Could the European Neighbourhood Policy be the prophesied 70th Week agreement?

Could the European Neighbourhood Policy be the prophesied 70th Week agreement?

Email Received:

I have heard that the European Neighbourhood Policy is for a period of 7 years and that Israel is part of it. Could this be the covenant described in Dan. 9:27, beginning the 70th Week?

Ted’s Response:

The European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), which was finalized in October and November of 2006, went into effect January 1, 2007. Israel has signed onto it, and it is to last for a period of 7 years (2007-2013). I have researched this and have included numerous other details about it in European Neighbourhood Policy, in case you have an interest in reading about it.

This policy seems to contain (on the surface, at least) all the major components of the prophesied covenant or agreement which will commence the 70th Week. Numerous prophecy sites all over the web have leaped on this, claiming that it probably is the prophesied covenant. I am remaining cautious and observant to see what other developments occur.

However, there are several things that lead me to believe that the ENP very well may be the prophesied agreement:

The ENP is scheduled to run specifically for seven years: 2007-13. The prophesied agreement in Daniel 9:27 will span seven years (the 70th Week).
In 2010, the middle of that period, many things are planned to be evaluated, such as the protection and welfare of animals. In the middle of the prophesied seven years, specific events will take place, such as the cessation of animal sacrifices in the third temple in Jerusalem.
The ENP involves Daniel's people Israel, which the prophecy specifies (Daniel 9:24). Numerous documents that are part of the ENP involve Israel. One document in particular—European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument: Israel—references the seven-year period, the year 2010, and language demonstrating the commitment of the EU to pursue peace in the Middle East, in particular between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
The ENP complements, reinforces, confirms, and strengthens a prior agreement or covenant: the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (EuroMed), also known as the Barcelona Process, of 1995.

Some people have emailed me to inform me that the ENP cannot signify the beginning of the 70th Week, because the "Pre-tribulation" Rapture has not yet occurred. My response is that these people have allowed themselves to embrace a commonly-believed fallacy: that the Church will be removed, by Jesus, prior to the beginning of the final 7 years. Although I agree that there will be a Rapture, I adamantly disagree with the "Pre-trib" view. See my commentary, The Rapture. See also the following sections in my Bible Overview: “Pre-Tribulation” Rapture (Pre-TR) and disputes with Pre-TR.

Others have emailed me saying that the ENP cannot be the prophesied covenant because it is not a "peace treaty." In fact, the European Union, through the ENP, has indicated that it clearly intends to promote peaceful relations in the Middle East, specifically between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Read more at How can the European Neighbourhood Policy be the Daniel 9:27 covenant, if the latter is a "peace treaty"?

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