dollar to being based on gold.” Venezuela supplies 90% of China’s oil. By taking Venezuela, Trump cut off China’s energy supply.

The facts support this analysis. According to NBC News, the CIA deployed a team into Venezuela months before the operation, tracking Maduro’s movements. Elite troops trained using a replica of the presidential compound. On the night of January 3, U.S. forces struck Caracas with precision, neutralizing Maduro’s guard and extracting him. Oil prices have climbed since, as China scrambles for alternative suppliers.

Greenland: Military Necessity or Prophetic Positioning?

Trump’s obsession with Greenland initially seemed bizarre to many observers. Not to Rabbi Anava.

“From a military perspective, if you look at Greenland from above, there’s a sea channel between Greenland and Scandinavia where all Russian submarines come through,” he explained. “Russia has built most of their military based in the Arctic. If Russia ever attacks America, it would be from the north, and America isn’t built for such defense.”

The rabbi noted Greenland’s vast mineral wealth—titanium, precious metals, everything needed for modern warfare. “But the reality is that Greenland is one of the richest lands with minerals, expensive metals, titanium—Greenland apparently has everything and in abundance.”

Then Rabbi Anava dropped a bombshell, citing Jewish sources. “If you want to go into deeper territory, many Midrashim indicate that Gog and Magog are coming from the north,” he said. “The Midrashim suggest Gog is supposed to come from beyond the ice wall. So there’s an ice wall somewhere where Gog is hiding. Many indications say it will come from the north.”

Trump threatened eight European nations with tariffs ranging from 10% to 25% unless Denmark agreed to sell Greenland. Republican Senator Thom Tillis called the move “great for Putin, Xi, and other adversaries who want to see NATO divided.” Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre received a message from Trump demanding “Complete and Total Control of Greenland” and attributing his aggression to not receiving the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize.

On January 21, Trump backed down after NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte brokered a “framework” deal on Arctic security. But the damage to transatlantic relations is done. European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen warned that Trump’s threats could trigger “a dangerous downward spiral between allies” that would “only embolden the very adversaries we are both so committed to keeping out.”

Iran and Turkey: The Real Endgame

Rabbi Anava identified Iran as the central threat, but with a crucial twist. “What’s most interesting is that the Iranians don’t seem afraid,” he observed. “Whether it’s the Ayatollah, the president, or the chief of staff—they all threaten back. Either they’re very good poker players and bluffing, or they’re not afraid because they’re armed.”

His conclusion is stark. “I guarantee Iran has nuclear bombs. They might say they don’t, but they do. For sure, they have dirty bombs—lots of them.”

On January 21, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned in The Wall Street Journal that Tehran’s “powerful armed forces have no qualms about firing back with everything we have if we come under renewed attack.” This came after Trump repeated his threat to wipe Iran “off the face of this earth” if it attempts to assassinate him. Iranian General Abolfazl Shekarchi responded: “We will not only sever that hand, but we will set their world on fire and leave them no safe haven in the region.”

But Rabbi Anava identified Iran’s true weapon: Turkey. “My hunch is that Iran’s secret weapon is Turkey,” he said. “That’s going to be the next big problem.”

The rabbi cited the Rabbeinu Bachya, a commentary on the Torah written by Rabbi Bachya ben Asher (1255–1340) in Spain, who explicitly identifies Edom (the Christian world) as falling to Persia (Iran) in the end times. “The Rabbeinu Bachya states that the Christians will be like blind people—they won’t even see how the Muslims are taking over them,” he said. “And sure enough, in the last 50 years, Europe didn’t see this happening.”

The statistics are damning. Muslims have transformed European demographics. “Go now to Denmark, Sweden, London, Paris, Spain, Amsterdam—the Muslims have essentially taken over Europe,” Rabbi Anava said. “All statistics say that by 2030-2050, Europe will be Muslim.”

America follows the same trajectory. “It started with a Muslim president—Barack Hussein Obama, who was born in Kenya, not even an American-born citizen,” the rabbi stated. “Now you have a Muslim mayor in the most powerful city in the world—New York. He’s a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, meaning he’s pledged allegiance to become a martyr.”

New York Mayor Eric Adams removed four laws protecting Jews on his first day in office. He canceled protections that made BDS illegal and removed security from synagogues and Jewish schools. Antisemitic incidents in New York City reached 330 in 2025—57% of all hate crimes, targeting Jews every 26 hours despite Jews comprising only 10% of the population.

Turkey’s role is becoming clearer. Recent reports confirm that Erdogan’s government struck an agreement with Iran to arrest anti-regime protesters on Turkish soil. NewsNation sources revealed that Turkey will detain Iranian dissidents, who are then extradited and executed in Iran. Turkish President Erdogan stated he would “stand against any initiative” that disrupts the Islamist regime in Iran, calling them “our brothers.”

Rabbi Anava referenced the Talmudic debate about Togarmah, a descendant of Noah. “In the Midrash, the sages debate: one opinion says Paras (Persia), the second opinion says that Togarmah is Turkey. According to the Talmud, Turkey is the nation that will cause problems.”

The Palestinian Authority now maintains 60,000 officers—triple the 20,000 permitted under the Oslo Agreement. Half are trained soldiers who were trained in Turkey. Meanwhile, reports emerged of 50-70 Chinese cargo planes landing in Iran within three hours, delivering unknown quantities of weapons.

Why Is Hashem Doing This?

Rabbi Anava cut through the geopolitical analysis to reveal the purpose. “Now comes the big question: Why is Hashem doing all this?”

He compared it to the ten plagues in Egypt. Hashem could have simply removed the Jews from bondage instantly. Instead, He orchestrated a public spectacle demonstrating His power to all nations.

“If you’re looking at what’s going on in the world and it doesn’t bother you at all, there’s a big problem,” the rabbi said. “If you see what’s going on and it raises questions, then the main question needs to be: Why is Hashem showing us this?”

The answer is direct. “So we will do teshuvah (repentance). Everything you see is for you to repent.”

Hashem is saying: “The redemption is coming. The wheels are in motion. Everything has started. You cannot reverse the situation. Decrees are set. The timeline is all set. Everything is prepared. You cannot be sleeping right now.”

The Urgency of Repentance

Rabbi Anava’s message intensified. “The reason why you all have a rollercoaster of disasters in your life is only to set you straight,” he said. “Because when the storm comes, only those holding onto Hashem will survive.”

He warned of earthquakes predicted for northern Israel but identified them as divine wake-up calls. “Hashem is taking many actions for you to wake up and do teshuvah. That’s it. It’s not for anything else.”

Trump, Netanyahu, Erdogan—all are merely pawns on Hashem’s chessboard. “They don’t decide anything. Hashem decides everything. Hashem is moving everything. All the wars you see were predicted, all written.”

The rabbi posed the critical question: “If the redemption came today, are you ready?”

He answered immediately. “No—you see how quickly I answered? Because you’re not ready for the redemption. I guarantee neither you nor I am ready. No one is ready.”

Time Accelerates

Rabbi Anava pointed to the accelerating pace of time itself as proof. “You know what day it is today? Thursday. It was just Sunday a minute and a half ago. Doesn’t it look weird to you? The week just goes by like that.”

He noted that everyone—Jews and non-Jews alike—feels this acceleration. “Everyone feels time accelerating. They just don’t understand what it means. The world is on fast forward. It’s like when you listen to WhatsApp messages at 2x speed. Hashem just made the world go times two in speed. That’s Hashem telling you: it’s coming.”

Physical preparedness is lacking. “Let’s say hypothetically, tonight they attack Iran, and tonight nuclear missiles go out, and tonight the war begins. Are you ready? Can you live in darkness for two weeks? Do you have food? Do you have batteries? Your phone will die in 3 hours, and you’ll have nothing.”

More importantly, spiritual preparedness is absent. “Corona came like that. October 7th came like that. The next one is coming too. You’re not prepared physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually.”

Personal Suffering as Divine Education

Rabbi Anava connected individual suffering to the need for repentance. “All the problems you’re dealing with—your financial issues, emotional issues, health issues, all the pressure you’re going through—it’s to get you ready for the redemption because you’re not doing it yourself.”

Financial struggles are epidemic. “Most people have financial issues right now—rich or poor, it doesn’t matter. Most people find it very hard to finish the month. Take that as a reference for where you need to repent.”

He identified specific sins. “Obviously, you have something going on there—whether you steal, you cheat, you engage in lashon hara (slander), you commit defamation. This is your indication.”

The rabbi was particularly harsh about slander among observant Jews. “I’ve seen people who pray three times a day, and they still speak lashon hara. I don’t understand that. You observe Shabbat, eat kosher, learn Torah, pray three times a day—and you speak slander? Something’s wrong.”

He traced specific consequences to specific sins. “You’re going through hardship because you did something. And the reason you’re receiving that hardship now is that Hashem wants to educate you. You did something—that’s the result. Repent quickly.”

The Imperative of Aliyah

Rabbi Anava issued a powerful call for Jews to move to Israel. “From this day on, focus only on your teshuvah—not on your money, not on anything else. Only on how you’re holding with Hashem.”

He acknowledged the problematic founding of the State of Israel. “Even though the State of Israel was declared by a corrupt organization (the United Nations) and Zionism was against Torah, nevertheless, the fact is we did come back to our land. That is Kibbutz Galuyot (ingathering of exiles).”

Denmark’s Prime Minister recently demanded that Israel be removed from all international platforms—political, economic, everything. “If I were Prime Minister of Israel, I would send three missiles to Denmark right now,” Rabbi Anava said. “You’re telling me I need to be eliminated? Here are my missiles. I guarantee no other nations would ever say anything again to Jews.”

The writing is on the wall. “We know all nations will go against us. But now there’s no shame—now the intentions are written on the wall where they tell you straight to your face.”

The spiritual benefit of aliyah is critical. “I push everybody to go to Israel—not only because of the dangers waiting for you outside, but because the more Jewish observant, Torah-observant people live in the land of Israel, the more powerful we are spiritually.”

Demographic reality weakens Israel. 

“Right now, to be fair, about 50% of Jews living in Israel don’t observe Shabbat. The land is angry. We’re not allowed to desecrate Shabbat on this land. We need to raise the ratio. If 80% observe Shabbat on the land, imagine how powerful we get. We won’t need an army if we have enough observant Jews in the land of Israel.”

The Global Threat to Jews

Rabbi Anava delivered a chilling assessment. “Nowhere is safe anymore for Jews—whether now, a month from now, two months from now, or half a year from now. There will not be one safe place in the world for Jews.”

The statistics support this warning. In 2025, the World Zionist Organization documented 20 Jews killed in antisemitic attacks worldwide, with thousands more incidents. The Anti-Defamation League recorded 9,354 antisemitic incidents in America in 2024—a 5% increase from 2023 and the highest number since tracking began in 1979. Physical assaults rose 21%.

“Just in the last 2-3 months, from the attack in Sydney until today, there have been thousands—not hundreds, thousands—of anti-Semitic attacks, from spray paint to physical attacks to murder,” the rabbi said.

He drew the comparison to pre-Holocaust Germany. “In the last 2-3 weeks, I’ve collected maybe 400 pictures and reports from all over the world—America, Canada, Australia, Bulgaria—just of spray-painting graffiti of swastikas and ‘Jews get out.’ That looks normal to you? It’s not normal. You know why? Because that’s how Germany looked in 1938.”

The mechanism is identical. “You accept the swastikas and spray-painting and ‘Jews get out’ and all that. You don’t stand up. Nobody does anything. Then… I don’t want to continue saying it, but that’s what’s going to happen.”

The Month of Shevat and Tu B’Shevat

Rabbi Anava noted the timing. “Two days ago, we entered a very powerful month. The zodiac sign is Aquarius—in Hebrew, it’s called D’li (bucket).”

The month of Shevat represents beginnings. “The advantage of the month of Shevat is like a seed starting to grow in the ground. It’s the beginning of growth. You don’t see anything, but it started. That’s the month where you can start growing anything you want. You can start the rebirth process.”

Tu B’Shevat arrives in a few days. “I highly recommend you take it seriously and not pass it as a regular day. There’s a Tu B’Shevat Seder we do—some compare it to the same equivalent spiritual power as the Pesach Seder. That’s how seriously one needs to take it.”

The holiday connects to personal transformation. “The Torah says, ‘the man is compared to the tree from the field.’ The Torah is called the tree of life. You now have… to get yourself ready to a very high level of teshuvah.”

The First Light of Redemption

Rabbi Anava issued a final warning about the nature of redemption. “The first spark of redemption will be such a huge light that whoever didn’t repent the right way, that light will eliminate them, and they won’t have any place in this world.”

This applies universally. “It has nothing to do with Jew or non-Jew. It has to do with how you’re dealing with yourself in the world during the time of exile.”

The disasters will intensify. “The disasters will become more and more. Your rollercoaster in your own life has just started because that’s going to continue until the day of redemption. So it’s not going to get better.”

He referenced Jacob’s story. “Finally, he wanted to relax after years of exile in Haran and years of headaches. Boom—Yosef gets kidnapped. Jacob says, ‘What did I ask? I’m a tzaddik (righteous man) in my 90s. I want to relax.’ Hashem says, ‘Relax? Relax? I didn’t send you to the world to relax.’”

The message is clear. “Don’t think you’re going to find any relaxation in the next 2-3 years. Hashem is not designing the world now for you to relax. Hashem is designing the world for you to be right now walking on your toes—not in fear, but in great expectation of current events that are going to come and evolve.”

The choice determines everything. “You can see it with your own eyes. You can see it with fear, or you can see it with a smile. You can see the redemption evolving and be under emotional collapse, or just stand from the side and say, ‘Wow.’ It all depends on your repentance.”

The Only Protection

Rabbi Anava’s conclusion was uncompromising. “All the current affairs are important and interesting, but really, it’s what you do with it. If you pass another class and another world event and another terror attack and nothing changes in your life, you’re in a bad place—you’re in big trouble.”

The enemy is complacency. “That’s exactly what Amalek wants to do: numb you, make you think the situation is okay. But the reality is nothing is okay.”

Protection comes from one source alone. “The only thing that will protect you from today onward is your Torah, your mitzvot, your good deeds, and your teshuvah. And Hashem is doing all this only for us to wake up and do teshuvah. That’s the only reason.”

He rejected false comfort. “A lot of people say, ‘That’s not fair’ or ‘Hashem wouldn’t do it to us.’ Remember the Holocaust 80 years ago? There were many other holocausts too—you’re just not educated. Every hundred years there’s a holocaust.”

The historical pattern is undeniable. “If Hashem did that to us in Egypt, in the siege of Jerusalem where the Talmud says people were eating each other, rivers of blood—do you have the arrogance and stupidity to say ‘Hashem wouldn’t do this to us’? Don’t be naive.”

Hashem’s mercy is the opportunity to repent. “Hashem is being kind to us, saying: ‘I’m bringing the redemption with or without you—without suffering or with suffering. Join.’”

Rabbi Anava’s final words carried urgency. “Stop whining about all your problems. That’s what’s cleansing you. Get closer to Hashem. You’ll see the problems will reduce. That’s how it works.”