WINDOWS OF PROPHECY

VOL.26 NO.2

WE ENDED LAST ISSUE SPEAKING OF THE APPROXIMATE LENGTH OF TIME OF THE GENERATION JESUS SAID WOULD LIVE TO SEE THE END OF ALL WE HAVE BEEN SPEAKING OF; SO THAT IS WHERE WE WILL PICK UP TO CONTINUE ON WITH THE MESSAGE.

A CUP OF TREMBLINGA BURDENSOME STONE

As you think about the negotiations that have been taking place between the Jewish leaders and the PLO leaders, you cannot help but think about that scripture in Zechariah 12:2. To me this is one of the keys as to how to look at the time factor involved in all of this. With the Jewish government having agreed to what they have, concerning the Gaza Strip and the Jericho areas, the next thing any group of Arabs within the land can begin to squawk about, is the fate of those Arabs in the old city. Since the Israeli government is not going to let those Arabs leave the old city and go down here where they can have their freedom, (They all have to stay where they are.) Do you think those Arabs in the old city are just going to sit there, with Israeli troops walking the streets patrolling them, keeping them from carrying on their wild escapades like they have been doing in the past? No sir. Those Arabs are going to demand the same freedom that has been given to those in Gaza and Jericho. That is why, in the Jerusalem Post even today, many Israelis are saying that their government has sold them down the drain: that their government has actually brought them that much closer to a war which is inevitable. By doing what they have agreed to do, they have literally lit a fuse to a bomb that will blow things wide open when it goes off. Having said that, let us read this verse in Zechariah 12:2. "Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, (That is talking about Arabs.) when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem." Saints, you have to look at it in this sight, It is going to be the Arabs who are going to begin to stage the demonstrations: saying, We want our freedom too. We want our self autonomy like the others. That was even stated by Peres, that they would not even discuss Jerusalem at the same time these other two areas were brought into the peace plan. However the Arabs representing those around about will no doubt begin to create a situation that will bring on something God will use. As I have said many times, He will create an opportunity, or we will say, a condition, that will open up the way for certain other prophecies to come forth in fulfillment. Right from the very area of old Jerusalem, which the scriptures declare is to be the Capital city, conditions will arise that will allow the Jews to reclaim it, renovate it, and build the temple. Right now you have a population of three fourths Arabs that own the property and control its environment. I have to say though, Do not try to picture Jesus coming back to rule and reign from there with three fourths of that old city being Arabs. It is going to be Jews when He comes. The nations can howl, That's not fair! all they want to; but God will see that His word is fulfilled. Let us just watch this thing unfold. God will cause Jerusalem to become a cup of trembling some time in the near future. I have illustrated it like this, by using a glass of water. It means when the time has come that God wants the entire world to get involved with Jerusalem, this means there is something important about this city. It means when the time has come that God wants prophecies, events and conditions to be fulfilled, the first order of business is, He lets it become a cup of trembling. Did you ever see a person who is extremely nervous try to handle a cup of coffee or something? You cannot help but expect it to be spilled. Imagine the Arab world then, the very minute they begin to inflame the situation, that is exactly what Jerusalem will become. When that time comes, the more they act up, the worse it will get. When God makes Jerusalem a cup of trembling to those round about, it will produce the prophesied results regardless of who wants old Jerusalem to remain in Arab hands instead of Jews' hands. Therefore having established that much, let us take it beyond that point. (3) "And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it." Notice two things. First, to those around about a cup of trembling. That is the Arabs. They are the ones who want complete control of it. Realizing this we say, If it is already the people of the world, politicians, who have more or less put pressure on Israel to do with this Gaza Strip and the area of Jericho what they are doing already, do not think those same world politicians will not say to Israel, Now do the same for the Arabs in Jerusalem. They will say, You can afford to give up territory. Verse 3 therefore, is not talking about the Arabs. This is where God lets it become an international problem. Since the world in general is thumbs down on the Jews, then God is going to make that city a burdensome stone to all of them. Most of the leaders of our nation like to be identified in some way with some system of religion; and I suppose they attend services from time to time if not regularly; but do they go there to hear the Bible preached? Very few do in this present society. They go to hear some kind of sermon based on statistics, world conditions, basically talking about the economic side, the social side, the political side, leaving the Lord completely out of the picture most of the time, yet carrying it all under the name of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The United Nations body has had its nose stuck in everything from the Gulf War and Bosnia, to the Arabs, and the whole process of resolving differences in the Middle East. Well just take another look at this. If God says He will break them to pieces, then keep in mind, In front of us somewhere there has to be something come up that does not just bring Jerusalem into a mild breakfast party relationship between a few leaders of the west and a few politicians in Israel and a few Arab leaders that will all be over with in a certain length of time. No Sir. I am convinced this is where the thing is really ignited. It is God. He has it planned this way. What is a burdensome stone? It sure is something more than just a little pebble. This is symbolic language speaking of something like a huge rock that has to be moved. In the eyes of the world, it will be something that is obstructing progress. That is what it all boils down to. In the political and social realm, until someone decides what we will do with Jerusalem, it is going to be there on the world's political table. It is going to be a political stone, an obstruction to peace in the Middle East, which they want to see come about; but they want it to favor the Arab population just as much as the Jewish population; and that is contrary to the picture we see in the Bible. They could not care less about the prophetic picture laid out so clearly for those who want to see it. Just imagine a giant rock that has to be moved before progress can be made. Here comes every world leader sending his envoy, his magistrate, this and that, everyone sitting ready to toss his two cents worth into the pot, (so to speak) trying to figure out how to move the thing. Try to imagine a burdensome stone and it is so big you cannot get around it, you cannot get it on your shoulders, but the thing has to be moved. That is exactly what is in front of us. World leaders are going to want to stick their two cents in, but eventually God is going to get tired of their clamoring around, and their fussing and dictating what the Jews can and can not do, and what they must let the Arabs have. Right then is where God is going to create a condition, and though the entire world will absolutely want to do something to try to force Israel to bend and compromise, God said He would break them to pieces. That is not talking about the battle of Armageddon either. That is talking about the fact that God will do something to tear their political agreements all apart, so that when it is all over only the Jews will be left. The Jews will be the only ones who will know exactly what to do with this burdensome stone; because to her, it is the rock of her foundation, and her faith. It is where God placed His name, the place where the Jews are to eventually build a temple, a temple that God has said would be His house. Naturally the Arabs are going to begin to rally together saying, We will not stand for this! They are going to begin to demonstrate, create terrorism as a retaliation against the Jews, and all such like; but I cannot help but believe, God can remove Peres and Rabin when He needs to, in order to make way for that which is prophesied. Politicians will fail; but God's word will never fail.

WHEN ISRAEL AGAIN DOES VALIANTLY

When I look back at Numbers 24, there are four prophecies in the Bible, that begin to come into focus. Old Balaam, when he was called by Balak to come and curse Israel, tried three times; but God would not let him curse them. Finally he said to Balak, Come, I want to show you what these people are going to do to your people in the later days. He was talking to old Balak's people, which were the Moabites. Turn to Numbers 24. It will plainly tell you what it would be. Let's turn there, verse 17. "I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth. (18) And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly." That takes in this whole area right in here. (pointing to map) They did not take it in the six day war; but I am saying right now, The very minute the world begins to put the finger of pressure on the Israeli people, demanding that they negotiate and give these Arabs in the old city the same domestic, social freedom that they have the others, there is where God no doubt will draw the line. Since it is not going to go the way the world leaders think it is, God uses it to create a condition to disunite the western world in their opinions and decisions. Actually He blows them completely out of the picture. God is definitely going to cause Israel to have to go alone. When she does, Israel is going to see one alternative. She has to put this Arab problem to sleep once and for all. The only way they can do it is to attack it from every area where any military or political opportunities can influence these people. There is no doubt that Israel will be compelled to go much beyond any expectations; because by that time over here is where a lot of the pressure is going to come from. Just keep in mind, as I said before, The Palestinian Arabs that live in the land today, and have for centuries, came from the other side of the river: Not only out of Saudi Arabia, but out of all this region. Eventually Israel is going to be compelled because of circumstances, to put them back there where their ancestors came from. The world will not like it; but they will have God on their side. Keep this Numbers prophecy in mind because it sets the agenda. Then let us go to Jeremiah 48:47 for another. In Jeremiah, we have all these major people that are in the country of Jordan mentioned. "Yet will I bring again the captivity of Moab (Notice this.) in the latter days, saith the Lord. Thus far is the judgment of Moab." It says, In the latter days. That is why I said earlier, We have been living in the last days ever since these various verses of prophecy have been applicable through time. However as we are now closer to the end we can say, We no doubt are living in the latter days these prophecies point to. From this point to the year 2000 is only seven years. Then if prophetic time figures out so the two days of Hosea 6:2 runs out between 2004 and 2005, as we have every reason to believe it will, many of these things we are talking about will take place at a very rapid pace. Israel will be revived in the first half of the seventieth week of Daniel; so all of this has to take place before then. Israel will not be taking any land after that week starts. Well we have Hosea 3:4-5 to look at next. The same prophet that prophesied about the two days of prophetic time wrote what we are going to read here. "For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim." That has certainly been fulfilled. From the very beginning, 728 B.C., when the ten tribes were taken into captivity, that ended Israel's ability to ever have a king. Then we come on through time, and 2000 years ago when the two southern tribes were destroyed, that took away their priesthood. It took away their sacrifice. It brought an end to their temple worship. For almost 2000 years now, Israel has literally abided without having any of these Biblical things for national identity, both religiously and politically; but notice verse 5, what it says."Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; and shall fear the Lord and His goodness in the latter days." That prophecy is for the latter days; so you do not necessarily apply it way back in the B.C. period. It is not a prophecy that speaks of causing national restoration. It is a prophecy that looks through all of this to a precise time. Therefore if these things that have been neglected, are to be gradually restored, then we have to realize they have to have Jerusalem under secure political control, and especially the temple spot; for there and there alone is where they can reconstruct the alter, animal sacrifice, and prepare to build the temple, to get the stage set and ready for the coming of their Messiah. With that in mind, let us try to look at this objectively. As Israel is going to be compelled to do something about taking this land beyond the Jordan, at the same time that opens up the northern regions of Jordan (That is what it is called today.) for the eventual immigration of another influx of Jews to come into the land of Israel. We just have to let the scriptures speak; so open your Bible's to Zephaniah 2, and notice what it says about Moab, when Israel does that. We are looking at the 9th verse. "Therefore as I live, saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them." Why is it to be so? Look at verse 10. "This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the Lord of hosts." None of this matches the notion most of our world leaders have about Jordan. Look at verse 11. "The Lord will be terrible unto them: for He will famish all the gods of the earth; and men shall worship Him, every one from his place, even all the isles of the heathen." Keep in mind as I stress this, that right now the Gentile world is sound asleep. I am talking about the religious realm. I am not talking about the drunk out on the street. I am talking about the religious category of Gentile people that think they know so much about the Bible: They are sound asleep. Naturally if you were to ask some Biblical scholar today, one of the seminary category, What do you think about this verse of scripture? He would probably say something like this, Well, if there is such a thing as the Millennium, I believe that is when He will fulfill that. Then I would have to say, You poor, spiritually blind character, you have prophecy after prophecy that tells how it is going to be; and you seem to think you can just play around with them. If there was any reason whatsoever for these prophecies being written, it was to give the true people of God a picture of what is on out ahead. Therefore there is no room for theories. When the Millennium is set up, the prophetic time factor has ended.

PROPHECIES OF THE BIBLE CANNOT FAIL

Well we all know there is going to be a temple built; and if there is going to be a temple built, Israel is going to need money. They may not know where the money will come from; but God knows exactly where it is, and how to put it in the hands of those Jews. He has already told us in His book where much of this money will come from. Right now, the way the political picture looks (to those who do not know the scriptures) those people will say, Well it will sure be a miracle if God gets anything out of there. That is what He is talking about in the 7th chapter of Micah. It is pointing to the same period of time that Numbers 24 is pointing to. God says this, In that day He will show unto Israel great and marvelous things, insomuch that the heathen shall come crawling out of their holes with their hands over their mouth, confounded at all their might. Just think of our own nation, how less than three years ago we were in a war, in the Gulf, fighting a war that Hussein himself said would be the mother of all wars. You know about all the high tech weaponry, and how God allowed that weaponry, and those men and women to obtain such a victory. Hussein referred to us as infidels and said you will wallow in your own blood. What a boast. Yet God reversed it. Only a little over a hundred casualties in the whole thing. Some of them did not die in the desert. Some of them died in a warehouse where they were sleeping when a missile hit. My point of illustration is this, Suppose God had reversed that the other way and all that high tech weaponry would have failed? How many of our troops would have come home from there? Think of it, Micah 7, the heathen. That is not the poor bush man in the African Congo jungle. It is this big man walking on Wall Street with his securities, and with his capacity to trade and invest in stocks and bonds. Politicians and world leaders who like to sit around their conference tables with their high priced liquor and champagne, are the ones God's word declares He will confound, when they behold what He does for Israel. That is why I have to believe as time is getting shorter, it means the pressure is building up. God is going to honor His word. As He does, and as He begins to turn Israel loose, as it says in Numbers, Israel will do valiantly. Where will that be? On the field of battle of course. Therefore as God begins to show His power on their behalf, in just a few short days of time the world leaders will be astonished. I get excited every time I think about how all of this is going to turn out. Every time I think how God gave us victory in the Gulf War, I just have to rejoice. There were times that tears would come to my eyes and I would think, God, Thank You! When the bombs and rockets began to drop and they began to see on the screen how we could put them right through the front door, some had to take another look at their position. Oh Bro. Jackson, they said they did not all go through the front door. Enough went through the front door that it got the job done; and that is what counts; so do not argue with me. It got the job done a lot quicker than anyone thought it would. At first they thought the thing might last a year or so. At first they thought there would be thousands buried in the desert. Well not a one was buried in the desert. The point is, God has a way of causing mankind on this earth to look toward Him, when He gets ready. I believe that is what He is getting ready to do. He is just getting everything in place, getting everyone interested in the great drama that is about to unfold. When He does turn that little nation loose, I can see the generals sitting back planning the strategy. When God said He will famish the gods of the earth, the number one god of the Middle East is the religion of the Islamic Arab. That is the one religion that is causing all the ruckus over there. Do you know why? Because all these Islamic Arabs are saying the promise of Abraham was not to Isaac, it was through Ishmael. That is why Mohammad was a descendant of Ishmael. They believe in Jesus. They believe in Moses to; but they are saying Mohammad was God's last prophet and there will never be another one. That is all a lie of the devil. It is a counterfeit to Judaism, just as Catholicism is a counterfeit to true Christianity. Therefore it remains to be seen just exactly how God will deal with those round about Jerusalem, who are of that Islamic belief. I will say again, The Middle East nations are overrun with those who look to Mohammed as their prophet; but they are not all Arabs. Let me explain this. Of those round about, that Jerusalem will become a cup of trembling to, Jordan ranks number one. They are true Arabs. They are the number one opposers who are true Arabs. Then those on down into Saudi Arabia are also Arabs. They are all descendants of Abraham by the other side; but the Egyptians are not Arabs. How many of you know that? It is true they are under the same religion. The Libyans, who Khadafi is the head of, are not Arabs. They are just plain Libyans. The Persians and Iranians are not Arabs. Neither are the Turks, even though they are under the Islamic belief. But as I say that, keep in mind, God knows exactly what He is doing. When He turns Israel loose, and she begins to do these gallant, valiant feats and come out victorious over her enemies, do you know what that is going to cause the Arabs in those regions round about to realize? That there is no way they can resist Israel. He is our brother. One of these days off down in Saudi Arabia, which is one of the wealthiest nations on earth, as you read Isaiah 60, it plainly tells you when the time comes, that Israel will start building their temple, out of that region of Saudi Arabia here comes gold, and incense to be offered upon the alter at Jerusalem. Israel could never get one penny out of Saudi Arabia without some drastic change. The political stage is not set yet. Somewhere in front of us, as God uses Israel to slaps that Islamic belief, it will not take them ten weeks, ten months, nor ten years. They will do in hours what we normally have had to do in months because it is God's way of showing His mighty power as He shows unto Israel great and marvelous things. I can see Saudi Arabia. I can see the Jordanian Arabs. I can see them all begin to say, You know, it looks like Isaac was the one after all. At that time, out of Saudi Arabia, Dedan and Sheba, here comes gold. Translate that into oil dollars, OPEC dollars is what it is all about. Also out of the regions of another, you read in Isaiah 60, here comes goats, here come camels, here come sheep. Why? For Israel to offer upon the alter. I dare any politician to go to Jordan today, to any of those Bedoin tribes and say, Would you like to donate a few sheep or goats to Israel? She is getting ready to offer sacrifice to Jehovah. They will say, Are you crazy? Who do you think you are talking to? When you read these prophecies, and you see how things are right now, you cannot help but realize it is an impossibility for such a things to be fulfilled, unless something happens to change attitudes and beliefs of those who are included in the prophecies. There has to be a key that unlocks the mystery and changes the heart's of those who now oppose Israel. It is very obvious that their heart's are not going to be changed by politics and diplomacy. Their heart's are going to be changed only as God uses Israel on the field of battle, to show those Arabs one more time, that never again will they bow to your dictates, and to your terroristic tactics. Israel will push her borders back far enough they can get the rest of them with their airplanes. It would not surprise me if they are the ones that will put old mad man Hussein to sleep forever. When it is all over, then Saudi Arabia, the Moabite people and all those regions will no longer be trouble makers. Let me just make a few more comments along this line while we are talking about this. Keep in mind, World leaders today have shown their intelligence, their political power as well as their military initiative; but if for some reason God uses Israel to do marvelous things over there, He is doing it for two strategic things: opening the hearts of the Arab world and these people in these regions to get ready to contribute their part in Isaiah 60, and at the same time, He is also doing it to touch a few heart's among Gentile nations. Not that He is going to touch everybody, but to touch a few heart's. When the time does come for the old city of Jerusalem to be rebuilt, and then inhabited by Jews instead of Arabs, Isaiah 60 plainly tells you the sons of strangers, those that actually were enemies of Israel through other decades, will come and help build up her walls. That has to be a reality and not just words we read in the Bible. When in our present world right now, we have no professional architects, nor engineering and construction men that have the capital, the equipment, and other means to look toward Israel and do one earthly thing in connection with renovating that city, we still know God is going to bring it all about somehow. When God gets ready to get them involved, then He will show His hand in present day world event and affairs of mankind. He will cause it to be done in a way that people realize, God is with Israel. Then you are going to see professional tradesmen, and actually people of every walk of life suddenly become very anxious to do something to help Israel. That is why I have said that when that time comes for God to do these things, people of the rest of the world are absolutely going to begin to realize that their religious beliefs are not worth two cents. As I look across into the Orient and can see Buddhism, I see Confucianism and all those kinds of religions, yet think of the Orient: When that hour comes, people to the ends of the earth are made to realize that the God of heaven is with the Jewish nation. I cannot help but see rich, Oriental, professional construction men getting into the picture; because even right now Japanese are bidding against our own construction men for jobs in the country, or anywhere else we have sent them. That is why I have to say, Was it not so when King Solomon built his temple, that help came from all sorts of places? Professional tradesmen of every profession out of all the various nations around about, contributed and volunteered. That is why I have to say, God knows exactly how to set the stage, to get all of this done. In Haggai 2, Haggai prophesied when he looked at the little temple that was being dedicated, and saw how those Jews were very hurt because it was not as large as they remembered the ancient one to be, saying, (3-9) "Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing? (4) Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the Lord; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the Lord, and work: for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts: (5) According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not. (6) For thus saith the Lord of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; (7) And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts. (8) The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts. (9) The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts." He knows exactly where every OPEC dollar is. He knows exactly where every professional contractor that is a professional tradesman in stone masonry, pile driving and all of those things are. The Jewish society back in the land today, when they lived in their nations of dispersion, did not themselves take up those different trades. They have been teachers, professors of science, doctors, lawyers, bankers, real estate brokers and all such like. That has been their profession; but to be construction contractors that have built big buildings, that was never in their mind. You just have to realize that every one of these prophecies provide us with a window we can look through to an era of time when God begins to gather together everything necessary to put the whole picture together. We are getting close to that time. You can depend on that. Nothing mankind does in the meanwhile, will hinder God's plan and purpose. He has a time for every bit of it to be fulfilled.

THE SEVENTIETH WEEK OF DANIEL

Let us go to the 12th chapter of Zechariah. We have titled this message, "Looking Through Windows of Prophecy;" and we have prophetic scriptures written in different places that we have been looking at, which finally points us right to the seventieth week of Daniel. This is not to give you the idea that this is where these scriptures are fulfilled; but realizing that they each belong to a certain period of time, it is how we look through these windows of prophecy toward the next episode that really makes the difference. These scriptures here are actually what set the stage for there to be a statehood of Israel in 1948. Then it was these scriptures here, how we see them, that begin to show forth the developing of the state, which has brought it up to the present hour. However all these prophecies are written with certain details that to the average reader seem to be so unimportant. That is why I said when we started out, that you simply cannot write these scriptures out on a sheet of paper, drop them in a container and shake it up, and then draw one out and expect it to be fulfilled just any time. Sure the Lord said He would do thus and so; but each scripture has a time and sequence involved in its fulfillment. You cannot yourself put one scripture in front of the other one because they unfold in a precise order. That is why, by the time the world and nation of Israel has reached the hour that she goes into the week of Daniel, and the world's antichrist signs an agreement with this nation of Israel, that starts the week, all these scriptures will have been fulfilled, and in place. In place means they are in the process of being fulfilled and the end purpose is then inevitable. Let us notice here in the 12th chapter of Zechariah, starting in verse 2. We have read it already; but notice where the emphasis is. "Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem." We brought out already, what verses 2 and 3 pertain to; so let me just say, In 1967, when the six day war was fought, Israel, in six days, took all this area over here and pushed her borders to the Jordan River, to the Dead Sea, and all the way down to the Red Sea toward Egypt. She took the Gaza Strip, which is territory she is supposed to have. When you read the 2nd chapter of Zephaniah, you see that the land of the Philistines, which was the Gaza Strip, is destined to be Judah's inheritance in these last days. At no other time in biblical times had Israel ever been able to conquer the Philistines to the extent that they could control the land. The Philistines were always there, ready to pounce on Israel and cause her all kinds of problems; but in the last days, God has said she would smite that land and this land would become a possession of the house of Judah. This area down in here is all the actual inheritance of Judah, the tribe of Judah, for these last days. The fact that Israel and the P.L.O. have agreed upon basic principles of peace in connection with areas of Jericho and the Gaza Strip, ought not be a cause for alarm; it may turn out to be only a means of hurrying the process of what these prophecies we have been looking at will require. The entire endeavor has actually brought the anti peace Israelis, and the anti peace Palestinians (who do not want to settle just for autonomy in the land) to the forefront. The anti peace Palestinians want to hold out for the complete destruction of the statehood of Israel. Therefore with those two extremes in the picture, we could very well see this present thing backfire in the near future; and actually be a means of setting these prophesied events in order. We need to notice the wording of some of these prophesies in the Bible and allow the Holy Spirit to put a picture in our mind's of how to look at them. Take verses 4- 6 of the 12th chapter of Zechariah for instance: where it speaks of how God in that day will make the governors of Judah like a fire in a sheaf of grain and a torch in a pile of wood. In other words, somewhere there is an hour of time coming, that these present leaders in the statehood of Israel are going to be replaced by another category of governors who will not be giving their ears to western diplomatic influence every time the sun comes up. They are going to be compelled to do something that will cause them to fulfill these scriptures. "In that day, saith the Lord, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness. (5) And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the Lord of hosts their God. (6) In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem." In 1967, though the army of Israel took old Jerusalem, they did not drive out the inhabitants; and neither did they bring the Mosque of Omar to ruins. As we have already pointed out, three fourths of the old city is inhabited by Arabs; and the Mosque of Omar is sacred to them; so Israel cannot just move in and fulfill these scriptures without something first taking place to make that a necessary measure. Otherwise they would be faced with a holy war; and they would have the whole world against them. We can say this, God just did not permit them to go that far in 1967; but in the near future, maybe the next go around of fulfilling these prophecies, there is definitely going to be something take place that will allow the old city Jerusalem to be inhabited by Jews. That is why you have to read Isaiah 49, and Isaiah 60; because somewhere leading up to the time the week of Daniel is to start, they go together. When the temple is in the process of being built, so will the walls of old Jerusalem be going through a rehabilitation process; and the old city is in the process of being renovated, getting it ready for that Messianic appearance; and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will no longer be Arabs: but Jews. They will be Jews of a lineage that goes back to ancient times. David was of the tribe of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem were basically related to the lineage of King David. Now let us look at the 7th verse. "The Lord also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah." In the 1967 war, Israel (basically the tribe of Judah) pressed her borders so that she not only reaches up into Lebanon and over here into the Golan Heights; but also way down south. Well right now they are being pressured to compromise in these certain areas we have been talking about; but God's word says He will cause the tents of Judah to be restored: which actually means He will restore the territory and the eventual occupancy of the entire area of what Judah occupied in former days. All of the land is to be restored to its original Jewish inhabitants, even every tribe. We just have to understand that God had a reason for Judah being restored first. He said He would save Judah first, then He would bring Ephraim. When He said He would establish the tents of Judah, that means their place of occupancy. He guarantees that, and that is what they have been doing since 1967 as more and more Jews begin to move outward into the various isolated areas of the old area of Judah. It is actually Jews going to various areas they feel like their lineage entitles them to possess. We notice here that is why the world keeps telling the leaders of Israel, you are moving people out into occupied territory. Well it is true: It is occupied in the sense that it is beyond the boundaries the United Nations relegated; but you have to understand that Israel was forced by her attackers to occupy the rest; and we can say this was God's way of giving Judah her rightful area of occupancy. To rightfully understand that, here is what it all means, if they had taken Jerusalem in the 1967 war as they did all this other area, there would have been many Jews, that out of sentimental longings to see the old city rebuilt, and also to see the temple rebuilt, and to be able to live near where the temple is, that would have made this their primary vision and all their efforts would have been devoted to that. Therefore if that is what they had devoted all their time and effort to, then many of those Jews would have stopped thinking about the rest of what God has ordained for them to do, and would have gone strictly to the city; and we know that is not what God wanted. We can say this, if He is going to use this tribe of Judah to be the beginning of His plan of restoration to the nation as a whole, then she is definitely going to have to have territorial conquests whereby the actual heritage of Judah be given first a primary opportunity to settle in the regions of Judah where they feel they belong. By doing it that way, He avoided this thing of people putting their priorities and personal feelings above His will and purpose. That is what He is actually talking about here. In other words, if people would have gone to Jerusalem first, they would have said, Who wants to think about that wasteland out there? I am glad I live in Jerusalem. You know how people are. People in general are all alike: we always look for the easy way out. That is man's way of doing things. Therefore God by His own word, has let it be written like this: He will save the tents of Judah first, meaning the area of their ancient occupancy. They have had twenty some years to establish themselves; but the world has not been content with allowing Judah to keep building and building and building. Time and time again they have been forced to promise western leaders they will not press for any more occupancy or tents or dwellings in the occupied areas. Nevertheless if God's word says He will restore her first, then God means to do exactly that. I just have to believe that in the time that has come and gone Judah and her occupants that are destined to be influential in fulfilling these prophecies have had the opportunity to do it. Now it no doubt is getting close to the time when the Lord is saying, It is time to start working on Jerusalem. Anyhow, regardless of what the situation looks like today, especially in the light of this peace proposal the Israeli's and Arabs have signed, here is where it all stands presently. When you look at this thing they have signed, this agreement to allow the Palestinian Arabs in the Gaza Strip area, and the Arabs living in the Jericho territory to have self government, it does not mean Israel is giving up her borders there. She will keep her military there; and she will still keep the authority to control that area of land for her own safety. It just simply means those Arabs that are now living there, will have their own city mayors, their own police department, and their own courts to settle their own civil and judicial affairs among the Arab people. But as far as them owning the land and becoming a state, that is out of the question. Israel has not promised anything like that. However it was mentioned in the beginning of this process, that sooner or later Jerusalem will be contested for; and I believe that is a sure thing. If this present thing is worked out and eventually put into force, and things settle down to the point where there is peace among the Palestinian Arabs in those two areas where they are allowed to have self government, there is no doubt whatsoever the Arabs in old Jerusalem are going to begin to demand that they be given equal treatment: so they may also be allowed to govern themselves. Now if that is the way it turns out, and if we are as close to the end as it looks like we are, here is what this would amount to. First that would require the Israeli police force to vacate the old city, so the Arabs could have their own police force and rule themselves in the old city just like the other areas in discussion. Yet right here in these prophecies we have been reading, it plainly tells us, that in that day He (God) will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about. That means when the time comes close that God wants this city to change occupants, so the city can be renovated and become inhabited by Jews to make ready for their Messiah, these particular prophecies like Numbers 24, Zephaniah 2:8-11, Jeremiah 48:47, are going to become activated. No doubt somewhere there will come about such a pressure that Israel will realize she is definitely going to have to take this thing in hand and stop listening to western leaders. Then there will only be one thing she can do: She will make a military sweep across here and she will put this Jordanian country, and all these other people to rest. When I say rest, it means God is going to cause Israel to give them such a military licking, not over a prolonged period of time, but it will be a war of such miraculous proportions these Palestinian and Jordanian Arabs cannot help but realize that God is with the Jewish people. That hour is coming; therefore I would like to stress to every believer, whether you read this or hear it on tape, or view it on video, When Israel reaches that hour when these scriptures are fulfilled, this is going to put Israel in complete control of the whole Middle East, and everything that pertains to her ancient borders. It will not be some long drawn out affair. Not at all. Just one giant sweep and Israel is going to put her enemies to rest. God is going to work and do it in such a way that it will fulfill what it says in Zephaniah, verses 8-11: that in that day He will famish the gods of the earth. Now Bro. Jackson, why do you keep stressing that? All because there is no way this side of heaven you will ever get Saudi Arabia and the people in this part of old Jordan to ever contribute one earthly thing to the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem, as it says in Isaiah 60, unless God first does something to get that Islamic belief out of the picture. This belief that the Islamic people have today, is not a belief of those people in ancient times. Those people in ancient times had the same belief toward Jehovah that the Jews did. The only thing was, they still held on to the idea that the covenant that God promised Abraham back in Genesis, was to come through Ishmael, and not through Isaac. That is why in the seventh century A.D. after the Christian era had already been in effect for almost seven hundred years, a man by the name of Mohammad, out of the tribe of Ishmael, rose up and started that religion. I will liken it to perverted system of Judaism. It is to Judaism what Catholicism is to the true Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is an anti force to antagonize, jeopardize, and stand in the way of what God has ordained; but God has a way of putting it to rest. I have to believe when He fulfills these scriptures right here, He will do it in one giant sweep. He will display His power in such a way that those Arabs will definitely know God is on Israel's side and definitely not on their side. When you take the prophet Micah in the 7th chapter and read what God would do for Israel in the last days, it did not happen in those other wars; but it will happen here; because in that hour, God says He will show great and marvelous things insomuch that the heathen will come crawling out of their holes with their hands over their mouth. They will be confounded at all they have experienced. With that in mind, let us ask ourselves the question, Why is God holding this thing off for so long? We have to get over here in time: ready for the last week of Daniel to start, before God sets the stage for it.