In the Psalms we find the word selah. It means "pause," or "a time of silence." Sometimes what's before us is so full of meaning, we need a little time to take it all in. And for me, that's the way is was with Javier Solana's recent speech.

For the Jew, the Star of David is also full of meaning. What most of us today don't know, the Star of David is a relatively new symbol for the Jewish people. It became the Jewish symbol with the advent of the Zionist movement in 1897. And after the State of Israel was born, it became the symbol of the Jewish people and found its way on the Israeli flag.

Why did the Israeli people choose the Star of David to be their symbol? No one really knows for sure. In fact, there was much controversy over whether it should even be placed on the Israeli flag. For one thing, there is nothing in history linking the symbol to King David. And for another, the symbol isn't even unique to Israel. It has widely been used as a symbol for luck throughout the Middle East.

But for whatever reason, the Star of David became the symbol of the Jewish people. And as such, it developed a richness of meaning that would go unnoticed to the average Gentile mind. But, Javier Solana isn't an average mind. In fact, Solana brilliantly tapped into the mystery of the meaning of the symbol in his speech before the influential American Jewish Committee at the opening in Brussels of their Transatlantic Instituted.

Some religious Jews believe the top triangle reaches up toward God. And, the bottom triangle toward earth. And by locking these triangles together, it becomes clear to them what the symbol implies -- the coming to earth of the promised Kingdom of the Messiah.

The secular Jews, however, have a different take on it's meaning. They see the locking together of the two triangles as the linkage of all Jews, whether religious or secular, in the modern State of Israel.

So revealing his understanding of the Jewish people and the mystery of their symbol, Solana begins his speech to this important group of Jewish personalities by saying:

For my many Jewish friends here this evening the Magem of David -- the Star of David -- is a symbol of religious faith. For my many Israeli friends it is a symbol of their nation Read it here.

In one sentence Solana found the ear of both his religious and secular Jewish listeners. And from there he delivers a speech that uses the interlocking triangles in the Star of David as a way getting his message across. Again referring to the symbol Solana says:

In its two interlocking triangles I see also a symbol of two other triangles. These are two triangles that, in decades to come, will have a major bearing on the fortunes of us all. The first triangle is that between America, Europe and Israel. The second triangle is that between Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

As I though about Solana's two interlocking triangles, the image of the Star of David came to my mind. And there is was -- a firm covenant with the many. An idea for peace based on two, three-way alliances. The first a secular alliance between Israel, Europe and America. The second a religious alliance between Judaism, Christianity and Islam. 

Taken by itself, Solana's speech wouldn't have much relevance. But when we add it to the emerging prophetic picture before us, it should be very sobering. Let's take a look at some events that have happened this month:

February 2: The EU officially endorses the Geneva Accords as a basis for settling the Israeli/Palestinin conflict. These accords had their beginning with the EU and the Israeli left.

February 6: Emerging from a meeting of the Socialist International in Madrid, former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres declared a new wind was blowing in the Middle East.

February 9: At Munich's annual NATO Conference, Germany's socialist foreign minister Joschka Fischer said greater international effort was needed to solve the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. And Palestinian foreign minister, Nabil Shaath, said Palestine would be willing to become a member of the EU.

February 11: An earthquake struck Israel. And on the same day, Shimon Peres suggested as a way to bring peace, Israel, Jordan and Palestine should be offered membership in the EU.

February 12: Javier Solana delivers his impressive speech about two interlocking triangles to a new Jewish think tank in Brussels.

What do all these recent events mean? I think we may be getting our first glimpses into the coming "firm covenant with the many" spoken of in the book of Daniel (Daniel 9:27).

It will be a wicked and unholy alliance -- a two way alliance interlocking greed and the spirit of false religion. On the secular side, it will be made up of Israel, Europe and America. On the religious side it will be made up of corrupted forms of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

It will be a firm covenant for a period of seven years. Evidently, in this time the Jewish people will be able to rebuild their temple. But, the Bible tells us this firm covenant will be broken in only 3 1/2 years. And, there will be great tribulation for Israel and God's people. After which, there will be silence in heaven for about a half of an hour. 

Selah