THE LAST DAYS
Anita Clark
"Keep not Thou silent, O God; hold not Thy peace, and be not still, O God. For lo, Thine enemies make a tumult; and they that hate Thee have lifted up the head. They have taken crafty counsel against Thy people and consulted against Thy hidden ones. 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." – Psalm 83:1-5
Israel is surrounded by enemies who desire to wipe her off the map. In 2009 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly accepted a two state solution to establish a Palestinian Arab State, if the Palestinian would recognize Israel as a Jewish State. The Palestinians did not accept that offer. Recently, Secretary of State John Kerry met with Palestinians in Geneva, Switzerland. and they said they would never recognize Israel as a Jewish state. The rejection of this fundamental requirement, which is a major prerequisite up front to achieve peace, is a major obstruction. At this latest conference President Abbas, the leader of the Palestinians declared that he didn’t believe that any Arab would ever agree to recognize Israel as a Jewish state. Abbas says that it is all Israel’s fault that the Peace talks have not been fruitful. So, despite the enthusiasm of Secretary of State John Kerry that he will achieve peace by April, it looks impossible. One thing we can rest upon is that God is in control. When it is His time for the longed for peace to come – IT WILL COME. God’s timing is absolutely perfect.
Israel is building a settlement in Beit El (Bethel) area, which is the site of Jacob’s dream about the ladder to heaven, as well as Etzion, Adumim and Ariel, areas which they have for a long time said they would keep. (This according to Israeli VOA News). The Palestinians do not agree with Israel keeping these settlements as they are in areas of the West Bank that they desire to obtain to be part of their contiguous state. According to VOA News, "More than 500,000 Israeli settlers live among 2.4 million Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, where the Palestinians want to have their capital. What seems impossible to man, is possible to God! We know that when Israel finally makes the covenant spoken of in Daniel 9:27, the judgment of the seven years of tribulation will come upon them, as well as upon the whole earth.
HAMAS: – ‘Israel has eight years left’ - Hamas, the militant wing of the Palestinians, is now making a statement that "Israel will be gone in eight years." Hamas Leader, Fathi Hamad says, "According to Islamic Prophecies, we will enter in jubilation and victory into the Al Aqsa Mosque having defeated Israel in 2022 because it will take that long to destroy them."
Hamas has declared that they will never accept any concessions for peace that President Abbas might make with Israel. They have continued their incessant rocket attacks upon Israel even though Israel has retaliated with air strikes. According to Israeli Defence Blog, "Since Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, Hamas terrorist have fired more than 8,000 rockets into Israel. Over 3.5 million Israelis are currently living under threat of rocket attacks." This report declares that more than half a million Israelis have less that 60 seconds to find shelter after a rocket is launched form Gaza into Israel. In 2010 - 231 rockets hit Israeli towns, and 2011 brought 630 rockets which hit Israeli towns. Since 2001 more than 12,800 rockets and mortars, an average of 3 attacks a day have landed in Israel. Hamas is responsible for the majority of these incidents, and by turning a blind eye to other terrorist groups who loped mortars over into Israel, have endorsed them.
Israel is on the offence at the present time, having launched "Operation Pillar of Defence." According to this report, before they initiated this response, life was unbearable for more than 3.5 million Israelis because of the more than 1,506 rockets fired into Israel from November 14 to November 21, 2013. The majority of these rockets struck Israel, damaging homes, schools and other civilian areas. Although the IDF severely damaged the terrorist organizations’ long- range rocket arsenal, more Israeli civilians are still under extreme danger.
If these rockets were being fired into the U.S.A., what do you think would be the response? Does not Israel have the right to defend herself? It shows what a loped sided, satanic influenced world we live in today, where Israel is condemned for protecting themselves, while the terrorist are made to appear as the poor, unjustly persecuted ones.
Our thoughts and prayers are for Israel, as the Scripture says, "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, they shall prosper that love thee" (Psa. 122:6).
37 MUSLIM NATIONS PERSECUTING CHRISTIANS – According to World Net Daily (internet news organization) "Radical Islam in melding with communists, and totalitarian ideologies in increasing persecution of Christians. Open Doors U.S.A., which assists the persecuted church around the world, compiled the World Watch list and reports 2,123 Christians were killed for their faith last year compared to 1,201 in 2012. In fact, the killings in Syria alone (1,213) trumped the total from a year earlier."
It seems from this report, "Most of the violence toward Christians is taking place from rebel groups who are mostly jihadists practicing extreme Islam." Emily Fluentes, Communication’s director at Open Doors U.S.A., reports, "Syria is experiencing a whole new level of persecution and violence of Christians, and now has become the third worst persecutor of Christians, skyrocketing from the 36th spot it held just two years ago." No doubt this is because of the Islamic terrorist fighting against the government forces there. Christians have said that they would rather be under the Syrian regime, where there was hardly any persecution than under the revolutionist.
Fluentes continues to state, "While Syria is the most deadly spot on earth for Christians, it fits a pattern in the Islamic world. Of the fifty worst nations for persecution, 37 of them are Muslim." But she continues, "Another disturbing twist is the melding of radical Islam with communist and other totalitarian ideologies."
According to the statistics given by Open Doors U.S.A., "The ten worst of the worst Muslim nations for the persecution of Christians in addition to Syria, are Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Maidives, Pakistan, Iran and Yemen. However, for twelve years running communist North Korean regime is at the top of the list, and Fluentes says things there are only getting worse."
So what has this to do with us? Remember, these believers are part of the Body of the Lord Jesus, part of His universal church. Shouldn’t we be concerned and take upon us the burden of praying for them. Remember, that Revelation 5:8-9 speaks of the overcomers of the Church Age, stating that, "Thou hast redeemed us from every kindred, nation and tongue." When we see these believers and their persecution on T.V. news, our hearts should go out to them and we should cry in intercessory prayer for their deliverance. The love of God shed abroad in our hearts should reach out to them as God’s people, even though we never have met them. They are a part of us. Also, it should make us to realize how strong the power of Satan and Antichrist is in the world today and getting stronger. As time goes on, until Christ appears, we have no guarantee that we will not be persecuted. What will the immediate future bring to us before the tribulation of seven years begins? It should make us to realize that the coming of the Lord for His bride and then the immediate start of the tribulation is so near. He will judge all who persecute His people. He said that Israel is the ‘Apple of His eye." What do you think His thoughts are of us, who have accepted Him and love Him and are willing to give our lives for Him, if it is required of us?
Saints of the living God, the time is short. Jesus could split the clouds at any time and catch His waiting bride away. Jesus said, "Watch and pray, Be ready." Are you ready? There will be no time to get prepared when the trumpet sounds. In fact if any of us are not ready, we won’t hear the trumpet. Think about that! All provision is already made for you to be an overcomer. Jesus Christ provided us all victory over the flesh, the world and the devil. He triumphed over all principalities and powers, and is our triumphant Head. Oh glorious thought! Hallelujah!
