MIDEAST PEACE

[lastday]

Published Senior Experience, Nov-Dec., 2007 First Baptist Church, Norfolk, VA.

PROPHECY YET TO BE FULFILLED

How will Mideast Peace be Possible?

"I believe that peace is impossible as long as the insurgencies continue and terrorists prevail. There must first be a decisive catastrophe visited upon the aggressive nations. Ezekiel tells us that very thing will occur when the nations aligned with Russia and
Iran “seek a spoil” by invading Israel at a “time of peace”…with Israel’s cities not protected by walls. God will destroy their armies and pave the way for the defeated nations to agree to a Covenant.

It is commonly believed the Antichrist will offer “peace” to start the Covenant. The peace of Ezekiel 38-39 and Seal One of Rev.6:1-2, I believe, should occur prior to the treaty of Dan.9:27. The aggressors will not be in a position to bargain over peace
terms once their armies are destroyed. The initial peace under the compromised
“iron of democracy” is Mystery Babylon and seeks to “mix with the clay" of autocratic nations. This initial peace obviously begins prior to Daniel’s Seven-Year Covenant. Dan.2:41-43; Dan.9:27.

The aggressors are represented by the “clay” of nations that reject principles of Democracy. But the “strength of the iron” will prevail over the aggressors until time for God’s judgment. Before delivering Israel at the Gog and Magog war, God allows Mystery Babylon to work her strategies to establish the initial peace. But when God destroys their armies, the weakened insurgents will accept peace terms. Antichrist, one of the “many who agree” to the Covenant, will participate. Only with Mystery Babylon destroyed at Midweek by Ten Kings of petroleum-power, who then support
the Antichrist, will the Beast be able to subject all nations beneath his absolute dominion! Rev.17:17.

Peace begins thru the strength of the Iron; not thru the instability of the Clay. Great Babylon will succeed in uniting religions, rulers and regimes under Rome and world government. In the midst of such so-called peace, the leader (Gog, prince, Meshech and Tubal) will rally the support and supply surrounding nations with armaments and seek to annihilate Israel. Russia has the means and motivation to subvert the strength of democracy by arming the aggressors.

So it seems there are two phases to the peace process. By arming aggressor nations, Russia paves the way for the Gog and Magog war! God’s judgment on Babylon allows Ten Kings acting like Trojan horses to infiltrate the global Network System!! Their destruction of Babylon “in one hour by fire” occurs half way into Daniel’s 70th Seven…at Passover-time when God’s Kingdom Power comes to earth thru Two Witnesses; they appose the Antichrist for 1260 days of the 42 months solar period which can last 1263 or 1264 days!!! Rev.11:3-11; Rev.12:10-17; Rev.13:5-17; Rev. 18:1-19. (This would mean 26 or 27 of the final 1290 solar days will be cut short).

Mideast Peace and Daniel’s 70th Seven

If the Jewish tradition occurs that Elijah may appear during the eight days of a Passover Festival of Unleavened Bread, the peace treaty would have to begin in
the fall of the year. There would be 1260 days from the Covenant to Passover in
the springtime 3½ years later. From Babylon’s fall by fire, and at the coming of
Elijah and John, another 1260 days would complete a 7-year period within 3 or 4
days of the Feast of Tabernacles. Exact timing for the Covenant will determine if
the date to start the Mideast Peace allows a 2520-day countdown prophesied by
Daniel for two 3 1/2 year solar periods (totaling 2556 days) at the End of the Age.

The Antichrist would be revealed by breaking the Covenant when Babylon falls and
the two Prophets come from heaven! At the end of the first 1260 days, at Passover time, these two Prophets from heaven begin “standing before the God of earth” against the Beast who sets the abomination in the holy place of Israel’s 3rd Temple!!
It will remain desecrated for the 1260-day 2nd half of 2520 (7x360) days; then the
Beast kills the Prophets and they lie dead until one of the days of the Feast of Tabernacles!!! Matt.24:15,21; 2 Thess.2:3-4; Rev.11:1-7.

The weakened position of the aggressor nations, following the war of God and
Magog, may provide the backdrop for the aggressor nations to accept the peace.
The Antichrist will not assume great power at the start of the 7 years since he will
be “one of many” who agree to the Covenant. He will not be given power to kill
the Witnesses until the end of the 7 years.

The 2nd countdown of 1260 days ends with the Beast killing the Witnesses. “Some
must taste death” for 3 or 4 more days since no one knows the precise last day in advance. This is a short period for which Jesus prepares His followers to be faithful
to the end as armies are gathering to Armageddon as the world celebrates "Peace
and Security". Rev.16:15; Mark 8:38 to Mark 9:1; Dan.12:10-11; Rev.12:10-11; Rev.11:7-12; I Thess.5:3.

Believers know the Prophets must “rise up after 3½ days” as the world celebrates!
If they survive, they must and will glorify Christ until the literal Hour of Trial on the Day He appears!! If they die, they are among those whom Jesus "raises up to meet
Him when He brings the souls of the dead with Him"...the all-inclusive instantaneous promise of Resurrection/Rapture!!!

The hope of the Saints will climax with the last Trump for Christ’s coronation and coming in great power AND glory! Rev.11:15-19; Rev.19:15-19. How amazing the prophetic “time ends and the mystery of God is finished” just days before Tishri 15
or 16 to start the Feast of Tabs and redeem Israel on one of the days of celebration!! Rev.10:6-7. What a commentary on the meaning of Jesus’ words: “Some (who survive and are still standing when the Son of Man is about to come in GLORY; Matt.16:27-28) will not taste death, by any means, until they see the Kingdom of God having come in Kingdom POWER” thru the two Witnesses for 1260 days...and the final days of the last solar set of 7 years comes to an abrupt end on Tishri 15-16 !!! Mark 9:1; Dan.12:10-11; Rev.12:10-1; Rev.11:7-12; Zech.14:5-16.

In the Bush administration's plans for a Mideast Summit, the “seven” years would
have been possible in 2007 only if a Mideast Covenant was signed on Nov.15,2008,
so as to end 7 years later at the Feast of Tabs. Of course, we don’t know for sure
if the Jewish tradition for Elijah to appear is fulfilled during the Passover Festival.
With the eventual desecration (not destruction) of the 3rd Temple, the final 1260-
day Endtime begins. Since the exact last day is unknown in advance, no one sets
an exact day for Christ’s return. Believers know the “end is near” for 1260 days
“while the Abomination sits in the temple”. Matt.24:15,33.

[Insert: In December of 2008, after viewing the Star of Bethlehem movie, I
was faced for the first time with the possibility of knowing that Tishri 15 is the day
of a total lunar eclipse that may signal the beginning of the Day of Wrath. Christ
may or may not appear before the Twilight Hour of that day which would be the
start of Tishri 16. See Topic on "Why No One Can Know Exact Day of Messiah's Return"

On the last day, as signs occur in the sun, moon and stars, even Israel “knows their redemption and kingdom are near”! Luke 21:28,31. For unbelievers, except for the remnant of Israel who hope for the Messiah, this day will come “as a thief” when armies gather to Armageddon!! Jesus urges believers to "watch and be blessed" knowing the End has come. Israel will “watch and beg (Greek text) to escape all
these things and prevail to stand before the Son of Man”!!! Rev.16:15-16; Lk.21:36.

The Endtime is on the immediate horizon when Mystery Babylon unites all religions, rulers and regimes! Anticipating its inclusiveness, John “measured the Temple, altar and worshipers” prior to the two Prophets coming from heaven and the Abomination sitting in the Temple!! Rev.11:1-2; Matt. 24:15. They prevent the destruction of the holy city, Jerusalem, and its 3rd Temple, during 1260 days of history’s greatest tribulation for Jews and Christians!!!

God identifies this period to launch the “times for restoring all things” (predicted by Peter in Acts 3:21). He calls it the “NOW of (3½ times) for His Kingdom Power and
the Authority of His Christ”. Rev.12:10-14-17; Rev.11:1-7. I have yet to see this truth being recognized...that Jesus refers to the Endtime suffering in Mark 9:1.

We must not set dates that seem certain prior to the actual signing of the Endtime Peace Accord. Only when the so-called “final solution” to the Jerusalem problem fulfills Dan.9:27 can anyone consider for sure that the Day of the Lord is “near”!

Whether the Jewish tradition of the time for Elijah’s coming is true or not, God manifests His Kingdom Power until the deaths of the two Witnesses/Prophets. They
will appear in Kingdom Power when Ten Kings destroy Babylon the Great and give
their authority to Antichrist. Many think Jesus cautioned against setting the “day
and hour” for a Pre-Trib Rapture.

Instead, that “Day” refers to His coming “after the tribulation”! Matt.24:29; Mark 13:27. He did not mean Daniel’s “1290 days” are cut short relative to the 70th solar days; but only 26 or 27 of those 30 days that occur after the end of 1260 days...
days that conclude with 1335 days as of the Dedication of the Millennial Temple!! Specific events must occur before the Lastday arrives and 100 verses are fulfilled
on that Day!!!

The two Prophets will be killed and “some standing there must still taste death” at
the end of their 1260-day task of manifesting God’s Kingdom Power before anyone
can see the Day and Hour Christ appears. Mark 9:1. While survivors wait for signs of
the last day, Great-Tribulation saints watch for Lastday signs and Christ’s coming
after seeing the Two Witnesses rise up to heaven. They will “wait; then watch”.
Better knowing “what" to expect than wondering "when”.

The final countdown of 1260 days will have ceased “in the days the 7th Trumpet is about to sound that God’s wrath has come and also the appointed time to judge and reward believers, small and great and to destroy earth’s destroyers”. Rev.10:6-7; Rev.11:6-18. Jesus cautions against knowing when the last HOUR occurs because
even the world will see the Witnesses rise up on the last DAY prior to the last HOUR, the "hour of trial". Rev.11:12-14; Rev.3:10; Luke 21:34-35. The last recorded words
of Jesus, prior to His coming, “blesses those who watch with great expectation” for
His presence as the Beast’s armies are gathering to Armageddon. Rev.16:14-16.

During great tribulation believers make the countdown knowing Daniel's 1290 days
will be cut short. The shortening of Daniel’s first 69 sets of Seven by 21 days was a
type for shortening Daniel’s 1290 days at the deaths of the two Prophets. Rev.12:11; Dan.12:11. The three weeks cut short during the 69th set of Seven on Palm Sunday, overlaid on a Gentile calendar of 68 Sevens, is like the final short-cut of 26 or 27
days during the 70th Seven. Matt.24:22. Jesus wept because no one knew the “day
of expectation” to applaud their King. Luke 19:41-44; Zech.9:9.

The final days end with specific signs on one of 3 days of a full moon. Dan.12:11; Rev.11:3-12; Rev.12:6,14; Rev.13:5-7; Rev.16:12-17; Rev.6:12-17. The “final count- down day” ends within 3½ days of the Feast of Tabernacles/Ingathering which occurs on Tishri 15 or 16. “On that day Christ is king over all the nations”. Zech. 14:9,16.

The days of Israel’s annual celebration at this feast includes the future destruction
of their enemies at Christ’s sudden appearance in great glory and power. On that unknown DAY after the Witnesses complete their 1260 day task and during the signs
in the heavens and earth and seas, Yeshua, the Lamb, rescues 144,000 Jewish “Firstfruits” from Mt. Zion after the last martyr dies and the world’s armies are “gathered to Armageddon”! In the final HOUR, with His enemies destroyed, “God
will show mercy to all”!! Jesus Christ and those who “overcome to the end rule the nations with a rod of iron”!!! Rom.11:25-26; I Cor.15:25-26; Rev.2:25-26.
Mel Miller lastday@lastday.net