This post is a follow-up to a popular page, Why does the Bible talk about Israel signing a peace treaty? This is my own research into the covenant with Israel, a peace treaty brokered in August 2020 by the Trump administration. Is it the end-times peace treaty Christians are expecting between Israel and the Antichrist? Here are the facts so you can judge yourself. The information on this page addresses and answers the question.
The Announcement by the White House
(The link was broken when Trump was voted out.)
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/president-donald-j-trump-secured-historic-deal-israel-united-arab-emirates-advance-peace-prosperity-region/
This tells us that a deal was made between Israel and UAE through the White House. These nations are not next to each other. The distance between the two is 2044 miles as the crow flies. See https://www.freemaptools.com/how-far-is-it-between-jerusalem_-israel-and-dubai_-uae.htm Israel and UAE are separated by Jordan and Saudi Arabia. The UAE is about the size of Portugal. What can we learn about the UAE?
The Makeup of the UAE
https://conservapedia.com/United_Arab_Emirates
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/emirate
The United Arab Emirates is surrounded by Bahrain, India, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Yemen. The UAE is composed of seven emirates, of which Abu Dhabi is the largest. The UAE is slightly smaller than Portugal, so it’s a small nation. It does not pose a military threat to Israel. Yet the end-times Israel will have armies surrounding Jerusalem (Luke 21:20-24).
The UAE is a member of the United Nations and the Arab League, and has diplomatic relations with more than 60 countries.
What comprises the United Nations?
https://conservapedia.com/United_Nations
The United Nations is an organization of many countries, nearly all the countries in the world.
What comprises the Arab League?
https://conservapedia.com/Arab_League
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/background-and-overview-of-the-arab-league
The Arab League is composed of over 20 Arab membership nations.
We are interested in the above facts because in the end times, a group of nations will attack Israel. Is it either of the above groups of nations?
The Nations of the End Times that will Attack Israel
https://www.oxfordbiblechurch.co.uk/index.php/books/the-imminent-invasion-of-israel/537-appendix-1-the-identification-of-the-nations-of-ezekiel-38
We are not left to wonder about what nations will attack Israel in the last days. Ezekiel 38 addresses, by their ancient names, the countries which will make war against Israel. This article translates the names into their modern counterparts.
Quoting from the above, “While the identification of some of these peoples is somewhat debatable, there is a general measure of agreement as to their identification:
Rosh and Magog = Russia and its satellites;
Meshech and Tubal = Russia or Turkey;
Persia = Iran;
Cush = Sudan;
Put = Libya;
Gomer and Togarmah = Turkey.”
Iran, Russia, and Turkey are not a members of the Arab League. However, they are among the nations that will attack Israel.
Bible Facts regarding the Eleventh Horn of Daniel 7, or Beast of Revelation 13 (otherwise called the antichrist)
Here is how Daniel 7 explains the events in the end times. Daniel had a dream and he sought its interpretation. His dream concerns the end times, to the time when Christ comes again and establishes His kingdom. Verse 23 and on are from “one of those who stood by” to interpret the dream. He gives us the character of the confederation to come, of which a ruler will make a covenant with many and attack Israel.
Daniel 7:19-20 “Then I desired to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the rest, exceedingly terrifying, with its teeth of iron and claws of bronze, and which devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet, and about the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn that came up and before which three of them fell, the horn that had eyes and a mouth that spoke great things, and that seemed greater than its companions.”
We should expect a fourth kingdom in the last days that is more warlike and ruthless in character than the previous (think Hitler and his super-race rhetoric), and it will have destructive effects on the surrounding nations due to its war machine (Revelation 13:4). It will have ten horns, or rulers. An eleventh ruler will rise to power and will cause three rulers in this kingdom to “fall.” This ruler will be known by its arrogant speech, and will rise in prominence over the rest of the rulers in that kingdom. The antichrist figure will be able to lead armies; he is not merely a politician.
This figure of the end times is known by several names. “Antichrist” is most popular and comes from 1 John 2:18, “Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.” Antichrist means “against Christ.” This “last hour” has continued for the past two thousand years. There has been much antagonism against Christ and His followers throughout this time. His followers will experience much persecution in the last days.
The antichrist will arise after an end-times confederacy of ten nations. As we saw earlier, the United Nations is a huge body of nations, not ten. The Arab League is over twenty nations, not ten. We are expecting a confederacy that isn’t around yet.
The confederacy of the Antichrist may or may not be composed by Russia and its satellites, Turkey, Iran, Sudan, and Libya, the listing of countries in Ezekiel 38. These armies will surround Israel.
Daniel 7:21-22 “As I looked, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them, until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom.”
We should expect this ruler to make war against the Jews (especially in the middle of a 7-year covenant which he will make with them, Revelation 13:5-10). The saints (the Jewish Christians–I’m not certain of Gentile Christians) will be overcome, jailed, and killed (Revelation 6:9). Then the Lord comes, brings judgment against the enemies (Matthew 25:31-46), and the saints rule with the Christ (Revelation 19-22).
Daniel 7:23, “Thus he said: ‘As for the fourth beast, there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all the kingdoms, and it shall devour the whole earth, and trample it down, and break it to pieces.'”
We should expect a fourth kingdom that will have a destructive, warlike effect on the nations of the earth (Revelation 6:1-6). This kingdom will not be salted by Christianity. It will not be known for its mercy.
Daniel 7:24, “As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise, and another shall arise after them; he shall be different from the former ones, and shall put down three kings.”
We should expect a 10-nation confederacy (horns symbolizing power) and ten kings will be prominent. An eleventh ruler will rise up after those ten, different in some ways than the others, and will put down three kings. I don’t know what the “put down” signifies. (Remove; rule over?)
Daniel 7:25, “He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time.”
This is spoken of in Revelation 13:5-10. He will be allowed (by the Lord or the confederacy?) to continue for 42 months in power. “A time, times, and half a time” speaks of 3 1/2 years, or 42 months. He will be blasphemous in speech and conduct and persecute the godly believers.
Daniel 7:26 “But the court shall sit in judgment, and his dominion shall be taken away, to be consumed and destroyed to the end.”
Jesus will come, remove His saints, and pour out His judgments on that kingdom (Revelation 15-19). The Beast and his confederates will be taken and killed (Revelation 19:19-21).
Conclusion
We know the current covenant only between Israel and UAE that was made in August 2020 is not the covenant of the last days, for the latter covenant will be made with many nations. There is still more to come before the antichrist figure, or the Beast of Revelation 13, arrives. The significance of the present covenant, though, is that a door is has been opened a crack that could usher in a covenant with many. If Jordan and UAE find it advantageous to sign with Israel, why not more Arab nations? This covenant is startling because it shows us that animosity against Israel is weakening, and shows us how the end-times covenant could be furthered. We can no longer say that an Arab covenant with Israel is impossible.
The current covenant is not the end-times covenant. It is not being made by a warlike entity. It is not composed of the nations of Ezekiel 38. The person responsible for the end-times covenant will be arrogantly against God. The Sign, by the late Robert Van Kampen, one of the most thoroughly researched books on the end times, says the nations of Ezekiel 38 will be under the rule of the Antichrist. That’s a coalition to look for before the final seven years begin, not the building of the temple. Those nations will eventually surround Israel with their armies.
Sign up to get news of the next article. The one you are reading is based on Daniel 7. The next will be based on Daniel 9. I will try to create a timeline of these events.
There is yet time to get ready for the Lord’s return and the catching up of the saints. How do you know if you are ready? What is your answer? What are you hoping will help you “get in”?
If your answer is based on your accomplishments, you may not be ready. “I go to church.” “I volunteer and help.” “I read my Bible regularly and pray.” “I give money to the church and other organizations.” “I’m a pretty good person.” “I have a good reputation in the church.” “My dad was a minister.”
None of these are indicators that you are ready for when the Lord comes again. They are all about your accomplishments, not the Lord’s. What has the Lord been doing in your life? How has the Spirit been changing you? What the Lord is doing in your life–that is what prepares you.
Jesus commanded us to “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). This means to seek the rule of Jesus over all of your life, over all you are and have and want. To live a life that is yielded to Him hour by hour. This is different from the majority approach of religious persons, which is to seek first the American Dream and its leisure hours. To be one’s own ruler, to be the captain of your own ship.
The greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. The second is like it, to love your neighbor with the same regard you love yourself (Matthew 22:34-40). When you are bringing your heart, soul, mind, and strength under the rule of Jesus, seeking the Kingdom of God over it all, then you are getting ready. If Christ in you is your life, you are getting ready. If the life to come influences your mood more than the life now, you are getting ready.
If these points determine your life’s choices and goals, then you are getting ready. You are patient and rejoicing in trials, not grumbling, because Jesus is in charge, and you accept all as from His hand to mold and shape you. You are seeking to serve the Lord and others more than your own appetites. You show by your finances, smartphone use, and other things that you love the Lord more than anything else. You are dealing seriously with sin and idols. You are seeing the Lord in the scriptures, responding to the teachings, promises, warnings, and you are growing into Him more and more. You are living your life by faith in what God’s says, not by seeing and feeling. These are good indicators of readiness for the Lord’s coming. You already know if you love the Lord more than anything else, or if an idol is greater.
A followup to this article was posted: The End Times According to Daniel 9. In the comments, several of the ideas about the Antichrist do not line up with scripture. Read the followup articles to learn more.
Here is some information about getting ready for the Lords’ coming, complete with scripture verses: https://stevehusting.com/doubtbusters/2017/11/24/how-can-you-prepare-yourself-for-the-rapture/
