Daniel's King of the South?

The recent Arab League summit held in Riyadh didn't break any new ground in regard to issues plaguing Israel and it's neighbors. It doesn't change the reality of other racist Islamic insurgencies in other countries either.

See the following quote from the 19th summit:

"It pointed out that the summit in Riyadh tackled with utmost care and responsibility all causes of importance such as Iraq, Lebanon, Somalia and Darfur, and ahead of all these "the Palestinian cause" with has top priority for all Arabs."

To view all the self delusional praise and plans to unite the Arab Nation go to this link.

http://www.spa.gov.sa/English/content.php?cid=38&pg=1.
There are multiple pages of text for your enlightenment.

It's curious to me as a westerner that the Arabs refer to their "one nation". Makes me think this is a synonym for Ummah, the Islamic world which frames the question differently than Americans of Europeans may consider nationhood. In my view they have the whole scope of Islamic culture, history, kinship and religion all together. This is unlike western nations that mostly keep relgion in a separate compartment useful only of personal interest. Don't dare act out anything of your religion in the west in public places or risk offending the politically correct media, politicians, businesses, etc. Therefore westerners can't understand why the language heard from the Arabs seems wonderfully polite on the surface, but conceals their evil intentions to those outside of their cultural world.

First on the list of Arab interests are of course the Israeli's. They won't recognize them as a nation, they won't allow any equality in negotiations. What is called a piece iniative is really mispelled. Their goal has been the same since 1920, the elimination of the Zionist presence in the midst of Dar Al Islam. Psa 83. They are consistent, they use the words of negotiation and peace to mask the hideous evil known as Whahabbi Islam. Look it up on the web, wikipedia, amazon books, camera, pal media watch, etc.

May the redemption come in our day.

Clay and Iron Mixed

In the last days the empires-governments of of earth are described by Daniel's vision concerning Israel and the nations. The last stage or historical period of this image is said to be feet composed on iron mixed with clay. I would like to make a suggestion concerning this that is in part from Prof Eugene Narrett's book "Israel and the End Times".

The description is that the image feet and toes are composed on two imcompatible materials some that are strong and some that are weak and brittle which is the state of clay. From my background as a metallurgical engineer and practical experience working with a variety of alloys of steel and titanium this is an easily understood situation. The process of producing metals involves starting with raw minerals in most cases that are mixed chemically and/or mechanically with other unwanted materials. In any case metals are mostly ductile and tough in the pure state, but minerals, stone and rock in the raw state are hard and brittle.

The two don't go together and actually are much worse in combination than either by itself. Even mineral materials are usable in compression such as the feet of a statue made of stone, but if there's a random mixture of the two there is little cohesion and fractures and separation will occur. If a material like this is hit by a hard object it will fracture quite readily and completely.

The interpretation for today can take a couple of options.

1. Mixture of religion and politics. Always a volatile combination. This is a commonly held approach which reflects the long held Euro centric approach to prophecy held by most Christian interpreters and even by many Jewish ones. If I understand history correctly many Rabbi's have regarded prophetic Edom as Rome and by extention Europe.

2. Mixture of incompatible peoples or nations. In today's world the alliance of gentile nations can be viewed as essentially western democracies plus and third world countries of various stripes in various stages of industrialization. In the context of the nation of Israel which is provides the context for this vision, the mixture we find in the modern world are Western Europe and America trying to combine with middle eastern states largely Muslim in culture. Each in it's own ways are trying to gain advantages strategically, economically, politically and culturally. Each is eroding the others sense of identity by increasingly violent means. And lastly each has designs on Israel, the people, the land and it's resources.

The second option also accords well with Zech 12 and other prophecies that describe a breaking process that will destroy the nations power. They will be forced out by the kingdom of God coming on the earth. That's what the stone does in both Daniel and Zech. That stone is composed of Messiah sent with the power of God and his people on earth Israel. It coincides with the time that Ezekiel says the animated dry bones gain the spirit of God and stand on their feet as a great army. The victories of present day Israel in modern times will pale in comparison to what will occur in the final conflict. In the end their will be only victory for Israel.

The end of days is looming close. His people are told to seek righteousness in Zephaniah 2 since the God of Israel is their redeemer and their rock. Afterward the nations will settle their old scores and approach with meekness towards Zion, to Jerusalem, to Israel for learning and peace at their bosom. Isaiah 66 describes this tender final state for our world.

Israel and Elijah

1"For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze," says the LORD of hosts, "so that it will leave them neither root nor branch."
2"But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall.
3"You will tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing," says the LORD of hosts.
4"Remember the law of Moses My servant, even the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel.
5"Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD.
6"He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse."


Whatever time frame you want to apply this it concerns Israel, those that remember the words of Moses. There are few Christians who preach encouragement to the Jewish people the way this text describes it. It is an admonition for us or else God will use the stones themselves to speak these words to God's only true Israel the Jewish people. Who is God going to smite but the neighbors of Israel who won't listen to God's way being expressed in Israel's restoration process. Zech 12. Those curses are being manifested even in this day. It's a burden for the world that they are not qualified to deal with.

Major insight: gentiles aren't Jews. Most Christians aren't Jews, therefore they aren't Israel. That would be stealing from God's covenants as well as the all of the other nouns listed in Roman 9:2-4. (brethren, kinsmen, flesh, Israelites, adoption, glory, covenants, Law, temple, promises, fathers, flesh). You can't eat just one.

3For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh,
4who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises,
5whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.

Elijah is better left as a prophetic role for any who can perform things for Israel as he did, no one person today is qualified for that as a title. Many modern prophecy commentators think it applies to someone Christian, but the text doesn't say that either. Some few Christians do speak in this vein, there are also (and more importantly) some voices in Israel who admirably address the role one Jew to another, "turn back to the covenant".