"The Region: The most-asked questions - will Obama attack Israel, will Israel attack Iran?".
This commentary, coming from the Jerusalem Post is interesting and revealing. It provides an update on the current considerations in the region and the nuances regarding the U.S. response.
In a commentary that I have been waiting to link (waiting for a slow news day, which we see today) - coming from the Wall Street Journal reveals someone who actually "gets it":
"Israel's Right in the 'Disputed' Territories".
This commentary is worth repeating. Over and over. The main-stream-media produces so many frequent (and largely accepted) lies and distortions on the topic, that their various mantras are commonly accepted by people that I encounter. Conversations over the topic usually reveal how little most people (often with strong opinions) actually know about the Middle East and it's history.
This commentary includes a realistic and historically accurate summary of where we are in the Middle East and how we got there. In fact, this commentary is worth including in its entirety:
Israel's Right in the 'Disputed' Territories
By DANNY AYALON
The recent statements by the European Union's new foreign relations chief Catherine Ashton criticizing Israel have once again brought international attention to Jerusalem and the settlements. However, little appears to be truly understood about Israel's rights to what are generally called the "occupied territories" but what really are "disputed territories."
That's because the land now known as the West Bank cannot be considered "occupied" in the legal sense of the word as it had not attained recognized sovereignty before Israel's conquest. Contrary to some beliefs there has never been a Palestinian state, and no other nation has ever established Jerusalem as its capital despite it being under Islamic control for hundreds of years.
The name "West Bank" was first used in 1950 by the Jordanians when they annexed the land to differentiate it from the rest of the country, which is on the east bank of the river Jordan. The boundaries of this territory were set only one year before during the armistice agreement between Israel and Jordan that ended the war that began in 1948 when five Arab armies invaded the nascent Jewish State. It was at Jordan's insistence that the 1949 armistice line became not a recognized international border but only a line separating armies. The Armistice Agreement specifically stated: "No provision of this Agreement shall in any way prejudice the rights, claims, and positions of either Party hereto in the peaceful settlement of the Palestine questions, the provisions of this Agreement being dictated exclusively by military considerations." (Italics added.) This boundary became the famous "Green Line," so named because the military officials during the armistice talks used a green pen to draw the line on the map.
After the Six Day War, when once again Arab armies sought to destroy Israel and the Jewish state subsequently captured the West Bank and other territory, the United Nations sought to create an enduring solution to the conflict. U.N. Security Council Resolution 242 is probably one of the most misunderstood documents in the international arena. While many, especially the Palestinians, push the idea that the document demands that Israel return everything captured over the Green Line, nothing could be further from the truth. The resolution calls for "peace within secure and recognized boundaries," but nowhere does it mention where those boundaries should be.
It is best to understand the intentions of the drafters of the resolution before considering other interpretations. Eugene V. Rostow, U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs in 1967 and a drafter of the resolution, stated in 1990: "Security Council Resolution 242 and (subsequent U.N. Security Council Resolution) 338... rest on two principles, Israel may administer the territory until its Arab neighbors make peace; and when peace is made, Israel should withdraw to "secure and recognized borders," which need not be the same as the Armistice Demarcation Lines of 194."
Lord Caradon, the British U.N. Ambassador at the time and the resolution's main drafter who introduced it to the Council, said in 1974 unequivocally that, "It would have been wrong to demand that Israel return to its positions of June 4, 1967, because those positions were undesirable and artificial."
The U.S. ambassador to the U.N. at the time, former Supreme Court Justice Arthur Goldberg, made the issue even clearer when he stated in 1973 that, "the resolution speaks of withdrawal from occupied territories without defining the extent of withdrawal." This would encompass "less than a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from occupied territory, inasmuch as Israel's prior frontiers had proven to be notably insecure."
Even the Soviet delegate to the U.N., Vasily Kuznetsov, who fought against the final text, conceded that the resolution gave Israel the right to "withdraw its forces only to those lines it considers appropriate."
After the war in 1967, when Jews started returning to their historic heartland in the West Bank, or Judea and Samaria, as the territory had been known around the world for 2,000 years until the Jordanians renamed it, the issue of settlements arose. However, Rostow found no legal impediment to Jewish settlement in these territories. He maintained that the original British Mandate of Palestine still applies to the West Bank. He said "the Jewish right of settlement in Palestine west of the Jordan River, that is, in Israel, the West Bank, Jerusalem, was made unassailable. That right has never been terminated and cannot be terminated except by a recognized peace between Israel and its neighbors." There is no internationally binding document pertaining to this territory that has nullified this right of Jewish settlement since.
And yet, there is this perception that Israel is occupying stolen land and that the Palestinians are the only party with national, legal and historic rights to it. Not only is this morally and factually incorrect, but the more this narrative is being accepted, the less likely the Palestinians feel the need to come to the negotiating table. Statements like those of Lady Ashton's are not only incorrect; they push a negotiated solution further away.
Mr. Ayalon is the deputy foreign minister of Israel.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Sunday, January 3, 2010
In the news...
"The era of groveling is over".
In this article, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman stated that Israel "had made enough gestures to the Palestinian Authority president."
Further quotes:
"We have paid enough. We have made many gestures and received nothing in return," he said at an ambassadors conference held at the Foreign Ministry. "On the contrary; there is a limit to hypocrisy. You can't speak of a new era and at the same time sentence to death those who sell land to Jews, a sentence signed by Abbas."
"We've made a series of gestures to Abbas, including [Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's policy speech at] Bar Ilan, the removal of West Bank roadblocks, the settlement construction freeze and allowing him to hold the Fatah conference in Bethlehem," he told Israel Radio. "We've made enough gestures."
The bottom line here, in keeping with biblical prophecy - there won't be a peace deal until the antichrist steps onto the world stage and confirms a covenant. Of course, this will end up being a "false peace" as violence and warfare will ensue according to Revelation 6, but at least initially, the world will be relieved at the apparent peace that the antichrist brings.
---------------
"Ahmadinejad wishes for global justice in '10".
This article is revealing - relating to Ahmadinejad's view of Islamic end times prophecy.
First, Ahmadinejad's quotes:
"He added that Jesus was a divine miracle and the prophet of compassion and the herald of human prosperity."
"He wished for the coming of the awaited messiah of world nations and Jesus Christ, who all prophets have foretold."
This article points out two important aspects of Ahmadinejad's view of Islamic prophecy. First and foremost, it (again) confirms how much these end times views color Ahmadinejad's actions - he mentions the return of the Madhi frequently - this is not a passing thought with Ahmadinejad, rather it is something that seems to be on his mind constantly.
As shown in these quotes, he believes (as do many Muslims) that Jesus is a prophet (Prophet ONLY. Obviously they do not believe that Jesus is the son of God and the Messiah). They also believe, as seen in the above quotation, that Jesus will return with the Mahdi. Further, they believe that Jesus will declare to the world that indeed, the Mahdi is the messiah and that "He" (Jesus) is merely a prophet.
Many prophecy scholars believe that when the antichrist and false prophet appear on the world stage, the radical Islamists will declare that these two figures are actually the Mahdi (actually the antichrist) and Jesus (actually the false prophet). Under this premise the antichrist would paint himself as God (as Jesus mentioned in Matthew 24, when the "abomination of desolation" takes place - aka when the antichrist pronounces himself as God), and presumably the false prophet would assume the role of Jesus. This is just one theory - and it is just that - a theory.
Interestingly though, Revelation 13:11 describes the false prophet as someone who "has two horns like a lamb but spoke like a dragon". He will also perform "great and miraculous signs" and "deceived the inhabitants on the earth". Food for thought.
Don't forget, this is a future world in which the Church will have been removed and deception will be the order of the day. The descriptions of the false prophet in Revelation 13 adds some credibility to the notion that the false prophet could be deceiving people that he is indeed Jesus.
This depends upon some degree of speculation, and I don't dwell on these possibilities very much as I don't intend to be here when this all happens. But it is interesting food for thought...
---------------
In another story today, I just found this article interesting:
"Model Alter of Unhewn Stones Completed at Temple Institute".
In this article, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman stated that Israel "had made enough gestures to the Palestinian Authority president."
Further quotes:
"We have paid enough. We have made many gestures and received nothing in return," he said at an ambassadors conference held at the Foreign Ministry. "On the contrary; there is a limit to hypocrisy. You can't speak of a new era and at the same time sentence to death those who sell land to Jews, a sentence signed by Abbas."
"We've made a series of gestures to Abbas, including [Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's policy speech at] Bar Ilan, the removal of West Bank roadblocks, the settlement construction freeze and allowing him to hold the Fatah conference in Bethlehem," he told Israel Radio. "We've made enough gestures."
The bottom line here, in keeping with biblical prophecy - there won't be a peace deal until the antichrist steps onto the world stage and confirms a covenant. Of course, this will end up being a "false peace" as violence and warfare will ensue according to Revelation 6, but at least initially, the world will be relieved at the apparent peace that the antichrist brings.
---------------
"Ahmadinejad wishes for global justice in '10".
This article is revealing - relating to Ahmadinejad's view of Islamic end times prophecy.
First, Ahmadinejad's quotes:
"He added that Jesus was a divine miracle and the prophet of compassion and the herald of human prosperity."
"He wished for the coming of the awaited messiah of world nations and Jesus Christ, who all prophets have foretold."
This article points out two important aspects of Ahmadinejad's view of Islamic prophecy. First and foremost, it (again) confirms how much these end times views color Ahmadinejad's actions - he mentions the return of the Madhi frequently - this is not a passing thought with Ahmadinejad, rather it is something that seems to be on his mind constantly.
As shown in these quotes, he believes (as do many Muslims) that Jesus is a prophet (Prophet ONLY. Obviously they do not believe that Jesus is the son of God and the Messiah). They also believe, as seen in the above quotation, that Jesus will return with the Mahdi. Further, they believe that Jesus will declare to the world that indeed, the Mahdi is the messiah and that "He" (Jesus) is merely a prophet.
Many prophecy scholars believe that when the antichrist and false prophet appear on the world stage, the radical Islamists will declare that these two figures are actually the Mahdi (actually the antichrist) and Jesus (actually the false prophet). Under this premise the antichrist would paint himself as God (as Jesus mentioned in Matthew 24, when the "abomination of desolation" takes place - aka when the antichrist pronounces himself as God), and presumably the false prophet would assume the role of Jesus. This is just one theory - and it is just that - a theory.
Interestingly though, Revelation 13:11 describes the false prophet as someone who "has two horns like a lamb but spoke like a dragon". He will also perform "great and miraculous signs" and "deceived the inhabitants on the earth". Food for thought.
Don't forget, this is a future world in which the Church will have been removed and deception will be the order of the day. The descriptions of the false prophet in Revelation 13 adds some credibility to the notion that the false prophet could be deceiving people that he is indeed Jesus.
This depends upon some degree of speculation, and I don't dwell on these possibilities very much as I don't intend to be here when this all happens. But it is interesting food for thought...
---------------
In another story today, I just found this article interesting:
"Model Alter of Unhewn Stones Completed at Temple Institute".
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Israel heating up while Iran's turmoil continues...
With missiles being launched from Gaza into Israel and Israeli retaliation now taking place, things seem to be heating up in Israel:
"Israel strikes Gaza targets after Grad rocket attack".
IAF strikes Gaza smuggling tunnels".
"Grad-type rockets land in Netivot".
As usual, when I see such activity, the first question becomes "What is Iran's end-game?", as they have Hamas and Hezbollah firmly under their wing.
------------------
In a separate story coming from Iran, we see the continued protest movement. This is interesting and intriguing on many levels.
In fact, many of prophecy watching colleagues have already written off the Ahmadinejad administration and making assumptions on what the world will look like with a different regime in Iran.
Not so fast.
First of all, the protest movement in Iran is in its very early stages and it is hard to know how it will progress. Secondly, the article below, coming from the Jerusalem Post, contains a lot of pertinent information which relates to the protest movement:
"Muslim World: The end is not nigh"
This article reveals that there are two separate "movements" within Iran, with the first being the protest movement. It is the "second movement" that I find interesting.
Below are some revealing quotes from this article:
"Still, the overheated punditry of the last week predicting the imminent demise of the regime, claiming that this is the beginning of the end for the Islamists in Teheran and that a "tipping point" has been passed is misleading and should be questioned."
"THE SECOND "movement" exists within the regime itself. This is the trend whose most visible representative is President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The coalition of hard-line conservative political associations which produced Ahmadinejad, along with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps, have been steadily advancing in the institutions of the Islamic Republic over the last half-decade."
"Unlike their opponents in the Green movement, this group has a clear and unifying set of ideas and goals. Their aim is a "second Islamic revolution," which will revive the original fire of 1979. What they are aiming at is the replacement of clerical rule with a streamlined, brutal police-security state, under the banner of Islam. This state will be committed to a goal of building regional hegemony - through possession of a nuclear option and the backing of radical and terrorist movements."
"Should a real challenge to the power of the hard-liners emerge, the likely prognosis would be for prolonged civil strife, rather than their swift departure. This is not a tired and decaying elite, parallel to the East European communists in 1989. The Iranian hard-liners and their allies regard themselves as the wave of the future, only now ascending to the pinnacles of power. They will not go quietly."
--------------
As stated, this situation is Iran is far from over, and the "second movement" could actually benefit from the protest movement (much like China approximately 20 years ago) - and their hard-line stance could precipitate what they really want - as stated in the article - which is a "streamlined, brutal police-security state, under the banner of Islam".
This article closes with the following statement, to which I fully agree:
"But contrary to some of the more overexcited opining this week - the playing out of all this still has a way to run. The end is not yet at hand."
Indeed.
The prophetic questions obviously come into play. How does this situation relate to biblical prophecy. Of course, it is hard to know specifically. But Ahmadinejad HAS to be feeling some pressure to complete his ultimate goal of hastening the return of the Mahdi - with whatever means he has. I would imagine more and more "crackdowns" from the state with more and more movement towards this "brutal police-security state", at least in the short-term.
Either way, things are definitely not quiet in the region. Far from it.
"Israel strikes Gaza targets after Grad rocket attack".
IAF strikes Gaza smuggling tunnels".
"Grad-type rockets land in Netivot".
As usual, when I see such activity, the first question becomes "What is Iran's end-game?", as they have Hamas and Hezbollah firmly under their wing.
------------------
In a separate story coming from Iran, we see the continued protest movement. This is interesting and intriguing on many levels.
In fact, many of prophecy watching colleagues have already written off the Ahmadinejad administration and making assumptions on what the world will look like with a different regime in Iran.
Not so fast.
First of all, the protest movement in Iran is in its very early stages and it is hard to know how it will progress. Secondly, the article below, coming from the Jerusalem Post, contains a lot of pertinent information which relates to the protest movement:
"Muslim World: The end is not nigh"
This article reveals that there are two separate "movements" within Iran, with the first being the protest movement. It is the "second movement" that I find interesting.
Below are some revealing quotes from this article:
"Still, the overheated punditry of the last week predicting the imminent demise of the regime, claiming that this is the beginning of the end for the Islamists in Teheran and that a "tipping point" has been passed is misleading and should be questioned."
"THE SECOND "movement" exists within the regime itself. This is the trend whose most visible representative is President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The coalition of hard-line conservative political associations which produced Ahmadinejad, along with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps, have been steadily advancing in the institutions of the Islamic Republic over the last half-decade."
"Unlike their opponents in the Green movement, this group has a clear and unifying set of ideas and goals. Their aim is a "second Islamic revolution," which will revive the original fire of 1979. What they are aiming at is the replacement of clerical rule with a streamlined, brutal police-security state, under the banner of Islam. This state will be committed to a goal of building regional hegemony - through possession of a nuclear option and the backing of radical and terrorist movements."
"Should a real challenge to the power of the hard-liners emerge, the likely prognosis would be for prolonged civil strife, rather than their swift departure. This is not a tired and decaying elite, parallel to the East European communists in 1989. The Iranian hard-liners and their allies regard themselves as the wave of the future, only now ascending to the pinnacles of power. They will not go quietly."
--------------
As stated, this situation is Iran is far from over, and the "second movement" could actually benefit from the protest movement (much like China approximately 20 years ago) - and their hard-line stance could precipitate what they really want - as stated in the article - which is a "streamlined, brutal police-security state, under the banner of Islam".
This article closes with the following statement, to which I fully agree:
"But contrary to some of the more overexcited opining this week - the playing out of all this still has a way to run. The end is not yet at hand."
Indeed.
The prophetic questions obviously come into play. How does this situation relate to biblical prophecy. Of course, it is hard to know specifically. But Ahmadinejad HAS to be feeling some pressure to complete his ultimate goal of hastening the return of the Mahdi - with whatever means he has. I would imagine more and more "crackdowns" from the state with more and more movement towards this "brutal police-security state", at least in the short-term.
Either way, things are definitely not quiet in the region. Far from it.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
The year in review and looking ahead
I just realized that two hours have passed and I still haven't found a commentary that I like regarding the inevitable "year in review". As we all know, at this time of year, almost every news show and op-ed author must have an extensive coverage of the year in review - just this morning I have seen countless reviews of 2009 and what is in store for 2010. I guess I'll weigh in since I can't find a review commentary that seems fitting.
My opinion is just that - my opinion - so take it for what it is worth. I can't honestly say that my opinion holds any more value than the thousands of other opinions, but here it goes.
I believe it all starts with the Iran-Israel situation. I know this gets a lot of coverage on this blog, and as explained so many times, I personally believe this situation is the "triggering mechanism" for the remaining prophetic events to occur, leading into the Tribulation. The initial remaining events would, under this scenario, include Isaiah 17 (the destruction of Damascus) and Ezekiel 38-39 (aka "Gog-MaGog") and followed by the "confirmation" of the covenant described in Daniel 9:27, which is also the main indicator that the Tribulation has just begun.
I firmly believe that it will be impossible to see 12 more months pass without this situation coming to a head and all-out war breaking out. Iran is just too close to finalization of this program and Israel is too aware of this - as their leadership keeps reminding us. Additionally, we now see Ahmadinejad's clock ticking as his administration faces a serious threat internally.
There are many other scenarios that may play out, but to me, they won't have the same impact as the above. I believe we'll continue to see the "stage-setting", with the movement towards a global governance coming more and more into focus, and stemming from whatever perceived crisis is ginned up - whether its financial, health (pandemics etc), or security (fighting terrorism - whether real or perceived), just to name a few. But as big as such events may be, I still believe Iran-Israel overshadows all of these by a large margin.
So lets assume the world witnesses the Middle East explode - based on the situation between Iran and Israel.
As mentioned so many times in the past, Russia and Syria become involved immediately. The remaining Islamic world will also be inflamed to unprecedented levels. Bringing in the countries listed in Ezekiel 38 seems obvious, with surrounding regions such as Turkey, Egypt, Lebanon, and of course the surrounding terrorists groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas will gleefully become involved.
I also believe Syria will implement the use of their chemical tipped missiles - at some point in the process - which could serve as the trigger for the Damascus destruction.
So what about the Rapture of the Church?
We know from prophetic scriptures that we cannot set dates for this historically "imminent" event, and I would never attempt such. But as mentioned before, I firmly believe that the Church will not be present to witness God's direct intervention during the Gog-MaGog battle, as this would be inconsistent with everything we know about the Church Age (recognizing that God can do whatever He wants, including His breaking of previous trends). This theory would necessitate that the Rapture would occur prior to Gog-MaGog. The implications of this idea are obvious.
Either way, I see two strong possibilities for 2010:
- The Middle East erupts, leading to the epic battle of Gog-MaGog and we are Raptured before its occurrence.
- The Middle East erupts, leading to the epic battle of Gog-MaGog and we are still here to witness this.
Either scenario has enormous implications for the believer and the rest of the world. It is very very hard to imagine things not coming to a head over the next 12 months, but of course God is ultimately in control and he can always put a halt in these scenarios as He so chooses.
But on the other hand, Jesus stated clearly that the end times prophetic "events" will occur like birth pains, and we know that birth pains progressively increase in frequency and intensity. There is no turning back once it gets started.
Once again, these are just my personal thoughts and opinions - so take them with a grain of salt. But I honestly believe that 2010 could be the year that we see our Lord and Saviour. If not - then 2010 will most likely be the year that, because of world events - we will have opportunities to witness like never before.
Either way - as directed by Jesus, we must be prepared. Prepared to either meet Jesus, or prepared to do His work in an environment filled with intense fear and uncertainty. In that scenario, could serve the Lord by being the light of truth.
Big things are coming. Lets be prepared.
My opinion is just that - my opinion - so take it for what it is worth. I can't honestly say that my opinion holds any more value than the thousands of other opinions, but here it goes.
I believe it all starts with the Iran-Israel situation. I know this gets a lot of coverage on this blog, and as explained so many times, I personally believe this situation is the "triggering mechanism" for the remaining prophetic events to occur, leading into the Tribulation. The initial remaining events would, under this scenario, include Isaiah 17 (the destruction of Damascus) and Ezekiel 38-39 (aka "Gog-MaGog") and followed by the "confirmation" of the covenant described in Daniel 9:27, which is also the main indicator that the Tribulation has just begun.
I firmly believe that it will be impossible to see 12 more months pass without this situation coming to a head and all-out war breaking out. Iran is just too close to finalization of this program and Israel is too aware of this - as their leadership keeps reminding us. Additionally, we now see Ahmadinejad's clock ticking as his administration faces a serious threat internally.
There are many other scenarios that may play out, but to me, they won't have the same impact as the above. I believe we'll continue to see the "stage-setting", with the movement towards a global governance coming more and more into focus, and stemming from whatever perceived crisis is ginned up - whether its financial, health (pandemics etc), or security (fighting terrorism - whether real or perceived), just to name a few. But as big as such events may be, I still believe Iran-Israel overshadows all of these by a large margin.
So lets assume the world witnesses the Middle East explode - based on the situation between Iran and Israel.
As mentioned so many times in the past, Russia and Syria become involved immediately. The remaining Islamic world will also be inflamed to unprecedented levels. Bringing in the countries listed in Ezekiel 38 seems obvious, with surrounding regions such as Turkey, Egypt, Lebanon, and of course the surrounding terrorists groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas will gleefully become involved.
I also believe Syria will implement the use of their chemical tipped missiles - at some point in the process - which could serve as the trigger for the Damascus destruction.
So what about the Rapture of the Church?
We know from prophetic scriptures that we cannot set dates for this historically "imminent" event, and I would never attempt such. But as mentioned before, I firmly believe that the Church will not be present to witness God's direct intervention during the Gog-MaGog battle, as this would be inconsistent with everything we know about the Church Age (recognizing that God can do whatever He wants, including His breaking of previous trends). This theory would necessitate that the Rapture would occur prior to Gog-MaGog. The implications of this idea are obvious.
Either way, I see two strong possibilities for 2010:
- The Middle East erupts, leading to the epic battle of Gog-MaGog and we are Raptured before its occurrence.
- The Middle East erupts, leading to the epic battle of Gog-MaGog and we are still here to witness this.
Either scenario has enormous implications for the believer and the rest of the world. It is very very hard to imagine things not coming to a head over the next 12 months, but of course God is ultimately in control and he can always put a halt in these scenarios as He so chooses.
But on the other hand, Jesus stated clearly that the end times prophetic "events" will occur like birth pains, and we know that birth pains progressively increase in frequency and intensity. There is no turning back once it gets started.
Once again, these are just my personal thoughts and opinions - so take them with a grain of salt. But I honestly believe that 2010 could be the year that we see our Lord and Saviour. If not - then 2010 will most likely be the year that, because of world events - we will have opportunities to witness like never before.
Either way - as directed by Jesus, we must be prepared. Prepared to either meet Jesus, or prepared to do His work in an environment filled with intense fear and uncertainty. In that scenario, could serve the Lord by being the light of truth.
Big things are coming. Lets be prepared.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Connecting the dots
There are several stories coming in from the Middle East and it is hard to know if they are related or not. I believe almost every significant story coming from the region is connected, but it can be hard to determine specifically how or how much.
The first story isn't interesting in terms of the idea that Iran is closer and closer to nuclear weapons - thats an old story:
Israel Says Iran Close to Nuclear Capability".
The significance is found when one realizes that more and more "official" Israeli government officials are making these statements publicly. Here, we see that Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak is making the statements. I believe they are warning the world that their backs are against the wall and time is growing short.
----------
Next we see a story about how Israel is attempting to outfit ALL residents with gas masks:
"Israel to outfit all residents with gas masks". One interesting quote from the article:
"The move has heightened expectations that Israel may launch an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities which could spark an unconventional response. It is not known however whether Iran has any chemical or biological weapons capability."
I strongly disagree with one point in the article - the article stated that only Israel (in the region) has development efforts for chemical/biological weapons. This has been proven false as Syria has major programs developing chemical tipped missiles - they have threatened Israel with such weapons many times in the past.
----------
In a third story, one that has been receiving a lot of attention, appropriately, is the uprising in Iran:
Analysis see Iran at breaking point amid protests". Revealing quotes below:
"CNN's Reza Sayah, an Iran native who covers the region, called it an unprecedented uprising, presenting "the most significant challenge" the Islamic republic has faced since its government came to power through a revolution 30 years ago."
"Trita Parsi, president of the National Iranian American Council in Washington, D.C. -- a public critic of Iran's hardline government -- told CNN's "American Morning, "I think this may actually turn out to be a breaking point. What we've seen here is how the opposition, six months after the fraud in elections, still have a lot of fight in them. I think they've taken the Iranian authorities by surprise. They're still coming out in huge numbers, and morale seems to be stronger amongst the opposition than among the security forces at this point."
This uprising has been growing in strength and numbers ever since the obvious false "elections" which re-elected President Ahmadinejad. The protests favor movement towards a true democracy and "westernization" of their leadership and culture - and away from the stranglehold that the Islamic religious leaders have had since 1979.
Do these "dots" connect in any way?
Israel leadership are more and more vocal about Iran's nuclear ambitions and the nearness of Iran's nuclear program.
Israel issuing gas masks to the entire country.
And the situation in Iran - potentially toppling their Islamic government.
Lets not forget what ultimately drives Iranian President Ahmadinejad is his devout belief that the Islamic "messiah", the Mahdi is due to resurface on earth and lead the world into Islamic law and rule. He also believes that the Mahdi will only return to resolve an epic war in the Middle East. He sees himself as the Islamic "John the Baptist" - and it is his role to precipitate events which will lead to the Mahdi's presence.
But now, it appears that the clock is ticking on Ahmadinejad. He may see his time in power growing short.
By connecting those dots - one may see that Ahmadinejad would have to act while still in power. If his reign is growing short, then he may take some action against Israel sooner rather than later. Additionally, any action involving Israel could serve as a diversion from his domestic troubles.
It is hard to know where all of this will lead. Regardless, there is a lot of "activity" (for lack of a better word) going on in the Middle East right now.
All we can do, is what Jesus dictated so many times in the Olivet Discourse - particularly Mark's version (Mark 13). We are told over and over to watch for the signs of His return - and to be prepared.
That is exactly what we are doing - watching and preparing for His coming.
The first story isn't interesting in terms of the idea that Iran is closer and closer to nuclear weapons - thats an old story:
Israel Says Iran Close to Nuclear Capability".
The significance is found when one realizes that more and more "official" Israeli government officials are making these statements publicly. Here, we see that Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak is making the statements. I believe they are warning the world that their backs are against the wall and time is growing short.
----------
Next we see a story about how Israel is attempting to outfit ALL residents with gas masks:
"Israel to outfit all residents with gas masks". One interesting quote from the article:
"The move has heightened expectations that Israel may launch an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities which could spark an unconventional response. It is not known however whether Iran has any chemical or biological weapons capability."
I strongly disagree with one point in the article - the article stated that only Israel (in the region) has development efforts for chemical/biological weapons. This has been proven false as Syria has major programs developing chemical tipped missiles - they have threatened Israel with such weapons many times in the past.
----------
In a third story, one that has been receiving a lot of attention, appropriately, is the uprising in Iran:
Analysis see Iran at breaking point amid protests". Revealing quotes below:
"CNN's Reza Sayah, an Iran native who covers the region, called it an unprecedented uprising, presenting "the most significant challenge" the Islamic republic has faced since its government came to power through a revolution 30 years ago."
"Trita Parsi, president of the National Iranian American Council in Washington, D.C. -- a public critic of Iran's hardline government -- told CNN's "American Morning, "I think this may actually turn out to be a breaking point. What we've seen here is how the opposition, six months after the fraud in elections, still have a lot of fight in them. I think they've taken the Iranian authorities by surprise. They're still coming out in huge numbers, and morale seems to be stronger amongst the opposition than among the security forces at this point."
This uprising has been growing in strength and numbers ever since the obvious false "elections" which re-elected President Ahmadinejad. The protests favor movement towards a true democracy and "westernization" of their leadership and culture - and away from the stranglehold that the Islamic religious leaders have had since 1979.
Do these "dots" connect in any way?
Israel leadership are more and more vocal about Iran's nuclear ambitions and the nearness of Iran's nuclear program.
Israel issuing gas masks to the entire country.
And the situation in Iran - potentially toppling their Islamic government.
Lets not forget what ultimately drives Iranian President Ahmadinejad is his devout belief that the Islamic "messiah", the Mahdi is due to resurface on earth and lead the world into Islamic law and rule. He also believes that the Mahdi will only return to resolve an epic war in the Middle East. He sees himself as the Islamic "John the Baptist" - and it is his role to precipitate events which will lead to the Mahdi's presence.
But now, it appears that the clock is ticking on Ahmadinejad. He may see his time in power growing short.
By connecting those dots - one may see that Ahmadinejad would have to act while still in power. If his reign is growing short, then he may take some action against Israel sooner rather than later. Additionally, any action involving Israel could serve as a diversion from his domestic troubles.
It is hard to know where all of this will lead. Regardless, there is a lot of "activity" (for lack of a better word) going on in the Middle East right now.
All we can do, is what Jesus dictated so many times in the Olivet Discourse - particularly Mark's version (Mark 13). We are told over and over to watch for the signs of His return - and to be prepared.
That is exactly what we are doing - watching and preparing for His coming.
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