In late October 2015 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met US Secretary of State John Kerry regarding the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian and other Arabs. This meeting by Mr. Kerry was after a meeting in Vienna between himself and the EU foreign minister Federica Mogherini, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon to reduce tension in the holy land regarding different intentions for the Temple Mount between Jews and Muslims. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has accused Israel of wanting to change the Status Quo and demolish some of the mosques on the Temple Mount to build the Jewish temple there. Although there are probably more Jews that just want to be able to pray on the Temple Mount than to build the Temple there right away where they could also pray, Mr. Abbas' accusations and the resulting anti-Jewish violence around Jerusalem and the West Bank and sometimes on the Temple Mount by radical Moslems will certaintly lead to more Jews wanting to build the Jewish temple there as soon as possible. The Temple Mount of course is the site of the former first temple Solomon's Temple and the 2nd Temple Zerubbabel's and Herod's Temple. The status quo on the Temple Mount allows the Jews to visit the Temple Mount at some particular times but not at all to pray there. In his talks with Mr. Kerry, Mr. Netanyahu agreed to this including to prevent Jews from praying there and arrest those who try through the Temple police and to fear the Muslims and international community more than the true God of the Bible. Another part of the status quo is that Muslims are not supposed to riot or cause disturbance on the Temple Mount either against the Temple police or against Jews visiting there but I did not hear of any confirmation of the status quo in this regard from the Quartet or world powers as a result of the talks with Mr. Netanyahu. Mr. Netanyahu also agreed apparently to continue to allow Jordan through King Abdullah to maintain control of daily operations through the Waqf over the Temple Mount including forbidding Jewish prayer that Israel agreed to in their peace pact with Jordan in 1994. Mr. Netanyahu also agreed to have installed live video cameras to be monitoring on different locations of the Temple Mount to monitor activities continually probably to limit Jewish religious freedom there such as praying to God but they will hopefully also be used to identify and limit access to the Temple Mount for militant Muslims that cause disturbances on the Temple Mount such as shouting insults to the Israeli Temple police or Jewish pilgrims there or flying Hamas flags or throwing rocks or fireworks at Jewish pilgrims or Israeli Temple police that has happened frequently in the last couple months. There is growing dissatisfaction in Israel with Mr. Netanyahu's leadership or lack of it in caving in to continuing Muslim or world power demands rather than protect Jewish rights on the Temple Mount or to increase them even though he was elected to protect Israel's interest including on the Temple Mount.
From a biblical viewpoint such as with the false peace mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 5, Isaiah 28 and Daniel 9:27 in mind this is leading the Jews in Israel to more and more lose confidence in their national political leaders and open to a leader who will be more of a champion for their religious rights in Israel including on holy sites like the Temple Mount. This will likely lead to them as a nation very soon receiving the Antichrist or the Beast or he that works abomination or the man of sin as a false Messiah when he promises and delivers to enable them to build their Third Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount according to Daniel 9:27 etc. This will start the 7 year 70th week of Daniel or tribulation period and will be immediately preceded by the rapture or catching up to heaven of the true Church of people from all nations who have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ that he died for our sins on the cross 2000 years ago and then rose from the dead to give us new life and a restored relationship with God if we admit we are sinners according to the Bible and in prayer receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Saviour. In the second half of the tribulation the antichrist or beast will take over the third temple and likely go into the holy of holies as his throne and force all people left on earth to worship him as God or to worship his image there or take his mark or be killed. Then at the end of the 7 year tribulation the Lord Jesus Christ will come from heaven with His Church and Old Testament saints to judge the world including the antichrist and set up His Jesus and God the FAther's (the LORD's) Kingdom on earth with the true Church, OLd TEstament saints and the Jews of restored Israel from the tribulation and Gentiles that trusted in Jesus and God the FAther as the God of Israel in the tribulation. Jesus will then have the Millennial Kingdom temple as in Ezekiel 40-48 and Zechariah 6, 14, Isaiah 2 built for people then on earth to worship Him as God in the flesh and King of the Jews and King of kings. Since things are quickly leading in the direction of these things I would urge the reader if you haven't already done so to as soon as possible trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour so you can not only have your sins forgiven and a relationship with the Creator God but also be brought to heaven at the rapture and not be left behind on earth during the tribulation when God starts to judge the world.
Although the Israeli leadership and the Palestinian Authority (PA) rarely agree on matters, there seems to be one major matter they both agree on recently although from different perspectives. This is that the Palestinian Authority is losing power and popularity with most of the Arab or Palestinian Arab people in the West Bank or Judaea and Samaria as it would be referred to by the Jews and in the word of God the Holy Bible. This is partly because some of the Palestinian Arabs feel the Palestinian Authority under Mahmoud Abbas haven't delivered enough to them of land or beneficial terms of use of the land of the West Bank to the Palestinian Arabs from Israeli rule by taking a tough negotiating stance such as insisting on many preconditions in the negotiations in the Middle East peace process with the Israelis. It was this lack of progress due to the PA's many preconditions although partly due to the continuation of Israeli settlements that were partly continued due to lack of security assurances by the PA under Mahmoud Abbas to Israel that led to Mahmoud Abbas last September in the UN General Assembly saying he was withdrawing Palestinian Arab participation in the Middle East peace process according to the 1994 Oslo Accord. Since this declaration in September by PA leader Mahmoud Abbas there has been serious and widespread revolt by Palestinian Arabs against Israeli rule including against especially Jewish Israeli civilians through knifings, deliberate ramming of vehicles into crowds of pedestrians, thrown rocks, Molotov cocktails or other fiery weapons etc. which have resulted in some Jewish Israeli deaths and a lot more general unease and often the result of the Arab terrorist by Israeli security officers. A large part of this Arab revolt in Israeli terratories was due to ongoing provocative statements against Jewish Israelis by PA leader Mahmoud Abbas and some of his actions such as threatening to take Israel to the UN War Crimes Tribunal and seeking recognition by other countries of Palestinian Statehood without their having to give security guarantees to Israel etc. Anyway what now looks to be happening is that there could soon be substantial loss of power by Abbas' PA over much of the West Bank and this authority being taken up by either Israel or some of Israel's more unambiguous enemies such as the terrorist groups Hamas and Isis. If the PA soon loses what power it has in the West Bank, Israel will feel more free to take a firm hand against some of the Arab groups competing for territory there as there is no peace accord terms between them and neither recognize each other's authority and there could be more unconstrained conflict between the two sides and this could be an even more divided situation that the Antichrist or Man of Sin would have to resolve to achieve the false Middle East peace after the rapture of the Church and to start the 70th week of Daniel and the 7 year tribulation and get the support and admiration of the people of the world left behind. Since this Middle East peace by the Antichrist could still be soon and it is looking more unlikely that such as peace is merely humanly possible, I would encourage the reader if you haven't done so already to admit you have sinned before the true God who even in the New Testament is righteous and holy as well as loving, gracious and merciful even in the New Testament and receive the Lord Jesus Christ as the One who died on the cross for our sins and rose again to give us new life as your personal Lord and Saviour so you can have eternal life and a relationship with God and also be assured you won't be left behind for Earth's and mankind's darkest hour in the tribulation or 70ty week of Daniel on Earth.
Around the end of April 2016 more details were released of the probably participants at the French led Middle East peace talks in which world powers will try to impose a Middle East peace on both the Israelis and Palestinians through the United Nations Security Council. This will probably happen in fall this year (2016) perhaps at the annual United Nations General Assembly and Security Council meetings in September. This French led Middle East peace proposal is being pushed especially by French Prime Minister Francois Hollande and his foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault who replaced former foreign minister Laurent Fabius. This initiative is also fully supported by the United States President Barack Obama and his Secretary of State John Kerry and the European Union, UN and others. They are impatient to get a Middle East peace between the Israelis and Palestinians esepcially in their view so Muslim countries or individuals especially jihadist ones or those prone to go that way would not be so hostile to the west as many militant Muslims wrongly see Israel as not legitimately taking away Muslim land and forget that the land of Israel was under Jewish control for about 1000 years from the time of Joshua in about 1400 BC to about 600 BC and the destruction of Jerusalem, Judah and the temple in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount by the Babylonians or that Israel has some autonomy under Gentile powers until about 70 AD when Jerusalem and the second or Herod's TEmple were destroyed by the Romans all before the start of Islam or many Muslims or Arabs coming into the land of Israel in the 7th century AD. In a new article about this French Middle East peace proposal on April 24, 2016 in the Jerusalem Post web site www.jpost.com titled France to convene Mideast summit in May, without Israel or Palestinians it is stated that about 30 nations and their representatives (mostly foreign ministers) are involved in these peace talks mostly from the United States, Russia, the European Union, the UN, the Arab League and members of the United Nations security council. It is stated in this article that a main basis for the proposed treaty will be the so-called Saudi plan of 2002 by the Arab league in which Israel would have to accept the right of return of Arab refugees displaced or that left Israel in 1948 or perhaps also in 1967 to Israel proper and that I think Israel would have to go back to the pre-1967 boundaries with the Arabs that would mean Israel having to give most of the West Bank or Judaea and Samaria and so-called East Jerusalem that includes all the Old City of Jerusalem including the Temple Mount (what the Muslims call Al-Aqsa or sometimes Haram Al-Sharif) where the former Jewish temples stood such as Herod's Temple and Solomon's Temple abundantly mentioned in God's word the Holy Bible and where there are now the Muslim Al-Aqsa and Dome on the Rock Mosques but where the Bible also says the Jews or children of Israel will soon build their last days Temple that will be taken over by the Antichrist half way through the 70th week of Daniel to be replaced by the true Millennial or Messianic Kingdom Temple mentioned in Ezekiel 40-48, Zechariah 14, Isaiah 2 etc. from which the true Messiah and Son of God Jesus of Nazareth will rule Israel and the world after His second coming. Jesus or Y'Shua will also defeat the Antichrist, the devil and all people still unbelieving in God and Jesus or against God through His Son Jesus Christ. The main benefit of this Saudi plan, at least what I heard before, is that if Israel followed it the Arab countries would establish more normal diplomatic relations with Israel and drop statements of hostility with it and recognize its right to exist. This French backed proposal is a Mideast peace proposal with unprecedented world support and although many other proposals have been attempted for Middle East peace especially by the Americans this is the one as far as I am aware with anything near co-ordinated support of world powers. My understanding is that at the May 30, 2016 meeting these world powers will try to hammer out an agreement they think is in the interest of both Israel and the Palestinians as well as the world community and then try to persuade both the Israelis and Palestinians accept it in the coming fall although there could be some adjustments to this treaty by both the Israeli and Palestinians if they can agree on fair tradeoffs. It is interesting that the main reference to a false Middle East peace in God's word the Holy Bible is in Daniel 9:27 and it mentions he (the antichrist or the beast out of the sea or he that makes abomination) will confirm the covenant (treaty) with many for one week with the term many which could likely many nations or world powers as is now becoming much more the case in the current Middle East peace talks. Also this scripture mentions the Antichrist will confirm a Middle East peace agreement which doesn't mean make it means confirm and that he will likely use many elements that have already been raised in talks by world powers for a Middle East peace probably especially these latest round of talks. However there is one thing this current round of Middle East peace talks or most of the previous round of talks do not include and that would make them unacceptable to most Jewish Israelis. This is that this latest round like most previous rounds of talks gives the Temple Mount and perhaps even the western wall on the side of the Temple Mount to the Palestinian Arabs and not to the Jews even though it is the most holy site to the Jews and mentioned abundantly in their scriptures and God's word the Holy Bible compared to only one questionable reference to the Temple Mount in the Islamic Quran as a Moslem site and that historically wasn't built then. From a Bible prophecy viewpoint and consistent with the other part of Daniel 9:27 the covenant the Antichrist will confirm with Israel will allow them to resume the (animal) sacrifice and oblation (wine or drink offerings on the animal sacrifices) all as mentioned for the Levitical priesthood in the Torah or five books of Moses or the Pentateuch but then cause them to cease when the Antichrist takes over the rebuilt temple on the Temple Mount to force people then on Earth to worship him as God to try to fulfill his false claim to be God. This departure that will be welcome to the Jews that the Antichrist will offer in his final version of a Middle East peace deal will be what will get the Jews or children of Israel to support him as Messiah or deliverer although the Antichrist might still offer something to the Muslims and world community for which they can support his Middle East deal as well. Since all these things as well as other events in the world are fast falling in place that are mentioned in God's word the holy Bible for the last days of the present Church Age or preparing for the rapture or catching up to heaven of all true Christians and the following tribulation and time of God's wrath during the 70th week of Daniel when Satan the devil will rule the world through his man the Antichrist I would encourage the reader if you haven't already done so to with all your heart come into a relationship with the true and living God through admitting you are a sinner (as true Christians have already done) in God's sight according to His word the Holy Bible and receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Saviour who died for our sins on the cross and rose again from the dead to give us new life so you can have eternal life with God and His people from all nations through Jesus and also be assured you will be spared going through the tribulation when God will start judging this world and instead by brought to heaven to a blessed eternal home with God and His Son Jesus Christ and His people from all nations both Jewish and Gentile (non-Jewish) in His Church and Old Testament Jewish and other saints and eventually saints or believers from still future times such as the tribulation and Millennial or Messianic Kingdom.
In the beginning of October 2016, after the Israeli state funeral of the late Israeli leader Shimon Peres and some more diplomatic activity of leaders gathered in Israel then, it looked like there would be renewed international efforts to achieve a Middle East peace. This proposed peace would probably be mostly based on the French and Arab Middle East including Israeli Palestinian peace plan in order to include peace not just with Israel and the Palestinian Arabs but also with Israel and most of the Arab nations. The first gathering of nations under the French peace initiative did happen in early June 2016 but not too much specifically was agreed on at that meeting although there were many leaders from western and Arab countries present. There was also some diplomatic activity in order to push forward the Arab and French peace proposals (that is largely based on the Arab one) on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York City in September. There is still a hope in the international community and with the Palestinian Arabs but not with Israel that there can be a meeting along the lines envisioned in the French proposal before the end of 2016 while President Obama of the United States is still in office that could set and attempt to force the terms of a Middle East peace agreement on both the Israelis and Palestinians. Such an agreement would likely include assuring some security for Israel but forcing Israel to give up the Jewish settlements in the West Bank (Judaea and Samaria) and most of the West Bank or even so-called East Jerusalem that were captured by Israel in the 1967 Six Day War from Jordan and give them to the Palestinian Arabs for part of a Palestinian state. There is a definite sense in both Israel and the United States that President Obama would agree with or at least not veto any United Nations Security council resolution that would attempt to implement such an agreement while he is still in office and that would then likely bring it into effect. Such an agreement would likely not give Israel much security as the Palestinian Fatah faction now led by Mahmoud Abbas was not able to prevent the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas from gaining power in the Gaza Strip after Israel gave it to the Palestinian Arabs in 2005. There is fear in Israel and pro-Israel politicians and citizens in the United States and elsewhere that Hamas could also gain control in the West Bank if Israel pulled its security forces out and it is already making progress in that direction. At one point near the largest Israeli city of Tel Aviv Israel proper is only around 10 or 15 miles wide from the Mediterranean Sea to the beginning of the West Bank so there would then not be much security for Israel in such a peace agreement if there were not steps to demilitarize the Palestinian Arabs which the French or Arab proposals might not ensure.
From a biblical Christian viewpoint this heightened and possibly soon more likely successful achievement of an Israeli Palestinian or Israeli Arab peace agreement could quickly lead to the false peace of the Antichrist mentioned in Daniel 9:27 led by a European leader as the Antichrist is there compared to the Roman general Titus as the prince of the people of the prince that shall come that destroyed the city and the sanctuary (Jerusalem and Herod's or the 2nd temple in 70 AD). Titus was a Roman general from the European part of the Roman Empire which is a main reason why I and some other Christians think the Antichrist will also come from Europe. France was definitely part of the Roman Empire before particularly as the province of Gaul and of course a lot of this current international diplomatic activity to achieve a Middle East peace is led by French leader Francois Hollande and his previous foreign minister Mr. Laurent Fabius and his current foreign minister Mr. Ayrault. If the current diplomatic efforts to achieve a Middle East peace are to succeed according to God's word the Holy Bible they will have to include the permission to Israel to build their third Jewish Temple on at least part of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The current peace efforts would not include this but the pressure of the current efforts to force Israel to give up most of the West Bank and East Jerusalem to the Palestinian Arabs could be modified in a final agreement by the Antichrist or Beast out of the Sea or Man of Sin to include allowing Israel to have control of part of the Temple Mount to build their third Jewish Temple there (perhaps with the West Bank and East Jerusalem given to the Palestinian Arabs in exchange). The Antichrist would see advantage to himself to have the Jews build their third temple on the Temple Mount because, as also prophesied in Daniel 9:27, he wants to later on in the tribulation take it over and sit in the holy of holies there to be worshipped of all people in the world in the place the true God appointed for people to worship Him. Satan would also seek through the Antichrist to be worshipped by all people in the world in the second half of the tribulation in the tribulation temple. This would all be overthrown when the Lord Jesus Christ comes at the end of the tribulation to set up the worldwide kingdom of the true and living God through and including the Lord Jesus Christ that would also be based on the city of Jerusalem but in the following Temple mentioned in Ezekiel 40-48, Zechariah 14, Isaiah 2 and other scriptures. Since all these things are quickly falling together and are likely very near, including the rapture of the true Church just before the revelation of the Antichrist with his false covenant or treaty with Israel and others to rebuild the temple as mentioned in Daniel 9:27, I encourage the reader to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as soon as possible if you haven't already. To trust in the Lord Jesus Christ not only ensures immediate and eternal life from God and a relationship with Him and home in heaven but also if done before the rapture or catching up to heaven of the church that you will be included in the true Church that will be raptured to heaven before and not left behind on earth for the most terrible time in all of earth's and the human race's history in the seven year tribulation or 70th week of Daniel. (The true Church will come back with Jesus from heaven at His second coming as will Old Testament Israeli and Gentile saints and tribulation martyrs to reign with Jesus in the Millenial or Messianic Kingdom on earth after his second coming to earth at the end of the tribulation.) In order to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation you need to admit you are a sinner or have done wrong in God's sight (according to His word the Holy Bible) and to in prayer in Jesus' name to God receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour who died on the cross for our sins and rose again from the dead to give us new life and commit your life to Him.)
In October 2016 there was a vote on a very contentious issue that was brought before the United Nations heritage body UNESCO. This resolution initiated by the Muslim nation of Sudan and perhaps some other Muslim nations sought to declare, as United Nations law, the Temple Mount in Jerusalem as only a Muslim and not a Jewish heritage site. The Muslim name for the Temple Mount is Haram Al-Sharif or the Noble Sanctuary although sometimes they call the whole Temple Mount the Al-Aqsa Mosque or Mosque of the far corner. There is only one ambiguous reference to the Temple Mount and Jerusalem in the Muslim holy book the Quran. This verse describes Mohammed's supposed night journey in which he was supposed to have gone to heaven from the Al Aqsa mosque or mosque of the far distant corner. At least in the time of Mohammed or perhaps also now there was and maybe still is a mosque named Al Aqsa Mosque in Mecca in Saudi Arabia that has become the religious capital of Islam especially focused on the Grand Mosque there. The Al Aqsa mosque was probably in a far part of Mecca from the Grand Mosque. I heard in the first couple decades of Islam, from 632 AD when Mohammed died to about 680 to 700 AD when the Muslims built the current Dome on the Rock and Al Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, most Muslims regarded this Quran verse as a reference to the Al Aqsa mosque in Mecca and that it had nothing to do with Jerusalem or the Temple Mount there. However since 680 to 700 AD since the Muslims built a new mosque also called Al Aqsa on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem the majority Muslim opinion has come to gradually believe this reference in the Quran is to the Al Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. This verse is also the main one in the Quran most Muslims will use to say that the Temple Mount is holy to them and that Jerusalem is holy to them even though the application of this verse in the Quran is questionable.
On the other hand there are about 700 references to Jerusalem in the Old Testament and 300 in the New Testament many of which focus on Jerusalem as the religious and spiritual capital of the Israelites or the Jewish people, God's chosen earthly people. Mention of Jerusalem as the religious capital of Israel is focused from the time of King David around 1000 BC to the destruction of the 2nd or Herod's Temple in 70 AD to Jerusalem as the site of the Temple of God where the Israelites worshipped and served the Yahweh or the LORD the true God and offered animal sacrifices to cover their sins and that were pictures of the ultimate sacrifice of God God's only begotten Son the Lord Jesus Christ or Yeshua HaMashiach who paid the price to take away all our sins especially if we trust in Him as our personal Lord and Saviour. There are also many references, especially in the Old Testament, but also a couple in the New Testament that speak of Jerusalem as the site of the Millennial or Messianic Kingdom Temple when God the Father through His co-Divine Son Jesus Christ rules all the world through the restored of Israel from Jerusalem and the physical Temple of God there that will be built after Jesus' or Yeshua's second coming in glory to the surface of the earth from heaven at the end of the tribulation to judge the world and set up God's visible Kingdom on Earth. The restored to God of the nations and the true Church will also share rule of earth with the Lord Jesus Christ and the restored to God of Israel.
So from the above I personally believe and I think it is supported objectively that there is a much stronger claim from the Jews or Israelites to the Temple Mount as their holy site than claims that the Muslims can make. Despite all of that the United Nations through its branch UNESCO (United Nations Education Science and Cultural Organization) has made a tentative decision this month, October 2016, to declare the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, as well as the Western Wall at the side of the Temple Mount, as only a Muslim and not a Jewish heritage site. To many in Israel and Jewish people elsewhere and evangelical or other Christians or other people symathetic to Israel this UN vote is a strong reminder of the typical anti-semitic bias there including lack of objectivity. There is much thought with evangelical Christians and I think some Jewish people that the United Nations in general is part of the world system more influenced by the devil and that could be a part of the government God allows him to have in the 7 year tribulation, time of Jacob's trouble or, 70th week of Daniel when God pours out His wrath on this world and the devil's man the Antichrist or man of sin, little horn, or beast out of the sea etc will rule the world as a Satanic dictator and imposter of the Lord Jesus Christ. The rule of the Antichrist will be focused on Babylon likely Rome and Jerusalem in the temple to be built there on the Temple Mount in the soon coming tribulation. The tentative vote by UNESCO I think was 24 in favour of declaring the Temple Mount a Muslim site and 6 opposed and about 26 abstentions. Those that voted against it, to their credit, included the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany. Those that voted for this resolution including many Muslim and developing world countries, Russia, China and I think some European countries. It is also interesting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in order to get more support for Israel's position about the Temple Mount also contacted Roman Catholic Pope Franis to support Israel's position or least give support that Jewish and Biblical reference to the Temple Mount as related to the Jews or Israelites be included in a final UNESCO resolution. When the results of this vote were announced there was great anger in Israel and with Jews or Israelites elsewhere in the world including many usually more left wing Jews such as the parties of Isaac Herzog the Zionist Union (formerly Labour) party and Tzipi Livni and her party (that might still be the Kadima party). There was also much anger at the ruling by evangelicals and other social conservatives in the United States and elsewhere in the world. However, as one might guess there was rejoicing and strong support from the Palestinian Arabs including Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas and I think many other Muslims or national Muslim leaders. Partly as a result of this Ms. Bokova from Bulgaria who is the current chair of this UNESCO committee apologized and said she and some other officials from UNESCO would review the resolution and consider amending it to include some acknowledgement of it to include reference to the long standing Jewish connnection to the Temple Mount and Western Wall. There is also talk that the final or ratifying vote scheduled for later in October 2016 could be delayed somewhat to better take into account Israeli and other Jewish and evangelical and social conservation objections from the United States and elsewhere to the initial version of the resolution. We will see what form the resolution has for the final version and what the vote is for it but it probably won't be too long.
That the world community is so strongly in support of ignoring history to award the Temple Mount mostly to the Muslims and trying to separate Jewish people especially in Israel from association with it probably indicates all the more that the time is short for the false Middle East peace of the Antichrist mentioned in Daniel 9:27 and elsewhere in the Bible in which he will become quite popular with the Jewish people or Israelites by including permission for them to build their next Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. However the Antichrist will likely also offer something to the Arabs or Muslims such as perhaps some of the West Bank or Judeaa and Samaria to gain some support from them. Other than the Temple Mount position the Antichrist or Beast out of the Sea could use elements of the many world peace proposals such for a Middle East peace such as the French initiative, the Saudi iniative, the Oslo Accords or others for other elements of his false Middle East peace. Although the Antichrist will be seen as a Messiah by many Jewish people and a great world leader by many other people on earth after the rapture of the Church from the time of the beginning of the tribulation when the Antichrist is revealed by the mid-point of the tribulation 3 1/2 years later when the Antichrist takes over this third Jewish temple to compel all people then on earth to worship him and the devil as God there will be realization by many Jewish and Gentile (non-Jewish) people then on earth that the Antichrist is a Satanic imposter but they will have to lay down their lives against him and his mark and place their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour or Messiah and the Son of God and place their faith in God the Father as with Jesus and the Holy Spirit the one true God in order to go to heaven or survive the tribulation in hiding from the Antichrist. I would therefore encourage the reader, if you haven't already, to trust now in the Lord Jesus Christ that He died on the cross to pay for all our sins, and was buried, and rose again the third day to give us new and eternal life so you can have not only an eternal relationship with the One true Creator and Saviour God but also be taken to heaven with the rapture or catching up of the true Church before the tribulation and revelation of the Antichrist on earth and then so you can come with the true Church to reign with Jesus (and with the elect or restored of Israel and the nations) in the Messianic or Millennial KIngdom and eternity starting with Jesus' second coming to earth with His Church at the end of the tribulation or 70th week of Daniel since these current events likely indicate an unprecedented world interest in the holy land and the nearness of a false Middle East and perhaps world peace.
Israel including or with the West Bank or Judaea and Samaria have been very dry and without average rainfall now for several years. This has made the trees, brush and grass very dry and prone to burning from any extra fire or heat. In the latter half of November there started to be an outbreak of serious fires in Israel and the West Bank or Judaea and Samaria especially around or in the city of Haifa, Israel's third largest city, and in the Galilee region and around Jerusalem, especially to the North of it. The sudden and widespread appearance of all these fires immediately lent suspicion that at least a good part of them were deliberately set and in a coordinated way as a new form of terrorism by Arab or other terrorists who don't seek the welfare or prosperity of the land or people of Israel. Immediately a member of the Israeli Knesset (Parliament), Oren Hazan, introduced a bill in the Knesset to increase the penalties to those people who are convicted or deliberately setting fires in Israel. As of November 24, 2016 more than 50,000 people from Haifa alone have fled their homes to escape the threatening fires.
At least 8 people have already been arrested on suspicion of setting some of the fires and the Israeli secret service is now involved to track down more of the offenders although I haven't heard the names or identities of any of those apprehended and charged yet. On November 24, according to sources such as Israel National News, Israeli police chief Roni Alsheich updated the media about what was happening and compelled people in the Haifa area that haven't been ordered to leave their homes to stay in their homes for now so as not to bring further congestion on area roads and highways. Israeli police chief Alscheich said Israel has a coordinated team monitoring the country for fires now and people that might be setting new ones. He stated that if these fires or a good part of them are found to be co-ordinated and on purpose they would be viewed as a terrorist attach and those arrested would be charged that way. He said if it was found to be deliberate it could be nationalistically motivated that is by Palestinian or other Arab Muslims or others against the Jewish or children of Israel nation of Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also publicly stated that a good part, perhaps half, of these fires set deliberatly constitute a terrorist attack on Israel and are being treated quite seriously.
Israel is receiving fire fighting help now from other Mediterranean countries and has appealed for help from United States. Apparently there are many but not all in the Arab and wider Muslim world viewing these fires on social media with the hashtag Israel on fire that are gloating and cheering this destruction of Israel. This would certainly be something that the scripture in Genesis 12, 26 and 28 that promises blessings to those that bless Israel and curses to those who curse Israel would apply and blessing Israel would include those who assist in putting out the fire, giving money or prayers to God for bringing the fires under control or those in the area putting up shelter to those who had to leave their homes while cheering at Israel's disasters is a form of cursing them. The true God can forgive people for cursing Israel but they do have to acknowledge this or other forms of cursing them is a sin and ask God's forgiveness for that through His Son Jesus Christ.
However the Jewish or Israelite people of Israel can also bring more blessings on themselves by praying and living for Yahweh or HaShem according to His word the Old Testament or the Tanaak including the Torah but also trusting in His Son and Messiah Jesus or Y'Shua of Nazareth as their Lord and Messiah to get God's forgiveness and come into a relationship with Him personally and bring Israel closer to getting more of God's blessing nationally to the people and land of Israel. Part of God's blessings to the people and land of Israel could include relief from these fires and from hostile acts by their enemies and more rain. Part of obedience of Israel to God could also be to rebuild their temple to the LORD or HaShem on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
Although there will likely be events like this in the tribulation, including in Israel, I am quite sure we are not yet in the tribulation, 70th week of Daniel or time of God's wrath yet because the true Church is still on Earth, the Antichrist, Beast out of the Sea or Little Horn hasn't been manifested yet and Israel hasn't been given permission yet to start building their 3rd Jewish temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem yet and the 144,000 Messianic Jewish or Jewish believers in Jesus witnesses to the nations haven't been raised up and started their witness yet. However I think this collective and significantly deliberately set fires in Israel as a significant anti-Israel terrorist event is another indication that the tribulation including all the above and other aspects of it are very soon to happen. I would therefore urge the reader to, if you haven't done so already, to trust the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour through His death on the cross for our sins and resurrection from the dead to give us eternal life and a relationship with God as well as the assurance you will join the true Church to be caught up or raptured to heaven with Jesus and God the Father just before the tribulation breaks out all over the Earth.
On December 23rd the United Nations Security Council met to vote on a resolution, originally drafted by the Palestinian Authority under Mahmoud Abbas to censure or condemn Israel for the Jewish settlements in the West Bank or Judaea and Samaria. The draft resolution that was voted on December 23rd, according to Arutz Sheva or Israel National News from the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, stated "that the Israeli West Bank or Judaea and Samaria and East Jerusalem settlements are illegal under international law and an obstacle to peace and demands that Israel put a total halt to construction and any other activity related to 'settlements'". There is some other part of the draft resolution that instructs all UN member countries to refrain from giving any help to Israel that could be used to build or probably maintain any settlements. This could be interpreted as a boycott of not just West Bank or Judaea or Samaria goods sold elsewhere in the world but also for other UN countries not to provide any construction or other materials that could be used by Israeli settlers to build or maintain the settlements possibly including financial or other services. In an effort to provide some concessions to Israel the draft resolution also includes efforts to halt violence against civilians including terrorism and speaking characterized by provocation or incitement and that those who commit these things should be brought to some form of trial. In the final version of this resolution there was a statement, according to Israel National News "Vote on anti-Israel resolution at UN delayed" on December 22, 2016, that required a full "cessation of all Israeli settlement activities" in Judaea, Samaria (the West Bank) and eastern Jerusalem. In another Israel National News article on December 22nd it is also stated that the final resolution still states that the settlements are an obstacle to the "the two-state solution". According to the national Canadian broadcaster CBC at their web site www.cbc.ca on an article "UN Security Council approves motion demanding end to Israeli settlements" on Decemeber 23rd this resolution also included the statement about the Israeli West Bank (Judaea and Samaria) and East Jerusalem settlements that they have "no legal validity and constitutes a fragrant violation under international. There could have also been some mention in the final resolution like in the draft part to have a one year stretch of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks after this resolution is passed and that the 1967 Israel Arab borders between Israel and the Gaza Strip, West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights administered up to then by Egypt, Jordan and Syria should be the basis for the borders between Israel and an future Palestinian state according to this resolution.
In the lead up to the vote on this UN anti-settlement resolution Israel especially Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon put a lot of pressure on US President Obama and when it became apparent that it would be co-introduced by Egypt on Egyptian president Al-Sisi to veto or withdraw the resolution. US President elect Donald Trump and a bi-partisan effort by most democrats and republicans in the US Senate and Congress also sought to deter President Obama from letting this resolution pass. As it turned out the Egyptians under President Al-Sisi did withdraw the resolution only hours before it was to be voted on in the UN Security Council and said for their part it been delayed perhaps indefinity. That would be fine and might have let this resolution be safely stopped if it was delayed then at least until January 20, 2017 when Donald Trump took office as the new president of the United States. However on the next day, December 23rd 2016, this is definitely not what happened. Basically this same resolution was re-introduced by four other countries that I assume are currently some of the rotating temporary members of the UN Security Council for a vote on the anti-settlement resolution at the UN Security Council. These Security Council votes are binding on all UN member countries, in this case including Israel which is still a member of the UN. The four nations that re-introduced the resolution today, December 23rd 2016, were Malaysia, Venezuala and Senegal and New Zealand.
Some American Jewish leaders noted and the Holy Spirit brought this to my own mind before I heard them say it that today is the day before the first day of the Jewish festival of Hannukah which celebrates God giving a victory to the Jews against the efforts of the Greek empire to assimilate the Jews and more directly defeat them and bring them into the Greek empire. Particularly the feast of Hannukah also called the feast of Dedication is for eight days to memorialize the eight days God was said to and probably did allow some Jewish priests and Levites to survive with light in the Jewish Temple with the light from the olive oil when there should have only been enough for one day. These 8 days was long enough to resist the siege of the temple by the Greeks who had also tried to defile the Jewish temple then by offering a pig an unclean animal according to the Jewish Law of Moses on the Temple altar.
This could be a sign that this new UN anti-settlement of Israel agreement is just before the rise and revelation of the Satanic incarnated Anti-Christ as the new world dictator. He will be revealed according to Daniel 9:27 by his confirming a treaty with Israel and other nations including Arab neighbours and world powers for a false peace that will include allowing Israel to build their third Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The Antichrist in the second half of the tribulation, according to this same prophecy, will then defile this temple by taking it over from the Jews who will use it to worship the true God of the Bible with the Antichrist instead using it to force people of all nations to worship him (the Antichrist) and the devil as God and he will probably sit in the holy of holies of this temple to try to convince people of this until the Lord Jesus Christ defeats him and his people who stay with the ungodly world system at the Battle of Armageddon as in Matthew 24, Revelation 19, Zechariah 14, Joel 3, Ezekiel 39, Revelation 16, 18 etc. Before the revelation of the Antichrist or Beast out of the Sea of Little Horn of Daniel 7 or man of sin and he that causes abomination of Daniel 9:27 will be the swiftly approaching rapture or catching up of the Church, God's chosen heavenly people of all nations Jewish and Gentile (non-Jewish) under Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Saviour and living under grace and the Holy Spirit rather than the Law of Moses (especially for civil law). Since all these things are falling in place I would encourage you the reader to as soon as possible, if your haven't done it already, to admit you are a sinner in God's sight and according to His word the Holy Bible, and ask God for forgiveness through His Son Jesus Christ and come into a relationship with the true and living God and eternal life and an eternal home in heaven through His Son Jesus Christ and calling on God in Jesus' name in prayer to receive Jesus as the One who paid for our sins in His death on the cross and that He rose again from the dead on the third day afterwards.
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