The discussions going on in the near east have called world-wide attention to the age-old conflict between the Arabs and the Jews which began with the two descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Ishmael. So far no peace accord has been achieved mainly because of failure to reach an agreement over control of the city of Jerusalem.
Each participant in the discussions claims Jerusalem as their capital city. Israel's claim stems from the time of Abraham, and later it was the location of the city of David, Solomon's temple, and the traditional location of the Jewish nation until it was destroyed in 70 AD by the Romans. The Palestinians claim it as the capital of Palestine up until 1942, when the state of Israel was formed following WWII. They consider it a holy place dating from father Abraham, and have built a mosque on the Dome of the Rock. Although not a part of the negotiations, Christians also have a keen interest in access to many supposedly sacred spots connected with the life of Christ. Such deep-seated animosities and traditions have, so far, made a peace settlement practically impossible.
Chapter 11 of Daniel chronicles a conflict between two mysterious kings, the King of the North and the King of the South, culminating in the King of the North locating his throne "between the seas in the glorious holy mountain." There are many interpretations of these prophecies, so we cannot be dogmatic. The New International Version of the Bible pictures the final conflict with the King of the North being the antichrist. Some Bible scholars apply verses 36-39 to the Papacy and verse 45 picturing the climax of its career (SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 4, page 877).
Pope John II urged the creation of a special international status for the city of Jerusalem, and has appealed to the negotiators that only such a status can preserve the sacred areas of the Holy City for all religions. He seized the decisive moment, carpe diem, to press the long-held Vatican position that these holy sites should be internationally governed. The Vatican is vague about how extensive this international role would be and how it would be administered, but one gets the impression that the Papacy would assume a leadership position in such an arrangement.
Could this be the beginning of the fulfillment of Daniel's prophecy? Is the King of the North, the antichrist, about to plant his throne "between the seas in the glorious holy mountain"? Perhaps we are not very far from the "Jerusalem Solution."
