A Tale of Two (Arab) Cousins

19 Saturday Aug 2017

A Literary Masterpiece

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”

If you’re an avid reader who enjoys classical as well as contemporary literature, you may have already recognized the source of these memorable words, though they were penned over 150 years ago. Perhaps the title of today’s article helped you make the connection.

Those who’ve never read or can’t remember the origin of this attention-grabbing line are still likely to have seen or heard it, as this catchphrase universally represents people, places, and events down through the ages.

It is the opening lyrics from a historical novel which is one of four bestselling books of all time.

Written by Charles Dickens and originally published in installments from April to November, 1859, it is:

A Tale of Two Cities

So, what is the greatest selling and most read book of all time (by far)?

Easy answer: The Bible.

Was it mere coincidence that Charles Dickens’s began his novel with seven sets of contradictory times? With, for example, the next set: “it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness….”

It occurred to me that Dickens consciously or perhaps subconsciously may have modeled his iconic opening after one of the most recognized passages in the Bible: “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). After the opening verse in Ecclesiastes 3, there are seven verses of contrasting “times.” Beginning with: “A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest” (Verse 2).

The final two lines: “A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace” (Verse 8).

Set just before and during the French Revolution, A Tale of Two Cities was fictional, yet a historical story of two cities—London and Paris. And more so of two countries: England and France. Time doesn’t permit an adequate synopsis of this great novel; plus, I would need to read it again to do justice to even a summation!

Suffice to say that Charles Dickens painted both cities and countries in an unfavorable light throughout most of the book, due to the autocratic oppression by English and French royalty of the poor and less unfortunate. But he also expressed equal disapproval of the Reign of Terror that began with the mob revolt and brutal killing of France’s royal family and many nobles; without really accomplishing the purpose of the French Revolution—righting legal and social injustice.

Historically, you may (or may not) recall: The chaos that resulted by viciously eliminating the autocratic rule of the French aristocracy led directly to a dictatorship in France—as opposed to the democracy established by the American Revolution against England. You remember: Napoleon—one of the greatest (with the connotation of both good and bad … mostly bad) tyrants of all time—filled the lawless vacuum created through anarchy by establishing law and order, then seizing control of France and most of Europe.

Charles Dickens depicted England in a more favorable light toward the end of his novel, principally because the British commoners did not resort to a bloody chaotic revolution. England’s masses also realized that it would be folly and futile to stage a revolution against British royalty while their country was trying to suppress the revolution that had already begun in America.

A Tale of Two Cities is a study of similarities between two eminent cities and countries, and also a study in contrast.

The Ancient Saga of Two (Half) Brothers

The racial and religious friction between Jews and Arabs (rather than a class conflict between the same people as portrayed in A Tale of Two Cities and other novels by Charles Dickens) has been a major struggle from time immemorial. In fact, the dissension between Jew and Arab is longest (continuing) clash in human history. Moreover, both ancient and modern chronicles clearly show that the hostility is almost exclusively a one-way street that runs from Arab/Muslim nations and peoples toward Jews and Israel.

It began when God picked Isaac, not Ishmael, to be the ancestor of God’s chosen people; when he selected Israel, not Egypt (or any other Arab nation), as the Promised Land. Isaac, as the first child of promise, would be the progenitor of the Messiah—the ultimate Child of Promise—who would be the source of redemption for the Jew first, then for all Gentiles, including Arabs! (Romans 1:16). A Jewish Messiah who would come from the lineage of King David, from the tribe of Judah, from the nation of Israel.

“For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government (of the entire earth) will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, (only he can and will be) Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6, parenthesis mine).

*Note: To affirm an obvious historical fact: The sole reason that a descendant of Ishmael—Muhammad, an Arab—conceived the religion of Islam was to replace the Judeo-Christian faith with a counterfeit creed that refuted and rejected God’s covenant promise to Abraham. In order to do this, Muhammed also had to devise a god to supersede the true and living God of Scripture. Thus, he chose the pagan moon-god, Allah. He plagiarized the Bible by alleging that the angel Gabriel gave him revelations … the same angel who had appeared to Mary to announce that she would give birth to Messiah Jesus.

Think about it: Why would God send the angel Gabriel to the Jewish Virgin Mary to tell her:

Then six hundred years later send Gabriel to (allegedly) tell Muhammad that Jesus was merely a prophet, not even equal to Muhammad. That Islam (an Islamic Caliphate) would rule the world. That Jews (and Christians) should be killed if they didn’t submit to Islamic religious demands? This is only one of innumerable dramatic differences between the Bible and the Koran, between the true God who made man and the man-made god Allah, and between Messiah Jesus who arose from the dead and Muhammad who remains in his grave!

An Appropriate and Relevant Analogy

The epic tale of two cities is a meaningful prototype comparison to a much lesser known, but nevertheless intriguing story of two women, who are cousins.

Naturally they have common ground by virtue of being blood relatives. Both are Muslims born in Nazareth, and both are Israeli-Arabs with full citizenship rights in Israel. But you’ll soon see what makes them so very different.

Their names: Haneen Zoabi and Sara Zoabi.

Hanin Zoabi: (The English spelling of her name from Arabic is Haneen Zoabi; in Hebrew it is Hanin Zoubi. Nearly all media references give her name as Hanin Zoabi).

She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Haifa and a Master of Arts in communication from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Before entering politics, she was employed by the Israeli Ministry of Education as a school inspector and before that taught mathematics.

Directly from Wikipedia we read that Hanin Zoabi, “…is an Israeli Arab politician, who currently serves as a member of the Knesset for the Joint List. Serving in the Knesset since 2009, Zoabi is the first Arab woman to be elected to Israel’s parliament on an Arab party’s list. Representing the Balad party…”

I wrote about her once before in a portion of the Eye of Prophecy article, More Palestinian Lies, posted 2-20-16. Here is an excerpt from that article (in italics):

The Israeli Government is considered to be a Parliamentary Democracy, and is one of the most unique governments in the entire world. It consists of 120 Knesset members representing the diversity of Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs (citizens of Israel) and currently consists of twelve separate parties, including the Joint Arab List … For years, Arab Israelis have served in the Knesset. Presently there are seventeen such delegates who represent the approximately 1.8 million Arabs living in Israel with full citizenship rights.

These inhabitants should be distinguished from the Arabs in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, who have refused to become citizens of Israel, and who now bear the identity of Palestinians. Most of the lone-wolf attackers have been West Bank Palestinians, but there has also been a handful of Israeli Arab citizens who committed these crimes.

Israeli Arabs have freedom of transportation throughout Israel, freedom of education, freedom of employment, and (as indicated) freedom even to serve in the Israeli government. The Israeli Arab Knesset members are supposed to represent their fellow Arab Israeli citizens; not the Palestinians, who are (supposed to be) represented by the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. That is if you consider corruption as a representative form of government.

On February 2, 2016, three of these Knesset members (Hanin Zoabi, Jamal Zahalka, and Basel Ghattas) met with the families of eleven terrorists who were killed during their unprovoked murderous attacks on innocent Jews. Then, the following day the families also met with PA President Mahmoud Abbas in his Ramallah office just a few hours after another terror attack killed 19-year-old female Border Patrol Corporal Hadar Cohen, and injured another soldier.

As representatives of the Balad faction within the Joint Arab List Knesset party, both Hanin Zoabi and Jamal Zahalka are well-known for their anti-Jewish activism, and have a long history of confrontational incidents with other Knesset members in particular and Israelis in general.

Though yet to be convicted, Zoabi, in particular, has been charged with incitement several times in the past including participation in violent Palestinian protests; resulting in several attempts by fellow Knesset members to remove her from the Israeli government.

Joint List party member Hanin Zoabi seen at the Israeli parliament during a plenum session in the assembly hall of the Israeli parliament on July 11, 2016.

(*Note: What do you make of the posture of the Knesset Member behind Zoabi?!)

Not mentioned in that article: Hanin Zoabi had been suspended from the Knesset for six months in the aftermath of the three Israeli boys (one of whom was a dual U.S. citizen) who were kidnapped and murdered in June, 2014 by two Palestinians from Hebron … affiliated with Hamas. I wrote about the kidnapping of those three teenage boys in Eye of Prophecy article, Bring Our Boys Back, posted 6-28-14. Followed by another article entitled Prince of Peace posted 7-5-18 (Messiah Jesus, Prince of Peace, who is the only source and hope for peace in the Middle East … in the entire world) after their bodies were found near Hebron.

Soon, thereafter, Hamas began launching rockets and mortars into Israel which resulted in the IDF’s Operation Protective Edge against Hamas. That was the last war between Israel and either Hamas or Hezbollah.

In effect, Hanin Zoabi excused the actions of the Palestinian men who murdered the Israeli boys (even implying they may have been justified in their brutal crime), and also gave implicit endorsement to Hamas which she doesn’t consider to be a terrorist organization. She was reinstated to the Knesset and remains a member to this day, despite subsequent acts that bordered on treason. (Time/space doesn’t permit explanation of the reasons why she is still in the Knesset).

Continuing with the excerpt from More Palestinian Lies:

Yet, in the view of many Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, her (and the other two MK’s) appearance with the families of the terrorists crossed a line that shouldn’t be crossed. Ostensibly this meeting was to demand return of the terrorist’s bodies from the Israelis; but anyone who has any clue at all knows the real reason they met with the families. It was a show of tacit solidarity and overt support of the killers and their actions to snuff out the lives of Jews anywhere and everywhere in Israel.

Political protest is one thing … we have an abundance of that in our own republic of the United States of America. But an out-and-out endorsement of murder (no matter the rationale of the murderers) is far beyond what any democratic or representative form of government should condone in their government representatives….

As an example: Can you imagine if a few United States Senators or Congressmen met with the family of the two Islamic terrorists who killed fourteen people in San Bernardino last year? Moreover, that the purpose of such a meeting was to extend both political and personal sympathy to the family for the loss of these two murderers?

Said Netanyahu: “Members of Knesset who go to comfort the families of terrorists who murdered Israelis do not deserve to be in the Israeli Knesset. I have asked the Speaker of the Knesset to examine what steps can be taken against them….”

Subsequently, the Speaker of the Knesset, Yuli Edelstein filed a complaint to the Knesset Ethics Committee with a strong rebuke of the three Arab MKs … that their actions constituted incitement and, “encouragement to murder.”

Both Netanyahu and Edelstein are absolutely justified in their recommendations, if for no other reason than the oath that all Knesset Members took when sworn into office: “I pledge to bear allegiance to the State of Israel and faithfully to discharge my mandate in the Knesset.”

Using her position in the Knesset to ostensibly represent Israeli Arabs (citizens of Israel), she and a few other Arab Knesset members actually undermine the Israeli government whenever possible—by subtle and sometimes not so subtle representation of the Palestinians who already have their own representatives … the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank (Judea/Samaria) and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

When Hanin Zoabi was first sworn-in as a member of Knesset in 2009, she walked out before Israel’s national anthem, Hatikva, was played and sung. That is tantamount to a member of the United States Congress spitefully walking out on the playing of the Stars Spangled Banner.

I’ve read several of her quotes and quotes about her. In short, she is an avowed enemy of the State of Israel; if (as she puts it) it remains or even is considered, “a Jewish State.” She endorses the rhetoric and actions of Palestinians and many Israeli-Arabs who hate the Jews and do not want a two-state solution. They want one state: the state of Palestine—preferably absent any Jews.

Sara Zoabi:

In stark contrast, Hanin’s cousin, Sara Zoabi, is a staunch supporter of Israel. This is practically unheard of among Arabs and Muslims; and, as expected, vociferously condemned by the vast majority of Arabs in Israel and Muslims in surrounding countries who know of these two women.

She is the mother of Muhammad Zoabi who had voiced his own support of Israel by condemning the kidnapping (then murder) of the three Israeli boys mentioned earlier. Following several serious death threats issued by the Palestinians, he was forced to go into hiding. In an online video he said he wanted to, “show the world the real face of regular Arabs and Muslims who are simply sick of their leaders’ corruption and unlimited hate.” Eventually he was forced to flee to the United States for asylum.

Sara is an accomplished chef who in June, 2015 appeared as a contestant on the Israeli T.V. show MasterChef Israel. During the interview phase of the program, she introduced herself as an, “Arab, Muslim, Israeli, proud Zionist” from the city of Nazareth.

When one of the judges asked her to expand on this shocking disclosure (“proud Zionist”), Sara had much to say. Beginning with, “I believe in the right of the Jewish people to have their own country, which is the state of Israel, the holy land.”

Among other things, she went on to say: “I’m sure that the people who hear me will say, ‘what, have you lost your mind? How can you say you are a Zionist?’ I want to say to all the Arabs (citizens) of Israel to wake up. We live in paradise. Compared to other countries, to Arab countries—we live in paradise.”

She continued: “We have a state that is Israel, and wonderful people who embrace us with love … We must support our soldiers who defend us with their bodies (referring to the Israeli Defense Force) … Our army is the most moral army in the world … Terror and killing is not the way of the Jewish people … (or) our dear Prime Minister … The Jewish people did not choose terror and did not lose their humanity. The Jewish people despite the genocide and persecutions they have suffered, the Jewish people are a pride to humanity.”

Later Sara Zoabi was invited and spoke before the Israeli Knesset, with, of course, strong opposition from her cousin, Hanin Zoabi, who has labeled IDF soldiers praised by Sara, as “murderers.” Hanin had said in the past that she considers the IDF more dangerous than a nuclear-armed Iran. With regard to the IDF or Israeli police silencing Arab terrorists who maim and murder Jews … she’s right!

Then on May 1, 2017, Sara again went public with her dramatic defense of Israel. In a May 5, 2017 Breaking Israel News article posted by Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz, we read:

“The most inspiring Israel Independence Day video this year was the most unexpected, showing a Muslim Palestinian woman passionately describing her love for the State of Israel in Arabic. As powerful as the video is, the story behind it is even more so.

“The video was posted … by Boomerang, a non-profit organization working towards improving Israel’s image via social media … and in a few short days has garnered almost one million views. In the video, Sara Zoabi, an Israeli Arab, stood proudly in front of the Knesset Building, expressing her love for Israel in no uncertain terms. The video stands as an open challenge to the way Israel-haters view the plight of the Palestinians in Israel.

“Zoabi unabashedly declares in the beginning of the video, ‘I believe with my whole heart in the right of the Jewish People to a sovereign state in the holy Land of Israel. It is a right that God promised.’

“She goes on to enthusiastically praise Israel and the Jewish People, waxing poetic. ‘The sun shining over you and the wind blowing through your fields, they are the inspiration for my love for you,’ she said in her native Arabic. She decries Arab terrorism and praises Israeli humanitarian efforts.”

(Note: Please take a few minutes to watch all or at least part of this video, posted as a link at the end of today’s Eye of Prophecy article).

My personal response: May God richly bless this amazing and courageous woman. May the Lord graciously lead her to the next step in her journey to walk along side of Israel by showing her that He alone is the true and living God. That she will one day also say what a Gentile woman named Ruth said long ago to a Jewish woman Naomi:

“…Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God” (Ruth 1:16).

Even more: That she will believe and receive the one and only Messiah to Jews and Gentiles alike—Jesus Christ; who is a descendent of Ruth (and her Jewish husband Boaz).

(Depiction of Ruth and Boaz)

A Tale of Two Cousins: the ancient and modern-day conflict between Arab and Jew.

On the one hand it is the sad story that is indicative of Muslims in Israel and in many democratic countries of the world. Who (either as citizens or refugees) misuse the freedom granted to them by denigrating their host nation and by calling for the demonization of Israel and even genocide against the Jews (as an Imam in a California mosque did just a few days ago).

On the other hand, there are a few Arabs and Muslims like Sara Zoabi (and like writers Khalid abu Toameh, Bassam Tawil, A.Z Mohamed, or Turkish author Uzay Balut) who recognize and overtly support the right of Jews to live in the sovereign State of Israel, a land given to them by God as a permanent inheritance.

It is an ongoing story of good and evil, of light and darkness, of love and hate.

Though not with the same either/or extremes, the story also brings to mind:

Two Attributes (of God)—Love and Justice

God is Love

The last two Eye of Prophecy articles, Jewish Sovereignty on Temple Mount, Part I & II, and a few like them—such as the above quoted More Palestinian Lies—were written to expose the actual adversarial agenda of Arab Muslims in general and Palestinians in particular against Israel.

Does that mean that I dislike or even despise Arab Muslims as individuals? Not at all. Though not as often as my prayers for Israel’s national redemption and personal salvation of individual Jews, I also have prayed for God’s salvation to Israel’s enemies. For you see, the true and living God loves everyone equally and unconditionally, including Arabs. As a sinner saved by the Grace of God, the least I can do is to love them, too. At the very least, not to hate them. It’s the old adage that is truly Biblical in its origin: hate the evil that people do, but not the people themselves.

In his Gospel, the Apostle John records the words of Jesus in what is probably the most well-known passage in all of Scripture: “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone (each person can put their own name in place of “everyone”) who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, parenthesis obviously mine).

Later in his first epistle, John confirms what Jesus proclaimed: “God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins” (I John 4:9-10).

God gave us his Son, because:

As a result, “We love each other because he loved us first” (Verse 19).

As difficult as it is for me to understand this; the Lord loves Hanin Zoabi the same as he loves her cousin, Sara Zoabi.

“…He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent” (II Peter 3:9).

All of God’s attributes are entirely equal and consistently compatible. The Lord demonstrates his attributes (his glory, his very essence) in perfect harmony one with another.

God is Holy and Just

Yes, God IS Love. But he is also a holy God, who is the righteous judge of all the earth.

Wrote King David: “But the Lord reigns forever, executing judgment from his throne. He will judge the world with justice and rule the nations with fairness” (Psalm 9:7-8).

We all are under God’s judgment as soon as we are born into this world. It is a foregone conclusion that we will sin because we are born with a sin nature.

King David acknowledged his sin and innate capacity to sin when he confessed to the Lord:

“Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just. For I was born a sinner—yes, from the moment my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:4-5)

The Apostle Paul reminds us: “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23).

Set aside for a moment any objection you may have that God’s judgement of (all) sin is too harsh; meaning eternal separation from him and heaven, for all who do not accept his pardon by believing and receiving the one and only remedy for sin—Messiah Jesus’s substitutionary sacrifice on the cross.

Think about the incredible evil in the world in general, and the specific horrible consequences we’ve all experienced because of the wrong things we’ve done to ourselves, to others … or what has been done to us.

Dare we abolish law-enforcement and judicial systems that prevent anarchy and help keep us safe by apprehending, trying, convicting, and punishing people for their crimes? Shall we ignore the life-giving and life-guarding moral benefits of the Ten Commandments or trivialize the consequences of breaking them? Should anyone be able to get away with anything that violates God’s laws.

According to God’s righteous standards, any and all sin is an offense against him, whether it’s a violation of civil/criminal statutes, or not. Is it right to get away with lying, stealing, adultery, and a host of other sins as long as we don’t get caught? Even though you might bring yourself to forgive someone for raping your daughter or murdering your son, would you also want the person who attacked your child to not pay the price for their terrible crime? Is do the crime, but not the time the way to maintain law and order?

Everyone’s salvation is a personal matter between them and God. Each person’s eternal destiny (heaven or hell) depends on whether they accept Messiah Jesus as their personal Savior. God’s final judgment at the end of the Millennium on all who have rejected his Son is actually the sentencing phase of God’s justice. Just like a judge in a court of law imposes the sentence on someone who has already been found guilty. (See Revelation Chapter 20).

Let’s read the verses immediately following John 3:16.

“God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil” (John 3:17-19).

For those who have been born again from above, God has forgiven all our sins and granted a full pardon from the penalty thereof. Messiah Jesus paid that penalty and satisfied God’s perfect justice.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus … The Law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son is a body like the bodies we sinners have … giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit” (Romans 8:1-4).

Things to Ponder

The tale of two Arab cousins is the universal story of two hearts. One filled with goodness, kindness, and love (for Israel and the Jews). The other harboring irrational hate and senseless bitterness toward another race of people, just because they’re Jews.

All hearts—both good and bad—need Jesus. Sara Zoabi needs personal redemption just the same as her cousin, Hanin.

However, as mentioned in a few prior Eye of Prophecy articles, God has designed two plans for the human race. In addition to personal salvation for Jew and Gentile alike through the Jewish Messiah Jesus, he also has established a national destiny for his chosen people the Jews and his special possession Israel. Accordingly, the Lord promises to bless those who bless his people and bless those nations whose God is the Lord (Genesis 12:3 & Psalm 33:12).

God will bless those who support Israel and who champion the sovereign right of the Jews to live in the Promised Land. For Sara Zoabi and others like her, I believe God’s blessing could very well result in her salvation. That she will embrace the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and make a personal decision to accept Messiah Jesus, a descendent of Israel’s forefathers, as her personal Savior. And as the King of all kings.

Although possible, it’s (sadly) unlikely that Hanin Zoabi will ever get to that point in her life. She seemingly has staked out an irreversible position that most Muslims take: Their Muslim god hates all infidels (Jews and Christians) who refuse to submit to Islam.

Although the Lord had to discipline his people for their disobedience, that time of corporate punishment is over. His plan for Israel’s final restoration of their sovereignty in Israel and national redemption is nearing completion.

His passionate love and purpose for Israel and Jerusalem will not be denied.

Nor will his justice against Israel’s sworn enemies be dismissed.

The following is an excerpt from the earlier mentioned Eye of Prophecy article, Prince of Peace, which was written after the three kidnapped Jewish boys were found murdered and buried in a shallow grave near Hebron, Israel (in italics):

Warning! You are about to read graphic language straight from the mouth of the true and living God, the God of Israel, and the God of all who have put their trust in his son, Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Christ). But these harsh future judgments to be inflicted by God against Israel’s enemies (and there are many such passages in Scripture) reveal to us the serious consequences and destiny of those who seek to destroy Israel and the Jews…

(*Note: In Scripture, Edom (Mount Seir) is representative of all nations who despise Israel. The Edomites were descendants of Esau. God chose Esau’s twin brother Jacob to continue the Jewish lineage of Messiah. See the one-chapter book of Obadiah which, in addition to the below passage from Ezekiel, also contains God’s indictment against Edom … the nations).

“Again a message came to me from the Lord: ‘Son of man, turn and face Mount Seir, and prophesy against its people. Give them this message from the Sovereign Lord: ‘I am your enemy, O Mount Seir (Edom), and I will raise my fist against you to destroy you completely. I will demolish your cities and make you desolate. Then you will know that I am the Lord. Your eternal hatred for the people of Israel led you to butcher them when they were helpless, when I had already punished them for all their sins. As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, since you show no distaste for blood, I will give you a bloodbath of your own. Your turn has come! I will make Mount Seir utterly desolate, killing off all who try to escape and any who return. I will fill your mountains with the dead. Your hills, your valleys, and your ravines will be filled with people slaughtered by the sword … Therefore, as surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I will pay back your angry deeds with my own. I will punish you for all the acts of anger, envy, and hatred. And I will make myself known to Israel by what I do to you” (Ezekiel 35:1-11).

“But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved…” (Joel 2:32).

Jewish Sovereignty on Temple Mount (Part II)

12 Saturday Aug 2017

Posted by garybowers in Current Events

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Chosen people

Sovereignty versus Superiority

Unlike the totalitarian suppression of varying degrees found in Middle Eastern Muslim nations, Jewish sovereignty over Temple Mount, Jerusalem, and all of the land of Israel given to them by the true and living God and reclaimed in four defensive wars of survival against Arab nations, does not equate to superiority of one people over another.

The very idea of sovereignty is understood in principle and practice to be that which a “sovereign state” is entitled to by virtue of belonging to the family of nations on this earth. Israel was afforded that status by the United Nations in 1947 and, accordingly, declared her statehood in 1948. Whereas, there is no such thing as a Palestinian State or even “Palestinian territories occupied by Israeli settlers” except in the indoctrinated mindset of virtually all Palestinians and many Israeli-Arabs.

Webster’s Dictionary defines sovereignty: “a: supreme excellence or example of it. Supreme power esp. over a body politic. b: freedom from external control. Autonomy…”

In contrast, the definition of superiority is: “…in a higher or better manner or degree … in a haughty or condescending manner.”

Last week’s Eye of Prophecy article included the period of Jewish ancient history when her people did harbor a haughty attitude toward Gentile nations, even toward the Lord their God—exhibited in Israel’s disobedience to and defiance of the Lord. Consequently, God severely disciplined them when the Romans in 70 A.D. devastated Israel and destroyed the Temple, then exiled the Jews to the four corners of the earth. For nearly 2,000 years, God’s people were humbled. In fact, they were often humiliated, persecuted, and murdered by the millions.

Here is an excerpt from last week’s Eye of Prophecy article (in italics):

…God ended his centuries-long punishment of Israel—through Gentile domination of the Jews—in the 1967 Six-Day War. Yet Israel did not, by any stretch of the imagination, become arrogant or feel superior by virtue of this stunning victory. Instead, they (one could even say “humbly”) relinquished what was their rightful sovereignty over Judea/Samaria, the Gaza Strip, and the Temple Mount to the Arabs. In fact, many, including me, believe that this self-effacing gesture was ill-advised.

However, they did so to appease international pressure (including that from the United States) not to assert their God-restored self-determining authority; because the world-at-large had not yet (still hasn’t) accepted Jerusalem as the eternal capital of Israel or the Temple Mount as the original holy dwelling of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob among his people. In short, the world still refuses to recognize the God-given right of Jewish sovereignty over ALL of Israel, first and foremost Temple Mount.

For Israel to continue to allow Jordan administrative supremacy over Temple Mount as well as Palestinian self-government in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank (properly called Judea/Samaria) is anything but an expression of apartheid-like arrogance or superiority of one people over another. For example, the millions of Palestinians in Jordan don’t have near the liberties or standard of living that Israeli-Arabs citizens of Israel and even the Palestinians who live in Israel enjoy.

Then, the last paragraph of that excerpt:

Yes, the Jews are back and Israel is here to stay forever. As in their glory years of King David and King Solomon…

The Chosen People … Why the Jews?

The Lord didn’t choose the Jews to be his special possession because they were better than anyone else. He did not select and separate them from other nations because they were special. Rather, they became a special possession because God chose them. God chose Abraham and his descendants because that was his choice. Those who rant and rave against Israel are defying the sovereignty of the Most High God. They also are harming themselves by refusing to accept God’s sovereign plan to bless all peoples and nations through Israel.

On the other hand, God imposed a higher standard of faithfulness on his people; one that was attainable—if they would only reciprocate by trusting that God knew what was best for them, and choosing to obey God’s Laws. Laws of light and life that would set them apart as an example of morality and integrity; a godly nation that the Lord would provide for, prosper, and protect … so much so that other nations would want to emulate their example.

“The Lord has declared today that you are his people, his own special treasure, just as he promised, and that you must obey all his commands. And if you do, he will set you high above all the other nations he has made. Then you will receive praise, honor, and renown. You will be a nation that is holy to the Lord your God, just as he promised” (Deuteronomy 26:18-19).

This lofty position of Israel was not to lord it over other nations or peoples. Rather, they were called to be a “holy” people, which means set apart by God for a specific purpose—to ultimately bring the light of God’s salvation through the Jewish Messiah (Jesus) to the whole world. And for Jerusalem to be the seat of God’s divine government on earth forever, which began to take shape with the miraculous recreation of the State of Israel.

“The Lord has sworn to Jerusalem by his own strength: ‘I will never again hand you over to your enemies. Never again will foreign warriors come and take away your grain and new wine. You raised the grain, and you will eat it, praising the Lord. Within the courtyards of the Temple, you yourselves will drink the wine you have pressed” (Isaiah 62:8-9, italics for emphasis).

Never again is the poignant prayer of Jews the world over. Never again could they or would they suffer another holocaust. Prophetically, this longing came to pass beginning with Israel’s rebirth in 1948; stamped with divine certainty when the Israelis liberated Jerusalem in 1967, and Gentile domination of the Jews came to an end. Then sealed tightly with Israel’s victory in the Yom Kippur War of 1973. Since then, no Arab coalition has attacked Israel by conventional warfare.

The crops and the vineyards of Israel are flourishing. One day soon they will eat the grain and drink of this wine in the courtyards of the rebuilt Temple.

(Vineyards and Crops in Israel)

Ironically, like the Persian King Cyrus—whom God chose to return the Jews from Babylonian captivity and rebuild Solomon’s Temple—another Gentile ruler will be instrumental in getting the 3^rd Temple built. This will be accomplished as part of a seven-year treaty between Israel and the Arab nations. It will be orchestrated by, of all people, the Antichrist (See Daniel 9).

While solidifying his ten-nation federation, Antichrist Nero will sit on his hands and gleefully watch Russia, Iran, Turkey, and other smaller nations invade Israel to destroy the Jews and accomplish his real agenda against God’s people under the pretext of bringing them peace. When this assault fails miserably, it won’t phase Nero a bit … not even the fact that it is God himself who personally crushes Gog/Magog. From the outset, Nero will boast of his divinity by virtue of returning from a 2,000 year-old grave (actually reappearing from the Abyss, but the world won’t know this or care). He will pick up where Russia and its cohorts failed, and break his treaty with Israel half way through the Tribulation. Then, a man-made hell will break loose on the earth. And God’s wrath will be poured out from heaven on a wicked, warped, and wretched world.

For a brief time, Israel, especially in Jerusalem, will once again experience great peril, but nothing like the Holocaust. See Zechariah Chapter 14. See also Eye of Prophecy article, Two-Thirds of the Jews Killed … Past or Future? Posted 9-19-15.

In the final days of the Great Tribulation during Nero’s campaign against Israel, the Jews will do something they couldn’t do and hadn’t done for over 2,500 years … until 1948. They will fight back. Even the weakest among Israeli warriors will fight valiantly like King David (Zechariah 12:8).

And the Lord will do something for Israel that he hadn’t done during almost all of that same 2,500 years of Israel’s history; until he providentially restored the State of Israel, and divinely directed her victories in the wars of 1948, 1956, 1967, and 1973.

“Then the Lord will go out to fight against those nations, as he has fought in times past” (Zechariah 14:3).

Aftermath of the Temple Mount Attack on July 14th

Nearly 75% of Israelis were critical of Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to take down the metal detectors just a few days after they were installed. Israel’s Minister of Culture Miri Regev voiced the prevailing view of many Jews by saying:

“The Cabinet’s decision is regrettable. You don’t have to be a security expert to understand that the metal detectors have a security and deterrence effect.”

Said Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely: “Placing the metal detectors was a legitimate action. When what you want to do is ignite the region, any excuse works.”

Although I’ve conveyed the same thought in a few Eye of Prophecy articles as Ms. Hotovely’s last sentence, I’ll choose an excerpt from Jerusalem, City of Peace? (Posted 12-27-14) as an example:

If anyone carefully examines the wars that Israel has fought since her national birth, the incidents of intifada terror that has killed and maimed thousands of Israelis, or just the daily stream of hate-filled verbiage from the mouths of Muslim leaders and much of the Palestinian people, they would realize that the level of tension really can’t get any higher. Meaning that when Muslim armies, terror groups, and lone wolf assassins decide it’s time to strike, that’s exactly what they do. They may cite a particular incident or problem, but it’s always just an excuse to do what they were going to do anyway. The balloon is always full of enough air to burst. The string is always tight enough to break.

The Palestinian and Muslim pathetically flawed protest over the metal detectors seemed to accomplish its aggressive agenda: Divert attention away from the three Israeli-Arabs who started the whole thing by murdering two Israeli policemen (in an entrance to Temple Mount no less), by accusing the Israelis of arbitrarily forcing Arabs to go through metal detectors. How dare Israel change the “status quo?” No matter that Jews themselves have always had to go through metal detectors at the one and only entrance (Dung Gate) through which non-Muslims can ascend Temple Mount?

(Dung Gate, the Gate Nearest to the Western Wall … Metal Detectors Are Further Ahead)

Even after the metal detectors were removed, for days Arabs rioted in the streets. They wouldn’t miss the opportunity to do what they seem to do best: incite the radicals among them to periodically antagonize, terrorize, and murder Israelis. Since September, 2015, that incitement has focused even more sharply on the flagrantly false allegation that the Jews are “desecrating” Al-Aqsa Mosque and are seeking to change the “status-quo” of Temple Mount by asserting “illegal” sovereignty over it. No matter that the Israelis do, in fact, have ultimate jurisdictional authority over Temple Mount and all of Israel; but have chosen not to exercise that right for reasons already covered in last week’s and this week’s Eye of Prophecy articles.

Another incident in which an Israeli Embassy guard shot and killed a Jordanian who had stabbed the guard with a screwdriver (obviously trying to kill the guard) was part of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to do what (I along with a handful of others conclude) was tantamount to a tactical retreat … as opposed to an unwarranted capitulation to the Arabs. In order for the Jordanians to release the Embassy security guard, Israel needed to withdraw the metal detectors. More security cameras and security guards would be a substitution for the removed metal detectors.

According to Netanyahu, his and his cabinet’s decision was made in the context of several factors that, in the long run, would provide a more beneficial long-term solution to the problem. Bottom line, however: Many Israelis believe that their Prime Minister compromised, and missed a golden opportunity to restore Jewish sovereignty on Temple Mount that had been relinquished soon after Israel liberated Jerusalem in 1967.

Palestinian Reaction to the Israeli “Capitulation”

Although the Palestinians would never ever consider a simple “thank-you” to the Israelis for taking down the metal detectors, you would think that gesture would be enough for the Muslims to at least return to their own “status-quo” by lying low for a while. Instead they have ramped up their incitement rhetoric to an unmatched loathsome level.

Just last weekend Muslim Arabs in Israel released a vile (music) video that has gone viral on Palestinian social media. Breaking Israel News columnist Abra Forman described it as, “real footage of terror attacks and car rammings, as well as graphic illustrative animations depicting bloody stabbings as the singer croons, ‘I will attack you, tear you apart, and stab you.’”

The singer brags: “I will do what’s never been done before for the sake of Al Aqsa Mosque, so that the Jews will know who I am—a Muslim, an Arab, a Palestinian.”

Obviously, this is a boast to reinforce his perverse point as to who will be killing the Jews. Still, do those behind this taunting song (representing the Palestinians as a whole) seriously think that the Jews don’t know or won’t remember the identity of those killing them, or that something will be done that’s never been done before? When, in fact, as recently as July 14^th that’s exactly what happened: the unprecedented killing of Israelis in the entrance to Temple Mount. Then the brutally evil murder of three Jews in their own home on July 22^nd.

The songster disgustingly crows—what Abra Forman described as an upbeat, Middle Eastern-style tune—in perfect Hebrew in order to intimidate the Jews even more: “I will kill you, I swear by my religion … You will be killed, I guarantee. An axe, a gun, or a rifle will kill you.”

Although there have been hundreds, if not thousands of Palestinian online cartoons, caricatures, and videos denigrating the Jews and calling for their elimination and eradication of Israel, this recent video has grotesquely pushed the envelope that much further.

See Eye of Prophecy article, Ethnic Cleansing of Jews … The Real Palestinian Agenda, posted on 9-17-16.

The video concludes with what is (always has been but lately is being broadcast by Palestinians like never before) the real objective of Muslims in Israel and the world over: “cleanse my country of every Jew.”

Their country? Not according to the League of Nations which recognized the British Mandate for Palestine based on the Balfour Declaration of 1917, followed by the United Nations Resolution of 1947 that granted statehood rights to both the Jews and Arabs in Palestine. The Arabs flatly refused to create their own state if it meant one next to the State of Israel. They still reject such a notion unless Israel concedes to every single one of their (non-negotiable) demands, not the least of which is eastern Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital.

Thus, the Palestinians have no country; they have no one to blame for that, except themselves. It’s quite simple: they live in the sovereign Jewish State of Israel. But the only way for the Palestinians to tolerate that fact is if the words, sovereign, Jewish, State, and Israel were all deleted.

(Earlier This Year at the Western Wall, Israelis Celebrated the 50th Anniversary of Jerusalem’s Liberation During the 1967 Six-Day War. From God’s Viewpoint There Is No Such Thing as East or West Jerusalem. It Is and Will Always Remain the Undivided Capital of Israel)

*Note: I still don’t understand why the United States won’t consider giving the eastern half of Washington D.C. and the east-wing of the White House to Great Britain, so the British can create their own “status quo” and govern all of the immigrants who have come to America from England, Ireland, Wales, and Scotland!

Although nearly two million Arabs are citizens of Israel, Israelis still permit Arab non-citizens (about 3.7 million Palestinians) to reside in Israel. Unlike some surrounding Muslim countries that have evicted all Jews since Israel became a state in 1948, the Jews have not expelled Palestinians from Israel. My guess is that 95% of the world’s population doesn’t know these historical and contemporary facts. And 4% of those who do know, don’t care.

Most Palestinians either don’t know or choose to ignore their real history. Instead they have begun to rewrite history to vainly justify their warped agenda of wiping Israel from all maps of the world. And UNESCO is all too happy to believe this fake Palestinian history by passing resolutions that Temple Mount, the Western Wall, and the Tombs of the (Jewish) Patriarchs are all Muslim holy sites! Pray tell … how can these sacred Jewish sites be Muslim holy places when they (and more) existed long before Islam became a religion? As we use to say, “Go figure!”

(Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron, Israel)

More Incitement from Palestinian Leaders

Here is another quote from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in response to the Israeli metal detectors: “These are political steps in the guise of imaginary security, whose goal is to take control of Al-Aqsa and set facts on the ground, evade the peace process, and turn the conflict into a religious one.”

“Imaginary security,” says Abbas. Was it the figment of Israeli imagination that two of their police officers were murdered in cold blood, then three innocent Israeli civilians knifed to death in their own home?

“Take control of Al-Aqsa mosque,” contends Abbas. If that were the case, Israel could have done that long ago. Jews couldn’t care less about the mosque, which is NOT the mosque that Arabs claim was visited by Muhammad in his fictitious journey to Israel and his imaginary ride to heaven on his fanciful flying horse (See Eye of Prophecy article, Myth of Al-Aqsa Mosque published 4-16-16).

I can state with absolute certainty: If the Jews did assert their God-given right to exercise complete control over Temple Mount, Israel would still allow Muslims to visit Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. Just as they did after a brief 48 hour shut down of Temple Mount when the police officers were murdered, only to reopen it to Arabs … albeit through metal detectors, which were then removed a couple of days later.

“Evade the peace process,” claims Abbas. It has been Abbas who has several times rejected Netanyahu’s request for a peace conference. Instead, Abbas has taken his case to the United Nations, calling for unilateral establishment of a Palestinian State without any input from Israel whatsoever.

Finally, Abbas ludicrously asserts that Israel is turning, “the conflict into a religious one.”

Absolutely false, as though Palestinian insistence that only Muslims have the right to Temple Mount is exclusively a political reason, having nothing to do with Islam. So much could be said in response to this absurd allegation, but I’ll limit commentary to the following: The Jews don’t indiscriminately kill Palestinians or anyone else in the world. And when they do silence terrorists in self-defense, they don’t yell, “Great is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

Who is it that constantly commits terror atrocities not only in Israel but all over the world? And who is it that screams in the name of their religion, “Allah Akbar” (Allah is the greatest) as they bomb, shoot, stab, and ram cars into innocent people?

As stated by Bassam Tawil in his August 1^st article, The Battle over Jerusalem Has Just Begun” posted in the online Op-ed source, Gatestone Institute:

“We have reached a new level in this discourse: Palestinian Authority (PA) officials are now openly admitting that it is not the metal detectors or security cameras that are at issue. Instead, they admit, this is a battle over sovereignty on the Temple Mount and Jerusalem … The real battle, in their eyes, is over the Jews right to live in their own state in the Middle East…”

In fact, Bassam Tawil based the title of his article on a statement by Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki.

Bassam Tawil writes: “In a speech before the Arab League foreign ministers in Cairo, Malki explained: ‘The issue is not metal detectors or cameras, but who is in charge and who has sovereignty over the Al-Aqsa Mosque … The battle over Jerusalem has just begun,’ he said, adding that the wave of Palestinian protests over the Israeli security measures had succeeded in ‘thwarting’ Israel’s ‘conspiracy’ to change the historical and legal status quo at the Temple Mount.”

Later in his article, Bassam Tawil summarizes: “Now that Israel has complied with their demands regarding the security measures, Palestinians feel more emboldened than ever. Murder and incitement, in their case, does indeed pay. They got away with the murder of the two police officers at the Temple Mount; they got away with the murder of the three family members in Halamish, and, in their view, they also got away with the recent violent protest and incitement against Israel.”

According to PA Foreign Minister Malki: “The battle for Jerusalem has just begun.”

Whether Malki realizes it or not—in the light of Biblical prophecy and contemporary developments in fulfillment of those prophecies—what he’s really saying is that: The FINAL battle for Jerusalem has just begun. Not “just begun,” because it’s been going on for millennia, centuries, decades; but with increasing intensity in just the past few years, months, and days … via a verbal and physical Muslim intifada against Israel.

Palestinian and Israeli-Arabs are audaciously testing international political waters and the court of world opinion. Now that they’ve crossed the line of Temple Mount violence with (in their eyes) virtually no impunity, they have and will continue to publicly accelerate their devious objective—absolute autonomy over Temple Mount. Then Jerusalem, then all of Israel.

They have shown their true but ugly colors. They are no longer trying to disguise their real agenda with such fabrications as stated by PA President Abbas to President Trump (“we are raising our children in a culture of peace”). They have ratcheted up their rhetoric and, I believe, will more overtly intensify their avowed intention to destroy Israel. In light of and reaction to several nations warming up to Israel in just the past few weeks and months, the Palestinians have now charted a course to determine if the world-at-large will support the Palestinian narrative or the rights of the Israelis in the sovereign state of Israel.

Like never before, the Arab/Muslim mindset is: It’s us or them. Now they’ve added: We can get away with anything. Let’s see who’s on our side.

Israeli Sovereignty … The Real Issue in Israel

Several conservative and even some liberal Jews have called for Israel to take this opportunity—in which the Arabs crossed a line that shouldn’t be crossed and violated the holiest place of Judaism—to assert sovereignty over Temple Mount that should have never been relinquished in the first place, going back to the 1967 Six-Day War. This begins effectively with more proactive media publications, as written representatively in a July 26^th Israel Hayom article by Ariel Bolstein—founder of the Israel advocacy organization Faces of Israel:

“We must refine our message and focus our efforts on emphasizing our rights and not the rights of others.”

His reference to the rights of others was not what the United States of America or other democratic nations would consider the inalienable rights of all people; rather his remarks were in the context of what he previously identified as “anti-Israel propaganda incitement in the Muslim world.”

Ariel Bolstein went on to say: “Our right to the land of Israel, to Jerusalem, and to the Temple Mount is indisputable, and the time has come to realize this right with the uncompromising implementation of Israeli sovereignty throughout the country … Our path to a public diplomacy victory is long, but determination and an insistence on our rights will take us there.”

Regarding Israel’s regrettable lack of reactive and proactive promotion of Jewish sovereignty in Israel, Nadav Shragai, a regular columnist for the online news source Israel Hayom, wrote in an article posted July 28, 2017:

“The problem is that we are in a constant state of defensiveness, retreat and apology. No one ever mentions the enormous, profound and unimaginable concession Israel made back in 1967 regarding the Temple Mount. No one brings up the fact that Israel, the homeland of the Jewish people, took the Temple Mount, the holiest place for the Jewish nation, and placed it in the hands of a competing religion, Islam, for which the Temple Mount is only the third-holiest site—essentially infringing on the rights of Jews there. This unacceptable state of affairs is now being taken for granted for some reason, even though it really shouldn’t be. In terms of religious relations across the globe, this concession is unprecedented in scope, but Israel downplays it, hides it, as if in never happened. Israel is neglecting the obvious. It is not telling the world the most basic and elementary truth—that the Temple Mount is first and foremost a holy place for the Jews…”

Of course there are many Jews and some Gentiles (including me) who love Israel; who have spoken and written about her God-given right to the Promised Land, which includes Divine-delegated sovereignty in Israel. Several Eye of Prophecy articles have dealt with that issue to some extent or another. In fact, the title of last week’s and this week’s article is precisely on that subject.

Naturally, Nadav Shragai knows there are others like him who passionately and proactively defend and support Israel. So when he states, “No one ever mentions…” he’s saying this for dramatic effect; to stir the hearts and minds of Israelis to do more and say more in defense of their country and their rights.

In another Israel Hayom article written by contributing author Annika Hernroth Rothstein (Jewish, but a resident/citizen of Sweden … one of my favorite Op-Ed columnists) also posted on July 28^th, she tells the story of a recent meeting she had with a Chinese woman who was “a fan of Israel.” However, the Chinese woman was puzzled over the disposition of Israeli Jews in general and the mentality of Israel’s government in particular. So much so that the Chinese woman asked Annika: “Why do you (Jews) not assert yourself? Being humble is nice but it seems like you don’t believe in standing up for yourself.”

I, too, am a “fan of Israel!” So, I, too, will ask a question: Whether Gentile or Jew, what about you? Do you believe God’s promise to Abraham and God’s special possession Israel?

“I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3).

As for me, I will echo the prophetic words of the Prophet Isaiah:

As long as the Lord gives me breath, I will continue to shout: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek (Gentile)” (Romans 1:16, NASB, parenthesis mine).

By God’s grace, I will continue to exalt my Lord and Savior Messiah Jesus. Because: “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

And concerning Israel’s final redemption, I say ardently with the Jewish Apostle Paul (former Pharisee who was dramatically and eternally changed by the risen Messiah, Jesus):

“Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God” (Romans 10:1-4).

Things to Ponder

Restating the premise proposed in last week’s Part I article:

As Temple Mount goes, so goes Jerusalem. As Jerusalem goes, so goes Israel. As Israel goes, so goes the world.

I’m not stating or even implying that the nation of Israel is the only nation on earth that matters, and certainly not that Israel is perfect. However, based on the authority of God’s Word, I am saying that God’s ultimate plan and purpose for the human race goes directly through Israel.

How much sovereignty Israel will regain over Temple Mount, over Jerusalem, and over Judea/Samaria before the Rapture—which will take place any day now—remains to be seen. But whatever the extent of any reclaimed authority, it won’t be enough until they exercise their God-given right to sovereignty over ALL of Israel.

(Star of David Superimposed Over Temple Mount to Symbolize Jewish Sovereignty in Israel)

Those with eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to know the truth of God’s salvation and the sovereign position and responsibility he has given to Israel will eagerly agree with the prophet Isaiah who said:

“Because I love Zion, I will not keep still. Because my heart yearns for Jerusalem, I cannot remain silent. I will not stop praying for her until her righteousness shines like the dawn, and her salvation blazes like a burning torch. The nations will see your righteousness. World leaders will be blinded by your glory…” (Isaiah 62:1-2, italics for emphasis).

And from whom does this righteousness come?

“In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch of David to spring forth; and He shall execute justice and righteousness on the earth. In those days Judah shall be saved and Jerusalem shall dwell in safety; and this is the name by which she shall be called: the Lord is our righteousness” (Jeremiah 33:15-16, NASB, italics for emphasis).

Once upon a time, the Kingdom of God on earth was almost here. When Jesus of Nazareth rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, thousands in Israel proclaimed, “Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessings on the coming Kingdom of our ancestor David! (Hosanna) Praise God in highest heaven!” (Mark 11:9-10).

Heartbreakingly, their religious leaders handed Jesus over to the Romans to be crucified. But just as Jesus said would happen: He arose from the dead to prove he was and is the Messiah, the Son of God. That was God’s providential purpose: The Kingdom of Heaven in the hearts of men and woman who believe and receive His Son’s supreme sacrifice for our sins. Soon, God’s ultimate plan will be fulfilled: the Kingdom of God on earth.

Nearly half of Jews on this earth are now living in Israel. And many more, if not all, will return when Jesus Christ himself returns to Israel—setting foot on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem directly across the Kidron Valley from Temple Mount. He will then enter Temple Mount through the now sealed Eastern Gate.

From then on Messiah Jesus will be the Status Quo.

Jewish Sovereignty on Temple Mount (Part I)

05 Saturday Aug 2017

Posted by garybowers in Current Events

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Palestinian terrorism, Temple Mount

An Amazingly Disproportionate Focus on Israel

Is it mere coincidence that 20^th and 21^st century global attention has been focused on Israel like never before in history?

Is it by chance that events in the Middle East have repeatedly captured media headlines since Israel’s miraculous rebirth as a nation on May 14^th, 1948, followed by her miraculous defeat of five Arab nations that attacked the newborn Jewish state the very next day? Then the dramatic “against-all-odds” Israeli Six-Day War victory in 1967, followed by another stunning triumph in the Yom Kippur War of 1973? Or the (failed) Oslo Accord of 1993, and the Palestinian intifada of 2000 leading to incessant atrocities committed by “lone-wolf” Palestinians to the present day? And the intervention of the United States, Canada, Australia, Russia, Turkey, Iran, and some European nations in the broader scope of Middle East wars and terrorism?

Not at all random, according to Scripture as found in numerous end-times prophecies of the last days concerning the Jews and Gentile nations’ attitude toward and treatment of Israel.

“Then the remnant left in Israel will take their place among the nations. They will be like dew sent by the Lord or like rain falling on the grass, which no one can hold back and no one can restrain” (Micah 5:7).

Based on the above end-times prophecy and others like it, and in the context of the horrific holocaust of World War II which directly led to the reborn State of Israel just three years later, it’s clear that the Jews who have immigrated to Israel and the native-born Israelis (Sabra) are the remnant spoken of by Micah. (Please see Eye of Prophecy article, Two-Thirds of the Jews Killed … Past or Future? Posted 9-19-15).

Says the Sovereign Lord regarding the last days: “I will strengthen Judah and save Israel; I will restore them because of my compassion. It will be as though I had never rejected them, for I am the Lord their God, who will hear their cries” (Zechariah 10:6).

God has seen the plight and heard the pleading of his people from the floods of dispersion and the fires of Nazi death camps, just like he listened to their cries of slavery in Egypt long ago. If anyone doubts the powerful prominence that the true and living God places on Israel, listen to the following passage:

“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: ‘My love for Mount Zion is passionate and strong; I am consumed with passion for Jerusalem!” (Zechariah 8:2).

Those nations and peoples who seek to destroy the Jews and Israel or even harm them, would do well to heed Almighty God’s warning: “At the time of those events, says the Lord, when I restore the prosperity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather the armies of the world into the valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will judge them for harming my people, my special possession, for scattering my people among the nations, and for dividing up my land” (Joel 3:1-2).

In light of what’s happened in the current generation (last 70 years)—especially events in the past few weeks that have drawn global attention to the real overriding issue of Jewish versus Arab sovereignty on Temple Mount, Jerusalem, and ultimately all of Israel—we can on the authority of the Bible recognize the validity of the following premise:

As Temple Mount goes, so goes Jerusalem. As Jerusalem goes, so goes Israel. As Israel goes, so goes the World.

God’s sweeping plan for mankind is centered on the tiny nation of Israel and on her Messiah—born of a Virgin from the lineage of King David, from the tribe of Judah. Messiah Jesus: who brings salvation to all who believe and receive him as their personal Savior; who will soon return to establish the Kingdom of God on earth and put an end to human misery caused by pride, greed, inequality, injustice, terrorism, and war.

Listed to this magnificent prophetic announcement of both the First and Second Advent of the Messiah:

“For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!” (Isaiah 9:6-7).

Said the mighty angel Gabriel to the virgin:

“Don’t be afraid, Mary … for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” (Luke 1:30-33).

From the Garden of Eden when God cursed Satan through the serpent and told him that the offspring of the woman (Eve, but also referring to Mary, the Jewish virgin who would give birth to Messiah … Isaiah 7:14) would strike Satan a death-blow; then God’s promise to Abraham that his heir (Isaac) would be the predecessor of salvation and blessings (ultimately through Messiah), Satan has tried maliciously to thwart God’s plans.

Satan’s plan bears the ugly name of Anti-Semitism: demonstrated by entire nations through horrendous hatred, persistent persecution, and attempted annihilation of the Jews.

This intolerant, irrational disdain for the Jews (just became they’re Jews) and insidious agenda to destroy the nation of Israel originates mostly from an unreasonable and flawed assumption that the Jews are arrogant. When, in fact, virtually every nation and peoples that have despised the Jews have done so out of sheer jealousy over what the Jews have accomplished down through the ages. That, and their refusal to acknowledge that the God of Israel is the only true God.

A Review of the Latest Terrorist Murders of Israelis

The Eye of Prophecy article entitled An Unprecedented Palestinian Attack in Jerusalem, posted 7-22-17, summarized the cold-blooded killing of two Israeli policemen and the aftermath, which included Israel’s sensible security installation of metal detectors to all gates that lead to Old Jerusalem. Never before had Arab terrorists killed Israelis in the confines of Temple Mount. Then the pathological audacious accusations by Jordanian, Hamas, and Palestinian Authority officials that the Jews were violating the “status quo” conditions of Temple Mount with these metal detectors. All the while, deliberately oblivious to the fact that it was the three Israeli-Arab (citizens of Israel) terrorists who started the whole thing.

Just a few hours (Israel time) after I posted that Eye of Prophecy article, a 19-year old Israeli Arab entered a Jewish home and brutally stabbed 70-year old Yosef Salomon, his son Elad, age 36, and daughter Chaya, age 46, to death. Yosef’s wife Tova, 68, was seriously wounded while protecting her grandchildren.

Not that Arabs need a stated reason to kill Jews, but the latest and most prevalent excuse is to protect the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Temple Mount from what they call (non-existent) Jewish desecration. Muslim definition of Al-Aqsa defilement is simply that of any Jew setting foot on Temple Mount, as there has never ever been any Jewish desecration of the mosque.

Among other vile things the murderer posted online before he butchered the Salomon family was that the Jews would not, “open the gates of al-Aqsa.” Even that was a distortion (lie) as the only (reasonable) change was erection of metal detectors—not taking away the privilege of Arabs to enter the gates that lead to Temple Mount. The mendacious mentality of this killer reflected the warped mindset of the greater majority of Palestinians and Israeli-Arabs in Israel: Such unmitigated gall of the Israelis to require Muslim entrance to Temple Mount through metal detectors under the “pretext” of heightened security?

After Palestinian and Arab, mostly from Jordan, uproar over the metal detectors (which are commonplace even in Arab holy sites, such as Mecca and Medina), Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the metal detectors removed … in favor of a larger, more sophisticated and apparently less intrusive security system.

(Israel Removes Metal Detectors)

Here is an excerpt from the aforementioned Eye of Prophecy article, An Unprecedented Palestinian Attack in Jerusalem (in italics):

Along with the favorable trend of world opinion toward Israel exemplified by diplomatic relations and trade agreements between Israel and several nations, more people are also getting a glimpse of the real Palestinian agenda. How could anyone miss seeing it? It’s been there all along; now the Palestinians have unmasked themselves directly in front of international eyes with actions that speak as loud as their words.

Slowly at first, but now much more rapidly, Western nations and even some Arab countries are beginning to realize that Jews—not only in Israel, but the world over—have contributed so much to the welfare of the human race; and will increase this contribution exponentially if the nations would only work with them and not against them. This global atmosphere of increased toleration for the Jews and enhanced empathy for their suffering (BDS discrimination, maiming, murders, and vandalism of their crops) is exactly the condition that Scripture predicted would occur during the beginning of the last days of the end times….

“Nevertheless, the time will come when I will heal Jerusalem’s wounds and give it prosperity and true peace. I will restore the fortunes of Judah and Israel and rebuild their towns. I will cleanse them of their sins against me and forgive all their sins of rebellion. Then this city will bring me joy, glory, and honor before all the nations of the earth! The people of the world will see all the good I do for my people, and they will tremble with awe at the peace and prosperity I provide for them” (Jeremiah 33:6-9).

This more respectful disposition toward Israel is now at the highest level since 1948 … in my opinion even higher. That is exactly the condition that will exist during the unexpected Gog/Magog assault against Israel by several nations—led principally by Russia, Iran, and Turkey—that will take place during the (early part of) Great Tribulation. The surprising increase of international recognition of Israel is yet another prophetic milepost that demonstrates just how close we are to the Rapture followed in seven years by the magnificent return of Messiah Jesus to make all things right.

There are two primary reasons why Jews will not only return to Temple Mount under their terms, but also why the Jewish Temple itself will be rebuilt on the very site where God spared Isaac, and where Solomon’s Temple and the Second Temple stood.

The first reason is in two parts: (1) the Rapture that will create world-wide confusion and panic followed quickly by, (2) the return of Antichrist Nero from the Abyss. His perceived miraculous reappearance and the chaotic condition of the world as a result of the disappearance of hundreds of millions will facilitate desperate global longing for peace and safety. Because of the divine status accorded him (by virtue of returning from the grave), Nero will have no problem orchestrating a treaty between Arabs/Muslims and Jews, including a rebuilt Jewish Temple.

The second reason: Increasing global favor toward Israel that has already begun, and will (soon) enable her to be in a position of peace, safety, tranquility, and prosperity, unequaled since the glory days of King David and King Solomon’s reign. But it will be a false peace because it will be arranged by a false messiah … Antichrist Nero.

And then it will happen. Listen to the Holy Spirit inspired prediction against Gog/Magog uttered by the prophet Ezekiel some 2,600 years ago … a prophecy that will soon come to pass:

“…In the distant future you will swoop down on the land of Israel, which will be enjoying peace after recovering from war and after its people have returned from many lands… You and all your allies—a vast and awesome army—will roll down on them like a storm and cover the land like a cloud … You will say, ‘Israel is an unprotected land filled with unwalled villages!’ … When my people are living in peace in their land, then you will arouse yourself” (Ezekiel 38:8-14).

The Real Agenda toward Israel Will Soon Surface

Soon after the Rapture, the malevolent motive and sordid scheme of nations who hate Israel will prevail over the 161 nations that currently have diplomatic relations with Israel. Today’s affinity of most of these nations toward Israel is shallow and superficial … with a few exceptions such as the United States, Canada, and Australia.

The Psalmist pleads with the Lord: “O God, do not be silent! Do not be deaf. Do not be quiet, O God. Don’t you hear the uproar of your enemies? Don’t you see that your arrogant enemies are rising up? They devise crafty schemes against your people; they conspire against your precious ones. ‘Come,’ they say, ‘let us wipe out Israel as a nation. We will destroy the very memory of its existence’” (Psalm 83:1-4).

The Ayatollah of Iran and several Arab national leaders have repeatedly uttered these very words in our generation. And the avowed goal of Hamas and the Palestinian Authority is an Arab state in place of, not alongside of Israel … a state without a single Jew left.

We can be sure that the Lord will answer the prayer of the Psalmist. The time has come when God will not be silent about Israel. This silence was lifted in 1948. Soon the Lion from the Tribe of Judah will roar, and the earth will be shaken as never before!

Let’s continue with the Gog/Magog prophecy in Ezekiel by adding one more verse left out of the passage from two weeks ago, in which this arrogant man, called Gog, boasts against Israel:

“I will go to those formerly desolate cities that are now filled with people who have returned from exile in many nations. I will capture vast amounts of plunder, for the people are rich with livestock and other possessions now. They think the whole world revolves around them!” (Ezekiel 38:12, italics for emphasis).

When the Iranian, Turkish, and Russian-led coalition attacks Israel, Gog’s malicious mentality will be a carryover from the misguided mindset of many in today’s world. The Gog/Magog alliance of nations which is developing before our 21^st century eyes, and even some national leaders who have fostered a favorable diplomacy toward Israel, mistakenly assume that Israel and the Jews think the whole world revolves around them.

Are modern-day Jews and contemporary Israel arrogant?

No they are not, not even close. (For example, see Eye of Prophecy article, The Heart and Soul of Israel, published 1-4-14).

The Jews as a collective whole do not see nor think of themselves as arrogant. If anything, it’s just the opposite. So much so that they do not adequately defend or even sufficiently explain (through the media) their God-given right to total sovereignty in Israel, especially on Temple Mount but also in the Gaza Strip and Judea/Samaria (West Bank). In part this is borne out of twenty-five hundred years of being humbled by God himself through discipline of his people—by allowing Gentile nations to not once, not twice, but three times exile the Jews from Israel.

Beginning with the Assyrian demolition of the ten northern tribes in 722 B.C. Then the Babylonian conquest and exile of Jews from the southern kingdom of Judah in 586 B.C.

Followed by the devastation of Israel and Jerusalem and total destruction of the 2^nd Temple in 70 A.D. that would lead to world-wide dispersion of the Jews until 1948. Culminating in the worst disaster that has ever befallen the Jews … the hideous holocaust.

For you see, there was a time when the Jews were haughty, not only toward Gentile nations but also toward the true and living God—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This occurred more often than not during the 400-year decline of Israel that began when they split into two kingdoms soon after King Solomon died. God had warned Israel of this puffed-up attitude as long before as the time of Moses. Through Moses, he told them that they would lose their God-given sovereign status as a nation if they disobeyed him and pompously pursued the false gods of their pagan Gentile neighbors.

Here is one such warning: “Today I call on heaven and earth as witnesses against you. If you break my covenant, you will quickly disappear from the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy. You will live there only a short time; then you will be utterly destroyed. For the Lord will scatter you among the nations, where only a few of you will survive” (Deuteronomy 4:26-27).

Here is another of God’s warnings to his people after they would take possession of the Promised Land:

“Do not become proud at that time and forget the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt … He gave you water from the rock! He fed you with manna in the wilderness … He did all this so you would never say to yourself, ‘I have achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy’” (Deuteronomy 8:14-17).

It was God’s purpose for the Jews to be a shining example, a light to the Gentile nations. So that other nations would recognize the God-given sovereignty of the Jewish nation as the source of the Lord’s blessings—first to Israel, then to every nation whose God is the Lord (Psalm 33:12).

Instead, the Jews misused their position of prestige and prosperity among the nations and became smug and selfish in their attitude toward Gentiles. Worse, they refused to acknowledge their conceit, as recorded by the last prophet God would send to Israel for 400 hundred years. Not until the Lord implemented the New Covenant of Grace promised through Jeremiah, would he speak again to Israel; a covenant commenced and sealed by their very Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. Although addressed by other prophets, it was Israel’s last prophet Malachi who brought the final indictment against Israel’s ingratitude and egotism toward God

Just like God used the Assyrians, then the Babylonians, he humbled Israel for the final time in 70 A.D., with the Roman destruction of the Temple. Just a short time before the religious Jews handed him over to the Romans to be crucified, Jesus had exposed their arrogant self-righteous hypocrisy. Still he loved them as conveyed in his poignant words immediately after he blasted the Pharisees, in which Jesus also foretold of Jerusalem’s impending destruction.

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. And now, look, your house is abandoned and desolate. For I tell you this, you will never see me again until you say, ‘Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’” (Matthew 23:37-39).

In fact, observant Jews once again mourned the worst day in Jewish history this past Tuesday, simply called Tisha B’Av (9^th day of the Hebrew month of Av). Both temples were destroyed on that same calendar date, the first in 586 B.C, the second in 70 A.D. (Please see Eye of Prophecy article, Day of Infamy, posted 7-25-15, which begins with America’s Day of Infamy Pearl Harbor attack, then covers in great detail the Jewish 9th of Av).

Yet, the Bible is crystal clear that God’s discipline of Israel was for their own good; in order for them to eternally inherit all of the wonderful benefits and blessings that God has for them … and through them the world. The alternative of God’s final judgment on mankind is far worse than the tough love discipline he imposes to get the attention of his people to return to him, both the nation of Israel and New Covenant born-again believers (Jews and Gentile alike) when we sometimes go our own way.

“Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, the Lord your God disciplines you for your own good” (Deuteronomy 8:5).

“For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they know how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way” (Hebrews 12:10-11).

It’s Not Israel, But Her Enemies Who Are Arrogant

Israel’s corporate conceit ended nearly 2,000 years ago. The God-directed humbling of his people in 70 A.D. resulted in periodic humiliation and persecution of his chosen people without any recourse for the Jews to resist and fight back … until 1948.

On the other hand, the vanity of Israel’s adversaries in today’s world has reached … well, Biblical proportions. Listen to God’s warning:

“…At the time I have planned, I will bring justice against the wicked … I warned the proud, ‘Stop your boasting!’ I told the wicked, ‘Don’t raise your fists! Don’t raise your fists in defiance at the heavens or speak with such arrogance.’ … It is God alone who judges; he decides who will rise and who will fall” (Psalm 75:2-7).

I can safely and will strongly state on the authority of Scripture coupled with the astounding sequence of today’s unfolding events matching Biblical prophecies: The time that God has planned is near, so very near.

Listen to the results when God’s “fury boils over” (Ezekiel 38:18) against those nations and people who display the same kind of arrogance toward Israel that they falsely accuse the Jews of:

“In this way, I will demonstrate my glory to the nations. Everyone will see the punishment I have inflicted on them (Gog/Magog) and the power of my fist when I strike. And from that time on the people of Israel will know that I am the Lord their God. The nations will then know why Israel was sent away to exile—it was punishment for sin, for they were unfaithful to their God. Therefore, I turned away from them, and let their enemies destroy them. I turned my face away and punished them because of their defilement and their sins” (Ezekiel 39:21-24, parenthesis mine).

As I’ve detailed in several prior Eye of Prophecy articles, God ended his centuries-long punishment of Israel—through Gentile domination of the Jews—in the 1967 Six-Day War. Yet Israel did not, by any stretch of the imagination, become arrogant or feel superior by virtue of this stunning victory. Instead, they (one could even say “humbly”) relinquished what was their rightful sovereignty over Judea/Samaria, the Gaza Strip, and the Temple Mount to the Arabs. In fact, many, including me, believe that this self-effacing gesture was ill-advised.

Webster’s Dictionary defines arrogant: “exaggerating or disposed to exaggerate one’s own worth or importance in an overbearing manner.” And arrogance is defined as: “a feeling of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner or presumptuous claims.”

In fact, both of these terms could easily and accurately be applied to the Palestinians with a plethora of examples given, some of which are listed in the aforementioned Eye of Prophecy article, and more to be identified in next week’s Part II article.

(Palestinians in Jordan are not self-governed as they are in Israel. They are ruled by the Jordanian Hashemite King Abdullah II, pictured above)

Don’t miss next week’s article in which we’ll continue with the dynamics of the God-given right of Jewish sovereignty in Israel.

Things to Ponder

Said the Lord to his people long ago: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt so you would no longer be their slaves. I broke the yoke of slavery from your neck so you can walk with your heads held high” (Leviticus 26:13).

But then the Lord warned them not to disobey and abandon him through apathy, complacency, and pride; as only he was their source of provisions, prosperity, and protection.

As we’ve seen, the Jews failed to keep God’s Covenant with them through Moses. As a result they suffered all four of the seven times over punishments found in Leviticus Chapter 26. The fourth and final being the worst of all: banishment to foreign nations with the last of those exiles lasting nearly 2,000 years. During that time Jews all over the world could not walk with their heads held high. Often, in humiliating fashion, they were forced to run with the proverbial tail between their legs.

Listen to what the Lord said would happen to his people, and, in fact, did take place during turbulent times of persecution after they were driven out of Israel by the Romans:

“And for those of you who survive, I will demoralize you in the land of your enemies. You will live in such fear that the sound of a leaf driven by the wind will send you fleeing. You will run as though fleeing from a sword, and you will fall down even when no one pursues you … You will have no power to stand up against your enemies. You will die among the foreign nations and be devoured in the land of your enemies.” (Leviticus 26:36-38).

This affliction of God’s people continued from the 1^st century to the mid- 20^th century, which was also an inordinate global focus on the Jews, but in a menacing and destructive way. Beginning with more Roman emperors who persecuted those Jews left in Israel after many were killed and many more exiled in 70 A.D.; Mohammed’s slaughter of Jews as he forcefully expanded his newly invented religion of Islam; Crusaders who killed as many Jews as they did Muslims in order to claim Roman Catholic supremacy in Jerusalem; Roman Catholic Inquisitions; European Pogroms; and finally the Holocaust. And these were just the more well-known episodes of Anti-Semitic brutality against the Jews.

BUT NO MORE!

God promised that this discipline through exile of his people would end and so it did; it began to end in 1948, and ended in 1967. Please refer to Eye of Prophecy trilogy, Seven Times Seven (to the 4^th power), posted 1-25, 2-1, & 2-8-14. These articles disclose in great detail that the seven-times over paradigm in Leviticus Chapter 26 was a pre-determined time (years) set by the Lord for Israel’s discipline to run its full course.

In that same chapter in Leviticus, the Lord said: “Then I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land … I will not utterly reject or despise them while they are in exile in the land of their enemies. I will not cancel my covenant with them by wiping them out, for I am the Lord their God” (Leviticus 26:42-44).

Yes, the Jews are back and Israel is here to stay forever. As in their glory years of King David and King Solomon, the Lord has once again made them, “…the head and not the tail, and you will always be on top and never at the bottom…” (Deuteronomy 28:13).

An Unprecedented Palestinian Attack in Jerusalem

22 Saturday Jul 2017

Posted by garybowers in Current Events

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Terror in Jerusalem

And the Beat (of Terror) Goes On

Their brutal tactics are contemptibly transparent: kill Israelis—one, or two, or a few at a time—to teach the Jews and sway world opinion that it is really all of Israel which belongs to the Palestinians. With these ungodly, morally reprehensible actions, the Arabs will not succeed. The Jews are in Israel to stay … forever!

In September, 2015, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas declared: “Al-Aqsa is ours and so is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. (Jews) have no right to desecrate them with their filthy feet. We won’t allow them to do so, and we will do whatever we can to defend Jerusalem.” This call to defend Jerusalem became the battle cry for the 2015-2016 so-called lone-wolf knife intifada (mostly knives were used, but also cars, axes, and guns). What the Palestinians really mean by Jewish defilement of Temple Mount is even one Jew setting foot on the Temple Mount complex.

The false Palestinian narrative will fail. But as long as the Arabs believe the lies that their religious and political leaders spout on a daily basis, they will continue with their treacherous agenda.

Eight of nine Palestinian attacks in Jerusalem since the first of the year (2017) have taken place at one or more of the seven entrance gates to the Old City of Jerusalem, such as the Damascus Gate. The two gates nearest Temple Mount are the Dung Gate—through which my sister and I entered to access the Western Wall and Temple Mount in 2006—and the Lions’ Gate, also called the Saint Stephens Gate.

(Lions’ Gate in Jerusalem)

The most recent assault took place on July 14^th at the Lions’ Gate. Three Arab gunmen, (I choose not to list their full names) ages 19, 19, and 29—all residents of the Arab town of Umm al-Fahm, northwest of Haifa—each with the first name of Muhammad (that says it all), opened fire on Israeli policemen guarding the gate. The barrage killed Staff Sgt. Haiel Sitawe, age 30, and Staff Sgt. Kamil Shinaan, age 22. A third policeman was injured.

Although the final objective of the terrorists is unknown, it’s deductively evident they wanted to enter the Temple Mount complex to eliminate as many Jews as they could. After shooting the policemen, the terrorists fled into the Temple Mount complex where they were pursued and killed.

Before the Temple Mount incident, the previous attack occurred on June 16^th in which an Israeli Border Police officer (a woman, Hadas Malka) was stabbed to death near the Damascus Gate by one of three Palestinian terrorists, when she ran toward the other two terrorists who were shooting at Israelis nearby. Four Israelis were injured. All three Arabs were silenced before they could kill more Jews.

New Perverse Level of Arab Reaction to yet another Brutal Murder of Israelis

To demonstrate the increasingly brazen actions and disgusting responses of the Palestinians, here is an excerpt from a June 19^th article written by Bassam Tawil who writes primarily for the online news source, Gatestone Institute:

“For many Palestinians, the stabbing murder of a 23-year old Israeli Border Police … proves that the ‘revolution against the Zionist entity will continue until the liberation of Palestine, from the (Mediterranean) sea to the (Jordan) river.’

“In a statement published in Ramallah shortly after the terror attack, Fatah ‘condemned the Israeli occupation forces for killing three young Palestinian men in East Jerusalem.’ It said that the killing of the three terrorists ‘proves that the Israeli government is pursuing its policy of escalation.’ Fatah called on the international community to ‘seriously look into providing protection for the defenseless Palestinian people.’

“The Fatah statement failed to mention that the three Palestinian ‘young men’ were armed with knives and a homemade submachine gun. Nor did Fatah mention a word about the Border Police officer who was stabbed to death in the terror attack.”

(Photo of Hadas Malka, Not Long Before She Was Killed)

Bassam Tawil—a Muslim, but one who recognizes the right of the Jews to live in the sovereign State of Israel—went on to say:

“Such a statement could never have been published without the approval of Abbas and his top cronies in Ramallah … This is the twisted logic of Abbas and his people. How dare the Israeli police officers shoot terrorists armed with knives and a machinegun and prevent them from killing more Jews? … This is but further proof in an endless string of damming evidence concerning the ‘peace lies’ spouted by Abbas and his PA. The PA president is always among the first to denounce terror attacks around the world, including Britain, France and Germany. Yet when Palestinians murder Israelis, they suddenly become ‘heroes’ and ‘martyrs.’”

(See Eye of Prophecy article, Can a Murderer be a Martyr? Posted 1-30-16)

The Palestinians are intensifying their sordid strategy of making the guilty look innocent and the innocent seem guilty. But this tactic is beginning to backfire on them. For decades, millions the world over including all too many Europeans, Canadians, Australians, and Americans bought into the Palestinian agenda. Which is: there should never have been a State of Israel, or at least Jews have no right to occupy (so-called) Palestinian territory.

Here, I’m referring to Westerners who know little about the real history of Israel and the Middle East or prefer not to be bothered with the facts. But who are quick to form uninformed opinions based mostly on a narrative that is predicated on fake rewritten history by Palestinian and Muslim journalists, educators, politicians, and religious leaders. Gradually, however, they are beginning to comprehend the real motives of the Palestinians in particular and Muslims in general, which I’ve discussed in several Eye of Prophecy articles, and as summarized earlier by Bassam Tawil.

On the other hand, the extreme liberal left among us will never give up their convoluted logic that has gone to such detestable extremes as accusing Israel of being an apartheid regime like the former government of South Africa. Or even more revolting: comparison of Israel to Nazi Germany’s Third Reich. This is warped and vile thinking at its worst. How on God’s earth could anyone liken Israel to Nazi Germany? Millions of Germans condoned and/or sat idly by while the Nazis stripped Jews of their German citizenship, confiscated their property, destroyed their businesses, deprived them of the right to work, herded them into concentration camps, and then slaughtered six million Jews during the horrendous Holocaust? All this just because the Jews were Jews, and didn’t have the right to live alongside a superior Aryan race.

Compare this to the Israeli Government which has granted citizenship rights to some 1.7 million Arabs to travel freely throughout Israel; own their own real estate; start and run their own business; vote in elections; to even serve in the Israeli government (Knesset).

Why the Horrific Attack of July 14^th Was So Different

There was one thing unusual about this murderous rampage, and three things virtually unprecedented including its aftermath. Which is why this latest unprovoked Arab killing of Israelis has generated more outrage than usual from Jews and from some world leaders, as well as an exceptional response from Israel.

Partially Different but Not Unprecedented

The majority of hundreds of past terrorists attacks in Israel were committed by Palestinians from the West Bank; whereas, Israeli Arabs killed the two policemen. Is there a difference? Absolutely. Israeli Arabs are citizens of Israel. The terrorists among them (meaning those who actually do the killing that is applauded and rewarded by fellow Arabs whose virulent anti-Semitic attitude stops short of terrorist acts … this applies to both Palestinians and Israeli-Arabs) can carry out such attacks more easily than their West Bank or Gaza Strip Palestinian counterparts.

As a refresher: Arabs living in “Palestine” when Israel became a sovereign state on May 14^th, 1948 (pre-approved by the United Nations Resolution in November, 1947) rejected their opportunity to also become a state. They wanted no part of living next to a Jewish State; instead five Arab (Muslim) nations attacked Israel the very next day with the sworn objective of annihilating the infant State of Israel. Only then would the Arabs establish their own state of “Palestine.”

After Israel won this war against impossible odds, the Israelis offered citizenship to Arabs … some of whom accepted, most of whom did not. But it was not until 1964—when the Palestinian Liberation Organization was formed by Yassar Arafat—that Arabs began calling themselves Palestinians, a designation that had previously applied almost exclusively to Jews. As a result of the Oslo Accord of 1993, the PLO became the Palestinian Authority. Those living in the West Bank and Gaza Strip are now called Palestinians.

Because Palestinians are not citizens of Israel, they can enter Israel proper only through work or visitation permits or the like. Whereas, the vast majority of Israeli Arabs live outside the West Bank, because they are citizens of Israel.

Alarmingly, however, the recent trend (including Lions’ Gate) has seen more Israeli Arabs committing these atrocities. What makes this all the more disturbing is the added difficulty for Israelis to prevent such attacks (although they do thwart many planned strikes). Arab citizens of Israel can travel and move freely throughout the country including Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. They can conceal weapons right up to the flash point of using them.

Which is why Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered Temple Mount closed to visitors until the area was deemed safe and a full investigation could be undertaken. He also called for the immediate installation of metal detectors at the entrance gates to Old Jerusalem and more surveillance cameras on Temple Mount. A reasonable response wouldn’t you agree? Just as reasonable as when all air traffic in the United States was abruptly suspended for a period of time after 9/11. Followed by the incredible amount of security measures that 9/11 and then the shoe-bomber have inconvenienced and frustrated Americans and international travelers to this day.

(Note: Netanyahu reopened three of the seven gates to access Temple Mount on Sunday, 7-16-17, but would not relent on his decision to keep the metal detectors in place at the gate entrances).

(Metal Detectors Recently Installed at One of Old Jerusalem’s Gates)

Once again I ask the rhetorical question: Was Netanyahu’s response reasonable, one that any reasonable person should and would understand?

Not according to Palestinians and their misguided die-hard supporters.

Hamas, the terrorist entity that governs (controls) some 1.8 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, called the closure of Temple Mount an Israeli declaration of “religious war;” then called for an “uprising” against Israel’s military and also Jewish “settlers” (referring to Jews who live in the West Bank which is really the Judea/Samaria region of Israel that includes so-called East Jerusalem).

For sure we could consider the source and realize that kind of bellicose language is expected from Hamas. After all, they have sworn never to recognize the Jewish State of Israel; they have determined that intifada is the only recourse to rid “Palestine” of Jews. But what about the Jordanian Waqf which dictates visiting privileges and protocol (called the status quo) on Temple Mount?

Immediately after Benjamin Netanyahu lifted the ban on Temple Mount visitation, but kept the metal detectors in place, Jordanian Waqf officials advised all Palestinians to defy the new security measures, which they labeled as, “symbols of Israeli control.” Realizing that the Israelis would turn away, by force if necessary, anyone trying to go through an open gate without first passing through a metal detector, this defiance was in the form of boycotting Temple Mount. As if that would affect or disappoint the Jews?! In fact. some Jews took this rare opportunity to ascend Temple Mount even though it was during restricted visitation hours for them.

Another irony of such an order by the Arab Jordanian Waqf is that more Israeli Arabs elected to pass through the metal detectors, than those who stood outside the gates and offered prayers that they could have otherwise offered on Temple Mount had they simply complied with the security measures.

(Muslims Line Up at Lions Gate Last Weekend)

Moreover, the Jordanian Waqf officials (who sometime speak for and represent Palestinians and Israeli Arabs, but only when it serves Jordanian interests) seized the opportunity to play the status quo card; claiming that the metal detectors were a violation of the” status quo” and a demonstration of “Israeli aggression.” The term status quo has been bandied about for several years, one that the Palestinians are frequently (falsely) accusing the Israelis of changing.

Here is an excerpt from an article posted on July 17^th in the online news source Israel Hayom:

“Pictures of worshippers and the metal detectors in the entrance to the site stirred anger in the Arab-Muslim world, especially in Egypt and Jordan. The Palestinian Authority called on Israel to ‘refrain from steps that would compromise regional stability.’ Arab-Israeli leaders also called on Israel to take down the metal detectors.”

Unbelievable! These Arab officials were callously oblivious to, and considered irrelevant the fact that the murder of two Israelis (Druze nationality … descendants of Moses’ father-in-law Jethro … loyal to the Jewish State of Israel) and the ensuing unprecedented entrance into Temple Mount by the Palestinian murderers, could or would be the real cause of a compromised regional stability.

*(Let’s pause parenthetically for a moment of cynical commentary: Who or what gives the Israelis the right to discriminate against Muslim Arabs by imposing restrictions, especially if the safeguards might save Jewish lives, which would require a little more time for Arabs to ascend Temple Mount? Along those lines, isn’t it high time that Americans protest against metal detectors all over the United States? Even if it means we can’t get to our workplace or enter government buildings or get on an airplane? Down with detectors. Up with mayhem and murder).

Seriously, the wickedly absurd rationale of these officials reflects the same mushy mentality of Muslims and several nations that belong to the European Union, whose leaders blindly accept the false “moral equivalency cause” of Palestinians or Muslim refugees—many of whom are not true refugees, but just people who want a better life that their Islamic Sunni or Sharia governments can’t provide. How dare some dissenting eastern European countries like Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic (called the Visegrad Group) refuse to fill the immigration quotas imposed on them by the European Union? I am not at all against granting immigration rights to suffering refugees, but not indiscriminately without proper vetting procedures, or just to fill quotas.

(Leaders & Flags of V4 Group, Left to Right: Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia)

Well, I digress a little; but for what is, I trust, a worthy world view.

Lions Gate Attack—Different, Unprecedented

(1) Closure of Temple Mount For Two Days

Benjamin Netanyahu ordered that the Temple Mount be shut down, but only temporarily. This is the first time it had been totally off limit to visitors for 50 years … since the Six-Day War of 1967 when Israelis liberated and reunited all of Jerusalem including Temple Mount from illegal Jordanian control. (See Eye of Prophecy article, The Liberation of Jerusalem. Published 6-3-17).

(2) The First Arab (Muslim) Attack on Temple Mount

Until the Lions’ Gate incident, there was no previous attempts by terrorists to gain access to the Temple Mount area itself during those attacks. Undoubtedly, most Palestinians wish that their three “martyrs” could have killed more Jews inside Temple Mount before their glorious deaths.

The incident was a blatant violation of the precious “status quo” condition of Temple Mount that Palestinians constantly and falsely accuse the Jews of doing. But it was Muslim Arabs who violated the status quo, one that grants unlimited access to Muslims, but highly restricted conditions for Jews ascending Temple Mount.

Which is more proof that the Palestinians couldn’t care less if their so-called holy site is compromised or desecrated, as long as it’s not Jews who are doing it. For example, it’s a documented fact that Palestinians have played soccer, held barbecues, and left garbage on Temple Mount in the past. Many of them treat it as a picnic playground, not a place of prayer.

Here is another quote from a Hamas spokesman:

“The attack in Jerusalem is a natural response to Israeli terrorism and the desecration of Al-Aqsa mosque, and it confirms the commitment to the intifada and the unity of our people.”

This statement would be laughable if it wasn’t so hideous in its sinister implications and false innuendoes. The only accurate part of this provocative rhetoric is that these three terrorists all named Muhammad were, indeed, committed to the religious (Islamic) and political (Palestinian) intifada. But pathetically and pathologically wrong about Israeli terrorism, Jewish desecration of the mosque, or unity of the Palestinian people. Hamas and the Palestinian Authority have been at each other’s throat ever since Hamas took over the Gaza Strip in 2006-2007. Their leaders are diametrically opposed to and actually hate each other.

Yet this first-time terrorist act on Temple Mount is, in fact, a matter of concern to the Palestinian Authority of the West Bank. For you see, PA President Mahmoud Abbas doesn’t directly exercise control over the “lone-wolf” assassins, although he fully supports their atrocities figuratively and literally—with his incitement rhetoric and by paying monthly stipends to families of Palestinian prisoners and those killed in the course of their crimes. In recent months, Abbas made the bad decision (for him … good for Israelis in terms of world opinion) to up the ante in his belligerent bombast against Israel, with hypocritical double talk that much of the world is finally seeing through, e. g. President Trump’s face to face dressing down of Abbas a few weeks ago, by accusing him of lying about the Palestinian “culture of peace.”

After the Lions’ Gate assault, Abbas realized that this unparalleled act by three of his people was, in fact, what Israel Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan had called it: “A very serious” incident. Said Erdan: “This is an unprecedented event. The terrorists violated the sanctity of the Temple Mount and crossed a red line.”

And what Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage Minister Zeev Elkins said:

“The cynical use of the Temple Mount as a place of granting immunity to those who incite terror must stop. We’re not clamoring to act on the Temple Mount, but if we have to—we will. The very fact that terrorists target the Temple Mount stems from incitement.”

Or the words of Jerusalem’s Mayor, Nir Barkat who called the attack, “particularly troubling … anyone who thinks that they can make gains through terrorism in this place of prayer and worship is wrong. The exact opposite is true—we will pursue anyone who is motivated in such terrorist activities and we will exact a price from them. We will not capitulate to terrorism.”

(Jerusalem’s Mayor, Nir Barkat)

This unprecedented killing of Israelis at Lions Gate, then pursuit and elimination of the terrorists in the Temple Mount confines led to another extraordinarily rare event.

(3) Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas Called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Condemned the Attack!

Why would Abbas step completely out of character and risk criticism from his own people, most of whom (the greater majority) endorse and actually celebrate the killing of Jews? For example, they dance in the streets and hand out candy to Palestinian children, all the while praising their heroic martyrs, and naming streets after them.

First on the more safe side: Mahmoud Abbas calculated that the risk of exacerbating his already tenuous leadership stance with the Palestinians would be lessened by the fact that the killers were Israeli Arabs who were technically citizens of Israel, not residents of the West Bank … within his Palestinian Authority jurisdiction.

Second, on the unsafe side: He knew full well that such an incident in/on the Temple Mount compound had, in fact, vaulted over a line that even he would not cross. The world court of public opinion that was already beginning to comprehend the real Palestinian agenda (elimination of the State of Israel altogether), would side with the Israelis. As horrific as any murder of innocent people for religious or political gain can be—this crime was worse because it violated a sacred site.

Thus, you can be sure that Abbas’ real motive for condemning the crime via a direct phone call to Benjamin Netanyahu, was not because two Israeli policemen were murdered. Rather, because it happened on Temple Mount with the obvious implication to anyone with an open mind that it was the Arabs who changed “the status quo” of Temple Mount.

Putting the Palestinian/Israeli Conflict into a Broader Biblical Perspective

Is it possible for anything good to come out of yet another Arab atrocity against innocent Israelis? Yes, it is. Scripture is replete with amazing ways in which the true and living Sovereign God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has providentially turned bad things into good. The historical account of Jacob’s son, Joseph, is an epic story that all Jews and Christians hold near and dear to their faith.

Said Joseph to reassure his brothers that he would not take revenge on them for selling him into slavery, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people” (Genesis 50:20).

And now, the Lord’s astounding prophetic plan for Israel to end their agonizing exile to the nations is miraculously unfolding daily before our very eyes. Beginning with the rebirth of Israel as a nation in 1948, return of Jews to Israel from the four corners of the earth, and the end of Gentile domination of the Jews in the Six-Day War of 1967.

For Jewish and Gentile believers in Messiah Yeshua, this Old Testament pattern has been increased to a New Covenant ironclad promise:

Viewing Israel through a Different Lens

Statistically, incidents of Anti-Semitism have increased in the past few years. As would be expected, the source stems primarily from Muslims in European countries. And also internationally from those who (mostly liberal professors and students on college campuses) ignore facts and conditions in Israel or deliberately disregard the real evidence and actual truth that the Jews are not “illegal settlers” whose government is oppressing the Palestinians.

However, there’s a remarkable (unprecedented) phenomenon that has taken place in just the past couple of years. Never before in Israel’s history have so many nations begun to establish or reinforce diplomatic and economic ties with Israel, the most recent of which was India … with the second largest population on earth. As have several African nations, Australia, China, Canada, a few European countries, and even Saudi Arabia and its coalition of Arab gulf states, with the exception of Qatar. Although some countries have ulterior motives (as do some of the allies of the United States), their leaders are beginning to see that Israel is not their main enemy, or an enemy at all.

They recognize the amazing things that the Jews have accomplished in Israel in such areas as: agriculture, water conservation, medicine, computer technology, construction, education, new business start-up, and inventions of all sorts. They better understand that these astounding contributions are proportionally far greater than any nation on earth, considering that the Jewish population in Israel is only 6.3 million. If they continue to examine the facts, they’ll see, for example, that Israeli hospitals have treated thousands of Syrian civilians injured in that bloody conflict. And, they are acknowledging Israel’s military might even though she is such a tiny nation.

Palestinian Terrorism is the Pattern for Global Terrorism

Just a brief glance at history will show that Palestinian terrorists were the primary pioneers of nearly all terrorism; adapted globally by terrorist groups such as: Hezbollah, al-Qaida, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, Boko Haram, and of course ISIS—which has taken terrorism to a brutally new level.

Although there were other terrorist’s cells like the Red Army in Germany, modern-day terrorism tactics basically began with the Palestinian slaughter of eleven Israeli athletes during the Munich Olympics of 1972. With millions of other, I vividly remember watching the horror unfold in real (television) time.

Released in late 2005, Munich, a film directed by Steven Spielberg, is a powerful depiction and reminder of the brutal birth of terrorism, Palestinian style; but also the resolve of Israel to hunt down and dispense justice to those who would seek to annihilate the Jews. Global terrorist groups have modeled their violence after the sickening style of Palestinian hijackings, suicide bombings, car-rammings, knifings, shootings, and blowing up hotels, cafes, and markets.

People and national leaders the world over are beginning to see that statements like the following one from Jordan’s Minister of Islamic Affairs Wael Arabiyat are not only ridiculously illogical, but morally reprehensible.

Arabiyat, in an attempt to legitimize the Jordanian Waqf’s criticism of the metal detectors and incitement call for Palestinians to defy such restrictions, actually labeled the Israeli response to the brutal killings an Israeli “crime.” He cited the reason for the entire incident as Israel’s “unprecedented and persistent violation of Al Aqsa Mosque sanctity under the pretext of containing violence and tension.”

Yours, mine, and the world’s immediate response to this absurd accusation is or should be: “What pretext?”

A pretext is an alleged ulterior motive or mindset to do something about something (else) perceived that hasn’t happened or won’t happen or doesn’t exist.

First, there’s absolutely no evidence whatsoever that the Jews have ever violated or “desecrated” (the more commonly used term of Arab incitement) the Al Aqsa Mosque. I repeat for emphasis: absolutely none. As said before, the Palestinians and those who presumptuously promote their cause consider any Jew stepping foot on Temple Mount as a violation. Then, they make certain that such (non-existent) desecration doesn’t go any further. During the limited time Jews can ascend and remain on Temple Mount, they must not exhibit any signs of worship, such as reciting or even mouthing prayers, bowing, kneeling, lifting their hands, reading from the Torah … the list goes on.

Second, the killing of two Israelis in an attempt to commit more murders within the Temple Mount confines is as (horribly) real as it gets. The Israelis killed the murderers to contain (eliminate) further carnage by the terrorists. There was no pretext.

It’s the Palestinian “pushing the envelope” that has gone too far, and (fortunately) has begun to irreversibly do exactly the opposite of what they intended. Their extreme rhetoric has now been matched with terrorism that crossed a line that was beyond the line already drawn of terroristic murder of Jews and other innocent people the world over.

This “crossed-the-line” attack could and probably will result in what should have been the “status quo” since the Jews liberated their capital in 1967: Israeli sovereignty over Temple Mount both in practice and principle. At the very least, it may lead to what Israeli Culture Minister Miri Regev stated:

“The time has come for the Temple Mount to be a place that is open and free for all, without restrictions on (visiting) hours or areas, just like everywhere else in Jerusalem. The Waqf should only manage the mosque and not the entire compound.”

(Temple Mount Complex, Including View of Western Wall & Lower Courtyard)

Summary

Along with the favorable trend of world opinion toward Israel exemplified by diplomatic relations and trade agreements between Israel and several nations, more people are also getting a glimpse of the real Palestinian agenda. How could anyone miss seeing it? It’s been there all along. Now the Palestinians have unmasked themselves directly in front of international eyes with actions that speak as loud as their words.

Some passages in the Old Testament speak exclusively of the millennial period following the majestic return of Messiah Jesus to rescue Israel and the final glorious victory over her enemies. Many others, like the following passage, describe both the Millennium and the signs and conditions immediately preceding the Day of the Lord.

“Nevertheless, the time will come when I will heal Jerusalem’s wounds and give it prosperity and true peace. I will restore the fortunes of Judah and Israel and rebuild their towns. I will cleanse them of their sins against me and forgive all their sins of rebellion. Then this city will bring me joy, glory, and honor before all the nations of the earth! The people of the world will see all the good I do for my people, and they will tremble with awe at the peace and prosperity I provide for them” (Jeremiah 33:6-9, italics for emphasis).

This more respectful disposition toward Israel is now at the highest level since 1948 … in my opinion, even higher. That is exactly the condition that will exist during the unexpected Gog/Magog assault against Israel by several nations—led principally by Russia, Iran, and Turkey—that will take place during the (early part of) Great Tribulation. The surprising increase of international recognition of Israel is yet another prophetic milepost that demonstrates just how close we are to the Rapture followed in seven years by the magnificent return of Messiah Jesus to make all things right.

Things to Ponder

And then it will happen. Listen to the Holy Spirit inspired prediction against Gog/Magog uttered by the prophet Ezekiel some 2,600 years ago … a prophecy that will soon come to pass:

Big mistake Gog/Magog! And later in the tribulation an even bigger mistake when Antichrist and his coalition march against Israel!

They picked the wrong time to take on God and the apple of his eye, his special possession Israel. They will unwittingly choose a time providentially chosen by God long ago; a time when God once again is protecting and providing for his chosen people, the Jews. A time when his planted (in Scripture) prophetic plan for Israel’s physical restoration and spiritual reconciliation is about to reach full harvest.

Beware Gog and Antichrist! You think that Israel is there for the taking because she has let down her guard through false pretense of peace.

Think again.

“But this is what the Sovereign Lord says: When Gog invades the land of Israel, my fury will boil over!” (Ezekiel 38:18).

“I will punish you and your armies with disease and bloodshed; I will send torrential rain, hailstones, fire, and burning sulfur! In this way, I will show my greatness and holiness, and I will make myself known to all the nations of the world. Then they will know that I am the Lord” (Ezekiel 38:22-23).

God the Father will supernaturally destroy the Gog/Magog coalition with Israel simply standing by to watch as God’s “fury boils over.”

During the final battle of Armageddon we see the same results. And this time God’s Son, Messiah Jesus, will win a resounding victory as we believers ride along side of him and behold his incomparable power and authority.

“Then I saw the beast and the kings of the world and their armies gathered together to fight against the one sitting on the horse and his army. And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet … Both the beast and the false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. Their entire army was killed by the sharp sword that came from the mouth of the one riding the white horse…” (Revelation 19:19-21).

Freedom … What Does It Really Mean?

08 Saturday Jul 2017

Posted by garybowers in Current Events

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Bill of Rights

What Did You Do This Past Tuesday?

Tuesday? Oh, yea, it was the Fourth of July.

Yes, it was! America’s Independence Day.

Did you cook out, or have a picnic, or attend a parade or a family reunion? Did you take in some fireworks after dark? Did you watch football on television? I’m okay … just wanted to make sure you were celebrating the 4^th, not the 1^st (New Year’s Day)!

If all you did was not going to work … well, it is a holiday after all.

Hardly any American doesn’t know what the 4^th of July is all about, for it was on that date in 1776 that the colonies declared their independence from England. A freedom that we had to fight for; self-government that would have remained an unfulfilled dream had we not been victorious in the Revolutionary War.

Shooting off fireworks on the Fourth of July is a tradition more closely connected to our second war with England, only three decades after the Revolutionary War ended?

In 1814, the third year of that bloody War of 1812, Francis Scott Key was so inspired by the oversized United States flag still flying majestically over Fort McHenry that he penned the words to a poem he called, Defence of Fort McHenry. Later, he adapted a tune sung mostly by the British (how ironic) to the lyrics. As they say, the rest is history. In 1931, the United States Congress passed a resolution (signed by President Herbert Hoover) officially declaring the song our national anthem … The Star Spangled Banner.

(The Original Flag That Flew Over Fort McHenry)

Did you know that many objected to the Star Bangled Banner becoming our national anthem? To this very day, some say that another song should replace it, because the lyrics glorify war. Former President Obama is one of those. He said: “And the anthem itself conveys a war-like message. You know, the bombs bursting in air and all. I like the song, I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing. If that were our anthem, then I might salute it.”

He was serious!

I won’t comment on Mr. Obama’s logic. My only observation to such an objection is to jiggle our memory regarding why Francis Scott Key authored such words as: “And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air…” For over twenty-four hours he had a front row seat (on a ship) to the relentless British bombardment of Fort McHenry and the heroism of the Americans to even stay in the fort, let alone repel the British attack.

What the Star Spangled Banner Is Really About

Francis Scott Key didn’t write the poem to glorify war. Right after, “the bombs bursting in air…” comes, “Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.”

There are four stanzas to The Star Spangled Banner, with the verses in the form of an (eight-line) octave or sonnet; each ending with, “O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!”

Obviously, whenever our national anthem is played, we sing only the first stanza.

To demonstrate that this poem/song is not about the glory of war, but about the necessary and justified right to fight in order to gain and maintain freedom inherently granted to every human being by God and to acknowledge God as the source of victory when the cause is right, here is the last verse.

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand

Between their loved home and the war’s desolation!

Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n rescued land

Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.

Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,

And this be out motto, “In God is our trust.”

And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave

O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Others contend that the lyrics of the Star Spangled Banner are too difficult to remember and the melody too hard to sing … the musical range is one octave and one-fifth. For musically challenged people like me, whose range is maybe 1/5 of one octave (barely carrying a tune), I can relate to those opinions. That also includes the lyrics which most of the time I remember, yet from time to time stumble over what, for example, comes after, “Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight…”

Although favoring the fact that the Star Spangled Banner is still a thrilling song steeped in patriotic tradition, I wouldn’t mind too much if another song that stirs our heart and national pride could be America’s anthem. In fact, Hail Columbia and My Country, Tis of Thee, competed with Francis Scott Key’s song for the right to be called our national anthem.

America the Beautiful is a strong candidate. “Oh beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain, for purple mountain majesties…”

My personal favorite is one of the simplest, yet most inspirational songs extolling God’s providential guidance alongside of our patriotic love for America. It was written by Jewish songwriter Irving Berlin in 1918 near the end of the First World I. (A few years after George M. Cohen wrote Over There).

(Irving Berlin)

It is none other than: God Bless America

I would venture to say that many Americans more easily remember the lyrics and music of God Bless America than the Star Spangled Banner. For Baby Boomers out there … just think of Kate Smith!

God bless America, land that I love. Stand beside her and guide her…

Guide her through what, with what? What comes next?

Thru the night with a light from above.

From where and to what does the light guide us?

From the mountains, to the prairies, to the oceans white with foam.

How does it end?

God bless America, my home, sweet home. God bless America, my home, sweet home.

While we’re in the vein of our treasured musical heritage, why not Lee Greenwood’s more contemporary ballad, God Bless the USA? This moving song awakens our national pride and arouses our patriotic spirit. All the while acknowledging God as the source of our freedom and our brave military men and women defending that freedom to the death, if necessary.

Come on, and sing along:

And I’m proud to be an American,

Where at least I know I’m free.

And I won’t forget the men who died,

Who gave that right to me.

And I gladly stand up,

Next to you and defend her still today.

‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land,

God bless the USA.

I’m not sure about you; but I got a bit emotional just reading and writing down these songs. And why not? Most Americans get nostalgically nationalistic and lovingly loyal to the land of the free and home of the brave when hearing and singing our national anthem or other patriotic songs.

What Is The Ultimate Freedom?

Obviously, the main theme of this week’s article is not about our national anthem, or what it could be or should be. Rather, it’s about the very essence of those patriotic songs: freedom and what it really means to be free. Which begs the question: What, in the long run, is real freedom? Narrowing that down: Freedom from what? Freedom to do what?

Let’s begin with some of the concepts of free and freedom from Webster’s Dictionary:

Free: “Having the legal and political rights of a citizen; enjoying personal freedom; not subject to the control or domination of another; determined by the choice of the actor or by his wishes (actions); made, done, or given voluntarily or spontaneously…”

Freedom: “the quality or state of being free; the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action; liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another…”

Biblical truth gets right to the heart of freedom and what it ultimately means to be free. As much as we the people of the United States—and peoples in other nations who have even a measure of what we have in this country—enjoy our inalienable rights and constitutional privileges of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness, absence of tyranny imposed by others is not necessarily what freedom is all about.

“Jesus said to the people who believed in him, ‘You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’

“But we are descendants of Abraham, they said. We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, ‘You will be set free?’

“Jesus replied, ‘I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free’” (John 8:31-36).

Notice that Jesus didn’t remind them that they were, in fact, subjects of the Roman Empire. Or had they forgotten that their ancestors had been exiled into slavery by Assyria and Babylon? To some extent, the Romans (as did the Babylonians, Persians, and Greeks during Israel’s captivity) allowed the Jews self-governing autonomy, but not nearly the independence they had during the glory years of Israel—as the most powerful and successful nation on the earth at that time. Were they in denial that the Romans had arbitrarily appointed the most important position in Judaism and in Judah itself—the High Priest? That the Jews no longer could impose capital punishment on even the most violent of criminals. Only the Roman governor could authorize execution. And there were other restrictions that the people wouldn’t remotely tolerate if they were, indeed, a free nation. Such as: excessively unfair Roman taxes. Talk about taxation without representation!

Jesus could have given them a history lesson why God withdrew his protection of Israel and allowed them to be subjugated by Gentile nations. Which could be summarily condensed into what God said—through Moses and subsequent prophets—would happen to them if they abandoned the Lord their God, and no longer trusted or acknowledged him as the very source of their existence and well-being … individually and as a nation.

He could have reminded them that God’s prophecy as far back as Moses had come to pass, which is why Israel still had not regained total freedom from the succession of Gentile domination since the northern kingdom of Israel was obliterated by the Assyrians in 722 B.C. He could have quoted any number of passages in the Scriptures. Such as:

“But Israel soon became fat and unruly; the people grew heavy, plump, and stuffed! Then they abandoned the God who had made them; they made light of the Rock of their salvation. They stirred up his jealousy by worshipping foreign gods; they provoked his fury with detestable deeds. They offered sacrifices to demons, which are not God, to gods they had not known before … You neglected the Rock who had fathered you; you forgot the God who had given you birth. The Lord saw this and drew back, provoked to anger by his own sons and daughters. He said, ‘I will abandon them; then see what becomes of them. For they are a twisted generation, children without integrity’” (Deuteronomy 32:15-20).

However, Jesus didn’t judge them or throw back into their faces all the reasons why they were in the condition they were in as Roman subjects. God’s final judgment would (officially at the Great White Throne judgement … See Revelation 20) come later at the appointed time and for what would be the definitive reason: Refusal of Jews and Gentiles alike to accept the New Covenant of Grace prophesied by Isaiah and Jeremiah; a covenant that commenced with and was sealed by the beaten body and shed blood of their Messiah.

Instead, Jesus went right to the heart of the matter: their slavery to sin. Even when the Lord delivered his people from Egyptian slavery, the first thing he did was to show his people that ultimate freedom was from themselves—their personal sins—through the redemptive shed blood of an innocent animal (Passover). Then he rescued them from physical bondage in Egypt.

As Messiah Jesus had told Nicodemus, one of the privileged religious members of the Sanhedrin:

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil” (John 3:16-19).

As the Saying Goes, “Freedom Is Never Free.”

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that come from a democratic representative republic or at least a parliamentary system of government has never been handed to any nation on the proverbial silver platter. The birth, growth, and preservation of freedom to worship, travel, vote, serve in government, and a host of other liberties bear a high price tag—the blood and lives of our soldiers and civilians.

Yet even this liberty is tarnished by political, social, economic, and racial issues that create deep division, troubling turmoil, debilitating distrust, and sometimes hatred that produces cold wars, hot wars, and civil strife. Even the best of democratic systems can only deal with the symptoms, not the cause of these ills, which the Bible unequivocally identifies as the woeful, unregenerate condition of the human heart.

“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” (Jeremiah 17:9).

The human heart needs to be set free of the sinful nature everyone is born with. A nature that innately generates the wrong things that people do, all of which are or lead to transgressions against our Creator God. A whole host of things like: pride, greed, envy, lies, lust, selfishness—that cause men, women, and children to insist on having their own way no matter if it harms someone else or infringes on and even eliminates the rights of others.

There is a remedy. There is a way of escape. There is a truth that will set us free. There is a life that can triumph over the darkness of physical and spiritual slavery engulfing the entire world.

“Jesus told him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me’” (John 14:6).

However, the freedom that the Lord so freely gives to all who believe and receive Messiah Jesus, came at the highest price ever paid.

“So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins” (Ephesians 1:6-7, italics for emphasis).

Jesus died for our sins to free us from slavery to and the terrible penalty of those sins—eternal separation from God. He is the just for the unjust. The righteous for the unrighteous. The godly for the ungodly. The innocent for the guilty.

That is why Jesus didn’t come to earth the first time as the Messiah who would deliver his people from Gentile domination and oppression. That would come later, upon his glorious return to establish a Kingdom that monarchs and the common people have longed for, can only dream of, and have tried vainly to establish down through history. A Kingdom led by a truly benevolent and just King … Israel’s Messiah. And also Messiah to the Gentiles.

First, the human heart must be changed.

The Birth and Birthright of the USA and Israel

Long before the United States of America came into existence—a nation that has experienced unparalleled freedom—Israel enjoyed an unequaled independence during the time that her people and kings acknowledged and honored the Lord as their (the) only true and living God.

I’m talking about the freedom that was conceived in our Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights, which in principle and (more than any other nation) in practice gave birth to political and religious emancipation, national unity (agree to disagree), intrinsic individual equality, and genuine diversity and tolerance. As opposed to the phony tolerance and distorted diversity of so many in our secular society. Whose prejudice against our Judeo-Christian heritage is expressed cruelly in their intolerant and false accusations that Christians are divisive, just because we believe what the Bible says about salvation and morality is true.

The birth of the United States of America is remarkably similar to Israel’s beginning, in terms of our civil and spiritual dynamics and development.

Both nations were founded by men and woman who listened to, sought after, feared (honored, acknowledged, in awe of), worshipped, and gave credit to Almighty God for both personal and national freedom.

What is the one nation in the entire Middle East that flies the American flag, especially on Independence Day?

Easy answer: Israel.

Said Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu at a 4^th of July celebration this past Tuesday in Herzliya, Israel:

“This is a great day because on the Fourth of July, all Israelis unite with our American brothers and sisters. It’s our celebration too. That’s because the history of our two countries is remarkably intertwined. The Founding Fathers of America were inspired by the Bible, and specifically by the book of Exodus, by the dream of building freedom in a new Promised Land. And as you stand in the Chamber of the American Congress, you see right across you the image of one man—Moses, with a quote from the Bible.”

(Please see Eye of Prophecy article entitled, America the Beautiful Is Getting Ugly, posted in July, 2016—also during Independence Day week. Among other things you’ll see an in-depth examination of some striking similarities between the birth and growth of the United States and Israel).

Said Michael Oren, former Israeli Ambassador to the United States and current member of the Israeli Knesset: “Other countries in the region don’t waive American flags, they burn them! Israel is the only country in the Middle East where the American embassy is in no danger of violent protestors and where it’s not uncommon to see both Israeli and American flags flying together.”

The Biblical and historical reason for Israel’s demise (before her miraculous rebirth as a nation in 1948 … part of God’s prophetic plan) was summarized in the passage quoted earlier from Deuteronomy. Once Israel became prosperous through abundant freedom given to her by God’s provision and protection (from drought and from her enemies), the people forgot about God. Then they took it one disastrous step further. They foolishly decided that God’s laws restricted instead of protected their liberties. They rebelled against the Lord and began to pursue the kind of faulty freedom that God clearly warns is a U-turn directly back to slavery.

What exactly is this (false and futile) freedom that guarantees bondage?

Among other places in Scripture the answer is succinctly summed up in the following passage:

“Why are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans? The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the Lord and against his anointed one (Messiah Jesus). ‘Let us break their chains,’ they cry, ‘and free ourselves from slavery to God’” (Psalm 2:1-3, parenthesis mine).

When a nation deliberately—especially through its leaders and by legislation—expels God out of mainstream society, then God will withdraw his protection and provisions. He will let them have and go their own way. He will give them what they want—a fake freedom that actually enslaves and imprisons.

History teaches that nations ruled by dictatorial despots and/or totalitarian regimes—whether by irreligious (right-wing) fascists or (left-wing) socialists or by man-made religions (false gods or beliefs) or ecclesiastical systems—began with and continued to boast in some form or another these very words we just read in Psalm 2.

Including, even, the Roman Catholic Church which corruptly dominated many European nations for hundreds of years between 500 A.D. and 1500 A. D, and still exerts inordinate influence over nations and peoples to this day. The ecclesiastic hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church set itself up as the Kingdom of God on earth. Among other deceptive deviations from Biblical salvation, popes, cardinals, bishops, and priests have denied that salvation is by faith and faith alone in Christ Jesus … “the Lord’s anointed One.”

As with Mormonism and other cults, their catechism and sacraments have added to and subtracted from Scripture, and are diametrically opposed to many Biblical truths including:

“…If the law (including good works) could give us new life, we could be made right with God by obeying it. But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ” (Galatians 3:21-22, italics for emphasis, parenthesis mine).

One of several absolute universal truths found in Scripture is:

However, even a nation founded on Biblical truths and principles can forfeit God’s blessings and protection (and risk God’s judgment) if the people decide to bite the hand that feeds them, and persist in their wish to, “free ourselves from slavery to God.”

Breaking the Chains from God Is Becoming Less Subtle

Not too long ago, a man by the name of Michael Tate Reed drove his vehicle onto the Arkansas statehouse lawn, crashing deliberately into a monument bearing the Ten Commandments, breaking the monument into pieces. He had done this once before in Oklahoma in 2014.

Well known author and talk-show host Michael Brown—a Messianic Jew—(please see Eye of Prophecy article, Messianic Jews … Who Are They? Published 4-25-15) wrote in a recent article, entitled, Ramming the Ten Commandments: A Prophetic Picture of America:

“It was the act of only one man … but it reflected the sentiments of a growing number of Americans: ‘We do not want the Ten Commandments in our midst, nor do we want the God of the Ten Commandments in our midst.’”

He went on to say:

“In that sense, the destructive act of this individual reflected the attitude of tens of millions of Americans. This is not simply a decreased interest in the Bible and the God of the Bible. This is outright rebellion. Enough with God’s laws and standards. Enough with His moral principles … We will do what we want to do, when we want to do it, and no law—or God—will tell us otherwise. The America we want must have no connection to its Judeo-Christian roots, no connection to the moral values of many of its Founders, no connection to the Scriptures which so influenced their thinking.

“We will worship created things more than the Creator, and we will be full of covetousness and greed. We want our idolatry. We will have sex with whomever we want to, whenever we want to, in any combination and sequence. And if we so desire, we will call these relationships ‘marriage’ and neither God nor man will tell us anything different. We want our adultery. We will kill our babies in the womb if we so choose, and anyone who defies our wishes will be trampled underfoot with derision and scorn. We want our murder. Yes, we will do want we want to do when we want to do it. We declare ourselves free.

Please see Eye of Prophecy article, One Nation Under (the wrath of) God, posted on, of all dates, 7-4-15; in response to the U.S. Supreme Court decision to legalize same-sex marriage. Here are the first two paragraphs of that article, in italics:

Have we slipped over the edge and fallen into the Abyss? Did we cross a line that should never be crossed? Is enough … enough? Did we tip the scales? Have we passed the point of no return? Have we gone too far? These are idiomatic expressions in the form of questions that demand a response to the dismal decision rendered by the United States Supreme Court to approve same-sex marriage. When, in fact, the very concept and institution of marriage bears a built-in natural and supernatural definition that needs no prefix or any other modifier or reason to define or otherwise explain it.

Marriage is between a man and a woman … period. Same-sex matrimony is not marriage … period. There is no such thing as same-sex marriage. In reality there’s also no such thing as “traditional” marriage. Is the institution of marriage a (long-standing) tradition? Of course it is: the most enduring custom of the human race. So much so, that we should never need to refer to it as traditional marriage. We do so only in rebuttal to those who claim that there is an alternative to conventional (conservative, orthodox, straight) marriage.

I’m compelled to quote the following passage because it expresses exactly what is happening in and to the land of the free and home of the brave:

“What sorrow for those who drag their sins behind them with ropes made of lies, who drag wickedness behind them like a cart! … What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter. What sorrow for those who are wise in their own eyes and think themselves so clever” (Isaiah 5:18, 20-21).

In his article, Michael Brown quoted one of our founding fathers, Samuel Adams:

“A general dissolution of principles and manners will more surely overthrow the liberties of America than the whole force of the common enemy.”

He then concludes his article with:

“Michael (Tate) Reed not only represents that, ‘general dissolution of principles and manners.’ He articulates it in a full, frontal assault, thereby speaking for millions of Americans. We do best to quickly re-erect that Ten Commandments monument and, more importantly, recapture the life-giving beauty of God’s commandments in our own hearts and lives. That is the only hope of our nation.”

I wholeheartedly agree.

In the last part of the Eye of Prophecy article quoted above, I concluded with:

Like never before, the United States of America has defied God himself, by effectively saying that the Word of God is a lie. That has become the real battleground in this country … the absolute, timeless truth of God against the relativism of truth and morality in our post-modern culture.

“…For they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 5:24, NASB).

Will this be One Nation under God? Or will our country be One Nation under the Wrath of God?

The choice belongs to us.

And we believers should be reminded of our past, of what Christ has done for us:

“Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. But—‘When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit … Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life’” (Titus 3:3-7).

Summary

By far, the most common understanding of what it means to be free is the liberty that comes from removal of restraints imposed by one’s own government or another nation’s ruler who attempts to restrict and even deny individual rights.

But there’s a greater, longer-lasting (eternal) freedom that supersedes the rights and liberties legislated by even the best of governments. One that deals not just with the symptoms, but the very source of all the wrongs within and between people and nations.

Salvation is a personal matter between God and the individual. The Lord fully understands (everything) that, comparatively speaking, there are always more people in a city or state or nation that will not choose Biblical salvation (Messiah Jesus). That is their privilege. God gave us free will, and will allow us to choose … whether good or bad, life or death.

Listen to the words of Jesus:

Yet, the Lord also will bless and watch over a nation, “whose God is the Lord.”

What does that mean?

In the shortest, simplest answer possible: For the people (beginning with their leaders) to acknowledge God as the source of their very existence and blessings and liberties. To seek his counsel. To appreciate our freedom, standard of living, military power, democracy; but to ultimately trust in God to provide and protect. In God we trust. And remember to thank the Lord for who he is and what he has done. It’s really that simple.

Another universal precept written not only to believers in God and Messiah Jesus, but to Jews and Gentiles the world over:

“…the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).

“For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him!” (Isaiah 64:4).

When we fully grasp the Biblical concept of and emphasis on freedom, we’ll see that people can be truly free even if the state or nation in which they live is not a democracy or republic. It all depends on what an individual ultimately wants to be free of or from. And what they will do with that freedom. The only lasting liberty is found in God and the redemption (from spiritual slavery to the sins that cause physical slavery and oppression all over the world) he freely offers through His Son, Messiah Jesus. A spiritual freedom purchased with the physical blood of the Son of God. A liberating victory over the tyranny and chains of sin; a victory won when Messiah arose from the dead.

With the magnificent prize of eternal life in heaven free from the very presence of sin, sorrow, pain, and death!

Things to Ponder

The United States of America was born on the Fourth of July (1776). What a wonderful thing to have happened. Other than Israel during its glory years under King David and King Solomon, no other nation on earth has ever been so richly blessed by the Lord God.

But did you know that Presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on the 4^th of July, 1826, exactly 50 years after our Declaration of Independence. Then July 4, 1831, President James Monroe also died.

I wonder if these seemingly “coincidental” deaths of three United States Presidents on Independence Day might have been a symbolically solemn warning that the death of our independence can become a stark reality if we forget the Lord God’s birth and blessing of this great nation. Or worse: removing all evidence of God’s name and Word from the land of the free and the home of the brave.

“Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land” (II Chronicles 7:14).

God Bless America! And all peoples and nations whose God is the Lord.

Moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem … A Broken Promise?

10 Saturday Jun 2017

Posted by garybowers in Current Events

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Prince of Peace

“Records Are Made to Be Broken”

After Babe Ruth set the benchmark of 714 career home runs in 1935, the consensus among not just baseball pundits but experts in all of sport was that his record would never be broken. Then along came Hank Aaron who slammed his 715^th home run in 1974; he would go on to hit a total of 755 home runs, which many said would never be surpassed. Only for his record to be broken in 2007 when Barry Bonds hit his last home run … number 762.

It’s unclear who may have first said that records are made to be broken, as several well-known sports figures have said something similar. Like Red Auerbach, coach of the Boston Celtics basketball dynasty in the fifties and sixties, who said, “All records are made to be broken.” Even Yogi Berra, whose legendary quotes caused many heads to shake and eyes to roll, (“it ain’t over til it’s over”) said, “Records and achievements are made to be broken.”

When records are broken, there are mixed feelings. Diehard fans of Babe Ruth never wanted to see the day when someone would outdo his amazing feat of 714 home runs. It was a hallowed ground accomplishment. They cite the fact that had he not spent so many years as a pitcher, he would have hit many more home runs. Or, milestones that may be tainted because the record-setter didn’t play by the rules (such as performance enhancing drugs).

(Photo of Hank Aaron’s 715th Home Run … That’s Him Circling the Bases)

It has also been said that: Promises are made to be broken.

It’s a little easier to trace the origin of this saying. Many credit Anglo-Irish Essayist Jonathan Swift (1667-1745), who said:

“Promises and pie-crust are made to be broken.”

On the more positive side of promises made, most remember the famous line from one of Robert Frost’s (1874-1963) poems: “But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep…”

A promise creates hopeful expectations that things will be different and for the better. One of those expectancies is that we trust the promise-keeper to do what he or she said would be done. Promises that were never made to be kept (deceit and lies) and violated vows can shatter confidence, cancel contracts, halt careers, ruin marriages, topple governments, dissolve hopes, and disrupt the best laid plans.

Many Americans have become leery of and jaded toward guarantees made by our politicians; nevertheless, every four years we still listen intently to pledges made by our presidential candidates. By and large it’s those platform promises that determine for whom we will vote. Particularly if the candidate says he or she will do something that supports our view and bolsters our belief on issues that are of paramount importance to us … whether it be abortion, immigration, taxes, religion, jobs, health coverage, the economy, foreign policy, or all of the above.

President Trump’s Campaign Promises

It would certainly appear that President Trump has broken one of the key promises he made during his campaign. He said that the US Embassy in Israel would be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in recognition that Jerusalem belongs exclusively to Israel as its capital city. Before we take a closer look at what happened, let’s briefly examine two other powerful platform promises made by Donald Trump before he was elected.

Repeal of the Affordable Health Care Act (Obamacare): The fact is that Trump did follow through on this promise; however, he has been met with substantial opposition from Democrats who refuse to relinquish Obamacare and also from Republicans who can’t agree on a health system to replace Obamacare. Thus President’s Trump kept his promise, but the congressional branch of our three-part checks and balance United States Government (Executive, Legislative, and Judicial) has, for now, stymied fulfillment of his pledge.

Immigration: Same thing here, only it was the judicial branch of government (state judges) that has blocked full implementation of President Trump’s vetting ban on six countries whose refugees and immigrants could very well include terrorists. However, no one can fault Trump for not trying to keeping his promise.

Concerning what can happen to plans, purposes, and promises, there is another popular adage that almost everyone has heard about or said at one time or another:

The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men.

That’s only part of the saying, yet it has gained the status of an axiom that doesn’t need to be expressed in its entirety. Just repeat those words to someone in the context of a miscarried mission or a dashed dream and they’ll know what you mean.

Do you recall who penned that line?

It was the Scottish poet Robert Burns. The title of his 1785 poem: To a Mouse. It was about a farmer who, through contemplation of not only his life but of all living things, felt remorse over destroying the home of a mouse while plowing the field in which the mouse lived. Some 150 years later, famous author John Steinbeck wrote a story about migrant workers during the Great Depression, based on Robert Burn’s famous line. The novel: Of Mice and Men, published in 1937.

The actual wording of Robert Burns’ poem was:

Over the years the word, plans, sometimes has been substituted for schemes.

The meaning: plans and promises don’t always materialize. They fail because we don’t follow through; when we do follow through something happens to thwart even the best laid schemes.

For those of us who are sons and daughters of the Most High God, through a redemptive relationship with our Savior Messiah Jesus: “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (Romans 8:28).

Believers in Jesus also learn (usually the hard way) to think and say when we plan and promise, “The Lord willing” or “Your will be done.” (See Matthew 6:10 & 26:39).

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

It’s all too often through failed plans and broken promises that true born-again Christians experience the reality of Jesus’s words: “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing (right)” (John 15:5, parenthesis mine).

President Trump’s Visit to Israel

If you’ve followed the news about President Trump’s recent trip to the Middle East, then you know the second leg of his itinerary was a visit to Israel. He set a precedent by being the first sitting U.S. President to visit the Western Wall. Other American presidents had been to the Kotel but not while they were actually in office. Before his meeting with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Trump met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, and proceeded to blast Abbas for lying to Trump when Abbas was in the United States.

The following excerpt (in italics) is from a recently posted Eye of Prophecy article, The Balfour Declaration … Beginning of the Omega Generation (Part I) Posted 5-13-17. The excerpt begins with a statement made by Abbas directly to President Trump during their meeting in Washington D.C. just a few weeks before President Trump departed for the Middle East. Said Abbas:

“We are raising our youth, our children, our grandchildren on a culture of peace.”

My immediate response in the article was:

Seriously?

Less than two years ago, Abbas incited dozens of lone-wolf attacks against innocent Israelis by declaring that Palestinians must not allow the “filthy feet of the Jews” to walk on Temple Mount. In September, 2015, Abbas said that he, “welcomed every drop of blood that is spilled in Jerusalem.” Not long afterward the “Knife Intifada” began that also included shooting and car-ramming murder of Israelis.

Regarding a Palestinian State that Abbas really doesn’t want unless Israel capitulates to every single one of his demands, such as East Jerusalem (there is no such thing as east Jerusalem) as the Palestinian capital—when such a capital would more easily and with much less adversarial results be placed in Ramallah—or the return of millions of Arabs currently restricted to so-called refugee camps, here’s what Abbas said not too long ago:

“A Palestinian State like Iraq, Saudi Arabia & other Islam countries, will not have or allow a single Jew to live there.”

From what I’ve read, heard, and seen: President Trump, despite his deep affection for Israel and the Jewish people, didn’t really know that much about Israel or the history of the Palestinian/Israeli conflict. It’s evident that from the time Trump met with Abbas in Washington and a couple of weeks later in Israel, he was provided with more information about Mahmoud Abbas’ duplicitous nature and hypocrisy in saying one thing and doing another.

(U.S. President Trump and P.A. President Abbas)

At first, the Palestinian Authority denied that Trump had yelled at Abbas, but later admitted that the scene had taken place. That, in no uncertain terms, Trump had accused Abbas of lying with regard to his purported plans and promise of raising Palestinian children in a culture of peace. Also, Trump’s insistence that the Palestinian Authority stop paying monthly stipends to families whose son or daughter or mother or father had been killed while murdering Jews or imprisoned for acts of terrorism in Israel was rejected by Abbas.

Quoting President Donald Trump’s enraged statement to Abbas:

“You lied to me in Washington when you talked about commitment to peace, but the Israelis showed me you were personally responsible for incitement.”

Which leads us awkwardly to the probing if not provocative question, one replete with irony considering Donald Trump’s scathing remarks to Mahmoud Abbas:

What about President’s Trump Promise to Move the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem?

Let’s begin with an excerpt from Eye of Prophecy article, Is President Trump Wavering on “The Waiver”? Posted 2-4-17. (In italics)

Donald Trump made several prominent promises before and after his election, one of which was to move the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. Soon after he became President, he was asked on more than occasion if he still intended to follow through on this commitment.

His response, “I always keep my promises.”

Just last weekend, however, he made a concession that the plan or procedure to move the US embassy to Jerusalem, “is not easy … has two sides to it … there’s certainly a chance of it, absolutely … I’ve always liked the concept of doing it, I’ll tell you that.”

He pledged to, “studying it very long and hard.” And, “I hate to do that because that’s not usually me. Usually, I do what’s right.” (Meaning postponing what he intimated would be a quick executive decision soon after being elected).

He concluded with the promise that he would, “…have a decision in the not-too-distant future.”

I take this to mean that President Trump is unwavering with regard to doing something about his unexpected and out-of-character wavering over “The Waiver.”

*Note: No matter how much Donald Trump knows or doesn’t know about Israel’s past as found in both Biblical and secular history, this and other quotes he made plainly reflect his high regard for Israel and the Jewish people. That alone puts him on the right track in the Scriptural context of God’s love for his special possession Israel and God’s plans and promises for the Jews and the Jewish nation.

As a quick refresher, here is another excerpt from the above listed article as to what “The Waiver” is and from what enactment it originated:

Will the United States Embassy in Israel be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem? The answer to that question depends entirely on President Donald Trump.

Second question: Should the US Embassy be relocated to Jerusalem?

Let’s get right to the answer.

YES, it should be moved. Says who? Says the American people!

Really, when did we say that?

We said that through our legislators in the House of Representatives and Senate when they passed the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, calling for relocation of the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. In fact, the voting margin was overwhelmingly in favor: Senate 93-5; House of Representatives, 374-37. That’s as large a margin as you’ll ever see in Congress.

According to this Act, the move of our embassy to Jerusalem should have taken place no later than May 31, 1999. However, in deference to the authority of a United States President to recognize foreign sovereignty over territories, Section 7 of the Act allowed the sitting President to “waive” enforcement of the Act if the President felt that such a move might pose a risk to the security of the United States. With the stipulation, however, that such a waiver must be reviewed every six months, so as not to ignore this Congressional Law indefinitely. Since then, Presidents Clinton, Bush, and Obama have done just that … signed the waiver. As a result, the US Embassy is still in Tel Aviv. Hence, it was a binding, but floating piece of legislation.

*Note: In the Eye of Prophecy article on President Trump’s possible wavering on “The Waiver” I listed the 17 points of the Jerusalem Embassy Act. Each one is an amazing recognition of Israel and especially Jerusalem as Israel’s eternal capital so eloquently expressed by those members of Congress who drafted it, then affirmed by those who voted approval of this legislation.

(Four of the Seventeen Points of the Jerusalem Embassy Act)

There was enough dramatic suspense built up in the weeks before Trump’s May 22, 23 visit to Israel to fill several mystery novels. At first, it appeared that our President would announce while in Israel his decision not to sign the Waiver on June 1^st; thereby, finally enforcing the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995. Then in the last days before his trip began (1^st leg of which took place in Saudi Arabia), the word was that—on the advice of many in his staff and from leaders the world over—he would sign the Waiver, which would delay the US Embassy relocation to Jerusalem at least another six months.

I’m sure you know what happened on June 1^st; President Trump signed the Waiver.

Whatever your position on the matter—whatever your level of disappointment or degree of approval of his decision to delay relocation or even (God forbid) the belief that the embassy should not be moved—the immediate reaction would be that President Trump reneged on his campaign promise made to the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) during their annual conference in March, 2016:

“We will move the American embassy to the eternal capital of the Jewish people, Jerusalem.”

However, after reading the following press release, should we give him the benefit of the doubt?

Reasons Given and Responses to Signing of the Waiver

Here is the statement released by President Trump’s White House staff soon after the signing of the waiver:

“While President Donald J. Trump signed the waiver under the Jerusalem Embassy Act and delayed moving the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, no one should consider this step to be in any way a retreat from the President’s strong support for Israel and for the United States-Israel alliance.

“President Trump made this decision to maximize the chances of successfully negotiating a deal between Israel and the Palestinians, fulfilling his solemn obligation to defend America’s national security interests. But, as he has repeatedly stated his intentions to move the embassy, the question is not if that move happens, but only when.”

As expected, there were a variety of responses to President Trump’s decision to delay implementation of The Jerusalem Embassy Act. Notables such as Pastor John Hagee, founder of Christians United for Israel, who said: “President Trump’s promise to move the embassy to Jerusalem was of critical importance to millions of Christian Zionists who ultimately supported his bid for the White House…”

And Nathan Diament, director for public policy of the Jewish organization Orthodox Union, who said: “A majority of American Orthodox Jews voted for Mr. Trump because of the expectation that he would be a more supportive president for Israel.”

Weekly, I read Op-ed articles from 10-20 authors. One of my top five favorites is Caroline Glick, Deputy Manager for the Jerusalem Post whose well-written articles are reprinted in various on-line media sources. She is a former captain in the IDF and possesses an astute analytical understanding of Israel and the Middle East.

Here are the first two paragraphs of her June 6, 2017 article entitled, The Limits of Israeli Power:

“On Thursday (meaning June 1^st), US President Donald Trump bowed to the foreign power establishment and betrayed his voters. He signed a presidential waiver postponing the transfer of the US Embassy to Jerusalem for yet another six months.

Ahead of Trump’s move, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a last-ditch bid to convince Trump to move the embassy to Jerusalem. But it was not to be.”

Although Ms. Glicks’s views are expressed with a perceptive and objective balance of whatever subject she addresses, she sometimes is quite outspoken. She tells it like it is. Her use of the word, betrayed, bluntly expressed her take on Trump’s decision.

As said earlier in today’s article, at face value President Trump failed to keep his platform pledge. But has he really broken his promise?

According to the official White House Statement, Donald Trump has not broken his promise.

Let’s read the last line of that statement again: “But, as he has repeatedly stated his intentions to move the embassy, the question is not if that move happens, but only when.”

Personally, I am in the camp of those who think President Trump should not have signed the waiver.

I would have said to him: Let’s just get it done. If you fully intended to keep your promise, then do it now. Since when have you become concerned about geopolitical repercussions? Do you really think that a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians would be any more difficult to achieve if you moved the embassy? Have you considered that it might be easier to negotiate a deal if the Palestinians and the world-at-large would come to terms with the obvious fact that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital and Israel’s alone?

Israel’s Education Minister, Naftali Bennett, said in response to the signed Waiver: “There is no peace based on the division of Jerusalem. Delaying the US embassy move will in fact have the opposite effect and damage the prospect of a lasting peace by nurturing false expectations among the Palestinians regarding the division of Jerusalem, which will never happen.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said about Trump’s decision: “Maintaining embassies outside the capital drives peace further away by helping keep alive the Palestinian fantasy that the Jewish people and the Jewish state have no connection to Jerusalem.”

Benjamin had made a similar statement two weeks earlier in response to U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who said Trump’s pending decision would hinge on how it would be perceived by other governments, including “…whether Israel views it as being helpful to a peace initiative or perhaps a distraction.”

(Apparently, Tillerson thinks that Benjamin Netanyahu doesn’t have his thumb on Israel’s pulse or doesn’t speak for the greater majority of Israelis!)

Said Netanyahu in response to Tillerson’s assessment:

“Israel’s position has been stated many times before to the American administration and the world. Moving the American Embassy to Jerusalem will not harm the peace process; it will do the opposite. It will advance it by righting a historical wrong and by shattering the Palestinian fantasy that Jerusalem is not the capital of Israel.”

The Dean and Founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Rabbi Marvin Hier—one of the three speakers (I believe it was three) at Donald Trump’s inauguration—said: “The Simon Wiesenthal Center is very disappointed by President Trump’s decision to delay transfer of the US Embassy to Jerusalem. We are certain that the Trump Administration is very well aware that no Israeli Prime Minister will ever cede sovereignty over Jerusalem. The city is and will remain the undivided capital of Israel.”

(Rabbi Marvin Hier at President Trump’s Inauguration … Billy Graham’s Son, Franklin, Another of the Three Keynote Speakers, Directly Behind Rabbi Hier)

Benefit of the Doubt to President Trump

I believe that President Trump means well as he has apparently placed the U.S. Embassy move in the greater context of brokering some sort of agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. In that regard, Trump’s reasoning is fairly typical of leaders who or see or try to see the big picture. Thus, in principle, I and a few others have given him the general benefit of the doubt. However, President Trump’s (faulty) rationale is not that much different than past U.S. presidents, who have operated under the (misguided) assumption that nothing should be done to further aggravate the Palestinians to the extent that it would jeopardize a two-state solution or any other resolution.

I addressed this issue in two previous Eye of Prophecy articles. Below is an excerpt from Jerusalem … A Capital Without a Country? Posted 6-13-15, regarding the Supreme Court Decision declaring that passports of Americans born in Jerusalem (dual citizenship) must bear the stamp of Jerusalem, not Israel. This to make sure that the United States doesn’t “officially” recognize Jerusalem as belonging exclusively to Israel … certainly not as its capital.

In that article, I quoted excerpts from an earlier Eye of Prophecy article, Jerusalem … A City of Peace? Posted 12-27-14. Which was written after the Supreme Court agreed to hear the passport case.

Beginning with, Jerusalem … A Capital Without a Country? (In italics)

Said Justice Kagen several months ago soon after the Supreme Court agreed to review the case:

“Right now, Jerusalem is a tinderbox. History suggests that everything is a big deal with respect to the status of Jerusalem.”

Her rationale reverberated and regurgitated what the State Department had said in that same brief to the Supreme Court, “…a simple passport alteration could provoke uproar throughout the Arab and Muslim world.”

God forbid that the Arab Muslim world should be provoked like that!

She made it clear that her vote (it’s obvious now, but even then, that she had already made up her mind) would be conditioned on the politically correct need to elude any further strife in the Middle East; which, in essence, would trump the real issue of whether Israel had the right as a sovereign state to declare Jerusalem as its capital. Thus, a vote to support the Congressional Act in 2002 would be tantamount to recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, which would only make things worse in the Middle East.

(*Note: The Congressional Act of 2002 asserted that Americans born in Jerusalem should be able to display Israel as the place of birth on their passports. Alas, why is it that neither our Executive Staff nor the Supreme Court can or will uphold the will of the people through laws passed by our Congress … in this case the Congressional Act of 2002 and the Jewish Embassy Act of 1995?)

(Example of a Passport Showing Jerusalem, Not Israel as Place of Birth … Whereas Passports of All Nations List the Country of Birth, Not City)

Returning to the prior articles:

The politically correct world view of six Supreme Court justices and their ensuing decision hinged on one perceived urgency: Whatever it takes, don’t increase the tensions in the Middle East that already exist.

Here is an excerpt of my response to her observations as quoted from the previous article, Jerusalem … A City of Peace, which is even more pertinent now that the decision is in.

That part, she got right … mostly. Jerusalem is a big deal, unlike any other city in the world. But when in our time was Jerusalem not a tinderbox? I can tell you with a great deal of historically factual evidence to back me up: NEVER has Jerusalem since Israel’s rebirth in 1948 not been a powder keg ready to explode.

What if all the nations on earth (or just one of those countries) refused to recognize Washington D.C. as America’s Capital? Choosing, for example, New York City because the United Nations is headquartered there. What do you think our President and the State Department would do about that? Or Congress, or the Supreme Court?

Again, I must ask: Since when does the world family of nations (most practically represented by the United Nations) dictate to individual countries which city will be its Capital? Isn’t that the exclusive right of the nation itself? What if the United States decided that it would no longer recognize London as Great Britain’s Capital, but chooses Manchester instead? Or Marseille instead of Paris? St Petersburg instead of Moscow? Barcelona over Madrid? Most likely, those nations would immediately sever diplomatic relations with America.

But that’s exactly what our Executive Branch through the State Department has done with Jerusalem. They have refused to acknowledge Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital; choosing instead by official state policy to consider Jerusalem as a city unto itself. A city that, for all practical purposes, belongs to the world; or at least to the world’s three main religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. A city that is still up for grabs (literally), with its destiny to be determined by … by who knows what. By another failed peace plan, by another war, by unilateral declaration from the Palestinians that Jerusalem belongs to them, by Israel’s (rightful) annexation of the Temple Mount and all of East Jerusalem?

A Remarkable Reaffirmation of Jerusalem’s Status by the U.S. Senate

Whether our U.S. President follows through on his (now delayed) promise to move the Embassy to Jerusalem remains to be seen. As for our United States Senators, they couldn’t wait.

As a reminder to themselves, to the United States President and his executive staff, to the people of the United States, and to the entire world, they recently passed (June 5^th, 2017) an absolutely astonishing resolution. Resolution 176 was introduced and sponsored primarily by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) and Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY).

With an amazing unanimous bipartisan vote of 90-0, the Senate declared, among other things: “For 3,000 years, Jerusalem has been Judaism’s holiest city.” The resolution, “reaffirms the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 as United States law, and calls upon the president and all United States officials to abide by its provisions.”

Senator Schumer said: “I was proud to sponsor this resolution, which reaffirms the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 that states Jerusalem should remain an undivided city and Israel’s capital…”

(Left to Right in Photo: U.S. Senators Mitch McConnell & Charles Schumer)

As we know by now, President Donald Trump is an independent thinker, and he does seem to get things done … at least he tries. At heart he is a “populist” placing the interests and aspirations of the average American above both national and international government. That’s what got him elected in the first place. He walks the talk and appears seriously determined to support Israel like no other U.S. president before him—with the possible exception of Harry Truman.

Is there any doubt that, through a 90-0 Senatorial resolution, the American people have pledged our loyalty to Israel and our recognition that Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the Promised Land given to the Jews by God himself? Which begs the question: In six months, is it possible that Donald Trump, the people’s president after the fashion of Abraham Lincoln, would again sign the waiver?

Things to Ponder

Why is it so important for people and nations to support Israel? Only one reason is needed to answer that question: Because the one true and living God says so. There are several passages that attest to the Biblical principle: as Israel goes, so goes the world. Which entails how people and nations have treated Israel and the repercussions thereof.

Most often quoted is Genesis 12 regarding blessings and curses on those who either bless or curse Israel. Quoted less often is another passage:

“The day is near when I, the Lord, will judge all godless nations! As you have done to Israel, so it will be done to you. All your evil deeds will fall back on your own heads. Just as you swallowed up my people on my holy mountain, so you and the surrounding nations will swallow the punishment I pour out on you. Yes, all you nations will drink and stagger and disappear from history” (Obadiah 1:15-16).

That chapter concludes with a detailed description of how God’s chosen people, the Jews, will once again live in ALL of the original boundaries of the Promised Land.

No dramatic differences from the current status quo in Israel can or will guarantee peace in or around Israel. But it’s much more likely that the Palestinians and surrounding Muslim nations will recognize Israel as a sovereign state in the earth’s family of nations, if they would only acknowledge Jerusalem as Israel’s eternal, undivided capital.

Relocation of the U.S. Embassy would go a long way to achievement of that goal. An American Embassy in Jerusalem would, of course, benefit Israel for all the reasons given and more. It would be the greatest act of cooperation with, kindness toward, and support of Israel since the Yom Kippur War of 1973 … a war that Israel could have lost. God’s divine assistance included a willingness of then U.S. President Richard Nixon to listen to Israel’s Prime Minister Golda Meir, and provide Israel with much- needed military, medical, and other material goods.

Time and time again, the God of the Bible has proven that he alone is God—through hundreds of fulfilled prophecies. God’s promises are timelessly true. He never breaks his promises. What he says he will do, he does. What he says will happen, happens.

Accordingly, a U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem would be of priceless value to the United States. The prayer that has been uttered by many past U.S. Presidents would be answered.

May God Bless America!

Jerusalem is not only the heart and soul of Israel, it is the very center of God’s universe. It is where Messiah will rule and reign over all nations of the earth upon his glorious return to set up his Kingdom and make all things right.

As Sar Shalom (Prince of Peace) only Messiah Jesus can and will ultimately bring Shalom to this morally bankrupt and terror-filled globe, teetering on the brink of the Abyss. His peace will mean much more than just the absence of war; he will bring wholeness and well-being for all the peoples of earth who survive the Tribulation.

“People from many nations will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of Jacob’s God. There he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths.’ For the Lord’s teaching will go out from Zion; his word will go out from Jerusalem. The Lord will mediate between peoples and will settle disputes between strong nations far away. They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer fight against nation, nor train for war anymore. Everyone will live in peace and prosperity, enjoying their own grapevines and fig trees, for there will be nothing to fear. The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has made this promise!” (Micah 4:2-4).

Until that time, let us continue to:

Sha’alu Shalom Yerushalayim

“Pray for peace in Jerusalem. May all who love this city prosper” (Psalm 122:6).

The Liberation of Jerusalem

03 Saturday Jun 2017

Posted by garybowers in Current Events

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Jerusalem Day, Jubilee

To Liberate or To Conquer?

“Fifty years ago we returned to the heart of our capital and our country, and 50 years ago we did not conquer it, rather we liberated it.”

This stirring statement was part of a timely message from Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. The subject, of course, was Jerusalem. The date was May 21st. The occasion: beginning festivities of the 50^th anniversary of Yom Yerushalayim—Jerusalem Day—that would subsequently take place on the 28^th day of Iyar (Jewish calendar). Which was this past May 24^th … Gregorian calendar. Between this inaugural speech from the Prime Minister and the actual celebration of Jerusalem Day, President Donald Trump visited Israel (May 22-23).

(US President Trump and Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu)

On that fateful day of Iyar 28, 1967 during the now famous Six-Day War, the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) fought its way into Jerusalem and took control of what is currently called East Jerusalem—which contains Temple Mount and the Western Wall. In fact, Israel’s unfathomable victory over Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, and Jordan resulted in winning what was, what should be, and one day soon will again be ALL of Israel—the Golan Heights, Gaza Strip, Sinai Peninsula, and Judea Samaria (also called the West Bank). In just those historic six days, Israel tripled in size from the hastily imposed cease-fire boundary lines after Israel achieved a miraculous victory in their 1948-49 War of Independence.

As I’ve written in several previous Eye of Prophecy articles: Not long after the Six-Day War, Israel relinquished functional control of the Gaza Strip (now controlled by the terrorist group Hamas) and most of the West Bank (under jurisdictional authority of the Palestinian Authority—a bitter rival of Hamas) back to the Arabs. Around that time the Arabs began referring to themselves as Palestinians, as does nearly everyone in today’s world. Later, the Israelis returned the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt. However, Israel retained control of the Golan Heights, as this crucial mountainous terrain is absolutely vital to preserve Israel’s safety.

(Map of Post-1967 Six Day War … Subsequently Israel Kept Control Only of the Golan Heights)

Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Descriptive Choice of Words

In his message, Benjamin made a distinction between Israel’s Six-Day War accomplishments of “liberating” Jerusalem as opposed to “conquering” the Holy City. This is much more than just a matter of semantics; it is a crucial correction of the misperception harbored by so many in today’s world, not the least of whom are many leaders of Western nations.

It was the country of Jordan that illegally seized and annexed the eastern part of Jerusalem and the West Bank during Israel’s 1948 War of Independence. Although Israel won that war, she capitulated to international pressure which had extended a de facto concession for Jordan to exercise supremacy over the West Bank and east Jerusalem, including Temple Mount. Israel could have (and in hindsight should have) continued to fight for more defensible boundaries; however, the Israelis agreed to a truce in order to get on with their individual and national life—the Jews right of return and rebuilding Israel in at least West Jerusalem and other parts of Israel already part of the UN resolution partition.

In fact, Jordan is a Johnny-come-lately country that didn’t even exist before the 20^th century. As is Iraq, Iran, and other Middle Eastern nations, some of which existed—like Iran, formerly Persia—but under a different name, government, and territorial boundaries.

Benjamin Netanyahu is making a valid distinction between conquering and liberating, because liberation is actually what happened in 1967. This concept is crystal clear in historical, military, political, and even moral terms. Which is:

You don’t conquer land that is yours to begin with. You liberate it.

The Problem: Almost every nation on earth (even the United States under its previous administration) doesn’t apply this maxim to Israel.

Although the facts should be clear to anyone with an open mind (with even a minimal grasp of Israel’s ancient and modern history), Benjamin Netanyahu felt compelled to voice the obvious: Jerusalem, as the eternal capital of a Jewish nation, was not conquered in 1967. Rather, it was liberated as the Biblical God-given and rightful capital of Israel.

Benjamin’s recent emphasis on this difference was another legitimate and necessary effort to remind Western nations like the United States of Israel’s rights in perpetuity, especially concerning Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. But also to refresh collective memory that the incessant Palestinian and Muslim rhetoric—claiming the Jews have illegally occupied a portion of the West Bank and (especially) Temple Mount in East Jerusalem—is a distortion of history. More than a misrepresentation; it is an outright lie.

In prior Eye of Prophecy articles, I have made comparisons of inherent God-bestowed rights to Israel and Jerusalem to our own American Revolution in which we won our liberty from British tyranny. More specifically, parallels between Israel giving up land that rightfully belongs to them and the idea of America returning land that we won through a just war of freedom.

Here is another analogy: On July 16^th, 1790, Washington D.C. was officially declared the capital of the United States of America. But England wasn’t quite done with its former colonies. Thus began the war of 1812, battles of which were fought over a wide area of eastern United States and also Canada. Toward the end of this three-year war, the British seized control of Washington D.C. burning the Presidential Mansion and the Treasury to the ground.

The British then marched north to “conquer” Baltimore which led to a ferocious fight more famously remembered for the incredible American defense of Fort McHenry near the Chesapeake Bay. Even a more well-known feature of that battle was the eye-witness account penned in the form of a poem by Francis Scott Key. In 1931, the U. S. Government made that poem/song America’s National Anthem, The Stars-Spangled Banner.

After the Battle of Baltimore, the armed forces of the United States led by General Andrew Jackson defeated the British at the Battle of New Orleans, which resulted in England’s surrender.

Did we “conquer” Washington D.C.? No, we liberated it, because it was already our capital. As much as America values England’s contemporary partnership and cooperation, should we consider returning the eastern half of Washington D.C. to Great Britain? Absurd idea, wouldn’t you agree.

In like manner, Israel should never return any more than she already has to pre-1967 boundaries by relinquishing ultimate control of Judea/Samaria or East Jerusalem (including Temple Mount) to Jordan or to Jordan’s proxy, the Palestinians. If that means nixing the idea of a Palestinian State, then so be it.

Here the analogy ends, or rather it doesn’t go far enough. The difference is that Jerusalem has been Israel’s capital for 3,000 years—since King David united the twelve tribes of Israel and all of Israel began to keep the God-ordained festivals in Jerusalem, the city chosen by God. In fact, God’s very presence (called the Shekinah glory) returned to Israel, this time in the magnificent Temple built by David’s son, Solomon.

Whereas, the United States liberated Washington D.C., a city that had been our capital for only 24 years.

More Comments from Israel’s Prime Minister & Also from Israel’s President

Benjamin Netanyahu went on to passionately proclaim:

“With the heroism of our fighters and the pride of our people, Jerusalem has once again been united, and therefore I say today to the world, in a clear and unequivocal voice that Jerusalem has always been and will always be the capital of Israel. The Temple Mount and the Western Wall will always remain under Israeli sovereignty. But despite the strong and unique relationship with Jerusalem, there are those who attempt to deny our undeniable bond with it and who brazenly portray us as foreigners in our own land in our own capital.”

He concluded with: “It is not our attachment to Jerusalem that demands an explanation, but the disgraceful attempt to expropriate our ties to Jerusalem and sovereignty in Jerusalem.”

At this same rally which was attended by the United States Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, Israel’s President (more of a ceremonial position in Israel’s government, with the Prime Minister as head of the government), Reuven Rivlin declared that Jerusalem is the “eternal capital of Israel.”

He said: “Jerusalem is not the problem, Jerusalem is the solution. There are those dreaming of political solutions who attempt to hold for Jerusalem a ‘trial of Solomon’ and to tear the city limb from limb. But those who speak of dividing the city will bring down doom upon Jerusalem and its inhabitants.”

In that regard, President Rivlin echoed the word of God spoken through the prophet:

The Lord continues to speak concerning the last days, of which I am completely convinced this generation is part (see recent Eye of Prophecy articles, The Balfour Declaration … Beginning of the Omega Generation, Part I & Part II, posted 5-13 & 5-20-17):

“Thousands upon thousands are waiting in the valley of decision. There the day of the Lord will soon arrive. The sun and moon will grow dark and the stars will no longer shine. The Lord’s voice will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth will shake. But the Lord will be a refuge for his people, a strong fortress for the people of Israel. Then you will know that I, the Lord your God, live in Zion, my holy mountain. Jerusalem will be holy forever, and foreign armies will never conquer her again” (Joel 3:14-17).

A Surprising Old Testament Passage

Now I’m going to quote a passage concerning Jerusalem that, at first glance (the 2^nd half of the passage) may surprise you … particularly in the Biblical and historical context that Israel and Jerusalem were given to the Jews by God, himself.

“On the holy mountain stands the city founded by the Lord. He loves the city of Jerusalem more than any other city in Israel. O city of God, what glorious things are said of you! … Regarding Jerusalem, it will be said, ‘Everyone enjoys the rights of citizenship there.’ And the Most High will personally bless this city. When the Lord registers the nations, he will say, ‘They have all become citizens of Jerusalem!’” (Psalm 87:1-6).

This is a prophecy of the end-times (of which this generation is part). The registering (identification and accountability) of the nations will culminate when Messiah extricates the nations that supported the apple of God’s eye from those who fought against Israel, as depicted in the separation of the sheep from the goats prophecy announced by Jesus himself (see Matthew 25:31-46).

As explained in the two aforementioned Eye of Prophecy articles, the beginning of the last (Omega) one-hundred year generation took place with the Balfour Declaration of 1917. The next generational milestone (70 years) was established when Israel became a sovereign state in May, 1948, made possible by the UN Resolution in November, 1947. Jews living in “Palestine” and hundreds of thousands who would later immigrate to their Promised Land became citizens of Israel. But so did thousands upon thousands of Arabs who decided not to flee Israel as ordered by the Arab armies that attacked the Jews immediately after Israel became a state.

Arabs who refused to become Israeli citizens occupied the West Bank which, as we saw earlier, was illicitly seized by Jordan. Likewise, Arabs in the Gaza Strip refused to become Israeli citizens and remained under the control of Egypt for several years. Yet, the phenomenal fact remains: Not only Jews but some of their Arab neighbors, who at least in principle recognized the newborn State of Israel and its right to exist, became citizens of Israel and Jerusalem. Which was the beginning fulfillment of the passage in Psalm 87 just quoted … Gentile citizens of Jerusalem alongside the God-ordained citizenship of his chosen people, the Jews.

Then more Arabs became citizens after the 1967 Six-Day War, with the majority of Arabs (non-citizens) remaining in the West Bank and Gaza Strip under the newly formed Palestinian Liberation Organization 1964, later called the Palestinian National Authority (1993 or thereabout).

Both of those italicized name designations are erroneous and misleading. To what or from whom would the Palestinians be liberated? Before 1967, both they and the Jews were still under Jordanian West Bank jurisdiction. Yet, Yasser Arafat’s intention was unmistakable: His newly formed PLO was designed to and would attempt to rid not only the West Bank but all of Israel of all Jews. This was his warped and sinister view of Palestinian liberation.

Once again, but in reverse: You can’t “liberate” land that doesn’t belong to you.

Likewise, with the Palestinian National Authority (now more accurately referred to as just the Palestinian Authority). You can’t have a “national” government unless there is a nation in the first place. As we know: there isn’t any such thing as a Palestinian State. Even though the Jews already had gained some measure of autonomy in their War of Independence, they still were not completely free of Jordanian, Egyptian, and Syrian governmental and military control over key cities and areas of Israel, not the least of which was much of Jerusalem, including Jewish holy sites.

As you will soon see in more detail: In amazing fulfillment of the Leviticus Chapter 26 Seven Times Over prophecy, the actual result of the Six-Day War was, in fact, the liberation of Jews from Gentile domination in the Holy City of the Holy Land and other areas of Israel. Plus some twenty years earlier, world-wide (except for a few, mostly Islamic, nations) recognition of the Jewish right to return to Israel as granted by the UN Resolution of 1947. The ultimate purpose of that resolution was return of their original homeland to the Jews or the Jews back to their home—either concept was justified and necessary. To free them from national or international subjugation and persecution; most of all that something as horrendously cruel and malicious as the Holocaust would happen Never Again.

Both before and after the Six-Day War, the Israelis generously extended offers of citizenship to all Arabs who would agree to recognize Israel as a sovereign state and undergo the procedure of citizenship (that all democratic nations offer). Hundreds of thousands of Arabs accepted that offer … despite the fact that most of that group still despise Jews just because they are Jews. More hundreds of thousands flatly refused such an offer for the same reason they turned down territorial rights afforded by the Balfour Declaration and statehood rights extended by the UN Resolution of 1947. The reason: They want all of Israel, without a single Jew living there.

Not until Messiah Jesus returns to set things right and establish his Kingdom of justice and peace will Israel and Jerusalem complete God’s prophetic destiny for Gentile citizens to live willingly and peacefully alongside the majority citizenship of Jews.

The Six-Day War of 1967—A Year of Jubilee & the End of Gentile Domination of Israel

Here are a couple of excerpts from two recently published online articles concerning Israel’s 50^th (Jubilee) anniversary of Yom Yerushalayim.

From an article entitled, Jerusalem: 50 Years of Reunification, posted on May 20^th in Aish.com, written by Rabbi Benjamin Blech:

“Hard to believe that it was 50 years ago that Jews and Jerusalem were at long last reunited. It took God all of six days to create the world; it took modern-day Israel the same brief length of time to liberate the holiest city in the world from the hands of those who never understood or accepted its true sanctity.

“The Six-Day War was by all accounts a contemporary miracle. Israel’s enemies made clear their intent. It was not land that they wanted as much as Jewish lives. The Arabs assured the world they would finish the task Hitler started. The Holocaust was the unspeakable genocide of six million…

“Military analysts are still stunned when they study what actually happened. Generals at West Point have been quoted as saying that Israel’s victory can simply not be understood from the perspective of strategy in historic warfare. One officer, who understandably chose not be quoted by name, simply said, ‘There is no way we can teach the reason behind Israel’s success because Israel was clearly aided primarily by God—and we are not permitted to teach God at West Point.’”

After presenting some statistics on Israel’s population in 1948 and other facts, Rabbi Blech concludes his article with:

“That is why it is so important to mark another milestone of modern-day Israel—a milestone we may now celebrate on the occasion of our 50-year celebration of Yom Yerushalayim. The population of Jews in Israel today at last exceeds that number so starkly identified with tragedy. There are now more than six million Jews who make Israel their home. In the Jubilee year of Jerusalem’s reunification more than six million Jewish souls in Israel joyfully proclaim the reality of the biblical message of the 50^th year: the land belongs to God and our generation has become witness to the divine decision to reunite us with Jerusalem”

Next, some excerpts from an article entitled, The World Needs to Drive Out Destructive Fantasies, posted May 25 in the online Op-ed site, Gatestone Institute. The article was written by Shireen Qudosi who is Director of Muslim Matters at America Matters and a contributing writer for the online news source, The Federalist. She is a Sufi Muslim of Afghan and South Asian ancestry who writes primarily about Islam!

(Shireen Qudosi)

I read her post after completing this week’s Eye of Prophecy article up to this point; it was the first time I had read anything by Shireen Qudosi (or even heard of her). However, it’s obvious that, even as a Muslim, she is willing to examine the phenomena of Israel and the Jews in the context of real history, not history rewritten by Muslims or Palestinians that much of the world buys into or at least listens to.

*Note: She, too, along with Rabbi Blech, employs the term “liberate.” Whether they borrowed that word from Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech or not, it’s good that they understand what really happened in the Six-Day War. Since Benjamin Netanyahu emphatically pointed out that Israel liberated rather than conquered Jerusalem, I’ve read other articles in which the author appears to deliberately use the term liberation. I had not seen this before. Writes Ms. Qudosi:

“How we talk about religion matters. It we want to be effective in moving forward, it is important to be truthful. The truth is that Israel won the Six Day War, thereby, liberating eastern Jerusalem from Jordan, which had seized it illegally when it attacked Israel in 1948-49 and expelled all Jews from eastern Jerusalem. Israel has earned the right to reclaim Jerusalem fully.”

(Note: She also uses the term, “reclaim” concerning Israel’s right to Jerusalem. I, too, have used that word in some prior Eye of Prophecy articles … along with reunify, recover, recapture, reestablish, consolidate, and once or twice liberate. But never, to my recollection, “conquer” or “conquered.”)

She continues:

“If we are going to ‘reset’ the Middle East, we need to reset our thinking as well, starting with accepting that Israel has a right to exist. That includes confronting calls for the annihilation of the Jewish people, and contesting the dishonest re-imagining of borders that quite literally erase Israel from the map. Israel exists and Israel has a legitimate claim to Jerusalem.

“Then there is the issue of Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Muslim devotion to the Temple Mount stems from a story in which the Islamic Prophet Muhammad is said to have dreamt traveling from Mecca to Jerusalem to the Heavens beyond space and time (and back) all in one night … The Temple Mount rests on historically Jewish territory.

“Critical Muslim thinkers drive out fantasies from our faith. Alongside us, the world must drive out the fantasy that Jerusalem is not Israel’s capital. Jerusalem is the heart and soul of Israel. To deny Jerusalem as a part of Jewish and Israeli identity is the same as denying Mecca as inherent to Muslim identity”

*Note: It’s good to see someone else (and a Muslim at that) expose Muhammad’s imaginary journey from Mecca. I wrote an entire article on this subject, as it is this mosque on Temple Mount that Muslims and Palestinians allege is the religious and racial link between Islam and the alleged right of Arabs to claim Temple Mount as their own. This despite the fact that neither the PLO Charter nor the Fatah Constitution (main administrative branch of the current Palestinian Authority) even mentions Jerusalem, let alone called for Jerusalem as a Palestinian capital. The idea of (East) Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian State is a fairly recent ploy used by Palestinians (and now by Islamic nations) … in the past three decades or so.

You might want to check out: The Myth of Al Aqsa Mosque, posted 4-16-16.

(Depiction of Muhammad’s Mythical Winged Horse)

Revisiting the Historical Impact and Significance of the Six-Day War of 1967

With Israel’s recent 2017 celebration of what many Israelis, especially Rabbis—alongside of a few Gentile evangelicals like myself—consider to be the second Jubilee in Israel’s modern-day rebirth (the first Jubilee being 1967), I would like to take you back to a series of Eye of Prophecy articles published in the early days of this website.

I’m referring to the trilogy of articles entitled, Seven Times Seven (to the 4^th Power)! Posted 1-25, 2-1, & 2-8-14. Followed by the Eye of Prophecy article, The Omega Generation (2-15-14).

Here I would like to provide some excerpts from Part III of Seven Times Seven (to the 4^th Power), beginning with the opening paragraph of that article. In italics:

1967 … What a year! The Six-Day War … What a war! Like me, some of you remember exactly where you were when you heard the news of Israel’s stunning victory. Some of you were not yet born, but you read about it in the history books. I recall thinking: How can any nation win a war in just six days? That’s unheard of … simply not possible. On top of that we’re talking about the tiny nation of Israel, surrounded and vastly outnumbered by Arab nations on all sides. Well, we believe it because it happened. It’s true, and Israel will never be the same again. Why not? What is the dramatic difference in Israel after the June, 1967 Six-Day War?

Before we find answers to that question, just a little more suspense! I’m talking once more about the incredible prophecy in Leviticus that was revealed and explained in last week’s article; whereby the mathematical calculation of seven times seven (to the 4th power) beginning in 516 BC leads to the year 1967.

(Note: That trilogy of articles is based on an amazing disclosure or discernment the Lord provided me in 2006 regarding a “hidden gem” of a prophecy found in (of all places) the book of Leviticus. It’s an application of God’s “seven-times over” discipline of Israel a total of four successive times to actual years (history) beginning with the end of the 70-year Babylonian captivity to the year 1967—when the Six-Day War occurred. I did not start with 1967 and work backward; I had no idea to what year the seven times over paradigm would take me. You’ll need to read those articles for a more comprehensive understanding.)

More excerpts from Part III:

I vividly recall the Six-Day War … where I was and what I was doing when the news flashed around the world. Since then, I and many students of Biblical prophecy and current events have better understood the tremendous significance of Israel’s victory. But no one appreciates the impact of those six days in June and the aftermath more than the Jews, both religious and secular.

The Six-Day War took place 50 years–a Jubilee period of time–after the first milestone in Israel’s modern-day rebirth as a nation. I’m referring to the Balfour Declaration of 1917, in which Lord Balfour of Great Britain paved the way for a Jewish national homeland in Palestine by validation of the Zionist movement initiated by Jewish leaders Theodor Herzl and Chaim Weizmann. These founding fathers of modern-day Israel believed that the only solution to the “Jewish Question” was a return of the Jews to Palestine. In 1922, the League of Nations approved the Balfour Declaration via a “Mandate for Palestine.” This was the beginning of Jews returning in increasing numbers to the Holy Land and resettling the land originally given to them by God, himself. No other nation or land on the earth has a title-deed signed, sealed, and delivered by God, as does the Promised Land known as Israel.

Sadly, return of the Jews and Israel’s statehood came too late to avoid the greatest disaster in Jewish history: the Holocaust during World War II … which constituted the full and final expression of the seven times over discipline.

However, were it not for the horror of the Holocaust, there would have been no United Nations approval of a Jewish Homeland (November, 1947); then the subsequent establishment of the State of Israel in May, 1948….

At this point in that article, I further explained the stunning significance of the Six-Day War, including the fact that it was the end of God’s long discipline of Israel; therefore, ending Gentile domination of Israel.

(Convoy of Israeli Troops … Six-Day War)

Continuing with Seven Times Seven, Part III:

Not until the Six-Day War, did Israel really possess and then demonstrate the capacity to take the offensive against Arab armies. Meaning, that their military (IDF) was strong enough to recapture Jerusalem from the Jordanians, to take back the Western Wall and Temple Mount. They were skilled enough to literally take the high ground of the Golan Heights from Syria, and equipped enough to retake Gaza and Sinai from Egypt.

This unquestioned ability to defend herself and, if necessary, to take the offensive, was reconfirmed in the brutal, yet victorious Yom Kippur War of 1973. Since then, no Arab nation or coalition has dared use their armies or conventional warfare to attack Israel. Instead, they have resorted to terrorist attacks, mortar/missile launchings against civilians, propaganda, and BDS strategies.

What does all this mean? I believe the evidence is indisputable, not the least of which is the seven times over prophecy ending in the year 1967. Now that this mysterious prophecy has run its full course, Israel and the Jewish people are no longer under the thumb of Gentile nations. The Times of the Gentiles ended in 1967! This is an astonishing sign of the end times; that is the physical rebirth and restoration of Israel, substantial return of millions of Jews to the land of their ancestors, and the miracle of such a small country and small population being one of the top military powers of the modern world.

For the first time in nearly 2,500 years, Israel has the military resources to fight its own battles and even conduct preemptive strikes to silence the ominous threats of extinction by her enemies, such as a nuclear Iran. She is a beacon of democracy in a Middle-East full of totalitarian Muslim regimes that fight among themselves and have only one thing in common: the malicious desire to wipe Israel from the face of the earth. She is powerful enough to be a deterrent to terrorist groups and quite capable of making rogue rulers think twice about use of WMDs. Before 1967, this kind of prestige, power, presence, and position was not available to Israel. When God ended Israel’s discipline in 1967 (7 x 7 x 7 x 7), he also ended the Gentile nation’s conquest, oppression, suppression, dominance, and defeat of Israel.

Things to Ponder

Earlier, I mentioned the Jewish calendar date that Israelis mark and celebrate Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day), the very day that Jerusalem was liberated from Jordan and for Jews and all Israeli citizens. That date was the 28^th day of Iyar. This year, 2017, is the 50^th anniversary of that monumental milestone of Israel’s end-times destiny. The fixed date on the Gregorian calendar was June 7^th, 1967. This year Iyar 28 fell on May 24^th.

During preparation and writing of this week’s Eye of Prophecy article, the prophetic significance of the 28^th day of Iyar caught my attention. And now I see why. It fits perfectly with a major component of today’s article—the Seven Times Over phenomenon administered four times consecutively by God in his discipline of Israel, just as the Lord said would happen in Leviticus Chapter 26.

What is that significance?

The Numbers: There were four phases of the Seven Times Over Paradigm. Seven times four (7 x 4) equals 28!

Jerusalem was liberated and the Gentile domination of Israel ended on the 28^th day of Iyar!

Meaning of Iyar: The original Hebrew name for what was changed to Iyar, was the month of Ziv.

Ziv means “light” or “glow.”

Right away you can see the meaning as applied to the end of God’s discipline of Israel, the final (4^th) and most devastating phase of which was exile to Gentile nations and complete dominance by those nations. This time of “darkness” in Israel’s history suddenly and dramatically gave way to the light of Jewish liberty in 1967. It was the restoration “glow” of Jewish independent sovereignty and reunification of Jerusalem with the rest of Israel.

The word Iyar is left over from an extinct Semitic language in Mesopotamia. Iyar means to “blossom” or “to bloom.” You remember part of the jingle: April showers bring May flowers. (Hebrew month of Iyar overlaps with the Gregorian months of April, May, June … mostly May).

How fitting is that to what happened when Jerusalem was liberated!

Before the Lord warned his people what would happen if they disobeyed and abandoned him, he gave them a glorious hope of blessings if they trusted and followed him.

“If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, I will send you the seasonal rains. The land will then yield its crops, and the trees of the field will produce their fruit” (Leviticus 26:3-4).

There were other promises, but the above verse says it all, in terms of not only the Jews themselves but also the land of Israel “blossoming” as never before, as the light of a liberated Jerusalem shone once again.

“The time will come, says the Lord, when the grain and grapes will grow faster than they can be harvested … I will bring my exiled people of Israel back from distant lands, and they will rebuild their ruined cities and live in them again. They will plant vineyards and gardens; they will eat their crops and drink their wine” (Amos 9:13-14).

(Example of Israel’s Amazing Agricultural Accomplishments)

Not only has God ended the discipline of Gentile domination of his people, he has rejuvenated Israel agriculturally, economically, culturally, and militarily as it was in Israel’s glory days.

Though there are still difficult times ahead for Israel (indeed, for the whole world) during the Great Tribulation, this restoration will reach its zenith when Messiah Jesus—whom most Jews do not yet accept or recognize as their Messiah—returns to rescue Israel one final time.

And Israel will be able to defend herself as she fights before Messiah arrives and then alongside of Messiah during the Battle for Jerusalem.

“On that day the Lord will defend the people of Jerusalem; the weakest among them will be as mighty as King David! …” (Zechariah 12:8).

“And so all Israel will be saved…” (Romans 11:26).

The Balfour Declaration … Beginning of the Omega Generation (Part II)

20 Saturday May 2017

Posted by garybowers in Current Events

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Jubilee, Six-Day War, State of Israel

A Brief Review

Let’s begin this week’s Eye of Prophecy post with a quote concerning the enormous significance of the Balfour Declaration of 1917 (In italics):

At that time, the Balfour Declaration was the single greatest event in history since the tragic dispersion of the Jews from Israel when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple. It was the beginning fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies guaranteeing the final restoration of Israel and salvation of the Jews. Accordingly, it was also the beginning of the final (Omega) generation identified by Jesus that involves the entire world as found in his amazing disclosure of the end times while on the Mount of Olives with his disciples.

If you at least vaguely recognize this statement, then you read last week’s Eye of Prophecy article; it is an excerpt from that post! If you haven’t yet read that article, I would encourage you to do so. Though every Eye of Prophecy article that is a Part II (or III) stands alone, a much better understanding of the main theme comes with reading Part I.

The quoted excerpt was a summary conclusion predicated on three monumental milestones of Israel’s 20^th and 21^st century history in the context of the unfolding end-times prophecies. They are: (1) The Balfour Declaration of 1917; (2) the UN Resolution for Israel’s statehood in 1947, followed by the rebirth of the Sovereign State of Israel in 1948; (3) the reclamation of Jerusalem as Israel’s eternal capital in the Six-Day War of 1967.

Then I quoted the passage in which Messiah Jesus identified the final generation that is part and parcel of those three extraordinary events discussed last week and again this week.

Said Jesus: “Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things take place” (Matthew 24:32-34).

Followed by the next two (the first in quotation marks, the second italicized) excerpts from last week’s article:

“Please see Eye of Prophecy articles, Look Up, Redemption is Near Part I & II (published 7-11-15 & 7-18-15) that among other things lists twelve phenomenal indicators which have synchronized with a frequency and magnitude in the 20^th & 21^st centuries like never before.”

Yet it was the Balfour Declaration that set the last-days prophetic stage and started the end-times wheel turning.

Then an excerpt near the end of the Part I article (in italics):

Certainly, the Balfour Declaration was the “right and moral thing to do.” But it was more than that. Whether Lord Balfour realized it or not, his courageous initiative to speak for both Britain and the Jews was an acknowledgment and affirmation of God’s divine mandate to nations and peoples the world over concerning his majestic plan for Israel and the nations. One that absolutely will come to pass including the fall of nations who seek to harm Israel, and the success of those who support Israel in the journey of reaching God’s destiny for Israel and the Jewish people.

Before we examine more amazing prophetic implications of the Balfour Declaration, the rebirth of Israel, and reunification of Jerusalem to Israel, let’s analyze, “God’s divine mandate to nations and peoples the world over concerning his majestic plan for Israel and the nations” in the:

Historical Context and Assessment of the Balfour Declaration

To Abraham, the father of the Jewish people, God said:

“…Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:1-3).

God’s collaboration with the Jews—beginning with choosing Abraham to be the progenitor of the Jewish race and the Lord’s subsequent interaction with Gentile nations—is centered entirely on his sovereign purpose first for Israel, then for the nations. The Old Testament is replete with events experienced by the Lord’s chosen people during their tumultuous times of rebellion, discipline, restoration (return from Babylonian captivity) then more rebellion and apathy, resulting in 400 years of silence by the Lord after he last spoke to Israel through the prophet Malachi.

Those four hundred years of silence ended abruptly with God’s next prophet, John the Baptist, who prepared the way for Messiah, announcing to all who would listen as Jesus came toward John one day:

“…Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! He is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘A man is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me’” (John 1:29-30, italics for emphasis).

With these words of acclamation for Messiah Jesus (Son of God, Son of David, and Son of Man) John reverberated the words of the prophet Micah written some 700 years earlier:

Before the Balfour Declaration there was no indication that the Diaspora dream of Jews the world over, “Next year in Jerusalem” would or could really happen.

For nearly two thousand years, most Jews had resigned themselves to be forever the “Wandering Jew” with no national homeland, no way to defend themselves against brutal persecution, and seemingly no realistic hope of God’s prophetic promises ever coming to pass. Two thousand years is a very long time … as long as the time from Abraham to the Great Diaspora. Two millennia had made even the most optimistic Jews doubt if another Jewish homeland was possible anywhere. Let alone the Promised Land that had been overrun, ruled, and stripped almost bare (literally and figuratively) of anything Jewish by the Romans, the Arabs, the Crusaders, and the Ottoman Turks for so long.

The Balfour Declaration changed all that.

Listen to one of hundreds of promises given directly by God to his prophets concerning the seemingly impossible, but from God’s vantage point a sure thing. This prophecy begins with a direct reference to Ramah, the deportation point of Jewish exiles to Babylon under the reign of Nebuchadnezzar. It is one of several prophecies that had both near future and distant future application; in this case the distant future slaughter of male children in Bethlehem so ordered by Herod in order to kill the prophesied Christ-child, Jesus. It also applied to Jesus’s prophecy that Jerusalem and the Temple would be destroyed (by the Romans), with the horrific result of a second Jewish exile from Israel … this time indefinitely as opposed to the 70-year discipline of the Babylonian captivity God imposed on Judah in 586 B.C.

“This is what the Lord says: ‘A cry is heard in Ramah—deep anguish and bitter weeping. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted—for her children are gone.’ But now this is what the Lord says: ‘Do not weep any longer, for I will reward you’ says the Lord. ‘Your children will come back to you from the distant land of the enemy. There is hope for your future’ says the Lord. ‘Your children will come again to their own land’” (Jeremiah 31:15-17).

Then a few verses later: “Is not Israel still my son, my darling child? Says the Lord. I often have to punish him, but I still love him. That’s why I long for him and surely will have mercy on him. Set up road signs; put up guideposts. Mark well the path by which you came. Come back again, my virgin Israel; return to your towns here” (Jeremiah 31:20-21, italics for emphasis).

The Balfour Declaration was THE historical catalyst that providentially precipitated the return of the Jews to the Promised Land, followed by the United Nations Resolution affording statehood to Israel. Both (along with the reunification of Jerusalem in the Six-Day War of 1967) were and still are: “road signs, guideposts, and path” marking the final generational path of the last days, because this road sign passage has everything to do with the Jews’ return to Israel.

Jesus addressed his end-times prophecy of the final generation primarily (first and foremost) to Israel. The true Church (Messianic Jews and we Gentile believers in Messiah Jesus) were obviously meant to know the signs of the last days. Yet other than witnessing the pre-Rapture birth pangs foretold by Jesus and as found in other places in Scripture, we believers will not experience the traumatic events of the Great Tribulation … which is the final phase of this Omega generation. The Rapture will spare us from God’s second universal judgment of this wicked world we live in. We will, however, be with our Lord when he triumphantly returns to rescue Israel at the end of the seven-year Tribulation.

Thus, the “return to your (Israel’s) towns” corresponds to and matches the generational time-frame identified by Jesus: “…this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things take place” (Matthew 24:34). This generation applies almost exclusively to Israel’s ultimate restoration beginning with the Jews return to Israel and culminating in Israel’s final redemption, spiritually and physically. If we don’t make this connection, then we are not seeing the “guideposts” nor are we, “marking well the path by which you (Israel) came.”

A Remarkable Correlation of Virgin Births!

Regarding the italicized portion of the Jeremiah Chapter 31 passage (my virgin Israel) here is another excerpt from last week’s article (in italics):

Consider the following comparison: Just as the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of our Great Triune God, supernaturally conceived the Son (Messiah Jesus as both God and man)—who existed from the beginning with God the Father—through a virgin, so did God through the Balfour Declaration providentially conceive the nation of Israel which essentially had been in existence since Abraham fathered Isaac.

As you’ll see in next week’s Eye of Prophecy Part II article on the Balfour Declaration from a passage in Jeremiah, God calls his chosen people—in the context of their final return to the Promised Land—my virgin Israel. Which makes the Virgin Birth of Messiah, who appeared several times in the Old Testament as the Pre-Incarnate Christ, and the virgin-like (re)birth (supernaturally against impossible odds) of the Jewish nation a very appropriate analogy.

(Back to this week’s article. Are you keeping up? The above italicized excerpt was from last week’s article in partial preparation for this week’s article. Just kidding … of course you are!)

In this same 31^st chapter of Jeremiah we have one of the greatest prophecies in all of Scripture. I have quoted these verses in a few prior articles. Because of the universal impact of this prophecy—God’s New Covenant with Israel (one in which Gentiles have been “grafted in”) instituted and implemented with the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection of Messiah Jesus—it merits repeating.

“The day is coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife, says the Lord.

“But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day, says the Lord. I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people” Jeremiah 31:31-33).

On the eve of the Passion of Christ—with every event of the Passion prophesied directly or indirectly by Old Testament prophets and/or by Jesus, himself; his false arrest, illegal trial, brutal and unlawful (the Roman Governor himself said that Jesus was innocent but still handed him over for execution) crucifixion, and burial in a rich man’s tomb (Joseph of Arimathea)—Jesus ate the Passover supper one last time with his disciples.

This is what happened and what he said:

“He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.’ After supper he took another cup of wine and said, ‘This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you’” (Luke 22:19-20).

Three days later Messiah Jesus arose from the dead to validate that he was/is Messiah, the Son of God, and to seal the New Covenant God promised through Jeremiah some 600 years earlier. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is a historical fact. He was seen by hundreds of witnesses during the forty days after he arose from the grave, and then ascended to heaven from where he will soon return to the earth, “…with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30).

This is not the covenant message of the Mosaic Law that was written on tablets of stone, the one that God’s people could not and would not keep.

This is the message of the New Covenant.

Said the Apostle Paul, formerly the Pharisee Saul who persecuted and killed early Christians until his marvelous life-changing encounter with the Risen Messiah:

“…And that message is the very message about faith that we preach. If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved … Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord who gives generously to all who call on him. For, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’” (Romans 10:8-13, italics for emphasis, last sentence is a quote from Joel 2:32).

I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts (Jeremiah 31).

The Remarkable Results of the Balfour Declaration from a Broader Prophetic Perspective

In the context of and correlation with Messiah Jesus’s astounding announcement that the generation alive when he returns will (begin to) experience the end-times events he described (and by obvious inference all of the other last day prophecies of Scripture), the Balfour Declaration of 1917, followed by the UN Resolution in 1947 and Israel’s subsequent declaration of statehood in 1948 are staggering in their relevancy to this (our) generation.

Later this year, November 2, Israel—hopefully joined by many Western nations, especially Great Britain the very source of the Balfour Declaration—will celebrate the 100^th anniversary of this famous decision, which was and still is the “right and moral thing to do.”

The 70^th year anniversary of the UN Resolution of 1947 will also occur in November of this year. This is the second definition or time-frame of a Biblical generation, a generation within the 100-year generation. Next year, 2018, will be the 70^th anniversary of Israel’s Statehood rebirth (May 14^th) in the family of nations on earth, to be celebrated on April 19^th. Israel uses the Jewish calendar when it comes to their national holidays.

Then the crowning point of Israel’s rebirth in the land sovereignly promised to them by God was the stunning reclamation of Jerusalem in the Six-Day War of 1967—what many Rabbis and Evangelical scholars, including me, consider to be a year of Jubilee.

The 50-year Jubilee memorial of the consolidation of Jerusalem will take place this coming Wednesday (May 24^th), the day after President Donald Trump’s two-day visit to Israel. We, who love Israel and support Israel’s right of existence and God-given mandate to possess all of the boundaries of the Promised Land, can only hope and pray that President Trump keeps his promise to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. This would be a strong symbolic and also powerful physical (real-time and space) acknowledgment of Jewish rightful claim to Jerusalem as the undivided eternal capital of Israel.

(The Latest Word is that President Trump Will Not Announce A Decision On the US Embassy Move During His Trip to Israel … See Eye of Prophecy Article, “Is President Trump Wavering on The Waiver?” Posted 2-4-17).

Let’s look again at the Biblical meaning of a generation and a Jubilee in the inescapable context that virtually all end-times prophecies are centered exclusively on Israel. The only direct involvement of the true Church is that of being whisked away at the Rapture, which is the “first day” of the Day of the Lord (Tribulation, physical Return of Jesus to earth, and then the Millennium).

Here, I will defer to the Eye of Prophecy article The Omega Generation (posted 2-15-14), excerpts of which were also quoted in a subsequent article written almost two years later, Jubilee and Messiah … They Go Together! (1-23-16).

It’s been over three years since The Omega Generation article was posted. We have reached the pivotal year of 2017 (Gregorian calendar; with, as we will see, the Jewish calendar the more Biblically accurate measurement of the two generational time-frames as all Scriptural references to days, months, and years relate to the 30-day month of the Jewish calendar). Based on Biblical and historical evidence—particularly the three 20^th century momentous milestones of Israel’s modern history—I’m proposing that this year is the beginning of a two or three-year prophetic window of the final generation Messiah Jesus spoke of in answer to his disciple’s question: “…Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age” (Matthew 24:3, NASB).

In italics, here is a segment from The Omega Generation:

If Jesus is referring specifically to the last generation, and I believe the text/context is crystal clear that he is; then this generation must have a designated start-up date or dates. Without an actual event (which can be identified by a specific calendar year) to begin the generation, the 70-year or 100-year generational time frame is much too vague … meaning there’s too much overlap or ambiguity as to the actual decades involved. If you were explaining your generation to someone, what would be your reference point? How would you describe it? Wouldn’t you say, “In my generation….” Essentially, then, your reference or starting point is the date of your birth!

Using our first example of four generations of Israel’s enslavement in Egypt, God gave Abraham the point-in-time commencement of this 400 hundred years (four generations) captivity, i.e. from the time that the Jews no longer enjoyed freedom in Egypt, which was not too long after Joseph died.

Is it, then, possible to select or identify events/dates in Israel’s contemporary history that correspond to the Biblical definition of a generation … that is one hundred years and/or seventy years? The answer is a resounding, YES.

So, let’s look again at the three monumentally crucial events of the last 100 years, relating to the return of the Jews to Israel.

(A) Balfour Declaration of November, 1917:

Recognizing this very important event/date, we can then apply the Biblical generational measurement of 100 years. Once again, however, we need to convert Roman calendar years to Jewish years. Doing the math we come up with 101.4 Jewish years which translates to 101 years and 5 months. From November, 1917, this would take us to March or April, 2019.

(B) United Nations Resolution of November, 1947:

This was the 2nd significant milestone in fulfillment of hundreds of Biblical prophecies concerning the Abrahamic Covenant, i.e. the physical restoration of Israel. Most Bible scholars and historians select the statehood date of May 14, 1948 as the historical landmark, which it certainly is; however, the actual declaration of statehood was almost anticlimactic. Reason: officially, the British Mandate (rule) over Palestine expired on that date. But it was the UN Resolution that delivered the pivotal turning point or breakthrough. Without the UN resolution of November, 1947, there would have been no recognized Israeli State in May, 1948. Yet, there is only a period of 6 months separating these two events; thus, selection of either one would be a legitimate application to the 70-year generational measurement of time.

Again, doing the conversion math, we arrive at a total of 70.97 or (rounding it off) 71 Jewish years. Adding 71 years to November, 1947, we arrive at November, 2018. If we utilize May, 1948 as the benchmark date, the 71 years would take us to May, 2019.

(C) June, 1967 Six-Day War (Jubilee Years):

In addition to the two Biblical measurements of a generation (100 years and 70 years), what happens if we also select the Jubilee time-frame of 50 years? As stressed in the previous Seven Times Seven articles, the 50-year Jubilee was part of God’s formula for disciplining Israel, as the Jews also failed to keep the Jubilee. Consequently, I believe the Jubilee will also be a component part of God’s magnificent restoration of Israel.

In this instance, we will use the next epic milestone in Israel’s brief modern-history … that of the June, 1967 Six-Day War. We talked about this at great length in last week’s article, to include the fact that it occurred 50 years (not coincidentally, a Jubilee period of time) from the Balfour Declaration of 1917.

Once again we convert 50 Roman calendar years to Jewish time and we come up with: 50.7 years which is 50 years and 8.4 months (8-9 months). From June, 1967, this would take us through February or into March, 2018.

Combining All Three Events

None of these three possibilities give us an exact day/hour of Christ’s return that begins with the first phase which is the Rapture and ends with his physical return at the end of the Tribulation. And that’s good. Why? Because Jesus, himself, said that no one can possibly know the day or hour of his return. I emphasize that almost to a fault in my article, When the Rapture? Therefore, I wouldn’t even pretend to know the exact date of Christ’ return, nor would I ever venture a guess. Forget it!

On the contrary, Jesus did advise us to recognize the seasons, the times, the signs, and the symptoms if you will, of his glorious return. If he didn’t want us to put 2 and 2 together, then why did Jesus provide so many clues and signals? Why would he have even used the metaphor of the fig tree in bloom? Even more challenging: Why would he have selected a time-measured or time-dedicated point of reference (generation), if he didn’t want us to identify the noteworthy bench mark events of the final days, aligned alongside the pre-Rapture birth pains and post-Rapture (Tribulation) incidents that he describes.

With these questions in mind, what other specific events have occurred relating to Israel during the 20th or 21st century that would surpass or supplant the 1917, 1947 (48), and 1967 highlights that we’ve selected as commencement dates for both the 100 and 70-year generations, as well as the equally important Jubilee? In answer to this question, I’ll give you a hint: There are NO other events that even come close to these historical mileposts…

Summary

Here’s what we find when we combine all three projected dates of generational or Jubilee time-lapse… meaning 100 years, 70 years, and 50 years (Roman calendar). From our three (four, if we also use Israel’s statehood of May, 1948) examples, we will select the earliest possible month/year all the way to the latest month/year.

It’s conceivable that we will hear the blast of the last Rapture trumpet: BETWEEN FEBRUARY, 2018 and MAY, 2019!!

(Note for Today’s Article: In hindsight I certainly could have and probably should have included the (this) year, 2017. Actually, it was a foregone conclusion that 2017 could be the beginning of the Day of the Lord, as I and others are convinced this is a Jubilee year. See aforementioned article, Jubilee and Messiah … They Go Together! Posted January, 2016, for the time of year when the Jubilee was to be announced and the time of year it actually began).

Returning to a final excerpt from The Omega Generation (posted in February, 2014):

Of course, Christ may Rapture the Church any day between now and the above listed dates, or even after those dates. For the following reasons: God will determine the next Jubilee in Israel’s history. Concerning a generation (whether 70 or 100 years): unless the prophecy specifies actual periods of time such as found in Daniel 9, there is normally some flexibility built-in to God’s use of numbers in Scripture. For example, there are, relatively speaking, a handful of people on the earth who live to be 105 or 110, or whatever. Also, the average life expectancy in many developed countries is in the vicinity of 76, 77, or 78 years.

But, if the Lord decides to combine all three time-frames, then I would be very surprised if we Christians are still on this earth after the year 2020. Although that is a speculative statement, I believe that it is a sanctified speculation! Meaning that it is based on some solid evidence from Scripture, particularly the passages quoted in this article and prior articles.

The Day of the Lord is so very near. As selected by God to be the heart and soul of God’s chosen people, the Jews, and the eternal capital of the Promised Land of Israel, Jerusalem’s (the City of God) time has come.

“Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see. For the glory of the Lord rises to shine on you. Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth, but the glory of the Lord rises and appears over you. All nations will come to your light; mighty kings will come to see your radiance. Look and see, for everyone is coming home! Your sons are coming from distant lands; your little daughters will be carried home. Your eyes will shine, and your heart will thrill with joy….” (Isaiah 60:1-5a).

I, for one, will echo and support and participate in the prophet’s passionate plea for Israel:

“Because I love Zion, I will not keep still. Because my heart yearns for Jerusalem, I cannot remain silent. I will not stop praying for her until her righteousness shines like the dawn, and her salvation blazes like a burning torch. The nations will see your righteousness. World leaders will be blinded by your glory…” (Isaiah 62:1-2).

Things to Ponder

My maternal grandfather fought in World War I and was alive when the Balfour Declaration marked the beginning of the 100-year generation. Although relatively few compared to the world’s population, there are still many people over one hundred years old or who will turn 100 this year; some of whom will in all likelihood witness the beginning of the Day of the Lord.

My father fought in World War II. He is gone now as is my mother. I am 70 years old, born 14 months before the UN Resolution of 1947 and 20 months before the rebirth of Israel in 1948. Tens of millions of Baby Boomers are still alive (including me or you wouldn’t be reading this article!).

Millions upon millions more born in 1967 (Jubilee year) or thereabout are still on Planet Earth. In all probability, they will either be taken in the Rapture (if they have believed and received Messiah Jesus as Personal Savior) or left behind to experience the horrendous Great Tribulation.

Not since the First World War and more so the Second World War have world conditions been as ominous as they are right now. In fact, I believe the perils facing the earth’s population are more apocalyptically threatening than pre World-War II.

The geopolitical and military global balloon is saturated to the bursting point with wars and rumors of war and with world-wide imminent threats, ultimatums, and accusations against Israel like never before in world history. The chain of alliances in the Middle East (especially Syria)—where coalition A is fighting coalition B which is fighting coalition C, which in turn is fighting A—is a brittle cord ready to snap. The fragile tightened skin of the balloon is about to explode.

Something has to give, and it will give … soon.

Even more alarming than before the two World Wars of the 20^th century, the prophetic pace of the 21^st century is far too hectic, confusing, and relentless to allow time for anyone or any nation to pause long enough to effectively stop the doomsday clock from reaching the midnight hour. All the while, people “party” to escape today; hoping the next day brings them more time to ignore and delay their eternal destiny as they eat, drink, and be merry just in case tomorrow they die.

If anyone would chalk such an observation up to “doomsday melodrama” or flippantly brush aside the obvious warnings that come our way virtually every day, then they obviously prefer to sail on the same (imaginary) cruise ship of those in Noah’s Day—who after it was too late wished they had their own ark. With Noah and his family safely aboard the real boat of God’s protection and deliverance.

Here’s what Jesus said:

“When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes” (Matthew 24:37-39).

If you don’t know Messiah Jesus as Lord and Savior, please don’t wait until it’s too late. You truly need and want him as your Savior, not your judge.

“The Father loves his Son and has put everything into his hands. And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment” (John 3:35-36).

One day soon the Lord will judge the earth with perfect justice. Righteousness will reign. Truth will triumph. Peace will prevail.

Hallelujah to the Lamb of God! All praise to the Lion of the Tribe of Judah!

The Balfour Declaration … Beginning of the Omega Generation (Part I)

13 Saturday May 2017

Posted by garybowers in Current Events

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UN Resolutions

Renewed Controversy over the Balfour Declaration

During an address to the United Nations last September, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas insisted that Great Britain issue a formal apology for the Balfour Declaration of 1917.

About three weeks ago Palestinian officials made the same demand, this time in the form of an ultimatum. Unless England disavowed Lord Balfour’s famous decree, cancel plans to celebrate the 100^th anniversary of that historic milestone later this year (November 2), and recognize a State of Palestine—with the obvious implication that if Britain unilaterally accepted a Palestinian State, other nations would follow—the Palestinian Authority would file a lawsuit against Great Britain.

Presumably this pathetic petition would be filed with the International Court of Justice, more commonly called The World Court, ICJ or just The Hague, as this judicial branch of the United Nations is headquartered in Hague, Netherlands. The Palestinian Authority is not a nation; it only has “observer” status (along with the Vatican) in the United Nations. Thus, their lawsuit would have no legitimacy, i.e. one nation’s grievance against another nation. But such things have never deterred Mahmoud Abbas or his predecessor, Yasser Arafat, from their twisted short-term agenda to delegitimize the State of Israel and their warped long-term intent of replacing the State of Israel with yet another Middle East Arab state.

Any such spurious litigation would be akin to the eleven southern states in America that succeeded from the Union—which precipitated the American Civil War—now demanding that the United States Government apologize (tantamount to a retraction) for the 13^th Amendment to the Constitution. After the Union won the Civil War, that amendment was finally ratified December 18, 1865 as constitutional recognition and support of President Abraham Lincoln’s now famous Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863.

The 13^th Amendments stipulates: “neither slavery no involuntary servitude … shall exist within the United States or any place subject to their jurisdiction.”

Contrary to Palestinian deceptive distortion of the Balfour Declaration, it was the Emancipation Proclamation of its time. It was a Declaration to officially end Jewish servitude to the Ottoman Empire that ruled Palestine for 400 hundred years. But not only for the Jews; also for the Arabs! However, the Arabs didn’t want freedom and self-governing autonomy if it meant living next to even more Jews who would come to Palestine following the Balfour Declaration.

From its inception the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO founded in 1964)—later named the Palestinian National Authority (since the miserably failed Oslo Accord of 1993)—has sought the destruction of Israel, as found in its Charter, and also contained in the Hamas Charter for the Gaza Strip. Most refer to the Palestinian National Authority as just the Palestinian Authority and rightfully so; there is no such thing as a Palestinian nation or state.

When the Arab nations of Syria, Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq suffered a resounding defeat in Israel’s War of Independence in 1948-49, the Six-Day war of 1967, and the Yom Kippur War of 1973, they came to the stark realization that the Arabs couldn’t conquer the Jews by conventional military warfare. So they turned to unconventional methods, which disgustingly have become all too conventional: BDS, planned terrorist attacks; spontaneous lone-wolf killings of innocent Israelis spawned by incitement from Abbas himself; rockets launched from Lebanon and the Gaza Strip into Israel; elementary and high-school curriculum propagandizing their children to kill Jews and “liberate” Palestine; and rewriting of history with false claims maliciously supported by UNESCO that the Jewish (and even Christian) sacred sites of Israel are Islamic holy sites to include Temple Mount and even the Western Wall.

(See Eye of Prophecy article, United Nations Downsizing of Israel, Resolution 2334, posted 1-7-17).

More Repugnant Rhetoric from the Palestinians

Although criticism of the Balfour Declaration has been going on periodically for some time, P.A. President Abbas in the past couple of years has taken his lie-laced vendetta directly to the United Nations. (See Eye of Prophecy articles, Tell a Big Lie Long Enough and More Palestinians Lies, posted 10-10-15 & 2-20-16, respectively).

This is an offshoot of another disturbing phenomenon that has taken place in the recent past. From slightly less provocative but still harmful false accusations that the Jews are “illegally occupying” land that “rightfully” belongs to Arabs, Mahmoud Abbas has upped the ante by brazenly suggesting the elimination of the State of Israel altogether. Which has been the real agenda of the Palestinian Authority and even more so of their bitter rival Hamas from the beginning. This is glaringly evident when Abbas speaks in Arabic to his own people and to Islamic nations that hate Israel.

Whereas, in his United Nations speeches and when talking to dignitaries of democratic nations, he tempers this offensive oratory under the guise of more diplomatic, but, nevertheless, ridiculous boasts such as made during his recent meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump.

According to Mahmoud Abbas and his Palestinian Authority cronies, “We are raising our youth, our children, our grandchildren on a culture of peace.”

Seriously?

(Another Example of Mahmoud Abbas’s Duplicity: It’s He Who Issues Threats and Ultimatums)

“A Palestinian State like Iraq, Saudi Arabia & other Islam countries, will not have or allow a single Jew to live there.”

(See Eye of Prophecy article, Ethnic Cleansing of Jews … The Real Palestinian Agenda, published 9-17-16).

Put that in the context of Israel allowing 1.8 million Arabs to live in Israel. That’s 21 % of Israel’s population of 8.7 million—which does not include Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza who have refused citizenship in Israel—who have Israeli citizenship with all the rights of Jewish citizens. Privileges such as voting, serving in the Knesset, owning their own businesses, free movement through the land, and many more autonomous liberties.

Do you think that Abbas would tolerate or agree to a reciprocal action by Israel should a Palestinian State be negotiated; that all Arabs citizens of Israel must leave their homes if they are in whatever new boundaries Israel might end up with. I think not. Nor would the Israelis ever do such a thing. Nor would the majority of those 1.8 million Arabs (citizens of Israel) want to be relocated to or live in a Palestinian State.

As written by Bassam Tawil in his article, Palestinians: Abbas’s “Culture of Peace” posted in the online Op-Ed news source, Gatestone Institute on May 8: “Apparently, like his predecessor, Yasser Arafat, Abbas is convinced that Palestinians can fool ‘all of the people, all of the time’ about their true goals and intentions. Arafat lied to Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton when he told them that he and the Palestinian Authority were promoting peace and coexistence with Israel.”

Bassam Tawil concludes his article with, “Under Abbas, anti-Israel incitement and indoctrination is a business that has expanded exponentially. It has grown to the point that a new generation has been raised on the glorification of jihadists, a generation impatient to draw yet more Jewish blood. If this is Abbas’s “culture of peace,” what, one wonders, would he consider a culture of war?”

If nothing else (there is virtually nothing of any redeeming value within his insidious goals and sinister strategies), Abbas is both clever and brash. He now boldly brandishes a double barrel shotgun. He aims and constantly fires one barrel directly at the Jews; with hammer cocked and the other barrel pointed menacingly at democratic counties such as Great Britain, threatening them with justice under his version of international law … in this case demanding an apology for the Balfour Declaration.

Make no mistake; this is much more than a simple apology. He fully understands that an “apology” would be tantamount to British (and world-wide) sanctions that the Jews don’t belong in Israel … they never had a right to be there in the first place. That the very state of Israel is illegitimate and should give way to a “Palestinian State.”

What Exactly was the Balfour Declaration?

What historical significance does it have, then and now?

Lord Balfour and a handful of others who understood world history in general and Middle East heritage in particular, realistically and accurately identified the ancient hostility between Arab and Jew. To some extent or another, they also grasped or at least sensed the longing of and need for the Jews to once again have a homeland of their own. A few realized that this home must be the Promised Land given to the Jews by God, himself. Accordingly, the Balfour Declaration was the first meaningful attempt to resolve those issues. Which is why Palestinians and Muslims everywhere loathe this historical milestone, one that eventually led to Israel’s Statehood in 1948. Followed by the still ongoing Second Exodus of Jews—this time from nations all over the earth, especially countries to the north of Israel—and Aliyah (ingathering of Jews) to Israel.

(See Eye of Prophecy article, The Second Exodus, posted 5-10-14)

Before we examine the Balfour Declaration more closely, on the authority of Scripture and the clear evidence in secular history that God’s plan and purpose for Israel (and the resulting effect it has had and will have on Gentile nations) has been unfolding precisely according to the Bible, I’m going to make this assertive, yet historically accurate statement … in italics for emphasis:

Please see Eye of Prophecy articles, Look Up, Redemption is Near Part I & II (published 7-11-15 & 7-18-15) that among other things lists twelve phenomenal indicators which have synchronized with a frequency and magnitude in the 20^th & 21^st centuries like never before.

Yet it was the Balfour Declaration that set the last-days prophetic stage and started the end-times wheel turning. (Italics, also for emphasis).

Scripture is replete with examples of God’s sovereignty in providentially using even tragic events to accomplish his majestic plan for the human race. This plan focuses predominately on Israel and her Messiah (Jesus, who is also the Savior of the Gentiles), beginning with Abraham and continuing until all of Israel acknowledges her Messiah who will return to establish his Kingdom of justice and peace on this earth.

Specifically, I’m talking about World War I (prematurely labeled “The War to End All Wars”) which led directly to the Balfour Declaration of November 2, 1917 issued about one year before the war officially ended on November 11, 1918. God’s sovereign hand was extraordinarily evident in this dramatic declaration, as evidenced by the British forces under Sir Edmund Allenby taking Jerusalem from the Ottoman Turks just a few weeks later on December 11, 1917 (on Hanukkah no less)! The British were victorious in this final “battle” of their campaign in Israel with hardly a shot fired, and with no casualties (military or civilian) or damage to Jerusalem that would have been inevitable if the Turks had defended their stronghold in Jerusalem. Instead, the Turks surrendered without a fight. This marked the end of the Ottoman Empire.

(Sir Edmund Allenby Entering Through the Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem in December, 1917)

(Sir Edmund Allenby)

Despite the horrors of World War I, the Balfour Declaration was the conception point of Israel’s gestation that would take another 30 years to grow within the womb of history.

Then God turned Jewish anguish and ashes from a Second World War (the horrendous Holocaust that resulted in the slaughter of six million Jews) into the miraculous beautiful birth of Israel. In November, 1947 the United Nations passed a resolution granting the Jews a homeland to call their own. Followed by the (re)birth of the Sovereign State of Israel on May 14, 1948. That was also the beginning of another generation (within a generation) both of which correspond to the final generation mentioned by Jesus.

*Note: There are two time-parameters of a generation found in Scripture. (1) One Hundred Years—see Genesis 15:12-16; (2) Seventy Years—see Psalm 90:10.

Amazingly, the Balfour Declaration was a single paragraph written on November 2, 1917 by Britain’s Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour, addressed to Baron Walter Rothschild, a leader of the British Jewish community. The letter was to be transmitted to the Zionist Federation of Great Britain and Ireland. Here it is (in italics):

His Majesty’s government view with favor the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavors to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.

Nearly five years passed by before this noble proclamation would be officially endorsed by the victorious World War I Allies (including the U.S., Great Britain, and France). On July 24, 1922, this approval was extended by none other than the newly formed League of Nations. The Balfour Declaration was also adopted as official policy by the British Mandate, which gave the United Kingdom jurisdiction over what was still called Palestine. There were Arab attacks and hostile actions against their Jewish neighbors during that time.

What contemporary Muslims and Palestinians (especially the Palestinian Authority and its President Abbas) will rarely mention is that the Arabs, who lived in and outside of Palestine after the implementation of the Balfour Declaration as international policy, flatly rejected the idea of co-existence with Jews in Palestine. On the other hand, the Jews welcomed their Arab neighbors with open arms, and in no way (then or now) violated the terms of the Balfour Declaration that stipulated no “prejudice (against) the civil or religious rights of non-Jewish communities…” Although Lord Balfour didn’t specifically mention Arabs, that’s precisely who he meant.

Time/space doesn’t permit in this week’s article to elaborate on other pre-existing conditions that led to the Balfour Declaration. Except to say that Zionism (the Biblically driven precept that the Jews had every right to and would return to their God-given Promised Land) had been underway for a few decades under the leadership of such visionaries as Chaim Weizmann and Theodore Herzl.

As you’ll see in next week’s Eye of Prophecy Part II article on the Balfour Declaration from a passage in Jeremiah, God calls his chosen people—in the context of their final return to the Promised Land—my virgin Israel. Which makes the Virgin Birth of Messiah, who appeared several times in the Old Testament as the Pre-Incarnate Christ, and the virgin-like (re)birth (supernaturally against impossible odds) of the Jewish nation a very appropriate analogy.

The True Agenda of the Palestinians & Muslim Nations & God’s Warning Against Such Plans

Not often does Mahmoud Abbas or Muslim nations hostile toward Israel (which is the vast majority) challenge the UN Resolution of November, 1947, which called for Israel’s acceptance into the family of nations alongside of an Arab State. To do so would be to bite the United Nations hand that feeds and fuels their hostility. They wouldn’t want to risk their incessant use of the United Nations (especially UNESCO) to pass one anti-Semitic resolution after another against the only free, democratic state in the entire Middle East.

Instead, they rail against the Balfour Declaration, the historical catalyst of Israel’s rebirth. To them it’s a much softer target, one that enables them to tell more lies. Such as Britain didn’t have the authority to partition Palestine in 1917. England certainly did have that right. I could write an entire article or two on the subject of post-World War I (and post-World War II) formations of new nations and territories in Europe and the Middle East. And those articles would pale in comparison to the number of historical volumes already written.

(Lord Arthur Balfour)

As with the Balfour Declaration, the Arabs in Palestine rigidly rejected the UN Resolution of 1947 which afforded them another opportunity to create a state of their own next to the State of Israel, after the British Mandate of Palestine expired in May, 1948. These are absolute historical facts that most heads of state and people all over the world either don’t understand or choose to ignore. Plus the fact that nothing has changed with the Palestinian and Muslim mindset toward Israel.

To wit: They don’t want a state next to Israel. They want a state in place of Israel. It’s as simple as that. Yet, what do we hear frequently from world leaders including U.S. Presidents? We hear practically nothing except a two-state solution. That is absolutely the worst thing that could happen. The repercussions would be devastating. Through Scripture, God is crystal clear on that subject.

Listen to God’s stern warning to those who have harmed the Jews and who seek to take away the land he has given to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob:

“…There I will judge them for harming my people, my special possession, for scattering my people among the nations, and for dividing up my land” (Joel 3:2).

The Promised Land MUST NOT BE DIVIDED.

“The Lord’s voice will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth will shake. But the Lord will be a refuge for his people, a strong fortress for the people of Israel” (Joel 3:16).

Britain’s Response to Palestinian Authority Demands to Rescind the Balfour Declaration

During the last part of April, 2017, the British Foreign Office representative reaffirmed the British Government’s official response to the absurd Palestinian demand that England, “…openly apologize to the Palestinian people for issuing the Balfour Declaration.” Based on the preposterous claim that, “the colonial policy of Britain between 1917 and 1948 led to mass displacement of the Palestinian nation.”

Britain refused to apologize, stating: “We are proud of our role in creating the State of Israel.”

Followed by their explanation: “The Declaration was written in a world of competing imperial powers, in the midst of the First World War and in the twilight of the Ottoman Empire. In that context, establishing a homeland for the Jewish people in the land to which they had such strong historical and religious ties was the right and moral thing to do, particularly against the background of centuries of persecution. Of course, a full assessment of the Declaration and what followed from it can only be made by historians.”

My response to that response: “Amen! Way to go Great Britain!”

However, my enthusiasm is tempered, because the U.K. statement went on to say that the Balfour Declaration should have done more not to “prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine.” This originated first from Lord Warner, member of the House of Lords, who several weeks ago (before the Palestinian Authority regurgitated Mahmoud Abbas’s speech at the United Nations) said that Britain should apologize for the Balfour Declaration. He contended that Britain had failed in that endeavor not to “prejudice … rights of the Palestinians” and should apologize for, “…the suffering that failure has caused and try to make amends … with a clear commitment to recognition of a viable independent Palestinian state.”

This never came to a vote in Britain’s Parliament and obviously Britain’s State Department overruled Lord Warner’s slanted sentiment to side with the Palestinians’ demands.

To reiterate: At no time after the League of Nations ratified and implemented the British Mandate and the Balfour Declaration, did the Jews prejudice (and certainly didn’t violate) the civil and religious rights of “non-Jewish communities of Palestine…” Just the opposite occurred when several pogrom style persecutions were launched by the Arabs against the Jews in the 1920s. And, as previously indicated: all-out war was hurled at the reborn State of Israel in 1948.

Concerning the Palestinian Authority’s outrageous claim that, “the colonial policy of Britain between 1917 and 1948 led to mass displacement of the Palestinian nation,” in addition to what I’ve already said regarding the Balfour Declaration, consider the following:

There was no—I repeat for emphasis—absolutely no “Palestinian nation” in 1917 or 1947-48; nor a “Palestinian” people. There were Arabs and Jews living in Israel, the land that a Roman Emperor in the 2^nd century capriciously changed from Israel to Palestine for no other reason than to mock the Jews who remained in Israel after the Great Diaspora, by a name that sounded like or resembled Israel’s ancient mortal enemy, Philistia … the Philistines. Not until the PLO was formed in 1964 then even more after the Israeli victory in the 1967 Six-Day War, did Arabs began referring to themselves as Palestinians. Prior to that if anyone referred to a Palestinian or lawful resident of Palestine, they were referring almost exclusively to the Jews.

When the United Nations passed Israel’s Statehood Resolution in November, 1947, it also included land for an Arab State. Jews reached out to their Arab neighbors and asked them to stay. Their sincere gesture was met with Arab attacks on Jewish villages throughout Israel. This guerilla fighting (at the provocation of the Arabs) continued off and on until Israel became a state on May 14, 1948. One day later, five Arab nations attacked Israel. Arab government and military leaders told the Arabs to evacuate Israel in great numbers, with rationale that the Arab armies would have more room to maneuver and territory to fight the Israelis.

(Original Partition Nearly Equal Between Israel and an Arab State, However, the Judea/Samaria Area–Commonly Called the West Bank–Middle of Map in Yellow, Is Some of the Choicest Land)

Thus, hundreds of thousands of Arabs were “displaced.” Not by the Jews, not by the British, not by the UN Resolution to replace Palestine’s British Mandate with Arab and Jewish States (a two-state solution!); but by direct orders of their leaders who could have accepted a new Arab State rather than immediately attacking the Jews with the express purpose of wiping new-born Israel from the face of the earth.

Other Arabs left to escape the fighting, but mostly because they could not and would not tolerate living alongside Jews … just in case the Jews won the war.

These are the historical facts that so many liberal politicians (and even some conservative) in governments the world over have ignored or simply don’t care to consider as a balance to their tunnel vision effort to eliminate Islamophobia and/or to create a Palestinian State—no matter the cost to Israel’s security and the potential for even more war and bloodshed in the Middle East. As well as Europe and other western nations where Islamic terrorists have transported jihad from the Middle East.

Once again: the Palestinians do not want a state alongside Israel; they want a state instead of Israel. That’s why they rejected the Balfour Declaration, the UN Resolution of 1947, and two generous (but misguided) land offers from former Israeli Prime Ministers Ehud Barak and Ehud Olmert early in the 21^st century.

(See, A Palestinian State … No, Say Many Arabs! Posted 4-11-14. And, Peace or a Palestinian State … Which Will It Be? Posted 2-27-16)

For all practical purposes, the Palestinians already have a territorial state. In fact, they have two states: one in the West Bank, the other in the Gaza Strip. At the very least they are self-governed to the extent of conducting elections, providing their own police force, and other administrative, economic, social, cultural, and political privileges associated with a self-determining people.

Then there are the 1.8 million Arabs who are citizens of Israel. The vast majority of them don’t want to live in a Palestinian State. They don’t want to give up the liberties and exceptional advantages that Israelis provide through such things as sophisticated electric-power grids, advanced agriculture techniques including incredible drip-systems, excellent and balanced education, technologically progressive medical care, state of the art infrastructure, and a thriving society that provides jobs and a higher standard of living than the average Arab has in virtually any Muslim nation in the Middle East.

(Shaare Zedek Hospital Complex in Jerusalem, Considered One of the Best Treatment Centers in the World. Israel Also Provides Medical Care to Palestinians, Syrians Wounded in Their Civil War & Arabs From Surrounding Nations)

Certainly, the Balfour Declaration was the “right and moral thing to do.” But it was more than that. Whether Lord Balfour realized it or not, his courageous initiative to speak for both Britain and the Jews was an acknowledgment and affirmation of God’s divine mandate to nations and peoples the world over concerning his powerful plan for Israel and the nations. One that absolutely will come to pass including the fall of nations who seek to harm Israel, and the success of those who support the Jews in their journey of reaching God’s destiny for Israel and the Jewish people.

Please, don’t miss next week’s Part II article. You’ll see more astounding implications of the Balfour Declaration from a broader prophetic perspective … a vista to show that we are living in the last days of the final (Omega) generation identified by Jesus, himself.

Things to Ponder

The world’s attention on Israel is absolutely amazing. Never in world history have so many nations been so passionately focused (positive or negative, for or against) on one tiny country. Hardly a day goes by without a prominent leader from countries both big and small spouting rhetoric and rendering opinions about Israel and her place on planet Earth.

For example: In just the past few days, Germany’s President Frank Steinmeier echoed the uninformed but, nonetheless, persistent verbiage of many other dignitaries, saying that a two-state solution was “truly urgent.” U.S. President Trump, known world-wide for making deals, declared that peace between Israel and the Palestinians would be the “ultimate deal.”

Read with me three of many Bible prophecies written long ago regarding Israel’s destiny and the fate of nations and peoples opposed to her:

“And give them this message from the Sovereign Lord: I will gather the people of Israel from among the nations. I will bring them home to their own land from the places where they have been scattered. I will unify them into one nation on the mountains of Israel. One king will rule them all…” (Ezekiel 37:21-22).

Through another prophet, God declared:

“…This message is from the Lord who stretched out the heavens, laid the foundations of the earth, and formed the human spirit. I will make Jerusalem like an intoxicating drink that makes the nearby nations stagger when they send their armies to besiege Jerusalem and Judah. On that day I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock. All the nations will gather against it to try to move it, but they will only hurt themselves” (Zechariah 12:1-3).

“For on that day I will begin to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem” (Zechariah 12:9, italics for emphasis).

I am convinced beyond any doubt that we are living in the Omega (last) Generation. A generation destined for such a time as this … “that day” which is the soon-to-come great and glorious Day of the Lord.

(*Please take a few more minutes to watch this stirring video of our United States Marines singing along to one of the greatest modern Christian songs ever composed.)

Trump, Cyrus, and the Jewish Temple

18 Saturday Feb 2017

Posted by garybowers in Current Events

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Israeli Settlements

As Donald Trump Goes, So Goes Israel?

How ironic that people from all over the world seem to be more excited and less divided over the election of Donald Trump as United States President, than Americans are … what with some folks in the United States yelling, “Trump is not my President.”

Hardly any election in American history has polarized Americans more than Donald Trump’s defeat of Hilary Clinton this past November. Normally America comes together in some optimistic fashion to give a new president the (benefit of the doubt) opportunity to see what he can/will do. But not this time, beginning with the President’s controversial decision to (temporarily) ban immigrants from seven nations hostile toward the United States; seven countries that spawn terrorists or subsidize terrorism, with a permanent ban (until further notice) on refugees from Syria.

By and large, the citizens and leaders of one nation in particular have expressed their enthusiasm for Donald Trump’s presidency … Israel. Certainly there are more than just a few Jews in the United States and some in Israel that are dismayed over the election. Yet, through numerous articles from Israeli journalists reporting on the reaction of Israeli citizens and their leaders, it’s clear that there is an atmosphere of cheerfulness and confidence unparalleled since President Harry Truman was the first national leader to congratulate Israel on her rebirth as a sovereign nation in 1948.

This heart-felt hopefulness harbored by many Israelis of better times ahead in Israel—contingent on stronger relations between Israel and the United States (in glaring contrast to former President Obama’s contentious conduct and divisive demeanor toward Israel)—is, for the most part, connected to four passionate but seemingly unattainable dreams near and dear to most Israelis, both religious and secular.

They will be listed in order of the most likely to the least likely for implementation. The realization of these individual and national Jewish dreams appear to be directly proportionate to President Trump’s promises or, at least, preferences that he had already expressed before and then after his election. The first three will be examined in cursory fashion, with our main focus in today’s article on the fourth passionate pursuit of Israelis, especially the observant (religious) among them. It is, by far, the most difficult goal to achieve. It is one that could lead to a savage Palestinian intifada against Israelis, even to all-out war between some Muslim nations and Israel that globally would generate political, social, and military repercussions.

It is: A Rebuilt Jewish Temple.

Each of the four is an awkward juxtaposition of irritating issues to the world at large, alongside of ardent aspirations for Israelis.

First Issue/Aspiration: Additional Jewish Settlements in the West Bank

Emboldened by President Trump’s election, the Jewish parliamentary government (Knesset) passed the Judea and Samaria Settlement Regulation Law on February 6^th. In some prior Eye of Prophecy articles, I’ve written fairly extensively on the alleged “Jewish occupation and Israeli settlements” in so-called “Palestinian territories.” For example, Israeli Occupation … Fact or Myth? (Published 5-16-15).

Time/space in today’s article does not permit elaboration on this Settlement Regulation Law. Suffice to say: Whether the legislative enactment to build more dwellings for Jewish families in the designated region of Judea/Samaria (what is commonly called the West Bank) can or will be implemented depends upon two factors. In order of importance: (1) An Israeli Supreme Court’s decision to endorse the law or to nullify it. (2) The United States, primarily through President Trump’s leadership, agreement not to contest or even criticize existing settlements or more construction, as the former U.S. Executive Staff (Obama’s two terms) had so strenuously objected.

(Shows How Much Land Judea/Samaria–Now Called the West Bank–Takes Up of Israel Proper)

Already there have been mixed signals from the Trump administration, bordering on ambivalence. Not that long ago, a White House spokesperson voicing President Trump’s stance on the matter, said, “we don’t believe the existence of settlements is an impediment to peace.”

Yet in a recent interview President Trump gave to Israeli journalist Boaz Bismuth who writes for the online Israeli news source, Israel Hayom, President Trump appeared to take a step backwards, at least in terms of overt support for Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Before quoting a portion of this interview as posted in Boaz Bismuth’s article of February 12, 2017, I need to bring up an intriguing fact as subsequently published in Bismuth’s article of the very next day, February 13^th.

Boaz Bismuth wrote: “After my interview with Trump last week (results of which weren’t published until the February 12^th article), one of his senior advisors told me: ‘You see! Our president is a man of his word.’ She was referring to the promise Trump made to me during an interview on the campaign trail. During that interview, on the night of the third presidential debate, I asked to have the honor of being the first Israeli journalist to interview him as president. ‘I promise,’ Trump said.”

Here is one question to and answer from President Trump as contained in Bismuth’s article of February 12^th:

“Q. We heard from Washington this week that settlements are not an impediment to the peace process. I guess this is an issue you and Prime Minister Netanyahu are going to discuss?” (Referring to their meeting which has now taken place … this past Wednesday)

“A. They (settlements) don’t help the process. I can say that. There is so much land left. And every time you take land for settlements, there is less land left. But we are looking at that, and we are looking at some other options we’ll see. But no, I am not somebody that believes that going forward with these settlements is a good thing for peace.”

*Note: On the subject of peace, President Trump used that word an astonishing 14 times in this fairly short interview with journalist Boaz Bismuth, and did so in the context of several questions (subjects).

(Writer, Boaz Bismuth)

Bismuth’s final question was: “Finally, Mr. President, do you have anything to say to the Israelis?”

President Trump’s answer: “I have great respect for the Israelis, great respect for Israel. We’d love to see peace. We think it would be very, very good for the Israeli people, and we want a peace that would be everlasting—not just a peace that is going to be good for three months and then the fighting starts again…”

Which I also find intriguing, in light of last week’s Eye of Prophecy article, Peace on Earth … Is It Really Possible? (Posted 2-11-17, the day before Boaz’s interview article of 2-12). Here is an excerpt (in italics) from that Eye of Prophecy article that seems to track with what President Trump said, in terms of his ardent desire to do his and America’s part to bring some measure of peace on earth. Now, if he would just look to the Prince of Peace as the only person who can truly bring harmony to this wicked war-weary world we live in!

A True Peace That Divides

It is belief in and acceptance of the truth of the gospel (Jesus substitutionary sacrificial death on the cross) that sets us free from the penalty of sin and gives us eternal life in heaven, when we will be forever free from the very presence of sin, grief, pain, remorse, hostility, and death itself.

But this truth divides. It separates good from evil; light from darkness; right from wrong; honesty from lies; God’s righteousness given to us from self-righteous efforts of good works that vainly try to gain God’s favor; and true everlasting peace with God from man-made peace that produces only a temporary false sense of security and serenity. A semblance of safety that all too quickly disappears with the next war just around the corner.

In summary of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, it does appear that President Trump is having second thoughts on whether they are an obstacle to peace. If that’s his position and becomes official White House policy, then there will be no difference between his view and that of the misguided notion of our former president as well as many international leaders. I’m referring to the grossly oversimplified impression and outright erroneous thinking that Jewish settlements in the West Bank is the ONLY reason why Palestinians hate the Jews and refuse to come to the negotiating table with the Israelis.

(Actual Jewish Settlements Constitute Less Than 5% of the West Bank)

Second Issue/Aspiration: Moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem

Until the recent Settlement Regulation Law passed by the Israeli Knesset, the potential move of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem was the hottest topic on the tips of the tongues of national leaders and the media all over the world. As expected, many European leaders voiced their objection for the same reasons of the self-fulfilling predictions by Muslim nations and by Palestinians: moving the U.S. Embassy would immediately produce even more hostility toward Israel and intensify violence against Israelis.

The recent Eye of Prophecy article entitled, Is President Trump Wavering on the “Waiver? (Posted 2-4-17), covered this issue at some length. In the context of today’s article, the following excerpt from that article is provided (in italics):

He concluded with the promise that he would, “…have a decision in the not-too-distant future.”

I take this to mean that President Trump is unwavering with regard to doing something about his unexpected and out-of-character wavering over “The Waiver.”

*Note: As a reminder, the “Waiver” referred to the clause in the Jerusalem Embassy Act passed in 1995 by a huge margin in both the House and Senate that mandated moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. However, with a contingency clause that allowed the sitting U.S. President to sign a waiver every six months, which would postpone implementation of the law.

The article, Is President Trump Wavering on the Waiver? concluded with:

To relocate the US Embassy to Jerusalem is much more than symbolic. It is a decisive move that could preclude God’s harsh judgment of the United States of America before the Day of the Lord’s return. A return that begins with the remarkable Rapture of believers and ends with Messiah Jesus’s second coming to earth seven years later in power and great glory to fight for Israel and rescue her from imminent destruction.

If President Trump wants to make America great again, the first place (no better place) to begin is with the transfer of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem. For in doing so, he is agreeing with God that Jerusalem, as the City that the Lord loves above all cities, is indeed the eternal heart and soul (capital) of Israel.

Third Issue/Aspiration: Creation of a Palestinian State (So-Called Two State Solution)

First, a clarification that the creation of a Palestinian State within the existing borders of Israel (those national boundaries that separate Israel from Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt) is NOT by any stretch of the imagination something that most Jews want. However, many Israelis—including their Presidential Staff, Department Ministers, Members of Knesset (MKs) and geopolitical experts—realize that a Palestinian State may very well come into existence. If for no other reason than constant international pressure.

If a Palestinian State becomes a reality, what Israelis earnestly hope for is that such a state will not jeopardize Jewish security because of virtually indefensible borders. Nonetheless, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (almost exclusively from pressure exerted by former US President Obama in 2009) had conceded that any peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians could conceivably include a Palestinian State. To counter the inherent danger that a Palestinian State would pose to the Jews, Prime Minister Netanyahu emphatically believes such an Arab state must be demilitarized. To monitor that, would mean freedom of the Israeli Defense Force to move throughout the Jordan Valley and the Golan Heights, as both regions are vital to Israeli security.

The following (in italics) are excerpts from Eye of Prophecy article, Peace or a Palestinian State … Which Will It Be? (Posted 2-27-16).

What the Palestinians want most of all is simply for the international community to take sides against Israel. This would give more credibility to their underlying objective of a Palestinian State not just within certain borders of Israel, but a state replacing all of Israel. Because to the Arab and most non-Arab Muslims, there is no such thing as Israel. All one needs to do is talk to any Palestinian on the street, or listen to their prolific propaganda, or read their school curriculum, or examine their maps of Palestine. For example, some Palestinian officials have recently demanded that all Jews in Palestine should be required to return to the country from which they immigrated (to Israel).

Another huge hurdle would be the actual territorial boundaries of such a Palestinian State. Which is why Israel must agree to such borders for purpose of their national security and national heritage and identity. That means that Israel would not surrender the Golan Heights, nor ever accept an official partition of West and East Jerusalem. Certainly, not to allow the Palestinian capital to be East Jerusalem, which includes Temple Mount. So, if France recognizes a Palestinian State, will they arbitrarily define these borders? Will they demand that the Jews vacate all settlements within the West Bank, including East Jerusalem? Would they unilaterally declare East Jerusalem as the Palestinian State Capital? Will they insist that Israel return the Golan Heights back to Syria? And, if Israel did, who or what in Syria would control the Golan Heights … given the fighting and anarchy already taking place in that war-torn country.

But the biggest obstacle of all: For years and years neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority has agreed to just two basic conditions requested by the Israeli government in order for the Jews to consider approval and acceptance of a Palestinian State: (1) Recognition of Israel itself as a sovereign Jewish State. (2) No Palestinian capital in (East) Jerusalem. It’s that simple. Israel is saying that a Palestinian State is feasible if the Palestinians would merely acknowledge the sovereign State of Israel, and agree to put a Palestinian capital anywhere in such a state except Jerusalem. Without these two concessions, all other negotiable issues are irrelevant.

In another Israel Hayom article published on February 12 (three days before Netanyahu was to meet with Trump), journalist Nadav Shragai wrote:

“Will Israel stick to the paradigm of a Palestinian state? Has Netanyahu been using that idea just so he could make it through the administration of former U.S. President Barack Obama, buy himself some time, and then go back to his old stance against a Palestinian state that will endanger regional security and the State of Israel? Or has he fallen in love with the idea? And if he has, was it with the idea itself or as an instrument of diplomacy?

“This question is both relevant and fateful, because all the signs indicate that this time, unlike previous meetings between American presidents and Israeli prime ministers, Trump is open to hearing, and even wants to understand, what Israel’s position is before he decides on policy. Is Israel for or against a Palestinian state? For or against annexation? To what extent? And where? Where in the settlements does it intend to build—in the large blocs? Outside them?

“If Trump’s campaign remarks are any indication, Israel has quite a bit of room to maneuver. Even Trump’s statements in his exclusive Israel Hayom interview that he does not believe that moving ahead with the settlements will benefit the peace process but does not intend to condemn Israel, still leave Israel considerable leeway.”

(Note: he is referring to the interview given by President Trump to Boaz Bismuth, part of which was quoted earlier in today’s article)

Because this week’s Eye of Prophecy began and was mostly completed prior to this past Thursday’s publication of Wednesday’s meeting between President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu (and because of time/space in today’s article), I’ll quote only a couple of their comments concerning the subject of a Palestinian State. President Trump’s remarks were somewhat unexpected, but not entirely.

Said President Trump: “I’m looking at two-state and one-state … I’m very happy with the one that both parties like. I can live with either one. I thought for a while the two-state looked like it may be the easier of the two. But honestly, if Bibi (Netanyahu) and if the Palestinians, if Israel and the Palestinians, are happy, I’m happy with the one they like the best.”

He went on to say: “…That includes working toward a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. The United States will encourage a peace and, really, a great peace deal. We’ll be working on it very, very diligently. Very important to me also—something we want to do. But it is the parties themselves who must directly negotiate such an agreement … As with any successful negotiations, both sides will have to make compromises. You know that, right?”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks were what I expected him to say, as already alluded to in today’s article written mostly before his historic meeting with President Trump on 2-15-17.

Among other things, he said, “the two prerequisites of peace, recognition of the Jewish state and Israel’s security needs west of the Jordan, they remain permanent … we must make sure we’re not under threat of a Palestinian terror state in our heartland.”

In Netanyahu’s mention of “security needs west of the Jordan,” he is referring to the “West Bank” which derives its name from the western side (bank) of the Jordan River. Of course that includes (all of) Jerusalem, which is the core of the second Israeli prerequisite … an undivided Jerusalem as the Jewish capital of Israel.

He also said: “I don’t want to annex two million Palestinians to Israel and I’ve no interest in them being our subjects. But we must make sure we’re not under threat of a Palestinian terror state in our heartland.”

Fourth Issue/Aspiration: A Rebuilt Jewish Temple on Temple Mount

This is the most controversial and combative issue of all, even among Israelis and Jews the world over. For the most part, it is observant (particularly the Orthodox) Jews who desperately want to rebuild the third Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. The restoration of the Jewish Temple would be a climatic achievement to the rebirth of Israel as a sovereign nation in 1948 and the recapture of their holy city of Jerusalem in 1967. Yet, if construction of the Temple would begin anytime in the near future, it undoubtedly would ignite a massive Palestinian intifada as well as Muslim nations attacking Israel from all sides. Moreover, there would be international condemnation of Israel from virtually every nation—with the possible exception of the United States and Great Britain.

Consequently, nearly all secular Jews and also more than a few non-Orthodox observant Jews (Reformed, Conservative) are opposed or at least reluctant to unilaterally move forward with a rebuilt Temple absent bilateral concessions on Israel’s part. In fact, the Palestinians and Muslims worldwide are adamantly, even violently, opposed to a rebuilt Jewish Temple on Temple Mount. They wouldn’t remotely agree to such a thing unless Israel met ALL Palestinian demands which, at one time or another, have been proclaimed as preconditions to negotiations for peace.

I’m referring to Arab demands that include but are not limited to: A Palestinian State with boundaries that include all of the West Bank and East Jerusalem as the capital of that state, encompassing the Western Wall and Temple Mount itself under Palestinian control. Meaning, of course, that the Palestinians would impose strict regulations (as they currently do) on who and how often the Jews could actually ascend Temple Mount or set foot in a rebuilt Temple. Also return of all so-called refuges from neighboring nations including 2^nd and 3^rd generation children of those refugees, which now total more nearly six million. And, Israeli eviction from the Golan Heights, which would be disastrous in terms of Israel’s security.

But since the majority of those demands would not be accepted unconditionally by Israel, we’re back to terrorism and war as the preferred strategy and probable action of Muslims in reaction to even an announcement that the Temple would be rebuilt, let alone actual construction.

From the Eye of Prophecy article, A Third Jewish Temple? (Published 4-26-14), I wrote:

For readers of this article that may not be fully aware of the importance of the Temple Mount to both religious and secular Jews, let me paraphrase what has been stated in a couple of previous Eye of Prophecy articles: Jerusalem is the very heart and soul of Israel, and the Temple Mount is the heart and soul of Jerusalem. It is none other than Mount Moriah, where Abraham nearly sacrificed his only son, Isaac; and later the site where Solomon’s Temple and the 2^nd Temple were built. Unfortunately, it is also the location of the Muslim Dome of the Rock, built some 1600 years after Solomon’s Temple and 1150 years after Ezra and Nehemiah’s Temple. The Muslims knew full well what they were doing when they erected the Dome of the Rock: deliberately replacing the most holy site of the Jews with a mosque that would usurp all Jewish religious and historical rights to Mount Moriah and to Jerusalem itself. Today, Islamists are rewriting history by teaching Arabs (and all others who will listen) that the Jewish Temples never existed in the first place.

How important is the Temple Mount to the Jews and to Israel? I’ll tell you how priceless and precious it is. Although President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority has imposed several conditions on the Israelis before he will even sit down at the negotiating table, Prime Minister Netanyahu has imposed only one condition: Recognition of Israel as a Jewish State. And, incorporated in that stipulation is the implied and default component that Jerusalem is Israel’s undivided capital. Virtually all other issues are negotiable to the Israelis. But Jerusalem will not be divided between east and west, and the Temple Mount must not be (permanently) annexed by a people who aren’t even citizens of Israel.

Even though I understand why, it’s nevertheless completely amazing to me that Israel relinquished a single square foot of Jerusalem to Jordanian or Palestinian control after re-capturing the holy city in the Six-Day War of 1967 at the highest price possible—the blood and lives of their soldiers and civilians. Why did they give back part of what they won in battle? Sad, but easy answer: To maintain a semblance of peace through appeasement of the Arabs but mostly as a concession to global pressure, including the United States.

Then later in that article:

…I firmly believe the primary reason for this resurgent passion toward Israel’s revered and venerated holy site has much more to do with the crescendo of enthusiasm over the coming of Messiah. An integral part of this desire for His appearance is the eagerness to rebuild the Temple. There are several organizations in Israel whose members are devoted to this 2000-year old dream, none more so than The Temple Institute.

In the introductory pages of their website, The Temple Institute states, “THE SCHOLARS OF THE TEMPLE INSTITUTE have dedicated their lives to raising public awareness of the importance of the Holy Temple in the life of all mankind, both Israel and the nations of the world. The Institute seeks to disseminate this knowledge, rekindle the desire and yearning for the rebuilding of the Holy Temple, and help to prepare as much as possible for the actual rebuilding.”

(Depiction of Jewish Temple Superimposed Next to Dome of the Rock on Temple Mount)

(Depicts Model of Temple in Place of the Dome of the Rock)

A New U.S. President, An Ancient Persian King, and the Next Jewish Temple

Although the desire to build the third Jewish Temple has been increasing in intensity since the Six-Day War of 1967, right now it appears to be stronger than ever before. Moreover, this titanic surge of interest is directly connected to the election of Donald Trump as the United States President. That Trump—with his resolve to get things done which benefit America’s people as well as Jews in Israel and his inner fortitude to speak his mind, to move and shake things otherwise considered unmovable and unshakable—might empower Benjamin Netanyahu and his coalition government in Israel to boldly call for construction of the Jewish Temple.

So much so that Rabbi Yehudah Glick (now a member of the Knesset)—a Temple Mount activist on behalf of Israeli rights to not just visit Temple Mount at will, but also an ardent advocate for a rebuilt Temple—has extended an invitation for President Trump to visit the Temple Mount. A few days later, the Jewish Sanhedrin sent a letter to Trump and also to Russian President Putin, asking them to, “fulfill the Cyrus mandate of enabling the rebuilding of the Temple.”

The above quote was from an article written by Enoch Lavendar, posted in the online source Prophecy News Watch on February 13, 2017.

The article began with, “The Jewish Temple Mount movement are excited over the recent election of Donald Trump. They know very well that rebuilding the Jewish temple in today’s world would be a dangerous and politically incorrect task. In their view, if there is any modern political leader with the guts and determination to stand behind such a project, it could be Donald Trump.”

Lavendar went on to report:

“A number of Christian leaders have been comparing Trump to the Biblical King Cyrus. They point out that King Cyrus was a leader called and appointed by God. If President Trump really has a similar calling to King Cyrus, could it be that God would use this real estate developer turned President to facilitate the greatest property development of modern time—the rebuilding of the Temple?”

(“I will raise up Cyrus to fulfill my righteous purpose, and I will guide his actions. He will restore my city and free my captive people–without seeking a reward! I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies have spoken! (Isaiah 45:13). This prophecy was made some 150 years before Cyrus was even born!)

*Note: Time and space in today’s Eye of Prophecy article does not permit elaboration on this comparison of Trump to King Cyrus, except to say it’s a big stretch. My main purpose for introducing quotes from Enoch Lavendar on the Third Temple (plus the other three issues that are captivating the undivided attention of Israelis, indeed, the entire world), is to demonstrate that end times prophecies are coming together at a phenomenal providential pace like never before.

As I’ve written several times in prior articles, I believe Scripture contains compelling evidence that it will be Antichrist (Nero) who will orchestrate the rebuilding of a third Jewish Temple through his seven-year treaty with and between Israel and other nations (Daniel 9:27). The remarkable reappearance of an ancient Roman Emperor will utterly amaze a world already stunned by the disappearance of hundreds of millions at the Rapture. Among those left behind, the Jews (particularly the Orthodox) will be the most skeptical that Nero is really Nero, returned from the grave. That is, until Nero achieves the impossible (to the Jews)—none other than a rebuilt Jewish Temple. At that point, some Jews (secular, liberal) will acknowledge him as Messiah. The more observant Jews will hail Nero (as some now do with Trump) as a messiah-type; until he stops the resumed Temple sacrifices half way through the Tribulation.

Although Jewish religious leaders have been careful to say that Donald Trump is not nor will be their Messiah, they believe he will help prepare the way for Messiah.

It’s quite evident why the Sanhedrin sent their invitational letter to President Trump. Rabbi Hillel Weiss, spokesman for the Sanhedrin, said in regard to Trump’s remarkable rise to the most powerful position in the world; Trump has, “…made the eternal Jewish dream a very real possibility … We are poised to rebuild the Temple. The political conditions today, in which the two most important national leaders in the world support the Jewish right to Jerusalem as their spiritual inheritance, is historically unprecedented.”

But, seriously … also send the letter to President Putin of Russia! Why?

Because, allegedly, President Putin had personally prayed for the rebuilding of the Temple during his visit to the Western Wall in 2012. I’ve also written fairly extensively in a few Eye of Prophecy articles about Vladimir Putin and the ulterior motives behind his professed affinity toward Israel. (For example, Beware of the Bear! Posted 3-22-14; Gog, Magog and Leviathan, Posted 1-3-15; The Russians Are Coming! 11-14-15). Because Russia will lead the Gog/Magog invasion against Israel, any ostensible gestures of good will that Putin offers to Israelis will be to accomplish Russia’s true agenda of conquering Israel.

In a final quote from Enoch Lavendar’s article, he mentions the calculations completed by well-known writer Michael Snyder:

“…Trump was born 700 days before Israel became a nation, won an election on Prime Minister Netanyahu’s 7^th year, 7^th month and 7^th day in office, and served his first full day in the White House at the age of 70 years, 7 months and 7 days old.”

Things to Ponder

All four of these ardent Israeli aspirations are connected components of end-times prophecy as found in numerous Biblical passages. In summary they are: (1) Jewish settlements in the Judea/Samaria (West Bank) which is an integral part of the Promised Land; (2) Jerusalem as Israel’s undivided capital, symbolized by nations placing their embassies in the Holy City of the Holy Land; (3) Although there will be Gentiles living in Israel before, during, and after the return of Messiah Jesus, all of Israel within the borders designated by God himself must not be divided into separate states or even territories; (4) A rebuilt Jewish Temple.

These perplexing issues and the Biblical promises of God to resolve them can be succinctly summed up by the following passage.

“…And the people of Israel will come back to reclaim their inheritance” (Obadiah 1:17).

Then the prophet describes in geographical detail where God’s people the Jews will live; which is virtually all of Israel given to them by God as previously delineated by Moses in Numbers 34:1-15 and Deuteronomy 1:7-8. And in the book of Joshua, Chapters 15-19. One day soon, these ancient God-given boundaries, which were much larger than today’s Israel, will be inhabited once again by the Jews.

Read with me:

“Then my people living in the Negev will occupy the mountains of Edom (part of Saudi Arabia). Those living in the foothills of Judah will possess the Philistine plains (Gaza strip) and take over the fields of Ephraim and Samaria (West Bank). And the people of Benjamin will occupy the land of Gilead (Jordan). The exiles of Israel will return to their land and occupy the Phoenician coast as far north as Zarephath (Lebanon). The captives from Jerusalem exiled in the north will return home and resettle the towns of the Negev. Those who have been rescued will go up to Mount Zion in Jerusalem to rule over the mountains of Edom. And the Lord himself will be king!” (Obadiah 1:19-21, parenthesis mine).

In addition to Israel’s boundaries identified by Obadiah, the Promised Land also extended to the Euphrates River (Deuteronomy 1), through modern-day Syria and Iraq!

(Original Land Promised to Abraham and His Descendants the Jews)

Borrowing from and rephrasing the well-known poem penned by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow of our late great American patriot Paul Revere:

Listen my children and you shall hear, the trumpet call of God so imminently near!

“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words” (I Thessalonians 4:16-18).

Hallelujah to the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!

Long live Israel’s King … Messiah Jesus, King of all kings!

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~ "For the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus" (Rev.19:10)

Category Archives: Current Events

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Jewish Sovereignty on Temple Mount (Part II)

Jewish Sovereignty on Temple Mount (Part I)

An Unprecedented Palestinian Attack in Jerusalem

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The Liberation of Jerusalem

The Balfour Declaration … Beginning of the Omega Generation (Part II)

The Balfour Declaration … Beginning of the Omega Generation (Part I)

Trump, Cyrus, and the Jewish Temple