As the current war between Israel and Hamas continues to unfold, it's not surprising to see so many political and media-types lining up to condemn Israel. Hamas has clearly adopted a strategy of poking the giant, then hiding behind women and children in schools, hospitals, and mosques when the giant retaliates, hoping to stir up the condemnation we now see. We also know, based on Scripture, that world governments will one day align themselves against Israel in an epic and ultimate showdown. But they will not prevail. Instead, the Lord will "break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel" (Psalm 2:9).
Before this final battle, the prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27 indicates that Israel will have entered into a peace treaty with her enemies, a treaty brokered by "the prince who is to come." Thus with a promise of peace, Israel will enter into what Bible teachers refer to as "the 70th week of Daniel." We believe the seventy "weeks" to be seventy periods of seven years each. Sixty-nine of the weeks have already been fulfilled, ending with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and followed by interim of unknown duration. However, the peace treaty Daniel writes about signals the beginning of the 70th week; that is, the 70th period of seven years, which we otherwise know as the Tribulation Period.
With this background in mind, allow me to speculate about ways the peace treaty of Daniel 9 might emerge from the current crisis. I chose the word "speculate" on purpose, because that's what I'm doing. I have no special inside track on how the Lord will weave the latest events into His overall plan. Therefore, I humbly acknowledge I am speculating.
One possibility enjoys popularity among those who teach on the end times. It's the view that "the prince who is to come" will broker a peace treaty between Israel and all of her enemies; that is, all Arabs and Muslims, along with any others who so align themselves. In other words, this view embraces a peace treaty that is comprehensive. In fact, you will often find Bible teachers using the word comprehensive to describe the treaty Daniel 9 predicts.
But the current war between Israel and Hamas points to the possibility of a different scenario. Last Friday, CNN ran an article on its website using these words in the opening line: "The conflict raging in Gaza is different this time." The article describes how not all players in the Arab and Muslim worlds are lining up with Hamas as the current war grinds on. Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, in particular, have been not as critical of Israel as others. A similar story on FoxNews includes United Arab Emirates in this group as well. The reason these support Israel versus Hamas is tied to their fear and contempt for radical Islam and to the divide between Sunni and Shia. The governments of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and UAE have taken notice of what happens when the likes of Hamas, Hezbollah, the Muslim Brotherhood, and Isis get their way.
So a second plausible scenario would involve a less comprehensive peace treaty for Israel, one between her and only some of her enemies, on the basis of their shared interests for opposing the likes of Hamas and the radical Islam it seeks to impose everywhere. Just today, Prime Minister Netanyahu told the world that current war between Israel and Hamas has opened "new possibilities" for the Middle East. The new possibilities he has in mind are of long-term peace forged on a widespread rejection of terrorism and radical Islam. You can find news video of his comments here.
The possibility of such a peace treaty emerging from a conflict like the present one is squarely in line with Daniel's prophecy. Still, keep in mind two things. First, even if a peace treaty is forged, it will be broken by "the prince who is to come" half-way through the 70th week, thus setting the stage for the epic and ultimate showdown of Psalm 2. Second, and even more important, the peace treaty itself, if it is the one, signals the beginning of Daniel's 70th week, the fulfillment of which overall leads to our Lord's return.
No comments:
Post a Comment