Recent events. Future implications. Peter Sammons considers
Blame game begins
Iran, it would appear, has been humbled. Its nuclear ambitions are curtailed at this point. Christians wonder to what extent recent events may presage the End Time. As regards Iran specifically, this 4 minute video is helpful, albeit we can certainly debate theological details: https://www.gotquestions.org/Iran-end-times.html
So what’s next? My guess is that Israel will ultimately get the blame even as the world and the middle east region heave a collective sigh of relief that Israel has undermined – and indirectly eliminated – Iran’s immediate nuclear ambitions. It will presumably take Iran some decades to recover and rebuild, not so much it’s damaged infrastructure, but rather its political alliances and ambitions. Iran’s big buddy ‘Russia’ has also recently been humbled through its “limited military operation”, so no direct help from that quarter. Iran was indeed helping Russia in its Ukraine adventure – that help will presumably now be far more muted. China may also think twice about throwing its weight around (particularly against Taiwan) given its strategic BRICs alliances are looking shaky and the outcomes of wars are (always) decidedly uncertain, as recent events demonstrate. Today the overall balance of power has been disorganised and it will take time for the political ‘dust to settle’. One day Mullah-dominated Iran may reemerge with much the same ambitions, but I suspect we’re talking decades for the nuclear/ballistic aspect to dominate again. None of this suggests any reduction of ‘terror’ outrages, however. Iran’s Mullahs will want revenge, no doubt …..
Final solution sought
But Israel will get the immediate blame. I foresee that the ‘world’ will say as a result of recent middle east difficulties that “we cannot allow these things to persist, so we must build a durable peace” (haven’t we heard that one before?). The theme will be, whatever the middle east’s problems, Israel lies at their heart, so there must be a permanent settlement involving a “final” two-state “solution”. This viewpoint conveniently forgets that the region has never been at peace since the time of the Romans*, and that Islam itself promotes jihad in its varying forms. To evaluate these truths would require honesty and effort from our political classes. Much easier to blame the Jews …..
* unless you consider the Ottoman Empire a period of externally imposed ‘peace’
Europe’s vacuum filled ….
Expect, then, political pressure against Israel to build. Moslems are flocking to Europe and up-ending ethnic, cultural, and religious realities. Europe has no religious faith but is importing an oven-ready faith that has considerable social and political ambitions. Something here of a vacuum being filled. See for example Patrick Sookhdeo “Faith, Power and Territory” (2008). It is not as though we have not been warned! Europe’s new arrivals will promote their anti-Israel campaign from there. If ‘Orthodox’ Russia is rehabilitated and / or aligns with Europe one touch-point of convenience will be mutual alliance against Israel – always of course in the pursuit of ‘peace’! Russia might even say that wars of expansion must be resisted!
If Sunni Islam is today relieved by Israel’s undermining of Shia Islam’s present militancy, Sunni gratitude will be short lived. It is faintly possible that a genuine ambition to live with Israel may emerge amongst today’s pragmatic Arab leaders, but such design will be short lived – again perhaps just a few decades, but probably much less. Also, we must observe, America’s ‘Democrats’ will assume power again at some point, and these have unfinished business to conclude against Israel. One day the stage will be set for applying pariah status to Israel.
Christian commentator Joel Richardson has in the past conjectured that the Bible’s “king of the north”, “king of the east” and “king of the south” associated with the end times might be resurgent Turkey/Syria, Iran/Persia, and Egypt. If so this might suggest that in some way the superpowers and Europe/EU may have rendered themselves irrelevant in some manner, with the locus of regional power being refocused around the ancient neighbours of Israel. Robert Sheldon’s valuable 47pp study “Glory of Kings – Searching Out God’s Concealed End Time Truth” (freely downloadable and linked here: https://christian-publications-int.com/images/PDF/GloryOfKings.pdf ) in a helpful grid chart highlights, visually, how so many of the surrounding nations of Israel have an end-time role in the outworking of God’s holy purposes:
Praise God!
What we can say at this time is that the global ‘community’ (can that ever be a suitable noun for this troubled world?) is less and less peaceful and more and more uncertain as we enter a period of (unprecedented?) turmoil. Last month Christian Comment explored that India, Russia, and Turkey are seeking to recover past ‘glories’ (see links below). India and Pakistan have unfinished business. South America generally seems to be descending into political and social lawlessness (and lawlessness seems to be a feature of end time scenario, ultimately expressed in a ‘Man of Lawlessness’ : 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12). Europe (EU) is arguably irrelevant – certainly where the big geopolitical developments are concerned, its much vaunted ‘soft power’ being revealed as no power at all. And still today Europe debates whether it can afford to defend itself, militarily!
Yet our Lord Jesus is 100% clear when He told us what to expect. “When these things begin to happen, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” This is Jesus’ call to faith and optimism during challenging times, not to fear: Luke 21:28 .
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Peter Sammons’ book “Last Days and End Times – Making the Connection” is freely available in PDF here: https://christian-publications-int.com/images/PDF/LastDays.pdf , and can be purchased as a printed book here: https://christian-publications-int.com/Last_Days_and_End%20Times.html
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World leaders trying to recreate the past – three interlinked articles:
1) Putin of Russia: https://christiancomment.org/2025/05/20/putin-and-the-old-russia/
2) Erdogan of Turkey: https://christiancomment.org/2025/05/20/erdogan-and-the-old-turkey/
3) Modi of India: https://christiancomment.org/2025/05/20/modi-and-the-old-india-2/
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