God Restrains while Punditry Complains

President Trump showed beyond any question that he would use the American military to, as he put it, “obliterate” Iran’s nuclear development facility. Operation Midnight Hammer did just that, apparently, despite pundits and news sources on the left offering their doubts about the destruction Trump proclaimed.

Therefore, knowing this president’s proclivity to deliver on what he promises—he has proved this many times—the question arises: Why does he keep holding off finishing the job of destroying Iran’s war-making ability? Why does he keep going back to the negotiation table time after time when the Iranian regime reneges on agreements about giving up their nuclear program and continues to assault shipping in the Strait of Hormuz?

It could be conjectured that this incongruity is because Mr. Trump is a master negotiator; after all, he wrote and has lived his book, The Art of the Deal. He likely believes he can work around the Iranian regime negotiators’ lies and deception. He thinks, I imagine, that he can thereby peaceably resolve impending war.

From the biblical prophecy perspective, it seems that he couldn’t be less understanding of what’s ahead for that region of the world and for all of humanity. No matter the results of the endless negotiations or the eventual military action by this president to end Iran’s nuclear ambition and open the Strait of Hormuz, Bible prophecy will prevail. God cannot lie, and His Word on things to come says that Persia will bring a force against Israel. A Persian (Iranian) regime of some sort, hate-filled against Israel, along with the Gog-Magog coalition members, will storm toward Jerusalem. The prophet Ezekiel, in chapters 38–39 of the book by his name, lays out the prophecy.

I will let you look it up.

As of this writing, the situation is that President Trump has decided, despite attacks by Iran on ships passing through the Strait, thus again breaking all negotiation promises, to again refrain from completely destroying Iran’s war-making ability. Here is a report:

WASHINGTON (AP)—President Donald Trump says he has reached the “parameters” of a deal with Middle East allies aimed at ending the Iran war—while for now, holding off on fresh U.S. strikes that could further inflame an already dangerous conflict.

In a Saturday evening post on social media, Trump said that the emerging agreement would include the immediate, complete, and total opening of the Strait of Hormuz, alongside an end to what he described as Iran’s nuclear threat. He said he agreed to cancel attacks “for the future benefit of the WORLD” and “likewise, the survival of a successful and prosperous Iran,” adding that the pause would last only so long as Washington could rapidly make a deal.

Trump’s message also indicated Israel would join the U.S. in pushing to finalize the understanding. Iran, meanwhile, offered no immediate public response.

The announcement marks another sudden turn in a war now about five months old—one that has repeatedly shifted in purpose, timing, and intensity. When the United States and Israel began strikes on Feb. 28, the stated objectives included destroying Iran’s missile capabilities, preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, and ending support for allied armed groups across the region. But the administration’s timeline and operational targets have come under strain, as the conflict has swung between negotiations and escalation. (“Trump Says Mideast Allies Have Reached Outlines of Deal to End Iran War, Says US to Stop New Strikes,” SRN News (AP) August 3, 2026)

Many pundits on the political left, and even those on the right who agree with most of the Trump administration policies, have accused that Mr. Trump is falling prey to Iran’s (Persia’s) legendary ability to outwit those with whom they deal. Others express that the Trump brain trust is just making sure all-out war doesn’t break out just before mid-term elections. This might greatly sway voters to vote against such a war-making president, thus against his party’s candidates for Congress.

My own thinking on this is quite different. I’m of the conviction that at the center of all of this are considerations found within the pre-Trib view of God’s prophetic Word (the view that, incidentally, makes the most sense in the overall prophetic truth I find in the Bible).

In this regard, I have no doubt it is God Himself who is holding things up at this point, in the matter of Trump considering whether to negotiate with or destroy militarily what’s left of Iran’s war-making capability. God, the Holy Spirit, is the Restrainer, God’s Word informs. He—the Restrainer—is holding back the complete destruction of this evil regime. He is doing so for the fulfillment of the entirety of Bible prophecy.

This might seem confusing until one knows and accepts that the God of all Creation is outside time that governs this earthly sphere. He knows the end from the beginning and has, to a large degree, said what will come to pass in the near and distant future.

God has said the Persians (Iranians) will attack His chosen people, Israel. He Himself will destroy all but one-sixth of the Iranian (Persian) force as it comes with the Gog-Magog coalition in that future assault described in the prophetic Word. So, whether those of the current evil regime are in control or a future such regime is formed, an army of Iranians (Persians) will come down over the mountains of Israel from the north. They will be, as Mr. Trump would say, “obliterated”—all but totally destroyed by the very hand of Almighty God.

I strongly suspect that this—the restraining hand of God—is at the heart of the incongruency apparent in the Trump-Iranian negotiation/military action matter. Thus, so that there will be at least a nucleus of that wicked regime to gather forces when the prophetic timing is in place for the Gog-Magog attack.

This will not be God being complicit in the evil intended by those forces that will come against Israel; rather, it will be proof of His omniscience and His omnipotent control in bringing this world that opposes Him to judgment. The Ezekiel prophecy says that, through this, God will reveal to the world Who He is:

“”Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD. And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD” (Ezekiel 39:5-6).

King Jesus is the ultimate proof of God’s staying hand of restraint and judgment. Christ will, one millennial day, sit on the throne ruling and reigning for a thousand years. Present-day arrangements are being orchestrated by that restraining hand in preparation for Heaven’s promise as follows:

“Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him” (Psalms 2:6-12).

—Terry

Wtjames1@swbell.net

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A Tug of War, Literally

The tension between war and peace in the Middle East is mind-boggling at times. Just when we think President Trump is about to order a massive wave of bombing against Iran, we wake up the next day to learn he has called off the attack.

On the other hand, the ceasefires never last. Despite the highly publicized Memoranda of Peace, attacks and bombings resumed shortly after its signing.

As students of Bible prophecy, we have a unique understanding of what’s happening in the conflict between Israel, Iran, and the proxies of the Persian state. We know that the battle is spiritual. Because Satan motivates Israel’s enemies, lasting peace will never happen until Jesus returns to the earth. The anti-Zion passion will remain alive and well inside Iran until the nation’s demise at the end of the Gog/Magog war (see Ezekiel 38-39).

The tension between war and peace that we currently witness is itself prophetic. With every agreement or ceasefire, we hear the words “peace and safety” or “peace and security” in spite of the ever-present undercurrent pointing to a global conflict on the level of another world war, or even worse. It’s just as Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:3, “While people are saying, ‘There is peace and security,’ then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.” However, what we see leading up to the fulfillment of this prophecy is confusing more often than not.

Just when we think we are on the cusp of a war that would fit with the “sudden destruction” that will initiate the Day of the Lord, the sides agree to a ceasefire. With the war in Ukraine, Russia has apparently backed away from its threat to directly attack America if Ukraine used its missiles to strike deep within the nation, which is now happening.

We see this same contrast between peace and war with the first two seal judgments. The first rider appears on a white horse, which represents the arrival of the antichrist. He initially comes in peace as symbolized by the arrowless bow. Yet, somehow he conquers just the same (Revelation 6:1-2).

The next rider of the apocalypse brings strife and war, which will be one of the causes for the horrific widespread death on the earth in numbers beyond anything experienced in all of history (Revelation 6:3-4, 7-8).

The Restrainer

2 Thessalonians 2:3-8 reveals the role of the Restrainer in holding back the unveiling of the antichrist, and the lawlessness he will bring with him, until after the Rapture. I believe the Restrainer, or Holy Spirit, is also holding back World War III, which will be far deadlier than all the wars of the previous century combined. We hear persistent rumors that this is coming, with some telling us it has already begun, albeit in a limited way. Yet such allegations never materialize.

1 Thessalonians 5:3 reveals that the widespread devastation will closely follow the Rapture. I believe this will include earthquakes and wars that will happen in close proximity to our departure. Such an attack on America would account for its absence in Bible prophecy, despite its prominent role in world affairs. (Of course, the Rapture alone will bring widespread chaos to the US and severely weaken it.)

The back and forth between peace and war is exactly what we would expect just before the Lord’s appearing to take us home. The mirage of peace that dominates the world scene is setting the stage for the antichrist to deceive the world with his own brand of illusory peace.

Setting the Stage for the Antichrist

Once the restraining work of the Holy Spirit ends, the antichrist will quickly seize the initiative as someone able to restore order amid the widespread chaos and bring peace to a war-weary world. The masses, already longing for just such a leader, will readily give him their allegiance.

Even so, deadly wars will follow his peace campaign. War and peace will be the theme of the Tribulation period after Jesus opens the second seal.

The Bible tells us that after the Rapture, the antichrist will make “a strong covenant with many,” which certainly will include Israel (Daniel 9:27). In Isaiah 25:215-18, the Lord refers to this as a “covenant of death.” Given Israel’s current experience with terrorist attacks, war, and constant threats of further violence, this agreement will likely include a much-coveted guarantee of safety and protection. If it contains permission to build a temple, and I believe it will, that will make the pact all the more desirable to Israel’s leadership.

Today’s back and forth between wars and ceasefires, including threats of fierce attacks amid claims of “peace and security,” is exactly what we would expect in the moments leading up to the realization of our “blessed hope.”

As I have often stated, I believe the Lord is allowing the world to experience a small sampling of what the world will be like after the Rapture. It’s a warning for those outside of Christ to repent. For us who believe, it signifies that Jesus will soon appear to take us home.

Maranatha!

-Jonathan

jonathanbrentner@yahoo.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Something Has Got to Change…”

An article this past week struck an observational nerve. The commentary I read dissected the many troubling and disgusting assaults being inflicted by nefarious afflicters against this republic.

The bottom line the writer left the reader with is: “Something has got to change.”

The author went to great lengths to describe how so many constitution-eviscerating assaults are active in destroying this republic given us by the founding fathers. And it certainly is difficult to find reasons to argue against his findings.

Some of his description included how our constitutional republic was created based on conditions that no longer exist. The American population was 95 percent Christian. The implementation of “patriarchy” was widespread and embraced as the most solid foundation for society. Meritocracy was absolute. Cultural identity was rooted in Western civilization without any deviation or distraction.

Marxism, the author declared, did not exist. Atheism was rare. Degeneracy was shunned or punished. Shame was an effective social tool. Psychopathy was easy to identify and remove from within the smaller population. Women were expected to raise families and care for the home. Men were expected to protect and feed those families, perhaps even die for them.

He implied that the Christian ethic and even worship have been pushed aside by the general populace, and mentioned a founding father’s indictment against such evil.

As John Adams stated in 1802:

We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.

The author offered that the inclusivity demanded and legislated into the voting processes –allowing every sort of ideology and even religious aberration to corrupt governmental structure – had so negatively affected our way of life that something was going to have to change.

He particularly wrote about the voter ID laws that Congress seems reluctant to pass to assure election integrity.

He charged that 80 percent of the American voting public wanted the voter ID changes, while the 20 percent that leaned radically left were getting their way in preventing passage. He wrote in this regard the following:

Is representative democracy even possible when a large portion of the population is actively fighting to burn our republic to the ground by any means necessary? How can our elections and our government maintain integrity when people who want to destroy everything are allowed to vote or take political office?

Maybe that 20% of militant leftists and Neo-Cons should NOT be allowed to vote. (“Election Integrity: Is Representative Democracy a Foolish Fantasy?” by Brandon Smith, ZeroHedge, July 19, 2026)

Our republic is indeed under assault, as is all of humanity. The things mentioned by the author are but the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Satan is fully engaged, with the help of his demonic and human minions to bring his Antichrist son of perdition to head up the new world order longed for throughout the decades by those infected with the lust for power.

There is a need for change, and because of the evil that seems to be taking over in every sense, it is about to take place, and Heaven will be the changemaker! That change will take place in a twinkling-of-an-eye moment we call the Rapture!

It will take place instantaneously–at least it will begin to change from the moment all believers in Jesus Christ are instantaneously caught up into the Clouds of Glory.

Daniel 9: 27 describes the beginning of the changes on Earth, with the making of a false covenant of peace between Israel and its millennial-long enemies. Satan’s man of sin will have the answers—although false answers—to the great fear that will have fallen on all who were left behind when the moment of mass disappearances took place.

Most people on Earth at this moment believe this to be fanciful foolishness and radical religious fearmongering.

But it is from the Word of God, who cannot lie. It is the change that is going to take place, and the signs of these troubled times indicate that removal of believers (the Church) might take place at any second.

Again, here is the apostle Paul’s prophecy about that stupendous change about to take place, given him by the Holy Spirit of God.

“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (I Corinthians 15:51-55).  

You want to be part of this change into immortality. Here is how to assure that you are with those who go to Christ when He calls:

“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

Wtjames1@swbell.net

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The Last Gasp of Antisemitism

It used to shock me, at least to some degree. I couldn’t understand how people could respond in such a way. After living for many centuries in pristine conditions without many of the perils that so often besiege us today, people rebel against the Lord. You might think only a few would rise up against Him and His people, but a great multitude of people will do so.

You probably recognize that I’m referring to the scene that John witnessed and wrote about in Revelation 20:7-10:

“And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

Can you imagine people living in a perfect environment revolting in such a way? During the Millennium, there will be no wars of any kind or even the slightest hint of fraud in governmental affairs. Jesus will be King over all the earth, and as such, He will enforce the laws of His kingdom with total righteousness. With creation restored to what God intended it to be, people will live for hundreds of years (see Isaiah 65:20).

More Than Forgetfulness

I believe that those who participate in this revolt will be those born during the Millennium. Regardless of what they might have heard of life before the start of Jesus’ thousand-year rule, it’s still difficult to imagine this happening. This insurrection speaks to the nature of the unregenerate heart more than forgetting anything they might have heard about life when Satan was the “prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2) or when he was killing people under his rule through the beast and false prophet.

I compare it to people in New York City voting for a Muslim as mayor so soon after the horrific events of 9/11. And why would a city with the Statue of Liberty elect a communist to rule over them? How could a city with such a large Jewish population put an antisemite in charge? This is not just about forgetting what happened twenty-five years ago or an unawareness of what Mamdani believes; it’s about rejecting God’s truth in favor of the many lies perpetrated by the devil himself.

This same level of deception will reappear when the Lord releases Satan from his thousand-year imprisonment. The insurgency that follows will demonstrate the hopelessness of the human condition apart from the saving grace of the Lord Jesus. Eric Sauer, in his book The Triumph of the Crucified, put it like this:

Thus will it become clear that, not only is man unable to create ideal conditions, but also that when they exist they cannot improve them. So this most brilliant period of human history will become the most catastrophic proof of the lost condition of the sinner, and it will be proved irrefutably that God was right when, in the matter of human redemption, he absolutely excluded man’s own strength.

The uprising at the end of the Millennium verifies why we need a Savior who saves us to the uttermost and does so in a way that leaves no room for human boasting (Ephesians 2:1-10). From start to finish, our redemption is all of the Lord’s mercy and sustaining grace. Jonathan Edwards once said, “You contribute nothing to your salvation except the sin that made it necessary.” Through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, He changes us from the inside out.

I am no longer surprised by what I read in Revelation 20:7-10 because of what I see of the unregenerate heart and the battle I experience inside me between my flesh and the Spirit. But there’s another element to this uprising that also ties into what I see happening today.

Could It Be a Replay of Satan’s Great Lie Throughout History?

Although it’s clearly a revolt against the Lord’s rule, the text highlights that it’s the world versus the “beloved city,” which is Jerusalem (Revelation 20:9). It’s a replay of what we witness today, that of Satan generating antisemitism in the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, barbaric attack. The father of lies turned something that should’ve garnered worldwide support for Israel into a rallying cry for multitudes marching in support of Hamas in cities across the earth. He is the master of deceit.

The mention of “Gog and Magog” in Revelation 20:8 highlights what I believe is the antisemitic element in this end-of-days rebellion. Ezekiel 38-39 identifies these entities as hotbeds of hostility against Israel, which results in their leadership role in the invasion of Israel. I’m not saying this is the fulfillment of the prophecy found in Ezekiel, but rather that it points to its anti-Zion motivation.

Could this be the devil’s last gasp at using a lie that’s working so well today? Will he again seek to stoke violent antisemitism shortly before his demise? He has used this tactic throughout history in an attempt to thwart God’s redemptive purposes for the Jewish people and Jerusalem. It’s not a stretch to imagine that he will again rally the masses, and with an anti-Zion fervor, one that will lead to the quick demise of all those that follow his ruse.

Why would the devil again lead a rebellion that’s doomed to fail? I’m not sure I know the answer.

What I do know, however, is that the Lord will use it to demonstrate the utter hopelessness of the human condition apart from His saving power and sustaining grace. Even under conditions far more perfect and pristine than we can imagine, people will revolt against the Lord and His people. All they will need is Satan promising something better should they somehow prevail against Him.

-Jonathan

jonathanbrentner@yahoo.com