As the United Nations announced that 93,000 people have died in the Syrian conflict, the United States announced that it is ready to arm the Syrian rebels. Russia is vocally upset the US is leaving jets and missiles in Jordan, which some say could be used for a no-fly zone in Syria (much like was done to aid Libya’s ultimately victorious revolutionaries).
It is interesting that this week’s Torah Portion (Numbers 19:1-22:1) ends on the Golan Heights with God instructing Moses, regarding the ruling power there, “Do not fear him, for I have delivered him into your hand, with all his people and his land.” The land eventually became part of the inheritance of the tribe of Manasseh. Golan is mentioned several times in Scripture as the location of a “city of refuge” in Bashan, and that is the name by which the region is known today, the Golan Heights.
Russia offered to send troops to the Golan Heights after other UN peacekeepers pulled out. The same week, Russia announced it would have a permanent naval presence in the Mediterranean Sea. Add that to Russia’s tenacious support for Syrian president Bashar Assad, which includes providing weapons. Why is Putin asserting himself in the Middle East? Is this Magog moving?
Joel Rosenberg lays out several reasons why Christians should stand with modern Israel, how Israel is a fulfillment of prophesy and how the treatment of Israel could affect a nation. “The Church is splitting over the nation of Israel. It has for years, and it will get worse. The world is turning against the nation of Israel. And the question is ‘What will you and your congregation do?’ We have to get this Biblically right because we’re going stand before Jesus very soon.”
The LORD showed us many years ago that the Middle East conflict cannot be understood just in traditional terms of wars, history, refugees and borders. We need to understand that it is a huge spiritual battle. It is probably the biggest spiritual battle in the world. It’s a battle for Jerusalem. In Jerusalem, it is a battle for the Temple Mount. Ultimately, it is a battle for who will be worshiped on God’s holy hill.
Iranian pastor Saeed Abedini has been imprisoned in Iran for 250 days as of this writing, according to the American Center of Law and Justice. Abedini has been beaten, denied medical attention and placed in solitary confinement. On Tuesday, Abedini’s wife Naghmeh will address the United Nations Human Rights Council on behalf of her husband.
Witnesses saw two men strike with a car a British soldier on his way back to the barracks. The two men were seen then hacking at the soldier with knives and a cleaver. After killing the soldier, one of the attackers made a statement of motive to a filming bystander. In the video, the attacker’s hands are vividly red with blood, holding the murder weapons. These men who killed this soldier are not the enemy. They are captives of Satan, doing his bidding whether by persuasion or deception. The enemy is the fallen angel now known as Satan.
Last November, the United Nations voted 138-9 to declare Palestine a (nonmember observer) state with East Jerusalem as its capital. If you are a Bible-believer, you MUST come to terms with the truth that Israel is God’s land and he gave it to Abraham and his descendants through Isaac. While the Land has been divided throughout history under various circumstances, we have a unique situation that begs our attention. The world has voted to divide Jerusalem. God is clear. There are consequences for dividing the Land and for exploiting and persecuting the Jews.
I was very distressed to read about your recent paper on Israel that concluded that the people of Israel have no right to the biblical land of Israel. I must warn you that you are poking God in the eye. Paul is very clear in Romans 9, 10 and 11 that God has not repudiated his people and that the promises to Israel still stand. That includes promises of the land.
We in the United States were reminded of life’s fragility this week. The explosions in Boston and outside Waco literally blew people down like grass. Lives dried and faded like flowers. Let us look toward eternity, when the true King will finally be revealed to all and will rule in power, truth, justice and compassion.
