Today things are again heating up in the Middle East because Israel is now taking action against Hamas terrorists in Gaza that have been firing rockets into Israel. This action by Israel may not lead to a wider war but who really knows?
With that in mind perhaps it is time to look at this very interesting prospective of the deadly game being played out in the Middle East between the Jews, Iran, Islam and the West.
The following summery in that article raises a likely question. Will the West believe they can force Israel to give in to all demands when Israel already knows that Iran and Islam cannot be appeased? Pressuring Israel into a suicidal situation will only make Israel go it alone in self defense.
Considering the views of those now leading the West, I would say that the West offering up Israel on the altar of Baal for some hope of world peace is increasingly likely. What the leaders of the West do not understand is that Israel will not be the sacrificial lamb for world peace. Israel already gave birth to a sacrificial Lamb two thousand years ago and unless the world accepts His sacrifice there is no hope for world peace. Those that try to destroy His inheritance will certainly end up destroying themselves.
Eradicating the “Little Satan”
The Iranians and their allies throughout the Muslim world are bent on making the abandonment of Israel the price of “peace in our time.” In a scenario that should ring frighteningly familiar, a charismatic leader of an ideological, totalitarian state is building upon an endemic anti-Semitism inculcated by centuries of religious indoctrination to create an atmosphere in which the massacre of large numbers of Jews and the destruction of their independent polity will be considered a tolerable if not indeed a legitimate eventuality.
That is ominous enough. Even more ominous is the apparent willingness of any number of leaders of the Western world, under the banner of a hoped-for “reconciliation” with a major Middle Eastern power and a world religion, to tilt dangerously toward appeasement, ignoring the requirements of rational decision-making and putting at risk the West’s own abiding interests and deepest values.
As for Israel, if it takes today’s challenges seriously and prepares to meet them with the requisite strength and creativity, this may yet turn out to be its finest hour. If not, we may be witnessing the prelude to its last.
The leader of ancient Israel said it is better that one man should die than the whole nation perish (from the Romans). But the Jesus they cut off will save the nation when the Beast leads the world against Israel. The grace and mercy of Jesus is marvelous.
You are most likely correct. Israel will protect itself very soon and the U.S. will side with the world.
Certainly the West will offer Israel up to the antisemitic world. (I seem to recall scripture telling us this.)
From a worldly perspective, it makes perfect sense; to paraphrase a certain infamous Chief Priest: it is good for a small, insignificant nation to be dissolved to promote & preserve the peace of the world. (see John 18:14)
Where the USA is concerned, we’ve been watching this happen since at least the Carter administration. That our president elect has proclaimed his support for the “Palestinians” and their aims, is an indication of just how far down the road we have gone.
I expect to see a serious betrayal this year.
“Certainly the West will offer Israel up to the antisemitic world.” nice thought brett. except that the west IS the antisemitic world. we are a very poor ally. nothing to offer and so many problems come with us. like the kiss of death. i can understand why europe as a whole and so many in america although not a majority yet want to be rid of us. i dont understand why they wanted it in the past for surely contemporary reasons of muslim hatred were not present then… but no matter. in fact i dont see any chance at all for my people out of this mess. if you would be aware at the amount of hatred in the muslim world against us you would surely agree. but that doesnt matter too. the jews are locked in their destiny no matter what they do and desperation saves them from losing their dignity on futile attempts to appease their would be henchmen (like the west does). i cant understand this optimism of devout christians. all these prophecies… what do you think will happen god will kill all our enemies? or make them good people? what if we choose to not accept this solution to not live side by side with our enemies? the bible says very clearly “lo taase leha maseha” you shall make no mask (or paint or symbol) for that is idol worshiping. we had extraordinary people who were given qualities by god like samson who was inhumanly strong and a hero. but we dont worship him. we know that god was behind his power. you worship jesus. that is idol worshipping. you seem very naive to me. believing in whatever makes you fell better. in some romanticized version of the bible and of god. when israel is gone and my people dead you will invent some prophesy about jesus returning and resurrection of israel. why wont you wake up and smell the coffee?
Hatred against Israel, God’s chosen people, is at it’s root a spiritual problem.
Satan hates Israel and wants to destroy her because he hates God.
The *entire* world hates Israel because it is run by Satan. There is no other rational explanation for antisemitism except as spiritual warfare.
Sir, it seems that you are one of God’s Chosen People. If I seem naive, please consider it “childlikeness” and note well that your God has always valued faith (trust) in Him above all other things (per your less ‘romanticized’ version of the bible). Perhaps in your eyes you can think of me as a ‘God fearing gentile?’
Take Care Sam 🙂
Jesus is not an idol. He is the very reason why Jews were told that they can have no other idol. The fullness of God is displayed in God’s Image His only begotten Son.
Jesus (Yeshua) is the only visible representation of Father God. He existed with God from the beginning and was God before He took on flesh in order to become the kinsman redeemer of man that was lost and separated from the Father because of Adam’s sin.
Your own scriptures tell you that God will defeat Israel’s enemies so why do you think this will not be true? Either people will come to see the light or they will be cut off and not enter the kingdom promised to the Jews and led by God’s Jewish Messiah (Yeshua).
Remember God always sends His prophets before judgment. The prophets are coming very soon and they will give the whole world the truth from Jerusalem for 42 months. The nations will be judged after they hear and receive or reject their message. After that Yeshua will set up his the Kingdom and reign on earth.
These articles I wrote should help you understand why we worship Jesus and why Jesus is the only salvation that God sent to both the Jew and the Gentile. Those awake don’t need to wake up and smell the coffee but the blinded must take off their blinders to see.
http://www.thepropheticyears.com/comments/theonlyway.HTM
http://www.thepropheticyears.com/comments/How%20one%20is%20saved.htm
Sam, I will pray for you, and continue to pray for your people.
Jesus and God are one, and a triune God is not a Christian perspective. As Don pointed out, He was there with God in the beginning. All of your prophecies pointed to His coming, and the Jewish people did not (and many still do not, sadly) want to accept His Deity, despite overwhelming evidence of such. I am curious, do you outright reject Jesus as the Messiah, and if so, are you still awaiting His coming? I encourage you reexamine your own prophecies concerning the Messiah, and pray for God to open your eyes.
I have many Jewish friends, and I admit, I still struggle with understanding the obvious divide in our faith. I do not worship a Jewish carpenter, I worship the same God as you. As a Christian, I accept the perfect plan of God’s to save ALL men, through faith in His Son.
I am glad I was not born Jewish, because it seems a major hindrance to Salvation for all mankind available only through Christ. How well, may I ask, do you adhere to the Law?
OT…
…sorry Don, but I am soooo happy I changed my gravatar FINALLY! It took three attempts.
Sam, you should change yours too: It makes you look grumpy, lol.
That sure is a big improvement Betty. It is something like the new heads we will get when we get our glorified bodies.
Indeed! I’m looking forward to this in ways few among us can understand!
haha! I was tired of my triangle face, anything’s an improvement over THAT!
I take that as a compliment Don (and Brett?), thanks so much…it was years before I could even look at my own face and see any beauty in it. It took God’s amazing healing, and it didn’t hurt that He gave me a beautiful daughter who looks just like me. She took this pic when we were in Myrtle Beach (at a red light) and it is one of my favorites because she captured me in a state of happiness and love: I look forward to the time when I will be there forever!!
Sorry for the OT, but it lightened things up a little 🙂
I am still praying for friend Sam…
Yes Betty, It’s always nice to put a face with someone’s thoughts!
We enjoy both your face and your thoughts. 🙂
do american christians (which is what i assume you are) support israel because they hold the opinion that israel is wrongfully assaulted or is it a scripture thing?
do you believe in what they say about us?
i think i came off too bitter. no matter what, i want to thank you all. i feel very proud and glad to live in a time when my nation has a friend. america is one of possibly two or three friends we had. all for a very short while, in a very long and documented history. i dont think any one group of people ever had the same amount of gratitude adoration and friendship as israelis have toward the usa.
Sam,
American Christians are a mixed bag so I cannot speak for them all. I think most biblical Christians support Israel because Israel is on the moral high ground and is continually being attacked by people filled with hate.
The scripture thing mainly tells us why this is and what will be the outcome of those who try to prevent God’s promises to Israel to be fulfilled. It is really all about a blood feud that goes back to Isaac and Ishmael and Jacob and Essa. Israel actually received the promise of the land from God but your half brothers dispute that right because they think they had the birthright to the land. Then instead of worshiping the God of Israel they created their own god that would focus their hate. We focus on this issue a lot today because we read your prophets and know what they wrote about is talking about what we see happening in the world today.
Actually the people of the United States and the people of Israel have much in common on religious, political, moral and cultural beliefs. We have nothing in common with the dictators and the religious control freaks that run most of the Islamic nations. Now with Obama in charge I cannot say our official position will remain pro Israel in the future but rest assured that the majority of the people in the heartland of America will always support Israel.
For myself, even before I became a Christian, I had a sense of awe and admiration of the Jewish people. I first became aware of this when I read Leon Uris’ “Exodus.”
I support Israel because scripture (both the Old and New Covenant’s) make it very clear that that nation is God’s Chosen People. I also Israel because I recognize (in my spirit as well as intellect) that we are spiritual kin (and related in many other good ways). Though many Jews do not recognize Jesus as Messiah, they do recognize a kinship with Christians, even as if we were step-children or even Samaritans!
Now, if God was not influencing me (both before I surrendered to Him, and now that I belong to Him), I would probably be hate Israel like most of the rest of the world, but I won’t understand why; as I’ve said, this is a spiritual thing. I find no rational reason for the genocidal hatred of the Jewish people: surely God has kept His promise to make them a blessing to the world (in very many ways). The fact that Israel even exists is a says much about the existence of God Himself; how could they survive as a people through such adversity and through so many attempts to destroy them without God’s preserving hand?
Therefore, the hatred of Israel must be of spiritual origin; they are the focus of Satan’s maniacal hatred because he believes that if he can destroy them, then he can keep God from fulfilling His prophesies, thus making Him a liar and providing a bargaining-chip for his own self-preservation.
I know as much as I am known by Him, that the Jews are His special people — not because they deserve it, but because He has chosen them for His own. Likewise Christians are His people too, not because we deserve it, but because we have trusted Him and He likewise chooses to adopt us as sons. We are all related as spiritual descendants of Abraham: his relationship with God was by faith, and the covenant of circumcision was established starting with him: thus he is the father of those who come to God through circumcision and the father of those who come by faith.
Brett, Just a clarification of what you said. I really do not think you believe in duel covenant theology. Circumcision was an outward act of an inward faith. Abraham and his descendants got circumcised because they believed and obeyed God. Abraham was the father of all of faith but not all of Israel physically circumcised had faith. Some in Israel hearts departed from faith in their God. AS Paul said, “not all of Israel is of Israel”.
Romans 9:3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
4 Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;
5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
Yes, you are correct: Salvation is through Jesus alone.
All who have come to God and will come to Him will be through Jesus. The faithful Old Covenant saints were looking forward to Jesus (and it is to them that He “preached” between His death and resurrection), and the Jews in the tribulation will come to see Him as their Messiah as well. Those Jews who are saved in this age will themselves have come through Jesus, whether God reveals that to them through Christians or manages to do that through supernatural or other means.
Sorry, I did not make that clear.
Hi again Sam!
Glad you came back. Personally, I have an affinity for the Jewish people because I have spent most of my life wandering around in the desert, lol. And still have days that I have to go back to visit…
Seriously, though, I know I am not alone in feeling that we are brothers and sisters under the same God. I am sure that it is the power of the Holy Spirit that opens the hearts of all true followers of Jesus to affinity with the Jewish people. It is not a scripture thing, it is from God. I have truly lifted you up in prayer, and that your eyes will the identity of your Messiah, and my Lord Jesus Christ. The very fact that you are on this site leads me to believe that you are searching. As for your people, and the nation, you are all close in heart and prayer. I hope you stick around awhile, we all need to know we are not alone: I promise you friend, you are not.
Shalom,
Betty
Yes Sam, I agree with Betty: You are very welcome here and God’s Chosen People are close to my heart and prayers. It *IS* a thing of God’s Spirit!