CLOSER to the Rapture?by Michael G. Mickey
(1-9-05)
As of 1-8-05, Mahmoud Abbas is the president elect of the Palestinian Authority, having won the election to fill the vacant seat formerly held by the late Yasser Arafat. Much as I anticipated, the European Union's top diplomat, Dr. Javier Solana, was quick to meet with him, promising the European Union is willing to give Abbas help in every respect -- politically, economically, with security or whatever he needs, as documented in an EUBusiness.com article.
What does Abbas' election, coupled with Solana's rapid movement on behalf of the European Union indicate? It quite possibly indicates we're closer to the Rapture of the Church than we've ever been before, not only chronologically, but conditionally!
Bible prophecy tells us, in no uncertain terms, what we're currently witnessing taking place in the Middle East could well be leading us toward the Rapture of the Church, the advent of the Antichrist, and the onset of the Tribulation Period!
Make no mistake about it! Javier Solana, in his role as the EU's top diplomat, is setting the stage, quite possibly, for Daniel 9:26-27 to be fulfilled:
Daniel 9:26-27: And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.We're told a prince (or leader) of Roman descent (as it was the Romans who destroyed the city and sanctuary in AD 70) will confirm a covenant of peace seven years in duration (which will lead to and coincide with the seven-year Tribulation Period) between Israel and her enemies.Halfway through the Tribulation Period, the Roman prince (the Antichrist) will enter a rebuilt Holy Temple of the Jewish people, blasphemously declare himself to be God, and break the peace covenant he amazed the world by confirming only 3.5 years earlier.
You'd have to be blind!
While I would never be so bold as to suggest I know with certainty the return of Jesus Christ to Rapture His Church is weeks or months away from taking place, I can't help but look at what is transpiring at this hour in utter astonishment!
Anyone who has even slightly examined Bible prophecy would have to be wearing spiritual blinders to look at what's taking place in the world around us and suggest we're not seeing progress made toward the return of Jesus Christ taking place!
If we're not witnessing prophetic posturing leading us toward the fulfillment of the remainder of the Bible's unfulfilled prophecies, this is a MAJOR wake-up call for mankind, as all the pieces of the end times puzzle certainly seem to be on the table.
The revived Roman empire --- the final empire that will rule the world prior to the physical, visible, bodily return of Jesus Christ, as seen in Daniel 2:44 --- is here in the form of the European Union.
And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.The world is obsessed with Jerusalem and peace, precisely as the prophet Zechariah recorded would be the case in the end times:Zechariah 12:2-3: Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.Hope is way, way up peace is on its way to the Middle East! As long as Yasser Arafat lived, most everyone knew there was little hope of peace coming to the Middle East. Since Yasser Arafat's death, Mahmoud Abbas has been viewed by the majority of the world's leaders as the Palestinian most likely to work with the international community to bring peace to the Middle East.Having won the Palestinian Authority's presidency, Abbas will soon be given an opportunity to show the world whether or not he will partner with the Quartet for peace. One day after Abbas' victory, Javier Solana's message to Abbas, on behalf of the EU, is this, as quoted in the EUBusiness.com article linked above:
"We have a new opportunity now, an avenue of optimism, an avenue to work together to make the dream of so many people into a reality. The dream can be true and can be realised. Whatever we can do for that, we will do."What the European Union and Solana fails to realize is "the dream" Solana speaks of is just that ---- a dream! Bible prophecy tells us there isn't going to be a lasting peace in the Middle East until the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, returns to establish it!When the Roman prince of Bible prophecy, whomever he may be revealed to be, arrives on scene to confirm his seven-year covenant of peace --- and it could be very soon --- what will follow will not be peace, but a flood of sudden destruction which will lead unrepentant mankind down a road the Quartet's roadmap to peace doesn't have marked --- the road to Armageddon!
1st Thessalonians 5:3: For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
What lies ahead
Anything could happen in the weeks and months ahead, from progress coming in the Middle East peace process to everything breaking down as it has so many times in the past. We just don't know! The one thing those of us watching for the return of Jesus Christ need to keep in mind, however, is a breakthrough is eventually going to come in the effort to bring peace to the Middle East! Thus sayeth the Lord!
Because we see evidence the breakthrough Bible prophecy tells us will someday come in the quest for Middle East peace could be rapidly approaching, we need to be spiritually ready to meet the Lord in the air all the time because Jesus Christ could come for those us awaiting His return any time!
If the rider of the white horse of Revelation 6 (the Antichrist) doesn't have one foot in the stirrup right now, there's little doubt in my mind he's presently thinking of taking up horseback riding!
Keep looking up, saints! We're getting CLOSER to meeting Jesus Christ in the air by the second!