The Camp David peace talks collapsed Wednesday only to be revived Thursday Morning. Mr. Barak and Mr. Arafat will continue to meet with Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright. over the next four days to try and close the gaps on the main issues, and then President Clinton said on return from Japan, would assess the progress. In the Oslo agreement of 1993, under which Israel recognized the PLO and the Palestinians renounced all violence against Israel, the future of Jerusalem and some other issues were left for "final status" talks.
Zechariah 12:1-3 tells us that in the last days Jerusalem will be the issue that God uses to bring judgement. God tells us that Jerusalem will be a burdensome stone for all nations. Indeed, Jerusalem is the burdensome stone in the ongoing peace summit at Camp David.
As we have been watching the on-again off-again peace process wind down in the Middle East we need to understand that God is still in control. We know without doubt that, someday, maybe even this week, that there will be a peace treaty in the Middle East. What is fascinating is how God may have orchestrated circumstances that will bring that peace.
Consider Bill Clinton who is desperate for a lasting legacy for his administration other then the Monica Lewinsky affair. To what length will the administration go to achieve this "peace". As part of the emerging agreement out of the Camp David peace accord is a pledge from the U.S.A. to potentially provide Israel with billions of dollars to modernize its military and relocate troops from future Palestinian territory. Arafat has made continual promises to his constituency as well and has had to what a tight rope between the most radical elements who want the immediate destruction of Israel and those who are pressuring him to follow the one-world-order dictates of making Jerusalem an "international" city. What is fascinating is that Arafat has chosen September 13, 2000 as the day to declare Palestinian Statehood if all else fails. Is it not intriguing that this date just happens to be 7 years to the day since Rabin started the whole process on September 13, 2000.
The first major event occurred on September 13, 1993 when the ``Declaration of Principles'' was signed between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). The eyes of the world were on Washington D.C. as Yitzhak Rabin and Yassir Arafat affixed their signatures to this document declaring peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis.
As for Barak, whose name means "to kneel" by the way, his coalition is in shambles. He has run on the campaign slogan of "peace and safety" for Israel while promising peace and rest from Israel's enemies and now is torn by those factions who do not want this peace achieved at any cost and those who want to give away the farm to obtain that illusive peace. Writing about the "Day of the Lord", Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3 that "For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. What this means folks is if this is in fact the treaty that ushers in peace and safety for Israel, that sudden destruction and the Day of the Lord is not far behind.
Is it coincidence that 6000 Biblical years could be up this fall -- are we about to enter in to the time of Jacobs trouble and the physical millennium rule and reign of Jesus on the throne of David? Is it coincidence that so many Biblical signs are coming together in the same generation? I would not want to be in the camp that says: "Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation." (2 Peter 3:4) Nor would I want to be asleep and not spiritually prepared like the five foolish virgins whose witness of the Holy Spirit had gone out ; who had no relationship with the Lord and could not enter in to the Wedding feast of the Lamb.
As I see the possibilities, we could have a short-lived peace treaty which will eventually usher in the reign of the Anti-christ before the coming of the Day of the Lord, or, there will a breakdown in the peace process -- which could precipitate the Ezekiel 38 invasion of Israel -- and then a subsequent peace treaty which the anti-christ will break. This is plausible as we know from a study of Ezekiel 38 that there is a nuclear exchange in the Middle East. If this were to trasnspire, everyone will say peace at any cost -- we cannot allow things to escalate into wholesale nuclear war. Will countries be ready to lay down national sovereignty for peace and safety and usher in the one-world reign of the anti-christ? Will the anti-christ appear as "the man of peace" bringing the ultimate solution to the crises.
Is it possible that in the aftermath of a nuclear exchange in the Middle East over religion, that religion will be declared the source of all war and the one-world religion of compromise will be ushered in.
And what about the possibilities for your own life. There are only 2 classes of people walking on the earth today, those who through Jesus Christ who have eternal life, and everyone else who has eternal death. Has the Lord been dealing with you about you unconfessed sin and like Pharaoh you have hardened your heart and rejected the one who came to save the world and not condemn it. Jesus came to bring life and life abundantly, but Satan came to kill, steal and destroy. No man can serve two masters, it is decision time before it is truly too late, the gates are closed, and your fate is sealed.
Choose this day Whom you will serve.
Faisal Husseini, who holds the PLO Authority’s (PA) Jerusalem portfolio, stated there would be no compromise in talks with Israel on the issue of Jerusalem, but made an interesting statement that could bring resolution to the controversy of Jerusalem and pave the way for the rebuilding of the temple. He stated there was a difference between the nationalistic issues of Israeli verses Palestinians, and the religious issues dealing with Christianity, Islam and the Jewish people. He went on to expound that this meant permitting persons from all three major religions access to religious sites.
Hello! Time to wake up!
It was always feared that rebuilding the Jewish Temple would cause a Holy War, since it would mean destroying the Dome of the Rock (a Muslim High Holy site). But in recent years, at least fourteen credible theories as to the location of the original Temple have surfaced which indicate that the Temple may be rebuilt either North or South of the existing structures. With all the political maneuvering going on, it is possible that the peace accord will allow the Jews to rebuild their temple. If this were to occur, ambitious estimates indicate that the Temple could be up in six months.
Of prophetic significance is the fact that several of the theories locate the Jewish Temple at a site that would allow it to be rebuilt, albeit without the Outer Court (which would overlap the Dome of the Rock). Remember that John, in his vision (Rev 11:1-2), was told to measure the Temple, but not the Outer Court, which was to be given back to the heathens. The Dome of the Rock has an inscription around the outside of the dome, stating that ``God was not begotten and neither does He beget.'' This is certainly a disavowal of Jesus Christ as the Son of God.
In this scenario, the outer court will have been given back to the heathens.
Is the Temple going to be rebuilt? According to the Bible, it will (Matthew 24:15, Revelation 11:1-2 and 2 Thes 2:4). And considering all the preparations for Temple worship are nearly completed, it may be time to "look up." The Jews have fashioned the solid-gold Menorah, the bronze implements required for handling the sacrifices, and have computerized looms on which to weave the seamless linen worn by the priests. Over 200 priests from the tribe of Levi have now been trained to serve in the Temple.
Those stumbling blocks -- which a few years ago seemed insurmountable -- are falling by the wayside, as God executes His time-table for the redemption of the world. For example, the royal blue dye required for the garments of Temple worship came from a certain marine snail that was thought to be extinct. A few years ago, this snail suddenly re-appeared in the Red Sea. Also, the ashes of an unblemished red heifer are required to cleanse the priests. The existence of these animals was questionable, but after searching the world, embryos were finally found in Europe and transplanted into cows on an Israeli cattle ranch. The herd now numbers 500.
And what about the Ark of the Covenant? High Israeli officials have said that they know where it is and that it will be produced at the appropriate time.
Things are indeed heating up. Not only do we have the peace treaty of Daniel 9:27 in view, but we also have the physical Temple preparations nearly completed. Everything is coming into alignment. Although it is evident that the various players in the peace process all have hidden agendas, nonetheless we are moving toward peace (be it a short-lived one) in the Middle East, if not this week, in the near future.
It is important to recognize that the Jewish people are no longer looking for the Messiah of the Bible. The average Jew, when asked how they will recognize the Messiah, will say that it will be the person who brings peace and will allow the Temple to be rebuilt. This person will be the false christ, the Anti-Christ that will be accepted by the Jews as the Messiah. Is it also not fascinating that Gorbachev [one of many anti-christ candidates], known to some as the "man of peace" (having been awarded the Nobel peace prize is still in the picture having met with the Pope; and the Pope has been active in offering to administrate the temple mount. Some of you may remember the picture of Gorby, who on a visit to the Sea of Gallilee, was shown with doves on his shoulders. This was strangely reminiscent of the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, who when he began His public ministry at the Jordan baptism, had the Holy Spirit descend upon him in the form of a dove.
There will eventually be a temporary peace in the Middle East. But the Bible says that when the Jews cry ``peace and safety'', ``then sudden destruction will come upon them.'' (1 Thes 5:3)
Syria continues to be is a wild card in the peace process. Syria backed out of the original Madrid peace process that led to the PLO accord. Russia is currently modernizing Syria's military as Syria continues to posture for war against Israel.
Is it not interesting that Isaiah 17:1 points out that, sometime in the future, Damascus will be totally destroyed. (We know it has to be future since it has not happened to date). And it is well known that if Israel is backed into a corner, they will order preemptive strikes utilizing whatever technology they deem appropriate, including nuclear arms. If Syria and Israel do have a military confrontation, will Syria's military alliance with Russia be the ``hook in the jaw'' mentioned in Ezekiel 38 that draws Russia into its end-times invasion of Israel? Keep your eyes on God, but watch Israel.
Once the Temple is completed and sacrifices begin, we know from the book of Daniel that the Anti-Christ will soon be revealed. He will confirm an existing peace treaty with ``the many'', only to later defile the Temple by declaring himself to be god and demand to be worshiped. Clearly, in order to put an end to the daily sacrifices and offerings, the Temple must have previously been rebuilt. And in order to confirm a covenant, there must already be one in place. When it is confirmed, God's final countdown will begin. As an aside, it is interesting (if not prophetic) that ``the many'' of Daniel, chapter 9, comes from the same Hebrew root word from which we get Rabin. It is Rabin who initiated these peace accords. Could the Holy Spirit have given us a little additional insight into the current Middle East peace process as it relates to Daniel 9?
This is why what is going on in Israel today is of such prophetic importance. We are close to fulfillment of the final prophesy which will culminate with the return of Jesus Christ. It is like watching a storm approaching on the horizon. You don't know the exact time it will hit, but because you are watching, you know it is coming. As it approaches, the signs of the storm intensify; the wind increases, the thunder becomes louder and the lightning grows ever brighter. It finally gets so close that you expect it to be upon you at any moment.
This is how the hour of Jesus' return will be. We cannot know the exact day or hour, but if we are faithful to his command to watch, we will see the signs intensify, and we will know that it is ``time to look up for our salvation draweth nigh.'' However, if we fail to watch and take heed, we will be caught off guard. Will you then have enough oil in your lamp to meet the Bridegroom (Matthew 25:1-13)?
What to Do in Light of These Events
These are exciting topics to be sure, but there should be little doubt in your minds that Jesus' return is very close. Recognize that the coming of Jesus Christ is the reason for the signs themselves, so that the Church, when it sees the signs, can point to them as evidence of His coming. And the purpose of that evidence is to convict the sinner to seek and get right with God before it is too late. It also serves to to encourage Christians to be holy and godly (2 Peter 3:11-14). The daily fulfillment of prophesy is evidence that the Bible is true. And if the Bible is true, then the Bible is correct when it says that salvation, eternal life, is found in only one person and that being Jesus Christ.
Therefore, don't get caught up in fear, but do the work of an evangelist. Don't get so caught up with the future that you forget that many shall die before Christ's Return. Today is the day of salvation for many who are perishing. Their tomorrow shall not see His return in glory to judge the living and the dead. Today is the day of their salvation. Many are called but few are chosen. Do the work of an Evangelist day in and day out, for the time is short.
And lastly, do not neglect the daily reading of the scriptures and your time in prayer. Remember, bitterness has no place with God. Purify your hearts and thoughts through the washing of the Word. Think on Him continually. He will not fail you but will accomplish all that He will through you. Do not be easily discouraged. There remains much to be done before the fulfillment of all things.
Jesus is coming soon. Seek the Lord while it is still light, for the darkness is coming where no one may seek Him.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus.
Maranatha!
``Watch and pray, therefore, that you would be counted worthy to escape the judgment that is coming upon the earth and be able to stand before the Son of Man'' (Luke 21:36).
Ezekiel 38 Invasion of Israel - Part 1
Ezekiel 38 Invasion of Israel - Part 2
Ezekiel 38 Invasion of Israel - Part 3
Ezekiel 38 Invasion of Israel - Part 4
Ezekiel 38 Invasion of Israel - Part 5
Ezekiel 38 Invasion of Israel - Part 6
Ezekiel 38 Invasion of Israel - Part 7
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