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The Bible in the News
Intifada 2014, and the One State Solution
Will there be peace in Israel? The Bible says yes!
Saturday, November 22, 2014
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We have seen a gruesome wave of terror attacks in Israel, including the most recent one where Jews were attacked, and several killed while praying in a synagogue.  Many things are going on in the world this week, not the least of which is the aggressive stance Russia is taking in the world, while Europe becomes more anti-Semitic.  Events lining up for that great battle of God Almighty. The Bible requires Israel to be in a state of unprecedented peace before this happens.


So how might this come about?  We obviously don't know, but the two state solution is dead.  Many would have you believe that Mahmoud Abbas is a great "partner for peace", but many in Israel think he is actually a major obstacle to peace.  Let's look at the kind of peace spoken of in Ezekiel 38 for hints to help us see what to look for.

“And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.” 
Ezekiel 38:11-12.

Note the emphasized lack of walls, bars, gates, which is not the case in Israel today, especially Judea and Samaria, or the West Bank.  They will be prospering in the land, as it they have gotten cattle and goods and dwell in the midst of the land.  The Hebrew word for “midst” or navel of the land is only used in one other place and refers to Shechem (modern Nablus.)

Joel 3 has some details for us too.

“For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.” Joel 3:1-2.

“Yea, and what have ye to do with me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all the coasts of Palestine? will ye render me a recompence? and if ye recompense me, swiftly and speedily will I return your recompence upon your own head;” Joel 3:4.

Things to note from Joel:  The convict is triggered by, or at least at the same time as, the Return of Jews to Judah & Jerusalem.  It involves the coast of Palestine verse 4 (which is Gaza, head quarters of Hamas) and Tyre and Zidon (which are in Lebanon, home of Hezbollah.)  Also note that “All Nations” are gathered, could this indicate that the UN will be involved?  They do regularly pass anti Israel resolutions, so this would hardly be far fetched.

So some features that we can summarize are:
• Israelis will still be living in the West Bank.
• The nations are not happy with the arrangement, and are gathered to attack.
• The peace achieved with the Palestinians may appear solid, but they still “sell them” out to the Grecians.  

Side note: the head of the Greek empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, moved to Moscow with the fall of Constantinople.

• Israel will be wealthy, (as is very much the case now.)
• Russia has her eyes on the money (gas?).

We know also from Revelation 16 that "frog spirits" gather the nations. This is understood to be the spirit of the French Revolution, standing up for the rights, equality and brotherhood of man.  Is not this the rallying cry of the nations today?  Standing up for the poor Palestinian people?

The one state solution in its various forms seems far more likely to accomplish this situation that any other plan.  A similar situation has worked fairly well for Israel’s current Arab population.  There is rarely serious trouble from them, and they are better off than they would be in most Arab countries.  Many would not be happy with this situation, including the Pope in Rome, Russia, Hamas, Hezbollah and others, as needs to be the situation.  All of these plans would leave Israelis in the West Bank, or Judea and Samaria, as is required by the prophets.  This kind of ‘One State Solution’ is talked of more and more frequently in Israel, and by both sides.

Israel’s president, Reuven Rivlin, speaks up for tolerance and coexistence, rather than two states.  Muslim Village .com says “If they fail again, as they have been doing during the last 20 years, the one-state solution will be the only alternative.”  Naftali Bennett, in an opinion piece titled "For Israel, Two-State is no solution" points out how a state of Palestine is likely to bring anything but peace for Israel.  He says:

"If we were to pull out of the West Bank, the entire country would become a target for terrorists who would be able to set up rocket launchers adjacent to the Old City of Jerusalem and on the hills above the runways of Ben-Gurion International Airport and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. ...

"How do I know? Because it happened. Not once, not twice, but three times.

"In the mid-1990s, we pulled out of Palestinian cities as part of the Oslo agreement. In 2000, the second intifada erupted and over 1,000 Israelis were killed in attacks carried out by terrorists, many of whom came from the very cities we had evacuated.

"When we pulled out of Lebanon in 2000, we saw a significant strengthening of Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militia. During the second Lebanon war six years later, Hezbollah fired more than 4,300 rockets at our cities.

"And in 2005, we withdrew from the Gaza Strip and handed it over to the Palestinian Authority. ...

"Gaza quickly turned into a fortress of terror."

There are other developments to watch as well.  Russia has made it plain that it has its eyes on the regions Gas.  Russia’s Gaz Prom tried to get a piece of the Gas development off of the coast of Israel and were denied, and Russia has had talks with Mohammed Abbas about developing Gaza’s Gas.
In Europe Anti Semitism is rising, and so are calls for a Palestinian state.  Then there is Abbas' bid to pass a UN resolution to force Israel to leave West Bank with much world backing, right when there is the most un-Israel-friendly US President Israel has seen.

We look with interest to see the prophecies fulfilled, but we yearn most for the time that the true peace comes upon Israel.  That peace is mentioned at the end of Psalm 128.

“A Song of degrees. Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the LORD. The LORD shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. Yea, thou shalt see thy children’s children, and peace upon Israel.” Psalms 128

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Printed:  Saturday, November 22, 2014

 

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