Today is Sunday, May 17, 2020. It has been 130 days since the supreme leader declared US forces must leave the Middle East. His words were backed up by a display of IRGC capabilities with a precision attack on a US base hundreds of miles from Iranian territory. It is Day 130 of this grace period.
This Reuters story reports that Ayatollah Khamenei has repeated and confirmed his initial call.
Echoing the predictions of the Second Signpost and the ram getting to do all it wants to do, Khamenei said, “The Americans won’t stay in Iraq and Syria and will be expelled.”
The IRGC will strike west, north, and south when it is ready.
Categories: In The News, Signpost #2: Iran
THE FOUR SIGNPOSTS 
Daniel Revisited states: “I believe the three ribs [in Daniel 7:5] represent the same thing as the three directions in which the ram will charge [Daniel 8:4].” The commentary of Charles Ellicott (1819–1905) had taught the same thing: “The ram pushes in three different directions. This corresponds to the three ribs in the mouth of the bear. The animal does not push towards the east, as it is presumed that he has already made conquests in those quarters.” Ellicott did not understand that Daniel 7 and 8 would be fulfilled by the Islamic Republic of Iran, which right now has friendly relations with Afghanistan to the east and Pakistan to the southeast.
The Pulpit Commentary claims that, in the Greek Septuagint Bible, the ram charges in four directions including east. If so, “east” was probably added to cover the Medo-Persian Empire’s expansion in that direction. However, Brenton’s 1851 translation of the Greek Septuagint Bible has the same three directions that the Hebrew text has. So it looks like “east” was a spurious addition in some LXX manuscripts to try to match history, not realizing that Daniel 7 and 8 are prophecies for the end times.
Meanwhile the majority of people today can only see a few inches in front of them. But my eyes are wide open and I am seeing a second wave of the virus in late summer with more shut downs, further econonmic collapse, real estate collapse after a panic buy period, complete dollar collapse, gunpoint forced vaccines, and a world war with China potential. At this point it is hard to think that Iran would change much in the sand box but I’m sure it will. Things aren’t looking so good anyways. i am considering a last minute move to WV in a very remote mountain farm area. We have food, seeds, animals, ammo, skills, gear, and everything really that we could possibly buy from the system. Family of 4. Anyone want to collaborate?
Here is a video chronicling what happened on 2020-01-08.
Gas prices took a 49 cent upward jump overnight in some places here in the Midwest. Guess we can expect more of those to come.
This oil price rollercoaster makes me wish i could just put up a huge bank of solar collectors in orbit and give free recharges to everyone for their electric cars.
Prisms,
When I consult a commentary, Ellicott is always first in line.
Prisms,
Thanks for the link.
The situation regarding the five iranian tankers now headed toward Venezuela is an in-your-face-America confrontation by Iran.
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/05/18/5-iran-tankers-sailing-venezuela-amid-us-pressure-tactics.html
“All the vessels involved belong to Iranian state-owned or state-linked companies, flying under the Iranian flag…. The ships all appear to have been loaded from the Persian Gulf Star Refinery near Bandar Abbas, Iran, which makes gasoline, Raja said. The ships then traveled around the Arabian Peninsula and through the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean Sea, according to data collected from the ship’s Automatic Identification System, or AIS, which acts as a tracking beacon.”
When ships have their AIS turned on, satellites can broadcast their locations so that ship tracking websites can display ship locations.
https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid:5712860/mmsi:422232300/imo:9820312/vessel:CLAVEL
https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid:768415/mmsi:422304000/imo:9283758/vessel:FAXON
https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid:768080/mmsi:422305000/imo:9283760/vessel:FOREST
https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid:658311/mmsi:422303000/imo:9283746/vessel:FORTUNE
https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid:5735098/mmsi:422232600/imo:9820336/vessel:PETUNIA
According to GlobalSecurity.org, “Fortune and Petunia are projected to reach Caracas on May 27.”
Prisms,
Good homework.
Overall, it is amazing to me that Iran is supplying oil to the richest oil country on the planet, one that could potentially provide oil to the Americas all by itself, if it wasn’t for its gross mismanagement.
The five tankers are apparently loaded with gasoline from “the Persian Gulf Star Refinery near Bandar Abbas, Iran, which makes gasoline.” While Venezuela has plenty of oil, refining capacity is limited. Venezuela actually needs imports of gasoline (and help in repairing an inactive refinery). Since the tankers are owned by “Iranian state-owned or state-linked companies,” the shipments are probably an IRGC operation. On board are probably engineers familiar with repairing refineries, along with IRGC Quds Force operatives wanting to spread the Islamic Revolution in countries surrounding the Caribbean Sea. From the days of Khomeini the Iranian regime has had a slogan: “America can’t do a damn thing against us,” which is in sync with “there was none to deliver from his power” (Daniel 8:4). How else to explain the boldness of Iran in defying U.S. economic sanctions by shipping gasoline to Venezuela?
Never before in human history have the nations quarantined themselves as they have done over coronavirus. In the midst of this unprecedented experience musicians the world over created and participated in internet-enabled international virtual choirs. Search “virtual choir” on YouTube. Since some of these isolated-yet-together performances have honored Jesus Christ, Isaiah 24:10-16 comes to mind:
The city of confusion is broken down:
every house is shut up, that no man may come in.
There is a crying for wine in the streets;
all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone.
In the city is left desolation,
and the gate is smitten with destruction.
When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people,
there shall be as the shaking of an olive tree,
and as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done.
They shall lift up their voice,
they shall sing for the majesty of the LORD,
they shall cry aloud from the sea.
Wherefore glorify ye the LORD in the fires,
even the name of the LORD God of Israel in the isles of the sea.
From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs,
even glory to the righteous.
What follows this? Isaiah 24:16-18 continues:
But I said, My leanness, my leanness, woe unto me!
the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously;
yea, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously.
Fear, and the pit, and the snare,
are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.
And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth
from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit;
and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit
shall be taken in the snare:
for the windows from on high are open,
and the foundations of the earth do shake.
“Fear and the pit and the snare are upon thee O inhabitant of the earth” corresponds with what is prophesied of in Revelation 6:3-4:
And when he had opened the second seal,
I heard the second beast say, Come and see.
And there went out another horse that was red:
and power was given to him that sat thereon
to take peace from the earth,
and that they should kill one another:
and there was given unto him a great sword.
Before such unpleasantness begins, we should appreciate good emotions inspired by virtual choirs.
“You’ll Never Walk Alone” https://youtu.be/6gpoJNv5dlQ
“The Star of Hope” by Alma Deutscher https://youtu.be/AOUE8EccQgU
Prisms,
Interesting choice of passages. “The city of confusion is broken down” is being included in my new book. The “city of confusion” is Babel/Babylon the Great. This Covid shutdown may very well be a preview of the desolation to come.
Mark,
The buildup to the second event of the end times is getting so intense that even though I have the time in retirement to study it, I can’t keep up with it all. I don’t want to be posting too much, but some of what I am learning should be shared with those of the signpost perspective.
IranWire is a news website published by proud Iranians critical of Iran’s government. IranWire believes in freedom of religion and rushes to defend the Baha’is and Jews living in Iran. IranWire has produced a short video about a Iranian site of historical interest to Jews that recently came under attack: https://youtu.be/wmDDbsDrZCM How is this video not of interest to us?
Radio Farda is another news service by proud Iranians critical of Iran’s government. Today, 2020-05-21, they have two articles concerning the Iranian gasoline shipments to Venezuela:
https://en.radiofarda.com/a/venezuela-s-military-to-escort-iranian-fuel-tankers–defense-minister/30625173.html
https://en.radiofarda.com/a/venezuela-s-guaido-says-iran-fuel-shipment-ought-to-alarm-latin-america/30624551.html
In the first of these articles we read: “Venezuela’s military will escort Iranian tankers bringing fuel to the gasoline-starved country as soon as they enter its exclusive economic zone… they will be escorted by Bolivarian [not Bolivian] National Armed Forces boats and planes to welcome them in and thank the Iranian people for their solidarity and cooperation.”
A few months ago a cloud passed by overhead shaped like a great sword wielded by a man on a horse.
Prisms,
Yes, there many, many pieces to this event. I can’t track them all either which is why I try to focus on the bigger and more significant news items. Your contributions are appreciated both by myself and I’m sure by many others who visit this site.
And as I’ve stated many times before to many readers, I am blessed by all of you brothers and sisters who have decided the Signposts are the things to watch in the end times and are watching with me.
Blessings!
I tend to be a libertarian, economically that is. Sanctions do very little and often backfire. Trump seriously needs to rethink these sanctions on Venezuela especially as there is an oversupply of oil in the US. These sanctions are seriously stupid and often increase the poverty in the nation there placed on.
Just wondering, do you think, Mark, that Iran might be able to establish some kind of missile attack from Venezuela.
In Khamenei’s 2020-05-22 Quds Day speech was this sentence: “And why should Holy Quds, the first Qiblah of Muslims, be desecrated?” Holy Quds is Jerusalem, Qibla is the spot on Earth that Muslims face during prayers, and by “desecrated” Khamenei meant the occupation of Jerusalem by non-Muslims. Early Muslims in Medina prayed toward Jerusalem until Muhammad changed the Qibla to Mecca: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qibla
In his 2000 book “The Temples That Jerusalem Forgot,” Ernest L. Martin pointed out that after Muslims took over Jerusalem in A.D. 638, Caliph Umar ordered that a mosque be built near the southern edge of the “Temple Mount” (which is actually the remains of the Roman fort Antonia). According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Aqsa_Mosque, that mosque has several times been destroyed by earthquakes (while the solidly-built stone walls of fort Antonia remained unaffected). Ernest L. Martin pointed out that when Muslims in Al-Aqsa Mosque pray toward Mecca to the south, their bowing is pointed across the true Temple site over Gihon Spring. This means that should the Jerusalem Temple be built where previous Temples have been, Muslims in Al-Aqsa Mosque will find themselves bowing before the Jerusalem Temple!
Both text and audio of “The Temples That Jerusalem Forgot” are freely available at: http://www.askelm.com/TempBook/index.asp
Gary,
Huh, there’s a thought. Why not? I don’t think it would happen, but on the other hand is that really gasoline in those tankers or could there be something else?
The US did nothing about about forbidden gasoline shipments from Iran to Venezuela. With Iranian missiles aimed at US military bases, and with the Noor satellite’s ability to see from above whatever the IRGC wants to look at, it would have been foolish for the US to have done anything.
https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2020/05/22/2271523/top-general-warns-us-of-iran-s-harsh-response-to-miscalculations
“Major General Baqeri on Friday … said that Iran keeps a close and constant watch on the activities of the ‘adventurist, terrorist and anti-human American army’ in the region and in the faraway territories.”
https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2020/05/25/2273041/era-of-us-presence-in-region-ending-top-irgc-figure
“General Yadollah Javani … said, ‘The Islamic Republic is now an established regional power and is turning into a global power. Today, the US is no longer as powerful as [in] the past and cannot impose its will on others.'”
Although Daniel 8:4 prophesied that Iran would become great, I thought that would be after the prophesied militarily invasions. Iran’s sending gasoline to Venezuela surprised me.
All five ships went through Suez Canal and Mediterranean Sea before crossing Atlantic Ocean. That route goes by Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco, which back in the 16th century were known as Barbary States.
In 1555, Nostradamus quatrain 1:73 line 2 mentioned “Tunys, Argel esmeuz par Persiens” (Tunis, Algiers stirred up by the Persians). Assuming the five ships return the same way, after Iran has defied US sanctions will the five ships be cheered by denizens of the Barbary Coast?
Here is actual footage of Venezuelan fighters jets escorting the second Iranian tanker that arrived in Venezuelan waters.
[video src="https://ifpnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/13990306000001_360P-1.mp4" /]
The gasoline shipments are to allow Venezuelans to drive their cars until Venezuelan gasoline refineries can be put back into production.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/05/26/626132/Venezuela-refinery-Iran-gasoline
This has been a public relations triumph for Iran.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2020/05/25/626125/Gracias-Iran-trending-Venezuela-Iranian-tankers-arrive
Armenia is a Christian country on the north side of a 27.34 mile border with Iran. If I were living in Armenia and had read in “Daniel Revisited” about north being one of the directions in which Iran will invade, I might get a little concerned. Thankfully, Armenia’s leadership, for whatever reason, has agreed to expand friendly trade relations with Iran.
https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/448141/Facilitation-of-trade-discussed-between-Iran-Armenia
“The northwestern neighbor Armenia is one of the countries preserving and expanding its economic relations with Iran regardless of the sanction condition.”
The article points out that “Iran mainly imports red meat from Armenia.” I would rather feed a bear red meat than end up as a rib in its mouth (Daniel 7:5).
On 2020-05-28 two very short but profound statements appeared on an IRGC-controlled news website.
A must read statement by the commander of the IRGC:
https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2020/05/28/2274816/iran-s-maritime-power-unknown-to-others-irgc-chief
Announcement of 112 missile boats added to IRGC’s navy:
https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2020/05/28/2274711/112-missile-boats-delivered-to-irgc-navy
Last year it was reported that some of these missiles boats can move at 90 knots (over 103.5 miles per hour):
https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2019/10/28/2128794/irgc-navy-to-use-new-weapons-in-future-drill-commander
Looking forward to day 150 remarks.