Iran at Brink of Having Nukes; Russia Warns Israel Not to Attack

Hiroshima After the Atomic Bomb Was Detonated

Iran might soon have its own nuclear-bomb:

November 7, 2011

Iran on brink of nuclear capability, report says

(Washington Post) This story was written by Joby Warrick.Intelligence provided to U.N. nuclear officials shows that Iran’s government has mastered the critical steps needed to build a nuclear weapon, receiving assistance from foreign scientists to overcome key technical hurdles, according to Western diplomats and nuclear experts briefed on the findings. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-502223_162-57319469/iran-on-brink-of-nuclear-capability-report-says/

As regular readers of the COGwriter news page are aware, that is not a surprise (see for example the September 26, 2011 post Nuclear Iran in 2012? If So, Saudis May Want Pakistani Nuclear Support).

Russia, who tends to ally with Iran and function as a trading and other partner it, sent out a warning to Israel not to attack Iran:

Russia warns against Israeli air strike on Iran

Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavov has warned that a military strike on Iran would be a “very serious mistake” with “unpredictable consequences”, after Israel’s president Shimon Peres said that an attack was increasingly likely.

By Alex Spillius

1:10PM GMT 07 Nov 2011 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/8874073/Russia-warns-against-Israeli-air-strike-on-Iran.html

Russia: Israeli threat of strikes on Iran ‘a mistake’ BBC News

Israel owns 300 nuclear missiles, Russia warns Israeli-Iranian war International Middle East Media Center

Of course, if Israel feels that it has no choice, it will ignore the Russian warning. And while some Protestants seem to feel that Russia and Iran will possibly take over Israel soon, let me state that they are misunderstanding certain prophecies that are in the Old Testament.

The situation in the Middle East is tense. Iran wants to project enough military power (including nuclear weapons) to persuade the rest of the Islamic world that they should support Iran in its goals.

And what are those goals?

Well, according to a video released in Iran earlier this year (which I watched) it wants to take over Jerusalem, and prepare the way for an Islamic leader, known as the Imam Mahdi to rise up (this is the subject of a March 28, 2011 post, see Iran’s Ahmadinejad to Conquer Jerusalem?). Amongst others leaders, this video has clips of Iran’s President Ahmadinejad as part of it and suggests that he is fulfilling certain aspects of Islamic prophecy. I also saw Ahmadinejad on television a few years ago explaining that the goal of the Iranian revolution was to prepare the way for the arrival of the Imam Mahdi.

The final pan-national Islamic leader, whether Shi’ite or Sunni Muslim (Iran wants a Shi’ite, but I suspect it is more likely to be a Sunni), seems to be the one that the Bible considers to be the final King of the South (Daniel 11:40)–but that will not end well (Daniel 11:40-43).

With the unrest in Syria, the Arab Spring, and Palestinian statehood being looked at, it may not be a coincidence that Iran wants to have atomic bombs by 2012, as attacking Israel would fulfill some of its stated goals.

Since Iran, however, is NOT really south of Jerusalem, we in the Living Church of God do not believe that it will be the final King of the South of Bible prophecy (cf. Daniel 11:4-43). Because of that, I have tended to believe that Iran may somehow get “neutralized” before this final king rises up. And it may be that provoking some type of conflict with Israel (through an attack or through simply possessing nuclear bombs) may result in Israel hitting Iran hard enough militarily to greatly reduce Iran’s influence in the Islamic world. It also may take a regional war for the seven-year deal in Daniel 9:27 to come about.

Something like this would, thus, allow the other Islamic states (like Saudi Arabia and Egypt) to continue to exist and allow for the rising of the prophesied leader (revolution in Iran, is also another possibility).

We will watch and see (Mark 13:37).

Some articles (and books) of possibly related interest may include:

Is There A Future King of the South? Some no longer believe there needs to be. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? What does the Bible say?
The Arab World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy The Bible discusses the origins of the Arab world and discusses the Middle East in prophecy. What is ahead for the Middle East and those who follow Islam?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2011, 2012, or 2013? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What is the seven-year deal? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000?
Russia: Its Origins and Prophesied Future Russia in prophecy. Where do the Russians come from? What about those in the Ukraine? What is prophesied for Russia and its allies? What will they do to the Europeans that supported the Beast in the end?
Is Russia the King of the North? Some claim it is. But what does the Bible teach?
End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something? Are there Mayan calendar predictions for change in 2012? Changes were centuries ago predicted by the Hopi Native Americans. Do Mayan/Hindu/Hopi/Buddhist/New Age/Nostradamus prophecies have any value here? Why might Satan have inspired this date? Does the Dresden codex show destruction of the earth by flood? Can the great tribulation start before 2012? How might Barack Obama be involved in 2012?
2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect This is a link related to a book by Bob Thiel (COGwriter). This link also has YouTube videos. This book documents and explains hundreds of prophecies. And since it was published, world events have aligned with at least 17 predictions in the book and many more will to come to pass.