Epicenter 2.0

by Joel C. Rosenberg

  On March 30, 2007, Glenn Beck of CNN Headline News devoted an entire one-hour prime-time special to addressing current events in the Middle East in light of Bible prophecy, using Epicenter as one of his featured books. “We are having a conversation for a full hour tonight about the end of days,” Glenn told his audience as the special began. “It might sound nuts, but I encourage you to listen and, at the end of the hour, judge for yourself. Is this nuts, or is it possible that this is happening?” During that show, which also included Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins as guests, Glenn asked me to decode Ezekiel 38 and 39 for his viewers and to talk about how allusions to Bible prophecy are even popping up in the language of major world leaders. That special, which his producers later told me they had implored Glenn not to tape (because they were unable to imagine who would watch it), drew such high ratings it aired a total of three times in 2007.418

  In October 2007, when Putin visited Iran and President Bush warned a nuclear Iran could trigger World War III, a leading Israeli news site ran the following headline:

  ISRAEL WARNS WORLD WAR III MAY BE BIBLICAL WAR OF GOG AND MAGOG

  Arutz Sheva, October 18, 2007

  What’s more, “Israeli newscasts featured Gog and Magog maps of the likely alignment of nations in that potential conflict,” the article noted. “Channel 2 and Channel 10 TV showed the world map, sketching the basic alignment of the two opposing axes in a coming world war, in a manner evoking associations of the Gog and Magog prophecy for many viewers. The prophecy of Gog and Magog refers to a great world war centered on the Holy Land and Jerusalem and first appears in the book of Yechezkel (Ezekiel).”419

  On April 10, 2008, some 2,000 pastors and evangelical Christians from around the world met for the first-ever Epicenter Conference. Held at the International Convention Center in Jerusalem, the event was sponsored by the Joshua Fund—the relief organization I described in the “Tracking the Tremors” chapter—and webcast around the globe. Together, we:

  celebrated the sixtieth anniversary of the prophetic rebirth of the State of Israel in 1948;

  examined the geopolitical threats to the Jewish state and her neighbors;

  discussed the biblical mandate Christians have to love Israel, her neighbors, and her enemies;

  studied the Bible prophecies regarding the future of Israel, Iran, and Russia;

  released an exclusive poll of American Christian attitudes toward Israel, Iran, and Mideast issues (see the results in Appendix 3);

  explained the Joshua Fund’s new relief strategy called “Operation Epicenter,” aimed at blessing Israel and her neighbors with $120 million worth of humanitarian relief aid over the next few years, including food, clothing, and medical supplies to care for the poor and needy as well as victims of war and terrorism (learn more at www.joshuafund.net); and

  mobilized tens of thousands of Christians around the world to pray knowledgeably and consistently for the peace of Jerusalem and for all the people of the epicenter, because the God of the Bible loves them all.

  Along the way, I have had the privilege of meeting with and discussing the book with hundreds of Jewish leaders, Islamic clerics, Arab and Iranian pastors, foreign ambassadors, Russian pastors and foreign policy experts, White House staffers, administration officials, generals and other military officials at the Pentagon and around the world, and high-level officials in a variety of U.S. and foreign intelligence agencies. Two members of Congress sent a letter to their colleagues urging them to read Epicenter over the August recess in 2007. In February 2008, I even had the extraordinary opportunity to give a signed copy of Epicenter to Iraqi president Jalal Talabani through his spokesman, during a research trip a colleague and I made to the Republic of Iraq.

  Not all who have read this book, watched the film, or heard me discuss the subject have agreed with my conclusions. To be sure, some strongly disagreed. But I am deeply grateful for the fact that, all told, in the first two years since Epicenter was published, millions of Americans, Canadians, Israelis, Russians, Iranians, Arabs, and others have begun to be introduced to a series of once-obscure and little-discussed prophecies tucked away at the end of the book of Ezekiel.

  The reason for this explosion of interest in Bible prophecy has nothing to do with me or the quality (or lack thereof) of the book you hold in your hands. The reason has everything to do with the growing fear people around the world have regarding the future of the Middle East, the growing fascination people have with what the Bible says about the future of their lives and their world, and the growing curiosity people have over whether there is really a correlation between the two. Based on what I see happening in the world, and in the hearts of men and women around the globe, I suspect that interest will continue to grow, and for good reason.

  APPENDIX 1: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  Q: Do the prophecies in Ezekiel 38–39 mean that the U.S. should simply accept the inevitable and give up its attempts to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons?

  A: The answer to this question is no. Even though the Bible makes it clear that Iran will join forces with Russia and attack Israel, that doesn’t mean the U.S. should sit idly by and wait for it to happen. Stopping Tehran from building or acquiring nuclear weapons is essential for the stability and security of the Middle East and the entire world.

  Keep in mind that the Bible doesn’t specifically say that Iran must acquire nuclear weapons for Ezekiel’s prophecy to be fulfilled. And Iran could do a horrendous amount of damage and snuff out a horrific number of lives with a nuclear bomb before the War of Gog and Magog takes place. That’s why I believe Iran’s nuclear ambitions must be stopped. And the longer we wait, the greater the danger we face.

  So what is to be done? Can the U.S. rely on sanctions and other diplomatic strategies to force Iran to desist in its efforts to become a nuclear power? Can we rely on our intelligence agencies to tell us when we’re approaching the point of no return?

  Unfortunately not.

  There is no question that Iran—particularly under Mahmoud Ahmadinejad—is a dangerous regime. As we have seen, Iran is currently enriching uranium. When they successfully build 50,000 centrifuges they will be able to build a nuclear bomb in sixteen days. Will we know when that day is? Or will the smoking gun be a mushroom cloud in Washington, New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles? Remember that back in 1998 India tested a nuclear weapon and in so doing completely stunned the CIA and most of the world’s intelligence agencies, who had no idea that India was so close to getting the bomb. And India is a friend. I personally have little confidence that our intelligence agencies will be able to be more precise with the Iranian nuclear program, especially with the Russians helping Tehran.

  Combine that with the fact that Ahmadinejad has vowed to wipe Israel off the face of the map and has asked Muslims to envision a world without the United States. He believes that Israel is the Little Satan and the U.S. is the Great Satan. He believes the end of the world is just a few years away and that it is his mission to bring it about. Deterrence, therefore, will not work. Negotiations are not working. And the time to foment a popular uprising to overthrow Ahmadinejad and the mullahs before they go nuclear is rapidly running out.

  President Bush has done an excellent job defending the U.S., and I have strongly supported the U.S. war effort in Afghanistan and Iraq in light of the 9/11 attacks. But let’s be clear: if Iran goes nuclear on President Bush’s watch, all the gains that have been made thus far in the War on Terror will be wiped out virtually overnight.

  We absolutely cannot let Iran go nuclear. To do so would put Americans and all freedom-loving people in existential danger. It is time to prepare for war. It is not my best-case scenario, but prudence demands we move before it’s too late.

  Q: Doesn’t Ezekiel’s scenario rule out any attack on Iran by the U.S. or a Western-led coalition?

  A: Not necessarily. Ezekiel rules out the possibility that any country—including the United States—will come to Israel’s defense once Russia and Iran and th
eir allies have surrounded Israel. Only God will come to Israel’s defense in the final throes of this prophecy. But a number of scenarios could unfold between now and then:

  The U.S. could effectively use preemptive military force against Iran, defusing the crisis for a number of years and buying the world more time before the day of judgment Ezekiel foretold.

  Likewise, Israel could use preemptive military force against Iran, with the same result. (Remember that Israel’s invasion of Lebanon in 1982 resulted in the capture of massive amounts of Soviet weaponry, thus forestalling a Russian invasion of Israel.)

  In yet another scenario, Israel might use preemptive military force but not destroy all of Iran’s weapons of mass destruction. In the process, Israel could trigger international condemnation against them and give Russia a pretext to take Iran’s side and form a coalition against Israel.

  U.S. foreign policy cannot be expected to be based on biblical prophecy. It should, however, be based on U.S. national interests. Stopping Iran from going nuclear is in our supreme national interest. Protecting the oil fields of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates—on which we depend—from Iranian domination is in our supreme national interest. Safeguarding against an Iranian takeover of Turkey, Jordan, and Iraq is also in our supreme national interest, as is protecting Israel, our most faithful and effective ally in the region and the first and strongest democracy in the Middle East. We should, therefore, act accordingly.

  That said, there is very little political support in the United States for another war in the Middle East. Most Americans want to pull out of Iraq, not invade Iran. And members of Congress and the intelligence services note very real and serious risks of launching any sort of military strike against the mullahs. We could get all of their nuclear sites but one, and the retaliation could be devastating. Iran could also—as Ahmadinejad has vowed to do in the event of an attack against Iran—launch thousands upon thousands of new terrorist insurgents into Iraq, worsening the violence there. They might also send suicide bombers into the U.S., possibly through the all-too-porous U.S. borders with Mexico and Canada (scenarios I wrote about in The Last Days). Or they could unleash their missiles on the oil fields of Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf states, destroying pumping, refining, and shipping facilities and driving the price of oil—already at record highs—through the roof.

  I can, therefore, envision a scenario in which the current president or the next takes no military action against Iran or plans to do so but waits too long, even as Russia develops a full-blown military alliance with Iran. We could then see Ezekiel’s prophecy play out in the not-too-distant future.

  I can also envision a scenario in which, under great international pressure, Iran announces that it will dismantle its nuclear weapons program if Israel agrees to give up its nuclear weapons as well. Diplomatic pressure would then begin to grow for the adoption of a “Middle East nuclear-free zone” resolution at the United Nations.

  Israel would surely resist such a diplomatic ploy, insisting (rightfully, in my view) upon the need to retain its arsenal as a matter of self-defense. In such a scenario, Russia might then begin building a coalition to force Israel to comply with the UN demands, much like the U.S. built a coalition to force Iraq to comply with UN demands. This was the scenario I used in The Ezekiel Option. The Egyptians in particular have been pushing a nuclear-free-zone option in the Middle East. As the crisis with Iran intensifies, their proposal may pick up widespread support.

  The thing to remember is that there are many roads that could ultimately lead us to the events described in Ezekiel 38–39. As individual believers (as opposed to national policy makers), we should keep our eyes on the big picture—praying for peace and working to communicate the good news of Christ’s redeeming love to the nations of the epicenter as this terrible drama unfolds.

  Q: Are you really certain that the West, particularly the U.S., will not come to Israel’s defense during the War of Gog and Magog? Given the historically strong and strategic relationship between our two countries, that just doesn’t seem possible.

  A: Unfortunately, Ezekiel’s account is clear—no one comes to Israel’s defense. By definition, that includes the United States. I agree that is difficult to imagine, especially when one considers how consistent American public opinion has been in favor of the Jewish state over the past four decades. During the Six Days’ War in June 1967, for example, 56 percent of Americans told the Gallup poll that their sympathies lay with Israel, while only 3 percent sided with the Arab states. In February 2006, 59 percent of Americans told Gallup they sided with Israel, compared with 15 percent who said they sympathized more with Palestinian Arabs.420

  What’s more, the number of Americans who view Israel as a reliable ally has climbed from only 33 percent in 1982 (when Israel bombed Iraq’s nuclear reactor and invaded Lebanon to stop terrorism and a massive buildup of Soviet armaments) to 41 percent in 2005, though it has fluctuated along the way.421

  American support for Israel stands in marked contrast to Europe, however, where anti-Semitism and anti-Israel sentiments are rising rapidly. Synagogues and Jewish schools and cemeteries throughout Europe are being burned, vandalized, or otherwise desecrated in ever-increasing numbers. Jews are being verbally and physically assaulted throughout Europe. Rockwell Schnabel, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, said at a dinner of the American Jewish Committee in Brussels in 2004 that anti-Semitism in Europe “is as bad as it was in the 1930s.”422 European polls increasingly show antagonism toward Israel and Israeli policies. In November 2003, a majority of Europeans actually named Israel as the greatest threat to world peace, ahead of Iran and North Korea.423

  It seems like a safe bet, therefore, that Europe would not raise a hand to help protect Israel against attack. But would the U.S.? Even given historical trends and current indications of American support for Israel, we should expect that the closer we get to the War of Gog and Magog, the fewer Americans we will see strongly supporting the Jewish state. I’m already beginning to pick this up anecdotally on radio interviews in which a surprising number of callers say things like, “Why should we spend a dime to save Israel?” and “Let the Jews fight their own battles” and “The only reason we as Americans are getting attacked by Muslims is because we support Israel—the sooner we stop, the sooner there will be peace.”

  The real test, of course, will come when Russia and Iran and their allies begin to move forces toward Israel. How many Americans would be willing to risk nuclear war with Russia and Iran to protect even a loyal ally like Israel—especially if Moscow and Tehran argue that they have no desire for a confrontation with the U.S. if we will just stay out of the way? Sadly, I suspect the number today is much lower than most supporters of Israel are willing to admit.

  Those who already want American forces out of Iraq and Afghanistan are not likely to support a new war. Nor will undecided voters or those who believe we should finish the job in Iraq but then be done with the Middle East. Under such circumstances, it will be extremely difficult for any American president to commit forces to defend Israel.

  Q: What should be the attitude of Christians toward Israel in the days leading up to the showdown with Russia and Iran?

  A: I believe the vast majority of evangelical Christians will maintain support of Israel to the bitter end. Many Catholics and Christians from other denominations who are also passionate about their love for Jesus and their understanding of God’s plan and purpose for the Jewish people will also stand with Israel. Indeed, true followers of Jesus Christ may be the only friends Israel and the Jewish people have left as this terrible war approaches.

  It is vitally important, therefore, that Christians become faithful in praying for the peace of Jerusalem every day, visit and tour Israel while they still can, and find new and creative ways to show Israel and the Jewish people how much the church loves and cares for them. If at all possible, it would be my hope to take my family to Israel and live there in the run-up to the war as
a show of solidarity.

  At the same time, it is vitally important to remember that God loves the Muslim people of the Middle East as well as the Russians and others living in the former Soviet Union. Jesus made it clear that he died in order to give eternal life to everyone who believes in him (John 3:16), regardless of nationality or heritage. Thus, followers of Christ must show love and compassion to all the people of the region, both now and as the war approaches. That does not mean excusing the actions of certain hostile or anti-Christian governments or troops. But Christ died on the cross to save sinners from every country, even countries he has, in his sovereignty, chosen to judge. Our job is to find a way to demonstrate and communicate Christ’s love during mankind’s darkest hours. This is the reason my wife and I formed the Joshua Fund (see chapter 15).

  Q: Will the War of Gog and Magog happen before or after the Rapture?424

  A: The truth is we simply do not know the answer for certain, because Ezekiel does not say. Many of the theologians I have cited in this book believe the war will occur after the Rapture. In the novel Left Behind, Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins describe the War of Gog and Magog as having already happened before the Rapture takes place. In The Ezekiel Option, I also chose to portray the war occurring before the Rapture.

  In Matthew 24:14, Jesus says, “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come” (NASB). We also know from Ezekiel that God will use the War of Gog and Magog to display his glory to all nations and to pour out his Holy Spirit, particularly on the nation of Israel. As a result of the entire world seeing God defend Israel from the onslaught of the Russian-Iranian coalition, a dramatic spiritual awakening will occur around the globe. It would certainly be consistent with God’s heart for humanity that he would cause this cataclysmic moment to occur before the Rapture in order to shake people out of their spiritual apathy and/or rebellion and give them at least one more chance to receive Christ as their Savior before the terrible events of the Tribulation occur.