Does Ariel Sharon really mean it? According to the UK's Guardian, after implementing his Gaza pullout, Sharon is planning on dumping the Road Map Read about it here.

If you recall, the Road Map is the European Union's idea of a fair settlement to the Israeli/Palestinian dispute. It was endorsed by the Quartet -- the US, EU, UN and Russia, and among other things, it calls for a Palestinian state by 2005.

When Sharon announced his Gaza pullout plan, the Quartet thought Sharon's plan could speed their Road Map and signed on. Now, Sharon has stunned the international community by announcing he has no intention of implementing the Road Map.

Once again, I wonder if Sharon really means it. Or, being the fox that he is, could Sharon just be playing for better cards? I also wonder how the EU heads will react -- especially the EU's High Representative Javier Solana. It's going to be real interesting to see what Solana has to say about Sharon's announcement.

In the mean time, I've finally read Marvin Rosethal's book, The Pre-wrath Rapture of the Church. What do I think about it? Well, I'm still rapture neutral. However, beside the issue of the timing of the rapture, I've found Rosethal and I have some common ground.

For one thing, Rosethal links some passages specifically to Israel that others link to the world in general. For example, where in Daniel 9:27 it says the Antichrist will make a covenant with the "many," Rosethal believes the way I do. He believes the "many" specifically refers to the majority in Israel.

But, Rosethal -- perhaps because he is a Jewish Christian -- took the Jewish connection a little farther than even I did. Rosethal believes the apostasy that precedes the rise of the Antichrist refers specifically to the apostasy of Israel. In other words, when the majority in Israel have totally abandoned the faith of their fathers, that's when Israel will fall for the Antichrist's false peace.

He points out, in The First Book of the Maccabees, where the majority in Israel went along with the wicked forerunner of the Antichrist, Antiochus Epiphanes, it was called an apostasy. 

You know what? I think Rosethal may be right on this. That doesn't mean there won't be a general apostasy too -- I believe the Bible also teaches there will. However, I agree that in this particular passage in Daniel, the apostasy being refereed to is that of Israel.

If you've been following the news coming from Israel, you know Sharon has been facing demonstrations by the religious Jews against his Gaza pull out plan. You may also be aware of the death threats he's been receiving. These are the same kind of threats former Israeli Prime Minister Yatzhak Rabin received before his assassination back in November of 1995.

Here's my point: The issue in Israel appears to be between the religious Jews and the secular. The religious Jews believe all the land of Israel is God given, and their government has no business giving any of it back. The secular Jews, on the other hand, don't think there is anything wrong with giving back the land if it brings peace. And, today the secular Jews hold the majority. According to this report, 64 percent will not be attending a synagogue on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur Read about it here.

You see, the conflict going on today in Israel over the settlements is not a new issue. As I pointed out in my book, it was an election back in 1992, between Yatzhak Shamir and Yatzak Rabin, that stared Israel down the slippery slope of negotiating with the Arabs. In fact, I believe that 1992 election marks the date in history when the majority in Israel first began saying, "Peace and safety," setting the stage for the rise of the Antichrist.

Now, we hear Sharon is suddenly dumping the EU's Road Map peace plan.

We'll see.