(Our March newsletter will give a more comprehensive report concerning the current peace plan offered to the Israelis and Palestinians by the Trump administration.)
The latest announcement of the Trump Peace Plan on January 28th raises a lot of questions for those who know the prophetic Scriptures. We understand that the struggle over the Promised Land between the sons of Isaac and Ishmael (the Jews and Arabs) is at the heart of the conflict that will produce a peace covenant between Israel and the Antichrist (Daniel 9:27). According to the Bible, it will be this covenant that will mark the beginning of the 7-year Tribulation Period. Therefore, any effort to bring about a covenant that resolves the conflict between Israel and her Arab/Muslim neighbors makes us wonder how this relates to this future covenant.
First, I applaud the efforts of the U.S. administration and the Israeli administration for seeking peace. The Bible exhorts us to seek to live in peace with all people (Hebrews 12:14). However, it is impossible to have real peace without living in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 1:7). Only the “Prince of Peace” can bring real lasting peace to the Middle East. Not until He comes will the world have peace. Only then will there be no more war (Isaiah 2:4).
I believe that we should view the Trump Peace Plan as only one of many efforts to bring a real lasting peace to a region that is filled with hate for the God of the Bible, His people (Israel), and His land (the Promised Land). Obviously there have been many failed attempts at bringing the Israelis and Palestinians to an acceptable agreement that would encourage them to mutually accept and respect one another, and live in harmony together. This latest plan will also fail. It is one of many such plans that are laying the groundwork for the ultimate covenant of the Antichrist.
The basic part of this plan calls for a two-state solution, with Israel retaining the Jordan Valley and about 30 percent of the areas of the “West Bank” (the Biblical heartland of the Jewish people) where Jewish people are currently living. Jerusalem would remain the undivided capital of Israel. For the first time, the Palestinians would be given a state with recognized and definable borders. The Palestinian state would be about twice the size of the area it now controls. It would be connected via a tunnel with the Gaza Strip. A part of East Jerusalem would become the recognized capital of the Palestinian state. However, the Temple Mount would continue its status quo, with the Muslims having exclusive religious rights and the Israelis controlling security over this highly sensitive area. The Palestinians and other Arab states are being offered great economic assistance to support this plan. These suggested parameters are to be negotiated and finalized between the Israelis and Palestinians within the next four years.
Israel has accepted this plan. Many of the Sunni Arab states support the plan, including Saudi Arabia and Egypt. However, the Palestinians and the Jordanians have rejected it.
In my estimation, this plan will not work because of the religious difference between the Jews and Muslims. The Jewish people know that God has given all of the land that was once called Palestine to them. It was deeded to them by the God of Israel in an unconditional and eternal covenant with Abraham 4,000 years ago (Genesis 13:14-15). The Muslims in the region, including the Palestinians, believe that all of the land once call Palestine was a part of an Islamic empire under the Ottoman Turkish rule from 1517 to 1917. It is a firm Muslim belief that once a piece of property becomes a part of the Islamic religion, it must never be surrendered to the infidels (non-Muslim). Therefore, the radical Muslims can never accept the Jewish people living in a land that is, in their eyes, a part of a land that belongs to their God, Allah.
Therefore, this is holy war for a holy land. It is a war between the God of Israel and the god of Ishmael. It is not about policies of governments or a better economic opportunity. Therefore, these two sides can never reach an agreement. Ultimately, the Antichrist will trick Israel into a false covenant of seven years. Then, he will break that covenant at the mid-point of the covenant and attack Israel.
While we are looking at this peace process there is something else that is of utmost importance that is taking place. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing charges of bribery and may be forced to step down. If in the March Israeli elections his opponents win, it will mean that a more liberal political party will be leading Israel in the peace negotiations. This party is more willing to make concessions to the Palestinians that the right-wing government of Netanyahu.
Long ago, the prophet Isaiah wrote about a covenant that liberal leaders in Jerusalem would make with a people who are liars and are in league with the powers of hell. That covenant is mentioned in Isaiah 28:14-22. I believe that we are about to see the fulfillment of this passage that will lead to the covenant of the Antichrist. I will explain all of this in more detail in my March newsletter.
We are living in amazing days in which the stage is being set. The details of the prophetic Scriptures are coming into clear focus. Get ready for the shout that will take us out.
After waiting for months to hear the details of President Trump’s Middle East peace plan, the wait is over. A delegation of global heads of state and global financial leaders gathered on June 26-27 in Manama, Bahrain to consider phase one of the proposal. The theme of the gathering was “Peace to Prosperity.” Jared Kushner, the son-in-law and appointed advisor of this peace initiative, spoke to the group, explaining the details of this innovative approach to obtaining peace and security in the Middle East. The first step of the plan is to offer a $50 billion incentive to four countries to help them out of their cycle of poverty. Those who will be recipients of this aid are Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, and the bulk of the aid going to the Palestinians. This investment will be made to help these countries develop their infrastructure and create jobs for millions of people. The idea is to help these nations out of poverty, hoping this will foster an atmosphere that will allow them to work toward a political solution for peace. The political aspects of this offer have not been revealed. The Palestinians refused to attend this conference. The Israelis were not invited.
Israel continues to experience minor earthquakes. On Wednesday, June 26, a 3.8 earthquake occurred in the southern area of the Dead Sea. This area is a part of the very dangerous earthquake fault zone that is known as the Syrian/African Rift Valley. This fault forms the eastern border of Israel with Jordan. In Israel, this Rift Valley follows the entire Jordan River basin in Israel from the north until it reaches the Dead Sea. The earthquake fault goes underneath the Dead Sea, through the Arava Valley and through the Red Sea into the continent of Africa. Jerusalem is located only 17 miles to the west if the fault line. This Rift Valley will produce the major earthquakes connected to many prophetic events mentioned in the Bible. These current successive minor quakes along this fault line are a signal that the more powerful ones are coming. The last major quake in this area was in 1927. Israeli seismologists have been preparing the nation for the next big earthquake, which they say is due any time.