Is Iraq the Key to Peace in the Middle East?

The hope that a democratic Iraq will exert a powerfully stabilizing influence throughout the Middle East seems to be one of the driving motivations behind current U. S. policy. But the most persistent tinderbox in the Middle East is not Iraq, but Jerusalem. This city has become the site of the world's tug-of-war over the issue of fairness in international policy...

Fairness is viewed very differently—and with incredible passion—by various blocks of nations. There is no acceptable standard of fairness that all can agree on.

The key players in this tug-of-war for control of Jerusalem are the Jews and the Palestinians, with the other Islamic states backing the Palestinians. But of far greater consequence ultimately is the fact that America and Europe come down on different sides of this struggle—with America standing behind the Jews and Europe standing behind the Palestinians. The intensifying danger of this deeply seated division between the world's two greatest power blocks poses a much more sinister threat to world peace than the success or failure of democracy in Iraq.

Biblical prophecy speaks very plainly on this matter. Jerusalem is prophesied to become the center of all international tensions. Eventually these tensions will erupt into the most destructive time of warfare the world has ever experienced.

As Jesus Christ explained, "For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened" (Matthew 24:21-22 [21] For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
[22] And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

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Concerning this time, God reveals: "Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it" (Zechariah 12:2-3 [2] 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.
[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.

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The present tensions over how to resolve the Jewish-Palestinian conflict will grow ever more threatening until Jerusalem becomes the focal point of international warfare. "For I will gather all the nations," says God, "to battle against Jerusalem; the city shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east" (Zechariah 14:2-4 [2] For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
[3] Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
[4] And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.

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International tension over Jerusalem is to be the spark that ignites the global warfare that Jesus Christ will have to end in order to prevent humanity from annihilating itself. But notice how these battling nations will respond to Christ when He returns to halt this madness.

"I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war ... He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of GodThe books (Greek, "biblia" ) that are acknowledged as canonical (authoritative) by the early Christian Church. It includes both the books of the ancient Hebrew prophets and those of the apostolic witnesses to Jesus Christ. ... Then I saw ... the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against the rider on the horse and against his army" (RevelationThe disclosure of God's Word and plan to mankind. In the Bible this refers to making obscure things clear; bringing hidden matters to light; causing especially called individuals to see, hear, perceive, know and understand the things of God; the unveiling of biblical mysteries (Romans 16:25). 19:11And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
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The ScripturesThe divinely inspired writings of both the Old and New Testaments. The term Scripture is used in the New Testament to refer to both the Hebrew Bible (Luke 24:44-45) and the new apostolic writings accepted as inspired (2 Peter 3:16; 1 Timothy 5:18). reveal that this resistance to the returning Christ will be orchestrated by "that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world" (Revelations 12:9). He will even drag nations east of Iraq—through which the Euphrates River flows—into this conflict. "Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl [of divine intervention] on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty" (RevelationThe disclosure of God's Word and plan to mankind. In the Bible this refers to making obscure things clear; bringing hidden matters to light; causing especially called individuals to see, hear, perceive, know and understand the things of God; the unveiling of biblical mysteries (Romans 16:25). 16:12-14 [12] And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
[13] And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
[14] For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

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