World leaders have agreed to convene a follow-up meeting to the Annapolis peace conference that was held in the United States in November of last year. This year's meeting will most likely be held in Sharm-el-Sheikh in Egypt on the 27th of November, a year to the day that Israeli and Arab leaders presented their joint-declaration and committed themselves to final status talks. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had been pressing for both sides to draft a document of principles, which would detail progress that had been made over the last twelve months of negotiations. But Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni has opposed the idea, fearing the publication of such details could result in pressure from hardliners to limit the concessions being made by both sides. Leaders of Israel and the Palestinian Authority will instead brief members of the Quartet on progress that has been achieved so far. Russia had sought to host the follow-up gathering to the Annapolis peace conference, but it seems that following the conflict in Georgia, Russia has been sidelined in this matter. Instead the summit will be held in Egypt, and a peace gathering will be held in Moscow in the Spring.  

Quote: "Quartet representatives met with their Arab League counterparts in New York last week and approved the proposed Israeli and Palestinian briefing. Also, Quartet members decided to hold a peace summit in Moscow next spring. Meanwhile, the Israeli source said the November summit will probably take place in Sharm el-Sheikh on the anniversary of last year's Annapolis summit. Quartet representatives, including its Middle East envoy, former British prime minister Tony Blair, will participate as well as officials from Jordan and Egypt.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has not essentially changed his views over the past year. Olmert stated at Annapolis one year ago that "the reality that emerged in our region in 1967 will change significantly". On Tuesday Olmert once again claimed that Israel "should withdraw from almost all of the territories, including in east Jerusalem and in the Golan Heights" if Israel was to obtain peace with the Palestinians. Of course the Palestinians proclaimed this as a major shift in Israeli policy, and lamented the fact that Olmert had not made this clear to them while he was still Prime Minister. In actual fact Israel has gone above and beyond what is required of them to accommodate the Palestinian Authority, making repeated offers of territory which have been rejected again and again. At the Annapolis peace conference we heard how the Palestinian negotiators repeatedly hardened their stance just minutes prior to the announcement of the joint-declaration. And just twenty-four hours after the Annapolis peace conference was concluded, President Abbas' Fatah party was broadcasting propaganda on their television network, calling for the destruction of Israel and displaying a map of the Middle East with with a Palestinian flag covering the entire Jewish state. Israel is not negotiating for land, they are negotiating for their very existence! And anyone who thinks that Israel and the Palestinian Authority can achieve any sort of lasting peace agreement is greatly deluded. The Bible states that during the tribulation period Israel's enemies shall be in siege both against Judea and Jerusalem (Zechariah 12:2), and as the international community continues to press Israel into making peace with those who seek its complete destruction, it's easy to see how this situation will come about. The fact that the international community are pressing for the creation of a Palestinian state in Judea (West Bank) with east Jerusalem as its capital shows us how close we are to the fulfilment of these prophecies. It's time to get ready. Jesus Christ is coming back again. Only those who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ will escape the wrath of God that is to fall upon this wicked world (Luke 21:36). But there is still time for you to be ready. Confess to God that you are a sinner. Thank Him for sending His Son into the world to bear the punishment for your sins upon the cross. Ask Him to come into your life as Lord and Saviour. And God has promised that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:13).

Source Haaretz

Outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has made his most courageous statement to date on the Middle East peace process, warning that Israel must disengage from "almost all" territories captured during the Six Day War in return for peace with their Arab neighbours. His comments came on the eve of Rosh HaShanah, the Jewish new year. Olmert, who resigned from his post last week, is once again in charge of a caretaker government until his successor can form a coalition. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, who has been nominated to replace Olmert as leader of Kadima, is expected to head a government until the next elections. At the last meeting before his resignation, Olmert had offered 98.1% of Judea and Samaria to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas for the creation of a Palestinian state. The remainder was to be taken from land within the 1948 armistice lines, which would have seen Israel cede the Jordan valley and land adjacent to the Gaza Strip in exchange for settlements within eastern Jerusalem. According to Army Radio, the deal floundered on the issue of Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees. Olmert's latest statement is likely to further undermine Israel's sovereignty within the ancient capital city as both sides press for an agreement within the coming months.

Quote: ""(I am saying) what no previous Israeli leader has ever said: we should withdraw from almost all of the territories, including in east Jerusalem and in the Golan Heights," Olmert, who resigned over corruption allegations, told Yedioth Ahronoth. The Israeli daily called it a "legacy interview," published on the eve of the Jewish new year, in which Olmert went further in making offers for peace than he ever did publicly when he was in active office, with greater power to see them carried out.

Olmert's statement is significant. For the first time in history an Israeli leader has openly called for the ceding of Judea and the division of Jerusalem, as prophesied in the Scriptures so long ago (Zechariah 12:2, 14:2, Revelation 11:2). And the fact that this is happening now, after six thousand years of Earth's history, is no less significant. For the Scriptures seem to indicate that after six thousand years of history have run their course, Christ will return to set up His Millennial Kingdom, which is to last for a period of one thousand years (Revelation 20:1-6). Peter's epistle mentions the Second Coming of Christ. In an attempt to justify the apparent delay in our Lord's return, Peter quotes from the Psalm of Moses to explain God's timing of this event.

2nd Peter 3:8-9
But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 

While this verse simply explains that God exists outside of our time frame, many prominent Jewish rabbis and Christian scholars have taught that this measurement can be used to calculate the approximate duration of mankind's rule over this earth. And there are many Scriptures which seem to correlate well with the theory that man would rule over Earth for six thousand years, and that Christ would rule for the seventh period of one thousand years, allowing all of creation to enjoy a Sabbath rest. Sometimes this period of time is alluded to in the Scriptures by sixes and sevens, and in this case we start our count of days from the beginning of creation. Sometimes it is alluded to in just twos and threes, in which case we count from the first coming of the Messiah, two thousand years ago.

In this passage we have one of the first allusions to timing of the Second Coming of Christ. Moses was commanded to sanctify the people for two days, and on the third day God would come down on the mountain in the sight of all the people. Through His atoning death upon the cross, Jesus Christ has sanctified us and washed us from our sins in His own blood (Revelation 1:5). After two thousand years He is to return in the sight of all the people. 

Exodus 19:10-11
And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes, And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.

The following passage in Hosea speaks of the diaspora, how the nation of Israel would be scattered among the nations, and how God would bring them back to their land after two days or a period of two thousand years. After two days the nation of Israel would be revived. This has happened in our lifetime. On the third day they would be raised up. This 'raising up' speaks of the spiritual renewal amongst the Jewish people, which would occur after they are brought back to the land as prophesied in Ezekiel 37 in the valley of dry bones, and again just prior to the return of Christ (Zechariah 14). And then they would live in the sight of their Messiah. 

Hosea 6:1-2
Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.

The next passage mentions Christ's response to Herod, who sought to put Jesus to death. Christ told the Pharisees to tell Herod that He was casting out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and the third day He would be finished. Over the last two thousand years people have been saved through the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But this work will be finished or complete once Christ returns to set up His Millennial Kingdom.

Luke 13:31-32
The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee. And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.

This passage in John's Gospel speaks of the wedding that was to take place in Cana on the third day. John the Baptist spent the first two days pointing out the virtues of Christ to those who came to him repenting of their sins (John 1:29, 35). The Church has spent the last two thousand years pointing people to the Lord Jesus Christ, and on the third day Christ is to come to receive His Bride.

John 1:29, 35-36, 2:1
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:

The following passage comes from the parable of the good Samaritan, who had found a young Jewish lad that had been brutally attacked and left for dead on the Jericho road. The Samaritan takes the injured man to an inn and instructs the innkeeper to look after him. He pays the innkeeper two day's wages, and promises to pay whatever more is required on his return. Jesus Christ had compassion on us when we were dead in trespasses and in sins (Ephesians 2:1). He came down into this world in order to lift mankind up to the heights of heaven. He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. The punishment to procure our peace was laid upon Him, and by His sacrifice we are spiritually healed. Like the good Samaritan in the story, on the third day Christ will come again.

Luke 10:35
And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.

The final passage comes from the Christ's transfiguration on the mount. Jesus Christ said that there were some disciples standing with him who would not taste of death until they had seen Christ coming in His Kingdom. Six days later Christ takes Peter, James and John up into a mountain to pray, and as He is praying His glory is revealed to them. Six thousand years of man's history will run their course. And on the seventh period of one thousand years, Christ will return in His glory, to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Mark 9:2-3
And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them. And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.

As you can see, whether the rapture happens this October or not, there are many reasons to believe that Christ's return is near. If we count two thousand years from Christ's birth, then His return is actually overdue. But praise God that we know He does not break His promises! He is coming back, and if these Scriptures are anything to go by, it must happen soon. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. Jesus Christ loves you so much. He gave His life for yours upon the cross of Calvary two thousand years ago. He promised that if He returned to heaven, He would come back again to take all those who have trusted in Him for salvation to be with Him where He is (John 14:3). We don't know exactly when that will happen, but believe it must be soon. Why don't you turn away from your sins, and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation today!  

Source YNet News, Arutz 7

Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni has won the Kadima primary elections, beating her main rival Transport Minister Shaul Mofaz to the post by a margin of ten percent. Her victory will help to secure her position as the second woman Prime Minister in the history of the modern state of Israel. Ehud Olmert, who is presently under criminal investigation for a number of corruption scandals, will continue as Prime Minister until a new coalition government is formed. Livni heads the Israeli negotiating team that was set up following the Annapolis peace conference, and her win has given the Palestinian Authority much cause for celebration. 

Quote: "A senior Fatah-PA source said that "even if our formal position is that we work with whoever is elected, it is no secret that working with Livni will be much easier. She knows the material and there is no need to start from scratch with her." The source estimated that if Mofaz were elected he would have tried to create a coalition with Shas and the right-wing parties and toughen Israel's stance in negotiations, whereas "Livni understands that the solution to the situation is a quick diplomatic agreement with us," he said.

Despite Livni winning the primaries, the pressure is still on Israel and the Palestinian Authority to reach an agreement by the end of the year. Last night Olmert met with Abbas in Jerusalem in a last minute bid to clinch a deal before he steps down. The two are expected to continue to meet until Olmert steps down as Prime Minister. Olmert hopes that a 'shelf agreement' could be agreed by Israel and the Palestinians, which would be implemented at a later date once more difficult issues such as the division of Jerusalem had been resolved. But the Palestinian Authority has been demanding that these issues be dealt with immediately, and that a state be established as soon as an agreement is reached. A recent report by Channel 2 news stated that Olmert had apparently offered Abbas 98.1% of Judea and Samaria for the creation of a Palestinian state, well above the 92% which had been offered in previous months. They also reported that the government has agreed to absorb 5000 Arab refugees into Israel as part of a peace deal with the Palestinian Authority. Olmert had previously stated that he was not willing to allow a single Arab refugee to return to the land of Israel. 

Quote: "Olmert appealed on Monday for a partial peace deal before he steps down, but Abbas wants a detailed accord that would settle sensitive issues such as the future of Jerusalem, Palestinian refugees, borders and Jewish settlements. "We will not sign any deal before we are assured that it is comprehensive and doesn't delay any of the core issues. It should be detailed," said Yasser Abed Rabbo, a senior Abbas aide. "We also want implementation mechanisms, and international guarantees for implementation, as well as international implementation monitoring," Abed Rabbo said.

It's hard to know what may take place over the next few months. Will we see an agreement signed before the end of the year? I don't know. But one thing is certain, we will not see a Palestinian state created just yet. For the Bible states that halfway through the period known as Daniel's seventieth week, Israel's enemies shall be in siege both against Judea and Jerusalem (Zechariah 12:2), and east Jerusalem shall fall into the hands of the Gentiles for three and a half years (Zechariah 14:2, Revelation 11:2). So it seems that Israel must remain in possession of these lands until the time the great tribulation begins. Many people have differing viewpoints on when the Lord Jesus Christ will come for His Church. I believe this will happen prior to Daniel's seventieth week. But even if that were the case, none of us are guaranteed to see tomorrow's light. That's why it is important to be ready today (2nd Corinthians 6:2). If your soul was required of you tonight, would you be ready to meet God? Have your sins been forgiven? Jesus Christ bore God's punishment for your sins when He died upon the cross of Calvary (Isaiah 53:11). All those who trust in Him for salvation can know their sins forgiven and have everlasting life in heaven (John 3:16). Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation today.

Luke 21:36
Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Source Arutz 7, Reuters, Israel Today, International Herald Tribune

Sorry there have been no updates to the website over the past few days. I was attending an archery leaders course in Moira, so I hadn't much time to work on the computer. Javier Solana, the High Representative for the European Common, Foreign and Security Policy, met with King Abdullah II of Jordan yesterday for the final leg of his latest tour of the Middle East. In a press statement, King Abdullah reaffirmed Jordan's support for the role of the European Union in the Middle East peace process, underlining "the importance of the EU role in the maintenance of security and stability in the Middle East and the establishment of peace between the Palestinians and Israel, particularly in the coming months". Solana also made stops in Egypt, Israel and the Palestinian Authority. His tour of the region follows a recent visit to Damascus, where he and French President Nicolas Sarkozy met with Syrian President Bashar Assad to discuss the peace negotiations with Israel. The purpose of this latest trip was to gauge the prospects of a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians before the end of the year. Solana said that progress had been slow since the Annapolis peace conference, but added that a peace agreement would be much more complicated to negotiate in 2009, presumably alluding to the threat of war with Iran.

Quote: "Solana said in an interview on Friday that "it is true that in this process of negotiations, the more determined one is, the better chances of getting an agreement in the [stipulated] time frame .... I think that it has been done too slowly at the beginning and that probably this is the mistake that has been made." Solana arrived in Israel Friday morning and had meetings with Israeli and Palestinian officials in Tel Aviv and Ramallah. Solana said he has doubts over whether a deal can be completed by the end of the year, saying that the longer the sides wait to go forward with talks, the less they are likely to succeed. "Because time is shorter, it will more difficult to do," Solana said. "I think we have to maintain the momentum and we will have to see some results before the end of the year". He added that in 2009 "it will be much more complicated to do." 

And on what may be his final address to his cabinet, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced that he now believes the idea of a Greater Israel no longer exists. He made the comments during a second cabinet meeting to discuss Vice Premier Haim Ramon's evacuation-compensation bill, which promises monetary incentives for Israelis wanting to voluntarily relocate prior to a second disengagement from Judea and Samaria. He warned that unless Israel was prepared to disengage from these regions, that the international community may conclude that the peace process is doomed, and call for the establishment of a bi-national state.

Quote: ""Forty years after the Six Day War ended, we keep finding excuses not to act. This isn't doing Israel any good. The international community in starting to view Israel as a future bi-national state. We can prove that we have been more creative than the other side through the years, and that they have been more obstinate, but as usual, we will win the debate by loosing sight of what's really important. "We can always find very good reasons for not doing things now, and for why we would be better off postponing everything to a later date," continued Olmert. "We refuse to face reality. Time is not on Israel's side, not because our cause isn't just, but because time has its own repercussions. "I admit – this hasn't always been my position. In the past I've said – and I said it to (Labor Chairman Ehud) Barak at the time – that what he agreed to in Camp David was wrong. "I used to believe that everything from the Jordan Riverbank to the Mediterranean Sea was ours. After all, dig anywhere and you'll find Jewish history. But eventually, after great internal conflict, I've realized we have to share this land with the people who dwell here – that is if we don't want to be a bi-national state," said Olmert.

Olmert actually misquotes this Scripture. God promised to give Abraham and his descendants all of the territory from the Euphrates river to the Mediterranean sea, from the Nile in the south to Damascus in the North. (Genesis 15:18). That land not only encompasses Gaza, Judea and Samaria, but also Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and the half of Iraq. This territory is referred to as 'Greater Israel'. For although Israel may not presently occupy this land, they will do so in a coming day when the Messiah returns to set up His Millennial Kingdom. During the Six Day War the Jewish state captured the entire Sinai peninsula within the space of just a few days. They also captured Judea, Samaria and east Jerusalem from the Jordanians, and the Golan Heights from the Syrians. But rather than believing in the God who promised to give this land to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their descendents, Israel handed back most of this territory in exchange for peace with their enemies, something they were instructed never to do (Deuteronomy 23:6). And rather than trusting in the Mighty God of Jacob for their deliverance, they are once again seeking to placate their enemies by handing over territory that was never theirs to give in the first place (Leviticus 25:23). But the day is coming when the Jewish people will fully possess the land given to them by God (Psalm 72:8). There will be no Palestinian state, but the foreigners will live in peace in Israel, and they will trust in the name of the Lord (Zephaniah 3:12). What a prospect that will be! A perfect Man ruling in righteousness and peace (Isaiah 32:1) and God dwelling amongst His people (Revelation 21:3). But Jesus Christ said that unless our righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees, we cannot enter into the Kingdom of God (Matthew 5:20). In other words, we need a righteousness that exceeds even that which is attained through the keeping the law of God. An impossibility, you say! There is only one way for us to achieve that kind of righteousness, and that is through the Person of Jesus Christ. He took God's punishment for your sins when He died upon the cross of Calvary. And all who believe on Him for salvation can have this righteousness that exceeds what the law can offer us (Acts 13:39). Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation today.

Isaiah 9:6-7
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

Source YNet News, Haaretz, YNet News