26 Aug 2024

Prince of Persia Postponement?

To Holy Spirit-centered Bible prophecy observers, there should be little, if any, doubt that we are dealing now with demonic activity at every turn. This is truer than ever when considering things going on in the Middle East. Narrowing it down to the nation of Israel, the dark spiritual forces become even more manifest.

The other nation-state entity that makes clear the demonic influences in that volatile region is Iran. This nation, of course, is located in the area where ancient Persia sat.

This is important to think on at this present hour; everything of significant prophetic importance now revolves around this region.

Daniel, the great prophet who was given an end-times heads-up concerning his people, the Jews, had a visit in which God’s angel told him about this very time that is front and center in our hourly news. At least it seems this is likely the beginning of the time the angel spoke of that is the nucleus of the stage being set for the wrap-up of things leading to Christ’s Second Advent.

Here is that one-way conversation the angel delivered:

“Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thane heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia. Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days” (Daniel 10:12-14).

The angel then laid out what would happen after those many days had passed. Those days have now passed, and the book that was closed to him, Daniel was told about later, is now almost certainly opened.

That prophecy said the “wise who see these things of the end times will understand” (Daniel 12:10). All who view the issues and events developing in the Middle East, overlaid by the template of Bible prophecy, are the “wise” the angel mentioned.

Things involving Daniel’s people, Israel, and the area of ancient Persia, Iran, have the diplomatic world in a fever pitch to force peace and safety in the region. There is great fear that Iran is about to attack Israel in retaliation for the Israelis eliminating Iran’s proxy terrorist leaders. And, to add insult to injury, Israel did so in one instance by going to the heart of Tehran.

Iran has been threatening ever since to launch a major assault to destroy the Jewish State.

This hasn’t happened, nor do I believe it will. The Iranians (Persians), creators of the game of chess, are smart enough to know better. They are fully aware that Israel has one of the great militaries in the world and possesses nuclear weapons that would devastate any enemy. The Iranian Israel-haters know better than to threaten Israel’s destruction at this point.

To attack in such a way would give Israel the excuse it has been wanting—to do whatever is necessary to destroy Iran’s budding nuclear program hidden deep within the Bushehr Mountains area.

Now, our God is in complete control of all things at all times. He is restraining at every level throughout this world of evil that is straining at the leash to bring about the Antichrist. That said, I think it is accurate to believe the same prince of Persia that the angel – with the help of Michael – fought against is alive and well in that region. He is doubtless whispering in the ear of the supreme leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei. He is likely saying in the ears of the ayatollahs to withhold their attack until a more propitious time—when they and the massive coalition outlined by Ezekiel come together with tremendous power to destroy the hated Israel.

So, in that sense, it might well be the prince of Persia who is postponing the war that everyone in the diplomatic world fears.

The blustering Khamenei and his fanatic Islamists are obviously quite hesitant to carry out their threats to get revenge. Their hesitancy is based in fear, we can conclude. The following somewhat adds credence to this likelihood.

For all Iran’s threats to retaliate against Israel for assassinating key Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, the key concern for the ayatollahs will be that, in any confrontation with the Israeli military, they have no chance of winning.

Tensions between Iran and Israel have risen considerably since Israel was accused of carrying out the assassination of Hamas Political Bureau leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran shortly after the swearing-in ceremony for Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian last month.

Although Israel rarely confirms or denies its involvement in overseas assassinations, the Iranian regime has been quick to accuse Israel of killing Haniyeh, who reportedly died after a bomb exploded in his guest apartment in northern Tehran.

A senior Hezbollah commander, Fuad Shukr, was assassinated in Beirut the previous day in an operation for which Israel took credit. (Source: “Iran knows it cannot win a war against Israel,” By Con Coughlin, Gatestone Institute, August 11, 2024)

Other news items frame Iran’s reluctance to launch an attack on Israel. The following briefs on Raptureready.com news linked to stories relevant to Iran’s hesitancy.

Ayatollah Khamenei faces tough dilemma when it comes to retaliating against Israel
The 85-year-old despot is keenly aware of the repercussions of a major strike on Israel and, given the delicate timing of Masoud Pezeshkian’s first steps as president, it’s somewhat likely Iran’s Supreme Leader will opt for a more prudent approach.

Internal strife: Iran’s delayed retaliation to Israel sparks rift within terror proxies
Iran has angered its allies, particularly Hezbollah and Hamas, by once again urging caution in responding to Israel after the assassinations of high-ranking Hezbollah terrorist Fuad Shukr and Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, the Kuwaiti newspaper al Jarida reported on Wednesday.

An all-out Middle East war just might be restrained for the moment with the assistance of the Prince of Persia, that old nemesis of Daniel’s angel visitor, and Michael, God’s mighty archangel.

You want to be among the “wise” who watch with understanding the entire stage being set, not among those who haven’t a clue. Those who are wise can take comfort from knowing that all these things happening mean Jesus is about to call all believers to Himself in the Rapture.

Here is how to go to Him when He summons Christians in that great event.

“That if you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and will believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).

—Terry

Modern-Day Israel’s Role in Bible Prophecy 

The scoffers tell us that the miraculous reappearing of Israel as a nation in 1948 has nothing to do with the fulfillment of Bible prophecy. In spite of God’s supernatural protection of the nation through many wars, the naysayers tell us there’s nothing to see here and insist that the church is now the recipient of God’s kingdom promises.

On May 14, 1948, Israel again became a nation “in a day,” which was precisely what the prophet Isaiah predicted would happen (66:9). However, there are many more reasons to regard today’s Israel as occupying a key role in the fulfillment of Bible prophecy.

Its Current State of Unbelief

Some say that the current state of Israel cannot be the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies because of its unbelief and waywardness. However, they fail to recognize that this is precisely how the book of Ezekiel pictured the initial reemergence of the nation (37:1-14).

The Lord took the prophet to a “valley” that “was full of dry bones.” Later, He told Ezekiel, “These bones are the whole house of Israel” (Ezekiel 37:11). Throughout the passage, there’s a progression from dry skeletal remains to that of resurrected people filled with the Holy Spirit.

The prophet first heard a “rattling of the bones” and watched as they gained the appearance of human beings with flesh covering the previously bare bones, but yet with “no breath in them.” The last stage was “an exceedingly great army” fully alive and invigorated by the Holy Spirit.

What the prophet witnessed in that brief time was the full restoration of Israel, which would take place over many years. What we see today is Israel standing on its feet, but not yet a fully restored nation such as will happen at Jesus’ return to the earth.

The Preoccupation of the World with Jerusalem

Another Old Testament prophet accurately predicted the world’s current fixation on Israel and, in particular, Jerusalem.

“The oracle of the word of the Lord concerning Israel: Thus declares the Lord, who stretched out the heavens and founded the earth and formed the spirit of man within him: ‘Behold, I am about to make Jerusalem a cup of staggering to all the surrounding peoples. The siege of Jerusalem will also be against Judah. On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. All who lift it will surely hurt themselves. And all the nations of the earth will gather against it’” (Zechariah 12:2-3).

Do we not see this prophecy playing out in real time today? The nations all around Israel are attacking and threatening to destroy Israel. World powers have become fixated on Jerusalem as they seek to resolve the crisis or join in the battle should the crisis become an all-out war. The U.S. has one-third of its naval forces in the Middle East.

Is it possible that what we see today could lead to the time when “all the nations of the earth will gather against” the tiny nation? This is a certain outcome given the hostility of the world toward Israel and the Jewish people.

The Never-Ending Quest to Bring Peace to the Middle East

God’s Word predicts that the antichrist will someday make a covenant with Israel, which he will break at its midpoint (Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15; 2 Thessalonians 2:4-5). Isaiah also refers to it as “a covenant with death,” which the nation will regard as one of protection, or of peace (Isaiah 28:14-18).

Although this prophecy will not reach fulfillment until after the Rapture (2 Thessalonians 2:3-8), the groundwork for it has been building for many years. The last seven U.S. presidents have, at some point during their term of office, sought to bring peace to the Middle East. The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, has also expressed great interest in bringing peace to Israel. Vladimir Putin of Russia has stated that a two-state solution is the only road to settling the crisis.

Is this not what one would expect before the appearance of someone on the world stage who has the charisma and power to guarantee peace for Israel? He will succeed where others have failed.

The nonstop battles with enemies amid constant threats of a much larger attack are even now preparing the leaders of Israel to accept what the antichrist will someday propose. His betrayal will become a factor in many Israelites turning to Christ at the end of the Tribulation.

The Passion for the Third Temple

The current passion within Israel to build a third temple is a precursor to the fulfillment of another prophecy regarding Israel. It’s another definitive sign that the modern-day reappearance of Israel is not some fluke as many would have us believe, but it’s rather God’s doing and a sign that we live in the last moments of human history.

As I wrote in a blog post, The Biblical Necessity of a Third Jewish Temple, the nation of Israel must reappear in history, construct a third temple, and watch as the “man of lawlessness” defiles it and claims to be the God of Israel. Based on the words of Scripture, we know this has not yet happened.

It’s for these reasons and more that we see modern-day Israel, even in its current wayward state, as the fulfillment of Bible prophecy.

Why do so many pastors and teachers tell us that Israel’s existence today has no significance for Bible prophecy? They see the same words in Scripture that we do but tell us they cannot refer to Israel.

-Jonathan

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