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Articles, Education, Prophecy, Teaching

Israel @ War: Prophecy Fulfilled? Part 01: Psalm 2

The horrifying terrorist attack on Israel was planned with deadly detail and executed with horrifying haste. Even the date of deployment, 7th October 2023, was planned: it was one day after the fiftieth anniversary of another existential surprise military attack on Israel – the Yom Kippur War of 1973. This earlier war nearly brought the world to the brink of a nuclear armageddon.

Make no mistake about it: this is not just a war between Israel and Hamas or Hamas’s allies like the Houthis, Hezbollah, and Iran. It involves the entire world. Consider this: peaceful prosperous Australia was put on an Israeli travel advisory because of the shocking public displays of anti-Semitism in Sydney and Melbourne. 

The ‘fishers’ and ‘hunters’ are loosed (Jeremiah 16:16).

Why did Hamas attack Israel with unprecedented barbarism? Why did major nations, the United Nations, and prominent lobby groups fail to condemn the October 7th attack? Why is anti-Semitism raging worldwide in a latter-day version of Kristallnacht? Why is the Israel-Hamas War different and more dangerous than previous conflicts? Most importantly, are we seeing the fulfilment of Bible prophecy? 

Bible prophecies of the last days speak of Israel at war leading up to the coming of Messiah. Some prominent last-day prophecies include Psalm 83, Ezekiel 38-39, Zechariah 12, 14, and Revelation 19. Let’s not forget Christ’s Olivet discourse found in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 – which speaks of ‘wars and rumours of wars.’ While Bible prophecy is a lifetime of study, discussion and reflection, we can start this series with a classic Messianic passage: Psalm 2.

Why the Fuss?

The second psalm rhetorically begins: why do the heathen (nations) rage? Good question.

The answer is both bad news and good news, depending on your spiritual state. For those who live and love this present evil world, it is catastrophically bad news. Yet for those who know and walk with the Lord, it is the best news possible, called the ‘blessed hope’ of the church (Titus 2:13).

The reason for the rage is that the King – the Son of David, Son of God – is coming back to earth (vs. 6-7). Furthermore, the King is coming to Zion.

‘Zion’ is an important but highly misunderstood word. While it is the name associated with Zionism, it can mean ‘Jerusalem,’ ‘Israel,’ or ‘the Jewish people,’ depending on the Biblical context. For our purposes, it means the royal section of Jerusalem the capital. The Lord dwells in Zion (Joel 3:21). Remember that one of Jerusalem’s most famous and honoured titles is ‘City of the Great King’ (Psalm 48:2; Matthew 5:35

In short, the prophetic prospect of Messiah, the Son of David, taking His rightful place on David’s throne in Zion, is causing an international storm. When He comes, the Lord will ask for – and receive – the nations of the world as His inheritance (v. 8). He will rule with a ‘rod of iron’ (v. 9, a phrase repeated three times in Revelation). Messiah will clean up the mess of criminality, corruption, tyranny, and unrighteousness. Complete obedience will be required (v. 11-12). No wonder the rebels of this world are panicking. 

Now, of course, the world powers neither know nor care about ancient prophecies and their fulfilment. Yet, there are spiritual powers that both know and care about these events: Satan and the demons. During Jesus’ earthly ministry, the multitudes loved Him but were unclear about his true identity: was he John the Baptist, Elijah, Elisha or one of the other prophets? However, the demons were one hundred per cent clear on His real identity: ‘You are the Son of God,’ they exclaimed repeatedly (Matthew 8:29; Mark 3:11; 5:7; Luke 4:41; 8:28). 

Like Satan, these malevolent spiritual forces know the Bible and tremble at the thought of God’s forever King coming to Zion. It means their time is up and reign over. And they are adept at stirring up the kingdoms of this world to rise up in futility to stop the transition to the kingdom of our Lord and Christ.

After observing the collective global tantrum below, the Lord’s reaction is a derisive laugh (v. 4). The rebels in charge are confused, fearful, and striking back furiously. They probably realise that their resistance cannot stop the inevitable divine takeover but they want to slow it down and trip it up for as long as they can.

Maybe now we can get a greater understanding of why there is a massive outbreak of anti-Semitism and persecution of Christians worldwide. Or why there is the naggingly persistent question of Israel’s right to exist? Or why most of the world, including the Western world, rejects the notion of a united Jerusalem under the sovereignty of Israel. 

Just look at Australia’s track record on this topic: at first, Australia recognised only Tel Aviv as Israel’s capital. Then the Morrison Coalition government recognised Jerusalem as Israel’s capital; after some blowback, they modified that recognition to include only ‘West Jerusalem.’ The government promised to move the Australian embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem only when a peace treaty was signed with the Palestinians. Then the Albanese Labor Government came into power and rescinded the recognition of West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Australia has gone full circle: from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem to West Jerusalem and back to Tel Aviv.

Consider this: a united flourishing capital city, the City of David, the City of the Great King, is the ideal place for the Son of David/Son of God to return. 

As is written in Psalm 102:16: 

When the LORD shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory. 

When this happens, then Revelation 11:15 comes to pass:

And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

And all the saints said ‘Amen.’

Articles, Education, Prophecy, Teaching

O Little Town of Bethlehem: Where Prophecy Was Fulfilled

As a city of only 25,000 at the fringe of the great Judean wilderness, it is the focus of international tourism and pilgrimage, which normally peaks in December. Though it once was lost in obscurity, it has become a global household name. All this because of a single event that happened on its soil two thousand years ago. The city in question? Bethlehem, the birthplace of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

In this article, we focus on the city that on a single day of the year attracts the world’s attention as we remember the birth of the One who put it on the map. Its second gift to humanity is fulfilled prophecy. 

Bethlehem comes from the Hebrew word בֵּית לֶחֶם Beth Lechem, translated ‘House of Bread,’ which in itself makes the city prophetic (explanation forthcoming). In Arabic, Beit lehem بيت لحم means ‘house of meat.’ It was also known by the name ‘Ephrath’ (fruitful) and the ‘city of David.’ Bethlehem became a storehouse for food, natural and spiritual.

A Quick History Lesson

The first mention of Bethlehem in Scripture had to do with the tragic and untimely death of Rachel, the favoured wife of the patriarch Jacob. She was in childbirth with his last son Benjamin. The baby survived but the mother did not. Genesis 35:19: And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem. The traditional tomb of Rachel is near the city and attracts pious visitors to this day.

The next significant mention is found in the Book of Ruth. Bethlehem was the home of Naomi and Elimelech and their near kinsman Boaz. It was in his barley fields to the east of the city that he met Ruth the Moabitess, widowed daughter-in-law to Naomi, and it was love at first sight (for Boaz, that is). Yet there was more than romance in the air; it was redemptive love since the Messianic lineage was linked and strengthened by their marriage. Ruth, a Gentile from a despised race, became an honoured ancestor of Messiah, explicitly named in the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:5). The stage of this redemption was Bethlehem.

The city’s favourite son was none other than David, the son of Jesse. He was born in Bethlehem. It was here that the prophet Samuel anointed the shepherd boy to be the next king of Israel after Saul, the son of Kish (1 Samuel 16:4-13). While hiding in the Cave of Adullam (where some of the psalms may have been written and the gathering place of David’s mighty men – 1 Samuel 22:1-2), his mighty men broke through enemy lines so they could retrieve for their leader the refreshing water of the well at Bethlehem (2 Samuel 23:13-17). 

Bethlehem’s Greatest Honour

David of Bethlehem was given a great honour by the LORD – he became king of His people Israel. Then he was granted a greater honour – he was called a ‘man after God’s own heart’ (Acts 13:22). Perhaps the greatest divine honour of all was that God gave David a binding agreement called ‘The Davidic Covenant,’ found in 2 Samuel 7 and 1 Chronicles 17. This is of the utmost importance to every believer. In short, the Lord promised David that his special son would be the heir to his throne, rule forever, and simultaneously be God’s Son, too. This singular individual is known as The Messiah or Christ, ‘The Anointed One.’ The four gospels were indeed written as an apologetic that Jesus of Nazareth is that singular person.

Yet there was an event that put Bethlehem on the global map. And it was prophesied seven hundred years before it occurred. The prophet Micah declared an astounding prophecy (5:2): 

But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

Micah’s prophecy in essence said that the little town of Bethlehem would be honoured as the place from where God’s forever king would come. This verse also implies His deity by saying He had an ancient, indeed everlasting preexistence. That is why John 1 speaks of the pre-existent Christ, as the Word of God, who put on flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). We call this miraculous event ‘the incarnation.’

The holy family of Joseph and Mary were from the house of David but did not live in Bethlehem and, in all probability, neither did their ancestors for generations. They lived in an equally obscure Galilean village called Nazareth, a four-day journey by foot to the north of Bethlehem. 

So how was Micah’s prophecy going to be fulfilled? God used the Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus, who decreed that the whole empire should be registered – presumably for tax purposes – so everyone was compelled to return to their home city (Luke 2:1-5). 

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child (vs. 4-5).

No one was exempted from this census, not even the heavily pregnant Mary of Nazareth. Yet God used this heathen decree to fulfil Micah’s prophecy. Messiah, Son of David, kept His prophetic appointment by being born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2 cf. Matthew 2:6). 

The wise men from the East inquired of King Herod the Great, based in his luxurious Jerusalem palace, where was He who was ‘born King of the Jews.’ Informed by the priests about Micah’s prophecy, the monarch sent them to Bethlehem, ten kilometres down the road. The irony was that while Herod, the part-Jewish, Roman appointed ‘king of the Jews,’ living in imperial splendour, the nearby prophesied incarnate Word, Son of David, came into the world in the most humble of settings. 

Yet the mad monarch was threatened by this Bethlehem-born, prophecy-fulfilling Messiah. Since the wise men did not return to him, as instructed, to tell him where the Christ child was, Herod in a rage ordered the deaths of all the toddlers of Bethlehem. This dreadful event was known as the ‘slaughter of the innocents.’ This, too, tragic and outrageous as it was, fulfilled prophecy (Jeremiah 31:15). 

When you think of Bethlehem, of course, it is the birthplace of Christ. It is also the place of fulfilled prophecy. And most importantly, it is the ‘House of Bread,’ for within its boundaries came the One who is ‘the bread of life.’ Eat this bread and you will never hunger. Indeed, you will live forever (John 6:35, 51). Let us remember this ‘bread of life,’ on Christmas Day, and every day.

Articles, Education, Prophecy, Teaching

Israel at War – Part 02: A Multi-Dimensional Conflict


Of all the many challenges we face in this ‘world on fire,’ nothing has our attention more than the conflict between Israel and Hamas. My phone regularly ‘pings’ notifications of rocket sirens sounding across the country. The war is definitely ‘On.’ 

In our quest to know what is going on, we need to go a step higher and understand why it is going on. Like the sons of Issachar in 1 Chronicles 12:32, when you understand the what and the why, the Lord will download to you what you need to do.

While the war is in danger of going from single-front to multi-front, especially in the North, one thing is certain: this war is already multi-dimensional. Here are four reasons:

This is a Blood Feud

By definition, a blood feud is an inter-family squabble with a cycle of retaliatory violence. Arabs and Jews are cousins and neighbours, with a history of harmonious community interaction for centuries, even up to now. Yet if violence erupts, vengeance is a possibility. Middle Eastern memories are long and strong. The ‘tit-for-tat’ mindset is a factor, but not the only one.

This is a Civilisational War 

The Israel-Hamas war may appear to be localised but it really is a global conflict with the Western nations on the frontlines. Without exaggeration, it is the ongoing war for the survival of Western civilisation. Based on Biblical Judaeo-Christian principles, the classic West represents some powerful and revered institutions like (monogamous) marriage, family, religious freedom, private property ownership, rule of law, equality of opportunity, human rights, minimal government, and maximum freedom. Contrast this with the neo-Marxist revolutionary anarchic/Islamist front (a Berkley professor confirmed that Hamas and Hezbollah were part of the ‘progressive global Left’) which detests the West and all that it stands for.

The neo-Marxists/cultural Marxists dream of a utopian world of equality of outcomes, a big government that wants to sever the individual’s allegiance to faith, family, and freedom. In their place, it promises to meet your needs, keep you safe, and make you equal and happy. But to obtain these benefits, they demand total compliance. Dissent will not be tolerated. Coercion is their modus operandi. Those who fall out of line will be dealt with swiftly and severely. In short, the Left wants you to trust and obey big government like a Christian trusts in the Lord. 

The Islamist is very similar to the neo-Marxists and also desires a global realm, except they dream of a worldwide caliphate with Jerusalem as the capital. If the neo-Marxist/Islamist-Jihadi alliance succeeds in their goal, there will be an inevitable power struggle between them. 

Which side do you think will prevail? 

In summary, this is not merely a nationalist conflict, though nationalism is a factor. It is a global clash of civilisations. This war is not just Israel’s problem- it is a problem for the West and the world. Israel, which represents the West, is merely the first pin in the bowling alley. Aim the bowling ball at the correct angle, roll it with skill, and not only will the first pin fly but so will all the other pins with it.

This is a Theological War

While the founders of modern Israel were staunch secularists, pious Jews and evangelical Christians saw a prophetic element in the rebirth of the Jewish state. Jeremiah 16:14-15, Isaiah 11:11, and Amos 9:14-15 speak of God gathering the dispersed of Israel for the ‘second time,’ from all lands they have been scattered, and planting them in their own land, never to be uprooted again. 

Hamas and many mainstream schools of Islamic law have a very different theology. The unchanged 1988 Hamas Charter calls for the destruction of the State of Israel and of all Jews worldwide. They believe that Palestine, captured by the Caliph Omar in 638 AD, became Islamic waqf, a sacred and perpetual trust to be reserved for future generations of Muslims until Judgment Day. Once a land comes under Muslim rule, it must remain so permanently. For the waqf to fall into non-Muslim hands is unacceptable, if not blasphemous. Therefore it is the Muslim’s sacred duty to liberate Palestine from the occupation of the ‘infidel Zionists,’ whom they consider an ‘illegitimate entity and usurper of Muslim territory. (Note: In theory, the same logic applies to Spain and India, which were once part of ‘Dar al Islam’ but have since broken away).

According to Israel Today Magazine, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quoted the Bible stating that the Israel-Hamas war was like the battle of Amalek, an ancient enemy. Iran and its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah saw this as a declaration of holy war. The latter made a video, quoting from Surah al -Isra (Surah 17) of the Quran, Islam’s holy book. It says Allah will punish Israel and Islam will defeat the Jewish people, enter their homes, and establish the word of Allah.

This is a Spiritual War

For the mature, Bible-based and Spirit-led Christian, this should come as no surprise. According to Ephesians 6:10-18, we are to put on the whole armour of God because the real fight is not with flesh and blood like Hamas, the Iranian ayatollahs, or the secular Western Left. The battle is with invisible spiritual powers and hosts of wickedness in the heavenly realm.

Daniel 10 speaks of the ‘prince of Persia,’ a powerful entity that temporarily halted the angelic visitation to Daniel, who prayed and fasted. Decades later this same spiritual principality instigated Haman’s devilish scheme to murder all the Jewish people in the Persian empire. The story is in the Book of Esther.

It is no coincidence that Gaza is in the ‘land of the Philistines.’ They, like Amalek, were Israel’s ancient enemy whose name the Greco-Romans translated into Palestine, as a replacement for the name ‘Judaea.’ Today’s conflict mirrors that which happened long ago during the time of the judges and the reigns of kings Saul and David.

We are seeing the most horrific manifestations of anti-Semitism in our lifetime. Who would have guessed that protestors at the Sydney Opera House would chant ‘Gas the Jews’ less than eighty years after the ‘never again’ Holocaust? Since 7 October global anti-Semitism rose 1,180% and in London alone it has skyrocketed 1,350%. If the Jewish people have an end-time prophetic future, then it is no surprise that the forces of darkness seek to destroy them so that these prophecies will not come to pass. Despite their strength and ferocity, they will nevertheless fail, according to those same prophecies.

It’s war, alright, a multi-dimensional one. In the latter arena – the all-important spiritual dimension – the church is best equipped to fight. Its armoury is unbeatable (2 Corinthians 10:4-5; Ephesians 6:10-14; 1 John 3:8; 4:4). 

Intercessors will save the world. It’s time to be strong in the Lord, put on the whole armour of God, and go to work.

Articles, Education, Prophecy, Teaching, Terrorism

Israel at War: How to Pray

War is serious business and when it is in the Middle East, the stakes are very high. Its central location, oil reserves, long history and various theologies, and inter-connectedness with the rest of the world, mean that conflict can affect everyone. If the world were a stick of dynamite, the Middle East would be the fuse.

Despite the dire challenges there is great hope. Never forget this reality: prayer is far more powerful than military might. Bowls in heaven are filled with the prayers, praise, worship, and thanksgiving of the saints (Revelation 5:8). The more you fill those heavenly bowls, the more there will be an overflow that will rain blessings on the earth.

People of faith and goodwill want to pray about the current, and future, crises in the Middle East. This short essay will give you some prayer points

BACKGROUND

Here are a few things to consider before you pray:

  • Arabs and Jews are cousins and neighbours. Historically they had harmonious relations and, by God’s grace, they can have them again. With two million Arab inhabitants each in Israel, the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank, plus 350,000 in Jerusalem, a rocket attack on Israel can mean Arab casualties, too. Rockets have landed in Abu Ghosh, Jaffa, and Lydda, all with Arab populations.
  • This is much more than a nationalist war; it is a clash of civilisation between the Judaeo-Christian world and the secular woke left-Islamist world. Terrorism is one of the manifestations. The terrorist attack experienced by Israel can be exported and the US, UK, and Europe are already targets; the goal is to bring down Western civilisation.
  • The real enemy is not the ones that you can see, but those you can’t. There are powerful spiritual forces that manipulate the entire situation, including the prince of Persia (Daniel 10:13,20). Only the Bible-based, Spirit-filled and empowered believer has the authority and power to deal with these entities (2 Corinthians 10:4-5), in the name of Jesus.

Prayer Points

  • LIMITED DURATION: Pray for a miraculously quick end to the violence and war.
  • CIVILIANS: Pray for the Psalm 91-style protection of innocent civilians on both sides, especially women and children and the safe release of the surviving hostages. May God grant all of them peace of heart and mind.
  • CONTAINED CONFLICT: Pray that this conflict does not spread to a multi-front war. May Lebanon, Syria, Arab citizens of Israel, West Bank and East Jerusalem Arabs remain safely on the sidelines.
  • OVERCOME HATE: Pray for the overcoming of the spirit of intense demonic hate, particularly anti-Semitism, which is the oldest and most irrational hatred in the world. 
  • LEADERS: 1 Timothy 2:1-2: First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. Pray that leaders will do God’s will and walk in His wisdom, so all of us can live quiet and peaceful lives. These leaders are in Jerusalem, Gaza, Ramallah, Beirut, Cairo, Amman, Damascus, Ankara, Moscow, Beijing, Tehran, London, Brussels, Washington, Canberra, and Ottawa. 
  • SPIRITUAL WARFARE: Put on the whole armour of God (Ephesians 6:10-18) and bind up the ‘prince of Persia’ (Iran) attempts to undermine, subvert, steal, kill and destroy. Remember praise, worship, and singing in the Spirit are highly effectual in spiritual warfare 2 Chronicles 20:22; 1 Corinthians 14:15.
  • DELIVER US FROM EVIL: This key clause in the Lord’s prayer should be our anthem. May we and the Middle East be delivered from intense and demonic wickedness. This can be accomplished when God’s will is done and His glory revealed.
  • PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM (Psalm 122:6). It is the city of the great king (Psalm 48:2; Matthew 5:35). This means it is the location of David’s throne, from where Messiah will rule and reign on His return. The fact that God is placing His king on the holy hill of Zion is a cause of great turmoil for the nations (Psalm 2). The peace of Jerusalem blesses all the inhabitants of the land and makes the city ready to receive the king.

PRAYER AND DECLARATION

Heavenly Father,

We come to you in faith through the Name of Jesus.

We lift up the deadly situation in the Middle East and ask that you will limit and quickly stop the conflict. Put a divine hedge around the violence so that it does not spread beyond the original parties. We bind the spirit of hatred and anti-Semitism and release the spirit of God’s love. We pray for key leaders near and far that they may walk in your will and wisdom, changing the outcome of this conflict into peace and tranquillity. 

We denounce the spiritual forces that are pulling the puppet strings. By our Scriptural authority in Christ (Matthew 16:19; 18:18), we bind up the prince of Persia and renderer inoperative his plans to control, manipulate, steal kill and destroy.

Above all, according to your word, we pray for the peace of Jerusalem, the city of God, the city of the great king.

All of these things we pray and seal in the mighty and matchless Name of Jesus. Amen

DECLARATION  

I declare:

God’s love will conquer hate;

Christ’s light will overcome the darkness;

God’s life will cancel out the covenant and culture of death;

The Lord’s peace will replace fear and war;

God’s protection will save the vulnerable;

All Israel (Romans 11:26), and its neighbours, shall be saved.

Articles, Education, Prophecy, Teaching, Terrorism

Israel at War: What Does It Mean For Us All?

 

It started off as a quiet morning, which it should have been considering it was the sabbath day and the end of the high holy days. These days include a time of communal fasting on the Day of Atonement, known as Yom Kippur. Then from fasting, the Jewish people go to the festive ‘Simchat Torah,’ rejoicing in the law. There is dancing and celebrating in the synagogues because God gave the law to Moses (Note: why don’t believers in Jesus match Jewish enthusiasm for the law? See Philippians 4:4).

Around 6:00 AM on Saturday, October 7, 2023, a surprise attack was launched against southern Israel. The invader was the Hamas regime which rules the highly-populated Palestinian coastal enclave known as the Gaza Strip. The invaders attacked by land, air (hang gliders), and sea, while thousands of rockets rained down on the Jewish state.

Once invaded, Hamas targeted the Israeli communities near the Strip. They raided homes, butchered men, women, and children, beheaded babies and kidnapped many others. Hamas attacked the attendees of a music festival and slew two-hundred and sixty of them, including many foreigners. One hundred were slain at a farming kibbutz near the border. The dozens of kidnapped Israelis, of all ages, were taken as hostages to Gaza. Some were shamefully abused and paraded in public. Rapes and murders were videoed and posted on social media, adding incalculable pain to already bereaved families.

The deliberations were short: the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared war on Hamas. With Israel at war, what does it mean for the region and the world?

Going Deeper

The Hamas attack on southern Israel occurred one day after the fiftieth anniversary of the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War of 1973. This, too, was a surprise attack on a Jewish holy day by the armies of Egypt and Syria. This war could have brought the world to a ‘nuclear armageddon,’ including a worldwide US military alert. For three days, Israel was losing badly; Prime Minister Golda Meir telephoned US President Richard Nixon for an emergency airlift of military hardware. When Nixon demurred, Golda implied that, without American assistance, Israel would lose the ‘third temple’ and have no choice but to use the ‘nuclear option’ – literally. The prodding worked; Nixon sent the planes and changed the course of the war. At the end of three weeks of fighting, the price tag Israel paid was $4 billion and 2,500 deaths.

What is the significance of the 2023 Hamas surprise attack on Israel? With at least 1,300 dead (a number that is sure to rise), and 2,800 wounded, Israel experienced the highest death toll of Jewish people in a single day since the Holocaust. Hamas was the first entity to capture and hold Israeli territory – briefly – since the 1948 war. It was indisputably the biggest terrorist attack in the Jewish state, making it Israel’s ‘9-11,’ if not ‘Pearl Harbour.’

Even more puzzling was that this surprise attack happened under the leadership of Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel’s longest-serving Prime Minister is known for his counterterrorism expertise and tough-guy approach to terrorism. Terrorist incidents tended to be less under his watch than other prime ministers. But not now. Perhaps the relentless, lengthy, months-long, protests against his proposed judicial reform legislation have drained and distracted him. Israel’s vaunted security sector and intelligence agencies were caught flat-footed as well.

Yet, there were prescient voices foreseeing a conflict at this very time. In Signs Of Possible War In September-October, Yigal Carmon wrote on August 31st the following: ‘Lately, there have been growing indications that a war against Israel may break out in September or October 2023. The trigger may be spiralling violent clashes resulting in many casualties, or the use of new weapons leading to many fatalities on the Israeli side, in the face of which Israel will be unable to suffice with its regular counterterrorism measures.’ Carmon adds that while neither Hamas nor Hezbollah want a comprehensive war at this time, the situation could spiral out of control.

What motivated Hamas to strike? According to their Charter, their goal is the dismantling of the State of Israel. Heavily funded and guided by Iran, Hamas is its Palestinian proxy and dutifully does the bidding of the Islamic Republic. With the Abraham Accords bringing peace treaties between Israel and four Arab countries, and Saudi Arabia talking seriously about normalisation with the Jewish state, Iran would dearly love to be the spoiler. What better way to crash the party than by an attack by Hamas.

Remember Hamas, founded in 1987 early in the first intifada (uprising) against Israel (1987-1993), is the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, the oldest and largest Islamist organisation in the world. While claiming to be non-violent, the Brotherhood is the inspiration for many terrorist organisations. Hence, there is a theological/eschatological element to their motive. The Brotherhood is banned in many Arab nations.

Who is to Blame?

Of course, Hamas is to blame for launching a murderous, barbarous, and unprovoked ISIS-style attack against Israel. But what caused them to act so audaciously, knowing full well their invasion would trigger a fiery response? Here are some possibilities:

  • The anti-Netanyahu judicial reform protests, which lasted for months, with Israeli military reservists refusing to show up for duty, sent the wrong message to Israel’s enemies: the Jewish state is divided, weak and vulnerable. The unprecedented politicisation of Israel’s military was a dangerous move.
  • The Gilad Shalit hostage deal of 2011, where a single Israeli soldier was freed from five years of Hamas captivity in exchange for 1,027 Palestinian prisoners by Israel. The Shalit deal may have set a bad precedent, possibly causing the current hostage crisis.
  • Ariel Sharon’s unconditional and unilateral Gaza disengagement of 2005, where twenty-one Israeli settlements and eight thousand settlers were evacuated by the strip and handed over to the Palestinian Authority (PA). Two years later Hamas snatched the territory from the PA in a violent coup and has ruled it with a rod of iron ever since.
  • There is a strong consensus that the main motivator for conflict is Iran. The Islamic Republic has hegemonic ambitions in the Middle East and is often credited for being the hidden hand behind all turmoil in the region. The $6 billion released by the current US administration in September is credited with funding and inspiring the invasion from Gaza. The Daily Wire on 7 October wrote: ‘[One] month ago Trump predicted the $6 Billion that Biden gave Iran would be used for terror attacks across the Middle East and specifically kidnapping,” conservative Jack Posobiec captioned a screenshot of Trump’s prediction on X. “This is exactly what we are seeing in Israel this morning.”
  • During the time of the Bible, Gaza was part of the ‘land of the Philistines,’ Israel’s historic enemy. Rivalry and hostility emanated from that part of the country, especially during the reigns of Saul and David. As Ecclesiastes says, ‘There is nothing new under the sun’ – Ecclesiastes 1:9

Remember that the core of the Zionist dream was to establish a Jewish state in Palestine where the Jews could defend themselves from anti-Semitic Gentiles. So while the Hamas invasion revealed Israel’s governmental and intelligence failure, it also unleashed the instinct to hit back hard. Over three hundred thousand reservists have been called, the largest mobilisation in the nation’s history. Already Israel has installed a blockade of food, water, and power from going into Gaza in order to weaken Hamas.

What Does It For Us All?

In this unfolding drama, there are moves towards an Israeli unity government but one thing is for sure – Israel is on a total war footing. In previous wars with Gaza, the goal was containment; this time it is the total overthrow of the Hamas regime. 

Yet the price of regime change could be frightfully high. While aerial bombings over Gaza can soften up the enemy, only a ground offensive can capture territory. The Gaza Strip, with two million people squished into territory forty-three kilometres by six kilometres in dimension, is one of the most densely populated places on earth. The city itself can be booby-trapped and the death count on both sides will potentially be high. 

In addition, there is the danger that the conflict will grow into a multi-front regional war with Hezbollah in Lebanon, Iran from Syria, the potential involvement of the PA in the West Bank, and even East Jerusalem and Arab citizens of Israel.

While this may seem to be a conflict confined to Israel and its neighbours, the strategic location as the land bridge between Africa and Eurasia, oil, and theology (yes-theology), means it has ramifications for the wider world. Like the war between Russia and Ukraine, the widening of the Israel-Hamas conflict could morph into a larger war, with the dreaded possibility of a shower of missiles or weapons of mass destruction, be they nuclear or electromagnetic-pulse (EMP). With a mighty push, a regional war can go global.

Conflict in the Middle East can affect oil prices and stock market rates. The interconnected global economy can spread these changes very quickly.

A Word About Prophecy and Prayer

Then there is the underappreciated yet highly consequential theological component. Matthew 24:6 says we will hear of wars and to be not troubled when we do. Key prophecies about end-time wars against Israel include Psalm 83, Ezekiel 38-39, and Zechariah 12,14 (Armageddon). We will look at these separately in our next teaching letter. 

We should all ‘stay awake’ and become prophecy watchers (Mark 13:32-37); we also need discernment to separate the true from the false. Regarding the accurate interpretation of prophecy, take note of the place names written in the Bible and make sure your interpretation of them is correct. 

Pray for the protection of Jewish and Arab civilians; the leadership on both sides (1 Timothy 2:1-4); and for a quick, even supernatural end to this conflict. Above all, pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6): those who do shall prosper. 

Intercessors will save the world! They did so in the British war effort during World War II, they did so at other times in history. They will do so again. Let’s join them.

Articles, Education, Prophecy, Teaching

‘Times of the Gentiles: Crusades and Turks’ – History of Jerusalem Part 06

Jerusalem’s central location and sacred association guaranteed it a front-row seat to history’s greatest drama. One of these key events was the Crusades in the Middle Ages. 

The Crusades 1099-1187 AD

The Crusades were a period of several European invasions of the holy land; they were considered a long overdue pushback after four centuries of Islamic conquests. It was a controversial period of claims and counterclaims. The main thing is that the pilgrims were motivated by piety to ‘defend the Holy Sepulchre’ and guarantee free access to all Christian holy sites in the land. 

The first crusade succeeded in conquering Jerusalem in July 1099. The victorious Christians set up the ‘Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem.’ They turned the Dome of the Rock and the al Aqsa Mosque into Christian houses of worship. They left an architectural legacy that remains to this day. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, destroyed in 1010 AD, was completely restored and the building you now see today dates back to the Crusader period, though it was only a third of its Constantinian size.

In 1187 Saladin, the Ayyub leader, won the battle at the Horns of Hattin near the Sea of Galilee. This gave him the springboard to take Jerusalem from the Crusaders. Even the militarily gifted King of England, Richard the Lion-Hearted, failed to recover Jerusalem. Except for a brief period of negotiated Crusader rule from 1229-1244, Jerusalem would not have another Christian ruler until the 20th Century.

Second Muslim Period: 1187-1917 AD

1187-1260: The holy city returned to Ayyubid rule back in 1187 AD, though the crusader presence in the holy land continued until the fall of Acre in 1292. The Mongols, who once had the largest empire in history, were almost unstoppable but yet met their defeat at Ain Jalut in the Jezreel Valley at the hands of Sultan Baibars. 

1260-1517: From this date in 1260 the Mamluks took over. Ruling from Egypt, these freed slaves became a powerful force in the land. Some of their buildings still stand in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City to this day.

1517-1917: Another Muslim power, this time from Turkey, won battles at Marj Dabiq (Aleppo) and Younis Khan (near Gaza). Thus commenced the four-hundred-year occupation of the Ottomans, based in Constantinople (Istanbul). Their rule was so long and their footprints so deep that abundant evidence of the Ottoman presence, physically and legally, is still with us to this day. Their Central Asian conquering heritage caused them to capture and administer lands in three continents: North Africa, SE (Balkan) Europe, and Western Asia. Though Islam has a history of successful military conquests, the Ottomans were the first Muslim military to have a potent navy, and they used it to full effect. 

The first Sultan to rule over Jerusalem, Selim, had gone a step further. He named himself the Caliph of (Sunni) Islam. This title was bestowed on all his successors until the caliphate was abolished in 1924 by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of the Turkish Republic. 

For those who have visited Jerusalem, you will appreciate the legacy of the next Sultan, Suleiman the Magnificent. An ‘Islamic Nehemiah,’ in the years 1535-38, he is credited for building the walls of the Old City that we have with us today. In 1541, he did something of symbolic significance: Suleiman sealed the Golden Gate, known as the Eastern Gate, the one Jesus used to enter the holy city after His triumphal procession. It is expected that He will again enter through this gate – unsealed – during His glorious return. 

After the high point of Suleiman’s wall-building legacy, Jerusalem declined economically from the 16th to 19th centuries. Despite this neglect, the European powers became vitally interested in the city, particularly the holy places. Russia took the side of the Greek Orthodox Church while France and the Venetians aligned themselves with the Roman Catholics, locally known as ‘the Latins.’

Unholy Fight for a Holy Site

The biggest rope in the tug-o-war was Christendom’s premier site, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the traditional location of Calvary and the tomb of Christ. It was administered by six denominations, the major ones being the Orthodox, Catholics and Armenians. It is no secret that the prime chapels of the Church were held by the Greeks, including the Chapel of the Crucifixion and the actual sepulchre itself. The competition between the groups was so fierce that it was not uncommon for one group to lock out another from the church. There have even been physical altercations. Any changes in the status of these chapels could spark an international incident; the missing silver ‘Star of Bethlehem’ in the Grotto of the Nativity was one of the pretexts for starting the Crimean War.

For years, the Catholics put pressure on the Ottomans to restore their rights to these chief chapels. An Ottoman ruling in 1757 gave ‘joint ownership’ of the shrines but the Catholics viewed it as a Greek triumph, especially because they continued to retain the prized chapels. When the Catholics objected, the Ottoman representative said bluntly: These holy sites, though Christian, belong to the sultan and he can give them to whoever he wants.

Nearly a century later in 1850, France demanded the Ottomans restore Catholic oversight of key sites, like the church’s rotunda, the sepulchre itself, the stone of unction, etc. In February 1852 Sultan Abdul Megid issued his famous landmark firman (decree) which said: whoever owns a chapel today, owns it forever. The erstwhile de facto situation became de jure. This decree, known as ‘The Status Quo of the Holy Places,’ remains in force to this day.

What the Ottomans learned was that adjudicating the Christian holy sites was a thankless job. What they wisely learned is: to make a decision, seal it in concrete, and don’t touch it again. Their British, Jordanian, and Israeli successors were destined to learn this same lesson. Though none of them were bound by Ottoman decrees, they discovered that even mentioning a possible change of the status quo stirred up a hornet’s test. Touching this issue was simply not worth it inevitable fallout. 

After Caliph Omar’s conquest of Jerusalem in 638 AD, apart from the Crusader period, Christians would not rule the city again until General Allenby walked through the Jaffa Gate on Hanukkah, in December 1917. The time of the Gentiles was entering its twilight.

TO BE CONTINUED

Articles, Education, Prophecy, Teaching

Patience: Key to Unlocking the Blessings of God


Patience: Key to Unlocking the Blessings of God – Part 01

What circumstance in life tries your patience? For me, it’s driving on the residential streets and country roads of the United Kingdom. They are way too narrow and clogged with parked cars, and there is a continuous weaving between the stationary cars and those that are in motion. 

Worse still are the little country lanes, lined with vegetation, that are wide enough for only one car but host two-way traffic. The last thing I want to see is another car coming from the opposite direction or, worse still, a large tractor. Once encountered, either they or I have to back up in a wide space on the side so the other can pass. Recently the lane was so narrow my Kia Sportage barely fit and there was no place to back into if another car came. Yet, the ‘stiff-upper lip’ ‘keep calm and carry on’ Brits take it all in their stride.

Another real-life incident happened to us as our plane landed at its destination. The safety protocol dictates that everyone stays in their seats until the plane comes to a complete stop. On this particular flight, a few passengers got up while the plane was still taxing. Normally, the diligent steward(ess) will politely tell the passengers to be seated. In this case, the amount of ‘transgressors’ was so great that the pilot personally got involved and rebuked the impatient passengers from the cockpit. His words:

Please be seated. Never in aviation history has there been an occasion where the passenger reached the terminal before the plane.

As individuals, we can be patient in many things and tried in a few, but ultimately we need to realise that patience is not only a mark of maturity, but it is key to the promises of God. We can even pray for patience but it often sounds like this: Lord, grant me patience and give it to me now!

That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises — Hebrews 6:12

Note that it is not by faith alone but by ‘faith and patience.’ 

Amplified Definition of Patience

Patience is steadfastness, constancy, continuance, forbearance, and divinely inspired long-suffering in the face of life and all its challenges.

It does not buckle under but leaps over the hurdles we face. 

Patience does not surrender to circumstances but defies, overcomes, and outlasts every obstacle.

We are called to patience because our Heavenly Father is the paragon of patience. 

Romans 15:5: Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:

Patience in a Nutshell: To trust God with all your heart at all times and wait on Him.

Patience means to take the ‘long view,’ to be far-sighted and look at the ‘big picture.’ Patience focuses on the forest and not just the trees; the end goal and the road that leads you there; the spiritual reward and not just the temporal. 

It is the development of maturity, especially in times of trouble, that positions you for a spiritual breakthrough. James 1:2-4: Tells us to do an incredible thing – count it all joy when we fall into various temptations. To this day I have yet to see someone turn cartwheels because they are entering into a season of trials. Yet there is divine wisdom from James, because the trial of faith develops patience which ripens, matures, completes and perfects. You will lack nothing. 

We are exhorted to run the race of faith with patience (Hebrews 12:1). Come to the starting line, get on your track, start running when you hear to gun go off, and keep your eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith (v. 2)Job,. With so much distraction and competition, it is tempting the compare oneself with other runners. Yet consider this: no Olympic gold medal winner keeps looking to the runner on the left or the right. They focus on their track, run with all their strength, and keep their eyes on the goal. That’s what we do in the race of faith and the goal is Jesus.


Patience: The Farmer and Job

Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. 8. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. 9. Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door. 10. Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. 11. Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy — James 5:7-11

What do we learn from this passage in James? 

  • Patience is linked and viewed in the light of the coming of Christ (v. 7).
  • The life of a farmer: He works, waters, weeds, and waits.
  • We patiently, faithfully, and watchfully wait for Christ’s return (v. 8);
  • Do not grumble against one another so you won’t be judged. Patience will spare you a lot of grief. (v. 9); 
  • Christ is returning to earth as a warrior, king, and judge. He is at the door (v. 9).
  • The prophets of the Lord are role models of suffering affliction and patience as they spoke God’s Word to the people (v. 10);
  • Happy, not miserable, is the saint of the Lord who patiently endures trials, tribulations, indignities, and reproaches (v. 11). While it seems like nonsense to the carnal mind, it is wisdom in the Spirit realm to be happy, since we are not celebrating the afflictions but the victorious endurance during the affliction: Patience is blossoming and God’s promises are just around the corner.
  • You have heard of the patience of Job – and we will learn more from this patient template in our next article.

 

Articles, Education, Prophecy, Teaching

‘Times of the Gentiles’ – History of Jerusalem – Part 05

Luke 21:23: And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

It is the most famous city in the world with a long, illustrious, and troubled history. Four thousand years in total, with its second millennium being under Israelite rule. The ministry of Jesus of Nazareth was the watershed; from the point of His rejection and crucifixion by and at Jerusalem, the city would enter into a turbulent period called the ‘times of the Gentiles.’ In any case, before Messiah rules from Jerusalem, the city will be subjected to a variety of Gentile imperial occupiers for the next two millennia. If you visit the holy city in the future, you may hear some of their names. 

Volumes have been written about Jerusalem after the time of Jesus. The city has been invaded and occupied dozens of times. Our main purpose is to give you a general overview, from the time of Christ to the end of Ottoman rule in 1917. You will better appreciate the present when you understand the past.

Roman Rule: Three Stages

Stage One from 63 BC – 70 AD: Jerusalem’s central position, geographically and theologically, gave it a front-row seat to a grand imperial parade: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, and now Rome. The first stage of Roman rule in the holy city commenced in 63 BC with the entry of Pompey. It was characterised by a pagan Rome over a Jewish city. The first Jewish revolt of 66-70 AD commenced against the empire. Stage One continued until the city’s destruction by Titus, son of Emperor Vespasian, in the year 70 AD. The city and Herod’s temple were completely obliterated and its smouldering rubble served as a camp for the Roman X Legion. It remained in its devastated condition for the next sixty years.

Stage Two from 130 – 312 AD: In 130 AD, Roman Emperor Hadrian decided to build a thoroughly pagan city on the ruins of Jerusalem. He called it Aelia Capitolina. This action lit the fuse of a second Jewish revolt led by Simon Bar Kochba. He was proclaimed ‘The Messiah’ by Rabbi Akiva. The Jews under Bar Kochba retook Jerusalem, offered sacrifices on the temple mount (minus the temple), and decimated the Roman troops. It took the empire three years under Sextus Julius Severus to brutally crush the revolt. 

With Bar Kochba’s defeat and death, Aelia Capitolina was established and the second stage of Roman rule began: a pagan Rome over a pagan city. The Romans built a temple to Jupiter on the Temple Mount and a temple to Venus on the site of Calvary. Though meant to overwrite Judaeo-Christian sacred memories, this sacrilege inadvertently made the future identification of these sacred sites easier.

Stage Three from 312-638 AD: Stage Three of Roman rule began in 312 AD when the faith Rome once tried to destroy was adopted by its Emperor, Constantine. Now we had a Christian Rome ruling over a Christian city: Heathen Aelia was transformed into Christian Jerusalem. Constantine’s mother, Helena, went on a well-known pilgrimage to the holy city. She ‘discovered’ Calvary, the ‘true cross,’ a ‘holy tunic’ and ‘holy nails.’ Helena ordered the destruction of the temple to Venus, thus making room for the construction of Christendom’s most sacred shrines: these included The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Church of the Eleona (Ascension) on the Mount of Olives; and the Church of the Nativity in nearby Bethlehem. Two of these churches still stand today.

First Muslim Period: 638-1099 AD

The Christianised Eastern Roman Empire ruled Jerusalem for three centuries, except for a brief occupation by the Sassanid Persian Empire (614-629 AD). During this torrid period, the Persians destroyed many buildings and massacred many residents. The Roman Christians at Constantinople recovered Jerusalem in 629 AD, only to lose it for good nine years later.

Islam came to Jerusalem early in its history. The city, under the leadership of Patriarch Sophronius, peacefully surrendered to Caliph Omar in 638 AD. It became part of Jund Filastin province of the Arab Caliphate. 

Though Jerusalem was under Muslim rule for the coming centuries, as you are about to see, the actual Muslim regimes, and their capital cities, changed. 

638-750 AD: Jerusalem was ruled by the Ummayad dynasty out of Damascus. During their tenure, two famous Muslim sites were constructed on Mount Moriah: the Dome of the Rock in 691 AD and the al Aqsa Mosque in 702 AD. Both buildings still exist.

750-877 AD: Abbasid Empire, based in Mesopotamia and the new city of Baghdad. At one point, the Abbasids governed all the way to Spain.

877-1071 AD: Egyptian/Fatimid rule out of Cairo. It was their Caliph al-Hakim that made it his mission to entirely destroy the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which he did in 1010 AD. His action helped spawn the Christian Crusades decades later.

1071-1099 AD: Seljuk Turks – the Turks migrated from Central Asia westward. Originally adherents to Shamanism, they adopted Islam en route to settling in Asia Minor. They replaced the four-hundred-year Arab leadership of the Muslim community and dominated the Islamic world for nearly a millennium. Their harassment of Christian pilgrims en route to Jerusalem provided another pretext for the Crusades.

While the Ummayads adorned Mount Moriah, known as al Haram al Sharif (the noble sanctuary) and the Temple Mount, with their famous buildings, Jerusalem did not prosper for many centuries. It was never the capital of any entity except for the Crusader Kingdom (1099-1187) and the British Mandate (1922). While one could argue that it was trodden down by the Gentiles over the years, it also remained on the map by attracting Jewish and Christian pilgrims from all over the known world.

In the next article, we will learn about Jerusalem from the time of the Crusades to the beginning of the twentieth century.

TO BE CONTINUED

The domes of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and Dome of the Rock on the Jerusalem skyline, photo courtesy of Adobe Stock. 

Articles, Education, Prophecy, Teaching

Israel Update: In the Shadow of Iran

Even without Israel, the geo-political situation in the Middle East is strategic, complicated and potentially dangerous. Yet things become hot and spicy when the Jewish state is added to the mix.

Like every year, the calendar year 2023 has been eventful in Israel. The difference is that the challenges, external and internal, have been unprecedented.

Endless Protests

For starters, the returning premiership of Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, has been confronted by serious internal opposition from Day One. Mass protests have been staged for weeks and months. Part of the problem is that Israel had gone from a left-leaning government under Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid to a conservative government in coalition with Itamar Ben-Gvir of Otzma Yehudit and Bezalel Smotrich of the Religious Zionist Party. Both leaders and their parties are considered ‘far-right,’ which is anathema to the Left. Also, Netanyahu’s long tenure in office means the longer he serves, the more enemies he makes. Does Israel have ‘Bibi fatigue?’

The trip wire for these protests has been Netanyahu’s proposed ‘judicial reform’ legislation. This topic has been visited in earlier articles but in summary, Israel’s fifteen-member, left-of-centre, supreme court holds an absolute veto over any and all legislation that comes out of the Israeli parliament, The Knesset. Since Israel does not have a written constitution, only – basic laws – the justices are making their decisions on the basis of a nebulous concept called ‘reasonableness.’ If, in the court’s opinion, the legislation is not ‘reasonable,’ it will be struck down, even if it enjoys widespread parliamentary support. This means that court decisions can be politically expedient, arbitrary, and sometimes contradictory. This kind of unfettered power is out of kilter with normal ‘checks and balances’ in good democratic governance.

While the media likes to paint the protests as grassroots, as if to make them more legitimate, the fingerprints of powerful labour unions, coupled with foreign meddling, are everywhere. Some of the protestors sincerely think the status quo with the court should remain. Others are using this topic to protest a bigger threat: the rise of the religious right. The fear is those ( secular ) freedoms are endangered by Netanyahu’s coalition partners Ben Gvir and Smotrich. With this fear in mind, many of the protestors simply want to bring down the coalition government, thus nullifying a democratic election. Change of government outside of an election is true ‘regime change.’

Where the protests became ominous is when major sectors of society refused to function if the reforms went through; also, reservists were refusing to report for military duty – a serious national security consideration. All of this is like an Israeli version of the culture war which is raging in the United States at present. While talk of civil war is premature, the situation needs to be watched.

The Shadow of Iran

The temperature with the Palestinians and neighbouring Lebanon and Syria has also gone up a few notches. These groups are heavily influenced by Iran. The Islamic Republic has a long shadow and it goes from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea.

Both the Jewish Passover and Muslim Ramadhan occurred at the same time this year and these passionate holidays saw sparks fly. On Passover 2023, Hamas and Hezbollah launched simultaneous rocket attacks from Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria. Is this an ominous precursor for a multi-front rocket war against Israel, not unlike the Second Lebanon War of 2006 with Hezbollah?

Radical Muslims continue to accuse Israel of ‘undermining the al Aqsa Mosque.’ Despite the lack of evidence, it is a war cry that continues to spawn a strong reaction. There’s been an uptick in Palestinian attacks against Israelis with thirty-three killed in 2022 and over twenty so far in 2023. 

Let us not forget the power behind it all. Iran has sought hegemony in the Middle East since the founding of the Islamic Republic in 1979. There is an eschatological overtone to this ambition. The long-oppressed Shia Muslims, of which Iran is the leader, are destined to prevail against their Sunni rivals at the ‘end of days.’ Iran’s rulers believe that victory is now. 

Prudently, Iran normally rejects direct confrontation and uses proxies like Hezbollah and Hamas to do its work of it. Iran’s controversial nuclear program and repeated declarations that Israel will disappear off the world map have led to a shadow war with the Jewish state during the past decade.

The scorecard for Israel is impressive. It introduced the Stuxnet computer virus that attacked Iran in 2010, one of several successful attempts to sabotage its nuclear facilities. High-profile assassinations in Iran have targeted military personnel and nuclear scientists. The Israeli spy agency Mossad launched a successful operation at a Tehran warehouse which netted a treasure trove of Iran’s nuclear archive. Add to Israel’s repeated air attacks on Iranian forces and installations in Syria and it gives the appearance that Israel has the upper hand in the shadow war. Iranian counter-attempts to assassinate Israelis overseas have thus far failed.

The Islamic Republic has two options: 

First, utilise its proxies. Taking the long view, Iran has sought to surround Israel with Iran-friendly groups like Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, the Houthis in Yemen, and possibly Palestinian groups in the West Bank. Once they are courted, Iran makes sure they are well-armed with rockets, drones, and conventional weapons. Together they can confront the Jewish state, especially in tandem with a coordinated effort among themselves.

The second option is riskier and has never been tried before: confront the Jewish State militarily in an actual Iran-Israel war. They have the troops, weapons, and long-range missiles (and soon nuclear weapons), so what’s stopping them? Long unrecognised Iranian pragmatism urges restraint since it is better to wait for maximum effect with little effort versus an ‘all guns blazing’ approach which could entail great damage, international repercussions, and worse.

At the same time, Netanyahu has threatened to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities for many years. He has been under intense pressure not to do it. Could a real hot war throw all restraint to the wind?

It’s time to pray for the people from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean in the spirit of Psalm 122:6. When you pray for the peace of Jerusalem – and its neighbours – you will prosper.

Articles, Education, Prophecy, Teaching

The Royal City – History of Jerusalem Part 03

Its transformation was breathtaking. From an obscure Jebusite walled village, perched on the Ophel hill, it became the capital of the united kingdom of Israel. The arrival of the ark of the covenant, symbolising the presence of Almighty God, made it a holy city. And God’s promise to give David a son and heir who would rule from his throne forever made it the city of the great king. To seal its special nature, God Himself said that the city was the place where His name would dwell (1 Kings 11:36; 2 Kings 21:4; 7; 2 Chronicles 6:6; 33:4; 7; Revelation 3:12).


This is Jerusalem, the city of David and the city of God. It was already a thousand years old when David took over. Now that his kingdom was established, Jerusalem became the royal city. In this article, we will see how the sons of David fared while ruling and reigning from there.


Temple of Solomon (963 BC)


David, as a worshipper of God, had a passionate desire to build Him a house in Jerusalem. After all, David lived in a king’s palace while God’s earthly abode was a glorified tent called the tabernacle. God declined David’s offer because as a warrior-king he had shed too much blood. Yet, it was at this point that God made the famous Davidic covenant of 2 Samuel 7 and 1 Chronicles 17, promising the coming son of David, King-Messiah. 


The job of building the temple was left to David’s successor and son, Solomon (Hebrew: shlomo), whose name means ‘peace.’ When God offered the young king in a dream to ask for whatever he wanted, Solomon requested a wise and understanding heart to lead the nation of Israel. The Lord was pleased with his answer and gave it to him on the spot. As bonuses, Solomon was given that which he had not asked for: riches and acclaim.


Solomon commenced the building of the temple according to the plans and material resources left by his father David. No expense was spared; it had to be exceedingly magnificent. Some estimate that it would have cost in the billions by today’s dollar. The dedication of the temple in 1 Kings 8 was one of the pinnacles of Israel’s Old Testament history. Now God had a stable local earthly address; Israel had a meeting place for the three pilgrimage feasts of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles; and the Gentiles had a house of prayer for all nations (Isaiah 56:7; Matthew 21:13; Mark 11:17; Luke 19:46).


In the natural, Solomon lived an enviable life. He had large, secure borders, and peace on every side, a rarity in centrally located Canaan. Riches, honour, respect, material comforts, and a reputation for being a wise monarch were Solomon’s lot. His reputation attracted the visit of a faraway oriental queen.


Solomon never had to fight the battles, indignities, and persecution his father David fought. Yet his love of many strange foreign women who worshipped false gods (1 Kings 11:1-2) contributed to his personal undoing and the rupture of David’s kingdom. 


An Avoidable Split


The twelve tribes of Israel, under one crown from the House of David, were about to experience a rupture. Solomon’s backsliding led to that point. He was succeeded to the throne by his son Rehoboam, who seriously lacked his father’s wisdom. He was the ‘son’ addressed in the Book of Proverbs (3:1) who did not accept wisdom’s invitation and he and Jerusalem suffered because of it.


The battle lines were drawn: King Rehoboam, the grandson of David, ruling from his throne in Jerusalem, was confronted by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who represented the ten tribes of the north. ‘Lighten our burden that Solomon your father put on us,’ said Jeroboam, ‘and we will serve you’ (1 Kings 12:4). Solomon’s advisors urged Rehoboam to agree to their reasonable demand. However, he foolishly rejected their advice and listened to his mates who told him to ‘add to their yoke’ and ‘whip them with scorpions.’ It was the height of arrogance and folly, and it cost the king the bulk of his kingdom. 


Jeroboam led the ten tribes from the kingdom of David. All Rehoboam was left with was Judah, the holy city and holy temple. Jeroboam and the northern tribes were called ‘Israel’ and Rehoboam and the house of David became the kingdom of Judah.


Give Us A King


God’s plan from Day One was His Kingdom and it still is. God’s Kingdom and His forever king are His first priority. Everything else flows from that. Yet, the free will that God gave us has resulted in some terrible decisions and outcomes. The first couple, Adam and Eve, rejected God’s rule and their disobedience introduced sin and death into the world. Centuries later the people of Israel rejected God as king by demanding that the prophet Samuel give them a human king. Why? So they could be like all the other nations of the earth (1 Samuel 8:20). Samuel warned them that a human king, even an Israelite one, would use and abuse them; all pain and no gain. Unmoved by this grim prospect, Israel still clamoured for a king. They ended up with Saul and he was a disaster. 


After the division of the house of David into Israel and Judah, there was a succession of kings on both sides. Many were bad (they did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord) and some were catastrophic. Out of thirty-nine monarchs in Israel and Judah, only eight of them were good and all of them were from Judah. Some of the notable good ones were Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, and Josiah yet even they made their foolish mistakes; Josiah’s cost him his life. 


Jerusalem witnessed all this and more. The lesson: even the best of earthly kings is no match for the King of kings and Lord of lords. Centuries later, that perfect king did come to Jerusalem and it responded by hanging Him on a tree. He rose from the dead and is coming back, but not before they say, ‘Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord’ – Matthew 23:39.