Listening to a Newsmax morning program on June 29, I heard an interesting proposition that struck deeply into my “watchman on the wall” perspective.
A US general was being interviewed by the program host. They were deeply discussing the president’s dealings with the Iranian regime’s negotiators—that is, with the few who are left to negotiate.
There are, the host and general agreed, two distinct negotiating elements within Iran. That is, apparently, this is true.
The general and the host again agreed. One element seems to be the diplomatic side that has signed onto the so-called MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) regarding that the regime agrees to the following: 1) Iran will no longer pursue a nuclear weapons program; and 2) The Strait of Hormuz will now be completely open to ship movement without any interference by Iranian assaults. At the same time, there are the fanatic IRG militants who continue to try to interfere with shipping in the Strait, and who do not agree to allow American or international investigators into Iran to inspect and remove Iran’s nuclear materials and nuclear production materials.
The general laid out how President Trump had just ordered a very strong strike against launch sites and other military and radar facilities in response to the Iranian violation of the ceasefire agreement by firings at a ship entering the Strait. (There have since been other retaliatory strikes.)
The general said Trump’s patience was wearing thin. He said something to the effect that the Iranians had better recognize the benefits of the president’s patient dealing through the diplomatic process, because they would find Trump’s losing patience to be something they would very much not like—implying that America’s action in that case would be far worse than Midnight Hammer, the code name of the action that initiated the whole matter.
Then the general said something that really hit. He said if the regime didn’t completely comply with the MOA they had signed, we might in the future be calling the nation Persia, not Iran. I took this to mean that because Iran would be militarily destroyed as the IRG, the nation’s name would be changed back to its ancient name.
It’s one of the most confusing signs that we live in the last days. Just when we think the Middle East war is heading in one direction and can imagine how that might lead to the Gog/Magog war of Ezekiel 38-39, everything changes. Sometimes it’s a ceasefire; at other times it’s the resumption of bombing. It might be easier to nail Jello to a wall than to predict what might happen with this war in the coming weeks.
As believers, we recognize the demonic motivations of the Iranian leadership that lie behind all the broken deals and the on-again and off-again bombings. It is not a rational mindset, not at all, but one that seeks to destroy Israel by any means necessary and at any cost. Deception, lying, and murder are all perfectly acceptable to the Islamic regime.
Has the broken Memo of Understanding (MOU) with Iran brought President Trump closer to this realization? It’s highly doubtful he recognizes the demonic spirit of Iran’s leaders, but he’s clearly frustrated. Amir Tsarfati, in a recent Telegram post, quoted the President as saying this about them: “The Iranian regime guys are scum, sick people, vicious, violent people, cuckoo, liars.” His opinion has definitely changed from a few weeks ago when he praised Iran’s leaders. Will he ever trust them again?
His most recent change of heart toward the Islamic state comes in response to its attacks on several commercial ships sailing through the Strait of Hormuz. As a result, the US has resumed bombing key targets in Iran, including Kharag Island, as suggested by Benjamin Netanyahu.
How Close Are We?
When this war began earlier this year, like other students of Bible prophecy, I wondered how the overthrow of the Islamic government would impact the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38-39. That all changed when the bombing stopped and the MOU allowed the current Iranian to remain in power with money and time to rebuild their missile program and continue their nuclear ambitions.
But now, it’s anyone’s guess as to what might happen next. We know that the Islamic factions with Iran will remain strong enough to join Russia, Turkey, and others in the alliance that will someday invade Israel. But what will that look like?
Based on the ever-changing direction of the current war, however, it’s impossible to gauge the nearness of the Gog/Magog war with any precision. Does this confusion by itself point to the nearness of Jesus’ appearing? I believe it does.
The Rapture Will Change Everything
As with many other signs pointing to the nearness of the Tribulation, I’m beginning to see clearer than ever how the Rapture is the wildcard that will change everything regarding the how and the when of the Gog/Magog invasion of Israel. The Bible tells us that destruction will occur soon after our departure (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3), followed shortly by the unveiling of the antichrist on the world scene (2 Thessalonians 2:3-8). At the moment, it’s not possible to predict exactly how these dramatic world-changing events will set the stage for the future all-out attack on Israel.
What we do know is that, after the Rapture, the US will cease to be a world power, as evidenced by its absence in Bible prophecy. The disappearance of a multitude of believers will have an immediate weakening effect, as will the “sudden destruction” that will come upon our departure. As for America, earthquakes and volcanoes might contribute to its downfall. Geologists continually warn of widespread catastrophes as a result of these things that they say might happen in the near future in the US.
Might the US suffer a major defeat via a nuclear attack close to the time of the Rapture? That’s also entirely possible given its rising tensions with Russia and China.
Even though I cannot explain the specifics of the how and when of the Gog/Magog war, the alignment of the nations combined with Israel’s prosperity closely track with Ezekiel’s prophecy. Despite the march toward its fulfillment that’s so very evident, certain questions remain:
- When will Israel experience the state of peace described in the prophecy?
- Why a land invasion when modern warfare relies on bombs and drones?
- After suffering so many losses in its war with Ukraine, why will Russia join the invading forces?
Years ago, I thought it was possible for the Gog/Magog war to happen before the Rapture. Now, however, I believe the rapidly changing post-Rapture world will resolve the unanswered questions listed above. It’s not just the march toward the Gog/Magog conflict that signals the nearness of the Rapture, I believe it’s also the confusing Middle East war that points to Jesus’ soon appearing.
Everything is at the ready for the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38-39; the only missing spark is what will happen after we meet Jesus in the air.
