(Chris, though you cannot "hear" my voice, be assured that is calm, measured, and NON adversarial. YOU I will discourse with, and though some of what I write might seem, on the surface "adversarial", they are only operational disagreements, and NOT a "slam" on you. Though it might SEEM this post is written "in the flesh", or of and in the "world", God gave me a skill, a "gift" at a very early age, which can be a blessing and a curse, so let unspool, what I have to share with you..okay?....)
this will be a two part post, because right now, its zero dark hundred....I awoke at midnight, and have MANY house chores to do, so I will just share a few things with you now, because you wrote this:
" I know that it is unpopular among some believers, but I do believe that the modern state of Israel is a central player in Biblical prophecy."
as we might have discussed before, you are aware that I probably am the youngest person to go thru the DoD's DLI school, in the Korean language, and the youngest to hold a TS/Codeword clearance.
After several years, probably the most tense years in Korea, since the war, this would be during President Carters tenure, you are well aware, he made a decision, later reversed, thru our "product" delivered daily to the President. The prior decision he made was to withdrawal the last combat division on the Korean peninsula, the 2nd ID, which was precisely the wrong message to give the DPRK. My last year, I was sent back the base to in Maryland, that sits aside an alphabet agency I wont name, but I know you know.
This was 1980, and without detail, let me just say, I did not appreciate either the "culture" there, nor what was happening "under the covers"....that's all i'll say, so when my four years were up, I took my honorable discharge. Since the age of 7, it had been in my heart to emigrate to Israel anyway, i'll get into that into later.
Within the American defense/intel establishment there are only three men I have any respect and admiration for; Colin Powell (who fell on the grenade at the UN when ordered to by POTUS) Admiral "Fox" Fallon (google fallon esquire, and read the first entry, the Admiral was once CENTCOM CO) and Richard Clarke, who was the only high ranking official to apologize PUBLICALLY for the failure of the "community" to stop the attacks on 11 Sep 2001...such abasement is what a REAL MAN does..
now I want to link you to an interview Richard Clarke gave to a pair of youthful alt media journalists about some of the events on 11 Sep 2001, this is NO "conspiracy" theory, its just the CounterTerr head at the WH, telling what he knew and what he didn't know, Dick Clarke served under 4 presidents, both Dem/Repub as you know (brother Greg, i'm not trying to be rebellious, I just want Chris to see this, when he does, I will be happy to excise it...there is nothing untoward IN the clip, just some truth about what this leader knew and didn't know)
only 14,000 people have seen this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzP9YJpBubk
as far as your in class thesis, you are more correct than you know. I want to buy a fictional book, "Day of Wrath", about an attack the author spools out that is absolutely horrendous, it will buttress EXACTLY your thesis.
the ONLY comfort is this; the arabs don't have the operational capability to pull off a LARGE scale coordinated attack as posited in this tome, if they did, the tragic events in Paris would be 10 times greater....or after 9/11, if it was as advertised, they would have had B, C, D, E, F attacks already to go. One doesn't play chess only one move ahead, you think 6 moves forward, obviously they don't
and lastly this morning, rent or purchase the film "Body of Lies" (2009) This film is the closet you will come to what really happens in the ME...its not boring, its quite illuminating.....youtube the trailer, trust me though, you will WANT to see this.
i'm weary and next post i'll testify where God has told me this all is leading to, which is about two steps away from global war.
God love you richly, neil