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The Hill: Is Iran unlocking the gates to Armageddon? COGwriter: Or the involvement of Europe in the deal of Daniel 9:27?


COGwriter

The above tweet suggests that Iran wants to present a view that its nuclear program is peaceful, yet many do not agree.

The Hill posted the following by Mark Toth:

Is Iran unlocking the gates to Armageddon?

May 25, 2023

Nearly a year ago, I warned in these pages that Israel and Iran were rapidly reaching an inflection point over Tehran’s intent to weaponize its nuclear program. In June 2022, Iran was reported to already have amassed 95 pounds of highly enriched uranium to a 60 percent level — well beyond the amount of mass needed for an atomic weapon, yet still short of the 90 percent enrichment required for an Armageddon-like detonation.

Now, according to a February 2023 official International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report to the United Nations Security Council, Iran has portentously amassed a stockpile of 193 pounds of U-235 enriched to 60 percent, or enough mass to produce three full-scale atomic weapons. It has also, alarmingly, demonstrated a menacing capacity to enrich U-235 particles to 83.7 percent. Equally disconcerting was “two cascades of IR-6 centrifuges at Iran’s Fordo facility” were “configured” to facilitate reaching a weaponized grade of 90 percent.

Iran clearly knows now how to unlock the doors to a nuclear Armageddon. There is a growing sense in Israel that Jerusalem is quickly running out of time to prevent Iran from becoming a regional nuclear power. …

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has repeatedly tried to revive the Obama administration’s Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action of October 2015,  …

If Iran has unlocked the gates to Armageddon, then diplomacy, no matter how hard Sullivan may push for it, is rapidly running out of time, if not on empty. Stronger, decisive military measures are increasingly becoming the only viable option. Already, Israel appears to be in the beginning stages of prepping for an attack on Iran. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his cabinet has launched a series of air strikes on Iranian backed militia and forces, including Islamic Jihad in Gaza, a Hamas faction in Lebanon, and Iranian military advisors in Syria.

Is this a prelude to something? Quite possibly. If and when Jerusalem acts militarily against Tehran to stop its nuclear ambitions, it will likely involve four different fronts, as Iranian-backed groups in Syria, Lebanon, and Gaza would immediately launch reprisal missile and rocket attacks on Israel. For now, however, only one thing is certain. Tehran has inserted the nuclear key into the gate lock of Armageddon and is beginning to twist it open. https://thehill.com/opinion/national-security/4018271-is-iran-unlocking-the-gates-to-armageddon/

Yes, what is happening is a prelude to something.

But, no, not really Armageddon (though that would follow 7 years after the countdown related to Daniel 9:27 begins). Here is what it looks like we are close to:

1 The burden against the Valley of Vision.

What ails you now, that you have all gone up to the housetops, 2 You who are full of noise, A tumultuous city, a joyous city? Your slain men are not slain with the sword, Nor dead in battle. 3 All your rulers have fled together; They are captured by the archers. All who are found in you are bound together; They have fled from afar. 4 Therefore I said, “Look away from me, I will weep bitterly; Do not labor to comfort me Because of the plundering of the daughter of my people.”

5 For it is a day of trouble and treading down and perplexity By the Lord God of hosts In the Valley of Vision — Breaking down the walls And of crying to the mountain. 6 Elam bore the quiver With chariots of men and horsemen, And Kir uncovered the shield. 7 It shall come to pass that your choicest valleys Shall be full of chariots, And the horsemen shall set themselves in array at the gate.

8 He removed the protection of Judah. You looked in that day to the armor of the House of the Forest; 9 You also saw the damage to the city of David, That it was great; And you gathered together the waters of the lower pool. 10 You numbered the houses of Jerusalem, And the houses you broke down To fortify the wall. 11 You also made a reservoir between the two walls For the water of the old pool. But you did not look to its Maker, Nor did you have respect for Him who fashioned it long ago.

12 And in that day the Lord God of hosts Called for weeping and for mourning, For baldness and for girding with sackcloth. 13 But instead, joy and gladness, Slaying oxen and killing sheep, Eating meat and drinking wine: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”

14 Then it was revealed in my hearing by the Lord of hosts,”Surely for this iniquity there will be no atonement for you, Even to your death,” says the Lord God of hosts. (Isaiah 22:1-14 NKJV)

Elam is a reference to at least some in Iran. The old Worldwide Church of God published the following:

Iranians comprise nearly 70 percent of the country. Iranians, though Islamic, are totally distinct from the neighboring Arab peoples of the Middle East. They are a mixed people of the remnants of Media and Elam and other ancestors of Semitic and Hamitic stock. (Stump K. South Asia in Prophecy. Plain Truth, July/August 1986, p. 5)

As far as Kir goes, the Bible tells that after Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria took over Damascus, he moved Syrians to Kir (2 Kings 16:9-10). God’s word has the expression “the Syrians from Kir” (Amos 9:7), which is basically confirmation that Kir of Isaiah 22 would include Syrians. The Bible also tells of a time when Kir will be destroyed (Isaiah 15:1b) and also says that Syria’s capital Damascus will be destroyed (Isaiah 17:1).While this does not mean that Kir must (or must only) be a reference to Syria, the fact that Syria is an ally of Iran is interesting.

In Isaiah 22: 8, “Judah” is a reference to those in the land commonly called Israel–God will allow Israel to be attacked! In Isaiah 22:9, consider that “the damage to the city of David” is a reference to at least part of Jerusalem–and notice that the damage will be great. This, in turn, would be expected to result in a massive Israeli, possibly with US involvement, attack against Iran and its allies, like Syria.

The fulfillment of Isaiah 22:6-8 could lead to the prophesied peace deal of Daniel 9:26-27 and the countdown to the start of the Great Tribulation.

Peace deals normally do not come until after military conflict. There looks to be so much destruction in Isaiah 22 that a “peace deal” would come out of it–but the deal is only temporary:

26 And the people of the prince who is to come
Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.
The end of it shall be with a flood,
And till the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week;
But in the middle of the week
He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.
And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate,
Even until the consummation, which is determined,
Is poured out on the desolate (Daniel 9:26-27).

The above is referring to a deal or covenant that has a time element attached to it. In a sense, this numbered deal could be considered an end time countdown–which about seven years later would have the scriptures in Revelation about Armageddon being fulfilled.

The ‘one week’ time element in Daniel 9:27 has generally been understood by prophecy watchers to mean a seven year deal (2520 days, based on prophetic 360 day years), that will be broken in the middle of it (after 3 1/2 years). The Hebrew word translated as “week” literally means “sevened” (OT:7620 literal, sevened. Biblesoft’s New Exhaustive Strong’s Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.).

The ‘with many’ referred to in this passage would seem to indicate that ‘many’ nations, as opposed to one or two, are agreeing to something. More than just Iran, Syria, and Israel, nations such as Jordan and Egypt are likely to be involved as they both have signed peace agreements with Israel in the past.

Notice that the prince is the one who later brings an end to the sacrifices and is involved with the abomination of desolation.

While Daniel 9:26 calls this leader a “prince,” he is later is referred to as the king of a developing European empire (Daniel 11:40; see also King of the North and Europa, the Beast, and the Book of Revelation). Daniel 9:26-27 tie directly in with Daniel 11:

31 And forces shall be mustered by him, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress; then they shall take away the daily sacrifices, and place there the abomination of desolation. (Daniel 11:31)

The prince who confirmed the deal is the King of the North (cf. Daniel 11:40) when he musters forces, stops sacrifices, and puts in the abomination of desolation. Note, according to Ezra 3:6, as well as statements made to me personally by representatives of the re-constituted Sanhedrin and the Temple Institute in Jerusalem, the Jews do NOT need a massive temple to resume sacrifices–only an altar, which they have, and government permission, which they will one day receive.

One way to show this is a European empire to realize that it was the people of the Roman Empire of the 1st century that fulfilled the portion of Daniel 9:26 as they destroyed the city (Jerusalem) in 70 A.D. Jewish sources, while not understanding all of this, also agree that it was Roman sources that destroyed the city and sanctuary as the following demonstrates:

“The people of the prince will come and destroy the city and the Sanctuary” Daniel 9:26, refers to the Roman legions of Vespasian and Titus, who destroyed Jerusalem. (Daniel 9 – A True Biblical Interpretation. Jews for Judaism. https://jewsforjudaism.org/knowledge/articles/answers/jewish-polemics/texts/daniel-9-a-true-biblical-interpretation/ accessed 07/30/16)

In the 21st century, the European Union includes much of the land and peoples that were part of the ancient Roman Empire. And it is the “prince” coming from that people that verse 27 of Daniel 9 is referring to. Thus, this prophecy tells us that a lower level European leader will somewhat officially start to rise up about 3 1/2 years before the great tribulation (and yes, according to Jesus, some “tribulation” does happen prior to the start of the Great Tribulation). Another is the fact that the “beast of the sea” of Revelation 13:1 fits with the beasts from the “great sea” of Daniel 7:2–and that sea is the Mediterranean Sea according to the Old Testament. Hence a power in Europe the only region that could have an empire geographically like the old Roman one (for more details, please see Europa, the Beast, and the Book of Revelation). This is not an Arab empire, like some incorrectly claim (see also Can the Final Antichrist be Islamic?).

Notice also the following about the end time Beast leader:

11 He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down. 12 Because of transgression, an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast truth down to the ground. He did all this and prospered. (Daniel 8:11-12)

Consider that it is a ‘prince’ who takes away the daily sacrifices in Daniel 9:27, and that he is also called the King of the North (Daniel 11:40) who stops the sacrifices in Daniel 11:31. This is a European leader (watch also the video titled: Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?).

Daniel 9:27 seems to be discussing some type of peace deal that the Europeans will either propose or at least one leader from Europe will endorse. Since the Vatican will be even more confederate with Europe then, the Vatican will likely bless, confirm, and/or push for the deal.

Before going further, let me add that some Protestants and some Church of God groups do not understand the proper identity of the “prince” in Daniel 9:26 and/or the “he” in verse 27. Here is something from the United Church of God:

Who Is the “He” of Verse 27?

Now let’s look a little closer at Daniel 9:27, specifically to examine the “he” who confirms the covenant. The same “he” is also described in this verse as bringing an end to sacrifice and offering. Some commentators state that the antecedent is the prince in the phrase “people of the prince who is to come” in verse 26. This prince could not be Jesus Christ, since the prince’s people destroy the city and the sanctuary. Can the “he” of verse 27 refer to a worldly prince making a seven-year treaty with the Israelis, then breaking the treaty after 3 1/2 years by cutting off the sacrifices? Grammatically, it is difficult to make the case that the antecedent of “he” would be the prince of verse 26. A better grammatical case can be made for Messiah of verse 26. (http://streaming.ucg.org/files/papers/ucg-paper-the-70-weeks-prophecy.pdf pp. 8-9)

Those that claim that the “prince to come” in Daniel 9:26 is Jesus or that He is the one that confirms a covenant with many for one week in Daniel 9:27, etc., will not understand what is happening related to this deal. It was the Roman Empire that destroyed the city and stopped the sacrifices in 70 A.D.

The “prince to come” is the final European King of the North. He is the one in Daniel 11:31 who fulfills bringing the end of the sacrifice and offering 3 1/2 years (the middle of a seven year prophetic week) which is consistent with Daniel 9:27. Jesus did not destroy the city nor the sanctuary, nor is there a biblical record that He confirmed a seven-year covenant.

Those who understand will see the confirmation of the deal as a type of countdown until the start of the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21-22). Yet, the biblical reality is that even most real Christians will not accept that the deal has been confirmed until it is a bit too late to flee (cf. Revelation 12:14-17). Only the Philadelphians will recognize AND be prepared to be protected from the coming hour of trial according to Jesus (Revelation 3:10).

Perhaps it should also be pointed out that for sacrifices to stop, they first may start–it may very well be that the Israeli government will allow them after the deal of Daniel 9:27 is put together and/or confirmed. Although they could start earlier, after the deal seems to be more likely–and we know that they do occur after the deal (the Bible does not state whether any begin prior to the deal).

While there have been various understandings of the above passage in Daniel 9 (and many falsely believe it requires a third temple to be built, please see Why is a Jewish Temple in Jerusalem Not Required?), notice what two commentators somewhat correctly state (bolding/italics in source):

Shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself (or, and shall have nothing, ASV): and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. It is agreed by almost all evangelical interpreters that these two events, the cutting off of the Messiah (Anointed One) and the destruction of the sanctuary refer to the crucifixion of Christ and the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans. These two events were separated by a period of nearly forty years (29-70 A.D.). Yet, in the literary order of the passage, they are both after the sixty-ninth week and before the final “one week” mentioned in the next verse. Thus the very syntax, grammar, and word-meaning indicate a gap in the succession of the seventy weeks.

Other important reasons for supposing a gap here are: (1) Jesus placed the culminating week, with its “abomination” in the times of final Antichrist, just before His second advent (Matt 24:15). (2) Dan 7:25, which describes what appear to be the very same events as those of 9:27, the seventieth week, is certainly a prophecy of the times of final Antichrist. (3) The period of three and one-half times or years (the second half-week of v. 27) is often mentioned elsewhere in Scripture and always in an eschatological setting (Rev 11:2-3; 12:6,14). (4) The six things to be accomplished in the seventy weeks (see Dan 9:24 and comments) require the second advent of Christ, and the restoration and conversion of Israel.

These considerations show that the idea of a gap in the weeks at this point is a matter of exegesis. Considerations of theology are not primarily involved. It is not this author’s opinion that the Church is a mere provisional consideration thrust into this hiatus or gap. Both ‘dispensational’ and ‘covenantal’ theologians, doubtless, find more in this prophecy than is properly there. Let us stay by what the passage says. C. F. Keil (Comm., in loco) is correct in asserting that the prince is said to be coming (habba’), because he has already been introduced and discussed in the prophecy of chapter 7 as the final Antichrist. The Romans who destroyed Jerusalem (A.D. 70) were his people because they and he belong to the fourth stage (the Roman) of world empire (chs. 2; 7)…

And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week (make a firm covenant, ASV). The language higbir from gabar, “be strong”) does not signify confirmation of a covenant but causation of a firm covenant. And he shall cause to prevail is an excellent translation. The most natural antecedent for he, the subject of the clause, is the wicked “prince” of verse 26. This is the nearest noun in grammatical agreement, and it fits the sense. The many here, as elsewhere, is a reference to the Hebrew people, the subject of discussion throughout chapter 9 (cf. vv. 2,12,18,19, esp. 24, “thy people … thy holy city”). Evidently the covenant is to be made between Antichrist and Israel when the Jews are back in their homeland in the last days. The exact nature of the covenant is unknown.

The evil and destructive events described in the remainder of this verse should be interpreted as summary information concerning the final “time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer 30:7 and context) set forth rather more fully in Dan 12:1 ff; 2 Thess 2:1 ff; Rev 13; 14; and other passages (from The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1962 by Moody Press).

The final revelation in Daniel 9:27 states, “He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven,’ but in the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to the sacrifice and offering…”…the covenant of Daniel 9:27 is not the covenant of grace…this refers to the coming world ruler at the beginning of the last seven years…He will make a covenant with Israel for a seven-year period. As Daniel 9:27 indicates, in the middle of the seven years he will break the covenant, stop the sacrifices offered…and become their persecutor instead of their protector (Walvoord JF. The Prophecy Knowledge Handbook. Victor Books/SP Publications, Wheaton (IL), 1990, pp. 256,257).

As mentioned before, a prophetic week is generally understood to refer to seven years. And half a week is 3 1/2 years (approximately 1260 days). Whether the agreement is “confirmed,” “caused to prevail,” pressed by, or initiated by him, a deal will be made that will be broken, 3 1/2 years after some point.

Notice also two other commentaries:

(26) After threescore and two weeks.–These words can only mean that in the seventieth week the Anointed one shall be cut off. Observe the care with which the seventy weeks are arranged in a series of the form 7 + 62 + 1. During the period of seven weeks Jerusalem is to be rebuilt. The “troublous times” are not to be restricted to this period, but may apply to the sixty-two weeks which follow. After the end of the sixty-nine weeks Messiah is to be cut off. By “Messiah” we must understand the same person who is spoken of in Daniel 9:25. It should also be observed that the word “prince,” which is applied to Messiah in Daniel 9:25, is here used of another person–some secular prince, who stands in opposition to the Messiah. The Greek versions render “unction” instead of “anointed,” whence Jacob of Edessa explains “the cutting off” to mean “the cessation of the unction by which judgment and sovereignty were established.” The word “to cut off,” however, applies to a person more appropriately than to a thing. It is frequently used of excommunication, e.g., Exodus 30:33; Exodus 30:38, Psalm 37:9, and must not be mistaken for the word “to cut off” (Isaiah 53:8). (Ellicotts Commnentary on the Bible)

Naturally it is connected with נגיד, not only according to the order of the words, but in reality, since in the following verse (Daniel 9:27) the people are no longer spoken of, but only the actions and proceedings of the prince are described. הבּא does not mean qui succedit (Roesch, Maurer), but is frequently used by Daniel of a hostile coming; cf. Daniel 1:1; Daniel 11:10,Daniel 11:13, Daniel 11:15. But in this sense הבּא appears to be superfluous, since it is self-evident that the prince, if he will destroy Jerusalem, must come or draw near. One also must not say that הבּא designates the prince as one who was to come (ἐρχόμενος), since from the expression “coming days,” as meaning “future days,” it does not follow that a “coming prince” is a “future prince.” The הבּא with the article: “he who comes, or will come,” denotes much rather the נגיד (which is without the article) as such an one whose coming is known, of whom Daniel has heard that he will come to destroy the people of God. But in the earlier revelations Daniel heard of two princes who shall bring destruction on his people: in Daniel 7:8, Daniel 7:24., of Antichrist; and in Daniel 8:9., 23ff., of Antiochus. To one of these the הבּא points. Which of the two is meant must be gathered from the connection, and this excludes the reference to Antiochus, and necessitates our thinking of the Antichrist. (Keil and Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary)

While they misidentify the Antichrist as the King of the North (most Protestants and Roman Catholics do), they also have concluded that the particular prince of Daniel 9:26 is NOT the Christ–and that is correct.

That said, a massive Israeli attack against Iranian nuclear facilities–which many expect–is something that could have major prophetic implications.

The Continuing Church of God (CCOG) put together the following Bible News Prophecy video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:

15:03

Iran and Israel Conflict

European Union foreign policy chief, Josep Borrel, has been brokering the nuclear negotiations involving Iran and said that he thinks the deal is “in danger.” Iran blames the United States, whereas the USA says they are not delaying it. Israeli sources stated that Israel will stop Iran from getting a nuclear bomb. Joe Biden says the USA would use its own military power to prevent Iran from getting such a bomb if need be. In 2021, Iranian lawmakers have submitted a bill seeking the government by law to commit to Israel’s destruction by the year 2040. Does the 22nd chapter of Isaiah point to damage coming to Israel from Iran and possibly Syria? Might Iran be concerned enough about limited progress with the USA to launch some type of attack? Is Iran the prophesied ‘King of the South’? Is it reasonable to think that the prophesied peace deal of Daniel 9:27 will not happen until after a military conflict. like a regional war? Should Christians watch the Middle East? Dr. Thiel and Steve Dupuie discuss these matters.

Here is a link to our video: Iran and Israel Conflict.

We look to be in a time of wars and rumors of wars as Jesus foretold (Matthew 24:4-8).

The stronger Iran believe it is, the more likely it will take bold military actions. The more concerned Israel becomes, the more likely it will take bold military actions.

Watch! (cf. Mark 13:37)

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Iran in Prophecy Is Iran in Bible prophecy? If so, what does the Bible teach? What names, other than Persia, may be used to describe Iran? There is also a YouTube video titled Iran in Prophecy. Here are links to two related videos Iran In Prophecy and  Iran and Israel Conflict.
The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27 This prophecy could give up to 3 1/2 years advance notice of the coming Great Tribulation. Will most ignore or misunderstand its fulfillment? Here is a link to a related sermon video Daniel 9:27 and the Start of the Great Tribulation. A short video is also available titled Trump’s Deal of the Century and Daniel 9 27? Here is a link to something related in the Spanish language: Estados Árabes emiratos unidos y el tratado de paz en el medio este.
Jerusalem: Past, Present, and Future What does the Bible say about Jerusalem and its future? Is Jerusalem going to be divided and eliminated? Is Jesus returning to the area of Jerusalem? There are also two related YouTube videos you can watch: Jerusalem To be divided and eliminated and God’s and Satan’s Plan for Jerusalem.
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2023, 2024, or 2025? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? 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? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede la Gran Tribulación comenzar en el 2020 o 2021? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? A related video is: Great Tribulation: 2026 or 2027? A shorter video is: Can the Great Tribulation start in 2022 or 2023? Notice also: Can Jesus return in 2023 or 2024? Here is a video in the Spanish language: Es El 2021 el año  de La Gran Tribulación o el Grande Reseteo Financiero.
Biden-Harris: Prophecies and Destruction Can the USA survive two full presidential terms? In what ways are Joe Biden and Kamala Harris apocalyptic? This book has hundreds of prophecies and scriptures to provide details.  A Kindle version is also available and you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to your free Kindle reader app (or if you already have one or a Kindle),  you can go to: Biden-Harris: Prophecies and Destruction (Kindle) to get the book in seconds.

 

This entry was posted on Friday, May 26th, 2023 at 7:00 am and is filed under Prophecy.



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