Persia, not Iran?

Listening to a Newsmax morning program on June 29, I heard an interesting proposition that struck deeply into my “watchman on the wall” perspective.

A US general was being interviewed by the program host. They were deeply discussing the president’s dealings with the Iranian regime’s negotiators—that is, with the few who are left to negotiate.

There are, the host and general agreed, two distinct negotiating elements within Iran. That is, apparently, this is true.

The general and the host again agreed. One element seems to be the diplomatic side that has signed onto the so-called MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) regarding that the regime agrees to the following: 1) Iran will no longer pursue a nuclear weapons program; and 2) The Strait of Hormuz will now be completely open to ship movement without any interference by Iranian assaults. At the same time, there are the fanatic IRG militants who continue to try to interfere with shipping in the Strait, and who do not agree to allow American or international investigators into Iran to inspect and remove Iran’s nuclear materials and nuclear production materials.

The general laid out how President Trump had just ordered a very strong strike against launch sites and other military and radar facilities in response to the Iranian violation of the ceasefire agreement by firings at a ship entering the Strait. (There have since been other retaliatory strikes.)

The general said Trump’s patience was wearing thin. He said something to the effect that the Iranians had better recognize the benefits of the president’s patient dealing through the diplomatic process, because they would find Trump’s losing patience to be something they would very much not like—implying that America’s action in that case would be far worse than Midnight Hammer, the code name of the action that initiated the whole matter.

Then the general said something that really hit. He said if the regime didn’t completely comply with the MOA they had signed, we might in the future be calling the nation Persia, not Iran. I took this to mean that because Iran would be militarily destroyed as the IRG, the nation’s name would be changed back to its ancient name.

I think that’s a distinct possibility. This war effort against Iran’s nuclear ambition and war-making in that region—things like shutting down international shipping—might end in a name change somehow in the diplomatic process of concluding the war. The name might indeed be changed from Iran back to Persia.

This possibility comes about, in my thinking, because of the talk of regime change, boots on the ground, and all the objection to such action, particularly by those who oppose Trump in all he does.

It would be just like the diplomats to come up with a change in name only, thereby telling us the threat is now gone.

Something like that would:1) allow the Islam-militant fanatics of the IRG to stay in power; and, more importantly, 2) have that Gog-Magog nation go again by the exact name given Ezekiel to prophesy.

Again, the talk within mainstream news sources, and even in the diplomatic community, is concerned with what might be coming if Trump loses his not-all-that-long-lasting patience.

And Mr. Trump has given cause with his recent comments for us to wonder what comes next, as the always deceptive, lying Iranian regime continues to play their obfuscating games.

President Donald Trump warned Saturday that the United States may be forced to take far more sweeping military action against Iran after U.S. aircraft struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations and coastal radar sites, which he said were used in renewed violations of a ceasefire agreement.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said American forces acted after Iran violated the agreement “AGAIN,” accusing Tehran of failing to learn from repeated warnings.

“There may come a point when we are no longer able to be reasonable, and will be forced to militarily complete the job that we very successfully started,” Trump wrote. “If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist!”

The president’s warning marked one of his strongest public statements yet as tensions continue to rise between Washington and Tehran following recent attacks on commercial shipping near the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy corridors.

U.S. Central Command said American forces targeted Iranian missile and drone storage sites, along with coastal radar positions, after Iran allegedly struck commercial vessels in violation of the ceasefire. The strikes appeared aimed at degrading Iran’s ability to launch further attacks against ships moving through the region. (“Trump Warns Iran It May ‘No Longer Exist’ After U.S. Strikes Missile, Drone Sites,” by Emmit Barry, Worthy Christian News, June 27, 2026)

Most who observe things involving the area Ezekiel called Persia believe this building conflict has considerable prophetic significance. I agree.

There must be a nation in the area to join in the coalition of the Gog-led assault against God’s chosen nation. There must be some process of quasi or pseudo-solution to the present building conflict that allows the existence of a nation-force to attack the hated Israel.

I propose that a name change might be a diplomatic tool to allow this strange turn of events. It could be Persia, not Iran, that is the name of that satanically inspired nation whose chief evil angel is the Prince of Persia, which is destroyed along with all the others on the mountains of Israel as outlined in Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39.

While we watch all that transpires over the coming days in that region, let’s keep looking up, as our Lord commanded:

“And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28).

—Terry

Wtjames1@swbell.net

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Does the March Toward the Gog/Magog War Signal Jesus’ Soon Appearing?

It’s one of the most confusing signs that we live in the last days. Just when we think the Middle East war is heading in one direction and can imagine how that might lead to the Gog/Magog war of Ezekiel 38-39, everything changes. Sometimes it’s a ceasefire; at other times it’s the resumption of bombing. It might be easier to nail Jello to a wall than to predict what might happen with this war in the coming weeks.

As believers, we recognize the demonic motivations of the Iranian leadership that lie behind all the broken deals and the on-again and off-again bombings. It is not a rational mindset, not at all, but one that seeks to destroy Israel by any means necessary and at any cost. Deception, lying, and murder are all perfectly acceptable to the Islamic regime.

Has the broken Memo of Understanding (MOU) with Iran brought President Trump closer to this realization? It’s highly doubtful he recognizes the demonic spirit of Iran’s leaders, but he’s clearly frustrated. Amir Tsarfati, in a recent Telegram post, quoted the President as saying this about them: “The Iranian regime guys are scum, sick people, vicious, violent people, cuckoo, liars.” His opinion has definitely changed from a few weeks ago when he praised Iran’s leaders. Will he ever trust them again?

His most recent change of heart toward the Islamic state comes in response to its attacks on several commercial ships sailing through the Strait of Hormuz. As a result, the US has resumed bombing key targets in Iran, including Kharag Island, as suggested by Benjamin Netanyahu.

How Close Are We?

When this war began earlier this year, like other students of Bible prophecy, I wondered how the overthrow of the Islamic government would impact the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38-39. That all changed when the bombing stopped and the MOU allowed the current Iranian to remain in power with money and time to rebuild their missile program and continue their nuclear ambitions.

But now, it’s anyone’s guess as to what might happen next. We know that the Islamic factions with Iran will remain strong enough to join Russia, Turkey, and others in the alliance that will someday invade Israel. But what will that look like?

Based on the ever-changing direction of the current war, however, it’s impossible to gauge the nearness of the Gog/Magog war with any precision. Does this confusion by itself point to the nearness of Jesus’ appearing? I believe it does.

The Rapture Will Change Everything

As with many other signs pointing to the nearness of the Tribulation, I’m beginning to see clearer than ever how the Rapture is the wildcard that will change everything regarding the how and the when of the Gog/Magog invasion of Israel. The Bible tells us that destruction will occur soon after our departure (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3), followed shortly by the unveiling of the antichrist on the world scene (2 Thessalonians 2:3-8). At the moment, it’s not possible to predict exactly how these dramatic world-changing events will set the stage for the future all-out attack on Israel.

What we do know is that, after the Rapture, the US will cease to be a world power, as evidenced by its absence in Bible prophecy. The disappearance of a multitude of believers will have an immediate weakening effect, as will the “sudden destruction” that will come upon our departure. As for America, earthquakes and volcanoes might contribute to its downfall. Geologists continually warn of widespread catastrophes as a result of these things that they say might happen in the near future in the US.

Might the US suffer a major defeat via a nuclear attack close to the time of the Rapture? That’s also entirely possible given its rising tensions with Russia and China.

Even though I cannot explain the specifics of the how and when of the Gog/Magog war, the alignment of the nations combined with Israel’s prosperity closely track with Ezekiel’s prophecy. Despite the march toward its fulfillment that’s so very evident, certain questions remain:

• When will Israel experience the state of peace described in the prophecy?
• Why a land invasion when modern warfare relies on bombs and drones?
• After suffering so many losses in its war with Ukraine, why will Russia join the invading forces?

Years ago, I thought it was possible for the Gog/Magog war to happen before the Rapture. Now, however, I believe the rapidly changing post-Rapture world will resolve the unanswered questions listed above. It’s not just the march toward the Gog/Magog conflict that signals the nearness of the Rapture, I believe it’s also the confusing Middle East war that points to Jesus’ soon appearing.

Everything is at the ready for the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38-39; the only missing spark is what will happen after we meet Jesus in the air.

Keep looking up; Jesus is coming soon!

-Jonathan.

 

Man’s Star Trek and God’s Sovereignty

Jesus warned that things on Earth will be “as it was in the days of Noah” when He next reveals Himself to humanity (Luke 17:26–27).

We’ve looked numerous times at this prophecy by the Lord. He followed that up by saying it will also be like the “days of Lot” (Luke 17:28–30), which we’ve looked at even more frequently.

In both cases, times had become so debauched, so evil, so anti-God, that God looked down and determined that those doers of wickedness had to be destroyed.

He, of course, destroyed the world by the great Flood in the days of Noah, and He decimated the civilization that existed at the south end of the Dead Sea when Lot was taken out of Sodom.

In both cases, humankind had moved farther and farther from Heaven’s governance. All the people had corrupted themselves—with the assistance of the angels who fell in the rebellion with Lucifer and came to Earth to cohabit with human women.

The whole ugly process began again sometime following the days when Noah and his family escaped the destruction through the Lord’s provision of the ark.

A mighty leader—I believe possibly having Nephilim DNA at some level of his genealogy, with Nephilim being the offspring of the sexual union between a fallen angel and a human female—led another rebellion against God’s governance.

This mighty hunter, of course, was Nimrod. He was instrumental in the project that became the nucleus of this post-Flood rebellion. This was when the progeny who came from Noah and his family settled all together on the plain of Shinar. There they determined to build what we know as the Tower of Babel.

Here is the biblical account and what God thought of that effort:

“And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. 

“Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth” (Genesis 11:3-9).

This was a merciful act by the Lord, not a punitive action. He could have destroyed them all, but He considered their lost, sinful condition and restored His governance in order to continue toward the redemption He would one day offer through His Son as the Lamb that would take away the sin of those who would believe and accept that great sacrifice.

People haven’t changed in their sin and lostness. The world’s population is once again moving toward this independence from God.

Humanity—through the diplomatic efforts of those who, in Nimrod-like fashion, have determined to seek and build a new world order—is in the process of constructing a neo-Tower of Babel.

Symbolically, we might look at reaching out into space as trying in some ways to achieve the failed Tower project that was halted as the people were scattered by the God who created them.

We know all about Elon Musk’s efforts to saturate the heavens with his Starlink satellites. It is an effort that has come to fruition since the time Sputnik circled the globe—the achievement by the Soviet Union that launched the Space Race.

That race to mount up into the heavens is rocketing upward exponentially. The following is a brief excerpt of the latest Babel-like efforts:

As humanity prepares to bring back material from the Moon, Mars, and potentially other worlds, a new question is moving from science fiction into serious policy discussions: what if something comes back with it? The possibility remains entirely hypothetical, yet some researchers argue that the consequences of introducing an unknown extraterrestrial organism to Earth’s biosphere could be too significant to ignore. In a paper published in the journal Ambio, scientists are urging NASA to consider an unprecedented solution, a dedicated biocontainment facility on the Moon where samples from space could be quarantined and studied before ever reaching Earth.

For decades, planetary protection policies have focused on preventing contamination between worlds. Yet the prospect of returning samples from Mars and other celestial bodies is pushing those policies into unfamiliar territory. Scientists increasingly recognize that while the discovery of extraterrestrial life would rank among humanity’s greatest scientific achievements, it could also introduce unprecedented biological risks.

The new proposal envisions a secure lunar research and quarantine facility where all extraterrestrial materials would be analyzed before receiving clearance to travel to Earth. Such a system would effectively place a checkpoint nearly 240,000 miles away from our planet, allowing researchers to study potentially hazardous samples in an isolated environment. (“Researchers are urging NASA to establish a lunar biocontainment facility to prevent any potentially hazardous extraterrestrial organisms from reaching Earth,” by Lydia Amazouz, Dailygalaxy, June 20, 2026)

Obviously, God’s Word outlines the operative problem with fallen humankind. He said that whatever humans—who are, of course, created in His image—determine to do, they can eventually do. We see this in our constant thinking about reaching far into space and colonizing worlds other than the one God assigned us.

It is the effort to become Godlike—whether trying to build a new world order or reach physically into the heavens—that God won’t tolerate. Here is what He says about people trying to break the bonds He has placed on His creation:

“Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down: And though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the serpent, and he shall bite them: And though they go into captivity before their enemies, thence will I command the sword, and it shall slay them: and I will set mine eyes upon them for evil, and not for good” (Amos 9:2-4). 

Bottom line: God is sovereign. Human ambitions apart from the Creator are fruitless and dangerous. But His corrective action is tempered by His mercy on this fallen race—thankfully.

“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him” (Psalms 103:8-11).

—Terry

Wtjames1@swbell.net

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Is This Unmistakable Evidence of the Last Days?

It’s everywhere. We hear it on popular news channels. Its anthem rings out in the halls of the US Congress. Most churches, some knowingly and others unwittingly, promote it.

And it’s an unmistakable sign that we live in the very last days of human history as we know it.

The steadily intensifying antisemitism of our day points us to the reality of the rapidly approaching Tribulation period. It’s one of the more distinguishing signs of our day because it aligns with so many prophecies that predict hatred for Israel and the Jews during the last days. In Zechariah 8:13, the Lord predicted what we see today along with His promise to greatly reverse the fortunes of the Jewish people:

“And as you have been a byword of cursing among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and you shall be a blessing. Fear not, but let your hands be strong.”

What we see today fulfills the first part of this prophecy. Those inside and outside the church who attack Israel, however, overlook the Lord’s promise that, after the hatred, He will save Israel and cause it to be a blessing to the nations. It will be the greatest plot twist of all time!

God’s promise in Zechariah 8:13 underscores the lack of understanding among those who attack us as “Zionists” because we believe the Lord will someday restore a glorious kingdom to Israel. They fulfill the first part of the prophecy, but deny the promise that the Lord will save Israel after the hatred.

What is Zionism?

Let’s dig deeper into the term bandied about by those who call us “Zionists” because of our beliefs regarding Israel’s future. In Scripture, Zion most often refers to the highest summit in Jerusalem, which it also designates as “Mount Zion.” At other times, Zion is synonymous with the entire city.

The Psalms designate Zion as the location of Jesus’ future reign over all the nations. Psalm 2:6 says, “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.” Later in the Psalms, we again read the Lord’s exalted place on Mount Zion during His future reign over the nations.

                “Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised
in the city of our God!
                His holy mountain, beautiful in elevation
is the joy of all the earth,
                Mount Zion, in the far north,
                the city of the great King.
                Within her citadels God
                has made himself known as a fortress” (Psalm 48:1-3).

The close biblical connection between Mount Zion and Israel’s prominent place in Jesus’ future kingdom is not lost in the thinking of our opponents. They regard the Jewish people and modern-day Israel as wholly unworthy of such a future blessing, beliefs that are fueled in part by their acceptance of the lies Satan is spreading about the nation, as well as beliefs that have long regarded the church as the new Israel.

Many of the anti-Zionists of our day believe they have successfully negated the precepts of Premillennialism with their denunciations of the current state of Israel. They believe the spiritual state of Israel demonstrates its unworthiness to receive a prestigious place in Jesus’ kingdom, which we believe will happen at Jesus’ return. In doing so, they overlook two vital biblical truths:

First, Scripture teaches that in the years leading up to the seven-year Tribulation, the seventieth week of Daniel, Israel would exist in a state of unbelief. This is exactly what we see today. The Bible tells us that the Lord will use this future seven-year period to bring a remnant of the Jewish people to saving faith in Jesus (Zechariah 12:10-13:8). No one believes that the Israel of today is ready to receive the glories of the promised kingdom, but God is not yet finished with its people.

Second, the fulfillment of God’s promises to His people never depends on their worthiness, never. If it did, we would be in a whole lot of trouble as New Testament saints because we are also wholly unworthy to receive all that the Bible promises to us. Our hope rests solely in Jesus, what He promises us in His Word.

God Loves Zion

There’s another fundamental problem for those who use “Zionism” as though it were a derogatory word by which to chastise us; they pit themselves against God, who clearly loves Zion. Each time I read through the Psalms, I’m amazed by the many references to God’s great affection for this hill within Jerusalem, such as we read in Psalm 87:1-3:

“On the holy mount stands the city he founded;
the Lord loves the gates of Zion
more than all the dwelling places of Jacob.
Glorious things of you are spoken,
O city of God. Selah” (emphasis added)

The following verses also speak to God’s passion for Zion:

“For the Lord has chosen Zion;
he has desired it for his dwelling place:
‘This is my resting place forever;
here I will dwell, for I have desired it’” (Psalm 132:13-14, emphasis added)

Today’s hatred for Israel, which has, sadly, infiltrated many of today’s churches, signifies the acceptance of worldly wisdom over the clear promises of Scripture. It’s what the Apostle Paul warns believers about in Colossians 2:1-8, that of accepting “plausible arguments” as truth, ones that lead believers away from the wisdom contained in God’s Word. He summed up his counsel in verse 8:

“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.”

Don’t fall for the worldly wisdom that causes so many in our day to denounce those whom God has chosen and to whom He promises a glorious restoration. But rather thank Him for His great mercy and grace by which He keeps His promises to all His people, including us!

Though tragic, the antisemitism of our day demonstrates the nearness of Jesus’ appearing to take us home to glory. Maranatha!!

-Jonathan