ON the occasion of Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, I decided to re-post something on the subject. This post is five years old, but not at all out of date. In fact, what is covered here will become increasingly relevant to all of us in the coming months and years…
Take a look at the map above. If you can spot tiny Israel at all, dwarfed by all the surrounding lands governed by Muslims, you will see how disproportionate is the opposition to its existence. I say “existence” because sometimes Islamic leaders speak of their determination that Israel should be “driven into the sea”, or “wiped off the map” To locate Israel in this map, refer to the one at the bottom.
In my country of origin, the United Kingdom, it’s become fashionable to blame all the problems of the Middle East on Israel. Neo-Nazis and other anti-Semites even go so far as claiming that all the political and economic problems of the world are caused by Zionists and Jews. I’ve heard some of them say it myself – perhaps you have too. Anti Semitism did not die with Hitler, it just took a back seat for a time.
Here’s a rather enlightening quote from the Hadith, a collection of phrases attributed to Mohammed:
The day of resurrection will not arrive until the Muslims make war against the Jews and kill them, and until a Jew hiding behind a rock and tree, and the rock and tree will say: ‘Oh Muslim, oh servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him!’ (Sahih Bukhari 004.52.176)
The Koran does not contradict the Hadith:
Believers, take neither Jews nor Christians for your friends (Surah 5:51).
And for our liberal friends, who generally side solidly against Israel, here’s some rather politically incorrect advice from the Koran which seems to escape your attention:
Men take authority over women…As for those who are disobedient, admonish them and send them to beds apart and beat them (Surah 4:34).
Of course, anti Semitic views are not confined to Muslims or to the United Kingdom – they are worldwide. It’s fashionable for the news media, for colleges and universities, for many politicians, celebrities, and the people on the street to take sides against Israel. The United Nations regularly condemns Israel for defending itself, and wishes to diminish its power in any way possible.
I don’t intend to go through the history of Israel, Islam and the Middle East here, except to remind you (or perhaps you’ve never been told) that Israel was last removed from its land by the legions of the Roman Empire under Titus, in the first century AD. Josephus estimated that the Romans killed over one million people in the process, ploughing Jerusalem into the ground, and then renaming the land “Palestina” as a final insult to the Jewish race, since Israel’s nearby enemies for centuries had included the Philistines.
There has never been a nation called “Palestine”, and no other nation has had Jerusalem as its capital except Israel. Israelites wandered the earth since the first century, being hounded and persecuted wherever they went. The last significant persecutions, perpetrated by Hitler and Stalin, caused Israelites to seek their own homeland after WWII, in the hope of avoiding any future genocidal attempts against them. Fulfilling Bible prophecies, they founded the new nation of Israel, and have been growing in population and economic success. People of Jewish descent have been moving into the land from all over the world.
The terrible history of the Jewish nation, struggling for its very survival, as well as its future, was prophecied well before and during the time of Christ. In fact, the Bible speaks clearly of events still to come which will affect the whole world, centred in the nation of Israel.
The current “peace process” calls for the division of Jerusalem, and for Israel to become even smaller, so that it would be shrunk to nine miles wide at its narrowest point, and fifty at its widest. A space this small would be impossible to defend agoinst the many surrounding nations committed to Israel’s destrution. Islam now (and not in the past) claims that Jerusalem and the land “occupied” by Israel belongs to them. Jerusalem was not mentioned once in the Koran, but is mentioned 800 times in the Bible. Jews established Jerusalem as their capital three thousand years ago.
This opposition has been prophecied in the Bible. Not only so , but the Bible speaks of a time, just before the return of Christ to the earth, when Israel’s neighbors, with the help of “all nations of the earth” will make one last almighty effort to remove the Jewish state, particularly Jerusalem and Judah, currently known as the West Bank. The number of similarities between Bible prophecy about Israel in the “Last Days”, and the current situation in the Middle East, along with world wide anti-Semitism, is amazing. You can see some of the details below.
Please understand that I am not saying that all Israelis are good and all Moslems are evil. Many Moslems are good people, and many have found faith in Christ, despite the threat of persecution from radicals among their own people. Many Israelis are ungodly people, and the judgments of the Last Days are aimed at them as much as anyone.
I’m writing today to suggest that you choose sides wisely in your discussions and your prayers, in the coming Middle East peace or security arrangement which will not last, and in the coming battles and wars between Israel and its neighbors. Choose wisely before and during the war of all wars between Israel and all the nations of the world (“all” implies that even the US will side with the Muslims, or just step aside). Choose wisely, because God has said to Israel, “I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse those who curse you” (Genesis 12:1-3). Choose wisely, because whoever touches Israel touches the apple of God’s eye (Zechariah 2:8). Choose wisely, because in the day that “all nations” attack Israel, and forcefully divide Jerusalem, The Son of God Himself will show up to join in the fight (Zechariah chapters 14 and 12). At that time he will not be meek and mild, but the roaring lion of Judah:
I will gather all nations to Jerusalem to fight against it…Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives…(Zechariah 14: 2-4).
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. The sun and moon will be darkened, and the stars no longer shine. The Lord will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem, the earth and sky will tremble. But the Lord will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel (Joel 3:14-16).
In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all nations and bring them down to the valley of Jehoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them concerning my inheritance, my people Israel, for they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land (Joel 3:1-2).
Notice the words “my land” in that last verse. The land belongs to God, and he can lease it out to whoever He wants. Notice also the words “my people”.
ISRAEL IN SCRIPTURE – PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE:
THE LAND OF CANAAN WAS PROMISED TO ABRAHAM’S DESCENDANTS
Genesis 12: 1-3
Genesis 13: 14 – 17
Genesis 17: 8
THROUGH THE LINEAGE OF ISAAC, NOT ISHMAEL:
Genesis 17: 18 – 21
THE PROMISE IS IRREVOCABLE – IT CANNOT BE CANCELLED:
Jeremiah 31: 35 -37
Romans 11:25– 32
Isaiah 49: 14 – 18
EXILE WAS A PART OF GOD’S JUDGEMENT ON ISRAEL’S REBELLION:
Deuteronomy 28, especially v.63 – 65
THE FIRST COMPLETE EXILE WAS TO BABYLON:
Daniel 1: 1 – 2
Ezra 5: 11 – 16
THE SECOND WAS TO ALL NATIONS:
Ezekiel 36: 16 – 19
Ezekiel 36: 3
Matthew 23: 33 – 39
THE SECOND COMPLETE EXILE WAS TO BE THE LAST:
Isaiah 11:10– 16
Ezekiel 37: 21 – 25
ISRAEL WOULD BE REGATHERED TO THEIR LAND BEFORE THE TRIBULATION:
Ezekiel 38: 8 – 9
Ezekiel 39 21 – 29
Zephaniah 2: 1 – 3
THE WASTE-LAND WOULD THEN BECOME FERTILE AND DENSELY POPULATED:
Ezekiel 36: 8 – 12
Ezekiel 36: 30 – 38
Joel 3:1-2
ISRAEL’S ENEMIES WOULD SAY THAT THE LAND WAS THEIRS:
Ezekiel 36: 1 – 7
Ezekiel 35
ISRAEL WOULD NOT BE REPENTANT UNTIL JESUS’ RETURN:
Ezekiel 36: 22, 23, 31, 32
Ezekiel 39: 21 – 29
Romans 11:25– 27
JERUSALEM WOULD BE A ‘CUP OF TREMBLING’ FOR THE NATIONS:
Zechariah 12: 1 – 10, especially 2, 3
Zechariah 14: 1 – 19, especially 2, 3
Matthew 24: 14 – 22
Revelation 16: 1 – 2
THE SO-CALLED ‘OCCUPIED WEST BANK’ IS ‘JUDAH’ IN PROPHECY:
Zechariah 12, verses 2, 6 and 7.
Zechariah 14:14
Joel 3:1
Matthew 24:15-22
JERUSALEM AND JUDAH (THE WEST BANK) WOULD BE THE DISPUTED TERRITORIES
Zechariah 12: 2-3
THEY WILL BE ATTACKED BY THE WORLD COMMUNITY, AND JERUSALEM WILL BE DIVIDED FORCEFULLY:
Zechariah 12:2, 3
Zechariah 14:2-9
THE ENEMIES OF ISRAEL TODAY WERE PROPHECIED 2500 YEARS AGO
All the nations around Israel: Ezekiel 36 – 39; Zechariah 12:2
Russia: Ezekiel 38
Iran (called Persia until 20th C): Ezekiel 38
Turkey(then Gomer) Ezekiel 38
All nations of the world – see below
ALL NATIONS WILL BE ANGRY WITH THE BIBLICAL GOD AS WELL AS ISRAEL:
Revelation 19 – 19
Psalm 2: 1 – 6
Revelation 11: 18
ALL NATIONS WILL ATTACK ISRAEL (PERHAPS TWO SEPARATE ATTACKS):
Joel 3, especially verses 1 – 2
Zechariah 12:3
Zechariah 14:2
Revelation 16: 14 – 16
Ezekiel 38: 1 – 9
THE ATTACKS WOULD BE SOON AFTER ISRAEL’S REGATHERING TO THE LAND:
Ezekiel 38:7-9
Ezekiel 39:25-27
BUT FIRST, THERE WILL BE A TEMPORARY ‘PEACE’ OR SECURITY PACT INVOLVING ISRAEL:
1 Thessalonians 5: 1 – 4
Daniel 8: 25 (esp. see the KJV)
Daniel 9: 27
Ezekiel 38: 14 – 16
THERE WILL BE A JEWISH TEMPLE OR WORSHIP CENTER BUILT AT ABOUT THIS TIME IN J:
Daniel 9: 27
Revelation 11: 1 – 2
2 Thessalonians 2: 4 – 6
Matthew 24: 15
PEOPLE WILL BE LIVING ‘NORMALLY‘ AND UNSUSPECTING, UNTIL THE TRIBULATION STARTS:
Matthew 24: 37 – 39
Ezekiel 39: 6
GOD WILL DEFEND ISRAEL AGAINST ITS ATTACKERS:
Zechariah 14: 2 – 5 and verse 12
Zechariah 12: 9
Isaiah 34:1 – 10
Joel 3: 16
Ezekiel 38: 17 – 23
Matthew 24: 30
THIS WILL BE THE END OF HUMAN RULE OVER THE EARTH:
Revelation 19 and 20
Daniel 2: 42 – 45
Isaiah 34: 1 – 4
Zechariah 14: 9 and v 16 – 19
Fuel for Faith 