Several news articles caught my attention this week, but I have decided to focus on just one because of the length and because this strikes me as being so important.

On April 29, 2019, the UN Security Council met to discuss the Middle East Conflict.

Nations were allowed to express their concern about Pres. Trump’s peace plan.

There were calls for the Promised Land to be divided along the pre-1967 lines.

Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, spoke on behalf of Israel.

Among other things (this is not a full text of his message as presented), Mr. Danon told the UN Security Council and the nations that were there, “Israel’s existence derives legitimacy from four things: the Bible, history, legality and the pursuit of international peace and security.”

Holding up the Bible (the first pillar), Mr. Danon said, “This is our deed to our land. From the book of Genesis; to the Jewish exodus from Egypt; to receiving the Torah on Mount Sinai; to the gates of Cana’an; and to the realization of God’s covenant in the Holy Land of Israel; the Bible paints a consistent picture. The entire history of our people, and our connection to Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel), begins right here.”

Mr. Danon added, “It is not just the Hebrew Bible, or the 15 million Jews worldwide that accept this right; it is accepted across all three monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The Koran itself accepts the divine deed of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel.”

“Mr. President, the second pillar is the history of the land of Israel and the Jewish people over the past two millennia. The Jewish Kingdom in Eretz Yisra’el comprised twelve tribes. The largest of those tribes, the Tribe of Judah, lived in the area now known as Judea (what the world calls the West Bank). You all know the words “Jew” and “Jewish.” “Jew” and “Jewish” come from Judea. This was the Kingdom over which King David and King Solomon ruled. It was a kingdom with Jerusalem as its capital.”

“Even the Romans themselves admitted the land was ours. Those of you who have visited Rome may have seen that Emperor Titus famously commemorated his victory and the Jewish expulsion by building an enormous arch on the Via Sacra in Rome. If you look at the Arch (Arch of Titus in Rome), it includes an illustration of his men carrying away the menorah from the Jewish Temple.”

“The Romans attempted to destroy that link by renaming the land Palestina. This is how the narrow strip of land in Eretz Yisrael, nestled between Egypt in the south and Lebanon in the north, came to be called ‘Palestine.’ For two millennia, Jews across the world continued to pray three times every day for our long- awaited return home to Zion and Jerusalem. As we just said on Passover last week, as we do every year, ‘Next year in Jerusalem!’”

Concerning the third pillar, International Law, Mr. Danon cited the Balfour Declaration, the 1922 mandate of the League of Nations, and the 1945 UN Charter that legalized the establishment of a Jewish homeland in the Promised Land.

On this issue, it is this writer’s understanding that International Law says when one nation attacks another nation, and the attacking nation loses territory, the lost territory belongs to the nation they attacked.

Put another way: In 1967, five nations gathered troops, tanks and other weapons near the borders of Israel in preparation for an attack on Israel.

Israel launched a pre-emptive strike and captured East Jerusalem, the Temple Mount, the West Bank and more.

According to International Law, that land now belongs to Israel.

Before the war began, Israel sent word to the king of Jordan, “If you will keep your nation out of the war, no harm will come to Jordan.”

Jordan ignored Israel, sided with the attackers, lost East Jerusalem, the Temple Mount, and the West Bank; so, according to International Law, those areas now belong to Israel.

Concerning the fourth pillar, peace and security (peace and safety), these are the words that will begin the Tribulation Period.

It is interesting to this writer that Mr. Danon told the UN Security Council the Bible is Israel’s deed to the Promised Land just weeks before Pres. Trump’s peace proposal is to be released.

If the UN divides the Promised Land, they will have to set aside the Bible, set aside historical facts, set aside International Law, and seek peace and safety on their terms, not God’s terms.

God is in control, and He told the nations the consequences of dividing the Promised Land and declaring peace and safety on their own terms (Joel 3:1-2; I Thess. 5:3).

That day is coming.

Prophecy Plus Ministries, Inc.
Daymond & Rachel Duck
duck_daymond@yahoo.com

The Tribulation Period is called a “day of darkness” in the Bible (Joel 2:1-2; Amos 5:18; Zeph. 1:15).

It is not hard for some Christians to believe that spiritual darkness is descending on Israel, the U.S., the world and the Church.

First, in Israel on April 22, 2019 (the day after Easter Sunday in the U.S.), an estimated 100,000 Jews went to the Wailing Wall at the base of the Temple Mount to receive the annual Passover blessing from Jewish priests.

On the same day, Jewish priests from the Temple Institute sacrificed a lamb without blemish at a location in sight of the Temple Mount.

They chose a location in sight of the Temple Mount because there is no Temple, but the article said “the Temple Institute is dedicated to rebuilding the Temple on Mount Moriah (the Temple Mount) in Jerusalem.”

All of these things (trained priests, blessings, a growing number of worshippers, an animal sacrifice, etc.) are moving toward a rebuilt Temple and Israel going back under the Law (descending into spiritual darkness) during the Tribulation Period.

Thankfully, all Israel shall be saved, so Christians should support Israel (Rom. 11:26).

God will bless those that bless Israel (Gen. 12:3).

For whatever it is worth, some Bible prophecy teachers think the Temple should be rebuilt at a freshwater spring called Gihon near, not on, the Temple Mount.

Notice that the Temple Institute is dedicated to rebuilding the Temple on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem, not at the Gihon spring (see II Chron. 3:1).

Second, in the U.S., the spiritual darkness is growing on a daily basis (terminating babies after they are born is a good thing; Rep. Ilhan Omar said Jesus is a Palestinian; Mayor Pete Buttigieg believes he is gay because God created him that way; the Boy Scout “Perversion File” shows 12,254 victims of sexual abuse, etc.).

The U.S. has the Word of God, but foolish hearts have been darkened; and professing themselves to be wise, many have become fools (Rom. 1:21-32).

Third, in the world on Apr. 21, 2019 (Easter Sunday), Muslims blew up eight churches and luxury hotels, killing about 250 people and injuring almost 500 in Sri Lanka.

This story made the mainline news for days; but most of these stories don’t get reported, or if they do, the fact that Muslims are often involved is omitted.

Anyway, Open Doors USA said an average of 105 churches and/or Christian buildings are burned or attacked every month (an average of more than 3 per day), and this is expected to escalate all over the globe.

God loves His Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it (Matt. 16:18).

He has given real Christians a message of hope and light (the Gospel) that is a cure for the descending darkness that this article is documenting, but the world is persecuting and killing the messengers just like Jesus said they would (Matt 24:9).

Fourth, in Canada on Apr. 25, 2019, it was announced that the Royal Canadian Mint has unveiled a new one-dollar commemorative coin with the image of two men kissing.

Canada’s Federal Finance Minister said, “We should all recognize that we are not at the end of this path – We have more to do.”

I started to write that he is sticking his finger in the eye of Canadian Christians; but no, he is sticking his finger in the eye of God, deceiving others and deceiving himself (II Tim. 3:1-5, 12-13).

The only thing that will change this is the judgment of God, and that will come.

Fifth, in France, a Roman Catholic Cathedral called Notre Dame recently burned, and someone suggested that it be rebuilt with a Muslim minaret on top.

A final decision hasn’t been made, but French Pres. Macron definitely thinks it should be rebuilt in line with diversity.

He is a globalist with a dark desire for world government, open borders, the two-state solution in Israel, and now we can add world religion.

The politically correct like to remind the citizens of the world that Arabs are descendants of Abraham (but they don’t believe what Abraham believed). Muslims believe in God and Jesus (but not the God and Jesus of the Bible); Muslims believe in peace (but their idea of peace is the death of all non-Muslims and the establishment of an Islamic world government and world religion), etc.

The spiritual darkness is great when the leader of a major nation thinks a Muslim minaret on top of an old burned out Roman Catholic church building will promote peace between the religions of the world.

It will encourage more Muslim violence, not less, because they will conclude that they are winning.

They like to have their Muslim buildings and symbols higher than Church buildings because they think that it shows that their religion is greater.

World peace is a wonderful idea, but it will not happen until the Prince of Peace (the Light of the World) comes to deal with the darkness and rule the world.

Sixth, in the Church in late April 2019, it was reported that anti-Semitism is rising in the U.S., young people are leaving the Church when they head off to college, a growing number of pastors are afraid to speak out on moral issues, etc.

This descent into darkness and departing from the faith fulfills Bible prophecy.

Repentance and revival are badly needed.

Prophecy Plus Ministries, Inc.
Daymond & Rachel Duck
duck_daymond@yahoo.com