War and Rumors of War: Part II

The rhetoric in the Middle East is heating up at an alarming pace. Just this week, several significant developments have been observed. Joel Rosenberg has summarized several developments in a recent commentary. Once again, the President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has repeated his inflammatory claims by stating that the U.S. and Israel are soon to be "annihilated". At the same time, Iran just conducted dramatic missile tests which officially confirm that they now possess the capability to deliver a nuclear warhead which can reach anywhere in Israel. According to abc news, Iran's new Shahab 3 missile travels 1,250 miles and can obviously reach any location within that radius.

At the same time, as reported in The Times, Russia issues their strongest threat to date, by declaring that they will respond by military means if the U.S. places any missile defense systems in the Czech Republic. An agreement doing just this was announced this week, as Condoleezza Rice signed a formal agreement between the U.S. and the Czech Republic. This type of rhetoric between the U.S. and Russia hasn't been observed since the peak of the cold war.

This situation is clearly beginning to reach a criitical point.

The prophet Zechariah informed us of this evolving situation. He was given prophecy which revealed that Israel would be surrounded by her enemies in the latter days. He saw Jerusalem as a "burdensome stone" for the "surrounding peoples", and he informed us that any people who try to lay seige against Israel will be "cut into pieces" (Zechariah 12).

Israel's enemies have obviously neglected to recognize this strong warning from God, through his prophet Zechariah. The prophet Ezekiel gave us more detail in chapters 38 and 39 of these prophetic warnings. Isaiah did the same in chapter 17.

Israel will not be destroyed. We know that both Israel and the Temple will be in existance during the Tribulation period. There will be warfare in and around Israel, but Israel will stand. According to Ezekiel, God will directly intervene, according to His perfect timing - and prevent Israel's destruction.

Israel will stand strong. Those countries involved in the planning of Israel's destruction have ignored the warnings: God's warnings, as written in the Bible. God's warnings are not ambiguous, nor difficult to understand, In fact, the warnings are quite straightforward: "I will set My glory among the nations; all the nations shall see My judgment, which I have executed" (Ezekiel 39:21) and "Thus, I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the Lord." (Ezekiel 38:23)

Warnings. Is anyone listening?