Learn what will happen during the tribulation period from beginning to end
Your comments and questions are always welcome. To send comments and questions please click here to go to our main page October 8th, 2000 Things have taken a dramatic turn in the Middle East. Fighting has broken out on all sides of Israel. It started out with the Palestinians, and now has broken out to include Syria and Lebanon. The U.N. Council has voted to condemn Israel for its part in the violence. Prime Minister Ehud Barak said Israeli troops would act with full force if Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat did not stop violent clashes in the West Bank and Gaza Strip within two days. Israeli security forces have been ordered to show restraint and only react to attacks. But if Arafat does not take action in the next two days, Israel "will use every resource available to us to put an end to the violence," added Barak. Barak's statement follows the capture of three Israeli soldiers from an isolated outpost along the Israel-Lebanon border today by Lebanese guerrillas in an assault with rockets and machine guns. The action has succeeded in spreading the violence and breaking the fragile peace along the border.
"I see Syria, Hezbollah and Lebanon as being responsible for the soldiers well being and returning them home quickly," said Barak. Barak said the Israeli army would make every effort to ensure the kidnapped soldiers came home safely. (ABC news) Sunday marks the 11th day of violence between Israeli troops and Palestinian rioters that has claimed the lives of at least 80 people and injured hundreds more. Alarm is growing in the international community that the fighting is about to surge out of control. We are at another crossroad in prophecy. No, the antichrist is not about to come on the scene and save the world from an all out Middle East war…at least I don't think so. I still think the EEC still has a few more changes to make before he surfaces with a peace plan. But whose to say that this plan will include the Arab nations. They maybe wiped out by this time as predicted in Ezekiel 38 & 39 (See article 40).
It's hard to predict what will happen in the coming hours, but here are the possibilities.
1. Russia, along with the Arab world, could stage an all out attack on Israel (See article 40). This was predicted over 2500 years ago to happen in the last days. Some prophecy experts believe that when this attack occurs that Jesus will come and destroy the invading armies (rain down fire and brimstone) and rapture the church at the same time. The U.N. has already paved the way for an attack by condemning the Israelis for their part in the clash. The United States has abstained from the vote. It would not surprise me, if such an attack did take place, that the U.S. would turn there back on Israel.
2. Someone could blink on either side and pull back. This would give life to the peace talks. I don't see an all out war coming soon, there maybe a few pockets of resistance to put down, but I believe that everything will be pointing in the direction of resuming peace talks by the end of the week.
I can't predict the future, but as I view the various news sources around the world, I can see a pattern of reports that will serve to harden the hearts of people toward Israel. For example, ABC News has placed a slide show on there website that shows a father and his son being shot at and eventually killed. Reports of this nature will eventually bring harsh criticism against the Jews and could serve to fuel an Arab all out attack. Since the U.N. has officially condemned Israel for the violence, this could open the door to an attack. Also, the U.S. did not condemn the U.N. resolution, if an attack does occur, I do not believe they will intervene.Pastor Malone