Hoshanna Rabbah, the last day of Chol Hamoed (the intermediate days) of Sukkoth, is prophesied to be the beginning of the pre-Messiah War of Gog and Magog, an event that will be accompanied by unprecedented sights and sounds. So it was particularly concerning when an Israel365 News correspondent spotted an inexplicable white apparition hovering near the Dome of the Rock.

As a resident of the Mount of Olives, Israel365 News correspondent Joshua Wander sees the Tempel Mount from his living room window. So when he joined a prayer event on the Mount of Olive, Wander was surprised to see a nebulous white shape hovering in the air adjacent to the Dome of the Rock.

Wander inquired about the apparition from people who had been on the Temple Mount at the time of the sighting and none reported seeing anything out of the ordinary.

It should be noted that directly under the apparition are the Hebrew letters spelling out the tetragrammaton in vegetation on the wall of the Temple Mount that has been previously reported in Israel365 News.

It should be remembered that on Hoshanna Rabbah in 2018, Josh Wander spotted a strange white mist rising from precisely the same location. Such appearances being spotted on the morning of Hoshanna Rabbah are considered particularly auspicious as Midrash Talpiot compiled by Elijah ben Solomon Abraham ha-Kohen of Smyrna in the 17th century states that the War of Gog and Magog will begin three hours before the dawn on the final day of Chol Hamoed Sukkoth.  The battle will last three hours, and then the Messiah will begin to appear. This war is accompanied by flames and smoke as was hinted at in Psalms.

Hashem is in its midst, it will not be toppled; by daybreak…He puts a stop to wars throughout the earth, breaking the bow, snapping the spear, consigning wagons to the flames. Psalms 46:6-10

Wander also spotted a group of Jewish men who had arrived at the Shaar Harachamim (gate of mercy) for the special Hoshanna Rabba prayers.

According to Jewish tradition, the Shekhinah (שכינה) (Divine Presence) used to appear through the Eastern Gate and will appear again when the Messiah arrives., he will do so via Sha’ar HaRachamim. Out of a mistaken belief that Jewish tradition speaks of the Messiah being from the priestly caste, the Ottomans built a cemetery in front of the gate in order to prevent the Jewish Messiah from arriving.