Why do the Nations Rage? - Part 2

(If you haven't yet read part 1 that was posted yesterday, you might want to go back and read that before reading this. Part 2 won't make much sense unless you read part 1.)

Why would Iran greenlight such an operation? Let’s look at some possibilities. Iran would know that such an extreme attack from Hamas would lead to a terrible reprisal, Israel would have no choice but to launch a massive response. So, if … when… Israel invades Gaza, the resulting carnage will galvanize the entire Islamic world against the Jews, and Iran will have the political cover to justify its next move. The Mullahs in Iran are more than willing to sacrifice the poor people of Gaza in the short-term to accomplish the long-term goal of destroying Israel. The most likely next move is for Iran to attack Israel using Hezbollah, their Hamas-like subordinate terrorist organization based in Lebanon on Israel’s northern border who rules there like Hamas does in Gaza, thus creating a two-front war for a already stretched-thin Israeli military who will be bogged down in Gaza. Iran has loaded up Hezbollah with tons more sophisticated rockets and missiles than Hamas ever has had, weaponry capable of reaching the cities and population centers of Israel. One can easily see how this war, as bad as it is now, is likely to morph into a much bigger monster, swallowing the entire region and beyond.

Many, including me, believe that the moves that Iran is making and the ones soon to come have a lot to do with Saudi Arabia.

Despite all the factional infighting within the Islamic world, there are two or three things that unite them: first, a deep and profound generational hatred of Israel and the Jewish people wherever they may be found for all the reasons discussed above; secondly, hatred of the United States, which is just as rabid among most, but not all Islamic nations, primarily because the U.S supports Israel and because the U.S. is seen as an arrogant, prosperous, albeit immoral, infidel western super-power who often inserts itself by force, military or economic, into Mid-East matters that the Islamic powers feel should lie under their jurisdiction and control. This hatred for the U.S. is usually only tempered or overcome when lots of American dollars are flowing whereby the weight of the current ruler’s wallet becomes heavier than the weight of the teachings of the Koran in his heart. (Of course, that condition afflicts leaders of every stripe, no matter what holy book they read and then ignore!) But the greatest uniter of the Islamic world is their desire for the long-awaited final magnificent world-wide Islamic kingdom to appear –the Caliphate - led by their awaited final King, a charismatic military, political and religious leader whom the Koran calls the “Mahdi.” According to their scriptures, He will come to power in the last days and unite the whole world under Islam, bringing perfect Islamic peace and justice to the earth. Just as Christians are looking forward to the return of Christ and work towards speeding his coming through world-wide missions and evangelism, in the same way Muslims are awaiting the appearing of their Messiah, the Mahdi … but the way to “speed his coming” is not by spreading the love of Jesus, but, in the minds of radical fundamentalist Islamists, it is by war - a “holy war” against the infidels - against Jews and Christians and all who will not submit to Islam. This was the goal of ISIS in the past decade, to bring about the Caliphate and bring on the appearing of the final Caliph and we saw the horrific violence they perpetrated before they were eventually defeated. And this is the basis of the coming inter-Islamic conflict… which brings us back to Iran and Saudi Arabia and what’s happening now, (and a third player in the game). The name of the game? How will the Caliphate be established and who will bring it about?

(For a greater understanding of Islamic end-time doctrines which are driving current events read:

The Islamic Antichrist: The Shocking Truth about the Real Nature of the Beast: Richardson, Joel: 9781935071129: Amazon.com: Books )

Unfortunately, those in power in Washington, Moscow and other more “civilized” power-centers of the world, along with all the secular news media outlets don’t get it. That is because they are looking at these events, as they do all world events, with a non-Biblical, non-Christian, irreligious world view. They do not believe in God, the devil, or demonic forces, nor do they understand the power of religious fervor and they certainly do not understand the true nature of Islam. They do not acknowledge the divided factions within these various Islamic countries or the driving spiritual forces behind them. They prefer to look at conflicts through the outdated cold-war lens of capitalism vs. communism. They size up Islamic regimes as either being pro-U.S. or pro-Russia, or pro-China as though these were the sides of the larger battle. And yes, that will come into play, but the real larger battle is actually in the spirit realm.

What everyone seems to be missing is that within these Middle Eastern nations are the same smoldering factional hatreds that erupted in Bosnia in the 90’s, Iraq in the 2000’s, and in Syria in the 2010’s. Among these people groups there are many, many divisions, but in Islam as a whole, there is one big division, it is the religious division of Islam between Suni Islam (led by the historic holders and protectors of the holy sites of Mecca and Medina, Saudi Arabia) and Shia Isam (led by the nation from which it is said the Mahdi will appear, Iran). Over the centuries these groups have fought and killed and slaughtered and oppressed each other. The religious divide just happens to mirror racial division within Middle Eastern Islam: the Persians, led by Iran, and the Arabs, led by the Saudi Arabia. In addition, these two nations have diametrically opposed political and economic allies and entanglements with the Saudis holding historically deep economic and military ties with the United States coupled with the fact that Saudi Arabia is currently flirting with outright recognition of Israel! Iran, on the other hand, since the overthrow of the pro-U.S. Shah in 1979 has been America’s most ardent foe, aligning themselves in every way with America’s enemies and opposing the west at every turn. Both of these countries see themselves as the only legitimate “rightful” heir to the leadership throne of world Islam. If that wasn't enough dry tinder to spark a fire, they are already fighting a smoldering proxy war in Yemen where the Iranian-backed “Houthie” rebels make frequent terrorist attacks on Saudi targets such as pipelines and refineries. The Houthie rebels are the Yemeni version of Hamas (in Gaza) or Hezbollah (in Lebanon) – Iran’s military under a different flag - except in Yemen they are not fighting Jews in Israel but Arabs in Saudi Arabia.

Less than three weeks ago, news agencies reported that the Saudis were ready to normalize relations with Israel in exchange for... a U.S. defense pact and... (get this!)...

help developing its own civilian nuclear program!

U.S. talks advancing for deal with Saudi Arabia, Israel on normalization (nbcnews.com)

Why would Iran greenlight the start of the Israel war now? TO STOP THIS!

Almost half of all the world’s known oil-reserves lie within these nations (read that again) and all that oil traverses through the Persian Gulf, the body of water that geographically separates these future combatants. What is shaping up is a battle royal between a host of people-groups falling mainly into two camps: Shia and Sunni, led respectively by Iran and Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Crown Prince is more motivated by lining his pockets, while the Ayatollah in Iran is more concerned with fulfilling Koranic destiny, but they are both sniffing the wind and smelling a fight. What is at stake is nothing less than the survival of Israel, control over the world’s oil reserves, and control of Islam itself. And what is unknown is …. when will Iran have the nuclear bomb capability they have been diligently working towards for decades, and how will all this impact Israel… and America… and the world?

I’m going to stop here for today. It’s just too much to swallow in one drink. Look for part 3 tomorrow. After I get it written I will put it all together into one post for clarity. But before you go, please read on just a bit further. I need to make just a few more points.

This isn’t a game. It’s not “Stratego.” These are real people. This is real suffering and real dying. These are mothers and children. Fathers and sons, young men and women being thrown into war.

It’s fear and fire and smoke and screaming and pain and grief and loss.

O Lord, with all our talk and thinking and writing about the what, when, where, how, and why of it all, let us not forget that these are people you created in your image for you purpose - people you love and died for and long to save. You are not willing that any should perish but that all come to repentance.

Pray for God’s will. Pray for help to the hurting. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Pray for hope.

God doesn’t cause suffering, sin does. God does allow suffering for a time. He allows it because He has given man free will and He won’t take that away from us. We can choose good or evil. God uses suffering to teach us what sin is and what evil is and to show us, and sometimes by letting us experience, the consequences that those choices bring. He uses it to bring about His perfect will, and most of all He uses suffering to draw people to himself. Pray that people will turn to God while He may be found.

Finally, don’t hate anyone. Yes, there are evil people doing evil things. But don’t hate anyone. Let’s make sure that we do and say, even when we have to take a stand, we do in love.

There are lots of people caught up in this that are simply doing the only thing they know.

There are lots of “cultural” and generational Christians who think they are Christians because they are born in America, they have a “Christian” heritage, they believe in God and they are “good’ people, but they know nothing of what the Bible actually says.

There are lots of “cultural” Jews who know nothing of what the Law and the Prophets teach.

And there are lots of “cultural” Muslims who know very little about the Koran really says or what the sayings of Muhammed teach.

And many others from all walks of life who have been deceived by false teachers or are just ignorant, apathetic, or too arrogant to seek God.

They all need hope and help. They need love and prayers and the truth of the gospel. We all do.

We know how this thing ends, Jesus comes and sets everything right. It’s just all the “in-between” now and then that’s scary. All the unknown question marks…

But that’s all of life too, isn’t it? We know how it’s going to end. We’re going to die… or hear the trumpet… and then everything will be perfect! But it’s all the hard things, the trial and tribulations, the good bad and ugly between now and then … all the unknown question marks…

So in the “in-between” what do we do? We stand firm! That’s what faith is all about! We encourage each other, and all the more as we see the day approaching! We keep our eyes fixed on Jesus the author and the FINISHER ! We go to work, we love our families, we worship and serve and do our duty. We don’t take life for granted. We don’t live for our own selves but for Christ... and we persevere.

Part 3 tomorrow.