The Pope is like the Pharisees and Sadducees of Jesus’ day. Despite the 300 prophecies of Jesus first coming they could not make the connection that Jesus was their long-awaited Messiah. Likewise, despite there being 1800 O.T. and at least 200 N.T. prophecies of Jesus’ second coming to rescue Israel and establish His Millennial reign from a new Jerusalem, the Pope sides with Abbas pushing for a two-state solution. Moreover, he obviously has no concern for the Palestinian Christians.
“And the Lord has declared today that you are a people for His treasured possession, as He has promised you, and that you are to keep all His commandments, and thatHe will set you in praise and in fame and in honor high above all nations that He has made, and that you shall be a people holy to the Lord your God, as He promised.”Deuteronomy 26:18-19
Since the establishment of the Palestinian Authority in 1994, the Palestinian Christian community under PA jurisdiction has dwindled. Palestinian Christians complain of Muslim land theft, harassment of Christian women, Christian businesses being forced to pay protection money and discriminatory taxes, and frequent robberies and vandalization of churches. Christians also face kidnapping and forced conversions. They also accuse the PA justice system of providing no legal recourse.
Pope Sides With Abbas Over Israel, Pushes for Palestinian State
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas visited the Vatican on Thursday where he had a private audience with Pope Francis.
A Vatican press release described the talks as “cordial” and called for renewed peace talks towards a two-state solution.
“With regard to the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians, it was stressed that it is absolutely necessary to reactivate direct dialogue in order to achieve a two-state solution, also with the help of more vigorous effort on the part of the international community,” the statement said.
“Lastly, it was reiterated that Jerusalem must be recognised by all as a place of encounter and not of conflict and that its status must preserve its identity and universal value as a Holy City for all three Abrahamic religions, also through a special internationally guaranteed status,” it added.
The Vatican recognized “The State of Palestine” in 2013. Later that year, Abbas made waves during a Christmas message when he insisted that Jesus was a Palestinian. While Israel criticized Abbas’ remarks, church officials were strangely silent.
Hisham Abu-Ria is a courageous social entrepreneur, who deserves our attention and respect. As the highest-ranking Araba Muslim officer in the IDF, Hisham has stepped across political and ethnic boundaries to serve all Israeli citizens and is a powerful force advancing racial integration and peaceful coexistence in Israel. We see now, clearer than ever, that the Jews and Arabs in Israel were not doomed to live together. They were destined to live together. Read more about Hisham at https://britaravit.org.il/en
I am sure that Hisham’s story will touch and inspire you. It will enlighten you as to what Palestinians are taught about Israel and the Jews and how Hisham risked his life to do what he did. Please make sure that you share it with your friends. Please pray for Hisham’s salvation. What a story he would then have to tell.
“My holy name I will make known in the midst of My people Israel; and I will not let My holy name be profaned anymore. And the nations will know that I am the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. Behold, it is coming and it shall be done,” declares the LORD God. “That is the day of which I have spoken” (Ezekiel 39:8).
When will God not allow His holy name to be profaned any more in Israel? Only after Jesus returns. When will God set His “glory among the nations”? When He establishes His kingdom (Millennial Kingdom) on this earth. When will the entire house of Israel come to know the Lord and experience a great outpouring of His Spirit? Only after the Second Coming of their Messiah.
What an amazing Scripture this is. God has unfinished business with Israel. The nation He established for His purposes.All the nations will know God is the Holy One of Israel. “Behold it is coming and it shall be done.”
“And I will set My glory among the nations; and all the nations will see My judgement which I have executed and My hand which I have laid on them. And the house of Israel will know that I am the LORD their God from that day onward” (Ezekiel 39:21).
It is amazing the detail God revealed to Ezekiel about what He will do with Israel in the last days.
“I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all. Ezekiel 37:21-22
“Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And the heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.” Ezekiel 37:26-28
Look at this scripture which says unbelievers will learn why God has dealt harshly with Israel
“And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the sword.” Ezekiel 39:23
And finally God explains He will pour out His Spirit upon the House of Israel when He has gathered them out from their enemies lands then Israel and the nations will know God is the Lord God of Israel.
“When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies’ lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations; Then shall they know that I am the Lord their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there. Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, says the Lord God.” Ezekiel 39:27-29
In this post we have looked at what God revealed to Ezekiel. He revealed just as much if not more to Isaiah. It just confirms what was said to Ezekiel and the other prophets. Next post we will look at what Moses revealed to the nation about its future even before they went into the promised land.
“Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.” Revelation 20:6
When speaking of Israel’s time of suffering in the “latter days” (Deuteronomy 31:29) Moses specifically mentioned in Deut. 32:20and 32:25 that God would hide His face from Israel during this time, and give them over to the power of the sword:
Then He said, “I will hide My face from them, I will see what their end shall be; for they are a perverse generation, sons in whom is no faithfulness”. Deuteronomy 32:20
It is certainly no coincidence that this is exactly what Ezekiel says will take place as a result of Gog’s invasion of Israel.
“I hid My face from them; so I gave them into the hand of their adversaries, and all of them fell by the sword”Ezekiel 39:23
Ezekiel 38:10-13 and 39:10 also mention that as a result of Gog’s invasion, Israel will be “plundered” by her enemies,
The hostility against this small nation that God established for His purposes is escalating at an incredible pace as the following events indicate. Biblical “end times” prophecies are being fulfilled in our day. It is difficult to understand why so much of the church can’t see it.
Freshly inaugurated Iranian president Dr. Ebrahim Raisi, [infamously known as the Butcher of Tehran] hosted the leaders of various terror groups, including Hamas, Hezbollah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad during his first day in office Friday, assuring Iran’s continued support for groups seeking the destruction of Israel.
Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, a guest ofhonour at the event, was singled out for praise by Raisi. According to state-owned Iranian news agency Fars, Raisi reassured Haniyeh that Iran is committed to supporting the terror group.
Hassan Nasrallah, secretary-general of Hezbollah, on Saturday warned that the Israeli army would be destroyed in any future war with the Lebanon-based terrorist organization, Hezbollah’s Al-Manar news agency reported.
“Palestine has been and always will be the number one issue of the Muslim world,” Raisi said. “We’ve never had and will never have any doubt about this policy.”
It must be remembered what Haid Ghaemi, the executive director of the New-York based Centre for Human Rights in Iran, told AFPNews Agency that “Raisi is a pillar of a system that jails, tortures, and kills people for daring to criticize state policies,” .
New Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi hosts Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh (Twitter/IRAN GOV/Screenshot)
Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, after his 12 years at the helm has been replaced by a precarious coalition that lacks coherence and leadership. Whereas Netanyahu was at all times focused on the dangers of a nuclear Iran, the new government appears hardly concerned about this threat.
President Trump toasted the Iran nuke deal, and in the absence of those accords, Iran has been madly spinning centrifuges and taking steps toward becoming a nuclear nation. As well, the Biden administration appears to be influenced by the anti-Israel & pro-Iran philosophy of the former Obama regime When we couple this with the exit of all U.S. and allied NATO forces from Afghanistan, as well as the withdrawal of American forces in the entire Mediterranean area, things are looking rather precarious for the nation of Israel. In the news this week, Israeli Jets Struck Inside Syria for the second time this week Things are all of a sudden looking very bad for the Jewish state, and if they were attacked right now, they could not expect any help from their powerful Western allies. Seldom has their position looked so lonely. All of this and we have not even talked about the unprecedented global rise of anti-Semitism, which is breaking world records each year. It is incredible how quickly everything has changed!
Remember the saying; “Nature abhors a vacuum?” Well, when we connect all of the above factors, a massive hiatus has suddenly appeared in the Middle East that makes the State of Israel extremely vulnerable. Sadly, it is only going to get worse exactly as the Bible prophesies.
Jews Have No Connection to Israel,’ Says Palestinian PM. Once again, July 9th, 2021, Palestinian leaders ignore proven historical facts and deny the Jewish people’s connection to their homeland.
The Western Wall Heritage Foundation and the Israel Antiquities Authority are enabling the public to view impressive new sections of one of one of the most magnificent public buildings uncovered from the Second Temple period. The discovery – the fruit of archaeological excavations recently conducted in the Western Wall Tunnels – will be part of the new route opened to visitors ahead of Rosh Chodesh Elul and Slichot (Penitential prayers). Part of the structure, to the west of Wilson’s Arch and the Temple Mount, was discovered and documented by Charles Warren in the nineteenth century, followed by various archaeologists in the twentieth century. Now that its excavation is complete, we know that it contained two identical magnificent chambers with an elaborate fountain between them. The walls of the halls and the fountain were decorated with a sculpted cornice bearing pilasters (flat supporting pillars) topped with Corinthian capitals. The decorative style of the building is typical of opulent Second Temple-period architecture. Mordechai Soli Eliav, Chairman of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation says, “It is exciting to reveal such a magnificent structure from the Second Temple period while we mourn the destruction of Jerusalem and pray for its restoration. These chambers are part of a new walk through the Western Wall Tunnels, where visitors will view fascinating finds and walk for the first time along the entire route among Second Temple-period remains that illustrate the complexity of Jewish life in Jerusalem between the Hasmonean and the Roman periods.” According to Dr. Shlomit Weksler-Bdolach, Excavation director on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, “This is without doubt one of the most magnificent public building from the Second Temple period that has ever been uncovered outside the Temple Mount walls in Jerusalem. It was built in around 20–30 CE. The building, which apparently stood along a street leading up to the Temple Mount, was used for public functions – it may even have been the city council building where important dignitaries were received before entering the Temple compound and the Temple Mount. Visitors to the site can now envisage the opulence of the place: the two side chambers served as ornate reception rooms and between them was a magnificent fountain with water gushing out from lead pipes incorporated in the midst of the Corinthian capitals protruding from the wall. The excavation also uncovered the original massive stone slabs with which the ancient building was paved. The archaeologists believe that the guest rooms, which were also used for dining, contained wooden reclining sofas that have not been preserved. Reclining dining rooms were common in the Greek, Hellenistic, and Roman worlds from the fifth century BCE to the third–fourth centuries CE. They are known in the archaeological record from private homes, palaces, temples, synagogue complexes and civilian compounds. Dining or feasting while reclining is mentioned as early as the Book of Amos – in the first half of the eighth century BCE – when the prophet rebukes the people of the Kingdoms of Judah and Israel. In the late Second Temple period, before the Temple’s destruction, extensive changes made throughout the area included alterations to the building, which was divided into three separate chambers. In one of the chambers, a stepped pool was installed that was used as a ritual bath.” Shachar Puni, architect for the Israel Antiquities Authority’s Conservation Department explains, “The new route provides a better understanding of the complex and important site known as the Western Wall Tunnels, while emphasizing the extent of this magnificent building. It creates a new visitors’ route that passes through the building and leads to the spacious compound at the foot of Wilson’s Arch (one of the bridges leading to the Temple Mount), which was also excavated by the Western Wall Heritage Foundation and the Israel Antiquities Authority. By making the route accessible and opening it to the public, visitors are introduced to one of the most fascinating and impressive sites in the Old City of Jerusalem.”
All of the O.T prophets were given a picture of the final restoration of Israel with their Messiah ruling all the nations. The Millennial reign of Jesus is all about fulfilling the unconditional covenant God made with Abraham.
“Then it will happen on that day that the Lord will again recover the second time with His handthe remnantof His people, who will remain, from Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. and He will lift up a standard for the nations and assemble the banished ones of Israel and will gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. (Isaiah 11:11–12)
Isaiah’s prophecy is speaking of a final regathering that is patterned after the original Exodus from Egypt. The first was out of Egypt, the second is from all over the world, at the end of the great tribulation.It cannot be the 1948 regathering as Jesus is not ruling Israel and the nations.
“In that day the LORD will start His threshing (His separation of the righteous from the wicked) from the flowing stream of the Euphrates to the brook of Egypt, and you will be gathered up one by one, O sons of Israel. It will come about also in that day that a great trumpet will be blown, and those who were perishing in the land of Assyria and who were scattered in the land of Egypt will come and worship the LORD in the holy mountain at Jerusalem.” Isaiah 27:12-13 2
In the regions situated between the Euphrates River, which would include parts of Turkey, Syria, and Iraq, and the “brook of Egypt,” which was most likely located in what is now the central Sinai Peninsula.
“Therefore behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when it will no longer be said, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought up the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’ but, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of the north and from all the countries where He had banished them,’ for I will restore them to their own land which I gave to their fathers.” (Jeremiah 16:14–15)
In Jeremiah’s mind, the final restoration to the land is an ultimate Exodus, far superior to the historical Exodus.
“As I live, declares the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out I will be king over you. I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out. And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face. As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you, declares the Lord God. I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. I will purge out the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against me. I will bring them out of the land where they sojourn, but they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.” Ezekiel 20:33-38
For Ezekiel, the coming redemption, the ‘Second Exodus’, overshadows its ancient prototype as the ultimate manifestation of Yahweh’s might.
“For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land… Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God.” Ezekiel 36:24-28
Ezekiel connects the great end time outpouring of the Holy Spirit to Israel’s regathering to their land
“And when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, andyou call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God has driven you and return to the Lord your God, you and your children, and obey His voice in all that I command you today, with all your heart and with all your soul,” Deuteronomy 30:2
“And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.” Deuteronomy 30:6
Moses gives this amazing prophecy to the nation before they enter the Promised Land. Note at this time of regathering they experience an inner circumcision of their hearts resulting in total obedience.
Micah envisions the final restoration of Israel through the lens of a second Exodus.
“In that day they will come to you, from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, and from Egypt to the River, from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain… As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt, I will show them marvelous things. The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might;” Micah 7:12, 15
In chapter 7, the prophet speaks of Israel’s eschatological restoration and the expansion of her national borders: “On that day will your boundary be extended” (v. 11).
Many Americans witnessing the recent bloodshed in Israel are perplexed by how quickly violence erupted after years of calm. Mike Pence former VP provided the answer: President Biden and congressional Democrats have abandoned unambiguous support for Israel, which has emboldened Hamas and Arabs living in Israel. In fact, they have turned back policies that yielded historic peace deals in the Middle East.
As well International security analyst Martin Himel reported on the wave of anti-Semitic attacks in the U.S. and Europe saying anti-Semites have been emboldened by the Israel-Hamas conflict and the Arab insurgency within Israel.
In this excellent short video, Pence makes many of the points I made in my recent LEN post “IS THIS THE END OF JEWISH/ARAB COEXISTENCE IN ISRAEL?” If you have not seen it can I suggest you take a look after you have watched this video by Mike Pence. I believe the recent events signal “a significant watershed event” in Biblical prophecy.
Jews cower in their homes as Arabs set fire to synagogues and comb the streets for Jewish victims. Failing that, they attempt to break into Jewish homes. They burn cars and whatever else they can lay their hands on. These events are taking place over the last two days, in Israel proper, in the city of Lod, a half hour’s drive from Tel Aviv.
Israel’s Iron Dome Defense System intercepts a barrage of Hamas rockets fired at Israel from Gaza towards Tel Aviv—some 150 at a time
Lod is a mixed city. Its Jewish population has been shouting for help as they remain trapped in their own homes while Arabs run riot. The government has quite rightly been criticized for its tepid response. Only about 30 rioters have been arrested. Finally, on Tuesday evening, the government ordered 16 Border Police companies to the city and declared a state of emergency.
As pathetic as has been the government and police response, it’s Lod’s Arabs who deserve the most censure. They are Israeli Arabs. They have grown up in Israel, not on the other side of some imaginary line, not in the so-called ‘occupied territories.’ Israel makes enormous effort to help its Arab citizens feel a part of the country, despite propaganda to the contrary. In short, there is no excuse for the savagery of this ungrateful minority.
One Jewish woman in Lod, appearing on Channel 11 on Tuesday night, described the relations she had had with her Arab neighbors up until then. She said they were a model of warmth and mutual respect. Most fascinating was hearing how the friendly relationships of years changed in the way a switch is flipped. She said she could feel the difference. Suddenly, they looked at her with hostile eyes. The woman, a sociologist by profession, said she couldn’t explain it. She also said she saw Arabs outside “dancing with joy” as the Hamas rockets flew by.
It is reminiscent of accounts from the 1929 Hebron pogrom, where “Arab homeowners had told their Jewish neighbours ‘today will be the great slaughter,’ and several of the victims took tea with so-called friends who, in the afternoon, became their killers.”
Lod’s violence has now spread to other heavily Arab cities. Bedouin in the south lie in wait along the highways, ready to stone passersby.
Arabs cheered at Jerusalem’s Damascus Gate as they watched a Hamas rocket reach the Jerusalem area on Monday evening, May 10th around 6:00 p.m. Between six and seven rockets were fired in the barrage, which was directed at Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh, located approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi) west of the capital.
Israelis are watching and no doubt reaching conclusions. “All the work we have done here for years [regarding coexistence] has gone down the drain,” Lod’s mayor said. Even the most dedicated peace advocates have fallen silent as Arabs, who a month ago were wishing their Jewish neighbors a Happy Passover, took to the streets with chants of “With blood and fire we will redeem Palestine.”
An Arab Israeli rioter
In terms of “end times” timing this is a very significant watershed event. The hostility will only escalate from here as Jews have to isolate Palestinians living within its borders. World anti Jewish sentiment will escalate as a result. The good news is that we know the end of the story, and whilst Israel still has its greatest challenge ahead involving the Antichrist, Jesus will return to Israel to rule and reign the nations from Jerusalem when it will be known as the “City of Peace” and “THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS” (Isaiah 1:26; 2:1-4; Jeremiah 23:6)
We must not miss the eternal purposes of God in His everlasting covenant with Israel. The following scripture was given by Jesus to make this truth in a profound way.
When a woman from modern-day southern Lebanon found Jesus and begged Him to heal her demonized daughter, He ignored her. (Matthew 15:21-28 – Faith of a Canaanite Woman) She kept at it, and wouldn’t relent (much like the widow in Luke 18). His disciples, ever known for their abounding compassion, offered to get rid of her so they wouldn’t have to hear the inconvenience of her desperation. Jesus, blessedly, ignored the immaturity of the twelve apostles to make a point through this interaction—a point we need to have clarity on today.
He replied, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
But she came, knelt before Him, and said, “Lord, help me!”
He answered, “It isn’t right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”
“Yes, Lord,” she said, “yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”
Then Jesus replied to her, “Woman, your faith is great. Let it be done for you as you want.” And from that moment her daughter was healed.[28]
Here is a non -Jewish Gentile approaching the Son of David and begging Him for help. If we miss what Jesus wants to convey to us in this passage i.e. the eternal purposes of God in the everlasting covenant, then He initially does not come across as the loving, merciful Jesus we know. Thankfully, this incredible woman did not miss these critical issues, and Jesus drew this confession out of her for all of us to hear—and heed.
Consider this paraphrase of the verses above given in the FAI Prophecy, Proclamation, Covenant and Controversy, MAY 13, 2021:
Jesus: “I cut a covenant on the hills of Hebron to form a nation-state wherein I’ll reveal My eternal purposes and glory to the world. The house of Israel is therefore marked with a covenantal peculiarity your people are not marked with.”
Lebanese Woman*: “You are the LORD, and I know enough about You to know You can help me.”
Jesus, shrugging: “The covenantal provisions are for the children of the covenant.”
Lebanese Woman: “I’ve heard about You, and I’ve heard about Your covenant—and I submit to Your right to do what You will as You will, when You will and how You will, to whom You willand through whom You will. And I know You’re going to bless the nations through this covenant—I know there’s enough of You to go around, and even a Gentile like me can receive the overflowfrom the covenantal table.”
Jesus:“YOU GOT IT! I love your faith!”
The FAI video series Covenant and Controversy is a must watch for every Bible believing Christian. Not only must you watch this series but you need to promote it as widely as possible. After you have watched the first video then you will now why I am promoting this video series so enthusiastically.
Data so far shows the Pfizer vaccine has a very high effectiveness in preventing illness, hospitalizations and mortality.By Paul Shindman, World Israel News
With nearly half of Israel’s population having received at least one shot of the coronavirus vaccine, data released on the weekend by the Health Ministry shows that it has almost 99% efficacy in preventing serious illness, Israel Hayom reported Sunday. According to the data, 14 days after injection, the second dose of the vaccine was 95.8% efficient in preventing new infections, and 98% of those inoculated did not develop fever or respiratory symptoms.
The vaccine is 98.9% effective in preventing hospitalizations due to corona, 99.2% in the prevention of severe corona cases and 98.9% in preventing death by coronavirus, the data shows.
The data as of Feb. 13 was for those Israelis who had received the required two shots of the vaccine made by the American company Pfizer, which are given three weeks apart. The effectiveness was compared to people who had not been vaccinated at all.
“Thanks to the strong health care system of the State of Israel, which has allowed us in a short time to reach an unprecedented inoculation in the population, and our ability for comprehensive epidemiological surveillance, we are the first country in the world to demonstrate the effect of corona vaccine in a real clinical world,” said Health Ministry Director General Hezi Levy. “The vaccine significantly reduces morbidity and mortality and this effect can be seen in the morbidity data in the country,” Levy said.
A woman receives a coronavirus vaccine injection at a mobile vaccine station at the Tel Aviv beach, Feb. 20, 2021. (Flash90/Tomer Neuberg)
