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Why The Middle East Fire Won’t Go Out Long-Term
In times of global instability, even during this pause in the conflict between Iran and Israel, Christians are called to reflect biblically, not sentimentally, on the meaning of peace and justice. One of the great failings of many modern Christians is our tendency to discuss world affairs apart from the Bible, and Scripture apart from real life.
The Bible was not written in an ivory tower. It was forged in the fire of geopolitical strife. Our Lord spoke of peace, not from the comfort of a cathedral, but in the shadow of a looming war between Judea and Rome. The disciples heard His promise of peace on the very night He predicted Jerusalem’s fall in Matthew 24.
Then, as now, empires believed they could humanistically engineer peace. Judean zealots were certain that being God’s chosen people meant guaranteed victory. Romans, in turn, believed money, monuments, and political flattery could pacify the Middle East.
Their peace efforts failed catastrophically. Jerusalem was leveled in 70 A.D. The hills were stripped bare to fuel mass crucifixions. Every humanistic vision of peace, whether from the sword or the treasury… was then and will always be shattered.
Echoes in Modern Iran
Fast forward two thousand years. The same illusions persist. The U.S. and Europe believed for decades that enough economic engagement, diplomacy, and foreign aid could turn Iran into a moderate partner.
At the same time, hardline Shiite clerics in Tehran have taught their people that divine destiny lies with them, that martyrdom and resistance will bring about miraculous deliverance and dominance. These are not secular statesmen arguing over borders. This is an intensely religious war in the heart of an already flammable region.
Today’s headlines reflect a violent culmination of years of brinksmanship. Missiles have flown between Tel Aviv and Tehran. Proxy militias ignite southern Lebanon and Syria. Oil prices skyrocket. Global panic deepens. But this conflict, like every one before it, demands theological reflection—not just political commentary. For Christians, the question is not, “Who wins?” but rather, “What kind of peace does God call us to pursue?”
Christ’s Peace vs. the World’s Peace
In John 14:27, Jesus said: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.” This was not a sentimental blessing. It was a radical contrast. The world’s peace comes through domination, threats, or the illusion of diplomacy. Christ’s peace comes through righteousness, justice, and obedience to God’s law.
The global powers vying for peace in the Middle East today pursue peace without righteousness. They quote Scripture at press conferences while shaking hands with tyrants. They drop humanitarian aid in one region while selling weapons to another. This is not peace. This is propaganda cloaked in moral language.
The Forgotten Voices of Christians in the Middle East
In past wars, such as the U.S. invasion of Iraq, little attention was paid to the Christian leaders of the region. Patriarchs and bishops from ancient churches—Chaldeans, Syriacs, Maronites—gathered to oppose the bombing of their countries, the destruction of their churches, and the starvation of their people.
They were ignored. Their communities were decimated. Ancient sites like Babylon, Nineveh, and Ur were obliterated by airstrikes. American media barely mentioned it.
Today, in Iran and its neighboring countries, Christians again face persecution, displacement, and erasure. Western Christian leaders, often silent or distracted, speak more about political alliances or prophetic speculation than they do about defending the faithful.
The same apathy persists even as Christians in Armenia, Syria, and southern Lebanon suffer under the fallout of regional chaos.
The Idol of the Rapture and the Lust for War
Many evangelical leaders, past and present, have not merely failed to oppose just war… they have welcomed it. During the Gulf War, figures like Pat Robertson and Billy Graham wrapped the violence in apocalyptic enthusiasm, speaking of Armageddon and rapture with disturbing excitement. Today, we have the same old rapture stuff all over again. The Endless “End Times” industry.
The idea that mass bloodshed might usher in Christ’s return seemed more important to them than obeying Christ’s actual commands. Build the third Temple at any cost… literally.
Turn on the TV preachers today, listen to them online and on terrestrial radio. Different faces, different names, but the drumbeat is the same. Every escalation with Iran is now portrayed by some as a step toward the final battle. Rather than calling for justice, repentance, and reconciliation, they cheer for bombs and quote Revelation out of context. But Jesus did not come to sanctify unjust wars. He came to make peace through His blood and call nations to repentance.
America’s Selective Morality
It’s also impossible to ignore the double standards of American foreign policy. The U.S. continues to support regimes where Christianity is illegal, while doing little for Christians in places like Nigeria, China, and Sudan. We intervene militarily for oil and influence, but not for churches being burned or believers being slaughtered. We denounce enemies for using chemical weapons while ignoring our own history of doing the same.
When war crimes are committed by others, we call for tribunals. When committed by our country, we demand accolades and parades. We forget that many Christian cities… were turned to ash by the same country that now lectures the world about human rights.
The Judgment of Nations
God is not mocked. He will judge the nations. When a nation wages war without justice, when it bombs retreating armies, when it kills civilians with indifference, when it refuses to aid the starving and punishes the innocent for the sins of their rulers, God sees. And He remembers.
Isaiah 59:8 declares, “The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings.” Peace and justice cannot be separated. Without righteousness, peace is just a pause between wars.
The Real Question for Christians
In the midst of this Iran-Israel war, the real question is not which side wins. It is whether Christians will wake up from their never-never land slumber and remember their calling. Will we follow the Prince of Peace or the political princes of this world? Will we distinguish between just war and holy war, between biblical prophecy and political theater?
As long as we confuse “patriotism” with godliness, and political power with divine blessing, we will be vulnerable to deception. And if the church continues to be silent, cheering war as a shortcut to rapture instead of proclaiming Christ’s lordship over nations, we will be judged alongside the nations we refuse to confront.
The ceasefire will not hold. Bookmark this article and read it again six months from now. I really want to be wrong. But the fire, still smoldering in the Middle East, is not just political but spiritual. A slight breeze can easily reignite the fire of hatred and bloodshed.
And it will never be extinguished by bombers, treaties, or tanks. Only repentance, truth, and obedience to God’s Word can lead to lasting peace. Muslims and Jews need to be evangelized.
