Sharon Said Likely To Resign If Disengagement Fails To Pass Referendum
PM Ariel Sharon has reportedly told local Likud leaders that a vote against the disengagement plan is a vote against his leadership.

White House Restates Opposition To Arafat Hit, Sharon Hints It Is Coming
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told Channel Two television that in his recent conversations in Washington with George W. Bush, he told the President that he could no longer rule out an operation to eliminate Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat.

"I told the President the following," Sharon said, in an interview taped for Israeli Independence Day. "In our first meeting about three years ago, I accepted your request not to harm Arafat physically. I told him I understand the problems surrounding the situation, but I am released from that pledge."

East And West Unite At Historic EU Summit
DUBLIN, Ireland May 1 — Leaders from across Europe set aside their concerns about the EU's growing pains Saturday to seal the entry of 10 nations into the European Union and mark the end of the continent's Cold War divide.

After leading overnight festivities in their homelands, presidents and prime ministers from the new members will sit down for the first time as equal members of the EU's governing council.

US Welcomes EU Expansion, Denies Battle For Newcomers' Hearts
29/04/2004 The US ambassador to the EU welcomed Thursday the EU's enlargement as extending peace and democracy into ex-communist Europe -- and denied the EU newcomers had to choose between Europe and the United States.

Quartet To London To Discuss Road Map
The sponsors of the road map to peace between the Israelis and Palestinians will meet in London Friday to discuss ways of revitalizing the stalled plan, officials said.

The meeting of envoys of the so-called Quartet - the European Union, the United States, the United Nations and Russia - will be hosted by the US Embassy in London.

The talks precede a meeting hosted by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in New York on May 4, expected to be attended by the EU's foreign policy chief Javier Solana, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Colin Powell.

Comments
The European Union has officially expanded adding ten more nations.  This bloc of nations will have a population of 450 million and is predicted to eventually rival the economy of the U.S. Celebrations went on into the night throughout the major cities of the E.U. 

This expansion is not a major prophetic happening, although, I'm sure some may try to squeeze it into being just that.  Actually, I see it as more in line with Revelation chapter seventeen, which speaks of the great whore riding upon the beast with ten horns.  I have always seen this as a picture of the two last great powers of the tribulation period.  The number one power being the U.S. and the European Union being the number two power.  But during the tribulation period the E.U. (lead by a satanically controlled antichrist) will rise up and completely destroy the U.S.  The world will mourn because of the great wealth that this country brought to them.

Look for great things to happen to this confederacy, but the biggest gains will take place after the rapture of the church.  This is when satan will be free to do His bidding under the watchful eye of the Lord.

It's interesting that the U.S. has been accused of hailing the expansion but in the background making deals of allegiance with the new members.  Of course, the U.S. denies it, and yes, you can bet they're guilty.  They're denial is strictly for the sake of the naive mainstream public.  The same naive mainstream public that believes Saddam Hussein didn't have weapons of mass destruction.  This isn't a word of prophecy, but public opinion polls will probably be the death of the U.S.  The truth is, we can't handle the truth or reality.  But that can be applied to most of the free world.  Freedom is free!

The quartet is meeting in London this weekend to try and get the stalled roadmap on track again, but this isn't going forward until the Lord sees fit.  As I've said in the past, just when you think this issue is about to be resolved, something goes wrong at the last minute and we're back to square one.  Look for a lot of nothing to come from this meeting.  

I see one of two things eventually coming from this peace initiative.  One, temporary peace will come followed by a massive attack by Russia and the Arab nations.  Following Israel's miraculous victory, the E.U. will seize the moment to step in and complete the peace plan between Israel and a very willing Arab world.  Along with this, Israel will be invited to join the E.U. for protection and to avoid future wars of this magnitude.  I'm not sure why it will be for seven-years, but this will give Israel immediate world recognition and acceptance.

The second possibility is pretty straight forward and probably the most likely.  The peace plan will continue to go no where until the antichrist comes on the scene. By this time, the rapture will have taken place and more than likely he will not be fully known until after Christians are gone.  When he does arrive, he will be the leader of a very successful E.U. and revered as a great leader and peacemaker.  I lean toward a number of years passing between the rapture and the beginning of the tribulation period.  Of course, this is only an educated guess.  

When he does take center stage, he will bring peace to the Middle East and resolve world issues that have been mysteries for decades.  Not only will he make peace with Israel but also other nations (Daniel 9:25-27).  Israel will probably join the E.U. as part of the agreement and the Arab world will get their state.  But not long after the agreement, the Arab world along with Russia, will invade Israel.  This will end in catastrophe for the invading armies as Ezekiel 38 & 39 attests to.  

Another point that needs to be brought to the forefront is Israel's vulnerability.  Israel is a feared nation today.  Few nations, including the superpowers, would risk attacking Israel due to their perceived nuclear capacities.  Nobody knows for sure how powerful Israel really is, but they've got a pretty good idea.  If the Arab world felt they had the power to overthrow Israel they would do it tomorrow without hesitation. 

I said all this to lead up to this question.  What would lead the Arab world to the belief that they finally have the firepower to destroy Israel?  Could it be that this agreement that the antichrist will make with many (Daniel 9:25-27) will require all involved to dismantle their nuclear facilities and disarm.  Additionally, I also believe that Israel will receive membership into the E.U., world recognition and military protection, but it will also put Israel on the same level militarily with the Arab world.  Will this be the final factor that will give the Russian led Arab world the courage to attack Israel?

Of course, this is just speculation, but it does address some concerns of this future event.

Pastor Malone