October 25, 1998
This week at the Wye Plantation in Maryland, Israel and the Palestinians signed an interim peace accord. Unlike the pitiful document signed at Oslo, this accord actually requires the Palestinians to live up to their agreements. For example, within six weeks Israel will have withdrawn from 2% of the West Bank. During that time Arafat must have assembled the Palestinian National Council and amended the present PLO covenant. (This covenant, which calls for the destruction of Israel, was supposed to have been amended under the 1993 Oslo Agreement!) If Arafat fails to do this, the Palestinians will not get the other 11% which was part of the Maryland agreement.
President Clinton, desperate for a mini-victory of any kind, made some altogether astounding concessions to bring about this accord. For instance, he promised that the CIA will ensure Israeli safety (that is no small task considering the fact that for many years the entire Israeli Army has been unable to ensure the safety of its citizens). He also assured the Palestinians they would receive the same amount of aid as Israel! In other words, this agreement is both risky and expensive.
But where does it fit, prophetically speaking? It would appear the U.S. has been playing a major role in the fulfillment of end-time prophecy. To explain, we must review the part America has played in dividing up the land of Israel. First, in 1991 the decidedly pro-Arab administration of President Bush began exerting pressure on Israel to exchange land for peace. This ultimately led to the Oslo accords—where 27% of the West Bank [Samaria], as well as the Gaza Strip, was ceded to the Palestinians. Now, an additional 13% has been wrested from Israel by Clinton and his ardently pro-Palestinian Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright. So, within a few months the Palestinians could conceivably control 40% of the West Bank, with even more to be negotiated later.
Reviewing the writings of the Old Testament prophets, we find that in the last days several areas within the "land of Israel" (as defined by the Bible—not the United Nations) will be in the hands of its end-time enemy, Esau (or Edom). We, of course, interpret this to be a reference to the Palestinians. Thanks to the diligent efforts of the Bush and Clinton administrations (with some noteable help from the British), these prophesied areas are now either controlled by the Palestinians or are in the process of being transferred to them. These areas include the western part of Jordan, the Gaza Strip, and most of the West Bank (the so-called "occupied Territories").
According to the prophet Obadiah, all of these areas will be acquired by Israel following the day of the Lord. That, of course, implies Israel will not be in possession of these lands when the day of the Lord commences. Regarding those days the prophet declares, "Then those of the Negev [southern Israel] will possess the mountain of Esau [southwest Jordan], and those of the Shephelah [in the foothills of Judea]the Philistine plain [the Gaza Strip]; also they will possess the territory of Ephraim and the territory of Samaria [both of which lie in the northern half of the "West Bank"], and Benjamin will possess Gilead [western Jordan]" Obadiah 19-20.
And from Isaiah, "And they [Ephraim and Judah] will swoop down on the slopes of the Philistines on the west; together they will possess Edom and Moab; and the sons of Ammon will be subject to them [all three of these are located in western Jordan]" (Isaiah 11:14).
So what does this tell us about where we are on the so-called "prophetic clock?" Clearly, when the Palestinians consolidate their holdings in the West Bank, nothing further must be fulfilled—at least concerning the land of Israel—before the day of the Lord. That is not to say the end-times will begin immediately; that event could still be years in the future. But it does suggest we have reached the point where it is advisable to maintain a high degree of watchfullness.
Till He returns...