Mr. Everywhere

During European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana's recent visit to the Middle East, he emphasized, while in Amman, Jordan on 2-15-06, as seen in a China View article, the European Union is willing to restore strong relations with the Islamic nations of the region - relations which were recently soured as a result of the publication of some cartoons insultive of Islam's Prophet Mohammad in a Denmark newspaper.

After Solana met with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas on 2-16-06, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a presidential advisor to Abbas, said, "The world must deal with the PA and its president, and our message for Europe, the US, and the international community that we have heard good speech from the EU and asked them not to punish the Palestinian people and to continue financial support pending the formation of the new government that will be consistent with the president and the PLO's commitments."

The day after Solana met with Abbas, Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz told the European Union's foreign policy chief that terrorist organization Hamas, which holds a majority membership in the Palestinian Legislative Council as of today (2-18-06), has been consulting with Iran, asking for guidance, instructions and financial assistance from the Iranian government in the days leading up to today's swearing in of those elected. As such, the Israelis want Solana to pressure the international community to bypass a Hamas-led Palestinian government where funding is concerned, forwarding any aid provided to the Palestinians directly to the Palestinians themselves. Will Solana do that? I don't know, for a number of reasons.

Solana, as I've reported in the past, is rumored to have held secret diplomatic talks with Hamas as recently as November of 2004. Although Solana has publicly admitted to that, he has also denied it, as odd as that seems. Solana has also said, as seen in an EUObserver.com article, that the EU will not decide what its relationship will be with the Palestinian Authority until a new Palestinian government takes office, a process now officially underway.

Today, as I write this commentary, it is being reported by The Tehran Times that Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki is to meet with Solana next week "during a visit Mottaki is making to address the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee." This comes at a moment when Iran is a major thorn in the side of the international community as a result of its dogged determination to obtain nuclear weapons.

How in the world the European Union's Javier Solana maintains the schedule he keeps is beyond me, but he is absolutely everywhere lately! From Saudi Arabia to Egypt to Jordan to the Palestinian territories to Israel to, potentially, meeting with an influential Iranian leader in the days ahead, all of this taking place in the course of a week's time, plus or minus a few days. To say he is a busy little bee is an understatement!

At this present moment in history, there is no one I'm presently aware of in the world who is getting more face-to-face time with the leaders of nations which are going to play a prominent role in fulfillment of the Bible's yet-to-be-fulfilled prophecies than the European Union's Dr. Javier Solana. While that may or may not be of any significance where the person of Javier Solana himself is concerned, it should be of great interest to those of us who believe the time is rapidly drawing near when the Lord Himself will descend from with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God to call us out of a world that has forgotten its God, as seen in 1st Thessalonians 4:16-17. Why? Because it is from the European Union which Javier Solana serves that the prophesied Antichrist will someday come forth to confirm a seven-year covenant of peace between Israel and her enemies "with many" - an event which will kickoff the seven-year Tribulation Period to come.

Many fear Armageddon is rapidly approaching due to the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Iran nuclear weapon-seeking controversy, the United States' occupation of Iraq, and a probe into whether or not the Syrian government played a role in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, all of which threatens to make the troubled Middle East even more volatile than its been in the past. During this time when the entire world's eyes are fixated on the Middle East, the most intense diplomatic efforts being made in the region to prevent Armageddon from occurring are being made by the revived Roman empire's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, a man I think deserves to be nicknamed "Mr. Everywhere."

Although no one knows the identity of the Antichrist nor will anyone on this side of the Rapture of the Church know it with certainty in my opinion, the role the European Union itself seems to be moving into is one of being the mediator of all disputes, the voice of reason if you will. From the mouth of a Palestinian leader, as documented earlier in this commentary, the Palestinian government presently wants the world to know it has "heard good speech from the EU." There's little doubt in my mind that's a true statement. As we look at Bible prophecy, particularly what we're told is going to ultimately come to pass, there is no reason, at least at this point, to suspect the Palestinians are going to begin hearing anything other than "good speech" from the EU. That, my brothers and sisters in Christ, may be very noteworthy as we look at the BIG picture of what is going on in the world today, much of which seems to indicate the return of Jesus Christ is right around the prophetic corner!

I don't know about any of you, but I'm hoping with all my heart to hear a shout in the not-too-distant future!