Volume 1 Issue 9 December 19, 2001
All articles linked to this newsletter are for reference only.
The Powerful Delusion
The
Bible speaks of people in the last days being given over to a
delusion by God. They perish because
they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason
God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the
lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the
truth but have delighted in wickedness.
2 Thessalonians 2:10-12. The
lie is the spirit of the antichrist. Every
spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh
is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus
is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you
have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. 1 John
4:2-3.
Former Iranian President Akbar
Hashemi Rafsanjani is now acting Chairman of the Assembly to Discern
the Interests of the State of Iran. This makes him the second
most powerful man in Iran. In a recent speech he advocated the
use of nuclear weapons against Israel by whatever Islamic nation
achieves success in this technology first. Rafsanjani acknowledged
that the Islamic nations would suffer damage from Israeli nuclear
weapons but Israel would be annihilated, implying that the cost
was worth paying. If Rafsanjani were just another Muslim cleric
this would be of concern enough, but as a former head of state
and number two man in Iran this demonstrates the true hatred of
Israel among the followers of Islam and the lengths they are willing
to go to obey the Koran by ridding the earth of the perceived
infidel Israel! Please note that Iran is a technologically superior
nation to Iraq and middle east experts project that Iran will
have nuclear weapons by 2005, thanks to assistance from Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin continues his warnings to the U.S. in regards to Iraq. Russia continues to be Iraq's advocate before the U.N., calling allegations against Iraq unsubstantiated. As Russia increases her arms sales to Iran and gives technical assistance and materials for the manufacturing of weapons of mass destruction she also is anxious to resume a similiar relationship with Iraq.
China, as analyzed in yesterdays WATCH article, is reported to have carried out war games where the invasion of Taiwan was practiced along with simulated attacks and sinkings of U.S. aircraft carriers! The Chinese are not hiding their intentions. They intend to neutralize the aircraft carriers Taiwan depends on for defense through the use of ICBMs launched from land, air and submarines. Remember, as we stated yesterday, American power is not great enough to project it's strength in multiple war arenas, something that is not lost on U.S. enemies. Watch Russian rhetoric, Chinese war games, North Korean military border build-up and Arab and Muslim development of long range mass destruction weapons.
For about one very short week we have seen Yassar Arafat and the Palestinian Authority subjected to some verbal warnings from various governments about their behavior. It seems that Arafat has messed up everybody's peace accord plans. As for Arafat, he performed his usual spin of lies and managed to bring the world's terrorism focus back again to Israel's deeds rather than his own.
When we see these dire scenarios being played out we must, as believers, turn to the Bible. The Scriptures show us that although more war in Israel cannot be ruled out, there will be a short lived peace for Israel before her enemies turn on her during the time of punishment for Israel. This time of punishment is known as the desolation or tribulation. The delusion sent by God is working on the nations of the world as they are blinded by the spirit of the antichrist. You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the view point of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood. 1 John 4:4-6.
