israel – Parson Place News and Views

Which Is It: ISIS, ISIL, or IS?

Maybe you’ve noticed that President Obama prefers to call the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (or ISIS) by the alternate name of ISIL (which means the Islamic State in the Levant). So, what’s the difference?

Actually, there’s a big difference. ISIS is a much more accurate description of the present status of the terrorist army because they currently control only a section of territory which overlaps the borders of Iraq and Syria. Surprisingly, this comprises a significant portion of the ancient land of Assyria, including its ancient capital city which continues to go by the name of Nineveh. Interestingly, one of the terrorists’ first acts after taking control of Nineveh was to destroy the memorial to the reluctant prophet Jonah who was sent by God to warn the ancient city of its impending destruction. Upon ancient Nineveh’s repentance, however, God relented in His judgment and let them continue a while longer. The destruction of Jonah’s memorial may have been intended to be a jab at Israel and Judaism, but it was actually a poke in God’s eye which He will most definitely avenge in His own good time.

The name of ISIL, on the other hand, reflects what ISIS hopes to control eventually. The Levant is a wide swath of territory which begins at the southeastern border of Turkey and arcs eastward, southward, westward and northward to envelope the Middle East along the Mediterranean coast, including the nation of Israel. It is noteworthy that this is territory which the ancient nation of Assyria controlled and which the ancient Ottoman Empire also controlled. A quick search of Google Images using the word Levant will reveal several pages of map images which reveal this fact. Following is one I’ve linked to from World Net Daily’s site which they evidently obtained from NowtheEndBegins.com’s blog.

So, why does President Obama and his cabinet and state department insist on calling it ISIL? That’s a good question. Are they attempting to flatter this terrorist group in order to try and curry favor with them or are they secretly in support of ISIS’ goal of controlling all of this territory? Neither of these possibilities is very comforting to supporters of Israel, since neither naïveté nor treachery in this case is a benefit to Israel. Frankly, I can’t be sure which one of these possibilities to suspect, since I can’t possibly know what’s in President Obama’s heart, but I find it exceptionally disturbing that he insists on using a name for a terrorist group which both caters to their aspirations and ignores Israel’s place in the region.

Moreover, he refuses to call it the Islamic State (or IS) either, which is what they prefer to call themselves lately, because he says it is neither Islamic nor a state. Just what does he think the IS in ISIL stands for then: International Station? I just have to shake my head in disbelief.

With my face toward Heaven I ask, “How long, O Lord, before You rapture Your Church and visit Your wrath on the wicked of this earth?” Right now would be a very good time to call us all home!

To expand your reading on this topic with another perspective, read World Net Daily’s article, “ISIS VS. ISIL: WHY OBAMA STANDS ALONE”. I found RoseAnn Salantiri’s quote in this article particularly intriguing, and I strongly recommend you read her entire article for the full details (you will need to search the page for “ISIS v. ISIL Does it matter?” to find the article). You might also consider reading “THE CODED MESSAGE OBAMA DELIVERS WHEN HE SAYS ISIL INSTEAD OF ISIS”. As always, I welcome your comments below.

Is the End Near?

Maybe you’ve seen the cartoon of two men standing by the roadside holding a sign that states, “The end is near.” A smug driver keeps on driving and calls them religious nuts. The caption beneath the cartoon simply states, “Maybe we should just change our sign to say, ‘Bridge out ahead.'”

It certainly helps to have a message that clearly conveys the truth of what one is trying to proclaim. So, when we as Bible-believing Christians say “the end is near,” what do we mean by that? I can’t speak for anyone else, but I’ll tell you what I mean by it.

When I say “the end is near,” I mean that the end of wickedness and demonic control and influence in this world is near. I mean that the end of human government as we know it is near, because Jesus Christ, our Savior, Lord, and King is close to returning and taking over the rule of this world once and forever. So, what makes me think the end is near? Well, the fulfillment of numerous prophetic Scriptures that are related to “the last days” is the primary reason I’m convinced that the time is at hand for Jesus to return.

Perhaps the most significant prophetic fulfillment that indicates the end of this age is near is the restoration of the nation of Israel as a people and a sovereign government in the ancient land of Israel. While this is prophesied in numerous places in the Old Testament prophets, let me just list three references and you can check them out for yourself in your Bible. They are Isaiah 43:5-7, Jeremiah 32:36-44, and Ezekiel 37:15-28. In each of these passages, God promises to bring the people of Israel back into their original land after they have been dispersed for many years all around the world. Although every last descendant of Israel has not yet returned to the Promised Land, they have nonetheless been a sovereign nation in their own land for more than 64 years now since they were “born at once” (Isaiah 66:8 NKJV) at midnight on May 15, 1948. Since Jesus foretold that the generation who gets to witness the fulfillment of last days prophecies will not end until Jesus returns in His glory (Matthew 24:34; Mark 13:30; and Luke 21:32), we know that we are that generation!

Based on my understanding of the last days prophecies, I am personally convinced that we now stand at the threshold of the period of time called The Tribulation which will be the final seven years before Jesus returns to earth to set up His everlasting Kingdom. I further believe that the next war between Israel and one or more of their enemies (Iran, Syria, Egypt, etc.) will result in Israel further expanding their national borders and will culminate with a seven-year peace agreement specified by the prophet Daniel (Daniel 9:20-27, specifically verse 27).

Now, I’m not a prophet or the son of a prophet, nor do I play one on TV, but just by studying the prophetic fulfillments and what’s left to be fulfilled, I’ve come to this conclusion. I won’t know if I’m right until Israel’s next war, of course. Either it will turn out as I’ve projected or it won’t. If it doesn’t turn out as I’ve predicted, then no harm, no foul, and I just back away from it as an incorrect guess. What is NOT an incorrect guess, however, is that eventually, Israel WILL make a seven-year peace agreement with the man we all know as the Antichrist. Just when it will happen is in God’s hands.

While considering the horrific conditions and events that will occur on the earth during the Tribulation as they are described for us in both Jesus’ warnings in the Gospels and in the book of Revelation, what is perhaps the most exciting part about the impending return of Christ is the preceding event known as the Rapture. Though the word “rapture” is not used in the Bible, the synonymous phrase “caught up” IS used (1 Thessalonians 4:17 NKJV). Thus, those who try to dismiss the actuality of the rapture based on the fact that the word is not used in the text are handily refuted because the concept of the rapture is clearly defined in the very phrase “caught up.” Although there is much debate as to the timing of this event – pre-Tribulation, mid-Tribulation, or post-Tribulation – there can be no denying that the event is clearly described by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

Those of us who believe in a pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church find the prospect of the beginning of the Tribulation period all the more exciting, because we are expecting to be snatched from the earth at any time now. Since we don’t know when it is going to happen until it actually happens, we will simply have to wait and see if our understanding is correct. However, I believe that the recent political elections in the United States which re-elected the most anti-Israel American President in history will greatly contribute to this dramatic conclusion of the current age. Furthermore, I strongly believe that his anti-business policies will finish off the struggling U. S. economy, which will create a domino effect around the world that will culminate in the perfect environment for establishing the much-dreaded One World Government led by the greatly feared antichrist.

Yes, indeed, I believe the end is VERY near! In any case, I echo what the Apostle John wrote at the end of his book of the Revelation, “… Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20 NKJV).