Likud: 'Cat Is Out Of Bag' On PM's Plan To Compromise On Jerusalem
Kadima MK Haim Ramon on Wednesday said that Israel should no longer control Arab neighborhoods in East Jerusalem under a permanent peace agreement, on the same day Newsweek reported that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was prepared to make territorial concessions in Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Netanyahu: 'Likud Won't Let Kadima Divide Jerusalem'...
Likud lawmakers on Wednesday seized the opportunity to attack Prime Minister Ariel Sharon following a report in Newsweek allegedly quoting his top aide Kalman Gayer as saying that Sharon would be willing to concede 90% of the West Bank and parts of Jerusalem for the establishment of a Palestinian state.

London Conference Looks To Prosperous Palestinian State...
Representatives of Israel and the Palestinian Authority backed calls by business leaders to drive forward the creation of an economically and politically viable, independent Palestinian state.

They supported a joint declaration signed by Palestinian and Israeli private sector leaders that identified regulatory reform, private sector participation and security as keys to revitalising the Palestinian economy.

Iran Leader Escalates Holocaust Rhetoric
TEHRAN, Iran - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad escalated his anti-Israeli rhetoric Wednesday, calling the Holocaust a "myth" used by Europeans to create a Jewish state in the heart of the Islamic world.

Iran's Undeclared War
Iran is working on producing nuclear weapons with this aim in mind: destruction of Israel. Iran's new hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called for destroying Israel following the declaration of former President Ali Rafsanjani who on Dec. 14, 2001, threatened Israel with a nuclear attack:    

"If one day, the Islamic world is also equipped with weapons like those that Israel possesses now, then the imperialists' strategy will reach a standstill because the use of even one nuclear bomb inside Israel will destroy everything [in Israel] while it will merely harm the Islamic world."

Iran, West Head For Confrontation...
By repeatedly calling for Israel's destruction and slamming the door on a nuclear compromise, Iran's hardline president has put Tehran on a collision course with the West, diplomats and analysts warned, AFP reports.

In his latest anti-Israeli assault, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad dismissed the Holocaust as a "myth" and said the Jewish state should be moved as far away as Alaska -- views that one European envoy posted in Tehran described as "way beyond political incorrectness".

YEAR-ENDER: Disasters Dominate Year Of Suffering...
Important as they were, these stories sometimes seemed no more than sideshows, distractions from the march of catastrophes that plagued the world this year. At times they seemed so frequent and massive that we were almost numb to their numbers.

Millions went without food in Niger, and epic violence raged in Sudan. An earthquake in Pakistan killed a staggering 87,000. The somber count of victims of the late 2004 tsunami continued all year, the death toll eventually climbing to an incomprehensible 176,000.

It was an extreme, gut-churning example of the suffering felt all over the world this tumultuous year.

A report published by the U.S. Army War College ruled out a U.S. military or diplomatic option to stop Iran's nuclear weapons program. Instead, the report, entitled "Getting Ready for a Nuclear-Ready Iran," asserted that the dismantling of Israel's purported nuclear weapons program could be the only way to prevent a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.

Comments
Virtually every Christian prophecy website has headlined Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's proposed plan to give up 90% of the West Bank and half of Jerusalem in exchange for peace.  Actually, this is a long time coming.  Take a look at this article I wrote back in July 2000: (Prophecy Alert: The Future Peace Plan).  It gives a scriptural look at why I believe the Bible says Jerusalem will one day be split as part of a peace plan. 

Don't get me wrong; this is a big announcement that will one day come to fruition.  When this will happen is difficult to say.  I do know this, there are three mounting problems upon which Israel must make a decision in the very near future.  One, the elections in March 2006, two, whether or not to bomb Iranian nuclear sites, and three, how far they are willing go with the Road Map to Peace plan.  Sharon claims to be committed to the plan, but will he take it to the next level, which would include giving back half of Jerusalem?  It's hard to say what the future holds especially with a possible Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear sites pending.  

In London, representatives from the Palestinian Authority and Israel met with business leaders to determine the best way of creating an economically and politically viable, independent Palestinian state. 

All in attendance hailed this as a major step forward in the peace process.  I have to agree!  Whether Israel likes it or not, a Palestinian state will at some point be created.   

A recent U.S. military report on preventing an Iranian nuclear weapons program, it was determined that the best way to stop the arms race in the Middle East would be to dismantle Israel's purported nuclear weapons program.  Although, it would be shocking if Israel gave into these demands, it wouldn't be surprising if they did.  Over the years, I have reported that this could be a possibility.  It has always puzzled me how the Russian lead war of Ezekiel 38 & 39 could take place without Israel resorting to nuclear weapons.  After all, they will be up against insurmountable odds and certain annihilation. 

I certainly wouldn't rule out a peace agreement that included nuclear disarmament by all involved.  If the U.S. and International community could put enough pressure on Israel and Iran to give up their nuclear weapons, that would certainly make sense.  But if a compromise is to happen, it better happen soon.  I have to believe a possible Israeli air strike is less than six months away. 

With this said, is it possible that the revealing of the antichrist is only months away?  Not necessarily!  As I have said many times, the rapture could happen at any moment, but the tribulation period won't begin until Israel signs a seven year peace treaty with the antichrist.  It doesn't matter how many others are involved, but it must be seven years in length. 

It would be nice to think that the long awaited peace treaty will turn out to be between the Palestinian Authority and Israel.  But if that's the case, what purpose would a seven year limit serve?  

I am inclined to believe that a Palestinian state will be created as a part of another deal that will include membership (seven years), protection and security for both countries. Israel will give back the West Bank and half of Jerusalem which Palestine will name as its capital.  The Arab world will agree to stop terrorizing Israel (for the time being), allow Israel to name West Jerusalem as its capital and allow Israel to rebuild its temple. 

Whether this will happen before or after the antichrist is revealed is up for debate.  As I said, it would be great if Palestinian statehood or some form of an agreement which incorporated statehood, turned out to be the peace treaty, but we'll just have to wait and see what the Lord has in store. 

Take a look at the article titled YEAR-ENDER: Disasters Dominate Year Of Suffering...  Even the world is starting to pay attention to the disasters that have exploded onto the world scene.  Many experts have predicted that it's going to get a lot worse in the coming years.  Of course, they have attributed this to some sort of disaster cycle that takes place every so many years.  In time, they will learn the real truth. 

Are you ready to meet the Lord?  If not, your time is running out! 

Pastor Malone