THE DEAL OF THE CENTURY REVEALED

President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will reveal the "Deal of the Century" at 12:00 PM Eastern / 11:00 AM Central.  You can watch it live while it happens below:

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Live Updates of the Announcement

11:57 - "Mr. President, your "Deal of the Century" is the opportunity of the century... may God bless us all with security, prosperity, and peace."

11:55 - "For at least four years, your plan maintains the status quo... but recognizes annexation of the Jordan Valley and other areas..."  Seven years?  Netanyahu hopes the Palestinians and Arab world will all embrace the plan.  I think they will once the Church is gone and the man of lawlessness confirms this plan.  A covenant with many.

11:46 - "I have agreed to negotiate with the Palestinians on the basis of your peace plan.  You have been the greatest friend that Israel has ever had in the White House."  Netanyahu goes on to lay accolade after accolade on Trump.  He puts much faith in a man and mentions peace with the Palestinians and the Arab world.  He also mentions "peace and security."

11:43 - "For too long, in the areas where our patriots prayed, our prophets preached, and our kings ruled, have been outrageously considered illegally occupied territory... you are recognizing Israel's sovereignty over all the Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria... these are places inscribed in the pages of the Bible... these areas will now be recognized by the United States as a permanent part of the Jewish state."

11:40 - "This is a historic day, and we remember another historic day... May 14, 1948... and down [through] the decades and down [through] the centuries, this day, January 28, 2020, will be remembered as the day you became the first world leader to recognize Israel's sovereignty over areas in Judea and Samaria..."

11:36 - Netanyahu takes the floor.

11:35 - "A new dawn in the Middle East... we have an obligation to humanity to get it done."

11:34 - Oman, Bahrain, and U.A.E. sent representatives, offering support for the deal.

11:32 - Leaders from all over the world offered their support, according to Trump.

11:27 - A period of four years will be set aside with no new settlement development on area set aside for a future Palestinian state.

11:24 - Deal will double the size of Palestinian territory and establish a capital with U.S. embassy in eastern Jerusalem.  Holy site status quo will not change.

11:21 - Trump wants this deal to be a big win for the Palestinians.  Trump says this could be the very last opportunity for a Palestinian state. (Balaamic prophecy?)

11:18 - A Palestinian state will be created with support from the U.S., but Jerusalem will remain the undivided capital of Israel.

11:15 - Trump affirms two-state solution, but a "realistic one."  Yesterday, Netanyahu fully endorsed the plan.

11:14 - "All previous administrations have failed... but I was not elected to do small things, or to shy away from big problems."

11:11 - "Today Israel takes a big step towards peace... both leaders offered their support [for the deal]."

11:10 - President walking up.

11:05 - Still awaiting the President and Prime Minister.

11:00 - Reveal scheduled to begin.

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The Details

1. As most anticipated, it is a major departure from the 1967 lines, however, the U.S. and Israel have made clear that this will indeed include an independent Palestinian state, thus dividing the covenant land of God, and giving a huge portion of Judea and Samaria to non-Jews.  The full plan can be found at the White House website.

2. Unlike previous plans, this is a comprehensive plan that provides a detailed starting point for all final status issues.

3. While not following 1967 lines exactly, a future Palestinian state will be "reasonably comparable" in size to what had previously been proposed by the international community.  As can be seen in the official conceptual map below, two large enclaves of land in Israel's southwest will be given over to a future Palestinian state in order to account for the Jordan Valley and other areas of Judea and Samaria that will be annexed by Israel.  These areas will be linked to the Gaza Strip.

4. A transportation tunnel will be built beneath Israel to join Gaza to the "West Bank" area of "Palestine."

5. The current security barrier that separates Israel from Judea and Samaria will be realigned to the new borders.

6. The international community will invest $50 billion to build the tunnels, bridges, and other infrastructure necessary for a future Palestinian state.

7. Jerusalem will be pseudo-undivided.  That is to say, Israeli areas currently within the security barrier, including the Old City, will remain under Israeli control.  East Jerusalem neighborhoods beyond the security barrier will be joined together to form a future Palestinian capital with a proposed name of Al Quds.

8. Existing Israeli enclaves in Judea and Samaria that are not contiguous with the new borders will remain part of Israel, and will be joined by secure transportation links of some sort (likely tunnels or highways with checkpoints).

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Commentary

As I suspected, the most significant departure of this plan from all that have come before is that it is 1. comprehensive, and, most importantly, 2. not fully reliant on negotiations to come to fruition.  As expected, the Palestinian leadership has already rejected the plan, but President Trump has effectively green-lighted Israeli annexation of the Jordan Valley and existing settlements in Judea and Samaria that fall within Israeli territory outlined in the conceptual map.  

In essence, the way this seems to be set up is that Israel can largely absorb its future territory with full U.S. recognition (just as the U.S. recognized the Golan Heights), but it cannot develop or expand into any of the areas proposed for a future Palestinian state for a period of four years.

This four-year "land freeze" is what has really caught my attention.  As many have noted, according to Daniel 9:27, a more likely translation of the Hebrew gabar is "strengthen" or "prevail," rather than "confirm."  That is to say, the man of lawlessness will strengthen, expand, or enforce an existing agreement with "many."  With the plan now revealed and this Israeli land freeze now set in stone, Daniel 9:27 could be fulfilled as simply as the Antichrist enforcing this agreement and expanding the land freeze from four years to seven.  As is now evident, Israel's top leader and his opponent have both agreed to divide their own God-given land and when the prophesied "beast" comes on the scene, they may acquiesce to his demand to relinquish their God-given claims to Judea and Samaria for seven years.

Supposing the Palestinians continue to refuse agreement, the Antichrist's breaking of the seven-year covenant halfway through could be as simple as his fiat creation of a Palestinian state three and a half years into the Tribulation even though he had promised the Jews seven years total without Palestinian agreement.

I imagine we will see Israel's annexation of much of its "Vision for Peace" territory within the next several months, possibly shortly after the March 2nd elections or even earlier.  We may also see some sort of recognition from multiple Arab states, giving credence to the "many" aspect of the prophecy.  When the restraining Church is removed soon and war breaks out against Israel, in the aftermath a "strengthened" form of this deal, for seven years, will most certainly include a provision for Israel to rebuild the Temple.

While some of the prophetic details are still murky, this certainly 1. divides the land in perpetuity until God's direct intervention (Jl. 3:2), 2. provides a mechanism for the Antichrist to expand/strengthen (the four year land freeze; see Dan. 9:27), 3. has Israeli agreement from the very get-go unlike previous plans (Isa. 28:15–18), 4. will be largely implemented in terms of Israeli territory whether or not the Palestinians agree.

I will gather all nations
   and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat.
There I will put them on trial
   for what they did to my inheritance, my people Israel,
because they scattered my people among the nations
   and divided up my land.

- Joel 3:2

He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’  In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering.  And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.

- Daniel 9:27

On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations.  All who try to move it will injure themselves.

- Zechariah 12:3

The Lord said to Moses, “Command the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter Canaan, the land that will be allotted to you as an inheritance is to have these boundaries:

“‘Your southern side will include some of the Desert of Zin along the border of Edom.  Your southern boundary will start in the east from the southern end of the Dead Sea, cross south of Scorpion Pass, continue on to Zin and go south of Kadesh Barnea.  Then it will go to Hazar Addar and over to Azmon, where it will turn, join the Wadi of Egypt and end at the Mediterranean Sea.

“‘Your western boundary will be the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.  This will be your boundary on the west.

“‘For your northern boundary, run a line from the Mediterranean Sea to Mount Hor and from Mount Hor to Lebo Hamath.  Then the boundary will go to Zedad, continue to Ziphron and end at Hazar Enan.  This will be your boundary on the north.

“‘For your eastern boundary, run a line from Hazar Enan to Shepham.  The boundary will go down from Shepham to Riblah on the east side of Ain and continue along the slopes east of the Sea of Galilee.  Then the boundary will go down along the Jordan and end at the Dead Sea.

“‘This will be your land, with its boundaries on every side.’”

- Numbers 34:1–12

There are a handful of Bible prophecy literalists who are already downplaying the significance of this, as well as the significance of many of the incredible prophetic events and heavenly signs over the past several years.

How can you claim to believe in the literal fulfillment of Bible prophecy, yet when it happens downplay its significance?

How can you believe in imminence and the nearness of Christ's coming and yet not believe that prophecy will actually materialize in our lifetime?

Shelf life my friends.  Let God be true and every man a liar.  His word is perfection.  Jesus is coming soon.

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