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Iran, Europe, and the Retreat of the U.S.
How America is opening the door for Russia!
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Friday, September 18, 2009
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www.bibleinthenews.com Audio & Print versions
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Hello again: this is Paul Billington with another edition of the Bible in the News. Is Iran close to developing a nuclear weapon and delivery system? Some say yes and some are not so sure. Obama delights the Russians by abandoning the missile defence system for Europe which former President Bush planned. Israel's Netanyahu says he will NOT freeze life in the West Bank as demanded by the U.S. and others. Britain faces growing violence on its streets as protests increase against Islamic extremism.
Well, those are just some of the news stories this week--any one of which can be understood in terms of prophecy fulfilling and the developing purpose of God. Yes--the Bible is always in the news! The God of the Bible provides a continuous witness for all those who have eyes to see and ears to hear. As we read in Amos 3:7,"Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets."
To many observers it seems that the U.S. Administration of Obama is relentlessly pursuing a dangerous policy of appeasement, if not quiet retreat, on several fronts. That is how Israel sees it in consideration of the Iranian threat--and now that is how many eastern European countries see it--especially the Poles, the Czechs, the Ukranians and Georgians.
A Reuters report on Thursday Sept. 17 said this:
"The United States is concerned about Iran stalling the West while it develops its nuclear program, but there is still time for diplomacy, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Thursday. 'We are all concerned about Iran running out the clock on us on their nuclear program,' Gates said. 'And our view is there is still time for diplomacy and, I might say, sanctions to persuade the Iranians that their security will be diminished by going down the track of nuclear weapons.'"
But an Associated Press report late on Thursday read as follows:
"Iran experts at the U.N.'s nuclear monitoring agency believe that Tehran has the ability to make a nuclear bomb and has worked on developing a missile system that can carry an atomic warhead, according to a confidential report seen by The Associated Press. The document drafted by senior officials at the International Atomic Energy Agency is the clearest indication yet that those officials share Washington's views on Iran's weapon-making capabilities and missile technology--even if they have not made those views public. The document, titled 'Possible Military Dimension of Iran's Nuclear Program,' appeared to be the so-called IAEA (International Atomic Energy Association) 'secret annex' on Iran's alleged nuclear arms program that the U.S., France, Israel and other IAEA members say is being withheld by agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei--claims the nuclear watchdog denies."
Well, It is difficult to know exactly what Iran's current capabilities are--and it is uncertain just what contingency plans Israel and others may have for dealing with such a threat. This issue has now been before the world for nearly four years, and there is no sign of it going away yet. As things stand now, the nations are on a collision course and we cannot exclude the possibility of military action.
This may seem a strange time for the United States to do a U-turn on its defence policy, but that seems to be the course chosen by President Barack Obama as he shelves the plan to deploy a missile defence system in Europe. A report from the UK's Daily Telegraph says (quote),
"Mr Obama said the plan was scrapped in part because, after a review, the US had concluded that Iran was less focused on developing the kind of long-range missiles for which the system was originally developed, making the building of an expensive new shield unnecessary. New technology also has arisen that military advisers decided could be deployed sooner and more effectively, he said. Anticipating certain criticism from the right that he was weakening US security, Mr Obama said repeatedly that this desicion would provide more - not less - protection."
Well, it's all a matter of interpretation isn't it? So let us get the Bible into the news! What do we learn when we bring the light of Bible prophecy to bear upon the matter?
Iran, which is the Biblical Persia, is to be one of Israel's enemies in the latter years--and that is exactly what we now see. "Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya" might suggest, by that order, that Persia (Iran) will have some kind of leading role among these Islamic nations of Ezekiel 38, verse 5.
But this latter day Iran must itself be brought under the guardianship of Ezekiel's "Gog of the Land of Magog." The Land of Magog - as we have pointed out on previous occasions - is eastern Europe, and includes countries such as Poland, the Czechs, the Ukraine and Georgia, who are now having their defences revised by Obama's policy change. According to the Daily Telegraph Obama's move on the missile defence system has "greatly angered allies but delighted Russia."
We may also note in all this, a growing rift between the United States and Europe - it may be that the U.S. is abandoning far more than its missile plans for Europe. Prophecy shows us that Russia (not the United States) will be the guardian of Europe at the time of the end.
So as another week passes into history, we can see events moving in that direction foreseen many centuries ago by the prophets of Israel. This tells us that the time is fast approaching when Christ will return so as to establish the promised kingdom of God upon earth. As we see the day approaching we must realize the importance of filling our minds with the things of God, as revealed to us in the Bible. Here is a Book that can make us wise unto salvation through faith (2 Timothy 3:15), so that we need to absorb as much as we possibly can of it in this day of opportunity.
Hope you can join us again next week on www.bibleinthenews.com
Printed: Friday, September 18, 2009
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