Old and New Jerusalem
(April 21, 2008) Former President Jimmy Carter traveled to the Middle East in order to try to jump start peace negotiations between Israel and Hamas. According to a Jerusalem Post article, any truce (notice that Hamas isn’t speaking of a peace treaty) with Israel must include Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Palestine. (US: Hamas truce offer meaningless) The article elaborates on Hamas’ conditions for a truce, “Khaled Mashaal, whose group has sworn to destroy Israel, told reporters in Damascus on Monday that Hamas would accept a Palestinian state in the West Bank with Israel as its neighbor, but stressed that his group would not formally recognize it, a move immediately dismissed by the US as meaningless. ‘We agree to a (Palestinian) state on pre-67 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital with genuine sovereignty without settlements, but without recognizing
Israel,’ Mashaal said.’We have offered a truce if Israel withdraws to the 1967 borders, a truce of 10 years as a proof of recognition.’”
Once again it is clear there will be no peace between Israel and Hamas, Hizbullah, or any other Islamic terrorist organization because of unreasonable demands. It is going to take the future world leader whom Christians call the Antichrist to seemingly solve the Israeli-Arab conflict.
“Seventy weeks are determined upon your people and upon your holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of
sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Know
therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment
to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the
wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for Himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. 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.” (Daniel 9:24-27)
In the last verse of this passage in chapter 9 of Daniel, it states that
this ruler or prince will confirm a covenant with many for one
week of seven years. Many believe this covenant will be a peace
treaty of some kind. Daniel speaks of this ruler or Antichrist
and what he will do during this period:
“And in the latter time of their kingdom, when
the transgressors are come to the full,
a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark
sentences, shall stand up. And his power shall be
mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy
wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practice, and shall
destroy the mighty and the holy people. And through his policy
also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify
himself in his heart, and by peace shall
destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of
princes; but he shall be broken without
hand.” (Daniel 8:23-25)
It declares here that this ruler will destroy many through his policy
of peace. The apostle Paul
agrees with Daniel where he says that the Antichrist will magnify
himself and stand up against the Prince of
princes:
“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day
shall not come, except there come a
falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of
perdition; Who opposes and exalts himself above all that
is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sits
in the Temple of God, showing himself that he is
God.” (II Thessalonians 2:3-4)
On the Mount of Olives Jesus too made mention of the Antichrist
entering the Temple when He said:
“When you therefore shall see the abomination
of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the
prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso reads, let him
understand:) Then let them which be in Judea flee into
the mountains.” (Matthew 24:15-16)
It appears this future leader will either author or at least support
a peace treaty that lasts seven years. Part of this agreement
will probably include the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple since
the last verse of Daniel chapter 9 states that in the middle of
this seven-year period the Antichrist will cause the Temple
sacrifices to cease. This cessation of sacrificial offerings will
come about when the Antichrist enters the Temple to declare
himself God. Daniel writes that this will lead to the desolation
or desecration of the Temple. Paul seems to be speaking about the
results of this peace treaty in his first letter to the
Thessalonians:
“For yourselves know perfectly
that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For
when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden
destruction comes upon them, as travail upon a woman with
child; and they shall not
escape.” (I Thessalonians 5:2-3)
No matter how good the intentions of those who would bring peace to the Middle East, they will be unsuccessful until this future world leader initiates his reign. Even then though, true peace will not come until Jesus Christ comes again to set up His kingdom on earth.
(May 23, 2008) A sophisticated surveillance helicopter flies over New York City monitoring the population below. (Unmarked chopper patrols NY city from high above) This is another example of the use of technology to fight crime. The article reports, “Police say the chopper’s sweeps of landmarks and other potential targets are invaluable in helping guard against another terrorist attack, providing a see-but-avoid-being-seen advantage against bad guys.” The helicopter has “an arsenal of sophisticated surveillance and tracking equipment powerful enough to read license plates—or scan pedestrians’ faces—from high above the nation’s largest metropolis.” “‘They don’t even know we’re here,’ said crew chief John Diaz, speaking into a headset over the din of the aircraft’s engine.” A revealing statement in the article declares, “Kelly even envisions someday using futuristic “stationary airborne devices” similar to blimps to conduct reconnaissance and guard against chemical, biological and radiological threats.” In other words governments are going to continue to increase their monitoring capabilities of their citizens.
