The Second Signpost is coming, at some time and in some way. We don’t know how it will start or when, we just believe it will occur.
To that end, with Trump as president, and more hawkish people gathering around him, it’s looking more and more like the USA will trigger it, just as the USA was the power behind the First Signpost.
Mike Pompeo was confirmed by the Senate on April 26 as the new Secretary of State. It looked like it wouldn’t happen, but then all of a sudden Sen. Rand Paul changed his mind in committee and gave Pompeo a “yes” vote. Now we have a secretary of state and security adviser (Bolton) who would goad Trump into action with Iran. Bolton still thinks invading Iraq was a good idea.
Rex Tillerson (l) has been succeeded by Mike Pompeo (r). Pompeo is the 70th American secretary of state.
And then Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu came on prime time television in Israel, making the case that the Iranian regime lied and the nuclear deal should be tossed. What was not new was the info – many already knew about Iran’s shenanigans when it came to its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. What was new is that Bibi gave the talk mostly in English, which means his target audience was the United States and Trump.
Trump will be deciding whether to keep or scrap the deal come May 12. And we know he will have the “right” hawkish people around him to goad him.
Once the deal is scrapped, and economic sanctions are put back on Iran, anything could happen. The Iranian regime will feel much more pressure from its people.
Categories: In The News, Signpost #2: Iran, The Signpost Perspective
THE FOUR SIGNPOSTS 
In all due respect to President Trump as I stand behind him and believe in him and pray for him that Trump and his administration will prevail against those that oppose him, I would say that he seems to be swayed easily by others. I hope and pray for him that he would seek the Lord for himself and not be swayed by others opinions.
Daniel saw that, “at the time of the end” (Daniel 8:17), “the kings of Media and Persia” (Daniel 8:20) would be “pushing westward and northward and southward” (Daniel 8:4), which leaves it open as to how far Iran will push in each direction.
I’ve been looking at Isaiah 21, not knowing how much of it was fulfilled in Daniel’s era and how much of it must yet be fulfilled. But from the places named and from the origin of the invaders (Elam and Media are in modern Iran), what is described might apply to some of Iran’s westward and southward pushing.
How far westward and northward? Any invasion into parts of Turkey, a NATO nation, would have everyone wondering how Iran could avoid encountering Turkey’s and NATO’s powerful militaries. Yet Daniel 8:4 indicates that no one will be able to stop Iran’s invasion in three directions. This has me wondering if Turkey and NATO will be distracted or sabotaged during the invasion. The new Iranian empire is to become “great” (Daniel 8:4), suggesting that an immense territory will be ruled over.
Having a feeling some elements of the sanctions will be dropped due to Trump’s “art of the deal” style of negotiations.
Very interesting times we live in!
“Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled, and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! When thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled, and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee” (Isaiah 33:1).
This summarizes the Second and Third Signposts (an Iranian invasion followed later by a counterinvasion led by Turkey).
“A grievous vision is declared unto me: The treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, O Elam; besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease” (Isaiah 21:2).
This reveals who would fulfill the first part of Isaiah 33:1. The Elam and Media of Isaiah 21:2 correspond to the Media and Persia of Daniel 8:20, because the ancient lands of Elam, Media, and Persia were all in what is now Iran. So Daniel 8:3-8, describing the Second and Third Signposts, is an inspired expansion of what Isaiah 33:1 had already revealed. Who would fulfill the second part of Isaiah 33:1 is revealed in Daniel 8:21: “the king of Yavan,” the nation of Turkey. Isaiah 33:1 reveals how Iran will be able to invade and how, later, Turkey will be able to invade: through spoiling and treachery.
“Therefore are my loins filled with pain; pangs have taken hold upon me as the pangs of a woman that travaileth; I was bowed down at the hearing of it; I was dismayed at the seeing of it. My heart panted; fearfulness affrighted me; the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me” (Isaiah 21:3-4).
But the remainder of Isaiah 33 reveals wonderful things for those who love the Lord.
Early word from breaking news regarding the decision of Trump about the Iran deal…he will be pulling out of it. Now, it will be a very interesting summer to see this plays out…
Julie,
Exactly.
Mark and Julie,
Very interesting indeed. Might we see the Psalm 83 war heating up soon? I’m keeping my eye on Jordan.
Lebanon elections to Iran (Hezbollah), Iraq elections almost to Iran (their choice of candidate anyway), and a realisation that they may need to switch strategy from taking Israel directly on…hmmm.
Ouuu…Thomas…I’m thinking about going to Jordan with Joel next year…why do you say that?
Daniel 8:3-4, as it is written, could be entirely fulfilled by Iran’s armies, since how far in each direction Iran will push is not told. But if any of the three directional pushes will cross large bodies of water, Iran’s navies could come into play. Iran has two navies, a regular navy of ships, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy of fast attack boats.
In the 16th century, when the Ottoman Empire controlled most of the Mediterranean Sea, Nostradamus (1503-1566) predicted that a leader of “Perse” (Persia) would in the future invade various places within or at the borders of the Mediterranean Sea (Centuries 2:96, 3:64, 3:78, 5:25, 5:27, 5:86). The only paths for Iranian naval ships to enter the Mediterranean Sea are the Suez Canal or around the continent of Africa. With the permission of Egypt, two Iranian naval ships entered the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal in 2011, and again in 2012. Relations between Egypt and Iran have since deteriorated. Iran would now have to seize the Suez Canal to gain access to the Mediterranean Sea for its ships and fast attack boats. However, fast attack boats might be transported over land to launch in the Mediterranean Sea. They could then be used to seize control of non-Iranian ships. But if the Iranian invasion never enters the Mediterranean Sea, Nostradamus predictions concerning “Perse” can be safely ignored.
Julie. I say that because Edom, Moab, Ammon, and the Hagarites are all located in various areas of Jordan. These are the listed enemies of Israel according to Psalms 83: 6-8. It would seem that politically, something would have to change, (maybe a coup?) to bring about them coming against Israel.
I agree with you, Thomas. Not only are those three groups named in Psalm 83 and will all, with the rest of the groups, suffer a crushing defeat at the hands of God, but those three groups will escape being conquered by Antichrist the first go around during the Fourth Signpost. Presumably, they will be off limits because Israel will occupy them. As far as how the three groups break from Jordan, it could also be IRGC cells training and supplying radical elements within those three populations.