How close are we to the end?

A favorite pastime among Christians has always been the endless discussion of "the end times." Frankly, I have always thought that even if I knew the exact moment of Christ's return to earth, it would not help one bit with my problems with anger or gossip. I have always thought that Christianity should be focused on more practical matters, like how to deal with such things so that one has a better testimony and a more productive life.

But today, storm clouds are gathering that one must admit are unmistakable. The world today is more precarious than at anytime in my life history, and I include several decades of the Cold War in that assessment. As we look at events in the Middle East, I am reminded of something said by a wise speaker at a church service I attended back around 1986 or so. While commenting on some other topic, he seemed to stop, reflect for a moment, and then said, "the Soviet Union must fall so that the Anti-Christ can rise." That is a quote; I remember it like yesterday. As we all know, not four years later, again to quote, this time the brilliant political commentator Bill Kristol, "God cleared His throat, and the Soviet Union was gone."

Now we are seeing the rise of something sinister that could probably not have happened in its current form while the Soviet Union was master of most of Asia - militant Islam. And for those Americans who are paying attention, the situation in the Middle East could not be more tense. Regardless of calming words from diplomats and others who are paid to pretend that all is well, the area is a powder keg. This is because Iran is presided over by a group of extremist Muslims, and one of them is a religious fanatic called Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Ahmadinejad is a Shiite true believer, someone who fervently believes that somewhere in the world is a supernatural personage called "the 12th Imam" who shall bring forth the triumph of radical Islam and vanquish western civilization forever. Every indication I have about this man is that he is a true and sincere believer in this outcome of world history and that makes him perhaps the most dangerous man on earth.

While the Soviet Union was ruled by reasonably pragmatic Communists and megalomaniacs like Kim Jong Il, dictator of North Korea, and Victor Chavez, so-called president of Venezuela, at least live in the real world, Ahmadinejad is motivated by nothing but his religious zeal, and there appears to be nobody in the ruling clique of Iran who is likely to oppose him on this point.

My perception of Ahmadinejad is that he is truly devoted to bringing forth this "12th Imam" and he intends to do it by starting a nuclear war. Once Iran has a tested, functional nuclear bomb and once they have a tested, functional way to deliver by missile, I believe that Ahmadinejad will use it the following Tuesday, without any warning or threats, against Israel. Absent a miracle from God, the carnage will be virtually unprecedented and (unless Obama is president) the United States will have to respond. Since our ability wipe Iran off the map with nuclear weapons is indisputable, should we decide to retaliate the only hope for Iran is the miraculous appearance of this "12th Imam" who will burst upon the scene, save Iran and its brave leaders, and forever destroy the United States through supernatural power.

I am quite certain that Ahmadinejad believes that this will happen just as I've described it. If he, in fact, does believe this, his first use of his nuclear weapon would make a poetic sort of sense, at least in his mind. The fact that his hoped-for triumphal outcome will occur only if God has in fact died is no kind of deterrent, since people act on perceived truth, not what is actually true, unless the two completely coincide. If I am right in this (and I would be enormously relieved to discover that I am totally wrong), Ahmadinejad will continue to play nice negotiation games with the clueless European Union, stalling for time, making promises, breaking them, asking for another chance, trying to wrest more concessions from them as if he really cared what their response is - all to achieve his real end: a functional, deliverable nuclear weapon which he will use immediately.

Any of you who are inclined to pray that God will intervene before the mushroom cloud appears over an Israeli city, I encourage you to do so along with me.

JDK