Happy Lord’s Day, friends! Ready for some praiseworthy news? Me too!
I know many of you pray, as I do, for the Prince of Peace to make Himself known to those in the Middle East. The Lord of Heaven hears our prayers…and He is becoming known in Muslim-dominated lands.
Check this out…then praise God for these dear brothers and sisters in Christ!
Hi friends! Are you like me…anxiously awaiting the unveiling of the US peace plan? While I believe the peace plan will offer the Palestinians unprecedented resources to better the lives of their people, I will be shocked if they ever agree to a peace plan with Israel. Why? Because they don’t want peace with Israel…they want to convince the world of the Jewish “occupation.” That “sells.” It gives them a degree of legitimacy on the world stage, and garners the sympathy of those who will financially support them.
But the White House is confident they can cut the “deal of all deals” and have some degree of peace in the Middle East. If the Palestinians will not come to the table, how can that be accomplished?
As you know, President Trump made a landmark trip to the Middle East soon after his election. During that trip, he began to build bridges with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the Emirates, while re-establishing strong ties with Egypt and Jordan. The past week or so has been full of visits between foreign leaders of those countries and the US and Israel. They are locking the soon-to-be-announced plan into place. But how will it differ from the previous attempts at peace?
First, it is not just an Israeli-Palestinian deal. Trump’s plan is to bring about peaceful coexistence between the aforementioned Arab nations and Israel. For decades, the US has tried to broker peace between Israel and the Palestinians, thinking that would spawn opportunities for peace throughout the Middle East. President Trump turned that idea on its head and is offering a new plan: peace in the broader Middle East, forcing the Palestinians to either come to the negotiating table with a sincere desire for peace, or risk losing its Arab allies in the region. Indeed, I believe that is at stake for the Palestinians.
Will it be a political deal? Some (including me) think not. I believe it will be a business/economic deal, whereby relations will be normalized between those Arab countries and Israel, and they will share in initiatives such as transportation, agriculture, technology, etc. It is believed the Palestinians will be offered the same working relationships and unprecedented aid in making life better for their people, yet they will not be given Jerusalem as their capital. They will probably be offered land (perhaps in the Sinai Peninsula), but they will likely decline the deal. (Currently, they are refusing to even talk to the US negotiating team, and to my knowledge, have not even allowed conversations about peace with Arab countries.)
“The Arabs never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity!”
~Abba Eban, The Jerusalem Post, 11/18/2002
The plan will force the hand of the Palestinians, who will be left out and without an ally in the region, other than Iran and Turkey. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the Emirates, Jordan and Egypt will all enjoy the benefits of collaborative efforts with Israel.
Interestingly, when Ezekiel describes the War of Gog and Magog (Ezekiel 38), those nations are NOT described as part of the coalition that comes against Israel! Thus, we again see the stage being set for the Northern Invasion.
Now…one last thing before we call it a day. Some are saying, “Well, if President Trump is bringing peace to the Middle East, couldn’t he be the Antichrist?” No. While he may be successful in closing a deal, it will not be as Scripture describes. In our English translations, Daniel 9:27 indicates the Antichrist will “make” or “confirm” a treaty with Israel. However, in Hebrew, the word means “to intensify, to make spectacular.” Thus, a peace plan could be in place when the Antichrist comes on the scene, and he will intensify it. “How,” you ask? By allowing the Jews to rebuild their temple! THAT is what will win the Jews over!
Finally, the Bible also says the Antichrist will come from the same region as the empire that destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD. The United States was not around in 70 AD! The Antichrist will not come from America! However, if you read this morning’s post entitled Rise of “Mystery Babylon,” you know exactly from what region the Antichrist will come! So if you missed it, go back and read it!
We live in very exciting times, don’t we! We are seeing the Lord bring about the culmination of His plan for the Gentiles, and SOON, we could hear the trumpet sound and be out of here! Keep your eyes on Israel…God’s time piece. The final moments are ticking away!
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (L) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
A few sources, including a Facebook post by Behold Israel, are reporting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met secretly with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the sidelines of a meeting in Amman Jordan between White House special adviser Jared Kushner, US Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt and Jordan’s King Abdullah.
There to discuss the US peace plan, the US delegation met with all parties to lay the groundwork for upcoming Middle East peace negotiations. Though Israel and Saudi Arabia have no official diplomatic relations, it is widely believed that the nations have communicated via liaisons to help further the prospects of a broad peace plan in the region.
We are living in exciting times that are following a Biblical pattern leading up to end time events. Never in the history of the world have Arab nations been so open to diplomatic relations with Israel. While not all Arab countries are warming to the Jewish state, primary end time players, such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan are beginning to view Israel as more of an ally than an enemy.
Once more, I’m asking you to pray. May wisdom abound to the US peace delegation as they spearhead the efforts, and may the Arab nations be blessed as they consider the prospects of peace with Israel.
So good to see you back, my friends! We’re studying Why Israel Matters and are finishing up week 1. This is simply a summary of the live class being taught at CalvayPHX in Phoenix AZ. We gather together at Central campus, Room 209 each Sunday morning at 11:00 am and you are welcome to join us! For those of you outside the Phoenix area, pull up a chair at the virtual study table and join us here online.
We established that God chose Israel for a specific REASON and for a specific SEASON. The reason is that God chose to reveal Himself to Gentiles through the Jewish people. As for the season, we are living in an unprecedented time when God is making preparations to reveal Himself to the Jewish people! Once Jerusalem is prepared and God’s plan is in place, Jesus will return to Jerusalem and, ultimately, all Israel will be saved! (Romans 11:26)
Much will happen before that day, and a mighty storm is on the horizon! However, we are living in the calm before the storm! Even this time of calm is for a REASON and a SEASON. Israel has never been as calm and peaceful as now.
“But what about the recent rocket attacks from Gaza?”
Ahhhh…..great question…and it didn’t take you long to fire that one out there! Let me explain. I know many people in Israel: ministry leaders (some Jew, some Gentile), citizens, military, etc and they all confirm the same thing: while rockets from Gaza are a nuisance and a definite danger to a few (not to be trivialized), there is no huge threat from Gaza. If they wanted, Israel could wipe out all of Gaza literally in a matter of minutes. Israel knows that…and the Palestinians know that. Hamas, the ruling party, knows that, but also knows that Israel will not do that. Thus, they “rattle sabers” in attempts to attract the world’s attention to their “plight.”
Israel faces nothing compared to wars brought to their borders in 1948, 1956, 1967, 1973, etc. Those foes are now either enjoying peace treaties with Israel (Egypt and Jordan), working hand-in-hand with Israel (Saudi Arabia, UAE) or are defeated foes (Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, etc) Israel is living in peace and prosperity…just as the Bible says she MUST prior to the Ezekiel 38 storm on the horizon. Ultimately, Israel will be attacked by a superpower (Russia, along with Iran, Turkey and others), and America will NOT be there for Israel.
“But haven’t you implied that this is the most pro-Israel administration in Israel’s history?”
Wow, you ask great questions! Yes, this administration is, without a doubt, the most pro-Israel administration in Israel’s history. Yet, it is for only a season!
Come back tomorrow and we’ll discuss what happened in America to make it the most pro-Israel administration in Israel’s history, and we’ll talk about why the calm is taking place.
Meanwhile, check into Isaiah 62 and pray for Israel!
