Peru recently announced that it will recognize a Palestinian state. It is now the seventh South American country to do so: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador and Guyana have also done so in recent weeks. Up until now, those nations have not been involved in the Middle East peace process. Many analysts are a little surprised by the seemingly coordinated effort for those countries to get involved and side with the Palestinians. On the surface, some believe it may be their desire to trade more with the Arab nations.
[Note: It's just a matter of time before we see catastrophes strike South America, as God's Word is very clear that He will bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse Israel (Genesis 12:3). We've already seen that in the horrific flooding that struck Brazil recently. Brazilian officials have said it was the worst natural disaster to ever have happened in their country.]
For people that study the Bible, particularly Bible prophecy, it is clear that much more than "flesh and blood politics" (Ephesians 6:12) is at work. Satan believes that if he can derail God's prophetic plan, he can change the outcome. We need only look at how the Egyptians, Babylonians, Syrians, and Romans were used to persecute the Jews; how Satan motivated King Herod to kill all the male babies at the time of Christ's birth; and how the Nazi Holocaust was an attempt to exterminate all the Jewish people. Today its the nation of Islam that is being used as Satan's tool.
The interesting issue is that, while there is thousands of times more land that belong to Islamic nations all around Israel, the land the Palestinians are bent on having "happens to be" the land which rightfully belongs to the Jewish people. It is a land mass about the size of New Jersey (1/19 the size of California). Make no mistake, it is the Jewish people's land as recorded in Genesis 15:18-21 where we read that God made a covenant with Abraham and his descendants.
What could be alarming, except we know God is in complete control, is that we read in Zechariah 12:2-3 that at some point in the future “all nations of the earth” will be against Israel:
I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves. (Emphasis added)
So, then, it's not really of any surprise that we have recently seen the United States pulling back its support for Israel compared to the strong alliance the United States and Israel once enjoyed. In his speech to the U.N. General Assembly in late September 2009, President Obama said, “America does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements.”
While many Americans are still pro-Israel, there are officials within the U.S., other than President Obama, that support the Palestinian statehood (in essence, not supporting Israel). The headlines make it sound like a large number of highly influential people; though careful examination, at least for now, suggests that may not be the case. Some formal officials even went so far as to sending a letter to President Obama, asking him not to veto any U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
The signatories of the letter included Frank Carlucci, former U.S. Secretary of Defense, Richard Murphy, former Assistant Secretary of State and former ambassador to Syria and Saudi Arabia, Thomas Pickering, former Undersecretary of State and former ambassador to Israel and the United Nations, Everett Ellis Briggs, former special adviser to President George H. W. Bush, and former Assistant Secretary of State Allen Holmes.
It's important to understand that historically the U.S. exercised it's veto power within the U.N. when it was in the best interest of the U.S. and its close allies; therefore, Israel has been saved from its enemies within the U.N. However, if the U.S. were to withdraw that support (as is being suggested), it would leave Israel very vulnerable to U.N. resolutions that would not favor the nation of Israel. Given that is likely what President Obama wants to do anyway, time will tell if that simply provides him with the excuse to do so.
While many Americans are still pro-Israel, there are officials within the U.S., other than President Obama, that support the Palestinian statehood (in essence, not supporting Israel). The headlines make it sound like a large number of highly influential people; though careful examination, at least for now, suggests that may not be the case. Some formal officials even went so far as to sending a letter to President Obama, asking him not to veto any U.N. Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
The signatories of the letter included Frank Carlucci, former U.S. Secretary of Defense, Richard Murphy, former Assistant Secretary of State and former ambassador to Syria and Saudi Arabia, Thomas Pickering, former Undersecretary of State and former ambassador to Israel and the United Nations, Everett Ellis Briggs, former special adviser to President George H. W. Bush, and former Assistant Secretary of State Allen Holmes.
It's important to understand that historically the U.S. exercised it's veto power within the U.N. when it was in the best interest of the U.S. and its close allies; therefore, Israel has been saved from its enemies within the U.N. However, if the U.S. were to withdraw that support (as is being suggested), it would leave Israel very vulnerable to U.N. resolutions that would not favor the nation of Israel. Given that is likely what President Obama wants to do anyway, time will tell if that simply provides him with the excuse to do so.
If the West Bank were to be given to the Palestinians, Israel would then be only nine miles wide in a location directly north of Tel Aviv. As we look at a map, we realize that it would be nearly dividing the country in two and that it would make the Israeli citizens much more vulnerable to military attack.
If that’s not enough, Israel is being asked to give the land to an enemy that time and time again has fired missiles and launched attacks against Israel and her people. What makes President Obama's rhetoric even more suspicious is that after the disputed elections in Iran (with protestors in the streets complaining the election was not democratic), he said that he would not get involved because Iran was a sovereign nation; yet a short time later we saw him getting involved with Israel's right to build homes within its own borders, and he continues to do so today as much as ever.
WHERE IS THE U.S. IN END-TIMES BIBLE PROPHECY?
As noted, we know the Bible says that at the very least the United States will not be on the side of Israel. That also has to take place because of the way in which God once again will permit Israel to be victorious, which would not be as miraculous if a superpower were on Israel’s side. The reason why the U.S. will be “against Israel” is not clearly known. Many eschatologists theorize that the Rapture will have taken the Christians (and thus, the driving force behind why the U.S. is “Jewish-friendly”) away. Indeed, such an event would thrust the entire world into a chaotic situation and open the need for a so-called “savior” to offer peace and stability to a world in turmoil; hence, it would provide an opportune time for the Antichrist to enter the scene.
There are many other theories that, when especially combined with the rapture theory, easily explain how the U.S. will be absent from end-times prophecy. I explain them all in my book, Pray That You May Escape; but for the lack of space and due to the focus of this article, I will not include them all here. Suffice it to say, no matter how it happens, we know it will happen because God's Word says so.
The times in which we live are very interesting. We know that it will become increasingly worse (a time of great trouble). Praise God, it's all part of His plan.
Related Links
Brazil flood deaths top 800 with 400 still missingWhere Is President Obama Leading Us? 
Jeff, your comment is so true: "there is thousands of times more land that belong to Islamic nations all around Israel, the land the Palestinians are bent on having 'happens to be' the land which rightfully belongs to the Jewish people."
ReplyDeleteThe Syrian invaders and squatters who call themselves "Palestinians" have never been invited back into Syria and Jordan. That's the real crime. The world seeing through it's anti-Semitic shades always miss that key fact.