THE ROAD TO PEACE

Israel is back in the headlines again.  First there was the Israeli air strike a while back that took out a Syrian nuclear weapons facility.  This was followed by fighting in Lebanon that threatens to spill over into Israel's northern border.  Then there are the constant rocket attacks from Gaza against Israeli civilian targets.  And recently, Israel celebrated its 60th re-birthday.
With all this going on it is easy to forget that just a few months back world leaders were promising a peace treaty in the Middle East before year's end.  That may seem a bit remote and unrealistic right now in light of the current state of affairs. 
Students of Biblical prophecy know that there will be a lasting peace in the Middle East someday.  But it will be accomplished God's way, and in God's time.  Which is another way of saying, there have been many attempts by world leaders at resolving the crisis in the Middle East, both through war and negotiations, but all have failed.  And we may see more treaties, but none will last because they conflict with God's plans to save Israel.
Here are the key components of the current proposal for Peace between Israel and the Arabs:

1. "There should be an end to the occupation that began in 1967."
2. "The agreement must establish Palestine as a homeland for the Palestinian people, just as Israel is a homeland for the Jewish people."
3. The establishment of "the state of Palestine is long overdue.  The Palestinian people deserve it.  And it will enhance the stability of the region, and it will contribute to the security of the people of Israel."
4. "I believe that any peace agreement between them will require mutually agreed adjustments to the armistice lines of 1949 to reflect current realities and to ensure that the Palestinian state is viable and contiguous."
5. "I believe we need to look to the establishment of a Palestinian state and new international mechanisms, including compensation, to resolve the refugee issue."
6. "I know Jerusalem is a tough issue, both sides have deeply felt political and religious concerns.  I fully understand that finding a solution to this issue will be one of the most difficult challenges on the road to peace, but that is the road we have chosen to walk."


7. "I believe it's possible – not only possible, I believe it's going to happen – that there be a signed peace treaty by the time I leave office.  That's what I believe." - From the President of the United States

As you can see the talking points of this Peace Plan are pretty much the same as those found in other proposals over the past few decades.  And they show a complete lack of knowledge of scripture and disregard for God's will for Israel. 
The proponents of this plan acknowledge the difficulty of reaching agreement on some of the plan's more hotly contested points.  One touchy issue concerns the final status of the "Occupied Territories " which is a reference to the land Israel captured from Egypt, Jordan, and Syria during the Six-Day War of 1967.  It includes the West Bank, Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem, Golan Heights, and the Sinai Peninsula.  Israel has already given the Sinai back to Egypt and disengaged from Gaza.  But Israel's security would need to be guaranteed in order for them to give up the other land, which would place them in a defenseless position.
Another bone of contention is Jerusalem and the Temple Mount.  Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, although not recognized as such by the major powers.  The Palestinians want Jerusalem as their capital.  And the Temple Mount is currently under Islamic control.  Muslims are allowed to worship on the Mount.  They have built several Mosques on and under the Mount.  But there is no Jewish Temple on Israel's most holy site, and the Israeli government even forbids Jews from speaking in prayer on the Mount.
Then there is the issue of refugees.  The new proposal calls for Israel to pay compensation to Palestinians displaced by the 1948 war.  And this still leaves the challenge of how to redraw the area into two independent states without leaving anyone isolated and without a land bridge between all areas of their state.

The current Peace Plan calls for using the 1949 Armistice Line as a baseline for drawing new boundaries for Israel and the proposed Palestinian State.  Adjustments would then be made to connect Gaza with the West Bank (Samaria and Judea), giving the Palestinians a "viable and contiguous" state.  Of course this would be done at the expense of the Israelis, who would then have their contiguous nation broken up into two regions with no land bridge between them.

Keep in mind that these challenges and roadblocks to peace in the Middle East are valid.  And they have been concisely defined and are being addressed by some of the finest minds man has to offer.  But therein lays the paradox. 
These obstacles must be overcome in order for there to be peace between Jews and Arabs.  But the reality is the problems in the Middle East can not and will not be solved by man.  There will be a resolution to all this someday.  But it will not be anything like what most people are expecting. 
Granted, if I were looking at the situation between Israel and the Arabs without the guiding knowledge provided in the King James (prophecy) I would probably think this agreement to be equitable with a fair chance of success.  But God has another program for the Middle East.  And God's prophetic program has proven to be 100 percent accurate. 
The point is if you want to know anything about the past, present or future of the Middle East all we need to do is examine what it says in the Holy Bible.  And when we compare the taking points of the current peace plan to scripture we find that man's plan for peace in the Middle East is in direct conflict with the will of God.  In fact the current plan looks very much like what we might expect the Antichrist to propose.  Should a plan like this be implemented, and that will happen someday, it would certainly bring about a world-wide conflict.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Lets go back and look at the key issues of the Middle East crisis from a Biblical perspective:
Q. - Who's land is it anyways?
A. - The land was given by God to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, the twelve tribes of Israel and their descendents.
This really gets to the heart of the conflict.  Does this land belong to a group of people called Palestinians, or does it belong to the Jews and the nation of Israel?
Roughly 3,900 years ago God called a man named Abram out of his home in Ur and commanded him to walk on faith to a promised land which God would give to him and his descendents forever:

Genesis 15:7

     And He said unto him, I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it.

Q. - For how long does Israel own the land?
A. - This is an everlasting inheritance, meaning the land forever belongs to Israel

Genesis 17:8

     And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

Q. - What about Abraham's son Ishmael and his descendents (modern-day Arabs), do they have a right to the land?
A. - No, God specifically excluded Ishmael from this inheritance of the promised land.
God promised Abraham and heir from his own body, descendants as numerous as the stars in heaven, and that he would be the father of many nations.  But Abraham was old and his wife Sarah was barren.  So Sarah gave Abraham her Egyptian maid Hagar thinking this is how Abraham could obtain an heir; and she bore him Ishmael.
But when Ishmael was 13 God made it very clear to Abraham that his heir would be born through Sarah.  Abraham was 100, and Sarah 90 and beyond the age of child bearing.  Yet they believed God and had faith and Sarah gave birth to Isaac.
This historical account is a direct pointer to our Savior Jesus Christ, a descendent of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  Faith in Him gives us an everlasting inheritance in heaven.  The work of our own hands without faith, which is what Ishmael represents, can not get us to heaven; and that is why the covenant was with Isaac and not Ishmael.  Non-believers will not inherit the kingdom of heaven, which is what the land of Israel represents here on Earth.

Genesis 17:19-21

  19     And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.
  20     And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.
  21     But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.

Q. - Are the Israelis occupying someone else's land?
A. - No, in fact Israel has not yet taken possession of all the land.
The claim by the international community is that the Israelis are "occupying" land that belongs to Syria, Egypt, Jordan, and the Palestinians.  It is the descendents of Ishmael that are occupying land that God has promised to Israel.  The day will come when Israel's boarders will be greatly expanded, all the way from the Nile to the Euphrates:

Genesis 15:18

     In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates….

Q. - Should a homeland be established for Palestinians?
A. - The Palestinians already have a homeland, it's called Jordan.
The nation of Jordan was established in 1946 as a reward to local tribal leaders for helping the Allies in WWII.  Today over 60% of the Jordanian population are Palestinian; a fact the ruling family tries to ignore.  Jordan is a monarchy, not a democracy.  Consequently, the Palestinian majority has been marginalized by the King in an effort to keep all the power and control within his own family.  But that does not change the fact that Jordan is by population numbers a Palestinian homeland.
Q. - Is a Palestinian state overdue?
A. - No, Palestine is a Roman invention, not a state or race.
The term "Palestine" is an anti-Semitic term for the region of land in the Middle East promised by God to the Jews.  It was invented by the Romans and used by Israel's enemies ever since to erase the historical birthright of Jews to the land of Israel, Galilee, Samaria, and Judea. 
When you hear people use the term Palestine instead of Israel you now know that they are not on the side of God and His chosen people.  A Palestinian state is not overdue because the people that call themselves Palestinians have no right to the land God promised to the Jews.
Q. - Is a Palestinian state long deserved?
A. - No, the Palestians, like the Philistines, are Israel's enemies.
The Romans created the word Palestine by using a derivative of the word "Philistia."  The Philistines were "sea people" that invaded the southern seacoast of Israel now known as the Gaza Strip.  The Philistines were a pagan race that corrupted the land with their idols.  Their role as Israel's archenemy is well documented in scripture.
The Philistines killed Saul, Israel's first king.  The Philistines also made the mistake of capturing the ark of God and putting it into their pagan temple of Dagon.  Most people grow up hearing the stories of how Samson once killed a thousand Philistines at one time with the jawbone of a donkey and how David slew the Philistine giant Goliath. 
The land belongs to God, it is not earned or deserved by anyone.  Its God's to give away as He pleases, and He has given it to the Jews.
Q. - Would a Palestinian state contribute to the security of Israel?
A. - No, creating a Palestinian state would weaken Israel.
If dividing a nation were good for security the U.S. never would have fought the Civil War.  Israel is a very small country.  It is hard enough to defend as it is.
Q. - What about the Palestinian refugees?
A. - These refugees need ot go back to where they came from, like Egypt, Lebanon, and Jordan.
Islam is using the refugees as a weapon against Israel. They know numbers count in a democracy, so they have been sending millions of Arabs into Palestine occupied land.  It is a way for them to take control of Israeli land without firing a shot. 
Southern California is a good example of how well this strategy works.  Through illegal immigration California has been turned into an extension of Mexico.
Q. - Will there be a treaty between Israel and the Arabs?
A. - Yes, according to prophecy the Antichrist will broker a seven year treaty.

Daniel 9:27

    And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

Q. - Will Jerusalem become a divided capital?
A. - Most likely, according to prophecy.

Luke 21:24

    And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

Zechariah 14:21

    In that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts.

SOME KEY POINTS
God's plan for Israel and the Jews is well documented in scripture.  And so is Satan's competing plan of rebellion against God.  The significance of these two diametrically opposed forces should not be lost on students of prophecy and those that want to understand what is going on in the Middle East today.
When we are discussing issues like the problems in the Middle East it is important to remember that the Holy Bible is our only reliable source of information.  Prophecy is revelation from God, something we can't know on our own.  If God decrees something in the Bible you can count on it coming to pass.  So here are a few key points from scripture that have great relevance to this news story:
Point One - The problem in the Middle East is just a symptom of a much larger problem, that being the revolt of Satan against God and the fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden.
It is important to know that if God loves Israel, the Jews, and the Church then you can be sure the devil hates us and will try and destroy us.  And this point is the key to understanding prophecy and the last days.
God wants to save mankind and restore creation to the standing we once had in the Garden of Eden.  Satan wants to bring us down and turn us away from God because he wants to be worshiped as God.
Point Two - The outcome of this conflict is a foregone conclusion, God wins.
Islam and the Antichrist will never get their hands on all of Jerusalem and Israel again.  In their minds they think its possible to drive the Jews into the sea.  And this is why they want a treaty and a Palestinian state, to better position themselves to attack Israel.
Point Three - According to prophecy it is the Antichrist that brokers a seven-year treaty in the Middle East.  And he will break that treaty after only 3.5 years, and this will bring the Second Coming of Christ to save Jerusalem and the Jews.
So the question then becomes where do we stand?  Do we support Islam and the Palestinians claim to the land God gave the Jews?  Certainly not!  And if anyone supports a treaty that requires Israel to give up land they are acting against the will of God.  If we are with God then we will obey His commandments, spread the gospel, keep His word, and support God's plan for Israel and the Jews.
Point Four - We owe everything to God, Israel, and the Jews.
It is through Israel that we learned of the one true God and Savior.  It was through the Jews that we received the Messiah and salvation.  It was Israel and the Jews that meticulously preserved the Word of God for our generation.  We owe God everything and we have been blessed in many ways because of Israel and the Jews.
John's Take
How a person treats Israel and the Jews reveals exactly where that person stands with God and their own salvation.  The lost say God is finished with the Jews and the nation of Israel.  The wise know God has established Israel back on the Promised Land in these last days in fulfillment of prophecy.
In the not to distant future God will raise up Israel, Jerusalem and the Jews above all nations and people.  Jesus will return to Earth and rule over the world from the Temple Mount.  And all Israel will be saved.  But before these things happen God tells us in His Word that it is going to be a very rocky road ahead.  It will take the Second Coming of Christ with His power to foil the forces of darkness that are working hard to disrupt God's will.
If you ever hear that a seven year treaty is about to be signed in the Middle East, get ready, because all hell is about to be let loose.

1Thessalonians 5:1-9

  1    But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
  2    For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
  3    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.
  4    But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
  5    Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
  6    Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
  7    For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
  8    But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
  9    For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,