New Moon 1/6/29/120
This New Moon we are seeing some interesting events. Iranian President Ahmadenijad stated that he would give his answer to the US regarding the nuclear question on Tuesday 22 August 2006.
The Wall St. Journal published an article on 8 August 2006 written by a political scientist Mr. Bernard Lewis that refers to the statement by the Iranian President and canvassed the options and significance of the statement and the date. (http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110008768)
Mr. Lewis pointed out that in the past, over the Cold War period, the two superpowers did not use the weapons because of a concept known as MAD, which stands for Mutually Assured Destruction. They were assured that neither side would win such an exchange. Despite the posturing of India and Pakistan, they are also no doubt constrained by some rational basis for their actions.
Iran is determined to obtain nuclear weapons and Israel already has some 300 nuclear weapons. Iran and the Middle East are determined on the total annihilation of Israel.
Under the Ayatollah Khomeini, the US and Israel were referred to as the “Great Satan” and the “Little Satan”. Khomeini advocated the view that they would triumph as Islam or die.
Mr. Lewis pointed out the views advanced to the school children under Khomeini. He quotes the Ayatollah as follows:
“A passage from the Ayatollah Khomeini, quoted in an 11th-grade Iranian schoolbook, is revealing. ‘I am decisively announcing to the whole world that if the world-devourers [i.e., the infidel powers] wish to stand against our religion, we will stand against their whole world and will not cease until the annihilation of all them. Either we all become free, or we will go to the greater freedom which is martyrdom. Either we shake one another's hands in joy at the victory of Islam in the world, or all of us will turn to eternal life and martyrdom. In both cases, victory and success are ours.’
Thus the fanatical Hadithic Muslims see only two possibilities. There is either a total Islamic victory and the annihilation of anyone who opposes them, or there is martyrdom. They have adopted the Gnostic world-view of heaven and hell and ignored Scripture. Against this mindset peaceful coexistence is impossible.
Terrorism and suicide have not been a theological problem in Islam up until recent times. It is a new development by a religious elite that has deliberately misrepresented the Koran to a frustrated and alienated youth. It is now seen as a legitimate weapon of Islam, and the poor sorry dupes who swallow it destroy themselves and the lives of their families and the families of those they attack. They also damage the families of the innocent Muslim bystanders in the shops and trains and public places they attack. Palestine is 50% Muslim and they will also be killed in any such attack along with their Jewish brothers. The Palestinians and the Jews are genetically similar people.
However, the Islamic bogey-man is also played for all its worth by the Trinitarian Christians. These articles seem to be aimed at fostering this antagonism. Satan cannot have a decent war unless there is irrational hatred.
Why was 22 August significant? The modern Islamic Calendar is out of sync with the original, as we have pointed out in the paper Hebrew and Islamic Calendar Reconciled (No. 53). This year the 27th Day of Rajab fell on 22 August.
The Hadith has corrupted a text in the Koran in Surah XVII:1 where the prophet claimed that he had a vision where he was taken by night from the “Inviolable Place of Worship” (interpreted as Mecca) to the “Far Distant Place of Worship” (interpreted as the Temple Mount at Jerusalem). This vision was for the purpose of revealing the place of the Children of Israel in Scripture. The Hadithic traditions claim that this was on the winged horse “Buraq” and from there the prophet was taken into heaven and back. The original understanding was as portrayed in Pickthall’s translation in the introduction to the Surah, where it was understood he had been transported on a heavenly steed through the seven heavens to the very presence of God in vision, in much the same way Paul and John wrote in the NT.
Much nonsense is spoken of regarding 27 Rajab. Some US commentators even claim that on this date the prophet ascended from the Al Aksa mosque into heaven, which is impossible.
Some, such as Lt. Col. Gordon Cucullu (The Missiles of 27 Rajab Front page
Magazine July 28 2006) stated:
If as the president of the Reform Party in Syria, Farid Ghadry claims, “Ahmadinejad
is planning an illumination of the night sky over Jerusalem to rival the one
that greeted the Prophet of Islam on his journey,” then it is difficult to imagine
anything other than a full-scale Iranian nuclear attack. As Spencer continues,
“a nuclear attack on Jerusalem or even an all-out conventional assault against
Israel by Iran would be consistent with Ahmadinejad’s oft-repeated denials of
Israel’s right to exist and recent predictions that its demise was at hand.”
These observations are the latest from a growing list of ominous portents from
Iranian and Syrian leaders too horrific to ignore.
But would any sane organisation or nation make such a silly exchange?
At the very least, President Ahmadenijad wanted to use the symbolism to confront Israel and the US on this date, which he considers a symbolic event. The fact was that he wished to use it to delay and buy time. In the end, as we expected, they gave a double answer. The president said “no”, but that he would negotiate. The Ayatollahs meanwhile said they would go on with the program. So they continue to buy time in order to continue with the enrichment program for as long as possible.
The Islamic rulers of Iran have an apocalyptic world-view of the events occurring now, which both they and Christianity regard as the end of this age.
What makes them both extremely dangerous is that they both advocate the apocalypse and regard the earth as transitory and ending soon. Both hold Gnostic views of heaven and hell and see their enemies in hell and their allies in heaven, provided they are orthodox; in other words unless they accord with their theological world-views. None of that theology involves their descendants staying around for another thousand years on the planet they have tried to destroy. That is neither Christian nor Muslim. It is basic and blatant Gnosticism. Justin Martyr (ca 154 CE) said basically this: When you come across people that say they are Christian and that when they die they go to heaven do not believe them they are not Christians. The same holds true for Islam, and nothing has changed. The Koran, and the Bible on which it is based, both teach the Resurrection of the Dead and do not teach heaven and hell.
The fact that such people are armed with nuclear weapons makes them extremely dangerous and dismissive of basic human rights, as we have seen in Iraq and now in the West.
The events in Africa have also been horrendous. The basic nature of Human Rights is disregarded more and more by all sides in these conflicts. The use of tyranny walks hand in hand with terrorism. The US Supreme Court has censured the administration twice now over its illegal detention and procedures, and it is still in violation of Common Law and human rights with its Cuban detention facility. The next process may take another two years to resolve, making some seven years unlawful detention without legal trial.
That is not the way of justice and mercy.
What alternatives are available to the Middle East mindset? Pravda has just issued the Russian view that they hope they will maintain neutrality in what they see as a “crazy” situation. They believe that the US and Israel are deliberately waiting before giving answers to the issues of involvement, until Iran is involved in the process. Lebanon is sending in troops to the South to effectively disarm Hezbollah. The US and Israel will use the Iranian and Syrian involvement as an excuse to attack Iran and Syria. They state that very soon such participants as Turkey will get dragged into the “funnel of war.” They then see the real fighting will come down to the fighting for oil facilities. Pravda says that the eventual possession by one of the conflicting sides will provoke harsh reaction from Europe and Asia, and “Russia is also very likely to get involved as an active participant. In the end this might become the ultimate Fifth Act, which no one wants to believe”. In other words World War III.
The Russians see the process in Five Acts.
1. The elimination of Hezbollah as an excuse for the reduction of Lebanon and
the inciting of Syria and Iran.
2. The acquiring by Israel and the US of an official right to retaliate against
Iran.
3. The attack by Israel on Iranian nuclear sites with US naval support in the
gulf.
4. The escalation to Turkey and the involvement of other Middle East powers
and the anti-government involvement of Afghan and Iraqi insurgents with the
conflict devolving on oil resources.
5. World War III
Russian experts, such as Alexander Vladimirov, say that this war is utterly futile and because it is lacking in logic it is all the more dangerous.
Pravda’s view is that it is Israel’s policy to divide Iraq into three states and control the area with the ultimate goal of post-war expansion (http://english.pravda.ru/mailbox/22/98/387/9770_moslem.html).
How would Iran develop a pre-emptive position?
It could position itself for an attack on Israel. This would have the effect of throwing the conflict into immediate escalation. Israel will probably retaliate with nuclear weapons and thus be charged with war crimes by the UN. Thus the first strike would also probably be nuclear to ensure massive first strike advantage.
Does Iran have nuclear weapons? It is very likely they have them as they began research 15 years ago and they have received assistance from North Korea. Some of the (97) missing satchel nukes may also have found their way to Iran.
A very serious concern is that nuclear weapons can be delivered via terrorists to a series of cities by sea as well as by road. A nuclear weapon can be sailed into New York or Sydney or London with relative ease. A rocket aimed at Tel Aviv from Iran may well land in the sea, causing massive damage to the Mediterranean and tidal wave damage to other centres.
The nation delivering a terrorist bomb would be difficult to identify with certainty. A dirty bomb in the Mediterranean would contaminate the sea and destroy Tel Aviv as well as other centres.
The objection that such action would also destroy the Palestinians is irrelevant. Extremist terrorists have already demonstrated an indifference to their plight and the plight of other Muslim sects. Shi’a expects the Hidden Imam. They expect the wars of the end. Christianity expects the return of the Messiah and Trinitarians see heaven as the reward as does Shi’a Islam, and as do the Sunnis in their actions.
All these actions are designed to bring about the captivity and the removal
of Human Freedoms of the Last Days.
It has to be insane to succeed. Satan has to do this to achieve the end. Even
prophetic interpretation is directed as identifying a Muslim leader in the Middle
East as the Third Antichrist. Rome has a hand in this process with the new release
of the explanations of Nostradmus’ prophecies, by a letter from his son lodged
in the archives.
One should ask the question: How would a sane enemy set out to attack and discomfort
Israel and the US?
What would their reactions be? How can they minimise or benefit from those reactions?
The real way of attacking Israel and the US is by terrorists as has been the case in the recent past. Iran can rely on Russia and China for support in the UN, as the control of the oil resources is the primary concern of all the parties.
The Syrians predicted that a significant demonstration would occur. The aim seemed to be to provoke Israel and the US into war crimes. The most intelligent way of attacking Israel and provoking actions, bringing UN condemnation, is by proxy using Hezbollah or other sources, including the Palestinians. The use of weapons carried or shipped into Israel is the most untraceable way of achieving this objective.
In past wars the insurgent elements used a significant day to launch coordinated attacks from various sources. Such an example was the Tet offensive in Vietnam. When the rising occurs we can expect coordinated uprisings and attacks in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Palestine/Gaza and other border areas of Israel. The coordination of terrorist attacks on Britain and the US cities would increase the pressure. The airplane bomb alerts exposed by Britain were probably planned as a part of that offensive.
If Iran is not actually proposing such a course of action, we should be very aware that in order to bring in the totalitarian systems of the Beast power such attacks need to be staged over a series of nations to argue for the controls to be implemented.
There is certainly a move to demonise Islam and to argue that the Third Antichrist is to be a Middle Eastern figure. The sudden release from the Vatican archives of Nostradamus’ secret codes in relation to this matter after all these centuries is all too convenient for words. The blue turban of Nostradamus’ Third Antichrist might well be just a UN beret. The religious conflict will be continued now to the virtual extinction of a number of nations. God is on the side of none of them (see also the paper Commentary on Zechariah (No. 297)).
The major move in all this is not Iran’s posturing with Israel, but rather a very serious alliance of Totalitarian systems called by various names. The Shanghai Committee on Resources is one of the names. That group is formed of Russia, China, Iran and the states of the Russian Steppes, Khazakstan, Uzbekhistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and probably Tajikistan. India and Pakistan will no doubt enter. They are totalitarian regimes and that alliance over resources will confront the West. These will become the founding block of the Kings of the East of Bible Prophecy. India is the only functioning democracy in the group but may have to function with the resources’ committee to maintain its status.
The problem that is not being faced is that the Bible has some very specific things to say about these actions and the things that happen regarding them. Zechariah and Ezekiel are clear on the nations and the problems involved.
The US and the British Commonwealth are spread too thin on the ground and fighting declared and covert actions in many nations. They are being weakened economically and militarily.
If the Middle East Nations engage in an open military campaign, then the activities will mobilise the Middle East on a large scale and draw in the other interested parties. As the Russians said: Europe and Russia and Asia will all take part in the action. They will not allow the oil resources to fall into the hands of either party.
No matter what action is taken, the matter will bumble on, as did World War I, until nation after nation is drawn into the catastrophe. NATO is in Afghanistan now and the alliance is in Iraq. NATO will have to confront the Middle East in the final push.
A major factor is that the radicalisation of Muslim youth in Western countries is occurring on a regular basis by bigoted stupid statements and acts of Christian groups and leaders. France is now faced with the fact that its urban poor in Paris may well see the city burn while it is being attacked from without, and it will be powerless to stop it.
Chemical and biological terrorism is as big a threat as bombs, no matter how large.
Russia might well get involved as the Bible indicates. It may in fact fight on both sides, one after the other, due to the forced changes within its own internal politics and collapse. A number of non-biblical prophecies have stated this over past years. The news from the East and North will force the European powers to go into the NE, i.e. into Central Russia, and destroy many.
What is becoming evident is that the world is becoming inherently unstable in all nations and the rule of law is being abandoned.
Basic Human Rights are being ignored by even the most democratic of nations. Intolerance and stupidity is rampant. People think nothing of lying about others in order to damage them, and will even kill people when they have the chance.
The way of peace they know not.
The solution is to teach all three religions the truth of the common ground of the Bible and the Koran, and provide a common theological forum for discussion and agreement. Most of the objection to this idea comes from the hate-filled bigots and the demons that use religion to disrupt the affairs of men and weaken the nations. Gnostic antinomian Trinitarians are just as heretical as Gnostic heaven seeking pseudo Muslims and Talmudic Jews.
Survival might give them the incentive to try.
Wade Cox
Coordinator General
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