The secular blogs are ablaze with predictions that Iran will launch a nuclear strike against Israel on August 22, 2006 ushering in the Apocalypse.
August 22 is Rajab 28 in the Islamic calendar. This is a special date for Muslims. Rajab 28 is the date the mighty Muslim leader Saladin entered and conquered Jerusalem (in A.D. 1187), putting the city under Islamic rule, a hallowed event in Islamic history.
The government of Iran has publicly stated that it will "formally respond to a Western package of incentives aimed at persuading it to suspend its uranium enrichment program this month." A li Larijani, the head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said that "August 22 has been set for declaring (our) views."
Why August 22? Well, in addition to the anniversary date of Saladin's conquering of Jerusalem, the Persian Journal explains,:
"According to Shi'ite Muslim teaching, Abul-Qassem Mohammad, the 12th leader whom Shi'ites consider descended from the Prophet Mohammed, disappeared in 941 but will return at the end of time to lead an era of Islamic justice.
"Our revolution's main mission is to pave the way for the reappearance of the 12th Imam, the Mahdi," Iranian President Ahmadinejad said in the speech to Friday Prayers leaders from across the country.
The President believes that the Arab Messiah will turn Iran into a powerful, developed and model Islamic society.
Ahmadinejad refers to the return of the 12th Imam, also known as the Mahdi, in almost all his major speeches since he took office in August.
Ahmadinejad, the President of Iran is a Shiite fundamentalist who believes his actions will pave the way for the Arab Messiah to return. He is a fundamentalist fanatic, but there are three reasons why Iran will not launch a nuclear strike against Israel.
(1). Israel would destroy Iran with a nuclear counter attack if there were a nuclear strike in Israel.
Israel has repeatedly made this known to its Islamic neighbors. Iran's nuclear capability is shallow compared to the Israelis. At the most, a dirty bomb could be exploded within Israel (or launched toward Israel), but the forceful response of Israel to such a strike is the biggest deterrence.
(2). The Shiite leadership is out of touch with the common people of Iran.
Iran has one of the most progressive people in the Islamic world, but one of the most strident, fundamentalist governments of all Islamic nations. The disconnect between government and people will not last long. Dozens of coups have been planned over the last since the Ayotollah took power in Iran in 1979, and if the Iranian President were to plunge the nation into an unwinnable war, the people would rise up and over throw their President --- and he knows it.
(3). Islamic fundamentalists only understand, and are ultimately only defeated, by one thing --- a greater power than themselves.
You don't negotiate with fundamentalists, you defeat them. The United States and Israel are too close in both ideology and proximity (tens of thousands of US troops in Iraq) for Iran to attempt a strike against Israel on August 22.
If you live in Israel or the United States and are Jewish or Christian, atheist or irreligious, it is time for you to support the military of your respective countries.
As a believer in Jesus Christ I believe that the gospel changes the wicked hearts of men.
But as an American, I believe our military keeps the actions of wicked men at bay.
The Lord reigns over both.
In His Grace,
Wade Burleson
13 comments:
Point well taken.
Islamic nation is probably a better word than Arab. Though we in the west would consider Persian and Arab similar, in the east it would be as dissimilar as French vs. American --- and as much as an insult as the latter too. :)
I would echo and emphasize what the 10-40 missionary said. Iranians are not Arabs, they are Persians. That is fundamentally why I do not see other Arab nations lining up to follow Iran.
I think the disconnect between the leaders and the people (#2) might be the reason why they would launch an attack.
As many political writers have mentioned, Mutually Assured Destruction kept both the old Soviets and the US from igniting an atomic war. But, I don't think that the leaders in Iran share that same fear... their terrorists certainly don't.
I agree that you can't negotiate with these men. Without a miraculous demonstration of God's grace, it will take a military solution.
amen!
The last time I heard anyone predict an exact date for "The End of the World" was when Harold Camping of Family Radio made his prediction that the world would end on a specific Tuesday in September. I don't remember exactly when this was -- around 1999 I think.
If we are still reading this BLOG on August 23rd then we will have emperical proof as to whether or not the world ended.
The WSJ ran an editorial yesterday about 22 Aug and they don't think the world will end on 22 Aug either.
Robin,
Good points.
Don,
It was a book written by NASA scientist and lay prophecy teacher Edgar Whisenhunt.
The title of it was "88 Reasons Why Jesus Will Return in 1988."
It sold a quarter million copies.
The next year he wrote a second book entitled "89 Reasons Why Jesus Will Return in 1989."
It sold one hundred thousand copies.
A diminishing return --- no new books.
One of these days I'll have to write about a breakfast I had with ole Edgar.
It was hard for me to tell the difference the Fruit Loops and the company.
Wade
Stephen,
I commend Tariq for his work.
I pray he will not be murdered before it is completed (remember Salmon Rushdie?).
I'm unclear about your first question, and before you ask it again, I request you to honestly assess what it has to do with my post.
In regard to this post you might find an article from yesterday's (Tuesday's) OpinionJournal.com to be of interest. In "Does Iran have something in store?" Bernard Lewis discusses the significance of August 22 and how Iran differs from previous foes such as the Soviet Union.
Mr. Lewis notes that mutual assured destruction was sufficient to prevent the Soviet Union from using nuclear weapons. Given that the radical leaders in Iran want to bring about the apocalypse, the threat of mutual assured destruction may not have the same deterrant effect that it had with the Soviet Union.
In the end, I'm trusting in the sovereign God of the universe, the God of the Bible, who ordains all things, including the behavior of radical Muslims leaders in Iran.
Razorbaptist,
The only think I am not an expert on is Arkansas football!
Hah,
wade
So - a person who momentarily forgot that the people of Iran are not Arabic, but Persian and speak farsi. I thought the stupid dispensationalists were the only ones who did such things. :) (Sorry, Wade, I could not resist) :) ;)
Rob
Understanding the Fatal Flaws in Judeo-Christian-Islamic Prophecy
Hello Wade and all,
By the way, pay special attention to the fact that my birthday is tomorrow, August 11th, which is 11 days before August 22nd! And yet, I remain hidden as a thief...
As certain world leaders strive to instigate a fabricated "battle of Armageddon," it is vital to understand and spread the truth about these ancient texts to help bring about an end to such abominable evil.
You can never expect philosophies based on lies and great error to lead to peace and harmony. How many more millennia of terrible proof is necessary before humanity finally gets a clue that most have been utterly deceived by the very concept of religion.
Read the article below:
Here is Wisdom
Peace...
Looks like were all still here. No rapture, no Armageddon--see? No one knows the hour. Seems like I heard that somewhere....
Josh
Post a Comment