22 Skidoo

Charles Dickens' 1859 novel A Tale of Two Cities is set during the French Revolution, and at the end of the novel protagonist Sydney Carton is prepared to go to the guillotine in place of the husband of the woman he loves. In the novel, prisoners are being executed in groups of 100 and are called to their deaths one by one in sequential order. In the powerful closing scene, Carton is number 23 among a group awaiting execution, and number 22 has gone. As the novel ends, Carton responds to the call of "23!" and meets his fate with the full satisfaction that "it is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known."

Following a successful run in London, a stage version of the novel called The Only Way opened in New York City in September of 1899, and it has been documented that within a couple of months a peculiar slang expression began popping up on the streets of the Big Apple:

"23!"

If someone said "23," they meant something along the lines of "beat it," "move along," "clear out," "get lost," or "let's scram," "we're outta here," and so on. It wasn't long before it was occasionally being heard in close proximity to the word "skidoo" (a variant of "skedaddle"), a word that conveys essentially the same meaning as "23." By 1906, the expression "23 skidoo" was being used in commercial advertisements and had become entrenched in American slang.

One of the most widely disseminated stories concerning the origin of the expression "23 skidoo" concerns the Flatiron Building at Madison Square on 23rd Street in New York City, whose unusual triangular shape was responsible for swirling winds that would often blow women's skirts up. Gaggles of male onlookers would sometimes gather on the sidewalks in hopes of catching a glimpse of some unfortunate woman's (gasp) ankles and calves, and were routinely told by police to "23 skidoo."

However, many experts doubt that this well-attested early usage is the actual origin of the phrase "23 skidoo" since both the expressions "23" (which had nothing to do with 23rd Street) and "skidoo" were already being heard in New York City by the time construction of the Flatiron Building was complete in June 1902, and arguably before it even began in mid-1901.

"(Yawn...) Gosh, Bible Dude, thanks for sharing that fascinating bit of trivia. But 22 skidoo? Uhm, isn't your arithmetic a little off?"

You're welcome. But no, my arithmetic is spot on. Keep reading.

You'll be pleased to know that what motivated me to write this article had nothing to do with Charles Dickens or women's calves. What prompted me to write this article was something pertaining to the recent rash of speculation concerning the date of the Rapture—specifically, speculation that had it occurring this month, presumably on or around Rosh Hashanah, aka the Feast of Trumpets, on September 19–20.

And if you're reading this article (or even if you're not), then I'm guessing you're aware it didn't quite work out that way.

Although I'm going to refrain from looking under the hood and examining the detailed mechanics of said speculation (since it, you know, failed), I do want to discuss one of the newsworthy events that is certainly contributing to the latest round of Rapture-date rumination. That would be the agreements (plural) that are being signed between various Arab countries and Israel to normalize their diplomatic relations.

For decades, many people have almost been afraid to whisper the words "peace in the Middle East" for fear that this most elusive of dreams would flutter away in the breeze. In reality, the diplomatic wheels have been spinning for several years behind the scenes; however, it was only recently that it burst into the headlines as a stunning geopolitical breakthrough.

Dress rehearsals

As I said, although I know it didn't start it, no doubt one of the events that has poured gasoline on the flames of the recent Rapture-date speculation is what has been going on in the Middle East recently, namely the landmark decision by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to sign a peace treaty with Israel that normalizes relations between the two countries. The deal was announced on August 13, and a formal White House signing ceremony was scheduled for September 15. A few days prior, on September 11, the Arab nation of Bahrain decided to follow suit and sign a similar normalization treaty with Israel, and made the White House ceremony a double date.

One thing that broke the traffic jam for Israel in terms of its relations with its Arab neighbors was Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's agreement to shelve highly controversial plans to annex much of the West Bank. The very thought of such a move was enough to infuriate the Palestinians and other Arab nations, who see the West Bank as an integral part of a future independent Palestinian state. With the immediate threat of annexation abated, however, the road to peace became a veritable thoroughfare.

To start off, let me just come right out and state clearly what many prophetically aware believers are already thinking:

These normalization agreements are nothing less
than the official and highly visible inauguration of
the drive toward the prophesied treaty of Daniel 9:27,
the confirmation of which will launch the Tribulation.

These agreements to normalize relations between Arab nations and Israel are unquestionably the prelude—the first baby steps—toward the treaty of Daniel 9:27 (i.e. Daniel's treaty). You can take it to the bank—every day of the week and twice on the Sabbath.

Emphasis on the word "prelude." The first thing to get straight is that these peace agreements that are being signed with Israel are not Daniel's treaty itself, and the reason is simple enough:

Daniel 9:27 doesn't refer to some type of fuzzy or vaguely defined condition of peace in the Middle East that will prevail in the end times, it refers to a treaty. To be precise, one treaty: the covenant, singular. I'd like to think this might even be why God arranged for both the UAE and Bahrain to sign their treaties with Israel at the same time—to serve as a flashing neon sign for people who actually study the Bible that this ain't it.

Not yet, at least.

I've written about this before, but it's important to consider what Daniel's treaty will entail. I am convinced from Scripture it will include, among other things, (a) a provision for the dividing of the land of Israel in order to accommodate a two-state solution, and (b) the building of the Third Temple.

No? Consider:

(a) In Joel 3, God speaks of gathering the nations into the Valley of Jehoshaphat in the end times to judge them, and says they have "parted my land." And He does not sound happy. I am convinced that this can refer to nothing other than the two-state solution that Israel will feel compelled to agree to via Daniel's treaty that will launch the Tribulation. Unless, of course, you know about some other parting of the land of Israel in the end times of which I am unaware...

(b) Daniel 9:27 says that in the middle of the week (i.e. three and a half years into the Tribulation) the Antichrist will "cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease." Being the steely-eyed expositor of Scripture that I am, I have deduced that this means the sacrifice and the oblation will have already started. And that means the Jews have an operational temple. The only way this makes a lick of sense is if the covenant being spoken of that starts the Tribulation has a provision that allows for the Jews to build the Third Temple, because evidently that's precisely what they have done by the midpoint of the Tribulation.

These normalization agreements do nothing of the sort. These peace agreements (and some are openly questioning whether they should even be called "peace" agreements) that are currently being signed simply normalize relations between Israel and her Arab neighbors. But the bottom line is this:

These agreements bear precious
little resemblance to Daniel's treaty.

But they are digging the furrows
from which Daniel's treaty will sprout.

The fact that Daniel's treaty will include provisions for a two-state solution is starting to make a great deal of real-world sense, however, since some of the Arab nations who have expressed reluctance to jump on the normalization bandwagon (Saudi Arabia, I'm looking at you) have done so primarily because they insist that a two-state solution for their Palestinian brothers is a prerequisite for peace with Israel. In other words, they want a two-state solution first, and then normalization and peace can follow. This fundamental idea is put forth in the Arab Peace Initiative of 2002, brokered by...you guessed it: Saudi Arabia, who holds no small amount of sway over many of the other Arab nations.

What that suggests to me is that if you hear of Saudi Arabia publicly expressing their willingness to sign a normalization treaty with Israel, it probably means the basic framework of Daniel's treaty, complete with parameters for a two-state solution, is already being hammered out behind the scenes (assuming it's not already), and they have been given iron-clad assurance that a two-state solution is in the works.

So, these normalization treaties—as newsworthy as they may be—are just dress rehearsals for Daniel's treaty, which is going to be real show-stopper.

OK, I know what you're thinking:

"OK, swell. But what's the deal with the number 22?"

The deal with the number 22

There is one thing, however, that senior White House adviser Jared Kushner said after his recent visit to Abu Dhabi that caught my attention, and which gave me all the confirmation I needed that this is indeed the drive to Daniel's treaty. The gist of what he said was captured in the title of an article in the online newspaper the Times of Israel:

Kushner: 100% possible, and logical,
for all 22 Arab states to recognize Israel

As soon as I saw the number 22, I experienced one of those rare moments when I seem to momentarily go into another mind-bending dimension, and a few seconds later return to my body.

I have written before about the significance of numbers in the Bible (which is not numerology, which is a form of divination), and the number 22 is highly significant in this situation. It is twice 11, and so it's an extra dose or a doubly intense layer of whatever 11 represents. And what does 11 represent, you ask? Here is what I wrote about the number 11 in the article I linked to above:

The number 11 represents sin, disorder, chaos, and a lack of responsibility in obeying God and keeping His laws, which inevitably incurs His judgment. And like I said, when a number in the Bible is doubled, it elevates it to a higher level. It normally communicates an intensified degree of whatever the original number signifies.

I admit that before I saw that headline, I had no idea that there are 22 Arab nations. Here they are in descending order of population:

1. Egypt (*1979)
2. Algeria
3. Sudan
4. Iraq
5. Morocco
6. Saudi Arabia
7. Yemen
8. Syria
9. Somalia
10. Tunisia
11. Jordan (*1994)
12. United Arab Emirates (UAE) (*2020)
13. Lebanon
14. Libya
15. Palestine
16. Oman
17. Mauritania
18. Kuwait
19. Qatar
20. Bahrain (*2020)
21. Djibouti
22. Comoros

(*Peace agreement with Israel established, as of the time of writing.)

Since I never connected the number 22 with Arab nations, the number hit me out of the blue. But when it did, it zapped me right between the eyes like a bolt of lightning.

I am hard-pressed to think of any number
that could be linked to Daniel's treaty that is any
more sublimely appropriate than the number 22.

The number 22—an intensified level of sin, chaos, and a wanton disregard for obeying God and His laws and the judgment that it brings. I can scarcely imagine a more appropriate number to associate with Daniel's treaty.

Daniel's treaty will see Israel foolishly and fecklessly divide the land God gave them with their enemies, bring a temporary false peace between Israel and a race of people that, beneath the glowing veneer of what is in reality little more than self-serving political expedience, seeks to wipe Israel off the map, and launch the harshest judgment God will ever unleash on His stiff-necked people and an unregenerate world.

Now, if someone twisted my arm and forced me to engage in a bit of speculation, I would venture to say that when it comes time for Daniel's treaty to be established, it will be a grand, comprehensive treaty between Israel and all 22 of the Arab nations—a highly feted, overarching agreement that the politically convenient, piecemeal affairs we are seeing now are merely foreshadowing and establishing the groundwork for.

After all, Satan does have a great sense of showmanship.

Forget about the Deal of the Century...
we're talking Deal of the Millennium.

MAGA mania: As far as whether or not Trump will be re-elected, in my view it comes down to one fundamental thing:

Does God still have a role for Trump to play in
the end-time scenario, or has he fulfilled his part?

I can easily imagine it working out either way, with Trump either losing and exiting the prophetic stage or pulling off another Trumanesque stunner and continuing his efforts in the current drive toward Arab normalization with Israel in preparation for Daniel's treaty which is to come. After all, this drive may reach critical mass before the election in November (assuming it hasn't already done so) and continue with or without Trump in the White House. In fact, I suspect it has already reached a level of momentum that even a Harris administration...oops, I mean a Biden administration would be unable to squelch. So, I'll just say "We'll see" and leave it at that.

Understand that God takes the dividing of the land He gave to His people Israel for an eternal inheritance extremely seriously, and although it is Daniel's treaty wrought by other nations and confirmed by the Antichrist that divides the land, Israel will agree to this treaty. They will agree to the dividing of their land. Note how Isaiah speaks of Daniel's treaty:

The Hebrew for "made a covenant" here combines a form of the word karath (cut) and berith (covenant), which are the standard words used when someone negotiates and establishes (i.e. "cuts") a covenant with another party in the usual sense. These words are used scores of times throughout the Old Testament, and the point is that nothing is being forced on an unwilling Israel—nobody is putting a gun to their heads. And as I discussed in a previous article, this helps explain the severity of God's judgment on His people during the Great Tribulation. From God's point of view...

When Israel divides the land He gave them
with their enemies, that's the last straw.

Of course, I believe that in addition to dividing their land, the fact that the Jews will reject God's greatest revelation in two thousand years in the form of the Rapture will compound that judgment.

But make no mistake: The Arab nations are the enemies of the Jews. This is a conflict that goes back to the days of Isaac and Ishmael, and all the "peace" agreements and glowing soundbites and elaborate White House ceremonies in the world aren't going to fundamentally change things. No conflict in human history has run longer or runs deeper.

Speaking of "glowing soundbites": Don't misunderstand me—I support Trump because Trump supports Israel. And that's not my opinion—that's a fact. End of conversation.

Having said that, however, don't allow yourself to be overly influenced by the media hype and be lulled into believing that President Trump is really bringing "peace to the Middle East." He's not—not really. This is quite possibly the one single, solitary thing about this whole situation the Democrats actually got right, and even that by pure dumb luck.

This is not "peace in the Middle East."
It's just eschatological stage-setting.

These peace agreements currently being signed are clear, definite steps toward the ultimate treaty that will launch the Tribulation and bring a false, temporary peace between Israel and the (enemy) Arab nations. Later, after Christ returns and the Jewish remnant ultimately enthrones their real Messiah as their King, God will finally usher in the earthly kingdom He promised Abraham and his seed over four millennia ago. Then and only then will there be peace.

You want peace? Great. Then pray for
the coming of the Prince of Peace.

The bottom line is that it is clear to me that we are now officially on track for the ultimate agreement between Israel and what I believe will be all 22 of the Arab nations that will launch the Tribulation.

We can now see it swirling on the horizon.

Just messing with you: You know, there are days when I am convinced God has a great sense of humor. Just before I posted this, I discovered that the Flatiron Building I mentioned in the beginning of the article has 22 floors. Color me surprised.

Ready for Thanksgiving?

Now, some may look at what's happening between Israel and her Arab neighbors and say...

"Keep dreaming, Bible Dude! C'mon...a comprehensive regional agreement between Israel and all 22 Arab nations that creates a two-state solution and lets Israel build the Third Temple? When all they're doing now is signing a few measly normalization agreements that are little more than a bit of conveniently timed political theater? That's a leap that would make Evel Knievel weep with admiration, don't ya think?"

I understand the argument, and yeah, it is a big leap. But many people keep forgetting one crucial thing:

Daniel's treaty will not be confirmed until after the Rapture.

I'm sorry, did I say "confirmed"? There's no reason to be dogmatic about it, but it wouldn't surprise me a bit if Daniel's treaty wasn't even public knowledge until after the Rapture. The reason I'm inclined to say that is because last time I checked, Acts 1:7 hadn't been deleted from the Bible—the timing of end-time events is not for us to know because the Father has placed such things under His own authority.

Translation: Don't hold your breath waiting for God to knock Himself out clearly telegraphing His next prophetic move.

Not only that, but remember that Satan will be unrestrained after the Rapture in ways we cannot currently imagine, and will have greater power to manipulate global events to suit his agenda—and never forget one thing:

Satan's end-time agenda has as its core objective the annihilation of the Jewish race so that there are none left to call upon their Messiah to save them (Hos. 5:15).

You know, sometimes watching the end-time scenario play out in real time is a bit like watching stores put up Christmas decorations in mid-November.

And suddenly those pumpkin pies at Costco start looking really good.

In other words, you know Thanksgiving is right around the corner. My point is that Daniel's treaty isn't likely to become a major issue until after the Rapture—an event that is going to change the geopolitical calculus in ways we can't even imagine right now. The Rapture is going to change everything.

Personally, I believe the Rapture will basically finish off whatever remains of the United States at that point—at least as far as it being a major world power able to give form and direction to global events is concerned. For example (and I don't want to get sidetracked over timing issues here), recall that in Ezekiel 38:13 all the "young lions" (which includes America) sit back and lick their paws as the Gog-Magog coalition descends upon Israel and weakly protest what is happening...but do nothing.

With America busy licking its paws along with its crippling, post-Rapture wounds (and with a liberal, left-wing govenment in place, perhaps?), Israel will have effectively lost its major source of political and military support. I believe this will make it much easier for strong leadership from elsewhere (and I'm not going to say from where because I do not know) to come to the fore and forge ahead with a grandiose, comprehensive treaty between Israel and what I am inclined to believe will be all 22 Arab nations that promises to dramatically solve the Middle East peace puzzle in one fell swoop.

And Israel will be under pressure to agree to it, although I'm sure the green light to build the Third Temple will sweeten the deal considerably.

New blood: Like I said, I support Trump because he supports Israel—certainly not because I'm naive enough to look to him as some kind of Evangelical poster boy. Of course, as someone who supports Trump, part of me wants to see him win the election in November...if for no other reason than to watch Don Lemon's head explode live on CNN.

But listen to me very carefully: If Trump does in fact lose in November—and he certainly could, I for one will actually be more excited from a prophetic standpoint than if he wins, and for the reason I stated above. I've been shouting it from the rooftops for a couple of years now—Trump's Deal of the Century is not Daniel's treaty. It may be putting things in motion; it may be setting the stage; it may be laying the groundwork; but it's simply not it. If Trump exits the geopolitical stage after the November election, it could very well serve to leave the door open for other strong leadership—new blood, if you will—to step in and take up the mantle of Middle East peace and press on towards a deal that builds on and ultimately transcends what Trump is envisioning and that really will become Daniel's treaty.

After all, a lot of the current political machinations in the Middle East are centered around making Israel's powerful military available to defend their new Arab friends from neighborhood bully Iran. And the last time I checked, Iran didn't seem to be in the mood to stand down, sit around, and wait for them to get it together. There is a steadily growing sense of urgency in the air, and for good reason: That neighborhood bully is relentlessly continuing its pursuit of nuclear weapons.

The bottom line is that I won't be shedding too many tears if Trump does lose in November, because it could very well mean the Rapture is that much closer. Just my two shekels.

Now, are we seeing signs that indicate there are such undercurrents at work even as we speak?

I'll let you be the judge.

French President Emmanuel Macron spoke the other day at the 75th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), and he said some things that make it clear he has aspirations to be the one to bring peace to the Middle East. He has overtly hinted at such on previous occasions, but it strikes me that he is content to sit on the sidelines and wait for Trump fail. Here is an excerpt from his remarks:

And please don't hold your breath and wait for me to publicly peg Macron as the leader who will turn out to be the Antichrist. Breathe...you'll have to go to YouTube for that kind of stuff.

The thought I want to leave you with is quite simple:

The Rapture is getting close.

Agonizingly so.

You know, I wish I had some snazzy way to say that—something with a bit more zing. Maybe something sprinkled with a few 50-dollar words that would send folks scrambling for their dictionaries. But I reckon that's about the best I can do, so I'll just have to go with that:

The Rapture is getting close.
The Rapture is getting close.
The Rapture is getting close.

Of course, it's one thing to know that, but it's another to be able to watch events leading up to it unfolding before our very eyes. Now that's exciting, and that's exactly what is happening these days.

The point is that soon and very soon we'll be saying "23 skidoo!" to this fallen world, and it can't be too soon for me.

But if you happen to overhear me say "22 skidoo" on our way up, feel free to correct me.

At least now you'll know why I have that number stuck in my head.

Greg Lauer — SEP '20

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