Religious differences and religious fervor are at the heart of the next world war. The descendants of Abraham, who have evolved into three major religions of the world, are now experiencing the exposure of their true incompatible differences.
God is unmasking these differences to reveal the truth that these opposing religions can never experience reconciliation. Reconciliation can lead to peace, but divisions only lead to war. Their differences are central to what leads this world into a final confrontation.
The Western world of Christianity is steadily growing in its apprehension of Islam and is going out of its way to appease Muslims and walk more softly so as not to offend that which it fears. Those of Judaism see this growing weakness and grasp the foolishness of a pandering West. As stated in the last post with a reported quote from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu toward the U.S., “Time has run out!” More than any other people on earth, the Israelis grasp the true motivation of an Iran that sees itself as the instrument of the end-time Mahdi to bring about Israel’s total destruction, the killing of all infidels, and raising the flag of Islam in all corners of the world. This is not received as real to the West, but it is to Israel, and it is to Iran.
Jerusalem Compassed With Armies
One of the oldest and most fought over cities of the world is Jerusalem, whose name ironically means “the way of peace” or “to teach peace.” Yet the three major religions, Islam, Judaism and Christianity, have not fared well in the way of peace and certainly not over Jerusalem throughout the centuries.
The West is very much asleep when it comes to the reality of an emerging world war that is now at our doorstep. One would think that at least the southern United States—the Bible Belt regions—would be wide awake and crying out for fear of what they see in the Mideast, especially when considering some of their teachings. There are many beliefs that concern Jerusalem being surrounded by armies as a sign of end-time events along with armies gathering together for the final world conflict called Armageddon.
That region of the world is seething with unrest and growing cries for war and even world war. Iran is sending some of its elite militias and weapons into Syria to support that regime and bolster its position against Israel. In addition, they are also stirring up unrest in Lebanon through Hezbollah. In the south, Egypt has been moving military and armaments into the Sinai of Egypt in violation of the 1979 Egypt – Israel Peace Treaty.
Last week, an article in the U.K. Telegraph reported on the gathering armada of military power amassing in the Persian Gulf, stating: “Battleships, aircraft carriers, minesweepers and submarines from 25 nations are converging on the strategically important Strait of Hormuz in an unprecedented show of force as Israel and Iran move towards the brink of war.”
On the same day the AP reported, “The top commander in Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard warned Sunday that his country’s missiles will ensure ‘nothing will remain’ of Israel if it takes military action against Tehran over its controversial nuclear program.” The article went on to state, “Such warnings and references to Israel’s destruction have been made before by Iranian officials. But Gen. Jafari’s comments to a Tehran news conference were an unusually detailed, strongly worded and comprehensive listing of the means that Iran says it has to retaliate against a strike on its nuclear facilities.”
Israel’s rhetoric is also becoming stronger. Recently, Shimon Peres spoke of the world being in a unique era of history and in reference to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad he stated, “Since Hitler, no head of state has expressed a desire to destroy a people and to eliminate an entire country.”
There is good reason for many Israelis to draw such a conclusion about Hitler and the declarations of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has spoken in admirable terms of Hitler, repeatedly has denied the occurrence of the holocaust, and declared the desire for the annihilation of the Jewish people. Add to this the history and attitude that is associated with the name change of Persia to Iran and such concerns are deepened. In 1935, the shah of Iran, the father of the man deposed in 1979, being a Nazi sympathizer and one who hated the Jews, began officially changing the name of Persia to Iran (literally meaning “land of the Aryans”).
A sobering statement was made a couple of weeks ago by the former head of Knessett’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Tzachi Hanegbi: “We now stand, in my opinion, before the 50 most fateful days in Israel’s history, since perhaps the Yom Kippur War, in which there were also several dozen fateful days.” Certainly, these times are serious and dire for the people of Israel.
Armies are being gathered together in the Mideast, and they are being gathered together by the only One Almighty Self-existing Eternal God, as He prepares this world for its final battle and the overthrow of every government. Then on the final day of man’s government, May 19 of 2013, God will establish His government, the Kingdom of God that will rule over the earth, bringing it true and lasting peace. But before mankind can finally experience true and lasting peace on this earth, there must be one more great war—a final world war in which God will intervene to end all war, forever!
The Church of God - Preparing for the Kingdom of God