Jerusalem … A Capital Without a Country?

13 Saturday Jun 2015

Tags

Palestinian State, Passports, Supreme Court

Jerusalem … A Capital without a Country?

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.

I wrote about this in an Eye of Prophecy article, entitled, Jerusalem … City of Peace? Published 12-27-14. That article originated from a November, 2014 agreement by the United States Supreme Court to review and rule on a decade old (lower) court struggle of whether the passport of a 12-year old Jewish boy, Menachem Zivotofsky, born in Jerusalem—whose parents (Ari and Naomi Zivotofsky) are American Citizens—could list Israel as his place of birth, rather than just Jerusalem. As indicated in that prior article, the crux of this conflict has far-reaching repercussions beyond one passport of one Jewish boy, although the issue was of vital personal importance to the Zivotofsky family.

Just this past Monday (June 8^th), the Supreme Court reached its final decision, one that took longer than any other Supreme Court decision from its initial review to its final ruling (about seven months). Here are some of the headlines the day after, June 9th, 2015:

USA Today: Supreme Court sides with Obama in Israeli dispute

WND, through Prophecy News Watch article: U.S. Supreme Court Turns Its Back on Israel – Rejects Jerusalem Passport to List Country as Israel

Breaking Israel News: US Supreme Court Sides with Obama in Denying Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital

Israel Hayom: United Jerusalem is eternal capital of the Jewish people

Aerial View of The Knesset … Israel’s Seat of Government Located in Jerusalem

Exactly What Did the Supreme Court Rule On?

According to U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Dan Shapiro, who commented on the ruling: “The decision was not about whether Jerusalem is Israel’s capital. It was solely about the separation of powers between the executive branch (the president) and the legislative branch (the Congress) of our government, and which branch has the right to recognize foreign governments and their capitals … US policy on Jerusalem was not decided by today’s ruling. That policy has been the same under every administration since 1948—namely that the status of Jerusalem has not been decided and must be determined by negotiations.”

I beg to differ. The Supreme Court decision had everything to do with Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Shapiro was merely (barely) technically correct by saying the Supreme Court’s review was to determine whether the U.S. Congress or whether the Executive Staff has the (legal) authority to recognize foreign governments and their capitals. But that was only a derivative academic offshoot of the original case, which was the issue of the passport that was directly connected to the dispute of whether Jerusalem is Israel’s capital; or whether it is an international city that is not part of any country. There’s no getting around it. To say that the Court’s decision was “solely” about the separation of powers (Executive Branch versus Congress) is a deflection, distortion, and denial of the real controversy.

The Supreme Court ruled (6-3) in favor of the Executive Branch, despite a law passed by Congress in 2002 that required the State Department to recognize “Jerusalem, Israel” or just Israel as the birthplace on passports … for Americans born in Jerusalem (of which there have been approximately 50,000 since Israel became a State). In so doing, that Congressional act effectively recognized Jerusalem not only as an Israeli city, but also its capital.

Why can I, with a great deal of certainty, say that Shapiro was wrong when he claims that the court’s decision was solely over the quarrel of whether the Congress or the President has the greater (final) authority to recognize sovereignty of foreign countries; in this case specifically applying to passports of a U.S. Citizen born in Jerusalem … dual citizenship? Although the passport problem precipitated this extraordinary review by the Supreme Court; the long-term, overriding issue is not just about passports.

The underlying motive for the US Supreme Court’s decision to review the case, then rule on it, was all about Israel’s historical and contemporary right to declare Jerusalem as its capital. If it wasn’t about that, then why does our State Department stipulate that Jerusalem must be listed on such passports, not Israel? What difference would it make otherwise? Why would they care, unless “Israel” stamped on a passport signifies and validates Jerusalem as a (the capital) city within Israel’s national borders? Meaning if you are born in Jerusalem, then you are born in Israel.

Six members of the Supreme Court accepted the President’s position on the matter, based on an Executive brief to the Supreme Court that recognizing Jerusalem as part of Israel, “…would critically compromise the ability of the United States to work with Israelis, Palestinians and others in the region to further the peace process.”

How much clearer can this be? President Obama and his staff fully intend that a Palestinian State will be created and that Jerusalem (at least the eastern half of Jerusalem) will be the capital of this state. In order for that to happen, the United States Executive Staff and now the Supreme Court has overruled the U.S. Congress (who is empowered to make such laws, with the main role of the President to enforce those rulings). At the time the bill was passed, US President George W. Bush actually signed it into law but never really enforced it, nor has President Obama. Both Presidents Bush and Obama considered the congressional act to be more of a recommendation, not the law. Really? I guess even Presidents make mistakes!

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.

It’s equally clear that the Supreme Court’s decision was immensely influenced by and primarily predicated on the status of Jerusalem itself, not on whether the US Congress or the Executive Staff has the authority to declare recognition of foreign nations or passports. Frankly, I’m amazed that the Supreme Court even agreed to take this case in the first place. But once they did, they missed a golden opportunity to acknowledge and affirm the right of Israel to determine its own capital. In fact, some members of the Supreme Court gave away their true intentions early on by voicing their real motives when they agreed to review the case.

Inside the Knesset

Evidence Confirming the Real Reason for the Supreme Court’s Review and Decision

The following is a quote from my previous article in which I refer to Justice Elena Kagen, one of the liberal members of the Supreme Court. In light of the ruling, it’s quite evident that five other members shared her sentiments to some extent or another … as shown in the recent 6-3 decision. As noted, this observation of Ms. Kagen reveals the (hidden) agenda that most members of the Supreme Court had when they ruled in favor of President Obama’s viewpoint and effectively against Israel and tens of thousands of American Jews born in Jerusalem. With the ultimate consequence of once again denying Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

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.

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.

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.

I also said: Why is Jerusalem disputed as part of Israel … as Israel’s Capital? More specifically, who or what entitles the United States State Department or the Supreme Court or any other country or even global institutions like the United Nations to determine whether any city of any country qualifies as its Capital? Isn’t that the inherent sovereign right of a nation … to choose its capital?

…Jerusalem was the headquarters (Capital) of the ancient kings of Israel, and the self-governing land (State) of Israel was given to the Jews by God, himself. That is reason enough.

But there’s also a modern-day affirmation when the United Nations voted in November, 1947 to grant statehood rights to Israel; then later recognized the sovereign State of Israel after her declaration of statehood on May 14, 1948. Even though east Jerusalem and the so-called West Bank was under Jordanian jurisdiction in 1948, all of Jerusalem was captured in the remarkable Six-Day War victory of Israel over the same nations that tried to annihilate Israel and the Jews in the brutal attack on Israel on May 15, 1948—the day after Israel became a nation.

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?

Temple Mount

Let’s return for a moment to Ambassador Shapiro’s statement that the Court’s decision was “solely” over whether the State Department or the US Congress has the authority to: recognize foreign governments and their capitals. Do you see the fallacy in his conjecture? When he said, “recognize foreign governments”, he should have stopped there. But he went on to say, “…and their capitals.”

Since when has the United States ever recognized the sovereignty of a foreign nation without accepting whatever city the nation designated as its capital? I haven’t looked it up, but believe I can say with a great deal of certainty: NEVER. Except, that is, for Jerusalem. When Israel became a sovereign nation in 1948, she chose (reaffirmed the historical record) Jerusalem as the capital of the reborn Jewish nation; even though part of eastern Jerusalem was conceded to Jordanian regulation, including Temple Mount.

If Palestinian Arabs had any historically viable religious or political attachment to or concern for Jerusalem, then why is Jerusalem not once mentioned in the Koran? Any former Arab association with Jerusalem (during the rise of Islam) was to make sure the Jews didn’t live there (in great numbers) or claim it as the Holy City of Israel. That’s why they built the Dome of the Rock on Temple Mount, where the Jewish Temple once stood.

The US Executive Staff Refuses to Acknowledge the Real Issues

President Obama will not recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital because he contends that Jerusalem must be part of the negotiations for a Palestinian State. Knowing full well of Israel’s solemn promise to her people … that Jerusalem is the ONE thing that cannot be negotiated. That Jerusalem always has been and always will be Israel’s undivided capital city, not just West Jerusalem. In actuality, there is no such thing as West Jerusalem and East Jerusalem … that is what the rest of the world thinks and refers to. Some Israelis refer to east and west Jerusalem only because virtually the entire world does so.

Thus, President Obama and many heads of states are simply refusing to accept Israel’s right (as a sovereign nation) to name Jerusalem as its capital. As said earlier, what would our President do if, for example, France refused to accept Washington D.C. as America’s capital? Do you think we would permit France to place their embassy in New York City? Or meet with their ambassadors in Boston? I think not. But that is exactly what our State Department expects of Israel. It gives a whole new meaning to the term, Double Standard.

And let’s not forget the Jewish family involved in this historical Supreme Court decision. What a heart-breaking result for them. The family’s attorneys said: “Presidents (US) have been permitted by American public opinion to maintain, as American foreign policy, the absurd position that no country is sovereign over Jerusalem, and that no part of the city, including the western portion of Jerusalem, is in Israel.”

Then a statement directly from the Jewish boy’s father Ari Zivotofsky: “We are truly disappointed and surprised. The ruling is significant, because it reveals U.S. policy—it doesn’t consider even west Jerusalem to be part of Israel. It greatly disturbs us that the U.S. does not recognize Jerusalem as part of Israel.”

Menachem Zivotofsky and His Father, Ari

Followed by Jerusalem Affairs Minister Zeev Ekin’s comment: “United Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, and will remain so forever. I call on the (Obama administration) to adopt the congressional legislation, a simple fact that is the cornerstone of Jewish heritage.”

And then Jerusalem’s Mayor Nir Barkat: “Just like Washington is the capital of the U.S. and Paris is the capital of France, Jerusalem has been and will always be the capital of Israel.” (Which is the analogy I used in my previous article).

This last quote should preclude anyone, especially a U.S. citizen, from an overreaction to what they might consider the brash, unwarranted (who do you think you are) statement from Zivotofsky’s attorneys when they said that U.S. Presidents (based on public opinion) had adopted the “absurd position that no country is sovereign over Jerusalem.” I suppose the statement could have been toned down a bit. Yet the attorney was simply telling the truth by inferring that the American public (and so should our Presidents) would not tolerate and would consider it absurd if other nations decided that Washington D.C. was not the sole, undivided capital of the United States. Conversely, that the United States should extend individual and national diplomatic courtesy by recognizing Jerusalem as the (undivided) capital of Jerusalem.

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?

But that is exactly what the United States expects of Israel. I repeat for emphasis: Exactly.

The question of whether the Congress or the President has rightful authority over diplomatic recognition of foreign nations (and their capitals … which is the same thing as the nation itself), is mostly irrelevant. I personally believe Congress has this prerogative, but I wouldn’t take much issue at all over the dissenting opinion that this right belongs to the Executive Branch. Instead, the fundamental and destiny-determining issue before the United States Government, nations the world over, and you and me is the right of Israel (not US constitutional rights) to declare Jerusalem as its capital … seat of government.

What about Israel’s rights?! Or the right of any foreign nation to name its capital? That’s the decisive and divisive issue in front of us.

But since the Supreme Court has sided with the Presidency, then what about the fact that no sitting U.S. President has ever recognized a foreign country as a sovereign nation, without (default) acceptance of that nation’s capital. For that reason alone, Jerusalem is unprecedented in the annals of U.S. foreign policy; thus, the Supreme Court shouldn’t have been involved in such a decision. Particularly, when the United States Congress passed a law that granted Israeli citizenship and passport rights to Americans born in Jerusalem. By constitutional mandate, the US President is obligated to enforce this law (any law) passed by the Congress which represents the people of the United States of America.

In fact, that’s pretty much what Chief Justice John Roberts, one of the three dissenting votes, said. I quote: “Today’s decision is a first. Never before has this court accepted a president’s direct defiance of an act of Congress in the field of foreign affairs.”

United States Supreme Court Justices

Summary

So if the Supreme Court is going to evade the real reason for their review and decision (status of Jerusalem), the least they could have done was to acknowledge the fact that the ruling should have been whether the Executive Branch can refuse to uphold a law enacted by the Congress of the United States. (Either they do or they don’t). Or, putting it another way: Does the President have the right to ignore, circumvent, or defy an act of Congress after the fact? Because the fact is: President George W. Bush didn’t veto the bill. Rather he signed it, with the implicit understanding and obligation that the Executive Branch would enforce it.

Thus, the problem isn’t who has the authority to recognize foreign nations (save that for another bill for another day). Nevertheless, the Supreme Court ruled that this Congressional Act was unconstitutional; despite the fact that President Bush signed it into law. It’s like the Supreme Court was protecting the Executive Branch from itself … from a poor decision to approve an Act of Congress!

God bless the USA should be followed by, God help this country.

The actual argument is what the case was all about in the first place … Jerusalem as not only a city of Israel, but also its capital. Does Jerusalem belong to Israel?

If anyone, including presidents, prime ministers, parliaments, congresses, and individuals on the planet say No, then they are denying one or more of the following: (1) that all Sovereign Nations have the inalienable right to declare any city in its borders as its capital. (2) Jerusalem is legally and territorially part of Israel, a Sovereign State with boundaries that border Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt; as opposed to non-existent internal boundaries with an equally non-existent Palestinian State. (3) That Israel’s victory in the Six-Day War in which she regained control (control, not ownership—as Jerusalem already belonged to Israel) was invalid. Meaning that Israel had no right to defend herself or recapture and assume control over a city that belonged to them in the first place.

(4) Most important of all: The ancient, but timeless promissory covenant deed initiated by the one true God for the Jews. That Israel (much larger than modern-day borders) would be given to the Jews as an everlasting inheritance. Non-negotiable!

“After Lot had gone, the Lord said to Abram, ‘Look as far as you can see in every direction—north and south, east and west. I am giving all this land, as far as you can see, to you and your descendants as a permanent possession … Go and walk through the land in every direction, for I am giving it to you’” (Genesis 13:14-17). Later, these boundaries were specified in more than one Bible passage, including an amazing detailed description requiring seven chapters (Joshua 13 through 19).

Three thousand years ago, King David made Jerusalem what we in modern terms call the capital of Israel. There are many Bible passages that undeniably show Jerusalem as the geopolitical, cultural, and religious center of Israel … thus, its capital. Jerusalem and its companion name, Zion, can be found hundreds of times in Scripture. Whereas, Jerusalem is not mentioned even ONE time in the Koran. That alone should tell us to whom Jerusalem belongs, and who has the right to declare it their capital.

How strange: If children of American Jews were born in any other city of Israel, their passports would show, Israel, as their place of birth. For that matter, other than Jerusalem, what other passport the world over shows just the city of birth? Easy answer: None. It’s always the country (including the state if a USA passport) of birth. My passport shows, Kansas, USA. When I displayed my passport to Israeli officials during my trip to Israel in 2006, no one asked me what city of Kansas I was born in.

How ironically repulsive: the stamp of Jerusalem on a passport for someone born in Jerusalem is both a real and symbolic denial that Israel’s Holy City is even part of Israel, let alone its capital.

Example of USA Passport for Someone Born in Jerusalem

Things to Ponder

A little history lesson: “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, 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 for the Jews (Israel), based on what he knew would be a (comparative) proportion of Israel’s population to the rest of the world.

And a reminder that the following will take place (soon) when Messiah returns to rescue Israel and Jerusalem … to protect the pupil (apple) of his eye:

“Then I, myself, will be a protective wall of fire around Jerusalem, says the Lord. And I will be the glory inside the city … After a period of glory, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies sent me (Messiah) against the nations who plundered you. For he said, ‘Anyone who harms you harms my most precious possession. (NASB reads, touches the apple of His eye) I will raise my fist to crush them … Then you will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has sent me.’ 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) 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 2:5-13).

Click on the video. Clap, move, dance, rejoice with Jerusalem. The chorus contains, kulano b’simcha, which means, “all of us in joy.”

Israeli Occupation … Fact or Myth?

16 Saturday May 2015

Posted by garybowers in Current Events

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Gaza, Palestinian State, West Bank

Israeli Occupation (of the West Bank)?

“Don’t bother them with the facts,” is a cynical but nevertheless accurate assessment of and accusation against those who pursue a seemingly worthy cause that is simply not based on history, reality, or the obvious evidence in front of them. For the most part, we can overlook and even excuse the average person’s opinion of this or that issue when they sidestep the truth of the matter, as long as they are willing to (eventually) listen objectively to the facts and consider the possibility that they could be wrong, in light of those facts.

But when the President of the United States persistently disregards the true story (history) of Israel, we can rightfully question his real agenda for Israel. Does President Obama truly believe what he said during an interview with a London-based Arabic newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat?

Listen to this statement from the President: “As I said when I visited Ramallah two years ago, Palestinians deserve an end to the occupation and the daily indignities that come with it; they deserve to live in an independent sovereign state, where they can give their children a life of dignity and opportunity.”

Apparently, that is exactly what he believes, as he hasn’t changed his viewpoint.

The implication of his words is all too clear: The occupation pertains to the Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem and a small area of the rest of the West Bank; which is, in reality, Judea and Samaria—part of Israel proper. The daily indignities are clearly meant by the President to originate from and by the Israelis against the Palestinians. That they deserve to live in an independent state so their children can live in dignity and opportunity, supposes that the Jews have stripped the Palestinians of all dignity and denied them opportunities they otherwise would have.

Really? So, simply create another state within a state and, presto, you have instant peace between Jew and Arab. Palestinians will immediately possess dignity and seize opportunity that ceased to exist after Israel became a State in 1948?!

What about the dignity and opportunity for peace and security of millions of displaced Syrians and Iraqis not to mention hundreds of thousands of Arabs killed in civil war between Muslim Sunnis and Shi’ites? What about the slaughter of Christians throughout the Middle East and Africa by terrorist groups and governments alike? What is the United States and the European Union doing about that? I mean really doing?

This occupation mindset of the White House and of several European nations was once again (recently) vented against Israel when they denounced Israeli settlement construction plans in Jerusalem for 900 homes/apartments. Actually, this housing development was first announced in 2010 during Vice President Joe Biden’s trip to Israel, which created a diplomatic clash between Washington and Israel. According to US State Department spokesperson Jeff Rathke, this plan of additional housing was “damaging and inconsistent” … harmful to resolution of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

Jewish “Settlement” in the West Bank (Judea/Samaria)

Never mind that both Israelis and Palestinians fully realize that a few more Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem will not bring a screeching halt to peace negotiations. Because, the fact of the matter is: there are no negotiations for peace or anything else. Moreover, all past negotiations have been broken off by the Palestinians through terrorist attacks, intifada uprisings, missile launchings, or outright rejection of Israeli land offers in exchange for peace.

For example: When the Israelis pulled out of Lebanon years ago, the terrorist organization Hezbollah grew stronger and instigated a war against Israel. When former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon closed down all Jewish settlements in Gaza and forcibly relocated all Israelis from Gaza, what did the Palestinians under the newly elected terrorist group Hamas do? They began to launch unprecedented missile and mortar attacks (thousands) against southern Israel. Not until Israel built a security fence through the West Bank did Palestinian suicide (homicide) attacks against innocent Israelis virtually cease overnight. Israel has been (time and time again) sanctioned and criticized for this wall, which is no different than the fence erected by the United States along the Mexican border, to stem the tide of illegal immigrants. At least these illegals didn’t cross the border to kill Americans, like the Palestinians did to the Israelis.

Back to Rathke who went on to say: “…Moving forward with construction of housing units in east Jerusalem is damaging. We continue to engage with the highest levels of the Israeli Government, and we continue to make our position clear that we view this as illegitimate.”

Followed by an official European Union statement on May 9th, “Israel’s determination to continue its settlement policy despite the urging of the international community not only threatens the viability of the two state solution but also seriously calls into question its commitment to a negotiated agreement with the Palestinians.”

With the EU’s clear connotation that the Palestinians ARE committed to negotiations.

Really? As is said: Give me a break!

It’s obvious that Rathke, along with the entire White House staff and the EU, has no clue what is legitimate and illegitimate when it comes to Israel and its borders. More on that shortly.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s reaction to the US and EU chastisement over the settlements was realistic, rational, and reasonable. “I don’t understand this criticism, and I don’t accept this position. Arabs in Jerusalem freely buy apartments, and nobody says that is forbidden. I will also not say that Jews cannot buy property in Jerusalem. There cannot be discrimination between Jews and Arabs. This is a normal process, and I see no reason to discriminate.”

Insistence on a Two-State Solution … No Matter That It Won’t Work and is forbidden by God

Despite the fact that neither the majority of Palestinians nor Israelis believe a Palestinian state is a feasible solution to the problem, President Obama continued his relentless rhetoric with the following statement: “We look to the new Israeli government and the Palestinians to demonstrate—through policies and actions—a genuine commitment to a two-state solution.”

Although President Obama is certainly not the only head of state to push for a Palestinian State, it’s becoming all too evident that our President is adopting a far more aggressive approach. To the extent of doing something unthinkable: supporting, if not actually introducing, a unilateral resolution in the United Nations to form a Palestinian State. Which would circumvent and negate any input from Israel, or any viable dialogue between the Palestinians and the Israelis. In other words, if Israel doesn’t at least negotiate for a two-state solution, then the United States will, through the United Nations, create a Palestinian State of its own making, boundaries and all.

This is exactly what (lame duck … his 9^th year in office having been elected for a four-year term!) Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told the United Nations in his September 26, 2014 speech; “The hour of independence of the state of Palestine has arrived.”

You may recall that the PA’s petition to the UN to be recognized as a sovereign state (even though there still is no such thing as a Palestinian State) fell short of approval in 2012. However, the United Nations granted, “nonmember observer status,” for the Palestinians, which is normally the final step before full membership is approved. In the past such nations as Japan, Austria, Switzerland, Monaco and Vietnam were granted full membership status in the United Nations. Currently and curiously, the only other entity that has observer status is the Holy See (Vatican).

Ostensibly, the justification for Abbas’ declaration that the time has arrived for an independent Palestinian State correlates with the unity agreement between the Palestinian Authority (which rules the West Bank in Israel) and the terrorist organization Hamas (which rules in the Gaza Strip) that was signed in June of 2014. However, as the entire world knows, this unity agreement is a sham, producing more disunity than existed even before such an agreement. Neither of these corrupt organizations will concede any degree of authority to the other, as to who should govern a future Palestinian State. Furthermore, if such a state was created, there would undoubtedly be civil between these two groups just as there is between rival Muslim factions in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Libya.

*Note: As this article was in progress, another amazing story crashed the headlines: The Vatican, directly through Pope Francis, has drawn up a document that would recognize The Palestinian State … a state that doesn’t even exist! The Vatican is evidently calling it a treaty that would affirm the UN General Assembly’s recognition of (a potential—the idea of) a Palestinian State. Mahmoud Abbas is scheduled to meet with Pope Francis on Saturday (May 16^th), the day that this Eye of Prophecy article will be published.

Italian Prime Minister Renzi Greets Mahmoud Abbas in Rome (5-15-15) Just Before Abbas Meets with Pope Francis (Pope Francis calls Abbas, “An Angel of Peace”)

It’s one thing for the White House to pull out all the stops in this misguided and uniformed effort to create a Palestinian State. It’s quite another to base this objective on the absolutely groundless and erroneous (false) premise that Israelis are “occupying” the West Bank which includes East Jerusalem. I repeat for emphasis: Jewish settlements in the West Bank are not occupation of land that doesn’t belong to them. In fact, it’s just the opposite: the land does belong to them, thus, if anyone is (wrongfully) occupying the land, it’s the Palestinians.

The term “occupation” has been grammatically and politically reversed in its meaning, because that is the only way for those opposed to Israel’s historically rightful claim to the land to justify their assertion that the Palestinian Arabs have exclusive ownership rights.

The Israeli government continues to recognize the right of Palestinian Arabs to build houses and apartments in East Jerusalem which, in fact, have been legally purchased by and deeded to them. But the Palestinians do not acknowledge, whatsoever, the same right for Jews to build on land that they have purchased; simply because this land is within the parameters of the so-called West Bank. In fact, there is no such thing as a national or state boundary without a nation or state to set those boundaries and neighboring nations to agree on where those boundaries are set. The only TRUE and LEGAL boundaries of Israel are between Israel and surrounding nations (Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt), not the West Bank or Gaza.

But as periodically mentioned in past Eye of Prophecy articles, it’s not just all of East Jerusalem (there is no legal distinction between West and East Jerusalem) that the Arabs want; it’s all of Jerusalem, all of Israel that they lay claim to. Which is why on two notable occasions in the past, the Palestinian Authority (when Yasser Arafat was in control) rejected generous offers from former Israeli Prime Ministers Ehud Barak and Ehud Olmert to relinquish East Jerusalem and over 93% of the West Bank to the Palestinians. In exchange for virtually nothing else than recognition of Israel as a sovereign state. That was too much to ask of Arafat and is still too much to ask of the Palestinian Authority and Hamas—neither of which has backed down from their sinister scheme to drive the Jews out of Israel.

The Real (rest of the) Story of Occupation

Here is a quote from Louis Rene Beres in an October, 2014 article posted in the on-line editorial news source of Gatestone Institute: “At its core, President Obama’s, Sweden’s and Britain’s policy toward Israel and ‘Palestine’ reveals dangerous and hard-to-correct bewitchments of language. However unique, the ritualistic canard (false rumor that becomes a myth) of an Israeli ‘occupation’ has now been repeated so often, and so authoritatively, that it is generally taken prima facie as irrefutable ‘fact.’”

He continues: “One Israeli prime minister after another has attempted to trade land for peace and each has received, in response, only endless terror attacks, rockets, and protracted war … Both the PA and Hamas leaderships, for example, demand that Israel continue to have 1.8 million Arabs as full citizens of the Jewish State, but simultaneously insist that not a single Jew be allowed to remain as a citizen of the impending Palestinian state. This expectation, that Palestine will be … free of Jews, is a total contradiction of the original U.S. support for the Palestine Mandate, and of all authoritative international law.”

The international law referenced by Beres was expressly validated by the United Nations vote to recognize Israel as a sovereign state in November, 1947; followed by the rebirth of Israel as a nation in May, 1948. But the Palestinian Mandate cited by Beres goes back much further. On June 30, 1922, the U.S. Congress in a joint resolution unanimously endorsed the “Mandate for Palestine” which affirmed the irrevocable right of Jews to resettle in the area of Palestine … anywhere they chose, between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.

Beres is saying the same thing that I am saying and others who recognize Israel’s right of perpetuity possession and prerogative to occupy ALL of Israel’s boundaries, should they choose. But the Jews have both politely and pragmatically afforded Arabs in Israel the privilege to “occupy” two fairly large portions (relative to the total land space of Israel) of Israel … West Bank including east Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.

You read that right: In essence, Israel has extended permission for non-citizens of Israel (Palestinians who have refused to apply for Israeli citizenship unlike hundreds of thousands of their Arab brothers who are called Israeli Arabs—citizens) to occupy the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. (Through United States tradition, we would call this homesteading). But that doesn’t mean that Israelis are, therefore, illegally occupying a “foreign land” when they build subdivisions in East Jerusalem. It is already their land! Do you understand the difference here?

But it’s more, much more, than international recognition of Israel’s rights to what was once called Palestine, which was long before that called Israel. Had not one country on earth, including the United States of America, acknowledged the right of Jews already living in Israel and the right of Jews all over the world to return to Israel, the fact remains that the true and living God promised the land of Israel (borders of which were much broader than currently exists) to the Jews—the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. That is reason enough!

If someone doesn’t think so, they are free to take up the case with God, himself. If so, I would encourage them to do so with an open heart and mind that really seek to know the truth. I’m referring to the universal truth of salvation, and that salvation comes through the Jews. To include the divine covenant between God and Abraham; that he and his descendants through Isaac (the Jews) were given a very small section of this planet to pursue life, liberty, and the happiness of knowing and serving the God of the Universe. The adversarial alternative of ranting and raving against God and God’s chosen people … well, let’s see what God has to say about that.

“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.’ For no one on earth—from east or west, or even from the wilderness—should raise a defiant fist. It is God alone who judges; he decides who will rise and who will fall” (Psalms 75:4-7).

And, “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 you 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 … And the people of Israel will come back to reclaim their inheritance” (Obadiah 1:15-17). The rest of this passage describes how Israel will be restored to its original borders decreed by God, as originally found in Joshua Chapters 13 through 19.

God continues to speak through Obadiah: “Then my people … will occupy the mountains of Edom … will possess the Philistine plains … take over the fields of Ephraim and Samaria … occupy the land of Gilead … occupy the Phoenician coast … return home and resettle the towns of the Negev … And the Lord himself will be king!” (Verses 19-21, italics for emphasis).

Think about it: The Sovereign God who created the earth, indeed, the entire universe, picked a tiny portion of this planet for a chosen people to live. He could have selected all of the earth (except the land given to Israel) for the Jews and given only this small portion to the rest of the world. Had he done that, then the vast majority of the world’s population would be “occupying” land that doesn’t belong to us!

What would you think (historically) if the colonies had subsequently given all of Washington D.C. (or even some of it, say the eastern half) back to England to govern and control? The analogy is all too clear: That would have been absurdly impractical and intolerable to Americans; it would have negated the entire reason for revolting against England’s unfair reign over the colonies in the first place. Later, we fought a civil war to deny southern secessionists from establishing a separate capital (confederate nation) in this country. If either one of these events had taken place, we could no longer call ourselves the United States of America.

Why, then the double standard with Israel and its sovereign capital of Jerusalem? Why the incessant rhetoric against Israel accusing her of increasing tensions with the Palestinians by doing this or not doing that? With little to no sanctions against the Palestinians who fire mortars and missiles into Israel killing Israelis. Instead, we heap criticism upon criticism against Israel for (legally and rightfully) building more homes for their people. But now the criticism has turned to threats: How dare the Jews increase Middle East tension and jeopardize a peace process invented by the United States to solve a problem we have totally misdiagnosed with a solution that will cause more problems than it will solve. Here is an excerpt from a previous Eye of Prophecy article entitled, Jerusalem City of Peace, published 12-27-14.

Technically, legally, and historically there is no such thing as a Palestinian … not really. Because there is no such thing as Palestine … nor the State of Palestine. The very name of the nation of Israel was changed to Palestine by an ancient Roman emperor who hated the Jews, and so named the land to mock the Jews with a name that sounded like and reminded them of an ancient enemy, the Philistines. From that time until 1948, Palestine has been nothing more than a region or territory all the time inhabited by at least a remnant of Jews, who subsequently outnumbered the Arabs in population. In fact, before 1964, if anyone used the label Palestinian, they were referring to the Jews (of Palestine)! Nor has there ever been a Palestinian language. Only Hebrew and Arabic.

Silwan, an Arab Community (Settlement) Near the Old City of Jerusalem

More Evidence to refute the “Occupation Theory” of Israel’s Critics

Another excerpt from Louis Beres article: “A sovereign state of Palestine, as identified by the Arabs—a Muslim land occupied by ‘Palestinian’ Arabs—has never existed—not before 1948 and not before 1967. Moreover, the UN Security Council Resolution 242 never promised a state of Palestine. Even as a non-state legal entity, ‘Palestine’ ceased to exist when Great Britain relinquished its League of Nations mandate.”

He goes on to say; “During the 1948-49 Israeli War of Independence, the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) and Gaza came under the illegal control of Jordan and Egypt respectively. Nothing in prior international law, including the 1947 U.N. General Assembly partition resolution, had ever said anything about any Jordanian or Egyptian title to these lands. The West Bank and Gaza were simply seized—those were the lands that were ‘occupied’—by these two Arab states after their 1948 aggressions against Israel…

“These Arab aggressions in 1948 did not put an end to any already-existing Arab State of ‘Palestine.’ Ironically, what these aggressions did manage to accomplish was the deliberate prevention of an Arab state of ‘Palestine.’ From the start, it was, and continues to be, the major Arab states—not Israel—that became the core impediment to Palestinian sovereignty. The current predicament of what to do with West Bank (Judea and Samaria) and Gaza is the direct result of Arab states’ non-compliance with the original UN partition plan of 1947, for which the Jewish side, however reluctantly, has given its full approval.”

I fully concur with Beres’s summary when he states: “President Obama’s still-proposed ‘Two-State Solution’ derives from a misunderstanding based on ignorance—legal, historical and conceptual—of Israel and ‘Palestine.’”

Throughout history, the right of victors in war (among other things) is to control land they have conquered; this is especially true of just wars, such as the American Revolutionary War and certainly the Six-Day War or Israel’s War of Independence in 1948 or the Yom Kippur War of 1973. However, when Israel defeated Egypt, Syria, and Jordan in the 1967 Six-Day War, and recaptured the Golan Heights, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip, they relinquished much of the West Bank and nearly all of East Jerusalem including Temple Mount back to the Palestinian Arabs and Jordan; and Gaza and the Sinai Peninsula back to the Egyptians. (Israel did this under extreme pressure from the United Nations and the United States). Moreover, neither Jordan nor Egypt (as indicated by Louis Beres) had any legal right to these territories in the first place.

Actually, the more I hear what our President has said and is saying and study closely his real agenda, I believe it’s more than just ignorance of the facts. Indeed, the United States (President) is treading on dangerous ground by claiming that the Jews are “occupying” land that doesn’t belong to them. To make such an allegation is a deliberate distortion of the facts. More than that; it is a blatant disregard of Scriptural truth and international law. The charting of such a course by seeking to divide Israel is tantamount to raising a defiant fist in God’s face.

This is not merely my opinion or the opinion of others who also keep their thumb on the pulse of Israel and the Middle East. It is the sovereign truth and opinion of God, himself.

For example: “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, italics for emphasis).

How can we know that the God of the Bible IS God? Conversely, that the god of the Koran or the gods of other so-called sacred texts is not God? I’ve written much on this subject in some prior Eye of Prophecy articles. For purpose of this article, I will simply summarize by pointing out two amazing proofs found in the historical record of the Bible. (1) God’s own statement that only he can predict the future with 100% accuracy. Hundreds of these prophecies have come to pass; dozens more are awaiting fulfillment. (2) The many miracles of Jesus to prove that he is who he said he is: The Son of God and God the Son. No other man has ever restored the sight of a man born blind, or turned water into wine, or walked on water, or fed thousands of people with five loaves of bread and two fish, or … on and on it goes. Culminating with resurrection from the dead! Will you be able to do that on your own when you pass from this earth?

For anyone to reject the indisputable historical proof of fulfilled prophecy and divine miracles is to say what was said to begin this article: “Don’t bother me with the facts.” In other words it is a matter of the heart, not of the head. It’s, “I refuse to believe, no matter what the evidence shows.” It’s what Paul said about much of mankind to the Romans: “They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them … Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks…” (Romans 1:19-21).

Then Verse 25: “They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.”

Things to Ponder

Not only powerful (fulfilled) prophecies and marvelous miracles attest to the fact that the God of the Bible is God; but also the miracle of changed hearts in people the world over. Former Muslim terrorists, Jewish rabbis, heads of state, religious and atheists alike, addicts, convicted criminals, and every-day people like you and me—transformed from the inside out when we place our trust in the atoning sacrifice of Yeshua haMashiach. (Jesus the Christ)

“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ … For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them … 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 5:17-21).

Under the Radar

09 Saturday May 2015

Posted by garybowers in Current Events

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Fighter Jets

(Flying) Under the Radar

Is there any other phrase read or heard more often in the 21^st century than, “Flying under the radar?” Or the shortened version, “Under the Radar?” I can’t think of a single saying that is used as frequently or as universally by so many different people in so many different settings… sports, economics, politics, business, science, and everyday life.

It’s one of those unique colloquial expressions that (originally) literally meant an aircraft flying so low to the ground that it couldn’t be detected by even the most advanced radar systems. How often have we seen a movie where US fighter jets flew “under the radar,” and successfully accomplished their mission of taking out enemy fortifications?

But somewhere along the way, under the radar took on a life if its own; becoming a metaphorical idiom to explain how something or someone rose to prominence or achieved something extraordinary without being detected, until everyone realized what had happened. Moreover, the figurative use of the phrase has superseded the literal meaning in frequency and significance. As is the case with other idiomatic phrases such as, “fight fire with fire,” or a “cat and mouse” game.

If I’ve seen the term once, I’ve heard it a hundred times just in the arena of sports alone. Such as, “The Kansas City Royals have flown under the radar nearly all year.” For those of you who may have missed it (or don’t really care!), the Kansas City Royals baseball team of 2014 came one run (one win) away from winning the World Series. A feat that hadn’t been accomplished since the 1985 World Series win against the St. Louis Cardinals. Throughout the 2014 baseball season and even into the playoffs, they “flew under the radar” of baseball fans and sports columnists alike. I’m a Kansas and Missouri boy … why else would I use the Royals as an example?!

Which is why some shocking news that I discovered in an article just a couple of months ago ended up in my Under the Radar file. What I read seemed much too incredible to use in one of my articles or even to consider it as legitimate, especially since there were no other sources or articles on that particular subject. However, just a few days ago, the subject was mentioned again through another source, but in the same context: the ongoing friction between the United States and Israel. The whole world knows that there is a personality clash between US President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. Of even more concern is the developing rift between the US and Israel over strategic policies (the how, why, and when of things) pursued by each country in dealing with two contentious problems: (1) creation of a Palestinian State, the so-called two-state solution; (2) Iran’s persistent pursuit of a nuclear bomb.

President Obama & Prime Minister Netanyahu (What are they thinking?)

Two-State Solution & A Nuclear Iran

A brief recap shows that President Obama and his executive staff are on the verge of withdrawing traditional support of Israel in the United Nations. This not-so-veiled threat by the White House was ostensibly based on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement that resumption of negotiations with the Palestinians—broken off in April 2014 when the Palestinian Authority signed a unity pact with its rival group Hamas—would not be possible. Although Netanyahu clarified his position by explaining that negotiations with an organization that refuses to recognize the very existence of Israel and one that avows Israel’s extermination is virtually impossible … at the very least an exercise in futility.

For decades, the US has opposed (unwarranted and unreasonable) United Nations’ sanctions against Israel and/or unfavorable decisions against the only true democracy in the Middle East. To supposedly soften this somewhat harsh sentiment against Israel, the US Executive staff offered a (superficial) conciliatory response summarized by the following: “The President reaffirmed the United States’ long-standing commitment to a two-state solution that results in a secure Israel alongside a sovereign and viable Palestine.”

Contrasted, however, with President Obama’s statement that the United States,” needs to rethink our approach,” towards Israel. As indicated in last week’s Eye of Prophecy article entitled The Seven Year Treaty, the majority of Israelis and many Palestinians do not want a two-state solution, with reasons given for this remarkable reality. One that is contrary to the US and EU’s determined but misguided objective to create a Palestinian State within the sovereign borders of Israel.

Also, distinctly divided is the United States and Israel’s view on what it will take to deter Iran from developing enough uranium to manufacture nuclear warheads. It is a matter of record that Prime Minister Netanyahu is opposed to any deal with Iran that would continue to threaten Israel’s very existence. On the one hand the White House issued a statement that President Obama has, “…emphasized the importance of the United States places on our close military, intelligence and security cooperation with Israel, which reflects the deep and abiding partnership between both countries…”

And on the other hand refusing to attend the historical address to the United States Congress by Prime Minister Netanyahu this past March. Further refusing to accept the obvious danger of lifting or even relaxing sanctions against Iran and other negotiating points that would produce a much better deal than the tentative agreement reached recently with Iran. Just a few days ago, one of the high-ranking Iranian officers of the Republican Guard issued a challenging statement that Iran demands immediate withdrawal of all sanctions and would, under no circumstances, allow international inspection of their nuclear sites.

So, is the United States for or against Israel? By concentrating on the consistent inconsistencies of President Obama and his staff you could, with a great deal of confused certainty, rightfully answer, “Yes!” It’s a: Definite maybe.

As I said in last week’s article: *Note: What part of the Muslim Palestinian (paraphrased) objective that, “We want all of Israel and will drive the Jews into the sea to get it,” doesn’t our United States President and the European Union understand!? Is the repeated menace from high-ranking Iranian officials including their Ayatollah of “Death to America, Death to Israel,” just an idle threat? Hello? I think not.

The Shocking Story

Back to the under the radar event that prompted me to retrieve the original story from my resource archives to be the main subject of this week’s article. What was it that I couldn’t believe with my own eyes, nor could I fathom that such a thing might possibly take place; something that apparently was kept under the radar by leading news agencies, both fixed and internet? (Don’t you love the word, apparently? It can be used when you’re not sure of anything but have an opinion on everything).

I first read about this astonishing story (dated 3-14-15) in the on-line Prophecy News Watch website, which was taken from a Bethlehem-based news agency, Ma’an; which, in turn, referred to a Kuwati newspaper report published on February 28^th, 2015.

Here is direct quote from the first paragraph of the Prophecy News Watch article, which was the reporter’s introductory preview of what he had discovered:

“…US President Barack Obama thwarted an Israeli military attack against Iran’s nuclear facilities in 2014 by threatening to shoot down Israeli jets before they could reach their targets in Iran.”

Absolutely astonishing! If, that is, it’s true. As indicated, another report of this under the radar incident recently resurfaced. Absent any denial or disclaimer from the United States or from Israel, the strong implication is that this unthinkable confrontation (in some form or another) actually did take place. Which is why the incident didn’t explode into an international after-the-fact crisis. Because it is all too incredible to imagine that the President of the United States would issue such a warning against Israel or consider such an action against the most loyal ally the United States has in the Middle East, indeed, in the entire world.

Thus, the story was, for all practical purposes, dismissed out-of-hand; swept under the geopolitical rug. A global No Comment conspiracy if ever there was one. Well, it’s time to comment, hence this article.

This clash between President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu, between the United States and Israel is especially unimaginable in light of very recent and very open statements by US Vice President Joe Biden. Who said that the US military has already been directed to prepare for a possible attack on Iran; this in response to what the US might do if Iran doesn’t comply with any or all of the conditions imposed by the P5 + 1 nations (which includes the United States) in the tentative agreement with Iran, scheduled to be finalized by the end of June, 2015.

Let’s examine the rest of this remarkable story alleging that Obama forced Netanyahu to stand down from a preemptive strike against Iran over a year ago. Which makes it all the more ironically inconceivable … the fact that some of the Arab countries who are US allies would welcome an obliteration of Iranian nuclear sites (not the least of which are Saudi Arabia and Jordan).

Prophecy News Watch reporter, Mark Langfan writes: “Following Obama’s threat, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was reportedly forced to abort the planned Iran attack. According to Al-Jarida, the Netanyahu government took the decision to strike Iran some time in 2014 soon after Israel had discovered the United States and Iran had been involved in secret talks over Iran’s nuclear program and were about to sign an agreement in that regard behind Israel’s back.”

*Note: these behind-Israel’s-back secret talks with Iran is exactly what transpired last year, and has led to what has become a second phase or installment of these once-secret negotiations, which are now known world-wide.

The article continues: “The report claimed that an unnamed Israeli minister who has good ties with the US administration revealed the attack plan to Secretary of State John Kerry, and that Obama then threatened to shoot down the Israeli jets before they could reach their targets in Iran … According to the (Al-Jarida) report, ‘Netanyahu and his commanders agreed after four nights of deliberations to task the Israeli army’s chief of staff, Benny Gantz, to prepare a qualitative operation against Iran’s nuclear program. In addition, Netanyahu and his ministers decided to do whatever they could do to thwart a possible agreement between Iran and the White House because such an agreement is, allegedly, a threat to Israel’s security.’”

Israeli Air Force

According to the report: “The sources added that Gantz and his commanders prepared the requested plan and that Israeli fighter jets trained for several weeks in order to make sure the plans would work successfully. Israeli fighter jets reportedly even carried out experimental flights in Iran’s airspace after they managed to break through radars.”

Another Note: Not so secret is Saudi Arabia’s “unspoken” resolve to grant Israel permission to use their airspace in route to a potential attack against Iran.

What’s even more implausible is that retired US diplomat Zbigniew Brzezinski (former national security advisor to former President Jimmy Carter and ardent supporter, campaigner for Obama’s 2008 candidacy) helped persuade Obama to challenge Israel. Said Brzezinski during his interview with the Daily Beast: “They have to fly over our airspace in Iraq. Are we just going to sit there and watch? We have to be serious about denying them that right. If they fly over, you go up and confront them. They have the choice of turning back or not. No one wishes for this but it could be a Liberty in reverse.”

More Notes: Brzezinski’s reference to Liberty was an Israeli (mistaken, friendly fire casualty of war) attack on an American ship named Liberty during the 1967 Six-Day War. Obviously, Israel apologized profusely for that inadvertent unfortunate incident. However, Brzezinksi’s analogy is seriously unreasonable and illogical. Why? It was clear then and still is that Israel’s assault against an American ship (during wartime) was totally accidental. Whereas, his inappropriate comparison of the United States shooting down Israeli planes would have been a deliberate attack on America’s strongest ally in the Middle East.

More Commentary on This Mind boggling Scenario

If for no other reason than the names and sources identified in this near-miss episode between Israel and the United States (as well as lack of either country denying the reports), I’m inclined to accept the evidence as presented. But even if the dispute didn’t quite reach the near critical mass point of no return, it very well could happen … given the increasingly strained relations between the US and Israel over the past few years.

A quick knee-jerk response is that the United States would have entered totally uncharted waters (airspace if you will) had Israel not stood down from its plan to destroy or at least disable Iran’s nuclear facilities; and certainly if President Obama had followed through with his warning to shoot down Israeli fighter jets. Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to abort this preemptive strike was professionally and pragmatically appropriate. He clearly looked at the bigger long-term picture of Israel’s relations with the United States; although it must have been agonizing to him that the President of the United States would even think, let alone threaten, to shoot down Israeli jets on their way to a needed and justified mission. I’m sure Benjamin made the practical yet painful decision that this kind of preemptive strike could wait for another day. However, the literal fall-out of Israel’s abandoned mission is yet another year for Iran to accelerate their nuclear program.

Though I’ve referenced the famous Scriptural passage several times in previous Eye of Prophecy articles, it certainly bears repeating. This Biblical prophecy with a combined blessing and warning comes directly from God to Abraham, the father of the Jewish race: “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).

Indeed, all peoples on the earth have been richly blessed by God’s glorious plan of redemption, delivered by and consummated through the Jewish Messiah, Jesus. As seen throughout Scripture, the blessings extend individually and nationally, physically and spiritually to those who support Israel, to those who seek to do her no harm.

The warning is just as clear: Those nations (and individuals) who seek to harm Israel will pay a heavy price. When God curses someone or something, including entire nations, it gives a whole new meaning to the proverbial phrase: “It’s not a pretty sight.” Down through the ages, the forgotten ruins of once powerful empires are graphic reminders that what God says he will do, he does. What he says will happen, happens.

For example, one of dozens of Biblical passages that portray God’s heavy hand against anti-Semitic nations is as follows: “The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has sworn this oath: ‘It will all happen as I have planned. It will be as I have decided. I will break the Assyrians when they are in Israel; I will trample them on my mountains. My people (Israel) will no longer be their slaves nor bow down under their heavy loads’” (Isaiah 14:24-25).

Then to demonstrate that what would and did happen to Assyria (and earlier in this chapter to Babylon which hadn’t even come into power yet) would be a representative example of all nations who suppressed and oppressed Israel, the Lord continues: “I have a plan for the whole earth, a hand of judgment upon all the nations. The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has spoken—who can change his plans? When his hand is raised, who can stop him?” (Verses 26-27).

If you don’t agree, then please tell me where I can find the once mighty empires of Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, or Rome? Although Germany has partially risen from the ashes of her defeat in World War II, she is nothing like the “invincible” Third Reich. All of these nations at one time or another, to some degree or another, trampled on Israel and the Jews. For that matter, where are the Philistines, Moabites, Edomites, Amalekites, Canaanites and all the other “ites” of the ancient Middle East. All of these dynasties, both small and large are gone. Only Israel remains!

God Did Not Even Spare Israel

Israel and the Jews from Moses time can attest to God’s decree of what would happen to them if and when they deliberately disobeyed even the simplest of commandments, “You shall have no other gods before me.” When they abandoned the Lord their God, he abandoned them by withdrawing his protection of Israel from their enemies. In fact, the Lord used Gentile nations to severely punish Israel for what God often called, “despicable sins.” Not the least of which was copying the pagan practice of sacrificing their very children to pagan gods, such as Baal. But mostly from their refusal to acknowledge Melech haOlam (King of the Universe) as the only true and living Sovereign God.

Covered in much detail in a three-part Eye of Prophecy series entitled Seven Times Seven (to the 4^th power), published 1-25-14 through 2-8-14, and the final article in that series, The Omega Generation published 2-15-14 is a chronological history of God’s warnings against Israel coming to pass in series of catastrophic events in Israel’s history. Of paramount importance, however, is that when Israel recaptured the Holy City of the Holy Land in 1967, once again Jerusalem was restored as Israel’s (divinely appointed) Capital … center of both religious and political life. When that historical event took place, God’s discipline of Israel ended. The Times of the Gentiles was no more. No longer would Israel be at the mercy of any and all Gentile nations that sought her destruction. Why? Because God would once again be with Israel; once again Israel could and would be able to defend herself.

Celebration of Israel’s Victory in the Six-Day War

Since Babylon conquered Judah in 586 BC, with the temporary exception of the Maccabees’ astounding (against all odds) victory over Antiochus IV around 164 BC, the Jews were unable to defend themselves, as they had no king or standing army powerful enough to resist her enemies. Thus, Israel eventually suffered the two greatest tragedies of all time: The Roman Conquest that led to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 AD, followed by the great Dispersion of Jews throughout the entire earth. Then the even more horrific event that isn’t even a full generation removed from when it took place during World War II … The Holocaust.

Yet from the floods of dispersion and the fires of Nazi death camps, a miraculous event took place—the remarkable rebirth of Israel as a Sovereign State in 1948, just three years removed from the Holocaust.

This, too, is part of the magnificent sweeping plan of God to restore Israel to preeminence among the nations of the earth. It is a precursor to the final spiritual restoration of Israel back to her God and, more specifically, to her Messiah whom they rejected (and many still reject) nearly 2000 years ago. But, the fact remains: God’s disciplinary action against Israel—as summarized in Leviticus Chapter 26—is finished; including God’s use of Gentile nations to accomplish his firm, but nevertheless (ultimately for their own good) loving discipline of his chosen people.

Although God will accomplish his purpose for Israel which means that Israel’s inevitable glorious destiny is in God’s hands, the warning to those who would seek to hurt Israel (and certainly those who wish for Israel’s utter destruction) will apply right up to Messiah’s dramatic victory over the forces of evil at Armageddon. Whether this involves the complete annihilation of the Gog/Magog coalition that dares to attack Israel as graphically portrayed in Ezekiel Chapters 38 & 39 (I believe soon after the Rapture); or a (God-forbid) disastrous United States turnaround in their overt support of Israel, let alone the audacity to take on Israel in actual warfare, these anti-Semitic actions will be dealt with harshly by God.

For that matter, what makes President Obama and our military leaders think they could win a skirmish with Israeli fighter pilots? As good as our Air Force and Navy pilots are, Israeli fighter pilots are every bit their equal, if not better. Let’s put it this way: I wouldn’t bet against Israel, even if you gave me odds. For one thing, Israel’s resounding victories in all of her 20^th and 21^st century wars has been against all odds. One only has to read the amazing stories of each of these wars to realize that there’s no way Israel could or should have won; meaning not without the sovereign supernatural help of Almighty God.

But an intriguing test as to who has the best fighter pilots is not even close to being the issue. Indeed, no such test should ever take place.

I’m talking about repercussions far beyond who would win an aerial battle between the US and Israel. The very fact that the United States would even think of shooting down Israeli jets is absurdly insane. At the very least it demonstrates that our national leaders know nothing or care to know nothing about warnings issued by the true and living God. Warnings that have been proven true time and time again throughout history … the demise or destruction of nations that have persecuted Israel. If the United States turns on Israel in that fashion or in any fashion that jeopardizes Israel’s security and survival, then we need no longer ask God to, “Bless the USA.” At that point we would need to humbly get down on our individual and national knees and plead for God’s mercy, all the while restoring our support, literally and figuratively to Israel.

Right now, this country is in more than enough trouble with our internal spiritual decay, not the least of which is the federally funded abortion mills and the impending Supreme Court decision on gay marriage. The very fact that such an issue is going all the way to the Supreme Court is a moral indictment of this once great nation. According to Scripture, in that regard we are guilty (before God) until proven innocent.

But when we throw in an increasing attitude of dislike and disdain for Israel, our fate will be sealed by God’s seal of approval on the nation of Israel. When we seek to divide the God-given land of Israel (to the Jews) by creating a Palestinian State, we are challenging and even defying God’s solemn instructions to both the Jews and Gentiles, not to partition the land of Israel.

Depiction of the Fall of the Roman Empire

What am I saying? That Israel is perfect? Of course not. Any one of us in America or anywhere in the world can differ with religious, political, or cultural ideas and practices. Just like we disagree with others right here in the United States … why we, for example, have two main political parties, Democrats and Republicans. No, I’m not talking about day-to-day differences in such matters. Rather, I’m referring Biblically to the fundamental decisions that adversely affect Israel’s security, her very survival. That includes abandoning Israel in the United Nations, and most certainly applies to any thought, word, or deed that would directly lead to economic (BDS) and especially military actions against Israel, the pupil of God’s eye as Scripture describes her.

Things to Ponder

Neither you nor I, nor the United States of America, nor any person or nation on earth can fly under God’s radar. Yet, it’s very sad that so many try to do just that.

“But the Lord is in his holy Temple; the Lord still rules from heaven. He watches everyone closely, examining every person on earth. The Lord examines both the righteous and the wicked …” (Psalms 11:4-5a).

What is it the righteous can do to stem the mounting tide of ungodliness, evil, and violence throughout the world? First, we must clarify what the Bible means by righteousness … who is righteous and who is not. Righteousness is defined by Scripture as a right standing with God.

No one has any innate or merited righteousness of their own. “There is none righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10, NASB). Thus, those deemed righteous by God are those who have been given his righteousness through faith in the finished redemptive sacrifice of Jesus Christ when he took our sins upon himself. When we accept this at face value and place our trust in Jesus Christ, God will respond with amazing grace and matchless mercy.

“For everyone has sinned, we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with underserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus … People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood…” (Romans 3:23-25).

What can we do? Stand up and be counted. “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so… (Psalms 107:2).

What else can we do?

Intercede by praying for America. God listens to intercessory prayer. He did so with Abraham, who asked God six times, each time lowering the count of the number of righteous in Sodom and Gomorrah needed for God to spare those cities from utter destruction. If there had been even ten righteous (those who acknowledged and placed their trust in God), these ultra-wicked cities would have been spared.

To paraphrase the great evangelist, Billy Graham, when he agonized over the declining condition of the United States: If God didn’t deal with the spiritual demise and moral corruption of this great nation, he would then need, “To apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah.”

What more should we do? Although God’s instructions to the highest leader of Israel (King Solomon) was specifically intended for the Jews and Israel, the principle is every bit applicable to the United States of America, to Brazil, to Italy, to any nation on earth: “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).

Pray with me that the Lord our God, for the sake of the righteous, will spare America from judgment until after the Rapture.

A Religion of Peace? (Part II)

18 Saturday Apr 2015

Posted by garybowers in Current Events

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Crusades, Holy See, Inquisition, Prince of Peace

Is Islam a Religion of Peace?

Let’s begin this week’s post with excerpts from a recent article written by Uzay Bulut, a journalist based in Ankara, Turkey, who was born and raised a Muslim.

“The west seems to have lost the capacity and the will to criticize political Islam … So, their view seems to go, if you criticize Islamism, you are an intolerant, hard-hearted ‘racist’ or ‘bigot’ and your remarks are obviously ‘hate speech.’”

He goes on to say, “It seems painful for many intellectuals in the West to understand or accept that a religious ideology which permits enslaving girls, beating ‘disobedient’ wives or chopping off the heads of infidels can exist. They come up with supposed explanations for these acts, including poverty, ‘American imperialism,’ or mental illness … Poverty, anger, or alienation do not cause people to behead or crucify non-Muslims; cite relevant verses of their holy book as a justification, and brag about and film what they do. These leaders and intellectuals seem wrongfully to associate political Islam with ‘being oppressed.’ Political Islam, however, is not the ideology of the oppressed. It is an ideology that oppresses. It brings about the very sufferings to which these intellectuals object…”

In last week’s and this week’s Eye of Prophecy articles, we’re expanding what Uzay Bulut calls political Islam by examining and establishing the religious correlation between mainstream Islam—middle-of-the-road moderate Muslims—and the more radical among them. Then by guilt through association, the observable connection between political and religious Islam and Muslims. Indeed, it is virtually impossible to separate the two; because the Koran doesn’t distinguish between Islamic political and religious decrees or demands. Although the number of Islamic militants (including the actual terrorists among them) is relatively small, the prevailing belief of Muslims the world over is that the Koran not only encourages submission to Islam by force if necessary, but actually demands it.

The practical painful result of this religious government can vividly be seen in the Middle East through brutal enforcement of Islam by terrorist atrocities; and to a lesser (in terms of the level of violence) but nevertheless large-scale implementation of Sharia law by national governments, such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria. And Turkey is becoming more and more Islamic in its daily administration of national affairs.

Only Messiah Jesus can and will one day establish an absolutely Divine Government on this earth, one that will bring universal peace and prosperity. Indeed, he will administer the Kingdom of God on the earth, and the entire world will be the better for it.

Read with me the inspiring prophecy from Isaiah: “The government will rest on his shoulders … 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).

This magnificent Kingdom will be in its purest form a Divine Monarchy, based on God’s truth and justice. But until that time, Jesus, himself, recognized the necessary distinction between governmental administration and personal belief and conduct; between man’s individual interaction with God and his collaboration with the lawmakers and law enforcers of the land, when he said, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Mark 12:14, NASB).

This was an amazing response (one of many) given by Christ. The implications include acknowledgment that God is ultimately in control, but that he allows and even ordains that men shall be governed by higher authorities. With the strong inference that (given the fallibility of man) governments and administrative authorities cannot successfully legislate morality or spirituality, nor should they try. Meaning the Ten Commandments, as an illustrative example, came directly from God, not from a king or human ruler or government official or even a constitution. A constitution can and should reflect divine values from the true and living God of the Bible and enforce the legislative laws of the land; but a constitutional government of any kind (monarchy, parliamentary, democratic or representative republic) should not dictate its own (dictatorial) scruples, whether religious or secular, whether godly or ungodly. That belongs to the individual, and that person’s relationship (or lack thereof) with Almighty God.

Scripture is fundamentally clear that it is impossible for man (without God’s direct and personal authority through Messiah Jesus) to establish and execute a governmental system built on and from a religion, which is exactly what the Roman Catholic Church and the Islamic Caliphates have attempted to do down through the ages, often with tragic results. Even the Mosaic and Levitical laws (decrees, regulations, commandments) handed down by God to the Israelites were designed for two purposes: (1) A God-like high standard of excellence for human interaction, but also (2) to demonstrate to the Jews and all of mankind that they could not effectively keep God’s laws, either individually or nationally. That only Jesus Christ perfectly fulfilled the law and, thus, qualified as God’s divine sacrificial offering for the sins of every man, woman, and child.

Likewise, with an irreligious, agnostic world view that produces autocratic state controlled governments such as Communism or Fascism that has generated exponentially more wide-spread death and destruction. A Republic is the best form of a man-made government, as it allows representation of the people to the government and government to the people. But even a republic will pale in comparison to a Divine Monarchy administered by a benevolent King. A King who is the King of all kings, Messiah Jesus.

*See Eye of Prophecy article, Kingdom of God, published 1-17-15 under the category of The Rapture.

Plainly Put: Islam Is Not Peaceful

To dismiss out-of-hand the reasonable conclusion that Islam is not a religion of peace or to rationalize that Islamic terrorism is only (simply) a twisting of the Koran, displays an obvious ignorance of what the Koran commands its followers to do. Which is to kill infidels who refuse to convert and/or severely discipline fellow Muslims who fail to practice Islam (as interpreted by whatever sect they belong to, Sunni or Shi’ite) as it should be practiced. Moreover, the latest effort to try to explain why Muslim militants are or become terrorists, is to hypothesize that (in addition to the reasons cited by Usay Bulut) they are no different from any other religious fanatics who have used violence to achieve their objectives. Granted, the degree of violence is virtually the same, but not the foundational and motivational conviction that generates this belligerence. That is where we must make the distinction.

One of many incidents and photographs of Muslim atrocities

If anyone attempts to, for example, compare the Crusades with Muslim terrorism in order to establish a position of moral equivalency between the two, then it’s imperative that they first contrast the Crusaders with true Biblical Christianity. This was done at some length in last week’s Part I article in general terms, but with a specific historical example of the Israelites conquest of the land of Canaan … the Land of Promise given to them by the true and living God.

Then an equally insightful comparison between Muslim extremists and the doctrinal decrees of the Koran that unmistakably demonstrate a causal connection, i.e. Islamic creed carried out in gory detail by militants who view themselves as mainstream Muslims … enforcing the will of Allah on all who are not ready or don’t want to submit to the regulations and requirements of Islam and the Koran. And what can a so-called moderate Muslim say or do in response to such cruel enforcement? The gloomy conclusion is … not much. Fortunately, there are a handful of Muslims who have spoken out boldly against Islamic violence. Unfortunately, they are few and far between. Because to unduly criticize the implementation of Sharia law (by force or otherwise) is to confront the Koran itself, which is tantamount to challenging their god Allah.

The following is an excerpt from last week’s article to disprove the supposition of a moral equivalency between (for example) the Biblical conquest of Canaan and Islam’s Koranic instructions to summarily subjugate the world:

The contextual, historical comparison that needs to be made between God’s instructions to the Israelites to vanquish some of the original tribes of Canaan and the commands from the god of Islam found in the Koran is this: The Old Testament provides an account of a particular historical episode at a specific time in Israel’s (beginning) history, for a precise duration of time, for a special purpose. The Israelites were to be the instrument of God’s judgment on a very perverse people while taking over a relatively small portion of the earth (all of which belongs to God in the first place) to live and serve God. Whereas, the Koran’s instructions to all Muslims is a perpetual edict (to subjugate Christians and Jews and kill them if they don’t submit) that has no historical parameters, no national boundaries (world-wide), and is to continue indefinitely. It is, in effect, an unlimited Koranic license to suppress and kill infidels, i.e. all who refuse to become Muslims. There is a world of difference between these antithetical models.

As stated adeptly by Raymond Ibrahim in the March, 2015 edition of the (Zola) Levitt Letter: “The Old Testament is clearly describing historic episodes; whereas the Koran, while also developed within a historical context, uses generic, open-ended language that transcends time and incites believers to attack and slay unbelievers today no less than yesterday.”

Second Historical Event

The three Crusade campaigns in the 11^th, 12^th, and 13^th centuries of so-called Christians against primarily Muslim controlled Jerusalem and the Holy Land that also included killing of Jews along the way, have caused great consternation with both Jews and Muslims even in modern times. Recently the Crusades have been cited by Muslim clerics, by Christian and Jewish liberals, and even by heads of state (including President Obama) as a morally equivalent example of extremist’s behavior in the name of religion.

Time does not permit an in-depth analysis (indeed, books have been written on this subject), but the historical evidence is quite strong: First, the vast majority of these Crusaders were acting on behalf of the Roman Catholic Church, the Pope, and French and English Kings who were, for the most part, subject to the Pope. These crusades in no way, shape, or form represented the essence of Jesus Christ or Scripture. Which is to spread the Good News of salvation to all mankind, with the crystal clear understanding that this is not done through violence or even by duress. Just the opposite: As any kind, caring parent wants their child to respond to their love with love and appreciation from the child (not out of threat or even obligation), so does our great God and Messiah Jesus give us the same choice. Thus, it’s a matter of the heart, not of the sword. An issue of gratitude, not attitude (brashness and arrogance that leads to compulsive compliance).

It’s so very sadly true that the Crusaders were hell-bent to retake Israel from the Muslims and restore what they perceived as the Kingdom of Heaven in Jerusalem. They did so under the mantle of a romantic, but more-so mushy misguided mission that this must be done by conquest (Crusade). In fact, Roman Catholicism is a doctrinal distortion of true Christianity, disguised in the form of an institutional hierarchy that attempted to replace and replicate the once mighty Roman Empire, with the Holy Roman Empire. An empire that encompasses the Holy City of Jerusalem, one that must dominate both the Islamic kingdom and the Jewish remnant left over from the Roman induced Diaspora of the Jews.

Depiction of Crusaders

For a more in-depth examination of the history of the Holy See, I would encourage you to read the six-part Eye of Prophecy series entitled, The Woman and the Beast, published 10-12-13 through 11-16-13, under the category of Antichrist. Then, Wiles of the Woman, published 4-5-14, under category of Current Events.

The Crusader’s might makes right mentality is not much different from modern-day Muslim militants or Islamic national governments such as Iran. In that respect, the proponents of religious moral equivalency are somewhat accurate. But also with a huge difference: Conversion by force and death for noncompliance is mandated by the Koran; thus, the greater number of Muslims the world over tacitly sanction the inhumane methods employed by Muslim terrorists, even though this “silent majority” would not actually participate in these killings and violence. Nevertheless, they are covertly complicit by their reticence and overtly guilty by association when, for example, thousands danced in the streets after the terrorists crashed hijacked planes into the twin towers and the Pentagon on 9/11.

Third Historical Event

The Inquisitions. Though not against Muslims, the torture and murder of Jews and later Christians who rejected the institutional authority of the Roman Catholic Church (whose erroneous doctrines of salvation through good works and sacraments are no different from Islam’s rituals of good deeds to please Allah) were every bit as malicious as today’s Islamic terrorists. Pure and simple: what the Roman Catholic hierarchy did to Jews and Christian dissenters through the horrors of the Inquisitions, decades before the Protestant reformation, was flat-out wrong … motivated by unquestioned obedience to the self-proclaimed universal authority of the Roman Catholic Church. Personal salvation by individual faith in the finished work of Christ was considered to be heretical substitution for sacraments and Catholic catechism, and a blasphemous insult against the institutional order of this church … sometimes even treason against the State.

Depiction of Spanish Inquisition

Again, we can see the obvious dissimilarity between real Christianity (unforced believing and receiving Jesus as personal Savior … resulting in a change of the human heart) and compulsory adherence to a religious system that required physical baptism for membership, then maintenance of right-standing in the church by the keeping of sacraments and performance of good works. Which was and still is in complete contrast to Biblical redemption and the means of that salvation summarized succinctly by the following passage:

“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

The Triune God of the Bible has not deviated one iota from his original creative gift of free will to mankind … the liberty to choose God’s way or man’s way. As it was with our ancestors Adam and Eve in the garden, so it is to this day. Which is summarized by God’s instructions to the Israelites (and to all of humanity) through Moses: “Today, I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!” (Deuteronomy 30:19).

The overriding and overwhelming theme of the entire Bible is the coming of Messiah to redeem the world. Jesus Christ expressly fulfilled hundreds of Messianic prophecies, and would indeed sacrifice his very life to give all who believe in him life everlasting.

“And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life” (I John 5:11-12). So our Creator gave us life, then he gave us life again.

When we choose Jesus, we choose everlasting life. But, it’s our choice. No one can or will choose for us. Not so with Islam … administered through the callous custom of forced submission on pain of physical death and dismemberment, as well as the harsh treatment of fellow-Muslims including wives and children within both Sunni and Shi’ite Islamic sects.

Summary

Nowhere does the Bible demand or suggest that Christ followers pursue a campaign of coercive conversion against unbelievers. Certainly not violence … not even verbal or written intimidation. In fact, it is just the opposite. We who have been given so great a salvation by our Redeemer are to reach out in consideration and compassion to those who have never personally experienced the love and forgiveness of our Great God and Savior Jesus Christ. Certainly, we Christians are not perfect … not even close. Nor are we better than unbelievers … not at all. But we are better off! Only because of our sure destiny of everlasting life in heaven.

Thus, the Crusades and Inquisitions were disastrous distortions of Christian conduct and callous misrepresentations of God’s Word. And those who wish to cite these historical deviations as equivalent examples of militant Islam do not understand true Christianity and/or the historical facts of exactly who or what was responsible for these calamitous episodes of Christendom. Nor, conversely, do they comprehend that the fanaticism of Muslim radicals is not an aberration of Islam. Because the Muslim god, Allah, through the Koran, explicitly commands Muslims to maim and kill all infidels, which Mohammed specifically identified as Jews and Christians … also Muslims who beg to differ or dare to dispute the violent tactics of Muhammad and subsequent generations of his followers.

Anyone with any objectivity about these issues can see that the Koran and Hadith (collection and commentary on Muhammed’s sayings), provide the fuel that ignites the fires of every terrorist group and nation. As just one example of many: The so-called moderate Palestinian Authority of the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) headed by their “tolerant” President, Mahmoud Abbas, celebrate and glorify the Palestinians who bomb, beat, stab, shoot, and run over innocent Israelis. If the killing of Jews results in death of the Palestinian “martyr” the families are given monthly stipends to compensate them for the “honorable and glorious death” of their son or daughter. Often their picture is posted throughout the West Bank or Gaza Strip as a Palestinian hero. After all, the death of a Jew or Christian is not only condoned, but actually directed by Islam’s “holy book,” the Koran.

Which begs the question: Is there really any such thing as a moderate Muslim? Some say, no, perhaps because of the reasons provided in this article and others like it. Personally, I still say, yes—there are moderate Muslims; which, however, is giving qualified benefit of the doubt because most Muslims do not actively take part in murder and mayhem. Thus, they are moderating their belief in Islamic world conquest to the extent that they are content with their extremist brethren to do the dirty work. There are those who might even refuse, if pressed into service on the pain of death, to take part in murder of a Jew or Christian or a fellow Muslim belonging to a different sect, simply because down deep they knew it would be wrong.

What then can or should we do about Muslim terrorism? Though a loaded question, the truly Christian answer is fairly simple: Individually, we are to love each and every Muslim and pray for their salvation, no more or less than Jews, Europeans, Russians, North & South Americans, Africans, and our next door neighbor. As a nation, however, we must use whatever means necessary to stop terrorists in their tracks. This includes terrorist cells like Hamas and ISIS, as well as entire nations that support and fund terrorism. Stopping Iran’s nuclear ambitions is paramount, but so is halting their export of terrorism in the Middle East, through proxies like Syria, Lebanon, and recently the Houthi in Yemen.

Scripture is profoundly lucid that an individual and a nation has the right to protect themselves reactively or even sometimes proactively against an enemy sworn to kill them. All the while turning the other cheek to those who insult us BECAUSE OF OUR FAITH IN AND TESTIMONY FOR JESUS CHRIST.

Do you see the difference?

We do not have God’s stated or implied permission to employ force in order to persuade unbelievers (no matter what their belief or lifestyle) to convert to Christianity or to otherwise give up their religion or agnosticism or decadent life. That’s between them and God … always has been, always will be. But we are commissioned to tell and show others the magnificent truth of the Gospel … salvation through believing and receiving God’s Son, Messiah Jesus. With understanding that only the Lord can radically change the human heart, not any religion and certainly not the radicals (or even moderates) of that religion.

Unless the heart is changed and freed from the chains and penalty of sin that imprisons us, there can be no (real and lasting) external transformation of a person’s behavior. Faith without works is ineffective and questionable at best. But works without faith (in the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ) is a one-way ticket to hell and everlasting separation from God.

If God, himself, gives every person the inherent right to voluntarily choose Jesus Christ as their personal Savior; thereby, choosing eternal life over eternal death, how can anyone, especially true Christians, think or do otherwise? Compulsory Christianity is not Christian in form or substance whatsoever. We preach, we teach, we give, we pray, we love because Jesus first loved us … all this because we are grateful for our salvation. And, because we still live in these earthly bodies, we all too often make mistakes, sin, and fail our Lord. But he still cares deeply. He still loves unconditionally. So we love him back, pick ourselves up, and start helping others some more.

The Great Commission

On the other hand, coerced, bullied, and forced submission to Islam is a basic tenet of the Muslim belief, and is practiced by Muslims, both moderate and militant the world over. In the recent brutal killings in Kenya, the Islamic terrorists asked their victims: Are you Muslim or Christian? What answer do you think led to their deaths?

Which is the way of war and which is the way of peace?

Things to Ponder

The recent P5 + 1 deal with Iran is not much different from a treaty, which God warned the Israelites not to make with certain surrounding nations, whose religious and cultural practices were an abomination to God. A treaty could lead to compromises that would destroy ancient Israel from within and without. No different than in today’s world; except it’s the United States and other notable nations striking perilous agreements with rogue nations that can mean potential annihilation of Israel through an Iranian nuclear strike. And doing so without regard for Israel’s concerns for a “much better deal,” or no deal at all, or the ultimate recourse … a preemptive military strike against Iran.

“But there is no peace for the wicked, says the Lord” (Isaiah 48:22).

According to the Prophet Zechariah, the day is soon coming when, “Many peoples and powerful nations will come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord of Heaven’s Armies and to ask for his blessing” (Zechariah 8:22). When the President of the United States and many Democrats snubbed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the US Congress in early March, including his warnings of a nuclear-armed Iran, it was evident that they were not seeking God’s providential blessing by listening to and blessing (supporting) Israel.

But the day will come when, “men from different nations and languages will clutch at the sleeve of one Jew. And they will say, ‘Please let us walk with you, for we have heard that God is with you’” (Zechariah 8:23).

But the greatest of all hope, the most enduring peace is possible only when the Prince of Peace returns.

Listed to Jesus’s splendid promise to believers in him: “I am leaving with you a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again… (John 14:27-28).

“Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20).

A Religion of Peace? (Part I)

11 Saturday Apr 2015

Posted by garybowers in Current Events

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Iran, Islamic Caliphate, terrorism, world religions

Islam, A Religion of Peace?

War and Peace. Terrorism and tranquility. Who among us does not long for and would not choose the latter over the former? In the 20^th and 21^st centuries, our grandparent’s and parent’s generations, our generation and our children’s and grandchildren’s generation have experienced death or devastation in some form or another, to some degree or another. World War I, World War II, the Korean Conflict, Vietnam, the Gulf War, the 9/11 induced Afghanistan and Iraqi Wars. And the seemingly never-ending ethnic and national strife in countries the world over. No matter the reason or size of the conflict, America and peace-loving nations of the earth have lost and are still losing fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters to the horrors of war. Will the carnage ever end?

In the First World War the enemy was misguided perverted nationalism, but with an ominous international twist of one bloc of nations aligned against another bloc. We fought against fascism in the Second World War, pitted against a nation who hailed themselves as a superior race. We bled and died halting the advances of communism in Korea and Vietnam. The new foe is terror(ism), which is an ideology (any “ism” is a belief system) that uses, “violence … in order to intimidate a population or government into granting their demands” (Webster’s Dictionary).

But this enemy knows no national boundaries; it’s more than just a race of people in one country fighting against another. Those who commit these barbaric acts are rightfully called terrorists, because they randomly maim and murder innocent men, women, and children for a malevolent cause that callously and arrogantly disregards all that is humanly good and right; bent on suppressing and eventually eradicating anyone who would dare think or believe differently. Worse, there are national governments that fund these terrorist groups, e.g. Iran, Syria, Qatar, North Korea, or Turkey.

What is the source, the driving force of their diabolical agenda and demented tactics? Ultimately, diabolical identifies the original source … Satan. Yet, the “devil made them do it” concept goes only so far, because we know who actually carries out the torture and killing. In the devilish perpetration of this cause, we see the same underlying motivation from the pit of hell that energizes the adherents of Communism and Fascism who seek to, by force, impose a belief system on their own people and other nations based on the insidious presumption that they and their secularist philosophies are superior to any other people and ideology. However, modern-day terrorism brandishes a substantially different breed of extremists than Hitler’s Germany, Mussolini’s Italy, Mao-tse Tung’s China, Stalin and Putin’s Russia, or Jong-un’s North Korea. Instead of a cultural and political system that is fundamentally god-less and secular, we are now experiencing terroristic conquest in the name of Religion.

Specifically, the religion of Islam. More, however, than just in the name of religion. Islam itself is dogmatically (root word is dogma) terroristic in origin and methodology. If anyone disagrees with that premise, then all they need do is read the Koran, which is the foundational core of Muslim creed … the causative driving force within the heart and soul of Islam, not the least of which is Jihad … holy war.

Is Islam a religion? Of course it is: No less than Hinduism, Buddhism, Roman Catholicism, Shintoism, or cultic sects like Mormonism that claim some (corrupt) form of Christianity … which is NOT, I repeat NOT, a religion. Actually, I don’t even like to use the word Christianity but will do so for the sake of identifiable terminology, because it bears this name in an attempt to classify or include it as one of the world religions. Christian … yes, as that expression clearly conveys one’s identity in Christ … a Christ-one.

But that doesn’t make believers in Jesus Christ religious or Christianity, a religion. Those redeemed by Jesus Christ do not belong to an ism. Rather, we belong to a Person. Actually three Persons in One: God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Can I get an AMEN on that!

All world religions and cults have one common denominator: Rules, regulations, and a tediously elaborate but unattainable concoction of duties (works) required of its followers in order to gain favor with the god(s) of that religion. Essentially it is man’s attempt to please and appease God—their version or image of God. The Christian faith is just the opposite: It is God’s conceived plan of salvation to redeem fallen mankind, by offering his very own Son as the once for all sacrifice for our sins. Thus, to reconcile mankind back to God, which is why God created us in the first place and the way God intended it to be from the very beginning … a personal relationship with our Creator. As said in a couple of prior Eye of Prophecy articles: no other belief system provides a Savior for mankind; only the Gospel (Good News) of Jesus Christ does.

“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).

Our right standing with God is possible only through God’s provision of salvation for us; not any “ism” we’ve manufactured to merit or earn favor with God. It is God doing for us what we cannot possibly do for ourselves. This is a huge soul-saving distinction from all religions.

Thus, “Christianity” is a unique relationship with God; not a pretentious performance check-list which we deceive ourselves into thinking that the Lord will accept; hoping that our good deeds (which we usually end up defining or comparing what is good and what isn’t) will somehow outweigh the bad things we do. God does not grade us on a curve. Sin is sin. And the wages of that sin is death (Romans 6:23).

Yes, according to God’s Word, we actually earn death, both physical death and eternal separation from God; which is one wage that I’m sure all of us would turn down if we could … but we can’t. Although we earn death on our own, no one can do enough or be enough to possibly pay the price to pardon that penalty. Even the courts of the world, including the U.S. Supreme Court doesn’t permit a person to pardon himself or herself for a crime. Sin against God is much more than violating a city, state, or federal law; or may not even be a transgression of statutory law. You won’t be convicted or even arrested for coveting your neighbor’s possessions, but that is no less a desecration of God’s moral laws than murder.

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness (grace), declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood…” (Romans 3:23-25).

A Peaceful Religion?

Is Islam a religion of peace, as we’ve read or heard world leaders and religious figures proclaim dozens of times, particularly since Muslim terrorists and Islamic terrorism have exploded (pun intended) on the world stage in the past few decades? Not even close. Instead, the religion of Islam—as categorically contained in and confirmed by the Koran—compels (for example) all Muslims to: “Fight those among the People of the Book (Christians and Jews) who do not believe in Allah nor the Last Day, who do not forbid what Allah and His Messenger (Mohammed) have forbidden, and who do not embrace the religion of truth (Islam)…” (Koran 9:29).

And, “Then, when the sacred months have passed, slay the idolaters wherever you find them—seize them, besiege them, and make ready to ambush them” (Koran 9:5).

These are but two of several Koranic commands to subjugate and kill the infidels, which are primarily Jews and Christians, but ultimately anyone who doesn’t yield (submit) to Islam’s demand that the entire populace of earth be subjects of an Islamic Caliphate … a Muslim political and cultural structure of world-wide domination.

And yet there is an incredibly immature (false) premise widely held by global heads of state that Islam is inherently a religion of peace; that only a very small minority of its followers are militant extremists bent on annihilation of Israel, destruction of the United States, and domination of the entire world.

Did you know that the Arabic language doesn’t even have a word for peace? In fact, Islam means submission.

Our own United States President has often recapped this pervasive belief … that Islam is basically peaceful. That it does not promote conversion by force. That extremist groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Boko Harem, al-Qaeda, and ISIS, do not represent the real tenets of Islam.

Consequently, the United States along with the other P5 + 1 groups of nations (United Kingdom, France, Russia, China, and Germany) have seemingly ignored the obvious evidence of Iran’s increasingly long tentacles of terror that are gripping several regions of the Middle East. Iran is tightening this Islamic Shi’ite noose in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, Libya, and among several ethnic groups. It can do this because the P5 is under the pathetically naïve notion that Iran (by virtue of its status as a nation) would be willing to negotiate its sinister ambition of Middle East dominance and eventual world supremacy. Oh, for certain, Iran will negotiate in order for economic sanctions to be lifted; but Iran will not relent (negotiate) its ultimate undeterred goal of manufacturing nuclear bombs that will assuredly be used against Israel and perhaps even the United States.

But Iran is a “nation” not a terrorist organization, says the P5 + 1. You can negotiate with Iran because it has a President and a Foreign Minister, and the like. How blind can they be? It’s the Ayatollah who makes the final decisions in Iran, and who “makes foreign policy.” The same Ayatollah who is the supreme Imam of the Islamic State of Iran, which is exactly what Iran is and will continue to be as long as its own people and the rest of the world continue to believe that Islam is basically a religion of peace. Thus, Iran’s continued threats of “death to America” and “wiping Israel from the face of the earth,” are falling on deaf ears in the West.

It’s just a perverse form of saber-rattling they say. Really? How many more sabers must rattle and heads roll with conventional weapons of terror, before we realize that Iran and rogue nations like it will raise the stakes (all in) of terrorism to an unthinkable level if they go nuclear. With one nuclear warhead they can inflict mass casualties that would be the equivalent of thousands upon thousands of isolated terrorist cell attacks. Whether because of naïvetés or strategic risk calculations, who among our leaders is willing to take such a chance? That question should be rhetorical, but alarmingly, it’s not. That is exactly the dice-rolling going on within the game-playing mindset of the United States Executive staff and the P5 +1.

To prove his point and lessen what he and other prominent world figures believe to be an unfounded criticism of (peaceful?) Islam in general, President Obama recently made a comparison of the Crusaders to Muslim terrorists, by attempting to demonstrate that even Christianity has had its extremists. Our President and many others who share this view are partially right, but they are also very, very wrong.

Is There A Difference Between the Bible and Koran with Regard to Propagating Their Respective Messages?

Before answering that question, it’s significantly important that we understand the monumental difference between the Koran and the Bible in virtually every tenant and doctrine, not the least of which is the god of the Koran and the God of the Bible. The very fact that Islam does not recognize Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and certainly not God the Son who was crucified on a cross for man’s redemption and then rose from the dead to validate all of Christ’s claims of divinity, irreconcilably separates the Koran from the Bible.

In fact it’s blasphemy against Allah to suggest that God is three in one (Trinity) or that Christ is God’s Son (of course their god is Allah). “Infidels are they who say Allah is one of three” (Koran 5:73). And, “the Christians say the Christ is the son of God … may Allah’s curse be upon them!” (Koran 9:30).

But for sake of this week’s and next week’s Part II article, we want to focus on the goals of Islamic conquest by forced conversion (or death) versus the universal spread of the Christian Gospel (Good News) through individual voluntary heart-felt response of accepting Jesus as one’s personal Savior. In other words, the true and living God of Scripture does not force anyone to believe and receive the atoning sacrifice of his precious Son. True, Scripture emphatically explains the eternal destiny of all who reject so great a salvation that Jesus purchased with so great a sacrifice; but nowhere in the Bible does God demand (forced) conversion of the unsaved. Instead, he appeals to every person on earth out of love and concern for the personal destiny of all … heaven or hell.

“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).

What, then, about the three main episodes of history in which religious critics and even world leaders such as our own President have alluded to as examples of those within the Christian (or Jewish) faith that have employed tactics comparable to Muslim militants … in Mohammed’s time, throughout history such as the Ottoman Empire and Islamic conquest of Europe, and with today’s terrorists groups and entire nations (such as Iran).

First Historical Event: Often, when Muslims are confronted about their continued use of violence that is predicated on and fostered by forceful Koranic commands, Muslim clerics and virtually any Muslim who happens to know just enough Biblical Scripture to be dangerous will attempt to morally equivocate by citing the Old Testament instructions for the Jews to eliminate the inhabitants of Canaan—as preparation for the Jews to enter and occupy the Promised Land. Let’s take a look at what happened and why; to dispel the notion of moral equivalence between Jewish history and Muslim violence.

“So Joshua told the Israelites, ‘Come and listen to what the Lord your God says. Today you will know that the living God is among you. He will surely drive out the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites ahead of you’” (Joshua 3:9-10). Previously God had instructed his people, whom he had delivered from Egypt by magnificent miracles, to completely destroy certain indigenous tribes—for the express purpose of his people entering and possessing the land that God had given to them as an eternal inheritance … the land of Israel. Although the Israelites were required to fight for the land, this verse (and many others) also indicate that God would sovereignly assist his people in defeating the enemy. But there were also nations that God instructed Israel not to attack or harm in any way, for various reasons.

Said God to the people through Moses: “Be very careful never to make a treaty with the people who live in the land where you are going. If you do, you will follow their evil ways and be trapped. Instead, you must break down their pagan alters, smash their sacred pillars, and cut down their Asherah poles. You must worship no other gods, for the Lord … is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you … They lust after their gods, offering sacrifices to them…” (Exodus 34:12-15).

Why did God order his people to purge the inhabitants of Canaan or not to make a treaty with any nearby nation? Scripture is clear that the moral mindset and lifestyle of these people were abhorrently evil and detestable in God’s sight. They were essentially in the same wicked condition of Sodom and Gomorrah—when God obliterated those cities and people—including the horrific practice of offering their children as sacrifices to pagan man-made gods such as Baal.

In today’s world, people may not worship wooden or metal gods mounted on poles and pillars, but they still pursue gods of pleasure, power, popularity, and prestige. And, tragically, how many unborn babies have been sacrificed on the abortion altar of convenience?

God is very patient, but there are a few instances in which people, individually and as a nation, cross the divine red line of God’s tolerance. Enough is enough, and he will judge them accordingly, often when least expected.

As an example of God’s patience pertaining to the Amorites, Canaanites, and all the other “ites,” long before the Israelites entered and took possession of the Promised Land he told Abraham: “You can be sure that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land, where they will be oppressed as slaves for 400 years. But I will punish the nation (Egypt) that enslaves them, and in the end they will come away with great wealth (the Exodus) … After four generations your descendants will return here to this land, for the sins of the Amorites do not yet warrant their destruction” (Genesis 15:13-16, italics for emphasis).

This is one of hundreds of spectacular prophecies from God in the Old Testament. One that would materialize in the time and place specified. But we want to focus on the italicized portion of this passage … as confirmation that God would give the Amorites (and by implication and association all of the other nation tribes in Canaan) ample time to turn from their evil practices to the true and living God. In fact, the Lord was so patient with these pagans that he delayed the Israelite’s arrival to the Promised Land for hundreds of years. By that time, the Egyptians and their Pharaohs had gone from providing for and protecting Jacob’s descendants to hostility toward and enslavement of the Jews. Jacob’s son, Joseph, the second most powerful person of the Egyptian Empire had been long forgotten.

For you see, God is everlasting … he knows the end from the beginning. He knows the outcome; yet, he still gives us great opportunity to repent, seek him, and to by faith receive his redemptive pardon. Our choices, both good and bad, can determine our fate. In hindsight, when the Israelites were prepared to enter the Promised Land, it was clear that the Canaanites were more wicked than when God told Abraham his descendants would return to the Promised Land (where Abraham resided temporarily). Now it was time for divine judgement, which coincided with and paved the way for the Jews to enter Canaan, where they would be free to follow and worship the Lord their God. A place blessed by God, flowing with milk and honey.

Summary

Stay tuned to next week’s article and we’ll examine two more historical events often cited as comparison of Christianity’s use of violence to Islam’s ongoing Jihad against infidels … which primarily consists of Jews and Christians.

Things to Ponder

The god of Islam never sent anyone to give his life FOR you. Instead, this god requires that, if you refuse to submit and convert, your life be taken FROM you. But Islam requires conversion with the mouth only, not with the heart. What kind of change is that?

Not so with the true and living God of the Bible. We alone have the choice. No one chooses for us or takes our lives from us, if we say no to Jesus. God doesn’t send anyone to hell or heaven. Our decision about Christ takes us to one or the other place of perpetual existence.

There can be no greater love than God’s amazing love for every man, woman, and child. Real love is demonstrated by action … showing, sharing, and sacrificing. Which is exactly what God’s Son, Messiah Jesus, did when he voluntarily gave his very life on the Cross. So that all who believe and receive him will pass from the penalty of eternal death to the pardon of everlasting life in heaven.

Everlasting life begins the moment 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” (Romans 10:9-10).

But this decision must be made now, while there is yet time. Once a person dies or when Jesus returns to judge the living and the dead, it will be too late. At such time, there will be world-wide acknowledgment that one Man (not a religion or religious system) bears the right to claim the title of Prince of Peace … Jesus the Christ. For only he can and will bring REAL peace.

Why does Messiah Jesus have this right? Many passages of the Bible tell us that Christ is God, Savior, and Judge. But none more so than the following:

“Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God has elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:6-11, italics for emphasis).

A Modern Day Esther

07 Saturday Mar 2015

Posted by garybowers in Current Events

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Benjamin Netanyahu, Feast of Purim, Iran, Nuclear warheads

Once Again … For Such A Time as This

“My friends, for over a year, we’ve been told that no deal is better than a bad deal. Well, this is a bad deal. It’s a very bad deal. We’re better off without it. Now we’re being told that the only alternative to this bad deal is war. That’s just not true. The alternative to this bad deal is a much better deal. A better deal that doesn’t leave Iran with a vast nuclear infrastructure and such a short break-out time. A better deal that keeps the restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program in place until Iran’s aggression ends.”

The above quote is an excerpt from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s stirring historical speech before the United States Congress earlier this week (March 3rd). The bad deal cited by the Prime Minister is currently being negotiated by Secretary of State, John Kerry, under the direction of US President Barack Obama. By and large, the precise details of this “bad deal” are unknown by much of the world; however, the fundamental framework would allow Iran to continue its centrifuges (on a limited, but nevertheless ongoing basis) for a period of ten years in exchange for relaxing economic sanctions against Iran.

Prime Minister Netanyahu proposed a much better deal with concluding remarks such as, “Ladies and gentlemen, history has placed us at a fateful crossroads. We must now choose between two paths. One path leads to a bad deal that will at best curtail Iran’s nuclear ambitions for a while, but it will inexorably lead to a nuclear-armed Iran whose unbridled aggression will inevitably lead to war. The second path, however difficult, could lead to a much better deal that would prevent a nuclear-armed Iran, a nuclearized Middle East and the horrific consequences of both to all of humanity.”

Even before Netanyahu’s riveting message to the United States Congress, the timing of his visit to America didn’t escape the attention of several Bible scholars/teachers (including me), as well as a great many Israelis. No, I’m not referring to the pretentious reason (excuse) why our President and his staff refused to attend this historical session of Congress—ostensibly because they don’t invite political candidates of another country to the U.S. so close to that country’s elections. Even though Benjamin Netanyahu is running for reelection (having himself called for early elections, which he didn’t have to do); the fact remains that he is the Prime Minister of Israel—for such a time as this.

I and several others firmly believe he places Israel’s security and relations with America far above any partisan political agenda, and in that order. How could he or why would he not, considering what’s at stake? Even though Israeli elections are set for March 17^th; a much greater concern is the March 31^st deadline for the United States to complete our (bad) deal with Iran.

Rather, the extraordinary timing of the Prime Minister’s captivating message is that it was given just one day before the annual two-day Feast of Purim begins in Israel. I wrote about this remarkable celebratory event of Israel’s history almost exactly a year ago in an article entitled, For Such a Time as This, published 3-15-14. Beginning with:

It’s that time of the year for Jews to celebrate the festive holiday of Purim, one of the delightful memories in Jewish history which makes the Jewish month of Adar (Feb/March) perhaps the happiest month of the year. They rejoice by reading the book of Esther, and playfully dressing up in disguise themselves, just as Queen Esther (at first) concealed her identity as a Jew from her husband, the Persian King Xerxes.

The article goes on to say:

The festival of Purim will be held tomorrow, just ten days after Israeli commandos intercepted the Klos C cargo ship sailing under the flag of Panama on its way to the Gaza Strip. The Israelis escorted the ship to the southern Israel city port of Eilat, where the Israeli Defense Forces unloaded the cargo, followed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s inspection of the shipment. There for the whole world to see was an imposing arsenal consisting of hundreds of thousands of rounds of AK-47 ammunition, dozens of mortars, and the most imposing of all—forty long-range missiles capable of striking Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and other cities deep into the heart of Israel. And, if these missiles could have or would have (in the future) been tipped with a nuclear warhead—even a tactical one—the tiny state of Israel would be transported to the state of oblivion.

From where did this destructive payload originate! Too easy of a question, right? None other than Iran, formerly known as the Persian Empire.

Missiles from Iran, Intercepted March, 2014, by Israel

Another excerpt from, For Such a Time as This:

At the press conference that followed the viewing of the confiscated weapons in Eilat, Benjamin Netanyahu reminded the world (he had just articulated this during his meeting with US President Obama a few days earlier) of the malicious intentions and ominous threat Iran poses to Israel, but not just Israel … also the United States. Said, Prime Minister Netanyahu about Iran: (this) “…brutal regime has not abandoned its deep involvement in terrorism, its systematic efforts to undermine peace and security throughout the Middle East and its ambition to destroy the state of Israel … Those engaged in self-deception must awaken from their slumber; we cannot allow Iran to continue building nuclear weapons.”

Last year’s article goes on to explain what Purim is all about. That were it not for Mordecai’s counsel and Queen Esther’s courage, the wicked Persian official, Haman, would have accomplished his devilish plan to kill all Jews in Persia. Just as Hitler almost did in Europe … no different from what Iran’s Ayatollah would do tomorrow if he had just one nuclear weapon at his disposal.

“Who knows,” Mordecai said to Esther, “If perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14).

Benjamin Netanyahu … A Modern-Day Esther

Once again, for such a time as this, Israel’s chosen (elected) leader must stand up and speak out for his country, for its very survival. But not just for Israel … for the entire freedom-loving world. The passage of time, nearly 2,500 years from ancient Persia to modern-day Iran, has not buried in antiquity Satan’s diabolical goal to, “…wipe out Israel as a nation … to destroy the very memory of its existence” (Psalms 83:4).

Amazingly, these prophetic words written at least 2,500 years ago have been quoted nearly word for word in the 20^th and 21^st centuries by Israel’s enemies, particularly by Iran’s former president and by its current Ayatollah. Then mimicked by Iran sponsored terrorist groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas, but even by leaders of other Muslim nations. When national leaders mouth the very words of Biblical prophecy without knowing or caring anything about the Word of God, then we know (along with dozens of other world events matching up with Bible prophecy) we are in the last days of the end-times.

As chosen representatives of their people and as played out in the extraordinary timing of today’s existential (Israel’s very existence) threat that a nuclear Iran poses to Israel—passionately conveyed in what could be called, the Purim Message to the US Congress—the striking similarity between Esther’s and Benjamin’s destiny is inescapable.

In Esther’s day, the Jews were on the brink of annihilation; as is the entire nation of Israel today. Yet there are additional factors in today’s world that make Iran an equal, if not greater menace than what Esther and the Jews faced in ancient Persia.

Such as:

Although the villainous Haman was a Persian “noble” whom the King had promoted to the “most powerful official in the empire” (Esther 3:1), who hated the Jews and plotted genocide against them, he was not the supreme ruler of the Persian Empire. Still, Haman somehow persuaded Xerxes to issue a decree that the Jews be destroyed. This was accomplished by means of a vicious lie that the Jews had refused to obey the laws of the king … all the while concealing Haman’s true agenda which was extreme hatred of principally just one Jew, Mordecai.

In contrast, modern-day Iran’s loathing of Israel and solemn vow to “wipe Israel from the face of the earth,” without any attempt to hide it, overtly originates from their very top political and military leaders. There is no Mordecai or Esther in modern Iran who (in ancient Persia Mordecai actually saved the king’s life by exposing a plot to assassinate King Xerxes) could influence the wicked leaders of this country to reconsider their plot to eliminate all Jews from the earth. For that matter, there are very few Jews that remain in Iran. Moreover, there’s no way that Iran’s Ayatollah or President would allow Israel’s Prime Minister to meet with them to explain that Iran’s pernicious pursuit of nuclear weapons is not in the best interest of world peace!

Are you kidding! If for some bizarre reason, the Iranians summoned Israel’s PM to meet with them, Benjamin Netanyahu wouldn’t accept the invitation. Why? Because he knows all too well that you simply can’t engage in diplomacy with an enemy who has sworn to destroy you.

But, that is exactly what President Obama and his staff are trying to do! Apparently, in order to leave some sort of presidential legacy, to directly and indirectly (as a proxy for Israel) negotiate a deal that would (by the very definition of negotiations) require that the United States and its allies make concessions to Iran BEFORE Iran reduces its centrifuge capacity to manufacture weapon-grade uranium.

And, so, instead of appealing to Iran—which would be an impossible exercise in futility to begin with—Prime Minister Netanyahu’s only recourse was to plead directly with the United States Congress (by invitation) and indirectly to the White House that they awaken from a dream-like sleep (nightmare to the Israelis) in which our President fantasizes that he can rationally negotiate with irrational evil.

Another Eye of Prophecy article, Let’s Make a Deal, published 12-14-13 not long after the initial “interim agreement” with Iran began, contains the following: Would you make a deal with someone whose main purpose in life was to destroy you and members of your family… How do you negotiate with those who would lie to you, cheat you, and ultimately kill you to accomplish their warped objectives? Where do you start? Why are you even there in the first place? But none of these questions seem to bother the G5 + 1, with perhaps the exception of France.

Then this example, from several of Iran’s visceral acts of hostility, presented by Prime Minister Netanyahu that partially correlates with another portion of the cited article, Let’s Make a Deal. Said Netanyahu: “Just last week, near Hormuz, Iran carried out a military exercise blowing up a mock U.S. aircraft carrier. That’s just last week, while they’re having nuclear talks with the United States. But unfortunately, for the last 36 years, Iran’s attacks against the United States have been anything but mock … Iran took dozens of Americans hostage in Tehran, murdered hundreds of American soldiers, Marines, in Beirut … killing and maiming thousands of American service men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

From, Let’s Make a Deal, article: “Suppose, we can reason with them?” (Here, I referred to the White House supposition that terrorist groups or rogue nations might listen to reason). Really? Concerning Iran, if they had done just one positive thing in the last 34 years to suggest the slightest hint of cooperation or concession, then there might be a slim chance (say .01%) of reaching some sort of agreement. *Note: It’s been 34 years since the attack on the US Embassy in Tehran and kidnapping of dozens of US Embassy representatives by the newly formed Islamic government of Iran. If we’re even a fraction wrong about Iran’s true intentions, then there’s a 99.9% chance they will follow through on their threats.

The Real Deal

Rather, the only “deal” that makes any sense is one that fully considers who and what the enemy is all about; a deal that unilaterally demands what is expected of them without making any concessions whatsoever. At the bare minimum, to enforce what’s already in place. But preferably, to strengthen the sanctions. To tighten Iran’s money belt around its neck until it begs for relief and immediately stops then dismantle its centrifuges, including allowance of detailed inspections as often as necessary.

More insightful recommendations from Benjamin Netanyahu:

“This deal won’t be a farewell to arms. It would be a farewell to arms control. And the Middle East would soon be crisscrossed by nuclear trip wires. A region where small skirmishes can trigger big wars, would turn into a nuclear tinderbox. If anyone thinks … this deal kicks the can down the road, think again. When we get down that road, we’ll face a much more dangerous Middle East littered with nuclear bombs and a countdown to a potential nuclear nightmare.”

Netanyahu continued: “Ladies and gentlemen, I’ve come here today to tell you we don’t have to bet the security of the world on the hope that Iran will change for the better. We don’t have to gamble with our future and with our children’s future. We can insist that restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program not be lifted for as long as Iran continues its aggression in the region and in the world.

“Before lifting those restrictions, the world should demand that Iran do three things: First, stop its aggression against its neighbors in the Middle East. Second, stop supporting terrorism around the world. And, third, stop threatening to annihilate my country, Israel, the one and only Jewish state.”

Throughout the Prime Minister’s moving message, there were thundering accolades from the Congressional audience with some 40 rounds of applause, 24 standing ovations, including six or seven applause interruptions in just these last few quoted sentences and in the next couple of sentences in which he said:

“If Iran changes its behavior, the restrictions would be lifted. If Iran doesn’t change it behavior, the restrictions would not be lifted. If Iran wants to be treated like a normal country, let it act like a normal county.”

And then, “Iran’s nuclear program can be rolled back well-beyond the current proposal by insisting on a better deal and keeping up the pressure on a very vulnerable regime, especially given the recent collapse in the price of oil.”

Here is what I said in the Eye of Prophecy article recently published on 2-21-15, entitled: God Is in Control.

At least for the moment, I believe that God has sovereignly circumvented the folly of this nation and other nation’s ignorance and dismissal of God’s supreme counsel found in Scripture concerning the nation of Israel. Specifically, how abuse of Israel will rebound like the recoil of a powerful weapon against those who despise God’s chosen people/land.

The Lord has extended his grace to believers and unbelievers alike through divine intervention; with regard to the beneficial result of drastically reduced gas prices to help jump-start our nation’s still sluggish economy; and at the same time making it much more difficult, if not impossible, for Iran to finish their (not-so-secret) malevolent plan of manufacturing nuclear weapons. At the minimum, it provides more time for Israel to convince the United States and the EU to wake up, to come to their senses and realize that the Iranians mean business. They are absolutely serious about destroying Israel and setting up an Islamic Global Caliphate in which Muslim Sharia law will rule the world. First Israel, then the World is their malicious objective, as is the goal of ISIS and other terrorist groups and even entire nations.

And, in the context of Benjamin’s words of betting the security of the world on the hope that Iran will change or gambling with the future of our children, the following except from my recent article:

God’s omnipotent sovereignty will be vividly displayed in Iran’s humiliating defeat during her vain alliance with Russia in the Gog/Magog attack on Israel. However, that doesn’t mean that the United States or any other nation should ignore the profound consequences of endangering or abandoning Israel through reckless negotiations and agreements with countries bent on Israel’s destruction. If we persist in putting Israel in peril, you can bet the farm that this nation will suffer the same fate as ancient Babylon or Persia. That is if you have a house left to bet with even before the great end-times battles begin.

Another quote from God is in Control:

Even milder mistreatment such as disrespect, denigration, or constant disapproval of Israel will have ramifications. But if we deliberately snub Israel to the point of scorn or humiliation and certainly hatred, then it is a Biblical certainty: God will snub the United States of America, primarily by withdrawing his protection from this country that God blessed from its birth. And that won’t be a pretty sight. To the potential extreme that if we allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons, then pray to God that one of those nuclear-tipped missiles doesn’t explode on American soil.

A nuclear-armed Iran is, by far, the greatest threat to Israel; greater even than the terrorist groups that lurk near Israel (Hezbollah in Lebanon) and within Israel (Hamas in the Gaza Strip). A nuclear Iran is also a grave threat to the United States, but it is not the ultimate risk that America faces. No, the paramount peril to this great country of ours is turning our backs on Israel. To ignore Israel’s safety and to put her in harm’s way is to place ourselves outside of God’s omnipotent protection. We may get to that point anyway, via our inexorable slide down an avalanche of immorality that has carried with it executive and judicial decisions designed to eliminate God from the very fabric and foundation of our country. But it’s a foregone conclusion, a sure thing, that we will lose God’s sovereign intervention if we offer Israel on the altar of a sacrificial agreement with her enemies.

Negative Reactions to the Prime Minister’s Message

Sadly, even tragically, here are some of the responses of our leaders to Prime Minister Netanyahu’s passionate plea for this country to wake up to what radical Islam is all about. *Note: Though a topic for another article, radical Islam is actually moderate mainstream because that’s exactly what the Koran calls for, i.e. jihad and ruthless suppression of all infidels—Christians and Jews alike—who refuse to submit to the Muslim god Allah. Islam means submission.

First, more words from Israel’s Prime Minister: “Iran’s regime is as radical as ever, its cries of ‘Death to America,’ that same America that it calls the ‘Great Satan,’ as loud as ever. Now, this shouldn’t be surprising, because the ideology of Iran’s revolutionary regime is deeply rooted in militant Islam, and that’s why this regime will always be an enemy of America. Don’t be fooled. The battle between Iran and ISIS doesn’t turn Iran into a friend of America. Iran and ISIS are competing for the crown of militant Islam. One calls itself the Islamic Republic. The other calls itself the Islamic State. Both want to impose a militant Islamic empire first on the region and then on the entire world. They just disagree among themselves who will be the ruler of that empire.”

Netanyahu then concludes that portion of his speech with this profound warning: “In this deadly game of thrones, there’s no place for America or for Israel, no peace for Christians, Jews, or Muslims who don’t share the Islamist medieval creed, no rights for women, no freedom for anyone. So when it comes to Iran and ISIS, the enemy of your enemy is (still) your enemy.”

Adverse Responses:

President Barack Obama: Essentially, he concluded that Netanyahu said nothing new, that it was the same kind of speech he delivered when the US, “came to the interim deal … about how dangerous that deal was going to be…” He further said that Netanyahu, “offered no viable alternative.”

Comment: First, the recent speech contained many new and different points, not the least of which was a concrete solution to the problem, which has already been summarized in this article. Second, of course some of the speech was repetitive of past statements made by Israel’s Prime Minister. Because Israel understands her enemies far better than the current administration of the United States when the interim agreement began in 2013, Benjamin Netanyahu at that time said, “The most dangerous regime in the world must not be allowed to have the most dangerous weapon in the world … we will not allow Iran to receive a military nuclear capability.”

When the stakes are so high, such warnings need to be repeated … over and over and over. Referring to the Holocaust, Jews have incessantly echoed, “Never again.” As did Benjamin Netanyahu in his speech when he recognized and honored holocaust survivor and Nobel Prize winner, Elie Wiesel.

We all must be reminded continually how apocalyptically serious Iran is in its misguided messianic pursuit of world supremacy, beginning with Israel’s destruction.

In other words, if the White House thinks that Iran (because of its status as a nation) is different from the terrorist organizations it supports (such as Hezbollah and Hamas) or because Iran doesn’t like ISIS usurping Iran’s Islamic goals of a global Caliphate, that they can reason with Iran … well, it’s the proverbial, “You better think again.”

Vice President Joe Biden: Conveniently travelling abroad.

Comment: No comment needed; his absence said it all.

Secretary of State, John Kerry: Equally convenient, he was in Geneva where negotiations are taking place between the United States and Iran. In fact, the day after Netanyahu’s speech to Congress, Kerry met again with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed javad Zarif.

Said the Prime Minister in his speech to Congress: “Last year, the same Zarif who charms Western diplomats laid a wreath at the grave of Imad Mughniyeh. Imad Mughniyeh is the terrorist mastermind who spilled more American blood than any other terrorist besides Osama bin Laden”

Comment: Does John Kerry or our President or anyone seriously think that Iran will keep any bargain without debilitating sanctions that will economically cripple the capacity to develop their uranium enrichment program as well as subsidize terrorist groups in the Middle East? The historical image of England’s Neville Chamberlain negotiating with Adolph Hitler for “peace in our time” compels me (and others) to shout on the rooftops: “What in the world are you thinking?”

House of Representatives Minority Leader, Nancy Pelosi: “I was near tears throughout the prime minister’s speech…” She then gave the reason for her sorrow: “…saddened by the insult to the intelligence of the United States as part of the P5 + 1 nations … and saddened by the condescension toward our knowledge of the threat posed by Iran and our broader commitment to preventing nuclear proliferation.”

Comment: Seriously? Does she actually believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu insulted the United States (meaning her and other liberal versions of America which, among other things, includes a gross miscalculation of Islamic objectives) intelligence—perhaps meaning actual intelligence agencies like the CIA but also the US capacity to grasp the issues? Does she truly believe that the Prime Minister is condescending to the White House by underestimating or belittling or trivializing the U.S. recognition of what a nuclear Iran means to the world?

I’ve followed the career of Benjamin Netanyahu for many years now. I can say with utmost certainty: He unconditionally respects the United States and cherishes Israel’s relationship with this great country. He fully appreciates that the United States understands the danger of a nuclear-armed Iran, primarily to Israel but also to America, herself. But he also realizes that a good many in America, including the presidential staff and some in the Congress, simply don’t grasp the doomed strategy of negotiating with one of the three Axis of Evil nations … as former President George W. Bush classified Iran.

Summary

Let’s Make a Deal was a hit television game show years ago, full of fun and prizes. But we must not play such a game with Iran, because it’s a deadly game. To make a deal with what very well could become a nuclear monster is to make a deal with the devil. A deal void of any fun; rather one filled with fatal consequences. A deal where the prize goes to the enemy: the severed head of Israel and (possibly) America perched on an Islamic nuclear mushroom.

Instead, we lay down unqualified conditions that stipulate complete compliance. If our adversary refuses to abide by the terms, then we tighten the economic screws. If that doesn’t convince the enemy, then we resort to a harsher solution. If it means war, so be it. Prime Minister Netanyahu prefers a “better deal” over war and so do I, and so do you. But if Iran doesn’t want (or lies about keeping such an agreement) a better deal, sooner or later war is what we will get by making concessions to an enemy committed to our ruin. The ultimate difference is war on our terms, not theirs. If that means a preemptive strike by Israel, then the United States should support that initiative in whatever form it takes to accomplish the objective.

This was no less true with Napoleon’s France, Hitler’s Germany, Mussolini’s Italy, the Empire of Japan, Stalin’s Russia, Mao tse-Tung’s China, North Korea’s Kim Jong(s) father and son, and any other number of despots and despotic governments throughout history. Had the allies intervened in the 1930s against Hitler’s blatant disregard for and deliberate violation of the armistice conditions of the First World War … well, many blanks could be filled in with that scenario. Including the probability that there would not have been a Second World War.

We must understand beyond all doubt: Satan’s hideous resolve and horrifying reprisals against the Jews and Israel have been ruthlessly relentless. From Pharaoh to Haman, from Haman to Herod, from Herod to Hitler, from Hitler to Hezbollah and Hamas … to venomous Ayatollahs and Imams bent on Israel’s destruction.

Things to Ponder

We are in a battle, a struggle of physical and (even more so) spiritual life and death with the forces of wickedness. We cannot, we must not let down our guard. The only way we can truly comprehend and then confront the insidious, devastating effect of both religious and irreligious lies, hate, evil, and darkness in this world is to first acknowledge the source of absolute truth, love, good, and light … which is God; expressed through his very image, Messiah Jesus … vividly portrayed in God’s Word, the Bible.

God’s love and light reaches out to mankind’s free will to choose and says, “If you will only believe and receive the way, truth, and life through my Son.”

Hate and the darkness of evil says, “You will (do this or that) or else.” That is exactly what Islam teaches through the Koran and which millions of Muslims (not just terrorists) firmly believe … forced conversion through deprivation, torture, and death if you refuse to submit.

“Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them … But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, ‘Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light’” (Ephesians 5:10-14).

“Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, ‘I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life’” (John 8:12).

Let believers in the true Messiah, Jesus, continue to pray that our President, and all who are stumbling around in the darkness of bad deals, turn on the light!

May God bless America?! He will, if America blesses Israel!

God Is in Control

21 Saturday Feb 2015

Posted by garybowers in Current Events

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Red lines, sanctions against Iran, Sovereignty of God

The Incomparable Sovereignty of God

Just a few days ago, I filled my truck up for $1.73 a gallon. Gasoline for less than two dollars a gallon! Can you believe it? For those of you who have a thirteen year old teenager, the price of gas hasn’t been that low since your child was born. For baby boomers who can barely remember cheap gas, it’s something we never expected to see again … along with a gallon of milk for less than a dollar (we’re still waiting for that one).

This free fall of fuel prices is pretty amazing. Although the cost is creeping back up, economic experts do not expect gas to rise above three dollars a gallon for quite some time. The bottom line is a savings of hundreds of dollars a year for many motorists. Let’s hear it for so many hard-working moms and dads!

So what does the price of gas have to do with God’s sovereignty? In my opinion, absolutely everything. Through God’s gift of free will to the human race, the Bible is clear that he allows individuals and nations to make choices that affect their lives and destiny. But throughout history, Scripture is equally clear that God sometimes intervenes in human affairs, both naturally and supernaturally to accomplish his short-term and long-term purposes for the human race. Many passages in Scripture speak of his divine sovereignty, such as: “The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all” (Psalms 103:19, NASB). And, “God reigns above the nations, sitting on his holy throne” (Psalms 47:8).

Permit me to quote an excerpt from my book, Out of the Abyss:

We don’t know what’s going to happen next hour, let alone next month or year. Yet, by our decisions and actions, by our good choices, bad choices or indifferent choices, we can change things that otherwise would or would not have occurred. We can also be changed by the decisions and behavior of others, by events beyond our control.

How then, does God still achieve his plan? How does he circumvent the innumerable bad decisions that we all have made, not to mention the evil in the world to accomplish his purpose? Okay, I’ll give you a hint: Because he is God! This isn’t just the humble opinion of one man, nor is it a cop-out, nor is it an oversimplified answer to an otherwise unfathomable question or concept.

To be sure, however, the “hint” does beg the question: he can do anything because he is God. But that still doesn’t explain how he does it. So we are left begging the question because it is simply beyond our natural, finite comprehension; which is why God doesn’t demand or even ask that we completely grasp his providential sovereignty. If we could wrap our finite minds around his infinite omnipotence and omniscience, I suppose that we would be God.

Ironically, that’s exactly what most of mankind, including natural scientists, human secularists, occult spiritualists, God-less governments and agnostic academia in general try to do. They inevitably ascribe to themselves the controlled capacity, the distinctive domain, and the potent position of determining their destiny. And, if you will but afford them the privilege and opportunity; if you will “give them an ear,” they will gladly assist you in discovering your origin and purpose for life. Ultimately, if you yield complete attention and allegiance, they will be delighted to direct your future (page 22).

In the global arena of fuel supplies, for decades we have been at the mercy of the OPEC nations, chief among them, Saudi Arabia. But those days may be coming to an end. In a recent interview with an OPEC representative, the stated reason for OPEC’s continued production of an abundant supply of oil is because they want to maintain a market share to compete with increased output of non-OPEC oil and gas reserves. If this means tolerating losses due to competitive declining prices, then so be it. Actually, what it really means is that they are willing to be less greedy and settle for less than the enormous profits of the past! For an indefinite period of time, Saudi Arabia—including some smaller OPEC countries—can and will absorb the revenue loss from lower fuel prices.

Along with (especially) Israel, the United States, and the European Union, Saudi Arabia is also deeply disturbed with Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Saudi Arabia’s enormous distrust of a nuclear-armed Iran trumps their need for vast wealth. Although they (tacitly) support the idea of an American (or even Israeli) preemptive military strike against Iran’s nuclear plants, they also appreciate the debilitating effect of economic sanctions against Iran, imposed by the US and/or the EU. However, should America and the EU relax its sanctions in a completely misguided and misunderstood effort to “negotiate” with Iran, OPEC nations aligned against Iran can rely heavily on Iran’s huge loss of revenue from this unparalleled drop in the price of oil.

Most experts agree: It will be extremely difficult for Iran to invest more billions in its nuclear program if, in fact, most of those billions are no longer available. It’s no secret that Iran’s military budget depends desperately on revenue from high oil prices. The tremendous impact of a 50% decrease in the price of a barrel of oil in just the last six months could severely cripple the best laid plans of Iran’s military objectives; indeed, of its entire economy. It would also drastically reduce this Islamic Shi’ite regime’s funding of terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and others.

As Daniel Yergin, an expert in oil finances wrote, “The OPEC members in big trouble are the ‘have-nots’—those with small financial reserves and high government budgets.” These have-nots include Russia, Venezuela, and Iran.

Something Positive for a Change

What we have here is an incredible Win-Win situation, when most of the time recent world events have resulted in a Lose-Lose … or at the very best, a Win-Lose scenario. I’m referring to the one-step forward, two steps backward progress against things like a weak global economy, or dealing a blow to one terrorist group like Al-Qaida (death of Osama Bin-Laden); only for another more vicious, more blood-thirsty gang of terrorists to take their place … ISIS.

I’m sure that many Christians in the United States and believers all over the world have prayed that US President Obama and other government leaders will not capitulate to Iran’s distorted and diabolical desire to produce nuclear weapons. Many have voiced their strong disapproval of negotiating with a radical regime whose avowed objective is the destruction of Israel, but also of the country that their Islamic clerics and leaders have often called the Great Satan, none other than the USA.

I firmly believe that God, in his mercy and sovereignty, has heard these prayers. Which can explain the inexplicable, give insight to the inconceivable, provide meaning to the otherwise unfathomable, completely unexpected and (in terms of historically high fuel cost) unprecedented plunge in gas prices. While, at the same time, throwing a giant wrench into the Iran’s nuclear machinery by severely limiting the monies needed to build or buy that machinery.

Make no mistake: Among the myriad of ominous global developments including the ugly resurgence of Anti-Semitism mostly in Europe (of all places … the site of the Holocaust just one generation ago), the most dangerous of all (especially to Israel) is that of a nuclear Iran. So much so that our Republican dominated Senate and House has called upon Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address the United States Congress on March ^3rd. Many kudos to our legislative leaders for inviting Prime Minister Netanyahu, who knows better than anyone the grave peril to Israel, the Middle East including Arab countries, and virtually the entire world should Iran become nuclear.

And shame on our Presidential staff to scorn the Congressional invitation and refuse to attend this historical event just to snub Israel and her Prime Minister. Under, sadly, the hypocritical pretense of not allowing foreign leaders (politicians) to meet with US executive leaders a few weeks before that foreign country’s election. While at the same time sending Democrat lobbyists to assist Israeli liberal opponents of Netanyahu’s Likud party. I’m not normally one to bash any sitting President, mostly due to my great respect for the most important position in our country, but also in (at least some) deference to the one occupying that position.

But wrong is wrong; right is right. And, no, I’m not equating right or wrong to beauty (for example), which is in the eye of the beholder … a subjective evaluation of the one deciding what is right or wrong. Rather, I’m referring to the truth of Scripture; applicable, in this context, to God’s unmistakable sovereign plans for the Jewish people and the nation of Israel. And, in turn, how nations of the world treat Israel.

To Bless or Curse Israel … The Stakes Are High

We all should be seriously concerned about the growing hostility of our executive branch against Israel, as expressed by this latest friction between our President and Israel’s Prime Minister. I’m not talking about personality differences or variances in political strategy and the like. Instead, I’m getting straight to the heart of the matter, to the heart of God. Which among other things includes a Biblical prophetic warning and (down through the ages) a historically documented fact: Any and all nations who treat Israel with contempt (harassment, oppression, suppression, mockery, denial of Jewish rights to the land, economic sanctions or boycotts, siding with her enemies, and certainly hatred and murder to the vicious extreme of genocide) have paid and will pay a great price. A price exacted by God, himself, as demonstrated against nations listed in Scripture and those in existence during the last days of the end times, which is today’s world.

History is littered with the corpses of nations that attacked or subjugated Israel, only to be utterly defeated and destroyed themselves. Where is mighty Babylon? Have you seen an Assyrian lately? Show me where the Roman Empire is today. Though the contemporary nation of Iran arrogantly boasts of her military might and her capability (now by conventional means, later by nuclear means) to annihilate Israel, what happened to the mighty Persian kings of her gloried past? That Persian Empire is long gone, one of several national victims of God’s sovereign promise to judge nations and peoples that attempted to wipe Israel from the face of the earth.

A collapsed economy far worse than the Great Depression of the 1930s or the Great Recession of 2008 may reclaim millions of homes across this once great nation that we love and in which we have the freedom to express that love and to worship the true and living God. But for how long? We need to wake up from our spiritually drunken stupor! We need to pray for God’s mercy. We need to speak up for the truth of God’s salvation. We need to expose the new morality for what it is; where bad is good and good is bad—which is nothing more than age-old immorality wrapped in a contemporary cloak of lies about tolerance and diversity.

Despite the totally unique and diverse feature of Christianity (God through his Son dying for our sins … doing for us what we could not do for ourselves), if you are a Christian you are not diverse. So say those who despise God, Christ, and anyone who claims to have been born-again by the redemptive sacrifice of Jesus. If you believe and repeat the very words of Messiah Jesus, who said that He is the only Way, Truth, and Life; no person can come to God except through Him, then you are not tolerant. Don’t bother those who say otherwise, with the facts. Don’t try to reason with them, because they only know how to argue in a circle.

The fact is: If someone claims that someone else is not diverse (espousing diversity) or not tolerant because of what they believe, then the one making that indictment (by logical definition and by default) is also intolerant. If they accuse someone else of being intolerant, then what does that make them? Tolerant? If so, then one plus one must equal three.

God’s Sovereignty, Expressed through Israel

The Lord has extended his grace to believers and unbelievers alike through divine intervention; with regard to the beneficial result of drastically reduced gas prices to help jump start our nation’s still sluggish economy; and at the same time making it much more difficult, if not impossible, for Iran to finish their (not-so-secret) malevolent plan of manufacturing nuclear weapons. At the minimum, it provides more time for Israel to convince the United States and the EU to wake up, to come to their senses and realize that the Iranians mean business. They are absolutely serious about destroying Israel and setting up an Islamic Global Caliphate in which Muslim Sharia law will rule the world. First Israel, then the World is their malicious objective, as is the goal of ISIS and other terrorist groups and even entire nations.

God is so patient. He gives individuals and nations an extraordinary amount of time to change their mind and their ways, to turn to him (unbelievers) and return to him (believers). But only up to a point; eventually even the patience of God will be tested. If we cross red lines established by God or allow other nations to cross those red lines, or erase legitimate red lines that we, ourselves, create; then enough will be enough. One red line already drawn is found in Genesis and in other passages throughout Scripture concerning Israel and Gentile nations. In no uncertain terms, God declares to Abraham and his descendants (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).

An example of a red-line that the United States created, then retreated from was Syria’s use of chemical weapons against its own people. All threats of retaliation by our President were simply withdrawn. Same thing with the ongoing sanctions against Iran … they are being reduced, not increased in size and severity. Said Florida’s Governor, Jeb Bush (probable Presidential candidate in 2016) about the current Administration: “They draw red lines … then erase them.”

(I have said the same thing in a few Eye of Prophecy articles such as, Let’s Make a Deal, published December 14, 2013, which presents similar challenges found in this article. Also, For Such a Time as This, published March 15, 2014. I would encourage you to click on those articles in the archives of our blog site).

When the Lord shows great favor to us by supernaturally intervening in personal and world events, shouldn’t we acknowledge him in the matter of individual, state, and national affairs; instead of ignoring or even snubbing him in virtually every area of our individual and corporate lives. To say as our Savior, God’s Son, said to his Father just hours before he died a cruel death on a cross, “Yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42, NASB). In fact, God’s sovereign will was done. By raising Christ from the dead, God accomplished his mighty plan of salvation for you and for me. He providentially turned the cruel torture and unjust death of his Son into the greatest episode of human history and the utmost blessing known to mankind.

“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).

“For God so loved the world (you and me) that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, KJV).

Our Sovereign Lord is just a whisper away. Or if you prefer to shout, then yell!

After God sovereignly shook the Philippian jail, “…to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! The jailor woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. But Paul shouted to him, ‘Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!’ The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas … ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved…’” (Acts 16:26-31).

So, why don’t you join me in a heartfelt prayer of gratitude to the Most High God and to the Son of God? Whether you doubt there is such a God, or whether you question that Jesus Christ died for your sins and freely gives you redemption through simple faith in him, it will do us all good to acknowledge God’s grace, mercy, and sovereignty. In spite of your doubt, if you are sincerely seeking divine answers and truth, then reach out to God and he will reach back to you. Draw near to him and he will draw near to you. These are God’s promises in Scripture.

Thank you, Lord, for who you are and what you do. You are so great and so very good. Thank you, Jesus, for dying on the cross for me and rising from the dead so that I can be saved from my sins and have eternal life. Thank you for your providence in the little and big things of my life. I am thankful for lower gas prices. And equally grateful that you have made it more difficult for Israel’s enemies to carry out their threats against your chosen people, but also against nations and the people of those nations who agree with your Word and say with the Psalmist: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.” (Psalm 33:12, NASB).

Things to Ponder

More verses in Psalm 33 that was just quoted:

“The Lord looks down from heaven and sees the whole human race. From his throne he observes all who live on the earth. He made their hearts, so he understands everything they do. The best-equipped army cannot save a king, nor is great strength enough to save a warrior … But the Lord watches over those who fear (respect, acknowledge, in awe of) him, those who rely on his unfailing love… We put our hope in the Lord, He is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone” (Psalms 33:13-22).

Can you … will you say with King David:

“No pagan god (man-made) is like you, O Lord. None can do what you do! All the nations you made will come and bow before you, Lord; they will praise your holy name. For you are great and perform wonderful deeds. You alone are God” (Psalms 86:8-10).

Come on brothers and sisters in Christ. Let’s agree with God when he says: “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).

Great is our God, and greatly to be praised!

May God bless America! May God bless Brazil! May God bless … all peoples and nations whose God is the Lord.

Gog, Magog and Leviathan

03 Saturday Jan 2015

Posted by garybowers in Current Events

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Israel, natural gas, Russia

Gog, Magog, and Leviathan

Given the exceptionally small size of Israel—roughly equivalent to the land mass of America’s State of New Jersey—the heretofore scarcity of natural resources that supply power and fuel for Israelis (and Palestinians) and the dependence upon foreign countries for these resources, who would ever imagine an Antitrust action against an Israeli company in a nation of some 8 million citizens (roughly six million Jewish Israelis, two million Arab Israelis).

What gave rise to this Anti Cartel type of challenge is yet another amazing piece of the Biblical prophetic puzzle that has recently fallen into place—the impending Gog/Magog invasion of Israel as vividly portrayed by the prophet Ezekiel. Of which many books, articles, and commentaries have been written by Bible scholars including me in a few Eye of Prophecy articles. Ezekiel identified the end-times nations of Russia and allied countries such as Iran and Turkey. Let’s examine part of this remarkable prophecy again:

“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: At that time evil thoughts will come to your mind, and you will devise a wicked scheme. You will say, ‘Israel is an unprotected land filled with unwalled villages! I will march against her and destroy these people who live in such confidence! 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 38:10-12).

Let’s first look at what this antitrust action in Israel is all about, which also includes a large United States company; then place it in the context of the Gog-Magog assault against Israel, which is shaping up to be all the more imminent … things are falling into place on almost a daily basis.

From an article in Israel Hayom dated December 23, 2014, we read: “Antitrust Commissioner Professor David Gilo on Tuesday informed Israel’s Delek Group and Texas based Noble Energy of his decision to revoke the licensing agreement pertaining to their holdings in the Leviathan offshore gas field. The companies, which also control the Tamar, Tanin and Karish gas fields, have effectively formed a cartel (allegedly), which the Antitrust Authority said it seeks to dissolve.”

Noble Energy, headquartered in Houston, also discovered Israel’s first offshore crude oil reserve, called Mari-B.

The article goes on to say that David Gilo met with attorneys for the two companies to inform them that both the Delek Group and Noble Energy would have to sell the majority of their holdings in Leviathan.

Leviathan Natural Gas Reserve

Note: It’s curious that an industrial enterprise in Israel and a foreign (to Israel) companion company in Texas, would be taken to task over offshore (natural) gas drilling when they are merely trying to compete with world monopolies, like the Arab Cartel—to find and give Israel, surrounding countries such as Jordan and Egypt, and even the United States another source of fuel. But I suppose that is the positive nature (as long as it’s within reason) of a democracy, i.e. to publicly oversee and regulate industries that might otherwise become a monopoly. And Israel is the only democratic (a parliamentary representative union of at least ten political parties) nation in the Middle East.

Not so with the Arab Cartel that is the single largest monopoly in the world. They come and go as they please; they supply much of the world’s crude oil/gas and charge what they will. It is through recent increases in America’s production of gas and oil like the shale oil reserves in North Dakota; and what could be Israel’s contribution to the global fuel supply that self-regulates energy prices, through free market enterprise and competition. (I’m convinced that the Israeli company and its Texas affiliate will be able to overcome this temporary setback).

What is (a) Leviathan?

In ancient literature and oral tradition, and as occasionally referenced in Scripture, Leviathan was a large mythical sea creature or even a real-life behemoth that was virtually indestructible by man or nature or anything except God himself. Not unlike the modern-day Loch Ness Monster legend.

The prophet Isaiah refers to this monstrosity by its name, and what will happen to it in the last days, telling us that, “In that day the Lord will take his terrible, swift sword and punish Leviathan … He will kill the dragon of the sea” (Isaiah 27:1). Whether this creature actually existed is not the issue; rather the emphasis is on its symbolical representation (depicted in ancient Aramaic literature as a seven-headed monster) of all that opposes God.

From Ezekiel and other prophets we learn that this opposition will be a Satanic led coalition of nations as presented in the Gog/Magog invasion and subsequently in the ten-nation confederation that gives itself wholly to the Antichrist. The emphasis in the symbolism of Leviathan is that of: ENORMOUS. I’m certain the name of this natural gas field was chosen with the idea of sheer size; however, in light of the Bible’s negative allusion and connotation to this ancient creature that will represent modern-day alliances against Israel, I question the owner’s choice of Leviathan! On the other hand, it is an extraordinary correlation to Biblical prophecy.

Although there will be any number of nations aligned with Russia (the passage also states “many others”), there are seven specific names of nations or regions specified in the Gog/Magog prophecy of Ezekiel: Meshech, Tubal, Persia, Ethiopia, Libya, Gomer, and Beth-togarmah. There is an eighth, but that is essentially the head of this coalition, which is Gog or the Prince of Rosh (Russia). Or if a scholar insists on eight nations identified, the imagery still fits with Leviathan which has seven heads but is also an eighth, which is the composite beast itself.

Though a totally different beast for a different event, the imagery is remarkably identical to the seven-headed beast of Revelation 17, which represents seven kings and also an eighth king which comes out of and is one of the seven heads (kings). The eighth king is none other than the beast of Revelation, the Antichrist. Thus, the (seven-headed) Leviathan mentioned by Isaiah and other passages of Scripture embodies the two massive coalitions against Israel that will take place after the Rapture … Gog/Magog fairly soon afterward and the Antichrist beast near the end of the Great Tribulation.

The mammoth natural gas field dubbed Leviathan is one of four main offshore finds by the Delek Group and Noble Energy after several years spent and some six billion dollars invested. Leviathan was discovered in 2010 some 80 miles west of Haifa, Israel and contains an estimated 22 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

The other discoveries named Tamar (about 50 miles west of Haifa), and Tanin and Kadesh—often referred together due to their close proximity to each other, some 74 miles from Haifa— hold an estimated 8.4 trillion cubic feet and 1.3 trillion cubic feet, respectively. Thus, the Leviathan reservoir holds nearly three times the natural gas of the other three offshore sites combined. The Delek Group and subsidiaries control fifty-three per cent of the offshore ventures, with Noble Energy comprising the remaining forty-seven per cent.

This article is not about debating the pros and cons of whether these two companies have created a monopoly; although no other companies have invested anywhere near the six billion exploration dollars to find these huge natural gas fields. Moreover, they are separate entities with each company independently owned, one from the other. They are not subsidiaries, one of the other. From my limited understanding of monopolies; that, in itself, creates a healthy check and balance system.

The discovery of these gas fields off the coast of Israel is nothing short of amazing. For several reasons, two of which are: (1) Proceeds from the sale and distribution of these natural gas fields could increase Israel’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) substantially. In the eyes of global economic powers including the Arab Cartel, it could level the playing field to the extent that Israel would become self-sufficient in natural gas consumption while cutting into the proceeds of surrounding Arab countries. It could change the financial dynamics of the entire Middle East, by making Israel a major player in the competitive field of energy production.

(2) It provides and confirms the Biblically predicted incentive for Russia and select Russian allies to launch a colossal campaign against Israel as found in Ezekiel’s prophecy. Before discovering and developing these natural gas holdings, Israel offered a variety of exports to maintain a favorable trade surplus, but nothing like what these natural gas fields could accomplish. And, thereby, attract the attention of other nations, both friend and foe.

Currently, Israel’s main export products include: Cut diamonds (already mined elsewhere), pearls, and other precious metals (31% of Israel’s exports); electrical machinery/equipment, appliances, sound & TV recorders, computer equipment (18%); pharmaceutical & fertilizer products (13%). Much of Israel’s non-tangible goods income is derived from tourism, but that is not an export, as such.

Yet none of these products and certainly not tourism would generate nearly enough appeal for Russia to risk an invasion of Israel. But, now, with these gas fields, Russia has an ultra-strong motive to take over Israel … more natural gas!

Despite the fact that six of the twelve largest natural gas holdings in the entire world are found in Russia which boasts 17% of the world’s natural gas reserves (under, incidentally a conglomerate called GasProm which is a real-life monopoly … producing 83% of Russia’s natural gas), Russia lost some of her oil/gas reserves to the now sovereign nation of Turkmenistan and other former Soviet Union satellite countries. Plus, western coalition sanctions against Russia for her illegal activities in Ukraine have begun to exact a heavy toll on the Russian economy. But even before those sanctions, Russia was not faring well with its relatively new capitalism slash socialism regime. The Russian Bear needs and wants all the energy reserves it can get … whatever it has is not enough to satisfy its ravenous appetite for domestic and export fuel.

Leviathan was the world’s largest offshore discovery (2010) since around the year 2000. Combined with the other three fields in the same general vicinity of the Mediterranean Sea, what nation wouldn’t covet such a splendid fountain of wealth? Putting this into perspective, however, Russia produced approximately 18 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in 2011 alone. Theoretically, the Israeli gas fields would (if Russia were in control of them) provide only 1-3 years supply, but that’s only if Russia had the capacity to extract the gas to the same extent it has in its own country. Which it undoubtedly wouldn’t; because men and equipment are limited on an offshore rig. Thus, Leviathan would be a supplementary source of natural gas for years to come, even for Russia.

Which leads to a secondary but equally significant motive for Russia to overrun Israel with Muslim countries in tow: First, take Israel. Second, take over your Arab or Persian allies and their oil and gas fields! It’s a classic historical paradigm in which a strong country sometimes will turn on its confederates, after the ally helped the host country defeat its enemies and/or after a treaty was signed. In fact, that’s exactly what will happen between Russia and her allies (read all of Ezekiel 38 & 39); only they will turn on each other BEFORE they accomplish their diabolical objective. They won’t know until it’s too late, but the Gog/Magog campaign will be: Mission Impossible! But not until they utterly terrify Israel with one of the most massive invasions ever attempted. A Leviathan attack!

The Real Enticement for Russia’s Invasion of Israel

Let’s read again what exactly it is that appeals to Russia enough to actually strike Israel. Listen to the boast of Prince Gog from the land of Magog to his cronies and against the true and living God: “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….” (Ezekiel 38:12, italics for emphasis).

First: As most know, the Jews have returned to Israel from exile in great numbers. This has been emphasized in several Eye of Prophecy articles as well as a myriad of other articles by both Biblical and secular scholars and journalists. Indeed, it is a matter of common knowledge to anyone who knows just a little about what’s happening in Israel and the Middle East.

Second, what does Scripture say that Gog/Magog will covet in Israel? Livestock … perhaps literally but more so figuratively representing the prosperity of a nation. But even more so, Russia, Iran, and other nations in this evil, greedy confederation will crave a vast amount of gas and oil and other tangible goods that are by-products of hydrocarbon fuel … vast amounts of plunder, other possessions, including silver and gold purchased with the currency of such wealth.

Until recently, Russia wouldn’t have thought twice about Israel’s possessions. In the past, Russian officials rarely said anything about Israel and certainly didn’t go out of their way to court Israel as an economic or political neighbor. However, they could always be counted on to vote in favor of whatever sanction of the day against Israel had been proposed by countries of the United Nations hostile toward Israel … of which there are many (most). By and large, however, Russia’s animosity toward Israel remained relatively silent and unobtrusive. Until now.

In just the past few weeks, Russian President Vladmir Putin has begun to openly criticize Israel, siding with the Palestinians on such issues as the building of Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem. The existence of so-called Jewish settlements (which is simply building of houses and apartments on land previously purchased and zoned for residential construction) is a long-standing issue which would require several articles to address. The focal point of this article is that of Russia’s President jumping on the international bandwagon of vilifying Israel under the pretense of championing the so-called unjust treatment of the Palestinians. For example, Putin said: “The humiliation and the oppression that the Palestinian are going through are a source of danger and destabilization, and every step must be taken to eliminate the humiliation and oppression.”

In fact, the real humiliation is repeated defeat of Hamas and Hezbollah when they constantly force Israel to respond to hundreds of missile attacks, kidnappings of Israeli soldiers and civilians, and savage murders of Israelis—all of which are a matter of record. What oppression is Putin referring to? The Israelis evicted their own people from Gaza in 2005 and relocated them throughout Israel; furthermore, Israel has allowed both the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Hamas in Gaza Strip, respectively, to operate independently of Israeli administration. The only Israeli intervention or intrusion comes when its people are attacked, or sometimes in the form of a preemptive strike when Israel has well documented evidence of a looming assault on Jewish civilians and soldiers.

Yet the height of irony, if not hypocrisy, is that Russian political and economic officials have been subtlety and secretly (as much as some things can be secretly suppressed) reaching out to Israel with proposals of mutual benefit to both countries, particularly economic benefits. Why is that? The consensus answer from political and economic experts seems to focus on only one factor: Russia’s keen growing interest in the vast gas and oil reserves recently discovered by Israel, especially the offshore findings!

Behind the scenes overtures from Russia have apparently been significant enough for Israel to at least listen to these proposals (whatever they are), to the extent that Israel even refrained from condemning Russia (to the consternation of the United States and other Western allies) for its intervention in the Crimean crisis … which was and still is part of the Ukraine problem. In my opinion, whether Russia had approached Israel or not, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his staff would have remained neutral on the Crimean conflict. However, the very idea that Russia has in a clandestine manner (while openly criticizing Israel with regard to the Palestinians) made certain gestures to gain Israel’s favor is, at the very least, intriguing. Yet Israel’s leaders are shrewd, in the sense of astute, discerning … but also crafty when necessary. I’m sure they have a purpose for listening to whatever propositions might help them continue with a strong and vibrant economy.

A Phenomenal Link to Ezekiel’s Prophecies

Which brings us back to Ezekiel’s extraordinary prophecy of what exactly it is that will entice Russia and her Gog/Magog allies such as Iran (which only became bedfellows with Russia some two decades ago) to, as Putin said, “every step must be taken to eliminate the humiliation (of the Palestinians)…” followed by his equally brazen statement that Israeli settlements are, “a cause increasing tension in the Middle East.” Putin’s words of every step must be taken is the kind of language that prominent national leaders use and understand to include military options.

Folks, this is another modern-day development that is unprecedented even for the 20^th & 21^st centuries, which have seen dozens of surprising developments, not the least of which is the return of Jews to their land, the land of Israel. Which is the first condition identified by Ezekiel; that not unless the Jews are back in the land will the last days or end-times Gog-Magog campaign begin.

Most likely this alliance and invasion could be, probably will be, under the guise of protecting the Palestinian cause. With the ultimate purpose fully disclosed as they march to Israel, i.e. usurping control over Israel’s recently discovered natural fuel and mineral reserves, but also assuming authority over Arab oil fields by establishing a strategic military and economic foothold in the Middle East.

I believe the evidence is compellingly clear: The plunder and acquisition of Israel’s “other possessions” as described by Ezekiel is none other than the coveted fields of fuel previously unknown to Israel or the world, discovered seemingly out of nowhere (in the Mediterranean Sea tens of miles from the coast of Israel) in a relatively short period of time (as oil and gas explorations go). Why else would Russia suddenly adopt a two-faced strategy with Israel? (1) Verbal sanctions against Israel relative to the Palestinian issue, by siding with world opinion. (2) A Machiavelli style solicitation of Israel’s favor in order to…. To what? I believe the answer is all too evident: To someday (soon) take what they really want from Israel—its natural gas deposits and its strategic geographical location in the Middle East.

To further support the premise that Russia will launch a multi-national military campaign against Israel under the initial pretense of liberating the Palestinians, let’s read again Ezekiel’s words, this time concentrating on another phrase: “…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 heavy emphasis).

Did you catch the meaning and impact of the italicized words? Essentially what Gog—the leader of the land of Magog (Russia) and their allies such as modern-day Iran, Turkey, and Libya—will use as a reason (excuse) is the blatant but believable (to all peoples who hate Israel and the Jews) lie that the Jews are an arrogant people and Israel is a conceited, egotistical nation that seeks to “humiliate and oppress” the poor Palestinian people. That the Jews are so superior and overconfident that, “they think the whole world revolves around them!”

These type of accusations and this kind of irrational, unwarranted, inexplicable animosity toward the Jews is the underlying reason for and expression of Anti-Semitism especially in today’s world … stemming primarily from envy of what the Jews have accomplished down through the ages.

All one need do is to read and listen to the continuous stream of condescending, haughty, self-centered, conceited, smug, vain, and threatening verbiage from Arab and Muslim nations, and even European leaders whose entire goal in life seems to be that of lashing, bashing, and thrashing Israel. None of these nations would do anything whatsoever to prevent (in fact some will join) the Magog alliance (and later the Antichrist and his coalition) from not just bashing Israel, but smashing her to pieces with the tail of Leviathan.

So, once again, we see the breath-taking succession of events that have propelled us into the last of the last days as depicted by Scripture.

If you like, please refer to many more details of the Gog-Magog invasion in prior Eye of Prophecy articles entitled, The Omega Generation (published 2-15-14); Beware of the Bear (3-22-14); Alliances Against Israel (9-20-14); and Russia Iran Versus Israel (10-4-14).

I like how Myles Weiss, the host of the Zola Levitt television program and contributing editor of the Levitt Letter, puts it: Instead of the usual (but still applicable) phrase, Signs of the Times, Myles refers to the astonishing convergence of current events connecting to Biblical prophecy as: Times of the Signs!

Things to Ponder

At the time that I clicked publish, and sent this blog article through cyberspace, the Rapture had not yet occurred. But that could change any day, any minute.

When Jesus answered his disciple’s question, “…What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?” (Matthew 24:3); he gave a captivating list of indicators. During the course of this lengthy message, he said, “But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come” (Matthew 24:8). Much of the more to come is already here, as elaborated by other passages of Scripture, and as confirmed by current events.

The birth pangs are much closer together; the pain much sharper.

The birth of the Day of the Lord (which begins with the Rapture) is at hand.

Heed the words of Christ: “So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!” (Luke 21:28).

Are you ready?

Jerusalem … City of Peace?

27 Saturday Dec 2014

Posted by garybowers in Current Events

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Citizenship, Passports, Supreme Court

All Eyes Are on Jerusalem

Who has not heard of Jerusalem? Who, but the most callous and violent among us does not long for peace? How perpetually ironic that the very name of this great city means peace? How very sad that peace has been as elusive as this city is old. Since Israel’s King David made Jerusalem the Capital of Israel during its glory years, it has been torn by civil strife among the twelve tribes of Israel, conquered and divided by the Babylonians, Ptolemaic Egyptians, Seleucid Greek Syrians, Romans, Arabs, Crusaders, Ottoman Turks, and British.

In today’s Israel, Jerusalem remains divided between east and west (Jerusalem). Temple Mount, the most holy Jewish site in the most holy city of the Promised Holy Land, remains under administrative control of a foreign nation, Jordan. The recent lone wolf attacks against innocent Jewish civilians by Palestinian Arabs living in East Jerusalem were ostensibly carried out to “prevent Jewish contamination” of the Temple Mount, incited by malicious rhetoric from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

According to the prophetic words of Scripture, the problematic position of Jerusalem among the great cities of the world would only become more precarious during the last days that lead to the end of this present age. Listen to the fateful words of the Prophet: “This message concerning the fate of Israel came from the Lord: ‘This message is from the Lord, who stretched out the heavens, laid the foundation 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).

Seemingly, all it takes is for the Jews to once again return to their ancient homeland and dare to be a sovereign nation. For Jerusalem to be considered, let alone restored, as Israel’s eternal Capital makes many heads of governments and their constituents frustrated, even furious. Nations hostile to Israel and even elements (such as the Presbyterian Church) within neutral or friendly countries constantly harangue Israel with belligerent boycotts, sanctimonious sanctions, callous criticism for alleged disproportionate defense of its people against acts of terror, and threats of extermination that sound ominously familiar to Hitler’s Third Reich?

This, too, was predicted long ago: “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’” (Psalms 83:1-4).

Hardly a day goes by without Israel and Jerusalem riveting the focus of global media attention. A constant stream of oratory, some for, but mostly against Israel flows from heads of state in the United States, Russia, Iran, Great Britain, France, Germany, Sweden, Italy, Spain, China, all Muslim countries, and other less involved nations; and from International Organizations like the United Nations and the European Union. Not only from executive and legislative divisions of national governments, but also judicial bodies such as the World Court and, just this past November, from the United States Supreme Court!

The entire population of Israel is less than many of the world’s major cities; yet, this tiny country and its capital, Jerusalem, has been thrust under the magnifying glass of world scrutiny like no other place on earth. The inordinate and disproportionate attention afforded to Israel and Jerusalem, relative to the size, population, and otherwise insignificant position of this country and city among the nations and cities of the world is indeed incredible.

How Can Just One Jewish Boy Create Such Controversy!

It is a remarkable story that led to the Supreme Court’s review of a case that ordinarily wouldn’t merit even a State or Federal District court’s attention. Let alone a dispute over citizenship, a passport, and diplomatic recognition over someone’s place of birth; when, in fact, there are hundreds of citizenship passport problems handled globally in any given year without any court action at all.

An article published on November 4, 2014 in USA Today begins with: “The Supreme Court was as divided over a 12-year old Jerusalem native’s passport Monday as Israelis and Palestinians are on the broader issues dividing the Middle East. Roughly half of the justices defended Congress’ declaration in 2002 that Americans born in Jerusalem should be able to have ‘Israel’ listed as the place of birth on their passports. The other half vehemently defended the State Department’s right to ignore that law and set foreign policy, including which countries to recognize. To label Jerusalem part of Israel when the matter is in dispute, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said, would be ‘asking the government to lie.’”

With such pressing domestic issues as abortion, the gay agenda, state’s rights, immigration, and other milestone judicial reviews and decisions, why on earth would the Supreme Court take time from their busy docket to review a quarrel over an Israeli passport? The passport in question belongs to a 12-year old Jewish boy named, Menachem Binjamin Zivotofsky born in Jerusalem. His parents, Ari and Naomi, want their son’s passport to show Israel, not Jerusalem, as his place of birth. To me, that seems like a most reasonable request. Passports show the nation of one’s birth or citizenship; for US passports also the state of one’s birth, but not city. Passports are needed to cross national borders, not city boundaries.

It’s clearly understood that this Jewish family has nothing against Jerusalem. I’m sure they love what they consider to be the Holy City of the Holy Land, and its Capital from ancient times. The problem is that with a Jerusalem passport instead of an Israel passport, young Menachem is not technically considered an Israeli Jew or a citizen of Israel. Rather, he is a citizen of Jerusalem. What precisely is it that causes division in all three branches of the United States Government over a birth certificate and passport?

To answer that, I’ll repeat the essence of the conflict as summarized in USA Today’s article: “To label Jerusalem part of Israel when the matter is in dispute….”

Say what? Why is Jerusalem disputed as part of Israel … as Israel’s Capital? More specifically, who or what entitles the United States State Department or the Supreme Court or any other country or even global institutions like the United Nations to determine whether any city of any country qualifies as its Capital? Isn’t that the inherent sovereign right of a nation … to choose its capital?

Jerusalem … A Capital City without a Country?

In my trip to Israel in 2006, I drove and walked the streets of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, including a visit to the United States Embassy … even spoke briefly with one of the American embassy guards. Do you know which city I was in when I set foot on Embassy grounds? Hint … A country’s embassy is located in the host nation’s Capital. Is this a trick question? Regrettably, it is. Yes, the United States Embassy is in Tel Aviv. I say, regrettably, because Jerusalem was the headquarters (Capital) of the ancient kings of Israel, and the self-governing land (State) of Israel was given to the Jews by God, himself. That is reason enough.

Yet, virtually every nation on earth, including the United States, does not officially recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Rather, they have chosen Tel Aviv as the governmental command center. 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?

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?

Thus the State Department’s official policy as stated in the Foreign Affairs Manual is: “For a person born in Jerusalem, write JERUSALEM as the place of birth in the passport.”

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.

Liberal Justice Elena Kagan belittled the 2002 Congressional declaration by calling it, “a very selective vanity-plate law,” suggesting that Congress would not have passed such a law if, for example, Palestinians born in Jerusalem wanted their passports to say, Palestine.

Why would a Supreme Court Justice, who paradoxically is Jewish, say such a thing? Because many, including some Jews (an US Supreme Court Justice at that) truly don’t understand the real issues in or the authentic history of Israel and the Middle East. Their politically correct world view and corresponding decisions apparently hinge on one urgency: Whatever it takes, don’t increase the tensions in the Middle East that already exists.

Palestinian … What’s in a Name?

Technically, legally, and historically there is no such thing as a Palestinian … not really. Because there is no such thing as Palestine … nor the State of Palestine. The very name of the nation of Israel was changed to Palestine by an ancient Roman emperor who hated the Jews, and so named the land to mock the Jews with a name that sounded like and reminded them of an ancient enemy, the Philistines. From that time until 1948, Palestine has been nothing more than a region or territory all the time inhabited by at least a remnant of Jews, who subsequently outnumbered the Arabs in population. In fact, before 1964, if anyone used the label Palestinian, they were referring to the Jews (of Palestine)! Nor has there ever been a Palestinian language. Only Hebrew and Arabic.

Not until the 1960s did Arabs living in (occupying … as the Arabs are the real occupiers by virtue of Israel being a state) the West Bank or Gaza Strip begin calling themselves Palestinians. We can thank Yasser Arafat for that. Why? Although hundreds of thousands of Arabs applied for and were granted Israeli citizenship, even more Arabs refused under any circumstances to be a citizen of Israel in the ensuing years after Israel preserved her statehood freedom in the War of 1948. In order to differentiate themselves from their Arab brothers who became citizens, they decided to identify themselves as Palestinians. This was also a form of protest over the solemn fact that much of the regional territory called Palestine formerly divided and controlled by Jordan, Egypt, and Syria was now the sovereign state of Israel.

In fact Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who along with Chief Justice John Roberts and other conservatives on the bench appeared to side with Congress by scolding the State Department accusing them of trying to, “make nice with the Palestinians.”

But for the foreseeable future, Jerusalem remains a city unto itself, or a city-state in the eyes of the entire world. Much like Vatican City in Rome. Which begs another question: Other than the desire to appease Palestinians (those Arabs who live in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and parts of East Jerusalem and who are not Israeli citizens), is there another reason not to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s (eternal) Capital? The answer is found in my analogy to the Vatican.

The fundamental reason why the United States and nations of the world refuse to consider Jerusalem as part of Israel proper (its geographical borders) let alone its Capital, is because of the ancient and modern phenomenon of all three of the World’s major religions essentially laying claim to the City of David. That reason (excuse) is absolutely the height of irony and even hypocrisy. Why would I say such a thing? Because other than Muslim dictatorship countries, virtually every nation in the world operates on the fundamental premise of church and state separation. Many to ridiculous extremes … like what is happening in America today. A complete distortion of that concept, which isn’t even found in our constitution. But that’s another subject for another day.

The point is, as represented by the rift in our own country over the status of Jerusalem: Our very government which goes to sometimes absurd extremes to (normally by bowing to the definition of church-state separation that comes from our far left) maintain separation of church and state, has recognized Jerusalem as a city unto itself for RELIGIOUS reasons. This despite Israel’s seat of government in the Knesset and its Military in the Israeli Defense Force headquarters (much like our Pentagon in Washington D.C.), both located in JERUSALEM.

What the Supreme Court Justices and others who support the State Department’s view of Jerusalem don’t comprehend is that the Palestinian Arabs in Israel (for sake of argument and because that is how the world now perceives them, we can concede the appellation of Palestinian) do want peace, but not the kind of peace the world wants. They want a piece of Israel here, a piece there, until they have all of Israel; until are the Jews are gone—preferably in a permanent eternal sense (dead).

The Real Issues

Thus, the real dispute and tensions caused by that clash isn’t over who has how much land, or whether there should be a Palestinian State. In fact, the majority of Arabs who are Israeli citizens and even a good number of Palestinian Arabs in Judea/Samaria (West Bank) and Gaza prefer all the benefits of Israeli administration. It’s just that they don’t want the Jews! Go figure! Actually, it’s not that hard to figure out. Because it’s historically ingrained, genetically computed into the Arab psyche that one Jew on this earth is one too many. How sadly tragic. But that, too, is part of the Biblical record of animosity between Abraham’s Promised Son, Isaac, and his step-brother Ishmael, who God said would not be the promised heir to Abraham and, accordingly, whose descendants were not to inherit the land of Israel.

Getting back to Justice Elena Kagan, the US Today article went on to quote her: ‘Right now, Jerusalem is a tinderbox,’ Kagan said, referring to daily strife between Palestinians and Israelis over the Temple Mount. ‘History suggests that everything is a big deal with respect to the status of Jerusalem.’

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. Regional wars and strife in areas like Syria, Iraq, Ukraine, Sudan, and other hot spots garner world headlines periodically, but not like Israel. ISIS is the new terror bully on the block and is a formidable threat to Christians, so-called moderate Muslims, but especially to Jews. Because the sworn objective (as quoted in a previous Eye of Prophecy article) of this self-proclaimed Islamic Caliphate is the utter destruction of Israel as they march through Iraq and Syria on their way to Jerusalem.

Where is all this leading? Fairly easy answer: To Armageddon. And Armageddon is only a short-time missile launch away from the Rapture of the Church, which can happen at any moment. The daily intensified efforts of the world’s nations to do something about Israel is an exact fulfillment of prophecy like never before. Jerusalem is, indeed, a heavy (stone) burden that even powerful nations like America have no real clue what to do about. If our leaders knew their Scripture, they would understand that God is the Creator of all things, of the entire earth. That he has the divine right to declare boundaries for the nations, to give a tiny portion of the earth to Israel as their everlasting possession—which is exactly what he had said and done.

World leaders need to fully grasp the fact that Arabs in nations surrounding Israel, nations that have thousands of times the land space of Israel—that these Arab countries have refused to accept Palestinians into their country, have refused to grant them citizenship, and, for the most part, have declined to help their fellow Arabs economically. That after the start of the 1948 War of Independence in which five Arab countries attacked Israel the day after it was reborn as a sovereign state, tens of thousands of Arabs living in Israel fled the country or moved into ghettos at the request, then demand of Arab leaders—not the Israelis. Israel begged Arabs to stay in Israel and work together as co-citizens of Israel.

Globally, most people including many Americans are under the totally mistaken impression that Israel is occupying (in the bad sense of the word) Palestinian territory instead of the other way around. They are erroneously told and believe the only solution is a Palestinian State in which Israel must return to pre-1967 Six Day War boundaries, which were established through an international truce (not a treaty as the Arabs didn’t want an agreement that would make anything permanent) in order for Israel to defend herself. Without those natural boundaries, Israel would be indefensible against a Palestinian and Muslim enemy who has sworn to drive them into the sea and eliminate Israel from the face of the earth.

Summary

There are formidable obstacles to a so-called two state solution proposed by the United States and other prominent nations at one time or another. Issues such as return of the so-called Palestinian refugees to a Palestinian State; Israel’s return to and relinquishing of vital strategic pre 1967 Six-Day War territorial lines that will make Israel vulnerable, even indefensible, such as the Golan Heights and Jordan Valley; release of more Palestinian prisoners; access to Temple Mount; and others.

But removal of one or more of these barriers will not solve the dilemma of a divided Jerusalem—which is the ULTIMATE PROBLEM.

Whose capital will it be? Will it remain as the non-capital Capital of Israel? Can one city be the capital of two nations? Can there be two Jerusalem’s? The Palestinians want all of what is currently considered East Jerusalem that includes Temple Mount. Understandably, the Jews cannot and will not allow their beloved Jerusalem to be forever divided; a Capital in what essentially could become a foreign nation. Or Temple Mount without a temple (which someday will be rebuilt). That would be unthinkable No, it’s more than that. It’s impossible!

Just three days ago I read an article from the online newspaper, Israel Hayom, which quoted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. I’m inserting his quote at this point in my article so you can match his words to the above paragraph in which I commented on Jerusalem’s future in the eyes of Israelis.

Said Netanyahu: “I heard there are some people willing to give Arabs a capital in Jerusalem. I heard some guy and some woman say that the Western Wall will remain in our hands. How will it remain in our hands? As an enclave in Arab territory? And how will we get there? In convoys of armored personnel carriers? By helicopter? We did not return to the Western Wall after 2000 years to get there on armored personnel carriers. The Western Wall will remain in our hands, and all of Jerusalem will remain in our hands always—united forever under Israeli sovereignty.”

THAT, says it all! Amen!

Along with the Prophet Isaiah, I and many others who believe in the true and living God; who have been or will be (hopefully many) redeemed by the sacrifice of God’s Messiah, boldly and passionately declare:

“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).

Will you, with me, be on guard and repeat with Isaiah: “O Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen on your walls; they will pray day and night, continually. Take no rest, all you who pray to the Lord. Give the Lord no rest until he completes his work, until he makes Jerusalem the pride of the earth” (Isaiah 62:6-7).

Do we fully grasp what God has supernaturally begun to do with and for the miraculously restored nation of Israel and her eternal Capital, Jerusalem? What you are about to read next is happening and will continue to happen right before our contemporary, modern-day eyes:

“Go out through the gates! Prepare the highway for my people to return! Smooth out the road; pull out the boulders; raise a flag for all the nations to see. The Lord has sent this message to every land; ‘Tell the people of Israel, Look, your Savior is coming. See, he brings his reward with him as he comes.’ They will be called ‘The Holy People’ and ‘The People Redeemed by the Lord.’ And Jerusalem will be known as ‘The Desirable Place’ and ‘The City No Longer Forsaken’” (Isaiah 62:10-12).

I have driven the modern highways of Israel. There are no boulders to avoid, the roads are smooth and fast. I have seen the flag of Israel all over the land; it flies in many embassies throughout the earth. Before the 20^th century, there was no flag of Israel. I have read numerous Bible passages that promise that our Savior is coming (again). That all of Israel will be redeemed (Romans 9, 10, & 11) by that Savior. That Messiah will fight for Jerusalem and all of Judah.

“On that day the Lord will defend the people of Jerusalem; the weakest among them will be as mighty as King David! And the royal descendants will be like God, like the angel of the Lord who goes before them! For on that day I will begin to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem” (Zechariah 12:8-9).

Things to Ponder

This seemingly minor problem of a Jewish boy’s passport, which progressed all the way to the United States Supreme Court, demonstrates once again how current events are—one after the other—fulfilling Biblical prophecy in methodical detail. It is nothing short of astonishing. Bewildering, yes; but all part of God’s marvelous providential plan for the nations, especially for Israel and Jerusalem.

No matter what the official policy of our State Department has been, or the posture of any government in the world: Jerusalem IS the Capital of Israel. So resolved by God, so ratified by the leaders and people of the Sovereign State of Israel, so recognized by all those who trust the Bible as the inspired, inerrant, everlasting Word of God.

One day (soon) the Prince of Peace will rule and reign from that city. Because Jerusalem is and always will be the City of God.

What say you about Jerusalem?

And Justice For All

22 Saturday Nov 2014

Posted by garybowers in Current Events

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Right and wrong, Synagogue slayings, Terror in Jerusalem

And Justice for All

“Get down,” Doran pleaded with the people. They kept running. He trained his weapon on the terrorist, looking for an opening in the crowd.

“Allah Akbar!”

“No!” Doran screamed at the diabolical words, straight from the gates of Hades. His finger covered the trigger. Doran fired.

With exact duplication of time and space, the mujahedeen answered.

The detonation leveled nearly everything and everyone in a thirty-yard radius. Doran and his driver remained untouched. Many of his people had blocked the blast, absorbing it with bodies shredded by deadly shrapnel.

Dazed by the explosion, Doran slumped to the seat of his jeep. Within a few seconds his head cleared. His ears opened to the horrific screams of the injured. He stood and stared at his men as they approached the dead and dying with weapons raised. His eyes drifted to his hands, which still clutched the gun. His gut twisted at the blood and body tissue splattered on his hands and arms. He frantically wiped his hands on the seat of the jeep.

The haze of smoke and human debris settled over the ghastly killing field. He fell to the seat again, looked at his driver, and mumbled, “This is wrong. This is so wrong.”

Doran Zimmerman is an Israeli Defense Force Captain who and whose men were unable to prevent the 12^th and final terrorist attack in Tel Aviv. Some of the previous (planned) assaults had been thwarted, but not this one. Dozens of innocent Israeli civilians died in these horrific attacks. Stunned by the savage enormity of such evil, all Doran could think and say was that this inhumane cruelty was wrong, so very wrong.

Sometimes that’s all any of us can say. How else can we express our horror and sorrow for the brutal shootings, knifings, bombings, and ramming of cars into bystanders taking place in Israel on a far too regular basis?

The gruesome scene just described to you took place at Carmel Market in Tel Aviv. Fortunately, it is fictional … as depicted in one of the early chapters of my first book, a novel entitled, O Israel … the end is the beginning for those left behind. (Published 2007, Pages 49, 50).

Unfortunately, what you just read is an all too real illustration of life in Israel, something that has taken place much too often in the market places, streets, schools, homes, and just recently synagogues of Israel. The fence barriers and increased security at Israeli checkpoint crossings have greatly diminished the incidents of suicide bombings, but terrorists determined to kill and maim totally innocent people are adept at adjusting and improvising. And missile launchings continue periodically from the Gaza Strip.

Permit me to quote another excerpt from O Israel; this from one of the main characters, Avram Levitt, a Jewish scribe; in one of his seven global email messages addressed to, All Who Have Eyes to See and Ears to Hear:

…May I begin with a tough question? What is it that drives someone to strap explosives around his waist, push a button, and detonate himself into eternity in order to maximize the killing of those who may look, think, and believe differently?

How can a mother proudly celebrate the death of her child who has taken his own life along with the lives of innocent people? Is it because her child has graduated from terrorist training and been given the label of shahid in order to accomplish shahada, the so-called sweet death for Allah? Or is it a demonstration of how much hatred the human heart can hold and parcel out through incomprehensible actions that only the hard of heart would not consider evil? (Page 57).

Fiction Becomes Frightening Fact

Fast forwarding to the news source, Ynet; which earlier this week reported a direct quote from parents of the two terrorists who stormed into a Jewish synagogue this past Tuesday (11-18). Said the parents in praising their sons who had just murdered four Jewish Rabbis and one Israeli Druze policemen and wounded (some seriously) other Jewish worshipers who were in the midst of morning prayers at the west Jerusalem Har Nof synagogue:

“They are both Shahids (martyrs) and heroes.”

One of the terrorist’s cousins, Allah Abu Jamal boasted, “This act occurred because of pressures exerted by the Israeli government against the Palestinian people in general, and a prolonged harming of the al-Aqsa mosque…. We responded with cheers when we heard of their death. People offered candy to those who came to visit us, and there was happiness for the Shahids.”

Shocking. Appalling. Grisly. Repugnant. Sickening. There aren’t enough adjectives in any language to describe the macabre mentality of a religion and people of that religion who express glee at the death of innocents and happiness at the loss of their sons and daughters who murdered the innocents.

What pressure is Abu Jamal referring to? What prolonged harming of the Temple Mount mosque is he describing? Those of us who keep our thumb on the pulse of Jerusalem and Israel and the Middle East, who know anything at all about the history of Israel, who know what’s really happening can say with a great deal of certainty and accuracy:

There is no pressure, but the pressure built by the Muslims bent on Israel’s destruction, on elimination of every single Jew in the Promised Land. There is absolutely no harm done to the Muslim Mosque on Temple Mount by the Jews. There is, however, a great deal of harm inflicted by Muslims to Jews who visit this Holy Site of Temple Mount, which has belonged to the Jews from Biblical times as given to them by God himself. Lately there has been a surge of rock throwing, Molotov cocktails, beatings, riots, perpetrated by Muslims on Jews who ascend Temple Mount.

A New Breed of Killers

Early Tuesday morning, two cousins from East Jerusalem, Ghassan and Oday Jamal shamelessly slinked into the Jewish synagogue and mercilessly killed the rabbis and policeman with a gun, ax, and meat cleaver. I wanted to include photographs of the bloody crime scene in this article, but decided at the last minute not to. The words of dismay and revulsion expressed in this post are enough.

What makes this assault and other recent incidents different from past homicide bombings or missile attacks is that the attackers were Arab residents of East Jerusalem. Whether they were actual Israeli Arab citizens is unclear, but East Jerusalem residency allows for many of the same privileges afforded to Israeli citizens … municipal voting rights, access to social security benefits and state health care, and issuance of Israeli ID cards. They were not Palestinian Arabs occupying the West Bank proper or Gaza Strip.

The recent weapons of choice have been cars slamming into children; knives and screwdrivers plunged into unsuspecting men and women; axes and meat cleavers butchering rabbis praying to God … the true and living God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

These lone wolf attacks are extremely difficult to predict, prevent, or defend by even the IDF. Now days, it’s nearly impossible for a Palestinian from the West Bank or from Gaza to enter Israel carrying wrap around explosives or high-profile weapons. But not so with Israeli Arabs and Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem who enjoy the liberty so cherished in Israel—a great deal of freedom to travel through Israel as they choose.

We’re not talking about undocumented immigrants or unauthorized personnel walking the streets of Jerusalem or Tel Aviv or Nazareth while stalking their Jewish prey. Now we have Arabs who possess some or all the rights of Israeli citizenship; using their freedom of movement and privacy to pounce on unsuspecting men, woman, and children. Innocent human beings who only wanted to accomplish their tasks for that day, go home to the welcoming arms of their family, and prepare for another day of the precious existence given to them by their Creator and their Country.

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness—snuffed out in a moment of indescribable horror. Their very presence on this earth unlawfully, immorally, unjustly, indiscriminately, and unfairly taken away by the hands of another. There aren’t enough adverbs in any language to express the wicked depravity of such men and their deplorable deeds.

This is wrong, it is so wrong.

Israeli Mourners for the Slain Rabbis

A Disgusting Celebration

What makes this horrendous crime different from any mass murder in the United States or anywhere else in the world is that thousands upon thousands of Arab Palestinians proceeded to celebrate the death of the innocent victims. And it’s understood that many Arabs who did not overtly celebrate, gave tacit approval to the carnage and death. Of course there are murderers all over the world. But do their relatives, friends, and compatriots rejoice over the death of the victims?

Just as Palestinians danced with delight in the streets over the shockingly unjust murder of nearly 3,000 Americans on 9/11, so there was rejoicing by both Palestinian Arabs and Israeli Arabs in Israel over the death of four Jews and the maiming of several others. They celebrated the brutal death of Rabbis, Moshe Twersky, 59; Aryeh Kupinsky, 43; Kalman Levine, 55 (all three US-born citizens who moved to Israel). Plus a British born Jewish Rabbi, Avraham Goldberg, 68. Together, the four left four widows, a total of twenty-six children, and multiple grandchildren to grieve forever over their loss. And not to forget the Druze policeman, who later died from his wounds.

Rabbi Kalman Levine grew up in Kansas City and moved to Israel in his twenties. His father, Bernard Levine still lives just south of the Country Club Plaza.

Born in Lawrence, Kansas and a resident of Kansas City, Missouri for many years, I have shopped at and driven through this plaza often. I’m sure I’ve driven by the Levine house on or near Ward Parkway hundreds of times. For all I know, I may have seen Kalman (formerly Cary) Levine outside his home at one time or another. This makes his and the violently tragic death of all who were slain even more (personally) heartbreaking.

Photo of Rabbi Levine

Revolt with me in indignation at the vicious words of “praise” for the deaths of more Jews and “victory” of the Muslim “martyrs,” Again quoting the terrorists’ cousin, Allah Abu Jamal who claimed that the family was unaware of the men’s intentions: “The terror attack was a big surprise for us. Praise Allah, a man dying a Shahid is a great thing.” In the context of adulation for his cousins, Jamal’s choice of words “terror attack” was either a slip of the tongue or facetious sarcasm to mimic or scoff at, or a parody of the true nature of the crime, which indeed is terrorism—cold-blooded random murder of innocent victims.

Or the expected, but nevertheless insensitive, inconsiderate, and cruel statement of Hamas spokesman, Mushir al-Masri, who called the attack a, “heroic action.”

Palestinian social media has already been inundated with cartoons and graphics celebrating the murders and calling for other such actions. These malicious, hateful taunts followed a Palestinian song urging further use of their cars for terror attacks in what they are now labeling, Car Intifada or Autofada. Or social campaigns using animation to promote the murder of Jews in any fashion and with any weapon imaginable. To be more creative in killing Israelis.

Says another Hamas spokesman, Husam Badran, to all Arabs: “…Turn your weapons against your enemies and ours. Write your names in the true list of honor.”

Honor? Justice? Righteous Acts of Violence? I think not and so do you or anyone who embraces true honor, who longs for real justice, who understands that authentic righteousness precedes and follows Peace, not murder and mayhem of innocent people.

No place is a place for murder. But in a synagogue? At the most holy moment of the prayer service … Amida, the central prayer to God. Wrapped in their talits (prayer shawls) that would in a moment of terror be soaked with their life’s blood. I shed tears of sorrow, sympathy, and wrath as I write these words. And I’m a Gentile.

This is wrong; so very, very wrong.

What is God’s View?

Here is what the Sovereign Lord of Scripture says about murder: “Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man” (Genesis 9:6, NASB). This reference is to premeditated murder, not to the self-defense justified killing of someone to protect life. Or even the killing that goes with war.

Though God cannot tolerate any kind of sin, Scripture tells us that he particularly despises the following: “There are six things the Lord hates—no, seven things he detests: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family” (Proverbs 6:16-19, italics for emphasis).

Muslim terrorists and the political and social leaders who support them (or any terrorist or murderer, but the vast majority of global terrorists are, in fact, Muslims) frequently plot evil and lie about anything and everything to achieve their warped goals. This includes rewriting Israel’s history, pouring out lies to the world about their rights to the Temple Mount and who instigates the violence there and elsewhere, and by inflaming their people, for example, to: “Keep the settlers and the extremists away from Al-Aqsa and our holy places.” (A recent quote from the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, aka Abu Mazen).

Indeed, it’s the so-called moderate leader of the West Bank that has recently turned radical to ingratiate himself with his chief rival, Hamas of the Gaza Strip; who has incited the recent lone wolf attacks with such rhetoric as, “We will not allow our holy places to be contaminated. Keep them away from us and we will stay away from them, but if they ever enter Al-Aqsa, we will protect Al-Aqsa and the church and the entire country.”

Their holy places! Really? Says who? The Koran? Not hardly. The Koran doesn’t even mention the city of Jerusalem … not once! The Bible references Jerusalem hundreds of times.

Holy places contaminated? What Jew would ever think or want to enter the Al-Aqsa mosque? Abbas is really saying that the Jews are contaminating all of Israel, a land that the Palestinians claim is rightfully theirs. But they have no ancient or contemporary deed to the land.

And just how do Arab Palestinians interpret these warnings from Abbas? No less than by entering a Jewish synagogue and murdering Rabbis at prayer. Is that how they keep the Jews away from the Arabs? Is that how they stay away from Israelis … by slaughtering them? Is that how they are supposed to protect Al-Aqsa and the entire country? Whose country is it anyway? There is no Palestinian State and never has been. There is no Palestinian people … only Arabs. There is no Palestinian language and never has been … only Arabic. The Arabs were not there first. The Jews were; at least 2,500 years before. Originally, Palestinians were Jews. Arabs didn’t refer to themselves as Palestinians until Israel became a State in 1948. Actually, not until the Palestinian Authority in the 1960s.

No, the Palestinian Arabs do not want peace, or to be left alone, or to co-exist with the Jews. They want one thing and one thing only: To be rid of all Jews in Israel and the entire world. That is precisely what is propagated in the Palestinian Charter.

Where is the Justice?

As in a previous Eye of Prophecy article, Bring Back Our Boys (published 6-28-14), this blog post contains some harsh language regarding Muslim atrocities in the name of Islam or Allah. Yes, I am angry over the needless, gut-wrenching, heart-breaking slaughter of innocent Jews—in our time and throughout the annals of human history. And, in more general terms, for all innocent people whose precious lives were extinguished by their fellow human beings for a myriad of motives; but particularly because of their race and beliefs. This also includes arbitrary killing of Jews and Muslims by the Crusaders, who were not true believers in Christ, but Christian in name only.

Is mine a righteous anger? Is yours? I’d like to think so … I believe it is. But only because my righteousness is God-given, imputed through and by the righteousness of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I have no innate righteousness of my own. I have been declared righteous because of my trust in Yeshua as Savior. So, too, do I strongly believe in justice. As do many people throughout the world for thousands of years.

Yet, those who have not accepted the redemption found through Christ—purchased through his death, burial, and resurrection—often think more in terms of revenge than justice. The Bible speaks of justice in dozens of passages, and tells us that God loves justice … a pure justice. Indeed, that is one of his many attributes. Frequently, Scripture declares that God will avenge (with a holy, righteous justice) the innocent. Such as:

“For, I, the Lord, love justice. I hate robbery and wrongdoing. I will faithfully reward my people for their suffering and make an everlasting covenant with them. Their descendants will be recognized and honored among the nations. Everyone will realize that they are a people the Lord has blessed” (Isaiah 61:8-9). God’s love of justice is a universal, perpetual truth applicable to all peoples and situations. But the passage is also referring more specifically to the nation of Israel, to the Jews.

There is a special favor from God to those who pursue justice. “God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied” (Matthew 5:6).

The two assailants that murdered the rabbis were shot and killed by Israeli police, who had no other choice in order to save more lives. And rightfully so … that was justice. It is also justness for the Israelis to demolish the houses of the terrorists, if for no other reason that a stern lesson and deterrent from future attacks. In some countries, particularly Islamic governments, the immediate family of the offenders might have been arrested, imprisoned, or even killed out of retribution. Thus, additional measures by the Israeli government are mild in comparison.

As in my follow-up article to Bring Back Our Boys, entitled Prince of Peace (published 7-5-14), I want to reaffirm that I (and I hope all who are believers in Christ) will not direct my reactions and emotions to hatred of the assassins; rather, only loathing of their actions. For one thing this deplorable behavior of terrorists and murderers all over the world is only an extreme expression of the sin that we all are capable of. This statement in no way condones what they have done. Rather, it simply highlights the fact that I am a sinner saved by the grace of God. As John Newton said, “I am a great sinner. And Christ is a great Savior.”

To once again emphasize that there will not be any real peace, no pure justice until Messiah Jesus returns to this war-torn, evil preoccupied, worn-out earth to establish his Kingdom of Righteousness, Justice, and Peace.

Listen to these majestic words of prophecy concerning the glorious second coming of Messiah Jesus: “Look at my servant, whom I strengthen. He is my chosen one, who pleases me. I have put my Spirit upon him. He will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or raise his voice in public. He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. He will bring justice to all who have been wronged. He will not falter or lose heart until justice prevails throughout the earth. Even distant lands beyond the sea will wait for his instruction” (Isaiah 42:1-4, italics for emphasis).

Not crushing the weakest reed or putting out a flickering candle refers to the poor, weak, downtrodden of the earth who, in spite of all their trouble, truly seek God. Messiah will treat these folks with tenderness and love. He will right all the wrongs that have been done to them.

Funeral Procession for Three of the Slain Rabbis

Things to Ponder

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

Despite several recent legal challenges, one Nation under God, has withstood the misguided efforts to remove God from the US Flag salute. But I fear that one day, under God will be legally removed from this honored salutation, and perhaps from our seats of government and halls of justice.

I firmly believe that unless we and our leaders at least acknowledge the sovereignty of Almighty God in creating and blessing this great nation, there will no longer be liberty and justice for all. In fact, liberty and justice is already being twisted and tainted in, of all places, our courts of law. Judges are overturning referendums and laws passed by majority of citizens in several states on important moral issues such as marriage and abortion.

We all need Jesus in our hearts, lives, and relationships with family, friends, community, state, nation, and the world. Only the Prince of Peace can bring true justice and peace to this world.

“But the Lord reigns forever, executing judgment from his throne. He will judge the world with justice and rule the nations with fairness. The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you. Sing praises to the Lord who reigns in Jerusalem. Tell the world about his unforgettable deeds. For he who avenges murder cares for the helpless. He does not ignore the cries of those who suffer” (Psalms 9:7-12).

WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

Jesus is right, so very right.

	garybowers on Two Thirds of the Jews Killed…
	James Choate on Two Thirds of the Jews Killed…
	garybowers on The Incomparable Power and Aut…
	garybowers on Times of & Fullness of the…
	garybowers on Two Thirds of the Jews Killed…
	Lawrence Bishop on The Incomparable Power and Aut…
	Sylvia Reynolds on Times of & Fullness of the…

eyeofprophecy … watch and wait

~ "For the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus" (Rev.19:10)

Category Archives: Current Events

Jerusalem … A Capital Without a Country?

Israeli Occupation … Fact or Myth?

Under the Radar

A Religion of Peace? (Part II)

A Religion of Peace? (Part I)

A Modern Day Esther

God Is in Control

Gog, Magog and Leviathan

Jerusalem … City of Peace?

And Justice For All