The Ezekiel Option

In his excellent book The Ezekiel Option, Joel Rosenberg's plot has Russia raising the belief that Israel has nuclear weapons as a pretext for the UN Security Council to pass a resolution requiring Israel to renounce nuclear weapons. This is something that Israel, of course, can't do. Using this Security Council Resolution as an excuse, Russia attempts to launch a war against Israel.

This is how Joel Rosenberg sets up the war described in Ezekiel 38 and 39.

Russia has already made such noises. Now it appears likely that their client state, Iran, may be about to go to the UN to demand such a resolution for them. Writing in the New York Sun, Benny Avni reports:

Israeli Nuclear Arms May Face U.N. Focus

By BENNY AVNI
Staff Reporter of the Sun
March 22, 2007

UNITED NATIONS — As the Security Council struggled to maintain unity on dealing with Iran yesterday, some of the 15 members tried to change the subject by proposing to inject Israel into the Iran issue.

Iran, meanwhile, ratcheted up its rhetoric yesterday, indicating that it may withdraw from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which obligates it to remain free of nuclear weapons.

"Until today, what we have done has been in accordance with international regulations," said Tehran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei. "But if they take illegal actions, we too can take illegal actions and will do so."

While Iran considers the council's demand that it suspend all its uranium enrichment activities "illegal," and while its top mullahs scoff at council resolutions, President Ahmadinejad has asked to address the council once it is ready for a vote on a new resolution. In his council address, Mr. Ahmadinejad is expected to raise Israel's reported nuclear arsenal.

Currently, the Security Council is negotiating a response to Iran's defiance of a previous demand to suspend its uranium enrichment activities. But negotiations slowed down yesterday, and Qatari and South African diplomats said they did not expect a vote before next week.

One stumbling block was a newly proposed reference to a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction.

A veiled reference to Israel, the proposal came from Indonesia and was supported by Qatar and other members of the council. The only public opposition came from America.

....

There is disagreement among Bible scholars as to whether Ezekiel's war takes place before the Rapture (Tim LaHaye and Joel Rosenberg, among others), or whether it is part of the War of Armageddon (Hal Lindsey). Although it is impossible for us to know God's timetable, this development certainly makes it more likely that this war could take place soon.

BTW, if you haven't read Joel Rosenberg's books, I highly recommend them.