#2The Next Peace Broker Steps Forward
As reported in the last WATCH! ALERT, the major players in setting up Israel's peace and ultimate fall are continuing to come to light. King Abdullah of Jordan is continuing his consensus building among Arab leaders to recognize Israel's right to exist. This should no longer surprise anyone because of what we see biblically or from what we have seen in the WATCH! ALERT and elsewhere in the media. What may come as more of a surprise is Iran's sudden conciliatory stand towards Israel. Coming just short of saying directly that they will recognize Israel, Iran has begun the process of peace with Israel. Last week Iran's President Mohammad Khatami said, "If the Palestinians accept this issue we will respect the wishes of the Palestinian nation." To get their own nation, Palestinian leaders will most certainly recognize Israel. What Iran is saying is that if the Palestinians will, then so will Iran. Iran is not a moderate Arab state. They have openly declared and supported hostilities against Israel with no apology. The Palestinian terrorist group Hamas is funded, supplied and trained by Iran. The puzzle is coming together as the will of God is done. Libya, Iraq and Syria are the only three nations left who are openly hostile against Israel. Libya does not want to jeopardize her growing standing in the world's market places and could not survive an oil boycott or military assault by herself. Syria would probably be content to follow Iran's lead but must be subservient to Iraq for military reasons. This leaves Iraq as the nation to watch very closely. Whatever Iraq does will decide what Syria does directly and Libya indirectly.
I am going to speculate again that Saddam Hussein may become tempted by the peace table. Iraq has beaten the war drum for some time and has enjoyed some solidarity with her Arab neighbors, even after warring with them. If the cause against Israel is removed, at least as a surface issue, then by not recognizing Israel, Iraq would risk isolation even from her Arab allies. Saddam still remembers the Desert Storm that hit Iraq. With the Anti-terror Coalition tasting success in Afghanistan, they have now begun to prepare the public for aggression against Iraq. It would be rather easy to get Saddam to trade peace with Israel to forestall the decimation of his military and ultimately his government. To be sure, Saddam Hussein never gives something for nothing.
I give the following scriptures again as a reference. Israel's leaders will enter an agreement in the last days for a specified period of seven years. "He [anti-Christ] will confirm a covenant with many for one seven. In the middle of the seven he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him." Daniel 9:27
This agreement will bring an unprecedented time of peace
for Israel. The time of peace will also lead to her demise
and near annihilation as a people. The anti-Christ will emerge
out of these peace talks. The scriptures tell us that the anti-Christ
will be a man of intrigue and will be a deal maker and ultimately
a deceiver. Those who comply with him will receive rewards from
him in the form of lands and plunder."In
the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely
wicked, a stern-faced king [anti-Christ], a master of intrigue, will arise. He will become
very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding
devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy
the mighty men and the holy people. . . When they feel secure,
he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of
princes
[abomination that causes desolation]." Daniel 8:23-25 "Get ready; be prepared,
you [anti-Christ]
and all the hordes gathered about you, and take command of them.
After many days you will be called to arms. In future years you
will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were
gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had
long been desolate. They had been brought out from many nations,
and now all of them live in safety. You and all your troops and
the many nations with you will go up, advancing like a storm;
you will be a cloud covering the land. This is what the sovereign
LORD says: On that day thoughts will come into your mind and you
will devise an evil scheme. You will say, "I will invade
a land of unwalled villages; I will attack a peaceful and unsuspecting
people - all of them living without walls and without gates and
bars. I will plunder and loot and turn my hand against the resettled
ruins and the people gathered from the nations, rich in livestock
and goods, living at the center of the land." Sheba and Dedan
and the merchants of Tarshish and all her villages will say to
you, "Have you come to plunder? Have you gathered your hordes
to loot, to carry off silver and gold . . ." Ezekiel 38:7-13