Λαμβάνοντας υπόψη την εύθραυστη κατάσταση του Λιβάνου, η ερώτηση των οπαδών Βίβλων είναι, τι είναι το επόμενο βήμα στην πρόοδο στο βασίλειο Χριστού; Πόσο μακρύς θα πάρει; Δεν υπάρχει η μικρότερη αμφιβολία ότι η μεγάλη περίοδος 58 ετών, στην τρέχουσα κατάσταση προόδου από το σχηματισμό του Ισραήλ το 1948, είναι εξ ολοκλήρου απροσδόκητη. Ένας μακρύς κατάλογος δραματικών γεγονότων στο παρόν μας αφήνει ακόμα έναν μακροχρόνιο τρόπο από το τέρμα.

• 4 πόλεμοι ερήμων που κερδίζονται από το Ισραήλ 1948-1973
• Προσωρινή ισραηλινή εισβολή του Λιβάνου 1982-2000
• Πέτρα που ρίχνει το intifada 1987-2005
• Βομβαρδισμοί 1995-2005 λεωφορείων/καφέδων αυτοκτονίας
• Ανάκληση των ισραηλινών αποίκων από τη Γάζα 2006
• Παλαιστινιακές επιθέσεις πυραύλων από τις επιθέσεις πυραύλων της Γάζας Hizb» Αλλάχ από το νότιο Λίβανο 2006
• Ισραηλινοί μόλυβδοι απάντησης στον πόλεμο 2006 του Λιβάνου

Ένα χαρακτηριστικό γνώρισμα αυτού του καταλόγου είναι ότι, από την περίοδο ηρεμίας το 1973-1982 μετά από τους τέσσερις πολέμους ερήμων, η ισραηλινή/αραβική αντιμετώπιση έχει πάρει περισσότερους & πιό επικίνδυνος. Εδώ είναι ένας προτεινόμενος κατάλογος ενεργειών που οι προφητείες Βίβλων δείχνουν θα περιλάβει το Ισραήλ προτού να μπορέσει να επιτύχει τη νίκη, η ειρήνη και ένας ασφαλής θρόνος της Ιερουσαλήμ για βασιλεύουν του Ιησού Χριστού.

• Γάζα που λαμβάνεται και που ενσωματώνεται στο Ισραήλ
• Δυτική Όχθη ομοίως {όπως
• Νότια Ιορδανία ομοίως {προβλεπόμενος
• Βόρεια Ιορδανία ομοίως {από
• Νότιος Λίβανος ομοίως {Obadiah
• Παλαιστίνιοι «κανένας που παραμένει» Obadiah
• Ισραήλ μόνο [ΗΠΑ] Isaiah 63
• Όλα τα έθνη ενάντια στην Ιερουσαλήμ Zechariah

Η τελευταία δράση μπορεί να είναι η αντίδραση των Η.Ε στην ισραηλινή απομάκρυνση όλων των Παλαιστίνιων και η έκβαση είναι «ο Λόρδος θα πάει εμπρός και θα παλεψει ενάντια σε εκείνα τα έθνη» Zech 14:3. Μετά από τις τεράστιες αλλαγές, λεπτομερείς μέσα Zechariah 14, Jerusalem will then be a suitable location for Priest/King Jesus to proclaim his global rule.

HOW LONG TO COMPLETION?

If the first list of events has taken 58 years to achieve, how long will the second list take? Are we halfway through? Is there another 58 years ahead before Israel is a suitable place to establish the kingdom?

Yes, it is possible for it all to be over in one year. Anything is possible. But, given the time taken so far, do you think that is likely? No, not likely. For the whole mess to be cleaned up, for Israel to be deserted by all her supporters, for the Palestinians to be entirely removed, for all of Israel’s other enemies to be defeated, seems like the work of decades ahead. It is not the only timeframe but that is the most likely one.

The only addition to sovereign Israel to the present day is a small portion of Jerusalem added in 1967. All the extra territory, that God gave them in the 1967 war, Israel has refused to declare sovereign Israel because it contains too many Arabs.

Imagine the drama and outcry internationally when Israel changes its mind and is forced by military circumstances, to retake the areas it abandoned. and keep them as part of the rebuilt land.

So far Israel has made practically no move to do that. She has been in and out of Gaza and Lebanon several times but always intending eventually to withdraw which she has done. Obadiah states that sooner or later Israel will go in and stay. Next time? Maybe, maybe not. It looks like a long process ahead.

The good news is that Jesus may return tonight, immediately to gather his elect, both dead and living, and to commence the enormous task of sorting out the Middle East. These two actions - the continuing Israeli/Arab battle and the initial work of Jesus - may very well progress side-by-side, simultaneously.

What seems to be the very first actions Jesus performs on his return? Does Jesus first deal with the Arab attack on Israel? Apparently not. “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.

Here are important details and a sequence of events.

• Jesus returns with voices, shouts & trumpets
• Resurrection of dead in Christ
• Eligible living caught up in the air
• They will ever be with “the Lord”.

The place of meeting is “in the air” and no further positive earthly location is given for the celebratory “marriage supper of the Lamb” Revelation 19:9. Such a highly spiritually charged occasion could as easily take place “in the air” as on the earth’s surface.

Subsequently, the united host is seen in OT times Deuteronomy 33:2 coming from Sinai, Seir and Mt Paran to give the Mosaic Law and, in a future time, Habakkuk 3:3 is seen coming from Teman and Mt Paran to the Arab locations of Cushan and Midian to trample the nations in anger (v.12; see Isaiah 63). These places are where the Ishmailite Arabs camp around Israel’s border nowadays and cause grief, death and destruction. They will pay for it soon enough as these verses testify.

A very highly qualified Biblical scholar, John Thomas, schooled in Greek and Hebrew, history and archaeology, wrote in Eureka, “When the south is thus freed from the domination of ‘the house of Esau’ [Obadiah 1:18-21] the healing of Egypt will commence.” p.556, Vol 2. He is referring to Isaiah chapter 19. “The Lord will strike [or smite AV] Egypt. He will strike and heal it; they will return to the Lord and he will be entreated by them and heal them” v.21. John Thomas then proposes that Jesus and his companions move from Egypt towards Jerusalem, Jesus stands upon the Mount of Olives which splits in two, and challenges the gates to open which eventually they do.

Now the point to be made here is this. How long is the period between the first arrival of Jesus to gather the dead and living believers, in addition to his destruction of Arab harassment of Israel, and through the conversion of Egypt, to his eventual passage through the gates of Jerusalem? It could take decades.

The conversion of Egypt seems best to fit in a sequence before Jesus arrives in Jerusalem as there is no evidence that he leaves Jerusalem to go into Egypt later. The conversion of Egypt is no overnight event - Isaiah 19 details a process of smiting, healing, teaching, establishing locations for true worship of God, similar to that of Micah 5 for the conversion of Iraq.

The suggestion is that while Jesus and the redeemed are occupied in these activities, the Israeli/Palestinian confrontation continues, with Israel slowly reclaiming her ancient territories. The proposition is that the activities of Jesus and the redeemed in the south and in Egypt continue simultaneously with Israel’s battles for years or maybe 2 or 3 decades.

Now here is the next important point. When Jesus returns, maybe tonight, the continuing Holy Land battles, be they be years or decades, will not be worrysome or distressing to the redeemed because they will be with Jesus. He will be in charge and he will deal with Israel and her enemies at the right time.

The Middle East has just been through the second Lebanon war with Israel prepared to withdraw again. Hisb’Allah will not leave or disarm and questions remain, How long to next time? And will Israel be prepared to withdraw a third time? The Bible clearly foretells of a time when Greater Israel is achieved but with two great unknowns, How long? and, In what sequence of events? Only God knows and even Jesus, in the first century, said that he, Jesus, did not know.

All we can do is take the Bible prophecies at their word, without distortion, assemble all the myriad details given, and arrive at what seems to be a logical progression of facts, recognising that some of our conclusions may prove to be not entirely correct.

The final result, however, is certain. Jesus will rule the world in justice and equity. The world will finally settle into peace and tranquillity, no matter how long it takes.