Terry James – http://www.raptureready.com/rap16.html

American presidential politics are more powerful in their impact than at any time in history. The nation’s future has never been more precarious.

While it can be legitimately argued that nothing can be done to change that future, from the perspective of Bible prophecy, we live in the flesh-and-blood reality of the present and have decisions to make. Things are on the fast track to the Tribulation hour, as most who watch for Christ’s return firmly believe. We move and operate within the minutes and hours of everyday life, however, and must address those increments of time as they approach, then become the present.

The term “October surprise” has long been linked to presidential politics. This means that the administration, defending its incumbency, usually saves something under its capability to influence votes until the last moment in order to interject into the campaign process during the October immediately preceding the election month of November. Never has an “October surprise” been more likely than with this presidency. At least, that is my opinion and the opinion of almost every pundit I’ve heard on the national scene.

This is a close and tightening presidential race. Anything can happen to break the virtual tie. We are at the midpoint of October, which means the surprise-if one is to happen-might have occurred by the time of this commentary’s posting. The anxiety inherent in all this is the fear that such a surprise might cause uncontrollable ramifications. This is because the many dynamics currently interplaying within building crises around the nation and world consist of elements that present X factors-that is, unknown possibilities for triggering catastrophe.

My commentary, here, is merely to present a hypothesis as follow-up to a scenario I have proposed in past articles. The subject is Iran’s ongoing nuclear development program and the longer-term threat it poses to Israel and the world. It involves, too, of course, the more immediate threat of direct confrontation with Israel, the Jewish state that must perhaps take preemptive action to eliminate the Iranian nuclear threat. The risk is all-out war with Israel’s Islamist enemies in the Middle East.

One opinion piece this week piqued my interest with regard to these matters. Although it is purely punditry slanted against the president’s reelection, the hypothetical it proposes evokes concerns that it might have some degree of credibility. And, in an odd sort of way, it fits some of my own postulation, thus intrigues me. I’ll try to explain momentarily.

The article said in part:

A former CIA operative and spy in Iran’s Revolutionary Guard is reporting that a deal has been struck between Barack Obama and Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. According to Reza Kahlili, “Iran could announce a temporary halt to uranium enrichment before next month’s U.S. election in a move to save Barack Obama’s presidency.” (1) Kahlili’s source for this story reports that a 3-member team of negotiators representing President Obama met this week with a Khamenei representative in Qatar. They asked that the Iranian leader “…announce a halt to enrichment, even if temporary, before the Nov. 6 election.” In return, Obama promised to suspend some of the sanctions that have effectively crippled the Iranian economy. (“Will Obama Betray the U.S. in October Surprise Deal with Iran?” Western Journalism, http://www.westernjournalism.com)

My own speculations on the Israel- vs.-Iran nuclear standoff come more into focus for me when considering the suggestions implicit within the above opinion piece.

One who reads this column regularly might recall that I’ve wondered aloud whether the Gog spirit of the Ezekiel 38-39 Gog-Magog prophecy might be presently at work in the mind of Vladimir Putin. Far-fetched? Well, maybe the answer to that is still “yes.” However, the “yes” seems to be morphing more into a “maybe” or “maybe not.”

To refresh; I wondered whether the Russian president might convince the Iranian leadership to pull back from its nuclear program, thus to avert a preemptive attack by Israel.

Follow me in this…

This would: 1) make Putin and the Iranian leadership look like good guys and peacemakers, while 2) making Israel look like bullies without a cause. They could keep their powder dry, so to speak, in order to deal with Israel at a future time when prospects for destroying the Jewish state are more advantageous.

Now, enter the present speculation, beginning with that now-infamous incident in which President Obama was heard to whisper-through an open microphone thought silenced–to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to tell Vladimir (the then president-elect of Russia) to just be patient about America’s willingness to come to the table of nuclear disarmament. That-President Obama said– will happen once he, Obama, is reelected and no longer has to contend with campaigning for the office.

Now, the scuttlebutt is that a deal has been struck between the leading ayatollah and the Obama administration to announce that they have agreed to halt the enrichment of uranium, based upon negotiations by the very one who was given the Nobel Peace Prize before he had even sat down in the big desk chair in the Oval Office.

Voila! The October surprise!

Such would fit the scenario that Putin’s influence is working behind the scene, while proving that Obama’s words to Medvedev had indeed been relayed to ol’ Vlad.

Ah, well…perhaps just my long vent-up aspirations to become the next Ian Fleming…

There is, however, surely coming an October surprise of some description. We shall see what it is, together. Most I’ve heard from recently through email and in conversation want it to be the greatest of all surprises-the Rapture!