The Strait of Hormuz is a small exit at the base of the Persian Gulf. It is one of the most congested waterways in the world, since through it flows 35% of the world’s oil in tankers from countries like Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Kuwait. What is making this strait even more congested is all the naval vessels that are congregated there for the largest naval exercise ever in the history of modern warfare. Included in this force are three Nimitz class carrier groups from the United States, four British minesweepers and the HMS Diamond, one of the most powerful destroyers in the entire British Navy. In addition to these ships there are 12 U.S. battleships cruisers, frigates, destroyers, and assault ships. These vessels are joined by additional ships from France and the UAE.
Why are all these ships in this region? It is because they are conducting training for what they fully expect to be a war in the gulf region. The war will involve Iran and the reason behind it is a dispute over whether they are seeking to build a nuclear weapon. Iran claims that their nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only, but Britain’s MI-6 disagrees. Their latest intelligence says that Iran could have operational nuclear weapons as soon as early to mid-2013. This has brought about a situation that Israel says cannot exist. That is why Prime Minister Netanyahu has made it clear that if necessary, Israel will go it alone in an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Why has Israel taken such a hard stance? It is because of the way that leaders in Iran have spoken about such things. Iranian President Ahmadinejad has stated many times publically that Iran intends to destroy Israel – and leaders in Israel do not want to give him enough leeway to accomplish this threat by using a nuclear weapon. But what would be the result of such an intervention by Israel?
Iran is having an annual test of its own involving all their air defenses. The largest exercise of Iran’s history is coming, according to Brigadier General Farzad Esmaili. This test will involve surface-to-air missiles, unmanned drones and state-of-the-art radar, The Iranian Revolutionary Guard and air force will work together to test their own defenses. These defenses seek to protect over 3,500 sensitive locations throughout the Iran. Among these sites are their oil refineries and uranium enrichment facilities. The Iranian military is seeking to “identify vulnerabilities” as well as practice their tactics, both old and new. But defense is not their only goal. The Iranians have also practiced offensive attacks using mini subs, fast attack boats, mining vessels, and land-based anti-ship missiles from a number of batteries along the gulf. It is predicted that before being destroyed, these ships can cause a great deal of carnage among both military and civilian shipping.
Iran has promised an asymmetrical response that will not only strike in the Strait of Hormuz, but also in Israel and in the United States. Iran fully expects cooperation from terrorist groups in Syria and Lebanon who have thousands of missiles that promise to rain down upon Israel. Those in charge of Israel’s missile defense expect between 400-500 deaths in the initial strikes with more coming later if they are unable to destroy all the missile batteries quickly. The Iranian secret service, named Quds, also is believed to have numerous operatives in the United States waiting to strike with multiple terrorist attacks if Israel strikes Iran.
Some have stated that such an attack will not happen before the United States elections – but with things heating up in the region – there is no guarantee that the attack won’t happen very soon. With both these war games and the continued escalated rhetoric from both Iran and Israel, it wouldn’t be wise to hold your breath.
So how does all this relate to biblical prophecy? First of all, there is no mention of a massive war between Israel and Iran in the Bible. The major prophecy that may come into play is that of a Gog-Magog battle that is prophesied in Ezekiel 37-38. The major players in that event are Israel and a Russian/Islamic Army that comes like a hoard from the north into Israel. I am one who believes that this event will happen just prior to the 7 year Great Tribulation in Revelation. I also personally believe that this also may be an event that happens in connection with the rapture of the church. Since there is a mutual protective alliance between Iran and Russia, this could very well help start a massive response from Russia – joined by the Islamic nations in the Middle East – who would come to punish Israel for their attack on Iran. Such an alliance would be massive and highly motivated since there is a mutual hatred of Israel among all of them.
After reading this you might wonder, “What does this have to do with me?” It has much to do with you and me. First of all, there will be a series of things we will have to deal with as Christians. First, the reality that gas prices will likely shoot up to over as much as 8-10 dollars a gallon. This will cripple the economy – not just of the United States – but the entire world. Second, we will have to decide if we will stand with Israel or not. This event, if it happens, will result in calls worldwide to punish Israel. Therefore it will cost us something to stand with Israel. This will be a personal choice – because I fully expect our national leaders, who have decided upon a path far more allied with Islam, than with Israel, to turn on Israel and join with the rest of the UN in calling for punishment of Israel for their pre-emptive strike. Just remember that God promises to bless those who bless Israel – and curse those who curse her.
Another question that may arise is this, “What can I do about this?” Well, actually, you can do nothing about this. If God intends to use these events to usher in the events that accompany the second coming of Jesus – you can do nothing to thwart what He allows. But the question you should ask should not be what you can do about all this, but rather what you should be doing in light of it. Let’s answer that one instead.
Two things are true if these events are close at hand. First, you do not have “all the time in the world” to share Christ with those around you. It may be a matter of months, weeks, or honestly – even days. Take advantage of every opportunity to share Jesus with those you know who need Him and the salvation He has purchased with His own blood. Now is not the time to become complacent and lazy. Now is the time to redouble our efforts to share Christ with others. The second thing that is very important is to be people of the Word of God. Dear saints – check your doctrine and make sure that you are spiritually ready for what is coming. Scripture tells us that these days are going to be ones where great deception will be loosed upon all mankind. Many will fall for the lies of the evil one – and of the culture and media that does his bidding daily. Are you ready to stand on God’s Word in the midst of a flood of deceptive rhetoric that is about to be unleashed on you? If you haven’t noticed, that flood is rising even now as what were once basic biblical beliefs are being denigrated hourly on network and cable television. It will take strength – and a love of the Word – to be able to stand. Are you ready?
We live in the midst of amazing times. The world seems to be aflame with strange doctrines – and religious movements willing to riot and rampage in the streets. The financial world is reeling under the weight of debt that is out of control as socialist government’s promise more and more – but are quickly seeing that they cannot deliver on their promises indefinitely. Nation is warring against nation – and the saber-rattling that often precedes world wars is rampant in the political realms. It is time for us to draw near to God so that our hearts will not be weighed down with sin – but liberated to stand fast on His Word and on the gospel of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.