Question: In your June article you took a rather dim view of the “road map to peace” that the ...

Question: In your June article you took a rather dim view of the “road map to peace” that the U.S., EU, UN and Russia are promoting in the Middle East. Yet real progress is being made between Israel and the Palestinians. Isn’t there some hope for genuine peace over there, or must this horrible conflict continue indefinitely?

Answer: However long it takes, the world must reach the point where “they say, Peace and safety...” (1 Thes:5:3For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
See All...). That is when “sudden destruction shall come upon them and they shall not escape.” That both this “peace” and the destruction will come when Israel feels secure, just before Armageddon, is clear: “the land of unwalled villages...them that are at rest, that dwell safely...without walls, and having neither bars nor gates...the people that are gathered out of the nations...when my people of Israel dwelleth safely...” (Ezk 38:11-14).

We have already documented that no permanent peace between Israel and the Arabs/Muslims is allowed by Islamic law. Thus the so-called agreement now being negotiated only involves a temporary “ceasefire.” No Muslim has the authority to agree to anything more than that. Bush is going to press for recognition of Israel’s right to exist (which so far the Arabs/Muslims have refused to acknowledge). Such an agreement would be contrary to Islamic law and thus beyond the authority of Arafat or any other Muslim to agree to, much less to enforce.

It is acceptable, however, for a Muslim to lie in order to further Islam and its conquest of the world. That would be the only way that a Muslim leader could sign such an agreement. Both Bush and Israel must surely understand this fact. Yet both seem willing to live in a make-believe world when it comes to “peace” in the Middle East.

The coming false peace will be guaranteed and enforced by Antichrist. Whether the Rapture is so near that this “peace” will grow out of the current negotiations is speculation. But the scriptures make it clear that “peace” will eventually be established in conjunction with the rebuilding of the Jewish temple and reestablishment of the Jewish sacrificial system (Dn 8:25; 9:27). That will ultimately lead to Armageddon as Antichrist ends the temple sacrifices, puts his image in the temple and demands that the world worship him as God (2 Thes:2:4Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
See All...; Rev:13:14And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
See All...,15).