Iran

I am not sure why American Christians are so hostile to Iran, because the record of the United States dealings with Iran is fairly ugly.

• In 1957, the US helped to organise a coup that overthrew a democratically elected government and appointed a hereditary king (Shah=Caesar) to rule the nation.

• The US helped organise and train Savak, the ruthless security forces that kept the Shah in power.

• When the Iranian people overthrew the US-imposed dictator in 1978, the US responded by imposing economic sanctions on the new government, which are still in place today. So much for supporting democracy.

• The US encouraged Saddam Hussein to invade Iran in 1982-88. (He was a US client back then). They supported him with satellite surveillance and missile guidance. 200,000 people were killed and half a million were injured. The US turned a blind eye when Saddam used chemical weapons against the Iranians defending their country.

• The US guided-missile cruiser Vincennes shot down Iran Air Flight 655, a scheduled passenger flight from Tehran to Dubai on 3 July 1988 with a surface-to-air missile. The aircraft, an Airbus A300, was destroyed and all 290 people on board, including 66 children, were killed. The jet was hit while flying over Iran's territorial waters in the Persian Gulf, along the flight's usual route. The US tried to lie about the position and direction of the flight.

• The US has encouraged its allies to assassinate numerous Iranian scientists.

If the Iranian government did any of these things, the US media would be screaming for action against it.

I don’t like the religion of Islam. I believe that the gospel of Jesus is infinitely superior.

I don’t like the Iranian system of government, but I am not enthusiastic about a system that throws up a choice between Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton either.

I do not see Iran as the great evil that many people suggest it is.

• The people of Iran are kind and helpful people. Anyone who visits the nation will confirm that. The delegation of agriculture statisticians that I met were intelligent open people, keen to learn.

• The people of Iran are Moslems from way back, so they are entitled to have a government based on Islam, just as many Americans want their government to be influenced by Christian values.

• Iran is a democracy. It is not totally fair, but most democracies have flaws. Several Iranian governments have been voted out by the electors. This is different from US allies like Saudi Arabia, Oman and UAW, which are ruled by kings with absolute power.

• The Iranians have chosen a political system that protects the role of the Koran by giving religious leaders a strong influence in their nation’s government. They are entitled to do that. This seems to be what many Christians want in the United States for their religion by appointing people sympathetic to Christian values to the Supreme Court.

• Iran has not forcibly invaded another country in the last 300 years. During that time the United States has invaded dozens of nations with military force.

• Iran has come to the support of its allies were facing an attack by hostile external powers, in Iraq, Syria, and South Lebanon. That is something that most nations have done.

• The religion of Iran is Shia Islam. Most Islamic terrorism is conducted by Sunni Moslems, including Al Qaida and ISIS. Most Christians don’t understand the difference, but these to religious groups are sworn enemies. So claims that Iran is responsible for the things being done by Sunni Moslems is foolish.

• Just as in 1776, Americans did not want their lives being controlled by the British, Iranians do not want the United States determining the way that they should live.

• God has not given the United States permission to judge Iran and destroy it with nuclear weapons, although seems to be what some US political leaders want to do.

We must not forget that God loves the world so much that he sent Jesus to die on the cross. God loves the people of Iran, just as much as he loves the people of New Zealand. Like every nation, Iran needs the gospel of Jesus. They will not be won for the gospel by bullying and military power. They need to see God’s people demonstrating his love, by loving their neighbours.

Trump Sanctions

Amidst his flurry of activity, Donald Trump imposed additional economic sanctions on Iran. This is a rite of passage for any American politician wanting to be taken seriously as a foreign policy leader.

Since the Iranians gave the US a black eye in 1979/80, (the movie about Operation Eagles Claw has not been made yet), they have been the favourite victim for United States politicians looking for someone to bully. Their crime was to throw out the son of the dictator that the CIA and MI6 imposed upon them in place of a democratically elected government in 1953 (for the benefit of BP Oil). Many sanctions have been in place since that time.

Donald Trump imposed sanctions because the Iranians tested a ballistic missile (something they are entitled to do under international law) and Yemini Houthi rebels attacked a Saudi frigate. The Saudis have been bombing and wrecking Yemen with American support of the last couple of years. Trump does not realise that Houthis and Iranian Shia are about as different as Pentecostals and Anglicans.

The White House spokesperson mistakenly said that the Houthis had attacked an American ship. I suppose that was a reasonable mistake, because the US probably supplied the ship a long with $billions of military equipment they have supplied to the Saudis.

Trump confirmed that the Iranians are fostering terrorism. He does not seem to realise that Shia terrorism is not a problem these days. The real problem is the Sunni terrorism that has been sponsored and financed by the Saudis all over the world. Yet all American presidents have turned blind eye to this Saudi duplicity, because they love their oil and the armaments industry needs the sales.

The Iranians began developing the technology for missiles after the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war. Back then, before his nasty phase, Saddam Hussein was an American ally. With American encouragement and reconnaissance support, he invaded Iran. Vastly outgunned, the Iranians engaged in a World War 1 style defence with massive casualties. Nearly a hundred thousand civilians died, in addition to the hundreds of thousands of military deaths.

Saddam Hussein launched chemical weapons against Iranian cities using ballistic missiles. Iran had no missiles to strike back against Iraqi cities.

Americans are scared of Iran, but the military spending is far greater among their neighbours in the Middle East.

Gulf Cooperation Council member countries (Saudi Arabia, Qatar and their flunkies) spend approximately $98.5 billion on their militaries annually, compared to Iran’s $10.6 billion. Data released by the U.S. Congressional Research Service indicates that the GCC acquired $38.5 billion worth of new arms between 2004 and 2011, thirty-five times more than Iran’s acquisition of $1.1 billion for the same period. Similarly, data released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute indicates that the Gulf states have a massive lead over Iran in terms of spending on military munitions.

In addition to cutting-edge military wares, the Gulf countries enjoy access to superior American training, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance systems, and Command, Control, Communications, Computer, and Battle Management capabilities (C4I/BM).
Americas should be more concerned about their Middle Eastern clients, as they are armed to the teeth with weapons and technology supplied by the USA, the UK and France.

Iranians are spooked by this massive military build up by their traditional enemies. That is why they want better weapons.

The Iranians should not complain too much about Donald Trump’s feeble sanctions. Others have been far tougher. When Ronald Reagan was president in 1988, the US navy shot down an Iranian airliner killing 290 crew and passengers, many of the woman and children, by mistake of course.

ISIS Iraq

About three days late, the western media have caught up with events in Iraq. Many of the articles show maps of Iraq with numerous arrows going from West to East.

These reflect the current situation, but they do not reflect the longer term thrust of history in the Middle East. The real map has arrows going out from Iran, North South and West.

The biblical prophet Daniel received a vision for a long time into the future (Dan 8). He saw a two-horned Ram, standing beside a canal from the Euphrates River, and butting West, North and South. Daniel was told that this Ram is the Prince of Persia (Iran).

This vision has been being fulfilled since the Iranian revolution in 1978. The failure of Iraq war left a regime sympathetic to Iran in control of Iraq. The ISIS move from Syria west into Iraq will not stop the fulfilment of this vision. The Prince of Persia will continue to thrust West and South.

God has allowed the Prince of Persia to re-emerge to accomplish his purposes. The Beast of Revelation emerges in response to this powers shift. The Prince of Persia will also be a catalyst to the events that bring about the downfall of the Terrible Beast.

In the short term, the events will seriously change the geopolitical situation in the Middle East:

1. The Iraqi army will struggle to retake much of the ground that has been lost, because ISIS has the support local Sunni communities. Some of the towns were actually taken by local Sunni militias, not ISIS.

2. The Syrian government will not be able to recover territory taken by ISIS, now it has access to better weapons.

3. US air strikes would be mostly a waste of time. This is an urban-based rebellion, so airstrikes would produce civilian casualties, which would strengthen support for ISIS.

4. The ISIS rebellion may establish a new state straddling Eastern Syria and Western Iraq. This Islamic state will become a hotbed for terrorist activity and a thorn in the flesh for the nations of Europe, just across the Mediterranean Sea.

5. The area controlled by the rebels is mostly desert and sparsely populated. However, it will be joined to Saudi Arabia, its financial sponsor. The people of the United States will wake up and realise that the Saudis are paymaster of violent groups all over the world.

6. ISIS will not be able to conquer Baghdad and the Shia controlled areas of Iraq. The Shia militias that became very powerful during the Iraq war will get involved again to protect their interests.

7. Most of the oil currently being pumped out of Iraq comes from oil fields in south of the country and goes out through the port of Basra, which are not threatened.

8. The ISIS rebels will gain control of some of the oilfields around Mosul. Most of these are not currently producing oil and the pipelines out of the area are shut down. They might be able to develop them with Saudi help.

9. The Kurds, who are well organised militarily, will move in and get control of many of the oil fields in northern Iraq. They have already taken the disputed city of Kirkuk, which gives them control of the super-giant oil field to the East of the city.

10. The Iranian influence in Iraq will be strengthened by these events. The US will need Iranian help to constrain the ISIS movement, so will make and uneasy peace with Iran. Iraq could be smaller, but Iran will be stronger.

11. These events will appear to be a victory for the Saudis, but will end in disaster for them. ISIS will eventually threaten the corrupt rulers of Saudi Arabia, with who they will have a common border.

12. At some time in the future, the United States will decide that it has to invade the ISIS controlled region from the north, but this will make the situation worse.
    

    For the king of the North will muster another army, larger than the first; and after several years, he will advance with a huge army fully equipped (Dan 11:13)

Creating your Next Enemy

Nations that rely on military power tend to create their next enemy. The United States has been doing this with Iran for a long time.

The scriptures teach that Iran (backed by a spiritual power called the Prince of Persia) will become a major stumbling block for the Western Empire (Dan 8). This seemed to be unbelievable, back in the 1960s, because Iran was tin pot nation of very little account. In every interaction with Iran since those times, the United States has taken actions that strengthened the hands of the Prince of Persia. Here are some examples.

• In 1947 Iran became a democracy. However, the British and Americans did not like the policies of elected Prime Minister Mohammed Mosaddeq, so in 1953 the CIA and MI6 organised a coup to topple him.

• The Shah of Iran put in place by the Americans and British proved to be a cruel dictator. The secret police (SAVAK) killed hundreds of people and far more were imprisoned and tortured. America support allowed the Shah to destroy all opposition political parties opening the way for the Islamic revolution.

• The United States provide military equipment and trained the Iranian military forces, turning it in a significant military power.

• When the Shah was finally kicked out, following a mass Islamic Revolution in 1978. The United States responded to the loss of their man, by freezing billions of Iranian assets. Some of these are still frozen, although the United States has given up any hoping of restoring the Shah.

• In 1980, Saddam Hussein invaded Iran with US military and reconnaissance support. In those days, Saddam was an American client, so further sanctions were imposed against Iran.

• When it looked like the Iraqis might be defeated, the United States applied further sanctions against Iran in 1984 and 1987

• The sanctions against Iran were not removed when the war ended. Instead further trade sanctions were introduced during the 1990s. These harm the ordinary people far more than the people in power, which increases the hatred for the US.

• In 1988, the United States missile cruiser Vincennes shot down a civilian airbus operated by Air Iran over the Strait of Hormuz. All 290 passengers and crew were killed, including 66 children, but the United States has never apologised.

• In 2003, George Bush invaded Iraq as part of his War on Terror. This destroyed Sunni power in Iraq. This event more than other has strengthened the hand of Iran in the Middle East, as Iraq is now ruled by a government that is sympathetic to Iran.

• The United States has imposed further sanctions against Iran to prevent it from building a nuclear power station and enriching uranium, even though it is entitled to do so under Nuclear Proliferation Treaty, a treaty that the US has refused to sign.

• The United has parked a couple of carrier groups in the Indian ocean, just off the coast of Iran. If another nation, did this off the coast of the United States it would perceived as a threat.

• American congressmen love passing resolutions condemning Iran. These votes have little to do with diplomatic negotiations and are purely a tool for congressmen to prove to their electors that they are tough on the ememies of America. It is almost as if they know that the Bible says that Iran will become their empire's stumbling block, and are trying to take preemptive action.

Each of these actions has increased the hostility and mistrust towards the American government. Most of them have strengthened the power of hard-line leaders in Iran. When a nation is being bullied by a powerful enemy, it is easy for unscrupulous leaders to keep their people under control.

In 1978, I wrote the following words in the Gore Ensign, a local newspaper.

Daniel saw a ruler in Iran, who would become great and do just as he pleases… More interesting still, Daniel says that no nation would be able to "rescue from his power"… He saw the ruler of expanding his power to the west, the north and the south. To the West of Iran is the nation of Iraq, and to the south is the state of Saudi Arabia. These nations could fall under Iranian power by an expansion of the Islamic revolution or by military conquest… This would give the ruler of Iran control of one third of the Western world’s oil supplies.

This seemed to be impossible way back then. However, the mistakes of successive American presidents seem to be making it a reality. Iran already has a strong influence to the north in Syria and Lebanon. That should not be possible, because they belong to the Sunni stream of Islam, but US policies have forced these traditional enemies together. Iran now has a strong influence in Iraq to the west.

Although Saudi Arabia has a significant Shiite minority, the US has armed it to the teeth. This huge stash of American weapons will be handy when the Saudi Arabian domino falls in the direction of Iran. Just like the weapons American had supplied to the Shah of Iran, because he was their man.

The United States policy on Iran will eventually backfire. It is assisting Iran by imposing sanctions that restrict exports of oil and gas. It is forcing Iran to retain its oil and gas, when other Middle Eastern nations are running down their reserves. This is doing them a favour, because it forcing Iran to save oil and gas for the future when it will be more valuable. When oil is a really scarce resource, Iran will be more powerful, because it will be holding greater reserves at a time when they are increasing in economic and strategic value.

Daniel saw the Prince of Persia (a spiritual entity) moving toward the west, the north and the south.

I watched the ram as it charged toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against it, and none could rescue from its power. It did as it pleased and became great (Dan 8:4)

Iran has already had success in the North and West. It has won the struggle for Iraq. Syria is not that relevant, because it has no oil. The US and the UK are trying to make a big deal of Syria, and portray it as a defeat for Iran but that is because they are trying to make the best of bad job in Iraq.

The next big deal is the Prince of Persia pushing to the south towards the Gulf monarchies and Saudi Arabia. This is where we should be looking, if we want to understand events in the Middle East.

Bomb Iran

Americans are getting all stirred up about Iran again. A candidate for the republican presidential nomination would not be taken seriously, if he does not promise to bomb Iran within two weeks of his inauguration, even if he cannot find Iran on a map of the world. Obama is being as hawkish as Novel peace prize winner can be without looking hypocritical. Many Christians are getting excited because they believe that bombing Iran would bring the rapture closer.

What those who are beating the war drums do not realise is that God has raised up Iran for a purpose. The Islamic revolution in Iran was an important marker on the prophetic timetable (Rev 6:1-2). This was confirmed by when an American invasion of Iran called Eagles Claw turned into a disaster in 1980.

The immediate role of Iran is to provoke the emergence of the Beast that will dominate the world. Those who belong to the Beast are already exposed themselves to people with their eyes open.

The ultimate role of Iran is to act as a foil for Beast that is currently emerging. When it has completed its shenanigans, God will bring Iran and some other nations against it, to engineer its destruction.

It seems like American politicians understand, without knowing, and instinctively want to bring Iran down now, so God cannot accomplish his purposes in the future.

Middle East Stirred (4) - Outcome

Daniel notes two outcomes from these demonstrations.

First, many people will be called killed.

but tens of thousands will fall (Dan 11:12).

President Ben Ali in Tunisia and President Murabak walked away in the face of the pressure. Many other political leaders will not give up that easily, but will fight furiously to hold onto their power and privilege. Gadhafi has taken this option in Libya. Thousands of people will die in Libya before the current struggle ends.

Second, demonstrations will not produce prosperity. Many people will die in these struggles. In some situations, tribal-based disputes will emerge.

tens of thousands will fall and he will not prosper (Dan 11:12).

A very literal translation says that “he will not get fat”. Getting fat means prosperity. A major motivation for the demonstrators had been unemployment and rising food prices. Shortages of food are increasing all over the world. A change in government will not produce more food or create new jobs. Democratic government does not automatically produce prosperity. Many of the protesters will be disappointed by the outcome. Many situations will end with the military in control.

The word for “fat” can also be translated as “prevail” or “succeed”. Daniel suggests that the King of the South will not succeed. The peoples of the Middle East will be stirred up, but they "will not prevail". Despite the current troubles, the United States will continue dominate the Middle East and North Africa.

Finally, Iran will be strengthened. Iraq is Iran’s most serious enemy The destruction of Iraq and the installation of a more sympathetic Shiite government has remove an obstacle to its expansion. The Prince of Persia (Iran) will be stirred up allowing Iran to re-emerge as the most important player in the Middle East (see Resurgence of Iran).

Fear of Islam (3) - Iran

The bowman on the Whitehorse is the key to understanding modern Iran. Jeremiah described the nation of Elam as being armed with a bow (Jer 49:34-39). It was situated in the western part of modern Iran. The Persian army which came from the same area is also described as being armed with bows (Jer 50:14,29,42).

The resurgence of Islam took off in a big way in Iran, when a cruel secular ruler, the Shah of Iran was overthrown by militant, fundamentalist Moslems loyal to the Ayatollah Khomeini in 1978. The Islamic revolution revival radically changed the nation and Iran is now a major power in the Middle East.

The Islamic Revolution in Iran is also described in Daniel 8. This chapter records a vision that Daniel received while the people of Judah were in exile in Babylon.

I looked up, and there before me was a ram with two horns, standing beside the canal, and the horns were long. One of the horns was longer than the other but grew up later. I watched the ram as he charged toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against him, and none could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great (Dan 8:3,4).

After the vision the angel Gabriel appeared to explain its meaning to him.

The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia (Dan 8:20).

The people of Media and Persia now make up the nation of Iran. Daniel saw a future ruler of Iran, who would rise to power. He warned that no nation would be able to stand against this power and win. No nation would be able to rescue others from its power.

Daniel was told that his vision was not for his time. It seems to being fulfilled in our time. Over the last two decades, the Islamic revival has spread right across the world and Iran has been at the spearhead of this growth in fervour. The other more secular Moslem nations are frightened by what has happened.

Daniel warned that the Iran would become a problem for the United States.

Three more kings will appear in Persia, and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others. When he has gained power by his wealth, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece (Daniel 11:2).

Persia is now called Iran. The heir of the kingdom of Greece in the modern world is the United States. Daniel was warning that Iran would stir up the Middle East against the United States.

The Devil You Know

I have just finished reading The Devil You Know by Robert Bauer. He is not a trendy liberal, but and ex CIA agent who has spent a lot of time in the Middle East, so he has to be taken seriously.

He makes several interesting points.

1. Iran is now the most powerful nation in the Middle East. It has already won the struggle for dominance and is on the verge of becoming a superpower.

2. Iran does not need nuclear weapons. While America has been bogged down in pointless adventures in Iraq and Afghanistan, Iran has already achieved dominance in much of the Middle East using much more subtle methods. They understand the methods of asymmetrical warfare and have used them effectively.

3. Sunni Islam is far more unstable than Shia Islam. Sunni Islam has no clerical group that controls the interpretation of the Koran. Any Sunni Moslem can make his own interpretation and issue a fatwa. Shia Islam has a strong clerical establishment that controls the interpretation of the Koran.

4. Sunni Islam has several nihilistic streams that are happy to employ mindless violence, even if they destroy themselves in the process. They will lash out in quite random ways. In contrast, the Shiite clerical establishment that holds sway in Iran are much more deliberate in they way that they fight. Iran can be ruthless in the use of violence, but in a much more calculated way to achieve particular purposes.

5. America has backed the wrong horse in the Middle East. They have allied with Saudi Arabia, the weakest and most unstable country in the Middle East. The US has supplied the Saudis with billions of dollars worth of sophisticated weapons. When the immoral and corrupt Saudi princes get their deserts, these weapons will be turned against American interests.

6. Iran will soon control the Holy Places of Islam at Mecca and Medina that are currently controlled by the Saudis.

7. America does not have the military capability to defeat Iran. It should negotiate now, before Iran gets stronger.

I found his view very interesting. In 1980, I wrote an article about Iran based on Daniel 8. I explained that Iran would become an increasingly powerful nation. It would advance north, south and west. Daniel’s prophecy is being fulfilled in our time.

Clash of Civilisations (5) - Religion and Politics

I do not like the current government in Iran. For a start, they have chosen the wrong religion and the wrong saviour. However, they have attempted to establish a system where religion has an influence on the whole of life, including law and politics. This attempt has failed, because they have fallen back on using force to establish the religious influence. The Iranians have not succeeded in their attempt to integrate religious ideals with their political life and culture, but at least they are having go. I have to respect the fact that they have not rolled over in front of the secular humanist steam roller, as we have in the west.

The most important issue faced by the modern world is the relationship between religion and politics, economics and culture. There is a lot of debate about this issue in the Islamic world but it is barely on the radar in the western world. Here the debate is about how Christians should participate in a secular materialist system. No one is thinking about what a more Christian system would look like.

Thirty years ago, I became a Christian while studing economic at university. I could not find any books on economics from a Christian perspective, but I did find several on Islamic economics. There are more books on Christian economics now, but they mostly expound secular humanist economics with a Christian veneer. This partly explains why we are losing the clash in the West.

Islam Resurgent (5) - Butting to the South

Daniel saw the ram (Iran) charging to the west, the north and the south.

I watched the ram as he charged toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against him, and none could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great (Dan 8:4).

The first two of these charges have already taken place. To the west of Iran is the nation of Iraq. In 1980 Iraq invaded Iran, and military strategists said that Iran would soon have to surrender. To their surprise the Iranian troops forced the invading army back across their border. Iran then attempted to invade Iraq and topple its Baathist socialist government of Saddam Hussein. (He was a client of the US back then, before he was bitten by the hand that fed him).

More recently, since the US invasion of Iraq, the Iranians have been supporting the Shiite people in Iraq.

The nations to the north of Iran are Syria and Lebanon. There are already strong links between Iran and Syria, and Iranian power has been influential in Lebanon. Iran also established Hezbollah, which led the resistance against Israel's invasion of Lebanon.

The butting to the north and the west is easy to understand, but I have never got what Daniel meant by butting to the south. There is nothing to the south of Iran but sea. Recently I have realised that this is Daniel's point.

To the south of Iran are the Strait of Hormuz, which mark the entrance to the Persian gulf. The Strait of Homruz is about twenty miles wide at its narrowest point. Most of the oil from Iraq and Saudi Arabia is carried through this narrow gap in massive supertankers. This is about twenty percent of the total supply of oil available. This means that if Iran "buts to the south" and closes this waterway, the United States will powerless to prevent it. The price of oil could shoot up to $200 a barrel.

George Bush shuld be careful before having a go at Iran. He might bite off more than he can chew.

More here.

Islam Resurgent (4) - Powerful Iran

Daniel saw a ruler in Iran who would become great and do just as he pleases.

I watched the ram as he charged toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against him, and none could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great (Dan 8:4).

This would be a good description of recent leadership in Iran. More interesting still, Daniel says that no nation would be able to "rescue from his power".

When the Islamic revolution took place, over one hundred American hostages were held in their embassy. The United States, which is the greatest military power in the world, devised a plan called "Eagle’s Claw" to rescue them. Despite elaborate planning and the best equipment that modern technology could provide, the rescue attempt ended in disaster. Helicopters encountered unprecedented head winds and unexpected dust storms. A helicopter crashed into a plane during refueling in the Iranian desert and eight servicemen were killed. The United States was not strong enough to rescue its people from Iran, and had to beg for their return (see Desert One.

Before having a go at Iran, George Bush should think about Daniel's words and what happened to Jimmy Carter.

Islam Resurgent (3) - Iran

George Bush and his cheerleader John Hagee are getting stirred up about Iran. What they do not understand is that God has raised up the nation of Iran for a purpose. God sometimes uses a heathen nation to do his work. He used Babylon to take the Jews into exile. He used Darius the Mede to get the Jews back from exile. Now God is using Iran to fulfil his purposes in this time. If that is the case, Bush and Hagee might find themselves fighting against God.

Daniel had a vision of a Ram beside the river Euphrates. After the vision the angel Gabriel appeared to explain its meaning to him. When Gabriel drew near, Daniel fell to the ground in fear, but the angel stood him on his feet and encouraged him. Gabriel first explained the timing of the vision’s fulfilment.

Understand that the vision concerns the time of the end…I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath, because the vision concerns the appointed time of the end. Dan 8:17,19

Gabriel makes it clear that the vision is not to be fulfilled in Daniel’s time. It concerns the time of the end, and will be fulfilled in the later "time of wrath". Daniel 8 has not yet been fulfilled, but we seem to be seeing its fulfilment in our time.

The first part of the vision is described in Daniel 8:3,4.

I looked up, and there before me was a ram with two horns, standing beside the canal, and the horns were long. One of the horns was longer than the other but grew up later. I watched the ram as he charged toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against him, and none could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great.

This is what Daniel saw and the interpretation is given in verse 20. The two horned ram represents the kings of Media and Persia. The people of Media and Persia now make up the nation of Iran. Daniel saw a future ruler of Iran, who would rise to power.

Daniel was seeing the 1978 Islamic revolution in Iran culminated in the overthrow of the Shah of Iran, and the rise to power of Ayatollah Khomeini. The smaller horn on the goat is the Islamic Republic led by Ayatollah Khomeini. The larger horn is probably the current regime.

Iran has become a key player in the Middle East. Maybe this is part of God's plan for these times.

American Arrogance

I never cease to be amazed by the arogance of American politicians.

The are upset because Iran is engaging in proxy wars in the Middle East. Yet America sponsored proxy wars all over the globe from the cold war into the present.

They are upset that Iran is supplying weapons to militant groups in Iraq. Yet America is allowed to supply weapons to Fatah in Palestine.

They are upset that Iran is expanding its interests in the Middle East. At the same time America claims the right to protect its interests in the Middle East.

This seems like a case of do as I say, not as I do.

In 1953, the United States CIA organised a military coup in Iran that overthrew a democratically elected government and brough the Shar of Iran to power. He proved to be a cruel and selfish dictator. Iran has never attempted to organise a coup in the United States.

In 1988, the USS Vincennes shot down an Iranian civilian airbus flying over the Gulf killing the 290 people. Iran has never shot down an a American passenger plane.

In 1980, the United States encouraged Saddam Hussein to invade Iran and supplied him with military assistance. Iran has never assisted Mexico to invade the United States.

What gives American politicians the right to sit in judgment on Iran? Why should the Iranians trust the United States?

On Independence day, Americans celebrated their independence from Britain. It was okay for Americans to take arms to throw off a fairly benign colonial power, but other peoples can only do that if they get American permission.

More WOT

My comments on the war against terrorism drew a response from Gene Redlin. I will answer his question tomorrow, but first want to respond to his underlying view of the world. Here is what Gene said,

I wasn't comfortable for a while, but they really want to kill us. Kill us all. Nuclear annihilation. I recognize that the Gospel is the weapon that will get us further than any bomb or force. I understand your idea of interchange and communication. I do think this is a war for the ideals, for good and bad of western civilization. Capitulation defeats us all.

Gene, a few of them want to kill you, but if you ignore the posturing, the truth is that they are mostly powerless or incompetent. Most of them just want to survive. They fear that the United States wants to kill them and there is a fair bit of evidence to justify their fears.

The United States assisted the British to overthrow the democratically-elected government of Iran in 1952. They then propped up the Shah of Iran for many years while he ruled with an iron rod. In 1978, the United States helicopters invaded Iran in an attempt to rescue American prisoners. The United States encouraged Iraq to invade Iran in 1980.

At the end of the Kuwait war, the United States encouraged the Shia of Iraq to rebel against Saddam Hussein and then watched in silence while he murdered thousands. The United States currently has a hundred thousand troops in the Middle East. It has powerful aircraft carriers just outside the Persian Gulf. Politicians and think tanks are calling for air strikes on Iran. It has armed its client regime in Saudi Arabia. I am not surprised that the people of Iran think that America wants to destroy them. I am not surprised that they are really afraid, and people who are afraid often fight back.

The people of the United States have very little to fear. You live on a large island that is almost impossible to invade. Even if Iran develops nuclear weapons, it has no way to get them to the United States. Terrorists have found it very difficult to strike against the United States, with only one success in a couple of decades. Far more people are killed by automobile accidents than by terrorists, but there is no war against the automobile.

If Iran had overthrown the Unites States government in the 1950s, or had stationed 100,000 troops in Mexico, or had persuaded Canada to invade the United States, or had several aircraft carriers in the Caribbean Sea, you would have something to worry about. I suspect that American culture has far more to fear from the corrosive growth of state power and the false gospel flowing out of Hollywood.