Iran's atomic weapons likely out of Israel's reach

Israeli leaders threaten to attack Iran's atomic weapons facilities within the next nine months before Tehran enters the "immunity zone" to then build a bomb. But it might already be too late for Israel operating alone to inflict severe damage on Iran's atomic weapons program.

Last week Israel's defense minister Ehud Barak coined the term "immunity zone" to refer to the point when Iran's atomic weapons know-how, raw materials, experience and equipment are heavily fortified in deep bunkers, immune from an Israeli attack. That means Israel must stop Iran this year before it gains atomic weapons or accept a nuclear armed enemy.

Let There Be No Mistake About Iran's Nuclear Intentions

The diplomatic chatter over an Israeli strike against Iran's nuclear program has reached new heights. There have been several secret meetings in the past week related to the topic. Israel has also sent out an order putting "Israeli facilities in North America and around the world...on high alert." According to an internal security document obtained by ABC News, "We predict that the threat on our sites around the world will increase…on both our guarded sites and 'soft' sites."

Probably the clearest indication that a strike is getting very near is the Obama administration publicly squabbling with Israel about the need for more time to allow diplomacy and sanctions to work. "There is still time and space to pursue diplomacy with Iran over its nuclear program," said State Department spokesman Mark Toner. He added that the U.S. "is absolutely committed to preventing Iran from getting nuclear weapons."

Russia: An attack on Tehran is an attack on Moscow

In bible prophecy we are told of a military confederacy which will come against the nation of Israel in the "latter years" (Ezekiel 38:8), a reference to the end times leading up to Christ's visible, physical, bodily return to earth at the Battle of Armageddon.

The confederacy of which I'm speaking is believed by most to consist of the following nations:

• Magog - Most agree this is a reference to Russia.

• Meshech - Most associate this with modern day Turkey, ancient Anatolia, but some say it refers to the Moscow area.

• Tubal - Most associate this with modern day Turkey, ancient Anatolia.

• Persia - modern Iran

• Ethiopia

• Libya

• Gomer - eastern Europe or Turkey

• Togarmah - southeastern Europe or Turkey

Gog-Magog: Turkey and Hamas Relationship Blossoming

In bible prophecy we are told of a battle which will occur in the last days. Often referred to as the Battle of Gog-Magog, the list of nations which will participate in this end times attack on the nation of Israel are revealed to us in Ezekiel 38.

Below is a list of nations believed by most to be future members of the Gog-Magog confederacy:

• Magog - Most agree this is a reference to Russia.

• Meshech - Most associate this with modern day Turkey, ancient Anatolia, but some say it refers to the Moscow area.

• Tubal - Most associate this with modern day Turkey, ancient Anatolia.

• Persia - modern Iran

• Ethiopia

• Libya

• Gomer - eastern Europe or Turkey

• Togarmah - southeastern Europe or Turkey

The Final Countdown: Israel vs. Iran

The 33-year farce of Western appeasement of Iran may be reaching its denouement. For the last few months, the pace of events have quickened as the West sanctions and threatens, and Iran blusters about closing the Strait of Hormuz, cutting off oil to Europe, and unleashing its terrorist proxies. Just last week Iran's "Supreme Leader" Ayatollah Ali Khamenei subtly suggested that Iran would step up its already considerable support of terrorist outfits targeting Israel and the U.S.: "From now on, in any place, if any nation or any group confronts the Zionist regime, we will endorse and we will help. We have no fear expressing this." Indulging traditional Islamic anti-Semitic language, Khamenei said Israel was a "cancerous tumor that should be cut and will be cut," and claimed that the U.S. would suffer defeat and damage its regional prestige if it decides to use military force to stop the country's nuclear program.

The 'Tide of War' Is Not Receding

On January 29, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta was interviewed on CBS news. When asked about the situation with Iran, Secretary Panetta responded: "[I]f they [Iran] decided to [build a nuclear device], it would probably take them about a year … [and] …if they proceed and [if] we get intelligence…then…there are no options that are off the table" for the US commitment to stop Iran from building a nuclear arsenal.

Sounds good, except for all the "ifs:" "if they produce" and "if we get intelligence" and "if they decide to do it"

Panetta's "ifs" create the impression that there may in fact be no threat from Iran, that Iran may not be pursuing nuclear capacity, that there is as yet no actionable intelligence about Iranian WMDs, and that maybe Iran has not decided to pursue a nuclear option.

To Bomb or Not to Bomb Iran

Itchy trigger fingers can cause wars. A pre-emptive conventional weapons bombing strike against Iran's known nuclear facilities could do more harm than good….or at least so say some.[i]

And indeed there is the real and frightening possibility that an Israeli or American attack might unite Iran's disaffected anti-Mullah 30-somethings into a furious show of patriotism and thus lock in the current mullah-cracy (aka the Islamic Republic of Iran) for another generation. Such an attack might also have a similar effect on the current Syrian regime; radicalize the Muslim world against the West; ignite Hezbollah on the Lebanese border; re-invigorate a flagging Hamas; endanger US troops in Iraq; spark revenge terror attacks; propel oil prices skyward; trigger a regional war; prompt Iran's closure of the Straits of Hormuz; and cause stock markets world-wide to plummet. And then again, it might not.

Who Are the 'Syrian People'?

Speaking at the UN Security Council last week Secretary of State Hillary Clinton declared, "It is time for the international community to put aside our own differences and send a clear message of support to the people of Syria." And the day after the Security Council vote with Russia and China vetoing the resolution to adopt the Arab League plan, a frustrated Mrs. Clinton repeated her call to "support the Syrian people's right to have a better future."

The Syrian Powder Keg: Building toward an End-Times Climax

The slaughter continues. Over the weekend, Syria's army unleashed a massacre on Homs, killing 350 and wounding 1,300.

Nearly a year ago, protestors began to call for change in Syria. President Bashar al-Assad responded by sending his forces to put down these protests by shooting into crowds and by imprisoning and torturing survivors. However, his tactics effectively poured gasoline on the fire, as protests massively grew across the nation. But Assad continued his gruesome tactic, which then spawned an epidemic of desertions from his military, providing the opposition movement armed soldiers. Thus, a civil war is now waging across Syria, and Assad is desperately seeking to hang onto power—and onto life itself.

Assad's troubles are heaping up. For example, last week, Syrian opposition leader Colonel Riyad al-As'ad declared that half of Syria is no longer under Assad's control. In addition, there is mounting pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down from Arab leaders. Furthermore, Syrian army defections are rising sharply.

50 Reasons Why we are living in the end times – Part 2

4) The Signs of World Politics

"You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars... for nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom..." (Matthew 24:6-7)

I taught international politics for 20 years before I entered the ministry full time, so this is an area that is particularly fascinating to me.

The Bible prophesies a very specific end time configuration of world politics. Israel is pictured as being re-established (Ezekiel 37:21-22) and surrounded by hostile Arab neighbors intent on its destruction (Ezekiel 35:1 - 36:7). This, of course has been the situation in the Middle East since the Israeli Declaration of Independence in May of 1948.

Fulfilled: Rumours of War Rising

In recent publications we reviewed the Bible prophecies relating to earthquakes. We concluded that a rise in the frequency of earthquakes yet lies ahead for the world; moreover, that there are two distinct groups of earthquakes that are yet to occur. Firstly, there is the heightened earthquake activity that unfolds in the first half of the Tribulation period. These quakes are the ones mentioned by Christ in the Olivet Discourse. (“Earthquakes in divers places,” Matthew 24:7, KJV). Secondly, there are five earthquake occurrences mentioned in the Book of Revelation, all of which follow the 5^th seal, therefore falling into the Great Tribulation period (namely, the latter 42 months of the 7-year Tribulation).

The Olivet prophecies mention other end time phenomena occurring besides earthquakes. When the disciples asked Christ, “When shall these things be?” He said the following: