Friday, June 27, 2025
Saturday night, June 21, 2025, President Donald Trump ordered the bombing of three known Iranian nuclear sites with 30,000 lb. bunker-buster bombs that, in his words “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear ambitions. This is yet another end-time escalation poised to plunge nations into WWIII. For decades Iran’s Islamic leadership chanted “Death to America” and “Death to Israel”. Islamic nations have little to no regard for the Land of Israel. And as seen by many of the US liberal left Democrats and in many centers of academia antisemitism is increasingly all the rage. Ultimately, all nations will unite against Israel for its destruction according to God’s word at Zech. 14:2.
Yet another end-time war has begun. Iran has promised retaliatory strikes claiming that “every American civilian or military personnel in the region became a legitimate target.” (Source) Some now claim the world is safer as a result of bombing Iran’s nuclear sites, but in truth, the start of Antichrist’s 7-year rule is nearer. War does not beget God’s peace. Its Satan’s tool to kill people created in the image of God. War does not bring salvation repentance, faith and forgiveness, but the destruction of lives and families, confusion, unforgiveness, isolation, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicides and more. War fuels the money lusts of military industrial complexes. But God said of believers, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:3–5). Have we ears to hear?
No one, including government and military leaders, should be naïve to think that Iran and its dictatorial allies of Russia, China and North Korea, all having nuclear capabilities, will not now form closer alliances for a calculated destructive response. That response may not occur in the next few weeks or months, but a response is coming. And by former President Joe Biden’s open borders policies, criminal cells of bad actors have been allowed to infiltrate America to further decimate our country. In what time is left every true believer must prepare to endure to the end as Jesus taught at Matt. 24:13. The rationale that Iran had to be stopped from getting a nuclear weapon is indeed valid, but it’s not an enduring answer to stopping generational hatred.
Biblically, Israel is the epicenter of the end-times and all Western Christian theologians, pastors and Bible teachers know that truth, but most have been deceived by Dispensational Theology to believe that the church will be raptured even before the tribulation begins. I can only hope and pray that you and your loved ones have believed and prepared in the testimony of Jesus Christ who said that He gathers His elect in the resurrection rapture “Immediately after the tribulation” (Matt. 24:29–31), “at the last day” (John 6:40, 44, 54). Ask yourself, are you one of “His elect”? If so, Jesus is speaking directly to you and me. If not, then Christ’s end-time testimony is made null and void which is what Satan, the deceiver, desires. Who will you believe, God or man?
Even if Iran can no longer pose a nuclear threat to Israel or the US, it’s practically certain that Iran can and will continue methodically attacking Israel through conventional military means. I don’t believe for a minute that it’s even reasonable to believe that destroying ancient Persia’s nuclear ambitions will curb their centuries-old hatred of Israel, the land God promised His elect as an everlasting possession. As true believers by true new birth faith in Jesus Christ ours is the obligation and mandate of faith to believe, honor and prepare in His end-time testimony rather than exchanging His word in order to satisfy the epiphany and traditions of man, Mark 7:13. It’s for believers’ benefit that God gave us His myriad of end-time prophetic details, and to ignore those warnings and provisions will result in catastrophic offense and hatred, see Matt. 24:10.
Then suddenly in the midst of this war blitzkrieg President Trump announced on Truth Social: “CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE! It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a Complete and Total CEASEFIRE (in approximately 6 hours from now, when Israel and Iran have wound down and completed their in progress, final missions!), for 12 hours, at which point the War will be considered, ENDED!” (Source) But within mere hours of said “CEASEFIRE” rockets were fired from Iran and Israel naturally retaliated with massive air strikes. (Source) When will this madness end? And who will end it? This seedbed of relentless war against Israel is what will bring the 7-year “covenant with many” (Dan. 9:27), “according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders” (2 Thess. 2:9). In the near future there may be more ceasefire attempts, but will fail until “the man of sin … the son of perdition” (2 Thess. 2:3) makes his covenant with many which will bring a highly deceptive and temporal peace to all Middle East nations. I’m not a prophet, but that day is closer than many now realize.
And if you’ve seen the reactions of people in government, corporate and alt-media to President Trump’s “Ceasefire” announcement, many offered congratulations. Others, not so much. With that in mind, consider how eager the world is for peace between Israel and other Middle East nations. That eagerness will explode in unprecedented measures when the real biblical deal of the Dan. 9:27 “covenant with many” is actually made. The world is anxiously awaiting a lasting peace deal for Middle East nations. And most of the unbelieving world will fall head-over-heels for “the man” who brings that 7-year peace covenant because they have no Christian knowledge or discernment of the man. Similarly, even many believers will be deceived as they were taught they could ignore the testimony of Jesus who said “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet” (Matt. 24:15). They’ll be deceived because false theologians, pastors and teachers promised them they would be raptured before they’d “see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet”. The world ignorantly yearns for Antichrist, but worse, many professing believers will disbelieve that Antichrist is who he really is because they’ve been deceived by the hopelessly false pre-trib rapture narrative.
And where is the organized church in all this? Asleep at the pulpits and passively waiting for its unbiblical pre-trib rapture to rescue it from the many tribulation troubles to come. Where are the watchmen burdened with warning believers of desperately hard and difficult times to come? Into seclusion they have been driven by church leaders who wouldn’t allow the testimony of Jesus to prepare believers for the trials and tribulation to come. In truth, the 7-year tribulation will purify and refine many to the glory of God who will return for His “glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish” (Eph. 5:27). As it is now, many Western churches have given themselves to worldly cultures as significant portions of God’s word have been made of no effect through traditions of men; another promise of Jesus.
My new book “ON EAGLES’ WINGS” explains in detail how to know Christ and find God’s Bozrah sheepfold of safety and place of provision for the last 1,260 days of the great tribulation.
Marlin J. Yoder
