An Update On Israel And Iran And The United States (Continuing My Last Post) Series

AN UPDATE ON ISRAEL AND IRAN AND THE UNITED STATES (CONTINUING MY LAST POST)

Very recently I submitted a message about the Israel-Iraq conflict looking at prophecy. I don’t want to make capital out of the Middle East situation but there are additional points that I want to make since that last post. I do so because I think the times are very strategic right now.

If you have followed my posts you will know that I speak and write on much of scripture not just prophetic matters in that big word “eschatology”. I have especially studied that though, since I was 16 and that was over 65 years ago.

Let us get into it.

DONALD TRUMP

The last time I raised this item the President was non-committal about involving B2s to destroy the underground sites, but since that time he authorised the B2s and the bunker buster bombs. I believe there are several reasons he did that (again as an outsider, not an American citizen). This is how I see it.

(a). He is probably the most supportive President of the Jews ever, and certainly the most loyal President for Israel since the nation came into being in 1948. As I write this, a cease fire has been called and we don’t know what the outcome will be, say, a week from that.

(b). He – and the world – knows that Iran will not cease from pursuing nuclear weapons. All Iran has done for years is to stall talks and continue with their objective. Their stockpiles of enriched uranium have been removed and Israel knows where it is being stored. They decided not to attack.

(c). Iran had begun firing ballistic missiles that are deadly and accurate and are killing Israeli citizens. Iran is not attacking military targets but ordinary citizens. These weapons are being supplied by Russia and definitely China (more on that later). I think Trump wanted to end that indiscriminate killing.

(d). Trump has the unwritten support of the Middle East nations who are frightened of Iran’s Shi’a military EXPANSIONISM as most Islamic nations are Sunni. To act against Iran in the way he did, would not upset any of them.

WHAT IS BEING SPOKEN ABOUT THE GOG/MAGOG WAR?

Much is being written and spoken about the Gog/Magog war of Ezekiel 38 and 39 and much of it is wrong. This is particularly so of many YouTube spectacular videos. I want to state what the different positions are on this and tell you what I think can be the only correct one.

(a). THE GOG WAR HAS STARTED. A lot of YouTube videos of the last month take this position. It is like they see Israel and Iran in the News and therefore conclude it has to be the Gog war. This is shocking exegesis. Too much sensationalism is on YouTube just to gain numbers of views. Let us look at two small passages from Ezekiel that I did quote last time :-

[1]. {{Ezekiel 38:15 “and you will come FROM YOUR PLACE OUT OF THE REMOTE PARTS OF THE NORTH, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great assembly and a mighty army,”}}. {{Ezekiel 39:2 “and I shall turn you around, drive you on, take you up from THE REMOTEST PARTS OF THE NORTH, and bring you against the mountains of Israel”}}. Iran is not the “remote north”. Strong’s says for this word “remote” or “far” – “flank, side, extreme parts, recesses.”

The ESV = the uttermost parts of the north.” The Holman bible = “the remotest parts of the north.” Those translations of the word are the most common across the various translations. The remotest parts of the north lie in the Russian area. Look at a map of what is the remotest region north of Israel.

[2]. {{Ezekiel 38:5-6 “PERSIA, ETHIOPIA, AND PUT with them, all of them with shield and helmet; Gomer with all its troops; Beth-togarmah from the remote parts of the north with all its troops — many peoples with you.”}} That is not the full list of nations that comprise the Gog alliance – just some of them, headed up by Russia probably. Note that Ethiopia is mentioned as well as Libya (Put). Neither of those had anything to do with the current situation.

(b). THE GOG WAR CAN HAPPEN AT ANY TIME NOW

This position is so wrong. It just can’t be the case as I will show. Those who adopt this position usually try to force the war before the Rapture or in the first half of the Tribulation. Both are just so incorrect. Am I being dogmatic as I would be accused of? No, I am not and here is the proof.

THE PROOF

*** Notice this verse that speaks of the end of the Gog nations and their alliance – {{Ezekiel 38:22-23 “With pestilence and with blood I shall enter into judgment with him, and I shall rain on him and on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, a torrential rain with hailstones, fire, and brimstone. I shall magnify Myself, sanctify Myself, and MAKE MYSELF KNOWN in the sight of many nations and THEY WILL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD.”}}