The Hal Lindsey Report ~ March 8, 2013

 

March 8th, 2013

This week on 'The Hal Lindsey Report'

 

President Obama is planning a visit to Israel later this month. So far, the White House has not released the dates of the trip nor the President's full itinerary. Neither has it stipulated his agenda, other than that he would be discussing a "broad range of issues," including Iran and Syria, with Israeli leaders.

Jay Carney, the White House press secretary, made no mention of the Palestinian issue in his most recent statement to the press. That's interesting because during the President's first term, his people said he would only visit Israel if his presence would substantially advance the peace process.

Now, he's not even hyping his ability to solve the crisis.

Why the change? Maybe he's discovering the same intransigence the Israelis have dealt with all along. This is just speculation, but I wonder if it might have something to do with the Palestinians' warnings to him that he had better not even think about visiting the Temple Mount -- unless he does it precisely as they dictate.

That might present a problem because he will be the guest of the Israeli government. The Palestinians say he can't even have a single Israeli official or security person with him if he ascends the Mount. And that demand is just the beginning.

Of course, what the Palestinians are trying to do is get the most powerful man in the world, the President of the United States, to bow to their demands and thus put his stamp of authentication on their claim that they alone have sovereignty over the Temple Mount. Ironically, the Temple Mount is THE holiest site in Judaism, yet until the last century or so, the Muslims didn't give a rip about Jerusalem or the Temple Mount. They only covet it now because the Jews have returned to Israel.

It will be interesting to see how this actually plays out. Will the President decide to accede to the Palestinians? Will he choose to honor his hosts' historic claim to the Mount -- one that predates all other claims -- or will he choose to totally avoid any repercussions by avoiding the Temple Mount altogether during his visit?

Whatever he decides, I think the important thing to note about this situation is that the Palestinians feel confident enough of their standing in the world to presume to dictate to the US President, and his Israeli hosts, what he may or may not do.

Of course, part of this is Obama's fault. He's the first sitting President to refer to the Israeli presence in Israel as an "occupation." And he did so before the United Nations. But the UN itself, by tacitly acknowledging the West Bank and Gaza as a "state" (though the General Assembly vote last November was non-binding), and the European Union, by constantly seeking to bully Israel into committing national suicide, share the blame for effectively sinking the peace process by unduly elevating the Palestinians.

All of the hubbub just goes to illustrate the accuracy of the ancient prophets about Jerusalem and the Temple Mount in the last days. In fact, one writer for a liberal publication commented on the most recent EU demand that the Jews not build any more homes in their own capital. He noted a "campaign of international pressure" that would "make the status quo unbearable for the Israelis."

Now, doesn't that sound an awful lot like Zechariah's prophecy that in the last days of this Age, "the nations of the world are gathered against it." "It" being Jerusalem.

Just to show you how things are rapidly advancing on that front, this week I'm going to play for you a portion of a show I presented in October of 2009. Here's how I described it at the time:

Last weekend, violent clashes broke out on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Israeli police had to storm the Temple Mount twice to quell the riots and prevent injury to the worshippers at the Wailing Wall. Clashes between Palestinian youth and the Israeli police are once again becoming common. History proves that these Temple Mount clashes usually lead to 'intifadas.' The influence of Yasser Arafat lives on!

Some observers feel that the palpable turn taken by Washington against Israel, evidenced by President Obama's recent referral at the UN to "the Israeli occupation" (the first time a sitting US President has done so), sends a message of tacit approval to the PA to ratchet up the pressure on Israel. Even now I can hear the words and warnings of Zechariah the prophet ringing across those ancient hills.

 

Finally, I'm going to take a few minutes to review with you why the Temple Mount, the most strategic place on earth, is also the most volatile tinderbox on earth. And it's dangerously close to igniting.

The political threats that are now flying demonstrate that, if anything, the situation has worsened and the tension has heightened. We are truly seeing the attention of the world becoming even more keenly focused on Israel, Jerusalem, and the Temple Mount -- according to prophecy, the most important plot of land in the world.

Don't miss this week's Report on TBN, Daystar, CPM Network, The Word Network, various local stations, www.hallindsey.com or www.hischannel.com. Sorry, the Report will not be seen on the stations of the CET network this week. We'll be back next week. Check your local listings.

God Bless,

 

Hal Lindsey