The Eyes of the World Are On Jerusalem

No other city in the world has garnered more attention for so long than Jerusalem. No other nation on earth has generated more controversy in the past 70 years than Israel.

Jerusalem is the most significant of ancient cities still in existence, beginning with the glory years of King David and King Solomon. Older cities such as Damascus couldn’t hold a candle to Jerusalem in terms of international prominence and recognition. Through God’s divine providence, the rise and fall and exploits of notable nations have been directly related to Jerusalem.

The crowning achievement of the once mighty city-nation of Babylon was its utter destruction of Jerusalem and of Solomon’s Temple. But Babylon was expressly chosen by the Lord to punish his people for their flagrant disobedience … for abandoning the true and living God who had generously given them the Promised Land, and who established Jerusalem as its eternal capital.

After Babylon destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple—136 years after Assyria conquered the ten northern tribes (Israel)—it became the most feared nation on earth. But God, in his sovereign purpose for his special possession, Israel, had declared before Israel was even conquered that the exile to Babylon would last only 70 years. Then the Lord chose Persia as the nation that would defeat Babylon and deliver his people from captivity. God even named the Persian ruler who would issue the edict for the Jews to return and rebuild the Temple some 150 years before Cyrus was born! Subsequently, the Persian King Artaxerxes authorized Nehemiah’s journey to Israel to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

The culminating triumph of Alexander the Great’s astonishing campaign in conquering nation after nation was when he reached Jerusalem. Because Alexander was so impressed that the Bible had foretold his stunning accomplishments, he spared Jerusalem and wished the Jews well in serving their God.

(Depiction of Alexander the Great. Although It’s Unclear Whether He Actually Kneeled Before the Jewish Religious Leaders, Historian Josephus Records That He, “Treated the Whole Priesthood Magnificently”)

Likewise, the mighty Roman Empire focused inordinate attention on Israel and Jerusalem, than otherwise merited by such a small country that had (at the time) virtually no say in or control over their future. So much so that the fifth Roman Emperor Nero sent eight Roman legions (around 60,000 troops) to Israel under Generals Vespasian and Titus to crush the Jewish revolt of 66 AD. Which led to the complete demolition of the 2^nd Temple and dispersion of the Jews throughout the earth for some 1,900 years.

Those powerful empires are long gone, but Israel is alive and well, and Jerusalem will remain its God-appointed capital forever!

It was Jerusalem that motivated (mostly) Roman Catholic Crusaders to wrongly march three times on Israel over a period of 200 years to liberate the holy city from Muslim control, killing thousands of Jews on their way to the Holy Land. When, in fact, the reason for Muslim domination of Israel was to prevent the Jews from exercising their (rightful) control of Jerusalem.

Otherwise, the Arabs and later the Ottoman Empire had little concern for Jerusalem since Islam was founded by Muhammad in the 7^th century A.D. That lack of interest suddenly changed when Israel was miraculously reborn as a sovereign state in 1948, and especially after Israel recaptured (liberated) Jerusalem along with the Golan Heights, Sinai, Gaza, and Judea/Samaria in the remarkable Six Day War of 1967. It was then that Jerusalem once again rose to international prominence. Only for Israel, under international pressure, to relinquish functional administration of Judea/Samaria, including (so-called) East Jerusalem, back to Jordanian control.

When Israel defeated Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq, who attacked the Jews the day after Israel became an independent nation on May 14, 1948, the Arabs forfeited any potential (perceived) claim they had to Jerusalem—or for that matter to any part of Israel. Actually, they lost that right when they rejected the UN Resolution of 1947 which offered states for both the Jews and Arabs, with Jerusalem as a city under international jurisdiction—which never happened. Instead, Jordan illegally took over Judea/Samaria (West Bank) including much of Jerusalem and all of Temple Mount with hardly a whisper of protest from the United Nations.

However, the Arabs had minimal interest in Jerusalem for nearly 3,000 years until the Jews reclaimed all of the Holy City in the Six-Day War. That’s when the Arabs referred to themselves on a regular basis as Palestinians, as indicated in last week’s Eye of Prophecy article: What is Palestine & Who Is A Palestinian? And that’s when the Arabs became noticeably “interested” in Temple Mount in particular and Jerusalem in general.

Jerusalem Stands Alone and Unique Among World Capitals

There is not a single country on this planet whose capital city has not been recognized by other nations, except Israel.

All nations have the inalienable right to declare its capital, except Israel, according to world opinion. The United States executive branch under a President whose campaign included a promise to move our embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem still relied on the now defunct international status of Jerusalem proposed in the 1947 United Nations Resolution. That feature of the 1947 Resolution immediately became null and void by virtue of Arab refusal to abide by the resolution in any way, shape, or form. Nevertheless, even the United States has deferred to that meaningless and irrelevant international status of Jerusalem as a basis to disavow Jerusalem as Israel’s capital … until now.

All of this despite the US Senate and House of Representatives near unanimous passage of the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995; with, however, a contingency clause for a Presidential Waiver of the Embassy move every six months. Waiver or not, the embassy was supposed to be relocated to Jerusalem by the end of May, 1999.

Here is an excerpt from Eye of Prophecy article, Jerusalem … A Capital without a Country (published 6-13-15), beginning with the first two paragraphs of that article (in italics):

Or is it: Israel … A Country without a Capital? It’s a shame that either of these two concepts should even be in the form of a question. But they are, and they must be faced head-on and answered. Any response depends entirely on whether a sovereign nation possesses the inherent right to choose its own capital; which is a reasonable presumption, or it should be. So we’ll begin with both barrels blazing and boldly assert: Of course, a sovereign state has that right! For Israeli Jews, the answer is as obvious as it would be to an American citizen who would never question whether Washington D.C. is the Capital of the United States of America … Jerusalem is the (eternal) capital of Israel.

Yet, the United States and virtually every nation on earth does NOT recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital city. Instead, they have placed embassies in Tel Aviv; thereby, telling Israel that Tel Aviv is its seat of government, not Jerusalem. So drop the capital and the issue actually becomes: Jerusalem, a City without a Country? That is precisely how the US President and his staff, as well as most governments, classify Jerusalem—which reduces it to the same status as the Vatican … a city-state inside a country but without a country.

Then later in that article:

But concerning the possibility of a Palestinian State, all of this is really a moot point. Because of one monumentally significant truth and fact: Israel will never ever allow Jerusalem to be divided into two capitals. In that context, why can’t Ramallah in the West Bank be the capital of any future Palestinian State? That is the current headquarters of the Palestinian Authority. Or any city in the Gaza Strip, current headquarters of the governing authority, Hamas? I’ll tell you why. Because the Palestinians do not want Israel to exist at all, and certainly not Jerusalem as Israel’s God-given capital.

Following the American Civil War, can you imagine that, after winning the war, the United States (northern states) agreed to cede the southern half of Washington D.C. to the Confederacy as the Confederate capital? For that matter, to even allow the Confederate States to exist as isolated states in a separate Union? Or for the first United States Congress or Executive Staff to do the same with Great Britain after their hard-fought victory in the Revolutionary War? Would the word, absurd, come to mind?

All nations of this earth, including the (at least once upon a time) God-blessed United States of America, would do well to heed the perfect plan and powerful purpose of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—who is also the Father of Messiah Jesus, the Savior of both Jew and Gentile.

Says God of his Son (Messiah Jesus):

The following promise, one of many in Scripture, is soon to be fulfilled:

“The Lord says, ‘Shout and rejoice, O beautiful Jerusalem, for I am coming to live among you. Many nations will join themselves to the Lord on that day, and they, too, will be my people. I will live among you and you will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies sent me (Messiah Yeshua) to you. The land of Judah will be the Lord’s special possession in the holy land, and he will once again choose Jerusalem to be his own city. Be silent before the Lord, all humanity, for he is springing into action from his holy dwelling’” (Zechariah 2:10-13, parenthesis mine).

In that same vein, here is an excerpt from Eye of Prophecy article, Jerusalem … A City of Peace? Posted 12-27-14 (In italics):

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?

Even before President’s Trump scheduled speech this past Wednesday, Muslim and Palestinian leaders arrogantly issued (self-fulfilled) warnings that relocation of the US Embassy or even United States acknowledgment of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital would create chaos in the Middle East.

Reactions Prior to President’s Trump Announcement of December 6th

In an article by Steve Leibowitz posted on 12-3-17 in the online news source World Israel News, we read:

“There is a great deal of anticipation in Israel of US President Donald Trump’s announcement due Wednesday regarding Washington’s policy toward Jerusalem. Trump surprised Israelis leaders and pundits last week when he called for action on his campaign promise to relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem … but aides in Washington and experts in Israel expect that Trump will, for a second time, reluctantly sign a waiver postponing the embassy move for yet another six months … All presidents since Bill Clinton have done so and the newest deadline is Monday (December 4th).”

Leibowitz went on to say: “Back in June, when he signed the last waiver, Trump was thought to have been influenced and pressured in discussions with moderate Arab leaders who warned that moving the embassy could end peace prospects while triggering Middle East turmoil…”

Indeed, whatever pressure President Trump may have yielded to six months ago (largely secretive to the public) has as least doubled in intensity and this time more publicly. As have stronger reactions by Israelis supporting potential US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and harsher criticism by those who believe Trump had reneged on his campaign promise to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem.

(President Trump Signing Waiver in June, 2017)

Several national leaders voiced precautionary warnings, such as French President Emmanuel Macron who, as contained in an Israel Hayom article posted 12-5-17, “expressed his concern over the possibility that the United States would unilaterally recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.”

Comment: The United States (or any country) has the “unilateral” prerogative of recognizing the capital of any other country without need to first gain approval from even their allies.

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel labeled any such US recognition, “counterproductive” one that would have far-reaching consequences for the Middle East. He said, “We have to make it clear to our allies that there is a limit to our solidarity.” Translated, it means if President Trump extends official recognition that Jerusalem is, indeed, Israel’s capital, then US diplomatic relations (solidarity) with Germany and other allies could be jeopardized.

A reminder: The Congress of the United States—our governing body empowered to enact laws and make resolutions (with the Executive Staff obligated to enforce those laws, short of a Presidential veto)—passed the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995. Which resolved that Jerusalem is the eternal capital of Israel. There were seventeen reasons listed in that legislative act to support the resolution.

For more extensive details, see Eye of Prophecy article, Is President Trump Wavering on the Waiver? Posted 2-4-17.

Arab/Palestinian Tirade against President Trump’s Impending Decision

Quoting a brief article of 12-5-17 in USA Today entitled, Muslim states warn U.S. against moving embassy to Jerusalem:

“An umbrella organization of Muslim countries said Monday that President Trump’s possible recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital would constitute ‘naked aggression’ against the Arab and Muslim world. The ruling Palestinian party called for protests against such a move. The Organization for Islamic Cooperation issued a statement condemning an anticipated announcement by Trump, saying its 57 member states should sever ties with any state that transfers its embassy to Jerusalem.”

In an online World Israel News article posted on 12-3-17, the author Aryeh Savir quotes Palestinian spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh who said that “…east Jerusalem, with its holy places, is the start and the end for any solution that would save the region from destruction…”

Aryeh Savir goes on to say: “He (Abu Rudeineh) stressed that, ‘any just solution’ to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict should ensure that east Jerusalem is the capital of an independent Palestinian state, adding that ‘failure to reach a solution to the Palestinian issue will prolong the state of tension, chaos and violence that are prevalent in the region and the world.’ He claimed that the region is facing difficult choices and that these serious challenges ‘affect the essence of the entire Arab existence’” (my italics for emphasis).

As though, for example, the horrendously destructive six-year civil war in Syria began because of and would have ended by now were it not for the “failure to reach a solution to the Palestinian issue”. That is utter nonsense. Worse, it’s a blatant lie. The “Palestinian issue” has nothing whatsoever to do with any ongoing conflict in the Middle East outside of Israel.

(One of Several Syrian Cities That Lie In Ruins, Estimated 400,000 Combatants and Civilians Killed in Syrian Civil War Thus Far … See Eye of Prophecy Article, There’s No Place Like Homs, posted 3-12-16)

It’s crystal clear what he means by the italicized part of his statement. Which is: the essence of the entire Arab existence is predicated on the elimination of the entire Jewish existence.

If ever there was a self-fulfilling prediction, the warning issued by Abu Rudeineh is exactly that. With the not so subtle implication that it will be the Palestinians who will not only continue the current “knife intifada” that began in October, 2015; but that Palestinian terrorism (and Muslim terrorism in general) will intensify against Israel, which has continued virtually unabated over the past few decades, and certainly long before any recent talk of relocating the US Embassy to Jerusalem or recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

The ruling terrorist body of the Gaza Strip, Hamas, came right out and said so, stating that US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel would, “renew the Jerusalem intifada.” And Palestinian Authority advisor, Mahmoud Habash (speaking for PA President Mahmoud Abbas) boasted, “The world will pay the price.”

Seriously? The only peoples/nations who will ultimately pay a heavy price are those who hate and harm Israel. If they think otherwise, they can take it up with the true and living God who declared: “…Anyone who harms you (Jerusalem … Israel) harms my most precious possession. I will raise my fist to crush them…” (Zechariah 2:8-9, parenthesis mine).

PLO Executive Committee Member Hanan Ashrawi accused President Trump of, “…willfully committing an act of the utmost folly which is not only illegal (it is certainly not illegal and I would be delighted to debate that point with Ms. Ashrawi whenever she’s ready!), but also designed to inflame religious and spiritual sentiments and raise the specter of sectarianism and religious strife (parenthesis mine).”

PLO Secretary General Saeb Erekat said that if the United States recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, it will, “promote international anarchy.” He went on to say: “Jerusalem is the social, political, cultural, religious and economic heart of Palestine … the heart of the Arab world. It is a significant symbol of our region and its fate is key to any efforts leading to a peaceful and stable region.”

“Jerusalem … heart of the Arab world?” With that statement, Saeb Erekat slammed Islam’s (most) holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. However, most Arabs and Muslims hate the Jews and Israel so much, they will undoubtedly overlook Erekat’s blunder (intentional or unintentional) of relegating Mecca far behind Jerusalem as “the heart of the Arab world.”

With regard to the hastily scheduled meetings of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and emergency session of another large Muslim group of nations (The Arab League), Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs Riyad al-Malki said concerning any announced decision by President Trump: “The decisions made will be compatible with the size and importance of Jerusalem, being the capital of the Palestinian state and the holiest of holies.”

Unimaginable! By referring to the “holiest of holies” what Malki is actually identifying and specifying is the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Temple Mount, which is an alleged holy site for Muslim Arabs and the central overriding issue concerning the status of Jerusalem. Moreover, he uses the term (holy of holies) that is Biblically and historically confined to and reserved for one thing only: The inner sanctuary of the Tabernacle and subsequently the Jewish Temples that originally housed the Ark of the Covenant.

Recall from the earlier quote of Palestinian Nabil Abu Rudeineh, he employed the term “east Jerusalem, with its holy places.” He, too, was referring to the Al-Aqsa Mosque without actually naming it in order to give the impression that there are many Muslim “holy places” in Jerusalem. Furthermore, Riyad Malki had the gall to say, “Jerusalem, being the capital of the Palestinian State.”

A state that will never come into existence if Arabs keep insisting that Jerusalem or even east Jerusalem is its capital.

The Al-Aqsa Mosque is no more holy to the true and living God than is the mosque in Mecca, Medina, or (for that matter) any mosque in the world; because the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is NOT Allah or the same as any other so-called god. The God of the Bible is light-years different than Allah, not only in name but in so many other areas … not the least of which are his attributes and fulfilled prophecy. There is simply no way that Allah is merely another name for God (Yahweh-“I AM”) or Elohim or El Shaddai, or any other name of the Lord in Scripture. Allah was the moon-god, one of many Arabic gods, selected by Muhammad to replace as a counterfeit copy the God of Judaism and Christianity. It was monotheistic plagiarism at its worst, as was capriciously choosing the Biblical angel Gabriel as the one who supposedly gave Muhammad his so-called revelations.

Many things could be said in response to these absurd allegations regarding the purported prominence of (multiple) Islamic holy places in Jerusalem let alone the holiest of holies, but that would take an entire article or two. Instead, let’s look at some excerpts from Eye of Prophecy article, Myth of Al-Aqsa Mosque (posted 4-16-16) in italics:

The myth is in the historical and contemporary significance this mosque bears regarding Muslim claims to Temple Mount and to Jerusalem … indeed, to all of Israel. Was the legend that the Prophet Mohammed travelled from Mecca to Jerusalem in one night, then ascended to heaven from the Noble Sanctuary, fact or fiction? Whether Mohammed’s mysterious trip can be considered credible depends heavily on identifying Al Aqsa Mosque as the site (mosque) of his supposed visit. Should the Noble Sanctuary be classified a sacred Muslim shrine at all, let alone the third holiest site of Islam?

Distinguishing between fact and fiction is of vital importance because it is Temple Mount in Jerusalem that is the very heart and soul of Israel and the Jewish people. The status of Temple Mount is the core of the current conflict (dispute) between Jew and Arab in Israel; although there are certainly other reasons, not the least of which is the ancient animosity between the two peoples.

Quoting Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu:

“Our generation had a great privilege—we saw the words of the prophet come true. We saw the rise of Zion, the return of Jewish sovereignty in the Land of Israel, the ingathering of exiles and our return to Jerusalem. We will make sure Jerusalem’s golden light will shine on our people, and spread the light of Jerusalem to the whole world. We will protect Jerusalem, because Israel without Jerusalem is like a body without a heart … Our heart will never be divided again.”

Benjamin echoed the prophetic promise of God through Isaiah:

“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” (Isaiah 60:1-4).

Then later in that article:

…Initially Islamic scholars firmly believed that the farthest mosque was a metaphor, signifying some unknown place between heaven and earth, not a specific physical location. In his earliest biography, Muslim historians depict Mohammed’s passage to heaven as a spiritual one only; additionally, this journey (in spirit) was directly from Mecca to heaven, not from Mecca to Jerusalem, then to heaven. Apparently, in the effort to make Mohammed’s mystical travels more plausible, Muslim historians changed the story to that of a physical pilgrimage to the farthest mosque or the “remote mosque” which they later decided should be in Jerusalem, that didn’t have a mosque until some 70-80 years afterward—what is now called the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Even more contradictory is the fact that the Koran refers to Israel as the adna al-ard, translated in English as the “closest land.” If Muslim tradition holds that Mohammed was taken to the farthest mosque (Al-Aqsa) or land (wherever that might have been), then how could that have been Jerusalem (Israel), which they claim is the nearest land?

The historians should have stuck with their initial interpretation, that Mohammed’s imaginative journey was spiritual only. To change it to a physical occurrence is to further reduce it to nothing more than a myth, what with the conflicting timelines and contradictory legend (language) of nearest (Israel) and farthest (mosque in Jerusalem) places where this event supposedly occurred.

There’s even more. Jerusalem, itself, is NEVER mentioned in the Koran … not once. Whereas, Jerusalem is referenced 669 times in the Bible and Zion (Jerusalem) 154 times. This is nothing short of an insurmountable obstacle to Muslim statements that not only Temple Mount, but all of Jerusalem belongs to them….

The British understood how little significance Arabs placed on Jerusalem when they did not include the city as part of assigned Arab territories preceding the Balfour Declaration of 1917 … The historical record is unmistakable: It’s not that the Arabs desperately wanted Jerusalem or control of Temple Mount (not until 1967). In fact, they had marginal interest in Jerusalem, and did little to maintain or improve the city’s infrastructure for hundreds of years.

Here is a quote from British negotiator, Henry McMahon, when Great Britain chose not to include Jerusalem as part of Arab controlled regions in the 1917 partition of Israel between Jews and Arabs: “…there was no place … of sufficient importance … further south of Damascus to which the Arabs attached vital importance.”

It is not question of even one square foot of land on Temple Mount or anywhere else in Israel. It is a question of whether Palestinian Arabs and Muslim nations will ever recognize the sovereign state of Israel and the right of Jews to live in their ancient land, given to them by God himself. A land they occupied (in the positive connotation of the word) long before the Arabs, hundreds of years before Mohammed started the religion of Islam.

Now with a bit of a literary drum roll (instead of inserting a website link of an actual audio drum roll!), let’s look at:

President Trump’s Decision Regarding the US Embassy and Jerusalem

Obviously today’s posting is on a Saturday (as are all Eye of Prophecy articles), three days after President Trump’s announcement. Perhaps you’ve already heard or read about his decision, which pretty much was a foregone conclusion. All Eye of Prophecy articles are placed in one of four categories: Prophecy in General, The Antichrist, The Rapture, and Current Events (the category of this week’s article). This is the first article for which I couldn’t finish even the rough draft until the current event in question became “current!”

On December 6^th, United States President Donald Trump made an announcement that the whole world was waiting for.

(President Trump Holding Plaque of Jerusalem Embassy Act, Photo Taken on 12-6-17)

Said Trump: “After more than two decades of waivers, we are no closer to a lasting peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. It would be folly to assume that repeating the exact same formula would now produce a different or better result. Therefore, I have determined that it is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.”

His dramatic declaration was anticipated, yet it was nevertheless stunning and long overdue.

Echoing the reasons given by the US Congress when they passed the Jerusalem Embassy Act in 1995, President Trump stated: “Today, Jerusalem is the seat of the modern Israeli government. It is the home of the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, as well as the Israeli Supreme Court. It is the location of the official residences of the Prime Minister and the President. It is the headquarters of many government ministries … Jerusalem is the capital of the Jewish people established in ancient times. Today, Jerusalem is the seat of Israel’s government. Today, we finally acknowledged the obvious, that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital. This is nothing more than a recognition of realty. It is also the right thing to do.”

Although President Trump said that he would direct the State Department to begin preparations to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem, he gave no timetable for this relocation. And he once again signed the Waiver, which means that the embassy won’t be moved for at least six more months.

Borrowing the famous words of Astronaut Neil Armstrong upon the first moon landing in 1969, recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital was, “one giant leap for mankind.” But, rephrasing and reversing the first part of Armstrong’s statement, it was also one small step backwards. Only if President Trump doesn’t sign the next waiver (or the next, or the next), will the verbal recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital shift from symbolic to substance (physical reality).

For now, those of us who love and support Israel can be grateful that the United States Executive Branch of our government has upheld the US Congressional decision to officially acknowledge the Israelis’ Biblical, historical, national, and legal right to choose Jerusalem as their eternal capital.

It’s clear for many reasons that God’s hand was in this. Not the least of which was President’s Trump announcement that came exactly 70 years (Jewish calendar) after the UN Resolution of 1947 declaring Israel’s right to statehood … the 17^th of (the month of) Kislev, which was November 29^th, 1947 on the Gregorian calendar.

Amazing!

As expected after President’s Trump proclamation, a plethora of hate-filled responses flowed from Arab Muslims. A spokesman for Hamas said that Trump’s decision, “opens the gates of hell.” Using their own metaphor, the Palestinians will apparently pass through those gates. By the time this week’s article is actually posted or perhaps a few days afterward, the Palestinians may raise hell. They’ve already called for three “days of rage.”

Things to Ponder

Just when we think that the world’s focus on and angst over Jerusalem couldn’t increase in frequency and fullness, that’s exactly what it has done. Of all the final generational (our generation) events, the most significant is what’s happening to, within, and around Jerusalem and Israel. In several end-times prophecies, that’s precisely what Scripture said would take place. For example, Ezekiel is told to prophesy against Edom, which was a mortal enemy of the Jews and which also represents those nations in the last days that come against Israel—particularly the Arabic/Muslim countries that surround Israel in today’s world.

Read with me these ancient words that prophetically portray what is happening in our generation:

“For you (Edom) said, ‘The lands of Israel and Judah will be ours. We will take possession of them. What do we care that the Lord is there!’ 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 your acts of anger, envy, and hatred. And I will make myself known to Israel by what I do to you. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have heard every contemptuous word you spoke against the mountains of Israel…” (Ezekiel 35:10-12).

Just as the Lord said: Anger, envy, and hatred is an absolutely accurate account of contemporary Muslims and many non-Muslims toward Jews and Israel.

Listen to this startling passage concerning God’s ultimate sovereignty over the boundaries of the world’s countries.

“When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of man, He set the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel. For the Lord’s portion is His people; Jacob (Israel) is the allotment of His inheritance … He encircled him (Jacob or Israel), He cared for him, He guarded him as the pupil of his eye” (Deuteronomy 32:8-10, NASB, parenthesis mine, italics for emphasis).

*Note: The italicized words in the Complete Jewish Bible are translated, “…according to Israel’s population.” This means that God—in his infinite wisdom, plan, and fairness—selected a very small part of the earth (Israel) for the Jews, based on what he knew would be a comparative proportion of Israel’s population to the rest of the world. And yet there are hundreds of millions of Muslims and hundreds million more people the world over who detest the idea of the tiny nation of Israel (especially its capital Jerusalem) belonging to the Jews.

(This Is The Only Way to Find Israel on a World Map … Israel Is Even Difficult to Spot on a Map of Just the Middle East)

Says the Lord: “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!” (Psalm 87:1-3).

If the Lord loves Jerusalem more than any city in Israel, then it’s a sure thing that he loves Jerusalem more than any city on earth.

Yet, concerning each person on earth, God loves everyone equally and wants everyone to be saved by believing and receiving his only Son, Messiah Yeshua (Jesus). That certainly includes Palestinians.

“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” (John 3:16).

“God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we (all those who believe and receive Jesus as personal Savior) 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, parenthesis mine).

With the Jewish Apostle Paul, I earnestly exclaim: “For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, ‘It is through faith that a righteous person has life’” (Romans 1:16-17, quoting Habakkuk 2:4).

The Book

The Bible is an amazing union of sixty-six books in one. In fact, it is known world-wide as simply, The Book. It contains every literary genre and style known to man.

What is it you’re looking for? History of peoples, places, times, and events—including the created beginning of all things? Biographies—including four separate but synchronized accounts of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of the Messiah, Jesus? Letters? Poetry? Inspirational Prayers and Psalms. Parables—short stories but always to illustrate real-life situations and realities? Genealogies? Divine doctrinal articles on truth and wisdom? You’ll find them all in Scripture and more.

“All Scripture is inspired by God…” (II Timothy 3:16, NASB).

“…I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:2-3).

Plus that which is found nowhere else in history or literature or non-Biblical “sacred” writings: an autobiography of the true and living God, himself.

You know: The ONLY God who has foretold the future through hundreds of prophecies with one hundred percent accuracy. With, therefore, an absolute statistical probability (ten to an infinite power) that the yet unfulfilled predictions will most certainly come to pass. And scores of mighty miracles (of which only God, His Son, and their prophets and apostles have performed) that no other so-called gods and prophets of man-made religions can even come close to achieving.

Although somewhat of an oversimplification, there are three basic categories that comprise the style and substance of Scripture.

1) Outright proclamations of divine truth, with many of them spoken by the Lord himself. Such as: “Let all the world look to me for salvation! For I am God; there is no other” (Isaiah 45:22). And hundreds more like: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Or: “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ” (II Corinthians 5:21)

2) Historical records of people, places, and events. Creation, the Exodus, and the life of Christ come to mind.

3) Poetic and narrative metaphorical portrayals, with life-like illustrations, active analogies, and dramatic descriptions of God’s revealed truth to the human race. Such as: “The Lords lives! Praise to my Rock! May the God of my salvation be exalted!” (Psalm 18:46). Or Messiah Jesus described as, “…the Lion of the tribe of Judah…” (Revelation 5:5). Or as found in the words of Jesus, himself: “…I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty” (John 6:35).

(Jesus is also the “Good Shepherd” … John 10:11)

Another example of illustrative imagery in Scripture, specifically applicable to this week’s article, is as follows:

“The wicked conceive evil; they are pregnant with trouble and give birth to lies. They dig a pit to trap others, then fall into it themselves. The trouble they make for others backfires on them. The violence they plan falls on their own heads” (Psalm 7:14-16).

Then in the very next verse we read: “I will thank the Lord because he is just; I will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High” (Verse 17, italics for emphasis).

The Justice of God

One of God’s awesome attributes is that of pure justice … justice dispensed with firmness but fairness. Such as administered by Messiah Jesus (God the Son) during his imminent glorious millennial reign on Planet Earth: “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…” (Isaiah 9:7).

The very concept of impartial justice, including punishment fitting the crime, was given to the human race by God through Moses to the nation of Israel when the Jews were known as Hebrews or Israelites. Later, some of the essentials of Hebrew law were adopted by the Roman Empire, such as innocent until proven guilty. Then fine-tuned by the British system of law and order, and raised to new heights by the republic checks and balance standards of the United States of America. Moreover, there is no better example of jurisprudence than found in modern-day Israel.

Society’s system of justice was mandated by God to human government. But retribution (final reckoning) belongs to God, himself.

“For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the (new) covenant, which made us holy (separated to God), as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us. For we know the one who said, ‘I will take revenge. I will pay them back…’” (Hebrews 10:28-30, parenthesis mine, the last sentence a quote from Deuteronomy 32:35).

During the course of human history, we see many examples of God’s justice. Including harsh discipline of God’s own people for their unfaithfulness to him, mostly because they turned to false gods and religious systems of their pagan neighbors. Resulting in what the Lord called, “despicable” and “evil” deeds; brazenly committed by even the prophets, priests, and kings of Israel and Judah.

God’s punishment began in full when the remaining Jews in Judah (Southern Kingdom) were exiled to Babylon and Jerusalem and the Temple were utterly destroyed. Although some of the exiles returned to Israel, God’s people still did seek him as a nation. Thus God’s Seven Times Over punishment of Israel continued uninterrupted until 1967, when the Israelis liberated Jerusalem and ended Gentile domination of the Jews forever. God’s prescribed time period for Israel’s discipline was over. [Refer to Eye of Prophecy articles Seven Times Seven (to the 4^th power) I, II, & III and the sequel summary, The Omega Generation, posted 1-25, 2-1, 2-8 & 2-15-14, based on this astonishing prophecy found in Leviticus Chapter 26].

We also see God’s anger vented against Gentile nations in the deliverance and defense of his chosen people before, during, and after (to this very day) the miraculous rebirth of Israel as a sovereign nation.

Very few people study the historical repercussions experienced by nations (including those which have fallen never to rise again, such as Babylon and the Roman Empire) in the context of how they related to and treated the Jews as a people and/or Israel as a nation. (See Eye of Prophecy article: For or Against Israel? which includes a section on Great Britain. Posted, 7-16-16).

Unfortunately, secular history is not concerned in the least with God’s two major magnificent designs and purposes for the human race, despite clear evidence and expression of these plans down through the ages. One of those plans is God’s prophesied destiny for his special possession, Israel. The other is God’s plan of salvation through the Jewish Messiah Jesus—for individual Jews and Gentiles alike.

Nor do most people in today’s world (sadly including some Christians) give a second thought to significant statements made by the Lord himself regarding Israel. Such as the oft quoted: “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).

Few and far between are those who have read Bible passages (at all or more than once) like the following, which was also referenced in the recent Eye of Prophecy article, Prophetic Fate of Israel’s Friends and Foes (posted 10-28-17); let alone place any historical or future value on it. Despite the fact that this warning is solemnly issued by God, himself.

“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).

They see the incredible return of the Jews from the four corners of the earth to Israel as predicted hundreds of times in Scripture. But passively or actively refuse to make any Biblical connection to the Balfour Declaration of 1917; the rebirth of Israel in 1947-48; the reunification of Jerusalem to Israel in 1967; and the amazing alignment of Middle East nations against each other and Israel in today’s world.

As does much of the Old Testament, particularly prophecy, the above passage in Obadiah uses explicit illustrative imagery … entire nations and peoples that will drink and stagger and swallow the punishment of God’s judgment. This symbolism is designed to vividly depict God’s righteous justice to those nations/peoples that have harmed or even seek to harm Israel. When it comes to God’s discipline, deliverance, and defense of Israel, this figurative representation of God’s direct retribution or of justice in general (what comes around goes around) is normally carried out in principle and patterns. But also literally, as we shall soon see regarding the Palestinian terror tunnels.

Three Prototype Patterns of God’s Protection of Israel

1) God’s direct supernatural intervention. Such as the powerful plagues levied against Pharaoh and Egypt that would result in the dramatic deliverance of God’s people from (hundreds of years of) slavery. Or God’s remarkable rescue of King Hezekiah and all of Judah through one single angel who destroyed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers overnight (see II Kings 19 & Isaiah 37). Or the massive defeat that God will inflict on the Gog/Magog coalition which invades Israel in the early part of the soon-to-come Great Tribulation. In these (and others such as II Kings 7) astonishing victories, the Jews had only to watch in wonder as God vanquished Israel’s enemies unilaterally and supernaturally.

(The 10th & Most Devastating Plague. The firstborn of all Egyptians, including Pharaoh were struck down by the Lord … Exodus 12:28-30).

2) God causing Israel’s enemies to turn on each other. As one example (with a practical application to the United States of America) here is an excerpt from Eye of Prophecy article, Stand Still & Watch God Fight For Israel (posted 7-30-16). In italics:

“After this, the armies of the Moabites, Ammonites, and some of the Meunites (Aram) declared war on Jehoshaphat. Messengers came and told Jehoshaphat, ‘A vast army from Edom (Aram) is marching against you from beyond the Dead Sea’ … Jehoshaphat was terrified by this news and begged the Lord for guidance … So people from all the towns of Judah came to Jerusalem to seek the Lord’s help” (II Chronicles 20:1-4).

Commentary: Good response. Not only the king, but representatives from all of Judah sought the counsel and help of the God of Israel. Once again, the Bible is crystal clear on this principle: If we sincerely call on the Lord to rescue us and with equal sincerity listen to him through his Word and obey him, he will hear us. If we exclude the Lord and certainly if we expel him from the affairs of our nation, individually and collectively, then we’re on our own.

“…O Lord, God of our ancestors, you alone are the God who is in heaven. You are ruler of all the kingdoms of the earth. You are powerful and mighty; no one can stand against you!” (II Chronicles 20:6).

O that these words of Jehoshaphat speaking for the entire nation of Judah could be heard in our Halls of Congress, in the White House, in the seats of our Supreme Court Justices, and throughout the Pentagon:

He goes on to say:

“O our God, won’t you stop them? We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help” (Verse 12).

Biblical fact: Any nation, including what many think is the invincible United States of America, is powerless to help themselves if God is not with them. Period. End of story … end of nation.

Then Jehoshaphat and all the people bowed and worshipped the Lord. The next morning, Jehoshaphat said to the people as they prepared to meet the invading enemy: “…Listen to me, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be able to stand firm. Believe in his prophets, and you will succeed” (Verse 20).

Here’s what happened next:

“After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the Lord and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang: ‘Give thanks to the Lord; his faithful love endures forever!’

“At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves. The armies of Moab and Ammon turned against their allies from Mount Seir and killed every one of them. After they had destroyed the army of Seir, they began attacking each other. So when the army of Judah arrived at the lookout point in the wilderness, all they saw were dead bodies lying on the ground as far as they could see. Not a single one of the enemy had escaped” (Verses 21-24).

Many of us remember the wartime slogan, “Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition.” We all know that to mean: Seek the Lord’s help for a righteous cause and praise him for all he has done and will do; but we must still fight and some will die to win the victory. That is a maxim for armies that the Lord has aided down through the years.

Not so with Jehoshaphat and his people. All they did was to praise the Lord! No bows, arrows, spears, swords, or ammunition of any kind. The Lord did it all. There have been documented cases in war when an army or militia turned on one of its allies. Yet they are few and certainly didn’t result in total annihilation of each other, before they even began to engage their real enemy. Nothing like what happened to the armies of Moab, Ammon, Edom, and Aram. All the people of Judah had to do was trust the Lord, praise him for a victory already guaranteed against a massive coalition that would have annihilated Judah, and then, “…gather the plunder” (Verse 25).

3) God’s providential assurance of Israel’s victories when her people actually fight. There are many examples of this in the Old Testament. But to demonstrate that God’s prophetic promises also apply to the return of the Jews to the Promised Land and rebirth of the State of Israel, I’ll cite the against all odds miraculous triumph of the Israelis in their 1948 War of Independence; their stunning victory in the Six-Day War of 1967; and their equally incredible defeat of the surprise attack launched by Egypt and Syria on the Jewish Holy Day of Yom Kippur in 1973.

(At the Western Wall: Battle Hardened Israeli Soldiers Celebrating Liberation of Jerusalem. Some Wept Tears of Joy)

In all of these examples we see Israel’s enemies swallowing the pill of death and destruction meant for Israel, and staggering from the blows with which they would have pulverized Israel into oblivion. Or, Israel’s enemies drinking the same disabling concoction which they had intended to force down Israel’s throat.

“…I will punish them in proportion to the suffering they cause my people. This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, said to me: ‘Take from my hand this cup filled to the brim with my anger, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink from it. When they drink from it, they will stagger, crazed by the warfare I will send against them’” (Jeremiah 25:14-16).

Jeremiah goes on to list a lengthy array of nations and their kings—past, present, and future, beginning with Judah itself and ending with Babylon—that would drink from this cup of God’s wrath. To include, by default (based on other prophets and their prophecies) all end-times nations that despise, denigrate, demonize, and arrogantly seek to destroy Israel.

The allegorical language so often used by the Lord through his prophets has and will continue to apply to those peoples who hate the Jews and to nations that seek to erase Israel from the map. Even more remarkable is the literal demonstration (cause and effect) of justice that we find in Scripture and also in today’s world, as we shall soon see through a stunning turn of events in the Gaza Strip.

The term, “poetic justice” was first coined by English literary critic Thomas Rymer in the late 17^th century. Initially and specifically it applied to some literary works that Rymer believed should reflect the rewarding of the good characters and punishment of the bad characters … a right representation of real life. Since then, poetic justice seems to have expanded to a universal code of cause and effect in ethics and morality, beyond literature.

This is reflected in the generalized definition of poetic justice found in Webster’s Dictionary: “An outcome in which vice is punished and virtue rewarded usually in a manner peculiarly or ironically appropriate.”

A well-known example of a literal “ironic twist of fate” (in the context of poetic justice) is that of the wicked Persian official Haman, as found in the book of Esther. Haman’s evil plot to kill Esther’s cousin, Mordecai, then to annihilate all of the Jews throughout the Persian Empire, came back to (ironically appropriate) haunt, humiliate, and hang him on a pole … literally.

It was Haman who ended up being executed; impaled on the same pole that he erected to murder Mordecai … a precisely peculiar ironic and literal “twist of fate.”

Recent Collapse of Palestinian Terror Tunnels; Justice Served—Literally

Less than two weeks ago on October 30^th, 2017, eight Palestinians—some of whom (including senior officials) belonged to the militant terrorist cell known as Palestinian Islamic Jihad—were killed when Israelis “neutralized a terror tunnel” by blowing it up. At least eight more terrorists were injured or missing in the tunnel’s collapse. Israeli Army spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus said that the tunnel had been exploded where it ended on Israel’s side of the border with the Gaza Strip. Obviously the detonation was large enough for a ripple effect to parts of the tunnel on the Gaza side.

(One of the Palestinian Terror Tunnels Uncovered by the IDF)

Lt. Col Conricus went on to call this tunnel a, “grave and unacceptable violation of Israeli sovereignty.”

Although Islamic Jihad is a separate militant organization from Hamas—which is the controlling entity of the Gaza Strip—Israel holds Hamas accountable for any terrorist attacks or illegal excursions into Israel, including tunnels.

In an article published on 10-31-17 in the online Op Ed News Source, Israel Hayom, IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Ronen Manelis is quoted: “Only conventional measures were used. The IDF used the same measures it uses regularly. The secondary damage underground resulted in fatalities … There was no intent to target any specific individual. The operation took place in our territory. Their people were killed in their territory.”

He also said that most of the casualties were from smoke inhalation, dust, and landslides, not directly from the detonation itself.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s response was, “Those who try to harm us, we harm them. Today we detected a tunnel and destroyed it and we will continue to do so.”

Education Minister Naftali Bennett reacted in the vein of other Israeli officials; however, his response also criticized IDF’s insinuation that human targets were not intended.

Said Bennett: “We must never apologize for success in eliminating terrorists. These are terrorists who were digging an attack tunnel inside Israeli territory. It was dug to kill Israeli woman and children. We are not interested in any escalation, and as a member of the cabinet who, since Operation Protective Edge has pushed for eliminating the terror tunnel threat, I fully support this operation. The IDF’s objective is to defeat the enemy, and we must continue doing that.”

Operation Protective Edge began in 2014, in justified retaliation for the abduction and brutal murder of three Israeli youths by Hamas militants, but also because Hamas terrorists were infiltrating Israel through dozens of tunnels, the sheer number of which caught the IDF off guard. (See Eye of Prophecy articles, Bring Back Our Boys, posted 6-28-14. Followed by Prince of Peace on 7-5-14, after the abducted boys were found dead).

During that campaign, the IDF destroyed 32 terrorist tunnels, and since then has made neutralization of tunnels one of Israel’s top priorities. Some of those tunnels were a mile long and sixty feet deep.

Whether dug by Palestinians between Gaza and Israel or between Gaza and Egypt to smuggle arms and ammunition, several Palestinians have been killed (in the past couple of years) during the excavation of tunnels, having nothing to do with Israeli intervention. On the contrary, tunnels simply collapsed with the implied conclusion that the diggers were not skilled enough in subterranean digging or safety to prevent their own deaths.

Yet, when the Israelis (through precautionary, preemptive defense strategies) blow up a tunnel while it just happens to be occupied by terrorists, here is the reaction of the Islamic Jihad leader, Mohammad Al Hindi: “The truce with the enemy is over and the response will be the size of the crime.”

In the Palestinian news agency Wafa, the military branch of the Palestinian Authority (Fatah) also called it, “the Israeli crime.” Boasting that, “the blood (of those killed) would not be wasted.”

Even this response is couched in gloomy irony. It is the Palestinians who are wasting their own blood in their hate-fueled and ill-fated agenda to eliminate Israel from the face of the earth. Worse, they are spilling the blood of Israelis.

(The “Knife Intifada” Began In October, 2016. Other Means of Palestinians Killing Jews Are With Guns, Axes, Clubs, Ramming Cars. Some of the Attacks Carried Out by Women. Even Slingshots Can Be Deadly)

Crime? Is it a crime for Israel to protect her people from death and injury at the hands of those whose life’s ambition is to kill innocent men, woman, and children? When the real crime can be found in the Palestinian “cause” which is based on lies and false rewritten history that Jews are the occupiers of land that rightfully belongs to them. Not only Jews but also Israeli Arabs who are citizens of the Sovereign State of Israel. When, in fact, there is no such thing as a Palestinian State or a Palestinian people or a Palestinian language. Or to deliberately ignore the fact that Israel’s name was changed to Palestine by a Roman Emperor in the 2^nd century who hated the Jews, killed them, and drove out many Jews who had not been exiled by the Romans in 70 AD. It is the Arabs of Gaza and the West Bank who are non-citizens … by their own preference and choice. They are the actual settlers (in the negative connotation) of the land, all of which belongs to Israel by God’s decree and also by historical presence and rights that existed long before Arabs occupied parts of Israel.

Yet, it’s even deeper than the land of Israel. It is the irrational, unreasonable, and unfathomable Arab/Muslim hatred of the Jews. And not only by the Arabs, but by entire nations and peoples the world over in the ugly expression of Anti-Semitism. See Eye of Prophecy article The Real Reason for Palestinian Terrorism (posted 9-30-17) to discover the historical underlying cause.

Two days before the tunnel in question was demolished by the IDF, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency revealed discovery of another tunnel dug by Palestinian militants directly beneath one of UNRWA’s schools in Gaza. UNRWA reported that they had, “sealed the cavity created by the tunnel.”

For years, this United Nations agency (along with UNESCO) has been a stubbornly stern critic of Israel, for any number of unfounded and bogus reasons. So much so that both the United States (via President Trump’s executive order) and Israel recently canceled their membership in UNESCO. Thus, it’s obvious that the press release by UNRWA (UNESCO’s counterpart in bashing Israel) was moderated toward Israel in order not to ruffle more United States’ feathers. Regarding the sealing of the tunnel beneath their office complex, an UNRWA official pretentiously protested, “…the violation of the sanctity and disrespect of the neutrality” of United Nations fixtures. Yet this spokesperson didn’t call the violators terrorists or identify them as Hamas or even as Palestinians. Instead, they employed the term “relevant parties” as those responsible for the tunnel.

In an Israel Hayom article written by Yoav Limor, also posted on 10-31-17, we read: “Israel told Hamas in no uncertain terms that as the sovereign power in Gaza it would pay the price for any form of retaliation (meaning by Islamic Jihad). It is unclear why Hamas failed to take this into consideration when it allowed Islamic Jihad to dig the attack tunnel into Israel … Although the armed factions in Gaza have coordinated in recent years, they remain far apart ideologically and are sponsored by rival powers. While Hamas is supported by Sunni Gulf States, Islamic Jihad is backed by Iran and Syria.”

*Note: The last sentence of the above statement by Yoav Limor is certainly accurate; however, recently Hamas sent delegates to Iran for two reasons: (1) to brief Iran on the signed agreement between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, in which the PA will take over administrative functions of the Gaza Strip. (2) Iranian officials agreeing with and encouraging Hamas not to give up their weapons, which was a precondition for this truce with the Palestinian Authority. It’s apparent that PA President Mahmoud Abbas was embarrassed by Hamas’s unwillingness to lay down their arms, and it’s equally evident that Abbas will or can do nothing about it.

Summary

In light of this recent tunnel episode and the possibility of terrorists being in the tunnel when it was demolished (does it really matter in the context of Israel’s right or any country’s right to protect its citizens?), let’s look again at the Scripture quoted near the beginning of this week’s article:

“The wicked conceive evil; they are pregnant with trouble and give birth to lies. They dig a pit to trap others, then fall into it themselves. The trouble they make for others backfires on them. The violence they plan falls on their own heads” (Psalm 7:14-16, italics for emphasis).

The providential privilege and universal principles of justice, especially poetic justice, in this and previous “natural” collapses of terror tunnels is extraordinary. The metaphorical language of warranted payback, as prophetically and poignantly expressed in the above passage, literally took place. To wit: Dig a pit, fall into it … the backfire of the detonation to the beginning point of the tunnel … falls on their own heads.

Those of us who are believers in Messiah Jesus (both Jew and Gentile) can appreciate the perfect justice of our Great God and Savior and the Biblical standard that what is sown will be reaped. Whether through unprovoked, unjustified wars or the constant killing of innocent people the world over (by terrorist groups, lone-wolf terrorists, or evil-deranged murderers), we are satisfied when justice is served. Who among us doesn’t breathe a sigh of relief when the killer will kill no more because he or she has been silenced?

However, we need to maintain a Biblical balance. We need to distinguish between welcoming God’s justice against wicked individuals and nations during our lifetime, and the Lord’s final sentence against all unbelievers at the last judgment.

“…And all were judged according to their deeds. Then death and grave were thrown into the lake of fire. And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:13-15). *Note: The unsaved will be judged according to their deeds, because it is their erroneous belief that good works would be the basis for redemption; rather than Biblical salvation by simply believing and receiving Messiah Jesus as personal Savior.

Things to Ponder

God doesn’t take pleasure in the death of the wicked, and neither should we.

This premise is not a contradiction of the following passage: “When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices, and when the wicked perish, there is glad shouting. By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is torn down” (Proverbs 11:10-11, NASB).

This proverb is not suggesting that people should revel capriciously or vindictively in the actual death of wicked people (especially rulers and leaders), with the celebrating an end into itself. Yes, there is gladness when terrible tyrants and malicious murderers are dealt with. Who wasn’t elated, except a few die-hard Nazis, when Hitler (and others like him at all different levels) exited this earth?

Rather, the context and connotation of this proverb is how much better it is when a city (or state or nation) is governed by those whose God is the Lord (Psalm 33:12), not whose god is themselves.

“Do you think that I like to see wicked people die? Says the Sovereign Lord. Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live” (Ezekiel 18:23).

And again: “As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of wicked people. I only want them to turn from their wicked ways so they can live. Turn! Turn from your wickedness, O people of Israel! Why should you die?” (Ezekiel 33:11).

That’s right. This principle was applied even to God’s chosen people.

God is Love (I John 4:8). He loves all people equally (John 3:16). This love was graciously expressed through the death of his only Son, Messiah Jesus, for the sins that every human being has committed and the eternal pardon for those sins.

“But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God” (John 1:12-13)

“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 3:36).

Islam and its false god, Allah, bestow the highest honor to those who die while they are killing the infidels … Jews and Christians, and even other Muslims who belong to a different sect of Islam. Thus, Sunnis kill Shi’ites and vice versa. And they both murder Jews and Christians. Whereas, the true and living God doesn’t force anyone to love him or to accept his Son as the only way of salvation. He asks only for a willing response to so great a love, so great a salvation.

God’s justice is firm but fair. It is pure; it altogether combines his love and his holiness. There is a perfect blend of life-giving grace and salvation with the truth of sin and its eternal consequences.

Iran and its proxies have repeatedly vowed to “wipe Israel from the face of the earth.”

Listen to the word of the Lord when the armies of Gog/Magog (which includes Iran) dare advance against Israel in the soon to come Great Tribulation:

“You and your army and your allies will all die on the mountains. I will feed you to the vultures and wild animals. You will fall in the open fields, for I have spoken, says the Sovereign Lord. And I will rain down fire on Magog and on all your allies who live safely on the coasts. Then they will know that I am the Lord” (Ezekiel 39:4-6).

Yes, Scripture tells us who actually will be wiping whom from the face of the earth.

Iran and all peoples and nations who bear ill-will toward Israel should take heed. God’s supreme power and justice will not be denied. So, too, against all who, “…refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them… They will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth” (II Thessalonians 2:10 & 12).

“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).

Do you believe him?