Once again Iran is threatening to start an all-out war with Israel if Israeli warships enter the Persian Gulf as part of the maritime coalition present in the Gulf. Last week, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said they would help the U.S.-led effort to “protect the security of the Persian Gulf.” According to UPI online it stated; “Iran considers the maritime coalition “illegal” and said leaders in Washington and London fabricated the incidents to legitimize their presence in the Persian Gulf. Iran has been accused of attacking four oil tankers in May and two in June. “The United States and the United Kingdom must assume responsibility for the Zionists regime’s illegal presence in the Persian Gulf waters,” IRGC Navy Commander Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri told Lebanese TV channel Al Mayadeen Sunday. “Any presence of the Zionist regime in the Persian Gulf waters is illegal, as it may result in war and confrontation in the region.” The coalition is meant to protect the shipping lanes that pass through the Strait of Hormuz. About 20 percent of the world’s oil passes through that area.”
While reading this latest news concerning the increasing hostility between Israel and Iran over this situation in the Persian Gulf I was reminded once more of what the prophet Daniel wrote concerning a future war between Israel and Iran. In Daniel Chapter 10:1-14 Daniel had been mourning, praying a fasting concerning the visions he had been receiving concerning Israel’s future. This continued for three weeks and then the Messiah appeared to him in a vision and at the sight of His Messiah Daniel had no strength and his face turned deathly pale and he was helpless before the vision. (Vss.1-8) Then the Messiah spoke to Daniel and as Daniel listened to Him he fell into a deep sleep thoroughly exhausted at the vision of His Messiah. (Vs.9) Daniel was aroused out of his sleep when the Messiah touched Daniel with His hand and commended him for his faithfulness and said to him not to be afraid because He was about to speak further words to Daniel. He told Daniel to stand up and Daniel was still shaking at the vision He had been receiving of the Messiah. (Vss.10-11)
God has heard Daniel’s prayer from the first day he had prayed but for three weeks the answer had been delayed because the Messiah and Michael had been engaged in a battle in the atmosphere just above the circumference of the earth, with a powerful principality or demonic spirit that had power over the throne of Persia (Iran) (Vs.12) The Messiah then spoke to Daniel and said He had come to reveal the future concerning Israel. This whole passage of scripture concerns the latter days. (Vs.14 NASB)
In the Book of Daniel chapter ten should go before chapter nine. In Chapter ten the revelation came to Daniel during the third year of the reign of Cyrus. In chapter nine the understanding Daniel received came during the first year of Darius. Historically King Darius came after King Cyrus, not before him, so Daniel chapter ten should go before Daniel chapter nine. This makes sense as Daniel chapter nine is the message the Messiah gave to Daniel concerning the time of the end. The prophecy in Daniel chapter nine not only related to the first coming of the Messiah and His atoning death that would put an end to the need for perpetual sacrifices and offerings for sin (Daniel 9:27) but also to the future destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem by the Roman General Titus in 70AD. (Daniel 9:26)
While the atoning death of the Messiah put an end to the need for sacrifices and offerings for sin being made in the temple, the Romans literally stopped the Temple sacrifices 40 years later when the temple was destroyed by the Arab auxiliary Roman legions who utterly destroyed and levelled the temple buildings leaving not one stone upon another but all were thrown down. This is a historical fact that was also prophesied to happen by Daniel’s Messiah the Lord Jesus Himself when He was tabernacling among men as God the Son incarnated as a flesh and blood man who was fully human but also fully God. (Matthew 24:2) (John 1:14) Since 70AD Biblical Mosaic Judaism has not existed. There have only ever been two Biblical forms of Judaism. Mosaic Judaism and Messianic Judaism.
Now let’s continue with Daniel chapter ten. As the Messiah was speaking to Daniel he bowed with his face to the ground and was speechless before his Messiah. Then something that looked like a man’s hand touched Daniel’s lips and Daniel opened his mouth and began to speak. He confessed his helplessness to effectively speak about these matters with his Messiah. (Vss.15-17) The Messiah spoke and touched Daniel again imparting to him strength to prophesy, commanding him not to be afraid, that he was highly esteemed by God and spoke words of peace and strength to Daniel. Daniel was strengthened by the word the Messiah spoke to him. (Vss. 18-19) After this the Messiah said that He would return in the future to fight against the Prince of Persia (Iran) after this Turkey would come against Israel. (Vs.20)
As we see the Iranian regime becoming increasingly aggressive and militant against Israel we can see a war looming possibly in the not too distant future between them both. Once Israeli warships sail into the Persian Gulf Iran might launch a missile attack against Israel and its ships in the Persian Gulf, despite the presence of US warships in the Gulf. Having said this if or when Iran opens fire on Israel, the Messiah, now in his glorified and resurrected body in heaven, will once again, on behalf of Israel, fight the prince of Persia (the principality over Iran) and in this war Israel will prevail because Michael Israel’s prince (principality) will also be fighting for Israel.
When we see Israel on earth engaged in physical warfare with its implacable enemies in the Islamic world it is an outward sign of a spiritual battle going on in the unseen spiritual realm of the atmosphere above the circumference of the earth between the forces of Satan and the angels of God. In this battle the Messiah is also involved as is Michael and in the last days Daniel tells us that Michael will once again go to war against Israel’s enemies. (Vs.21) This war will ultimately escalate into the time of great tribulation when Israel will be centre stage. At this time Turkey will lead the invasion force into Israel and Iran, ‘having licked its wounds,’ will be with Turkey in that invasion. (Ezekiel 38:1-6)
In Daniel chapter ten the Messiah says to Daniel that once the principality over Persia has come after that the Principality over Greece will come. (Vs.20-21) The Messiah also said to Daniel that Michael would support the Messiah in His fight against that principality over Greece. The Hebrew word for Greece is “Yavan” or “Ionia.” Ionia was part of Alexander’s Middle-Eastern Empire and today its location is Turkey. Now according to the prophets Israel as a nation will be brought to the place where they will desperately need the intervention of their Messiah to save the nation and the whole world in fact from total annihilation. (Matthew 24:21-22) The survivors in Israel will see Him whom they have pierced and be reconciled to their Messiah when He appears. (Zechariah 12:10-14)
At that time, for the sake of his elect and for the survival of the world, God will send the Lord Jesus back to earth, to rapture and resurrect the elect saints both Jews and Gentile believers in the Messiah, save Israel, destroy their enemies and establish the Messianic Kingdom. (Jeremiah 30:1-10) (Matthew 24:29-31) (Revelation 11:15-18) It will be a kingdom in which all of the bond slaves of the Lord Jesus will co-reign with Him on earth along with the redeemed of Israel in the Lord Jesus’ millennial glory. They will all co-reign with Him from Jerusalem in the age to come. Let Iran sabre rattle all they like. Let their variolitic rhetoric concerning Israel hit the airwaves, their voice will be silenced when the Lord Jesus Israel’s Messiah and Michael take their stand against Iran, when God ‘goes to bat’ for Israel!
