PEACE
THAT IS WORSE THAN WAR
                                                        By Pastor F. M, Riley       
                                                        March 6, 2021
     “And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate,”  Daniel 9:27.
     “And through his policy also he shall cause craft {witchcraft} to prosperin his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand,” Daniel 8:25.
INTRODUCTION
    As I write there is great expectation among those who seriously study Bible prophecy, that Israel and Iran are going into an all-out war at any minute.  I am not one who is expecting such to happen.  Rather, I expect  the two nations to settle their differences at any time now, by making peace with one another.  Now why would that  be?  I’m so glad you asked!  
BACK TO SHUSHAN
    If one studies the inspired Word carefully, it can easily be seen that the ancient city of Shushan was the capitol city of both the Assyrian and Media Persian empires.  Today, the ruins of that ancient city are located  in the modern nation of Iran.
    Now is this just “coincidence?”  I hardly think so!  
    Iran is a Muslim nation today, and the Iranians hate Israel with a passion.  Iran is responsible for rockets being fired into Israel from  Lebanon to the North, and from the Gaza strip to the South.  Iran has repeatedly threatened to destroy Israel, but has backed down when Israel reminded them that Israel has the nuclear bombs to simply wipe Iran off the map;  Due to this situation, many serious Bible students believe there will soon be war between Iran and Israel.  I don’t!  
     Rather, I think there will soon be PEACE between the two nations.  Why?  Because the prophesied anti-christ will come out of Iran.  Oh no!  I can almost hear readers screaming. That can’t be!  And just why not?  Just what nation do our readers think the anti-christ is coming out of? He is a man when the Trib begins, and has to have some nationality.  So why not Iran?   
      If the anti-christ is not coming out of Iran, then why is he referred  to 13 times in God’s Word as “the Assyrian?”    Isaiah 10:5; 10:24; 14:25; 30:31; 31:8; 52:4; Ezekiel 31:3; Hosea 5:13; 11:5; Micah 5:5; 5:6.  When our readers look up and study these Scriptures, also carefully study the context in which they occur.  It will then become glaringly obvious that they are prophecies of the coming anti-christ.  And where will he come from?  Ancient Assyria…..modern Iran.   
THE DECEITFUL PEACE
    Now what could be more wickedly clever than for the leaders of modern Iran to make peace with Israel?  Daniel 9:27.  It would appear to be a lasting peace.  The leaders of the two nations would publicly shake hands, perhaps embrace one another, and put on a good show for the public.  The two nations will then  begin trading consumer goods with one another.  Perhaps people from both nations will become tourists, visiting and sight seeing in each other’s nation.  That will be a great opportunity for Iran to spy out Israel’s weak points in view of a future invasion.  Wonderful, sweet, kind, helpful, courteous relations between the two nations.  
      Iran will maintain this false peace with Israel long enough {3 ½ years} to convince Israel that their seven year peace covenant will give lasting  PEACE between the two nations.  Trusting Israel will be lulled to sleep to the extent,that  they will be crying “”Peace and safety,” when what they really have in their covenant will be a great DECEPTION perpetrated on them by  Iran, Jeremiah 6:14, the  home of the ancient Assyrian, and the land from whom the prophesied anti-christ will come.
SUDDEN DESTRUCRTION
    When Israel and the Jewish people are rejoicing in the peace they have not had since Israel became a nation in 1948, the diabolical Muslim  devils to the East of them, will suddenly and unexpectedly attack, catching Israel totally off guard, 1 Thess. 5:3.  The entire land of Israel will be occupied and the Jewish people will temporarily be  under the control of the Muslim armies, Isaiah 33:8.  However, the anti-christ will have bigger fish to fry than just little Israel.  The anti-christ will be aiming for control of the entire world, and during the last half of the tribulation, he will gain that position.  Israel will just be a means of  fulfilling the wicked desires of the anti-christ, Isaiah 14:9-14.
CONCLUSION
    But let’s not leave it hanging here.  The Lord Explicity states in Isaiah 14:25 that HE will break [defeat; destroy] the Assyrian in the land of Israel, and upon the mountains of Israel.  Read the account of this destruction in Zechariah 14 and Revelation 19.  The phony covenant made with the anti-christ will be cancelled by our living Christ, the Lord Jesus.  And guess what?
    When the Lord defeats and destroys the Assyrian, modern Iran will vanish from human history, along with many other nations which presently exist in the Middle East.  Little Israel will own all the land from the river of Egypt on the South and West, to the Euphrates river on the East and North. Read it for yourself in the Covenant the Lord God made with Abraham, Genesis 15:18.  
     Great things set forth in the prophetic Word of God are just about ready to begin, with the rapture of the Lord’s church and believing people in just a few more DAYS.
     Is the reader ready for thIS?  Have you been saved by grace  through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ ?  Ephesians 2:8-10.  Are you “watching” for our Lord’s coming as instructed in Mark 13:25-27?  Are you praying for the “peace of Jerusalem?”  Psalm 122:6.  Mankind upon the earth  will never have real lasting peace, until Israel has been reconciled to God by faith in Christ;; their Messiah, their Redeemer, their Lord, and their coming King.  And they will be!  Praise the Lord!  
“Even so, come, Lord Jesus,” Revelation 22:20.
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