Someone once said a showdown is a confrontation that is intended to settle a dispute. It is a moment of truth that usually comes at the end of a problem that two or more sides are unable to settle.

In 1948, Israel became a nation despite great opposition. The Arabs refused to accept the existence of Israel and they immediately launched an attack “to push the Jews into the sea.” But God’s Word says that He would put Israel back on the Promised Land at the end of the age to stay and the Arab’s failed miserably (Amos 9:15).

Ever since that war in 1948, politicians have been searching for a diplomatic solution to the Arab-Israeli controversy over Israel, but they can’t find one. The real problem is Satan’s desire to destroy Israel (Rev.12:12-17). The Arabs and their political allies are just tools in his evil hands.

Starting in the Garden of Eden Satan tried to prevent the First Coming of Jesus (the Seed of Woman), but Satan lost when Jesus died on the cross. Since the cross, Satan has done everything he can to destroy Israel because the Bible says Jesus will come back to Israel and Satan doesn’t want that to happen (Zech. 14:4).

Satan doesn’t want to be bound and chained for 1,000 years; he doesn’t want to be cast into the Bottomless Pit or for Jesus to be worshipped, or for the Word of God to go all over the world, etc.

So in the spiritual world, Satan is on one side and Jesus is on the other. And in the physical world, the Arabs and their political allies have taken Satan’s position and the Israelis and their supporters (those who believe the Bible) have taken Israel’s position.

Some say peace between the Arabs and the Israelis is possible, but according to the Bible the Arabs and the Israelis are in a confrontation that won’t end until the Second Coming of Jesus and the battle of Armageddon.

Don’t misunderstand this. The Arabs and their political allies will push this controversy until they get a phony peace treaty that will signal the start of the Tribulation period, but the Antichrist will break it at the middle of the Tribulation period and the issue will bubble and boil until that time of trouble approaches the end (Dan. 9:27).

When that time approaches, unclean spirits will gather the nations in the Valley of Jehoshaphat to bring this matter to a head and they will get a showdown with Jesus that they will forever regret (Joel 3:2; Rev. 16:13, 17-20).

Consider these recent events:

The U.S. is working with France to draft a resolution for presentation to the UN Security Council shortly after the P5 + 1 is supposed to have a final agreement with Iran over her nuclear weapons (shortly after June 30, 2015). This Satanic document will give Israel and the PA 18 months to agree to a peace treaty.

If these two adversaries can’t agree to a peace treaty in 18 months, France will recognize the existence of a Palestinian State on the West Bank based on the pre-1967 lines. In effect, this would be a division of Israel and Jerusalem, a red line that God warned the nations not to cross.

Just recently, on Jerusalem Day 2015 (May 17, 2015), Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said, Jerusalem will remain undivided and under Israeli sovereignty “forever.” The PA responded by saying that they will never sign a treaty that doesn’t give them control of east Jerusalem.

So will control of an undivided Jerusalem go to Israel forever or will control of the eastern part of a divided Jerusalem go to the PA? This is a showdown (with God) in the making and the UN’s 18 month deadline will bring it to a head sooner than most people realize.

Also just recently, the new Israeli government got a new Deputy Foreign Minister, a lady named Tzipi Hotovely. Mrs. Hotovely soon met with some of Israel’s diplomats and told them she wants the world to know that the Land of Israel belongs to the Jews because God gave it to them.

Citing verses of Scripture she told these diplomats the entire earth belongs to God, He created it, and He can give it to whoever He wishes and He gave it to Israel. She urged those diplomats to return to the truth that God gave the Promised Land to the Jews, it belongs to them, all of it belongs to them and they don’t need to apologize for that.

Hey! That is what the Bible says.

So, supposedly (but probably not long) after June 30, 2015 the UN Security Council will pass a resolution to give Israel and the PA 18 months (perhaps until early 2017) to negotiate a peace treaty. These two warring sides can’t seem to settle their differences so a moment of truth will surely come. At that time, many world leaders will decide that it is time to bring the matter to a head.

They will attempt to settle the controversy. But they will ignore what God has said and try to settle it on their own terms. God knows the end from the beginning and He has already said their terms will not be acceptable to Him.

This is the bottom line: The world is rapidly approaching a showdown with God and the true church is rapidly approaching the catching up in the Rapture.

Prophecy Plus Ministries
Daymond & Rachel Duck

Not much is known about Isaiah before king Uzziah died. About the only thing anyone can say with certainty is that his father was more famous than he was. His father’s name was Amoz and Isaiah was known as the “Son of Amoz.”

It’s debatable, but tradition says Isaiah’s father was king Uzziah’s uncle. If that is true, Isaiah and king Uzziah were first cousins. It would explain why Isaiah’s father was so well-known (he was the king’s uncle) and why Isaiah knew so much about the politics of his day (he was the king’s first cousin).

Anyway, not much is known about Isaiah before king Uzziah died, but things changed from that point on. Uzziah’s death was a major crisis in Isaiah’s life and it was a life changing event for the great prophet.

Uzziah was 16 years old when he became the king of Judah and he ruled for 52 years. He was faithful to God during the early years of his reign (II Kings 15:3; II Chron. 26:4-5). He gained God’s favor for the nation and he was arguably the greatest king since David.

With God’s help, he took Judah to a golden age of power and prosperity. He conquered the Philistines and the Arabians, collected tribute from the Ammonites, strengthened the defenses ofJerusalem, built up Judah’s army, and improved Judah’s agriculture. He was so blessed of God that he became a famous and highly respected leader even in other nations (II Chron. 26:6-14).

But about 11 years before the end of his reign he made a terrible mistake. Pride got the best of him and he went to the Temple to burn incense to God on the altar of incense. This was something that only a consecrated priest was allowed to do.

Many of the priests, including the High Priest, tried to stop him from breaking the Law of Moses. They asked him to leave but he became angry with them and God struck him with leprosy right there on the spot in the presence of perhaps as many as 80 priests (II Chron. 26:16-19).

Leprosy is a contagious disease so for the remainder of his life this great leader had to go into quarantine to keep from infecting others (Lev. 13:45-46; II Chron. 26:20). He was limited in what he could do so his son Jotham was promoted to serve with him as coregent during his remaining 11 years (II Chron. 26:21).

Jotham assisted his father during those last 11 years and he served alone for five more years. He was a good king like his father, but he refused to go to the Temple where God struck his dad with leprosy and he allowed religious corruption in the nation (II Chron. 27:1-2). He refused to worship the true God and he let his people worship false gods (II Kings 15:32-35).

This sin would eventually lead to the destruction of Judah.

Isaiah loved king Uzziah, but 11 years of leprosy and 67 years of age took its toll and the good king died. Jotham was a good man, but he was young and he wasn’t the great leader that his dad was. Judah needed someone that would worship the true God, set a good moral example and bring revival to the nation, but Jotham wasn’t that kind of man.

King Uzziah’s death and the pending lone rule of Jotham disturbed Isaiah. His beloved king, his great cousin, his good friend was dead; Judah was in trouble, sin prevailed; the nation’s power and prosperity was waning. Its military was declining, people were losing respect for Judah’s leader; and the young Jotham wouldn’t go to the Temple to seek God’s solution for these perplexing problems.

The death of Judah’s great leader was a crisis for Isaiah. It appeared to be the beginning of the end for Judah.

So Isaiah went to the Temple where he received a great revelation: The good king was dead, but God was not dead. A lesser king was on Judah’s throne, but God was still on the throne in heaven. The nation was declining, but God was still in control and He knew what to do. The real King is not an earthly king. The real King is the King of kings and Lord of lords.

In 2008, a young immoral, incompetent, ineffective leader took the seat of power in the U.S. He needs God’s guidance, but his religious background is a disaster and he rarely, if ever, visits a Bible-believing church. He could be a good moral example and try to bring this nation back to God, but he seems to favor Muslim militants and black extremists over those who follow the God of Israel.

He is a proud man who doesn’t fear breaking the Law of Moses (same-sex marriage, thou shalt not bear false witness, etc.). With him in office America’s power, prosperity and military have declined. He has betrayed our allies and lost the respect of leaders in other nations.

Many fear that America’s sin will lead to the destruction of the U.S. Many in this once-great nation are discouraged. Some long for another Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy or Reagan, but those great leaders are dead and the man in office doesn’t have what it takes.

Some think he is the beginning of the end of America, but the true God is still on the throne. He is our hope and He is in control. He is our hope, but we need to do what Isaiah did: Go before His throne, confess, repent and pray.

Prophecy Plus Ministries
Daymond & Rachel Duck