The Beginnings of World War III? (Part 3, Final Episode) (Aug 2006)

The Beginnings of World War III? (Part 3, Final Episode) (Aug 2006)
By Tommy Franks

The lines have been drawn in the sand. Some think that our current conflict in Iraq is a war against Iraq. This is not true. The conflict is in Iraq, but not against the country itself. In fact, the war is being waged at large “against violent extremism” (aka terrorism), of which Iraq is a central front. So the bad guys aren’t just the commies or the fascists. Instead the enemies have no uniforms. They are terrorists such as al-Qaeda. This is war against a religion! More than a billion Muslims are in the world. Many possess no ill-will against the US. Some, in fact, have immigrated here and have made remarkable productive lives. So what is the problem with the terrorist Muslim mindset? The terrorists have said that they want to kill every American and every Jew. Herein lies the problem!

The majority of the people of Lebanon and other Arab countries are against America and has repeatedly said they want to kill us. Therefore, why then do we need to be so concerned about their civilians? I’ll tell you why. We are civilized people, that’s why!

Is this World War III? In the recent conflict, the Lebanese government declared they were on the side of Hezbollah and the Arab world. This helps us to understand where Lebanon really stands. Fighting against terrorists is different than fighting a war against a country. When you fight against a country, you usually know who the enemy is and what their uniforms look like. In this case, the enemy lives in Lebanon, wears no uniform, and is a part of the Lebanese government. We should consider them and Lebanon to be one and the same. These terrorist actually live in the homes of regular citizens where they store their weapons and plan their attacks. They store their weapons in their Mosques and attack from among the homes of “regular citizens” in order to remain as hidden as possible. It is time for America to wake up and face the facts. These terrorists are demonized and diabolical! This is not over. It’s just the beginning. So far, both sides claim victory. Actually, neither side has won anything significantly. Israel has had a much tougher time prosecuting this war than expected. If the world allows Hezbollah and the other Arab organizations to go back in and re-build the bunkers, it may be too late for any kind of peace in the Middle East. Hezbollah is a political organization with an agenda, just like Nazi Germany was a political organization with an agenda. We almost lost that war and it seems like we should learn something from the past. Why can't we see the forest for the trees? America is in extreme danger and we must realize that we cannot appease terrorist organizations because they do not understand appeasement. They only see appeasement as weakness. They only understand raw power and brute force. Does America have the “will” and “strength” to fight against the Arabs and win? We can either fight the radical Islamists now or we can fight them later since they say they want to kill us. If we do not begin to fight against radical Islam now, we have already lost. This leads me to the next question. "Are we in the end times, and how can we predict what will happen in the next few years?"

As world events become increasingly traumatic, interest in prophecy will increase. In the past, there have been some dangerous temptations in the study of prophecy. Some teachers and writers go far beyond the boundaries of common sense. There have already been many wild and irresponsible claims made by prophecy teachers. And there will be more! The problem with error is…It misleads innocent scholars and discourages many others from even studying the end time events from a true Biblical perspective…“rightly dividing Scripture”.

I believe it is futile to attempt to set dates and predict specific world events. Many have attempted to make specific predictions which have in fact done more damage than good. Specific date-setting is non-productive. Jesus told us that we cannot know the date or the hour of His return. In the past, someone said that Christ was returning in 1984. If you haven’t noticed, 1984 has come and gone…and we are still here. Date-setters lead to disappointment and the results discredit the entire Christian community. “No one knows the day nor the hour of His return…not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father" (Mt. 24:36). Period!

However, we are told to be constantly watchful and aware of situations as they arise. We are told to be in a state of preparedness. “You must be ready…because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him" (Mt. 24:44). Therefore, we need to familiarize ourselves with end-time prophecies…and keep an eye on current events.
This is just good, prudent, practical Christianity.

For decades people have asked, "Who is the Anti-Christ? When will he come on the scene?” Again, I do not believe that it is possible to predict who the Antichrist will be. However, we do know that he will be revealed in God’s timing according to 2 Thes.2:8.
Some believe that the “rapture” takes place prior to the appearance of the Antichrist.
The key is to be “ready always” for the return of the Messiah.

With this being said, what do I believe? Again, I am not asking you to believe what I believe. You need to read Scripture for yourself…and form your own belief under the influence of the Holy Spirit. I believe that we are in the early stages of what I would consider “World War III”. Look at the global scene for a moment: Our US Forces are currently in Bosnia, Kosovo, Macedonia, the Sinai Desert, Afghanistan, Iraq, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and other countries. North Korea is developing a “rogue” attitude…launching missiles in all directions. Iran hates the free world. Pakistan is harboring terrorists. The so-called “Palestinians” are embarking on a dangerous cat and mouse game with Israel. China and Russia are standing back watching this circus of dangerous events. Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Iran are financing many of these terrorists’ activities and hostilities. Venezuela is now displaying rage and anger against the US. Are any of these countries connected, you think? Do you think that Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Hezbollah, and Hamas have an alliance together?

I believe the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel is not over. I believe it will escalate into something bigger. Time will tell. The UN is supposed to send troops into southern Lebanon. This will prove to be “fruitless” and non-productive!
Even so, the global bureaucracies of the UN nations and NATO countries are not responding fast enough, especially in our present day of modern technology. Could we…in fact, be in the first phase of WWIII? Most people understand that dictatorships talk to each other. They meet and say “bad” things about the US, Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and other free nations. Why? Because they do not have the same value system about life, family, responsibilities, and mutual respect for human dignity. Most live under dictatorships and do not have a clue about basic freedoms.

There are my thoughts. However, many US government agencies and Israel believe that global terrorism is indeed the third world war. Of course, you know who will get the blame for all of this, don’t you? That’s right…the US and Israel.

This is Tommy Franks and I approve of this article.