Today, August 5, 2006, after about 3 weeks of disagreement France and United States finally reached an agreement for the future of Lebanon and how to end the conflict between Lebanon and the Hezbollah Islamic militants of Lebanon. This agreement is today being discussed by the United Nations security council and is likely to vote on it and adopt it as early as Monday August 7 2006. Israel apparently supports it because it gives them the right to defend themselves including continuing incursions into Lebanon if they are still being fired on by Hezbollah's rockets. This condition according to this agreement would continue until an international force would take control in Lebanon especially south Lebanon and take over power from Hezbollah. This agreement also demands that Israel immediately cease all military operations in Lebanon and that Hezbollah immediately stop all rocket attacks on Israel. France had been holding out for an agreement that would require Israel to withdraw all its forces immediately and bring the international forces in as soon as possible afterwards. However the United States and Israel said, I believe realistically, this would give an opportunitey for Hezbollah to regain more control and presence in south Lebanon and still maintain a threat to Israel and cause trouble for the operations of international forces. However this agreement also includes a call for Israel to immediately cease all operations in Lebanon and for Hezbollah to immediately stop attacks on Israel. Lebanon and Hezbollah have both stated their opposition to this present agreement so it might be a struggle to implement. Israel has said it will keep fighting until it achieves its objectives of weakening Hezbollah and their rocket launching threat to Israel. Although if this resolution is agreed with the United Nations security council as seems likely soon, there will probably soon be much more pressure by the United States, France and the rest of the west or other countries on Israel and Lebanon and Hezbollah. This pressure will be for Israel and Hezbollah to cease military action but time will tell to see how much effect this agreement will have. Iran and perhaps Syria will probably still encourage Hezbollah in its action against Israel.
It remains to be seen how soon and effectively this agreement will lead to a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah or how much or how effectively this will result in Hezbollah being disarmed and being replaced in southern Lebanon with an international probably United Nations peacekeeping force> However this agreement looks likely to happen soon to some extent. There is intention and provision made for a more long term solution to this conflict including disarming Hezbollah in this agreement. From a Biblel prophecy viewpoint especially from a literal perspective their needed to be some resolution of this conflict first so the international community and Israel and the Palestinians could come to focus more on resolving the disputes more central to the Israel Arab and Jewish Muslim disputes namely those involving Jerusalem especially the Temple Mount. If there can be some effectiveness in a ceasefire and disaming of Hezbollah in relation to Israel this will cause a lull in the fighting in northern Israel and Lebanon and in the world's attention there. Soon after that due to some military or diplomatic efforts the attention will focus again on the conflict with the Palestinians and Israel including the matter of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. I don't know how much longer it will take to achieve the false peace by the Antichrist or the Beast out of the Sea to allow the Jews to rebuild their temple on the Temple Mount on Jerusalem but I am sure it is soon. I believe that this is where this resolution and probably efforts to implement it are leading. The Antichrist will probably offer something to make building of a Jewish Temple acceptable to the Palestinians such as sharing the Temple Mount, claiming to be also the Islamic Mahdi or Caliph as well as the Jewish Messiah or perhaps offering the Palestinians most of the West Bank. This agreement by the Antichrist mentioned in Daniel 9:27 will of course begin the 70th week of Daniel or the tribulation and will occur immediately after the rapture or translation of the church of Christians born of the Holy Spirit after personally trusting in Jesus Christ that he died for our sins and rose from the dead to give us new life.
As a result of the Hamas victory in the January 2006 Palestinian elections as many people now know financial and other support was cut off, at least in direct aid through the Palestinian government from United States, the European Union and other western countries. Increased support from Iran and some Arab country to the Hamas led Palestinian government has partly made up for this shortfall. However there has been an ongoing severe financial crisis in the Gaza Strip and to a lesser extent Palestinian communities in the West Bank since January 2006. Israel has also put finanical and other restrictions on assistance to the Palestinian government led by Hamas. These curtailing of aid to the Palestinian government led by Hamas have been a direct result of the stubborn refusal of the Hamas led Palestinian Arab government to recognize Israel as a sovereign Jewish state, renounce violence against Israel and refusal to recognize past peace or other treaties or agreements between the Palestinian authority and Israel. Partly as a result of this halting of funding from the west to the Palestinian government led by Hamas their has been increasing desperation of the Palestinian Arab people especially in the Gaza Strip. Part of the results of this halt of direct funding has been the inability to pay the Palestinian security or police forces that are mostly affiliated with the more moderate Fatah party. Fatah lost the last election, have recognized Israel and, to some extent renounced violence against Israel and agreed to the peace agreements with Israel. As a result of the curtailing of the direct aid to the Hamas led Palestinian government the Palestinian police composed mostly of Fatah members or sympathizers has harnessed discontent against Hamas by conducting some fighting, kidnapping and damage to structures associated with the militant group Hamas with Hamas responding with violence against the Fatah forces. This has escalated in 2007 with about 90 Palestinians killed by inter Palestinian fighting between Hamas and Fatah militants. This has also meant these militants have been distracted and weakened from attacking Israel. This has also caused much embarrassment and shame among the Palestinian Arab people for attacking their countrymen although they should be ashamed as well in not letting Israel and its people live in peace. There has started at least temporarily a lull in the inter-Palestinian fighting with much relief and rejoicing among the Palestinian people from the agreement achieved between Hamas and Fatah in Mecca, Saudi Arabia on February about 5 to 7, 2007. It remains to be seen what the long term result of this agreement will be.
Although attempts had previously been made by Egypt, Jordan, and one of the Arab Persian Gulf states perhaps Qatar to get agreement between Hamas and Fatah that would lead to the end of the fighting between their respective militants these previous agreements didn't have any effective long term results. As a last resort, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia hosted a meeting of top representatives of Hamas including their Gaza leader Ismail Haniya and overall Hamas leader in exile in Syria Khaled Maashal and of Fatah including leader Mahmoud Abbas. Despite the fighting and even killing of members of the other groups to that time these leaders were able to come together and talk about their differences. They were able to agree how to fill most of the outstanding posts of the Palestinian legislature including Minister of the Interior and Foreign Minister and another major cabinet post which were filled with independent members. Other posts were agreed to from Hamas and Fatah. There was also agreement to demand their followers stop the violence against the other group's supporters. Although Mahmoud Abbas and other Fatah representatives attempted to persuade the Hamas leadership to recognize Israel and renounce violence against her and recognize peace agreements or ceasefires with Israel the most that was achieved was an agreement to "respect" these peace agreements but not necessarily fully uphold or support them. However there was complete failure of Hamas to budge in its refusal to recognize Israel or renounce violence against her with Hamas still holding to their philosophy that all of the holy land between the Jordan and the Mediterranean should be a Palestinian mostly Muslim Arab state with no part for a Jewish state of Israel. As a Bible believing Christian I personally believe Israel has a full right to all this land but that it probably won't be realized until the Messianic Age when more of the people of Israel keep God's laws, words and priniciples which is not the case very much now. This is especially true with the 85% or so of the Israeli Jews that don't even know the Old Testament or Hebrew scriptures very well let alone keep them as directed by the LORD there. Hamas leaders and many of the Palestinian people must be believing and hoping that United States, the European Union, the United Nations, Russia and other western nations or organizations will be hoodwinked into thinking the agreement to stop fighting between Palestinians and agreement to their outstanding government positions and "respect" agreements with Israel is sufficient accomplishment or change for them to resume direct aid to the now Palestinian unity government. I think the resumption in direct aid to the Hamas led Palestinian government is still not warranted because the recent Mecca agreement still did next to nothing in meeting the west's justifiable conditions for resuming direct aid to the Palestinian people. These conditions are namely recognizing Israel as a Jewish state and their right to exist, renouncing violence against her and not just respecting but supporting all the achieved peace agreements between the Palestinian Authority and Israel. I hope western governments or international organizations won't be misled by this superficial agreement and resume direct aid to the Hamas led unity government although I am concerned that especially the United Nations, Russia and the European Union might resume at least part of that support now even though the Hamas led government has held out against making concessions regarding Israel. I will have to wait to see what happens but hope these groups will have more principles regarding upholding the principle of Israel's right to exist and live in peace but I think this is more likely to still be upheld by United States and Israel herself. I think these and all other countries or international organizations should keep in mind the scripture God gave concerning Israel in Genesis 12 that he would bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse her. This covenant has never been taken back by God and His dealing with Edom, Moab, Ammon, Babylon, Rome, Russia and the Soviet Union and Spain under Queen Isabella and Nazi Germany that all persecuted Israel is an affirmation of the seriousnesss with which God views this covenant and a warning to nations today that try to mistreat or persecute the Jews or the state of Israel.
The latest development in the Middle East that is gaining much attention as well as misunderstanding is Israel's ongoing effort to build a replacement ramp to continue to provide access to non-Muslims to the Temple Mount. This is the most holy site to Jews in the world and the former site of the First Solomon's Temple and the second Herod's Temple and the location of Abraham almost offering his son Isaac. It is also the location Jewish Temple groupls want to build the Third Temple. Muslims believe Mohammed ascended to heaven from this location but more reliable history affirms that he instead died a fairly normal death in Medina, Saudi Arabia in 632 AD and never reached Jerusalem or Israel. The Muslims did not reach Israel and Jerusalem according to history until about 638 AD, 6 years after Mohammed's death. Anyway there are very credible reasons the Jewish authorities are giving that this ramp is only intended to preserve Jewish access to the Temple Mount and to replace a ramp that has been used up to this time for non-Muslims which ramp was damaged in a snowstorm in 2004 and is becoming unsafe and unusable. Also although the Jewish authorities have given reliable assurances that they do not intend to sabotage or undermine the Al Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount with this construction the widespread distrust among many Muslims and Muslims leaders has resulted in many Muslims thinking the Jews do have intentions and are carrying them out to undermine and possibly destroy the Al Aqsa mosque. This distrust of the intentions and objectives of this Israeli construction work near the Temple Mount has led to fervent protests of Muslims in the Old City of Jerusalem with Israeli police and in other parts of Israel as well as in Gaza, Syria, Jordan and in Muslim countries as far as Indonesia. It should be noted that there is still at least one alternate entrance to the Temple Mount that only Muslims can and do use which is not being threatened. Also there could be an ulterior motive in these Muslim protests to try to cease all access of Jews, Christians or other non-Muslims to the Temple Mount. This would be realized if the existing ramp for non-Muslims to the Temple Mount becomes completely unusable and Israel for political reasons is not able to build a replacement ramp. Israel is now under intense pressure to put at least a temporary halt to this construction even from her principal ally United States although Israeli leader Ehud Olmert thankfully is still showing some principle in insisting Israel has the right to continue construction of this ramp. There is to be a meeting at the United Nations either General Assembly or Security Council next week (Feb. 12 to 16, 2007) to discuss this matter at the instigation of the Palestinians and some Muslim countries. It will be interesting to see how the United Nations and its composing countries will respond to this issue and whether they will reach a satisfactory solution for everyone. Alternatively this temple access ramp could perhaps be another issue that will be left outstanding and further prepare for the false peace to be achieved by the Antichrist or Beast out of the Sea at the beginning of the tribulation and 70th week of Daniel after the rapture of the church. In this false peace the Antichrist will achieve authorization for Israel to build its third temple on the Temple Mount in exchange for unspecified concessions to Palestinian and other Arab or mostly Muslim or other countries. I personally think this heightened focus on Jerusalem and the Temple Mount at this time could be an indication that the end of this current age of grace or Church age could be very soon and that people of all nations should take heed to the signs and trust personally in the Lord Jesus Christ that he died for our sins and rose again from the dead to offer us new life to at this time also to avoid experiencing the tribulation and so the opportunity to take part in the rapture won't be missed.
Due to widespread and deep dissatisfaction of the performance of Israel's leaders and military in the war in July and August 2006 of Israel and her armed forces, IDF, with the Islamic terrorist group Hezbollah that is based in Lebanon a public inquiry was ordered by the government of Israel. The results of this inquiry called the Winograd report after its principal investigator was released publicly about May 1, 2007. The main flashpoint for this war was the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah which means "Party of God or Allah". During the war which lasted about two months there was extensive international insecurity especially worry that tensions in the Middle East would get totally out of hand. One reason this did not happen is that Hezbollah is composed chiefly of Shiite Muslims and supported by mostly Shiite Muslim Iran and Syria which also has significant Shiite population. Other Muslim countries such as most of the Arab countries including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and most North African countries are mostly Sunni that especially because of the rising power of Iran and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein feel threatened by Shiites now and so are not in a hurry to help a Shiite group like Hezbollah. The world instability anyways was reflected in the price of oil that reached over $78 US a barrel. Hezbollah used the divisions in Lebanon to use people and properties in Lebanon as human shields to discourage Israel from attacks inside Lebanon. Anyway some of the conclusions of the Winograd report are that this was was at least a partial failure for Israel because they still haven't got the two kidnapped soldiers back and they were unable to significantly destroy or eliminate the power of Hezbollah and its threat to Israel. Some of this threat was shown by rockets probably at least partly supplied by Iran and perhaps Syria that were able to hit targets in Israel as far south as Haifa and perhaps Tel Aviv and Nazareth and the whole Galilee region killing some Israelis and causing some injuries and doing about a billion dollars of damage with about 2500 rockets. I think Israel also killed about 1000 Lebanese including an undetermined number of Hezbollah guerillas. Some conclusions of the report was that Israel should have developed more of a strategic plan before it entered the war and should have exhausted diplomatic avenues to try to get the soldiers released first. This report also concluded Ehud Olmert the Prime Minister of Israel who was also responsible for some of these other misjudgments was mistaken about Israel's ability to fight a ground war which hadn't been done significantly by Israel since the 1973 Yom Kippur War with several Arab countries in which Israel was quite successful probably with God's help. This report also concluded the Defence Minister Amir Peretz the leader of the Labour Party didn't show good strategy and should have sought advice from people knowledgeable about military matters to make up for his lack of military background. For some of the same reasons the leader of the IDF or Israel Defence Forces I think by the name of Dan Halutz was also criticized for not using good strategy and underestimating the enemy and has taken responsibility and already resigned and been replaced.
One of the results of the Winograd Report was to expose that Israel no longer has strategically thinking leaders who have dealt with wars to defend Israel from its Arab neighbours. The last such leader of Israel was Ariel Sharon who is now in a coma after directing Israel's pullout from the Gaza Strip and is very much missed by many people in Israel and Jews and supporters of Israel in other parts of the world. As I heard Israel no longer has battle experienced leaders but more businessmen for their leaders including most candidates for Prime Minister. The current Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was already very unpopular with popularity polls as low as 2% and about two thirds of the population wanting him to resign immediately. So far he has insisted on and succeeded in staying in power but it remains to be seen how long he can manage this. As has been mentioned in the media the Winograd Report does not demand the report of the Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, the Defence Minister Amir Peretz or the IDF Chief but it does severely criticize them all and many in the population and even some of their own parties as well as opposition parties have called for their resignation. Another reason Ehud Olmert the Prime Minister and leader of the Kadima Party founded by Ariel Sharon and Amir Peretz leader of the left wing Labour Party don't resign is that they are afraid then their coalition will fall and there will be elections with major gains for right wing groups. These right wing groups include both secular ones like Likud and religious ones like the National Religious Party that aren't part of the ruling coalition and don't share blame for the leadership shortcomings of the 2006 War with Hezbollah. A leading possible successor for Ehud Olmert as the leader of the Kadima Party and for the governing coalition is the present foreign minister and deputy prime minister Tzipi Livni. She has gained significant experience in foreign affairs including in relating to major powers such the United States, the European Union or its component countries, Russia and the UN and Arab countries like Egypt, Jordan, Palestinian leaders and Saudi Arabia. However her prime role in giving up the Gaza Strip for supposedly more peace with the Palestinian Arabs or Arabs and Muslims in general and her willingness to give up some of the West Bank for more concessions for hopefully more peace with Arabs would not make her popular with Jews in Israel or elsewhere or Christian or other supporters. These possible limitations in her popularity among more right wing Jews and Christians are because they think Israel is already too vulnerable to Islamic militants such as was shown by Hezbollah last year and their stated determination to rearm for a possible near term further war with Israel and Hamas' refusal to recognize Israel or renouce violence and continued actions to smuggle weapons into the Gaza Strip with their border with Egypt and their continued firing of rockets into Israel from the Gaza Strip. From a perspective of Bible prophecy this lack of leadership in Israel and widespread dissatisfaction of the public with their leadership and their feeling increasingly vulnerable to increasingly powerful Palestinian and other Arab or Muslim enemies could set the stage for the soon appearance of the Anti-christ or Beast of Revelation to make a covenant or treaty with Israel at the beginning of the 7 year tribulation or 70th week of Daniel that will include authority for the Jews to build their 3rd temple on the Temple Mount somehow with acceptance by the Muslims. As a dispensational Christian that takes the Bible literally including maintaining a distinction between Israel as God's chosen earthly people and the Church as God's chosen heavenly people I believe the rapture or catching up of the Church of born again by the Holy Spirit Christians through faith in Jesus Christ is very soon. I believe this rapture of the church will occur immediately before the revelation of the Antichrist to bring a superficial Middle East peace centred on Israel and the Temple Mount is also very soon but I will continue to watch events in the Middle East especially in Israel and Jerusalem to so how things develop.
In case you missed it, which would have been quite easy to do, May 16, 2007 on the Jewish calendar or June 6, 2007 was the 40th anniversary of the Six Day War between Israel and some of its surrounding Arab countries. These Arab countries were in particular Egypt, Jordan and Syria although there was assistance from other countries such as Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Russia. The 40th anniversary is in more particular the anniversary of the day when Israel got control of the Old City of Jerusalem which is included in East Jerusalem. This includes the Western Wall and the Temple Mount which is the most holy place in all Judaism and was the site of Israel's 1st Temple built by Solomon and its 2nd temple built by the Israeli governor returning from Babylon Zerubbabel and later renovated and expanded by King Herod just before the 1st coming of Jesus Christ. This site is also very holy to Muslims but not their most holy site and it is not historically true what they say that Mohammed ascended to heaven from this site since more accurate historical records say he died a fairly normal death in Medina Saudi Arabia in 632 AD which was several years before Muslims fought for and obtained control of Jerusalem and several decades before the Muslim Al Aqsa and Dome of the Rock mosques were built on the Temple Mount. One reason some people perhaps you the reader might not have known or previously been aware that June 6, 2007 or May 16, 2007 was the 40 th anniversary of the Six Day War was that it was not publicized very much at least by the western media although I did find a report of it in a Chinese newspaper on June 6 as I can read some Chinese. I heard from reliable reports that the western media at least deliberately suppressed reporting on this topic probably especially because they don't want to admit Israel possibly with God's help has been able to hold onto this territory occupied by it in 1967 including the Western Wall and some jurisdiction over the Temple Mount for 40 years. The fact that the capture of the Temple Mount by Israel was one of the highlights of the Six Day War is another reason a mostly anti-God of the Bible and somewhat anti-Semitic mass media of the west doesn't want to draw attention or help people be aware of this war. Although it is true it has been a drain on Israel's military to police all the so-called occupied territory of the Gaza Strip until recently given back to the Palestinian Arabs or the continued possession of Israel of the Golan Heights from Syria or the West Bank from Jordan or East Jerusalem including the Temple Mount from Jordan I think it has been a good decision from both a biblical and strategic viewpoint to hold onto this land as Israel would otherwise have to give up some of the land God gave them by covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and they would be more vulnerable to attack from Arabs who could attack Israel proper from these territories if they were given back to the Palestinian Arabs. This is exactly what is happening in ongoing missile attacks from Hamas and other groups from the Gaza Strip to adjoining parts of Israel especially since the Gaza Strip was returned to the Arabs in the form of the Palestinians in 2005 by Ariel Sharon and his government. Of course two negative consequences of Israel holding onto East Jerusalem including the Old City of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount and Western Wall and the West Bank or Judaea and Samaria and the Golan Heights is that it has made it more difficult to live in peace with other Arabs or Muslims both at an individual and national level and that Israel has lost much of the sympathy it had from the rest of the world back in 1967. One thing that makes this period of time especially interesting is that a period of 40 days or even 40 years is used very prominently in the Bible including the 40 days rain in the time of Noah, the 40 days of the 12 spies of Israel in the promised land, Moses being 40 days on Mount Sinai receiving the Law and Moses's life being divided into 3 periods of 40 years each of of course Israel being 40 years in the wilderness of Sinai. In the New Testament Jesus was also 40 days in the wilderness to be tempted of the devil and there were approximately 40 years from the date of the Lord Jesus Christ's death and resurrection in 32, 33 or perhaps 30 AD to the destruction of the 2nd Temple in 70 AD. I heard that generally in the Bible a period of 40 days or years is a time of probation or testing which was certainly true of most of these examples including Israel's time in the wilderness. God states in Deuteronomy that the reason Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years was because they brought back and believed a faithless report after spying out the land for 40 days. After those 40 years God allowed Israel to resume moving forward to and into the promised land without much hindrance. The case could be made and I think it would be valid that Israel had an opportunity to build the 3rd Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem in June 1967 but they forfeited it by giving that authority to the Muslims or Arabs in the form of the Waqf Islamic authority and Israel was content with the Western Wall which isn't really the main site for the Temple before or where it should be built again. There are at least 100 commandments in the Law of Moses that can't be kept without an operating Jewish Temple so it is impossible for any Jew to be faithful to the Law in current circumstances. However I believe God will start working with the Jewish people more intensively now that this 40 year testing or probationary period since June 1967 is over as of today June 6, 2007 or even earlier on the Jewish calendar.
As a Bible believing Christian this means I believe it will now be even surer to be soon that God will allow the covenenat or agreement with the Antichrist or Beast of the Sea and Israel that will permit Israel to build their 3rd temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem to proceed and reestablish animal sacrifices and other temple worship. This will occur at the beginning of the tribulation or 7 year long 70th week of Daniel. Immediately before that will be the rapture of the Church of all true or born again Christians who have from our heart admitted we are sinners and trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God, Saviour of the world and Messiah of Israel that he died for our sins and rose again from the dead to give us new life and will come again for his people and to establish justice on earth. If you the reader have not yet trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation I urge you in the strongest to do this immediately as there might not be much more time in the current conditions and there won't be any further chance in the tribulation if you have continued to neglect or reject the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout this present Church Age or Age of Grace. Finally we think from Matthew 24:32-35 where the parable of the fig tree is mentioned by the Lord Jesus Christ as a guideline for the approximate time of his coming again that the generation that will not pass away until all things be fulfilled means some of the people that were alive when the fig tree which is Israel was brought back to life as a nation in 1948 when Israel was granted nation status will still be alive when all these things meaning the events of the tribulation and the coming of Messiah Jesus happen. These people are all about 60 years or older now and many have already passed away and there will be at least 7 more years that some of them will have to be alive which is the period of the tribulation so we believe Jesus must come soon for the rapture of the church to be followed by the Antichrist's covenant with Israel that will allow them to rebuild and reestablish their temple. However the Antichrist will take that over for the second half of the tribulation to force all people left on earth to worship him or be killed or be on the run or in hiding. Also a generation is most often in the Bible especially the time of Israel in the wilderness 40 years and although the fig tree might have been revived in 1948 with Israel's establishment as a nation it is quite possible its sprouting its leaves was a further stregthening and establishing of Israel such as happened when Israel won the Six Day War in 1967. This could mean that sometime soon after June or May 2007 the rapture of the Church and following covenant of the Antichrist to allow Israel to reestablish their temple worship will occur. I can't say definitely it will happen this year in 2007 but if not there are also many other happenings in the world that suggest it will be very soon. I will however be more confident of this if I hear in the next couple months that the garments of the high priest are completed. This unfortunately isn't the case yet and would be needed to carry out the Jewish temple worship although most of the other articles are already made or probably won't be made or retrieved until the beginning of the tribulation and the Antichrist's covenant with Israel. Anyway, I think and suggest the reader consider that the passing of the 40th anniversary mark of Israel's capture of East Jerusalem including the Temple Mount although it returned most of it temporarily to the Muslims in the form of the Waqf foundation indicates that the end of this age of grace is near and the time when it is easy to hear God's Holy Spirit's conviction for trusting in Jesus is near to end and the tribulation to begin including the rebuilding of the Jewish temple and revelation of the Antichrist as world ruler.
Although it took me a while to get the full story I think I am aware now of a very remarkable phenomena that occured on May 16, 2007 the 40th anniversary on the Jewish calendar of the six day war. This is particularly the anniversary of June 6, 1967 when Israel captured East Jerusalem including the Old City of Jerusalem and the Western Wall and the Temple Mount. However Israel under Moshe Dayan shortsightedly gave the Temple Mount at least its day to day operations back to the Moslems the next day in the form of the Waqf authority. In May and June it is usually part of the dry season in Israel at least in Jerusalem and it is quite rare to have reason especially substantial rainfall or thunderstorms. However this is exactly what happened this year right on Jerusalem Day in Jerusalem although I hear this weather did not extend to other parts of Israel such as the Galilee. Anyway I hear there was substantial rainful and strong winds and perhaps thunder and lightning in Jerusalem on that day this year. As the reader might or might not know, one of the groups trying to establish the Jewish Third Temple is the Temple Mount Faithful. Their main focus is having marches from different parts of Israel or Jerusalem to the Temple Mount with the hope of demonstrating to the Israeli government and supreme court to allow the building of the Third Temple to proceed immediately and to trust in God above politics for overcoming any opposition from Muslims or others to build the Jewish temple. They sometimes come with the already made cornerstones for the third temple. They are usually stopped by the Israeli temple police at the gates of the temple mount are are refused access to the temple mount with the excuse they might cause a public disturbance with the Muslims on the Temple Mount. This is even though Muslims are able to pray, preach or worship sometimes quite prevocatively against the Jews on top of the Temple Mount. Anyway things were different this year. Both the Jews and the Muslims are quite sensitive to any supernatural or unusual phenomena that could be taken as a sign from God. This is probably what caused most of the Muslims that might have been on the Temple Mount on May 16 to evacuate the Temple Mount that day when the rain or thunderstorm arrived. The Jews of the Temple Mount Faithful also saw this as a sign from God that God will soon allow them to build their temple on the Temple Mount after 40 years of waiting which is also what I and some other bible believing Christians believe or would like to believe. Because most of the Muslims evacuated the Temple Mount and felt rather intimdated by what they perceived probably rightly as a display of power by the God of Israel the Temple police this time quite graciously or supportively to the Temple Mount Faithful allowed them to not only ascend up the Temple Mount but apparently also pray and worship the God of Israel there. This is also nothing short of a miracle as Jews especially Orthodox Jews especially those pressing for building of the third temple are arrested or watched and discouraged in the strongest terms from praying or worshipping God on the Temple Mount for fear of offending the Muslims. This probably means Jews and also Christians are not allowed to read the Bible there. The fact that this permission of the third temple advocating Temple Mount Faithful to ascend the Temple Mount and prayer to and worship the God of Israel openly at such a significant time could and hopefully will mean that God will soon allow them perhaps at some other Jewish festival such as the Feast of Tabernacles this year or some year soon to succeed in not only ascending the Temple Mount but to start to actually build the Third Temple and work until they complete it and resume the Temple worship after almost 2000 years. As a Bible believing Christian I believe especially based on Daniel 9:27 and perhaps Isaiah 28 and scriptures about the Antichrist in the second half of the tribulation intruding in the third temple that the Antichrist or the Beast out of the sea will give the Jews the permission and authority to build their third temple soon. I believe although this temple will be defiled by the antichrist in the second half of the tribulation it will prepare the Jews (and Gentiles and the Church) for resumption of the temple worship with the true Messiah residing in it in the Messianic Age temple after the second coming of Messiah Jesus of Nazarth. I think and hope these events this Jerusalem Day will also indicate the rapture before the Antichrist's covenant with Israel about the third temple will be soon. The rapture will be the catching up to heaven before the tribulation of the true Christians that have personally trusted in Jesus Christ that he died on the cross for our sins and rose from the dead to give us new life. A report in more detail of the Temple Mount Faithful's march to and on top of the Temple Mount on Jerusalem Day 2007 with pictures can be seen at their web site at www.templemountfaithful.org.
In the second week of June 2007 the Islamic militant group Hamas conducted an all-out attack on Fatah strongholds and fighters in the Gaza Strip. This was quite successful and led to military leaders of the more secular Fatah Palestinian faction going into hiding or leaving the Gaza Strip through Egypt or later on through Israel. Hamas then declared total control over the Gaza Strip which it seems is quite accurate. This was all after renewed and intensifying fighting in the Gaza Strip between supporters of Fatah and Hamas. In response to this initiative and declaration by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the President of the Palestinian Authority and leader of Fatah Mahmoud Abbas declared a state of emergency in the Palestinian territories in which he set up an emergency government set up with some other Fatah members but mostly more moderate independent Palestinian Arab politicians. However as a response to Hamas' attacks in the Gaza Strip there are no Hamas members in the new Palestinian emergency government. Presently and for the forseeable future this administration will be responsible mostly for the West Bank and East Jerusalem where there are Palestinians as President Mahmoud Abbas and Fatah have little authority over the Gaza Strip which has for now been conceded to Hamas. An immediate responsibility of this emergency government is to draw up a new budget which should be responsible given that a Mr. Fayyad who has experience rooting out corruption and wasteful spending in the Palestinian Authority and in the World Bank is the Finance Minister in practice.
The response has been generally the same with most Western governments or institutions to the recent events in the Palestinian territories. Due to Hamas' stubborn refusal to recognize Israel and its right to exist, previous treaties with it by the Palestinian Authority or to renounce violence against Israel there is much opposition and little sympathy or willingness to deal by the West with Hamas or the previous Hamas led government. As a result most Western countries have been only too happy to recognize the new emergency government of Mahmoud Abbas especially over the West Bank since he and his Fatah party and most of the moderate politicians he has nominated to his cabinet at least recognize Israel and her right to exist and have renounced violence against Israel. Both the US and the EU (European Union) have now pledged to resume direct financial or other aid to the Palestinian Authority that was halted when the Palestinian government was led by Hamas which refused to recognize Israel. However some Western countries of organizations have held back full support until the new emergency government of the Palestinian Authority led by Mahmoud Abbas can develop a viable budget through which Western aid could be channeled. There has also been similiar support from moderate Arab governments partly because many of these governments feel threatened by Islamic extremists both in their own country or by Hamas in the Palestinian territories. Israel has also recognized the new emergency government of Mahmoud Abbas and promised to work with and restore taxes or duties held back from the Palestinians that was collected by the Israelis in connection with Palestinian border crossings. Israel has also promised to take steps to renew the peace process with the Palestinian Authority led by Mahmoud Abbas but to still keep a wary eye on the Gaza Strip that is controlled by Hamas which doesn't recognize the new Palestinian administration of Mahmoud Abbas.
Although I can't say for certain how things will develop in the immediate future as a Bible believing Christian I believe based on the Bible especially Daniel 9:27 and also Isaiah 28 and other scriptures about a tribulation temple that one of the next things to happen in Bible prophecy is a treaty or covenant with the Antichrist and Israel to enable Israel to build their third temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Recently the primary attention in the holy land to events in the Gaza Strip has acted as a diversion from what biblically is more important namely Jerusalem especially the Temple Mount. With the new administration of Mahmoud Abbas established with its focus on the West Bank and perhaps East Jerusalem where Fatah has most of its support and more support than Hamas and the recognition of this new Palestinian administration by most Western and many Arab or moderate Muslim countries, Israel and other countries or organizations diplomatic activity will probably intensify in the West Bank and Jerusalem now. This could lead now to a sooner focus on the future of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount and the possibility of a Jewish Temple there which will play into the hands of the Antichrist or Beast out of the Sea as presented in God's word the Holy Bible. As a dispensational Christian that takes the Bible literally including taking references to Israel as national or physical Israel and not spiritually as the church or spiritual Israel I believe this also means the rapture or catching up of the church of true or born again Christians to heaven that will precede the revelation of the Antichrist through his treaty with Israel to rebuild the Jewish temple is also closer to fulfillment. I would also for this reason encourage the reader to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ with all your heart that he died for your sins on the cross, that you a sinner or imperfect in God's sight and that Jesus rose again from the dead to give you new and eternal life.
Although there was mention of their plans from United States, especially through US Secretary of State Condolizza Rice from early in 2007 to push along the Road Map to Peace on both Israel and the Palestinians there has been a jump to much more relentless pressure since August 2007. There has also been increased pressure from the European Union and other partners in the quartet that sponsors the Road Map to Peace including the United Nations and Russia in this time. There has been more pressure on the Palestinians in this time to make concessions to Israel especially to guarantee more security to Israel. This includes trying to make provisions that the West Bank not fall into the hands of anti-Israel Islamic militants such as Hamas as has already happened in the Gaza Strip. However most of the continuing or increasing pressure is being put on Israel as well as most of the expected concessions. This is partly because the United States especially and the Quartet in general is trying to maintain support of the so-called moderate Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, the Persian gulf states and the nations of North Africa to make up for United States failure to set up a pro-western democratic country in Iraq and so far not being successful to try to bring more moderation from Syria. Some of the concessions being asked of Israel, even by the supposedly moderate Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, include about 90 % of the West Bank, and East Jerusalem including the Temple Mount for a Palestinian capital. These concessions are not things that Israel is ready to give in to and not something that would give much security to Israel. The giving of East Jerusalem including the Temple Mount is something especially that religious Jews can never tolerate nor Bible believing Christians. This is because this is clearly from the Bible and general history East Jerusalem especially The Temple Mount is the holiest site in the world for Judaism and according to both the Jewish scriptures and history Jewish and otherwise the Temple Mount is or should be a more holy site to the Jews than the Western Wall. It is difficult to see where all these negotiations and pressure tactics are going to lead especially in the immediate future and who will be at the proposed peace conference in the end of November to which the Arab League is also invited for the first time. However these are the most intense talks on Middle East peace we have seen for a long time and perhaps something more tangible will result this time.
There have been many other periods of intense talks leading to conferences and proposed agreements relating to Middle East Peace with Israel and the Palestinian Arabs and other Arab countries. However this time more Arab countries including Saudi Arabia and the Arab League are involved as well as many world bodies such as the G7 or G8 and rumours of India or even China as well as the Quartet. Also the fact that Ehud Olmert, the current Prime Minister of Israel, seems willing to make overgenerous concessions on the part of Israel and the fact that the Israeli government has been recently allowing the Muslims led by the Waqf religious organization that oversees the Temple Mount to try to gain more control of the Temple Mount and restrict access to it for Jews or non-Muslims could all mean that this peace conference could be leading to the soon realization of the false peace of Daniel 9:27 of the Antichrist or Beast out of the Sea with Israel. However I can't prove it will be very soon. The current circumstances as well as what is proposed for Israel for concessions at these peace talks at the end of November and the ongoing trends on the ground on the Temple Mount argue that some leader has to rise up and stand for Israel soon to protect their interests. These interests include Jewish access to the Temple Mount. These interests of the Jews would include allowance for them to build their Third Temple on the Temple Mount probably on the site of the Dome of the Rock although this might also require a nearby earthquake. As it seems increasingly apparent that the current leadership in Israel under Ehud Olmert is doing everything to stay in power and the right wing parties in his coalition seem reluctant to abandon his government. This is despite Ehud Olmert's obvious trampling of the interest of right wing including religious Jews. Religious Jews would probably be open to some new personality who would soon arise to promote their interests. These interests include continue access to the Temple Mount as well as the Western Wall and permission for the Jews to build their Third Temple on the Temple Mount while somehow appeasing the Palestinians and other Arabs or Muslims. According to the Bible in Daniels 9:27 and Isaiah 28 and later on with 2 Thessalonians 2 and Matthew 24:15 that person is or will be the Antichrist or the Beast out of the Sea or the Man of Sin. All these events currently pushing Israel into a corner include Jewish acecess to the Temple Mount without a real champion for them. This champion would need to have power to support the religious Jews. This lack of a champion for the Jewish people especially the religious Jews could be a sign that the Antichrist is about to be revealed and the tribulation about to begin or the 70th week of Daniel. For born again Christians both Jewish and Gentile who have placed our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that he died on the cross for our sins and rose again from the dead to give us new life all these events could well mean the rapture or catching up of the church to heaven is near. We believe this rapture in part to spare us as the object of God's grace from the tribulation and that it could also be very near. I therefore urge the reader Jewish or Gentile if he or she hasn't already done so to trust in Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour according to the Bible as soon as possible as their might not be much more time.
The Annapolis Middle East peace conference did happen and it was more substantial than thought at some of the times leading up to the conference when there was concern not many of the Arab or other countries would attend. There turned out to be leaders of 44 countries present at the conference including leaders of 16 Arab countries including that of Saudi Arabia and Syria as well as I believe representatives of the Arab league. However except perhaps for President Bush most of the Arab and other countries were putting most of the pressure on the Israeli for concessions to the Palestinians such as to give up more land such as the West Bank, East Jerusalem or even the Golan heights or even to permit refugees or their families from the present territory of Israel that left or were expelled with the creation of the Jewish state of Israel in 1947 and 1948 to return. However many of these refugees only came to the holy land in the late 1800s or early 1900s from surrounding Arab countries like Egypt, Syria, Jordan, or Lebanon to try to prevent the establishment of a Jewish state in the Holy Land even more than they wanted to establish an Arab state there. The Israeli leader Ehud Olmert and to some degree President Bush or the United States also insisted that Israel should receive more guarantees from the Palestinians and other Arabs that they be permitted to live in security without the threat of violence from Palestinian or other Arab terrorists but this wasn't mentioned very much by Mahmoud Abbas in his main speech about what the following talks with Israel should focus on. Mahmoud Abbas couldn't really guarantee security for Israel fully anyway even if he wanted to because he has now little or no control of the Gaza Strip which has been under control of the Palestinian militant group Hamas which doesn't recognize Israel as a Jewish state or agree to renounce violence and continues to allow regular rocket attacks to adjacent towns in Israel. The wording of Mahmoud Abbas' speech also left open that even if Israel did comply with all their demands that instead of fully accepting Israel as a Jewish state they would more live in tolerance and a ceasefire perhaps until the Palestinians and Arabs got stronger and could take over some of the territory of Israel proper and make it under Arab or Muslim control or at least not a Jewish state. There was also demands by Mahmoud Abbas to have control of holy sites such as the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron but that they would provide freedom of access to Jews and other non-Muslims. However this is not fully the case even now for the Temple Mount and it was not at all the case when they were under control of other Muslims in the form of Jordan between 1948 and 1967. There was agreement to try to reach a full peace agreement over all major issues including the status of Jerusalem, Israeli settlements in the West Bank, the right of return of Palestinian refugees to Israel and security to Israel etc. by the end of George Bush's term as president which is January 2009 with meetings beteen Palestinian and Israeli leaders every two weeks starting on December 12, 2007 and monthly meetings that would include western leaders from the quartet of the United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia. How serious the parties are about peace especially the Israeli and Palestinians or not will likely become clear quite soon when they have to start talking in more detail about what each side is willing to do for concessions for the cause of peace but whether there will be substantial progress towards peace or whether the talks get bogged down about differences of opinion and expectations for peace between the two sides the fact of renewed peace talks for the first time in several years probably means the stage is set better for the soon realization of the false peace brokered by the Antichrist at the beginning of the tribulation between the Israeli and the Palestinians and other Arabs that will allow the building of the 3rd Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount. For myself and other Christians who take the Bible very literally this is also an indication that the rapture or catching up to heaven of all true or born again Christians before the false peace of the Antichrist mentioned in Daniel 9:27 at the beginning of the tribulation is very near.
"We express our determination to bring an end to bloodshed, suffering and decades of conflict between our peoples; to usher in a new era of peace, based on freedom, security, justice, dignity, respect and mutual recognition; to propagate a culture of peace and non-violence; to confront terrorism and incitement, whether committed by Palestinians or Israelis. In furtherance of the goal of two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security, we agree to immediately launch good-faith bilateral negotiations in order to conclude a peace treaty, resolving all outstanding issues, including all core issues without exception, as specified in previous agreements.
We agree to engage in vigorous, ongoing and continuous negotiations, and shall make every effort to conclude an agreement before the end of 2008. For this purpose, a steering committee, led jointly by the head of the delegatoin of each party, will meet continuously, as agreed. The steering committee will develop a joint work plan and establish and oversee the work of negotiations teams to address all issues, to be headed by one lead representative from each party. The first session of the steering committee will be held on 12 December 2007.
President Abbas and Prime Minister Olmert will continue to meet on a bi-weekily basis to follow up the negotiations in order to offer all necessary assistance for their advancement.
The parties also commit to immediately implement their respective obligations under the performance-based road map to a permament two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, issued by the Quartet on 30 April 2003 - this is called the road map - and agree to form an American, Palestinian and Israeli mechanism, led by the United States, to follow up on the implementation of the road map.
The parties further commit to continue the implementation of the ongoing obligations of the road map until they reach a peace treaty. The United States will monitor and judge the fulfillment of the commitment of both sides of the road map. Unless otherwise agreed by the parties, implementation of the future peace treaty will by subject to the implementation of the road map, as judged by the United States."
Leading up to and contributing to the crisis in the Gaza Strip was the ongoing sanctions against the Gaza Strip by the West and Israel due to the refusal of the militant Muslim organization that now controls the Gaza Strip to recognize Israel and her right to exist and renounce violence against her. Israel had recently intensified these sanctions by further limiting fuel and electricity that is supplied by Israel from reaching the Gaza Strip although there was still some supply by Hamas refused to pass this along to critical facilities in the Gaza Strip such as hospitals in order to give Israel worse publicity with the international media. This all led to a further deterioration and increasing desperation in the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip and this all burst open when Hamas broke down some of the barrier along the border with Egypt and the Gaza Strip that was built in 2005. This was done by Hamas at this time probably not only to give relief for the Palestinian people they are supposed to be looking after but also to force the international community to recognize them as a partner in the Middle East negotiations that has to be dealt with. Hamas has probably felt and been upset with being marginalized with the western powers and even many of the Arab and other leaders recognizing and dealing with Mahmoud Abbas the leader of the more secular Fatah faction of the Palestinian Arabs who has control of the West Bank and has recognized Israel. The several days that the border fence with Egypt was knocked down and the continuing efforts by Hamas or other sympathizers to break holes in the border fence after Egypt finally is making efforts to reestablish it whet the desire with many Palestinians to have more free movement to the Arab and outside world as they had some experience with in streaming across the border to buy many diverse goods or other purposes when the wall was down. However the international community insists that there be some order and control at this border since it is an international border and quite a sensitive one and even at a more typical border people or vehicles are not usually allowed to cross unhindered and unexamined. Under the international agreements since Israel pulled out of the Gaza strip in 2005 the border was supposed to be guarded or patrolled by a combination of officers from the more moderate Palestinian Fatah faction, the European Union and to be viewed by Israel. Israel wished to monitor this border and especially wants a return to order from the recent chaos to avoid militant Muslims or smuggling of weapons into the Gaza Strip from the outside world especially other Muslim countries such as Syria and Iran or perhaps other places like Russia. These Muslim militants and weapons Israel rightly fears could be used for enhanced attacks against Israel from the Gaza Strip. Most recently Egypt has been coordinating meetings with itself and the Palestinian Arab factions Hamas and Fatah to try to reach a more long term agreement on how to monitor and guard the border with it and the Palestinian Gaza Strip while allowing some freedom of movement but respecting Israel's right to live in peace and not be further threatened by a strengthened Hamas or other Palestinian militant groups in the Gaza STrip with imported Muslim militants or weapons from other countries. An optimal solution would be to provide aid to the general Palestinians through an organization or government that would recognize Israel and renounce violence against her but this is unlikely as long as Hamas remains in control of the Gaza Strip.
In the first week of February 2008 the eagerly awaited final version of the Winograd Report was released. This report was about 1 1/2 years in preparation and was the reponse of the government of Ehud Olmert to the criticism of Israel's performance in the summer 2006 war with Hezbollah and Israel's failure to defeat Hezbollah. In the early version of this report there was primary blame to the IDF (Israel Defence Force) but with still significant blame to the two men most responsible for planning in the Israel government namely the defence minister Amir Peretz who was also the head of the Labour Party and Ehud Olmert who is also head of the governing Kadima Party. Amir Peretz and the chief of the Israeli army at the time of the 2006 war have both done the honourable thing some time ago and resigned and been replaced but Ehud Olmert continues to shirk reponsibility and refuses to resign. Fortunately for him but unfortunately for Israel the final report was even more lenient towards blaming him and the Israeli government saying that it was a difficult situation and he made the best of it and mostly blaming the Israeli army. However the report does rightly say that the main reason for Israel's failure in that was was indecision and a lack or guiding strategy. The report says right that Israel should have either conducted a lightning attack on Hezbollah immediately after Israel's two soldiers were kidnapped and that are still missing or should have started and continued with a prolonged ground offensive into Lebanon to take out all the Hezbollah rocket launching or other installations. However in reality Israel without a clear strategy alternated between these two ideas or some variations or it and let Hezbollah get away into northern Lebanon or Syria without eliminating their ability to get reestablish in Lebanon. Hezbollah has since used the ceasefire to get rearmed with probably at least as many rockets they had before the 2006 war including longer range ones than they had before that are able to hit point in Tel Aviv and other places farther south in Israel they were unable to reach with the rockets they had before. These rockets were most likely supplied by Syria and Iran. The Israeli media has also been quite lenient on Ehud Olmert and not putting much pressure on him to resign because most of the media in Israel is towards the left wing and supports the policies of the coalition led by Ehud Olmert including going ahead with the peace process with the Palestians and other Arabs and certainly trying to avoid bringing down his coalition which could risk new elections with the possibility of a right wing coalition led by Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud Party with right wing religious Jewish or other right wing parties that would not be interested in trading land for peace with the Arabs and who would promote a return to more Jewish values and education and laws in Israel. The lack or responsility held against Ehud Olmert in the Winograd report final version will probably mean certainly with the recent decision of Ehud Barah the new leader of the Labour Party to keep his party in Ehud Olmert's coalition and not demand his resignation that Ehud Olmert's coalition will remain in power for the forseeable future and be able to continue to pursue the peace process with the Palestinian Arabs. This will also mean the right wing parties including right wing Jewish parties will not be able to pursue their policies for some time yet. On a Bible prophecy level this could mean that Ehud Olmert will be able to continue to pursue the false or deceptive peace with the Palestinians and other Arabs that could soon lead to the peace involving the Antichrist in which Israel will be able to build their temple on the temple mount in Jerusalem in return for some concessions to the Palestinian Arabs perhaps involving the West Bank or having shared control of Jerusalem.
In February 2008 the number 2 person in the Hezbullah terrorist organization was killed by a missile that plowed into the place where he was staying in Damascus Syria. Although Israel was immediately blamed for this by Hezbollah and Israeli spokesman denied it it is quite possible that this attack was carried out by Israel. However there is no significant proof this is the case. Although there are some reports that Mr. Mughniyeh was only important to Hezbollah in the past this is not true as there are reliable reports that he was still very active and indespensable to Hezbollah right up to the day of his death. Recent work of Mughniyeh includes masterminding the kidnapping of the two Israeli soldiers that set off the war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006 and then setting most of the Hezbollah strategy in that war and since then directing Hezbollah's efforts to rearm themselves with help with Syria and Iran where Mughniyeh also continued a key role in maintaining links with. He was also responsible for training of Hezbollah and Hamas fighters in Iran and the recent achievent of developing links between Hamas and Iran. On January 20, 2008 French police raided a Paris apartment and arrested 6 Arab men and confiscated drawings of strategic buildings in major European cities including some associated with the Vatican that were probably targeted for acts of terrorism. These plans were characteristic of previous plots known to be masterminded by Imad Mughniyeh. On January 15, 2008 Islamic terrorists marked and destroyed an American embassy car in Beirut, Lebanon killing four and wounding sixteen. This is also characterictic of Mughniyeh who was responsible for many kidnappings and embassy bombings in the past. Another indication of the continuing importance of Mughniyeh in the Islamic terrorist world was the earnest mourning for him from a wide variety of Islamic terrorist or other organizations and their leaders including from Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and Fatah, the Shiite militant leader Mugtada el Sadr and the Sunni leader Omar al-Baghdadi of Al Qaeda in Iraq and leaders of Hezbollah, Syria and Iran all expressed their grievance and rage especially directed at Israel at the death of Mughniyeh. This likely indicates he continued to have an important role in Islamic terrorism right up to the day of his death. Some of his previous efforts including the bombing of the Jewish community centre in Buenos Aires, Argentina and killing a couple dozen US marines in Lebanon. He and Hezbollah knew he was a marked man by Israel, and the United States among others and he was said to wear disguises and move to different residences every couple days to try to escape detection and attempts on his life although fortunately this eventually didn't succeed as the recent announcement of his death confirmed by Hezbollah and others makes clear. Although certaintly there will be someone in Hezbollah or from some other terrorist group who will rise up to try to fill his shoes as the master strategist of Hezbollah, it is doubtful they will have the intelligence or craftiness that enabled Mughniyeh to be so successful in conceiving and executing Hezbollah's terrorist attacks almost from the start of its existence in about 1982. Hezbollah has threatened attacks on Jews or Israeli interests anywhere in the world as revenge but so far up to the end of February 2008 not much has happened but there could will be a serious attack soon or somewhat farther in the future although without the benefits of the stategizing of Mr. Mughniyeh himself this time. There has been a massing of Hezbollah fighters perhaps 45,000 on the Lebanese side of the border with Israel as a threatening gesture of attack of Israel but so far no efforts by them to invade Israeli territory and Israel has sent reinforcements of its troops to northern Israel to defend Israel. From a Biblical viewpoint this will mean that Imad Mughniyeh will not be directly involved in the up to date planning or execution of the attempted or actual Battle or Gog and Magog that will include Persia (Iran) and Meschech and Tubal (Russia) in an invasion of Israel in the last days either near the beginning of end of the 7 year tribulation or 70th week of Daniel. It will be interesting to see if things are safer or more dangerous for Israel especially in relation to Hezbollah in the coming weeks, months and years.
For more information, comments, questions or advice contact Doug at Conact Spirit and Truth Ministries
Spirit and Truth Ministries