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The Abraham Accords, normalizing relations between Israel, the UAE, and Bahrain, may significantly advance the prophetic picture of the Middle East.
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Reviews of the Abraham Accords
Commentators have mixed reactions to the Abraham Accords.
President Trump heralds them as “the foundation for a comprehensive peace across the entire region,” and “the dawn of a new Middle East.” On the flip side, CNN downplays their significance, reporting on the lack of coronavirus precautions during the signing.
Putting aside the bias of either view, arguably, the signing of these accords is a historic event. These are the first such accords between Israel and an Arab nation signed in 27 years. And there were only two Arab nations with similar agreements before this.
Prophetically speaking, I see significance to biblical prophecy in four ways:
- These accords may lead to a more peaceful Middle East, as described in prophecies including Ezekiel 38 and Daniel 11.
- They may start a trend of agreements that may lead to the “covenant with many” of Daniel 9.
- They further draw the lines of the allies and opponents of the beast.
- The accords support the prophecy that God will make a place in the wilderness for the remnant of the Jews.
Before I describe these four points, I want to discuss why these accords are ground-breaking.
President Trump Breaks the Model for Middle East Peace
The immediate significance of these accords is that they break a long-standing global fallacy. The fallacy is that Arab nations will only agree to peace with Israel in exchange for land.
The 1993 Oslo Accords under former President Clinton, were hailed as a landmark achievement towards peace. However, though Israel granted money, weapons, and land to the Palestinians, the exchange only enabled and encouraged enemies dedicated to Israel’s destruction.
In contrast, every move President Trump has made with Israel has gone against the grain of his predecessors. Yet these moves have proved productive. Recall when President Trump moved the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, his opponents warned of grave consequences to his reckless behavior.
Former President Obama’s Secretary of State John Kerry stated, “You’d have an explosion – an absolute explosion in the region, not just in the West Bank and perhaps even in Israel itself, but throughout the region.”
French President Emmanuel Macron said the decision was “regrettable” and called to “avoid violence at all costs.“
The Arab League called it “a dangerous measure that would have repercussions” across the region, and also questioned the future role of the US as a “trusted mediator” in peace talks.
Virtually every global leader warned of dangerous repercussions of the move, including Pope Francis.
But they were wrong. Less than three years later we see Israel and Arab countries normalizing relations.
The Prophetic Significance of the Abraham Accords
A More Peaceful Middle East?
We should expect a more peaceful Middle East to arise as we near the time of Ezekiel 38. This is the time before the antichrist attacks Israel. Ezekiel describes Israel as “the land that is restored from the sword… living securely.”
Daniel 11 also describes a “time of tranquility” in the region.
The Trump administration expects accords to spread to other Arab countries as well. If this occurs, Israel may indeed see a time of greater peace in the region.
It is also worth noting another recent trend that could lead to peace with the Palestinian people. The Palestinian leadership had been emboldened throughout the years to take a hard stance against Israel.
They have had many opportunities to accept peace deals but have chosen defiance against Israel. Funding from many countries, particularly Arab countries, has empowered the Palestinian’s unwavering stance. But the Arab’s seem to be losing patience with the Palestinian cause. We have seen this in various editorials from Arab countries (example from MEMRI).
But now the money is drying up as well. As reported by the Jerusalem Post, Palestinian funding from Arab countries dropped by 85% in 2020. With growing impatience and less financial support, the Palestinians may finally come to the table ready for peace.
Prelude to the Covenant with Many?
We know the Antichrist will enter an alliance or a “covenant with many” for seven years. While these accords do not appear to qualify, they help create an environment of alliances. This environment may lead to a covenant with many in the coming years.
Lining up Alliances and Enemies as Shown in Biblical Prophecy
In both Daniel 11 and Ezekiel 38, we see Turkey, Iran, Libya, and a number of other countries moving against Israel and Egypt.
But notably, the alliance of Ezekiel 38 excludes the Arab countries. We also know from Daniel 11 that Egypt (a mostly Arab country) will oppose the King of the North (Turkish region) in battle. We may assume that Egypt’s allies, such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE, will join with Egypt.
So from these scriptures, we can infer that at the time of this invasion of Israel, the Arab nations will either oppose the Antichrist or remain on the sidelines.
In fact one motivation of the Arab countries in joining the Abraham accords is to check the growing power and aggression of Turkey and Iran.
I have several posts on this topic, the first of which is titled, Antichrist Alliances of the Middle East Forming.
Preparing a Place in the Wilderness for the Jews
Prophecies tell us that the nations (led by the antichrist) will once again invade Israel and scatter the Jews. Zechariah 14:2 describes the gentile nations capturing Jerusalem, plundering its houses, raping its women, and exiling half the city.
But God has promised to take a remnant and protect them in the wilderness as described in Revelation 12:14.
The wilderness, as described in the Bible, is located primarily in Arab countries. Before the Abraham Accords, I described the warming of Arab countries to Israel in the post, Is God Preparing a Place in the Wilderness for the Jews? I believe the accords are part of God’s preparation for the Jews in the wilderness.
A Step Toward the Prophetic Picture of the Middle East in the End Times
Bible prophecy is clear about what will occur during the Great Tribulation, the 3 1/2 year reign of the beast. However, there are far fewer specifics on the events leading to the Great Tribulation.
We must discern the events occurring today to decide if they align with our understanding of Biblical prophecies. At the same time, we must be careful not to wedge current events into the prophecies. What we can say for sure is that the puzzle pieces in the Middle East are quickly assembling into the picture that the prophecies paint when the Antichrist and the Beast begin their reign.
Considering that these accords fit into that puzzle, they have the potential to be highly significant. The proof of their significance will be whether the accords lead to a trend among more Arab nations, including Saudi Arabia.
We know when we see these things that Jesus is right around the corner.