In Prophecy Update Number 6 we discussed the military buildup by Israel in her Negev wilderness. The Negev is the wilderness of Revelation 12:6, to which the woman, who is Israel, will flee in the tribulation period: "And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days." Within the foreseeable future, Syria will lead an Islamic array of nations against Israel. The well coordinated effort of these nations, aided by the Palestinians within Israel, will be able to initially defeat the woman Israel, and she will be forced to remain in the Negev for three and one-half prophetic years, or 1260 days. According to Zechariah 13:9 to 14:2, only one-third of Israel will make it into the Negev, and the city of Jerusalem will fall to the Islamic conglomerate: "[9] And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God. [1] Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. [2] For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city." Considering the present number of Jews in Israel, about 4.8 million, if the attack were to occur now, that would mean about 1.6 million Jews would be hedged in the Negev for 1260 days. If the attack were to occur in the distant future that number could reach 2 million. I really do not expect such an attack to occur this year, because it has to first be secretly coordinated behind closed doors, between several Arab nations confederate with Syria, and with the terrorist groups they control. This will take several years. I feel confident the attack will not occur before 2003, but I do believe it will occur before 2012, with the most likely time being between 2004 and 2005. But if 1.6 to 2 million Jews are to survive in the Negev, they must have enough water and food to sustain them for 3 and ½ prophetic years. Has God already been instrumental in assuring they will have it? More on this in Prophecy Update Number 8.