In 1987 the Palestinians began an intifada (uprising) against the control of Israel. Hamas
was born from this unrest, and was an outgrowth of the Palestinian branch of the Muslim
Brotherhood. It is not closely aligned with the Iran-Syria-Hezbollah movement because the
Muslim Brotherhood began in Egypt where the majority follows the Sunni branch of Islam. Iran,
on the other hand, is the champion of the Shiite branch. Hamas was founded on the belief that
Allah had given the land to them and Israel had no right to it. They are listed by the U.S. and
other countries as a terrorist organization. They have used terrorism, including suicide bombings
and rocket attacks to try to establish a Palestinian state.
In the book, ―Son of Hamas,‖ Mosab Hassan Yousef explains his upbringing as the son
of one of the founders of Hamas. As a young man he admired his father and was involved in
leadership of the youth of the movement. He was imprisoned for his activities, and witnessed the
brutality of Hamas against its own people. He became disillusioned with the movement. After
he was released from prison he was drawn to a Bible study in Jerusalem where he became a
born-again Christian.
73 He now lives in the United States.
Rocket attacks from Hamas in Gaza led to a brief war between Israel and Gaza in 2008.
In 2010, according to Aziz Dwaik, Hamas’ most senior representative in the West Bank,
Hamas would now accept Israel’s right to exist. This means that they would be willing to nullify
the part in the Hamas charter that calls for the destruction of Israel.74
The Palestinian Authority – 1994
The Palestinian Authority is an elected body of representatives prescribed by the ―Oslo
Peace Process‖ in 1993. Its purpose is to control areas in the West Bank and The Gaza Strip
when Israel would withdraw from them.
Hamas was not in favor of the peace talks and ultimately refused to participate in the
peace process.
Suicide Bombings Introduced – 1994
Palestinians and the world were startled on February 25, 1994 when an American-born
physician, Baruch Goldstein opened fire in the mosque in Hebron, killing 29 people and injuring
more than one hundred others. He was beat to death by an angry and grief-stricken mob.75
Bombing incidents had become commonplace, but to avenge this massacre, 21 year-old Amar
Salah Diab Amarna detonated a bomb he was carrying on a bus to Tel Aviv. Six were killed and
thirty were wounded.76
Amarna and the scores of young suicide bombers who would follow him
were considered heroes among the Palestinians, and especially among Hamas followers.
Because of the bombings and suicide missions, Israel decided to build a massive barrier
between Palestinian areas, especially the Gaza Strip, and Israeli communities. The wall was
begun in 1994, and more than 200 miles of it have been completed, effectively stopping the
carnage until Hamas began to use rockets to attack Israeli areas.
Interference from Saddam Hussein’s Iraq – 2002
In 1981 Israeli fighter jets destroyed the Osirak nuclear reactor that was being built by
Iraq. Ten years later, during the Gulf War in 1991, Saddam Hussein launched numerous Scud
missiles at Israeli targets, including Tel Aviv.
In 2002 and 2003 Saddam gave $10,000 charity checks to families of Palestinian martyrs,
and $25,000 to families of suicide bombers, thus encouraging the ongoing terrorism against
Israel.77
Nuclear Iran – 2010
Nuclear fuel was loaded into Iran‘s first nuclear reactor at Bushehr on Aug. 21, 2010.
This was done against the wishes of most of the people of the world, including major Arab
nations in the Middle East, against numerous resolutions by the United Nations, and in spite of
embargos from the U.S. and others. The project was made possible by the Russians, who
provided materials and expertise at every stage, and who actually started the reactor for them.
Their installation was not attacked by Israel because of the immense complications of Iran‘s
multi-faceted nuclear power and nuclear weapons programs.
Worst of all, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has consistently called for the
elimination of Israel since he was first elected in 2005. He chaired a conference in Teheran in
that same year called ―A World Without Zionism and America.‖ He sincerely hates the U.S.,
whom he calls ―The Great Satan,‖ and has vowed to destroy Israel when it is possible,
presumably when Iran has nuclear weapons. Many experts believe that it will not be long before
he has these weapons of mass destruction. But will he use them?
Author Mike Evans warns that Ahmadinejad is not constrained by the ―MAD deterrent‖
(mutual assured destruction) that kept the U.S. and Russia from bombing each other during the
cold war. Neither side would attack first because of the certainty that the other would respond
with enough force to destroy the enemy many times over.78 Evans calls Ahmadinejad‘s Iran ―the
suicide regime‖ because of his belief that he has been chosen to help bring back their Mahdi
(Messiah), the Twelfth Imam, who has supposedly been in hiding since the eighth century,
waiting for the right time to return. In 2006 Evans interviewed James Woolsey, former head of
the Central Intelligence Agency, who said that his plan is to ―get a lot of people killed as quickly
as possible.‖ This will summon the Mahdi. Woolsey added,
And then they also believe once the Mahdi comes, the world will only exist for a brief period of
time. So Ahmadinejad is effectively on a campaign to see if he can‘t get the world to end.79
Of course, many Bible students see all of this as a build-up to the War of Gog and Magog
(Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39), See Chapter 9 – The First Half of the Tribulation for more detail
about this great war near the beginning of the 7 year ―Tribulation.‖ (Daniel 9:27)
Concern for Muslims
Christians continue to affirm their love for Muslims because Christ died for all men, and
to stand against any persecution of Muslims based on their religion or ethnicity. In 2010 there
was a big debate about whether or not to allow the building of a 13-story mosque near New
York‘s ―ground zero‖ from the 9/11 attacks. It was a difficult question because Americans
generally are very committed to the concept of freedom of religion. Americans have believed
that through this freedom, people of all beliefs will explore the truth and some will find Christ in
the process. But it was clear that the proposed mosque would be a symbol of Islamic conquest in
New York. In the same way, they have built their shrines over other political or religious focal
points like the Kaaba, the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, and the Christian Church of Saint
Vincent in Cordoba, Spain. Furthermore, it was considered very insensitive to the feelings of the
families of those who died in the attacks. Muslims have been allowed to build more than a
thousand mosques in the U.S. This is as it should be, even though Christians would not be
allowed to build churches in some Islamic countries of the world. But Americans wanted an
answer to the question, ―Why build here?‖
Evangelical Christians also seek to enter into dialog with Muslims wherever possible, so
that they might learn more about Jesus, whom they respect as a prophet, but do not accept as
savior. At the same time, they should not give the false impression, so prevalent in our culture
today, that Christianity is just one way to God. Jesus said that he is the only way to God the
Father (John 14:6).
Muslim evangelism is difficult in most Islamic countries. It is actually illegal in many of
them. But in these critical days, Christians are praying for them that they will accept Christ.
There have been many amazing stories of Muslims who have been converted by appearances of
Jesus in their dreams. Some, like Mosab Hassan Yousef, the ―Son of Hamas,‖ have been drawn
to Christ through the love of Christians. According to some missionaries, large numbers of
Muslims are becoming Christians now.80
In Sections One and Two we have considered God’s dealings with Israel, his “Chosen
People,” the Church, the mystery age not revealed in the Old Testament, and the rise of Islam.
We now turn our attention to the future–to The Tribulation period, the time just beyond the
rapture, which signals the end of the Church period.
