by Michael G. Mickey
(3-19-10)

A Telegraph article entitled "Israel must back down on construction to boost Middle East talks" reports the following, in part, concerning a 2-18-10 meeting of the international Quartet, which is comprised of Russia, the United States, the European Union and United Nations:

The 'Quartet' of leading diplomats in Middle East peace negotiations demanded an Israeli rethink as it set a two year deadline for a Middle East peace deal.

"(The quartet) condemns the decision by the government of Israel to advance planning for new housing units in East Jerusalem," the statement read. "The annexation of East Jerusalem is not recognised by the international community."

Setting aside the typical condemnation of Israel, what jumps off the page at me is the Quartet has now set a two year deadline for a Middle East peace deal to be reached. How, exactly, the Quartet plans to enforce that deadline is unclear. On that topic, the article states:

Although it did not spell out exactly how it intended to get Israel to comply with its various demands, Mr Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, said he felt Israel would get the message.

"We are convinced that Israel will hear this and understand it in the right way. We will use all means at our disposal to get Israel and the Palestinians talking."

Bible prophecy makes it clear that the prophesied Antichrist to come, in the event that will officially set the Tribulation Period in motion, is going to confirm (or make strong) a seven-year covenant of peace between Israel and her enemies. (Daniel 9:26-27) Every deadline set, every condemnation of Israel, every statement of international resolution issued seeking to divide Israel's covenant lands among her enemies, brings us closer to the fulfillment of Daniel's prophecy, not to mention the return of Christ for His Church.

Jerusalem's end times role? To be a burdensome stone!

The recent and ongoing crisis in relations between the United States and Israel, as well as the Quartet's imposition of a Middle East peace deadline, reads as though ripped from the pages of end times bible prophecy.

Zechariah 12:3: And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.

Jerusalem is the epicenter of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As prophesied it is a burdensome stone in the eyes of diplomats around the world, the vast majority of whom are unmistakably taking aim against the holy city and the descendants of Abraham currently in possession of it, bringing us closer to a confrontation between Jesus Christ and the god of this world, Satan, set to take place at Armageddon in the prophetic future.

Who's going to win, Daniel?

In the second chapter of Daniel, the prophet both described and interpreted a troubling dream Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar had of a great statue symbolic of all the great empires of the world, beginning with his Babylonian empire all the way to the return of Christ. Daniel described the end of Nebuchadnezzar's dream as follows:

Daniel 2:34-35: Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet [that were] of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

As we see in Daniel 2:34, King Nebuchadnezzar, in his dream, looked with wonder upon the symbolism-filled statue made of a wide range of components of varying worth until a stone "cut without hands" appeared and broke the statue into pieces. As King Nebuchadnezzar looked upon this scene of sudden destruction, the pieces that remained of the great statue after the stone struck blew away like dust in the wind after which the stone, no worse for wear after blowing the statue to smithereens, grew into a mountain that covered the entire earth!

The stone that shattered the statue symbolic of all mankind's flawed empires? Jesus Christ our Lord, whose coming kingdom will never be destroyed and will stand forever, as we read in Daniel 2:44!

As we look at the current international interest in the city of Jerusalem, particularly the pressure being applied to Israel to give away at least a portion of this key piece of real estate where bible prophecy is concerned, Zechariah 12:3 and Daniel 2:34-35 paint for us a clear picture of where things are headed, potentially very soon.

In Zechariah 12:3, God makes it clear as crystal that, even if the entire world gathers against Jerusalem, the end result, sooner or later, will be to His liking, not the liking of wicked and rebellious mankind. The Lord is going to "cut in pieces" all those who stand in opposition to His everlasting covenant with the descendants of Abraham as set forth in Genesis 17:7-8!

Genesis 17:7-8: And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

In review of the above passage of scripture: To whom did God give the land of Canaan as an everlasting possession? The descendants of Abraham! With whom did He make an everlasting covenant? Again the Jewish people, without apology to the Palestinians nor anyone sympathetic to them. Thus, the problem we see taking shape today.

A showdown is coming

The language of Zechariah 12:3 and Daniel 2:34-35 is strikingly similar by God's design, so much so that we would be remiss not to identify the world's obsession with Jerusalem as a sign that Christ's return is drawing near, not to mention that mankind's time to govern this world however it likes, giving little to no regard to God's precepts, is quickly slipping away.

If it were possible for us to see the great statue King Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream at this hour in human history, I believe we would see a dark, stone-shaped shadow falling over it, growing larger and larger with each effort mankind makes to steal from the children of Israel the lands God has promised them as an "everlasting possession". (Genesis 17:8, Genesis 48:4)

Keep looking up, Church! Our redemption draweth nigh!

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Related News: Israeli FM on Quartet call: You can't make artificial peace