Brother Jim, along with the 3 little clues, this other HUGE CLUE or SIGN needs to be added as well. We know that the number FORTY (40) in the Bible is a time of testing, and our God has tested individuals, cities, and nations for 40 days as well as 40 years. Even a man's pregnant wife is "tested" 40 weeks, the normal amount of time it takes to bring to birth a new life!

BUT, the 3 little clues I wrote about before don't mean much of anything without the MAJOR SIGN that these 3 little clues point to, and that sign is JERUSALEM!

I wrote a brief piece about this here:

http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/feb2008/reneec22.htm

BUT because this Peace & Security (1 Thess 5) Process has been in the news so long it is easy for us all to be lulled into a false sense of slumber and miss the biggest clue of all, JERUSALEM.

There are those who say that JERUSALEM was and is the most fought over city in the entire world, and I believe it. Why? Because of the Battle of the Ages that rages on between the father of lies and our Father of Truth and Light. We remember that the battle isn't between mere flesh and blood, but instead is against principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, against SPIRITUAL wickedness in high places. It's a Spiritual battle which is why the WEAPONS of our WARFARE are not carnal, but mighty THROUGH GOD to the pulling down of Strongholds. God Himself is our secret "weapon" as He moves in power to answer the prayers of His Church!

Now God said to Moses in Exodus 25:8 And let them make Me a Sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. 9 According to ALL THAT I SHOW THEE, AFTER THE PATTERN of the tabernacle, AND THE PATTERN of all the instruments thereof, even so SHALL ye make it. 40 AND LOOK that THOU make THEM AFTER THEIR PATTERN, WHICH I SHOWED THEE IN THE MOUNT. See also, Numbers 8:4

Now we also remember that Paul said the things that happened to the Jews in the Old Covenant happened unto them FOR EXAMPLES, and they are written FOR OUR (New Covenant Believers) admonition, 1 Corinthians 10:11 So let's see what is said about these PATTERNS, examples God gave to Moses for our behalf.

Hebrews 8:5 Who (Old Covenant Priests, etc) serve UNTO THE EXAMPLE AND SHADOW OF HEAVENLY THINGS, as Moses was admonished OF GOD when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, SEE, saith He, that thou MAKE ALL THINGS ACCORDING TO THE PATTERN SHOWED TO THEE IN THE MOUNT.

These Old Covenant PATTERNS gave way to the New Covenant Fulfillments (Hebrews 8) and the Temporal we see down here now will give way to the ETERNAL that is to come. This includes our new glorified bodies, a New Heaven, AND THE NEW JERUSALEM THAT WILL COME DOWN from Above!

Galations 4:22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. 23 But he who was of the bondwoman was BORN AFTER THE FLESH; but he of the freewoman WAS BY PROMISE. 24 WHICH THINGS are an Allegory: for THESE are the TWO COVENANTS; the One from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to Bondage, which is Hagar. 25 For this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to JERUSALEM WHICH NOW IS, and is in BONDAGE with her children. 26 BUT JERUSALEM WHICH IS ABOVE IS FREE, WHICH IS THE MOTHER OF US ALL.

So, we see that today's JERUSALEM is a pattern or type pointing to or proclaiming the NEW JERUSALEM ABOVE, Revelation 21:2, 10. THIS is WHY the enemy fights so hard over this "little" city. There is no NEW Tel Aviv, no New Paris, no New St. Louis coming down from above. ONLY NEW JERUSALEM.

In previous land giveaways the Lord remained silent, and that is why.

1. Israel returned the part of the Sinai they had taken from Egypt back to Egypt, and the Lord looked on in silence because it wasn't Jerusalem

2. Israel gave away Gaza, and the Lord looked on in silence because it wasn't Jerusalem.

3. These past 40 years (1967-2007) have ALL been about JERUSALEM!! When the Jews exclaimed, "The Temple Mount is in our hands," that also meant that JERUSALEM was in their hands. The Jews don't say, "Next year in Bethlehem or Tel Aviv." It is all about JERUSALEM.

JERUSALEM, the ONLY city on earth that:

1. God chose to put HIS NAME in FOREVER. 1 Kings 11:36; 2 Kings 21:4; 2 Chronicles 6:6

2. God's HOUSE was to be built there. 2 Chronicles 36:23

3. God COMMANDS PRAYER FOR. Psalm 122:6

4. God DWELLS in. Psalm 135:21

5. God Himself will defend AND DELIVER it. Isaiah 31:5

6. God will NOT hold His peace over it, and He WILL NOT REST over it. Isaiah 62:1

7. God is GREATLY JEALOUS OVER it. Zechariah 1:14

8. God will make it a CUP OF TREMBLING, not Tel Aviv, New York, Ashkelon, etc. Zechariah 12:2

9. God WEPT over it. Luke 19:41

10. God COMMANDED that repentance and remission of sins should be preached among ALL nations, BEGINNING HERE in Jerusalem. Luke 24:47

And there are so many other great verses I've had to leave out for lack of space. Please look them up. Then, take a close look at the history of JERUSALEM, and her battles. Here are 2 URL's to check out: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vie/Jerusalem1.html

http://www.centuryone.com/hstjrslm.html

WHEN JERUSALEM IS IN THE NEWS, EVERY BELIEVER'S EARS SHOULD BE LISTENING INTENTLY!! JERUSALEM SHOULD BE WATCHED CLOSELY!!

The Oslo Peace (and security) Accords (including all it's various forms & summits) is honestly, when all is said and done, all about JERUSALEM!! But as I said in a previous post, during these summits (until the Annapolis summit came in 2007 AFTER the 40 YEARS WERE FULFILLED, but BEFORE the 41 YEARS COME TO PASS this June) Jerusalem was only discussed briefly and then pushed to the side. The AC (Annapolis Conference) changed all that, and ALL CORE ISSUES (Final Status issues, and that means JERUSALEM) are now being brought to Fruition before our eyes.

Look at the news articles. EVERYTHING IS ABOUT JERUSALEM. For instance, Google the words "shas, government, Jerusalem" and look at all the headlines you get. Shas continually threatens to BRING DOWN OLMERT'S GOVERNMENT if JERUSALEM is negotiated. There are lots of articles that claim Jerusalem IS being negotiated, but that it is being done in SECRET so that the DIVISION OF JERUSALEM (after 40 years of being a unified city) will be a "done deal" by the time the world hears of it, and like the Olso Accords, it will be TOO LATE to do anything about it then.