General Articles

Is Operation Epic Fury Preparing for the Ezekiel 38 War? :: By Mark Tredecim

Published on: by RR10

I am convinced that the objectives of the US and Israel in the Iran war are in the best interests of both countries and the world:  preventing Iran from having the nuclear weapons that would have been used in furtherance of the Shia Twelverism apocalyptic goals of the regime, and reducing the capacity of Iran for war and for promoting terrorism.

But even as these good things are accomplished, there may be another outcome from Operation Epic Fury.  It may be setting the stage for the upcoming war of Ezekiel 38.  God may be using the US and Israeli military forces as His tool to accomplish His plan for the world.

Chapter 38 of the prophetic Old Testament book of Ezekiel describes an upcoming surprise attack on Israel.  It identifies the attacking parties (several nations led by Russia, Iran, Turkey, and Libya) and describes how the war swiftly ends (God will intervene and completely rout the attackers using supernatural means).  But the prophecy doesn’t tell when this war will occur.  It is still to be fulfilled, and no other events are identified in Scripture as being prerequisites for this war.  The Bible does not state where it falls in the sequence of upcoming end-time events.

My book Lifeline, A Guide to Surviving the End Times sets forth various views on the sequencing and why logic leads me to believe the war will occur shortly after the Rapture, or perhaps simultaneously with it (God certainly can multitask).

Ezekiel chapter 38 describes a conventional attack, with Russia and Turkey motivated by the prospect of economic gain.  Atomic weapons would endanger the plunder.  Even so, Iran’s long-standing goal of destroying Israel would have tempted them to use such weapons- except now they have no prospect for nukes, few missiles, and no air force, so Iran is being reduced to providing ground forces for the future attack.

Ezekiel describes Israel (at the time of the attack) as being a peaceful and unsuspecting people, living without walls, gates, and bars.  That hasn’t been the case since the modern state of Israel was formed, but the destruction of Iran’s military, its rulers, and its support engine for terrorist proxies may lead to a relative feeling of safety and peace for Israel.  This would have seemed unlikely before Operation Epic Fury.

Ezekiel also describes the lackluster response of other nations to this invasion- essentially just hand-wringing and empty words; no other nation comes to the aid of Israel.  Looking at how other nations have failed to provide support to the US and Israel in ending the multifaceted threat of Iran, and their timid response as Iran threatens the flow of oil that they need, it’s easy to envision a similar response to the invasion described in Ezekiel chapter 38.

But it raises the question of why the US, which is working so closely with Israel in decimating the Iranian regime, would not step up to help its ally.  One explanation would be a future new administration in the US that is hostile to Israel, too fearful to act, or that has allowed the US military to become too weak to be a deterrent for such an attack.

This new administration might result simply from the democratic process, with future US voters making a bad choice.  But it might also result from major future event(s) that drastically affect the strength and heart of America and its leaders.  A cataclysmic natural disaster, economic collapse due to the ballooning national debt and hyperinflation, or a surprise nuclear attack might explain American weakness and paralysis.  Any of these could cause the US to no longer be the world’s superpower.

There is another possible explanation for this circumstance.  When the Rapture occurs, America will be greatly impacted due to the millions of American Christians who will vanish “in the twinkling of an eye.”  These will include many serving in critical positions.  My novel The Great New Deal presents a fictional dramatization of events in America for those left behind after the Rapture (the story is lightened with a bit of parody).

So, while the ending of the Iranian theocratic terror regime is a good thing, it may also be a foreshadowing of bigger events.  Ultimately, there will be the second coming of Jesus Christ, the Millennial Kingdom, and a new world without sin, but first there will be the Rapture of Christians, the Tribulation, and the battle of Armageddon.  With which I must conclude, “Come soon, Lord Jesus.”

Romans 2:1-10 – God’s Patience With Us :: By Sean Gooding

Published on: by RR10

Last week, we looked at the fact that God’s judgment on the world has begun. He has taken off a lot of the restraints that hold evil back, and we can see that there has been an exponential growth of evil over the past 30-40 years. Things that were never allowed in public, or things that were never considered normal are now normal in many places.

One of the ways that God judges a nation – you can go back into the Old Testament and read about this with Israel – was to let pagan invaders come in and take over their land. Fundamentally enslaving them in their own land. The Philistines did it in the Judges, as did the Midianites, as did the Romans in Jesus’ era. And today, the Muslims have invaded the Promised Land and are a thorn in the side of Israel.

Well, guess what? The Muslims are doing a slow invasion of us here in North America. They have conquered Europe for the most part, and soon the UK and the EU will be predominantly Muslim strongholds. In Canada, the Muslims know that somewhere around 2050, they will have out-birthed us, they will take over, and they are not ashamed, nor are they shy to say it. This is a part of the judgment of God on a nation or on nations that turn their backs on Him.

One of the other ways of judgment is that more and more women get into leadership roles like the Government and eventually churches, like churches calling women as their pastors. In Isaiah 3:12, God, in the context, is pronouncing judgment on Judah and Jerusalem. In verse 12, He says that this will happen when a nation is apart from God.

“Youths oppress my people, women rule over them. My people, your guides lead you astray; they turn you from the path.”

In verse 4, we see this verse: “I will make mere youths their officials; children will rule over them.”

I am astonished at how many youths with no real work experience are elected to public office. We see people like the new Mayor of New York, who had no real experience doing anything. The new Mayor of Seattle is an unskilled woman with no understanding of how businesses work because she has no experience in life. The judgment of God is on us. What we think is progress is actually God’s judgment.

Now, it is easy for us to become arrogant and think ‘we are not like them’; we are saved, good people. And as such, we forget that we, too, are simply sinners saved by grace.

In Romans chapter 2, we are reminded of God’s wealth of kindness towards us in not giving us what we deserve. The reality is that even as saved people, we can at times commit the same sins as lost people. We cannot lose salvation, BUT the payment for sin is death. In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul reminded that some of the people in that church slept [died] because they took the Lord’s Supper disrespectfully. Paul tells us that we are not to take the grace of God towards ourselves lightly (Romans 2:3-4, AMP).

“But do you think this, O man, when you judge and condemn those who practice such things, and yet do the same yourself, that you will escape God’s judgment and elude His verdict? Or do you have no regard for the wealth of His kindness and tolerance and patience [in withholding His wrath]? Are you [actually] unaware or ignorant [of the fact] that God’s kindness leads you to repentance [that is, to change your inner self, your old way of thinking—seek His purpose for your life]?”

We are told to regard the ‘wealth’ of God’s patience because He does not deal with us as we deserve. In Psalm 103:10, we are reminded that God does not deal with us as we deserve. Thank Him for that daily, hourly.

Even as His children, our sins are grievous to God, and while they cannot ‘unsave’ us, they can disrupt fellowship and God’s direction and plans for our lives. Paul tells us that God is tolerant and patient as He withholds His wrath that our sin deserves. It is God’s kindness that leads us to repentance and drives us, like David, to confession of our sinful state and to recall often God’s loving, kind and patient forgiveness – and not only forgiveness BUT His restoration.

One day God’s righteous judgment will fall on the whole world. Those in Christ will be judged at the Bema Seat judgment spoken of in 2 Corinthians 5:10, and the unrepentant masses will be judged at the Great White Throne judgment described for us in Revelation 20:11-15. These are set historical events that will happen in the future. There will be God’s wrath at both; to the saved, the wrath is about lost rewards and lost work in the Millennial Kingdom. And to the lost, the wrath will be eternal separation from God.

Therefore, let us be constantly judging ourselves, constantly looking in the mirror, constantly removing the plank from our own eyes, and constantly repenting of the sins we know we did, and the ones we are not sure we did.

In Psalm 19:12, David asks that God forgive him for hidden sins; these are not hidden like he is covering them up (David is in the process of confession, so he is not hiding them); rather, he is talking of the sins he did but that he cannot remember. He is asking God to forgive the sins that are hidden from his memory. Here we have another reason to rejoice and to repent even more. God will forgive even the sins we cannot remember if we faithfully confess what we can recall.

seangooding@yahoo.ca

Dr. Sean Gooding
Pastor of Bethany Baptist Church
70 Victoria Street, Elora, Ontario