Christian evangelist and end times author Hal Lindsey believes a push by the Palestinian Authority for statehood recognition by the United Nations is tied to biblical prophecies and is more proof that Christians are living in the "last days."
Since Israel's declaration of statehood the nation has faced "many lethal threats to its very existence" that are consistent, with "the prophecies of Zechariah, Ezekiel, and Isaiah all seem[ing] closer to fulfillment in these 'Last Days,'" Lindsey says in a report on his website.
In a Sept. 16 article published on "The Hal Lindsey Report," Lindsey refers to demonstrations in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt where hundreds of people rallied against the military's Emergency Law. The policy has been described by Amnesty International as the biggest threat to human rights in the country since President Hosni Mubarak was ousted, according to The Washington Post.
Lindsey explains, "Hundreds of them (protesters) attacked the building, tore down the concrete walls, and breached the consulate. They looted files, trashed the offices, burned the Israeli flag, and came within moments of lynching the six Israeli security guards…"
Lindsey, whose broadcast mainly covers prophecy and end times issues, also mentions potential upheaval occurring should the United Nations recognize Palestine as a member state. Critics contend that the Palestinian push for statehood is essentially an attack on Israel.
Israel has already put new security measures in place, as rallies were expected all day Friday, when Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to address the United Nations General Assembly.
The Palestinians' application for recognition requests a return to borders it held before the 1967 war. Among the territories reportedly mentioned in the application is East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians view as part of the West Bank and which the Israelis view as the country's capital.
The broadcaster quotes Ezekiel 37:21-22 and refers to the creation of the state of Israel in 1948 as fulfillment of biblical prophecy.
He goes on to say, "The prophets Zechariah, Ezekiel, and Isaiah all prophesy that, in the last days, a reborn nation of Israel will find itself alone and friendless with its back to the sea, surrounded by enemies with no one and nowhere to turn."
Lindsey closes his remarks by wondering if the "last days" are not already upon us.
Viewing Israel as pivotal to end times theology has been a hot-button issue within the evangelical community, as those for and against such a position claim to have biblical support.
According to a Global Survey of Evangelical Leaders, 48 percent of evangelicals say the state of Israel is a fulfillment of biblical prophecy about the Second Coming of Jesus, while 42 percent say it is not.
The survey, published in June by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public LIfe, reveals that 34 percent of evangelicals sympathize with Israel, while 11 percent sympathize with the Palestinians.
The survey also found that most evangelicals also believe that God’s covenant with the Jewish people continues today (73 percent).
