The Second Signpost is the Iranian invasion of the Middle East, the charging out of the persian ram in Daniel 8 as I wrote about in Hidden In Plain Sight.  Daniel 8:3 says that the persian ram has two horns.  When Ayatollah Khomeini founded the Iranian revolution back in 1979, he also founded the office that is the first horn.  Ayatollah Ali Khamenei now holds that office, the office of Supreme Leader.  Daniel 8:3 also says that prior to the great invasion by Iran, the second horn will grow up.  It will grow up longer than the first horn, but also later than the first horn.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which includes the Basij and Quds forces, have steadily grown in power, dominating the politics, economy, and foreign relations of Iran.  One might think that a general or commander out of the IRGC could become the second horn.  However, the IRGC is also under the direct command of the Supreme Leader.

Since 2010 or so, Iranian president Ahmadinejad has been challenging the supreme leader’s positions and power.  The fact that he was a commander in the Basij, and that the Basij stuffed ballot boxes to help get him elected to a second term suggests that at least the Basij part of the IRGC backs him.  Up to now, Ahmadinejad looked to me like the leading candidate to be the second horn of the ram.  His Hojjatieh-leaning beliefs suggest that he would support an active ground invasion of the Middle East if he had the power.  It is conceivable that the IRGC might back him in a new position of power if the IRGC had similar desires.

But in the last week or so three news stories have been revealed that have made me start to doubt if it really is to be Ahmadinejad.  The first story comes from the private news source Debka, where it is reported that Ahmadinejad has been going against the Supreme Leader by saying that oil wealth should go to all Iranians and not just a few thousand people.  This is an attack not just on the supreme leader, but on the economic structure of Iran.  The article even points to Ahmadinejad’s friends and allies heading for the exits, so to speak.  One might think that this is just more of Ahmadinejad’s belligerence, or it could be Ahmadinejad speaking truly from his mind, where his beliefs clash with those of the supreme leader. 

The second story comes from the Huffington Post where Ahmadinejad spoke out against people being forced to dress per the code.  He believes true Islam should come from each person’s heart and not be forced.  I’ll bet the Supreme Leader really loved that one.  What might now be the repercussions of these statements about wealth and dress code?

The third story is from Newsmax, where there is a source saying that Ahmadinejad believes the Supreme Leader will have him killed when he leaves office.  If true, this shows fear on Ahmadinejad’s part.  I believe this is the first time I have seen a story that showed fear by Ahmadinejad.  He has always shown belligerence up to this point.  Might Ahmadinejad think he finally went too far and will now pay the consequences?  Or perhaps this last story has been planted to keep people from thinking Ahmadinejad’s belligerence suggests a possible coup?

If Ahmadinejad is on his way out of the national limelight (his second and last constitutional term in offcie ends in August 2013), then we must look for another person to fill the role of second horn.  And if that is the case I would say it would be one of the generals in the IRGC.  Time of course, will tell.

Categories: Signpost #2: Iran