Palestinians, Radical Islam and End-Times prophecy.

Today, the Palestinian question is front and center when it comes to foreign policy. It is a question that many have not had any answers from. Having just been to Israel in March of 2010, I saw first hand the tension that exists between the Palestinians and Israelis. When you go to the West Bank, there are Palestinian controlled towns and Israeli controlled settlements. The main source of contention are the Israeli settlements in the West Bank surrounding Jerusalem. President Barak Hussein Obama, Vice President Biden and Hillary Clinton have all called on the Israelis to stop settling the West Bank. It seems that they and others want the Israelis to go back to pre-1967 borders.

This is unsettling in many ways to those of us who are Bible believing Christians. While we know that Jerusalem becoming a burdensome stone and all nations of the earth turning against the Jews is both Scriptural and prophetic according to Zechariah, we know that severe judgment is spoken against those nations that would turn against Israel and try and divide the Land!

We are also living with the threat of a nuclear Iran and what I would call "Apocalyptic Islam." This is primarily the most fundamental of the Shihite Muslims who not only recognize the Koran, which are the visions and revelations supposedly given to Muhammed, but they also abide by the Hadith, which are the sermons preached by Muhammed. The Hadith is much more militant than the Koran, although the Koran does have Sura after Sura calling for violence as well. They are looking for the Mahdi to return with Issa and convert the world to Islam while they kill the infadels in Jerusalem. In this blog-post, I would like to tie the two together for you in Bible prophecy.

#1 Who are the Palestinians and where did they come from? The Palestinians, as far as the West Bank goes are non-Jews who settled the West Bank and have been there for over 1900 years. You can trace their ancient roots to the Idumeans who ruled Palestine under the Roman Authority during the time of Christ. The Herods were Idumeans/Edomites. They were descendants of Esau.

Esau of course, was the older brother of Jacob/Israel and son of Isaac and Rebekkah. He sold his birthright for a cup of soup and was tricked by Jacob out of his blessing. As a result, a spiritual battle has been going on between the descendants of these two brothers for literally thousands of years. Jacob was the son of promise and Esau was rejected.

Shortly after Esau was tricked out of his blessing, Jacob fled from his brother to Haran to the house of Laban, where he marries Laban's two daughters: Rachel and Leah. Esau meanwhile settles Mt. Seir on the East Side of the Dead Sea; he then takes wives of the daughters of Ishmael.

Genesis 28:9 - "Then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives he had Mahalath, the daughter of Ishmael Abraham's son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife."

In essence, an alliance was forged between Esau and Ishmael that still exists to this day! And the alliance is an unholy one with the sole unifying factor being the desire to destroy Isaac and Jacob (Israel) and take what was given them by God ~ the birthright and the blessing (both fulfilled in Jesus Christ), as well as the Land, which God has given them as an inheritance.

While the Jews were in captivity in Babylon is was an Agagite, Haman (also a descendant of Esau), who forged the alliance with the Persian King (a descendant of Ishmael) to try and destroy the Jews. Then it was Herod, and Idumean (descendant of Esau) who tried to destroy Jesus shortly after His birth. And today it is the Palestinians living in the land of the Idumeans who have forged an alliance again with Persia (Iran) and other descendants of Ishmael who are trying to take the Land from the Jews and have as their goal the total annihilation of Israel.

Take a look at this ancient map showing the territory of the Edomites. If you were to place it over a modern day map of Israel, you will see that it takes in the disputed area of the West Bank.

Ezekiel 36:4-5 ~ "Therefore, ye mountains of Israel, here the word of the LORD GOD; thus saith the LORD GOD to the mountains and to the hills; to the rivers and to the valleys; to the desolate wastes and to the cities that are forsaken; which became a prey and a derision to the residue of the heathen round about. Therefore, thus saith the LORD GOD; surely in the fire of my jealousy, I have spoken to the residue of the heathen; and against all Idumea, which have appointed my land into their possession with the joy of all their heart, with despiteful minds to cast it out for a prey."

So where does all this fit in to today's world and Bible Prophecy? Ezekiel 36-39 show us clearly. Idumea/Esau will be destroyed in the End-Times as Israel is restored to the Land. God will pour out his spirit upon Israel again and a great revival will ensue. Ishmael will then make an alliance with Gog and Magog (possibly Russia and China) and will come against Israel to avenge Esau. But God will be lying in wait for them and drive them and their armies all the way to Siberia (Read Ezekiel 38-39 for clarity).

Friends we are living in the last days, yes, the greatest days in human history! God will not be mocked and His word will come to pass! We are the end-times generation, let us work till Jesus comes! MARANATHA!!!