On Friday, September 11 there will be a "National Town Hall Meeting" on the threat of radical Islam and the Church's response. This webcast will include a film which will be shown to the national audience, followed by a Q and A as directed to Joel Rosenberg.
This webcast will be shown at Sunrise Church, NC, located at the NE corner of I-40 and New Hope Church Rd. between Hillsborough and Chapel Hill. Following the conclusion of the webcast there will be a general discussion at the church Link Here, where I will attempt to answer any related questions and assist in any discussions. It should be an interesting and enlightening evening.
Joel Rosenberg's website, which has more information on this event is linked here.
The webcast begins at 7:00 pm.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Monday, September 7, 2009
UN Says New Currency and Global Bank Is Needed
In a Bloomberg article today "UN Says New Currency Is Needed to Fix Broken 'Confidence Game'" we see more movement towards a central currency and a global bank.
I can recall prophecy scholars who were scoffed at, only a few brief years ago, when they suggested that the world was moving towards a central currency as led by a central bank. The basis for this prophetic view are the scriptures which detail the anti-christ and the false prophet controlling finance and using this control to require all people to receive the "Mark of the Beast" in order to buy and sell anything. Such control would obviously involve a "centralized" mechanism and a central currency, on a world-wide basis. The European Union established a model of how this would be done when they converted the various member state currencies into the Euro.
Quotes from the article:
"UN countries should agree on the creation of a global reserve bank to issue the currency."
"The 45-year-old UN group, run by former World Trade Organization chief Supachai Panitchpakdi, "promotes integration of developing countries in the world economy," according to its Web site. Emerging-market nations should consider restricting capital mobility until a new system is in place, the groups said."
None of these ideas, on their own are "bad". In fact, these proposals make a lot of sense in today's economy. But that doesn't negate the fact that the road continues to be paved for the anti-christ to appear and quickly consolidate his power. Much of the work that could have taken place during the early part of the Tribulation is already occuring.
The stage is being set for the appearance of the anti-christ and the beginning of the Tribulation. But before these two events occur, we know from bible prophecy that the Church will have exited the world - fulfilling the prophecies of 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-52.
As they say, when you begin to see Christmas decorations in the stores, you know that Thanksgiving is near!
Similarly, when we see the signs that the Tribulation is close, then we know that the Rapture of the Church is even closer.
Maranatha!
I can recall prophecy scholars who were scoffed at, only a few brief years ago, when they suggested that the world was moving towards a central currency as led by a central bank. The basis for this prophetic view are the scriptures which detail the anti-christ and the false prophet controlling finance and using this control to require all people to receive the "Mark of the Beast" in order to buy and sell anything. Such control would obviously involve a "centralized" mechanism and a central currency, on a world-wide basis. The European Union established a model of how this would be done when they converted the various member state currencies into the Euro.
Quotes from the article:
"UN countries should agree on the creation of a global reserve bank to issue the currency."
"The 45-year-old UN group, run by former World Trade Organization chief Supachai Panitchpakdi, "promotes integration of developing countries in the world economy," according to its Web site. Emerging-market nations should consider restricting capital mobility until a new system is in place, the groups said."
None of these ideas, on their own are "bad". In fact, these proposals make a lot of sense in today's economy. But that doesn't negate the fact that the road continues to be paved for the anti-christ to appear and quickly consolidate his power. Much of the work that could have taken place during the early part of the Tribulation is already occuring.
The stage is being set for the appearance of the anti-christ and the beginning of the Tribulation. But before these two events occur, we know from bible prophecy that the Church will have exited the world - fulfilling the prophecies of 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-52.
As they say, when you begin to see Christmas decorations in the stores, you know that Thanksgiving is near!
Similarly, when we see the signs that the Tribulation is close, then we know that the Rapture of the Church is even closer.
Maranatha!
"...you will be hated by all nations because of me"
Christian persecution was one of the end times signs that Jesus warned us about. In the Olivet Discourse, given in Matthew 24, Jesus gave the following statement:
"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other...Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold." (Matthew 24:9-12).
Persecution is a story that could be told on a daily basis, with extensive references. I am guilty, as most of us are, of not covering this story more frequently. Insulated from most forms of persecution in the U.S., its hard to imagine a world in which even the mention of Christianity can have you imprisioned and tortured. When I was a medical intern at the University of Florida, I met a physician who had escaped from Cuba and his stories of Christian persecution in Cuba were horrifying.
As mentioned before on this blog, the various Christian organizations who track persecution all estimate that approximately 150,000 Christians are killed annually, simply for practicing their faith. A stunning number - but what is more stunning is the silence from the media on this topic. Perhaps even more disturbing is the ongoing silence from the Church on this topic.
Just taking one glimpse of daily headlines from "persecution.com" also known as "Voice of the Martyrs" reveals the following disturbing headlines:
"Uzbekistan: Believers Arrested"
"Belarus: Church Evicted"
"Nigeria: Pastors Beheaded"
"Bangladesh: Pastor Tortured by Police"
"Pakistan: Eight Believers Killed"
"China: Youth Camp Raided"
"Pakistan: Muslims Attack Christians"
"Eritrea: Christian Dies in Prison"
"China: Pastor Sent to Labor Camp"
"China: Persecution Increases"
"Iraq: Seven Churches Bombed"
And on and on it goes. This is just a small sample of the persecution occuring world-wide. We see it creeping into America as well, in more subtle ways, but forever increasing. Christians in the U.S. are marginalized, scoffed at, and ridiculed on a daily basis - so much that we have become accustomed to it and often accept it.
We must also remember what the words of prophecy have told us. As we approach the Tribulation, and as we watch the stage being set for the coming anti-christ, we know that evil will increase. Lets look at the scriptures.
"The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan..." (1 Thessalonians 9)
"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God - having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them." (2 Timothy 3:1-5).
The stage is being set for the arrival of the antichrist and the beginning of the Tribulation. The world is becoming darker and darker; but we were warned about this in the prophetic scriptures. We shouldn't expect otherwise, as the world needs to be prepared for the antichrist and his temporary rule. This "preparation" is ongoing and it will continue and become worse as we approach the Tribulation. In fact, Jesus further warned about the Tribulation in His Olivet Discourse:
"For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world..." (Matthew 24:21).
Fortunately, a literal view of the scriptures confirm that the Church will have been removed before this Tribulation begins (1 Thess. 1:10, 1 Thess. 5:9, 2 Peter 2:9, Revelation 3:10, etc.) in clear, unambiguous terms.
In the meanwhile, we must pray and pray for our brothers and sisters who are being persecuted at this very moment. Imprisioned, tortured, terrorized, starved, beheaded, churches burned, families separated - yet these courageous brothers and sisters continue to preach the gospel in these parts of the world.
Lets pray that God will give them strength and comfort as they endure this persecution. It should be part of our daily prayers.
But the story doesn't end there. Two closing thoughts:
1. God is watching and has promised eternal rewards for these brave Christians. According to Jesus:
"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven..." (Matthew 5:11-12).
and this:
"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you...If they persecuted me they will persecute you also...They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you." (John 15: 18-23 and John 16:3)
2. Even though we must currently witness the rise of world-wide evil, including the persecution of the Saints - in anticipation of the coming antichrist - we know how the story ends for the antichrist and his temporary reign:
"But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom..." (Daniel 7:26-27).
To close, the apostle Paul gave us encouraging words, found in 1 Corinthians 15:57-58:
"But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor is not in vain."
Maranatha!
"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other...Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold." (Matthew 24:9-12).
Persecution is a story that could be told on a daily basis, with extensive references. I am guilty, as most of us are, of not covering this story more frequently. Insulated from most forms of persecution in the U.S., its hard to imagine a world in which even the mention of Christianity can have you imprisioned and tortured. When I was a medical intern at the University of Florida, I met a physician who had escaped from Cuba and his stories of Christian persecution in Cuba were horrifying.
As mentioned before on this blog, the various Christian organizations who track persecution all estimate that approximately 150,000 Christians are killed annually, simply for practicing their faith. A stunning number - but what is more stunning is the silence from the media on this topic. Perhaps even more disturbing is the ongoing silence from the Church on this topic.
Just taking one glimpse of daily headlines from "persecution.com" also known as "Voice of the Martyrs" reveals the following disturbing headlines:
"Uzbekistan: Believers Arrested"
"Belarus: Church Evicted"
"Nigeria: Pastors Beheaded"
"Bangladesh: Pastor Tortured by Police"
"Pakistan: Eight Believers Killed"
"China: Youth Camp Raided"
"Pakistan: Muslims Attack Christians"
"Eritrea: Christian Dies in Prison"
"China: Pastor Sent to Labor Camp"
"China: Persecution Increases"
"Iraq: Seven Churches Bombed"
And on and on it goes. This is just a small sample of the persecution occuring world-wide. We see it creeping into America as well, in more subtle ways, but forever increasing. Christians in the U.S. are marginalized, scoffed at, and ridiculed on a daily basis - so much that we have become accustomed to it and often accept it.
We must also remember what the words of prophecy have told us. As we approach the Tribulation, and as we watch the stage being set for the coming anti-christ, we know that evil will increase. Lets look at the scriptures.
"The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan..." (1 Thessalonians 9)
"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God - having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them." (2 Timothy 3:1-5).
The stage is being set for the arrival of the antichrist and the beginning of the Tribulation. The world is becoming darker and darker; but we were warned about this in the prophetic scriptures. We shouldn't expect otherwise, as the world needs to be prepared for the antichrist and his temporary rule. This "preparation" is ongoing and it will continue and become worse as we approach the Tribulation. In fact, Jesus further warned about the Tribulation in His Olivet Discourse:
"For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world..." (Matthew 24:21).
Fortunately, a literal view of the scriptures confirm that the Church will have been removed before this Tribulation begins (1 Thess. 1:10, 1 Thess. 5:9, 2 Peter 2:9, Revelation 3:10, etc.) in clear, unambiguous terms.
In the meanwhile, we must pray and pray for our brothers and sisters who are being persecuted at this very moment. Imprisioned, tortured, terrorized, starved, beheaded, churches burned, families separated - yet these courageous brothers and sisters continue to preach the gospel in these parts of the world.
Lets pray that God will give them strength and comfort as they endure this persecution. It should be part of our daily prayers.
But the story doesn't end there. Two closing thoughts:
1. God is watching and has promised eternal rewards for these brave Christians. According to Jesus:
"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven..." (Matthew 5:11-12).
and this:
"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you...If they persecuted me they will persecute you also...They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you." (John 15: 18-23 and John 16:3)
2. Even though we must currently witness the rise of world-wide evil, including the persecution of the Saints - in anticipation of the coming antichrist - we know how the story ends for the antichrist and his temporary reign:
"But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom..." (Daniel 7:26-27).
To close, the apostle Paul gave us encouraging words, found in 1 Corinthians 15:57-58:
"But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor is not in vain."
Maranatha!
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Russian Roulette
Yet another interesting and germane commentary by Jan Markell.
As mentioned so many times on this blog, we are closely watching the developments of Russia, as the Russian army continues to grab more and more land in the country of Georgia, as their troops move further south. Georgia has the only pipeline in the immediate region that Russia does not control, and it seems clear that the intent is to secure this last pipeline, giving Russia complete dominance in the region over oil and gas.
However, a new problem has arisen for Russia, and that problem is the huge reserves of gas which have been discovered in Israel [One of many articles found here]. Not only does this discovery create energy independence for Israel, but Israel now represents a major threat to Russian plans for energy dominance in the region. Joel Rosenberg's book "Epicenter" does an excellent job in describing Russia's plans in the Middle-East, including full control of gas and oil.
This new discovery could very well be the "plunder" that Ezekiel described as the motivation for the Russian led invasion of Israel described in Ezekiel 38.
Jan Markell's commentary addresses this situation, link provided "Russian Roulette":
Russian Roulette
By Jan Markell
Russia has an evil intent, and she is going to be seriously wounded when she perpetrates it. Russia is regaining her old aggressiveness and brutality. White House correspondent Bill Koenig and I discussed it on air Saturday, March 21, on my live broadcast. We know this for sure: The Russian invasion of Israel has not yet happened. It is a future event but we don't know how future. It is often called the Gog-Magog War. According to Josephus, the ancient Scythians inhabited the land of Magog that is now Russia.
Here's what else we know from Ezekiel 38. Many Islamic nations will participate (verse 5). It is in the "latter days" (verses 8 and 16). Israel is "living securely" (verse 8). A major motive will be to seize Israel's wealth (verse 12). Many nations will object but will not get involved (verse 13). God is angry because forces are invading His land (verse 16). God raises severe judgment on the invaders (verse 22). Many nations are awed at this and recognize that He is Lord (verse 23).
The scenario in chapter 39 states that the devastation of the enemy will be great (verse 4). God will send fire upon the lands of some of those involved in this invasion of Israel (verse 6). God's holy name is made known in Israel, and they will know He is the Holy One of Israel (verse 7). Israel will burn weapons for seven years, which may indicate this is a Tribulation war (verse 9). Russia and her allies will be buried in Israel for seven months (verse 12). Israel will know that the Lord God of Israel orchestrated this. His glory is set among the nations and in Israel (verse 21). Israel will have some kind of spiritual awakening (verse 22). God will not hide His face from them any longer for He will pour out His Spirit on the house of Israel (verse 29). This should not be confused with "all Israel saved" at the Second Coming.
Since Bible prophecy is in a fast-forward mode, we need to be paying attention to major events taking place. One of the issues that those with their eye on the sky have wondered about is what is the wealth Israel possesses that is so vital that Gog (Russia) and her allies are willing to invade Israel to seize it. A story many seem to think significant is the fact that Israel has just discovered five trillion feet of natural gas off the shore of Haifa. And that is just for starters. It is believed there is much more soon to be tapped into, as well as oil not yet discovered in various parts of the country. Oil may be a speculation but the natural gas is a reality.
Russia needs natural gas! That was, in part, her reason for invading the former Soviet state of Georgia. Additionally, Russia is building seaports in Syria and Libya. Libya is one of the participants in this forthcoming war. Another participant -- Turkey -- is now more aligned with Russia than ever before. A primary participant in the Gog-Magog war is Iran who is always strengthening her ties with Russia.
As for other items of wealth or a "spoil" in Israel, we should include her Dead Sea assets and technological wealth. But it is the natural gas find that everyone should keep an eye on. This was the missing piece of the puzzle! And hardly anyone is paying attention to it. The media just says this will be a great asset for Israel as they are clueless about the Ezekiel 38-39 passage and how this find might apply to biblical prophecy.
Returning to the theme of the rapid escalation of events today, Dr. Thomas Ice says, "Things are moving so fast in the last six months that stage-setting events are happening at a speed no one person can keep up with. Prophecy is on fast-forward!"
Dr. Ice also says, "God's plan for history always moves forward in relation to what He is doing with Israel. Thus, the fact that Israel has been and continues to be reconstituted as a nation is prophetically significant, so significant that it makes Israel God's 'super-sign' of the end-times. Were Israel not a nation again it would be impossible for events of the end-time to occur since so many of them take place in that tiny country or in reference to her. But she has returned and so it is that all other aspects of Bible prophecy are also being prepared for the grand finale of history."
Yes, it is a tragedy that the church today does not care about this topic, but the Bible predicted scoffers near the end (II Peter 3:4). Too bad much of the scoffing is coming from church pulpits. And it grieves many of us that once-solid denominations and churches now embrace Replacement Theology that says the church is the new Israel. Nonetheless, in this dark day, keep looking up -- even if you get a stiff neck. Keep listening for the sound of a glorious trumpet! Stage-setting signs have never been so prolific! Not everyone has this blessed hope!
As mentioned so many times on this blog, we are closely watching the developments of Russia, as the Russian army continues to grab more and more land in the country of Georgia, as their troops move further south. Georgia has the only pipeline in the immediate region that Russia does not control, and it seems clear that the intent is to secure this last pipeline, giving Russia complete dominance in the region over oil and gas.
However, a new problem has arisen for Russia, and that problem is the huge reserves of gas which have been discovered in Israel [One of many articles found here]. Not only does this discovery create energy independence for Israel, but Israel now represents a major threat to Russian plans for energy dominance in the region. Joel Rosenberg's book "Epicenter" does an excellent job in describing Russia's plans in the Middle-East, including full control of gas and oil.
This new discovery could very well be the "plunder" that Ezekiel described as the motivation for the Russian led invasion of Israel described in Ezekiel 38.
Jan Markell's commentary addresses this situation, link provided "Russian Roulette":
Russian Roulette
By Jan Markell
Russia has an evil intent, and she is going to be seriously wounded when she perpetrates it. Russia is regaining her old aggressiveness and brutality. White House correspondent Bill Koenig and I discussed it on air Saturday, March 21, on my live broadcast. We know this for sure: The Russian invasion of Israel has not yet happened. It is a future event but we don't know how future. It is often called the Gog-Magog War. According to Josephus, the ancient Scythians inhabited the land of Magog that is now Russia.
Here's what else we know from Ezekiel 38. Many Islamic nations will participate (verse 5). It is in the "latter days" (verses 8 and 16). Israel is "living securely" (verse 8). A major motive will be to seize Israel's wealth (verse 12). Many nations will object but will not get involved (verse 13). God is angry because forces are invading His land (verse 16). God raises severe judgment on the invaders (verse 22). Many nations are awed at this and recognize that He is Lord (verse 23).
The scenario in chapter 39 states that the devastation of the enemy will be great (verse 4). God will send fire upon the lands of some of those involved in this invasion of Israel (verse 6). God's holy name is made known in Israel, and they will know He is the Holy One of Israel (verse 7). Israel will burn weapons for seven years, which may indicate this is a Tribulation war (verse 9). Russia and her allies will be buried in Israel for seven months (verse 12). Israel will know that the Lord God of Israel orchestrated this. His glory is set among the nations and in Israel (verse 21). Israel will have some kind of spiritual awakening (verse 22). God will not hide His face from them any longer for He will pour out His Spirit on the house of Israel (verse 29). This should not be confused with "all Israel saved" at the Second Coming.
Since Bible prophecy is in a fast-forward mode, we need to be paying attention to major events taking place. One of the issues that those with their eye on the sky have wondered about is what is the wealth Israel possesses that is so vital that Gog (Russia) and her allies are willing to invade Israel to seize it. A story many seem to think significant is the fact that Israel has just discovered five trillion feet of natural gas off the shore of Haifa. And that is just for starters. It is believed there is much more soon to be tapped into, as well as oil not yet discovered in various parts of the country. Oil may be a speculation but the natural gas is a reality.
Russia needs natural gas! That was, in part, her reason for invading the former Soviet state of Georgia. Additionally, Russia is building seaports in Syria and Libya. Libya is one of the participants in this forthcoming war. Another participant -- Turkey -- is now more aligned with Russia than ever before. A primary participant in the Gog-Magog war is Iran who is always strengthening her ties with Russia.
As for other items of wealth or a "spoil" in Israel, we should include her Dead Sea assets and technological wealth. But it is the natural gas find that everyone should keep an eye on. This was the missing piece of the puzzle! And hardly anyone is paying attention to it. The media just says this will be a great asset for Israel as they are clueless about the Ezekiel 38-39 passage and how this find might apply to biblical prophecy.
Returning to the theme of the rapid escalation of events today, Dr. Thomas Ice says, "Things are moving so fast in the last six months that stage-setting events are happening at a speed no one person can keep up with. Prophecy is on fast-forward!"
Dr. Ice also says, "God's plan for history always moves forward in relation to what He is doing with Israel. Thus, the fact that Israel has been and continues to be reconstituted as a nation is prophetically significant, so significant that it makes Israel God's 'super-sign' of the end-times. Were Israel not a nation again it would be impossible for events of the end-time to occur since so many of them take place in that tiny country or in reference to her. But she has returned and so it is that all other aspects of Bible prophecy are also being prepared for the grand finale of history."
Yes, it is a tragedy that the church today does not care about this topic, but the Bible predicted scoffers near the end (II Peter 3:4). Too bad much of the scoffing is coming from church pulpits. And it grieves many of us that once-solid denominations and churches now embrace Replacement Theology that says the church is the new Israel. Nonetheless, in this dark day, keep looking up -- even if you get a stiff neck. Keep listening for the sound of a glorious trumpet! Stage-setting signs have never been so prolific! Not everyone has this blessed hope!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Iran reaches nuclear milestone
Joel Rosenberg is reporting that Iran now has enough uranium to produce two nuclear bombs Story Here.
In this story, according to Dr. Dore Gold, a senior advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and author of several best-selling books about the Middle-East, including "The Rise of Nuclear Iran: How Tehran Defies The West", Iran now appears to have enough uranium to produce these nuclear weapons.
Quotes from the article:
"On page 2 of the report, the IAEA indicates that 669 kgs of low-grade uranium have been produced by Iran since November 18th, 2008. A footnote on that page further indicates that 839 kgs of similar LEU (low enriched uranium) had been produced by Iran prior to November 2008. That means Iran now has at least 1,508 kgs of low-grade uranium."
"Gold noted that to produce 20 kgs of HEU (highly-enriched uranium, military-grade uranium) to build a nuclear bomb, one needs roughly 700 kgs of LEU that can then be reinserted into high-tech centrifuges and re-processed to roughly 95% purity. Thus, Iran now appears to have the essential materials to move steadily towards building two atomic bombs..."
"Based simply on what we currently know, the situation is 'very serious', said Gold, who served as Israel's ambassador to the U.N. from 1997 to 1999 and today is president of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, Israel's foremost national security think tank...Gold noted that Radical Shia Islamic eschatology of the current regime has to be taken into account. "[Iranian President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad believes the end of the world can be accelerated by men."
Thats the whole problem in a nutshell. President Ahmadinejad makes constant overtures towards the destruction of Israel, and also believes that it is his job to precipitate the Islamic Mahdi's coming to earth to set up Islamic rule throughout the world. And he now has enough uranium to actually produce nuclear weapons.
The clock is ticking for Israel. Will they launch a military strike in order to eliminate those nuclear facilities? If so, things will get very ulgy in the region very rapidly. If not, then Iran will have nuclear weapons, controlled by President Ahmadinejad.
Either scenario has enormous consequences for the Middle-East. Additionally, and perhaps more importantly, both of these scenarios will most likely have big prophetic implications as well.
We can take comfort that its all part of God's divine plan. He told us to have no fear as we witness these events.
He also told us that when these things begin to take place, we can "stand up and lift your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." (Luke 21:28).
Thats a promise that allows us to stand firm and confident as we see the world rapidly moving towards the Tribulation.
In this story, according to Dr. Dore Gold, a senior advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and author of several best-selling books about the Middle-East, including "The Rise of Nuclear Iran: How Tehran Defies The West", Iran now appears to have enough uranium to produce these nuclear weapons.
Quotes from the article:
"On page 2 of the report, the IAEA indicates that 669 kgs of low-grade uranium have been produced by Iran since November 18th, 2008. A footnote on that page further indicates that 839 kgs of similar LEU (low enriched uranium) had been produced by Iran prior to November 2008. That means Iran now has at least 1,508 kgs of low-grade uranium."
"Gold noted that to produce 20 kgs of HEU (highly-enriched uranium, military-grade uranium) to build a nuclear bomb, one needs roughly 700 kgs of LEU that can then be reinserted into high-tech centrifuges and re-processed to roughly 95% purity. Thus, Iran now appears to have the essential materials to move steadily towards building two atomic bombs..."
"Based simply on what we currently know, the situation is 'very serious', said Gold, who served as Israel's ambassador to the U.N. from 1997 to 1999 and today is president of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, Israel's foremost national security think tank...Gold noted that Radical Shia Islamic eschatology of the current regime has to be taken into account. "[Iranian President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad believes the end of the world can be accelerated by men."
Thats the whole problem in a nutshell. President Ahmadinejad makes constant overtures towards the destruction of Israel, and also believes that it is his job to precipitate the Islamic Mahdi's coming to earth to set up Islamic rule throughout the world. And he now has enough uranium to actually produce nuclear weapons.
The clock is ticking for Israel. Will they launch a military strike in order to eliminate those nuclear facilities? If so, things will get very ulgy in the region very rapidly. If not, then Iran will have nuclear weapons, controlled by President Ahmadinejad.
Either scenario has enormous consequences for the Middle-East. Additionally, and perhaps more importantly, both of these scenarios will most likely have big prophetic implications as well.
We can take comfort that its all part of God's divine plan. He told us to have no fear as we witness these events.
He also told us that when these things begin to take place, we can "stand up and lift your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." (Luke 21:28).
Thats a promise that allows us to stand firm and confident as we see the world rapidly moving towards the Tribulation.
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