The Covenant With Many

The changes in our world are breathtaking! I don't think there has ever been a time in history when geopolitical shifts have occurred at such breakneck speed. It's really hard to keep up with the narrative, and even to know what narrative to believe!

Following the "end" of the "12-Day War in Iran" I notice that our President is hotly pursuing peace deals wherever he can find them. The most recent thing I saw about this was a banner apparently being posted on walls in Tel Aviv, Israel, which includes a huge picture of President Trump surrounded by ten Arab nation leaders and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel.  This rather stunning picture (above) would stir the spirit of any student of Bible Prophecy! Does the phrase "TEN KINGS OR TEN HORNS" ring any bells? And so I guess I should not be surprised that many people are questioning me: "Do you think Donald Trump is the Antichrist? Isn't he getting ready to  make a "covenant with the many" as in Daniel 9:27?"  My answer is a RESOUNDING NO! And I will explain why. 

First, Daniel 9 verse 27 uses the word CONFIRM. "He will confirm a covenant with the many." This makes it clear that the covenant had already been made and agreed upon previously.  Therefore, the Antichrist figure is CONFIRMING it at a later time.  Secondly, I do not believe that we see the United States of America in the Bible. We Americans have a hard time with this, but any Bible scholar will tell you that the Bible, God's Story, is ISRAEL-CENTRIC; and thus the "players" in the eschatological (end-times) Scriptures are nations that surround and either align with or make war against ISRAEL. IT'S ALL ABOUT GOD'S LAND OF ISRAEL AND ISRAEL'S CHOSEN PEOPLE. And please understand, this is not because the Jewish people are such special people. It's because they were chosen by God to do very special things. After all, did God not bring Messiah Yeshua (Jesus Christ) through a Jewish line? Was He not born as a baby, raised up as a man, then crucified and buried IN ISRAEL? The prophet Isaiah makes it clear that Israel (through the Messiah) has a special calling to be a LIGHT TO THE NATIONS. (See Isaiah 60:1-3 and Isaiah 51:1-4).

So, my friends, I do not see any plausible claim or reason why an American president or a Roman leader or a pope would end up in the office of Antichrist. What I DO see is the rise (worldwide) of an Islamic Caliphate that will make a great and terrible invasion into Israel in a time when Israel is dwelling in peace and safety, with unwalled villages, as the prophet Ezekiel writes: "In future years you (Antichrist) will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate. They had been brought out from the nations and now all of them life in safety." (Ezekiel 38:8)

In what time has this scripture been fulfilled? Modern-day Israel has NEVER been living in safety since the DAY AFTER THEY BECAME A NATION IN 1948, when Arab nations warred against them! This is a prophecy of a future time when Israel is finally dwelling in safety with their neighbors, and this is what I see taking place right now at this very moment. The Abraham Peace Accords will SET THE STAGE for Ezekiel 38's invasion and final war. It seems to be including almost all of Israel's neighboring nations. It very well COULD be the "covenant with many" that the Antichrist will CONFIRM at some time in the future. And since this evil person who is indwelt by the spirit of Satan is called Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal (Ezekiel 38:1-3), I believe we are given a very clear clue about this person's nation of origin. Ancient regions of Meshach and Tubal are in TURKEY.

My very favorite Bible teachers are Joel Richardson and David Rosenthal (Zion's Fire). They are both in complete agreement that in the very near future we are going to begin to see a rise of the original Ottoman Empire, which will be a modern-day Islamic Caliphate, undoubtedly led by the "Man of Perdition." It ONLY MAKES SENSE that it will be Allah, the Satanic god of Islam that will oppose and try to utterly destroy Israel, the Jewish people, and especially the Temple. HE will be the one to "sit in the Temple and declare himself to be "God." (2 Thessalonians 2:4).  This is the time when "the LORD makes Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock." (Zechariah 12:2-3). I fully expect that in the coming days we will see more and more emphasis on the rebuilding of the Temple and more and more violence provoked over the Temple Mount.

I cannot recommend this video (link below) highly enough. David Rosenthal does an amazing job of walking us through all of this according to the Truth of Scripture, and it's just a little over 20 minutes - time well spent! He even goes into the deeper meaning of the "12 Day War" since Iran is led by an Ayatollah who is an Islamic "Twelver." Fascinating! www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyWXtXjY0T0
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On a personal note, I'm home this Shabbat with TWO sprained ankles! Hopefully Abba will show me how to rest, study and lean on Him in these days since He has apparently "grounded" me! I know He has a higher purpose for everything that He allows. May you too have a peaceful Sabbath, and may the Lord impart His Truth to you as you watch these incredible end-time events unfold in real time!