Iranium - Nuclear Apocalypse

By Justin Edwards

A must watch to understand the recent political history of Iran, which reveals the fascist ideology of Islam to conquer the world and establish an Islamic kingdom. Iran's ambitions to obtain nuclear weapons is intimately tied to their eschatology, and once achieved, they will surely employ this technology one way or the other to usher in the apocalypse.

Thankfully, God has other plans and Islam will not be successful. We know that Iran will be part of an alliance with Russia and other Islamic regimes to wage war against Israel, and to their demise, God will supernaturally intervene and destroy them all (Ezekiel 38-39). Even so, Iran's intentions to wipe Israel off the face of the earth must not be overlooked. The threat is real and Israel knows it. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem and for God to protect His people, both the Church in the Middle East, and the Jewish remnant who have yet to know their Messiah. War is coming soon, perhaps to your backyard. Make sure your salvation is secure, as the day of judgment is drawing near.

Iranium

Mideast Prophecy Update 2010 - 2011 (Part 2)

PART TWO – What Should We Watch For In 2011

By Bill Salus

Read part one now

Israel is prepared to strategically strike Iran’s nuclear sites. This past September I spoke with retired Israeli Defense Forces General Shimon Erem who confirmed Saudi Arabia opened up a thin strip of air for Israel to attack Iran. It’s interesting that no Jewish Synagogue can be constructed in Saudi Arabia, but Israeli war planes are now allowed to fly overhead as long as they are on route to attack Iran. (Picture of Bill Salus and I.D.F. General Shimon Erem)

The open Saudi airspace, pending $60 billion arms deal with America, and the Wikileaks statements that the Saudis told the U.S. to “Cut off the head of the (Iranian) snake,” add credence to suspicions the Saudis are desperately concerned about Iran’s nuclear program. This clock is ticking.

The apparent reasons Israel has refrained from attacking Iran thus far:
1. Sanctions needed time to work.
2. Diplomatic efforts toward Mideast peace were underway and remotely possible.
3. The Stuxnet virus and other related covert efforts inside Iran partially disrupted some aspects of Iran’s nuclear program.
4. It could provoke Hezbollah, Syria, and Hamas to join Iran in a multi-front war imposing significant Israeli casualties.
5. It could initiate unpredictable retaliatory responses from Iran and its proxies, like international terror and / or restricted oil production that could adversely affect America and other parts of the international community.

Interestingly, end time’s expert Jimmy DeYoung informed a group of us attending the Pre-Trib rapture conference in December, 2010 that Prime Minister Netanyahu informed him there were two red lines Israel would not allow Iran to cross;

1. The receipt from Russia of the S-300 missile defense system,
2. The development or acquisition of a weapon of mass destruction.

The missile defense system, which Iran has contracted Russia to deliver, would hinder Israel’s ability to attack Iran through surface to air missiles and endanger Israeli Air Forces in an air assault. Netanyahu takes Ahmadinejad’s genocidal threats to wipe Israel off the map literally and seriously.

Additionally, DeYoung informed us a movement for a Palestinian state within the United Nations is already underway. This movement threatens to set retro borders for the Palestinian state based upon the territories as they were before June 6, 1967 when Israel captured the West Bank, East Jerusalem, the Golan Heights and other additional land. Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay have already accepted such a Palestinian State against harsh rebuke from Israel. Similarly, Venezuela is expected to soon follow course.

Possible events to be watchful of in 2011 are:

Mideast Prophecy Update 2010 -2011 (Part 1)

PART ONE - Looking Through the Rear View Mirror At 2010

By Bill Salus

As the door shuts on 2010, American led Middle East peace efforts have officially unraveled. The Obama administration has backed away for now from pressuring Israel into extending its moratorium on settlement building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. In the absence of peace we are reminded Israel, which equipped its citizens earlier this year with gas masks, remains war ready as 2011 approaches.

Even though 2010 has as of yet escaped a Mideast military conflict and a global financial collapse, by no means did it insulate humanity from the potential for either. The fact that Mideast war was averted in 2010 means it’s overdue in 2011. As we stand on the unstable threshold of the New Year it is helpful to review some 2010 Mideast events. In so doing it might reasonably be concluded that 2011 could be the year the Middle East goes apocalyptic.

In November 2009 the Obama administration hailed Israel’s decision to temporarily halt all residential building in the West Bank. This good will gesture opened up a ten-month window for Mideast peace talks to resume. However, as the world entered into 2010 Mideast peace remained elusive. Throughout most of 2010 Mideast peace talks were at best “indirect.” It wasn’t until September 2, 2010 that the Obama Administration seriously attempted to jump start “direct” Mideast peace talks.

To the Obama administration’s chagrin, but to nobody’s surprise, three weeks later on September 26, Israel’s temporary moratorium freeze on settlements and direct peace talks concluded. At the time Obama seemed content to leave Mideast matters alone as he was preoccupied with the November 2, 2010 midterm elections. Some analyst attributed Obama’s decision to concerns many of his Democratic colleagues were running against pro-Israel Republicans and pressuring Israel further could complicate their already compromised campaigns.

In June, 2010 I wrote an article outlining a series of alarming Mideast events spanning April to June linked here called Mighty Muscles Flex in the Mideast. It would be helpful to read the chronology of events outlined in the article before going further.

Ahmadinejad Prays to Hasten Apocalypse

By Joel Rosenberg

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made yet another inflammatory speech to the U.N. General Assembly on Thursday. He began his remarks by praying, “O God, hasten the arrival of Imam al-Mahdi and grant him good health and victory and make us his followers and those who attest to his righteousness.” 

Imam al-Mahdi is another name for the “Twelfth Imam” or the “Hidden Imam.” Shia Muslims believe this Islamic messiah will come at the End of Days to destroy Judeo-Christian civilization as we have known it, force infidels to convert or be executed, and will set up a one-world Islamic government known as the “caliphate.” Ahmadinejad believes the way to “hasten” the Twelfth Imam’s coming is to annihilate the U.S. and Israel. This would bring about the “victory” that Ahmadinejad prayed for on American soil. The speech went downhill from there. Ahmadinejad accused the U.S. government of masterminding the 9/11 attacks in order to save Israel. Few in the West, including our leaders, understand what Ahmadinejad and his colleagues in the Iranian government believe. And that’s the problem.

What should we do in response? We need to “get ready” and “be prepared,” according to Ezekiel 38:7. We need to gather in small groups and as entire church congregations and pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and mobilize others to pray, too. We need to travel to Israel to do prayer walks, and worship the Lord, and study and teach the Word of God, and to encourage Israelis that we are standing with them, and that the God of Israel loves them without limit. We need to care for poor and needy Israelis and Palestinians with unconditional love and unwavering support. We need to stockpile humanitarian relief supplies in Israel and build infrastructure to distribute even more emergency aid when the next war comes. We need to strengthen the Church in the epicenter in real and practical ways. We need to help our brothers and sisters throughout the region preach the gospel and make disciples and plant churches and show that Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace and the only hope of reconciliation. Time is short, but our path forward is clear.


Through my forthcoming novel, The Twelfth Imam, I’m trying to help people imagine what the world would look like if Ahmadinejad’s world view began to come to pass. 

Through The Joshua Fund, I’m trying to help us get ready for such a world, and to mobilize Christians to make a difference. 

What is the Lord asking you to do?

(HT: Flashtraffic Blog)

Turkey: Iran No. 2?

By Michael Mickey
 

In my 8-27-10 commentary, I highlighted indicators from the news of our world today pointing to the nation of Turkey, a NATO member and long-time ally of the West, posturing itself for fulfillment of Ezekiel 38 which will see Turkey, Russia and Iran (among others) attack the nation of Israel in a time when Israel will falsely perceive it is dwelling in safety as a nation. (Ezekiel 38:11)

Little more than two weeks after my last commentary on this subject, there is much more to document. Let’s get right to it. 

On 9-12-10 the Christian Science Monitor reported that 26 amendments to Turkey’s Constitution were approved by 58% of voters in what many believe is going to strengthen the role Islam plays in dictating Turkish policy on a host of fronts. 

On 9-13-10 EUBusiness.com reported that Turkey is “losing patience” in its bid to become a member of the European Union. This comes as no surprise to me. Based on bible prophecy, I’ve been expecting it to happen for some time because it appears Turkey’s future is tied to powers not associated with the West. I wrote the following on 10-18-05 for example:

“Czech Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda is stating Turkey’s ongoing negotiations to join the European Union will probably end with Turkey obtaining a kind of partnership rather than full membership, something I’ve documented on numerous occasions Turkey has said it will not accept. Suffice to say I expect, sooner or later, that Turkey, which has already been nuzzling up to its former enemy and future Gog-Magog ally, Russia, is going to turn from its goal of EU membership and align with its Gog-Magog counterparts. As we see, the tensions that may lead to this are already taking shape.”

On the heels of Turkish PM Erdogan’s Islamist AKP Party getting the voting public to back it in amending the Turkish Constitution,Ynetnews.com reported (on 9-15-10) that Iran would be donating $25,000,000 to aid Erdogan in his next election campaign. Is there anyone who believes the Iranian government would invest in the political future of a friend of Israel or a supporter of the West? Make no mistake about it, these two future Gog-Magog allies are becoming very cozy with one another! 

On 9-15-10 World Tribune reported that the Israeli defense community has assessed that Turkey is moving toward becoming a radical and nuclear Islamic state. Former Israeli National Security Council director Uzi Dayan summed up the tone of the report by saying, “If there is not a change in personality, then Turkey will become Iran No. 2.” 

It appears highly unlikely that a “change in personality” is forthcoming for Turkey, at least where its prophetic future is concerned. On 9-16-10 Ynetnews.com reported that recent polling indicates Turkey’s attitude toward the West has shifted with a solid majority of Turks now favoring Turkey strengthening its ties with Middle Eastern countries instead of the European Union. 

Having been one of the most frequent writers in the bible prophecy community to focus on Turkey’s role in Ezekiel 38′s prophecy of the battle of Gog-Magog, primarily how we should be able to witness Turkey swing from being a pro-Western nation to a nation willing to align itself with the likes of Iran as a sign of us living in the last days (Ezekiel 38:8), I am happy to report that God’s prophetic plan is proceeding exactly as anticipated. Simply put, this means we are getting closer and closer, both chronologically and conditionally, to the return of Jesus Christ our Lord! 

ARE YOU READY?

(HT: Standing for God)

Iran's "Ambassador of Death"

By Justin Edwards

Just on the other side of a weekend that started with the inauguration of Iran's first nuclear reactor and test launch of a surface to surface missile (nicknamed "Ya Mahdi" in reference to Shia Islam's 12th Imam),  President Ahmadinejad announced their new domestically built long-range unmanned bomber aircraft named "ambassador of death" (story here: Iran Unveils "Ambassador of Death" Bomber).

Vahid Reza Alaei / AP

During his speech at the unveiling ceremony, Ahmadinejad made a most interesting statement (that is sure to elude the blind eyes of global leaders) in that Iran should seek the ability to make pre-emptive strikes against a perceived threat, although he said it would never strike first.

Might that "perceived threat" be in the form of Israel? That is a veiled threat against Israel if I've ever seen one. It is times like these I feel like I'm living in the twilight zone due to the sheer ignorance of those who are sworn to protect us (eg POTUS). Then I am immediately reminded this blindness is the result of the spiritual warfare of powers and principalities whereby those who have not the Holy Spirit cannot discern these things. Good is called evil, and evil called good. It is for this reason the world can justify its condemnation of Israel as she fights for survival among her sworn enemies.

Thanks be to God who has given us the knowledge to know how it all ends - "that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:9-11).

Let us remain in prayer that God's will be done and in His perfect timing He will reveal His sovereignty over the nations. Let us pray for the peace of Jerusalem and let us pray that people from all tribes, nations, and tongues will come to the Lord Jesus Christ while there is still time.

The footsteps of the Messiah are getting closer and closer. Can't you hear them?

Time's Up on the Middle East Powder Keg?

By Justin Edwards

Looking at the Drudge headlines over the last hour makes it clear that war is brewing on the near horizon in the Middle East. The headlines read like a road map to war rather than any sort of road map to peace like  Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is hoping for next month.

This week's developments leave the watchman on the wall with no doubt that events are converging to an all out war in the Middle East that is sure to rock the global economy, send the price of oil sky-rocketing, potentially ignite a swarm of suicide bombings within the United States, and usher in World War III. Drudge's headlines follow throughout the post:


Hours Away from Nuclear - Iran Prepares to Start Up First Nuclear Reactor

From the report,

"Iranian and Russian nuclear technicians made final preparations to start up Iran's first reactor on Saturday after years of delays, an operation that will mark a milestone in what Tehran considers its right to produce nuclear energy."

As  if they had any chance of working, UN sanctions against the Islamic regime proved meaningless as they have from the beginning. Now Western nations find themselves in a greater predicament as Iran has continued its uranium enrichment and plans to build 10 more nuclear reactors in Iranian mountain regions.

A day after the United States "persuades" Israel that Iran's nuclear threat is not imminent (as an effort to postpone and Israeli preemptive strike against Iran's nuclear reactors) and a day before Iran goes nuclear, the Iranian military boasts a test launch of a surface-to-surface missile: Iran broadcasts missile launch on state television. At the end of the video chants of "Allahu Akbar" (Allah is Greatest) can be heard, and what's more, the side of the Qiam missile was tattooed with the inscription "Ya Mahdi", which is a reference to Shia Islam's end-time savior. It should be noted that Iranian President Mahmood Ahmadenijad believes it is his divine mission to usher in the "12th Imam" by starting the apocalypse.

Coincidentally, a new Gaza aid flotilla is being reported to leave from Lebanon this weekend as Israel vows to the UN it will stop any attempts to violate the naval blockade. A second ship is awaiting clearance from Lebanese authorities with the same intentions. Whether this will result in a confrontation is yet to be seen, but it is certain that Israel will not allow the ships to port in Gaza. Could these be coordinated efforts to instigate war with Israel? 

Even Al qaeda is preparing and hoping to exploit a war between these nations.

One thing is clear: there will not be peace in the Middle East this side of Christ's return. All things considered, a war seems nearly imminent whether it starts between Israel and her immediate neighbors or Israel and Iran. Either case, it will be a regional war to include all of these countries including Syria with its advanced chemical warfare program. Scripture says Russia will eventually lead a coalition that will come against Israel only to be utterly destroyed by the hand of God.  Preempting the Russian-led war coalition, we could very well see the fulfillment of Isaiah 17 which may be the result of a Israeli nuclear strike against the Syrian capital of Damascus for a potential WMD attack against Israeli cities. Whether these recent events will tip the first domino is yet to be determined, but there can be no doubt that this is a "rumor of war" that very well could lead to a war that will surely thrust us into the beginning of sorrows.

Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near. - Luke 21:28

Maranatha!

Iran to Start Up First Nuclear Plant in Days

By Dr. Chuck Missler

"You don’t want a messianic apocalyptic cult controlling atomic bombs," Benjamin Netanyahu told Jeffrey Goldberg shortly before Netanyahu was sworn in as Israel's Prime Minister. "When the wide-eyed believer gets hold of the reins of power and the weapons of mass death, then the world should start worrying, and that’s what is happening in Iran."

Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton announced on Tuesday that Iran will go nuclear within eight days unless somebody does something about it - and fast. Fox News' headline certainly grabs one's attention: "Israel Has Until Week's End to Strike Iran Nuclear Facility, Bolton Says."

In other words, Israel strikes Iran, or we face the end of the world. That's how it sounds.

The situation is this: Iran has been working to build nuclear facilities on its own for awhile, and it has faced its share of struggles. Jeffrey Goldberg quoted National Security Council official Gary Samore in the September issue of The Atlantic as saying, "They are running into some technical difficulties, partly because of the work we’ve done to deny them access to foreign components. When they make the parts themselves, they are making parts that don’t have quality control."

It was expected that Iran could cross the "nuclear threshold" within a year, despite these problems. Policy makers have therefore long been struggling to decide how to handle Iran as sanctions fail to halt Iran's nuclear program altogether.

A year is not a great amount of time, but there is a buffer there. How did we get from a year buffer to suddenly facing the point of no return on Saturday? Russia.

Russia has been working to build the Bushehr facility for Iran since 1995, but has faced a variety of setbacks. Those have apparently been overcome. Russia announced on Friday that a company will begin loading nuclear fuel at Iran's Bushehr plant on Saturday, August 21st. If Israel were to strike the plant, they would have to do so before those fuel rods are loaded. Once they are in place, a strike on the nuclear facility could send radiation into the air and water, including the Persian Gulf.

Bolton doubts that Israel will be able to do anything in such a short amount of time. Barring additional problems, Iran will likely have its first power plant started up by next week. If the power plant is only used to produce power, that's one thing. However, spent fuel rods can be used to derive weapons-grade plutonium – which presents a major problem. As Bolton noted, "What this does is gives Iran a second route to nuclear weapons in addition to enriched uranium. It's a very, very huge victory for Iran."

There are some small comforts in all of this: Russia did make Iran agree – cross their hearts – to return all spent fuel rods to Russia. Also, Israel has been quite aware of the nuclear plant problem for some time now and has certainly worked out various plans for ways to deal with it. The US can still factor into this predicament as well. The Obama Administration has repeatedly said that all options are on the table and Obama has made it clear he recognizes the serious danger posed by a nuclear Iran. Obama knows that if Iran goes nuclear, all non-proliferation hopes whisk out the door.

Yet, Iran may not stick by its agreement with Russia, and Israel and the United States may just stand by with their mouths open. That is quite possible too.

Policy makers around the world know that Iran's nuclear prowess is definitely the biggest international security issue facing the conscious world today. Iran's potential future possession of nuclear weapons will affect us all. The big question has always been, so, what is the best way to deal with this problem?

Israel could possibly strike Iran. The Israelis have successfully destroyed the nuclear power plants of two of their enemies in the past, and they got away with it. Syria and Iraq never fully recovered their nuclear programs after those strikes. Israel could hardly lose respect on the world stage for making the attacks. In fact, a number of countries would be secretly grateful for the destruction of Iran's nuclear plants, including Western-allied Arab states in the Middle East who would be forced to align with Iran if it possessed nuclear weapons. Besides, the world has come to expect preemptive strikes from Israel.

Taking out Iran's nuclear sites would not be a simple feat, however. Not only would Israeli planes have to get through Saudi or Iraqi air space (with or without tacit permission), and destroy all the centrifuges and missile plants on the first try, but they would have to find some way to guarantee that they did indeed annihilate all the bad stuff. Israel would also be exposing her people to immediate harm. Iran has warned that "Israel's existence" would be in danger if it made the strike, meaning that Iran would retaliate, and Israel would have to contend with attacks both from Hezbollah and Iran. The threat of regional war looms. Israel has to consider the possibility that its relations with the current US Administration might also be sacrificed in an Iran strike. The whole thing could get wildly out of hand.

On the other hand, as Benjamin Netanyahu has joked, "Let me tell you a secret. The American military is bigger than Israel’s." As some Israeli officials have noted, the United States could make a strike on Iran's nuclear plants with much greater ease than could Israel. Netanyahu also has made the point very clear over the years that a nuclear Iran is not only a danger to Israel, but to the entire world. The United States has a deep interest in keeping Iran nuke-free, and the United States has the power to make strategic strikes in a way that Israel never could. Of course, while George W. Bush repeatedly said he would not attack Iran's nuclear plants, few people believed him – and while the Obama Administration has repeatedly said that all options are on the table, nobody really thinks Obama will order strikes on Iran, especially not right now, this week.

Israel is deeply endangered by a nuclear Iran. The current Persian regime has made its severe anti-Semitism excruciatingly clear. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denies the Holocaust and openly excoriates Israel, but he's not alone. Former Iranian president Ali Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani said nine years ago, "The use of an atomic bomb against Israel would destroy Israel completely while [a nuclear attack] against the Islamic countries would only cause damages."

The Persians aren't apparently fazed by the doctrine of Mutual Assured Destruction.

Ezekiel Chapters 38 and 39 describe the occasion in which God Himself intervenes to quell the ill-fated invasion of Israel by Magog and its allies (Persia, Cush, Phut, Libya, Gomer, Togarmah, Meshech, and Tubal). Hesiod, ''the father of Greek didactic poetry,'' identified Magog with the Scythians and southern Russia in the 7th century B.C. - before Ezekiel was born. This passage also appears to anticipate the use of nuclear weapons.

One nation notably absent from Ezekiel's list of invaders is Syria. In Isaiah 17:1, 4, the prophet warns that that one day Damascus would become a heap of ruins; perhaps its destruction occurs before the events of Ezekiel 38 and 39.

For now, Iran and Syria both strain to see what Israel does while Iran's first nuclear plant prepares to go live. The whole world is on watch. Whether now or later, it's just a matter of time before one of the most anticipated battles in Scripture takes place.

(HT: BPT)

On the Brink (Israel and Iran)

By Jan Markell 


Something major is in the works and it is very likely not good. So many have said Iran will be "ready to go" within days as it concerns her nuclear capability that it has become a bit like crying wolf. Few pay attention anymore.

Well, you'd better listen up.

The Jerusalem Post reports that Russia will start loading uranium fuel into the nuclear reactor of the Bushehr nuclear power station in Iran on August 21. This is the crucial step in outfitting Iran with nuclear weapons of mass destruction.

Russia says the latest U.N. sanctions against Iran will not affect the Bushehr project. This project was slated to happen in late September but now we are just days away from the point of no return. Israel must decide what she will do, and quickly.

Former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton told Fox News that, "Once the fuel rods are loaded it makes it essentially immune from attack by Israel. Because once the rods are in the reactor, an attack on the reactor risks spreading radiation in the air, and perhaps into the water of the Persian Gulf."

The story immediately became front-page news in Israel, which has laid precise plans to carry out an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities. Bolton made it clear that it is widely assumed that any Israeli attack on the Bushehr reactor must take place before the reactor is loaded with fuel rods. If that is the case, Israel must act before August 21.

I often hear Yoni the Israeli blogger on the Hugh Hewitt program. In a recent blog, he suggested war is imminent for the following reasons:

1. Hizbullah has dug tunnels into northern Israel. Hizbullah also has 60,000 rockets, many with chemical warheads. Israel has delivered letters to the U.N., Lebanon, and USA, showing where Hizbullah has hidden rockets in civilian areas.
2. The Israel Air Force (IAF) is training in long-range missions, jets, and helicopters, which would suggest commando raids a long way from home. Additionally, Israeli Defense Force (IDF) reserves have been called up and are being trained at an abnormal pace.
3. Israeli subs are sitting off Iran and the Israeli Air Force (IAF) has an airbase in Saudi Arabia.
4. Israeli intelligence has captured data showing that Hizullah will preemptively attack Israel at month's end. The objective is to take out IAF bases so Israeli planes cannot hit Iran.

While at first glance Americans think this will not affect them all that much, I am taking some thoughts from my frequent radio guest, Bill Salus, who has written the book Israelestine. Salus states, "Iran's apocalyptic-minded president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has publicly threatened the closing of Hormuz in retaliation for an Israeli or American strike upon his country.

"Additionally, two significant correlating events made the news in May, 2010. First, the Islamic Republic of Iran warned that it would launch terrorist attacks and suicide strikes inside of America in the event of a strike upon Iranian soil. Second, the Iranian Navy conducted a massive war exercise in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf, called 'Judgment Day.' This drill reportedly demonstrated Iran's sole and sovereign ability to control those strategic bodies of water."

Salus continues, "Regarding the possibility of Iran playing the 'oil card' against America, on September 15, 2009 The Wall Street Journal published a Bret Stephens article entitled Obama Is Pushing Israel Towards War. In the article Stephens suggested that a Middle East War could push the price of oil up to $300 per barrel. Lately, on average, that precious black gold has been closing between $70 to $80 per barrel. Stephen's estimate suggests an oil-dependent world could be about to experience a spike at the pump of about four times the present amount. Iran still ranks number two behind Saudi Arabia in the OPEC oil cartel, which is responsible for two-thirds of the world's oil supply."

Are Americans, Chinese, Europeans, and others ready for such a steep increase? Americans could expect to feel pain in the waiting lines at the pump and in their pocket books, as increased transportation costs would certainly be reflected in the price of goods sold over the retail counters across the country.

When this strike actually happens, tomorrow or next year, the world will react - as it did after Israel bombed Iraq's Osirak facility in 1981 - with universal condemnation. Israel can do nothing right - including take out a major de-stablizer of the world - Iran's nuclear capability.

And just where will America be in this scenario? Would she participate with Israel? Even Saudi Arabia is participating, by allowing Israel to use a Saudi air base. But don't count on our current White House or State Department to do anything but join the condemning chorus. As George Will says, "Will Israel do what the world won't? If it attacks Iran, the world was warned. If not, the world may regret it."

(HT: BPT)

Israel at the Rubicon

By Sean Osborne

After years of endless debate, delayed decisions, additional deliberations, bald-faced lies and disinformation, followed by economic sanctions packages piled upon other ineffective economic sanctions packages, coupled with incessant Iranian and Western bellicose rhetoric which would have been considered casus belli in years gone by, the announcement made on Friday by Sergei Novikov, the spokesman for the Russian Federal Atomic Energy Agency (Rosatom), that the fueling of the Iranian Bushehr nuclear plant will commence on Saturday, 21 August has left the State of Israel standing on the southern bank of a literal River Rubicon.

In the absence of a decision by Western governments, the United States of America in particular, to back up its own rhetoric with concrete actions, Israel has been left holding the baggage containing approximately 144 hours of time. At the conclusion of those 144 hours it will have become irreversibly too late for military action to halt Iran and its current apocalyptic regime's nuclear weapons program. This is the conventional wisdom being related by many subject matter experts in the past 36 hours, experts such as former Ambassador John Bolton. Bolton's comments to Fox News last Friday speak of just such a window of time remaining.

However, there's another window no one is openly considering, a window that may likely already have closed. The name of this window is "Russian nuclear technicians at Bushehr." Those Russian technicians effectively constitute a "human shield" guarding against a pre-emptive Israeli strike on the Bushehr reactor complex. Not to mention the Russian VIPs who will begin arriving on-site at the Bushehr complex for the opening ceremonies prior to the end of the 144 hours.

Short of starting a war with Russia, the physical presence of Russian technicians at Bushehr affords Israel no option but to focus its contingency plans against deeply buried Iranian enrichment cascades, weaponization plants and delivery systems as well as the suppression of Iran's military retaliation capabilities. The Iranian response to an Israel air assault also includes thousands of missiles, some of them likely tipped with biological or chemical weapons in Lebanon (Hezbollah) and Syria, as well as an Iranian assault against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

Have I just described a recipe for an armageddon-like scenario to unfold in the Middle East? No doubt about it. This is precisely the type of scenario the leaders of apocalyptic Iran want more than anything. Great chess players those Iranians. So here stands Israel on the southern bank of the River Rubicon with virtually no time left to ponder her next move. Irregardless of the next action taken this world will never be the same, and only the ancient Biblical prophets have told us what lies ahead.

(HT: BPT)

Tehran's War Preparations

By Bob Maginnis
BobMaginnis.com

Iran's military preparations and defiant rhetoric are again raising tensions in the Middle East, making military action all the more likely. Whether Iran acts first, or provokes Israel to take pre-emptive measures, the region is moving closer to conflict.

Iran last week started Velayat-89, an eight-day war game, to display its defensive and deterrent naval power. Iranian Adm. Qassem Rostamabadi said the aim of the exercise is to showcase Iran’s strength in controlling maritime routes through the Strait of Hormuz. And it kicks off just days after the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) completed major war games near the strait, during which it tested missiles and a new speedboat capable of destroying enemy ships.

Those war games reflect Iran’s desire to flex its military muscle as tensions rise over the regime’s nuclear program. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said, “Iran is combining ballistic and cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles, mines, and swarming speedboats in order to challenge our naval power in that region.”

Israel has long assumed that any military action it took against Iran’s nuclear program would draw a response from Iran’s terror proxy, Hezbollah. But the reverse is just as likely – Iran could give Hezbollah the green light to launch a pre-emptive attack to sideline Jerusalem’s anti-nuclear attack plans. There is plenty of evidence Hezbollah is ready for that order.

War drums began beating faster recently, amid growing allegations that Iran’s ally Syria supplied Hezbollah with Scud missiles capable of carrying a chemical warhead and reaching Israel. This is especially alarming when coupled with a report from the Kuwaiti newspaper al-Siyasa that chemical weapons are in Lebanon, along with Israel’s decision in April to provide gas masks to every citizen, according to Arutz Sheva, an Israeli media network.

Secretary Gates confirmed last month that Hezbollah has “far more rockets and missiles [perhaps 60,000] than most governments in the world …. This is obviously destabilizing for the whole region.” That explains why President Obama just renewed sanctions on Syria for “continuing support for terrorist organizations and pursuit of weapons of mass destruction and missile programs.”

These war preparations compliment Tehran’s defiant rhetoric. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came to the United Nations’ Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty conference in New York City last week to face his accusers who threaten a fourth round of sanctions over Tehran’s lack of cooperation on its nuclear program. Ahmadinejad used that forum to lash out at the U.S., accusing it of being the “main suspect” in fostering a nuclear arms race and reminded the world that America was the first and only state to use a nuclear bomb. Ahmadinejad said new sanctions would “mean relations between Iran and the U.S. will never be improved again.”

The regime refuses to make a good-faith effort to prove it isn’t seeking atomic weapons, despite significant contrary evidence. And the UN is considering a fourth round of “tough” sanctions which will certainly be vetoed by China, an Iranian oil-consuming ally and supplier of ballistic missiles.

That leaves the West two options: accept a nuclear-armed Tehran or conduct a military strike that at best delays Iran’s atomic weapons program. President Obama’s choice appears to be to do nothing, as he seems to be at the mercy of Tehran.

Obama is vulnerable because Iran is leveraging our wars and the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz.

Tehran enjoys sway over affairs in Iraq via Shia politicians that control that government and proxy militia like Muqtada al-Sadr’s recently reconstituted Mahdi Army. Obama knows Tehran could make America’s planned 50,000-troop withdraw this summer very uncomfortable or make the balance of America’s time in Iraq rather bloody.

Afghanistan is also under Tehran’s sway, according to the Pentagon’s April 2010 “Report on Progress Toward Security and Stability in Afghanistan.” “Iran continues to actively attempt to influence events in Afghanistan” and could disrupt Obama’s plans to begin withdrawing our forces next summer.

“Iran continues to provide lethal assistance to elements of the Taliban,” the Pentagon Report states. Media reports indicate Taliban commanders say Iran is training insurgents and equipping them with shaped-charges responsible for up to 80% of all U.S. casualties in Afghanistan. Iran also supplies the Taliban man-portable surface-to-air missiles, armor-piercing bullets, mortars, C-4 plastic explosives and anti-tank mines.

The increased tensions give rise to varying scenarios.

Tehran could shut down the Strait of Hormuz either through intimidation or military action. Oil prices would spike in either case which would hurt an already troubled global economy and especially the U.S.

Or Israel might make a pre-emptive strike against Iran's nuclear sites, or Iran could make a pre-emptive strike of its own, using Hezbollah to shut down Israeli airfields. Either way the entire region would explode and the U.S. would be forced to defend Israel.

That’s why Tehran believes Obama will do whatever is necessary to keep Israel from striking Iran, not because he cares about the Jewish nation, but because he doesn’t want America to be drawn into another war.

But Israel is not unaware of Iran’s intent and calculus and is suspicious of Obama’s reliability. That’s why we should not be surprised if Israel pre-empts Hezbollah before Iran gives its proxy the green light. Perhaps the final question is, who will attack whom first and what will those who are not attacked do next?

(HT: Bible Prophecy Today)

America Becoming an Enemy of Israel

America Becoming an Enemy of Israel

 

By Nathan Jones

American-Israeli relations are at a 35 year all-time low, according the Israeli ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren.

The relationship between the United States and Israel has not been this battered since Gerald Ford was president, sparring with Israel after their refusal to withdraw from Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, which Israel eventually did. There were some rocky moments since then between President Ronald Reagan and Israel over Israel invading Lebanon and bombing Iraq's nuclear reactor, as well as American actions over the U.S. selling air defenses to Saudi Arabia. Again in 1991, President George Bush Senior's government denied loan guarantees to Israel over disagreements on West Bank settlements. Those past disputes were merely disagreements among committed friends, though. Today the tone has become far, far worse.

The United States and Israel began to see rapid deterioration in their relationship as soon as President Barack Obama took the reigns in January 2009. President Obama began his term of office by reaching out to Muslims in a speech in Cairo, and since then has repeatedly given his ear to Israel's enemies while publicly berating Israel at every opportunity. With world public opinion set hostilely against Israel over the fallacious Goldstone Report which accuses Israel of war crimes in Gaza during Operation Cast Lead, Israel needs a real friend that doesn't talk like an enemy.

Mr. Obama next began calling for something no previous administration has insisted on. He demanded that Israel completely halt all "settlement" activity in the West Bank and in East Jerusalem.

For Israel supposedly being one of America's closest ally, Mr. Obama has yet to visit Jerusalem as president. Politically such a disregard is considered a snub.

How has the United States responded to Israel's threat to their very existence?

Israel now faces a crisis of epic proportions as Iranian Muslim clerics and their President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are hell-bent on developing a nuclear weapon and arming terrorist regimes like Hamas and Hezbollah to follow through on their threat to "wipe Israel off the map." The world has tried every diplomatic means possible to curtail Iran's development, but every effort has been met with a slap in the face by Ahmadinejad. All attempts at placing serious sanctions on Iran have been vetoed due to the gas interests Russia and China have in Iran.

American support of Israel in their dealings with Iran has ironically only been friendly to Iran. The World Tribune reports: "Since taking office, Obama has refused to approve any major Israeli requests for U.S. weapons platforms or advanced systems. Officials said this included proposed Israeli procurement of AH-64D Apache attack helicopters, refueling systems, advanced munitions and data on a stealth variant of the F-15E."

And the latest, President Obama has blocked a 2008 deal to deliver to Israel bunker-buster bombs capable of destroying underground facilities such as the Iranian nuclear weapons sites. The bunker-buster bomb is a "2,000-pound bomb, produced by Boeing and coupled with a laser guidance kit" that "was designed to penetrate concrete bunkers and other underground hardened sites." While en route, the U.S. military was ordered to divert the shipment of 387 bunker-buster bombs from Israel to a military base in Diego Garcia.

What the Obama administration is effectively doing, according to the World Tribune's congressional source, is to place an embargo on Israel. This makes good on U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's threat to reduce military aid to Israel because of its construction policy.

With Iran just a year away from having two atomic bombs and already proving they have the delivery missile system capable of delivering a warhead to anywhere in Israel, Washington's timing couldn't have been worse. 

The Obama administration believes that once the Palestinians have their own country Iran will back down, naiveté at its best considering Iran is willing to irradiate the very land they say belongs to the Palestinians. The Palestinians are a pawn to Iran and nothing more; a pawn that Washington is too focused on, missing Iran's larger and often announced ambitions to bring Shiite Islam to the whole world.

What is the source of the breakdown in relations between America and Israel?

On the surface, the degradation of relations is over the Israeli right to build homes in Jerusalem.

Having proven historic ownership of Jerusalem since King David 3,000 years ago, only since the Six Day War of 1967 has Israel again regained control over Jerusalem, having lost it when the Babylonians conquered it in the sixth century B.C. Though contested by some Muslim nations, by all legal rights Israel owns Jerusalem and has the right to build on their own land. As Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu confirmed in a March speech to the pro-Israel lobby group, Aipac, "Jerusalem is not a settlement, it's our capital" and Israel has a "right to build."

The Obama administration sides with Israel's enemies, declaring the left-over Syrian invaders now called Palestinians have the right to the eastern portion of Jerusalem and all the West Bank lands in the very heart of Israel. President Obama has made the freezing of all Jewish construction the paramount factor in Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations. His eventual goal is to forcibly make Israel cede East Jerusalem to the Palestinians as their capital, rather than Ramallah, and set up an independent Palestinian nation.

Below the surface of the souring American-Israeli relations is President Obama's well known ego. The continuation of Israel building apartment complexes and businesses on their own land against President Obama's wishes has been taken by the President as a personal insult — ultimately as an act of disobedience.

BBC News reports that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has expressed Mr. Obama's anger by calling Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's continued defiance of Obama's will by continuing construction "insulting." David Axelrod, an aide to President Obama, has dubbed Netanyahu's persistence "an affront" and a "calculated attempt to undermine the expected launch of indirect talks." Vice President Joe Biden in his March visit to Jerusalem displayed Mr. Obama's contempt by showing up hours late to all of his meetings and publicly berating Israeli officials on their own soil.

The bedrock reason for Americas' continued distancing from Israel is the fulfillment of Bible prophecy.

Israel is in the processes of regathering from the four corners of the world back into their own land, which is a fulfillment of Isaiah 11:11-12. Israel becoming a nation again as it did in May 14, 1948, was a fulfillment of Isaiah 66:7-8 and Ezekiel 37:21-22. The Jews reoccupying the city of Jerusalem found its fulfillment on June 7, 1967, as Zechariah 8:4-8 said they would. The Jews restored the barren land making it fertile again, just as Ezekiel 36:34-35 said would happen. And finally, the reason for America's increasing hostility towards Israel, the fulfillment this very day that all the nations of the world will come together against Israel over the issue of the control of Jerusalem, as written in Zechariah 12:1-3.

The United States is unwittingly playing its role in Bible prophecy, coming against Israel over its ownership of Jerusalem. It will ultimately fulfill its role along with every other nation by invading Israel and having its armies destroyed by Jesus Himself in the final battle of the upcoming 7-year Tribulation — Armageddon (Rev. 19:11-21).

The United States has been soured by Satan's hatred of the Jews. Satan hates the Jews with a passion because through them God brought the world the Messiah and His salvation, the Bible, and the promises of future restoration. Israel fulfilling Bible prophecy today proves that God's destiny for Satan — the Lake of Fire — is unalterable and conclusive (Rev. 20:7-10).

Is God today warning us ahead of judgment?

God never brings about judgment without forewarning, for He is a just and loving God. The Bible says that God will bless those who bless Israel, and He will curse those who curse Israel (Gen. 12:3). The Bible also says that he who touches Israel touches "the apple of God's eye" (Zech. 2:8).

The current administration has been poking God in the eye tremendously as of late. When Vice President Biden was in Israel, God responded with a freak storm in the Northeast that flooded New Jersey and left half a million without power. God then held His restraining hand back, and now Americans have been straight-jacketed into socialized healthcare, suffocating under even more governmental control and losing hard won freedoms.

In the Bible, whenever a leader disobeyed God (such as King David did when making the census), the people also paid the penalty. God's method of operation has not changed, and the American people have paid the price for our elected leaders' sins against God. We have injured ourselves by trying to divide Israel, just as Zechariah 12:3 warned. We will continue to pay the price for our leadership's stand against Israel and God Himself, ultimately being destroyed as a nation when we side with the Antichrist against Israel in the last days.

Christians should prepare for God's warnings through natural disasters and economic chaos by humbly calling out to God to forgive us, holding back His anger against the United States, at least until after the Rapture. During hardship we should continue doing as we've always done — pulling close to God in prayer and Bible reading, living holy lives, and using the time we have to share the Gospel with others.

In these tumultuous and terrifying times, as our leaders rocket us to our own nation's destruction, we should heed what Psalm 56:3 teaches us concerning God, "When I am afraid, I will trust in you."

Peace in the Middle East? Not this Life Time

By Hal Lindsey
The Hal Lindsey Report

On this week's edition of "The Hal Lindsey Report," Iran seems to be mounting a full-court press. Last week, Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad traveled to Syria. He met with Syria's president, Bashar al-Assad, Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah, and Hamas' founder Khaled Meshal.

The week before, Iran concluded a mutual defense pact with the Arab state of Qatar. That's a little tricky for the United States because Qatar is home to the headquarters of the U.S. Central Command and our largest airbase outside the US mainland.

Also last month, Syria's Foreign Minister became the first Syrian official to publicly threaten Israel's population centers. Following suit, Hezbollah's Nasrallah got very specific in his threats, too. Not to be outdone, when Ahmadinejad got back home, he once again threatened to "eradicate [Israel] once and for all."

It's all happening across the Middle East. And it's also happening inside Israel. Last week, the Palestinian Authority's spiritual leader issued a fatwa (religious edict) against Palestinians who work on Jewish construction sites. He called them 'traitors' who should be imprisoned. If they take it seriously, that would mean thousands more Palestinians unemployed.

Sheikh Taysar Tamimi didn't stop there, though. He also included Arabs who work on Jewish archaeological digs, especially those that might support Israel's claims to the land. Tamimi said that those archaeological zones are deviously intended to "judaize Jerusalem." He also accused Binyamin Netanyahu, all Jewish rabbis, and all extremist organizations of lying by asserting that Jerusalem was a Jewish city. I wonder if he includes King David in that group?

I suppose that's why PA President Mahmoud Abbas is now threatening a "religious war" over Israel's intention to declare the burial sites of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebeccah, Leah, and Rachel (in Hebron and Bethlehem) as "National Heritage" sites. The designation is a technical move that allows the Israeli government to appropriate money to the restoration and upkeep of those monuments. But the Muslims don't see it that way. They have apparently decided that the patriarchs buried in those tombs were really Muslims, so the Jews have no business being there. The Cave of the Patriarchs is Judaism's second holiest site after the Temple Mount. Rachel's Tomb is the third. Remember how testy the Muslims get over the Dome of the Rock? It only ranks as their third holiest site and they're willing to trigger World War III over it, yet the Jews are supposed to just walk away from Abraham's grave!

Now can you see why there will never be lasting, authentic peace in Israel until Jesus comes? There is no room for compromise on either side. And we Americans and Westerners just cannot understand it.

Last week's gigantic earthquake in Chile startled a world still grappling with the aftermath of the Haitian quake. Although Chile's greater affluence and more stringent building codes prevented the massive casualties experienced in Haiti, this quake spawned tsunamis that wreaked havoc along the coast. They even reached Japan and Russia. And while Japan was bracing for the tsunami, it suffered its own magnitude 7 earthquake!

Newsweek magazine recently asked the question: "Are Earthquakes Getting Worse?" Opinions vary, but one thing is certain. Jesus said that two of the "signs" of the last days would be "great earthquakes in various places" and "fearful sights." A "sign" is something that can be seen or heard. At no point in history have we been able to "see and hear" like we can today. Because of the advent of television, satellites, and the internet, we are able to see and hear "fearful sights" virtually as they happen. No more reading about them in the newspaper several weeks after they occurred. Today, we are always "on the scene." And in the last few years, we've been "on the scene" of great earthquakes all over the world - from the United States to the Indian Ocean to Iran to China to Italy to Haiti to Chile to Japan, and the list goes on.

And one of the results of being "on the scene" as soon as the tremors begin or the wave crashes is the enormous increase in anxiety and perplexity throughout the world - just as Jesus warned.

This week, I'll share with you the ten signs of the final days of this Age that Jesus detailed in Luke's Gospel. You will be stunned at how familiar they are. You see them on the news everyday!

Trilateral Terror meeting in Damascus to discuss the "Zionist threat"

By Chris Schang

The Jerusalem Post is reporting that the terror trio of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, and Syria President Bashar Assad have held a meeting over dinner to discuss "threats" in the region. Obviously it does not take much imagination to determine that the "threat" that these terrorist masterminds were discussing was none other than Israel. The Jerusalem Post reports:

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Hizbullah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah met Thursday evening in Damascus along with their senior advisors, and discussed regional developments and “the zionist threat,” it was revealed Friday. The two were the guests of Syrian President Bashar Assad, who had dinner with the two and participated in the talks. According to Arab media reports, the meeting was not reported upon until after it had taken place for security reasons.

In regards to recent United States overtures from the Obama administration the article went on to report that the trio basically snubbed Washington and demanded that the United States withdraw from the region. The article further reported:

On Thursday Ahmadinejad and Assad together unleashed vicious rhetoric against Israel, with Ahmadinejad declaring that the “criminal” state of Israel is doomed, and Assad charging that Israel “is capable of aggression at any point.” Visiting Damascus, Ahmadinejad vowed that Arab nations will usher in a new Middle East “without Zionists and without colonialists.” In remarks that extended to vicious criticism of the US, and made a mockery of Washington’s efforts to engage his Syrian hosts, Ahmadinejad said the United States should leave the Middle East and stay out of regional affairs.


“[The Americans] want to dominate the region but they feel Iran and Syria are preventing that,” Ahmadinejad said during a news conference with Assad. “We tell them that instead of interfering in the region's affairs, to pack their things and leave.” He added that “if the Zionist regime wants to repeat its past mistakes, this will constitute its demise and annihilation.”

It appears that the enemies of the Israel as well as the United States have become very vocal over the last few days and weeks. This increased tension from the resulting comments has given analysts the feeling that Iran could "stir the pot" soon as international pressure begins to be increased on Iran over it's illegal nuclear weapons program. Recent new articles have reported calls for sanctions against Iran that are both "crippling" and "with teeth" as opposed to the mainly meaningless sanctions that have been applied on Iran up unto this point. Chief among those making the calls for these kind of sanctions is both the United States and Israel, hence the reference to the "Zionist threats" that caused the terror trio to meet. With more meaningful sanctions expected or anticipated to be passed against Iran within the next month, it is easy to see that Iran could try to start some serious problems on the borders of Israel. With the Hamas and Hezbollah terrorist organizations basically a proxy of their Iranian masters, it is not to hard to see the idea that Iran may try to distract the international community with a brand new conflict in the region centering around Israel and the terrorists.

Many watchers of Bible prophecy have become aware of the prophecies of Psalm 83 and Isaiah 17, which basically foretell the destruction of the terrorists that currently reside on the border with Israel and the utter destruction of the Syrian capital of Damascus. As we've noted in previous Rapture Reports, Syria has already taken the move of transferring official state archives out of Damascus as they anticipate a strong reaction from Israel in the next conflict should Syria become directly involved. This move has many Bible prophecy watchers on edge as the bottom line is that something has to give pretty soon. With the continued buildup of arms, missiles, and other weapons on the borders of Israel and the current stalemate with the Middle East peace process, coupled with the tightening of sanctions on Iran gives many of us the idea that a conflict is literally around the corner. As we know from previous conflicts they can breakout very fast and heat up very quickly. With these developments in the region, we need to be watchmen on the walls and keep our eyes peeled for signs that things are about to get out of control.

Stay sober and wake, for if you close your eyes you might miss something.

God bless.