Israel Here to Stay? :: By Terry James
Author’s note: While awaiting President Donald J. Trump’s decision on ridding Iran’s Islamic regime of its nuclear weapons-making capability, I researched through past commentaries I’ve written on this troubling topic. There were a number of such articles, but the one I chose, I think, portrays just how long the threat has been allowed to build to this moment of absolute necessity of eliminating a sure and present danger—a danger not only to Israel and America but to the entire world.
Now the president has made the decision that will have resounding ramifications throughout the world. Iran’s nuclear facilities have been totally eliminated in the strikes Saturday night, June 21.
However, none of the usual pundits can answer: What happens next? Will there be regime change? There are no answers coming from the so-called experts.
There is no uncertainty from this quarter. It’s not that I am super-smart or prescient. But I read the future that is found only in the Holy Word of our God.
The “Persian” evil is not finished. Iran is destined to join the Gog-Magog coalition of Ezekiel chapters 38-39.
Because of Bible prophecy, I’m prepared to offer with a significant degree of certainty the opinion that this action–righteous though it is in ridding Israel and the world of an immediate nuclear threat from this wicked regime, has started a process that will very quickly push Iran further into the arms of the likes of Russia, Turkey, and others that will constitute the Gog-Magog coalition.
The following was posted on Raptureready.com August 23, 2010.
My thought in reposting here is to show that no matter how things look from human perspective, God is in full control at all times. He is restraining and has the satanically inspired forces of evil often in derision, as promised in Psalm 2.
The dangers examined in that article still exist, and the Lord continues to restrain and be in full control. So, those who know the Lord and watch prophetic developments as we are instructed by Jesus (Mark 13:37 and Luke 21:28) can be assured that God’s promise to take believers home to Glory is imminent, while witnessing “all these things begin[ning] to come to pass.”
Israel Here to Stay?
Originally posted August 23, 2010
My inbox and the news from Bible prophecy circles bulge with talk of Israel’s almost-certain attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities. The scuttlebutt has been coming hard and fast since 2007 or even earlier. Each summer was going to bring an assault by Israel, and all-out Mideast war was sure to ensue.
As I write this, the predictions are at fever pitch. John Bolton, former American UN ambassador, declared that Israel had until Saturday, August 21, [2010.] to take out Iran’s nuclear plants, or risk—by their bombing—spreading radiation contamination across the area and into the Persian Gulf.
The flood of emails proclaims that this is it. The region is going to go up in flames, with Russia coming to the aid of Iran, because the Russians are so heavily invested in the Iranian nuclear program. There will be Russian nuclear technicians installing the radioactive rods necessary to fuel and power up the facility. They will be in harm’s way, and Moscow–from which Gog of Magog prophetic infamy will come—will not abide such an insult. The thought frequently conjectured: Could this be the beginning of Ezekiel 38-39—the Gog-Magog attack?
Israel can’t afford, the argument goes, to allow the facility to come online. This is because the spent fuel rods will provide plutonium and other byproducts to give Iran the materials from which they can produce nuclear weapons. That’s a simplification of the matter but should suffice, I hope, for making my point.
This attack by Israel will be, the emailers apparently believe, prophecy being fulfilled. This preemptive attack by the Jewish state upon the land of ancient Persia surely will, the messages exclaim, instigate a chain reaction of events. These events will bring the Gog-Magog attack, and perhaps Isaiah 17:1 will also be fulfilled. Some even believe it will provoke the long-pondered-over Psalm 83 war supposed by many to be in the offing.
I could have waited until Saturday, August 21, had passed to write this piece but chose not to do so. My reason is primarily that I don’t believe this is the time for the Gog-Magog War, or for the proposed Psalm 83 conflict, should it be an actual prophecy. Exigencies just aren’t ripe for producing the horrific results such conflicts as the Gog-Magog, or even the supposed Psalm 83, conflagrations would inflict. At least, that’s my view from my present perspective.
More than that, I believe that’s the way it is presented from the perspective of Bible prophecy. One thing I do think is an almost 100-percent certainty is that Israel isn’t going anywhere. Iranian tyrant Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s promises to erase Israel from the face of the Middle East and the world are empty threats. It will never happen—not even with the help of the Gog nation, Russia.
Why do I say “an almost 100-percent certainty”?
This goes to the argument of those who say it is possible that Israel could be removed from its land yet again. Then, all would have to once more rearrange in order to get the prophetic indicators into place like they are now. God might allow Israel’s enemies to again take the Jews from the Promised Land because of their unbelief.
Zola Levitt and I were once discussing the hatred of the Arab nations for Israel. I mentioned that the late Dr. J. Vernon McGee didn’t think the Jews being back in the land was necessarily a major signal of the nearness to Christ’s return. My friend Zola, a very passionate man when it came to Israel, got pretty exercised, as I recall. He said he and Dr. McGee “got into it” over this subject.
Zola said Dr. McGee said it could be that Israel might yet be removed from the land of promise. Zola didn’t like that at all, so they had a rather lively discussion on the matter—on camera. I said, “Well, Dr. McGee [who went to be with the Lord in 1988 at age 84] knows now, that’s for sure.” That seemed to calm Zola a bit.
Dr. McGee would no doubt agree that Israel is back in the land to stay, if he could have watched developments of the years since he left the planet. Israel being the center of most all controversy so far as issues of war and peace are concerned; pressured by the international community to give up God’s land; at the center of a forced, phony peace process, with Iran (ancient Persia) threatening from the north. How could he or anyone being privy to such facts say otherwise?
Whatever happened last Saturday—as you read this on August 23 or later—Israel isn’t going anywhere. So, I’ll change my “almost” to an absolute 100-percent certainty.
Although Israel—and the world—is in for some terrible times ahead, I firmly believe we have the very Word of God about the current and future disposition of His chosen nation. Israel is here to stay.
“And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God” (Amos 9:14-15).
—Terry
The Indispensable Value of Bible Prophecy
When I was a child, I enjoyed the paper-based activity of connecting the dots. It began with a page covered with numbered dots. When connected in the proper order, a picture emerged from the maze of dots.
It would be nice if it were that easy to connect all the dots in regard to Bible prophecy. As we get closer to the start of the Tribulation period, the picture becomes clearer than it ever has been in the past. However, sometimes we need to erase the links we have already drawn. Such was the case with this article after my initial draft.
With the US bombing of the Iranian nuclear facilities, it seemed as though Israel would achieve a decisive victory in the war. I had already drawn a line between its decisive triumph and the peaceful conditions that Israel will enjoy just prior to the Gog/Magog invasion of Ezekiel 38-39 (see 38:7-8).
When I heard the initial reports of an impending Iranian attack on US bases, I assumed that a much wider war was imminent, with still further destruction of Iran’s capabilities to wage war.
With the unexpected turn of events and the announcement of a ceasefire, it was time to bring out the eraser or perhaps draw new lines??
The ending of the war, in my mind far too premature, kept in power satanically driven radical jihadists who still retain their fiery passion to destroy Israel and its people. As they proclaimed victory after the ceasefire, they must have realized that it was just a show to deceive their adherents in Iran. Next time, rather than attempting to destroy Israel by themselves, they will join with other nations and invade the Land, hoping for a better result, which leads us again to the fulfilment of Ezekiel 38-39.
Bible Prophecy Is Essential
Although the prophetic picture of the end times is clearer than it’s ever been, some things remain a mystery. That’s why the study of Bible prophecy is so essential; it continually reminds us that the Lord remains in control despite what we see. He will surely keep all His promises to Israel and us and someday, hopefully soon, bring us safely to the place He’s preparing for us in glory.
This also applies to our daily lives, does it not? We know all experience the many twists and turns that the Lord leads us through this side of glory; our lives are truly walks of faith. As I look back on my life, I had no idea of how the many ups and more numerous downs of my past would fit together for the Lord’s purposes for my life. With hindsight, I recognize how my rocky past played a crucial role in preparing me for my current writing ministry.
A proper understanding of Bible prophecy is absolutely indispensable for the time in which we live. It keeps our eyes focused on Jesus and the glorious future He promises us. As we watch the world behave precisely as Scripture predicted for the last days, we become increasingly aware of God’s sovereignty in all things. The One who is able to control human affairs in such a way is more than capable of keeping all His promises to us during our remaining time in this life.
The Wildcards
As the links between now and the events described in Revelation chapters 6-18 become clearer by the day, we often wonder why we remain earthbound. A couple of factors that I like to refer to as wildcards keep us from unraveling the mystery of the timing of what lies ahead.
The first is the Holy Spirit’s restraining power that’s currently preventing the revealing of antichrist and limiting the “mystery of lawlessness” (2 Thessalonians 2:1-8). Several months ago, I believed we were on the brink of a major world war. When President Biden gave Ukraine permission to fire NATO missiles into Russia, I was sure Putin would respond with nuclear weapons. It appeared as though we were remarkably close to the devastating wars described in Revelation 6:1-8.
That’s just one of many instances when it seemed as though the world was breathtakingly close to the time the Lord will open the seals, but then the momentum slowed down or stopped. And we are still here rather than in Heaven watching Him release the riders of the apocalypse.
The second wildcard is the Rapture. Once that happens, chaos and mayhem will ensue across the world. Soon afterward, Satan will reveal his “man of lawlessness,” who will quickly rise to power amid the anarchy and destruction. His solutions will seem reasonable and peaceful but will later lead to much more death and destruction. He will later convince Israel that he’s able to guarantee their safety for a time (Daniel 9:27).
I believe the path to the Gog/Magog invasion of Israel will become clear after the Rapture. It will severely weaken America’s ability to defend the nation. The nations have already formed the exact alliance that Ezekiel predicted long ago. The Rapture and removal of the restraining work of the Holy Spirit will give them the opportunity to attack.
Scripture confirms that we live in the season of Jesus’ appearing and with it the sudden fulfillment of passages such as Philippians 3:20-21, 1 Thessalonians 4:15-5:11, and 1 Corinthians 15:51-55. At any moment, Jesus might return for us and give us immortal and incorruptible bodies like His. This is the substance of our “blessed hope” (Titus 2:11-14).
Although the work of the Restrainer keeps us from pinpointing the start of the Tribulation period, the dots of Bible prophecy that we can connect clearly reveal that we live in the season of Jesus’ imminent appearing.
And we pray that He comes soon to take us home. Maranatha!
-Jonathan