SUPERPOWER RISING: Netanyahu is transforming Israel into the sole Mideast superpower by wiping the Iran threat ‘off the map’
Bibi is doing what no world leader ever had the courage to do – here’s why Evangelicals should cheer and keep praying
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL — When the shooting stops and the smoke clears, Israel will emerge as the sole superpower in the Middle East.
This is a good thing.
A very good thing.
The world’s 600 million Evangelical Christians – including the 60 million Evangelicals in the United States – should be cheering.
And praying without ceasing.
‘THERE IS A TIME FOR WAR’
No one wants war.
But the Bible tells us that “there is a time for war and a time for peace” (Ecclesiastes 3:8).
President Donald J. Trump offered Tehran a peaceful path.
They rejected it.
Trump gave Tehran 60 days to negotiate a good, robust and verifiable deal to give up their nuclear weapons program in return for U.S. economic sanctions being removed from them – or they would face war.
But the terror masters in Tehran refused to negotiate in good faith.
So, on Thursday, Trump gave Netanyahu the green light.
And on Friday morning, Israel attacked.
A PROPHETIC MOMENT
We are watching Bible prophecy unfolding before our very eyes.
Yes, Bible prophecy, in the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah, Daniel and Revelation, tells that the world will turn against Israel and the Jewish people in the last days of history and try to wipe Israel off the map.
But the prophets also speak of a time of great peace and prosperity in Israel and the region that I call the Epicenter before those terrible and traumatic and apocalyptic days.
I believe we are now heading into a time of prophetic peace, quiet and calm.
It won’t last long – but it’s coming and coming fast.
I’ll write more on these prophecies soon.
For now, let’s stick with geopolitics.
NETANYAHU’S DEFINING MOMENT
This is Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu's defining moment.
For years, he has warned of it and prepared for it.
Now the time has come.
Netanyahu is doing what no American, Arab, or Israeli leader has ever had the courage to do before.
By launching “Operation Rising Lions” – a bold and massive preemptive attack – Bibi is wiping the Iranian threat off the map.
MODERATE ARAB LEADERS ARE CHEERING
Inside the palaces in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi and Manama and Amman and Cairo and Rabat, the Sunni Arab leaders are cheering.
They can’t say it publicly.
But I’m telling you they are cheering – and breathing a great sigh of relief – because Israel is doing what absolutely had to be done.
Israel is castrating the apocalyptic, genocidal death cult that rules in Tehran.
Israel is removing the central existential threat to the people of goodwill in this region.
Israel is making it possible for peace and prosperity and regional cooperation to thrive, rather than extremism, hatred, and cruelty.
Indeed, when the smoke clears, it’s possible – not definite, but possible – that the Iranian regime will fall.
Let’s pray that happens.
CHINA, RUSSIA, AND NORTH KOREAN LEADERS ARE IN SHOCK
Guess who’s watching?
And in shock?
The despots in Communist China.
And Moscow.
And Pyongyang.
The Chinese, Russians, and North Koreans never believed Netanyahu would really attack their number one ally in the Middle East.
But are they rushing to defend Iran?
Not yet.
MIRACULOUSLY SUCCESSFUL STRIKES
Consider how miraculously successful Israel’s operation has been so far.
In just the early hours of this operation, the IDF has:
• Decapitated Iran’s military leadership, killing at least 20 senior officials including the chief of staff of the entire Iranian military and the commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
• Assassinated nine of Iran’s top nuclear scientists and engineers.
• Begun destroying four major Iranian nuclear installations and other minor ones.
• Destroyed much of Iran’s ballistic missile forces.
• Destroyed Iran’s ballistic missile factories.
• Destroyed most of Iran’s air defense systems.
• Shot down all of the 100 suicide drones Iran fired at Israel in its first retaliatory attack on Friday morning.
• Shot down most of the missiles Iran has fired at Israel in the first 36 hours of the war.
• Injected tremendous fear and trembling in Iran’s political and religious leadership, including the aging and infirm Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
• Energized and exhilarated the Iranian opposition who have been praying and hoping for the moment when someone – anyone – would punish the cruel and wicked regime that had oppressed and suffocated them for nearly half a century.
THERE ARE PAINFUL DAYS AHEAD – SO PRAY WITHOUT CEASING
The Middle East is being changed forever.
I'm not saying it won't get messy.
I’m not saying that Iran can’t do damage – to be sure, some of their missiles have gotten through our air defenses and there have been direct hits in Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan and Rishon Letzion killing three Israelis and injuring dozens so far, and more pain is likely.
I’m not saying that Iran’s regime doesn’t have tricks up its sleeve that could also hurt us badly in the coming hours and days.
They may very well unleash suicide bombers and terror cells throughout Europe, throughout the United States, Canada, and around the world to kill Jews, to kill Christians, to kill Israelis and Americans and Europeans and others.
Evangelicals, please hear me: we need to be praying without ceasing and more vigilant than ever before.
But don’t miss what a big deal this is.
THE MIDDLE EAST IS BEING CHANGED FOREVER
Most people in the world thought that Israel couldn't technically destroy Iran's nuclear program.
They didn't believe we could destroy Iran's ballistic missile program.
They didn't believe we could decapitate Iran's military leadership.
Or, they thought we could, but we wouldn’t.
Because Bibi was “a coward.”
Or because Bibi was “all talk but no action.”
Or because they thought Bibi was just “crazy” enough to do it but would be stopped by President Trump.
Just like he’s been stopped by Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden in the past.
But they were wrong.
Dead wrong.
All of the top Hamas leaders are dead.
All of Hezbollah’s top leaders are dead.
All of Iran’s top military leaders are dead.
All of Iran’s political and religious leaders may be next, include Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Don’t miss what’s happening.
The Middle East is being changed forever.
Joel C. Rosenberg is the editor-in-chief of ALL ISRAEL NEWS and ALL ARAB NEWS and the President and CEO of Near East Media. A New York Times best-selling author, Middle East analyst, and Evangelical leader, he lives in Jerusalem with his wife and sons.
