Please understand that the terms of a peace treaty in the Middle East may soon be born, but there is no guarantee that they won’t be aborted.

Most of the treaty has not been drafted. It will take several weeks to get it on paper. There are no guarantees that Israel, the PA or anyone else will sign it. There is no deadline for the treaty to be signed. Everyone is apprehensive, issuing denials and making demands. But game-changing events are hitting the news.

Iran’s Shiite sect of Islam is different from Saudi Arabia’s Sunni sect. The Shiites and Sunnis hate each other. Both sects say the other is heretical. Both sects want the other sect destroyed, etc.

Iran is powerful and trying to take over the Middle East. The Saudis are afraid of Iran. They want Iran stopped, but there are two major problems: One, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman is 81 years old and not healthy enough to lead his nation in a war with Iran; and Two, Saudi Arabia is not strong enough to defeat Iran by herself.

To solve problem one, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman intends to turn his throne over to his son, Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman (known as MBS). He has given MBS the task of taking on Iran.

To solve problem two, MBS has decided to seek Israel’s help in a war with Iran.

MBS knows that Iran’s proxy, Hezbollah, has taken over Lebanon and become a threat to Israel, that Iran has military bases and tens of thousands of troops in Syria, and that Iran has often threatened to destroy Israel.

Based on these things, MBS believes that Israel will help Saudi Arabia in a war with Iran, but there are two problems: One, Saudi Arabia doesn’t have diplomatic relations with Israel; and Two, Israel wants the Arabs to recognize Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish nation.

To solve problem one, MBS has announced that he will soon establish diplomatic relations with Israel.

To solve problem two, MBS said he will support Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish nation after Israel and the PA reach an agreement on a peace treaty.

As a candidate for Pres., Mr. Trump promised to do something about Iran’s nuclear weapons program. Saudi Arabia and Israel want him to follow through on that. They believe all three nations (Saudi Arabia, Israel and the U.S.) could cooperate and get something done.

Pres. Trump might be willing to work with them, but he also wants them to help him advance a final-status treaty for peace and security (safety) in the Middle East.

Notice that all of these nations want something done about Iran, and all of them want something else: Saudi Arabia wants Israel’s help, Israel wants the Arabs to recognize Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish nation, and Pres. Trump wants a final-status agreement for peace and safety in the Middle East.

It has been reported that Pres. Trump has ordered his advisors to draft a plan to end the conflict between Israel and the PA. No date has been set, but his advisors expect to have a plan ready for discussion in late January or early February 2018.

Israel has reported that MBS ordered PA Pres. Mahmoud Abbas to avoid the influence of Iran, cut the PA’s ties with Hezbollah in Lebanon and to accept Pres. Trump’s peace plan, or resign. Mr. Abbas is talking like he won’t do it, but Saudi Arabia gives the PA millions of dollars every month, and their money will prevail.

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister has urged MBS to support Pres. Trump’s final-status agreement once it is drafted. He believes other Arab nations will oppose it as soon as it comes out, but he believes they can eventually be persuaded to drop their opposition and accept it.

On Nov. 19, 2017, a member of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Cabinet acknowledged that Israel has been making covert contact with Saudi Arabia in view of their common concerns over Iran. Israel’s military leaders called for closer ties with Saudi Arabia.

Understand that Pres. Trump drafting a peace treaty is not the same thing as the Antichrist confirming a peace treaty. The Antichrist could confirm Pres. Trump’s peace treaty in a matter of days or it could take years.

The peace treaty that the Antichrist confirms will be a covenant with “many.” If the other Arab nations can be persuaded to accept it, then it will be a covenant with “many.”

An attack on Iran, or preparations for an attack on Iran, could trigger the Battle of Gog and Magog. That will change the world.

It has been reported that Pres. Trump has embraced the two-state solution. That will be unacceptable in some Jewish quarters and it will cause God to drag the nations into the Battle of Armageddon.

It has also been reported that Pres. Trump wants “gradual borders.” The meaning of “gradual borders” is vague, but to this writer it sounds like the treaty could involve a time frame that could turn out to be seven years.

It has also been reported that Pres. Trump’s peace plan will designate Jerusalem as an international city (neither Israeli, nor Palestinian). This could have implications for sharing the Temple Mount, letting Israel rebuild the Temple next to the Dome of the Rock, for the resumption of the animal sacrifices, and more.

There have been many efforts to get a final-status peace treaty in the Middle East, and all of them have failed. Many are skeptical that this could be the birth of the long-anticipated covenant.

But if Pres. Trump’s plan is agreed to in 2018, that will be 70 years from 1948. Considering the importance God attaches to the number 70, the birth of a peace treaty in 2018 would not surprise many prophecy teachers.

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

 

Iran’s growing domination of Syria and Lebanon (with Russia’s consent) has brought Israel and Lebanon to the threshold of war, but this looming conflict doesn’t appear to be an ordinary war. It is shaping up like a prophesied war with implications for the Rapture, Tribulation Period and more.

War broke out between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006. It ended 34 days later with a UN-sponsored ceasefire that required the UN to disarm unidentified militant forces (Hezbollah) in Lebanon and to prevent those forces from re-arming.

But Hezbollah (means the party of God) refused to disarm, and the UN never did anything about it. Hezbollah even increased its weapons and troops and undermined the Lebanese government, and the UN remained dormant.

On Nov. 4, 2017, Lebanon’s Prime Minister fled the country and resigned for fear of being assassinated. His resignation left the nation of Lebanon in chaos.

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait have withdrawn their money from Lebanese banks. Some say this will collapse the Lebanese economy.

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait also ordered their citizens to leave Lebanon as soon as possible. They even told their citizens that live outside of Lebanon not to go there. They desperately want world leaders (especially the U.S. and Israel) to stop Iran’s interference in the affairs of other nations.

Israel has accused Russia and Iran of trying to take over the Middle East. Israel has started moving troops and weapons to its border with Lebanon.

Hezbollah has 150,000–200,000 rockets and missiles aimed at Israel. Israel said she won’t go after those rockets and missiles one at a time. Israel will seek a quick victory because Israel knows that her troops may have to fight on several fronts. She knows that she could be Russia’s and Iran’s next target.

Hezbollah’s leaders admit that they unintentionally started the war with Israel in 2006. They say they don’t want war right now, but one could easily be started unintentionally.

On Nov. 11, 2017, Pres. Trump met Russian Pres. Putin in Vietnam. At Israel’s insistence, Pres. Trump tried to get Pres. Putin to agree to a 30–40 km (roughly 18 to 25 miles) buffer zone to keep Russian, Iranian, Syrian and Hezbollah troops farther away from Israel’s border with Syria. Pres. Putin did not agree to that.

Syria sent a drone over the buffer zone (presumably with Russian approval). Israel shot it down.

Iran and Hezbollah want to build bases in the proposed buffer zone, but Israel said she will not allow it. Prime Minister Netanyahu said Israel will protect her borders and act in Syria as Israel sees fit.

To add fuel to the fire, Iran supports Houthi rebels in Yemen. On Nov. 4, 2017, the Houthis fired an Iranian missile at Saudi Arabia’s International Airport. The Saudis shot it down.

Saudi Arabia accused Iran of committing an act of war against Saudi Arabia by supplying the Houthis with the missile. Iran responded by threatening to send more missiles to the Houthis.

The Saudis want Iran taken out, but they are not strong enough to do it by themselves. They are pleading with the U.S. and Israel to help them.

It could happen. The U.S. wants Saudi Arabia to help them get a peace treaty in the Middle East, and Israel wants Saudi Arabia to recognize Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish nation.

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, Mohammad bin Salman, has instructed PA Pres. Mahmoud Abbas to accept Pres. Trump’s Middle East peace proposals. He has also told Mr. Abbas to cut the PA’s ties with Hezbollah.

All of this comes down to the fact that the Middle East could explode at any time. If something isn’t done to calm the situation soon (and hopefully it will), Israel and Lebanon (Hezbollah); or Israel and Syria; or Israel and Russia, Iran and others could find themselves in a very deadly war.

Any one of these wars could draw in the Palestinians, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt and others and could quickly turn into a full-blown regional conflict that fulfills several end-of-the-age prophecies.

Related to all of this is the fact that prophecy teachers are divided on which comes first: The Rapture or these wars. It is not clear, but it is just a matter of time until we have the answer.

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