Clay and Iron Cannot Hold Together Very Long!
March 16, 2007
http://www.tribulationperiod.com/
The three articles, which follow our introduction, are living examples of how difficult it is for the “clay and iron” Islamic nations to make lasting unions for long periods of time. They follow the characteristics of their common ancestor Ishmael.
The character of Ishmael, the son of Hagar and Abraham, has indeed been passed on to his Arab descendents. They are like “wild asses” that dwell alongside their half brothers across the Middle East, having the same ancestor for a father, but a different mother.
The words which describe Ishmael-like characteristics are found in the words spoken to Hagar by the angel of the Lord in Genesis 16:12.
Genesis 16:12 – And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.
The promise of a land grant in Genesis 15:18 was not given to Ishmael, but to Isaac.
Genesis 15:18 – In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:
Genesis 17:20,21 – And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. [21] But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.
The descendents of Ishmael fought among themselves and worshipped idols like the moon god until Muhammad united them into what is Islam today, but after the demise of the caliphate, formed by his immediate followers, it finally fell completely apart during the Ottoman Empire, and they have been at each others throats ever since. They have been iron and clay nations, a mingled (Arab) people, impossible to hold together long enough as a united body to defeat Israel. But that is changing by the spirit of Jihad, and soon ten Arab nations will unite. The Hebrew word translated as “mingle” in Daniel 2:43 is “Arab.”
Daniel 2:42-44 – And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. [43] And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. [44] And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
The kingdom set up by the God of heaven will be the kingdom of his Son, Jesus Christ, the Messiah.
It will take an act of God to keep the iron and clay “wild asses” of Ishmael descent from war with each other long enough to fight united against Israel.
God will put it in the hearts of the ten Islamic leaders to unite under a single leader, the Antichrist, and the clay and iron Arab nations shall hold together for some three and one-half years.
Revelation 17:12,13,17 –And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. [13] These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. [17] For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
The “words of God” will begin to be fulfilled when Zechariah 13:8 occurs, and “shall be fulfilled” completely when the last phrase of 13:9 closes three and one-half years of tribulation for Israel in the Negev.
Zechariah 13:8,9 – And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. [9] And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.
Revelation 12:6 – And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.
Jeremiah 30:7 – Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.
Begin Excerpt from Jerusalem Post
Palestinian Intelligence officer gunned down in Gaza Strip
JPost.com Staff, THE JERUSALEM POST
March 16, 2007
Despite the formation of a Palestinian Authority unity government, a PA Intelligence officer affiliated with Fatah was shot and killed Friday morning in the village of Deir el-Balah, in the Gaza Strip.
Israel Radio reported that armed Palestinians, whose identities were unknown, stopped the vehicle in which two PA Intelligence officers were traveling.
After a brief argument with the gunmen, both officers were dragged out of the car and shot.
The second officer was seriously wounded in the attack, which came just one day before the newly-formed PA government was set to be sworn in at the Palestinian parliament.
The PA Military Intelligence is affiliated with Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and many of its members have been involved in clashes with Hamas in the recent infighting.
Earlier this week, Palestinian gunmen from Hamas and Fatah exchanged fire in the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun, killing a local Hamas leader and wounding seven people in the most serious flare up of violence since the power-sharing deal was struck last month.
Begin DEBKAfile Excerpt 1
DEBKAfile Exclusive: Al Qaeda-Gaza declares war on both Palestinian rivals: Hamas and Fatah
March 12, 2007, 10:16 PM (GMT+02:00)
As Palestinian and Israeli leaders, Mahmoud Abbas and Ehud Olmert finished discussing the Gaza Strip’s fate Sunday, March 11, three events showed how little they and Hamas are in control.
Al Qaeda’s No. 2, Ayman Zawahri issued a declaration of war on the Palestinian Authority and Hamas in a videotape aired by the Arabic TV Al Jazeera.
An hour later, the Islamic Brotherhood of Justice (another name for al Qaeda’s operational branch in the Gaza Strip) announced the launching of its Operation White Land, targeting the political and military leaders of Fatah and Hamas.
DEBKAfile’s military sources also reveal that a rebellion has sprung up against the top Hamas leadership.
Olmert and Abbas nonetheless continue to act out a Pan-Arab diplomatic process at Washington’s behest (see separate item on this page), which has as much chance of getting off the ground in Gaza as Fatah’s Abbas’ assurance that the kidnapped Israeli soldier, Gilead Shalit, would be freed very soon.
The Zuwahri statement assailed the legitimacy Saudi Arabia extended to moves for a Palestinian unity government at the Mecca peace conference as recently as Feb. 8. Negotiations between the two factions are bogged down anyway.
“The leadership of Hamas government has committed an aggression against the rights of the Islamic nation by respecting international agreements,” thundered Ayman Zawahri Sunday. “I am sorry to have to offer the Islamic nation my condolences for the Hamas leadership as it has fallen into the quagmire of surrender.”
The Gaza al Qaeda cell then defined the four missions of Operation White Land:
1. Targeting the most senior figures of the Palestinian Authority and Hamas leaders.
2. Focusing on group abductions rather than individuals, especially symbols of political corruption.
3. Beheading is ordained for members of these groups. Their executions and confessions will be videotaped and aired as they are in Iraq.
4. Blowing up Internet cafes and businesses selling alcohol; putting prostitutes to death to cleanse the streets of Gaza of prostitution.
Announcing these missions have won the sanction of Palestinian religious scholars, the communiqué ends with the words: “Operation White Land has begun.”
As for the revolt in Hamas, its Executive Force chief Jemal Jarah and his deputy, Yusouf a-Zahar (brother of Hamas foreign minister Mahmoud a-Zahar), accuse prime minister Ismail Haniyeh of being too soft with Abbas and Fatah and failing to follow through to victory on the battles they fought for weeks against Fatah. Determined to finish the job, Hamas rebels were back on the streets of Gaza this week, shooting and abducting their rivals, the Mecca Reconciliation Accords already a dead letter.
DEBKAfile adds: Shalit, who was abducted in June 2006 has become a counter in internecine Palestinian rivalries.
He is guarded by two of the groups which kidnapped him, including members of al Qaeda.
With the control of affairs in the Gaza Strip slipping out of the hands of prime minister Haniyeh, it is hard to see how any progress can be achieved towards gaining his freedom.
Begin Second DEBKAfile Excerpt
Fatah-Hamas clashes in Gaza mar Palestinian unity government accord due for legislature’s approval Saturday
March 15, 2007, 10:33 AM (GMT+02:00)
In the 24-line-up, Hamas gets 9 cabinet posts, Fatah six. The other portfolios are shared out among “independents” and smaller factions.
DEBKAfile notes: One putative “independent,” the designated foreign minister Ziyad Amar, is a known Hamas adherent. Pro-American Salam Fayed is retained as finance minister as bait to draw US recognition and international assistance.
Israel has announced it will boycott all the new ministers, including the new Fatah office-holders. The Olmert government faults Mahmoud Abbas for accepting a power-sharing accord dominated by Hamas, whose platform continues to deny Israel recognition and refuses to terminate violence. Abbas also reneged on his promise to get the kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilead Shalit released before forming a unity administration.
DEBKAfile reports that Abbas and Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniyeh (who retains the post) worked against the stopwatch to get their Saudi-brokered unity act together in time for the Riyadh Arab summit on March 28.
The fragility of their deal was apparent on the day of its signing: Wednesday, March 14, internecine gunfights were sparked by the assassination of Hamas’ Gaza commander Ala Haddad in a hail of bullets by the Muhammad Dahlan’s Fatah death squads. Whereas Haddad had been targeted for months by Fatah, now the chief of those death squads, a professional terminator called Samir Madhoun, became the quarry of Hamas’ special executive arm. Nine people were injured, including three bystanders, in the ensuing shoot-outs. The air rang with gunfire as Abbas and Haniyeh shook hands in Gaza City.
The cynical performance proceeded with Abbas pledging to deliver European recognition and aid funds to the new government, and Haniyeh vowing to end Palestinian government reliance on Iran – if Abbas delivered. Both promises were hollow, as they both knew, just as the framework they contrived changes very little.
The kidnapped BBC reporter Alan Johnston and the Israeli soldier remain in the hands of a band of captors that includes al Qaeda-Gaza, Hamas continues to take delivery of missiles and other war materiel and build its fortified bunkers.
If anything, Abbas lost points; any agreements or deals he may conclude with Israel will be subject to ratification by the Palestinian national assembly which has a Hamas majority.
But because the unity deal is in the bag, the Palestinians will be represented at the Arab summit this month by a Hamas prime minister.
FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc.
We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more detailed information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. You may use material originated by this site. However, if you wish to use any quoted copyrighted material from this site, which did not originate at this site, for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner from which we extracted it.