Ebrahim Raisi, deceased former President of Iran
On Sunday, May 19, the helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and other top government officials crashed and burned. All on board perished.
The Iranian president was a key factor in the October 7, 2023, Hamas’ barbaric slaughter of Israelis as well as those from other nations, including the U.S. According to many sources, such as a recent article on Harbinger’s Daily, he planned and funded the gruesome attack that resulted in the murder of over 1,200 people and the kidnapping of over 250 hostages, many of whom their captors later tortured and killed.
Was the May 19th helicopter crash the Lord’s response to the man responsible for so much bloodshed and great suffering in Israel? I’m certain that what appeared to most as an accident was, in reality, God’s response as well as a warning of what lies ahead for those who now seek to divide and destroy Israel and its people (see Joel 3:1-3).
The words of Ecclesiastes 8:11-12 reveal that because God’s “sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil.” In the end, the best result is for those who trust God or, as Solomon put it, “I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they fear before him.”
We know that all those involved in the October 7, 2023, attack, barring repentance through Jesus Christ, will face the severity of God’s wrath after they die, if not also beforehand. Regardless of their fate in this life, the Lord’s judgment for their vile acts will be an eternal fate worse than we can imagine.
The wicked misinterpret God’s patience and continue in their wicked ways. Raisi, thinking he was above reproach for his monstrous actions, continued to breathe out threats to destroy Israel, never imagining that the Lord would so soon hold him accountable for his great wickedness.
At times, the Lord punishes sin as a warning for all to see and take heed. The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah was just such a time when He displayed His displeasure with all those who would defile His purposes for a man, woman, and marriage. Though recorded for all to read in Genesis 19, most today ignore the warning with some mistakenly thinking that God approves of such behavior.
The Warning: Don’t Mess with Israel
Last December, Hasan Bitmez, age 54, suffered a heart attack on the floor of the Turkish parliament immediately after declaring that Israel “will suffer the wrath of Allah.” The New York Post reported his death two days later. Perhaps Raisi regarded this heart attack as just a coincidence, but not anymore.
Former policeman and analyst Marty Breeden stated that Bitmez and Raisi were two “of the most vile and vicious leaders AGAINST Israel and the Jews…. They BOTH called for the annihilation of the Jewish State and the people, and God dealt with them accordingly!”
I agree; these deaths constitute this warning for all those who would dare to mess with Israel: Don’t do it.
The Lord doesn’t always respond so decisively or quickly to evil. However, when He does, it’s dramatic and unmistakable for those paying attention.
Breeden also wrote, “One would THINK this should strike great fear in those who oppose Israel… but these are hard-hearted evil men, and it will likely not.”
Will Anyone Heed God’s Warning?
The world’s response to the death of the Iranian president tells us God’s warning here will go unheeded by the world’s leaders. Members of the UN, including the Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the UN, stood for a moment of silence to honor Raisi. In response, Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan quipped, “What’s next, a moment of silence for Hitler?” President Biden showed his respect for Raisi with a message of condolences to Iran on the death of its leader.
How dare this administration honor a man who not only has much American blood on his hands but is responsible for the senseless slaughter of many of his own countrymen, as well as the barbaric and horrific atrocities of October 7, 2023? The key motto of his administration was “Death to America.” Why is the U.S. paying tribute to one who sought our annihilation as well as that of Israel?
Sadly, far too many Christians and church leaders will also regard the deaths of Raisi and Bitmez as having nothing to do with Bible prophecy or God’s promises to Israel. Blind to the many other signs of the last days, they will continue to teach that He has rejected Israel and replaced the nation with the church.
The Bible tells us a much different story. Although there’s much suffering ahead for the Jewish people during the latter half of the upcoming Tribulation, the Lord will most assuredly restore a glorious kingdom to Israel. In the end, God will fight for His people. The deaths of these two men are just warning shots across the bow for all those who continue to oppose Israel and seek to harm the Jewish people. In the end, they will pay a great price, just as will the coming antichrist.
The words of Psalm 92:6-9 speak to the fate of those who oppose the Lord, which, of course, includes His people:
The stupid man cannot know;
the fool cannot understand this:
that though the wicked sprout like grass
and all evildoers flourish,
they are doomed to destruction forever;
but you, O Lord, are on high forever.
For behold, your enemies, O Lord,
for behold, your enemies shall perish.
God’s Word is sure, and though He most often shows restraint, He acts often enough to warn the wicked of their fate.
We expect those apart from Christ to miss God’s warnings along with the signs of the imminent Day of the Lord, but what about those who foolishly teach that the church has replaced Israel?
Will they pause for a moment to consider the Lord’s defense of His people, or will it go unheeded with them as well?
Will they recognize that God’s defense of His people illustrates the error of their false teaching?
Maranatha!
Note: In Hereafter, It’s Far Better Than You Can Imagine, Terry James and I describe the future glory that awaits us as believers beginning with Jesus’ appearing to take us home. From beginning to end, we emphasize the jubilant joy that awaits us in Heaven. The last chapter contains twenty-seven frequently asked questions and answers pertaining to Heaven and our experience there.
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