This is Search the Scriptures Daily, a radio ministry of The Berean Call. Still to come, answers to your questions in Contending for the Faith, and in Understanding the Scriptures, Dave and Tom will continue their conversation on God’s salvation. In addition to this radio program, we publish a monthly Newsletter, which we make available free of charge.We also produce and distribute a wide variety of teaching materials, including books in print, e-book, and audio book formats, CD’s, DVD’s, and other items to encourage the serious study of God’s Word. For a complete list of materials, or to get a copy of today’s broadcast write to us at PO Box 7019, Bend, Oregon 97708. Call our toll free order number 877-882-4253, that’s 877-88Bible, or visit our website at www.thebereancall.org [1]. If you would like a copy of this broadcast on compact disk ask for Program #0108, and be sure to mention the call letters of this station. And if you would like to watch Dave and Tom, our weekly broadcast is available on DVD, ask about a subscription when you contact us. You can also download both audio and video podcast at our website. We’ll repeat this information at the end of the program.
RELIGION IN THE NEWSNow Religion in the News, a report and comment on religious trends and events being covered by the media. This week’s item is from Newsvoa.com November 28, 2007, with a headline: Rice pledges urgent Annapolis agreement follow-up. The following are excerpts: U. S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is pledging urgent follow-up work to Tuesday’s Israeli Palestinian agreement in Annapolis, Maryland, to resume final status peace negotiations after a 7-year interruption. The parties agreed to the immediate launch of negotiations for a 2-state solution of the Middle East conflict, and to make every effort to conclude an agreement before the end of 2008. In a statement closing the meeting late Tuesday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said: This work will be hard, it involves risks and sacrifices for all concerned. But today’s events have demonstrated unambiguously that the International community will fully support the path the parties have chosen, she said. President Bush and I have pledged the unwavering support of the United States to realize this goal. Peace between Israeli’s and Palestinians is a National interest for the United States, and we now have a real opportunity to make progress. Arab league secretary general, Amr Mussa, reaffirmed the organization’s 2002 peace initiative offering Israel Arab-wide political recognition if it reaches peace with the Palestinians, and withdraws from all occupied Arab land. In his conference address, Israeli Prime Minister Olmert said he hopes the Annapolis agreement will lead to a regional peace, but said to get there Arab countries have to reach out and end decades of hostility towards the Jewish state. President Abbas said, despite the Palestinians grievances they are ready to live as neighbors with Israel. The time has come for the cycle of blood, violence and occupation to come to an end.
Dave:
Tom, do I dare comment on this?
Tom:
Dave, I think you’re the one, go for it! This is absolutely stunning in terms of how ludicrous it is.
Dave:
It is ludicrous! So, the final statement by Abbas, who, by the way, was Arafat’s partner from the very beginning, a terrorist. “The time has come for the cycle of blood, violence and occupation to come to an end.” Who started that? The Palestinians, so-called? Who pursued it? The Palestinians. They could stop it any time they wanted. Oh, now the time has come and we’re going to blame Israel despite the grievances that the Palestinians have, we’re now ready, you know. What grievances? Well, they had better think about that very carefully because part of what they are talking about here is an end to Israeli occupation of Arab land. Now, in fact the Israelis’ are not occupying Arab land, it’s the Arabs, so-called Palestinians---and we lay this out very clearly in Judgment Day, which every Christian ought to read and you ought to get it in your local library, but anyway, we laid it out very clearly. The idea of Palestine is a myth, there never was such a place, of Palestinians, they claim to be. These are Arabs now, descendants of Ishmael, they say, and they claim to be descended from the original Palestinians, who lived in this land. Well, what was Ishmael's’father? Ishmael's’father was a Chaldean, Abraham; Ishmael’s mother was an Egyptian, Hagar the Egyptian. When they arrived in this land it was called Canaan, this is before Ishmael was born, it was already occupied by Canaanites. It’s very clear, read Genesis 12:13,14,15 [2] and so forth. This is a fraud! They are not descended from the original Palestinians, there was no such place as Palestine! Okay. So now, Tom, I don’t see any progress at all, they are dreaming! What are the issues that remain? Well, occupied territory. Well, what about Jerusalem? Well now, how are we going to divide this? Are we going to have a 2-state solution? Where are we going to draw the line? Now they call this, actually if you went back to 2001, 2003, they were talking about a Hudna they called it the Hudna Line. Now, we talk about a Hudna again in Judgment Day. Hudna was the treaty that was negotiated between Muhammad and the Kurash tribe in 628 A. D. It was called a “Hudna”. It was negotiated---we have a copy of it today, by the way, as Hodeida. This is where this was signed. What does that mean? It was a 10-year agreement, but no Muslim can make a peace agreement. This was not a peace agreement, it was a 10-year cease fire. The purpose of the Hudna was so that Muhammad, he was not strong enough at that time to take over Mecca, the Meccans were too strong, so that gave him the right---by the way, very interesting, the right to come with his new Muslims to join the Hajj, to go to this idol temple, 300 and some idols in it, walk around it 7 times, go through all the ceremonies that the pagan Arabs had done for centuries, which are not a part of the Hajj for Islam, for the Muslims, and then in 630 he had enough troops and he took over. So this is a Hudna now, it’s not peace, it’s some kind of a deal that we can make. We’re going to get some more territory from the Israeli’s, we’re going to get some more territory, as much as we can get them, they will agree to it, but it will be a Hudna, it will not be a true settlement because the Muslims are on record, dozens, if not hundreds of times, the problem is not land. Israel’s existence, Israel must cease to exist! They don’t deal with this, that’s not going to change. Tom, it angers me, but it’s a big disappointment that the Israeli’s would go along with this. I don’t know what territory they are going to give away, I hope not the Golon Heights, but this is just a joke!
Tom:
Dave, it’s part of the package, the Golon Heights, the Judea and Samaria, half of Jerusalem as a capitol for the Palestinians. Now Dave, one last thing, it really disappoints me greatly that it looks like there is a push on the part of President Bush to get this completed before he leaves office.
Dave:
Of course.
Tom:
So now it looks like promoting his legacy is a part of betraying Israel.
Dave:
What a legacy it would be, but I can guarantee you, Tom, the Israeli’s are not going to go for it, there will be an uprising!