Before we begin with world news, something wonderful happened locally here in Montreal. Our evangelism team went out to proclaim the Word of God and met a Lebanese woman who listened intently and then said, “I have never heard anyone speak like this before.” Right there on the sidewalk, she opened her heart to the message and prayed to receive Yeshua, the Messiah, as her Lord and Savior.
This is not the first time we have seen someone come to faith on the streets, but what makes this testimony especially moving is that the woman was Lebanese. Amid conflict and tension between Lebanon and Israel, we are reminded that in Yeshua the Messiah, barriers are broken down and that people from every nation can find forgiveness, reconciliation, and true peace, an eternal peace that only God can give.
This past week, the world witnessed the announcement of a new agreement between the United States and Iran, in the form of an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding). At this stage, however, it is difficult to speak of genuine peace, as the deep distrust and longstanding hostility between the two nations remain evident. Nevertheless, President Donald Trump declared, “This Great Deal will bring Peace and Security to the whole Region.” But will it? Could such an agreement truly bring lasting peace and security to the Middle East and Israel?
Whenever world leaders speak of bringing lasting peace to the Middle East, students of Bible prophecy naturally turn to passages such as Daniel 9, which describe a future peace agreement involving Israel. According to Daniel’s prophecy, the Middle East will eventually experience a brief period of peace; however, this illusion of stability will be shattered by catastrophic destruction. Current events remind us that repeated efforts to establish peace in the Middle East may ultimately pave the way for Daniel’s peace treaty and for the emergence of a future world leader who will promise the solutions humanity desperately seeks.
Interestingly, President Trump recently stated, “Many presidents have tried to make peace with Iran, and all have failed before me. The leaders of the region have, for the first time, found a president who can help them achieve real peace.” There is no doubt that many leaders throughout history have pursued peace in the region, often with sincere intentions. Yet from a prophetic perspective, the Bible indicates that a future ruler will arise, whether from Europe or the Americas. As we move closer to the end, the world appears increasingly to long for such a figure, the one the Bible identifies as the Antichrist.
Furthermore, judging by the mood and sentiment within Israeli society, it appears that, over time, the nation is increasingly prepared to receive the coming world leader. According to a recent poll conducted this past week, approximately 71% of Israelis said they do not trust President Trump to secure a lasting peace agreement on Israel’s behalf, while only about 13% expressed confidence in him. There was a time when many compared Trump to Cyrus, the Persian king whom God used to aid the Jewish people. Today, however, public sentiment appears to be shifting, and many are seeking leadership and security elsewhere.
On the world stage, we see Israel increasingly isolated: Just last week, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance remarked, “Donald J. Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time.” This underscores the growing sense of Israel’s diplomatic isolation. Also, this past week, U.S. President Donald Trump once again repeated a statement he had made before. He said, “Without the United States, there would be no Israel. Without me, there would be no Israel… Israel would have been blown up a long time ago, had I not gotten involved.” That is certainly a bold statement.
But another American offered a very different perspective. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who served for many years as a pastor and Bible teacher before entering politics, responded: “Without Israel, without the Jewish foundation, there would not be America. We owe our very existence to what happened in this land.”
That, too, is a bold statement, especially coming from someone serving under the President, but from a biblical perspective, it carries profound significance. For if there is One who has preserved Israel throughout history, through wars, exiles, persecutions, and countless attempts to destroy her, it is God Himself, not any human leader.
This truth has been proclaimed by the Jewish people for thousands of years, as Psalm 121:4 declares, “Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.” Psalm 121 is one of the Songs of Ascents (Shir ha-Ma’alot), sung by Jewish pilgrims as they journeyed to Jerusalem for the appointed feasts. According to Jewish tradition, the Levites also sang these psalms as they stood on the fifteen steps leading from the Court of the Women to the Court of Israel in the Second Temple. Both the Bible and history clearly identify the Protector of Israel.
Ambassador Mike Huckabee also appears to recognize another important biblical principle in the Abrahamic Covenant—that those who bless Abraham’s descendants will themselves be blessed. He has often spoken about the deep spiritual debt the nations owe to Israel and to the Jewish foundations of the faith. One might even say, with a touch of affection, that Mike Huckabee is our American Maccabee; bold in his convictions and unashamed in expressing his support for Israel and for the God of the Scriptures.
Click here for the Video: Israel and the Nations – U.S.–Iran Deal: Peace… or the Countdown to Daniel 9?