In a bizarre “rant,” Iran’s President Ahmadinejad claimed that “the United States is attempting to thwart the return of mankind’s savior (emphasis added)” who Ahmadinejad claims is the “hidden imam.” He further asserted that “the Iranian nation is the one that will prepare the grounds for his coming and will be supporters of his rule (emphasis added). Ahmadinejad is a “true believer” that his Shiite “savior” is about to “return” and “rule” on the earth. Christians ought to see some similarities in his terminology. Christian believers have faith that it is Jesus Christ/Yahshua who is the “savior” who will “return” and “rule” for a millennium. We need to consider Ahmadinejad’s faith-based assertions in light of (A) the fact that Ahmadinejad will soon have his hands on nuclear weapons and (B) the chances of a major religious war are increasing.
It is my understanding that Ahmadinejad is voicing the beliefs of the Shiite Moslems in his belief about the return of a “hidden imam” as an Islamic savior to rule the world. I don’t think Sunni Moslems share this belief in Iran’s “hidden imam,” so Sunnis might find Ahmadinejad’s statements to be just as disconcerting as would Christians and Jews. It is also my understanding, based on previously-read articles, that Ahmadinejah believes that his “savior” can only return either after or during a global world war of some kind. This is also similar to biblical prophecies that an apocalyptic war will occur just before the return of Jesus Christ. However, there is one major difference here. I don’t know of any Christian denomination which is trying to start an apocalyptic war on the world to “force” the return of Christ. It sounds like Ahmadinejad may be edging toward trying to “force” the coming of his “hidden imam” by creating a global conflagration.
How on earth can Ahmadinejad think the USA has the power to prevent the return of his Shiite Savior if his “savior” is so all-powerful? It makes me wonder if Ahmadinejad is still tethered to the real world in which the rest of us live. This also begs the question of what Ahmadinejad might do to “force” his expected Shiite savior to come? A recent blog of mine speculated that Iran might strike first against the Israelis and the West instead of patiently waiting for the Israelis and the West to attack Iran first. Ahmadinejad’s obvious (and very public) impatience at the delayed arrival of his “savior” and his perceived anger at the USA for somehow preventing his savior’s return might motivate Ahmadinejad to lash out in an attack against the Israelis, Americans and Sunni Moslems (who don’t accept the Shiite “savior”).
This brings us to the possibility of a “religious war.” I certainly do not see the Christians, Jews or Sunni Moslems as eager to start or fight any “religious war,” but Iran’s Shiite leader sounds like he is on the edge of starting one to force his Shiite “savior” to come. In the Cold War era, there were several close calls when the USSR and the USA were on the brink of a global war, but both stepped back from the brink because there were lucid, rational people on both sides. The world needs to recognize in its confrontation with Iran over its nuclear weapons program that Ahmadinejad may not be lucid or rational. He may do something very unexpected.
The second link (sent to me by a reader) reports that Iran is also meddling in the internal affairs of Switzerland over a Swiss referendum banning new minarets, and the link also offers some possible demands that Iran may be giving to the Europeans once Iran is a nuclear power. Europe better start realizing that it is also threatened by Iran.
Ahmadinejad’s rather paranoid rant and his terminology makes me wonder if he is a spiritist who believes he is in contact with his Shiite “savior” who is getting impatient and wants to “return.” If so, it reminds me of I Samuel 28:7-25 where King Saul of ancient Israel sought advice from a witch who had a familiar spirit (in modern terms, this witch would be called a “medium” or a “channeler”). If Ahmadinejad is a Shiite spiritist, it raises the possibility that a demon (a fallen and rebellious angel) may be positioning itself to influence or control Iran’s President and Iran’s decision-making apparatus. Jesus Christ himself warned that there would be great deceptions and a variety of false prophets and false christs (savior or messiahs) before his second coming. It looks like the expectation about one such false “savior” may soon be guiding Iran’s national policies. The Israelis, Americans and others better realize that Iran will not wait forever to be attacked. It may decide to take action first.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,579640,00.html?test=latestnews
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3816115,00.html
