It's difficult for me to accept. It's called the European Neighborhood Policy. It's a covenant with many --  an accord between the 25 EU member states and six Mediterranean states. And, of course, among these states are Israel and the Palestinian Authority. The author of the agreement is the EU's High Representative, Javier Solana -- the person who has risen among a 10-nation alliance and, who's appearance, in two places, is connected with that infamous number of prophecy, 666. 

Friends, I believe in this agreement we may actually be looking at the beginning of the prophet Daniel's seventieth week. The prophet wrote:

Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place. So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate (Daniel 9:24-27 New American Standard Bible).

We often forget the angel in the Old Testament book of Daniel is answering a specific prayer request about God's purpose for the nation Israel. The angel tells Daniel that God will allow Israel seventy weeks of years until the Messiah comes to establish His eternal kingdom. However, after sixty-nine weeks, the angel stated that the promised Messiah would be cut off and that Jerusalem and the Jewish temple would be destroyed.

History tells us, just as the angel said, that Roman Legions destroyed Jerusalem and Herod's temple in 70 AD. We also know that Jesus -- the Messiah -- was cut off by being crucified about 40 years earlier. So, what happened to the last seventieth week? Well, we know it never arrived because, if it had, at the end of that last seven-year period the Messianic kingdom would have begun and today righteousness would reign.

What happened to the seventieth week? What happened is that after the kingdom of heaven was refused by Israel, it was offered to the Gentile nations. And, for the last two thousand years, God has been among the Gentiles as He once was with Israel. But, as Paul states in Romans chapter 11, God hasn't forgotten His promises to Israel. He hasn't forgotten Israel's promised seventieth week.

When will it begin? According to the angel, the seventieth week will begin when a leader from a revived Roman Empire makes a seven-year covenant with a reborn Israel. It will be a covenant with many -- like Solana's Neighborhood Policy. It will evidently also include some kind of Action Plan whereby the participating nations will be monitored for compliance. My reason for saying this is because, after only 3 1/2 years, the Roman leader will annul his agreement and the Israelis will have to flee for their lives.

Now it's being reported the deal is only words away. It appears the final issue may be Israel's nuclear arms Read about it here  I  And here. I was expecting same. As I reported before, Solana had to have something to offer Iran in return for Iran giving up her nuclear program.

Where does a seven-year period fit into the deal? Well, the EU has a seven-year budget term. The next term begins on January 1, 2007. Solana has been tasked with drawing up the new funding instrument that will be used for his Neighborhood Policy beginning on that date. So, on that date, the participating nations will be subject to that new instrument. And, as I stated before, it will include a new Action Plan and monitoring program. Interestingly, Solana is to report mid-term regarding each nation's compliance. 

It's still difficult for me to accept.