“Then
he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the
week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of
abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation,
which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.” Daniel 9:27
NKJV
I
am sure many like me who watch the events unfolding in the Middle East often wonder
at some of the personalities involved in the “peace process” and form the
opinion that it certainly appears that this may be something which will never
be accomplished. If that thought has
ever crossed your mind, let me be the first to congratulate you. You see, in my opinion you are exactly right;
it never will. Now many might read those
words and counter with the statement that the antichrist does indeed bring
peace between Israel and its enemies, but as to that thought, I think it
important that we examine this passage from Daniel a little closer.
Many
of you are probably familiar with Chuck Missler, a wonderful Bible teacher and
founder of Koinonia House. I have been
fortunate enough to not only study many of his teachings, but to visit KHouse
to hear him teach. Over time, there are
two things he has said which have had an enormous effect on how I approach my
study of the scripture and I would like to share those with you today. The first is, “if you torture the data long enough, you can get it to confess to
anything.” The second is, “we should not only be aware of what the Bible
says, but of what it doesn’t say as well.” It is with those two principles in mind that I
will attempt to explain my thoughts on peace in the Middle East, and this
passage from Daniel.
Since
taking office, President Trump has made peace in the Middle East a priority for
his administration. Relations with
Israel are as good if not better than they have ever been, and Jerusalem has
finally been officially recognized as the capital of Israel by our government. A framework for an agreement to solve the
Palestinian problem has been proposed by other Arab nations and it would appear
that the US likes what it has seen so far, and is using it to help craft an
acceptable proposition. Unfortunately,
as most have come to expect by now, the Palestinian leadership has reacted in a
most predictable way by denouncing President Trump, his recognition of
Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and whatever agreement for peace that is
currently being proposed. This has led
our government to take the position that it seems apparent to all that the Palestinian
Authority has no interest in peace, and is not a viable partner in any
discussions to end this stalemate.
As
this relates to the passage from Daniel, I want to point out a few things which
I believe we all need to be aware of.
Many have taught, and many think that the coming antichrist signs a
peace agreement between Israel and its enemies.
While that position has often been inferred from verse 27, it certainly
is not what it says. What
it does say is, “he shall confirm a covenant with many”. “He” refers to the coming world
leader also known as the antichrist. “Shall
confirm” is the Hebrew word “gabar”
which literally means “to enforce”. “A
covenant” is the Hebrew word “bĕriyth”
which is used over one hundred times in the Old Testament to refer to an
agreement between either men, or between God and man. The phrase, “with many” is the word “rab” which means “a great many, multitude”, and in the context of this passage is
used as an idiom referring to the nation of Israel.
Understanding
that the text tells us this covenant will be enforced, many scholars and
teachers have come to believe it is not a new agreement, but rather an existing one, and as
God has an “everlasting covenant” with the nation of Israel concerning the
land, many believe this verse is telling us that the antichrist will enforce an
agreement giving Israel the permanent borders it has never had since being
regathered as a nation. I believe this
makes perfect sense considering permanent borders has been the sticking point
between Israel and its enemies since 1948.
This
is from Chuck Missler’s teaching on Daniel; “This "70th Week" of this prophecy is defined by the duration
of time - seven years - during which this coming world leader commits to
confirming (or enforcing) a covenant. (He doesn't necessarily "sign a
treaty"; he may simply enforce what is commonly called the Palestinian
Covenant: Israel's right to the land.)”
Yet
probably the most important point here is that this verse tells us that this
covenant with Israel is enforced, rather than agreed to. If we understand that a covenant, as defined
in the Bible, is an agreement between two parties, then it follows that Israel
finds the terms of this covenant acceptable.
Taking that into consideration, it also follows then that this covenant
is not “enforced” upon Israel, but rather on its enemies. Using the power he possesses, the antichrist
will force Israel’s enemies to accept the fact that Israel will be allowed to
exist and live in peace within borders that are designated by the
covenant. Unfortunately, as we all know,
this passage also tells us this enforcement will only last for three and a half
years out of the seven before the antichrist stops the sacrifice and worship in
the temple and declares himself to be God.
I
believe if we look carefully at the relationship that Israel has with its
enemies at the present time, this narrative certainly
seems to make sense. There is no real
desire for any type of peace with the nation of Israel by those who would do
her harm, rather it would appear that Israel is alone in truly wanting
peace. They are more than prepared to
accept an agreement which would guarantee their right to live within
established borders while the surrounding countries would most certainly have
to be forced to accept it. So while many
might be exasperated by the intransigence of the Palestinian Authority, I
believe it to be a sign that the end as described by Daniel is most certainly
near.
Every
week we are treated to more and more signs that our deliverance is close at
hand. If you have never made the
decision to accept the gift of eternal life offered by the death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ I urge you to do it today. Simply tell God you accept His Son Jesus
Christ as your Lord and Savior and turn your life over to His control. Never forget today might be the day, and tomorrow
might be too late.
Keep
watching.
