Mideast Peace Talk and Prophetic Punditry :: By Terry James

Published on: by RR7 Category:General Articles, Terry James

One major signal just leaped to the top of God’s prophetic timeline. Israel and her traditional enemies, the Arabs, have agreed to full normalization of relations.

While the agreement, to be soon formalized at a White House signing, isn’t an agreement of peace in terms of a full peace treaty between Israel and all its Arab neighbors, it is the first time in twenty-five years that such an agreement has been reached. The first was between Israel and Egypt, when Jimmy Carter, Israel Prime Minister Menachem Began, and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat came together in 1978. The second was in 1994 when Israel and Jordan signed a similar agreement. Both treaties have held relatively firm since their signings.

This agreement is between the UAE (United Arab Emirates)—a Gulf state—and Israel. Israel agreed to suspend its planned extension of sovereignty over parts of Judea and Samaria to facilitate relations with the UAE and potentially other Arab and Muslim countries. The action has, as might be expected, brought praise and condemnation from various parties involved in international relations.

Among prophecy watchers, it has stirred much punditry, as does any activity involving Israel and the peace process. The big question some are asking: Is this peace signing the one that will eventually bring about the covenant made with death and hell as foretold in Daniel 9:26–27 and Isaiah 28:15, 18?

According to the Jerusalem Post:

The agreement will include establishing embassies and exchanging ambassadors, investments into the Israeli economy, trade, direct flights between Tel Aviv and Abu Dhabi, an investment in Israeli efforts to develop a corona virus vaccine – as first reported in The Jerusalem Post last month – and cooperation in matters of energy and water. An important element of the deal for the UAE is the expectation that its citizens would be able to visit the Al-Aksa mosque in Jerusalem. (Lahav Harkov, “Third-ever Peace Treaty between Israel and an Arab State Includes Embassies, Direct Flights; Agreement “Suspends” Annexation, but Netanyahu Says: ‘I will never give up on our right to our land,’” Jerusalem Post, Omri Nahmias, 8/14/2020)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared the deal “full, formal peace” with “one of the strongest countries in the world.”

“Together we can bring a wonderful future. It is an incomparably exciting moment,” he said. “I have the great privilege to make the third peace treaty between Israel and an Arab country, the UAE.”

In a post to his Twitter account, President Donald Trump said: “Opening direct ties between two of the Middle East’s most dynamic societies and advanced economies will transform the region by spurring economic growth, enhancing technological innovation, and forging closer people-to-people relations.”

Speaking further in the Oval Office, Trump indicated he anticipated “many more countries” in the region normalizing ties with Israel and “some very exciting things including, ultimately, with the Palestinians.”

The Israeli prime minister said he has “reason to be very optimistic that the announcement with the UAE will be joined by more countries in this expanding circle of peace.”

Palestinian leadership and Iranian leadership are among those not happy with the peace-making effort. But others of the Arab world believe it to be in their best interest to see stability in the region that such an arrangement will bring.

Most Arab leaders who see the advantages are pleased that Israel has put on hold the annexation of much of the Jordanian territory they had been seeking to implement.  Netanyahu made it plain that the agreement in no way is giving up Israel land for a peace arrangement. In this regard, making the agreement, which includes no giving up of Israeli territory, breaks tradition of other efforts at peace, in which the Jewish state had to agree to give away parcels of land to get Arab agreement.

The agreement “ushers in a new era of peace between Israel and the Arab world,” Netanyahu said.

Many Bible prophecy students who observe developments see this as a major event in bringing about the wrap-up of the age. Considering all the other issues and events that seem to be converging at such a torrid pace, it is more than understandable that Israel making such an agreement brings sharp observation and commentary.

One such pundit believes that French President Emmanuel Macron is the number-one candidate to be Antichrist. According to many, Macron exhibits many of the characteristics of that future man of sin.

Macron immediately asserted his strong support and intention to get involved in the new peace agreement in several statements. The French president’s comments brought some strong opinions including from the aforementioned writer, who writes the following:

Emmanuel Macron has now officially inserted himself into not only the Middle East on multiple levels, he has also just given himself a seat in the “Abraham Accord” announced by President Trump and Jared Kushner yesterday…

This is the beginning of the Daniel 9:27 covenant with “death and Hell.” This is it, and Emmanuel Macron is the man of sin.

While I’m not prepared to make bold declarations such as naming Antichrist, nor even to declare this to be the beginning of that apocalyptic false peace, I can certainly join in the exuberance in pointing to where this generation almost certainly stands on God’s prophetic timeline.

In Memoriam “Irreplaceable” Rachel Marie Powers Duck

Published on: by RR7 Category:Daymond Duck, General Articles

In Memoriam

“Irreplaceable” Rachel Marie Powers Duck

On August 16, 2020, Daymond Duck’s beloved wife for nearly thirty-four years, Rachel Marie Powers Duck, went to Heaven.

The daughter of Tavy and Willie Powers, Rachel was the seventh of ten children, three of whom became Baptist pastors like their father, Tavy, a pastor and a farmer.

Rachel, valedictorian of her high school graduation class, earned a scholarship to Union University in Jackson, Tennessee, where she studied to be a registered nurse.

She loved Jesus and was an outstanding wife, mother, church member, and more. All who knew her recognized her as one of the most selfless, beautiful, honest, compassionate human beings to ever grace this planet. She took an interest in all people, caring for them and loving everyone she encountered unconditionally.

Rachel was the ideal pastor’s wife to Daymond, who served in ministry until he retired in 2006. She urged her husband to write his first book, she served and taught in the churches he pastored, went with him everywhere he went, and took two grandchildren with her to church every Sunday. It was like Daymond and Rachel were joined at the hip. (If you saw Daymond, you were sure to see Rachel as well.)

An avid Bible student, Rachel studied her Bible constantly, with her number-one priority in life being to learn as much as she could from the Lord and to serve Him both in her church and community.

At church, she taught Sunday school for most of her life; led numerous Bible studies; worked with children on Bible drills; served in the nursery; was involved with the women’s mission group; regularly participated in visitation and outreach; and met with other women at church almost every week to pray for her pastor and others.

In her community, Rachel volunteered to answer phones and pray with those who called into a TV station, where she got Daymond involved in a program called Ask the Pastor. She also for many years led Bible studies for a group of folks who gathered at a local restaurant.

Rachel loved to go on mission trips and joined as many as she could, despite the fact that she had knee and hip replacements. Other church members sometimes pushed her in a wheelchair, etc., but Rachel was determined to go and minister for long hours even though she was not well. On two different occasions, Rachel had to be hospitalized when she returned from a mission trip.

On the inside cover of her Bible were Rachel’s handwritten words: “Make yourself irreplaceable.” That is exactly what she did. At her funeral, her pastor said, “It will take three or four people to replace Rachel at church.”

It is difficult to understand why God took Rachel with this world being in the mess it’s in, but Daymond believes with all his heart that he will see Rachel in the Rapture very soon.