Taliban Seizes Kunduz Fortress Despite NATO Intervention

The Taliban have seized the Bala Hisar fortress in the northern Afghan city of Kunduz. The fighters achieved the victory, despite NATO airstrikes and government efforts. More than 40 people died and 330 were injured in the fighting, including civilians. Many others have fled from the provincial capital.

This is the biggest coup for the Taliban since 2001, led by the group’s new leader Mullah Mansour. They have emptied safe deposit boxes at banks, seized weapons and vehicles, and released prisoners. It was also a public relations victory. Kunduz is one of Afghanistan’s richest cities. It is also a key transportation hub.

Now the Kunduz airport is the last stronghold of the military, since the Taliban was unable to capture it.

The U.S. government has admitted the Taliban victory as a setback, but remained optimistic the Afghan forces could retake the city.

But experts warn that Pul-i-Kumri, which is north of Kabul, could be the next area targeted by the Taliban, if the security forces don’t push them back in the next few days. Two units of the Afghan local police have surrendered their bases outside the city. Many resident have also left.

No predictions here other than generalities. Much is recorded in scripture and confimation of their accuracy found in history. For example, the first part of the Daniel's vision recorded 200 years before it happened in Chp. 8, was the rise of Alexander the Great and his successful conquest of the Persian empire.

The prophecies themselves are hard to understand. Many times you find yourself comparing one to another to gain better insight into their meaning.

I'm not sure the Almighty intended for us to know all the details in the first place and for good reason. If we know, then Satan or whatever dark force in whatever form that exists would also know. We're told he/she/it knows time for action will be short. Therefore I can understand the purpose for keeping the end of this age hidden for as long as possible.

In the angel Gabriel's interpretation of Daniel's end time vision in (Daniel 8), he mentions the lands east, south, and west to the "Beautiful Land (Israel)", would come under the control of a kingdom that rises from one of the four kingdoms of the divided empire which came about after the death of Alexander.

(Above: Kingdoms of the Diadochi in 281 BC: the Ptolemaic Kingdom (dark blue), the Seleucid Empire (yellow), Kingdom of Pergamon (orange), and Macedonia (green). Also shown are the Roman Republic (light blue), the Carthaginian Republic (purple), and the Kingdom of Epirus (red).)

Antiochus IV Epiphanes (his name means "God Manifest") was a king of one of these called the Seleucid Empire. And around 167 BC, he sacked Jerusalem and horribily persecuted the Jews.

" 2 Maccabees 5 ...massacre of young and old, a killing of women and children, a slaughter of virgins and infants. In the space of three days, eighty thousand were lost, forty thousand meeting a violent death, and the same number being sold into slavery..."

Are the above ancestors of the end time invaders of the land of Israel, Daniel saw in his vision? In my own mind, I'm not sure but continue to research it from time to time.

For now I'm just trying to understand who or what this kingdom represents. Is it a nation, belief, or a form of government even?!

Eschatology is a fascinating study!

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.