Dividing Jerusalem

The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.

That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,
A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers.
Zephaniah 1:14-16

Are we any closer to the end? Without question! World events keep unfolding at breakneck speed. And the "fenced cities", which Israel has recently developed, will be decimated by invading forces -- notably a Russian/Iranian alliance (Ezekiel 34,35)

And now Prime Minister Olmert is speaking of dividing Jerusalem permanently, even allowing it to be renamed. Is this not a fulfillment of Zechariah's prophecy in 14:2? This reference supports the idea of a "shared" city between Muslims and Jews -- something which Olmert says is necessary to create peace.

Check this article for a better description of what's going on.

Ahmadinejad's Dream

Ahmadinejad's pathos comes from a deep-seated religious belief that he has been destined by Allah to pave the way for the "coming" Mahdi -- the Islamic Messiah.

"All streams of Islam believe in a divine saviour, known as the Mahdi, who will appear at the End of Days. His return will be preceded by cosmic chaos, war and bloodshed. After a cataclysmic confrontation with evil and darkness, the Mahdi will lead the world to universal peace for seven years. " (Anton LaGuardia: "Divine Mission Driving Iran's New Leader, January 14, 2006)

Ahmadinejad believes in the prophetic outline of the Twelfth Imam (the Mahdi), the righteous descendant of Mohammad. He has reportedly publicly stated that he believes that the Mahdi is only two years away from his return, and that creating chaos in the Middle East will hasten the Imam's return. He believes that the Mahdi will appear when the entire globe is in chaos, which explains his state-sponsored support of Islamic terrorism around the globe.

His apocalyptic view is so strongly ingrained that he has fired all of Iran's most experienced diplomats and replaced them with fellow zealots (www.newsmax.com/archive/article/2006/2/8/154740.shtml) Using the same tactics as Adolf Hitler, Ahmadinejad also uses security agents to squash his opposition.

On November 16, 2005, in a speech in Tehran to senior clerics, Mr. Ahmadinejad said that the primary mission of his regime was to "pave the path for the glorious reappearance of the Imam Mahdi". (Kenneth Timmerman, "Countdown to Crisis: The Coming Nuclear Showdown With Iran", 2006, Three Rivers Press, p. 325)

Ezekiel 38 and 39 speak of an alliance between Rosh and Persia just before Christ returns. There's no doubt that Persia is Iran. They changed their name from Persia to Iran in 1935. There is also little doubt that Rosh speaks of Russia.

The alliance of nations seems to be forming right before our eyes.

The Rise Of Iran

As we watch the events of the Middle East unfold, it's easy to see the hand of Jehovah God in all of this. He is setting the stage for the return of His Son, Jesus Christ.

"No authority exists except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God." (Romans 13:1)

That includes our "friend", Mr. Ahmadinejad. We must keep our eyes on this man and his country. As they move ever closer to the possession of nuclear weaponry, our world edges closer and closer to Armageddon and the return of Christ.

Here's what may happen:

1. After years of this fiasco in Iraq, America will be in no mood to confront this man once they have a Democrat in the White House next year. That will leave few countries to oppose him.

2. Once acquired, the nuclear weapons will give Iran an opportunity to hold the Middle East and its oil hostage. They will set the world's economic agenda. It may be very hard to buy or sell without compliance to the regime.

3. Ahmadinejad has publicly supported the Islamic Jihad and the destruction of Israel. He has also spoken of his desire to dominate Europe.

4. European leaders will negotiate with this man. Islam will be given greater power than it has ever known. Ahmadinejad will strike a treaty with Israel, which he will hold for 3.5 years. Then he will break the treaty, and seek to dominate everything. Just look in this man's eyes. He's insane! I can see this man insisting that he be worshipped as God somewhere down the road.

But we'll see. I could be dead wrong. But, oh I hope I'm right. Because I am longing for the Rapture and the Millennial Rule of Christ.

Why We Hate Israel!

It is no accident that the nations hate Israel with such loathsome passion. God has ordained it!

"Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of burden to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it. In that day," says the LORD, "I will strike every horse with confusion, and its rider with madness; I will open My eyes on the house of Judah, and will strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, 'The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength in the LORD of hosts, their God.' In that day I will make the governors of Judah like a firepan in the woodpile, and like a fiery torch in the sheaves; they shall devour all the surrounding peoples on the right hand and on the left, but Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place--Jerusalem." (Zech 12:2-6)

Even though Israel owns a piece of land that is about the same size as New Jersey, nations all around the world are perplexed by their "occupation" of this little property. Almost half of the United Nations resolutions in the past 60 years have concerned Israel. Newspaper stories everywhere feature her as front page news, and many governments world-wide would love to snuff this little community of Jews out.

Why all this fuss and concern?

Because God has ordained it!

The rebirth of Israel in 1948 was a miracle all by itself. In Ezekiel 37 God has the prophet look over a valley of dry bones (which signified a dead and exiled nation). "Can these bones live?" Jehovah asked. "O Lord, only Thou knowest", the prophet replied. Yet God told Ezekiel to watch as He miraculously raised these bones to life. "So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stoop up upon their feet, an exceeding great army." (37:10)

In 1948 Israel triumphed over six well-armed Arab nations, using little more than a voluntary army of unskilled farmers and scholars, inadequate weapons, a few jeeps, and two small airplanes. Yet Jehovah God miraculously intervened to allow this weak little band of conscipts to defeat her enemies against incredible odds.

Today, Israel has the world's third most powerful air force, and possesses more tanks than any other nation in the world except Russia and America. The Israeli Defence Forces have rewritten the miliatry manuals on how to fight a war, and with the exception of the recent Lebanon fiasco, have been unbeatable.......and the Arab nations know it.

"Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord: it is not for your sake that I am about to act, but for My Holy Name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went.......THEN THE NATIONS WILL KNOW THAT I ALONE AM GOD, WHEN I PROVE MYSELF HOLY AMONG YOU IN THEIR SIGHT. For I will take you from the nations, gather you together from all the lands, and bring you into your own land. Then the nations that are left round about you will know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted that which was desolate. I, THE LORD, HAVE SPOKEN AND WILL DO IT." (Ezekiel 36:22-36)

Hmmmmm.

So much for the "strength" of allah.