To Strike Or Not To Strike?
To strike or not to strike Iran?
It is a race of time but time is running out.
Each new day brings Iran closer to producing nuclear weapons of
mass destruction. Only the careless, the blind and the naive would
think otherwise.
Despite all the past and current diplomatic isolations and
international sanctions, Iran continues to be relentless, installing
hundreds of new centrifuges at their uranium enrichment facilities,
working 24/7 purifying uranium and producing nuclear weapons-grade
fuel.
A nuclear Iran is a threat to world stability, and not Israel
alone. Every human being living in the world who is concerned about
the welfare of their nation and home should oppose a nuclear Iran.
The challenge of Iran is not just the problem of Israel. The
Iranian regime not only desires to destroy and wipe Israel off the
map of the world, it also challenges the Western civilization and
the current world order.
This is not just a conflict between Iran and Israel, but also
between Iran and America. Because they are the Friday people, this
threat is not only against the Saturday people but also against the
Sunday people. Therefore this impending danger cannot be taken
easily off our daily life, and be swept under the carpet as if it is
none of our business.
According to the media, the Prime Minister and Defense Minister
of Israel are currently in their final stages of planning an attack
on Iran.
According to the media, the President and government officials of
the United States are doing their best in their power to discourage
and disrupt Israel's plans.
While Israel appears to be in favor of a pre-emptive strike, the
U.S. has made it clear that it believes there is still time for
diplomacy and more sanctions.
One after the other, each U.S. senior delegate visiting Israel
carried this same message: "Don't mess up our plans and our coming
election! Don’t carry out any attack against the Iranian nuclear
reactors!"
But the Jewish leaders answered with boldness and courage, "We
won't leave our fate in the hands of others. We'll do what we need
to do when we need to do."
But all the media and all the politicians in the world don't
decide whether to strike or not. They don’t dictate what to do or
not to do concerning Israel!
In fact, even the Israeli leaders do not make the ultimate
decision! Their fate is truly not in the hands of others or other
gods! Their times are in the hand of the Lord!
With all the frenzied hype and continuous stirrings in the media,
people are either becoming more fearful or becoming more indifferent
by shutting off completely! After endlessly hearing all the news of
wars and rumours of wars, night and day, day and night, some are
alarmed initially but as the days go by, many have become tired and
dull of hearing!
But who will ultimately decide to strike or not to strike?
While reading Ezekiel 38:14-23, I found the answer. The LORD will
decide!
He is the Captain of the host of the LORD! He is the
Commander-in-Chief!
God can use Gog as His instrument to accomplish and do His will!
The nation of Gog in Ezekiel was a symbol of the evil darkness of
the north and the powers hostile to God. But in Revelation, Gog and
Magog have no geographic location, and instead they represent the
nations of the world, banded together for the final assault against
Christ and His people.
So the Sovereign LORD sent Ezekiel to tell Gog this message: “Now
while My people Israel live in security, you will set out to come
from your place in the far north, leading a large, powerful army of
soldiers from many nations, all of them on horseback. You will
attack My people Israel like a storm moving across the land. When
the time comes, I will send you to invade My land in order to show
the nations who I am, to show My holiness by what I do through you.
You are the one I was talking about long ago, when I announced
through My servants, the prophets of Israel, that in days to come I
would bring someone to attack Israel.” The Sovereign LORD has
spoken.
The Sovereign LORD says, “On the day when Gog invades Israel, I
will become furious. I declare in the heat of My anger that on that
day there will be a severe earthquake in the land of Israel. Every
fish and bird, every animal large and small, and every human being
on the face of the earth will tremble for fear of me. Mountains will
fall, cliffs will crumble, and every wall will collapse. I will
terrify Gog with all sorts of calamities. I, the Sovereign LORD,
have spoken. His men will turn their swords against one another. I
will punish him with disease and bloodshed. Torrents of rain and
hail, together with fire and sulfur, will pour down on him and his
army and on the many nations that are on his side. In this way I
will show all the nations that I am great and that I am holy. They
will know then that I am the LORD.”
The Sovereign LORD had commanded Ezekiel to prophesy against Gog.
I believe this message is valid today! When the people of God are
living in peace in their promised land, their enemies will be
aroused by God to attack His own people! They will come from their
homeland in the distant north with their enormous cavalries and
mighty armies. They will attack Israel, surrounding and covering the
holy land like a cloud. At that time, the LORD will bring Gog
against His beloved land as everyone watches. Yes, it is the LORD
who is behind this war! He has a plan beyond all our understanding
and comprehension!
Why? So that His greatness and holiness will be displayed by what
happens to Gog, and so that all the nations will know that He is the
only one and true God.
Long time ago, the LORD had announced through the holy prophets
of Israel that He would bring someone in the future to come against
His people. But when Gog invades the land of Israel, God will pour
out His fury over Gog!
In His jealousy and blazing anger, God will bring about a mighty
shaking in the land of Israel on that day. A great and severe
earthquake that will change the landscape of Israel! Every valley
shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill will be brought low!
The crooked places shall be made straight, and the rough places
smooth. And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh
shall see it together! Yes, every living being will see the glory of
the LORD! This was spoken by the mouth of the LORD through His
prophet Isaiah.
All living things - the fish in the sea, the birds of the sky,
the animals of the field, the small animals that move on the ground,
and all the people on earth - will quake in terror at His presence.
Mountains will be thrown down. Cliffs will crumble. Walls will
fall to the earth. God will summon the sword against Gog on all the
hills of Israel. Their men will turn their swords against each
other. Yes, Gog will fight against Gog in the land of Israel!
God will punish Gog and his armies with disease and bloodshed.
The LORD will send torrential rain, hailstones, fire, and burning sulphur!
In this way, God will show His greatness and holiness, and He
will make Himself known to all the nations of the world. Then they
will know that He is the LORD God Almighty.
In Revelation 17:17, God can use the evil people and beings to
fulfill His divine purpose and plan. He has placed in their hearts
the will to carry out His purpose by acting together and giving to
the beast their power to rule until God's words come true.
Isaiah
55:8-9
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.”
While meditating on Ezekiel 38, I recalled what happened on the
shore of Egypt before the Crossing of the Red Sea! After the 10
plagues, God again hardened Pharaoh’s heart, so that the Egyptians
would pursue after the Israelites. Why? So that He will gain honor
over Pharaoh and over all his army, and so that the Egyptians may know that
He is the LORD (Exodus 14:4).
While the Israelites camped by the Red Sea, the Pharaoh made
ready his chariot and took his people with him. He also took six
hundred choice chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt with captains
over every one of them. So the Egyptians pursued the Israelites, all
the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and
overtook them camping by the sea.
When Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes,
and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So the children of
Israel were very
afraid, and they cried out to the LORD.
Then the Israelites said to Moses, “Why did you bring us
out here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for
us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave
Egypt? Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in
Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians.
It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the
wilderness!’”
And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and
see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you
today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no
more forever. The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your
peace.”
Then the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved
and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them
and stood behind them. A glorious shield of divine protection came
between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it
was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to
the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that
night.
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The LORD caused
the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made
the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. So the children
of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground. The
waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
Then the LORD removed the shield of protection, and the Egyptians
pursued and went after the Israelites into the midst of the sea, all
Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. It seemed like
that was the final chapter and ultimate destruction of Israel.
But it came to pass, in the morning watch, that the LORD looked
down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and
cloud, and He troubled the army of the Egyptians. And He took off
their chariot wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty; and
the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the
LORD fights for them against the Egyptians.” Yes, the LORD fought
for His people against their enemies who sought to destroy them.
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea,
that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians, on their chariots,
and on their horsemen.” And Moses stretched out his hand over the
sea; and when the morning appeared, the sea returned to its full
depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it.
So the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. Then
the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all
the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much
as one of them remained. But the children of Israel had walked on
dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them
on their right hand and on their left.
So the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the
Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Thus
Israel saw the great work which the LORD had done in Egypt; so the
people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD and His servant Moses.
Truly the thoughts of God are nothing like our thoughts, and His
ways are far beyond anything we could think or imagine. Just as the
heavens are higher than the earth, so His ways are higher than our
ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts.
God is not interested in destroying the enemies of Israel.
He is interested that they too will acknowledge that He is God! That
they too will repent and believe in Him!
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise,
as some count slackness,
but is longsuffering toward us,
not willing that any should perish
but that all should come to repentance.
Why did God send the ten plagues to Egypt?
In Exodus 12:12, it was
clearly written: “I am the LORD, and I will punish the gods of
Egypt.”
By attacking and punishing the gods of Egypt, God broke the
spiritual powers and principalities over the land of Egypt, which
were established by the Egyptian gods.
Have you ever wondered why God destroyed the gods of Egypt? I
believe that God, besides delivering His people, also desires the
Egyptians to believe in Him, and be called His people too.
This is clearly stated in
Isaiah 19:19-25:
In that day there will be an altar
to the LORD in the heart of Egypt,
and a monument to the LORD at its border.
It will be a sign and witness
to the LORD Almighty in the land of Egypt.
When they cry out to the LORD
because of their oppressors,
he will send them a savior and defender,
and he will rescue them.
So the LORD will make himself known to
the Egyptians,
and in that day they will acknowledge the LORD.
They will worship with sacrifices and grain offerings;
they will make vows to the LORD and keep them.
The LORD will strike Egypt with a plague;
he will strike them and heal them.
They will turn to the LORD,
and he will respond to their pleas and heal them.
In that day there will be a highway
from Egypt to Assyria.
The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria.
The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together.
In that day Israel will be the third,
along
with Egypt and Assyria,
a blessing on the earth.
The LORD Almighty will bless them, saying,
“Blessed be Egypt my people,
Assyria my handiwork,
and Israel my inheritance.”
God has included the Egyptians in His master plan of salvation
too! Yes, both the Jews and the Gentiles are loved and called to be
His people according to His riches in glory!
As God establishes this truth in us, let others rise up early,
sit up late, eat the bread of sorrows and worry night and day; day
and night while we will sleep soundly as the LORD gives His beloved sleep
(Psalm 127:2).
We will trust in the LORD and lean not to our own understanding!
Written on 25 August 2012