Gary Varvel: Iran's snakes

Plus: Why Sports Illustrated fired its staff

Jan 23, 2024

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is orchestrating the attacks against Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters, “Iran is the head of the octopus and you see its tentacles all around from the Houthis to Hizbollah to Hamas.”

Psalm 83:4-6 says, ““Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation,
so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.”
⁵With one mind they plot together;
they form an alliance against you—
⁶the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites…”

The Muslim nations around Israel are “plotting together” to “destroy Israel.” Notice in verse 6, “Edom” which are the descendants of Esau, the brother of Jacob also known as Israel. You know the Edomites as the modern-day Palestinians. The “Ishmaelites” are Arabs who are predominantly Muslim. Psalm 83 lists other groups but these are the first 2 listed and they are at war with Israel today. Why? Because the want to “destroy them as a nation” so that they are remembered no more.

The Bible names Persia (present-day Iran) as one of the nations that will go to war against Israel after it has become a nation and the Jewish people return (Ezekiel 38-39). The prophet wrote this 2600 year ago and for centuries it seemed impossible but Israel is back in their promised land and its neighbors are unknowingly quoting Psalm 83:4.

The Bible says Israel’s destruction has been the goal of Satan from the beginning. The devil must believe he can delay his demise by stopping God’s plan for Israel. But God’s plan will not be stopped. Satan is doomed.

To my Jewish friends, listen to what Jesus said to his Jewish disciples,

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. ²In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.³And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. (John 14:1-3 NIV)

It has been 2000 years since Jesus promised to come back (2 days in God’s timeline - see my series at the bottom of this newsletter).

Based on Israel’s restored nation, control of Jerusalem and the alignment of the nations around her, Jesus’ return could be very soon.

COMING WEDNESDAY - PART 3: God’s plan to bring Israel to faith in its Messiah.

Sports Illustrated went woke and then went broke so it laid off its ENTIRE staff.

The Arena Group admitted to failing to make a $3.75 million quarterly licensing payment to Authentic Brands Group due this week. Granted, print media has fallen on hard times because our culture prefers devices over paper. But you have to know your audience and SI fed its readers content it didn’t want.

Some critics are blaming SI’s woke agenda. Instead of catering to sports fanatics, it tried to be a cultural influencer. I wonder if printing trans models on the cover of the Swimsuit Edition might have contributed to a loss of readers who preferred actual women.

And then another unforced error occurred when tech site Futurism reported that it found AI-generated content that included bylines and photos of fake authors last month in SI. This resulted in the firing of CEO Ross Levinsohn.

CULTURAL DEVOLUTION

WND - Bob Unruh: Amazon Prime Video unleashes program making Satan 'the good guy.' 'What does it say about our society?'

RIGHT VIEWS

VIDEO - Meet Rev. John Witherspoon, a Presbyterian minister who served as the president of Princeton, one of the great intellectuals among the founding fathers of America.

All Israel News Staff: After Biden says Netanyahu 'doesn't rule out two-state solution,' Israeli ministers respond firmly. Coalition ministers say White House needs to ‘wake up’.

Not The Bee - Baltimore coach John Harbaugh opens postgame press conference reading from the Bible and giving glory to God after Ravens' playoff victory.

HUMOR ME

HUMOR ME: Fix my cartoon with a snarky remark. Email your entries to gary@garyvarvel.com. Winners announced in Friday’s newsletter for paid subscribers.