‘Makes no sense’: experts doubt pause in US arms sale to Taiwan is due to Iran war

Joel 3 is a prophecy of the gathering of all nations for judgment in the Valley of Jehoshaphat. The call to 'beat plowshares into swords' is a deliberate inversion of the messianic peace of Micah 4:3—it signals a time when the world abandons peacemaking and prepares for war.

The original audience understood this as a divine summons to the nations to face judgment.

This prophecy finds a contemporary echo in the arms race over Taiwan. The US is preparing to sell $14 billion in weapons to Taiwan, while China views such sales as a provocation.

The 'consecration for war' Joel describes is visible in the military buildup, the strategic posturing, and the willingness of both sides to escalate. The delay in deliveries does not diminish the reality that the nations are actively 'stirring up' for conflict.

The article's focus on arms sales and military readiness around Taiwan reflects Joel's call to 'consecrate for war.' The US and China are not merely negotiating—they are preparing for potential conflict. The delay in deliveries, attributed to Iran, only underscores how multiple theaters of tension are converging, as the nations 'beat their plowshares into swords' in multiple regions simultaneously.

Daniel 11 is a detailed prophecy of conflicts between the 'king of the north' and 'king of the south,' widely understood by dispensational interpreters as referring to end-times geopolitical alignments involving a northern power (often associated with Russia or a confederation) and a southern power (often associated with Egypt or an Arab coalition). The 'time of the end' marks the final phase of history before the resurrection and judgment.

While the article does not name Russia or Egypt, the pattern of great-power competition over Taiwan and the Middle East fits the Danielic framework of rival kings maneuvering for strategic advantage. The US arms sale to Taiwan can be seen as part of the 'king of the south's' preparations, while China's opposition aligns with the 'king of the north's' posture.

The mention of Iran as a potential distraction further echoes the multi-front conflict Daniel describes.

The article's discussion of US arms to Taiwan and the potential diversion to Iran illustrates the kind of multi-theater great-power rivalry Daniel 11:40 describes. The 'king of the south' (potentially a US-led coalition) and the 'king of the north' (potentially a China-led bloc) are positioning for conflict.

The delay in arms deliveries, attributed to Iran, shows how these powers are 'rushing upon' each other in a complex geopolitical dance that Daniel's prophecy anticipated.