Various political and religious commentators are drawing parallels between Donald Trump and Hitler’s Germany. Emmanuel Todd has a different take on this issue in a recent article. He argues that European institutions are becoming the real far-right, because they are out of touch with reality.
Kaiser Y Kuo has written an important article about the role of China in the modern world called The Great Reckoning.
Daniel had a vision of a Terrible Beast.
It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left (Dan 7:7).He saw an Empire that would crush and devour many other nations.
In a recent interview Jeffrey Sachs described a nation that is ruthlessly trampling and destroying other nations. He is not a Christian, but I think he got a glimpse of the Terrible Beast.
Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people (Matt 4:23).
Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 8:12).
The good news of the kingdom is that Jesus has been made king and he has sent the Holy Spirit to establish his kingdom throughout the earth. The Book of Acts is the story of the Holy Spirit beginning the task of bringing his kingdom into being.
Some Christians say they cannot believe in the resurrection of Jesus. This is not logical. If God cannot raise someone from the dead, he is not much of a god, but just a bystander in the universe. So why believe in him? If God exists, then anything is possible, including miracles. So the key issue is not belief in the resurrection, but belief in God. If God exists, then raising someone being raised from the dead is no problem.
Some Christians say that believing in the resurrection is not sensible in a scientific age. This is not logical. Man learning to do science, does not change God, or limit what he can do. Scientific study by man cannot take away God’s power to raise the dead.
Many scientists assume that miracles cannot happen. Not surprisingly, they find no evidence of God in the universe. However, assuming what you are trying to prove is not logical.
A television reporter asked a rationalist if he believed in God. That rationalist said that we have been looking round the universe for a long time, but have not found God, so he must not exist. That is not logical. First of all, many people have found him. More importantly, the fact that something has not been found does not prove that it does not exist; just that it has not been found. Many things exist that have not yet been found. Fortunately, God can be found by those who seek him sincerely.
God exists
Jesus is risen
Faith is logical
Some would say that he is a retributive judge, who cannot forgive unless the penalty for sin has been paid.
Others would say that he is kind, forgiving and merciful.
The first view is not even an Old Testament portrayal of. Ezekiel 18:24-32 tells a different story of God’s justice.
If a wicked person turns away from the wickedness they have committed and does what is just and right, they will save their life. Because they consider all the offenses they have committed and turn away from them, that person will surely live; they will not die. Yet the Israelites say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Are my ways unjust, people of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust (Ezek 18:27-29)?If the person turns from their wickedness, they will live. Their wickedness will no longer be held against them, but will be forgotten. The Israelites said that this was unjust, but God disagreed. He said they were unjust, so they did not understand God’s justice.
At the end of the prophet’s message, God makes his attitude clear.
Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD (Ezek 18:31-32).God does not want people to die for their sins. He wants to give them a new heart and a new spirit. He does not take pleasure in people being punished.
If we look at the life of Jesus, the answer to the question above is obvious. When he met ordinary, broken people he did not demand that they face retribution for their sins. He did not say that the had to pay the price of justice before he could forgive them and heal them.
When the leper to him asking for mercy, he reached and touched him. He then healed him (Mark 1:40-41). Jesus forgave the sin of the paralysed man who was lowered through the roof (Mark 2:5,11-12). He did not require him to meet the demands of justice first.
Imagine this end to the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-31).
While the lost son was still a long way off, his father saw him, and sent a servant to explain that he wanted to forgive him, but that he would have to repay the debt he owed before he could do so.This does not have the same ring as the parable that Jesus told.
Imagine this ending to the parable.
While the lost son was still a long way off, his father saw him. He wanted to forgive him, but he couldn’t until the debt was paid. So, the father called the older son and demanded that he pay the debt that his brother owned. When the son had repaid the debt at considerable cost, the father welcomed the lost son that he had never stopped loving.This does not make sense, but it is what many Christians preach.
Paul explained what God has done in his letter to the Romans.
All are put right freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus (Rom 3:24).This redemption came freely by his grace.
He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his restraint God passed over the sins previously committed—he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time (Romans 3:25-26).God chose to pass over sins committed beforehand. He was happy to forgive, because this demonstrated his righteousness.
Some preachers say that God demands propitiation for sin, ie his wrath has to be satisfied. That is not true. It is the spiritual powers of evil who had to be propitiated, because humans had let them grab authority over the earth from them.
I never had to propitiate my father, ie give him a gift to calm down his wrath. Everyone would agree that a son who had to propitiate the anger of his father with a gift had a terrible father.
The idea that God needs retribution for sin before he can forgive them is a distortion of his character. It is Satan who accused people and demands retribution against them. Jesus died to satisfy his demands for a ransom.
I get upset when I hear preachers using the example of the Widow’s Mite when attempting to raise funds for their ministry or church building programme. I explain why in Widows Mite.
During the first five centuries of Christian history, a number of ecumenical councils were held. Tradition says that these councils settled outstanding theological disputes. For example, the Council of Nicea in AD 325 is said to have established the doctrine of the Trinity. This is not really true. The theology of the Trinity is settled in the nature and character of God, not by human councils. Those who listen to the Spirit of God will find the truth, whereas human councils will usually arrive at a convenient compromise.
Christian historians who back the council movement identify the meeting of elders and apostles in Jerusalem that is recorded in Acts 15 as the first ecumenical council. A careful reading of the text does not support this view. This meeting was not a council that set a pattern for the church; it was actually a shambles that made unwise decisions.
The problem arose when the gospel spread to Antioch. Paul and Barnabas had a relationship with apostles and elders in Jerusalem from the time when they both lived and preached there (Acts 9:26-30). They were sent up to Jerusalem to talk to them about the problem (Acts 15:2). Several things went wrong at this council.
The shambles described in Acts 15 shows the dangers of trying to deal with problems on the mission field with church councils, committees and government. See Church Shambles.
I have been reading Matthew’s gospel again. I am struck by how central healing and deliverance from evil spirits was to his ministry.
Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them (Matt 4:23-24).
When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick (Matt 8:16).
And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him 36 and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed (Matt 14:35-36).Then there are all the individual healings that Matthew describes in his account of Jesus ministry.
I have just finished reading a book called Strange Religion by Nijay Gupta. This book provides a description of Christianity in the first couple of centuries.
Nijay explains that the first Christians seemed weird to the people of Roman society. The behaviour of Christians was totally different from any religion that the Romans knew. This is why the gospel was so appealing and the church grew so fast. It was radically different and better than any other religion of the time.
When I look at the church today, the opposite seems to be the case.
Christian music seems very like secular music, with similar genres, and only the message being different.
Christian worship seems to be secular rock concerts with groups of people and similar musical instruments on the stage.
Christian schools are very similar to secular schools, with a slight difference in curriculum.
Christian seminaries function in a way that is very similar to other tertiary education institutions.
Christian political parties function in a way that is similar to other political parties.
Christian buildings don’t look much different from secular buildings.
I see that Donald Trump has instructed the Census Bureau to undertake a new population census. According to the US Post-Enumeration Survey (PES), eight states were overcounted while six were undercounted in the 2020 population census. Trump is concerned that these discrepancies distorted representation in Congress, which is based on census numbers, but there are a couple of issues with his concern.
The biggest threat to the fairness of electoral district boundaries is gerrymandering. Successive governments from both parties have gerrymandered congressional districts to the extent that many never change hands. Introducing a fairer way to set boundaries would contribute more to fair elections than better population estimates.
The other problem is that conducting a census of the population is almost impossible in the modern world. I have explained the difficulties faced in New Zealand in a previous article.
The problems are worse in the United States, as two save money, the Census Bureau operates a postal collection for the population census. That only works well if the agency has up-to-date address lists for all citizens. However, that is not the case. When people move frequently, it is very difficult to maintain accurate address lists. Consequently, many census questionnaires are not delivered to the correct people. And if people don’t bother to post their census form back, getting a response from them is very expensive.
For these reasons, I would be surprised if Donald Trump will get a more accurate census than was achieved in 2020.
Trump was upset by the July 2025 payroll report (a less-than-expected monthly job add of 73,000 and a very large negative two-month revision of 258,000). He has also expressed concern that the Payroll Reports for the period leading up to the 2024 election were revised down following the election. He is correct in saying that the statistics for the last year of the Biden presidency overstated the state of the economy, but it probably did not have a huge effect on the outcome of the election (although it might have in different circumstances).
The problem is that early estimates of employment/jobs are very difficult to measure. In the United States, the payroll report is based on a survey of business establishments. This presents several difficulties. The robustness of a sample survey depends on the quality of the population frame from which the sample is selected.
The United States does not have an up-to-date register of businesses, so the sample results have to be adjusted for births and deaths of businesses. Businesses that have closed down will not respond to the survey, although they could still be in the survey. New businesses will not be included in the establishment survey because they will not be on the business register when the sample is selected. The adjustment for births and deaths can be quite large, yet they are difficult to estimate because the relative numbers depend on the stage in the business cycle.
The other problem is that funding for statistics has been cut. I read that funding for CPI surveys has been reduced, so I presume the same applies to the payroll survey as well. Getting a satisfactory response to the surveys of businesses can be difficult. There are methods that can be used to improve the response rate, but they all cost money.
In light of these difficulties, I am not surprised that the payrolls report is not as robust as commentators would like.
In New Zealand, the earliest estimates of monthly job numbers are derived from data supplied to the tax department as part of the PAYE system. There are a few issues with small businesses that have less frequent reporting requirements, but the appropriate adjustments can be estimated. But overall, the Monthly Employment Indicator is a robust statistic. It is supplemented by a quarterly survey of business establishments. The sample is selected from the business register that is kept up to date using GST registrations (value added tax), so there is less of a problem with births and deaths.
I have always considered that government statisticians have a prophetic role. They gather data and produce information that demonstrates how the government is performing. For example, if the government is manipulating or debasing its currency, the consumers price index will expose it. If a nation, or its government, has lost its blessing, it should be exposed by GDP statistics.
If statisticians are to undertake this role, they must be independent of the government that they are monitoring. While they will be dependent on the government for funding, they must have the freedom to design and produce statistical information without any political interference. They must be free to use the best possible statistical methods and techniques to produce information about the performance of their nation’s economy.
In New Zealand, the Statistics Act recognises the independence of the Government Statistician. The statistical agency has control over the statistical methods and techniques adopted for the production of national statistics. Down through the years, Statisticians have guarded this authority carefully. Most citizens assume that statistics are not subject to political interference.
Statisticians around the world have always wondered if the statistical agencies in the United States that produce economic statistics are fully independent. The directors of the Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS), which produces employment measures, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, which produces GDP measures and the National Accounts, and the Census Bureau, which operates business surveys that feed into the measurement of GDP, are all political appointees. This makes it harder for these statistical agencies to claim independence from political interference.
Now, Donald Trump has blown this issue up by firing the Director of the Bureau of Labour Statistics, claiming the jobs statistics she produced were biased, because she was a Biden appointee. He promised to appoint a director who would publish statistics that supported his view of the “beautiful economy”. This will make it very difficult for his appointee to produce independent statistics if they record bad news for the economy.
The modern economy is based on debt. People and nations are becoming more and more enslaved to debt. The only solution is the government of God.
Under the Government of God, all economic transactions must be voluntary. There will be no state authority with the power to enforce debt contracts. The Instructions for Economic Life give no mechanism for making people repay their debts. This means that lenders cannot force borrowers to pay the interest they owe. They cannot force them to repay a loan. Lenders will have to rely on the goodwill of the borrower to get repaid.
Most people will repay their loans because they want to maintain a good reputation. They will realise that they might want a loan in the future and not want to spoil their credit record. They will avoid defaulting so that they continue to be trusted by the people to whom they have made promises.
Realising that they might be a creditor in the future, they will encourage the practice of repaying loans. They will set a good example for other debtors by fulfilling their commitments to repay debts. Paul urged us to repay our loans if we can.
Give to everyone what you owe them… Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another (Rom 13:7-8).Love requires us to repay our debts. However, this is only a moral obligation. There is no provision for enforcement of debts.
We repay our loans because we love, but love does not require us to impoverish our families. If a person cannot afford to repay a loan without plunging their family into poverty, they are not required to pay the loan.
In the Government of God, creditors lose their power, because there is no government power to enforce the repayment of loans. This shifts control from the creditor to the debtor. If the money that is owed to a lender is not repaid, there is nothing the creditor can do about it. They cannot make threats of violence to ensure repayment. Goods cannot be taken to cover the outstanding debt.
All a creditor can do is go to a judge and make their case against the person who has refused to pay the debt. Judges can confirm that a debt is owing, but they do not have authority to enforce repayment. The judge may pronounce judgment against the debtor but does not have the power to enforce their decision. They can explain their decision to the community, but public disapproval might not be enough to make the person repay the debt.
A community will only put pressure on people to repay a debt if they believe that repayment is justified. If the terms of the debt are unfair, sympathy will go to the debtor, so a creditor would make themselves unpopular by demanding repayment. The community would not support demands for penalty interest, even if the debt contract allowed it.
If a debtor is being impoverished by a debt, the judge will declare that the debt must be cancelled at the end of seven years, so the creditor will not be able to demand repayment. The judge will rule that all the interest charged must be refunded, because charging interest to a poor person is forbidden by God’s law.
Judges will only support claims for the repayment of legitimate business loans. Claims by owners of unrighteous wealth for repayment of debt will not be supported by judges. They will declare that money lent by loan sharks has become unrighteous wealth that does not have to be repaid.
In God’s Economy, judges applying God’s law will remove the power of creditors. Courts will be reluctant to enforce many debt agreements, so repayment of debt will mostly be voluntary. Debtors will be free to walk away from their debt, because there will be no government forcing them to repay it.
Daniel’s vision is not really a message about Iran. The emergence of Iran (Ram) was just a signal that the season described by the vision was beginning.
A second message of the vision is that the power of the United States (Goat)' power will not last.
When the goat became very great, at the height of his power his large horn was broken off, and in its place four prominent horns grew up towards the four winds of heaven (Dan 8:8).Daniel also warned that the power of the United States will fade for a time soon after defeating the Prince of Persia. His action against Iran will mark the beginning of Donald Trump’s decline. His power will fade.
I am not sure about the meaning of the four horns that rose in its place. The four horns could represent civil war in the United States. Some commentators believe this is possible, but I am not sure. American men are too obese and lazy to fight seriously. I believe that it more likely represents a shift from a uni-polar world to a multi-polar one.
Recent events have shaken the confidence of the American leadership. The financial burden of fighting two wars at a time will become too great, and an economy weakened by the Global Financial Crisis will limit the scope for action.
The US has also struggled to win wars. Military adventures in Syria, Libya and Yemen failed, preventing the US objectives from being achieved. A twenty-year effort to conquer Afghanistan also failed. The US retreat from Afghanistan was an embarrassing shambles. US efforts to defeat Russia via a proxy war in Ukraine appear to be failing. An attempt to bomb the Houthis in Yemen failed, and the US had to withdraw its aircraft carrier groups to a safer place.
Daniel was seeing the end of the so-called uni-polar world that emerged at the end of the Cold War, which had developed at the end of World War 2. During that season, the world was dominated by a struggle between the Soviet Union and the United States. With the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the United States emerged as the dominant world power. No other nation could come close to matching its economic wealth and military power. This world is described as uni-polar. It is represented by the large horn on Daniel’s goat.
However, at the beginning of the 21st century, the strength of the Russian economy and military was restored. At the same time, China emerged as a major economic power, with an economy that will soon match the United States in size. Its military capability is growing rapidly. The United States can no longer dominate in the way that it once did. A multi-polar world is emerging. Daniel saw this happening after the large horn was broken off.
In its place, four conspicuous horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven (Dan 8:8b).Daniel saw four powers (horns) arising towards the four winds of heaven. This is another way of saying the four corners of the earth. These four are probably Russia, China, Germany and France (or perhaps India). Daniel was describing the emergence of a multi-polar world. This temporary weakness of the United States allows these nations to flex their muscles. The ability of the United States to dominate the world is gone forever.
Terrible Beast
The main purpose of Daniel’s vision is not to warn about Iran, but to explain the emergence of a Terrible Beast. It is a powerful nation that dominates much of the world.
The decline of American power will bring a change in power in the nation.
Out of one of them came another horn, which started small but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land. It grew until it reached the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them. (Dan 8:9).A new dominant power will seize control of the United States of America. The horn starts off small but grows extremely large. The new political ruler will seem insignificant at first, but will grow into enormous power. As the big four grow in strength and the situation gets desperate, a ruthless and powerful leader will emerge.
A new leader will take control and unite the nation by force, trampling on those who oppose him and stamping out all opposition. The nation that loves freedom will get a dictator, but they will welcome the order that he brings.
This new, ruthless president will lead this change. He will expand his control in South America by trampling on weaker nations that oppose him. The United States will stand alone, but grow to achieve enormous power. This will culminate in an invasion of Israel.
The United States will be transformed into the Terrible Beast that Daniel described in his previous chapter, by relying on military power and control. It will become the most powerful nation again, but at a terrible cost in terms of freedom. The United States will become a Terrible Beast, continuing the tradition of the Roman and Babylonian Empires.
Followers of Jesus who understand the times should join together in small communities where they can support each other and protect each other during the hard times. By standing together, they will remain firm, while others are being shaken. They should be prepared for distress and equipped for victory.
The Terrible Beast will exercise enormous political, military and spiritual power.
It grew until it reached the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them. It set itself up to be as great as the commander of the army of the LORD (Dan 8:10-11).The actions of the Terrible Beast will release spiritual powers to work evil on earth.
The full series is here.
The second part of Daniel’s vision explains that when the Prince of Persia is at the zenith of its power, an even more powerful kingdom, the Shaggy Goat, will arise. It will come from the West in a sudden attack.
The Goat is called the King of Greece (Dan 8:21), also known as the King of the North. The King of Greece is not the nation of Greece, but is the civilisation that came out of Greece and the spirit that controls it. Many modern historians and philosophers consider that Western Civilisation emerged out of ancient Greece. The King of Greece symbolises Western Civilisation centred on the United States.
Originally, Western Civilisation was centred on Europe, but since the beginning of the twentieth century, Europe has been eclipsed by the United States. It now dominates Europe in terms of military power and cultural influence. Since the Second World War, Europe has been dependent on the United States. Many European businesses are controlled by United States companies. European defence has been the responsibility of NATO and is guaranteed by the United States.
The United States has developed an enormous arsenal of weapons (including nuclear weapons), and it now uses them to exert its influence in the world. Since the end of the Cold War, it has become the dominant force in the world. America, by default, has become the world's policeman.
During the twentieth century, the United States emerged from Europe's shadow to dominate Western Civilisation, both in terms of military power and cultural influence. The prominent horn on the goat in Daniel 8 represents the United States controlling the Western world. A powerful spirit called the King of Greece is currently working through it.
The United States currently dominates Western Civilisation, in terms of military power and cultural influence, so the goat is the United States. This explains the irony of the King of the North "coming from the West". The vision of the Goat is a prophecy of the United States and Europe, acting as the King of the North, attacking and defeating a Middle Eastern nation.
The Goat has a single large horn. Daniel says that it was "conspicuous and impressive". This symbolises the self-confidence and overconfidence of the United States. The horn also represents massive military power. The military power of the United States exceeds anything that has ever been known, and no nation in the world can match it. The large horn represents power concentrated in one person. It represents the hegemony of the United States president.
Daniel saw the goat, representing the United States, flying into a "great rage" against the King of the South.
He came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and charged at him in great rage Dan 8:6).The goat attacked the two-horned ram and destroyed it.
My Mistake
Back in the 2000s, I wrote that this vision was fulfilled by the US invasion of Iraq and the destruction of Saddam Hussein, but I now believe that I was wrong. This was a serious mistake.
I now believe the true fulfilment has begun at this time through Donald Trump’s bombing of Iran in June 2025. Several aspects of Daniel’s vision are relevant to what has happened.
The Goat has a single large horn that was "conspicuous and impressive". This symbolises the self-confidence and brashness of Donald Trump.
The goat comes “from the west”.
A goat with a prominent horn between its eyes came from the west, crossing the whole earth without touching the ground (Dan 8:5).The United States is west of Iran. It is “The West”.
“Not touching the ground” symbolises an airborne attack. The B-2 bombers that dropped the bunker bombs on the nuclear sites in Iran had flown all the way from Missouri without landing anywhere, and they returned by the same way as they had come. They flew non-stop for thirty-seven hours and had to be refuelled in the air several times. This was truly “not touching the ground”. It is an amazing achievement.
The Iranian defence forces were unable to prevent this attack. None of the US planes were shot down.
There was no power in the ram to stand against him (Dan 8:7).
Various allies and supporters of Iran, like Iraq, Russia and China, chose to do nothing to prevent the attack.
None could rescue the ram from his power (Dan 8:7).
The Goat knocked the Ram to the ground and trampled on it.
The goat knocked it to the ground and trampled on it (Dan 8:7).Over the past decade, the United States has imposed crippling economic sanctions on Iran. These have severely weakened the Iranian economy. If these are not removed, the Iranian economy will continue to struggle.
Having bombed Iran once with impunity, the US can do it again. This dramatically alters the power dynamic between the two nations, but it depends on whether Iran submits to the US demands. If they don’t, the US might bomb Iran again.
Donald Trump might choose to bomb Iran to distract from his political problems at home. The bombing of Iran on 22 June 2024 might just be the beginning of the Goat’s attack on the Ram.
| Note: the fact that an event is prophesied does not mean that it is justified. The United States was not justified in attacking Iraq and it would not be justified in invading Iran. |
The Goat attacked the Ram, but it did not destroy the Ram, just its two horns. Two rulers will be destroyed, but the nation of Iran will continue on, perhaps with less power. The nation of Persia is mentioned in several prophecies that have not been fulfilled, so Iran will be around for much longer.
In my article, I explained that we have seen the fulfilment of the first part of Daniel's vision in our time. It is described in Daniel 8:3,4.
I looked up, and there before me was a ram with two horns, standing beside the canal, and the horns were long. One of the horns was longer than the other, but grew up later. I watched the ram as he charged toward the west and the north, and the south. No animal could stand against him, and none could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great.This is what Daniel saw, and the interpretation is given in verse 20. The two-horned ram represents the kings of Media and Persia. The people of Media and Persia now make up the nation of Iran. Most Iranians are Persian. Daniel saw a future ruler of Iran who would rise to power.
The Daniel’s ram is a restoration of the empire of the Prince of Persia, centred on the Islamic Republic of Iran. Daniel saw the ram charging to the west, the north and the south.
I watched the ram as he charged toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against him, and none could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great (Dan 8:4).Daniel was told that the Ram represents the Kings of Media and Persia (Dan 8:20). Iran was previously called Persia.
I explained that the first two of the charges of this Ram had already taken place. To the west of Iran is the nation of Iraq. In 1980, Iraq invaded Iran, and military strategists said that Iran would soon have to surrender. To their surprise, the Iranian troops forced the invading army back across their border. Iran then attempted to invade Iraq and topple its Baathist socialist government of Saddam Hussein.
The nations to the north of Iran are Syria and Lebanon. There are already strong links between Iran and Syria. The war in Syria has strengthened this relationship. Iran has been fighting against the rebel forces that have been supported by the western powers. This is the fulfilment of the Ram's move to the north. Iran also supports Hezbollah, which led the resistance against Israel's invasion of Lebanon.
More interesting still, Daniel says that no nation would be able to "rescue from his power". When the Islamic Revolution took place in Iran, over one hundred American hostages were held in their embassy. The United States, which is the greatest military power in the world, devised a plan called "Eagle's Claw" to rescue them.
Despite elaborate planning and the best equipment that modern technology could provide, the rescue attempt ended in disaster. Helicopters encountered unprecedented headwinds and unexpected dust storms. A helicopter crashed into a plane during refuelling in the Iranian desert, and eight servicemen were killed. The United States was not strong enough to rescue its people from Iran and had to beg for their return.
The nation to the south of Iran is Saudi Arabia. It has a significant Shia population in the areas close to Iran, so it is vulnerable to Iranian influence. However, the charge to the south is still in the future.
Interpreting prophetic scriptures is a tricky task, so when you make a mistake, you should admit it. Especially if you have put it in writing. I will explain my mistake I made in my interpretation of the book of Daniel further down in this post.
Back in 1982, I wrote an areticle for the local newspaper about Daniel and Iran that explained that the events described in one of his visions are beginning to be fulfilled during the season that is currently getting underway. This was a few years after the Islamic Revolution had occurred in Iran.
I recounted how Daniel 8 describes a vision of a two-horned ram and a shaggy goat. The typesetter for the newspaper must have had a sense of humour, because he placed a nature article about a goat-like creature called a “Thar” next to my article. This picture was placed between the two articles. This picture illustrated my article well.
Islam Advances
In my article, I explained that starting in the 1980s, a revival of the Islamic religion began to spread all over the world. People who in the past were ashamed of their religion began taking new pride in Islam and the Koran. Sometimes referred to as Islamic fundamentalism, there has been a return to the foundations of Islam, and a new seriousness in following the Koran. The modern Islamic revival has the entire of the Moslem world. It is very powerful at a grassroots level, and even secular rulers came under its influence.
The resurgence of Islam really got underway in Iran when a secular ruler, the Shah of Iran, was overthrown by militant, fundamentalist Muslims loyal to Ayatollah Khomeini. The Islamic revolution radically changed the entire nation. Iran is now an Islamic Republic and a key player in the Middle East. The ram is a restoration of the empire of the Prince of Persia, centred on the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The Islamic Revolution in Iran is described in Daniel 8. This chapter describes a vision that Daniel received while the people of Judah were in exile in Babylon. After the vision, the angel Gabriel appeared to explain its meaning to him. When Gabriel drew near, Daniel fell to the ground in fear, but the angel stood him on his feet and encouraged him. Gabriel first explained the timing of the vision's fulfilment.
Understand that the vision concerns the time of the end.He makes it clear that the vision is not to be fulfilled in Daniel's time. It concerns the time of the end, and will be fulfilled in the later "time of wrath". In the RSV this phrase is translated as the "latter end of the indignation".
I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath, because the vision concerns the appointed time of the end. Dan 8:17,19.
Chris Hedges, who is one of the few honest commentators on Israel, has an interesting insight.
The genocide in Gaza signals the abolition, for Israelis as well as Palestinians, of the rule of law. It marks the obliteration of even the pretense of an ethical code. Israelis are the barbarians they condemn. If there is any warped justice in this genocide it is that Israelis, once they finish with the Palestinians, will be forced to live together in moral squalor.
Adam Tooze describes the scale of China's cities.
China’s cities are the most gigantic experiment in urbanization in history. If anywhere has a claim to define the “norm” of urbanism it is China...China in 2025 may have as many as 160 urban centers with a population of more than 1 million. Of these 18 are megacities with 10 million inhabitants or more.
For sake of comparison the US can claim to have no more than ten urban areas with a population of one million! Being in China makes you realize how profoundly anti-urban America is. There are only two US conurbations - NY-New Jersey and LA - that would qualify as megacities. On sheer scale, neither would qualify as Tier 1 in the Chinese rankings.
For further comparison, the EU counts 39 urban areas of over 1 million inhabitants but only one city-region, Paris, with a population of over 10 million.
There is not a single city in either Europe or the US that can compare to the awesome scale of the largest Chinese conurbations.
