THE LAST DAYS

Anita Clark

"They have taken crafty counsel against Thy people,...They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. For they have consulted together with one counsel; they are confederate against thee...Who said, Let us take ourselves the house of God in possession. O my God, make them like a wheel; as stubble before the wind. As the fire burneth wood,...so persecute them with tempest, and make them afraid with the storm. Fill their faces with shame...Let them be confounded...and perish. That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth." Psa. 83:3-18

In view of the news concerning the nation of Israel these Scriptures sound as if they were written today. The Word of God is relevant for today's world. Many prophesies, ages old, are being fulfilled every day. God will honor His Word.

VIOLENCE IN ISRAEL CONTINUES - There is still no peace in the Middle East. The unprecedented peace offers from former Prime Minister Ehud Barak did not produce peace. The new Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is now considered by his countrymen to be the man who can end the violence. He has assured Israelis that he will make no further concessions for peace. He is determined not to negotiate a peace deal until all violence from the Palestinians stops.

The Palestinians pretend to seek peace while continuing strategies of violence and terrorism. Recently, Yasser Arafat praised the Hizballah and stressed that the Palestinians should learn from them how to conquer a land. Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon is cited as an example of how terrorism can work to get rid of "Israeli occupiers." Arafat has made a statement that the violence would stop only when Jerusalem became the capital of his independent Palestinian state, "whether Israel likes it on not."

At a recent Arab summit, Saddam Hussein, after calling Israeli leaders "war criminals," sought to unite all Arabs in an all out holy war to liberate Jerusalem. Iran, Yemen and Libya have pledged to this unity, and Syria indicated it was leaning in the same direction. Many in the European Union are sympathizers of Arafat and the PA. All who stand with Israel are subject to being targeted by Islamic terrorism and Arab oil embargoes.

As the Scripture in Psalm 83 states, these lifelong enemies of Israel have united in their common cause of Israel's annihilation. Syrian Foreign Minister, Farauk el-Shara recently stated, "The regaining of all Palistine is a long-term goal which cannot be reached in the first stage...The first stage is the giving back of the occupied territory." A Hizballah leader said, "We shall fight against the Zionists... marching in the direction of Jerusalem because Israel is an illegal state."

On Sept. 27, 2000, the current Palestinian uprising began. This conflict at the center of the globe has the potential to worsen, causing global instability. Arab terror organizations like Fatah, Hamas, Hezballah and Tanzim are involved in the violence against Israel. The escalation in the violence has unified Israelis in a way they have not been in years. In the past when Israel has been at war, it seems to stimulate the desire for Jews to immigrate to their homeland.

There is so much more we could write, but space will not permit. It surely seems that the time is ripe for a war to break out with Syria, backed by other nations, especially Russia (Gog and Magog) as recorded in Ezekiel 37-39. Gog and Magog may be Islamic nations that used to be in the now broken USSR. This war will take place we believe in the first 3 1/2 years of the tribulation, the "red horse" rider of the Revelation 6. Jesus Christ will come for His bride before that time, as a thief in the night. We will "escape the wrath to come." (1 Thess. 5;9) The promise we take as our own is Revelation 3:10, 12 "...I also will keep thee from the hour of tribulation, which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth."

NATO AND EUROPEAN UNION - The European Union is on the rise and increasing strength. NATO is growing in power also, supported by many nations which are in both entities. This makes one wonder if these two governing bodies will unite as a colossal instrument of world control. We believe the Anti-Christ will rise from among these nations which made up the original Roman Empire.

The European Union has a governing body which has been developing a common language, (English), common economic system, and political structure, but because it does not have a military army, it cannot move like it would like to. There are efforts to put this together, but it is not in place yet. NATO is presently filling this void. For the first 50 years of NATO's existence it has acted solely defensively.

The military action of NATO became offensive in nature with air strikes against Yugoslavia from March 24 through June 10, 1999. One sees these two bodies working together. It will be interesting to see how this will develop in the future. We believe that the Anti-Christ is waiting in the wings, and will soon make his entrance on the stage as the one who has the answers for all the problems, especially the problem of peace. The covenant Israel will make with him is spoken of in Isaiah 28:15,

"Because ye have said, we have made a covenant with death, and with hell." (Note Daniel 9:27). They will believe they are making a peace covenant, but it will be exactly the opposite. Persecution will come in greater measure than ever before in past history. (Matt. 24:22).

Christ will come before the tribulation of 7 years to catch away His overcomers. "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it." 1 Thess. 5:23,24