NEWS & VIEWS: IRAN, NUCLEAR POWER FOR PEACE?

ONCE AGAIN THE Middle East is headline news with the recent war in Lebanon. Much of the news coming from this region has focussed on Israel and Iran. The stated aim of the Iranian President, is that Israel must be ‘wiped off the map’. His claims that the Holocaust was a ‘myth’ drew further international condemnation.

Iran is also determined to become a nuclear power, a desire that is causing great concern particularly in Israel and the U.S.A. In February 1993 it was announced that deposits of uranium had been discovered in Iran for the first time. In view of this Iran made the decision to begin mining and processing its own uranium for its nuclear power programme. Although Iran’s stated aim is to build 20 nuclear power stations in as many years to meet its growing energy demands, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher in Washington noted that this ambitious and costly pursuit of a complete nuclear fuel cycle only made sense if the intent was to support a nuclear weapons programme.

Then at the beginning of 2006 scientists in Iran announced that they had made an important breakthrough in their attempts to develop nuclear power. The scientists’ work means Iran can now begin building its nuclear power stations and may in future be able to make nuclear weapons. However, the Iranian President insists that he only plans to use Iran’s nuclear technology in a peaceful way and has resisted all efforts by the U.N. to persuade his country to cease its nuclear ambitions.

Iran's nuclear facilities

The concern that Iran might gain a nuclear arsenal within a few years has prompted a call for sanctions to be agreed by the U.N., with a view to putting pressure upon the country to renounce its nuclear ambitions. However the threat of sanctions may not be sufficient to deter Iran from continuing with its nuclear programme and military options may need to be considered.

In April 2006 a report in the New Yorker magazine suggested that the Pentagon was stepping up plans for a possible air strike on Iranian nuclear facilities. The Washington Post also reported that the U.S.A. may be considering military action, although stating that no attack was likely in the short term. However this report was denied by American government sources.

There are also rumours that Israel is understandably concerned, given the anti-Semitic rhetoric coming from Tehran and will not stand by and allow Iran to become armed with nuclear missiles. In December 2005 military sources revealed that Israel’s armed forces were ordered by prime minister Ariel Sharon to be ready by the end of March for possible strikes on secret uranium enrichment sites in Iran. This order came after Israeli intelligence warned the government that Iran was operating uranium enrichment facilities, that although believed to be small were concealed in civilian locations.

Then in February 2006 NBC Newsweek reported:

‘As scary as the idea may sound, the Israelis may not be bluffing. Their defence experts display no doubt whatsoever that Israel’s Air Force can cripple Iran's nuclear program if necessary. The trick they say, is to go after the system’s weak spots. “You need to identify the bottlenecks,” says a senior Israeli military source, asking not to be named for security reasons. “There are not very many. If you take them out, then you really undermine the project.” Shlomo Brom, a former Israeli armed forces chief of strategic planning, says the destruction of two or three key facilities would probably suffice. He singles out the Natanz uranium-enrichment complex and the conversion plant at Esfahan as critical.’

These events serve to illustrate the fragile nature of peace in the Middle East and the impact this volatile region has upon world stability.

A striking example of the volatile nature of the Middle East came when Hezbollah crossed the border, attacked Israeli soldiers and abducted two soldiers as hostages to be used in a prisoner exchange. Israel responded to increasing attacks by Hezbollah and the abduction of its soldiers by attacking Hezbollah positions in Lebanon. This was met with a barrage of rockets from Hezbollah who have fired well over 3,000 rockets into northern Israel. The death toll at the time of writing this article stands at around 1,000 Lebanese and 400 Israelis.

Hezbollah Militants

Hezbollah is an organisation founded in 1982 by a group of Muslim clerics. This terrorist group has the stated aim of destroying the State of Israel, arguing that Israel has no right to exist because it has been established on Muslim lands. Hezbollah has from its inception been supported by Iran, which provides the faction with considerable financial support and arms. The escalating war has underlined the extent of the armaments supplied to Hezbollah by Iran and some reports indicate that up to 1,000 Iranian Revolutionary Guards are currently helping Hezbollah. It has been suggested that Iran instigated this conflict to divert attention from its nuclear ambitions and is fighting a war by proxy. It remains to be seen if America or the U.N. succeed in curtailing Iran’s nuclear ambitions, or if Iran will succeed in driving Israel off the world map.

The increasingly instability in the world does not bode well for the future. Is the world heading inexorably towards global confrontation and possible nuclear war? Will America or the U.N. succeed in curtailing Iran’s nuclear ambitions, or will Iran succeed in driving Israel off the world map?

The Bible alone has the answer to these questions for it contains prophecies which tell us what will happen in the not so distant future. Before we explore these we first need to look at a little history to set the scene and help explain the current situation in the Middle East. Modern day Iran was originally known as Persia. The country has long been known as Iran (land of the Aryans. by its people. However for centuries it has been called Persia by Europeans, primarily because of the writings of Greek historians.

In the Bible we find Iran referred to by the name Persia and the prophecies regarding Persia give an interesting insight into what the future holds for this country that seeks the destruction of the State of Israel - whose land and people were chosen by God to be the nucleus of His kingdom on earth.

Persia is an ancient adversary of Israel and history records how this nation defeated ancient Babylon (now in Iraq. which included the land of Israel in their empire. The Bible tells us that the Babylonian king called Nebuchadnezzar had previously invaded the land of Israel and deported the Jews to Babylon. When the Persians conquered Babylon, the Persian king Cyrus made a decree that allowed the Jews to return to their own land – Palestine or Israel as it is called today.

Now coupled with increasing anxiety regarding modern day Iran’s nuclear ambitions, is the closer relationship developing between Russia and Iran. Since 2001, Russia has been helping Iran build a nuclear power station and in an attempt to seek a compromise to the current situation, offered to process all of Iran’s uranium. Currently Iran is resisting this offer, but if world pressure pushes Iran into accepting this compromise, it could defuse the current crisis and bring Iran into an even closer relationship with Russia by making it dependent on Russia to supply its energy needs.

The time prior to the return of Jesus Christ is often referred to in the Bible as the ‘latter days’ or ‘latter years’. Concerning these ‘latter years’ the prophet Ezekiel wrote: ‘…the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ‘Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal’ (Ezekiel 38:1-3).

Map of the Middle East

The identification of the various names in this prophecy lead us to conclude that the invading power will be a confederacy of nations led by Russia. (For further information on this topic see the special issue entitled Light on Bible Prophecy – volume 19.3.. Ezekiel speaks of how this power will come down against the land of Israel from ‘the far North’ (Ezekiel 38.15).

‘In the latter years you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate; they were brought out of the nations, and now all of them dwell safely.’ (Ezekiel 38:8)

The restoration of the Jews back to their own land has been a modern day sign of the power of God revealed in the earth and a fulfilment of His word spoken so long ago.

Ezekiel gives a list of nations who will form an alliance with Russia, a power which in the latter days is described as having many people associated with her. Ezekiel prophesied: ‘Prepare yourself and be ready, you and all your companies that are gathered about you; and be a guard for them.’ (Ezekiel 38:7)

So Russia is to be a ‘guard’ or defender of the nations associated with her. Ezekiel gives a list of those confederate nations: ‘Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them, all of them with shield and helmet.’ (Ezekiel 38:5). These nations are today recognised as being Islamic nations and are implacable enemies of Israel. The Bible describes the confederacy that will attack Israel in these words:

‘.. you will come from your place out of the far north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great company and a mighty army. You will come up against my people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land. It will be in the latter days that I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me, when I am hallowed in you, O Gog, before their eyes.’ (Ezekiel 38:15-16)

So this great invasion will arise out of the far North, sweeping down into the land and devastating the nation of Israel. It is at this time that half the city of Jerusalem will be taken and the nation will be in great distress (Zechariah 14.2). However, in this time of dire need Israel will finally cease trusting in their own strength and turn back to the God of their fathers for help. Ezekiel records God will respond to their pleas for deliverance, for it is His land and they are His people:

‘…it will come to pass at the same time, when Gog comes against the land of Israel,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘that my fury will show in my face…And I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed; I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. ‘Thus I will magnify myself and sanctify myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the LORD.’ (Ezekiel 38:18, 22-23)

This intervention by God in human affairs will affect the whole world. The nations will be forced to recognise His hand and power at work in the earth. The purpose of God is to destroy the kingdoms of men and set up His glorious Kingdom upon the earth (Daniel 2.44). The nations will resist, but in the end it will be futile for as we read in the Psalms: ‘Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD and against his Anointed…He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The LORD shall hold them in derision. Then he shall speak to them in his wrath, And distress them in his deep displeasure: ‘Yet I have set my King on my holy hill of Zion.’ (Psalm 2:1-6)

The Lord Jesus will return as God’s appointed King, the Prince of Peace and Zion (Jerusalem. will be his capital city. From there he will reign over the whole earth, dispensing justice and Divine law, and bringing all nations into subjection to his Father. No more will nation rise up against nation to go to war, but it will be a time of true and lasting world-wide peace when the earth is filled with the glory of God. (See also Psalm 48:2; Isaiah 9:6,7; Jeremiah 3:17; Micah 4:2; Zechariah 14:16..

From a human perspective there seems no solution to the continual cycle of terrorism, war and misery that grows ever more menacing. The trouble in Middle Eastern countries fuelled by Iran and her Arab neighbours is not confined to these countries alone, but terrorism affects many nations of the world. Bible students expect such things to get much worse before they get better. Jesus spoke of these last days prior to his return in these words:

‘…on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; ‘men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth.’ (Luke 21:25-26)

Fear will fill the earth as mankind views the death and destruction that is beyond his ability to control. However, in contrast, Bible students can look past the time of trouble that precedes the establishment of the Kingdom of God and look forward to the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who faithfully live out their lives now and trust Him, will be given everlasting life in the Kingdom age to come.

So the choice is yours, you can live out a brief life hoping that the world will get better and that man will not destroy himself. Alternatively you can believe and trust the Word of God, take refuge in the Lord Jesus and find true life in His coming Kingdom. We urge you to make the right choice whilst there is still time!

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