TO KELLY RE:
 

"A BOWL OF LENTILS AND THE RAPTURE"
 

Kelly - I very much agree with you, and you have touched upon this "type", as something we should consider in these last days. Whenever we shall see the day of the rapture, we will know thereafter what the trigger was, for the rapture, (even if we don't "get it" now) and we know that in Luke 21 Jesus said that we will "begin" to see these things (and this would include all the things having to do with the early and later birth pains, all the way through the judgments of Revelation).  As I read your thoughts, I thought of what Paul said, "they'll be saying peace and safety, then sudden destruction will come upon them....",,,so you are right, this giving up land for "peace" is surely something that will bring on their birth pains.  Our problem today, is that we have been seeing peace talks for so long and accordingly have reacted  with hyper-vigilance  to each announcement, that we Christians have nearly exhausted ourselves, and then ennui sets in as each event comes and goes without a response from the Lord, or His intervention into the affairs of man, but one thing we know is that it will happen.
      I recall that Jacob  met Esau as he was returning from Padaram (? - please excuse the almost-made-it remembrance of that name), and in great fear, divided his people into two groups.   Remember, he fled from the wrath of Esau when he left home 20 years earlier. Jacob's name was changed from Jacob to Israel when he finally overcame being such  a wuss, and began to see that indeed God WOULD be with him.  Today, we have the fearful Jacob, in Israel, instead of the bold Israel trusting in his God.  This too will change as they witness God's hand in guiding and protecting them, during the tribulation years.
    Meantime, it certainly is sad to see all of those people having to leave their homes, when they 1) won that land fair and square and 2) have the land-covenant of God given to Abraham for the right to ownership.
    At some point as is clear in scripture, God will say, "OK, let's roll.............."
             Thanks so much Kelly........sister, Arlene