By now all of us must have heard of Israel's disengagement plan. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon calls it unilateral withdrawal. Most of us are probably scratching our heads in wonder as to what it all means.
For those who are watching Israel closely, as all believers should be doing, we see Sharon preparing plans to hand over Jewish lands and communities in Gaza to the Palestinians. In the West Bank as well we see the systematic destruction of Jewish communities. The destruction is deliberately slow, first the smallest of communities while announcements are made in regards to the larger communities well in advance in order to give the idea time to sink in with the Israeli population.
Most of you are probably
wondering why this is happening. "Surely it makes no sense,"
we say to ourselves, "for Israel to just start giving away
her lands without negotiations or adherence to the Road Map to
Peace . . . . . without even a fight!"
When one observes events in Israel one must always remember prophecy.
We must remember that Israel will enter a covenant with Death
(Isaiah 28) in order to achieve what will turn out to be only
3.5 years of peace. You see, Israel is bent on the success of
the Road Map to Peace. Israel's leaders are ignorant to the fact
that the Road Map is ultimately the covenant with death.
So how does that explain Ariel Sharon's unilateral withdrawals? Simple. The Palestinians are very adept at making it look like they want to negotiate in good faith with Israel, all the while they drag their feet and take no concrete steps to advance the Road Map by making their own obligatory concessions. For example, the Palestinians have made no real effort at halting the killing of innocent civilians through terror attacks. Hence Sharon's announcements of unilateral withdrawals. By disengaging the Palestinians and making his own non-negotiated withdrawals from the territories Sharon is forcing the Palestinians to come to the negotiating table with tangible compromises or risk losing negotiating ground and have Israel draw the final boundaries of the future Palestinian state. In essence Sharon is fulfilling the Road Map without the Palestinians. In effect he is calling their bluff and showing the world that he is willing to go the whole way and back his words with action.
Sharon's plan is working, there is dissent growing in the Palestinian government and challenges to Arafat's rule are growing exponentially.
Sharon's strategy is cunning and has produced fruit for Israel internationally as the EU, Russia, Egypt and others have all stopped or reduced pressuring Israel to make concessions. As a result the EU (strong proponents of the Palestinians) have lost their voice as a major player in the Road Map's oversight.
Where does the U.S.A. stand on Sharon's disengagement plans? There should be no doubt that President Bush is ringing his hands as to why Sharon had to play this hand during an election year. You see, Sharon's plan works towards Bush's Road Map plans wonderfully, but in an election year it brings trouble for the Bush administration. The President needs the vote of conservative Christians to win reelection. The vast majority of Christians are pro-Israel and against the hand-over of covenant lands to the Palestinians. Sharon's move to give this land away without reciprocal concessions by the Palestinians is widely seen as a result of pressure from Washington.
So, what will this accomplish? Ultimately it will force concessions from the Palestinians, it will produce an illegitimate Palestinian state on Israel's inheritance, Israel will have peace and security for a very short time as her enemies prepare for war and George W. Bush, should he survive elections, would be hailed as the father of peace in the Middle East. It wouldn't be far fetched to suggest the Nobel Peace Prize for the conqueror of Iraq.
Remember, when watching
world events through prophecy eyes, we must discard the knee-jerk
reactions made by the media and the godless to unfolding events
and view the big picture as presented in scripture. Israel WILL
despise her inheritance, just as Esau had. Israel WILL make a
covenant with Death rather than God. Israel WILL have 3.5 years
of peace and security. Israel WILL be invaded by a confederation
led by the antichrist. Israel, and the world, WILL suffer 3.5
years of horrible desolation. Jesus Christ WILL come again on
the last day. He WILL resurrect those who are His. He WILL consume
the world in His wrath. He WILL establish dominion over the earth
from Jerusalem. He WILL give to all who are faithful the inheritance
promised to Abraham in fulfillment of God's covenant. God's WILL
be done just as He says in His Word!