Three words. Three words attached to a war ultimatum aimed at the ancient nation of Persia. Glory be to GOD.
Whether you interpret that as sincere piety, political performance, or something the Spirit is doing in ways none of us fully understand — you cannot read Ezekiel, Daniel, and Revelation and see that phrase on that day and simply scroll past. We are not called to scroll past. We are called to watch and pray.
“Son of man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog… and prophesy against him, and say, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, O Gog… In the latter years you will go against the mountains of Israel…”EZEKIEL 38:2–8 (ESV)
Where Things Stand Right Now
⚔ LIVE SITUATION BRIEFING — APRIL 4, 2026
The US-Israel war against Iran is now entering its fifth week. The conflict began February 28 with coordinated US-Israeli strikes against Iranian military and nuclear infrastructure.
The Strait of Hormuz — through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas passes — has been effectively closed to US-allied shipping since the early days of the war. Iran has allowed some vessels from “neutral” nations (Turkey, India, China) to transit under coordination with Tehran, but has continued targeting others with missiles and drones.
Trump’s 48-hour ultimatum issued Saturday night demands Iran fully reopen the Strait or face strikes on its power plants and energy infrastructure, including the critical Kharg Island oil terminal — through which roughly 90% of Iran’s crude exports flow.
Iran has responded defiantly, calling the ultimatum “helpless and nervous,” and threatening to lay mines across the entire Persian Gulf and target US energy infrastructure in the region if attacked. Iran’s Defense Council stated that any assault on its coasts or islands would trigger mine-laying operations that could shut down shipping far beyond the Strait itself.
Meanwhile, a USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier has been sent to Souda Bay, Greece for repairs after a fire aboard. Indirect peace negotiations are reportedly ongoing — led by Vice President Vance and Iran’s parliamentary speaker, mediated by Pakistan’s military chief. Iran officially denies direct talks are happening.
As of today, the deadline hangs in the air. The world holds its breath. And believers who know their Bibles are watching the geography of ancient prophecy play out in real time on their news feeds.
“The king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind… he shall enter countries and overflow and pass through.” — Daniel 11:40
Why Easter Monday Matters
Timing, in the Bible, is never accidental. God is sovereign over the calendar. And the fact that this ultimatum — with its explicitly divine closing signature — was issued on the day after the global Church celebrated the empty tomb is something worth sitting with in prayer.
Easter is the declaration that death has been defeated. That the grave could not hold the Son of God. That life wins. And yet on the morning after that celebration, the most powerful military office on earth issued a 48-hour countdown to potential catastrophic war — and closed it with “Glory be to GOD.”
Brother, sister — we live in a tension right now between resurrection hope and tribulation shadow. Both are biblical. Both are real. And both demand that we be neither paralyzed by fear nor asleep in comfort.
“But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober.”1 THESSALONIANS 5:4–6 (NIV)
Persia in the Bible — This Is Not New Territory for God
Iran is not just a geopolitical adversary. It is ancient Persia — a nation woven throughout the pages of Scripture. It is the empire under which Daniel served, under which Esther risked her life, under which Cyrus issued the decree that sent Israel home from exile. And it is the nation named in Ezekiel’s great end-times prophecy as part of the coalition that comes against Israel in the latter days.
“Persia, Cush, and Put are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; Gomer and all his hordes; Beth-togarmah from the uttermost parts of the north with all his hordes — many peoples are with you.”EZEKIEL 38:5–6 (ESV)
I am not here to tell you we are definitively in the Ezekiel 38 war. Prophecy scholars disagree on the timing and the players, and I hold those interpretations with humility. But I amhere to tell you that what is happening right now — a direct military confrontation between the United States and Israel on one side, and Iran (Persia) on the other, over control of the biblical geography of the Persian Gulf — is not something we should read with glazed eyes. The Lord told us to watch. We are watching.
The Strait of Hormuz and Your Household
I’ve written about this before, and I’ll say it again plainly: what happens in the Strait of Hormuz does not stay in the Middle East. It comes to your gas pump, your grocery store, your feed store, and your fertilizer bill.
About 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas moves through that narrow passage in peacetime. That number is effectively near zero right now for US-aligned shipping. Global oil prices have been rising sharply. Fertilizer prices — already stressed — face further pressure as natural gas markets tighten. Fuel costs for every farmer and homesteader in America are tied to this conflict whether we feel it yet or not.
🌾 HOMESTEAD WATCHMAN CHECKLIST — DO THIS NOW
- Fuel storage: If you’ve been meaning to top off your diesel or propane, do not wait. Energy price spikes lag the news by days to weeks.
- Fertilizer and inputs: Spring planting season is here. Secure your nitrogen, potassium, and phosphate needs before prices move further.
- Food pantry depth: Aim for 90 days of staples. Grains, legumes, canned goods, salt, oils. Not out of fear — out of faithfulness.
- Water independence: Review your water storage and filtration situation. This is foundational regardless of what happens overseas.
- Seed inventory: If you grow a garden, make sure you have open-pollinated seed stock that doesn’t depend on a supply chain.
- Medication and medical: A 90-day supply of any essential medications, plus a solid first aid capability, is prudent preparation.
- Community: Know your neighbors. Know who has what. Build relationships now, not in crisis.
The goal of preparedness is not survivalism. It is stewardship. Joseph stored grain for seven years so that the nations around him could be fed when the famine came. He didn’t hoard — he stewarded. And when the crisis arrived, his preparation became a platform for God’s provision and God’s glory. That’s the model, family.
“A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.”PROVERBS 22:3 (NIV)
What Do We Do With “Glory Be to GOD”?
That phrase from Trump’s Truth Social post has rattled around in my spirit since I first read it. A sitting US president, on Easter Monday, closing a war ultimatum with a declaration of divine glory. What do we make of that?
Here is what I know: God is not surprised by it. He is sovereign over the kings of the earth — all of them. Proverbs 21:1 tells us that the king’s heart is a stream of water in the Lord’s hand; He turns it wherever He will. Whether Trump spoke those words with full spiritual intentionality or not, God can use the words of kings to accomplish His purposes.
What I also know is this: the God who received glory on the first Easter — the God of resurrection, of rolled-away stones, of wounds that became proofs of victory — is the same God watching over this geopolitical moment. He has not been unseated. He has not been surprised. He has not abdicated His throne.
“The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.” — Psalm 29:10
Our call is not to figure out the exact prophetic timeline. Our call is to trust the One who holds all timelines in His hands, to watch faithfully, to pray without ceasing, and to live in readiness — both spiritually and practically.
Maranatha. Come, Lord Jesus. Even so — come.
🙏
A PRAYER FOR THIS HOUR
Sovereign Lord, King of kings and Lord of lords — we come before You in this moment of tension and uncertainty. We acknowledge that You are not alarmed. You are not pacing Heaven’s halls in worry. You sit enthroned above the circle of the earth, and the nations are like a drop from a bucket to You.
We pray for peace — true peace, the Shalom that only You can give. We pray for the leaders of nations — that You would turn their hearts toward wisdom and away from destruction. We pray for the innocent people of Iran, many of whom love You, many of whom long for freedom from an oppressive regime. We pray for Israel, and for the peace of Jerusalem. We pray for our soldiers and their families.
Lord, give us eyes to see what You are doing in these days. Keep us from fear. Keep us from apathy. Make us faithful watchmen — awake, alert, and anchored in the hope of the Resurrection that we just celebrated. Nothing that is happening in the Strait of Hormuz is outside Your sovereign hand.
In the matchless name of Jesus, who is risen — Amen.
✝ TO GOD BE THE GLORY ✝
T
Divine Revelations 
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