Events in and around the Straits of Hormuz rivet the attention of the international community powers that be. Even more, the goings-on there draw intense interest from those who observe end-times prophetic signs.
The diplomatic elite fear escalation of hostilities that might bring about all-out warfare in the Middle East. Bible prophecy students wonder exactly what the sudden eruption might mean with regard to the denouement of the Church Age.
The Strait of Hormuz is a passage through the Persian Gulf area that is most heavily traversed. One-fifth of the world’s oil moves on tankers through the strait. If the channel was blocked, the world’s supply of oil–particularly that of Europe–would be severely affected.
It has long been feared that a diabolist regime such as that of present-day Iran might precipitate a conflict in the region that would draw all nations into the resultant conflagration.
The United States, we are told, no longer has to worry about its own oil supplies. According to even anti-Trump experts, America is now totally petroleum self-sufficient because of the executive action Trump has taken since becoming president. He was instrumental in opening up much of the production of petroleum in counteracting restrictions placed on U.S. drilling and production by the Obama administration.
Even so, America is the one national agent with naval power strong enough to successfully intervene in the attempts of Iran to control the Strait–thus to help protect supplies needed by allies. Iran is in close proximity and claims much of the body of water in the region as its own territorial waters.
Iran is accused of sabotaging four tankers in the strait last month. The current actions are seen by the Trump administration as deliberate attempts to put pressure on the U.S. to lift the extremely heavy sanctions the president placed on the Iranian regime. Iran is said to be suffering greatly because of the sanctions in their business within the international community. The mullahs’ power to maintain control over the Iranian people, thus, it is thought, might be part of the reason for Iran’s stepped-up assaults.
Japanese oil tankers were interfered with, and in the latest blow-up–as of this writing–the Iranians shot down a U.S. $100-plus-million spy drone charged with keeping watch over Iran’s activities in the region. An attack in retaliation was planned by America’s military, but the president stopped it at the last moment because, according to Mr. Trump, the attack would likely kill 150 people or more and was not “proportionate to shooting down an unmanned drone.”
Where this will end is a matter of much conjecture. I’ve read many postulations on what this might all mean, prophetically speaking. None of us know, of course, but I, too, have a bit of cogitation on the matter running through the neuron-to-neuron synapses.
Could it be there’s another reason the Trump administration–the president–did not go through with a retaliatory strike, at least not as of the time of this writing? Might the thinking be centered around a much more profound purpose? Could the strike be delayed because he wants to give the ayatollahs enough rope to hang themselves? That is, might the thinking be that by allowing Iran to show its unbridled hostility, a case might be soon made–and accepted by a to-this-point reluctant international community–that action must be taken to avoid a much greater conflict? One that would be nuclear?
The real object of concern in all this is Iran’s determination to get nuclear weapons. They have broken most all agreements and have gone ahead with their developments of their nuclear program. This was true even before Trump withdrew America from the “nuclear deal” made by American Secretary of State Jon Kerry during the Obama administration.
Trump said it was a disastrous deal and he has repeatedly declared that Iran will not get nuclear weapons. I’m just wondering out loud whether his patience in not retaliating at this time is because there are plans of much more significance. I’m thinking of the complete destruction of Iran’s nuclear program that is supposedly harbored within that nation’s mountainous areas. If so, the whole thing could have prophetic possibilities–considering the Elam prophecies, etc.
Even if there is interim military action against Iran’s aggressiveness–a real possibility–it seems that the Elam prophesies might loom in the near future. I was listening to my friend Phillip Goodman’s latest YouTube offering. He presented some fascinating points about what’s currently going on within that area known in biblical terms as Persia. I recommend that you check it out. Here is the link:
He points out in his lecture that God called Persian leader and King Cyrus by name a couple of centuries before that king came to Israel’s rescue and freed it from Babylonian captivity. God actually named Cyrus! Here is the Scripture. Keep in mind that God is speaking to Israel, then to Cyrus, whom He names more than a century before Cyrus was born!
Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself; That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish; That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof: That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers: That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut; I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else. (Isaiah 44:24-45:6)
God tells this godless king that there is no other God but the God of Israel. Again, He announces this to Cyrus, by name, more than a century before the Persian leader was born.
Israel was permitted then, through Nehemiah, to later rebuild the Temple and restore Jerusalem, just as this prophecy foretells. What a Mighty God!
The people of modern-day Israel who hold to Jewish traditions and are considered religious Jews have embraced Donald J. Trump as a modern-day Cyrus. They have even minted a coin to that effect. Certainly, this president being brought into prominence on the world stage, considering all stage-setting we see for prophetic fulfillment, must be more than coincidence. Big things are afoot at this late hour!
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