“I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. And I will enter into judgment with them there, on behalf of my people and my heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations and have divided up my land.”
[Joel 3:2]
President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior White House Adviser, Jared Kushner, recently announced that his Middle East Peace Plan should be released by early June of this year. Although Trump and Kushner have provided few details about the plan, many are speculating that the deal could involve restoring Israeli authority and access to the Temple Mount.
In light of the recent reelection of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Kushner said that the goal is to publicly release his plan after the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. While Trump has proven to be one of Israel’s biggest public advocates, sources say that Kushner has been working tirelessly behind the scenes with a Muslim coalition from Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu had a great victory, and he’s in the middle of forming his coalition, and once that’s done we’ll probably be in the middle of Ramadan, so we’ll wait until after Ramadan and then we’ll put our plan out,
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/23/trump-middle-east-peace-plan-is-coming-after-ramadan-jared-kushner-says.html
In a historic declaration, President Trump recognized Jerusalem as the eternal capital of Israel and also relocated the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city of David. Just this month, Trump also recognized Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, which was never “internationally recognized” after Israel claimed victory over Syria in 1967.
In response to Trump’s bold declaration, Netanyahu promised to name a new settlement after Trump in the Golan Heights. No other U.S. president in history has been more proactive in promoting Israeli sovereignty in the land, and yet many believe that if Trump can broker deal that leads to peace in the Middle East, it will be his greatest achievement.
“All Israelis were deeply moved when President Trump made his historic decision to recognise Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights,” Netanyahu said. “I intend to bring to the government a resolution calling for a new community on the Golan Heights named after President Donald J Trump.”
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-48031045
Navigating the Prophetic Implications
This is where things get interesting.
From a Biblical perspective, there is good reason to believe that some type of peace deal or “covenant with many” [Daniel 9:27] will be one of the primary prophetic signs of the last days. According to the testimony of the Biblical prophets, this covenant will be established between Israel and the surrounding nations and will involve disputed territory.
The irony of this coming covenant is that on the one hand it very likely will give Israel unprecedented sovereignty, peace, and even the authority to rebuild the 3rd Jewish Temple and reinstitute the daily sacrificial system.
On the other hand, however, this agreement will prove to be an deceptive scheme. The peace in the land will be a false peace. The Temple will be defiled by the Antichrist, who will use it as Satan’s temporary throne, and all the forces of darkness will turn on the Jewish people. Consider the following passages.
“1O God, do not keep silence;
[Psalm 83:1-12]
do not hold your peace or be still, O God!
2For behold, your enemies make an uproar;
those who hate you have raised their heads.
3They lay crafty plans against your people;
they consult together against your treasured ones.
4They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation;
let the name of Israel be remembered no more!”
5For they conspire with one accord;
against you they make a covenant—
6the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
Moab and the Hagrites,
7Gebal and Ammon and Amalek,
Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;
8Asshur also has joined them;
they are the strong arm of the children of Lot. Selah
9Do to them as you did to Midian,
as to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon,
10who were destroyed at En-dor,
who became dung for the ground.
11Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,
all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,
12who said, “Let us take possession for ourselves
of the pastures of God.”
“While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.”
[1 Thessalonians 5:3]
“His forces will rise up and desecrate the temple fortress. They will abolish the daily sacrifice and set up the abomination of desolation.
[Daniel 11:31-33]
32With flattery he will corrupt those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him. 33Those with insight will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by sword and flame or be captured or plundered.”
The one thing that the Jewish people want the most — peace, sovereignty and the freedom to restore Temple worship — will likely be the very things that the enemy uses to deceive Israel in the end.
While I do not believe Kushner’s new peace plan will be the final peace agreement with Israel, but I do believe that it could be a precursor to this covenant spoken of by the prophets. Either way, every step closer to “peace” in the Middle East is another step closer to the revelation of the Antichrist, the great tribulation, and the time of Jacob’s trouble.
But this also means that it is one step closer to the triumphant return of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is coming to deliver His people and bring everlasting peace to the Kingdom of Israel.
“Of the increase of His government and peace
[Isaiah 9:7]
there will be no end.
He will reign on the throne of David
and over his kingdom,
to establish and sustain it
with justice and righteousness
from that time and forevermore!”
