WORLD AT WAR: 8.24.24 - Has God supernaturally thwarted Iran?

 Has God supernaturally thwarted Iran & Hezbollah from launching apocalyptic missile attacks against Israel? Or is the attack still coming?- Joel C. Rosenberg - https://allisrael.com/has-god-supernaturally-thwarted-iran-and-hezbollah-from-launching-apocalyptic-missile-attacks-against-israel-or-is-the-attack-still-coming Here are 3 biblical stories of God's protection to study and consider at this dangerous hour Why hasn't the Islamic Republic of Iran and Hezbollah, its terror proxy army in Lebanon, launched thousands of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and suicide drones at Israel? For weeks, the Israeli military has been on the highest possible alert. Ten million Israeli citizens are trying to go about their days normally but are all highly cognizant of the fact that a full-scale attack – and a massive new regional war – could occurat any moment. Upwards of two dozen international airlines have canceled flights to and from Israel. Yet, so far, the attack has not come. Why not? IRAN'S SUPREME LEADER SPEAKS OF "DIVINE WRATH" Ever since Fuad Shukr, the #2-ranking Hezbollah leader, was assassinated in his apartment in Beirut -- and Ismail Haniyeh, the #1 top leader of Hamas, was assassinated in Tehran on July 31-- Israel's mortal enemies have been vowing revenge. In his Aug. 1 speech, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah's top leader, vowed to punish Israel terribly. "Our response is coming, Allah willing," Nasrallah declared. Because the "precious blood" of his deputy, Fuad Shukr, has been shed, "the resistance [Hezbollah's army] cannot -- no matter whatthe consequences -- remain idle." "Our response will be strong, impactful, and effective," the Hezbollah leader insisted. For his part, the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – Iran's so-called "Supreme Leader" – went even further. Not only did he vow to inflict revenge on Israel, he declared that the Iranian regime would experience "divine wrath" if it even hesitated to retaliate for the deaths of its top terror proxyleaders. WHAT, THEN, IS TAKING SO LONG? Many Israelis, as well as many Palestinians, and Arabs throughout the Epicenter, are baffled that apocalypse-level attacks have not yet come. What's taking so long? Hezbollah has more than 150,000 rockets and missiles on or near launchers in Lebanon, aimed at Israel, and ready to fire. Experts tell me Nasrallah could fire upwards of 4,000 missiles a day at Israel for a month or more and still have tens of thousands left in reserve. Why hasn't he? Has the Supreme Leader of Iran ordered Nasrallah to attack and Nasrallah is hesitating, or outright refusing? Or is it the Ayatollah Khamenei who is hesitating to give the order, either to Hezbollah or to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps? It would seem more likely that Khamenei and Nasrallah are hesitating than that their subordinates are not obeying direct orders to unleash hell on "the Zionist entity." To be sure, it's possible that both are using these weeks to prepare for a massive strike, or just a limited one. It's also possible that as they prepare for their revenge option, Khamenei and Nasrallah believe they are inflicting sufficient psychological and economic damage on Israel by having the threatof a massive missile attack looming but not yet occurring. IS GOD HIMSELF THWARTING THE ATTACK? While all these are possible, there is another possibility that Christians should consider. Perhaps God Himself is supernaturally thwarting Iran and Hezbollah from taking their revenge. Perhaps the fact that (as of the publication of this column) no massive attack has come, is powerful evidence that the prayers of millions of Evangelicals and other Christians for "the peaceof Jerusalem" are working. Perhaps we are seeing God's divine protection at work. II KINGS 6: THE STORY OF GOD SUPERNATURALLY THWARTING AN ATTACK FROM SYRIA Throughout the Bible, we read of multiple occasions when God supernaturally thwarts attacks against Israel. In II Kings, chapter six, for example, we read the story of the king of Aram (the ancient name for the lands that are modern-day Syria) plotting to attack and destroy Israel. Yet time after time, the scriptures tell us that God told the Hebrew prophet Elisha exactly what location the Aramean military forces would be coming to. Elisha, in turn, told the king of Israel, who promptly ordered Israel's army to those locations to block an Aramean invasion. This happened so often that the king of Aram became furious because he thought there was a pro-Israel mole in his inner circle. "This enraged the king of Aram," we read in II Kings 6:11-12. "He summoned his officers and demanded of them, 'Tell me! Which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?'" "None of us, my Lord the king," said one of his officers. "But Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom." So, the king of Aram orders his army to hunt down and assassinate Elisha. But this plot, too, God foils. As Elisha prays, the Spirit of God reveals to him – and to Elisha's young assistant – both the plot of the enemy as well as the fact that God is again going to thwart the plans of theenemy. 2 CHRONICLES 20: THE STORY OF GOD SUPERNATURALLY THWARTING AN ATTACK FROM JORDAN Another great example of God stopping an enemy due to prayer can be found in 2 Chronicles, chapter 20. That time, Jehoshaphat – the king of Judah – is informed by his advisors that "a vast army is coming against you from Edom" (the land today is known as the Kingdom of Jordan). "Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah," the Bible tells us. "The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, theycame from every town in Judah to seek Him." (2 Chronicles 20:3) The God of Israel hears those prayers and is pleased with them. He sends a message to the king and people of Judah that He will fight for them. “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is notyours, but God’s...You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will bewith you.'...[So,] Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the Lord." (2 Chronicles 20:15-18) The next morning, fortified by so much prayer and worship, and so deeply encouraged by the Lord's direct word to him, King Jehoshaphat is inspired to send the worship leaders out ahead ofJudah's army, singing and praising and lifting up the name of the Lord as they headed east to meet the approaching "vast army." Again, God was pleased and He moved in power. "As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated," we read in 2 Chronicles 20:22. Sure enough, God had kept His word. The enemy forces were utterly defeated. No one in Israel actually had to fight. Instead, they rejoiced for days in the sweet knowledge that God had supernaturally intervened to thwart the enemy's attack. "Then, led by Jehoshaphat, all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned joyfully to Jerusalem, for the Lord had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies. They entered Jerusalem and wentto the temple of the Lord with harps and lyres and trumpets. The fear of God came on all the surrounding kingdoms when they heard how the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given himrest on every side." THE BOOK OF ESTHER: THE STORY OF GOD SUPERNATURALLY THWARTING AN ATTACK FROM IRAN While there are many other examples in the Bible, let me just cite one more. Read the Book of Esther – that's right, all of it. There, you'll learn about a wicked man named Haman, the second most powerful man in the ancient Persian (Iranian) empire. One day, Haman becomes so enraged at one Jewish man he believes is disrespecting him that Haman persuades the Supreme Leader of Persia to "annihilate" every Jew living between Ethiopia andIndia. Yes, that's the very word that Haman uses – he wants to "annihilate" all Jews. But you'll also read about a godly man named Mordechai and his godly cousin, Esther. As they fast and pray for the safety and salvation of the Jewish people – and mobilize their friends to join – God is pleased with them. He hears their prayers, supernaturally thwarts the plot of Haman, and saves the entire Jewish nation from annihilation. WHAT THREE LESSONS SHOULD WE TAKE AWAY TODAY? I believe there are three important lessons that we should take away from these biblical stories for our situation today. First, God loves to hear and respond favorably to the faithful, earnest, and unceasing prayers and fasting, and the heartfelt praise and worship of His people. So, let us keep praying forthe God of Israel to thwart the evil plans of Israel's enemies and pray for the safety and salvation of Israel. Second, God does not want us to cower in fear but to live with great trust and confidence in His care and protection. So, let us keep turning to Him, keep reading His Word, and keep focusingon His promises to guard and watch over us. Third, God may choose in His sovereign will to let our enemies attack -- but He promises never to leave or forsake His true children, He promises those who love and serve him with their wholehearts that in the end justice will be done, and He promises that Israel's enemies will be vanquished in the end. So, even if He allows Iran and Hezbollah and others to attack, let's not panic. Let's keep trusting Him and asking Him to show us how we can bea light for Jesus Christ in the darkness. ------------------------------------------------- There is no such thing as a Palestinian people – believe it! - By Joseph Farah- https://www.wnd.com/2024/08/there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-palestinian-people-believe-it/ 'The West must not surrender to terrorism by granting the killers just what they want' There are plenty of knuckleheads in Chicago today who will not like this column. It will make them angry. It will drive them insane if they are not already. No "Palestinian" people? I was converted to believe it by the late Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir as she made a bold political statement for which she was pilloried. That's what happens sometimes when someone speaks the truth in the face of shameless lies. What she said was this: "There is no such thing as a Palestinian people." Muslim propagandists ever since have ridiculed and derided her comment. They charged her with "racism." They accused her of historical revisionism. They accused her of being out of touch withreality and of being in denial. But Meir was absolutely right. And others who agree are just as correct. In fact, she's hardly the only person to make such a claim. In moments of candor, many Muslim and Arab leaders have admitted she was right – that there is no distinct Palestinian culturalor national identity. Here are just two of my favorites – all spoken or written long after Golda Meir made her pointedobservation. Time does not change the facts. Way back on March 31, 1977, the Dutch newspaper Trouw published an interview with Palestine Liberation Organization executive committee member Zahir Muhsein. Here's what he said: "The Palestinianpeople does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only forpolitical and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct 'Palestinian people' to oppose Zionism. For tactical reasons, Jordan, which is a sovereignstate with defined borders, cannot raise claims to Haifa and Jaffa, while as a Palestinian, I can undoubtedly demand Haifa, Jaffa, Beer-Sheva and Jerusalem. However, the moment we reclaim our right to all of Palestine, we will not wait even a minute to unitePalestine and Jordan." That's pretty clear, isn't it? It's even more specific than Golda Meir's statement. It reaffirms what I have written on this subject. And it is hardly the only such statement of its kind.Former PLO leader Yasser Arafat himself made a very definitive and unequivocal statement along these lines as late as 1993. It demonstrates conclusively that the Palestinian nationhood argument is the real strategic deception – one geared to set up the destructionof Israel. In fact, on the same day Arafat signed the Declaration of Principles on the White House lawn in 1993, he explained his actions on Jordanian TV. Here's what he said: "Since we cannot defeatIsrael in war, we do this in stages. We take any and every territory that we can of Palestine, and establish a sovereignty there, and we use it as a springboard to take more. When the time comes, we can get the Arab nations to join us for the final blow againstIsrael." No matter how many people claim that the aspirations for Palestinian statehood are genuine and the key to peace in the Middle East, they are still deceiving themselves. I've said it before and I will say it again: In the history of the world, Palestine has never existed as a nation. The region known as Palestine was ruled alternately by Rome, by Islamic andChristian crusaders, by the Ottoman Empire and, briefly, by the British after World War I. The British agreed to restore at least part of the land to the Jewish people as their ancestral homeland. It was never ruled by Arabs as a separate nation. Why now has it become such a critical priority? The answer is because of a massive deception campaign and relentless terrorism over 40 years. Golda Meir was right. Her statement is validated by the truth of history and by the candid, but not widely circulated, pronouncements of Arafat and his lieutenants. Israel and the West must not surrender to terrorism by granting the killers just what they want – a public relations triumph and a strategic victory. It's not too late to say no to terrorism.It's not too late to say no to another Arab terror state. It's not too late to tell the truth about Palestine. Truth does not change. Truth is truth. If something was true 50 years ago, 40 years ago, 30 years ago, it is still true today. And the truth is that only 40 years ago, there was very little confusion on this issue of Palestine. -------------------------------------------- The prophetic wind swirling around Israel - Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com There is a prophetic wind swirling around Israel as we witness the ancient words of holy scripture playing out in historic fashion. Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11 is the Torah portion called Va’etchananand it is read following the fast of Tishah B’Av, which began August 12th this year at sundown and continued until an hour after sundown on August 13th. Tishah B’Av is the saddest day of the Jewish year because it was on that date that the Sin of the Spiesoccurred, and both Temples were destroyed–among other national tragedies. Currently, Israel faces terrorist wars from Hamas, Hezbollah and others sponsored and/or supported by prophetic end-times nations Iran (Persia) and Turkey. Moses warns the people not to fall into idolatry, for as Deuteronomy 4:24 says, “ADONAI God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.” This is repeated in Hebrews 12:29. Moses predicted thatthe people would serve other gods and enter into exile, but that the LORD would have compassion on them when they repent. Moses prophesied in Deuteronomy 4:30-31, “In your distress, when all these things have come upon you, in the acharit-hayamim (end ofdays), you will return to ADONAI your God and listen to what he says; for ADONAI your God is a merciful God.” Notice that Moses says that the mercy of God will restore Israel in the latter days when they are in distress—tribulation. Tribulation for Israel in the end times is also prophesied by the prophets Daniel, Jeremiah, and Zechariah. Daniel 9:26 says, “…and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroythe city and the sanctuary, and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.” “Zechariah 14:2-3 says, “For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the housesrifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the Lord go forth and fight against those nations.” Jeremiah 30:7: “…it is even the timeof Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.” This all aligns with the Matthew 24:21 prophecy of Jesus concerning Israel’s troubles in the latter days: “For there will be trouble then worse than there has ever been from the beginningof the world until now, and there will be nothing like it again.” But that is not the end for there is hope. Jesus says of Israel in Luke 13:35, “See! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the timecomes when you say, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” Jesus was quoting Psalm 118:26. It was the way people of that day were taught to welcome the Messiah. And when that time comes, the people of Israel will cry out to their Messiah,and He will deliver them. Prophecy is often fulfilled in layers and we may be witnessing the very events leading to the end of days. -------------------------------------- They Are Preparing For Absolutely Massive Anti-Israel Protests At The Democratic National Convention- by Michael Snyder - https://endoftheamericandream.com/they-are-preparing-for-absolutely-massive-anti-israel-protests-at-the-democratic-national-convention/ Do you remember what happened when the Democrats held their convention in Chicago in 1968? The Democrats are really hoping to avoid a repeat of what we witnessed 56 years ago, and ChicagoMayor Brandon Johnson insists that law enforcement authorities in his city are ready. We shall see. Tens of thousands of protesters from 264 different radical protest groups have descended upon Chicago, and the war in the Middle East is what they are upsetabout more than anything else. They are determined to get as much attention as possible, because so far the Biden administration has not been responsive to their demands. According to Politico, after Joe Biden dropped out of the race and Kamala Harris became the nominee, pro-Palestinian protesters “paused to rethink their approach”. But then they remembered that Kamala Harris has supported every move that Joe Biden has made in the Middle East, and so they decided to go “full steam ahead”… “We all came to a consensus that it’s not going to make a difference, that [Harris] represents this administration,” said Hatem Abudayyeh, chair of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network.“We’re going to stay full steam ahead.” And he noted, his organization referred to Harris as “Killer Kamala” even before she topped the ticket and continues to push for harsher restrictions on the Israeli government, like anarms embargo — something that a top Harris adviser has said she doesn’t support. So what does “full steam ahead” look like? According to NBC News, there will be over 20,000 protesters from over 264 different protest groups… More than 20,000 protesters are expected to cram into a 1.4 mile-long court-approved protest route near Democratic National Convention in Chicago next week, creating a potential standoff betweendemonstrators and a police department with a history of excessive force. The 264 protest groups that have said they will participate are primarily focused on Palestinian rights, ending the war in Gaza and reducing U.S. aid to Israel. Others represent a patchworkof left-leaning causes: climate activists, socialists, anti-racist organizations, queer and trans rights groups. Considering what is currently happening in the Middle East, this is literally the worst place that the Democrats could have picked for their convention. Today, Cook County has the largest Palestinian population in the entire country… And they’ve got a lot of power behind them. Cook County, where Chicago resides, is home to the largest Palestinian population in the United States. “It’ll be the largest protest in the history of Chicago for Palestinian rights, specifically,” said Hatem Abudayyeh, national chair for the U.S. Palestinian Community Network. Needless to say, they are going to come out in force for these protests. The first major protest is scheduled for Monday… There are at least six major protests planned on the streets of Chicago during the Democratic National Convention. The biggest is planned for the first day, Monday, when “tens of thousands”are expected to march just blocks from the United Center, where Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, will give their acceptance speeches. The “family-friendly march” is organized under a pro-Palestinian umbrella coalition that includes groups devoted to a variety of causes. Organizers are busing in protesters from Michigan,Minnesota, Indiana and Wisconsin, and activists are also coming in from New York and California, too. Will there be violence? Let’s hope not. The city of Chicago has erected a vast array of fences and barricades that are designed to keep protesters in approved areas… Fences, barricades and parked snow plows have already limited movement in key downtown areas, with helicopters buzzing overhead. Grumpy business owners are worrying about lost sales, and someresidents and tourists say it all appears a bit overblown. Will those measures be enough? Not taking any chances, some Chicago businesses have already been boarding up their windows… Several downtown Chicago businesses have been boarded up as concerns run high over protests and potential unrest as the Democratic National Convention (DNC) kicks off on Monday. “We have experience with this, and the city doesn’t have a great track record with protecting their businesses or their citizens’ property. So we want to be preemptive and board up andin advance of the Democratic convention,” Scott Shapiro, owner of Syd Jerome, told Fox News as he boarded up his business. If I had a business in downtown Chicago, I would be boarding it up too. The Democrats are supposed to be against walls, but in this instance they are so terrified of violence that they have actually constructed an enormous wall around their entire convention… For years now, Democrats have insisted that walls are racist and don’t work but those rules apparently don’t apply when it comes to their safety. The Democrat National Convention kicks off in Chicago this week and with the anticipation of massive protests by the radical left, Democrats are building a protective wall around the event. For once, the Democrats have made a wise move. If that wall wasn’t there, what would have happened? Thankfully, we will never find out. Of course prominent Democrats will need to be on guard when they are away from the United Center too. Axios is reporting that House Democrats are being urged “not to book hotel rooms under their own names” due to the threat of potential violence… House Democrats attending the Democratic National Convention next week are being advised by congressional security officials not to book hotel rooms under their own names or engage with protestersif confronted, Axios has learned. Let’s hope that nobody gets seriously hurt over the course of the next week. Hopefully the protesters will find ways to blow off steam that do not involve causing physical injury to anyone. Before I end this article, there is one more item that I wanted to mention. Those that are applying for jobs with the Harris campaign have “nine different options for pronouns” that they are allowed to choose from… The presidential campaign for Kamala Harris is now including special pronoun options for job applicants, as part of their commitment to diversity and inclusion. The job application for the Harris campaign includes nine different options for pronouns, including ‘xe/xem,’ ‘ze/hir,’ ‘ey/em,’ ‘fae/faer’ and ‘hu/hu.’ ‘Fae/faer,’ indicates a gender-fluid person but non-masculine, sometimes of Celtic origin. ‘Hu/hu,’ pronouns are third person gender-neutral pronouns referring to both a man and awoman. Can you imagine how exhausting it would be to try to remember the correct pronouns of everybody that you are working with? Our country is literally going insane, and that should deeply sadden all of us. I just hope that we don’t see too much insanity in Chicago this week, because political violence is not a solution for anything. ---------------------------------------------- Tectonic Shifts: Did God Use an Earthquake in The Middle East to Thwart an Attack On Israel?– By Mark Hitchcock - https://harbingersdaily.com/tectonic-shifts-did-god-use-an-earthquake-in-the-middle-east-to-thwart-an-attack-on-israel/ Tectonic shifts are taking place in the Middle East. We see tectonic shifts politically, certainly militarily, but now we’re seeing tectonic shifts literally. An earthquake in Syria thislast week has profoundly affected Hezbollah and could be one of the reasons why Iran and the terror organization have delayed their invasion of Israel. The assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, who was the leader of Hamas, took place in Tehran over two weeks ago on July 31. Iran is insisting that they are going to retaliate against Israel. However,Tehran added that one thing could prevent their attack: a ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza war. The problem is it appears everybody wants the ceasefire except Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Israel intends to prosecute this war to the end, which I believe they should. If they don’t, they’lljust be delaying the inevitable. I don’t think the Hamas leaders in Gaza and surrounding arab nations want this war to end either; they would much prefer to continue using it as leverage and a tool to stoke even more global hatred for Israel. The United States is currently accelerating its deployment of a carrier strike group to the Middle East, even sending a nuclear submarine to this area. Interestingly, the United States doesn’tnormally announce the whereabouts of our nuclear sub’s location—that’s a top secret. I think all of this is happening not because the US wants to escalate but because the US wants to de-escalate. We want the world to see that we have Israel’s back, and hopefully, this willcause Iran to stand down. A Wall Street Journal headline reads, “In Israel, Support Grows for Offensive Against Hezbollah.” There is increased support in Israel to get this thing started and neutralize Hezbollah.There’s also growing fear that Iran and Israel could attack each other’s nuclear facilities—that would, of course, be an apocalyptic scenario if that were to happen. Time will tell how extreme and extensive the war and the destruction will be. The main story I would like to highlight surrounds the earthquake that took place recently in Syria. There’s an article in the Jerusalem Post about this fascinating development. The headlineof the article says, “Heaven sent: Is Lebanon’s earthquake a testament to divine protection?“ Here is some intriguing information the article included: Hezbollah’s underground ambitions may now lie buried, turned to ashes before they had any chance to harm us. In our collective memory, Tisha B’Av has always been a solemn day, marked by the destruction of the First and Second Temples. To provide further context, Tisha B’Av is a day of sorrow and reflection, which usually falls on our calendar in early August. It marks the destruction of Solomon’s Temple in 586 BC andthe destruction of the Second Temple in AD 70. Those events happened on the same day. That’s not an accident—that’s divine providence. It was the hand of God showing the Jewish people that He was behind these destructions that took place because of theirdisobedience to Him. The article continues: This year, however, the day bore witness to what many of us view as a modern-day miracle—a testament to divine intervention that could not have come at a more crucial time. Reports confirmed a 5.4-magnitude earthquake that struck Syria and Lebanon, profoundly impacting the region. This was not just any seismic event; it may have served as an unanticipated yetdivine act that thwarted a grave threat against the Jewish nation. Hezbollah, an established proxy of Iran, had been preparing to launch an attack on Israel—a direct affront planned deliberately for Tisha B’Av. Many of the group’s underground tunnels,teeming with armaments, may have been reduced to rubble by an act of God to protect His children, which could effectively halt Hezbollah’s nefarious plan before it could materialize. It is hard to perceive it as mere coincidence that the earth shook on the very day Hezbollah had intended to send Israel into mourning once more. With tunnels collapsing and their arsenalsburied, what could have been a devastating assault turned into a day of bewildering relief and gratitude. Throughout history, Jews have faced adversaries who sought to dismantle our spirit and our faith. This recent event is yet another example that, irrespective of the gathered forces againstus, divine protection remains steadfast. Tisha B’Av, usually a day of sorrow and reflection, was transformed into a moment where we could see the hand of God in action, turning our potential despair into potential reassurance. It is possible that say that Iran and Hezbollah must now be reeling from this unforeseen disruption. We have previously discussed a number of reasons why Iran may be delaying this invasion. They may be trying to get more concessions out of the West. They may be waiting for air defense systemsto come in from Russia. They may just be afraid. They don’t really want to escalate as the US is moving more assets into the area. There is a multitude of reasons why they might be delaying, but one thing that has yet to be accounted for is that Iran may have had a plan for Tisha B’Av. This earthquake collapsed manyHezbollah tunnels, which may account for this further delay. One thing is sure in all of this: God is in control of the timetable and the scope of any attack by Iran and Hezbollah against Israel. God controls the time, and God controls the extent ofthat attack. Daniel 1:1-2, at the beginning of the book of Daniel in 605 BC, describes the Babylonians coming against Judah and Jerusalem. It reads: “In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim kingof Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he broughtthe vessels into the treasure house of his god.” It’s interesting to note all these verbs in these verses have to do with Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar came, besieged, carried away, and put these articles in the temple in Babylonia. Butin the middle of all the actions of King Nebuchadnezzar, it says, “the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand.” Nebuchadnezzar thought he was in total control of what was happening, but God was behind the scenes working, and it was God who delivereda Jehoiakim into his hand. God delivers into the enemy’s hand, and God delivers out of the enemy’s hand. We need to remember that with all that is happening in the world today. Pastor Greg Laurie of Harvest Riversideshared a story from history that aptly displays God’s ultimate hand of control over the affairs and wars of nations: History tells us that on the morning of the Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon stood gazing on the field of battle and described to his commanding officer the strategy for that day’s campaign.Then he declared that at the end of the day, England would be at the feet of France, and the Duke of Wellington, who was leading the British forces, would be the prisoner of Napoleon. After a pause, Napoleon’s commanding officer boldly said, “We must not forget that man proposes, but God disposes.” With arrogant pride, Napoleon shot back, “I want you to understand, sir, that Napoleon proposes and Napoleon disposes.” Commenting on that statement, Victor Hugo said, “After that moment, Waterloo was lost, for God sent rain and hail so that the troops could not be maneuvered as he had planned, and on thenight of the battle it was Napoleon who was prisoner of Wellington, and France was at the feet of England.” It’s a great and true statement: “man proposes, but God disposes.” And I think we saw that statement play out with the earthquake in the Middle East on Monday. That may have been theday (Tisha B’Av) that Hezbollah intended to attack, rubbing salt on their wound during their day of sorrow and reflection—But God had other plans. God’s hand sent this 5.4 magnitude earthquake, literally shifting the tectonic plates to cause this planto be thwarted. Now, that doesn’t mean that Hezbollah will not attack sometime in the future, but I think it was a message to the Jewish people. It was also a subtle message, I’m sure, that wasn’t loston Hezbollah. They saw these tunnels cave in, wondering, “Here we are making all these plans, and look what’s happening!” It had to give them pause. We need to remember that whatever happens in the Middle East, in fact, whatever happens in our lives, God always has the last word. People are proposing, they do what they want to do, butGod is disposing. God’s will will be done in His time and His way. God is working behind the scenes in His providence, ordering, orchestrating, and overseeing the events of history. Sometimes, God steps in a more open way, like this earthquake, and shows His Hand. This is just one little kind of glimmer of light, if you will, in this dark situation, to show us that Godis present and God is at work. I hope you’ll see that and look for that in your own life as well. --------------------------------------