The Iranian Conflict Spreads

The New York Post reports that Hezbollah launched 100 rockets at Israel that so overwhelmed the Iron Dome defense system that only half were shot down. Consequently, the IDF is preparing a ground invasion into Lebanon according to sources. 

    An Israeli official described the Wednesday Hezbollah strikes as a “suicide mission” on their behalf — knowing that the IDF would retaliate. Iran’s weapons supplies have run low from both launches on Israel and destruction by US and Israeli forces over the past 12 days.

    So far, the Houthis have not fired at Israel in the current war — leading Israelis to worry the Iranian proxy group is saving its weapons supply for a massive barrage all at once.

    While Iran has launched counterattacks since the Feb. 28 war began against at least 10 Gulf nations – including US military stationed there – Iran has excluded Yemen, the home base to the Houthis.

    While the Houthis so far have not joined the war, they have warned in official messages that their “finger is on the trigger,” according to a Thursday report by the Atlantic Council.

 Meanwhile, Anonymous Conservative linked to a post on X with a video of an interview with former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett suggesting that Israel may have to wage a war against Turkey if Turkey tries to create an Islamic alliance.

     I have seen a lot of videos show up on my YouTube feed suggesting that this war could turn into the War of Armageddon, usher in the Second Coming, etc. I haven't commented before on this, but I think not for a couple primary reasons. 

    First, there is still a lot to happen prior to the Second Coming that cannot happen if this were to be the war of Armageddon. The two main ones I look at is that the Gospel has not yet been spread to all peoples yet; and we have not seen the rise of the Anti-Christ/Gog. 

    Second, end-time prophecy indicates that the war that culminates in the Battle of Armageddon  commences when Israel is attacked in the midst of a 7-year peace treaty. In Daniel 9:27 it indicates that "the prince that shall come" "shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the 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." And in Ezekiel 38, verses 11 and 12, the angel of the Lord reveals a plan hatched by Gog, the king of Magog,:

You will say, ‘I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; I will go to a peaceful people, who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates’— to take plunder and to take booty, to stretch out your hand against the waste places that are again inhabited, and against a people gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and goods, who dwell in the midst of the land. 

Again indicating that Israel will believe itself in a period of peace and security when it is attacked. A reasonable conclusion is that the peace described in Ezekiel is the result of the 7-year treaty described in Daniel. But we have seen no such treaty--nor even any person with the authority to enact such a treaty that would include all the nations around Israel. My guess is that such a treaty would be the result of a successful war waged by Israel or some other power which forces the surrounding states to accept such a covenant (to give them time to rearm). It is possible that this conflict might result in that treaty, but this is not the conflict that arises when Gog and his allies breach the treaty.