It’s a wonder of wonders, a miracle of miracles!

No, despite the title, I am not about to burst into song. Yet witnessing what is going on in Israel and the surrounding nations of the Middle East is nothing short of nissim v’niflaot (miracles, and wonders)! We have had a front row seat to events that have not just changed the map and geopolitics but arguably have profoundly changed the course of history.

And what is astounding is that we, the Jewish people, have previously been witness to such a nahafoch hu (reversal of events) that has taken us from despair to jubilation. In fact, the prior fortunate reversals included many of the same nations and geography we are dealing with now. What’s more, all of this has been prophesied, and our generation for some inexplicable reason has been zoche (worthy) to see it now unfold before our eyes.

The prophecies are recorded in sefer Zecharia, chapter 9. For the last three months, several of my columns have dealt with these very prophecies and their respective biblical verses. To recount:

•On Sept. 17, 2024 (14 Elul), the war with Hezbollah in Lebanon was heating up, resulting in the brilliant exploding beeper decimation of Hezbollah fighters. Ten days later, Nasrallah was killed, despite being 14 floors below ground, in a heavily fortified bunker.

The appropriate verses are 2, 3 and 4: “Tyre and Sidon (cities in Lebanon), though she is very wise. … Tyre built herself a fortification; she amassed silver like dirt ($500 million was found beneath the rubble and taken back to Israel) and fine gold like the mud of the street. Behold the L-rd will impoverish her and He will strike her wealth with the sea, and it will be consumed by fire.”

After the Iranian attack on Israel on the eve of Rosh Hashana, we witnessed the Israel Arrow defense system, knock out Iranian missiles, some sent from Yemen. About 200 missiles, and though alarm sirens howled throughout the country, not a single Jew was killed, not one! (only one Palestinian Arab in Jericho, who was originally from Gaza).

The corresponding verse, 14: “Hashem will appear to them and His arrow will go forth like lightning; and the Lord/Hashem will blow with a shofar (the alarm sirens) and go forth in southern (written “teiman,” which is also Yemen in Hebrew) storms.

And verse 15: “Hashem, Master of Legions will protect them…” That is exactly what happened!

•As fighting in Gaza raged on, the search for the evil Sinwar was finally ended on Oct. 16 (14Tishrei), erev Sukkot, when he was killed in a battle in a purportedly empty building. The appropriate verse, 5: V’avad melech meiaza (a king will perish from Gaza.”

You can’t get more clear than that.

• • •

For the unexpected fall of Assad and the collapse of Syria, we turn to the first verse of the chapter: “The prophecy of the word of Hashem in the land of Hadrach, with Damascus His resting place.”

The verse is obscure and hard to comprehend so we turn to the mefarshim, commentators such as the Radak, who quote the midrash: Rabi Yossi ben Dormaskit said, “and how do I understand “and Damascus is his resting place?” That Jerusalem is destined to extend until Damascus. “Resting place” is Jerusalem, as written in Psalms 132:19: “This (Jerusalem) is My resting place forever.” Israeli soldiers are now in Syria, near Damascus, for the first time in over 50 years!

•But the best is yet to come! Look at verses 9,10,11 and 12. I will quote only portions:

(9) “Gili me’od bat Tziyon (Rejoice greatly O’ daughter of Zion!) Shout for joy, O’ daughter of Jerusalem! For behold your king (Melech HaMoshiach) will come to you, righteous, and victorious is he, a humble man riding upon a donkey.”

(10) “I will eliminate any (battle) chariot from Ephraim and any (war) horse from Jerusalem … and he will speak peace to the nations.”

(11) “Also you, through the blood of your covenant (the brit milah) I will have released your prisoners (the hostages!) from the pit in which there is no water.”

(12) “Return to the Fortress (Jerusalem), O’ prisoners of Hope!

While we await the culmination of these prophecies, we are being told that we are on the threshold of the redemption, geulah, the coming of Moshiach!

You know, I take it back. I will sing — and fulfill another prophecy: “Rhen our mouths will be filled with laughter and our tongues glad song” (Psalms 126:2).

Shabbat Shalom 

Dr. Alan A. Mazurek is a retired neurologist, living in Great Neck, Jerusalem and Florida. He is a former chairman of the ZOA. To reach him, write: Columnist@TheJewishStar.com