by Tim Buck | Jan 27, 2025 | Hamas, Iran, Israel, President Trump, Saudi Arabia
Trump’s Vision
Diplomacy or War with Iran,
Peace with Saudi Arabia,
Toppling Hamas
1/25/25 By Tim Buck
Fotet.org
Mike Evans who is a popular Jewish Christian, Evangelical preacher and one of Israel’s most prominent supporters in the US over the past decade and a half, opposed Obama’s policies toward Israel and actively supported Trump’s campaigns, mobilizing many evangelical, communities. His Friends Of Zion Heritage Center (FOZ) in Jerusalem is a popular destination for tour groups visiting Israel. On Monday, during Trump’s inauguration day, he hosted a grand event at the Friends of Zion Heritage Center in Jerusalem titled “Congratulations Donald Trump, Israel loves you.”
According to Evans, after the return of the hostages from Hamas, President Donald Trump aims to secure a comprehensive solution to the situation in Gaza and the broader Middle East. The new administration is expected to advance a broad initiative involving Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Israel. This process may require further concessions, but Hamas is unlikely to relinquish its rule easily. Peace with Saudi Arabia could also be part of this larger vision.
President Trump’s Inauguration celebration event hosted by Mike Evans and the Friends of Zion Heritage Center in Jerusalem
In the eyes of the administration, the ceasefire is seen as a “done deal,” irreversible until fully implemented. This is the essence of statements from Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Trump himself – even if their tone is less absolute.
This approach suggests Trump and his team view the deal as concluding the war, ensuring the return of all hostages, and dismantling Hamas’ control over Gaza. But how exactly this will be achieved remains the hardest challenge, as Hamas, portraying the agreement as a victory, has no intention of willingly surrendering its military dominance or arsenal.
Mike Evans, founder of the Friends of Zion Heritage Center and an advisor to Trump on evangelical matters, reaffirmed this perspective. In a conversation with Israel Hayom, he stated that Trump would support initiatives Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wishes to advance, just as he backed the current agreement framework initiated by Israel last summer.
However, Evans emphasized that Trump intends to be a “president of peace” and desires a foundational solution for the entire Middle East, starting with Gaza, extending through the Palestinian issue, and encompassing the broader region. “We need to see the bigger picture,” Evans stated. “Israel is engaged in proxy wars against Iran: defeating Hezbollah in Lebanon, ousting Assad, and breaking Hamas’ grip. But you can’t fight an ideology through war. Hamas enjoys substantial support in Gaza, which cannot be eradicated militarily. It’s likely that significant concessions will be necessary to secure the release of all the hostages.”
What about normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia?
While Evans has no immediate answer for how Hamas can be entirely defeated, he outlined a proposed solution involving collaboration with Egypt and Saudi Arabia. “It will require an Arab Muslim coalition to address the issue,” he argued. “Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who effectively handles the Muslim Brotherhood domestically, will be a key partner in resolving the situation in Gaza and dealing with Hamas similarly. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman despises Hamas’ methods and the Palestinian education system that promotes hatred. He has personally expressed his desire to reform the education system to me.”
Evans also underscored the need to address Iran, referring to it as the “head of the snake” and the primary sponsor of Middle Eastern terrorism. “Qatar must stop funding Hamas,” he added, explaining that Trump would make this demand clear to Qatari leadership and any other entities supporting the terrorist organization.
Evans believes resolving the broader Palestinian issue will take two to three years, depending partly on the Israeli government. Regarding Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria, he stated, “Yes to sovereignty, alongside broad autonomy for the Palestinians, but only after a process – neither Israel nor the Palestinians are ready for this now.” He hinted at the failure of Trump’s “Deal of the Century,” launched in January 2020, which never materialized.
Interestingly, Evans used the term “autonomy,” contrasting with previous promises of a Palestinian state. This seems to reflect the current atmosphere surrounding Trump. Evans also tied Saudi Arabia to the Palestinian issue, quoting the Crown Prince as saying, “The foolish Palestinians wasted my money and aid funds. Instead of emulating Israel’s success, they fought against it. He is highly pro-Israel, more so than some Israelis, and this sentiment is shared by the Emiratis,” Evans claimed. This suggests that Palestinian leadership will need to undergo profound changes to gain support from the moderate Arab world and achieve a diplomatic solution.
“Trump plans to secure this agreement within the year, tied to ending the Gaza conflict. Both sides want it, and Trump, who brokered the Abraham Accords, is the right person to make this deal happen.”
Regarding Iran, Evans offered an intriguing view echoed by several new administration appointees. “Israel is the US proxy in the mission to overthrow the Iranian regime,” he asserted, clarifying that “Israel will need to act independently, as Trump will not proactively deploy American troops in the Middle East – it goes against his principles as a president of peace.”
“But he will provide Israel with all the political and military support it requires. Iran is advancing toward nuclear capability, with enough enriched uranium to complete its facilities,” Evans warned.
Hamas terrorists burning an Israeli tank on October 7, 2023
How Can Israel Weaken Iran?
“By targeting Iran’s oil facilities. This would paralyze Iran’s economy, far more effective than sanctions. Most of the Iranian population despises the regime, and regime change requires collaboration with them.”
Evans concluded by noting that “Israel is still recovering from trauma and needs time to heal. Trump is the best president Israel could hope for, and the future is promising, even if progress takes time.”
Evans, a Jewish Christian preacher and one of Israel’s most prominent supporters in the US over the past decade and a half, opposed Obama’s policies toward Israel and actively supported Trump’s campaigns, mobilizing Christian, particularly evangelical, communities. On Monday, during Trump’s inauguration day, he hosted a grand event at the Friends of Zion Heritage Center in Jerusalem titled “Congratulations Donald Trump, Israel loves you.”
Hostages reunite with their families.
Trump Effect
During their Trump Inauguration celebration hosted at the FOZ Heritage Center, the event drew about a thousand attendees, including ambassadors, businesspeople, dignitaries, and key figures in US-Israel relations. Trump’s inauguration ceremony was broadcast live on dozens of large screens throughout the campus, where attendees cheered, clapped, and stood when Trump spoke about the hostages’ return.
During the event, Evans declared, “I believe Donald Trump is the best president for Israel. The three hostages returned to their mothers’ arms yesterday thanks to Trump. Hamas understands that they must comply with Trump’s will, or they will face punishment.
There’s no doubt Trump will give Israel strong backing to act against Iran, as he knows Iran is a common enemy of Israel and all Western nations, including the US. Soon, you will see Saudi Arabia drawing closer to Israel, and peace will come. The Abraham Accords will expand, and Egypt will also contribute to the change the Middle East has been awaiting.”
by Tim Buck | Jan 22, 2025 | President Trump
Donald Trump sworn in as the 47th president of the United States!
President Trump Declares
National Emergency at Southern Border
1/21/25 By Tim Buck
Fotet.org
President Trump has declared a national emergency at the southern border, just as he announced Monday during his inaugural address in the U.S. Capitol rotunda.
Trump wielded the critical issue of border security with incredible effectiveness during his campaign against VP Harris, and his policy-heavy inaugural speech made clear he would move swiftly to act on his campaign promises.
Today the president said, “With these actions, we will begin the complete restoration of America and the revolution of common sense. It’s all about common sense.”
He continued, “First, I will declare a national emergency on our southern border. All illegal entry will immediately be halted and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came.
We will reinstate my Remain in Mexico policy, I will end the practice of Catch and Release, and I will send troops to the southern border to repel the disastrous invasion of our country.”
But the president wants to do more.
“Under the orders I sign today, we will also be designating the cartels as foreign terrorist organizations,” he said. “And by invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, I will direct our government to use the full and immense power of federal and state law enforcement to eliminate the presence of all foreign gangs and criminal networks, bringing devastating crime to U.S. soil, including our cities and inner cities.”
“As Commander in Chief, I have no higher responsibility than to defend our country from threats and invasions, and that is exactly what I am going to do,” Trump said. “We will do it at a level that nobody has ever seen before.”
by Tim Buck | Jan 16, 2025 | Hamas, Joe Biden, President Trump
There’s a New Sheriff in Town!
Trump’s ultimatum to Hamas to release the hostages before his inauguration pays off.
This development comes at a crucial time in prophetic history.
With President Trump about to enter the Whitehouse, the prophetic stage seems to be set for him to fulfill many of the dramatic events necessary to bring us closer to the start of the Tribulation Period.
Trump first to announce agreement on Truth Social
Israel, Hamas Finalize Deal
1/14/25 By Tim Buck
Fotet.org
On the 467th day of the war, Israel and Hamas have finalized a deal to pause the war and release hostages, working closely with U.S., Qatari, and Egyptian mediators.
President-elect Donald J. Trump was the first senior official to announce and confirm the news via social media.
“WE HAVE A DEAL FOR THE HOSTAGES IN THE MIDDLE EAST,” the incoming American Commander-in-Chief announced on Truth Social at noon eastern (7pm Israel time). “THEY WILL BE RELEASED SHORTLY. THANK YOU!”
Senior Israeli officials believe it has been Trump’s ultimatum to Hamas that there will be “ALL HELL TO PAY” for the terrorist organization if all the hostages are not released by the time he takes the oath of office on Monday, Jan. 20.
Israel’s security cabinet is expected to meet today to formally approve the deal.
Israeli journalist Amir Tibon wrote on X, “President Trump deserves all the credit for today’s deal, that will bring us back all remaining hostages. And today’s deal was way more difficult to achieve.”
The deal includes the release of 33 Israeli hostages, including women, children, and the elderly, in exchange for around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, many of them terrorists. It may seem like an inequitable deal, and that’s because it is. However, it does show how much Israel values the lives of its citizens.
The ceasefire will begin on Sunday with the first group of hostages set to be released in the first phase.
The first phase will last six weeks, with around 3-4 additional hostages set to be released every week.
During this phase, Israel and Hamas will discuss the details regarding a second phase, with the goal being a final end to the war in Gaza.
While this is a moment for cautious optimism, I am not certain that the entire agreement will ever come to pass.
We must remember that true peace in Jerusalem will only come with the return of the Prince of Peace.
This six-week ceasefire is a temporary respite, but it represents hope for the Israeli families who have suffered tremendous loss.
Please join me in praying for the hostages’ safe return, for the peace of Jerusalem, and for God’s continued protection over Israel.
As we watch these events unfold, remember that God’s promises to Israel are unchanging, and His Word never fails.
Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people from this time forth and forever. – Ps. 125:1-2
by Tim Buck | Jan 15, 2025 | Hamas, Israel, President Trump
Hostage Deadline
1/14/25 By Tim Buck
Fotet.org
Optimism in Israel is rising quickly that a real hostage deal could be finalized in the coming days, possibly before Donald Trump takes the oath of office on Monday.
One senior Israeli diplomat says Trump’s ultimatum to Hamas – to release all the hostages by Jan. 20 – has injected real fear into the terror group’s leadership and could be making Hamas more likely to make a deal than at any other time.
Dr. Yechiel Leiter is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s choice to be Israel’s next ambassador to the United States. Leiter leaves for Washington in the next few days to take up his post. Recently he said, “when President-elect Trump said, ‘there’s going to be hell to pay’ if [Israel’s] hostages aren’t released [immediately], I think it goes to the depth of understanding of what we’re dealing with,” Leiter told me.
“The hostages are living in hell,” he said. “To say that there’s going to be ‘hell to pay’ means that there’s recognition by President Trump that holding people hostage is simply not acceptable.”
Leiter noted that in Jan. 1981, the regime of Iranian Supreme Leader Khomeini was “afraid” of Ronald Reagan entering the White House.That’s why, he said, that at “the inauguration [of Reagan] the Iranian government released the American hostages just in anticipation of Reagan entering the White House.” Likewise, he believes Hamas fears “President Trump entering the White House and the ramifications of holding people, human beings, in hell.” Leiter believes Trump’s strong and muscular pro-Israel stance is going to change the Middle East dramatically and for the better.
‘PROGRESS’ IN HOSTAGE TALKS
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar is also signaling that progress is being made in the negotiations underway in Doha, Qatar.
“Israel wants a hostage deal,” he said. “Israel is working with our American friends in order to achieve a hostage deal, and soon we will know whether the other side wants the same thing.”
“It looks much better than previously,” Sa’ar added. “But I don’t want to say more than that, because I realize there are families that are sensitive to every word and every sentence.”
HAMAS ‘TERRIFIED’ BY WHAT TRUMP WILL DO, SAYS VANCE
In Washington, Vice President-elect J.D. Vance told Fox News Sunday, “We’re hopeful there’s gonna be a deal that’s struck towards the very end of Biden’s administration, maybe in the next day or two.”
“But regardless of when that deal is struck, it will be because people are terrified that there are going to be consequences for Hamas.”
The Trump administration plans on “enabling the Israelis to knock out the final couple of battalions of Hamas and their leadership,” Vance said, as well as imposing “very aggressive sanctions and financial penalties on those who are supporting terrorist organizations in the Middle East.”
President Trump back in the Whitehouse is a welcome sign to the Israeli’s who have fought valiantly for the last 15 months.
by Tim Buck | Jan 14, 2025 | Israel, Palestinians, President Trump, Russia, Syria, Ukraine, United Nations
Global Alliance Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Top News Stories To Watch
Setting The Stage
For The Tribulation Period!
1/11/25 By Tim Buck
Fotet.org
We are living in the days that the prophets spoke about with rapid signs converging like birth pains and coming one right after the other. Not one… not two… not three… but so many end-time signs are bursting forth now it’s hard to keep up with them all! The prophets declared that events would appear at a more rapid pace in the run-up to the return of Jesus. And that’s precisely what we’re seeing today.
Below are some key news stories from the past year that continue to shout the message that we live in the last days leading up to the start of the Tribulation period.
1. Saudi Arabia’s Middle East Peace Initiative
Amid the high tension in the Middle East over the lingering crisis between Palestine and Israel, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has unveiled a new initiative aimed at establishing an independent Palestinian state and advancing the implementation of a two-state solution.
The announcement comes after decades of failed international efforts to resolve the Israel-Palestine conflict, which has brought the region to the verge of full-scale war. Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, spearheaded the inaugural Global Alliance meeting in October last year in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for the “Implementation of the Two-State Solution.” Founded by the Saudi Kingdom, the alliance includes over 90 governments and international organizations.
The purpose was to begin the process of establishing a Palestinian state by means of a seven to ten-year peace agreement with Israel. The next meeting is scheduled for June 2-4, 2025, at the UN.
The interest of so many nations in the fate of Jerusalem tells us that the fulfillment of Zechariah 12:1-3 is happening before our eyes. It’s more than a little stunning that the result of this initiative could eventually lead to the prophesied seven-year peace accord with Israel. How close might we be to the fulfillment of Daniel 9:27 and the start of Daniel’s seventieth week and the Tribulation period?
Is it not significant that the world is now planning for the dividing of Israel and Jerusalem that the Scriptures declare will trigger the start of the Tribulation?
2. Donald Trump’s Reelection as President
Donald Trump’s election victory is good news for Israel as well as for the American people. Once he takes office, the congress-approved weapons will more flow freely to Israel.
His win will likely enhance the peace negotiations already taking place. Once in office, Trump will likely revitalize his “Deal of the Century” plan from 2020 whereby he sought to resolve the Palestinian issue.
How might Trump’s reelection effect negotiations for Israel?
First, Israel will feel more secure with him as the U.S. President and as a result, may have a greater willingness to accept an agreement with the Palestinians under better terms.
Second, many in Israel view Trump as sympathetic with their desire for a third temple. His election increases the probability that the third temple will be a part any future peace covenant. We’ll have more on this topic in our March 11 class, “Third Temple, Coming Soon.”
3. Continuing Attacks Against Israel
If Israel is to one day accept the peace deal in fulfillment of Daniel 9:27 and Matthew 24:15, we would expect to see the nation besieged by warfare and continual threats of deadly attacks. If they were at peace with their neighbors, they would have no reason to enter into such a covenant. In other words, their current experience is exactly what we would expect to see in the months or years leading to their acceptance of peace.
Despite delivering crushing blows to both Hamas and Hezbollah in 2024, these terrorist organizations remain active and capable of deadly attacks. There’s also the threat of another Iranian missile attack on Israel. The continuing threats will eventually lead to a war-weary Israel agreeing to the terms of peace to divide Israel for a Palestinian State. The new regime in Syria will also pose a new threat to Israel in the future.
4. The Fall of Syria
The rapid fall of Syria to the rebel coalition surprised many. The concern over the weapons left behind by the deposed government under Bashar al-Assad led to 300 Israeli airstrikes against the leftover armaments of Assad’s military. There’s an ongoing concern about the chemical weapons that the former regime possessed and used.
The new leaders of Syria seek to portray themselves as moderate, but they are ISIS and Al Qaeda in a new face – that’s all. Although many in Syria rejoice at the removal of the wicked and brutal Bashar al-Assad, this new bunch of radical Islamists may be even worse at bringing in greater dark and chaotic days ahead for the nation.
5. UN 2.0
In September, the UN member nations voted to significantly strengthen the power of the UN. The summary of the approved proposal used the phrase “UN 2.0” to refer to its enhanced authority over the nations.
Although we have yet to see the impact of this, it signifies the growing acceptance of most nations of the necessity of a strengthened UN. This provides the structure needed for the enemy to pressure Israel at every turn and their continued opposition to everything Israel does.
6. America’s National Debt
America’s gigantic national debt is a ticking time bomb that will someday explode and bring economic devastation to the U.S. and the world. The future U.S. debt explosion will be a key factor that leads to the dire conditions of famine and economic implosion described in Revelation 6:5-6.
Recently, America’s debt level reached thirty-six trillion dollars with 1.4 trillion needed each year just to cover the interest. It’s only the Lord’s restraining hand that keeps this from bringing financial ruin to the US and the rest of the world.
Despite the dedication of President-elect Trump and his team to bring the runaway government spending under control, it’s likely too late to avoid the economic Armageddon that lies ahead for the US.
The only question is will this occur before or after the Rapture of the church?
7. NATO’s Permission for Ukraine to Fire Missiles into Russia
In November, President Biden led the way in approving Ukraine’s use of America’s missiles to strike within the territory of Russia. Once NATO missiles begin to cause death and destruction with his nation, Vladimir Putin may retaliate by attacking Europe. Although such a large-scale response has not yet happened, many claim that we are on the edge of a catastrophic war.
Is this not another sign that the red horse of war will soon ride across the planet (Revelation 6:2-3, 7-8)? Although the Lord continues to restrain this future catastrophic eruption of violence, we now have a clearer picture of what lies ahead for the world after the Rapture. At the moment, the Biden Administration is doing all it can to spark a deadly conflict with Russia.
As we await our departure from earth to the place that Jesus is preparing for us in Heaven, the above sampling of headlines from 2024 tells us that we are ever so close to meeting Him in the air. The stories from the past year paint a picture of a world on the edge of the Day of the Lord, which will quickly follow the Rapture.
Rumble