Senior Pentagon officials described the Islamic State (Isis) militant group as an “apocalyptic” organisation that posed an “imminent threat” on Thursday, yet the highest-ranking officer in the US military said that in the short term, it was sufficient for the United States to “contain” the group that has reshaped the map of Iraq and Syria. Army general Martin Dempsey, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, told reporters in a Pentagon briefing that while Isis would eventually have to be defeated, the US should concentrate on building allies in the region to oppose the group that murdered an American journalist, James Foley. “It is possible to contain them,” Dempsey said, in a Pentagon press conference alongside the defence secretary, Chuck Hagel. “They can be contained, but not in perpetuity. This is an organisation that has an apocalyptic, end-of-days strategic vision which will eventually have to be defeated.” Read more.
Interesting comment by the Pentagon: “This is an organisation that has an apocalyptic, end-of-days strategic vision which will eventually have to be defeated.”
Revelation 13:5-8 might be a good read for a morning devotional at the Pentagon. But I hope they still have a chaplain around who will be allowed to read it.
Jesus come quickly.
We seem to be in the “wars and rumors of wars” stage of the end times. With that, I prefer that the U.S. do everything she can now to annihilate them (fat chance with our current ROE). If IS, as relatively small as it is, is vanquished, Satan will replenish his forces with another group just as barbaric anyway.
I just finished my commentary entry for 13:5. It was 10 pages long.
The use of biblical imagery and terms is very appropriate I think, even if those using them are not spiritual discerning. The danger about ISIS and this so-called ‘caliphate’ is that the more numerous and widespread they become, the more influence it will have over Muslims who are already in non-Muslim countries. In effect, it is creating a world-wide army who will do the bidding of the supposed ‘Caliph’ for the sake of Islam and Muhammad’s ‘allah’.
The implications of 1.5 billion Muslims being under the authority of a single jihadist leader of a supposed caliphate are staggering….and reminiscent of Rev 6:8, which details how 1/4 of the world’s population will be under the authority of the fourth of the four horses, which I believe cumulatively represent Islam. Right now, Islam is around 1/4 of the world’s population.
We have already seen ordinary, once ‘peaceful’ and ‘moderate’ Muslims who have been somehow triggered to violence. They have used things as simple as meat cleavers, knives, clubs, even crock pots to make devastating bombs and commit heinous atrocities in western/ Christian countries like the UK and the USA. They have the ability to conduct disease jihad, importing infectious diseases in their own body. Rape jihad, political jihad (having elected Muslim officials work to change laws to conform to sharia laws and Muslim culture) credit card jihad (by Muslim employees of credit card companies)…the list goes on.
Islam began as a benign presence in the west, so small that it was considered irrelevant. But now it is growing like a cancer. Like a malignant tumor, it is unstoppable unless the tumor is removed and the rest of it is killed off.
I full agree with this statement
Reverend Smith,
As someone who consults to the military–and who wrote the preface to your fine book–I think that what the Pentagon really needs is expertise in ISLAMIC eschatology, not a daily reading of Revelation. We’ll just have to agree to disagree on this one!
Keep up the good work.
Tim